Happy Place Guide

The Guide for "The Happy Place" has been updated, get on it!

http://www.climb.org.au/index.php?page_id=10&action=area&area_id=1459

Switzerland wrap up

The dream is over, boo hoo hoo. Just finished my first week back at work and I miss the beautiful Swiss Alps. The final week we had there was amazing, so much fun and an awesome crew. Thanks guys for making it a great trip, I'm sure your all loving being back to reality just as much as I am.

So after spending a frustrating few days waiting for the snow to bugger off and a fun trip to Interlarken (even though it was snowing too much to see the Igar)
we finally managed to cram a lot into the last three days with some beautiful and crisp conditions. Unfortunately I was a bit slack on the photo's cause of all the frantic climbing, sorry.

I had been really keen to get back on this roof problem called 'Backgammon' which is an 8a or a 7c stand. It has a huge move out the roof to a sloper then a go again to a good edge at nearly full span. We managed to work out a good way to do the move with a high heel and I was sure I would be able to do the problem having nearly stuck the move. I had a quick look at the easy finishing moves or at least that's what I thought! I got totally shut down. I wasn't able to work out a good way of linking the crux throw into the finishing traverse that exits the roof via a thin seam, Tragedy! So off we went with our tails between our legs to find some other problems.

We headed over to the Jungle book for Pat to try for a send on the sit start. Unfortunately the snow kept the top out wet and he never got the chance to finish it off. I felt bad for him, he had looked so solid on it and I'm sure he would have got it done if he had the chance. One for next time.

XP is this cool little 7c on a small triangular bloc in front of Jungle book. Me and Pat had been spying it since we got there and it was time to give it a go. Essentially it's a hard pull on from an undercling with bad feet then slap out some sharp holds to get out of the low pit, punch out to the arete and cruise to the top. After struggling with the first move initially we both manage to send. Pat also managed a quick send of this awesome 7a+ near by "Media Men" involved slapping up this fridge type block feature then a huge move at the top. He managed to over come the dicey top out without falling much to my relief.

One last big day. We decide to just get out and just have some fun and we ended up climbing alot of stuff it was really cool. So a quick run down.

Me, Pat and Tor all managed "street parade 7a" which is a classic Cresciano sloper traverse. Pat made a quick send of "voule a vont 7a" and a surprise ascent of the area classic "Arcadia 7c" which is a proud slopey arete. Pat and me also managed "voci dalla cantina 7b+" After a quick chat with Bern Zangeral we all did this classic high ball boulder which Pat scrambled like an egg and was one of the most memorable of the trip. Me and Tor also snuck in the classic "ci credo o non ci credo 7a" just before dark, happy days.

The last day is still a bit of a blur, I ran into Milan with Pat at 3am to get him off for his flight home then jumped back in bed for a couple hours before me, Tor and Simen headed out for one last quick hoorah. I had a quick look at this problem high up in the boulder field the previous day called "carlo il magnifico 7a+" it looked awesome, so we thought we'd head up and give it a shot. This thing is a seriously cool sharp arete feature slapping up opposing side pulls and the arete. We only had till about 1.00pm before we had to leave to get the boys to the train and me and Tor were both getting very close. It came right down to the wire in the end with me just managing to scrap a send in and Tor getting robbed when his hand blew of the side pull going to the finishing hold.

So there you go, the end of an unbelievable trip.

Kram Snø (sticky snow)

The last week hasn't brought alot of news. Me and Pat kind of broke ourselves after pushing five or six sort of short days on, which caught up to us in the end. We spent a few days resting and pick up the Nord's Tor and Simen from Milan and now our little group is complete but it seems the boys have brought the 'Kram Sno' or 'sticky snow' from Norway with them. We got pounded with 20cm over night!

What to do?

Boulder at Brione!Frogger 8a Brione

This area has to be one of the most awesome I've seen here! so much great looking stuff. Unfortunate that the snow was so heavy. This amazing cave is one of the only things that stays dry and is climbable in the snow. We had some vauge directions and descriptions so we thought we'd give it a shot. We headed up in heavy snow and our little van only barely made it up the slippery icey roads 'the boys had to get out and push up some of the steep hills'. We made it in the end and it was awesome, the cave has the most spectacular colours and sculpted grips. Tor and Pat made quick work of the short 7a+ in the cave which shut me down and then it was on to Frogger.

Pat and me working Frogger

Such a super problem, perfect holds, beautiful, I wish one of us had sent it. We worked out the funky heel, toe beta for the start. I managed to link the starting moves but was getting shut down trying to work out the finish which eluded us. One to come back for...

All the snow has made for some fun rest days which have involved driving around to some different towns, eating and drinking. Great fun! Weather has cleared now so we're back into it tomorrow.

Rest day in Bissone

Swiss update

Me on l'altra faccia

We've been running around like mad trying every thing we can and working our selves into the ground but we have managed to haul our self up a few things. Pat had an awesome day the other day and sent 'le grotto de soupris 7c+' and the stand to 'Jungle book 8a'. Super effort mate. We both managed 'ictus cerebral 7c' I got up 'la pinoche 7b+' also as well as 'l'altra faccia 7b'. I've lost track of all the easier classics, there is so much to do and so little time. Pat has been working the sit start to jungle book and has made some really good links, hopefully we can get back there soon so he can crush it.

I've been looking for a good project to put some time into but i'm still not sure on what yet? I've been feeling pretty good so i'd really like to test my metal on some of the harder lines. Let the search continue....

German Dude 'Jungle book from the sit 8a+'

Pat working the sit on Jungle book

From the land of Chocolate

Cool little house on the death road past chironico

Me getting whipped on 'la Pinoche 7b+' cresciano Pat with the post van at chironico

So we've been bunkered down here in our little swiss house for nearly a week now and it's been awesome. After ariving and a death drive by myself through Italy in our little post man van I managed to find our house and make it back to pick up Pat from the airport the next day.

Pat warming up on a high ball Cresciano

The first few days were spent at Cresciano with great conditions except for a bit of snow. We spent lots of time learning to climb these beautiful boulders and getting shut down on projects. Pat managed an impressive flash of la Pionche 7b+ on the amazing la Pelle boulder. We took a quick trip further up to Chironico which is quite snowy at the moment but still some classic's to be had. I managed to haul my ass up a beautiful problem call 'Globe trotter' 7a which I really had to work hard for but was worth all the effort. We got snowed off after that before taking a wrong turn and ending up on an ice death road but we've made it back and are waiting for better weather to come.