Saturday, October 24, 2009

OeAV-Sektion Salzburg, alpine.ausbildung Jänner - Juli 2010

Meine Kurse Angebot für Alpenverein Sektion Salzburg alpine.ausbildung Programm in 2010. Ich biete auch Übungstouren (Eis, Ski, Alpin, Klettern, usw.) als Unterstutzung für die verschiedene Kurse. Mehr Infos E-Mail an joe.fratianni@alpenverein-salzburg.at


Eisklettern Grundkurs

Fr.-So., 15.-17. Jänner 2010

Kursort: Salzburg / Berchtesgaden Umgebung

Kursbeginn: Fr. 15.01.2010, 18:00 AV-Haus Nonntal


Eisklettern Fortgeschrittene

Do.-So., 04.-07 Februar 2010

Kursort: Maltatal

Kursbeginn: Do., 04.02.2010, 19:00, Malta

Anreise: Do., 04.02.2010, 17:00


Schihochtour

Do.-So., 25.-28. März 2010

Kursort: Johannis Hütte, Osttirol / Grossvenediger

Kursbeginn: Do., 25.03.2010, 12:00, Johannis Hütte

Anreise: Do., 25.03.2010, 07:00


Firn- und Eistouren

Do.-So., 10.-13. Juni, 2010

Kursort: Taschachhaus im Pitztal

Kursbeginn: Do., 10.06.2010, 13:00, Taschachhaus

Anreise: Do., 10.06.2010, 07:00


Klettern Alpin

Do.-So., 01-04. Juli, 2010

Kursort: Blaueis Hütte, Hochkalter Gebiet / Berchtesgaden

Kursbeginn: Do., 01.07.2010, 18:00 Blaueis Hütte

Anreise: Do., 01.07.2010, 15:00

It's all training ...

To paraphrase the late Alex Lowe, everything that you do in the mountains could be considered "training". In the fall, Will Gadd usually posts interesting and invaluable insights into getting ready for the winter ice climbing season.

He's written a series of posts titled "Random Training Thoughts #1 - #6" on his blog that are well worth reading. Click here to get to Gadd's blog

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Grossvenediger

I was in East Tyrol for the first weekend of October with Christos to climb the Grossvenediger. It was the last weekend that the Johannis Hut would be open before their five-month winter break. The weather and conditions on the normal route from the south were excellent. Additionally, there were very few people underway.

From the hut, it is about 1600 meters of elevation gain to the top. The route is a glacier hike with no real technical difficulties. There is however the risk of crevasse falls, a long distance and moving at a height of 3100m to 3600m for more than half of the route. Standard glacier equipment and traveling on a rope are essential.

The high pressure Autumn weather pattern assured for cold temperatures at night and cool, pleasant temperatures during the day. The surface of the glacier was frozen which made for quick travel. There were some deposits of wind-blown snow, and about 5 to 10cm amount of new snow on the upper plateau.

The photo on the left is of Christos walking across the snow ridge that leads to the summit. I remember the first time I walked across it a long time ago and how I had wobbly knees as left and right there are about 200 meters of very steep couloirs falling away to the glacier below.

Above 3500 meters the wind was a bit stronger and the temperature was noticeably cooler. It proved to be a taste of what was to come later in the week in the north-eastern alps.

Today we are in the second day of our first winter storm cycle. There is snow at an elevation of 850 meters. In the next couple of days the temperatures will continue to drop, bring snow showers into the valleys. The forecast is for about a half meter of snow in the mountains.

As it turned out the first weekend in October seems to be the end of fall in the region. Good thing we were able to take advantage of the good settled weather. Hopefully, winter will bring abundant snow and good ice conditions long into the spring.

I plan to be back on the south side of the Grossvenediger for some ski mountaineering activities in March. There are a couple of routes and descents that have caught my eye in the past years, and I am planning on doing a Alpenverein glacier ski course there as well.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Chamonix, September 2009

I got to spend a short week in the Mont Blanc range during the last week in September. My partner Erwin and I stayed up at the Cosmiques hut not far from the upper station of the Midi gondola. We did some ice and mixed routes on Mont Blanc du Tacul/Triangle du Tacul to spend as much time climbing s possible. Our finishing tour was the popular Cosmiques ridge route back to the Midi gondola station.

We stayed up high because that's where the conditions were at their best. It was clear that the region had gone through a particularly hot and dry July and August. A lot of lower mixed lines and north faces were ice and snow free, or in very bad shape, and therefore prone to rock fall.


Our timing was good: we arrived at the end of a brief storm and the start of a stable high pressure system that lasted for the week. Temps were cool ( the 0 degree line was between 3000 and 3200 meters) with no real wind.