Off-Piste Skiing Additional Course Dates & Avalanche Update from Michael Lacher

feet, ankles, stance

This winter season, my single day off-piste skiing technique courses are very popular. The two sessions have been fully booked since they were advertised through the Salzburg Section of the Austrian Alpenverein at the start of December.

This past weekend, Saturday 15. December 2018, I had a group of seven skiers and then on the following Sunday, 16. December 2018 a day for participants on the waiting list.

happy, tired skiers after a day of concentrated work

The next scheduled off-piste skiing course is Saturday, 19. January 2019. The course is already fully booked. However, I have two additional days scheduled:

Friday, 01. February 2019

Sunday, 03. February 2019

I am planning on skiing with the participants in Obertauern as long as the weather and conditions allow. There are spaces still available for the two dates in February. The cost is €40,-- per participant with a minimum of four participants. (6 is the maximum.)

Contact me with questions or for more information by using the contact form on the right.

Avalanche Safety & Education for Skiers, Boarders, Snowshoers ...

Michael Lacher, Director of Mountain Sports Austrian Alpenverein

Lawinen Update Presentation In Salzburg!

Info: http://www.alpenverein.at/portal/bergsport/sicheramberg/lawinenupdate/index.php

Wednesday, 09. January 2019 at 19:00

Odeion in Hallwang -- It's FREE!

Winter & Spring Program 2018 - 2019

Here's an overview of what I am doing this winter and spring for the Alpine Ausbildung Program for the Salzburg Alpenverein and some other stuff.

The off-piste ski technique courses seem to be very popular and I have had to add some extra dates.

There may be a few new things coming as well. I am thinking about a Freeride Ski Course in the spring in Hintertux and perhaps a ski mountaineering group too.

Alpenverein Salzburg Kurse & Programmen

Winter / Frühling 2018 / 2019

Kurs / Program	Termine	Teilnehmer-gebühr	Teilnahme-bedingungen	Anmeldung und Infos	Status
Schitechnik im Gelände	Sa., 15.12 2018	€40,—	sicher fahren auf der Piste	AV-Salzburg Alpine Ausbildung	ausgebucht nur Warteliste
Schitechnik im Gelände	So., 16.12.2018	€40,—	sicher fahren auf der Piste	Joe Fratianni	zusätzlicher Termin für Personen auf der Warteliste und neue Anmeldungen
Eisklettern Refresher und Grundkurs	Fr., 28.-So., 30.12.2018	€150,—	Klettern Grundkenntnis & Kameraden Sicherung in Top Rope / Vorstieg	AV-Salzburg Alpine Ausbildung	mindestens 3 Teilnehmer nötig bis maximal 5 Teilnehmer
Eisklettern Fortgeschritten	Mi., 02.-Fr., 04.01.2019	€200,—	Eisklettern Grundkurs	AV-Salzburg Alpine Ausbildung	mindestens 3 Teilnehmer nötig bis maximal 5 Teilnehmer
Schitechnik im Gelände			sicher fahren auf der Piste		ausgebucht nur Warteliste
AV-Sektion Großramming Eiskletterkurs	Do., 24.-So., 27.02.2019	€180,—	Klettern Grundkenntnis & Kameraden Sicherung Top-Rope / Vorstieg	Joe Fratianni Martin Aigner AV-Sektion Großramming	geschlossene Gruppe nur für AV-Sektion Großramming
Schitechnik im Gelände	Fr., 01.02.2019	€40,—	sicher fahren auf der Piste	Joe Fratianni	zusätzlicher Termin für Personen auf der Warteliste und neue Anmeldungen
Schitechnik im Gelände	So., 03.02.2019	€40,—	sicher fahren auf der Piste	Joe Fratianni	zusätzlicher Termin für Personen auf der Warteliste und neue Anmeldungen
Eisklettern Training Gruppe	Zeitraum: So., 17.-Sa., 23.02.2019	abhängig von Teilnehmer-zahl und Tage, bitte bei Interesse direkt Kontakt aufnehmen	absolviert AV-Salzburg Alpine Ausbildung Eisklettern Grund- und Fortgeschrittenen Kurse, oder ähnliche Erfahrung	Joe Fratianni	nur mit Erlaubnis des Kursleiters, maximum 3 Teilnehmer
Schi- bergsteigen & Alpine Eis Training Gruppe	Zeitraum: So., 24.02-Sa., 02.03.2019	abhängig von Teilnehmer-zahl und Tage, bitte bei Interesse direkt Kontakt aufnehmen	absolviert AV-Salzburg Alpine Ausbildung Schitouren Grund- und Fortgeschrittenen Kurse, Stop or Go + Notfall Lawine	Joe Fratianni	nur mit Erlaubnis des Kursleiters, maximum 4 Teilnehmer
Schitouren Fortgeschritten	Fr. (Abend),-So., 15.-17.03.2019	€120,—	Schitouren Grundkurs, Stop or Go + Notfall Lawine	AV-Salzburg Alpine Ausbildung	mindestens 3 Teilnehmer nötig bis maximal 6 Teilnehmer
Schihochtouren: Westalpen Durchquerung	Zeitraum: Do., 28.03.-So., 07.04.2019	abhängig von Teilnehmer-zahl und Tage, bitte bei Interesse direkt Kontakt aufnehmen	absolviert AV-Salzburg Alpine Ausbildung Schitouren Grund- und Fortgeschrittenen Kurse, Stop or Go + Notfall Lawine, oder ähnliche Erfahrung	Joe Fratianni	nur mit Erlaubnis des Kursleiters, maximum 5 Teilnehmer

Vorschau Sommer und Herbst:

Kalymnos Zeitplan 2019

Ostern Klettern, Sa., 20.04 - So. 05.05.2019

Klettersaison: 20.05.2019 bis Mitte November 2019

Chamonix / Mont Blanc 

Alpine Eis & Mixed Training Gruppe plus Mont Blanc über “3 Monts” Route
Zeitraum: Do., 26.09.-So., 06.10.2019

Of course, if there or any questions or if you need further information, just contact me by using the links provided or the contact form on the right.

Kalymnos 2018 Season: Programs & Info

Kalymnos 2018

I will start my season on Kalymnos on May 16, 2018. I will be on the island through the autumn, until the end of October or beginning of November.

To get an overview of what's going on this year, go to www.kalymnosprimalclimb.com. You can also find out more through my Facebook page here, or on Instagram here.

Kalymnos Program Schedule 2018

PROGRAM	SHORT DESCRIPTION	DATES	COST	ENROLLEMENT
Transitions in Outdoor Climbing	Intensive three-day course for climbers with some experience	Saturday, 19. May through Monday, 21. May 2018	€325,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of five participants
Multi-Pitch Basic	Beginning-level course for bolted, multi-pitch routes	Thursday, 24. May through Saturday, 26. May 2018	€325,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of three participants
Multi-Pitch Supplement	Intermediate rope skills: partner assistance, emergency retreat, double rope technique - complements the Multi-Pitch Basic Course	Monday, 28. May through Tuesday, 29. May 2018	€225,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of three participants
Climbing for Fitness & Longevity with Dr. Peter Battre	Lifestyle climbing as primary means of fitness and health, nutrition, supplemental activities, medical consultation and evaluation	Thursday, 07. June through Tuesday, 12. June 2018	€750,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of five participants
Primal Climb Interactive with Dr. Peter Battre	Interactive seminar with a focus on outdoor rock climbing, lifestyle adjustments and personal growth, nutrition, supplemental activities and medical evaluation	Thursday, 14. June through Tuesday, 19. June 2018	€750,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of five participants
Fundamentals of Sport Climbing	Entry-level course for outdoor rock climbing	Thursday, 12. July through Tuesday, 17. July 2018 (five days of climbing in six day period)	€325,— per Participant	Minimum of three participants to maximum of six participants
Transitions in Outdoor Climbing	Intermediate-level course for climbers with some experience	Thursday, 19. July through Tuesday, 24. July 2018 (five days of climbing in six day period)	€350,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of six participants
KALYMNOS REUNION 10-Day Private Invitation Only Group	Reunion of past climbers who have taken various courses with kalymnosprimalclimb.com in previous seasons	Friday, 03. August through Sunday, 12 August 2018 (nine days of climbing in ten-day period)	€450,— per Participant	Minimum of three participants to maximum of six participants
Private Lessons & Personal Training	Individual and small group custom lessons, training & coaching	Thursday, 16. August through Wednesday, 30 August 2018	€90,— to €280,— per Participant per Day (Click on the “Private Lessons & Personal Training” icon under “Services” on kalymnosprimalclimb.com)	Minimum of two participants to maximum of five participants
Fundamentals of Sport Climbing	Entry-level course for outdoor rock climbing	Thursday, 30. August through Tuesday, 04 September 2018 (five days of climbing in a six-day period)	€325,— per Participant	Minimum of three participants to maximum of six participants
Transitions in Outdoor Climbing	Intermediate-level course for climbers with some experience	Thursday, 06. September through Tuesday, 12. September 2018 (five days of climbing in a six-day period)	€350,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of six participants
Multi-Pitch Basic	Beginning-level course for bolted, multi-pitch routes	Thursday, 27. September through Saturday, 29. September 2018	€325,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of three participants
Multi-Pitch Supplement	Intermediate rope skills: partner assistance, emergency retreat, double rope technique - complements the Multi-Pitch Basic Course	Monday, 01. October through Tuesday, 02. October 2018	€225,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of three participants
Transitions in Outdoor Climbing	Intermediate-level course for climbers with some experience	Thursday, 04. October through Tuesday, 09. October 2018 (five days of climbing in a six-day period)	€350,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of six participants
Multi-Pitch Basic	Beginning-level course for bolted, multi-pitch routes	Thursday, 18. October through Saturday, 20. October 2018	€325,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of three participants
Multi-Pitch Supplement	Intermediate rope skills: partner assistance, emergency retreat, double rope technique - complements the Multi-Pitch Basic Course	Monday, 22. October through Tuesday, 23. October 2018	€225,— per Participant	Minimum of two participants to maximum of three participants

To book any activity simply reserve your spot by email at fratiannijoe@gmail.com or click on “CONTACT” at kalymnosprimalclimb.com. I would be happy to give you advice and answer any questions regarding my various program offerings.

If you do not see a program or date that fits your schedule, just contact me about arranging an alternative.

When It All Goes Wrong - Tragedy in Cogne

Last week in Cogne, 21. February 2018, a young Italian ice climber died when the detached pillar on the climb of Pattinaggio Artistico Diretta broke off while he was climbing it.

I was walking into the Valeille side valley from Lillaz near Cogne the day of the accident to climb something else. The column broke off on the right side of the fall where you see the obvious fracture line. I had seen the formed pillar earlier in the week and it looked okay, a bit smaller in diameter at the base than at it's attachment point and not as massive looking as when I last saw it well formed about three or four seasons ago.

The above photo is the larger of two pieces of the broken pillar about 250 meters below the icefall. I do not know any exact details of exactly what happened such as whether or not the climber had placed ice screws in the column or not. There was a report in Italian in the local mountain rescue website for the Aosta valley that said there was a three-person rope team led by the accident victim who may have been in the role, or was, a mountain guide.

The second piece of the pillar resting further up slope from the first and just a bit smaller. Both chunks of ice are massive weighing hundreds of kilograms each. The site www.icefall-data.org outlines the accident with temperature information here. There has also been some back and forth on icefall-data's Facebook page about the comments written into the ice conditions books in Bar Licone and the ice conditions website from Hotel La Barme in Valnontey.

Above, the rescue helicopter set down on the snow slope 100 meters from the ruptured column that had been embedded in the rock walls of Pattinaggio Artistico Diretta.

On the 17th and 18th of February there was a major warm front that moved through the west Alps pushing the snow level up to 2000 meters and the freezing level to 2200 meters. There was very heavy precipitation, which fell as rain on the majority of ice climbs in Valeille including Pattinaggio Artistico Diretta. In the couple of days prior to the accident, temperatures swung in the other direction getting to around -10 to -12 degrees centigrade at night. The air temperature difference was easily as much as 15 degrees within a 48 hour period. Additionally, climbs on the left side of Valeille (the side of Pattinaggio Artistico Diretta) come into the sun in the afternoon and receive the effects of very strong solar radiation.

In the first photo that starts this post, one can see the deep blue color of the ice. This indicates very compact ice that has been warmed by solar radiation during the later part of the day. (At the time of the photo it was probably +2 or +3 degrees centigrade.) The ice becomes infused with melt water that then (hopefully) refreezes in the night, the ice structure expands as the water turns solid. This process is fickle as extreme fluctuations in temperature, humidity, sun, etc., will cause instability and when the fluctuation is shifting towards drastically colder temperatures, the ice is full of tension.

This is a photo of the classic WI5 icefall Stella Artice a couple hundred meters further in the valley, and on the same side, as Pattinaggio Artistico Diretta. The photo was taken two days before the accident. What do you think of the ice structure and conditions of this climb?

The ice season in Cogne usually goes from mid-December through March. Stella Artice was photographed above at the end of February. However, the conditions show an icefall in a state of typical early season ice. There are large hanging massive icicles, the pillars that touch down are much smaller at their base than at their attachment points and the difficulty of the icefall is clearly much harder than WI5. Additionally, if you have seen this icefall in good conditions, you can easily evaluate the difference between the February 2018 structure of Stella Artice and how the icefall looks when it forms in a much better and fatter way.

The take-away from all the above is that the ice in the 2018 season in Cogne is much more sensitive to the weather and other environmental factors as the season comes to a close because the ice structures, most notably at the beginning of the side valleys and under 2000 meters, are much more susceptible to the sun and temperature because they are more or less in early season conditions, far from 'fat' and far from massively stable.

In the condition reports in the notebooks in Bar Licone or Hotel La Barme there are multiple descriptions of "very good conditions". There is a little bit of self-inflationary reporting as some climbers do not want to say that a grade WI4 or WI5 icefall is harder than the guidebook grade or that they are somehow challenged at this level. But, a lot of climbs that are noted as being in good conditions are clearly not when viewed from the experience of the perspective of over a period of ten years.

What someone else writes in a notebook or on-line is just their opinion, which they are clearly entitled to, however it is just one bit of information from one human being who we usually have no contact or knowledge of. Ueli Steck was asked how he decides to climb something, if he calls hut guardians for information or talks to mountain guides, etc. He said "No", he makes is evaluations with all the information he collects and what his personal observations are. His point was that he did not want to be influenced, one way or another, from outside people with their own set of judgements, experiences and personality make up. Further, he felt that he has the experience to make his own decisions. He also needs the quiet, inner, reflective state of mind to really evaluate exactly what he is feeling, sensing and interpreting.