mvs

Thanks John! Hey, you could do some amazing "day trips" out this way...

Three years so far!

Trip: The Eastern Alps - Karwendel, Ortler, Wetterstein, Dolomites Date: 7/13/2009 Trip Report: A samplin' of what I've been doing in the Alps for folks coming over and wanting to know some good routes to climb: [img:left]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3482764444_ac57101a88_b.jpg[/img] In the spring a classic 5.10 12 pitch route called the Auckenthaler Crack on the Martinswand about 10 minutes drive out of Innsbruck. This rock is amazing, covered in sport routes, trad routes, even an overhanging via-ferrata. The route had nice finger, hand and off-width crack climbing. It is completely bolt protected which kind of sucks, depending on your point of view. On June 1st, me and a friend got to climb the Ortler North Face, which is more than 1200 meters of 50 to 70 degree snow and ice. I climbed a route on this mountain two years ago, and that was beautiful (the Hintergrat). This one really takes the cake though. We climbed the lower half unroped, then pitched out most of the rest which really took time. But the ice was amazing, and the experience of being in the middle of such a huge wall is something I'll never forget. Ultimately, a 22 hour day, which satisfied my need for a Cascades-style day. This climb is getting out of season now, but will be back in for October. Despite a really cold June, we got out to climb the Schüsselkarspitze Southeast Face "Peters/Haringer" route (5.10, 12 pitches). What a great day. We had the whole wall to ourselves. This wall is covered in climbs of all difficulty. This climb was almost completely crack climbing and really delivered. We just had to contend with some wetness that gave me an excuse to turn a 5.10b lieback pitch into an awkward A1 freak-fest. This climb is a mix of bolts and gear. Finally off to the Dolomites, and climbed the 3rd Sella Tower "Vinatzer" route (5.9, 10 pitches) with friends. Amazing exposure. Nice mix of pitons and gear placements for protection. Cracks, chimneys and overhangs...excellent rock. A super day. Followed by... The climb below me, Torre Firenze, a mellow 12 pitch 5.6 where the surroundings and good company become more important than exacting moves. Great hike down that includes a hut with beer supplies. And I'll end with last weekends excitement, the Costantini/Gherdina Route on the Tofana di Rozes (5.9, 12 pitches). The Tofana dominates the country around the Cortina Dolomites, and has several long exacting climbs. This one is an old classic and justifiably so. The pitches around the mid-height 5.9 traverse quicken the pulse. The traverse itself will make your eyeballs bleed with exposure . Finish with a long routefinding challenge on 4th class, loose terrain. But an easy walk off on trail as your reward. A mix of pitons and gear. So come on down if you like such things. Here's mud in yer eye! Gear Notes: New bolts in the north, old pitons in the south. Seems there is a bolting controversy here too. On Tofana we saw chopped bolts at each belay station. Respect for history seems to be strong. The only climb that felt "crowded" was Tofana, and that was just because the guys behind us were tension-injecting lamers. The guys in front of us were a little slower than we might be but they were so nice we just enjoyed their company. Approach Notes: Lessee...1.5 hours from Munich, 3 hours from Munich, 2 hours from Munich, 3 hours from Munich and 4 hours from Munich. The only one that wasn't a day trip was the Ortler, with a hut stay the night before. For the rock climbs, the only approach greater than 1 hour was the Schüsselkarspitze which had a 2.5 hour approach.

Thanks for the great report, Steph. Sending positive thoughts and prayers to that little ledge!

Really cool!

Trip: Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix - Cosmique Arete Date: 5/1/2009 Trip Report: I got to be a tourist in Chamonix for a few days and I wanted to share one special short trip with you guys. My friend was feeling ill but blue sky drew me up high like a moth to a flame. Up high, in style, that is: [img:center]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3317/3503287431_fc22fe68ab.jpg[/img] Then I got on the Cosmique Arete with loads of amazing scenery. [img:center]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3409/3504086892_aff75ab124.jpg[/img] This spot here was really exciting [img:center]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3311/3503274083_8166d23b97.jpg[/img] Then there was a rock climbing crux, maybe 5.7 in crampons? I self-belayed on this one. Note the poor style of this guy...at least I didn't use my KNEES! Some more fun climbing near the end: Then I was done. Back among the bored tourists. Remind me never to go anywhere "just to go." I looked back on the ridge for a while and tried to feel really broody and alpine: I'm glad I got the chance to do this route, which is apparently extremely popular in summer. If you are there, take just a little gear and do it in winter/spring! Gear Notes: Crampons, one ice tool, a couple of nuts and slings. A 50/60 meter rope for a couple of rappels and for protection in 2-3 places. Approach Notes: I post-holed through the Col du Midi, taking about 30 minutes from the lift station to the start of the climb.

leave it alone!

I used to write lots of TRs here and on my web site. In recent years I got mixed feelings about it, realizing that the climbs I liked the best were the ones with minimal beta. So maybe I was hurting other people's chances for adventure. But in the end, I realize that pretty much everybody I've climbed with found me through my TRs. And I couldn't imagine what I'd have ever accomplished without those people. So...I write TRs. Mostly at summitpost. I actually get out almost as much as I used to, and it's still just climbing for me. I'm a "dead-ender," you might say. I agree with the late Ira Spring, that the mountains need young people to get excited about them, and that finally results in greater protection. I think I've inspired more people than I've pissed off, so that's okay. But don't think I'm patting myself on the back for anything. I've received enough stinging criticism from people I respect to ever truly rest easy about posting TRs online. Back to the original post, look at the incredible amount of first ascents in the last few years you've had. Maybe backcountry use is down, but to me it looks like the Cascade climbing community is more alive than ever.

There is nothing like cc.com. Tie my rope to a cc.commer any day, they're gonna have balls, respect for history and enthusiasm for the "worst" kind of terrain. Long live cc.com and the Cascade climbers she both molds and represents! Raising a big stein in Hansel-und-Gretel land...

Nice pictures, brings back good mem'ries...

I've always been a "beta hound" but lately I've been trusting my nose more, which is fun. It takes some experience. You have to be able to look up at something and decide if there is any way a 5.7 climb could go up that. Likely...not .

Amazing read. My favorite was the article (and paintings!) about the Fireys.

Thanks for the kudos everyone. There is a lot of great climbing out here, even outside of the massively popular french alps. And the austria snowy mountains are indeed gentle in comparison, but the rock cliffs are steep and long!

Anything on Johannesburg is awesome! I'd love to see someone tell about a climb on the wall above the Sill Glacier...anybody done one of those?

Trip: Laliderspitze, Karwendel Range, Austria - Herzogkante (5.7, ~20 pitches) Date: 8/31/2008 Trip Report: I likes to tell yall about some places you don't usually hear about. On the Germany-Austria border there is a place called the Ahornboden ("acorn valley floor" I guess). It's got cows, plenty of fresh milk, a beer garden and little cabins. It's also surrounded by 800 meter high walls with the easiest route to the top being the Herzogkante. It's a ridge, going at 5.7 plus lots of grungy alpine terrain. But there are also long trad and sport routes in the 5.10 to 5.12 range. Me and another American named Dan hiked in Saturday morning at 5:30 am, and made the long approach (yeah, 2-3 hours is "long" here). The last 30 minutes was finger-freezing step-cutting up a sun-cupped snowfield to the base of the route. One rock in each soon-frozen hand. Another party was already there, occasionally reminding us of their presence with that disturbing low fluttering sound you get when rocks fall by. When the climbing was harder, the rock was solid. When it was easy, there was a bloodbath of rock fall. Caption: The Laliderspitze at dawn. We climbed the ridge. Pitches 2,8,10 and 16 were amazing: steep, solid, exposed, good protection with nuts or fixed pins. Pitch 12 might have been great but was marred for me by painful stomach problems that ended sorrowfully. Europe has bolt wars too! Somebody installed a belay bolt at most belay stances. Then another guy came and smashed it over. It was sad to come up and see Dan belaying from three equalized dubious micro-nuts next to a mangled bolt. It took 8 hours to reach the top. On the hike down there was a bivy shelter nicer than the house my mom and I lived in in the 3rd grade. It hat 8 bunks, blankets, a skylight and a little kitchen. But getting down the wall on the north was scrappy. 8-10 rappels and lots of 4th class downclimbing, touching down right at full dark. Then 3 hours of hiking, ending prematurely at the biergarten. We stretched our sore muscles, reflecting that the climb was first done 97 years ago. Some pics: Dan rounding a corner for 30 meters of unprotectable 5.5: A great 5.7 pitch with huge exposure below. Looking down the ridge: From the summit, looking east. See the luxury bivouac hut? Gear Notes: Medium rack of nuts and cams.

Haha! Never thought I'd hear anyone talk about repeating that route every year. Ivan you are a true Cascadian!

Inspiration Peak! East Ridge or South Face.

Looks like somebody got info on summitpost about exactly this! http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=39552&sid=3d70f72f3bd05e66bcc4a670266b5678

I didn't know any cool guys like Matt. Me and another equally clueless friend did the whole John Long/Freedom of the Hills reading thing, and went out and tried it. I'm really happy we could learn that way and there wasn't some kind of license scheme getting in our way. So hell yeah it's sane to learn this way. I've taken some newbies out here in Germany, and find that many people have climbed in a gym, some people have climbed on bolts outside, and NO ONE has climbed with gear outside. People here are paralyzed at the thought of it, and the natural German tendency to take courses really takes over once we start talking about gear climbs. It's too bad, it's like forgotten heritage. There are lots of rusty old pitons on gear climbs that indicate people used to do it! But I rarely see young people on these climbs, mostly 40+ years old. Seems "trad" is dying here.

Congratulations Steph and company!! I've been watching for this daily. I couldn't imagine being stuck up there for so long. Gives me the willies!

Nice! The view up there is really worthwhile. Here is one from early October:

April Mayhem in the Icicle. It was a really hot morning and the climb gets blasted by the sun. On the "pillar de cowboy boot" the hand crack gets vertical, maybe a little overhanging. I was totally pumped, trying to place some gear. As I was attaching the rope my hands gave out! Caught by a Metolius black 4-cam. Whew...

I got into soloing because I thought it would make me a better alpine climber (which I really wanted). I think it does help to steel the nerves. Finally though, I did one that was "too big." And it was kind of miserable. I kept thinking how much more fun it would be if I had a partner. Just like Mat said, "why am I putting myself in this situation?"

Thanks guys. Hey Lisa yes your cousin is insane, but looking at all the trips you rack up in a year so are you! Yall both have great web sites, been a big "time sink" for me lately

Glad y'all like! I gotta remind you now and then to come to Old Socialist Europe . Exchange rate couldn't suck worse though... @jmace - sure thing, hope to see you!