Taurus

Just as an info:
Murgtal has now really started. The barrier is open since a few days. On Monday this week the barrier was still closed... but on Wednesday it was possible to drive up to the lake.

Last Monday Aldo and myself went up to Murgtal, despite of some risk for rain. Luckily it stayed dry and we were able to start some new projects. Aldo wanted to have a look to my boulder "Sojus, 7C+" and myself wanted to have a look to another variant to Sojus, which was still unclimbed.
As I climbed "Sojus", I was not able to upload some pictures for this blog. Now I can give you some impressions of this boulder. ;)

Aldo is trying Sojus...

Same position, other view...

Myself before the last move up to the final jug (dyno)...

In the last picture you can see the final jug, quite a distance above the last holds. It is not possible to get it statically... you definitely have to jump!
This is also the reason for the name "Sojus". Sojus is a Russian carrier rocket and also for this last move you have to ignite the rocket. :)

While Aldo tried Sojus, I started to work on another variant to it. It is possible to start at "Chüngel, 7C", cross "Sex & the city, 6C+" and do then the final crux moves of "Sojus, 7C+". This start-variant has some more moves and feels a bit harder than the original start at Sex & the city. To get a comparison I did this version again, but the difference is not big and the new line could also be the same grade.

Anyway... a few attempts later I got the final jug and added "Taurus, 8A" as a new line to this nice boulder. Compared to other lines at Murgtal I think 8A is appropriate, but the future will show the truth.
Also Taurus is a carrier rocket... however, an American. ;)

red: "Taurus, 8A"
yellow: "Sojus, 7C+"

cheers

Crack way

The last weekend we had stable cloudy weather without any rain, although the weather forecast had predicted rain for the whole two days. Because my girlfriend had spent the entire weekend with friends in Milan, I was not able to make use of these nice conditions.

On Sunday evening then it started to rain. Ohhh man!! Nevertheless, I was hoping for a dry Monday and the possibility to make use of the still cool temps in the evening. Luckily the rain had stopped in the morning and in the evening, when I arrived in Morschach, I found perfect conditions (dry 8-10°C) for a possible last go for my project up there.

Who knows… now, by end of April, it’s getting warm pretty fast. Today we already have up to 17°C, tomorrow 21° and on Thursday it will have up to 24°C. Way too hot for Morschach. ;)

So then… the omens were good. I just had to do it. Firstly a warmup and about half an hour later the first real attempts. Unfortunately, I didn’t felt better than the last days in this line and I had still problems to link the moves together. After a few more bad than good tries I was forced to look for a simpler solution and tried some new beta without much success.

Then the brainstorm…! What a stupid idiot I was…!!!! Since days now I was trying an unnecessarily complicated solution. Why the hell I didn’t realized it earlier!!!! Anyway… four attempts later I reached the target-hold and freed the Snow White from the deep sleep. Yesss!!

As I know, this line was never climbed before. If someone knows it better, please send me an info.

Six days of work for the “Crack way, 7C+”. Five of the six days I simply tied a stupid beta. I’m pretty sure I could climb it in one or two days, if I would have been able to recognize the only logical solution earlier. Anyway… now it isn’t an 8A or even harder, it’s “just” a 7C+ in the end or even 7C (not sure)… but a really beautiful one. 

little change...

...big difference. ;)

With the name "Crack way" I wanted a link / reference to the original line "Crossed road". In the end it’s the same boulder without usage of the arete on the left, but only with the crack itself.

Still undone is a sit start to both of them. I had already a (very) short look to it and I think that it should be possible, but very very difficult (~8B)!


cheers

Morschach

The last days I went up to Morschach, which is 5 minutes away from my home town. The time window to visit this area is very small. In spring the temperatures are fastly above the "good conditions" and in autumn you have to wait quite a long time until the temps are low enough for a visit. Additionally all the boulders are in a forest. After rain it could need up to two or three days until the boulders are dry... depending on wind and sunlight.

Anyway... the last weeks we had really nice conditions up there and I did a few nice boulder problems of medium difficulty.

Up there is a classic boulder from Fred Nicole, which is called "L'ame soeur, 8A+". It starts at the line "Vocis terra, 7C", but traverses to the left after the first moves and goes up to the top in the middle of the boulder.
Firstly I climbed "Vocis terra"... a fantastic line!!! This one follows an about 5 up to 6 meters high arete with a tricky move to the top. It would be definitely one of the famous classic lines in Ticino, if this one would be down there.
After my ascent I started to work on "L'ame soeur" and managed to do all the moves until the three. The problem is that you have to do a huge dynamic move to a far hold from there, directly between the rock and a three behind you. If you fall at this move, you may will have a problem then. That could very likely end up with an injury. It is definitely not possible to spot there. This may be the reason, why Fred climbed the line toprope and no one has repeated it since then.

To have a look to this move you must have a partner and try the move one a rope. Unfortunately I wasn't able to have a look on it... but no matter, I'll give it some tries next autumn.

Afterwards I started to work on an undone line directly to the left of "Vocis terra". The original line is called "Crossed road, 7A" and follows the arete on the left together with a small crack on the right. I started to try the line without the left arete just using the crack. It is a three-move problem with some tricky foot changes and every move is getting harder than the one before. As I know this variant is still undone and it seems that this line will be pretty hard.
As I started to work on it I was fastly able to climb all the moves expect the last one. So I thought that it will give a quite short story. By now I was five or six days in the line and I'm still not able to climb it. I had some good looking days as also some really disappointing days. The last one was the worst one... I was even not possible to do the foot changes after the first move, which I did without any problems the days before. And the real crux is starting only then. ;)

body position after the second move...

I'm starting the boulder with a stand start. A sitstart should be possible... but i'm pretty sure that a sitstart will be extremely hard (~8B+).
Even the standstart feels very hard. Fristly I thought that it will be about 7c+ to 8A. Now I'm thinking more in direction of 8A+.... no idea. It is really difficult to assess, due to the few moves, but it feels definitely as one of the hardest I've climbed the last time. BUT... it is absolutely possible that someone is coming, which is climbing it the first try and grade it 7C...!! Veni vidi vici... ;o))

a) Crossed road   7A
b) L'ame soeur   8A+
c) Vocis Terra   7C

Anyway... now it changed fastly and the temps (24°C) are too high for that boulder, respectively for the whole area... at least at the moment.
Let's go back in autumn... now I like to restart some projects up at Murgtal.

cheers

The Diagnosis

O.k. then... looks not too bad my finger. But also not good.

I was now at two different specialists. One of them is close to my hone town and usually my first choice for troubles with my fingers. Dr. Lacher is a hand specialist and -surgeon. The other one was a proposal from Martin Keller. Thanks again! His name is Dr. Andreas Schweizer. He is chief physician of the "hand department" at Balgrist University Hospital in Zürich. Probably one of the or THE ONE specialist for climbing injuries on the hand in Swizzy. He's pulling very hard too (up to 8c climbing) and also makes research on the biomechanics of the hand while climbing.

Anyway... in the end I got two different diagnoses.

Diagnosis of Dr. Schweizer (on 3. April):
Arthrosis at my age would be very atypical. Also atypical would be a strong degeneration of cartillage. In general climbers usually get rather a thicker layer of cartilage, as also stronger bones at their fingers. He just knows two or three examples (climbers) with arthrosis. If their arthosis is coming from climbing is still unsure (is usually genetic).
Arthrosis usually starts in the older age of 40 or 45. This nodules on my joint have nothing to do with arthosis... but with an adaption of the bone to the climbing.

In this picture you can see a usual joint (blue). Special at many climbers is the adaption of the bone in red. In the beginning this is still cartilage. After many years it hardens and becomes bone.

 

The following picture shows, why the bone adapts. The contact surface is getting larger with this additional bone mass, if you bend the finger.
The "problem" is that if you unbend it the cartilage can be pushed back (black). If this happens often, you can get an inflammation.

In the radiograph nothing was visible. I have still enought cartilage (still big enough joint space). But some additional bone is already visible (first picture).

 

 

We also made an ultrasound scan of the finger. The additional cartilage (red part above) was even better visible. But because of the fact that most of this adaption is still cartilage, it is just visible in the ultrasound scan. 

The conclusion of Dr. Schweizer:
I can climb! No Arthrosis! Usual for climbers. Just some inflammation because of the reason mentioned above. It may be that the pain goes away soon, but it also may be that I have to climb the rest of my life with some pain. 

The reason for my huge pain some weeks ago was the fact that a part of this additional bone (still cartilage / red part in the drawing) was broken off (visible in the ultrasound scan). This is no problem and it will grow back.


The second doctor, Dr. Lacher (on 4. April), just told me that it is arthrosis in the initial stage. He just had a look to the radiograph and didn't made any further inspection (ultrasound etc.). As I told him the outcome of my visit at Balgrist he just told me that this could be... but in the end it is still arthrosis in the initial stage.

The conclusion is the same in the end. It's not possible to do anything. I can climb and should enjoy it as long as possible. If the arthrosis is getting worse (in a few... or many years, who knows), I just can stiffen the finger.  

Funny... two doctors - two different diagnoses...!!!
To be honest, I would rather believe Dr. Schweizer. His diagnosis sounds better and is understandable, he also did better research (ultrasound) and has a lot of experience from his own climbing, as also other climbers and their problems.

Since some days the pain is back on a similar level as before my last entry (the huge pain). I can climb and crimp... but I should be careful. Extremely overhanging routes with ultrasmall crimps are "passé" I think. The pain then is too big and it makes no sense to take some additional risks... !!

BUT the most important outcome is definitely that I can go on with climbing... AND that I can go for my revival-trip (after 2005) to the Rocklands in July this year. YESSS.... ;)))))


cheers






 

Knocked out

Hmmm… it’s not the first time that I’m injured, but this time it could be the end! Pessimism? Hopefully… but definitely a possible consequence.

Since nearly a year I’m climbing with pain in my right index finger. After each climbing session the end joint hurts. I could climb mostly painless and was not limited through this pain, except at ultra-small crimps in overhanging routes (like “La Soucoupe” etc.), but after each climbing session I had some pain and felt it also a little in everyday life.

In November 2012 I went to my family doctor and made a radiograph (X-ray). Everything looked good, with the exception of small calcium deposits. He told me that he is not able to do anything and that I can proceed climbing. I just should have a look to it and come back, if the situation worsens.

The situation remained the same until the last week. After the last boulder-session (not the hardest one!) I had an extreme pain the next day. Really… it was almost unbearable!  I don’t know what happened. I felt the greater pain already during the session… but it was never as painful as the next morning.

This week I started to investigate. I had a few “injuries” in the past and always put the correct self-diagnosis. This time, all the indications point to an osteoarthritis (Heberden’s arthrosis) in this joint. Sure… it’s not a final statement! I could still be wrong. But if it is arthrosis… specifically with a strong degeneration of cartilage, it could need a long time to recover, if a sufficient improvement is possible at all…!!!

typical Heberden nodules on both sides of the joint... and a bit swollen.

 

In a few weeks I’ll have an appointment with a hand specialist (surgeon). Let’s wait until then… we will see what happens next.

The only thing is that I’ve planned to go for a revival-trip to the Rocklands this summer. After I already was there in 2005 (with almost NO CLIMBERS there!), I postponed this trip since three years now because of the birth of my two sons. It would be pretty brutal, if I had to cancel this trip again.

But there were also some good news…! I was able to finish “Delusion of grandeur, 8B” the last Monday. This was the next day of climbing after my last entry.

Firstly I checked out the unpredictable slab with the rope and climbed these moves a few times. Luckily the topout over the slab is easy… otherwise I wouldn’t have tried it alone. But with the confidence gained it was no longer a problem.

“Delusion of grandeur” is definitely not the hardest 8B… but for sure one of the nicest ones!! And if I compare it to other lines, it definitely deserves the grade. Sure… there were always “easier” routes, which feel “harder”. But the reason for this is just the question, if it’s your style or not and if you’re actually in a good shape or not. To take this as a reason for a downgrading is uncertain. If I had to follow this style of grading, “Conquistadors direct, 8B” would just be an 8A…! ;)

On the other hand I’m really wondering, why some guys are climbing a shortened version and downgrade it afterwards, although the first few movements (hands and feet) are not the easiest ones.  But anyway…!

I try to upload a video I made in good quality… let’s have a look if it works.

Delusion of grandeur, 8B

 

Cheers

Delusion of grandeur

About two weeks ago I started to work on „Delusion of grandeur, 8B”. It’s a beautiful line down in the 101-area… definitely one of the most aesthetic lines in Chironico. If I had to make a selection of the nicest looking lines in Chiro, this one would be one of them for sure.

Anyway… I like this boulder very much and I fit in perfectly. It’s my style… pretty athletic, quite long but homogenous, without ultra-small crimps but many slopers, some far moves and a delicate mantel at the top. Yeahh…!! ;)

Another reason why I like this boulder is the fact that this line is offering all kind of styles in one route. You start with some bodytension-moves and hooks in a roof, followed by a far dynamic move to the first sloper. Afterwards you have to do some more bodytension-moves hanging on this  sloper until you can go for the middle part… a traverse on a strongly decreasing ramp. After the traverse you have to do (already pretty tired) a long move to an ok hold followed by some “oldschool-climbing-moves” on good crimps up to the top (current position in the pic below). The last part then is the topout… a quite tricky mantel over the lip followed by a 6 or 7 meter slab. And… the line is not a super-highball, but still pretty high. The crux for me is the needed endurance due to the length of the boulder and the scary slab at the end.

picture by Nicolas Delaleu...

Up to now I was 4 days in this boulder. I started to work on it because I met Nicolas Delaleu some weeks ago, which told me that he is also interested in this line and had already started to work on it. Especially the fact that he was willing to invest some evening-sessions was the very first reason for this “cooperation”. Alone I had never started with this line…

So the first session in the line was together with Nicloas. I climbed and Nico took some pictures and told me his beta. Already this evening I felt pretty good and was able to climb all the sequences except the mantel, which I didn’t tried that evening.

Nicolas is an aspiring photographer and a very nice guy. Have a look to his homepage if you’re interested in some more info about him and his work.  www.nicolasdelaleu.ch

The second and third day I was alone at the boulder. The goal was to improve my beta for all the sequences and put them together. The third evening I was already able to climb the whole line up to the top and therefore I decided to give it some real tries the next climbing day.

The problem is that you really need either enough pads (at least three big pads) or a spotter, which has to move the pads around. But because of the scary and not safe finish, it is highly recommended to have a spotter. So I asked some guys to come down to this line with me and give me a spot.

Luckily all of them were willing to do so and yesterday was the first day that I could go for an ascent. Big thanks to Nicolas again, which just arrived for spotting. He didn’t climbed because of his planned climbing today at “I portici, 8A+” in Osogna. This is real motivation and incredibly nice…!!!

The outcome of my session yesterday was, that I climbed up to the top again, tried the mantel… AAAAND lost the hook and fell down. I’m very happy with this… it was pretty close and could just as well work. It just showed me that it could happen every day. Want to go back soooooon….!!!

Afterwards I went for the mantel. The idea was, to do the whole mantel onto the slab and do the final few meters too.

BUT hey… do not laugh now!! ;)

I mantled up, stood there with the slab in front of me and a deep black void in my back, which threatened to suck me. FUUUUUCKED UP… I just lost all my confidence and readiness in this moment, despite of a spotter. It’s really crazy up there! The slab in front of you has NO holds. The position there is definitive not the highest one (about 4 up to 5 meters). The big crux is the unpredictable slab and the fact that the drop zone below you is pretty small and behind of this drop zone (it’s like a podium) it goes down for another 1 or 2 meters with following sloping terrain and some threes. Phuuuu… a scary chicken I was!! I was just able to go back down.

First of all I need to check out that moves up there on a rope. Really!!! Afterwards I will be able to give it some more tires… but just then. ;)

cheers

 

 

 

Short trip to Marocco

By end of January (24th to 29th) we made a short trip to Marrakech and surroundings. Our first real vacation without our two kids. Another reason why I didn't climbed much in the last time. ;)

I really can recommend to have a look to this famous city. Especially the "Medina" (old town) is an experience! All the local people are hanging around on the famous square "Jamaa el Fna" day by day. Especially in the evening, thousands of people are on the square. About 90% of all the people are locals from Marrakech itself and other Maroccans. The whole square is full of life, dozens of local artists, musicians and game organizers are entertaining the visitors. You've also dozens of different food-tents where the Maroccans go for dinner and all the small shops (Souks) are open until late evening.
The "Medina" is huge!! Full of alleyways with thousands of little shops and the typical Souks... you can easily get lost there. You've to be careful too with the local people. Every half an hour someone like to sell their hashhish. All the locals usually don't like to be photographed. Most of the sellers try to entice you in their shops. In every alley someone try so show you around or show you the right way back to your hotel or "Riad"... if you follow, you have to pay them afterwards. Everyone wants to pull the money out of your pocket... and many of them can be pretty aggressive. But latest after a day you're used to it and can take it easy.
It's an adventure...!! 

You feel around 500 years back and can experience an unique culture…! ;)


Some impressions:


Marocco



Famous "Jamaa el Fna" in Marrakech during afternoon...



Same place, other view... bit later in the afternoon. But still nothing compared with late evening, when thousands of people are "on the road". 

Fresh orange juice... 

 

Musicians...

Games...

Food... or whatever it is... ;)
They're eating acorns like we're eating chestnuts (marrons)...

 

I prefer something else...



Uncountable shops... or better said "Souks".

 

 

another district in Marrakech (still in the "Medina")...

 

Maroccan bus stop...

 



This was from a one day trip to "Essaouira". An little old town by the sea...

no comment... :)

 

cheers

Chipping and other stories

Sorry to all the followers of my blog. My last entry is quite a long time ago. But there is a simple reason for that… I just didn’t climbed a lot in the last two months. Since mid of December until mid of January I was three or four days on the rock. Don’t know why… but my motivation was not the highest during this period. Anyway… a few weeks break or less climbing are important in a climbing-year and so I made use of this time with a lot of other important things in life. Family, recreation and other stuff was just more importantly. ;)

I‘ve just one thing I like to highlight from the past December. Shortly before „Komilator, 8A“ in Chironico was getting chipped, two friends of mine - Aldo Tonazzi and Heinz Betschart – made a quick ascent of this nice boulder. Nice to see how these two guys are getting stronger and stronger. Aldo managed to climb several 7C+ and some 8A’s in 2012 and also Heinz climbed some hard stuff including a first ascent of „Diabolik machine, 7C+“ at Gottardo and his first 8A with the ascent of Komilator. And he did not „just“ (sorry) the usual solution with the dyno to the huge jug, how most of the others are climbing this line… no, he climbed the whole thing without the border, the big hold and the sloper in front of this big hold. CONGRATS to both of them…!!



Aldo shortly before his ascent...

Heinz in action too...

But now to the bad part of this story. KOMILATOR IS CHIPPED… rest in peace…! :(
I’ve no idea how someone can do something! REALLY!!! The whole Ticino-connection was on the road and looked out for this guy… or these guys, who knows. They’re  just riding for a fall…!!!

But hey… I’m really interested in their thinking. Do they think they had climbed „Komilator, 8A“ now… after the line is chipped…????!!!!!???? As I got the information, this line probably 7b/7b+ now (with the big jug). Really strange! How is it possible that someone can be so stupid? Or WHY THE HELL is someone doing something? I’m just overexerted with this question.

I just like to beg everyone: Please do never ever such a stupid thing! Or do it never again!! There are other people around which like to climb such classic lines in their original condition… also in the future. You destroy a part of the bouldering history and it is not possible to undo… !!!! So please stop it and go cycling, if you’re not able to climb the lines in their original condition!!!
 

Mid of January I started to climb my usual two days a week and  had a look to two nice problems... „Walker on earth, 8A“ and „Miss Schweiz, 8A“. Especially Miss Schweiz is a real pearl and an impressive peace of rock…!!! Nice to tell that I made short work on both of them and climbed them the same evening. Sure… I tried them already some days before, but I managed to climb MS on the second and WOE on the third evening. Nice… it seems that I’m back in shape and the rare climbing and lot of eating during Christmas didn’t made me too lame. :)

Some pictures from "Miss Schweiz, 8A":



The beauty...!!

...and pretty high!

Cheers

Conquistadors

How crazy is this...!?!

I climbed “Conquistadors direct, 8B” in between of about two hours (over two evening sessions), but I’m not able to climb the “easier” original variant “Conquistadors, 8A+”. 

How it came about? How is it possible? “Conquistadors, 8A+” is a line to which I think for a long time.  The line is a bit remote… and as I usually climb only at evenings, I never found the motivation to walk all the way up to this problem. It’s kind of strange, because of the fact that this line is one of the nicest lines all over Chironico… but to be honest… I’m just A LITTLE LAZY!! ;)

Anyway… some days ago I got a message from an “old” friend. After some conversation he told me that he is working on that problem at the moment… AND the idea to finally have a look to it too was born.

So I went up there the last Thursday to give it some tries. After I walked around for about 40 MINUTES until I finally found the right way up to the line (how embarrassing! haha), I started to work on the original line for about an hour… until I realized that this problem is requiring quite some wingspan. I am - with my 1.77m and a zero or even negative ape-index - at my full limit or even above that. But it was not just the wingspan… also my body tension was not the best this evening, so that I was just not able to climb sequences and the crux a bit higher up was also not feasible. Aaarghh.

To cut a long story short… I just switched and tried the harder variant “Conquistadors direct”.

I was a bit surprised… but this variant worked MUCH better. After some work on it to get an idea of all the moves including the topout, I realized that it could be possible to climb that beauty the same evening. I was already a bit tired… but have begun to start off the ground. The big crux move dynamically from the left pincher to a slopy sidehold for the right hand worked… but I missed the target at every try or even slipped already from the left pincher. O.k… let’s come back in some days.

Yesterday the conditions were a bit better. It was not as cold as on Thursday (-1°C) and as a consequence it was much more comfortable at the current about +4°C. That sometimes makes quite a difference! If you‘re not in your comfort zone, things can suddenly feel pretty hard just because of you’re freezing. To climb SHIVERING can be quite exhausting…!! ;)

Joking aside… yesterday I felt GREAT and after a warmup on the original line, about half an hour in the direct-variant and some beta-improvements I catched the right sidehold and topped the line out. YEAHHH… what a turbo-ascent!!

Afterwards I restarted to work on the original and felt bit better. Also this variant could/should work… but is definitely harder for me because of the needed span. Into the direct-version I’m fitting in perfectly and so this variant feels much easier than the original, despite of the higher grade…!! Crazy… but it just shows how physical conditions can belie (deceive) of the grade….!!!! If I would do it like others… I could downgrade it now to 8A. ;)

Honestly… “Conquistadors direct, 8B” felt pretty soft to me… but after some ascents from Michele Caminati and Dave MacLeod and their grade confirmations, it really seems to be an 8B.

the solution to be able to climb the crux moves... the high foot-position...



before the first crux-move up to the left pincher...



the second crux...
don't slide away from the pincher and move up right to the next hold... 



the rest is peanuts... ;)

Funny… if I compare this line to my BIG PROJECT on the Sustenpass I just have to say that “Reykyavik low” feels WAAAAY harder to me. Well... must be 8B+ then!! haha 

The future will give an answer. :)

Cheers

Failure and Success

Hmmm... could be a bit boring for all of the readers of my blog. But once again a short message to my never ending project "Reykyavik low". ;)

After I put two more days into the line during November it is still undone. Crazy how many days I spent at this bloc so far. I needed three days to climb the usual sitstart from "Reykyavik, 8A+/8B"... but was almost able to finish it the first evening. With this two additional moves it's seems to be a completely other story. JUST TWO MOVES... and not the hardest ones! But I was not able to finish it up during 8 days after the ascent of Reykyavik.
I never spent so much effort in an ascent. But because of the fact that it would be an FA (a really hard one) and a very special one for me personally, I've never wrangled. I really WANTED it...!!

Anyway... now it's definitely over for the year 2012 and I have to wait for the new season 2013 before I can go for some more run-ups. I will be back as soon as possible...! ;)


lot of snow at the Steingletscher-area...



one of half a million tries in "Reykyavik low"... ;)

On the other hand I had a nice success in Chironico the last Friday evening when I was out for a nice bouldering session with friends.

After I climbed "Blochx Addiciton, 8A" some days/weeks ago, I managed to climb the harder topout-variant "Pure Addiction, 8A+" from Guntram after two more days at this bloc. It's a nice version and definitely harder than the original.
Now I can go for Dai's variant with the even harder finish over "Souvenir, 8A"....!! hahaha ;o)

the ascent of "Pure Addiciton, 8A+"... pic by Aldo Tonazzi.

cheers