Ordinary morning!

For what do you have time in the morning before going to work??? Probably, to have a breakfast, maybe to shave!! Not so exciting! Today my friends, Sean, Miguel, and me could do a short ski tour! Isn't it amazing?! Where else in the World you can do this?!? Weather was just perfect and snow conditions as well! Just a few pictures from my shit mobile phone, which can't transmit all this amazing atmosphere!

 

 

Miguel on the way up

Preparing for descent

Sean. I don't know what he is doing there! )

I don't know if you can see something... there should be our tracks! )

Ice Climbing Festival Kandersteg 2012

This weekend was the weekend of the 13th Ice Climbing Festival in Kandersteg. I have mixed feelings about this year festival. I still don't know if it was organized good or bad. On one hand routes were so simple and straightforward, that you don't need any experience at all to climb it. This was probably the main disappointment for experienced climbers, who expected to climb long hard routes, with some figure 4s and so on. But on the other hand it was easier for the new comers to test what is dry tooling. Moreover time for climbing the route was very limited, and this made it very similar to speed climbing. One of the cons about speed climbing is that you don't need to wait for your turn to climb too long and it is also more spectacular for audience. In addition there was presentation from Ueli Steck about how to climb mountains fast and light! ) So maybe this was the idea of organizers!!! :) Climbers just need to know how to climb fast!!! Anyway, I was really impressed by presentation of Ueli Steck "Speed Himalaya" as well as by presentation "Spray On!" (Tim Emmett and Will Gadd). These guys know how to reach their goals. The culmination of the Festival was definitely unforgettable party, where Markus and Jack showed what is real striptease. At the end I want to thank Denise and all my friends who came with me and without whom this party wouldn't be so awesome. Also special thanks for coming goes to Russian team: Anna Galyamova, Vova Belousov, and Sergey Zheludkov. Hope to see all of them in Saas-Fee. For the moment just few pictures from phone.

Results:

Men:
1. Patrik Aufdenblatten (SUI)
2. Markus Bendler (AUT)
3. Nikolay Primerov (RUS/SUI)

Women:
1.Petra Klingler (SUI)
2.Perta Muller (SUI)
3. Lucie Hrozova (CZE)
4. Felicitas Feller (SUI)

Denise on qualification route

Denise

Felicitas on qualification route

Felicitas just before ringing the bell

Men finalists

Denise, Jerome and Cindy enjoying party

Drunken team from Lausanne

Sam, me and Stephanie

Denise as usual parting with the best climbers, Tim Emmett and Jerome Blanc-Gras

Dry

What can you do when it's too warm on 3d of January?! Moreover it's raining!! When I think about such a day, I have only one answer - Dry tooling! So to profit from this weather we did some dry with my friends Patrik Aufdenblatten and Ron Koller. Without thinking too long we decieded to go to the Blausee to climb few routes. Pati started with the most difficult route. :) I guess for Pati it's normal practice. On top he browke down huge piece of rock, around 60 kg. I did one attempt and decided that for the warming up it's enough. After we climbed two more routes and went for dry tooling in the Ron's gym. After three hours of bouldering with Pati, Felicitas and Ron I was totally exhosted. At the end even rainy day can be really nice! )

Ron finishing the route! Not the best, but the only one picture