On the 22nd of December my wife and I got to ski together. The night before in the climbing gym, our dark-cloud friend proclaimed that the morning would bring cloud and rain. It didn't. And we, thank God, didn't believe him.
We skied in sunny, warm weather with no wind and no people. It was wonderful. The snow, however was not. Heavy, thick new snow that due to the rising temperatures of Föhn conditions was anything but effortless to ski in.
We skied on packed snow for the first part of the morning before venturing, very cautiously, on to some un-tracked slopes.
"Work your skies together", "Create a platform", I said. "You've got to steer your skies through the snow", and "Be more aggressive". At times it looked really good. Jennifer was athletic, crouched, guiding her fat twin-tips through the muck. She was skiing. She was happy. Cool.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Ice Conditions, Internet Info & Merry Christmas
I just got through a round of ice climbing as the first climbs of the season started to come into shape over the past few weeks. As expected my crampons, picks and screws are pretty beat up after dealing with thin ice and rocks sneakily hidden under unconsolidated snow. I've got two sets of tools, six crampons and nine screws to file and resharpen over the next few days of Christmas.Ice conditions in the eastern Alps were really starting to come into shape after more that a week of very cold weather in mid-December. However, it seems that Santa has brought the Föhn with him along with all his other goodies. Obviously the jolly fat guy doesn't climb ice.
Until yesterday (22. December), we experienced a spell of very cold weather in a pattern coming from the northeast. Through Christmas day and St. Stevens a pattern of Föhn conditions will dominate. Hopefully the high temps and warm winds won't destroy all the ice that has already been built up.
So what was/is in shape? The ice falls in Pitztal above 1300 meters, the Anlauf vally in Böckstein in the Gastein valley, Koppenwand between Obertauern and Untertauern, and some small flows in the area between Salzburg and Berchtesgaden.
Andy Kirkpatrick has revamped his webpage. He has started posting some interesting tips relted to winter climbing, clothing, gear, etc. Check it out at http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/.
Lastly, I would like to wish all a very merry Christmas and a healthy 2010.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
OeAV-Sektion Salzburg, alpine.ausbildung Jänner - Juli 2010
Meine Kurse Angebot für Alpenverein Sektion Salzburg
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
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.
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.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Gaisberg Crag & Rif Climbing Tower
The easier routes to the right of the main compact wall on the Gaisberg crag are not found in any guide book. The area has been used for more than fifty years as a training area by alpinists, long before the first hard sport routes were bolted on the main compact wall.
Stefan, Sabine and I cleaned, re-bolted or put up six routes a couple of weeks ago. All the new or refurbished routes are equiped with standard expansion bolts and new anchors. The bolting is friendly and will protect the climber from a ground fall
This is the first step of a process that we hope to complete this fall. We are planning on establishing some two-pitch lines of about 40-45 meters, bolting some extensions, creating a rope technique practice area, and putting up some easy multi-pitch routes.
This project is a private undertaking from the Kletterhalle Salzburg / denkundstein. I will post more details about the crag as we continue working on the routes. Information will also be available at the website of the Salzburg climbing gym / denkundstein.
The climbing tower at the University Sport Center in Rif has also been equiped with new sport-climbing anchors. The anchors are standard two-point anchors with chains connecting one normal and one screw gate karabiner. This much needed improvement will all but eliminate the number one cause of climbing fatalities in the last years at the tower due to errors made while re-threading the anchors. The new anchors make the tower much more user friendly for private climbers and courses.
Stefan, Sabine and I cleaned, re-bolted or put up six routes a couple of weeks ago. All the new or refurbished routes are equiped with standard expansion bolts and new anchors. The bolting is friendly and will protect the climber from a ground fall
This is the first step of a process that we hope to complete this fall. We are planning on establishing some two-pitch lines of about 40-45 meters, bolting some extensions, creating a rope technique practice area, and putting up some easy multi-pitch routes.
This project is a private undertaking from the Kletterhalle Salzburg / denkundstein. I will post more details about the crag as we continue working on the routes. Information will also be available at the website of the Salzburg climbing gym / denkundstein.
The climbing tower at the University Sport Center in Rif has also been equiped with new sport-climbing anchors. The anchors are standard two-point anchors with chains connecting one normal and one screw gate karabiner. This much needed improvement will all but eliminate the number one cause of climbing fatalities in the last years at the tower due to errors made while re-threading the anchors. The new anchors make the tower much more user friendly for private climbers and courses.
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