Marianne - Climbing & More

Still nice an cold out here in Cogne

2012-01-27T16:12:00.003-01:00

Video time

2012-01-25T16:19:00.002-01:00

Of every memorisable thing I do I make a little video. Like a diary in moving frames.

So nothing spectacular, but it might give you a view on what I do out there :)

This one is of what we did in Korea.

The next one is Saas Fee (will be visible on Vimeo already)

Real ice in Cogne

2012-01-25T15:05:00.003-01:00

Finally, after a whole year of horrible ice (Kandersteg, Iceland...) we wanted to climb something proper.

We heard Cogne in Italy was the only place this year that had some ice. All other areas were far too dry or warm.

So, we skip the comp in Rabenstein (which would be too far anyway) and just climb ice for 1,5 weeks.

The first day we had a proper warm-up in a-route-of-which-I-forgot-the-name-already. The ice was thin at some places but very nice to climb. Mixed in the middle, totally dry top-out and proper ice in the start. After a paper-scissor-stone game I was the one to start, I had all the proper ice pitches and the dry top-out, Dennis had one ice pitch and the snow in the middle. Lucky me :) Though, Dennis was the lucky one to climb the mixed pitch in the middle.

Today we wanted to take a look in another line that didn't look too hard but it was stuffed with climbers so we went straight for the 'Hard Ice' and the M7+ left to it. (Couloir Lillaz or something)

Dennis was the one to start today, as I started yesterday. He went into the M7+ which was pretty scary dry and full of really loose blocks to pull on. We wanted to get into the ice after that but it was all wet delaminated 'shait'. Not something I wanted to get onto. Plus I was totally frozen seconding the first pitch. My hands were so, so, so cold. Once the blood got back it felt like they were exploding and falling off and....it just was really painful :(

Thinking back I still feel sick of it.

Hopefully no that I once had it it won't come again this bad this Winter...

After that we climbed the first pitch of 'Hard Ice' figuring the second M10 pitch looked too weird, scary, loose and some ice was missing... So we bailed again (not motivated to try the A2 option on the right) The first pitch was quite a thing, harder then it looks.

The stalactite had almost formed a pillar. I recon it takes just a couple more days of good frost and then it will stand.

Tomorrow we have Tuborg on the list and then we'll head for the real stuff (harder ice and hopefully we find some proper mixed things here in the valley, suggestions are welcome)

Finally, real ice: it's all cold, hurts on your hands, is cold on your feet, painful when it hits your shoulders, shins of face, scary when it's all delaminated but all together it's still a thing I love :)

Worldcup Saas-Fee pt. 2

2012-01-21T16:02:00.004-01:00

Disappointed with the result (13th) which should be 12th, if you'd strictly follow the rules (a Russian climber should have been disqualified) I had quite an unfortunate climb: had my axe stuck in a hold, waisted quite some time there and wasn't able to fix a hold straight away, waisting more time...

Dennis did well until he popped off (tired, bad hold, bad luck)

Hopefully better next time :(

Worldcup Saas-Fee

2012-01-20T13:59:00.004-01:00

Whoe :) Again anaother day of worldcup climbing.
Just climbed, was really slow, nervous and pretty insecure but just reached the semi's.
Dennis was quite impressive and managed almost to top the route.
Tonight speedclimbing and tomorrow semi's and hopefully finals as well...

Worldcup Korea pt. 2

2012-01-15T12:15:00.003-01:00

Grrrr...

I came here to be in the finals and failed. Not much more to tell then: I'm much stronger then last year but miss the right training (wall, people) to get better and do the right thing I guess.

12 & 12 in both lead and speed. Not bad, but not good enough.

Wednesday is Zoo day, and then it's time for the next cup: Saas Fee.

Really tired...need sleep...now

Korean Iceclimbing Worldcup 2012

2012-01-12T13:46:00.003-01:00

Finally we arrived in South Korea for the first worldcup of the season.

We arrived together with two members of the Swiss team and I just lay down in bed. A bed. A bed...a real bed.

We got our rooms, Dennis had to sleep in the guys room, and I was sleeping in the girls room. Our room was 'traditionally Korean', which means hard blankets on the floor and some sheets. No bed at all...

Luckily we had the chance to move around a bit and now I ly in one of the guys rooms together with Petra.

And that is luxury after the rice, seaweed, cold, screaming kids on the hallway and the busride (got really carsick)

Hopefully better tomorrow.

Now I need some rest :)

(N)ice, finally

2012-01-09T19:23:00.005-01:00

(N)ice!

Well, sort of ice.

We arrived in Kandersteg (CH) after an 'interesting' trip with a beautiful van that sometimes has 'issues'.

We joined the Festival (no ice although it's called the "Ice Festival") and today we finally climbed some real ice in Ueschinen.

As we did so much last week here a little summaray:

January 2nd: from Bergschenhoek to Heerjansdam and a stop in Land van Altena to get some help to fix Dennis' VW T3 Syncro (our home for the next 2 months). We drove on to Venlo and parked the car for a good night sleep.
January 3rd: from Venlo to Germany, somewhere during the evening the van just quit out of nothing, a Dutch truck driver dragged us with his double truck to a safer place where we got a pick-up by the ADAC (German car insurance)
January 4th: Thanks to the ANWB/ADAC we stood in Bergweiler at the local Lada dealer to fix the van. Around midday we were ready to go on, around 8-ish we finally arrived in Kandersteg
January 5th: half a climbing day: drytooling in Blausee. It was raining and wet everywhere, too hot to climb any proper ice. Though the drytooling was good, where we had trouble getting up last year was just a good training session now: we are strong :)
January 6th: ski-trip up to Oeschinensee and the mixed/ice routes Kraftort and Kraftwerk. My first second time outdoors on ski's, first time real snow. Quite interesting...We noticed all the fallen trees and stuff and realised only that evening that the fohn had it's impact last night: Zermatt closed, the train in Kandersteg closed, ski pistes all closed... Even the electricity went out that night for a while, when we were asleep... :)
January 7th: Kandersteg Ice Festival: for Dennis (speed specialist) it was a good comp, he ended up being 7th, standing on stage in between his youth heroes. I was quite unlucky. Being first to climb in the flash competition (so for me it was an onsight) got my axe stuck in the holds twice, after me the holds were big enough not to get your axe stuck and not being a speed specialist made me end up 9th... (Out of 20) just after Anna (who won the 2011 worldcup series) Though it was good to meet all those nice people again (Rolf, Urs, Erwan, Stephanie, Felicitas...) Here all the results.
January 8th: restday (boring!) it was dumping (snow) all day, so I made a walk to the city centre, realising everything was closed (it's Sunday) and walked back again, happy not being able to spent money in Swiss. That evening Dennis and I realised we're together for 2 years now. So we celebrated it with a good bit of Jameson and a walk in the snow.
January 9th: Ueschinen. We wanted to do some real mixed/drytooling so we skied up to Ueschinen. Realising again how much it hurts when your hands stay cold (hot eggs/screaming barfeys) Dennis had it...really bad. I was lucky to be in a better 'hand shape'. After a good warm-up in some M8's we climbed Power Bat both 2nd go. Getting used to finding holds in natural rock. On the way up I had some trouble with 'air', being on tension over my whole body I couldn't help it letting out some 'fresh' air. In the end fell off, landing upside down in the air Dennis belayed me down avoiding the hanging ice pillars to fall on me... We were wondering who the guy was who was racing up all the M10's and M11's, he turned out to be the speed record holder for the Eiger NF. Ah, I knew I recognised him from somewhere... On the way down I skied my first real powder and actually liked it (getting better).
January 10th: that is tomorrow, we'll drive to Geneva to fly to Korea on the 11th. Exciting!

Preparing for January

2011-12-24T10:35:00.004-01:00

Last year I wrote a post with exactly the same title.

And this year again we're preparing...for the big Winter trip.

Theres so much to do: administration, financials, training and of course...the van.

Dennis' still has his VW Syncro and tries to get it 'Winter proof' again. 'New' gearbox, 'new' engine, all the interior (new shelfs and cupboards).

Basically its a whole new van, the only thing that stayed the same is the outer (still bumpy big and white)

Hopefully we get it all done before January.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T15:13:00.006-01:00

Ola everyone,

I wish you all a merry merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Now take Wulff Morgenthalers advice: "Don't wish for any presents! It's weak and passive. Go make your own happiness. Be the master of your own destiny.

Make it a good, fun, fanatic, sportive, smart, wise, safe, crazy cool climbing year!

Lolotte

2011-12-14T17:42:00.003-01:00

In China we met a very nice 'person': Lolotte.

Lolotte is a frog travelling the world. She (?) meets climbers, visits famous climbing areas and sometimes she dares a climb herself :)

We met her as well back in China.

Want to become fan of Lolotte: check her Facebookpage

Indoor Winter Training

2011-11-30T04:16:00.000-01:00

Since the Dutch Drytool Event we have some drytool routes in climbinggym Rock Steady (Bussum, NL) and this is how we spent our evenings :)

Viva 400 Award

2011-11-24T10:10:00.010-01:00

Zo. Daar ben ik weer. Even dan, want ik heb het een beetje druk.

Draaiboek schijven, nog een draaiboek schrijven, China trip report, evaluaties doen met stagaires, drytool routes bouwen, werken, nog iets meer werken, nadenken over een interessante toekomstige baan, financien bijwerken, studeren en daarnaast moet ik ook nog wat klimmen (schijnt).

En eigenlijk hebben al deze dingen een deadline van 30 november. Great.

Dus nu even snel een berichtje in het Nederlands, dan hoef ik niet na te denken over wat ik typ, dat gaat sneller en zo bespaar ik een beetje tijd...

Jullie hebben nog heel wat dingen van mij tegoed. Foto's van drytoolen, China, NK sportklimmen, en nu gisteren ook de Viva 400 Award.

In Club Lido (Holland Casino Amsterdam) was het feestje, met nog 399 andere genodigden, Viva redacteurs en een paar mannen (die zich nogal ongemakkelijk voelden).

Iedereen was alleen, vriendjes mochten niet mee en iedereen kende (bijna) niemand. Perfect om te beginnen met netwerken. Ik was categorie stoer, dus ik zou moeten netwerken met stoer of zakelijk (afhankelijk van mijn doelen voor de avond). Ik struikelde bijna over categorie zakelijk (Jennifer). Haar jurk was gigantisch en paste precies bij haar persoonlijkheid.

Na een tijdje kwam er een vreemde man op het podium. Mannen & Viva gaan niet echt samen, behalve als het om de Anybody gaat, dus iedereen vroeg zich af wat hij er deed. Hij zelf ook. Hij las zijn speech op vanaf z'n tablet. Het ging over talent, vrouwen, knap zijn en ondanks dat hij het telkens ontkende ging het over 'donkere' 'vieze' talenten met mooie gezichtjes en, wat voor hem belangrijk was: mooie benen.

Talent is dus het hebben van mooie benen. De man op het podium bleek de baas van de Playboy, zo zei hij vooraf. Ik ben nog niet gevraagd voor in de Playboy dus ik lees het blad ook niet, wist ik veel dat hij de baas er van is. Zo 'Playboy' was ie eigenlijk niet.

Om de Award te winnen moest je zo veel mogelijk stemmen verzamelen. Een duidelijk stukje vriendjes politiek en oneerlijk stemmen. Als hoofdredacteur van een groot online vrouwen magazine had je duidelijk meer kans om te winnen dan als marathon zwemster. Want je kan gewoon al je online leden vragen op je te stemmen, marathon zwemmers hebben denk ik meer talent, maar omdat ze eerlijk zijn en liever bezig met hun sport dan hun ego maken ze minder kans. Dus uiteindelijk wonnen

Aanstormend: LOS (toneelgroep)

Creatief: Marjolein Schel (hoofdredactuer online magazine 'girlsscene')

Goed: Dina-Perla Marciano (rechten van de vrouw en minderheden)

Showbizz: Carice van Houten (actrice)

Slim: Elke Geraerts (klinische psychologie, kindermishandeling)

Stoer: Katja Roose (kitesurfster)

Zakelijk: Mascha Feoktistova (eigenaresse site beautygloss.nl)

(Dus wanneer je onderzoek doet naar eiwitten en hun opbouw, caberatiere bent, sieraden uit Nepal verkoopt, of aan ijsklimmen doet en geen Facebook hebt omdat je in China zit, maak je geen kans)

Gelukkig won Katja bij mijn categorie en niet het Nederlands tafeltennisteam of een vrouwtje dat een container bedrijf heeft in de haven. Want dan zou ik gaan twijfelen of ik wel in de juiste categorie mee deed.

Na de awards zijn we even weg gegaan want om 10:00uur was er nog geen echt eten. Een beetje amuses happen is voor de anorexia modellen prima, maar voor ons (slim, creatief, sportief en een verdwaalde zakelijke lesbische bruid) was het niks. Dus stonden we opeens in onze jurken, hoge hakken en make-up in de snackbar op de Leidscheplein. We verzonnen dat Jennifer net van het altaar was weggelopen.

Even later waren we weer terug en klaar om te gaan gokken. We zaten opeens te gokken samen met de hoofdredacteur van de Viva, de baas van Disaronno, de Playboy baas, een model en iemand van de marechaussee. Zo hadden we €20,- bij de Black Jack en zo verloren we €50,- uiteindelijk ben ik zonder winst naar huis gegaan.

Het was gezellig, leuk en vreemd om opeens tussen zoveel vrouwen te staan. Ik moest soms hard nadenken over m'n opmerkingen. Alle cynische, seksistische, harde, platte, simpele grappen kon ik nauwelijks maken. En als ik dan toch iets seksistisch of cynisch zei snapte niemand het behalve de cabaretière.

90% was griezelig arrogant en zelfingenomen, 1% was man en hoorde er dus niet thuis, 2% wist zelf niet wat ze er deed omdat ze eigenlijk niks bijzonders deden, 2% was lesbisch en alleen maar op zoek naar een relatie met een bijzondere vrouw, 3% was drukker met Twitteren dan met real-life-social-life, dus bleef er zo'n 2% over die potentieel interessant was om mee te praten, gokken en drinken. Cheers.

Ik ga wel gewoon weer klimmen, dat snap ik tenminste.

Foto's: friet eten in glamour jurk. Kudo's voor mijn über arrogante look, anders hoor je er niet bij hè... En gokken met de 'beroemde' Jan Heemskerk en meneer Disaronno.

Dutch Drytool Event!

2011-11-14T16:37:00.004-01:00

Okay, it might be the weirdest country for a Drytool comp, but I managed to organise it :)

This Sunday climbing gym Rock Steady in Bussum will be filled with iceclimbers, sportsclimbers and all other kind of climbers who want to try out iceaxes!

Petzl just told me they'll provide iceaxes for the comp so everyone, even if you're 'just a sportsclimber' you can join this fun comp.

There will be routes from easy D1 and D3 up to really hard and tricky D12 meaning there will be something for everyone. So if you climb just 5b of if you're a hardcore 8c climber you're all welcome and will have fun (I'm sure of it)

After the finals there's a free meal for all volunteers and competitors and we'll of course watch the newest iceclimbing movies.

More info in the NKBV website, my Facebook page and spread the word!

Note: on the NKBV site it says 'inschrijving gesloten' (subscription closed) but that is nonsense of course, just come to Bussum this Sunday and subscribe there or on the event page on Facebook.

New jeans

2011-10-17T11:20:00.005Z

F*'in cool jeans!

Really.

If you're a climber and know Yosemite you'll like these jeans.

Five Ten (brand of the brave) designed jeans. Climbers jeans. With stretch and a good fit so you can now go to the gym in your jeans. For sure I'll compete in jeans on the next climbing comp.

Want to have these as well? Like 'Five Ten Nederland' on Facebook and ask for the jeans on their Facebook page.

They have a mens and a womens version. Check the different jeans here.

Just a blog post

2011-10-14T18:01:00.007Z

These days I'm pretty busy with all kinds of things.

I have to work (money...) I need to climb and actually I should study (no time for it...) and I have to do administration things and make a movie about the STS and arrange all things for the first aid trainings (=part of my work) and I need

to....uhhh, it's just all a bit too much right now.

So I decided to do none of it all now and read and

knit. On my friends' the wish list: socks (Richard), a sweater (Eva) and a hat (Johannes). So enough to knit for the whole Winter.

Meanwhile Dennis tried to murder me, do I try to learn the basics of Chinese, manage to wash without as washing-machine, and I now will try to convince you that you should be in Monte Cervino tomorrow, in Monk on Sunday, in Nijmegen on Monday, Amsterdam on Tuesday...

Why? Five Ten (Brand of the brave) has the Test Event.

All nice five-tennies in all sizes to fit, feel, test, and climb with! The best excuse to buy new shoes, test them straight away and have your local Five Ten climbers to give you advice (all 5.10 Dutch team-members will be around) More info on the 5.10 Facebook page here.

And then, when work is done, administration done, climbing done, five ten tested, Chinese learned, socks knitted...then it's finally time for China!

3 weeks of climbing and adventure!

Because we'll be away, won't have e-mail, no phone reach, no postbox...we'll be busy...climbing! @Petzl Roc Trip in Getu Valley, China :)

this-is-an-automated-out-of-office-message-I'll-be-able-to-get-back-to-you-in-three-weeks-sorry-for-the-uncoveinance-over-and-out :)

Oh, don't worry about the murder...in fact Dennis just broke a bottle of beet-juice ;)

Ow, yes, and the video report of our STS trip, as promised, here:

STS - Ice Factor, Kinlochleven

2011-10-11T21:29:00.010Z

Yay, I won!

We're just back from yet another adventure: Scotland :)

Dennis was lucky (I guess) as he got an 'experience' for his birthday instead of something material like a watch, climbing shoes or whatever. I gave him a ticket to Scotland so we could join the Scottish Tooling Series in Ice Factor (Kinlochleven).

Last year we joined the STS in Edinburgh and Bill Davidson convinced me we should come again this year.

I just gave Dennis the ticket and that was it.

We both don't have the money for hotels, rental cars and all other luxury stuff. So we had to bivouac and rely on amazing friends.

(Thanks guys, your all welcome in our home close to Rotterdam!)

We flew to Edinburgh on Thursday and had 1,5 days to spent in Edinburgh.

We walked around, looked if the castle walls were climbable, found ourselves soaked before we could even try to get close and figured pizza was a better option then deep-fried haggis.

That eve we went to the funniest photo lecture we'd seen for ages and enjoyed the good memories of last years world-cup season when watching Lukasz Warzecha's pictures and lecture for the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival.

We slept somewhere around Ratho climbing gym (can't tell you where, it's our secret dry-place) and went climbing in the HUGE hall the next day.

Around 1 we were picked up by one of the STS organisers, Neil Silver. We drove all the way to the other side of Scotland, to the tiny theres-nothing-to-do-there-except-climbing-village Kinlochleven. It was rainy but just good enough to walk around and enjoy the beautiful Scottish Autumn landscape (really, if you're into walking you should do walk the West Highland Way)

That night we were lucky, no bivouack

ing for us as we could stay in

Simon's campervan (owner of Big Tree Campervans)

waauw, luxury and a good preparation for the next day!

Saturday was competition day. Together with at about 60 other competitors we climbed the 15 qualification routes.

All kinds of Scottish (and English, American...) Winter climbers joined the comp. It was fun to be around so many different Winter climbers all sharing the same passion: iceclimbing.

It made this tingly feeling come up again, the feeling that tells me I should start to prepare for the coming Winter, the feeling that says iceclimbing is so cool!

We were happy to see Malcolm [Kent] again and climbed together for the day.

Malc popped off a hold in one of the routes and later on the day I popped off a hold as well...a second go gives you 3 points less then a first go so our end score was just 3 points lower then that of Steve and Dennis who both made it to 150 points (10 points per route)

Then up to the finals. I had a mission: beat Dennis...something I wasn't sure of if it was possible :)

See the full results here.

I got quite nervous there in the isolation together with these strong climbers...

It was my turn, after the other girls had just finished and I already had sweaty palms before I even started climbing...

I was slow, but that was allright as I had 8 minutes to finish the route. I came all the way to the top. The only thing left was the final clip that would make a finish to the route. I struggled for 3 (!) minutes on that last move, figure-of-four, pull-up, figure-of-nine, pull-up again and on it went, I hugged the log, tried to stand on the wall, locked-off even more, but I didn't see a chance to get close to that last clip far away on that wall...Frustrated and confused as I was I had to let go, not because I was pumped but because I was out of time...no top for me! Shit...I guessed Dennis with his length could easily make that clip, and Malc with his enormous strength could do the same... I watched Malc and Steve both struggling to get that last clip...and failing...But Dennis...he hugged the log, could stand up, reach and...clipped.

That made the highest score of us all...and he'd beaten me again.

So now I can really say Dennis: you're a better drytooler then me ;)

That evening we learned how to drink Scottish beer and Dennis got a proper lesson in drinking al kinds of nasty stuff...and Whisky.

We learned that skiing down stairs is forbidden in Scottish pubs and that you can make amazing art from candles and lollipops. The music was surprisingly good for a local band (with the local supermarket cashier as lead singer, the chef of the climbing wall on guitar and other locals on drums, guitar and more)

The next day we climbed...or we tried...tired as we were of the beer the late night and the rain (Dennis and I bivouacked in the rain) ... We drytooled at Birnam Quarry (near Dunkeld) and Dennis actualy managed to climb the M10(+) 'Fast & Furious'. I was tired, knew my attempts were limited and failed in my third go :(

Fun and friendly as everyone was, we were invited to stay at Lindsay & Beth that evening. They cooked us delicious chicken and we even got a bedroom!

Beth and Lindsay drove us to Ratho where we took a bus to the city centre. We bought some new 2nd-hand books for this Winter (we like to read English books) and then it was already time to leave Scotland again.

Next time I hope we can do some real outdoor Winter stuff as well :)

Soon (hopefully tomorrow if it all works out) an video of our trip :)

But now still a video of my previous adventure, the LMC (see blog post underneath)

Pictures: Dennis&me, and Steve Lynch.

Dirt Devils and the LMC 2011

2011-10-05T05:44:00.006Z

What better can you fill your weekend with...then just run through the mud, cycle single tracks in the night, drag tree trunks up a hill, monkey-hang with a heavy backpack, swim in stinky dirty lakes and only have a map and compass to 'turn' the right way.

That is the best description I can give you about what I did last weekend.

It even had a name: LMC, which stands for Limburg (Dutch province) Mountain Challenge.

It's an annual event organised every first weekend of October.

Years ago I volunteered with the organisation KNAV'98 and set out the night part of the race. I found it so much fun that the reminder this year resulted in participating in the race.

for over 20 hours you run, cycle, swim, run and cycle even more trying to become first on every Waypoint. GPS is not allowed, only a strange, vague or incomplete map and your compass.

On the way you try to complete tasks like dragging a tree trunk up a hill as fast as possible, run up hill in the sand to fill a bucket with water, only using little cups, measure the height of a hill, find the name of the pilot that died in a plane crash in the area, find letters and clips that are hidden in the trees/bush, figuring the meaning of names in the local Limburg dialect... and with that you score your next waypoint.

I had a bit a strange group. As the rule is that at least two of every team (team is 3 or 4 p.) have to be from Limburg (I'm not) and I subscribed to it alone...I was put together with two people I didn't knew at all. Rick and Leon.

The amazing thing is that doing such a race is one of the best teambuilding activities you can do, ever! So after 24hours together we really were a team and even decided we wanted to join the race again next year. Together!

Our team name was Dirt Devils, really fitting as we swam in such a dirty lake that we smelled rotten for the next 20hours. Maybe the name should have been Dirty Devils instead... :)

We completed the race (which is not as easy as it sounds, often teams don't complete the race) and ended somewhere on the 5th of 6th place. Luckily not third. As then you have to organise next years race.

The LMC is organised every year by volunteers. It's a hell of a job to plan a race where you cycle over 140km, run I-don't-know-how-many-k's and do all kinds of activities in between. The organisation had been working on it for a year, literary! (Big, big respect to them!)

VAV-Zuyd, from Valkenburg won this years race and 'Van geen wijken weten' has to organise next years race.

Soon a little video about the race. Here already some articles (in Dutch)

- Limburgs Dagblad

- website NKBV

- pictures on the LMC website

(I'm the one in the light green shorts :)

p.s: I LOVE my Tikka headlamp! Without my lovely new Tikka with rechargeable battery that lasts much longer then your average single-use batteries! The compact headlight is even water-resistant, so I could keep it on when swimming in the dirty lake :)

Read here more about the-light-you-can't-do-without-on-any-night-activity ;)

Old Dutch Apple Pie

2011-09-23T12:22:00.015Z

Monday is Dennis' birthday. He asked me to bake a pie. "The one I always do, with the apples" he said.

Oh, and if I could make of for his colleagues at work on Sunday as well.

And...please, can I make one extra so we have some for the day after his birthday...

So suddenly I was kneading this massive dough!

The recipe is simple and so Dutch. It's my

grandmothers old recipe from her old cooking-book, but then adapted to what she prefers (my mum guessed the recipe is actually older then the cooking-book in which she wrote the adaptations, which means it's over 70 years old, maybe even older she said).

The good thing is that you can make this pie in basically every oven. Hot air or whatever. I even once made it in a pot on a cole fire and once I'd

put it in the microwave. And it always turns out well.

Now I don't even use scales anymore to weigh all ingredients. I just guess and 'feel' that it's all right.

And because I make this pie so often I decided to share this old recipe with you. This is the translated version, as even for some Dutchies the old Dutch language is difficult to read :)

Recipe, for one pie in a 16cm tin.

Dough:

300g flour
120g brown sugar
210g butter (no margarine)
1 large egg
grated lemon peel of one lemon
some salt

Filling:

3 or 4 sour apples (like the green 'granny smith')
2 spoons of normal sugar
3 table-spoons of apricot jam
some cinnamon
if you want: dried white raisins

Add the flour together with a sniff of salt and the lemonpeel in a bowl.

Add the butter. Cut the butter into little blocks and stir it through the flour mixture.

Add the browsugar and most of the beaten egg.

Knead the dough into a cohesive ball.

If the dough is too weak, put it into the fridge for a while.

Rub the tin (or silicone form) with a bit of butter. Take off 1/4 of the dough (for the topping) and push and knead the dough in the tin so it fills the bottom and the side. The dough has to be less then 1cm thick. I often make it even thinner then 0,5cm.

If your worried of the dough sticking onto the sides after baking it, then don't rub the dough in the tin itself but roll it out separately and lay it in the tin on a layer of rubbed in butter with some flour over it.

Now cut the apples in small parts or blocks (whatever you prefer) and put them in the a bowl. Always cut off the peel of the apples. The peel makes the pie taste a bit bitter. And the texture is not too nice for the rather 'soft' (or more 'al dente) pie.

Add the apricot jam, a spoon of sugar, a sniff of cinnamon and the dry raisins. If you want you can add some lemon juice to avoid the apples turning brown. Stir the mixture and put it all into the bed of dough.

Now make little 'dough stripes' for the topping and garnish the apples with the stripes. Make a funny text or put them in classic diamonds over the mixture.

'Paint' the diamond pattern with the rest of the whipped egg and the rest of the sugar.

Now comes the difficult part: baking the pie.

Depending on your microwave, oven, or barbecue you should just keep an eye on the baking process. In the oven I have at home it takes 50 minutes on 200 degrees (Celcius) but my parents oven has a double function (microwave/hot air) and then it takes only 20 minutes. On a fire I always have to watch so the bottom doesn't burn and when you only use the microwave you have to watch that the dough doesn't get too hard.

Just see it as a bit experiment. Once you get the skills you can make this pie everywhere, even when you're our camping!

Happy birthday and enjoy!

Powered by Petzl & ABK

2011-09-22T13:46:00.006Z

Nothing to do this weekend? Looking for some fun but nobody to climb with? Looking for some beautiful climbs together with your friends and check out the newest gear without driving to a climbing shop? Want to figure more about the newest climbing clothing? Up for a pro photoshoot? And that all together with some of the BEST climbers of the region (BeNeLux)

Or do you prefer powder...? Or both?

Come check out the newest ski's, harnesses, climbing wear, snowboots and more. Relax and share adventures with the Petzl-team members!

Such bad timing that the National Championships Bouldering are planned at the same time...so I'm 'forced' to go to Amsterdam Centraal climbing gym instead. But, say it: isn't it better to be outdoors and the Fryer limestone then indoors on Dutch plastic?

Come all and gather for the 'Powered by Petzl and ABK' event in Freyr (Belgium)!

Find out more about this fun and cool event in a total lay-back style. No comps, no challenges, just fun and relax and it all costs you nothing (cause nature is there for free)

For more info check this website: poweredbypetzlandabk.com

Location? Restaurant Le Chamonix in Fryer (close to Dinant, Belgium). Start: 11h Finish: 18h.

P.S: haven't heard of the brand ABK yet?

They make the coolest climbing underwear ever! A real must-have for every climber.

So if you haven't figured a your buddies birthday present yet? Now you know what to buy. And...a dirt-bag climber can never have enough underwear ;)

<< check their website for more cool clothing.

(photos: ABK website)

Post! 5.10 Quantum arrived :)

2011-09-21T12:23:00.007Z

I just got post :) I have a new sponsor. I quit my contract with Boreal. (For all kinds or reasons) But not the one you'd think of first: shitty rubber. I have to say I was pretty satisfied with the rubber. And now I saw they even improved into really really sticky stuff. The shoes even stuck together on, let's say, gravity :)

As advice I'd always say that you should wear the shoes that suits and fits you best. So it can be that you don't buy 5.10, La Sportiva, Evolv or Boreal but suddenly walk around on Mad Rocks.

Shoe manufacturers get the issue that people tend to buy more and more a shoes that feels comfortable. And that is, especially to beginners, the best advice you can give.

Wearing shoes that are too big or worse too tight can cause trouble later on when you're finally a 'rotten old stinky climber' and have toes that your local pedicure doesn't want to touch anymore.

And that is one of the things my new sponsor, 5.10, keeps on hammering on. On the box of every pair of climbing shoes it says: "Don't fit your shoes too tight".

And that, together with the 8 other points is critical to climbing-shoe fitting and shopping.

Here the other 8 points:

Street shoes size is only a starting point
Rock shoes are unique, no two designs fit alike. Generally, softer shoes perform best with a snug fit. Stiffer shoes can be worn looser.
Eliminate dead space but don't fit so tight as to create hot spots.
Climbing shoes should not be uncomfortably tight, otherwise tears might keep you from seeing micro edges.
Feet swell during the day, from 1/2 size to a full size. Try on shoes in the afternoon if possible.
Synthetic uppers won't stretch - you'll have the same fit in 6 months. You should have no hot sports when you are up on your toes.
Lined leather shoes stretch up to 1/3 size after a break in period of about 10 pitches.
Unlined leather shoes will stretch up to 1 full size.

Now you know how to fit your shoes.

Time to find the right shoes. For me as iceclimber, boulderer, sportsclimber, semi-crack-climber, multipitch climber, routesetter and alpine climber is it not too easy to find a pair of shoes that always do what I need them to do: stick onto the wall whatever I climb and still stay comfortable.

I prefer a toe-down shoe in any case and I love heelhooking so the heel needs to be tight enough. Now they need to be comfortable but technical. Not too hard, not too soft on the rubber and the sole and as I sweat a lot (ielgh) they need to be lined so I don't 'slip' inside my shoes. I have pretty wide 'trouble' feet so they need to be quite wide at the front.

I guess I found what I need: a versatile shoe that is precise and has a snug fit: Quantum.

I just got them, so tonight will be the first try-out. I'll tell you later what I find of these shoes.

So far this is what others write about the new Quantum:

James Pearson: "Hmmm, maybe this picture can explain a little... my Quantum collection, 3 sizes, boulder, routes, and big wall – these days they are all I wear."

DPM Climbing: "Right out of the box, these shoes fit perfectly: super-snug, but not painful. The lack of dead air in the heel was a welcome change from most shoes for me. Even the laces, which I normally hate, were awesome. The ridged laces stay put when you pull them tight so you don’t have to battle to keep it snug at every pull."

Klimmuur Den Haag: "De enige schoen in de lijst met veters voor extra precisie. Dit is de opvolger van de klassieke Anasazi Lace. Maar nu asymetrisch en met een downturn, voor nog meer gevoel en druk op de grote teen."

Backcountry.com: "I don't give 5 stars to gear often unless it's really deserving, but the 5.10 Quantum deserves the 5/5.

Based on the popular 5.10 Anasazi, the Quantum adds a downturned profile, low volume heel cup and the amazingly sticky and tactile Stealth Mystique to it's previous popular design. These shoes are freaking weapons. I've climbed on them for a few weeks now and I have really nothing but praise for them. The aggressive turn of the shoe make tackling overhanging and technical routes a breeze, and they edge like a fiend on slab and tiny little features. They even jam in cracks relatively well. I haven't put these through a maneuver yet where I was left wanting more out of a shoe."

Fliegerhorst drytool demo

2011-09-21T10:26:00.004Z

Yay, again an excuse to go drytooling for the whole day!

Theres not much opportunity (yet) in the Netherlands to get a full drytool-workout.

This weekend I headed to Venlo, over 2hrs driving South-East from Bergschenhoek.

The 'Fliegerhorst' had their 'open-day'. They had a competition, via-ferrata, climbing, slacklining, readings, bouldering, walking and drytooling in their program. And I was the one responsible for the drytooling.

I gave two demo's for quite some audience. There were people who'd never seen iceaxes before and people who'd tried some years ago and are now eager to try again.

I took wood-blocks with me and hung them in the roof of the tower. Creating an figure-of-four roof climb with a start on the straight wood wall. It was fun, real fun having the opportunity to just climb as much as I wanted with my axes.

I had a microphone under my helmet, making it possible to talk and climb at the same time. So I could explain in detail about all I 'figured' ;)

Afterwards I had an autograph session. So weird signing children's t-shirts, posters and writing special requests on photo's of me drytooling.

Though this is a perfect way to promote my sponsors, train a bit and bring drytooling to a broader public. Hopefully one day it will give respect for the sports, get us into youth drytooling teams, special made drytool walls in the Netherlands and maybe finally into the Olympics?

Next to the demo's people who joined the competition had to climb the wood wall and all others were invited to try out the wall as well. It gave me the opportunity to show that drytooling and iceclimbing really is a sports and to show that it's not 'just slamming some medieval tools into a simple ice wall'.

Most climbers, experienced and strong as they were didn't even get half way on the wood wall and never even thought of getting into the roof :)

They day was enthusiastically organised by volunteers of the local climbing club. They did really well with the non-stop speaker Pierre, photographer Waldo, loads of volunteers to belay (thanks Koen) and help with via-ferrata, climbing, bouldering, they even had free hamburgers, a pretty professional sound system and more.

I also joined the competition and had to 'walk the line' (slackline), leadclimb the most difficult route on the tower (6b) build a tower out of beer-crates and I was not allowed to join the iceclimbing ;) I would be first but left the victory to local Koen. I won a tick-remover (check link for the joke in Dutch) and he got a beautiful flower-chalkbag.

Pictures: Waldo Waldo Ruiterman & me.

Climbing for Cancer

2011-09-12T15:24:00.006Z

Sometimes you have to remind yourself to the fact that life might be not so easy for everyone. And then as a human it's good to help. Even just a bit is more then nothing at all.

The easiest way to help is with donations.

This weekend was donation weekend. For the Dutch Cancer institute 'NKI-AVL'.

Monte Cervino and a couple volunteers organised a competition with as idea to collect money for the Cancer institute.

Every route you climbed had points, the more difficult the route the more points you got. I climbed together with a young climber, Arno and Jeroen (manager of the Monte Cervino gym). Jeroen belayed me in the lead climbs and Arno and I were a team for the competition.

I won the comp in my category and Arno became second in his category. But this comp was not just for 'winning'. Well, not for us, but the hope to win time and cures for Cancer with the money we all collected.

Afterwards we enjoyed an amazing home-cooked Thai meal. (We want more!)

Next year again!

Ice/dry week in the Netherlands

2011-09-10T08:29:00.010Z

Okay, not what you'd expect in the Netherlands but, yes, as the title says, last week was all about drytooling and iceclimbing!

For my work I had to go to Voerendaal, a little village close to Heerlen in the South of the Netherlands. Living close to Rotterdam driving to Heerlen is what we call 'going aboad' as it's so far away (sort of).

And thus we (Dennis & me) went together for a little 'holiday'.

The first day was work: guiding/teaching/coaching teambuilding games together with Sjaak Ruivenkamp. It was a fun and motivating day.

The next day we were invited at Snowworld. A big (the biggest of the Netherlands) indoor snow hall. National teams from all over the world gather here for their Summer ski-training.

But as I can't ski (really this day was the third time I ever stood on those things) I wasn't there for skiing. We were invited for another thing: iceclimbing! Snowworld has the brilliant idea to build an indoor iceclimbing wall and exploit it commercially. (Yes there is already another iceclimbing wall in the Netherlands, but it's not really popular for certain reasons)

The idea for the next years is to just have it as a wall for groups, students and occasional iceclimbers but if possible, for the future there are ambitious ideas to increase the structure and make it suitable for worldcup competitions!

To get a better idea about how to build a wall, what snow and ice to use, how thick it has to be, how high, how wide, how easy or difficult, how strong, what materials...they invited us. They'd even build a little wall as test to see if the ice, structure and idea could actually work out.

We took our tools and conquered the little wall. (See video)

And later we went to ski, snowboard, eat, ski, snowboard, eat, climb and ski some more. Alltogether we'd spent a whole day in the cold and got used to it. Yes, I guess we're ready for Winter climbing now!

And with the iceclimbing on that day we went on to Fliegerhorst, Venlo. On September 18. they have an 'open day' and we are invited to give an iceclimbing/drytooling demo. The Fliegerhorst mountaineers are a very friendly and warm group of people so we said yes to the demo :)

Now that we were 'abroad' already it was logical to do a stopover in Venlo. Pierre drove all the way to the Fliegerhorst to welcome us and show us the drytool wall.

We drank tea, took lunch, discussed climbing and most of all...we tooled. (In Dutch terms) they have a very descent wood wall with wooden holds and more. Good enough to get you strong for Winter climbing. I realised I still have a long way to go to be fit enough for the Winter. I had difficulties with figure-of-four's and long moves :) But this is a start. You can never start soon enough I guess.

On September 18. I'll be there again for the demo. You're all welcome to watch and try!

Pictures: Dennis and me climbing in Snowworld/Fliegerhorst

Video: iceclimbing in Snowworld Landgraaf (ps. I know, the music is bad, that was a reminder for how the music was in the Snowworld restaurants...)

Competition weekend

2011-09-05T12:01:00.010Z

Back in the Netherlands.

With a really busy schedule.

From Bergschenhoek to Muiden to pick up my parents. They cycled over 2700km for their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela! See here their report.

Then I went to Bussum (work, teaching a First Aid course) then on to Ommen (being First Aid volunteer on Dennis school camp) where I spent a night and morning in a hospital with a girl and then I drove on to Rockanje to work and then to Eindhoven for the last of the 3 boulder competitions in Monk bouldergym.

I sometimes have trouble with my mind...playing tricks on me... Then I can get nervous and very insecure about all I do: climbing, communication, how I look...about everything basically. I had that with teaching the First Aid course last week and now again with the comp. Then I can simply forget how to climb and I loose all my strength, or when teaching I forget all basic things I have to tell the students. Now when I write about it I'm pretty 'light' about it, but on such a moment I just feel so uncomfortable.

I decided not to climb the finals, as I felt so insecure. So I was 9th after the 8 finalists. I would have been 6th or 7th or some I guess.

The next day, yesterday, was the first Dutch speed competition in 'Arendse Health Club', Breda. A test for the upcoming Speed worldcup which will be in the Netherlands in a couple years. In Breda we gathered with a group of just 14 climbers. A small group, mainly Dutch team members who were all 'forced' to climb. The rest of the Dutch climbers stayed at home. (Why?)

For me speedsclimbing is not the 'real' climbing, the thing I live for, live of. But it's something fun, try to improve your speed, technique and set a better time.

It was an official 10m. wall with the IFSC speed holds as seen on the worldcup, placed in exactly the same way as on the worldcup wall.

Thanks to Dennis' drill and some screws the comp could go on. The end hold, a plate where you tap on to stop the time, got loose every time resulting in false times and failing time records. Luckily I had that drill with because the car, Dennis van, didn't start that morning and I used it to fix some things. I was just in time for the comp...

I'm naturally a really, really slow climber. Doing all moves static. Where all climbers dyno I take a heelhook, rock over and on tension and balance reach for the hold. So speedclimbing is not really my discipline I guess.

But with just Vera Zijlstra of the Dutch national team as serious competitor and three local girls I landed on a second place. I was slow, made a mistake in the top in my second run but actually expected to be worse then I was. So, not bad. With medal and a bottle of white wine I went home.

Now off to Fliegerhorst, Venlo for some drytool fun and work tomorrow.

For all the Dutch: interested in a First Aid course, height safety course or a specialised mountain safety and first aid course or any first aid products? Together with Ascent safety I give courses and sell all kinds of first aid products. Ever heard of Snogg, Sam Splint, or do you just need a new emergency blanket, check this website or mail me for more information :) der.steen[@]gmail.com

Pictures:

my mum and dad on Schiphol, back from their big, big cycling tour
the 'condom' climbing wall (the pole I work on...)
Vera and Tim training for the speedclimbing competition

Home...pt.2

2011-08-27T08:18:00.003Z

In my own house again. I live 'anti-squat' (for the Dutch: antikraak). I have a massive villa which is slowly breaking down. Starting with rats in the livingroom, mice in the 'sun room' and a bird in one of the bathrooms. And then all the millipedes and spiders... It took me hours to vacuum and mop the whole house.

It is strange to live in the luxury. We have water just instant out of the tap and if you want it's even warm or hot! We have machines to clean the floor, your clothes, heat up dinner and much more. All works on electricity.

And theres (for your feeling) an infinite amount of it! You plug in your phone and it's being charged and you can do that on all hours of the day.

Life this way is easy and, because of all 'extra's', complicated in the same time. I have the feeling that, because we have so much around us, we have the habit of wanting even more then we have. We want more then we need. All the time.

We want to eat more then we need, we want to live bigger then we have to, we want to watch more movies then we have time for, we want more clothes then we can ever wear...

Once having lived in a cave (what I did quite some years ago) and being a mountaineer *waking up in your sleeping bag because it's light and my biological clock says it's time to rise, walking a bit to get snow to melt into water for breakfast and getting ready to 'work' (climb) all day. Back home again in the evening when it's already getting dark. Happy with whatever the food is, it will be tasteful. Tugging up in my sleeping bag, convincing myself I have to wash myself tomorrow...or the day after... And being asleep straight away because it had all been so heavy on the day*

I can just not describe in words how it feels to be a climber, to live this life. But those moments in a bivouac somewhere up on a mountain are just the best there are. I can trade my mansion, car, all clothes, food, electronics for this moments in a bivouac in the mountains.

Renan Ozturk, artist, photographer and climber, tried to give a view on 'life as a climber' in Yosemite. And the result is pretty beautiful:

On Assignment from renan ozturk on Vimeo.

Home...in the flat country

2011-08-24T18:11:00.005Z

After one 8a, some ED/ED+, hard boulders, long walks a 1/2 marathon offroad, loads of pasta&tomato sauce, many Alpine roads and 2 months without a shower...we're back home again.

But not after a quick stop in Kandersteg (sportsclimbing, mountain running and drytooling in the sun -yes, drytooling is a sport for all year round- ) and later a stop in Ettringen.

Yestderday was so hot that it was impossible to climb. Which made us go for a swim instead. Laacher see it was. After all this sitting, driving and baking in the sun I decided it was time for a bit of movement. A bit became a lot and became a test. Wondering how fit I actually was (I noticed I could run uphill for 50 mins on 1200m height without getting tired and doing an offraod mountain run for 1:10hrs without getting any muscle-soreness or sore knees)

So how far could I run on a warm evening? It became 27km in less then 2 hours. All offroad in the hills around the Laacher See. It's not advisable to try this when you didn't eat enough and forgot to drink the regular amount of water you need on a day... Though, I did. Next is of course to run a marathon, offroad in the mountains :) Which is 'nothing' if you compared it to what runners with the Mont Blanc ultra-trail will run this week.

This morning it was cold enough to try climbing. Around 8 in the morning we had our warm-up and around 12 we had to leave because of the pressing humid heat.

In between we climbed quite some things including 'magical project' Mut der Verzweiflung. I tried this route before and once I knew how hard it was and that it had never been climbed by a woman (at that time, now it's been climbed by German local Melanie). I'm not so good in 'tempering myself' so nervous as I was every time I'd get upon the route I just failed. Getting scared, pumped, unfocused, basically just far too nervous to climb it...

But now after a Summer full of trad (7a on 3000m height) I was just far too fit to miss out on this 'simple-almost-below-sea-level-climb-on-a-hill-instead-of-a-3000m-heigh-mountain'.

I toproped it as warmup and 'walked' through all the moves with surprising ease. And I knew I had to get on lead. Nervous. Shit. Trembling, shaky on my legs even before I made any move. I got pumped after 2 moves. Shit.

I belayed Dennis, went for a walk with him (he knew I got nervous...too nervous to climb...) and ate a waffle, drank some water and relaxed.

Ready this time.

I climbed it, had the right locks on the right places and even had time to relax and shake my arms. Not that I got pumped, it's just a habit: Chalk up, shake, look, chalk, shake, move, look, move, shake, climb, chalk, shake, chalk, move...I'm a slow climber.

But I did it. Gear on the right place and never scared, pumped or in trouble. So cool, it felt like climbing 6b!

I have to say, this is so much easier then 7a trad in a long long multipich :) Officially Mut der Verzweiflung is graded as 7b/7b+. I'm not so good in grading routes. I'd guess it's more a 7a. But thats just because it went so easy right now. Guess I'm fit :)

Now, home again, I have to work again. Earn some money and go out again as soon as possible!

Here the three last movies of the 'Summer climbing trip 2011'.

Kandersteg, on our way home...

2011-08-22T07:27:00.005Z

Yesterday we left Chamonix after a very nice movie evening (Jackass) with -almost guide- Roeland van Oss. On the day we climbed together on some really really long granite sports routes (37m long 7a+ and more)

Since the last time we had quite some new adventure involving a big wall called the Grand Charmoz. We climbed the Cordier West Pillar. Not too hard but really beautiful climbing. Especially the cracks in the top part of the line are amazing! And also the piaz in the middle is pretty cool.

But it's time to head back. Work, earn some money and go out again :)

Today we'll do some drytooling in Kandersteg (as we can't find any long hard trad multipitch here, ideas are welcome) and then we'll drive to Ettringen.

Chamonix, in rain...again

2011-08-15T10:15:00.004Z

Actually rain is just perfect now.

We're having a restday after a full day of drytooling. Deserved restday I guess. This morning I denied that I felt my muscles but now, sitting here I feel stiff and tired in my shoulders and arms.

Tomorrow it's time for yet another Alpine route (if the weather stays ok). Grand Charmoz we'll climb. Not as hard as the Americaine Directe, a bit shorter and thus more comfortable climbing.

Vimeo just tells me the new video is uploaded for 63% so soon a new video here about what we do on our holidays [we never call our trips 'holidays' as it's hard work and we need restdays when we get back home again]

Piz badile, Cassin

2011-08-13T10:33:00.004Z

Okay, I still didn't publish the video of our Piz Badile climb.

Here, the whole story in words with the video :)

August 04. 2011 13:00h.

Adventure

Today I’m going to tell you about an adventure. An experience that went good, was beautiful but so tireing and demanding that it was something to remind of, for the rest of your life.

We learned, we thought, we improved and now hopefully got better then we were before.

Restday, that is what we needed. The climbing had not been very demanding, but our fingers were tired and our bodies felt heavy. And where better can you take such a day then in Italy on the side of a big lake.

Restday

So we drove from Stampa, our bouldering area back to Italy, Chiavenna and Lago di Mezzola. Thats where we met Thijs and Linda. They we’re on the lakeside with their campervan next to ours. Thijs loves fishing and caught a big carper in the lake, figuring two minutes later that he’s not allowed to fish there. Too bad, cause he braught me on the idea to go fishing as well. No fish for us we thought. But with all the fun we had they invited us for dinner. And loads of wine. So we still ate carper that night.

We relaxed, got a sunburn/or tan and packed our bags for the trip. Carefully we weighted all our stuff. Twenty kilos was what we had as a maximum. So all that was heavy went out. No sleepingbag liner, no rain trousers, no downjacket, no big camera, we even shortened ourselves on some food.

Speedwalking up hill

On August the 1st, Switzerlands National day we went up. The weather finally looked good enough to get into the higher mountains. First over the to the hut Sass Füra. In just one hour we reached the hut. Fast! We were totally surprised about our speed. The average walking time from Laret is 1hr and 45 minutes. We took some water, freshened our boiling heads, asked for the latest weatherforecast and figured yesterday was the only day the route had been climbed in July due to the snowy weather. Tomorrow would be a different story, more grouped had planned to do the same as we did... a bit further, for at about 1hr we walked to find the perfect bivouac spot: a big rock covering us from rain and wind.

A night with rain

We made up our beds, took our evening dinner, put on the alarm and fell asleep around 8. Well sleep, I didn’t sleep at all because Dennis and me wanted to ly next to each other, way more romantic then everyone with his own bivouac stone. Resulting in me having a hobbely bobbely bed and a sweet Dennis who rolled over every two minutes because his brand new Thermarest mat was leaking...again.

Around 2 in the night it started. Raining, pouring out of the sky, dripping on the side of the big rock but it didn’t get us wet. Though the rock we wanted to climb would be wet...for sure...damn. All the way up there after weeks of waiting and still not able to go up.

Early and late morning

4 ‘o clock. The alarm rung. Time to wake up.

I was already awake. Didn’t really sleep. The rock would be wet we thought. No reason to get up and go climbing.

Around 5 we heard people walking by. The Swedes who we met on the parking passed our rock as well. We asked if the rock was dry. They told us it was quite ok actually. We doubted and decided to go late. So all the groups would be far up in the route and we had all the time to ‘run’ up the line.

8 o clock. Time to take breakfast. It almost felt like sportsclimbing! Waking up late, taking some breakfast. Bags already packed. And off we went. In between 9 and 9:30 we were at the bast of the route. After some scrambling and light climbing.

People told us we’d need an axe and crampons but later the hüttenwird (refuge warden) told us there was no need for such stuff. Lucky we only took one pair of crampons for the two of us instead of the whole load.

The rock, except of the scramble and the snow, was dry and sticky.

The start

And there we started. I had the first pitch.

Piz Badile

Cassin route on the North East wall abseil over the North ridge.

We wanted to climb the Cassin route, so we had a 5c as starter of our meal.

The start of 800m climbing to the top of the Piz Badile.

All went okay, we found all the belays found an old rope, some rescue bolts, loads of old pitons.

We took one rack of cams from 0.2-3 (Black Diamond sizes) and a set of offset nuts. That was more then enough.

Traffic jams...

Though...enough for us we figured later when we saw people trying to protect the pitches with a placement every 1,5 meters...

Just before the trickier pitches we were stopped. Over 3 ropegoups waiting on one belay and more then 3 other groups in the two pitches above...

I was already surprised I saw people climbing just one pitch ahead of us. Weird...didn’t they start hours ahead of us?

We had no option but waiting. And thats what we did. Watching the mountains, the clouds, the climbers, and we got bored. So we started taking pictures of each other. We even got cold whilst we were sitting in the sun. We wrapped an emergency blanket around us to warm up. Over three hours we sat and waited. Finally, finally it was our turn. The pitch was a bit harder, around 6a and a bit tricky as it had some wet patches. But no reason for a climber to climb this in let’s see 3:20 hrs = 3x60+20= 200min/3x2climbers=200/6=33,33minutes! The pitch wasn’t even that long. Less then 45m, which would be average I guess.

We found an old alu box, probably had a topo inside one day, but not anymore.

And on we went, and waited...again...

It was my turn to climb and so I did. I climbed, and climbed and figured I climbed the corner way too far. Meaning I climbed 2 pitches in once. Shit. Although, shit. Next to me, on the official bolted belay there was the last rope groups just getting ready to leave! Uhhh.

So we waited again. Got onto the route again, Dennis turn to climb and landed on a crowded belay.

I decided to climb left of the actual route just before the chimney passages. A 5a or some. I ran up, passed the belay and made my own belay on a cam and a piton just before the chimney.

Crippled Polish climbers

On the belay before Dennis figured why this Polish group was so slow. They were climbing with a group of 4. One lead all the pitches, carefully placing gear every 2metres or less. He was experienced you could see, but was insecure. Two of the group fell somewhere in the start of the route, injuring themselves. But that didn’t come out of nothing: one had never been in the mountains before, another had not been climbing for three years and the fourth one injured his ankle in a fall. No wonder they were so slow. And by the way: what the fuck were they thinking?! Not been climbing for three years and set this route as your first, or never been in the mountains before and have this one as your first?! We should be angry, and afterwards we were a bit, they delayed us so much! In total we had over 4 hours delay because of this group and maybe another hour because of all the parties above us. 5 hours... We counted the climbing time every time so we were quite sure about the actual delay time we had.

Chimney struggling

Now, the chimneys. Wet and tricky weird climbing. The kind of climbing you’ll never find in your local gym. It was like crack, piaz, wide, offwidth, twisted climbing and hard to secure. But so cool to try! For sure, altough the pitches were wet, these were the three star pitches of the Cassin route.

Again I climbed on far too far in the chimney and made a belay with a sling on a big piece of rock. It was nice, technical climbing, smearing with your feet, carefully placing your hands in the wet crack. I later saw the bolted belay far underneath on the right side of the crack. Too bad.

A tricky but beautiful slab, the last pitch

It was Dennis turn on what turned out to be the last pitch. As there were still groups above us so we went right on the face of the wall. A slab, but a rare nice one. Dennis first travesed to the right, finding a place to put in some gear. A small .2 size cam, going almost straight up, finding some thing cracks for small nut placements. Carefully holding yopur fingers around the grainte knobbles and placing your feet on the big chrystals. Exposed, technical, but beautiful!

On the 'top'

And suddenly we were there. On the Nordkante of the Piz Badile. Dennis made a belay on a big abseil ring. 7:30 it was when I reached Dennis belay. Damn, so late! No time to go on for the top. Or should we bivouac in the cabin on top of the Badile? No evening dinner with, just some bars and water, probably busy with Polish climbers and other slow climbers...hmmm, no let’s just abseil as we planned.

Abseiling adventure

We hung the rope in the ring, attached the tagline and abseiled down. Luckily we found a ring almost every time, until it became darker. The sun went down, beautifuly, hiding behind the mountains in the distance colouring the sky orange-pink. We went down the wrong side, not knowing the exact Nordkante line, landing in abseils on pitons. Hmmm, not to good we thought, but hope in our own experience made us go on. Headlights on, searching for the next belay. Frustrated of all the knots in our tagline, we went on. Only once our rope got stuck, only once in I-don’t-know-how-many-abseils.

But the darker it got, the less light I had. My batteries were low. We decided to replace them with the emergency batteries in our kit, but those were not too good either, maybe the old ones were even better, so we changed them back again.

The stars were beautiful, amazing to see the double Milkyway the pole star and all the other star-groups so bright on the sky. It helped me quite a bit, when the mist dragged down, up again and down again zeeping along the mountain covering it in a soft white blanket. “The Italians are cooking pasta” I told Dennis, a joke I got from an old Austrian mountain guide.

One moment we found a big ledge, some snow on one side, a fully made bivouac on the other. We looked at each other, shall we? Shall we just stay here and wait for the light?

But tempting as it was we knew we had to go on. What if it would start to rain, what if there came lighting and thunder, what if...? We were a bit cold, sleeps, wanting our warm sleepingbags.

So on we went and suddenly I found a ring again! Was I lucky or were we just thinking logical? And the next abseil, Dennis found a ring again, and another one!

Bivouac?

But then, we we should almost be at the base of the route on 2950m. We got lost again, shit, no abseil around here, no ring...We were tired, just wanted to sleep.

Suddenly we found an emergency blanket, hidden in between two loose rocks, we took it, sat on it, to cover us from the wet grassy ledge and took the other one we had used before. We covered us in it and sat there. Dennis sat good enough to fall asleep, I sat and watched the stars. Getting, even with the blanket, too cold to fall asleep.

After some time, over an hour, maybe two, we were sure we should go on. We tied a little rope around a rock, made our abseil and went on. We traversed a bit, and climbed over the egde, back onto the Nordkante. I went down on and on, sure to find the base of the route soon. And there, it was suddenly! The saddle, the edge on where the Cassin and the Nordkante were. We were there!

At the base

A light shined in our faces, wondering what we were doing there so late in the night, it was another group of Polish climbers, bivouacing at the saddle. We abseiled on more time, and climbed down the gully, went over the snow patches and walked through the boulder field. Finally we found our bivouac. Warm sleepingbags waiting for us.

We made dinner, evening dinner. Took our sleepingbags, made a new ledge, not too close to each other. And Dennis took all that was soft and warm to make a nice bed. His mat was flat, so anything to cover his back from the hard rocks was put under the mat, clothes, ropes, bags. Within ten minutes we were asleep. Sleeping on till at about eleven. Once we woke up, my phone was ringing, again. Unknown number, again. I took up, beep beep, beep, and the one who called hung up again. The fifth time that day, draining the battery of my phone with all the useless calling and hanging up again. Annoying, Who dares to call me when I’m climbing?

The morning, after a good night sleep

We took breakfast and packed our bags.

We walked down, leaving the Badile in the mist behind us. We felt pretty okay and it didn’t take us long to get to the hut, refresh our faces and walk down to Laret. We parked the van a bit lower on a flat place and were happy to find some nice French dudes who offered us coffee and later cake.

We spent the day eating cake, talking about all the French routes that should be climbed by us and our new French friends and we watched the rain and thunder over the Badile. Realising we chose the best day of the season to get onto the route.

We ate dinner, a huge dinner full with sun-dried, tomatoes, pesto, olives, courgette, pasta and even more pasta.

And then we slept, until the next morning. The Badile still covered in mist and later rain, no need for us to stay around. Up to somewere else, but what? Where? Would France be drier, or maybe the Central alps? In the Chiavenna climbing shop (good shopm friendly people!) they helped us with info about the Hiroshima route on the Badile. The 3 Effe shop owner had the number of the one who opened the route, better info you couldn’t get. Should we stay, wait for better weather? Or leave, leave...we drove to Chur.

Chamonix/Petit Dru and more

2011-08-13T09:50:00.005Z

Sometimes you just neeeed a restday.

Like one we needed today. Good weather, clouds in the mountains, bit of rain in the morning. Perfect for a restday.

We washed in the public toilets this morning, posted the usual cards to our families at home and now enjoying coffee in internet café 'Enjoy' in Chamonix.

Dennis is still at our 'home' reading a book about the history of the SAS (nice book it is, full of adventure and real stories)

The reason for this restday was the following adventure:

Petit Dru, Américaine Directe.

Dennis told me about the route Roeland never stopped talking about the thing, I know Jelle wants to climb it and we...well, we tried :)

Mission was to do a ground-up onsight attempt in a day. I had the honour to try and onsight all the difficult pitches (6a-6c/7a/7a+) We started quite late, but that was good, we figured later. It was cold, all water was frozen, even the little melting streams in the route were frozen. Later we met two experienced climbers who were forced to go down because of frostbite (they started too early, around 4 o clock)

We managed to get all the way to the big block, which is 21 rope lengths (following the English topoguide) We had to wait for two who were struggling in the next pitches. A good rest was welcome, but took us quite some time. We lay in the sun, warming up our frozen toes, fingers and water. Thirsty as we were, but we had to wait for the snow to melt...

Dennis was tired, I was tired but I wanted to do my mission: onsight the two hardest pitches of the route. So we went up, a short V up to a little bloc and then it started. A finger crack that first started with a chimney struggle behind a stuck flake. I struggled, go so out of breath because of the height but made it all the way to the belay in the middle of the long corner. Happy, tired, thirsty, hungry, one hard pitch to go! Dennis struggled his way up, carrying the little backpack and the tagline. We had to wait again for the party in front of us, but it was welcome, again. And there I went again. I screamed, tired, pumped, out of energy, and when I finally had a good fingerlock I just couldn't hold on anymore! My arms were so tired. Shit, no, fuck, kut, no I cursed to myself and had to let go. I failed! Al that climbing and then failing there! Damn!

I lost all my motivation there for a second.

It was late already, we'd had to abseil in darkness and, because I didn't do what I came for we decided to go down. We abseiled, got our rope stuck in some shit (nasty!!) got the rope stuck again, and again and finally got down...It was 12 o clock already, time for an evening meal: 'chicken with herb'. And at that time all food tastes like a four Michelin star meal.

We slept till 9 in the next morning, ate our porridge and some cereal bars and went down, over the moraines, through the swamp, and then stopping every 2 metres to eat blueberries.

We only have 10 days left. Hopefully the weather will stay good enough to try this route again or any other beautiful line.

Tomorrow rain and thunder in the forecast so time for sportsclimbing.

Pictures: Dennis & me on the Dru (sorry, couldn't flip the pictures...)

Biz Badile, Oberalppass and Chamonix: Summer?

2011-08-08T12:47:00.003Z

Finally, we did it. What an adventure it was. The weather was good (for just one day, when we came back in the valley it rained again).

Meanwhile a lot of things 'happened'. We traveled through Swiss, visited Chur and the Oberalppass and climbed a horrible but nice (how is that possible?) 10 pitch slab.

Now we 'landed' (or stranded) in Chamonix, as the weather was supposed to be best in the West Alps. Still it's raining here and no weather to get onto the higher mountains.

We're walking around in Cham, internetting in the Mac Donalds and uploading the unfinished version of our Piz Badile video.

Now up to the guide office to figure more about the routes we intend to climb :)

Photo's: Piz Badile and others.

Boulder and more. Summer climbing.

2011-08-01T09:35:00.004Z

Travelling around in Engadin and the Chiavenna region. Border hopping you can call it. One day on the Italian side (Chiavenna) the other day on the Swizz side again (Breggalia/Engadin valley)

Due to the bad weather conditions we haven't had the chance to climb what we're here for.

Bouldering is nice, sportsclimbing is fun though but the idea is to get onto the Piz Badile, Bernina and other beautiful and high mountains.

So far we were forced to enjoy ourselves in the valley. Sportsclimbing in Plaun da Lej, bouldering in Stampa and Multipitch in Lirone.

(see video's)

Fun to find out that climbers in the region developed a whole new bouldering area. Boulders varying form F4a to F8a I guess. We spent the first part of our session with brushing way all the moss and dirt before we could actually get up the stones. We tried quite some hard things and set up some new problems. And then the rain came in...as it does every day. Just a bit but enough to bet all boulders wet and the grass soggy.

Today we're back in Vicosoprano, stealing internet and uploading some movies. Hopfully the weather will stay good enough for us to go up into the moutains. Piz Badile (Cassin route) is our goal for tomorrow. Sweet!

Pictures: Dennis & me bouldering in Stampa, the 'Paula Fliegt' street theatre in Castelmur, Dennis in 'Linda' the multipitch we climbed in Lirone.

Swiss sportsclimbing

2011-07-27T11:44:00.005Z

We bailed out of Val di Mello.

Why? Rain and snow...

We drove down and guessed trad and Alpine climbing would be over for the next week(s).

But suddenly the Swiss forecast changed and we 'ran' to Bondo. Once in Bondo it rained, Piz Badile covered in clouds and when we called the hut they told us it was all wet and snowy :(

So we drove on and found a little sportsclimbing crag. (Plaun da Lej) Not too bad we thought, and could easily spent some days on the sharp, rough limestone there.

The routes can be compared to climbing in Freyr (Belgium) but all is still rough and feels 'fresh' on your fingers.

We felt strong and found it funny step into the hardest route of the area 'Antrax' an short 8a with a boulder in the start.

We were quite fast figuring all the moves except from the start. So we guessed the start must be hard. And it was. Looking, feeling, looking again, insecure...I sort of found a way to do it. Wasn't sure yet and had to put my 'engine' on full power to stick the moves. Did it on toprope and just actually did it. All in once. Hûh, all in once, 8a? I had to get on lead, straight away. Dennis tried first, found it hard too... I pulled out the rope, got on the moves and stuck it again! But, after the crux I slipped away and fell. Shit, almost did it, stupid feet!

And again, I went into the route and finally did it. Even crossed over with my wrong hand after the crux but could fix it easily and climbed easy on to the top.

8a, finally! Dennis climbed it as well, his first 8a!

Too bad we don't have any proper pictures of the ascents. It's quite hard to belay and photograph at the same time...

For two days more we climbed there tried some more beautiful and/or hard routes and finally figured our fingers were too tired to hold on. Today is restday day, we both feel our fingers, arms, shoulders and I even feel the muscles in my chest and tummy :)

Hopefully the weather will change and will give us a chance on the Piz Badile, Piz Bernina and other high mountains with cool trad lines like the Cassin on the Piz Badile...

Here the little movies that didn't want to upload...not the best but it gives a view on what we've done in Friedrichshafen and Val di Mello.

The Plaun da Lej video soon :)

Val di Mello

2011-07-22T13:26:00.004Z

After a couple of days in Friedrichshafen it was time to head for the Alps.

Too bad thats it's raining everywhere...

Two days ago we woke up with snowy mountains all around. One of the locals told us he hadn't seen this much snow in July in 32 years!

Hopefully it will get better in the next weeks.

Today is restday because I slipped when walking down from a climb. Luckily nothing really bad, it was just bleeding a lot: my ear. Actually it's all fine now so I can climb again tomorrow :)

The climb we did was the classic of the area Luna Nasciente. max. 6b+ but with a 'rope solo' 3a pitch on a slab and all on trad. Too bad for us, it started raining when we were in the 6th pitch. So I was forced to lead the 3a slap in the rain! The wall changed from solid friction into one big waterfall. Luckily we made it to the top and we able to walk down over the slippery paths...

Before this adventure we had one day of bouldering (Val di Mello is famous of bouldering) and we tried to find the route with the vague topo. We walked for 6 hours in total and really didn't get it where the right path was supposed to be... We climbed some vague unrated single pitch and as it was already past 5 we decided to bail and go back to our free campsite in San Martino. Luckily we had more good charms around us yesterday. We found the right path and the route.

Restday means laptop charging/internet/movie/wash-day. Dan that's exactly what we do right now. Though all works pretty slow and I don't have too much time. Meaning I just uploaded a movie without music...sorry! I'll refine the thing as soon as possible.

Climbing times :) Finally

2011-07-13T13:22:00.003Z

Sorry, something went wrong with getting this post online.

I just lost all my text and pictures.

Nice.

So here agin. Shortly.

1. I'd been working. A lot. For a couple weeks I was just working, sleeping, eating, working and if I was lucky I had some time to climb. Frustrating, but I knew I had a goal: climbing. Finally some money to have a outdoor climbing chance. Even enough to go abroad for a whole month!

2. And that's what we just did. We drove off with our fixed van and are already in Austria. One day after the Messe (Fair) in Friedrichshafen. The 'Out Door' is the biggest outdoor fair of the world and the place to be as 'gear-freak'.

3. With success we went to the fair. Results: a new spork, I won the Teva wake-skate design competition, new 5.10 shoes, met these really cool 5.10 people (thanks Ivo, Charles, Bryan...) had such nice talks in Icelandic with 66 North, Cintamani and Fjallakofinn, saw the best backpack ever in the Crux stand, tried the new Petzl micro Traxion, lost all my businesscards (on purpose) to all new people I met, discusses new ideas for fruitboots with 5.10 and Petzl, I talked to Trango (nice girl) and got a top of Stone designs, figured the only and best clothing sponsor ever is Patagonia and best and coolest and most AMAZING of all: Dennis and I 'decided' to go to the Petzl Roc Trip in China!

4. Hey guys, you can actually all go to the Petzl Roc Trip, even when you're not a Chris Sharma or Daida, you're still welcome. The're over 250 routes bolted varying from 6a to 9b. Something for everyone. Sweet!

5. Now it's raining :( And we're on a climbing trip...in the rain. Something that doesn't really match. We're drinking coffee in the MacDonalds, enjoying free internet and weather forecasts.

Where should we go? Val di Mello, Bernina, Ailefroide, Chamonix...? Any suggestions?

On the pictures: working last week (ziplines, climbing, belaying, on the road, homemade bread and Friedrichshafen)

Viva & Arla

2011-07-03T12:55:00.004Z

So cool!

I won, I won, yes, yes. I won a restyle of our beloved campervan.

A professional stylist would come and restyle our van and I got an interview with pictures of the restyle in Dutch magazine 'Viva'.

A month ago the team came over and did the restyle. A professional photographer took pictures. New cushions, a plaid... And I was pretty excited about it. Arla, Scandinavian brand for diary products is new on the Dutch market and financed the restyle. So on the pictures you see some Arla yoghurt drinks and in the interview we focused on food and natural things fitting with the image of Arla. Though, it also fits me, so nothing in the interview is twisted or faulty.

This week the magazine is in the shops.

Fat children

2011-07-03T12:27:00.004Z

I was thinking...what title should I give this post.

And actually 'work, climbing' is actually all I do these days and yes, a bit more: studying (sometimes).

Yesterday I was working for Outdoor Westvoorne, my favourite outdoor sports company in the Netherlands ;) I was belaying kids, all day. On a campsite in the province called Zeeland (Sealand, down SW, close to the Belgian border)

And sometimes I wonder...why are all this kids so fat? Whats wrong? I'd been doing researches for my studies and every time I found that kids are getting fatter and fatter. With fat I mean not just a bit heavy, but having a 'blubber' tummy, legs that have their own rhythm when they try to run and arms that don't fit normal children's' watches as they're too thick.

What went wrong? What's up with all these parents? Don't they realise that when their 8 year old child tries to run they're actually slower then a 3 year old, that they waggle instead of run? Now with climbing it's worse, of course. They just can't get up the fairly easy wall. Some can't even see where they have to place their feet as their tummy is in the way.

Why, why parents, why?

They often have excuses, 'oh, I got a cramp in my arm', 'my leg is sore', 'it's too difficult', 'I'm scared of heights', 'you need to help me', 'pull, pull, Marianne, why don't you pull me up on the wall?'. But basically it's the lack of knowing how to move. Knowledge of how to get your body around on the wall.

Why, parents, why?

I think, having your child that fat is child abuse. And nobody ever dares to say that to a parent with a fat child. But I think we should tell them. It's getting worse every year. Children start to look like little pigs, being fed every hour, parents running around satisfying the ridiculous needs of a 'spoiled' (abused) child.

So sad...

So I always have a thing I tell children. It differs form day to day. It's always a compliment or encouragement, but today I had just one thing: girl/boy, you really should eat less candy and find a sports.

Sorry kids, couldn't help it, it was just so bad to see...

Today I tried to Google for a nice evening dinner and all I found was fat meat.

Ah, so this is why you're fat.

Now focus again on my vegetable garden and see if the carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, mais, pumkins, onions, leek and all other little plants are doing. :)

Enjoy your day. Fat free?

Oh, yes, you could expect a picture of a fat child, but I don't want to place a picture of an overweighted child on my blog as I find they can't help it. So just some vegetables here :)

Still at home...waiting for Summer holidays

2011-06-28T08:25:00.002Z

There I am, still at home.

Now bad to be here though, enjoying my garden. Just ate my first home-grown carrot. But, I'm living here because I have a mission. That mission involves a thing that most call 'hobby', some call it 'sports', and for me it's a way of life...

And I really wanted to be abroad now. Climbing! I actually had a chance, Fontainebleau with a new friend. Canceled work, changed appointment days, changed the job interview date, skipped climbing with Dennis, that all to get one day of climbing in Font. But, I sort of blew it. (Long story that makes me sad).

So here I am, still at home, in the rain, being bored, not motivated to do any of the things I actually need to do (filling in tax forms, learning for my exam on Thursday, putting together a little photobook for the Outdoor Fair in Fridrichshafen...)

I'm still lying on bed, thinking of what I actually want.

What I want is pretty simple, but it just doesn't seem to fit in this world: climbing.

But every time when I want that more and more I get into a vicious circle: climbing > no work > no money > no climbing > still climbing > not accepted by 'normal people' > less money > less climbing > less understanding by 'normal people' > more work > less climbing > more money > more climbing > less work > no work at all > ...

I wish I was a millionaire. I'd climb, all over the world. Live in a cave, as close a possible to all climbing areas, find friends to climb with, eat pasta with tomato sauce for weeks, cookies for breakfast and lunch and when I take a restday, once every two weeks, I feel my fingers, stiff but satisfied. Again another great route finished.

Talking about fingers, Martin Fickweiler has a crack climbing course in Ettringen in September. Wanna join and learn more about how to stick cracks? Read here more on his blog.

And, as bored as I am? Interested in new fruitboots? On 'Cold Thistle' more about how to make them.

Millionaire I said, yes, that's what I'd do with money. Use it as a tool to build up life experience. No big house, big car, big husband...Just freedom and see the world as it is. Figure new cultures, new habits, new thoughts, new food, new nature, new roads. Roads that can lead me to freedom in my mind.

Santiago de Compostela

2011-06-25T19:57:00.003Z

Now you thought I'm active and venturous. True, maybe. But I learned that somewhere. From childhood on actually.

My parents, both PE teacher and fanatic sporters decided to do something different this year.

They'd been to China, walked through Iceland, been in alpine climbing but now, they're into cycling.

They decided to cycle all the way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain! They'll do the pilgrimage. Not that they're very religious, it's just the magic around it that they love.

My mum writes, my dad is photographer. So, expect some nice pictures from their trip here on their blog: hs75muiden.blogspot.com

! GriGri 2

2011-06-21T14:54:00.006Z

Unfortunately the new GriGri 2 has a problem... (In Apple terms: As it turns out the GriGri2 has an issue...)

Under serious force the handle might block, causing failure in the automatic breaking system.

So, I have to sent mine back and get a replacement.

Maybe you have to sent yours back too? Check out the details on the Petzl website here.

Petzl says: "Because the safety of our users is our primary concern, as a measure of precaution Petzl has decided to take the following actions:

- Increase the mechanical strength of the handle on all GriGri 2's since serial number 11137.

- Recall all GriGri 2's with the first five digits of the serial number between 10326 and 11136, and replace with a new revised GriGri 2.

Petzl will pay for all shipping costs to complete this replacement."

For Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg please contact Alpitec by e-mailing to recall.grigri2@alpitec.be

For Iceland, please use to contact form on the Petzl webpage.

Living in another country? Check the Petzl website here.

Want to know how to use your GriGri2? Check out the 'technical notice' here.

Curry that makes you...

2011-06-21T14:32:00.005Z

Okay, I like cooking. And I prefer to cook simple (one pot, one frying pan meals). Today I was up for some Thai food.

I opened the curry pack, added it to the coconut milk and suddenly saw the name of the curry company. Do you spot the name?

So, does this curry make you...?

Worldcup Boulder Eindhoven 2011

2011-06-20T12:54:00.007Z

The day after. Or actually already two days after the finals of the Worldcup Bouldering in Eindhoven.

Because of a mistake. (Won't tell you any names or details) I was climbing in Ettringen during Dutch the qualifications last April. At that time I was pretty quiet and light about it as I thought 'well, just happens and outdoor climbing is better then indoor climbing'. But somewhere in my brain there is a little voice that keeps on telling me 'Girl you're stronger then last year, you should have been there. And why don't you just write it down or say it that it's not your fault that you weren't there on the walls.'

And now I just told you.

I was told only the best three climbers would go for the 'Wildcard' for the Worldcup in Eindhoven. Later, after the qualifiers in April I figured it was the best 4 after the national team members. Bit painful...

I have no idea where I'll be next year (Yosemite, Iceland, Canada...?) But if I have that chance to qualify again, I'll try to do so :)

So, no competition climbing for me last weekend. Though I suddenly still got involved.

I'm national judge and the organisation was short in judges, so suddenly I was there.

I had 'to get into' the rules and system, but that was quite easy. And the positive thing was, that I had a first row view!

On Saturday evening I had so much engery after seeing all the climbers, that I decided to go and climb as well. And Monk it was. A full evening with all kinds of funny, strange, difficult, slopey, long, short boulders. Satisfied I left for the hotel in Mierlo.

Saturday, semi- and finals-day. The Dutch only had Vera and Nicky in the semi's.

Though, it was a busy day.

Mountain Network, a Dutch company that owns several climbing gyms in the Netherlands, was responsible for the venue (structure and the stage). And as the Netherlands is quite unpredictable weather wise you always have to count on at least some rain. This weekend was not just forecasted with 'some rain' but with LOADS of rain. So you'd expect a proper roof above the climbing walls and isolation. But nope...some sail that flappered in the wind was the only thing to protect the climbers and boulders from the rain.

There were even rumours that the competitions would be canceled because of it!

And then there was the structure itself. Four times I found a little pin on the floor under the walls. It was not just a little pin, it were crucial little things that work as locks and so basically keep the structure together. With such a pin missing, the structure can basically drop down with just a bit of wind. So four of these missing...

I climbed up with the excuse to fix the holes in the roof and also placed two pins back...

Now I can go on and on with complaining about the structure and safety (for example how to work with scaffold-hooks and how this was all a perfect example of how not to work with it...) but, I was writing about climbing and not about safety issues in stage building. (Though...hopefully it will all be better next year...)

This post is not finished (yet) due to some internet problems here, it keeps on disappearing. Really annoying. So tomorrow I'll write some more :)

Via Ferrata clinic

2011-06-14T07:21:00.004Z

Jeroen, Monte Cervino ('de berg' in Dutch, the mountain) manager, routesetter but most of all climber, asked me to help him with the Monte Cervino/NKBV Via Ferrata clinics that he planned.

I'm more into leadclimbing trad routes then walking iron paths but I was up for this new kind of teaching.

All around you hear people landing in serious accidents on Via Ferrata's. Last August 2010 a helicopter flew out when Dennis and me were climbing the Salbit (CH), it turned out to be a serious Via Ferrata accident. A couple weeks later we heard the news that climbing legend Kurt Albert died in a Via Ferrata accident.

And I remember me with my brother and parents on a Via Ferrata with a guide over 15 years ago. Just attached on a sling and a screwgate krab. Clipping over to the next wire? 'Just hold tight and move over the krab.'

When you don't know any better you'll never know that it's actually quite dangerous what you're doing.

With that all in mind I thought it's very, very important to have Via Ferrata clinics, especially in a country as the Netherlands, where we don't grow up with mountains around us.

Our focus in the clinics was not as much to learn all Via Ferrata skills (as for that you need to build up general experience with climbing Via Ferrata lines and that's not what happens in just 3 hrs. time) but more make people more conscious of all potential factors on a Via Ferrata.

We started with some theory involving the use of a Via Ferrata set and a helmet, a bit of Via Ferrata history and preparation in the valley before you attend a Via Ferrata.

Then we focused on short-term preparation involving weather forecast, topo, what to pack in your rucksack and more.

And finally we could start climbing. First half-way the wall. Abseil down and try again.

Then higher, all the way to the top of the wall. Most had never been so high, so it was quite an experience.

We practised all kinds of skills like passing other people, how to help with mild accidents, what to do with severe accidents, what to do with thunder and lightning, and we tried to teach consciousness with answering together questions like 'why do you have to wear a helmet', 'what happens when a 30kg child falls in an Via Ferrata set', 'do you know how to get back when you're on the top of a Via Ferrata climb', 'where to go with lightning'...

The participants were all very happy to gain that much information in just 3 hrs. time.

So, Jeroen and I were satisfied. Via Ferrata clinic take 1: great success :)

Hopefully we can keep on giving this kind of courses and so prevent accidents and teach the beauties of outdoor activities.

Interested in a clinic? Please contact me to see what we can arrange on Monte Cervino.

Were you on the course? All pictures Jeroen and me took are on Picasa here.

Do you use a Petzl Scorpio? Some are being recalled for inspection, click here for more information on the Petzl website.

Live to climb, born to climb

2011-06-10T21:28:00.005Z

Dutch climber Michel Kleinjan and his wife (? are you actually married or should I say 'girl' or 'woman' or 'chicka'?) Leonoor just decided to sell their house and live in a 'wooden shed' close to the biggest and best climbing gym in the Netherlands. (Mote Cervino, Bergschenhoek)

Their idea after years of 'hibernation': work to live instead of just work to work to pay off rent and mortages...

Here his blog (in Dutch)

It's inspiring and motivating!

Good luck guys, it's worth a big, big pie! (With fruit, without raspberries ;)

Picture: one of the pies we chose in a bakery in Elbsandstein, on Gerkes birthday. When I'd just met Michel and Leonoor for the first time.

Advanced First Aid for Industrial Rope Access

2011-06-08T06:59:00.004Z

What I do besides climbing, is educating myself into safety issues.

This week a 3 day training in first aid on heights. Suspension trauma's and more...
Soon a little movie about this weeks training I'm doing at Orange Access.

Ibbenbüren climbing weekend

2011-06-06T19:50:00.003Z

Been quiet on my blog lately.
Sorry for that.

Been busy with...climbing.

A competition in Arnhem (5th, quite okay but should have been better) and last weekend I was involved in family business with Dennis' family (which was quite nice actually) and of course...climbing. This time another area in Germany, not Ettringen but Ibbenbüren was our destination. For the first time.

Eveline told us to go there and borrowed her topo to us. (Thanks)

It was quite okay. Pretty friendly area, good for families, beginners, semi-beginners and even for us there was something to climb.

Though, when you get there for the first time without any guidance it might be hard to figure the right path to the climbing sectors. The 'treasure map' in the topo only helped just a bit...

And when it's as damp and hot as it was this weekend, it's quite hard to climb without chalk!

Most is bolted but I had the chance to play again with my 'Elbsandstein knots'.

Fun and worth another weekend!

Ettringen instruction weekend

2011-05-24T15:13:00.008Z

This weekend not just Ettringen climbing, but something more.

I was invited by the Dutch climbing federation (NKBV) to help with the course for trad-climbing instructors. So not just climbing, but teaching climbing as well this weekend.

And when it's about something more then just teaching how to belay it's fun! The group was motivated and ready to learn.

Together with UIAGM guide Michiel Engelsman, almost-trainee-guide Jelle Staleman, Arnoud, Sjors and Dennis we thought the group the refined skills of tradclimbing.

And where else should we go...Ettringen is perfect for such a course.

The weather was 'ok', rain on Friday, sun on Saturday and more rain on Sunday.

All 'students' are already trad climbers so I even had some time to climb as well.

Tried some beautiful cracks and even had the time to project...Flirtin' with disaster, just an 8+, but I don't understand the last moves! So if anybody can explain me how to stick the moves after the last bolt...?

And...for all who climb more often in the area here the route-updates for the topo.

Mayen

Ettringen

Kottenheim

You can print the PDF's and add them to the topo.

Pictures thanks to Sjors Verbrugge, René and Ernst.

If you think you're on one of the pictures in the video/on my blog, please mail me so I can sent you the picca :)

Grímsvötn

2011-05-24T08:37:00.004Z

One of my interests is geology. Actually I'm more then just interested in the subject. I get 'hyper' when I talk about volcanism, and the Earth's activity underground.

Last year I was in Iceland at the time of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. This year I'm not living in Iceland anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't follow the Icelandic news anymore.

Every day I try to keep up with the language and culture and watch the Icelandic news.

And so I found this lille video about all the dust and ash erupting out of the Vatnajökull glacier.

For all journalists, photographers: if you need someone who knows quite a bit about Iceland, speaks the language and more and who is free to travel to Iceland right now, please contact me on der.steen [@] gmail.com

Clean routes, no bolts...

2011-05-18T21:30:00.003Z

Climbing routes on bolts or climbing routes on trad gear is a difficult ethical issue in climbing.

In some countries people only tend to climb on bolts, in some it's mixed (some area's are bolted others are clean) and in some trad is the only way to climb.

Climbing trad or bolts involves not just the issue of a 'pure' route, but also has a safety issue, an access issue, habits, quality and experience(s) of local climbers and much more.

So deciding to bolt or not is, I find, a hard decision.

To my opinion bolting routes should be avoided when it's possible to climb the route on trad gear. I even think it's even not necessary to bolt a route following modern techniques when the 'old' way of bolting is actually not really 'safe'. Climbing safety is something relative I think, and it's part of the beauty involved in the sports: it's your own personal decision to climb a route or not.

Some climbers are very active in this issue. And even chop away bolts.

In this movie a little example of a route that doesn't have to be bolted: The Doors, and 8b (French grading). Matteo Della Bordella climbs the route.

Also others already climbed the route on trad gear (Jeff Mercier and Eric Jamet)

Lead 2 Monte Cervino

2011-05-16T10:11:00.004Z

When you read the title you guess this piece of text would be about climbing the Swiss Matterhorn.

Yes, I did...on the inside...a replica... In my hometown Bergschenhoek there's a gym called Monte Cervino. On the outside it looks like the Monte Cervino mountain.

It's an in- and outdoor climbing wall with high, long, technical routes on nice holds. This gym is the reason I'm living in Bergschenhoek :)

This Sunday was not 'just-another-climbing-day'. It was time for the National Lead Competition called 'PromoTop'.

It was disappointing to see the amount of competitors: just 10 Women and 18 men decided to climb. But, nevertheless all the climbers who did take the effort to get to Monte Cervino are all strong competition climbers!

I did good enough in the previous competition so I was allowed to start straight in the semi-finals.

I was surprised about the size of the holds. Every move I expected a tiny crimper, but all holds were positive and good. Until I locked off too high, lost my balance, was too high to put pressure on the hold and, suddenly fell, not even pumped! Shit... Though it was just good enough to go for the next round: the finals.

The red route. A long zig-zagging route all the way through the main wall and the roof. That looks like 'my thing'. A bit dynamic, a bit, tough, technical, heel-hooking, hanging... I moved easily through the start and middle part and suddenly came off, really, I still don't understand why I actually came off. Frustrated, not even pumped (again), confused, angry by myself... I was sure I could top-out this route! But I didn't so became 5th. After Tabitha, Magali, Rachel and Nikki.

Nikki and Rachel had to climb a 'superfinal' to decide the final winner as they both topped the finals. Tim Reuser did an impressive act in the mens finals by onsighting the route (about French 8b). Wanne Libot just didn't make it and always-perfect-climbing Truong landed on a 3th place.

Dennis also joined and actually did really well for an iceclimber and reached the semi-finals!

I can't wait to try all these routes again today :)

Overall results on the NKBV website.

I made a video of the comp. Just to show how much fun it is for plastic climbing :) There not much Dennis&Marianne in the video for a change as I wanted to make an overall impression of the event and not just 'me climbing a route'.

Chillin'

2011-05-14T18:04:00.005Z

After a week of climbing in Elbsandstein (Germany) and a hit&run to the annual Petzl meeting in Belgium I needed a 'day off'.

I woke up at 5 yesterday and was home again around 2-ish in the night. Long day...

So, updated my vegetable garden with maïs, carrots and other seeds and little plants, did some house cleaning and watched loads of short climbing movies.

Tomorrow 'work' again: the national lead competition in my home-town Bergschenhoek. Fun! But, strange after a week of outdoor climbing on scary protected sandstone :)

Soon more about my Elbsandstein adventure with a little video and some pictures.

And for now, No Pain No Spain, a video of Spanish Boreal/Petzl team-members having fun in the rocks. That rocks ;)

(Picture by Leonoor: Michel & me climbing one of the Elbsandstein pillars; Ostkante VI, RP VIIb, Chinesischer Turm, Bielatal)

Fitness

2011-05-06T08:27:00.005Z

It's sunny, warm and I wanted to pick up an 'old' hobby. Running.

I used to run 5 days a week next to all my other activities. But, since I live in the Netherlands again, I got a bit lazy. No dog to accompany me, no forest to run some trails.

So I decided to set myself a goal: run 24km before I go to the Alps this Summer and run the Rotterdam Marathon next April 2012.

But, it's nothing compared to what a goal one of my friends has...He just celebrated his 50th birthday and now wants to run 50 miles! (Calculate that to Kilometres...and you get 80,5 km) So what am I actually complaining about, 42 is piss easy, try to run the double distance, thats the real thing!

Now that I just wrote this down I can't go back :)

So far it's going okay, ran 10km yesterday and run about 4 times a week now at least 6km per day. And all that running next to my climbing hopefully makes me fit enough for the Alps.

Two days ago I replaced my 7-year-old Asics with beautiful, comfortable new Nike running shoes (see picture)

Next to the running I try to keep up with fitness classes like Zumba (I'm a really bad salsa dancer as I don't have any Latin American blood...), Yoga (really relaxing, would recommend it to you all) and 'Back to basic' (very tough body pump practice) in my favourite fitness school in Weesp. Fitness Center Weesp is fan of iceclimbing resulting in two A3 autographed pictures of me hanging in the fitness room. So cool! (see pictures)

From this Saturday I'll be hanging on little knots in Elbsandstein (Germany) and then hopefully working again. (Anybody suggestions for work??)

Values in my life

2011-05-04T17:22:00.005Z

Today, May 4. is a special day. War memorial day.

My grandparents are the key to this day. I consider them to be the ones that actually made it possible for me to live my life as it is.

2 Minutes of silence.

Today May 4. is the day to remind the ones who are not with us anymore because of the values they had. The ones who fought for our freedom. For the values that sound so logical today.

I think it's important to remind ourselves to what freedom actually means.

As it's a bit difficult to say 'thanks' to people that are not alive anymore.

But I just want to try. That's why I wrote this little piece of text.

It's a I-can-not-translate-this-thing-into-any-language

Het lente gras in Muiden waait in de wind

Als glanzend groen zijde aan een waslijn

Stil rij ik voorbij het landschap

M'n hoofd vol

Gedachtes

Ideeën

Plannen

Hoe zou het zijn als ik alles dat er in mijn hoofd zit

niet meer aan mijn waslijn van waarden kan hangen.

Als ik mijn gedachtes, ideeën, plannen, moet laten waaien,

met de verkeerde wind?

Pictures: very old pictures of my granddad/grandma coloured with PS

Sweden, the video

2011-05-01T07:30:00.002Z

Our mini-holiday was so relaxed...

So just made a relaxed video clip.

Most of the times we don't call our climbing trips 'holiday' as alpine/ice climbing is just hard work and at the time that we're home again we need restdays. But this time our climbing trip had other 'key words': sun, nature and fairly easy climbing :)

Sweden

2011-04-27T20:40:00.004Z

Easter, hot weather, actually warmest Easter ever measured in the Netherlands.

So, where do you go? South? Chamonix? East? Ettringen? Freyr? Pfalz?

We had no idea, wanted to go for something new, something different.

Dennis' was once told that Götenborg had amazing climbing.

So, the car already packed with iceaxes, crampons, chalk, bikini and trad gear some Google calculations we decided to drive North (really we decided to go to Sweden in just 2 minutes time).

And what a choice, it was one of our best trips so far: beautiful cracks, even better weather, nice people, and the surroundings...Sweden is amazing!

Soon a little video and we want to write a report so you all can find the climbing there.

But, as I really need some money, I now first have to focus on work again...

IRATA in the Zoo

2011-04-19T18:51:00.006Z

Except from just climbing, climbing and climbing I'm also....working...

Although it was basically a 'high-class cleaning job' it was still better then most work I can imagine.

Together with Rob, Robert, Thimo, Sjoerd, Carl and Michel I was literary hanging around in the zoo.

Cleaning a big cloth that represented a sea view in the area called 'Ocean'. (Big fish tank full of tropical fish).

The climate was, guess what, tropical. So we were hanging there in our shorts.

It's sort of finished. And we we sort of finished as well :)

The little boy on the picture next to the 2m tall guy iz me...:)

The two guys cleaning are Robert and Rob

CEAT Meeting Ettringen

2011-04-11T20:44:00.008Z

Last time when I visited Ettringen was during the Autumn meet of the Commission Expeditions Alpine Topsport (CEAT).
This weekend was warmer, sunnier... And it was again the CEAT meeting.

We climbed so much that I forgot to film. But, still some nice things to show.

Ettringen is such a special area. The hard but silky smooth basalt, the dirty ditches you climb in full of rubbish that's been taken back by mother nature, the trees growing leaves again, the cracks...

It was so good, a bit painful though on my hands and fingers ;)

I tried a really cool 9- (French 7b+) worked it once on lead, climbed it afterwards on toprope and red point it hopefully next time! The route is called 'Einsichten eines Morphinisten' and is located in the relatively new area Schwarze Zirkel.

I missed the "I love Problems" bouldering comp in Steep Part (climbing gym in Rotterdam) so I missed the chance to qualify for the Worldcup Boulder in Eindhoven. But, that all didn't matter as outdoor climbing is what it's all about and that's what I did this weekend. I love it!

Congrats to Rachel, Roelien, Rianne, Mirthe, Hans, Jesse, Melle and Wolter!

And all Dutch team members who will join the Worldcup in June!

And it wouldn't be succesful without a "little" video...

I selected some beautiful climbs and I wanted to show just the beauty of the area. So not much talking, but a lot of climbing. Enjoy!

CEAT Meeting Ettringen, Germany from Marianne van der Steen on Vimeo.

Das Auto

2011-04-08T10:09:00.004Z

I sold my beautiful Ford Transit van.

And since I'm back in the Netherlands I try to do everything by bike, train or borrow my parents car. But I calculated all and figured it's more expensive to go by train then by car (why???)

So...the car search was on.

And this is the result: a really old (older then I am) Volkswagen Golf 1.

Diesel, sports style ;) pretty original colour, and road tax free. I drove all the way to the furthest corner of the Netherlands to buy it...

This weekend will be the big test: Ettringen. How will it do on the German highway?

Spring time - drytool time ;0

2011-04-07T15:43:00.004Z

When I look around here I see little lambs, flowers, birds building nests...in other words, yes, it's Spring time.

But, when I look online I see my friends hopping around in -10˚C on Icelandic glaciers and I just watched two iceclimbing videos... Weird.

The one of the DTS 2010 (Dry Tool Style, French drytooling comp) and the one from Petzl about Guy Lacelle...

Oh, yes, and for all Dutch who find it funny to try Summer iceclimbing on sportsclimbing walls, a message from friend and fellow climber Elwin:

Beste klimvrienden,

Gisteren lekker in de zon geklommen in Spaarnwoude.

Merkte echter dat sommige routes opnieuw beschadigd zijn. (1 route al bijna toe aan een +je opwaardering..)

Reden: Dry-toolen.

De 'onverlaat(en)' vermoed ik 'in ons midden' ;-). Het is ook wel heel verlokkelijk.

Toch wil ik weer, met nadruk, vragen om daar niet 'met scherp' te toolen (het beton is vrij zacht). Anders met de bekende 'kunststof Grivels', die je, indien zelf niet in het bezit, vast mag lenen/huren van klimhal Sloterdijk.

Alvast veel dank en KlimZ!

Elwin.

Here the Guy Lacelle tribute...

Boulder 1.

2011-03-26T20:27:00.011-01:00

Might be strange, after loosing a person you love, but, life goes on.

And so I go, on, and on... Maybe a bit too fast the last week as I have a cold sore, feel really tired and wonder why my recovery goes so slow.

But well, life is not bad at all, sun, putting flower bulbs in my garden, trying to grow vegetables, climbing a bit (a lot)...

So, after been quiet for a couple weeks (on my blog) I write again. About fun, climbing, and how much fun it is to climb.

Here's what's been going on last weeks:

1. Promotop, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands. National lead competition. With just climbing for a week on plastic again after just holding on my axes for a couple months. I had to get used to the climbing and did 'reasonable' with a 1st place in the Promo class and 7th in top class.

(Me in Lead 1. Nieuwegein)

2. Demo's, Enschede and Bussum. The season is not over yet. With two iceclimbing demo's I held on my axes for the last time this season. Enschede, the TSAC (Twentse Studenten Alpen Club) held an mountainsports-day for the 50th anniversary of the University in Enschede. I was invited to give a demo Iceclimbing. With 3 demo's and over 60 watching me per demo, it was quite a success.

(Herman & co. putting up my drytool route and the woodblocks, iceclimbing pictures and "Truus" the climbing wall in Enschede)

Next day, Sunday, next demo. Bussum this time. For the regional Mountainsports-day. It seems to be popular, holding this 'mountainsports-days'. Less organised, strange (bad) communication, but still fun. I had to build my own "ice" route and climbed it once a couple hours later. Truong and Ferdinand were also invited for clinics and demo's.

(Me in Bussum putting up my iceclimbing pictures and me in in my demo-route)

Some restdays now, some friends over for climbing and dinner, some first-aid course and it's already Saturday again.

(My garden, full of plum-tree flowers and my little vegetable garden with tiny carrots, broccoli, lettuce and more)

(Arnoud climbing with Kim in Monte Cervino before dinner at our place)

3. Boulder 1. the national boulder competition. I did reasonable for an iceclimber. But as I want to be an allround climber, I did 'o.k.' With a 3th place after the qualifications, a lot of nervous climbing, stress, lack of concentration, tired arms and legs, a bit hungry and a bit cold I landed on a 5th place. Not satisfied, as I wanted to maintain my position... Missing some finger strength and experience in boulder-movements... Hopefully a top three next time (in two weeks already!)

(Pictures: Truong and me in the finals of Boulder 1. Bussum)

Now: try to get work fixed and relax a bit.

Picture credits: Truong Ngo, Hans van der Steen and unknown photographer on the Lead 1. in Nieuwegein.

GriGri 2

2011-03-24T14:21:00.004-01:00

A new toy.

Gear-freak as I am, I'm always happy being able to test new gear :)

This time it's the new GriGri.

My old precious GriGri is now replaced by it's improved sister: GriGri 2.

I noticed I'm not the only one with this new little toy, so I gave it some fancy colour... Pink.

I had to get used to it a bit. Pretty much the same handling, but still...different. As the GriGri 2 is smaller, it's a bit different to give out rope and to lower the climber.

The new lowering system works nice, and looks a bit like the system used in industrial devices like the Rig.

More about this little thing in this video:

Marie Koster

2011-03-16T18:39:00.005-01:00

I haven't been very active on my bog lately.

With a reason.

I have something important on me the last weeks.

My grandmother.

Marie Koster was her name, widow of Wout Oudshoorn, my grandfather.

She was finished with the thing that drives us every day, the thing that feels so logical we hardly think about it, the feeling that goes on and on, forever...?

Life, it's the thing making us breathe, think, move, love every day.

But sometimes it's not as easy as it sounds. At some point you can get to an end with that 'thing'.

That is what my grandmother had been struggling with. Last week was the final end of her struggle.

Ninety-one years of life ended last Friday, with a week of struggling...

Now, I can tell 1001 stories about how I admired my grandmother, about her strength, her big working hands, how hard she worked, about all her children, my aunts and uncle, about the farm she lived on...but, it's all to say with just one word. Love.

My dear 'oma', I just love you...

(Picture: my grandmother when she was a young girl. Me and my brother are colouring all the black and white pictures we have. You should all do that for your old grandparents when they're still alive. My grandmother would have loved to see herself in full colour again.)

Single rope iceclimbing

2011-03-05T19:33:00.002-01:00

Stuff to think about on Dennis' blog about using a single rope and a tag-line for pure ice routes.

Linky-link here :)

The fun scale

2011-02-28T07:52:00.005-01:00

Climbing is a kind of profession, commitment, technique, fitness, life-goal, lifestyle, feeling-you-can't-describe-to-your-mother-unless-she's-a-climber...and most of all it's is basically all about fun.

Now, we always grade climbs. It's a hard 5.10, easy 5.13a, a classic 6c... But how do you compare that all, not everybody can climb 6c, but it doesn't mean they're less of a climber when they can't do the route. Climbing is something personal I guess, and you can all have fun in your own 'personal way'.

So, I found the 'Fun Scale' on Kelly Cordes blog. The fun scale is about how hard the route was for you personally, doesn't use standardised gradings and tells your friends about how demanding it all was for your mind ánd body.

Here it is:

Type I Fun – true fun, enjoyable while it’s happening. Good food, good sex, 5.8 hand cracks, sport climbing, powder skiing. Margaritas.

Type II Fun – fun only in retrospect, hateful while it’s happening. Things like working out ‘till you puke, and usually ice and alpine climbing. After climbing the West Face Couloir on Huntington, Scotty and I both swore that we hated alpine climbing. The final 1,000′ was horrific – swimming up sugar snow that collapsed beneath us, roped together without protection – and took nearly as long as the initial 3,000′ from camp. On the summit, Scotty turned to me and said, in complete seriousness, “I want my mom so bad right now.” By the time we reached Talkeetna our talk of Huntington turned to, “Ya know, that wasn’t so bad. What should we try next time?”

Type III Fun – not fun at all, not even in retrospect. As in, “What the hell was I thinking? If I ever even consider doing that again, somebody slap some sense into me.” The final 1,000′ of Huntington, when I stop and think about it…but, then again, a friend climbed it the next year and had perfect conditions.

And he's right, you never know what kind of Fun you'll get in your route and "Maybe the whole goal, the path of the enlightened, is to turn Type III situations into Type I fun. Right. Anybody had any luck with that?"

Here a new video again, part 3 of the Icelandic diaries. Maybe Type 1 fun, but, we were there for Type 3+ fun and didn't find any...not really funny to find Chocolat Chaud being one big shower...

Iceland

2011-02-26T10:48:00.004-01:00

Back home again, but not much time to write.

I'm completely broke so it's time to work after 2months of full time climbing in crappy Winter conditions...

But hey, it was fun!

And...check out my new 'for sale' page, as I have quite some things for sale :)

Here part 2. of the Iceland-video's.

Parrt 3. is also online, but I accidentally uploaded the wrong, short version...

Iceland

2011-02-15T09:16:00.005-01:00

After quite some days of +3˚C and rain we finally get into the cold.

We're now in Akureyri (up North) heading for Kaldakinn and we'll hopefully climb some real ice today and the next days!

...and of course a little video :)

Busteni adventures 4

2011-02-06T08:00:00.008-01:00

Finally, internet again thanks to Stephanie, who gave us the key to her room. Enough to write some e-mails and get some pictures online.

The qualifications long behind us, even the semi-finals were already yesterday. Just the finals left, but not for me...

(Here the up-to-date info and livestream from the event)

This was our last competition of the season. We don't have the money to go to Kirov, which is the last competition of the series in the beginning of March. And even if we'd find a Millionaire today we still couldn't go as you need to get your invitation and visa in advance.

I'm questioning all I did the past year and wonder what I should do next year, train again, quit and work, study, do nothing, become fat and boring?

Looking back on the competitions this is how I feel:

disappointed and ashamed for not reaching the finals here in Busteni
disappointed and ashamed because I fell out of the speed route after 2m. of climbing in shitty ice and now see that really slow climbers are way higher in the ranking
disappointed because the lead-routes were made as speedclimbing routes, not a hard, technical or difficult move, just the speed counted
disappointed and ashamed for all the work being put to send me all the way to Romania, spend money, change flights, spend more money and then, don't reach a thing
disappointed and ashamed for spending a whole year on just climbing and not even reaching a top 5 ranking
disappointed and ashamed to see that the iceclimbing worldcup is full of women (and men) who'd never even put a single icescrew in the ice!
disappointed because I didn't finish my studies and don't have the feeling I get any support from my supervisor
disappointed and ashamed because I don't know how to explain my results back home
disappointed and ashamed because I don't have the feeling anybody will understand my results
disappointed because iceclimbing doesn't have enough countries competing to become Olympic
disappointed and ashamed because my results are not good enough for any proper sponsoring
disappointed because I don't know what to focus on for the coming year, climbing, studying, working?
disappointed because I don't have the feeling I can combine work, climbing and studying as money is always the biggest issue
disappointed because, what shall I do now, focus again on the worldcup theatre or find a normal job and work?
disappointed....
ashamed, because what made me think I'm good enough to be the climber I want to be, and ashamed, as I don't know how to explain this back home...

Sorry, I'm just not too positive about it all...

I was hoping to close the season with something better then this all.

At least it was fun around the whole Worldcup Circus. We climbed real routes and saw a bit of the world: rice in Korea, ugly people in Romania, Swiss precision (not), Italian chaos and cancellations, German friendliness, and now up to Icelandic fun?

Wild bear detection counter for today: still no bears spotted!

Here our video from the Rabenstein Icefight, again, as I noticed it didn't upload correctly the previous time. Check out the Rabenstein website with video's, photo's and more about the event!

And the Icelandic duo Robbi&Gummi made a funny little 'introductionary' video about iceclimbing and their sponsor (Marmot). They proved Marmot jackets are almost waterproof, almost...

Busteni adventures 3

2011-02-04T06:53:00.002-01:00

Day three in Romania.

And still no climbing.

I gradually start to get trouble with my addiction (climbing) as I haven't climbed for 5 days now...

Hereby I intend to feed my addiction on another way: by being online all day on the slug-slow Romanian internet. I can tell you: it doesn't work...

This evening will be the official opening (originally planned on...yesterday) and then finally I'll climb, on Saturday.

I'm wondering how good/bad it is to take such long rest from climbing.

In case the internet completely breaks down here, the program (no idea if it's the right program) can be found here. And in case I'm climbing during an internet-wave, here you can find the live-stream.

And, because it's always good to look back on fun activities, here some video's from Lukasz for Planet Fear. (Still wondering why I'm not 'starring in the video, but hey, whatever :)

Wild bear detection counter for today: still no bears spotted...

Busteni adventures 2

2011-02-03T15:06:00.008-01:00

What a day, again.

We figured that the e-mail from Alex was not correct...So we're having quite some stress again, rebooking flights, booking a hotel, money issues...

We decided to go for a stroll and landed at the climbing structure. Located in a ski-resort. There we spoke to some people who told us the competition would be on February 5 and 6 and not on February 4 and 5 as Alex told us.

See here the e-mail:

"We would like you to know that the competition in Busteni will be held

between 4 - 5 February 2011 (Friday & Saturday). Registration will start Thursday 3 February 2011.  Please consult Competition Program for other clarifications.  There where some differences between the program on UIAA Website (5-6  February) and Competition Website (4-6 February), that's why we want to  clarify this situation.  Best regards, Alexandru Paun IWC Busteni Organization Team"

So we re-booked our ticket and thought it would be fine. But now we figured, on the day of our departure we'd have to climb the semi-finals and maybe the finals! Ridiculous unprofessional planning here...

We decided to loosen up a bit an visit the Count Dracula castle in a nearby town. We took a good offer for a taxi, with the taxi driver waiting for us in the town to bring us back again. And walked around in the castle belonging to the Dracula myth. (See pictures) But Dracula, turned out to be just a myth. Just a tourist attraction. We tried to check the teeth of the man in the castle, all looked normal, not spiky...

For our myth-Dracula visit we drove 42 km to the town of Bran. On the way you see the harsh, hard differences between our Europe and this Europe. Poverty, street dogs, bad roads, crappy houses, farmers with horses, men stealing branches for house-heating, and a Dacia car crash...

Back again we were tired, ready for some food, sleep and rest. Soon we'll head for 'city centre' and see what food Romania has to offer.

...With Tim, our coach still working for us to get different tickets and solve the thing...

Wild bear detection counter for today: n0 bears spotted...

Busteni adventures

2011-02-03T05:54:00.004-01:00

There we are, it's early in the morning but all Romanians are already awake, so I couldn't sleep any longer...as the public kitchen is next to our bedroom...

Two days ago we got a rental car and drove to Dortmund, almost in once. Around 22:30 we really had to stop as we were both too tired to drive the car. The thing was eating petrol (Benzine) like it was candy and it 'trembled' off the road if you tried to drive 150 km/h which is an normal speed for a German highway. And thus saw our money disappear on petrol faster then the top-speed of the car.

We slept in a 'formula 1' roadside hotel (the hotels truckers use to meet up with hookers, murderers use as home and we felt like we were in a well I don't know...) It was a pretty funny combination. In the evening we cooked some food on the MacDonalds parking-lot without even thinking of going inside of the Mac and that evening we took a back-door in the Burger King to get to our Hotel bedroom...

When we arrived on the airport, there were supposed to be some lockers for our luggage, but nope, as I was already afraid of: no lockers, not a chance to store your luggage for some days... Shit...

Luckily we could store the stuff in Ferdinands car, problem solved.

And then we flew, all the way...between some drunk Dutch and a lot of ugly people.

We arrived on some ini-mini-tiny airport, welcome in Romania.

We we told to take bus 780 from somewhere close to the airport and then take the train to Busteni. Easier said then done.

Taxi, taxi, taxi louche taxi drivers whispered around us. We ignored them, bought our bus ticket for four people (no idea why she gave us four, as were are with three) and waited. And waited, waited, and waited. Until finally, quite too late, our bus arrived!

Stress! Were we going to make it to the train in time?

Some Romanian told us it would take 30 minutes, so we wouldn't make it in time we thought...

Suddenly it only took 15 minutes. I ran, ran, ran, stopped, got the right platform, ran again, Busteni I asked, yes, Busteni it was, Ferdinand and Dennis also hopped in and there we were, no train ticket, but we had the right train.

We sat down in a coupé which was already occupied by a man which we in 'Europe' would describe as burglar, the one you don't want to meet in a back-alley.

Later we met his friend, was he his friend? I don't speak a word in Romanian but I sort of understood what he said. We figured he's 50 years old and because of the knitted USA Formula one sweater he looked a bit more 'trustful'.

We bought a ticket in the train, by a man who spoke some un-understandable Italian. The normal price for a ticket, when you buy one in the train was 49,50 Lei. (about 12 Euro) so, we decided to buy three.

He wrote a something, made a ticket and meanwhile we fed him some old Dutch cheese.

He decided to make us a deal. We paid 50 Lei for one ticket, paid him 50 Lei and got 50 Lei back of the original 150 Lei. What a deal.

Later we figured from our 'trustful' friend that his daily salary was about 50 Lei. Meaning we just paid the man and extra day salary...

Our 'trustful' friend was talking about politics with the burglar and when the burglar went for a smoke he turned to us. The first things he got out in Romanian was something about Hitler.

We didn't figure straight away if he was against the thing or not.

But, when he showed the tattoo on his leg (a red flag with a skull, four stars and a Nazi cross) we were pretty sure about his Hitler support.

He kept on talking and I was about to take a picture of his beautiful (not) tattoo when we were called out, this was already Busteni! Shit, we ran out of the train, jumped out, onto the rails and ran to the train station. Gosh, lucky?

There we were, on the side of the street in the dark with big trucks driving through the little town with 80 km/h.

We walked a bit around and finally found our Romanian Mountain Hut. They knew of our arrival and had a 4p. bedroom available for us.

We went back in town, bought some cheap beer, crisps and more and after some gritstone climbing movie, we fell asleep...

And this is where we are now, early in the morning, eating our way-too-hard-old-concrete bread ready too meet Count Darcula.

And: here, two (!) new movies, of what we did outdoors next to the Worldcups. Not too much though, as there was hardly any ice :( So no Flying Circus, Twin Towers or more yet...

And one of our Rabenstein adventures. As we finally have internet, I'm happy to show you more then just a single picture. Enjoy!

Rabenstein and a car breakdown

2011-02-01T12:27:00.004-01:00

Travelling for a month now, and the only thing we do is climb!

Life is good. Except when your house suddenly breaks down.

In our case our house is our van, our bed, our kitchen, our...everything. We already took out the axle in the middle of the night, tried to repair some other things, but nothing worked, the last thing it could be were the ball-bearings for the left front wheel...And for such an old car they unfortunately couldn't be here in time... Stress! As we were going to catch a flight tomorrow to be in time for the next competition in Romenia.

Luckily there is something we call 'help from heaven', or in other words the Dutch 'ADAC' (ANWB). As Dennis in insured for this unfortunate things we got a new car and the lovely van will be transported back home. So we're just in time for our flight, just in time for the next competition :)

The only thing we miss now is our kitchen and our bed and out movie-room with bass-speakers... so we'll have to sleep in a hotel or some togight and just enjoyed the slow unhealthy MacDonalds internet. It's even so bad: Vimeo is restricted, so we can't upload videos from here. Meaning our two new videos have to wait for a bit longer...

The last week we climbed together with Jelle, Marc and our iceaxes in Kandersteg and Kietal and we just climbed in Rabenstein on the icefight.

My 'head was not in a good mood', meaning I was nervous, insecure and didn't believe in my own strength. So, in the qualifications I fell pretty early. I thought I was out, but some other climbers did as bad/good as me, so I was still in. With a bit a better head, but still to slow because I felt pretty insecure and uncomfortable I climbed up to a 4th place. Not bad, but 4th feels like 'just nothing', still on stage, but not the best I could do.

Hopefully better next time... :)

6th on the Worldcup

2011-01-26T20:23:00.005-01:00

Finally, after a year of recovering, climbing and dedication to the sports, I did it...I climbed the finals of the worldcup iceclimbing!

And I wasn't even too bad. Out of 8 who reached the finals I became 6th! With a very, very close distance to the 5th, 4th and 3th place :)

Meaning: I'm improving!

Now, we're already far away from Saas Fee again, back in Kandersteg. With enough ice this time to climb some real ice routes.

I find it difficult, sometimes scary, tiring, cold but...fun! And it's logical, we're on an iceclimbing trip so we should climb ice :)

This weekend we'll climb a competition again, Rabenstein it will be. Not a worldcup but a high-class competition with many worldcup climbers.

And then it will be Romania we'll head for. For the third worldcup of the season.

Together with Dutch climber Ferdinand Schulte we'll try to do well in Busteni.

Picture from 'the First'

Saas Fee Worldcup Finals!

2011-01-22T10:39:00.004-01:00

Yes, I did it!

For the first time I'm in the finals of the worldcup iceclimbing.

Just climbed the semi-finals and managed to climb further then most of the climbers.

So, around 16:15h you can watch me live...

Watch live streaming video from iceclimbing at livestream.com

Saas Fee Worldcup

2011-01-21T09:18:00.002-01:00

Day one of the Worldcup in Saas Fee.

Only the speedclimbing to go for today.

The last days we tried to do some iceclimbing, but the weather here is pretty bad for iceclimbers: too warm... Though we found some in the youth-competition area in Saas Grund, close to Saas Fee.

The lead went okay. The route was easy, but I was a bit too slow on the top, the iceblock just before the last two moves. So I just didn't top, too bad! Though, hopefully good enough for tomorrow's semi-finals.

The men (Ferdinand and Dennis for the Netherlands) will climb this midday after 13:00h.

It's all live on the worldcup website here: http://www.livestream.com/iceclimbing/

Weather issues

2011-01-16T13:36:00.005-01:00

Some people just love sun, warm weather and a stroll around the village.

I just can't wait to climb again!

We have a rest day today. Which means being bored all day: baking a pie with Cheongsong-apples, reading Donald Duck, knitting Dennis' sweater, sleeping a bit, eating the pie, washing clothes, taking a shower, drying the clothes, eating more pie, reading a bit, knitting again, sleeping again, a little walk and...watch how all the ice melts away.

It's so warm here that we haven't had a chance to get our axes in the ice. Just drytooling these two days. Not that it's bad to do so, we got pretty tired of our training, but, we're in the Alps, so we want ice.

Next Friday will be the Saas Fee Worldcup competition, so soon we'll drive to Saas Fee and get ready for some hard-good-fun climbing again.

If you're online, you can follow the whole comp live on the worldcup website here: WEBCAM

Seoul, Beijing, Frankfurt and Kandersteg: from rice to nice

2011-01-14T14:24:00.010-01:00

Today, Kandersteg, after a big week of travelling.

There was hardly any ice left, it was even so warm that we could climb in a top!

Here my report of the last days in Korea and China and the iceclimbing Worldcup...

Going abroad is always something for me. It’s a must.

Getting to know different lifestyles, cultures, people, nature, views.

Going to Korea, not just Seoul the want-to-be-Western capital but also Cheongsong, the not so rich apple-farmers region. And later we even had the chance to visit Beijing. Strange to see how two countries, almost neighbours can differ so much and both be beautiful in their own way. And that next to the climbing, the actual reason I traveled all the way.

The finals, the last and most difficult thing of a competition.

Nerves, coldness, waiting, I missed it all, just missed it. I ended as number then less then a move away from the finals.

Finals with an exciting time battle for the two strongest men: Markus and Hee Yong.

And a painful judging mistake in the womens finals.

Already in the semi-finals we were surprised of the inconsistent judging considering clipping and back-clipping draws in advantage of a Korean climber. I was told in de qualifications that I touched the edge of the wall, I was sure I didn’t touch it so didn’t worry about it. Later I noticed some people were disqualified because of touching the edges, not even using the edges. Strange...

In the finals Angelika was last to climb. She climbed impressive during the semi-finals, making us confident of her strong position. She was the winner, for sure.

She missed a clip because of the wind that blew the twist behind the wall. Therefor she climbed back a couple moves, clipped it and climbed on. Her rope tightened as the judges found she had to come down. She refused and climbed on, and at the next draw here rope was tight again, she was forced to quit her climb. Over 11minutes in a cold isolation it was her turn again after Markus just finished his route. Cold, stressed, nervous she stood there again. What a shame it was she had to wait even longer because yet another draw hung wrong on the edge of the wall. Even colder she started her climb.

She climbed, clipped and fell! At the point she was just drawn out of the route! We thought a hold broke, Angelika wasn’t too sure about it. Exhausted, disappointed, cold, angry, confused she wasn’t even in the motivation to climb again. The routesetters were not even told to check the hold afterwards.

She became 7th and Maria Tokolina from Russia took first place.

What a shame!

If we ever want to get climbing more professional we should have consistent, fair, understanding, experienced and equal judging. We shouldn’t accept the judging as it was on this competition. This doesn’t count for all judges, we know who was fair and honest and who wasn’t. Please, UIAA, for the next competition, give us fair, equal, honest, democratic, experienced, liberal, professional judges.

Just a week went as fast as a flash. Just back in Europe on our way to Kandersteg I’m daydreaming still of all the views I’ve had in Cheongsong, Seoul and Beijing.

On the airport I wondered: where do all those people live? What will they do when they’re back home from work? Will there be a husband there, a grandmother, maybe a child? What will they eat, drink? How would they dress when they’re back home? What post do they get, as much newspapers, advertisement-junkmail?

I’m interested in how people, communities and governments create life and how it differs from what I consider as ‘normal’? Going out of your own town, country, continent makes all you know just relative.

So there we are, competition long behind us (one day) and eating some strange fish, leaves, raw beef, and a soup of hot water and some rice corns.

Back in Seoul is was overwhelming to see the enormous shopping streets full of Western look-a-like stores, proppers in front of the stores, big masses of young people and that all next to little alleys full of little stands with fake North Face jackets and fish snacks.

Unfortunately there was too little time to visit the O2-gym of climber Hee Yong Park. It has a big iceclimbing wall and drytooling wall, as we should have in Europe in every gym.

Together with Stephanie we were thinking...to stand strong, become stronger, we should have a long competition wall somewhere in the alps, for us to train on before the competition season starts. A 30m. wooden wall to kick our crampons in, with holds as we find then on the comps in Saas Fee, Cheongsong and Busteni. To become strong and experienced before the seasons starts instead of during the competitions.

So hereby a call to all gym/wall owners/millionaires in the Alps/Netherlands: please sponsor us with a training wall :)

Tuesday already, time to leave for our 3+23+11 hour trip to Frankfurt. Over 23 hours on Beijing airport. To our surprise we figured we can get a temporally visa for China for this short amount of time. So there we went: to Beijing. By train and subway we arrived in the centre.

The first thing we noticed was that the Chinese are far not as polite as the Koreans. No bows, but spitting on the ground, even in the shopping malls, not waiting till all left the train but already try to get in...

The second thing....waiting for the customs we saw three Saudi women and one man. The women were fully covered in a Burka. And suddenly I realised how lucky I am by being born in the Netherlands instead of Saudi Arabia... What a freedom I have...
The third thing...we walked up the stairs out of the subway and stood in front of a big temple. Waaauw, welcome to Beijing!

What we missed a bit in Korea, the classic ancient buildings, were overwhelming in China. Just all looked like in a Chinese movie. All stereotype looks I had of China are true. People really do walk in the traditional dresses (not all though) Peking-duck really is sold here, the temples are real, and it’s not as dangerous as they write in the books.

The Tianmen square was closed. But secretly we walked into the forbidden city in between some Chinese that went for a piano concert. A bit alert we suddenly stood in the forbidden city between huge walls and even bigger ancient buildings. Oh, shit, how do we get out again without being noticed?

It was cold, we walked fast looking around, walking passed the security like it as completely normal that we were there. We walked on, passed some security standing on blocks, looking over all people in not understandable Chines we were pointed at and realised it would be better to turn around...we passed a gate again, all security suddenly woke up, pointed us back, we sudden walked back, they closed the gates and we were out again, safely. Hmmm, that was actually quite easy, lets not try it again.

We didn’t feel that lucky... :)

On the way we bought some cookies and tomato juice, drank it inside the shop as it was really cold outside, even for iceclimbers it was cold and we walked on again. Without a map, but armed with a note with some chinese writing. The most important word there stood was ‘airport’. In case we got lost, we always could ask a cab to drive us to the airport again...

Suddenly we got in a big, big shopping street full of expensive clothing and jewellery. We found a MacDonals but were looking for a pizza place. With just about an hour to reach the subway again (after 10:30 the subway would stop riding, so we had to get in again before) we decided to enjoy a burger, all better then the rice, cold boiled vegetables and noodles we had the rest of the week. And much better then the weird creatures moving around on bbq sticks sold on the streets...Never seen living scorpions on sticks as food, never seen flying lizards, sea-horses, tarantulas, cockroaches and chickens-with-head-and-feet as delicacy...What is our European food actually simple compared to the Chinese market we saw (except of the Icelandic sheep-balls-in-sour, boiled lab-head-with-brain of course)

Time to go back to the airport and sleep.

We watched a episode of the ‘Doctor Who’ series and fell asleep.

On 11:50 the next day we finally had our flight, home, to Frankfurt.

My phone stolen/lost and tired we arrived. Ulrich picked us up and gave us the best meal we’d had in that week. Thank you for your hospitality!

Now, we’re almost in Kandersteg, just a kilometre to go. We’re here again. Where my iceclimbing ended in February a year ago. Time to pick up what I’d left behind.

It’s 2 ˚C, too warm for the ice, but hopefully good enough to give us a good drytool training time for the next competition.

That will be Saas Fee in more then a week time...

Let’s train, let’s get strong, let’s enjoy what we enjoy most: climbing!

10th and 10th and 12th

2011-01-09T22:28:00.002-01:00

Things can always be better. You can always 'want' more and be disappointed. That's how I felt by not reaching the finals in lead and speed.

But, for a start of the competition season it's not bad at all!

Semi Finals!

2011-01-08T09:45:00.004-01:00

And again, a very bad internet connection. I stole the cable from the media-tent (one internet connection for more then a hundred (!!!) media (tv, newspapers, radio...)

But nevertheless...we're both in the semi-finals!

I even managed to get to the difficult semi-finals in the speed climbing! I landed 12th after many Russians and Koreans, ranking-wise not my best result, climbing-wise my best result ever :)

Dennis was really unlucky and slipped off with the speed, meaning 'no result'...

But he wasn't too sad about it because it's already 7 'o clock (just minutes after we climbed our last route) and we've been here since 8 'o clock this morning...

So, up for the semi-finals tomorrow and hopefully even the finals!

Photo: me in the qualification route (by Dennis)

Cheongsong

2011-01-07T11:51:00.003-01:00

Bad internet, so not much news today :(

No fast connection means no video's...

They say there will be news every hour on the site iceclimbing.kr

Hopefully more news tomorrow!

...and the Video :)

South Korea pt.1

2011-01-06T10:12:00.007-01:00

Aaahhh, finally there. After a long, long flight with transfer in 'friendly' Beijing we arrived en Seoul. It was pretty long to get all the way to Korea. Screaming baby for then hours, stress on Beijing airport, Dennis' culture shock with a little Chinese guy washing his willy in the sink at the men's lavatories, not having a clue about the time (night or day?). It's 8hours time difference with the Netherlands (so when it's 12:00 in the Netherlands as it is right now, it's already evening, 20:00h in Seoul)

Luckily all went really smooth in Korea. No trouble with the customs, luggage that arrived in time, and a friendly Korean women that picked us up with waving a blue sign which said "Iceclimbing Worldcup" and some sponsors.

What a service!

We got a taxi ride together with the Chinese team to our hotel. We were supposed to sleep in the Youth Hostel. But that was not 'your average youth hostel' with smudgy dormitories in a vague alley. No, it's a huge hotel with our private room, including tv, wireless, bathroom and a view over the city.

The first thing we did after we arrived: sleep. Not too long, just for a bit.

Now we just had dinner and met most of the competitors (the catering even had forks, knives and spoons, though all the food was cold...)

Tomorrow we'll go all together to Cheongsong, the town one hour from the competition site.

We still don't know if there will be any live streaming of the comp, if we have more info, we'll let you know (of course).

...and of course a little movie, just an impression...the real one will come on the end of the trip :)

Eindelijk, we zijn er. Na een hele lange vlucht zijn we moe en liggen in bed. Het is hier bijna avond en in Nederland net ochtend en daar moet ons lichaam nog een beetje aan wennen. Buiten is het licht, dat helpt.

Onderweg hadden we een schreeuwende baby. Voor alle vrouwen die nog niet zeker wisten of ze wel kinderen willen hebben...die zijn nu volledig om: geen kinderen krijgen, en al helemaal niet als ze 10uur lang zo kunnen krijsen.

Voor Dennis lange benen waren de vliegtuigstoelen weer even comfortabel als altijd en ook ik vond het heerlijk liggen/zitten (not).

Gelukkig hadden we onderweg twee keer afleiding door een warme maaltijd. Echte Chinese maaltijd, de eerste met rijst de tweede met noedels, maar goed te eten.

Bij de tweede vlucht hadden we ontbijt, we konden kiezen: westers of chinees. Ik koos Chinees, Dennis koos westers. (Ik had glazige rijst met een soort babao broodje, een ei in sojasaus en wat fruit. Dennis had een croissantje, ei, worst, en ook fruit...je mag zelf uitmaken wat lekkerder was...we hadden het wel allebei opgegeten)

Voor Beijing zagen we de Chinese muur door het landschap kronkelen en verbaasden we ons over de grootte en bouwstijl van Beijing. Die stad is enorm en met alle flats en fabriekshallen zie het er uit de lucht uit als een georganiseerde chaos op een perfecte maquette. Alles strak, recht, simpel en alles, van de grond tot de huizen en de wegen had dezelfde kleur als op een simpele maquette van een nieuwe Sin City stad.

Van Beijing naar Seoul was een beetje hectisch. De Chinezen vertelden ons eerst dat we bij gate C8 moesten zijn en toen bij E8. En dan weer C8. En E8. Ondanks dat we niet het land in kwamen werden we wel een aantal keren gecontroleerd en kregen we een mooi rood stempeltje op ons ticket en willekeurig op een bladzijde in ons paspoort.

Er werd verteld dat de vlucht vroeger zou vertrekken, maar met voeger bedoelden ze eigenlijk later. Dus, al het renen was voor niks.

Dennis ervaarde de echte culture shock op de mannen WC van het vliegveld. Een oude man wipte nog net niet z'n piemel in de wasbak, want daar was hij te klein voor (uit Dennis verhaal werd niet duidelijk wie/wat nu te klein was...) en stond z'n ding uitgebreid te wassen...

In Korea verliep alles soepel. Bij de douane leverden we een briefje in, kregen weer een stempel op een andere willekeurige pagina in ons paspoort en liepen zo naar onze bagage. We verbaasden ons dat die was aangekomen.

Toen we de hal binnen liepen stonden er een aantal Koreanen met mooie bordjes te zwaaien "Iceclimbing Worldcup". Zelfs de officiele sponsoren stonden geprint op hun blauwe bordje.

Een meisje, onze leeftijd, verwelkomde ons en vertelde dat zij onze gastvrouw zal zijn in Korea. Zelf vliegt ze met KLM regelmatig naar Nederland, maar vandaag was dit haar baan. We wisselden €15,- en kregen ruim 27.000 Koreaanse Won terug.

Samen met het 3-koppige Chinese team werden we in een taxi-busje gezet naar...geen idee waar, het hotel gokten we, het zal we goed komen.

Naar het centrum van Seoul vanaf het vliegveld is een goed stuk rijden. Maar goed dat we niet zelf hoefden te rijden, want die wegen, ondanks dat ze er Amerikaans uit zien, zijn best chaotisch. Met de amerikaanse road-signs en alle belangrijke namen in het Engels geschreven onder de koreaanse tekens.

Onderweg kwamen we 1001 donsjassen tegen waar van we eerst dachten dat het misschien klimmers waren, maar later realiseerden we dat iedereen hier een 'The North Face' aan heeft. We spotten een klimhal en verschillende outdoor winkeltjes. En dat al vanuit de auto. Zou klimmen hier echt zo populair zijn?

We arriveerden bij het Youth Hostel. Youth Hostel, dat doet je denken aan een smal viezig huis in het midden van de stad vol stapelbedden en arme jonge reizigers.

Youth Hoster Korean style is een groot hotel waar we een luxe tweepersoons kamer hebben met gratis internet, tv, eigen badkamer en meer. Waauw, wat een luxe en wat een service. Ook in het Hostel werden we opgevangen door een aantal mensen, ze hadden een sleutel (kaart) voor onze kamer, vertelden wanneer het avondeten en ontbijt zou zijn en dat we morgen om half negen klaar moeten staan voor vertrek naar Cheongsong.

Ik ben benieuwd...

South Korea!

2010-12-29T22:24:00.003-01:00

Oh my.... was my first reaction when Tim (our coach from the Dutch Alpine Club, NKBV) told us we were going to South Korea!

He managed to get enough together to send us all the way to South Korea for the first iceclimbing Worldcup of this season.

So, on January 5th we'll fly to Seoul and climb in Cheongsong on the 7th.

There are quite some competitors on the list, hopefully finally enough to get iceclimbing finally recognised by the Dutch Olympic Committee and bring the sports to a higher and broader standard...so we can all get to enjoy the fun of iceclimbing :)

I'm nervous, happy, and a bit stressed. Because the 5th of January...thats in less then a week time!

South Korea had been on my world-tick-list for a while, now still to visit 1001 other climbing, nature, mountain areas, but this one will be too good to be true :)

Iceclimbing workshops

2010-12-29T22:17:00.003-01:00

Last week it was workshop time. Iceclimbing workshop time.

As member of the Dutch national iceclimbing team you also have to represent iceclimbing to the ones who don't know all the details of the ice yet.

So thanks to Thomas and Tim we stood in the cold last week, in a positive way.

The workshops were for people who never climbed before or who were interested in getting into iceclimbing.

It was fun and satisfying to teach all the stuff we know.

See here some more pictures from Dirkjan.