Real ice in Cogne

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 :)

Boulder and more. Summer climbing.

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.

Rabenstein and a car breakdown

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... :)

Valle dell'Orco

Some memories from the tradclimbing meeting in Valle dell'Orco put together by Maurizio.

Orco Trad Meeting 2010 from paolo on Vimeo.

Trad climbing meeting in Italy pt. 2

Caporal

We woke up just before 8. The alarm kept on ringing. We looked at each other and shook our head.

Mika, the Latvian guy sleeping in the same apartment (the opposite bed) slept...he just slept on...through his alarm.

We took our cutlery, plate and went down.

As Paul was a bit more injured then he said, he wanted to take a 'relax' day. So Markus and Paul swopped groups.

We were scheduled for the sector Caporal. A big wall with more then just a scent of Yosemite...

Lucy, Roberto, Markus and me would climb a 7c+ multipitch. We divided again in two groups. Markus and me, Roberto and Lucy. After the first to pitches of Crazy Horse as warm-up, we decided we'd go further in Crazy Horse whilst Lucy and Roberto went for the harder 7c+.

In the 7b I really started feeling my wrist again. Annoying...sometimes I'm just strong and can do any move whatever I want and sometimes it just hurts...

Markus and Roberto discussing what route to climb on the top of the 2nd pitch of Crazy Horse

So Markus went up and realised after almost pulling out a big piece of rock, that the aid-part really was just for aiding. After me seconding the route we both concluded that this was even harder then 9a... I went up, and down again in the next pitch and got nicely demotivated by all the bird-shit in that pitch...So, we decided to get into something else. Diedro Nachos maybe?

Impressive, impressive, interesting, scary (when I didn't have a no.6, was clipped in on some rusty piton and later when my no. 4 got overcammed and I still had quite some meters to go...)

Me in the scary 6b layback at the top of Diedro Nachos

What an adventure. But, we were way too late. We guessed it was already around 7 and had to abseil and walk back. But then, when we were half way down the path Mauro walked up. He was a bit worried and drove all the way to pick us up. Too kind!

Caporal again, on Wednesday

As the groups were still similar. We decided to climb together today. Dennis and me swopped groups and later Roberto and Markus joined as groups of 5 sound unhandy.

We'd try to climb the first free repeat of Tempi Duri/Strapiombi delle Visioni (6c+, 6a, 7a, 7a, 7b).

Markus in the first pitch of Tempi Duri

Roberto and I went up together and before us Markus and Dennis climbed up. As we were with four it went all pretty slow... In the second pitch (the first chimney I ever climbed) I was a bit in a hurry and forgot to lengthen my placements. Resulting in way too much ropedrag. So I made a belay in the middle :( Ashamed of my unhandy action I had Roberto climbing up after me and finishing chimney.

Roberto leading the 7a in Tempi Duri

Dennis was calling if I had a no. 6 and 5 with me. Apparently they were needed in the next pitch. When I was up I gave them to Dennis and understood why they were needed: a big crack with quite some loose crumbly rock.

Markus went first, I was last.

Then another tricky pitch with a bit of slab.

And then, the last pitch. A difficult to protect 7b...

Markus was a bit demotivated: we were slow, he didn't climb too much and just, well, just didn't had 'his day'. So Dennis and Markus went back. Roberto and me went for the last pitch.

And actually, when I was relieved Roberto didn't fall off (and would have ripped out all the old pitons) I seconded the route. It was easier then I thought. Oh, if this is 7b, then I can climb much more on trad!

Today we were back in time and had an amazing dinner again.

In the night we had a slideshow from Rolando Larcher of an area that really inspired me: Patagonia!

Announcement of the Pata slideshow

It was amazing, impressive, to see the three climbers in ‘an ocean of granite’ as Mauro poetically said. With my mouth open, holding in my breath, not even blinking with my eyes, I watched the movie. For me it looked like love, and I didn’t have goosebumps, but little butterflies in my stomach by the view and the imagination of me doing this kind of climbing as well!

More Pictures on my Picasa

Patagonia presentation

Trad climbing meeting in Italy pt. 1

On the way to the airport

Update

Normally I try to write something every week, at least, that is when things are going on.

But I had no internet at all last week. So, I have to write quite a bit now, I guess.

Why?

Because I went climbing :)

Not just climbing, I went to Italy, the tradclimbing meeting in Valle dell'Orco.

I'm not a very experienced trad climber, actually I'm just starting, I find. So this was a good opportunity to see what's actually possible.

I was hoping to find new techniques, new areas and new friends. And that's exactly what happened!

Eindhoven - Ceresole Reale

On Sunday 19th I left for Italy. Quite stressed and worried. We had a bit of overweight and we were flying with Ryanair so we were only allowed to take 15kgs. Just a rope and one set of cams+wires is enough for 15kg. We stuffed the tiny bit of clothing we had in our day-pack and went to the airport.

In the flight I was sitting in between father and daughter. They were going to a big shoe-fair. To see the shoes for the new year. I love shoes, but it always turns out that I wear my climbing shoes or running shoes :)

When we arrived Angelo was waiting for us with a paper "Tradclimbing Meeting Valle dell'Ocro". He excused himself for his English, we stuffed our bags in his Ford and drove to Ceresole Reale. Which is a 3hour drive!

There we were welcomed by all kinds of Italians. They looked all the same: pretty or old and all had black hair. The only name I remembered was Mauro, the one of the e-mail contact.

We got a big bag with a backpack, some Ferrino advertisement stuff, and the brand new topo of the area.

And then, it was time for dinner. Real Italian dinner with lasagna, meat, and of course wine.

The group enjoying dinner

Climbing at Sergent

At around 8 'o clock we arrived in de 'salle' of the appartment-building. We slept quite weird as our blanket had some strange creatures inside and they were really itchy. (Even through my sheets).

We were separated in different groups. I was supposed to climb the route Canabis in the sector Sergent together with Paul Sass from Germany, Lucy Creamer from the UK and Roberto Vigiani our local guide/host. Roberto would arrive a little later so we started in some warm-ups and got ready for Canabis (7b, 6b+, 7a).

Paul Sass in Canabis

Paul went up first and had quite a hard time in the first section. A tiny crack with some pitons. What a thing! It looked hard...

He tried, tried, went for a hold just above a piton and fell, the piton ripped out and he made a hard smack upside down!

That worried me...

Paul was ok, he was even ok enough to belay Lucy on Canabis again.

So, when Roberto arrived we split up in two teams. We first went up a 6a trad, bolted line and then decided to get on Canabis as well.

Roberto basically flew through the first pitch after I bailed out because I found it taking too much time...

The second pitch I was a typical flying Dutchman when I slipped in the 6b+ traverse. Luckily the piton held. Roberto was 'sleeping' a bit, resulting in me 'flying' down :)

The third pitch was a 7a crack. A bit nervous, as I'd never climbed a proper 7a crack before. I didn't climb it in once...and had not enough time to try the whole thing again. Reason one to get back here :)

More pictures on my Picasa

Roberto Vigiani in Canabis, Zoe Hart belaying

Me in Canabis

back in Holland

Just back from the tradclimbing meeting in Valle dell'Orco (Italy).

Soon more about the adventure :)

Picture: me & Markus from Germany on top of the cliff after climbing Diedro Nanchez.

Trad climbing meeting in Italy

Good news, again :)

I'm one of the two (or three, Dennis, I hope you can join us too!) who's invited by the NKBV (Dutch Alpine Club) to go the the International Trad Climbing Meeting in Valle Orco in Italy (yes, close to Arco)

It's not yet going to happen, but I just received my invitation. In September I'll go there... :)

For all who don't understand what I mean with 'trad climbing' (like my parents...)

It's that kind of climbing that you place "things" in the rocks as protection. If you know how to handle the gear it's completely safe (really mum, I'm always on a rope)

Here two video's of some climbing in the Orco area. One friendly multipitch version and Didier Berthod climbing one hard (HARD!) line.