Another Climbing Blog

2013-07-12T14:17:00.004+02:00

you can now find me at www.anothermountainblog.wordpress.com where I have exported all my previous content.

Mike

Scotland Hype!

2013-01-30T11:47:00.001+01:00

I'm getting really psyched for winter climbing in Scotland at February half-term with a buddy I met while travelling in South America some years ago. Over the next week, I will be dusting off my ice tools, reproofing clothing and putting in some training doing axe pull-ups on a bar.

If anyone can recommend some good Cairngorm routes between grade III and V, feel free to email me.

Also... in the coming months I am going to start doing some reviews on outdoor clothing and climbing equipment. Starting with the new Rab Generator Stretch insulated jacket I bought recently.

http://rab.uk.com/products/mens-clothing/synthetic-fill/generator-stretch-jacket.html

More details to come.

Various photos

2012-01-27T22:26:00.000+01:00

Various photos from a number of trips to the Alps over the years (Challenge: guess what and where they all are). Sorry for the lack of words on this one. Proper post on what I got up to in the Summer coming soon.

Broken!

2011-01-19T09:10:00.000+01:00

(typing with just a left hand, so please excuse any mistakes)

So i havnt posted anything in a while because I've been out enjoying the snowboard lots. Maybe a bit too much, as it resulted in a shoulder separation on monday afternoon when I had a big crash close to the Wengen World Cup course. I'd like to thank the Swiss-French couple who helped me out, Rolf the paramedic, the helicopter team, the Dr. in Grindelwald and the attractive nurse that did my x-ray.

I'm all strapped up and full of painkillers now and yesterday went up to Kleine Scheidegg so some fresh mountain air and to enjoy the views. Got some nice photos of the surrounding mountains (click for full size).

Wetterhorn above Grindelwald..

Eigernordwand

Kleine Scheidegg from the top of the Lauberhorn chairlift.

Monch with Nollen Route going up the ridge on the right hand side.

Eigergletscher train station.

Jungfrau and Silberhorn

I'm awaiting a call from a specialist in Interlaken about an operation on the shoulder, so staying patient and keeping myself entertained until then.

From Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen

2010-12-21T14:00:00.000+01:00

Various...

2010-12-16T21:19:00.000+01:00

Having a boring quite evening in tonight so thought I would put up photos from my trip to Saas-Fee & Kandersteg as well as the morning views here in Grindelwald. Too Lazy for captions tonight. Would like to thank Maya and Fränzi for letting me stay at their place and Remy for making the nice Lauchkuchen.

Killing Time!

2010-12-09T12:43:00.001+01:00

So I arrived in Grindelwald last night with my life packed into three huge bags and got settled in to my flat in the hotel. It turns out that I don't start work until Friday 17th (my contract stated from the 10th December) so it looks like I'm just killing time until the hotel and restaurant get busy. Walked into Grindelwald centre this morning to look at sorting out a cheap snowboard. Think I have found myself a good deal already with someone who knows my boss.

Theres a crag up the hill from where I'm living called the Eigerwand, apparently its quite a big one.

I didn't write this.

That's all for now.

Alex wins!

2010-11-16T22:36:00.000+01:00

Feeling rather pleased with myself today. I went to a job interview for a hotel porter position in Muerren today and while on the way there, had a phone call inviting me to a second job interview in Grindelwald.

The first went pretty well and then I walked back down the mountain to Lauterbrunnen though fresh snow, that was nearly a foot (30 cm for all you continentals) deep in places.

Hitched a ride up to Grindelwald for interview for the second job, which seemed a more appealing offer to me. There's a nice flat in the hotel included in the deal for just CHF 300 a month, which seems pretty good value.

Saw this in Interlaken on the way home, which made me giggle....

"But I might need to visit a sex shop halfway up the mountain!"

Haven't posted anything in a while...

2010-11-15T22:16:00.000+01:00

...so thought I'd have to write something tonight quickly.

Yesterday I went into Bern to meet up with a mate from CouchSurfing. I also bought Ueli Steck's 'Speed' book so I can improve my German (and maybe my speed soloing). Here's a link to Ueli's website:

www.uelisteck.ch

Went on a bike ride this afternoon, original plan would have been to do a circuit of the Brienzersee which would have been a healthy 40 kilometers but it started to rain in a bit when I got to Iseltwald, so headed back the way I had came. It was tipping it down with rain and hail by time I was home. I'm expecting a fair bit of snow up high.

Didn't have a camera with me so no photos unfortunately (it was pretty grey today anyway so not much point)

That's all for Now. Job interview to in Murren tomorrow, better get horizontal soon so I can be wide awake in the morning!

A quick break from work...

2010-11-10T16:58:00.002+01:00

Had a few hours this afternoon to go for a walk so grabbed a fleece, boots and poles and head up the mountain above Brienz. I managed to reach a little snowy couloir (which I can't upload the photo of because it's on my phone and I need to get hold of a memory card reader) before having to turn around and head back to the town. Place reminded me of the Ogwen as there's fighter jets tearing through the valley every half hour!

Having trouble with your Swiss-German?

2010-11-08T19:17:00.002+01:00

http://www.eldrid.ch/swgerman.htm

Fresh snow!

2010-11-08T17:03:00.002+01:00

We had some snow overnight and today on the mountains around Brienz, down to about 800 m. Everything looked very pretty when the clouds parted this afternoon. I was going to take some photos but have left it a bit late as its getting dark now. Here's what the Swiss Snow and Avalanche Research Centre in Davos have to say.

http://www.slf.ch/lawineninfo/lawinenbulletin/nationale_lawinenbulletins/index_EN

A useful site for anyone skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering in the Swiss Alps.

Arosa

2010-11-08T01:02:00.002+01:00

Went to Arosa this weekend to meet up with two friends of a friend, neither of which I had met in person until now. We stayed at Corinne's folk's holiday home. A walk up the Mattjishorn on Saturday was rewarded with a big fondue that evening. We were all pretty tired Sunday morning so had a super-easy day walking into Arosa for coffee and cake. A few rounds of Uno that afternoon and then off down to Chur to start the long train journey back to Brienz, which seemed very British because of bloody delays! Back home at about midnight, but pleased I had got out and about with good company and friendly weather.

Photos:

Brienz!

2010-11-04T18:55:00.004+01:00

Wednesday evening I moved to a new WWOOF host in Brienz. Hans Grossniklaus ran the garage underneath the house for over 25 years, but now has a business making and selling cheese raqulette toasters. He also has some sort of alp building at one thousand five hundred and something m.a.s.l. on Axalp, which I'm very interested in seeing. The house in Brienz is very comfortable with wireless internet and all the mod-cons. There's another WWOOFer from Japan staying here, and she's an awesome cook!

Off to meet some friends in Arosa in eastern Switzerland this weekend. Think the plan is to hitch-hike over to Luzern and take the train from there to Chur where I will meet Conny.

Thats all for now.

Oeschinensee

2010-11-02T15:32:00.004+01:00

Hitchhiked from Bern to Kandersteg on a sunny afternoon. Everything thing was pretty quite there between the summer and winter season. Took a stroll up the road to Oeschinensee for some good views of Bluemlisalphorn, Oeschinenhorn, Fruendenhorn and Doldenhorn. I met a friendly duck up there too!

Go mental! Then go sane again...

2010-11-02T13:04:00.003+01:00

Completely non mountain related I know but it was such an awesome weekend away in Zurich that I had to post something. The pictures do most of the talking.

Thanks to Jen, Andrion & Rob for the awesome weekend! And to CouchSurfing Zurich for putting on a mad party!

A successful failure on the Wetterhorn!

2010-10-30T11:51:00.000+02:00

Finally got a chance for a trip to the mountains and selected the West Flank of the Wetterhorn as my target. I got to Grindelwald for about ten in the evening and hitchhiked up to the start of the path leading to the Gleckstein Hut. A very helpful local called 'Jonny' gave me a lift, he'd been out hunting and was telling me about his flashlight he got in the farmer's store that is just as good as a MagLite but a fraction of the cost.

I donned my head-torch and got on the path at Loitschbiel which made a rising traverse along the North side of the Weteerhorn and then turn up the left, up the valley above the Obere-Grindelwald Glacier. Deep snow made the going quite slow and I finally reached the Gleckstein Hut at stupid O'clock in the morning. Absolutely knackered! I got in the hut, went upstairs and died for about 4 hours! Far too tired to climb the West Flank route to the summit. Had to make do with a nice lie-in, brunch and taking some photos of the surrounding peaks.

At about midday I set off back down to Grindelwald, happy that I had reached the hut without having to make an unplanned bivi. The descent was a pleasure in comparison to on the way up. Snow had softened and didn't have that annoying crust that tries to hold your boots in place. Things were warming up, which meant snow and ice projectiles were starting to fall from the cliffs above. Nothing too big luckily and I'd remembered my helmet. The footpath passed a large section of bare grass, where a slab avalanche must have occurred a few days before.

I was down below the snow line by about 4 in the afternoon and thumbed a lift down to Zweilutschinen and then up to to Lauterbrunnen to have a quick look around. Nice little town, I will come back here again soon. Stuck my thumb out again to get down to Interlaken train station and was picked up by 3 Germans (thanks for the beer guys) who had been BASE jumping from the cliffs in Lauterbrunnen. They were very friendly and took me almost all the way back to Bern. Good times!

Photos:

On the way to the hut at 2 in the morning or something stupid.

Suffering in bed

Swiss toilet humour

Grindelwald from my bedroom window.

The West Flank of the Wetterhorn. Sacked it off as I was too tired. Maybe another time.

I would like to dedicate this post to my good friend Rob Smith in South Wales, who gave me some helpful times on walking in deep snow without snowshoes. Cheers Rob.

Post #2.

2010-10-25T14:07:00.001+02:00

Keeping it short and sweet as I'm pretty hungover at the moment. Here are some photos I've taken from the farm and out and about in Bern.

Schreckhorn (with Lauteraarhorn behind) & Finsterarrhorn taken from 70 km away.

The Bear Pit in Bern

Bundesplatz

The 'Childeater' Fountain.

Reitschule - underground music venue in Bern, was originally a horseriding school.

"I can see the big mountains!!!"

2010-10-19T14:24:00.002+02:00

So I'm completely new to this blogging malarky, but thought I'd do it while I'm away as I might be doing some interesting things that friends will want to hear about

If you don't know already, I am currently taking part in the WWOOF scheme (www.wwoof.org) in Switzerland. My first placement is in the countryside outside Bern, the capital, and the clouds and crap weather have finally cleared to give a pretty view of the Berner Oberland.

The Bernese Alps from my house.

Eiger, Monch & Jungfrau.

Schreckhorn & Finsteraarhorn.

I'm hoping to go play in the mountains as soon as I get the chance. Will give me the opportunity to try out my shinny new MSR tent!

That's all for now.