Wissberg

difficulty:  easy, as usual ...
altitude: 2627 meters
date: December 2015

I left Freiburg at 5 am and arrived to Engelberg at 7 am. The surrounding forests and mountains were still under cover of darkness and nobody was around. At that point, I didn't try to search for the route by which I planned to ascent, namely the red route depicted in the map. The slopes seemed to me not worth to ascent, so I rather followed the valley, marked blue in the map. At some point, I passed the warning, that I am leaving controlled area and crossed the first avalanche that had fallen just few steps behind that warning. Even I was under very safe conditions in the morning, since the snow was really firm, I was very carefully checking every slope. I would never ever do this tour in worse conditions and I really do not recommend to enter that valley in winter if the conditions are not absolutely safe. But at this point, I am still novice in distinguishing good or bad conditions, and actually I am also a chicken. So don't take my recommendations too seriously, and better ask for actual situation some guide operating in this area. And if you are not stupid as me, do it before each tour.
 

Wissberg, the first peak on the left

 At some point, I turned to the left to the steep slope and rose up heading to Wissberg. I had a nice view of the summit, already caught by the first sunlight. Then the conditions started to worsen, snow was melting and I was quite sure I can not use this route on my way back.

I thought it will be just a short quick trip and I'll be back for late lunch, but the opposite was true. It was slow and exhausting but still not less beautiful. There was nothing to worry about. No avalanches possible and weather should stay the same. Even though, I had a strange feeling. Something changed with me since the last outing. Maybe the winter conditions? Or my wife somewhere in my mind saying: "If  you do some dangerous things, you definitely don't get your dinner! ". And what what is worse than arriving from the trip starving, fridge is completely empty and no dinner until you prove you were safe. I am not sure. But the truth is, that from this moment on, I am not into crazy things anymore. I like to suffer and I continue with that, but no danger anymore even I love it.

the face of Titlis

I didn't get into troubles during this trip. It is quite safe ski tour. I got down safely by the red route depicted in the map. There are two places with the avalanche danger, but those avalanches had already fallen before I passed that points. The solitude is the thing that bothered me a bit.  As always. Not technical difficulties. But solitude is more challenging.

view from the summit, Schlossberg on the right

I like neither philosophy, nor thinking about the deep things. I like not to think at all. I fall in love with not thinking. This can happen to me only in the mountains. But I'll try for one time:

Most of the mountaineers, climbers and whoever else approaching the mountains, even tourist, ask themselves why they go to the mountains. There is plenty of clever answers. Enjoy to search for them guys, but you will never be sure that you found the right one, I swear. At least until you are searching.What I want to say, that there is no official reason for going to the mountains which has our god written somewhere in his personal book of the things that make sense. It actually doesn't make sense for anybody else than for you yourself. So go there and enjoy it as much as you can. 

Well, I am not a philosopher. But I make nice pictures:

7 pitches in Schwarzwald?

difficulty: 5+
altitude: ~1000 m
month: October

am I kidding? 7 pitches tour in Schawarzwald? Of course I am. There is not any real big wall. But with little bit fantasy and art you can imagine one. We did so at Gfaellfelsen (47.911934, 7.941689) already reported somewhere at this blog. The tour can be organized so that one start at the foot of Baertuermle and take three pitches to its top (5+,3,4).

The middle part at the left picture is easy, short and ugly. The rest is o.k. You don't need any topo, just follow the belay and if you need to decide then go right. Some additional info can be found here: schwarzwald rocks

The upper picture shows the view to the following pitches: the upper Rhodewand at the very left and thee upper-most rock at the left (the summit of our tour). One has to rappel from the Bauertuermle and take a path to the left (40 meters rope is at the limit, see picture at the bottom). Jou, that's a pity that one has to walk 60 meters on the path, otherwise it would be one nice fluent tour.

At the foot of Rhodewand, one can choose from many options. The lightest is at level of 4. We climbed there already all of the easy 3-pitches routes, I can recommend that one at the very left, (4+,3+,5).

The last pitch took place at the upper rock. Here is one of the very best quality of the rock and even the easy routes are nice, vertical and with amazing holds. Again there is variety of easy routes from 3-6.

The final steps after 7-pitches climbing. Exhaustion of course is there, feel of extreme (I am kidding, it is nice and very comfortable climbing, but a great views and little feel of exposure is there).

Gross Mythen

difficulty: V+/VI- climbing grade
altitude: ~1600 m
month: September

The west face of Gross Mythen is standing right above the Schwyz. Three routes are depicted nicely in my twenty years old guide book (Urs Loetscher), crossing the wall in straightforward  manner. All of the routes at the level of VI climbing grade, ... but, the routes are very old and therefore underestimated. This is quite challenging quest (for me, not for some of my friends) which I wasn't really sure that we can manage. But my climbing partner (Mrqa) was very enthusiastic about that and I had to keep on track with him (I don't want to be a chicken, right?).

The route we intended to climb has a name "Hampeissiwaeg" (whatever it means). There should be also "Alte Direkte" on the left from this route, but a lot of own belay equipment is needed there. 

The truths remains the same as usual when we two go play outside. The route is lost, then some climbing with own belay, then we end up somewhere where it is not worth to be and we finish our tour with abseiling using our own belay stations (usually some not trustable stone or piece of grass). 

The first pitch was quite easy. We followed some well-secured route starting exactly at the place I expected our intended route. After a while, we realized that it goes to much to the left, but who cares, it is nice climbing and well-secured. Also I expected that in the worse case there has to be "Alte Direkte" on the left.

But we somehow lost that route, (I am not sure how) and the second pitch was with our own belay. I caught an Elvis type shaking as never before but I couldn't really stop. I didn't believed that belay even for sitting nor for falling down. Fortunately,  we found the route again after the second pitch (the steps to the left from the second belay station at the second picture ).

The third pitch was Mrqa's turn again. I have to admit that I had a serious troubles on that slabs as there are sometimes not really good holds. The fourth pitch, again my turn, shity rock, falling stones. Fifth pitch. Fifth pitch? No way guys, the well secured route ends exactly at the middle of that wall. There is some material left at the belay station, maybe somebody plans to finish that rout in next years. What now? I still believed in some better way from there than rappelling down. I convinced Mrqa to try that grassy terrace which was on the left above us. So he did with own belay. I don't know if he danced like me or Elvis, but when I balanced at that slab, I knew that he had to have internal fight with fear.

No other way from the terrace  than to rappel down. But at least, there was a summit book with a last outing from 2002. We were nearly to satisfied by writing our names there. Never again, not at this face.

La Ruinette

difficulty: pd
altitude: 3875
month: September

The whole trip is depicted to the map on the left and the detail of the summit part is at the upper picture. The ascent is by red and the shortcuts while descending by blue.

The summit of Le Ruinette was built on purpose to have a beautiful view of the Grand Combin's west face. We both, me and myself, agreed to climb in a great style: unsupported solo, almost naked. What does it mean? In order to wear as light pack as possible, I had no tent, no sleeping back, no rope for rappel, no climbing partner, no mum, and the most important thing in such a great altitudes, no supplement of oxygen :-). Of course I refused to stay in any cottage with nice warm bed and fondue as a dinner. I rather took a rest at the cold stone where self-prepared bread was served by me to myself with piece of chocolate from Carrefour as a dessert. To complete that fun, my handy was broken and there was absolutely nobody around.

I parked my car at parking place before the hotel Mauvoisin and I think it is for free, at least I didn't pay. On has to take the path on the left side of the lake to get bellow Le Ruinette. It is a long trip (3 hours), especially when returning back. One can just walk until the pass Tsofiert, where tiny path leads to the left and it is next 1 hour to the pass Col de Lire Rose without any technical difficulties. The technical parts starts from there. At the first ridge, I can only recommend to keep on the left when ascending. It was quite difficult for me to make a right decisions in the night. At some point I climbed something not compatible with pd difficulty. I could avoid this place nicely when descending what was better choice than end up as tomato pizza down in the valley. There are also some belay stations for abseiling.

The glacier should not be crevassed, but I found one big ice hole exactly next to the route. It is better to stay on the rope there, especially after snowing.

The summit part is again technical, but I would say easier than the bottom ridge. Even though, it is much better to use the blue variant at the picture at the top. Again tomato pizza problem at the red variant. Note, one has to judge it according to the snow conditions. That's it.

Summary:

Generally speaking, it is nice easy summit. Let me note that it is worth to belay even on such an easy peak. Some of the steps are quite exposed. Also it is worth to take an advantage of belay stations for abseiling.  Good luck and stay alive!

Altels (Berner Oberland)

difficulty: pd-
altitude: 3620 (3400 reached)
month: September 
map: google geo.admin

Running shoes, light jacket, water and few bars. That's it. Altels should be doable in this way, I believe. The bad weather unexpectedly came already the day before my attempt for the Altels summit. I brought my tent to the altitude ~2200 meters where the rain changed into snowing. The freezing night was quite long and silent, nobody nowhere. And the same was the morning. Anyway I packed my few things and try to pretend that I am running, although it was more walking.

At some point arround 3400 metres (according to my watches) I had to give up. There was no other choice. The slab covered by ice would by tough with normal equipment. With the running shoes I had is it called suicide. Autumn is approaching, running shoes must stay in the valley.

On the other side, there was nobody and the mountain was there just for me. The views were simply amazing.

The Altels is amazing slab. I have never seen the bigger one. One could thing to run it directly in the middle. But I don't thing it would work, the slab has roughly 50 degrees. Difficult to say, maybe.

Ringelspitz will not stay unattempted from me, that is sure. It is too nice to let it just stay there without visiting the summit. That could be next running goal if the weather let me run there.

My tent, nobody, nowhere

The Alps are already great mountains like Andes, Himalayas and similar. But they offer also plenty of running possibilities. Choose the area which is not often accessed, bring your tent somewhere far away from the people, and enjoy the alpine running next day. More technical routes you choose, more fun you have. Go alone.

Throw away that big uncomfortable boots and rope.  Let's run the Alps!

Shkhara

altitude: 4318 m
difficulty: D (5A RU)
date: July
rock quality: shity
 

 When we arrived to Ushguli with the aim to climb Shkhara-Main and I saw Shkhara for the first time, I said to myself: "hey you dare, go home to mum, this is not for you!". Well, more than 2000 meters high south face of Shkhara standing right before us made me really scared. One can not catch that feeling with a camera, surely not with that I own. One has to be there, see it and feel it. But we couldn't just run away from there. We couldn't.

The first night was already kind of adventure. We wanted to reach the plateau of the lower Shkhara's glacier but we followed the wrong left side of the valley. When we wanted to get to the right side we would have to either go back 1.5 km to the bridge or cross a very broad river. I decided to cross. Bad decision. When I threw my rucksack over one of many arms of that river it fell down back to water and I had to jump in to safe my rucksack. My boots very completely wet and it took me several days to dry it.

Despite the episode with the river, we reached the plateau next day and our attempt to Shkhara-main could begin. We climbed quite fast. There were no issues from base camp to c1, maybe just one place pretty high in the kamin. There is one very nice place for a tent in c1 and water source just next to it. The c1 of Shkhara-main is one of the most exposed my sleeping bag ever seen. We were about to study and discuss the details of the route to c2 for the next day when it suddenly came. Firstly just few hail stones. But after a while, we were silently lying in our tent and praying for the end. Lightning, ... fucking close to us. Incredible noise of hail stones hitting the tent. It was clear now we can not continue. After more than hour of hailing, the risk of avalanches was too big for us.

Shkhara-south, the summit we rached twice.

We decided to escape, as usual. The will to live was once again stronger than our ambitions. What is correct of course, yes, but you know ... it is difficult. Some of the old belay stations have been in quite good shape, roughly 40 meters from each other. The only issue is down at the glacier where the really huge crevasse crosses your path so that you have to either go around with the risk of avalanche, ice fall and fall of the stones or you take a ledge on the left (in direction down) and rappel it down (recommended).

We got at the glacier plateau at late afternoon and I wanted to descend down to the base camp and have a nice dinner and drink a plum vodka and just have a nice time there. Well, the truth is that we rose up again to the c1 of the Shkhara-south.

The next day was a perfect day even the weather forecast told something slightly different, as always. We reached the summit of the Shkhara-south by the non-official route over the glacier recommended to us by some nice guys from Ukraine. The descent was quite long 3a route with few dangerous parts because of very damaged rock.

We spent one more day in c1 of Shkhara-south thinking of what we could do next days of non-stable weather (the pictures shows only the nice part of the trip). We knew about this 5a route (at the picture bellow) from very old guide book, the only book available for this mountain range published in 70's. We spent hours of staring at that face discussing it. It wasn't really clear and I wasn't really convinced that we should try that. But after hours and hours of studying that, one just somehow gets use to it, knows every single part of it and finally becomes reconciled with that.

We descended down to the base camp, left our big rucksacks there and went to visit our friend from Ukraine, namely Mstislav Gorbenko, in 90's one of very best climbers in the world. He gave us some food which we appreciated very much. There was one group of his expedition at exactly that 5a route we were thinking of. They got somehow stuck at 100 meters bellow the summit when the night was approaching. Mstislav was a little bit nervous about them and we as well. We could be in the same troubles at this route. When we left his tent, it was already dark. We saw three small lights in the wall. The storm was approaching.

Even though we knew about the complication the Ukraine group had at Shkhara-south, we decided to go. We moved to the c1 by the route we already knew quite well. The day and half of a good weather in front of us. No storms, no hailing, no snowing or raining. We had the best conditions to try that and we knew the face so well that we could paint that. I wasn't too much worried that we would loose the route as it happened to Ukraine guys.

Long and broad snowy culoir was for free. Then few not that difficult steps. Ok with the 10 kg on my back it was a little tough but nothing technical. Then again some walking with few climbing steps. Everything went very smoothly until the 40 metrs long pitch at level of V. Mrqa spent quite some time to figure out the easiest solution of this obstacle. But he managed to find it and I followed him with the pulse at least 200.

There were other climbing parts but this was really the key point. When we reached the summit in 8 hours and 45 mins from the beginning of the culoir I was fucking proud of myself. This was fast. This proved me that 40 hours at Verte wasn't really our fault.

We managed to reach the c1 in the same day and descent to Ushghuli on the next day. Of course we passed by Mstislav at his base camp to meet him again, tell him about our success and eat everything what he place in front of us. I have never had so tasty sardines with a Georgian bread. Well, maybe I have never had better meal before. And this is why we do that. Every feeling, every taste, fear, thought, disappointment, sadness, happiness, pain, ..., everything is much stronger in the Mountains. Is it really a life in the cites where everything is so numb, so safe, so normal? With suffering in the mountains comes great reward: real being.

Back in Tbilisi

Well there is a lot to say about Georgia, Mestia and Tbilisi. People are great. Food is amazing. We asked one girl in the subway for a direction. She showed us and wanted to help me with my rucksack. What? Is that really common in Georgia that a girl helps a guy to carry something?

When we passed Tbilisi before we met Guansa a Georgian friend of Mrqa's girlfriend. We had an opportunity to stay with her company for a one day. Here are some parts of a long discussion we had:

Guansa: "How often do you see your sister?"
Me: "Once per year."
Guansa: "And parents?"
Me: "Maybe four times a year."
Guansa: "But why?"
Me: "Because I am living far away from them."
Guansa: "And why you don't live closer?"
Me: "Because nor me neither my girlfriend could earn so much money there."
Guansa: "But why do you need so much money if you can not be with you family?"
Me: "Look, this is quite common in the western countries. You have to earn some money first if you want to build a family. Most of the people is living like this. And most probably, this comes also to Georgia in a few years."
Guansa: "And this is your lifestyle? I don't like your lifestyle. I don't want this lifestyle here."
...
Guansa: "What would you do if you have a lot of money?"
Me: "It depends. Most probably to build a house and invest the rest to make even more money from that."
Guansa: "I would build a big house for my whole family. And more money I would have the bigger the house would be."

Than she paid a dinner for us in the restaurant in the middle of Tbilisi. We wanted to invite her. But she strongly refused because we are the guests. Georgian people are very proud. I think it had to cost more than 10% of her salary.

We have a lot to learn from these people. And we shouldn't destroy their culture with our picture of life. This country is maybe not that developed as our but its inhabitants (at least some of them) are more developed than we are.

So this is my picture of Georgia. No bad experiences. Go and see it by yourself. 

Mont Buet

difficulty: f
altitude: 3096 m
date: July

Geneve, Friday noon, 39 degrees. We need escape to the mountains and very high otherwise bodies would be boiled. The temperature is little bit more acceptable at Ref. du Grenairon. If not the mountains around this place is worth to visit. When I arrived I said: "This is the smell of India." Some goats were staring at me from the roof of the first building like it is me who is weird down at the path and not them at the roof. The Mantras fluttering in the wind. The Tibetan flag next to the chalet. I enjoyed the chalet, its staff, cheese and food in general, sleeping, interesting drawings on the walls ... 

5:30 breakfast and walking trip to Mont Buet. There are some more technical parts not recommended to older people. We had the seats and the rope with us but it wasn't really needed. We planed the trip as a traverse of the mountain as it is much for fun to use different route down (see the map).

When we arrived to the summit I was stunned by the number of runners there. Since Kilian's epoch, I always feel like a looser at the summit with my big mountaineering boots. Yes, those nice times when just few people with their old damaged touristic equipment visited the summit are gone. If you don't come with shorts and running shoes you are not cool any more. I thought about to donate Kilan my old boots "Numero Uno". I would bet then that the summits of Alps wouldn't look like Salomon fashion show any more. This plan has one small issue, Kilian would probably not fit into my foot size.

But back to the descent. It was quite exhausting but finally we arrived to some small river where I ended up with screaming like a Homo Neandrtalis in very cold water. After a while, Martina was screaming with me. Few beers in the chalet close to it and long trip back to the boiling car.

Non-stop run - Low Tatras (Slovakia)

difficulty: f...ing tough
altitude: ~2000 meters 
date: June 
total elevation:~2450 meters
length: 47.5 km 

All the pictures and information can be found at official page: non-stop run
The map have been designed by TrackProfiler: trackprofiler

This is another interesting experiance, another approach to the mountains, another proof of your strength, another way to get at very limt  (both physically and psychically).

The family of my girlfriend (and soon also my family) was a great supporting team. They brought me to the place of start. I think all of us were quite shocked by the people there. My original ambitions quickly disappeared in that crowd of muscles with Salomon tattooed all around. "Great job, Kilian." I told myself counting that few people not having Salomon boots. There would be certainly much less people 10/20 years ago. I would like to see similar positive increase with orienteering, which is certainly more extreme and natural sport but due to media not that cool nowadays.

The race: long painful run, anything else. Several refreshment stations, even more than officially announced, nice organization, perfect supporting team in the pass "Hliadelske sedlo". I was looking forward for them for all painful 36 km, and then I just expressed all the complains and nasty words I had thought of last 10 km (sorry guys I wasn't able to laugh at that point).  The last 12 km was a hell. Half-marathon runners joined us at that point what wasn't really a pleasure as they were much faster than we and we were surely obstacles for them. Also the race was leading little bit differently than announced what destroyed the last piece of my psychical health. I was even more upset when a first woman flew over me like it would be just morning jogging.

Some hints for the next time:
- train more
- train running down
- do not run with the stones in the boots during the race
- start slower
- be polite after 30 km, there can be children!

My place in final rating wasn't very good, 44th place, but also not very bad. There were 270 runners at the start but only 193 finished that race. Finally, I am happy about that - this result gives me space for improvements but not demotivate me completely!

a lot of stony paths and downhill running!

This man at the picture above is my hero. His name is Pobuda Jan and he is 61 years old. He finished this race at 59th place what is even more inspiring for people of his age as well as for me. Similar words belongs to Trombik Emil who was born in 1946 and completed the race. 

Spitzkopf and Martinswand

We had a very nice summer climbing trip to Vogesen full of nice adventures but rather than talking about them I describe very briefly only the climbing part of that.

The map of the region can be found here:

http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/48.0328/7.0165&layers=C

there are two challenges which we wanted to achieve:

• Spitzkopf (very nice easy climbing trip)
• Martinswand (paradise for climbers of each level)

Spitzkopf

It is a long tour over the two climbing steps and several boulders. If one checks the map above it starts at the point where "Reidwald" is written and follows the ridge up to Le Hohneck. I have already climbed it once in Winter with Martina when it can turn to real alpine tour, see
Spitzkoepfe

There is no clear way haw to begin. One can basically get to the ridge very easily by the forest from the east side (what we did in Winter). But as it is summer, we wanted to do it little bit more adventurous this time, so we climbed from the south side (first climbing step, two pitched at III-IV level). Then just follow the ridge, very easy climb/walk. One can either use the clear path which always go little bit on the left side in the forest. But then it is just walk and not climbing at all. We tried to follow the ridge really very precisely what means to do some very funny boulders. We got bellow the second climbing second step after few (4-5) hours. The step is last technical part of this route, again climbing at level III-IV, (still doable in trekking shoes).

NOTE: one needs to take his own belay!  Count on 30 meters of easy climb. For me it was some belay every 4 m. The rock is great, you always find something.

Night in the forest bellow Martinswand. Lot of insect. Lot of fun.

Martinswand

it is real classic of Vogesen. I believe that also this wall has a nice history of its first ascents.  I actually haven't found any nice topos of this region. But don't worry and just go there. There is a plenty of climbing routes of each level. Very nice can be very top part, where is a lot of easy one-pitch routes, some of them are quite long. We tried 5a route named with very nasty name I can not publish here.

The highlight of our trip was a route leading over whole Martinswand, roughly 70 m long 5c - nicely belayed two pitches route.

I was already quite happy with that but Venca wanted to climb more and more, so we climbed in the bottom part. Finally, he climbed some rally tough route (6b) and I was just belaying (shame on me, but I wouldn't be able to climb this I think). Suddenly, some German guy appeared. He looked like a kind of wild person with few fingers missing on his hands. We talked a little bit about the area and he told me that Messner visited Spitzkopf as well. Then he climbed with his girlfriend the same route as we did that morning. I saw clearly from his movements that he is more experienced than us.

When we were leaving the area back to the parking place at Gaschney, we followed one older men with pretty bad coordination. Well the path wasn't that easy for person in his shape. He was there with some Alpinveraine which left him alone in this mountains (WTF?) Let me note that I understand and respect him for his passion to go to the nature even in this shape and I hope I will do as well in his age. But any Alpine club shouldn't leave their older members alone in such situation.