Eis Saison Warm-Up

Einen Slideshow vom Veranstaltung "Eis Saison Warm-Up" ins Maltatal, 07.-10. Jänner.


Ins Fotoalbum zum kommen und Fotos und Videos zum downloaden, bitte auf die Slideshow klicken.

Herzlichen Dank an alle Teilnehmerinnen für einen Super Kurs!

Off-Piste Skiing Course

On January 2nd and 3rd I had a small group of participants for a ski technique course to improve and develop the ability to ski off-piste.



Parallel carving is a skiing skill that is essential to master on a prepared slope before getting in the back country. Why? because twisting your skis doesn't work in powder, crud, and other types of variable snow.

The ability to balance over the downhill edge and maintain a centered, balanced, stance can only be learned on the piste.

We did a number of exercises on slope in order to improve balance, footwork, steering, edging, etc. The group then tried to transfer the movements to off-piste terrain. The pistes in Schladming were very well prepared with a lot of artificial snow. Hard, icy, slopes expose all imperfections in balance and edging.

Everyday the group also was able to skin into some off-piste, un-tracked terrain to ski powder. The highlight of the short course was the descent pictured below.

We climbed the ridge with skins and then were able to ski down the face on the left (in shadow) for a wonderful steep powder descent. It was a nice end to the the weekend in which all the participants made clear and noticeable improvement in their skiing ability.

The Search

In every ice season there is a period at both the beginning and the end when a certain personal investment is involved in searching for climbable ice. Depending on time of year, temperatures, weather conditions, relative humidity, etc., the search is for ice that is forming in early winter, and later ice that hasn't degraded too much in early spring.

Will Gadd and Kelly Cordes, among many others, write about the seasonal quest to find the fickle ice and mixed climbs that form early in the season. They both acknowledge that a lot of times, I would say at least fifty percent of the time, you come away empty handed. Cordes uses the phrase, "taking his tools for a walk". I like that.

In this post Cordes writes about this process of following a hunch, seeing something from afar and then taking the chance that just maybe there will be ice to climb.

In the last two weeks, I have gotten calls from people asking about conditions, and then the caller goes on to hypothesize about this or that ice fall, or I have read posts on websites where people have presented themselves as knowledgeable about conditions without being at the area in question. People talk or write about this stuff without investing the time to check things out. My favorite recent example is here regarding an ice fall in the Malta valley of Carinthia.

The writer writes on the 5th of January that the fall is possible but only on the right side in the upper pitches. On the 5th of January my partner and I climbed the fall "Superfreucht", starting on very thin and difficult to protect ice on the right and then moving to the left on the upper pitches for a steeper exit at the top.

The materialistic mentality of society has long ago seeped into the minds of climbers. People work all week, have little time for outside interests, and want a guaranteed return when they go out to climb ice. It's a lot easier to call someone or look in the Internet than to think for yourself and invest the time and energy in finding what's in shape.

Part of being a real ice climber is just taking your tools for a walk.

Happy New Ice Year! by Jennifer Fratianni

“This is my year to try new things!” I boldly declared at the breakfast table on New Year’s morning. Two hours later, I was standing in front of cascading ice with ice axes in hand. I was going to climb ice. Perhaps my judgment was a bit clouded by the liquid libations of the previous evening. But deep down in my climbing soul, I knew this was the next step.

Even though I have learned to trust myself as a climber, the idea of ice climbing still made me a bit queasy. The equipment, for one, greatly resembles instruments of torture, which equally fascinated and frightened me. I had secretly been yearning to wield ice axes for a while, but was afraid I might lobotomize myself in the process. (I am a tomboy at heart and love tools!) Once Joe was roped up and ready to go he said, “Watch my feet,” and began kicking footholds in the ice with his crampons.

“Holly shit!” I said as the icicles showered down of my helmet. “Stand behind that boulder,” instructed Joe. I felt clumsy belaying in big gloves. I peered out from behind my boulder, not wanting to miss anything, but waiting for the next chunks to fall. “Swing from your elbow, like this,” said Joe, planting ice axes with ease. He moved fluidly up the icefall, pausing to set ice screws and clear loose ice. Soon he was atop the frozen fall, setting a top rope. It was my turn.

Keep the rope tight,” I said, apprehensively approaching the ice. I was surprised how secure I felt on my feet after taking the first step. The ice was pliable like plastic. I started wildly swinging my axes and ice came down in big chunks. “Watch it!” I yelled as ice flew past my face. Joe chuckled from below. “Swing from your elbow – not your wrist!” he reminded me patiently. What a difference that made. Soon I was planting my axes much better. I didn’t need to hack huge holes in the ice for the picks of the axes to hold. Their teeth needed just a tiny bit of ice to hold. I liked the rhythm the climbing -- planting the picks and then kicking in footholds. Swinging those axes made me feel powerful! “That’s what I’m talking about!” I shouted and then whack – I’d set an axe. It was a great feeling. Much to my surprise I quickly found myself at the top without any gaping wounds. “Whoohoo!” I yelled holding the axes over my head.

I have many friends who are fascinated by my obsession for climbing, as am I. I have always enjoyed doing things outside, but never thought I would refer to myself as a climber, especially not an ice climber. When I try to coax my friends into climbing, I often hear the same excuses. “I’m too old, too fat, too weak, and too scared,” they say. Hadn’t I echoed those same insecurities to Joe? “But climbing makes you feel younger, skinnier, stronger and braver!” I assure them. What other sport can give you all that?

A True Gift

On the 22nd of December my wife and I got to ski together. The night before in the climbing gym, our dark-cloud friend proclaimed that the morning would bring cloud and rain. It didn't. And we, thank God, didn't believe him.

We skied in sunny, warm weather with no wind and no people. It was wonderful. The snow, however was not. Heavy, thick new snow that due to the rising temperatures of Föhn conditions was anything but effortless to ski in.

We skied on packed snow for the first part of the morning before venturing, very cautiously, on to some un-tracked slopes.

"Work your skies together", "Create a platform", I said. "You've got to steer your skies through the snow", and "Be more aggressive". At times it looked really good. Jennifer was athletic, crouched, guiding her fat twin-tips through the muck. She was skiing. She was happy. Cool.

Ice Conditions, Internet Info & Merry Christmas

I just got through a round of ice climbing as the first climbs of the season started to come into shape over the past few weeks. As expected my crampons, picks and screws are pretty beat up after dealing with thin ice and rocks sneakily hidden under unconsolidated snow. I've got two sets of tools, six crampons and nine screws to file and resharpen over the next few days of Christmas.

Ice conditions in the eastern Alps were really starting to come into shape after more that a week of very cold weather in mid-December. However, it seems that Santa has brought the Föhn with him along with all his other goodies. Obviously the jolly fat guy doesn't climb ice.

Until yesterday (22. December), we experienced a spell of very cold weather in a pattern coming from the northeast. Through Christmas day and St. Stevens a pattern of Föhn conditions will dominate. Hopefully the high temps and warm winds won't destroy all the ice that has already been built up.

So what was/is in shape? The ice falls in Pitztal above 1300 meters, the Anlauf vally in Böckstein in the Gastein valley, Koppenwand between Obertauern and Untertauern, and some small flows in the area between Salzburg and Berchtesgaden.

Andy Kirkpatrick has revamped his webpage. He has started posting some interesting tips relted to winter climbing, clothing, gear, etc. Check it out at http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/.

Lastly, I would like to wish all a very merry Christmas and a healthy 2010.

OeAV-Sektion Salzburg, alpine.ausbildung Jänner - Juli 2010

Meine Kurse Angebot für Alpenverein Sektion Salzburg alpine.ausbildung Programm in 2010. Ich biete auch Übungstouren (Eis, Ski, Alpin, Klettern, usw.) als Unterstutzung für die verschiedene Kurse. Mehr Infos E-Mail an joe.fratianni@alpenverein-salzburg.at

Eisklettern Grundkurs

Fr.-So., 15.-17. Jänner 2010

Kursort: Salzburg / Berchtesgaden Umgebung

Kursbeginn: Fr. 15.01.2010, 18:00 AV-Haus Nonntal

Eisklettern Fortgeschrittene

Do.-So., 04.-07 Februar 2010

Kursort: Maltatal

Kursbeginn: Do., 04.02.2010, 19:00, Malta

Anreise: Do., 04.02.2010, 17:00

Schihochtour

Do.-So., 25.-28. März 2010

Kursort: Johannis Hütte, Osttirol / Grossvenediger

Kursbeginn: Do., 25.03.2010, 12:00, Johannis Hütte

Anreise: Do., 25.03.2010, 07:00

Firn- und Eistouren

Do.-So., 10.-13. Juni, 2010

Kursort: Taschachhaus im Pitztal

Kursbeginn: Do., 10.06.2010, 13:00, Taschachhaus

Anreise: Do., 10.06.2010, 07:00

Klettern Alpin

Do.-So., 01-04. Juli, 2010

Kursort: Blaueis Hütte, Hochkalter Gebiet / Berchtesgaden

Kursbeginn: Do., 01.07.2010, 18:00 Blaueis Hütte

Anreise: Do., 01.07.2010, 15:00