Ja.is

Just put myself in the Icelandic phonebook with my mobile number and e-mail and my profession: climber
Check out ja.is and send me a text :)

Icelandic Post

Welcome back.
There has been so much going on in the last months that I decided to take a blog-break.
But, now that I'll be traveling a lot, I'll be back here again.
As Icelanders don't complain too much about the rules, I decided to complain. (Great)
I ordered some books from Bol.com for my book about climbing.
Paid, including Dutch taxes, or "BTW" and paid for the sending to Iceland.
Received some books in the last weeks, but not all. I got a message that some books had arrived and had to pick them up at the post-office (I paid for home-sending of the books, not post-office sending)
For one package I suddenly had to pay toll. The other package (with the same amount of books) was toll-free. The previous packages also have been toll-free.
So, I asked, why do I have to pay toll over this sending. The lady (of the post office, so not of the toll) answered...
"Well, you've been lucky with the previous sendings. They pick out packages and sometimes you pay, and sometimes you don't have to pay. It depends also a bit on which toll employee you have, some are nice, some are very strict." I was surprised by her honest answer and remembered my sending with iceaxes, which got me over 1000 Euro's in toll.
I paid the toll, as discussion wouldn't really help.
I asked how to avoid the toll. She told me: "Well, best is to send the package to friends or family abroad, for example when you buy things from e-Bay. Then they can put it in a box and sent it to you as private sending. The toll doesn't check very often private sendings."
I told her, 'waauw, that is actually quite corrupt' and I smiled and walked with the package.
Actually I was just angry, so if I understand it right it's a gamble to pay toll or not, or you have to have friends working at the toll.
Sometimes I really think Iceland is a Third-World-Country...

Iceclimbing

Hi everybody,
long time no write...
I just am too busy doing things. Like school, work and climbing.
And as the rocks here are all frozen or wet, I decide to dive into another side of the climbing sports: iceclimbing.
See the results on Picasa http://picasaweb.google.com/der.steen/IceclimbingGrundarfjRUrMRarhyrnaIceland#
and more :)
Greets
Marianne

Iceland has become a Russian colony

Today President Putin of Russia gave Iceland a nice birthday-present. (Putin has his birthday today) (http://mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2008/10/07/gudni_og_putin/)
He sponsored Iceland with 78 billion Krónur. (Probably a loan) To save the banks and economy in Iceland.
The Icelandic coin (Krónur) has seriously gone down the last weeks and it doesn't seem to stabilize.
Banks get in trouble, pensions get in trouble and as more then half of the population got a loan at a foreign bank, the whole country seems to be bankrupt.
I went to do some shopping yesterday and saw my favorite food getting almost twice as expensive. A lot of food here is imported from Europe and the States and they, in some cases, even stopped importing it.
Great, now I have an ok job but no money to spend in Europe. In other words: do you live in Europe, fly for 300 Euros for a long weekend to Iceland including hotel and all...(See Icelandair.nl)

Shampoo

I knew for a year that Iceland is expensive. Especially expensive with the most nonsense things like bread (3 euros for a normal supermarket bread), haricots vert (at least 5 euros for 100g.) and so on, but shampoo, just simple cheap simple shampoo 7 EUROS?! Next time my bag is going to be filled with shampoo from the Netherlands, proper cheap shampoo...never realised Iceland was that expensive...

BAZ and PromoTop

Klimax ll
Exactly one weekend ago we had our first competition in Belgium. It was raining everywhere even in France so we decided to go and climb indoors instead. We drove with our own borrowed car (thanks mum&dad) all the way to Klimax ll in Puurs close to Antwerp.

Not a good start
We arrived in time but still a bit late. We had hardly any time to warm up and I was first to climb at the females route. The girl who showed the route hadn't climbed for 3 months (I heard that afterwards) and couldn't do the whole route. It looked super difficult and I wasn't even sure I could do the first move as it looked so hard when she was doing it. She took a lot of time and I was completely cold when I stepped into the route. No way my fingers warmed up so I got pumped and on a sudden move I just dropped because I didn't feel the hold I was holding. It got me pissed. I found it unfair I had to go first after such a bad example. All the other climbers could now profit from my attempt, I didn't have this profit form the girl who showed the route...
Ok second route...I was too late, nobody called our names and the whole thing was a bit chaotic. I did a bit better then before but because I was in such a hurry in the start I wasn't very concentrated. I fell but was just good enough to get into the Promo finals/Top half finals.

Valdi the Viking ;)
Valdi did just very well and didn't have the unlucky things I was dealing with. He topped both qualifications and was easily though to the next round.

Finals
Again some hassle with the isolation yes/no/yes/no/yes you have to be in the isolation...Handy. As I was qualified last I had to go first again and again because of all the trouble I wasn't very warm. So I did sort of ok and landed 8th in Top class and 3th in Promo class. Not too bad after not climbing on plastic for a couple months.
Valdi did extremely well and impressed a lot by ending 3th in the Top class! We won Duvel (local Belgian beer) and a nice medal. And went to Hrappur to have some more Belgian fun. (We drove four times the wrong way but finally made it to exit number 1.)
Boulderen aan Zee (BAZ)
The weekend before that we were on the beach of Scheveningen between loads and loads of big boulder blocks. I was extremely tired of our trip to the Netherlands and the four days of climbing before that. Valdimar didn't feel well at all, he actually was just ill. The sun was burning the whole day and we got even browner then we were before.
More meeting friends then climbing
It was really cool to see all the people again. Arjen came by with his girl and Herrie joined too. We climbed as hard as we could but being tired, used to soft long limestone routes and actually ill we didn't have the prestations we expected of ourselves. I saw all the girls climbing and they are good, like high world-cup level good. They trained for this, I only trained for long routes. On the end of the day it was so that I or júst had enough points or júst not...So I filled in my list with too less points so I wouldn't land in the finals. I just didn't dare to take up against those girls...
Valdi was still not feeling well and had the shits. We looked at the party in the night but didn't join. We slept in between the boulders and enjoyed the sun on the next day.

Sprain
I tried one 7a boulder where I think I sprained my shoulder a bit. I still feel it and know I have to rest. The funny this is that the boulder was put up by a guy of which I said before he makes boulders which injure people. He builds long moves on tiny footholds without any thechnical moves, just ugly pulling I would say. And that's exactly what I did one move too many...(Thanks Bas, (funny ha, that's the guys name you get it: Bas at the BAZ, haha. But unless his bad routesetting he's a nice guy) Injuries get me crazy because I NEED to climb (I'm not addicted or something...) I'll just realx a bit for this week and see how it feels.
Though we were unlucky we enjoyed being at the BAZ, it's such an amazing setup this cool blocks on the beach all those people it's just pure entertainment.

Picca's from the climbing in Klimax, as I was climbing myself so much I don have any BAZ pictures :(

Back in Iceland

Delayed/missed flights...
After a whole lot of climbing I back in Iceland.
We arrived last Thursday after missing two (!!!) flights and spending more then € 300,- per person extra on a new ticket...
My school started last Monday so I was already skipping a whole week and I din want to miss anything more. Though I would have loved to stay longer in the Netherlands. Join some more comps, and spend more time with my friends which are all getting babies and chickas. (Well done guys just keep on fucking around :)

Céüse
In Céüse we had 4 days completely for ourselves without anybody to take care of or to be around with, as we (Valdi and me) met in Céüse two years ago we really needed this time. We spent it with climbing for the whole day. Walking up Céüse takes at about one hour only up-hill walking and then the climbing isn easy either. So after those days we didn have any energy at all. It especially was to be seen on me. I felt quit some pressure on me and wasn satisfied with my climbing. I really wanted to climb more then just 7b+. I feel I can do so much more then that! But I didn have enough time to get in shape and I am apparently a very emotional climber. If everything around me doesn;t work the way I want it, I can't focus on my climbing.
At least I learned my lesson for next time: never, never, never go on holiday with a group of three in which one person doesn have as much expirience as the other two...

I want more, I just want to climb...
Now that I am in Iceland I feel I'm not finished with the outdoor climbing season yet. I'm strong, motivated and feel I can do very well so I want to go again. Siurana, Terradets...just anywhere where there are big limestone cliffs.
I now have to find enough sponsoring and work next to my studies to be able to climb that magic number I want to climb so badly...

Netherlands
For two weeks we spent our time in the Netherlands with competitions, friends, indoorclimbing and my mum, dad and brother.
I was relieved to be in the Netherlands as I hadn't seen my friends for such a long time.
We smoked some green things in Amsterdam with our Finnish friend, we climbed on the BAZ (Bouldering at Zea) and had some indoor climbing meetings with some of my friends Gerdien, Franc with their amazing little creature Ling and later on actually finally on the last moment with Gerb, Sanan and their little half Thai girl Annika. I suddenly found babies cuite and sweet and wanted to have such a thing for myself. But ehhh, not now, sorry no time for kids.
We even spent a night in a mega villa in Brussels after our comp in Belgium (I'll write in the next posting about the two comps) with Hrappur and his family. We felt so welcome and were amazed about their hospitality. (Takk!!!) It's cool and inspiring to see what people do for living, like Hrappur and his love for sound and what he can make out of the weirdest materials like cat-toilet-rock thingies (what's the English name for a toilet for cats to do their shit and piss on???)

New home?
Now I am typing this all whils Valdi is working in the climbing gym. We looked at a new room for us both. It's difficult to make descisions about that...The room is an ok size but in a cellar with not so much light.
The facilities are ok as we have our own kitchen and toilet and stuff and all inclusive for a very friendly price (in Icelandic terms friendly...)
But, the room we have now is so much lighter bigger and Valdi actually maybe (I don't really know) prefers to stay here with his mum, sis and bro. I just need a place for myself with my own little things, own fridge, own room, own kitchen and more like that. I just need some space. So Icelanders if you know somewhere a nice studio not too far from Klifurhúsið, please let me know :)
Ok, time to add some piccas of Céüse, the Netherlands and later on of the comps we joined.


The frog we found during nightclimbing in Céüse; Valdi asleep on our way from Céüse to Nice and the Netherlands; Getting high on green stuff with Mikkó my brother and Valdi at Amsterdam; Me windsurfing at Pampushaven; Windmills by night at Kinderdijk

Well, yes thats what you get on restdays...

Rain

Rai rain and even more rain today. So we're all depressed and unhappy and especially thinking about our precious projects...

Restday

And again we're chillin' in Gap the capital next to Ceuse.

I think we're addicted to internet...

Yesterday was quite a good day, and the days before actually too. Eythor also climbed Bibendum (7b+) and I flashed Dititic Line (7b) and tried Teuchipa 7c. Valdi onsighted the route (wich is as many points as climbing 8a+ minus 5 points on 8a.nu, thats what we're joking around about at the moment. Everybody here is keeping a list on 8a, except me, I'll only start doing that when I really climb 8a.

Today we'll chill-out at the gorge close to the climbing area Orpierre together with Leon and Wouter (see picca, Wouter relaxing after the 1hour walk up to the cliff) some Duch friends of mine.

Anyway, we're having fun :)

See our pictures on Picasa:

http://picasaweb.google.com/der.steen/

Bourinator 8a Flash

Last saturday Valdi flashed, completely unexpected...Bourinator, his first 8a flash.
On the end of the day he stepped, actually quite cold, into the route. He decided not to climb back in the start as it was quite an difficult boulderproblem. So, he went just in one all the way :)
I yesterday finally climbed Bibendum, 7b+ and now up for the 7c...or maybe even more...

Alain Chevallier

Last week we had another restday, and another...and another...and on one of them I found this guy reparing weapons for the locals. Tiny little shop, harly any light, and still beautiful to see how open everything is, no locs, closed doors, just a little social place with him and one of his friends on a visit.

Summer

The weather is really hot, we are hot and after " days of climbing in Céuse we're also amazingly P-U-M-P-E-D
We really have to get used to the long limestone routes again and that will take a couple of weeks I think, but after that I can't wait to hang in for example Bourinator or something like that :)
Here some picca's of first Ailefroide bouldering and then climbing and swinging in the route Bibendum in Céuse.

Laugarvergurinn

Already more then a week ago my parents, Valdimar and me were walking the Laugarvegurinn and Fimmvörduhálsið.

The weather was just as you can expect in Iceland: fucking hard storm for two days, really really serious, our tent was the only ten out of more then 50 which held the storm (thanks North Face Westwind). After that the weather changed and we even expirienced some days of full sun!

It was really amazing and if you decide to get to Iceland and don´t want to do any climbing, you should definately do this 6 day walk!

Here some picca´s...

The last day at ÍSOR

For half a year already I was working for the Icelandic Geothermal Research Institute, called ÍSOR (Íslensk Orku Rannsoknir).

And today was my last day... For the whole summer untill September I´ll be climbing and travelling. And that feels weird but good.

Here at ÍSOR everybody found it a pity that I´m leaving them. I have to say, thei´re I think the nicest people and most interesting people I´ve ever worked with. Its such a good atmosphere around my colleagues.

As a thank you I got a book, in Icelandic, about geothermal in Iceland. Almost all the employees of ÍSOR have worked on the book.

Signý, my closest colleague in the Svarfherbergið (soil room) gave me the book.

Picca´s

Tadaa picca´s on Picasa under: http://picasaweb.google.com/der.steen/HnappavellirMay2008

Picca´s from Hnappavellir

Oh gosh I´m so bad with keeping up my blog...
Today working at Týr again and its raining here, raining all day long...so no climbing this weekend. But there was last weekend. And as I have my brand new digital camera there are loads of super nice picca´s op picasa. My name there is Marianne8a, I´ll put the link overhere in the next message.

Fitna Update

Just watched the whole thing.
Actually its not so much. Not even a real movie. Bit of playing around with some movie-maker and voila...
The good thing is that there only real sayings of Imams had been used. Only (mostly) facts, no lies or bad statistics. But all that was already for years available on the internet.
And even with a mistake: Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutch muslim klilled Theo van Gogh. The movie shows Salah Edin, a Duch extreme rapper. Well done...

Greetings from Holland

Finally, the movie from the Dutch ´politician´ Geert Wilders is online, as he promised, in time.

Actually thye whole movie is a bit of bla bla, disgusting images and more bla bla.
Could have been better. Although, I´m not so sure if I all agree to mr. Wilders. All is panic and hate spreading words towars other peoples opposite hate spreading words doesn´t make living any better I think.

I never had any problems with my own friends, and now one politician says that I should not accept their religion? Bit unnatural for me.
But...maybe he´s right, I don´t know, the future wil tell.

For watching (warning: upload is extremely slow) click on the link.

Have fun, take some popcorn, big coke and keep on thinking brightly.