Rob Thornton's Solo Mountaineering Blog.

ALPINE "SCORCHIO" SOLOING TIPS.

2012-08-29T11:19:00.001-07:00

"Anyone who has never made a mistake,has never tried anything new."
(Albert Einstein.)

I have certainly made my share of mistakes whilst solo-climbing and am always trying something new. None of which did me much good this year on Eiger,it was just too damn hot. A lot of things did go right however, so here are a few of them that might be of some use to others.
My style of soloing involves overnighting on my bergs so I am dependant on ice and snow for my water supply as I can never carry enough. For rehydration on route I use the Platypus bladder system (or similar) with drinking tube,but I try

Drink tube and sponge stowed in helmet.

to save as much as possible by useing the plastic syphon tube and soak-sponge I keep in my helmet. In alpine summers there are always "sip wells" of fresh ice water forming in rock or snow hollows during the heat of the day, that can be sucked up or soaked up by a thirsty climber. An astonishing amount of water can be obtained by simply pressing a 5"x3" piece of plastic sponge against a damp rock or melting ice formation whilst on the move.

Nearly two mouthfuls of fresh water from a 5"x3" rectangle of sponge.

This may not be the sweetest of alpine waters but it will keep you going and top up your fluid balance, so long as you are sensible and dont drink from obviously contaminated sources.

The Jetboil stove, and those like it, are the soloists saviour when it comes to melting your water from high icefields. Where possible I prefer to gather snow or pound up ice for water a short distance from my bivvy to limit contamination. I use a Hammer-Axe for this and collect the mush in a "Drybag" I have used to carry gear up in (just turn inside-out to carry the ice) or a thick plastic shopping bag. I never trust the "Piezo-Igniters" completely and so always carry

Ice collecting and boiling gear.

a secondary ignition source (see pic). As i almost never bivvy above 3500mtrs the melting point of ice in my Jetboil is not a problem to ascertain. It usually takes between 9 and 10mins to melt ice from a crushed-fragmented state to a boiling state at 2000 to 3000mtrs of altitude.

Method:- Put an inch of meltwater first in the Jetboil before adding crushed ice or snow. Anchor the stove or suspend (as in pic) as it becomes dangerously unstable and top-heavy if you do not! As you can see in the pic, I used a simple 5" S/Steel Jubilee Clip to hold a metre long loop of flexible brass "Picture Frame wire".Using this I can hang on an anchor or wrap it securely round a tentpole or rock so it does not fall over and cause injury. Light the stove and keep the gas setting turned down low, place the rubber top on loosely. Don't be in a hurry, for if you turn the gas up, all that will happen is that you will evaporate more than you melt. Melted this way, a full Jetboil of ice will produce sufficient boiling water to reach the stoves "safety mark line" which equals two large brew mugs, or one large dehydrated ration pack and one small hot drink.

Boiling water to "safety line"inside Jetboil.

If you're feeling daring you can add more ice or snow at this point but it will cost you more gas and boiling time.

To this end it's always good to have a rough idea how long your gas "cartridges" will last in order to provide you with enough hot water for your expedition needs.

C100/97gm.(left) C250/220gm.(right)

The two sizes of cartridge I carry are depicted above.Three years ago I burned both sizes till empty on a Primus Alpine Stove at sea level, on a medium flame setting to see how long they would last.The C100 lasted over one and a half hours, and the C250 lasted an astonishing four hours. I have never yet run out of gas with my Jetboil, which is far more efficient than my old Primus Alpine Stove. How much gas you take in lieu of water depends on how much you want to eat and drink, so its up to you. Do the math!!

Yum!

On the subject of dehydrated rations, I recently switched to the "Mountain House" brand having tried them on the recommendation of a soloist friend.They are quite superb and remind me of the LRRP rations we were issued in the Royal Australian Army. I used the "Big Pack" version mainly because I can never finish them in one sitting. So I reseal the pack and reheat with hot water for breakfast the next morning before I set off for the summit. It's also a good idea to keep the empty pack (after a rinse) as it can be used as a pot to cook up Porridge Oat flakes, simply by adding hot water and resealing for a few minutes. Porridge Oats are the best survival energy food on the planet! I'll do drinks another time, but generally i take "Ice Tea" granules (drunk cold or hot). Ovo-Sport Blocks (Ovaltine solidified), Coffee granules, Haribo Sweets (can be chewed or diluted as a fruit drink). Also a plastic container of sugar to give it all extra kick!

On the subject of summer bivvying, I'm assuming that you have a good alpine sleeping bag. I can recommend the "Trek-Mates" bivvy bag for summer use.

Trek Mates bivvy bag.

This should keep the worst of the anabatic night winds, snow and showers from wrecking your nights sleep. It's waterproof, breathable, and weighs ounces. I pulled it up to about knee height over my PHD-Sleeping bag before I drifted off and only needed to raise it over my shoulders at 4am on Eiger when the wind got too cold. It would also make a great emergency bothy-bag. Great value!

Finally on the subject of personal alpine obligations and insurance:- Over and above my personal "Legal Waiver" form for rescue,(see two blogs back)

Emergency cards.

I carry three cards on my person whilst climbing, the first being my BMC-Card which can notify my club "ABMSAC" if I am killed or injured. The second is the "Austrian Alpine Club-UK" Card which provides basic emergency rescue insurance and repatriation insurance to UK from anywhere on the planet for only £33 per annum as well as being a great club to belong to. And finally my "EHIC" (European Health Insurance Card) which covers me for medical treatment (even in Switzerland) throughout the EU and backs up my personal medical insurance.

These cards are available to all EU citizens,and I had handed mine to a Dutch friend in Eigernordwand Campsite and was bragging about how useful they were. He looked at it closely and wryly told me it had expired the previous year! I phoned Peggy in UK and she renewed it immediately on the UK-Government website in under ten minutes, which saved me from looking a total dickhead, to only "feeling" like one!

If you live in the EU and don't have this card? Go straight to your country's government website only as this card is Free! Do not go to advertised commercial sites offering you this card, it's a con-job to extort money from you.

I'll blog again soon with more stuff!

Good climbing.

Rob

FRYING SOLO ON WEST FLANK EIGER.

2012-08-26T14:40:00.001-07:00

I arrived at the grandly named "Eigernordwand Campsite" just outside Grund at about 4pm. It was seriously hot and I was a melting blob, having carried both my sack and kitbag a kilometre uphill from Grund railway station. Peggy and I had been to Kandersteg two weeks previously and I had planned to bag two routes on Eiger in that time, doing a solo variant of Lauper from the Austrian route and a freeclimb, with buddy Boris Krielen, of West Flank. The west route incorporating a photoshoot for both of us, one photographing the other in solo mode, as it's impossible to get good pics of yourself actually "doing things" with a camera at arms length.The weather screwed us however, so here I was, back alone for some more masochism on the old beast.

Eiger august 2012 (no icefields you notice?)

I soon got my tiny binliner tent set up and had to go to Grindelwald to buy Jetboil gas on the morrow. The Nordwand and summit icefields had almost completely vanished due to the heat. At 4pm it resembled the grey dry skin of an elephant with great black tear streaks down its face. I located some gas at "Intersport" in Grindelwald next day and bought some Leckerli and small Emmental sausages as wet-rations to complement my Mountain House dehydrated rat-packs.

The Binliner.-My tiny one man tent.(One body and a sack only)

The "Intersport" salesman was also a local guide, and we bemoaned the horrible mountain conditions of this regular 3yr dry cycle in the Berner Oberland. Back at the campsite I met up with a lone Dutch climber/mountain biker by the name of Michaelle, who was great company and great conversation during my stay. He was also a solo climber so we had a lot in common. As the saying goes, "It's a small world" and especially for ex-SASR soldiers, for a few days after returning from my climb I met "Arthur" formerly of B-Troop Brit-SASR who was on a sponsored climb (also of West Flank) to raise money for the "clock fund", (the regiment's memorial in Hereford). I do hope he had better fortune than I did. I could not see West Flank from the site but had a bloody good idea it would be dangerously dry, judging by the north wall's condition.

Thirsty mitteleggiers scurrying to station Eigergletscher.

This was not good for me as I had to climb to my high bivvy at 3250metres lugging gear, food and water enough for two days' stay. The plan was to dump all the heavy stuff at the bivvy, then go light to the summit early next morning, getting as many Nordwand photos and summit pics as I could. I was then to descend with the option of another night if needed to complete the shoot. Rather than lug loads of water I was taking extra Jetboil gas to melt ice I knew to usually be around this bivvy, having stayed there before in august some years previously.

Lower rock bands above station.

The West Flank route is very long and I simply would not be capable of carrying sufficient water alone, to do what I needed to do.Twenty years ago I would not have cared but at 65yrs old I am no longer so keen on survival situations. I am content just to have a good time and get back down alive where possible. I took the train to Eigergletscher Station on Sunday 19th August at 0900hrs, and was amazed at how few were aboard. Due to the recession everybody is feeling the pinch, I guess. I had a laugh with Peter the ticket collector, who knew me from numerous previous visits and was convinced I was out of my mind climbing this thing yet again. As I left the platform and the flank came into view I knew I had big problems. The upper and lower glaciers had receded and there was no sign of usable ice below the 125mtrs remaining of the summit icefield. I thought, "Oh screw it!" and began the long climb up the lower rock band, my head thumping in the heat, following a lone lightly clad Parachutist Base Jumper heading for the Mushroom.

Rottstock-2662mtrs.(On descent)

I toiled up the high moraine, passing Rotstock-2662mtrs on my left, and bee-lined for the Barrington Couloir to ascend by the normal route - then saw the massive bergschrund which made access to the route impossible. I doubled back to the left, attempting to follow the parachutist up a much steeper and more direct route, hoping to intersect the Barrington further up. This route just got steeper and steeper till I was climbing at around HVS with moves of 4c, fine for the dude in the climb-shoes but not for a loner lugging a whopping great sack. A shower of stones from above hit my hands and helmet and I almost fell. I realised I was being very stupid following this guy, so I cut to the right along a thin slabby step gradually edging over to the normal route. There was nothing now but the odd hand smear to keep me on this near vertical section, and twice more I was almost dragged off by the weight of my sack. I was climbing with a Blade-Piton in my teeth, desperate to find the tiniest crack to pound it into for a little protection, but I could find not one single placement.

How i look is about how i felt at this stage on route!

After three hours of this lunatic nonsense the camber eased and I found safe ground at my planned biv 3300mtrs. I dumped my sack and hunted in all directions for a patch of ice. Seeing nothing, I scrambled up past the Mushroom, then to the right of the notch till I could see almost all the route to the summit icefield, but it was as barren and dry as a witch's tit! At this point, being low on water and no resupply, I knew it was stupid to continue. It was late in the day and I was just too slow and tired to make the summit in one push, so I sat down to just enjoy the view over a well-earned coffee before descending. Three lots of Bergfuhrers and their clients arrived in quick succession. They were so dehydrated they drank two Jetboils of coffee - almost my entire water supply.

Rehydrated guests continuing descent.

One who I knew from a previous year confirmed there was no water-ice at all on the west flank. I let them go ahead to avoid stonefall. Also, I was in no hurry and thought I might overnight above Rotstock where I knew there was some water. I had made the right move, because the guys below me were stumbling and slipping like drunks with exhaustion, and there were some eye-watering falls on the lower glacier which had turned to soft sorbet in the evening sun.I pitched my camp further below and watched them descend to the station from my perch. Brewing up more coffee from a meltwater spring, I could hear more climbers descending above me. A monstrous guy stumbled up to my proffered scalding mug of coffee, thanked me in what I thought was Russian, and downed it it one huge gulp! He was very tall, built like a tank, and covered in grey limestone dust and abrasions.He wore a leather bush hat, ankle -high street boots with a fashionable elastic strap, shorts, t-shirt, and a thirty-litre sack with poles. "I have climbed the Mittelleggi ridge alone and with no rope!" he boomed. From the direction he had come and the state he was in, I had no reason other than to believe him. Besides which, he looked big and tough enough to have strangled a few bears on the way! "My two friends follow behind!" he said, and with a polite "Thank you" lumbered off downhill to his camp above the station.

My overnight bivvy.

I made some more drinks for his friends who were far better equipped but almost too tired to speak, and they too made their way down a short time later. I collected more water and settled down for the night. Though I had not summitted this trip, the Eiger now belonged to me until morning. I love these summer night bivvys and would come here just to do them alone or perhaps share the wonder with others. A squadron of Alpendohle (Choughs) joined me for dinner. They had some porridge oats whilst I tucked into a Mountain House spag-bol dehydrated meal (very nice it was too!). I was philosophical about not summitting as there was little I could do about it. If I screw up and miss my berg through incompetence I rage inwardly for months, so this was something of a relief. Examining the positives, I reflected that the Ibuprofen I had used on ascent had a very beneficial effect on my infernal tendency to AMS, and I had zero symptoms at all this trip.

All my kit had worked fine, I had carried no surplus gear and had made mostly sound decisions, and so had no rod to beat myself with. I had known it would be hot, but nobody had realised to what extent it would affect the icefields. I have successfully summitted on this mountain six times since 2002, by six different routes, and had never encountered summer conditions as extreme as these. At eight pm the sun set over the far mountains, and the local mosquitoes (being Swiss!) very courteously ceased to trouble me and instantly vanished for the night. Alpendohle Squadron-633 flew away into the encroaching dark, back to their bases. And I lay back to admire a Sistine-chapel roof of glorious shooting stars and revolving constellations, listening in awe to the rumbling breath of the mountain until I slept.

Descending next morning, I passed the happy giant in his tent near the station. He was awake and seemed recovered so I congratulated him and learned that he and his friends were from the Czech Republic. They breed them tough and pleasantly crazy in Czech land!

Before the train I stopped for a huge breakfast at Bahnhof Restaurant Eigergletscher. It was the best breakfast I had ever tasted, not because I had just been climbing mountains, but simply because they make the best breakfast you will ever taste! I think I might return and do the Mittellegigrat again soon, just for the hell of it, and for another very fine breakfast.

Good climbing,

Rob

ALTITUDE SICKNESS. OLD PILL-NEW HOPE!

2012-06-08T06:48:00.001-07:00

As a sufferer myself this is a subject close to my heart,and i am allways on the hunt for new studies and treatments.I did a blog on this in March-2011 talking about pre-climbing blood tests and the use of Aspirin as an anti-clotting agent,you may want to check it out before reading further?

Medic on Mt,Rainier.

I allways considered Altitude Sickness a syndrome rather than a single illness with a single cause,as there are too many contributing procceses going on anatomicaly in each individual case.This of course is a deductive matter for research scientists rather than old bush medics like me.My interest is not so much the cause,as being able to interdict the symptoms before they begin to take their toll.Its unlikely that any concrete cure will be found in the near future as most research in this field is carried out by drug companies out for profit,and the altitude illness market is just too small to justify intense study.So we are pretty much left with the blunder-factor where a researcher may accidently hit on a cure as a by-product of a sexier study.

Ibuprofen Meltlet Anti-inflamatory Tabs.

Last week a facebook friend posted two realy interesting articles on the use of simple (over the counter) Anti-Inflamatories that just might be useful in this interdiction process.They came from TIME magazine and ABC-NEWS articles,and these two links should carry you through if i havent bollocksed up the process as i normally do!

The meat and potatoes is that common anti-inflammatories like "Ibuprofen" taken as a 600mg prophylactic dose can interdict the most critical part of the illness, "brain swelling" which is that phase of altitude sickness where the real damage begins.

It is brain swelling that causes you to feel nauseous, dizzy, depressed and lethargic. The more serious symptoms quickly follow. Ibuprofen can ease (and possibly prevent) these symptoms by reducing inflammation of the brain's surface layer and of the fluid sac which protects it, much in the same way that it reduces swelling in a bruise or a sprained ankle. This is truly remarkable stuff, and I will be using it in the Swiss Alps in July.

Like most sufferers I take "Acetazolamide", which has a load of side-effects, not the least of which is marathon-pissing-at-altitude, an effect which can cause dehydration and actually contribute to altitude sickness. Anything that gets me off that is more than welcome in my med kit! Oral anti-inflammatories are not without their own hazards, however, and are notoriously hard on the stomach and intestines. So if you have any gut or circulatory problems, be sure to see your pharmacist and/or doctor before even considering taking them. I strongly advise you to read and take the time to understand the linked study by Dr Grant Lipman. The guy is also a mountaineer, so he has a personal as well as professional interest in getting his research right.

Topical application.

I had a "light bulb" moment after reading all this stuff, and it occurred to me that "patches" would be a huge improvement over taking this medication orally in a mountain environment. But I can't find any anti-inflammatory patches anywhere on the world wide web, so must assume that they don't exist as yet? If anybody can find some, please email me with the details, I would be most grateful.

The next best thing, of course, would be a standard gel, even though this is a topical application it is eventually absorbed through the tissues and into the bloodstream with exactly the same effect, even though much diluted. So I am taking some of this to Switzerland to give it a try out in tandem with the pills. Should be interesting!

Good climbing.

Rob.

SOLO EMERGENCY ACTIONS.(Lost Crampon Procedure)

2012-05-23T06:37:00.001-07:00

Ive thought about it a lot over the years so maybe thats why it hasnt happened to me yet? I should imagine few things could be more terrifying than being halfway up a verglassed Schreckhorn,and looking down to see your right crampon bouncing and skittering out into space below?!

If you dont want to lose them,attatch a loop of shockcord

to the crampon which fits round the lower leg.Works for me!

Most accidents can be prepared for but some are so serious and imediate there is no time to muck about thinking what to do,one simply "must know and act"! These situations can be called "Instant Actions",where you follow a set drill to get you out of trouble fast!

A lost crampon on an icy climb is about as serious as it gets,and quite a few climbers have died due to this accident,but there is a lot you can do to help yourself if you stay cool and follow the drill.

Chicken Chain rig (See blog list-Chicken Chains and Prusiks).

INSTANT ACTION-(1),MAKE YOURSELF SAFE. Get out of the fall-line,bang in an anchor of any kind and clip in with your Chicken Chain.Assess your situation.

(2),DISASSEMBLE. Remove your other crampon (making sure not to drop it!) and disassemble into two sections.Remove the bar or fold away.

Parts and Repair Kit.

(3),MAKE TWO INSTEP CRAMPONS.(Or one forfoot and one instep) Using Cable Ties and/or Rape Tape and Cordage turn the one crampon into two as per diagrams below,or flatten out crampon-lugs with an ice hammer or rock to make two Instep Crampons.The Cable-Ties in the pics are a bit short for this job,30cm Ties would be better! Instep Crampons go back 4000yrs in Swiss Alpine history,they are very efficient and many examples can be seen in village Heimatt Museums.

Grivel Spider.A modern Instep Crampon based on an ancient principle.

(4),FASTEN SECURELY.Using simple tie system as in pics that locks the crampon to the instep of the foot,you can back this up with rape-tape or whatever cord you have.(tape is best!)

Instep Improvisation.

(No way am i covering my boots with tape,so this pic will have to do you!)

The idea being,that once it is fastened securely to the foot.It stays on until you are safely off the mountain!

(5),ALTERNATIVES.You can use the forefoot crampon section as it is,and secure that if you so wish? Allso backing up with tape or cord.

Forefoot Cable Tie sytem.

(6),TEST AND DESCEND.Once the whole assembly is fastened and you are satisfied.Test on some nearby ice to ensure it is secure,and until you are confident to descend.DO NOT continue the climb on this arrangement unless there is NO OTHER safe allternative!

I took the term- "Instant Actions" from the Royal Australian Army manual for the FN,7.62cal-Self Loading Rifle,the weapon i first trained with when i joined up about a thousand years ago! The Instant Actions were those drills carried out under fire when you or the weapon fucked up (ie;Action on-Empty magazine or round stuck in the chamber).I thought it very appropriate for solo-mountain emergencies,as in both battle and ascent if you screw-up you may well die! So clear unambiguous procedures are essential to get you out of trouble.

Good climbing,

Rob

SOLOING PLANS AND PRECAUTIONS.

2012-05-20T07:03:00.001-07:00

I must apologise to regular readers of this blog for not posting anything since last christmas.Theres no real excuse for this,other than my state of sulky malaise over not being able to escape for my winter climbing.But time marches on and now i find myself in training again and psyching-up for my annual solo battle with the Eiger in july.

Yeah i know,July is a sucky month for anything on Eiger these days and i have known this since i started this project in 2003,but its all the time i have and beggars cant be choosers.

My original goal was to solo-summit by all four ridges on this berg,so when i got through with that it seemed like a realy good idea to do the same on all four faces(or faces and flanks if you wanna get picky about it),following the less demanding of the most frequented routes.Now i have only the Nordwand,Heckmair route and East Flank,Lauper routes to complete and then i can finally put the old monster to bed having "capped the pyramid" so to speak!These will be the toughest of the lot for my meager skills,even if i manage to get a weather window and good conditions,which is highly unlikely.

Anywhoo,however things pan-out on these last climbs i hope to get the West Flank,Barrington route in again with my buddy Boris Krielen of "ICE-X".

Eiger from Kleine Scheidegge.

This route is allways good to warm up on and will enable me to get a good look at the Nordwand all the way up to the summit.

It dawned on me last month that i turn 65yrs in June this year,you kinda lose track of time when your not thinking about it!? Ive never worried about my age i only ever worried about my fitness and looks.Colour me shallow if you like,but i never ever planned on actually getting old,and my increasingly infrequent glances at that "picture of Dorian Grey" known as a mirror,are an annoying reminder that this entropic process is happening to beautiful me! That and the fact that this year (due solely to my age i might add) my bloody BMC-Alpine & Ski Insurance is gonna go up by fifty per-cent for christsake!?? What can these grabbing buggers be thinking of?

Ive allways accepted the fact that as a soloist,sooner or later its all gonna go tits-up and i will end up injured or dead,it comes with the territory.No matter how careful you are,how many good precautions you take its eventually going to happen,time and the fickleness of chance get us all in the finish.

Being a very vain person my biggest worry has never been "when" it will happen,but rather "not" looking like too much of a complete wanker when it eventually does! So heres a couple of tips i want to share with fellow soloists which have served me well,and i hope will help you too.

Soloist Legal Waiver Form.

Ive used this style of form for as long as i can remenber to cover myself whilst climbing,and so far nobody has ever had to follow it up. I think its the responsible thing to do if your climbing alone,for yourself and others who may feel obliged to risk their arses in horrible conditions in order to save yours. I fill one in before each climb to give in a sealed envelope to my host or the local authourities,marked with my name and "Open in X-days if i do not return to collect!"

It is self explanatory and should cover required on your death or dissapearance.You dont need to use my format you can use your own, in as much or as little detail required to do the job.

The second tip is if your soloing high-alpine and moveing hut to hut,allways have your Huttenwarte(hut warden) ring ahead for you to your next hut.Giving your Route,Time of Departure,Planned Climbs/Excursions off Route,and your ETA(estimated time of arrival).Allways carry a means of signaling by day and night,an emergency bivvy,phone with emergency numbers logged in,and extra rations and water just in case.

I will pull my finger out and try to get some more blogs of interest out before Eiger in July.

Good climbing,

Rob

Nick Livesey Mountain Images - On location in the Welland Valley

2012-04-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

Fred Beckey at Index

2012-04-07T04:14:00.001-07:00

Good old Fred Becky! What a guy! Hope i am around and doing bergs at his age?

Good climbing,

Rob

SOLO SELF BELAY-STARFISH ANCHORS & ROPE LOOPS.

2012-03-10T13:44:00.001-08:00

Setting up an anchor system when climbing alone leaves little room for error.If you are self-belaying you must have a quick,simple,and efficient system of rigging multi-directional anchors,that will work equally well on singles,doubles,or rope loops.For this purpose i use two variations of the Starfish Anchor System.The first employs six points of anchor,two cordellettes,six extender tapes,two maillons,a belaymaster-krab,and a shockcord loop with toggle adjustment.

Starfish system.

When put together,this forms a portable centre section of a multi-directional anchor,linked to the anchor placements by threaded cordellettes.The first Starfish is rigged into the primary anchor at the start of a self-belayed climb,the second Starfish is carried on the climbers harness to be rigged as the first belay point at the end of the first pitch.The climber can then descend in abseil to clean the first pitch and then re-ascend to the belay point to continue his climb through the second pitch,whilst protected in both directions.

Make safe with Chicken-Chain.

To rig the Starfish first make yourself safe with a "Chicken Chain"(See previous blogs)clipped into your upper anchor points.Then place all six points of the anchor system and afix Krabs,making each as bombproof as possible.Then hold the Starfish central to the anchors,and thread the cordellette through the tape loops to the farthest anchor point.

Thread the cordellette.

Once secured,draw the cordellette outwards between the tapes and clove-hitch twice to each krab to form each anchor point.Repeat the process around all six anchor points.

Threading completed on the "mother of all anchors".

It may be that fewer anchor points are available at a belay point.Or you may consider that one bomber anchor above and below the Starfish will do the job?Its all a matter of availability,judgement,and choice,and is entirely up to the climber.Just make what you have as bombproof as possible.The more anchors there are however,the safer the system is in enabling redundency within the process.Once the anchors are completed the cordellettes can be tightened with the clove-hitches.And finally the Starfish can be tightened further by the toggle on the shockcord,drawing the entire system and anchors towards the centre Belaymaster-Krab.

Tighten shockcord toggle.

The second Starfish is carried on the harness to be used at the next belay point where the process is repeated.

Second Starfish.

The second Starfish variation is depicted below and is constructed by using long codellettes with a central shockcord and toggle system,this type has been dealt with in previous blogs and is very efficient but slow to construct and not so versatile as the above.

Starfish System.(first iteration)

The biggest advantage of using these adjustable tension systems over and above the multi-directional function,is their use where anchors are in loose cracks or in areas where they may detach or fall out,compromising anchor point integrity.I have found a central drawstring shockcord very usefull for this purpose over the years.It allso saves a huge amount of time when building anchors,but requires some practice to perfect.

One of my Rope Loop systems.

As i have stated before,the loop system of solo-climbing serves little purpose over a single,or double rope system on a self-belay anchor.The two known functional advantages are,that it enables the rope to be retrieved if the climber wishes to abandon placed gear in order to continue an ascent,and secondly to retrieve a climbing rope whilst abseiling on a descent.The depicted rope is a Mammut-50metre-9mil,marked every 25metres with Beal Rope Marker to keep track of length during ascent.The blue rope that completes the loop is a static Mammut-50metre-6mil that serves for retrieval.The Maillons and Tapes at the ropes ends allow the ropes to be retrieved on ascent from anchors and protection if required.The loop remains the same for abseil descents with only the Tapes and Maillons removed.

For alpine use i employ an identical but lighter system using 8mil x 50metres Dynamic on a 6mil Static.

A final word:-Practice rigging anchors as often as possible its easy to get out of the habit and still think your hot-stuff.And practice "One handed" Clove-Hitches,it saves many minutes of rigging time when building soloist anchors.

Good climbing,

Rob.

SOLO SELF BELAY WITH REVERSO & EDELRID EDDY.

2012-03-04T06:07:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since my last post.I havent been particularly busy,i simply had very little of interest to blog about is all.
I do read other peoples blogs however and i am including two of particular interest in todays offering.The first is by Andrew Young of New Zealand which demonstrates an interesting solo climbing technique with the Petzl Reverso.This article can allso be found on Andy Kirkpatricks blog.I have not tried this method and thus cannot vouch for it,but it looks promising and may be worth a tryout on your local tame climbing wall.

Picture by Andrew Young www.mountainz.co.nz

The second is by an American friend who wrote a great blog on soloing with the Edelrid Eddy a few years ago.This technique is very similar to my own with the same device except that it pertains to crag use rather than alpine use.I have used this technique to good effect on British crags and can recomend it.

Picture by healyje www.rockclimbing.com

Whatever new self-belay means you decide to adopt,try it out with a belayer in controlled conditions first.This way you can confidently put it through any situation you think you may encounter on the hill,without to much fear of breaking your neck in the process.

Edelrid Eddy (nomenclature general)

The Edelrid Eddy is by far one of the safest and easiest belay devices that one can use to adapt to soloing.Its certainly not the cheapest or the lightest (lighter than a Silent Partner though!) but of all devices on the European market its the only one you can ascend and abseil with without making any structural modifications.It has a very positive locking system (unlike the sprung cam on a Gri Gri)utilising a spring bearing,and even has a failsafe on the belay lever which automaticly locks off the rope if you overcompensate whilst abseiling.I wont bother you to much with the nomenclature you can read it and decide for yourselves.It can take rope dimensions from 11mm down to 8mm which is very usefull to soloists who wish to save more weight (and who doesnt?) on alpine routes.My way of rigging it is straightforward enough with the rope feed running over the shoulder and through a Krab,thence to the device.The rope itself can be draped full length over the shoulder or (as i prefer) stored in a lightweight ropebag in the top of the sack.

Rope Feed (Edelrid Eddy)

I attach a large Oval-Krab through a D-Ring Maillon on my harness with the krab passing through both the maillon and the Belay-Loop.The reason i do this is that having fall-tested this system many times, i find the device brakes in a much more positive manner if it does not have to deal with harness-stretch during a fall.I then Larks-Foot a loop of shock cord over the krab,which is then worn around the neck.This pulls the whole arrangement to mid-chest height allowing a good free feed for the rope, and allso giving the device some torque latitude to brake effectively on awkward falls.

Clipping the Live Rope into protection.

I only use a thin shockcord which will break rather than strangle me in a fall.Used this way i find the Eddy functions better and is easier to operate than when krabbed directly to the harness.It allso makes coming off rope to rig for abseiled protection-retrieval easier and less confusing when one gets tired high on a difficult climb.If your uncomfortable with neck-cords its a simple matter to rig a "Shock cord Baudrier" to slip over the shoulders.The function of the device is as for the Troll-Rocker on ascent (see Troll blog) with the rope clipped into placed protection as it feeds through the device.Have fun!

Good climbing,

Rob

SOLO SELF-BELAY ON PETZL-SHUNT.

2011-12-09T06:38:00.001-08:00

The Petzl Shunt is arguably one of the best solo fall-arrest devices on the market,if you can figure out how to rig it properly that is!?
It can be a confusing piece of kit as it was originally designed as a kind of prusik-brake for abseiling(something its not very good at!).Then it was touted as a fall-arrest device(many IRATA instructors still swear by it),and allso as a mechanical-prusik for rope ascents.

The Petzl Shunt.

Its no small wonder therefore that climbers either love it,or hate it! I fall into the former category.
If you Google up "roped soloing" you will find loads of climbers on Youtube using it in strange and mysterious ways to climb fixed-rope routes on crags all over the planet.Allso if you Google up "Shunt Fall-Tests" you will likewise find some great corporate videos of it being tested to destruction.There are lots of these so i wont bother linking any.But its a great idea to check them out if you realy want to know how tough the Shunt realy is!?
Getting it to run hands-free for solo-mountaineering is not easy,but once understood it gives you a simple,versatile device for self-belay on both "Single and Double" rope systems.No other device available on the climbers market today does this!

Picture (1)-Solo Rope Drag.

I chose to present this technique using the "Solo Rope Drag" (as against carrying the ropes) and incorporating a shoulder-harness configuration to show its dynamics and versatility to best effect.It can be far more simply used with a bungee neck-sling or a "Baudrier" chest harness setup on a single-rope or rope-loop system.I hope that the pics will help you formulate your own innovations in using this device solo,and hands-free.
Like all the other self-belay inovations i present in these blogs,the Shunt has a smooth friction-cam,rather than teeth that can cause damage to a rope in a fall.The most damage you will incur to your rope in a factor-2 on Shunt is a little welding or scorching to the mantle on one side! The Shunt is unique in that it allso takes Double as well as Single rope systems from 8mm to 11mm diameter.
You can allso feed the Shunt from a sack or shoulder-slung rope bag,or have the climbing rope trailing over the shoulder to the ground or hanging as in "Big wall aid-climbing",should you wish to climb without an encumbering rope-coil on your body.
Picture(1)-Shows double ropes trailing in Solo Rope Drag fashion on an Alpine style ascent.I am not a big fan of this due to potential snagging or rope damage,but it is a good workable technique to cut down body weight on long alpine soloes.

Rope-Drag body rig(Right side).

(Thats not my belly!Its Paramo-Torres.)

Note that the trailing ropes run through Krabs on the back of the harness to minimise leg tangles.

Pic(2)-Full chest rig.

Picture(2)-Shows the full chest rig.The secret to keeping the Shunt running freely,is to mount it on a fixed plastic backing plate that tilts the tongue of the device away from the chest by about 2-inches(any closer and it will lock onto the ropes or cause tiresome friction drag on the climber).When i first figured this out i used a "Costa-Coffee" cup lid with a hole punched through it to get the right angle!(see pic).Ive since made a great workable locking-plate out of tough plastic pipe and will put it up in a later blog!Note the rope-ends clove-hitched to a harness belay-krab!?

Starfish Anchor system.

(My new design-More on this later!)

This keeps both ropes in perfect position to instantly attach to a Starfish Multi-directional Anchor system.One can use fast "Locked Clove Hitches" for this which is far less time consuming and complicated that Figure-8s,and they are equally secure.(If you cant find them in the Knot-Books?Gimme an email!)

Learn the "One handed Clove Hitch",and practice!

The Clove Hitch is the "most" useful knot in climbing,and every climber should be able to do them in their sleep! It takes very little time to learn and leaves you with your other three limbs as "three points of contact" for maximum balance and safety!

Clipping protection.

Picture(3)-Shows clipping protection on ascent after anchor has been placed,and is exactly the same as for the Troll-Rocker(see blog archive).I am happy to clarify points of detail or answer sensible questions on this rig.Feel free to comment(like a human being that is?!) or email,or even phone if your good looking? But right now i need a large Cognac and my feet up on the cat for a few minutes! :-)

Good climbing,

Rob

SOLO SELF-BELAY ON RIDGE AND TRAVERSE.

2011-12-04T05:20:00.001-08:00

I deserve it for my hubris i guess? Put off a gear-photoshoot in Snowdonia for the last three months,and got clobbered by foul weather for the entire week.Got my pics,but not the ones i realy wanted.Ah well!?
Trouble with climbing solo with ropes is you have to do everything three bloody times over! There is no way round this if you want to keep all your gear,though i do keep searching for a way!

Dudeist Tai Chi.

The soloists dream of a fluid,rolling ascent on a continuous rope-loop is a myth.It sounds great in theory but when you get down to the practical,you still will have to abseil to retrieve your gear and haul yourself back up again! Until somebody invents disposable,vapourising protection or plasters every climb on the planet with bolt-hangers,this is our lot and we are stuck with it.
Not having the skills or the inclination to aid-climb big walls i stay within my meagre abilities,and just bumble along keeping my rack as light and multi- purpose as possible.
Some of my scariest moments in 45yrs of climbing have been on narrow windy ridges and hairy loose traverses.So i have worked out the following technique which (albeit lengthy and tiresome) has kept me alive to the present on anything that requires a difficult lateral move to get me out of trouble.

Protecting the traverse or ridgeline.

Useing my rope-loop i move across on Petzyl-Shunt or Classic Prusik as a fall-arrest system.I place a realy bomber anchor-system or disposable rope-sling at the start of the move.That way,if all else fails and i fall,i will have a horrible bumpy pendulum that i may just survive to climb out of. I use older,reliable gear as placed protection and back it up with disposable rope-slings made from my old half-ropes (allways carry a couple in my sack)rather than expensive tapes and quickdraws.
When i reach safe ground i then have the option of "chickening out" and leaving my old tat,retrieving my rope-loop and buggering off,or returning across the gap to recover my gear.

For the return there is a dual option of protecting myself.I can rig up a Via-Feratta system using HMS-Krabs and my super-strong Mammut Industrial slings,or reverse the fall-arrest direction of the Shunt and move back on that,or do both!? (see pic above)

When you get back to the primary-anchor point again STOP! Check your gear and take time to think very carefully before removing the anchor! Is the Shunt in the correct fall-arrest position for the final traverse to safe ground?! Are you protected?!

On the final crossing,remove protection as you go,making sure to Krab your loose rope away on the harness (If possible),or just let it drop behind you as you lift the protection. DO NOT!! (whatever you do!) Coil the rope around your neck like the "soon to be deceased" dickhead in the above picture who should have known better!

Good climbing,

Rob

SOLO SELF BELAY WITH TROLL-ROCKER.

2011-12-03T07:06:00.001-08:00

This is the first of three blogs dealing with Self-Belay using well known devices that are available throughout europe.Though only one of them is a recognised belay-device,none of them are reccomended comercialy for self-belay systems.I have used them all at different times using my own rope-feed systems,and up till now none have failed me.How you use and rig them is up to you!

ISC-Rocker.

(They even make a shiny stainless steel one!)

The Troll-Rocker is a tough,lightweight,simple fall-arrest device with a "toothless" rocker-cam that goes back nearly thirty years and doesnt wreck your ropes.Its modern counterpart is the ISC-Rocker(above)which is based on the old design,with some inovative improvements.It is available from"International Safety Components,Ltd" www.iscwales.com a very fine welsh company that makes and sells loads of other great climbing kit.
The soloists rig is simplicity itself and starts with a D-Shaped Maillon on the harness, to minimise gear movement and provide a positive transmission of energies from the Rocker to the harness in the event of a fall.A short tough Tape-Sling connects this to a large Krab,which in turn holds the Rocker in place.The sling allso positions the Rocker high on the chest,well above the climbers centre of gravity.

This allows the climber to easily load and unload the device,and allso allows the device to "torque" freely and function quickly in the event of an awkward fall.It allso positions the Rocker to take an"over the shoulder" rope-feed from the climbers Sack or Rope-Bag (more on this later)The final addition to the system is a length of 2-3mm Shock Cord,larks-footed to the top of the Rocker and worn around the neck.The purpose of this is to keep the whole arrangement upright to the line of ascent,position the Rocker for an efficient rope-feed,give flexibility to the system,and finally, be weak enough to snap and not injure the climber in a fall.

When placeing protection the rope is simply pulled down through the device and clipped into an extender or whatever protection you are using.The "bitter" end of the rope is of course attached to a multi-directional "Starfish" anchor system at the start of the climb(see blog on multi-directional anchors).The other end of the rope within the rope-bag is fastened to another "Starfish" when the climbers reaches the end of his pitch,or is within a safety margin of 5metres of available rope remaining.

Starfish Anchor.

All of my ropes are 50metres long and marked at quarterly increments with "Beal-rope marker".With a distinctive safety mark at 5metres within each end.
All the self-belay devices in my blogs are chosen for their ability to accept a variety of rope diameters for multiple activities.And none of those mentioned have "teeth" that can cause damage to the rope-mantle.The Rocker can take ropes from 8mm to 11mm.I use 8.5mm ropes for Solo Alpine climbing and the heavier gauges for crags in UK summer and winter conditions.

ROPE BAGS.
Some people prefer a cylindrical shaped rope-bag suspended from the harness or attatched to the side of their sacks.

My preference is for a lightweight "drawstring bag" that can be worn on the back or packed into the top of ones alpine sack with the rope feeding over my right shoulder.Packing the rope into the bag is a simple matter of first,removing the kinks by pulling it through both hands.

Then simply push 18" bites of the rope-loop into the bag from right to left until it is packed.Dont attempt to fold the rope into the bag as this will cause it to "birdsnest" into a horrible mess.Allow the rope to fall naturally and it wil come out the same way nine times out of ten.

ROPE LOOP.
My own preference for a soloists rope system is depicted below,with a Perlon static pulldown rope running parralel to the dynamic climbing rope,and connected at each end with a double fishermans knot.

This allows me a full ropes length abseil and retrieval of the climbing rope when down.It allso allows the choice of retrieving the rope on ascent if i cannot (or do not wish to) abseil down to remove placed protection and anchors for whatever reason.Apart from allways being conscious not to Krab the Perlon rope into protection,and allowing it to run freely,i have never found it anything other than convenient.Others prefer it to be stored in the sack until required,and solo on a single dynamic rope.Its all a matter of preference and what you are comfortable with.

Good climbing,

Rob

DELETED COMMENTS!! (Grow a pair guys!)

2011-10-19T05:16:00.000-07:00

Thats the fourth "comment" i have had to delete today! We welcome all constructive critiscism at the Alliance.If you have a way to improve a technique that you see on our blog,"please" let us know in clear non-abusive terms by comment or email.We will give you full credit and publication for anything you wish to add or correct if you feel that what we say is incorrect or misleading!
But for christ sake, do us the courtesy of reading the "entire blog" before making comment,and have the intestinal fortitude to "make yourself known" and leave us a way to reply!
The whole idea of the blog is as an info-exchange for solo-climbers and not a forum for anonymous knockers who never volunteer anything constructive.
Disagree by all means!
But please do it constructively and in a civilised manner!

Thankyou,

Rob

SELF BELAY SYSTEMS. (Wales in november.)

2011-10-17T05:01:00.000-07:00

Am realy looking forward to this november in Wales as i have not had my hands on any realy decent rock since july.This trip i will be doing what i have been putting off for so many years,photographing my three primary Self-Belay systems at work on rock.

The three systems include the: ISC-Rocker,Edelrid Eddy,and the old favourite,Petzyl Shunt which are all available throughout Europe.Whilst the Eddy is the only device on the list recognised as an actual "belay device",the Rocker and Shunt have been used for Solo Self-Belay for some decades.

I plan to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of all three on both single and double rope solo-ascent systems,useing three rigging techniques that many will not have seen before.

This was no easy decision to come too,for while making these systems function well is fairly easy,building in sufficient safety margins for their use is not! The overall rigging and ropework is critical to the smooth and efficient function of the three devices.A complete understanding of the variable anchor-systems,and protection placement and retrieval,for each of the techniques is allso critical.

I have allways been very careful with my own skin over fourty-seven years of climbing,and at sixty-five,am still solo-climbing the big ones in Europe so i must be doing something right. I can only speak for myself of course,as no matter how good a system is in climbing its all down to the skill of the user and the touchy mathmatics of chance and complexity-theory.

I think i have built these solo self-belay systems about as good as i can get them, so now its time to put them out there for others to play with and hopefully improve! Short of this old geezer having a heart attack or stroke in the next few months,they will be on this blog by late december.

Good climbing,

Rob

SOLO SELF RESCUE. (Sometimes smoking saves lives!)

2011-10-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

About three years ago i dropped into Bryn Poeth,the home of OVRMO (Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation) in Snowdonia,Wales.Most of the team were out scouring the eastern slopes of Mt,Tryfan for a missing solo-climber,and i felt a bit guilty about hanging around while they were seriously busy.But in their usual quiet and pleasant way i was plied with hot tea and biscuits and made to feel at home.My company (farsight mountain ventures)has been a "333-Supporter" for many years and i was keen to see the new vehicle garage we had contributed a couple of roofing tiles to.

Bryn Poeth.OVMRO-Base.

Twenty minutes after i arrived,a puff of red smoke at the base of Tryfan told us the missing climber had been found,and i made a discreet exit as the team had to bring in the Heddlu(police)to investigate a fatality.
I didnt enquire any further as i know the strict rescue protocols that forbid releasing information of a mountain fatality,and i allso knew that none of the team would ever contradict this rule.

OVMRO. 333-Page,on website.

As with all secrets however,a few years later the details leaked through another source,and a sad and cautionary tale it was that all mountaineers(particularly soloists)can learn from.
The climber had been staying alone at a nearby campsite,he was well equipped,expierienced,and had enjoyed several good climbing days already in the area.And he was last seen heading up to Heather Terrace on Mt,Tryfan alone! He had left no route-plan,neither had he informed anybody at home or in Ogwen Valley of his intentions,or when he would be back.It was getting late in the year and the weather was becoming increasingly cold and wet.
The site owner allerted police after not seeing the guy for three days, and OVRMO went straight into full alert and search mode with all team members.He was found dead about three days later.He had fallen several hundred feet and came to a stop in waist high Gorse folliage,his injuries were severe but he had been conscious enough to empty his pockets and sack, and place his gear within reach around where he lay.

Unable to stand and make himself visible he was only 20metres from a well used track,and may even have heard the many walkers and climbers passing on their way down the hill that week,and perhaps he even tried to call to them.
Nobody knows if he was conscious for long enough to attempt to signal for help.But there was not much he could have done in that concealed position,in the cold,rain,and poor light,and where calls and shouts were commonplace.The irony was that the red-smoke popped by OVMRO to mark his body,may have helped him to save his own life.

Mt,Tryfan.(West flank)

Two years prior to this sad accident ,i was doing a Mountain Leader course at the National Mountain Centre not far from Ogwen valley.I love PYB for the good food,great courses,accomodation,and high level of instruction,and could be lured back from the "dark-side"of soloing more often if i could afford it!We were doing the personal kit demonstration,and i pulled out my home-made "thermite"smoke signal kit,which was met with a mixture of interest and horror.Its about the size of a matchbox,and i carry it in place of "Emergency Smoke sticks" for daylight emergencies.It allso doubles as a secondary fire-source for cooking and warmth.You can do the same thing with a single"Hexamine"block and a cheap gas lighter.

Marine Smoke Stick.

Now PYB teach everything about mountaineering including signaling in emergencies,but Snowdonia is a National Park where fires of any kind are "verbotten",so anything to do with smoke or flames is understandably off their menu! But if your phone fails,your heliograph is redundant through abscence of sunshine,nobody hears your whistle or your shouts,and your badly injured,isolated,and alone in daylight."What the hell do you do"?

Women who have done a realy good "Self Defence Course" will know.That when you are attacked by a rapeist,you dont yell "rape",you yell "FIRE"!!

People will come running for miles around,and fall over each other to call the Police or Fire Brigade at the merest mention,sight,or sniff of a puff of smoke.Old ladies will run up mountains and club you to the ground with their walking sticks,if they even "think"that your going to light a fire in a British National Park! So if you are in real trouble and there is no other possible alternative to getting out alive,"start a small controlled fire".

Hexamine camping stove fuel blocks.

The object of the fire is to produce a thin,constant,pungent,and visible stream of smoke that would-be rescuers can see and smell.It does not need to be big,just clear a small area on the ground a few feet square,gather any "green" plants or folliage close to you making sure that it is damp or wet to touch which will produce the maximum of steam and smoke.Keep your water bottle handy to wet the folliage and control the fire if it gets out of hand.Make a small depression in the earth,or a ring of small stones a few inches wide,and start the fire with a Hexamine-Block and some dry kindling(if available).Once its burning feed small amounts of greenery onto the flames,the results are visible and imediate.Bits of kit that contain plastic or rubber allso produce noxious,black smoke that will attact attention.You can allso buy the genuine Red Signal Smoke Sticks from marine chandleries,but they can be bulky,expensive,and though highly visible dont last for more than a few seconds.

I have known lots of incidents where tragedies could have been avoided.The poor guy on Mt,Tryfan did everything wrong and it led to his very lonely death.Leave a "Route Plan"with somebody (Anybody!)before you climb,and make sure you have a simple series of good reliable visible signals for all emergencies.

Good climbing,

Rob

MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT. (Cliche? So shoot me!)

2011-10-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to everybody who emailed after the last food blog,allso for the critiques and constructive abuse.If i dont please everybody i must be doing something right i guess?Its going to take a fair while to get back to you all but it is all gratefully received so thanks to everyone.

Just "double-click" on pics for full screen.

Its easy to forget how important a subject food is to mountaineers when your shoveling it down and its barely touching the sides,and how big a part it plays in getting you to the top.
Soloist confidence is a very fragile thing and it doesnt need a lot of rattling to send us scurrying back down the hill.One often reads about well known solo climbers chucking it in within reach of the summit,for no other reason than they got gripped,lost motivation,or just didnt feel right.This can happen in poor or great conditions when all the major trials and obstacles were overcome,and on repeat routes,previously blitzed with a climbing partner.
I find that mental exhaustion plays a big part in this,and as the human body in modern anatomical thinking can only be perceived as a neural-network,then physical exhaustion is the primary cause.

I am no great believer in the "alphabet soup" of psychology but sometimes the shrinks blunder onto some good stuff whilst rummaging around in our heads.

There is a mental state grandly known as "Proactive and Retroactive Inhibition".In short it says that,under a stressful situation the brain seeks to jump back to a time when a similar situation occured.This makes good sense as in normal circumstances it allows us to learn from our mistakes.But if in the past stressful situation our reaction was an incorrect,or negative one,then it is likely we will be prone to repeat that negative action again (the similarity of situation being the trigger for this).

The human brain and its neural network uses more energy from our food intake than any other organ of the body,and we as soloists are totaly dependant upon that organ for all our motivational reserves.There is no climbing partner to provide positive reinforcement and share the burdens of morale and resolve.It is all down to ones self and the sliding scale of energy depletion that starts when the climb begins,and when it ends in the walkoff.

As mentioned in the last food blog-No matter how well hydrated and well fed you are at the start of an alpine-solo.No matter how much food you carry or how often you eat,its all downhill for your energy levels from the off.All one can do is try to keep up with this depletion as best you can,and be the worlds meanest "Scrooge" with the energy you expend.

MEALTIMES AS A RITUAL.

One of the reasons i like to vary my rations and make the best of what i carry,is that,mealtimes in tough conditions provide a short rest and temporary but important return to normalicy.The more innovative and enjoyable the meal is,the more distracting and morale-boosting it is from ones dificulties,providing a short but important period in which to relax.In my army years it was a competitive source of pride amoungst front-line troops in active-service conditions,as to who could create the best meals and most comfortable conditions in overnight camps.As you carried everything on your back,this required a great deal of thought and ingenuity.But whatever conditions we had to endure,an incredible range of spices,sauces,and small luxuries would appear to make us feel comfortable in the most unendurable of situations.

It is no different on mountains where a little forethought and ingenuity can turn a very serious epic back into the adventure you planned it to be.

Good climbing,

Rob

ALPINE SOLOING FOODS. (Feeding the monkey!)

2011-09-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

Much is made of this subject in mountaineering circles, with huge emphasis placed on carbs, proteins, vitamins and mineral intake in perfect balance every mealtime. After reading enough of this stuff one can easily get quite paranoid into thinking that: either your arse is going to fall out, or you're going to drop stone dead from exhaustion if you miss so much as a single mouthful.
Now fair enough, if you're on expedition for a week or more in isolated mountain conditions in Outer Narnia or somewhere! But for a two-day climb in good summer alpine conditions with one or two overnight bivvies it's all a little bit "Bear Grylls overkill".

Ime getting a bit worried about ole Bear!?:-)

If you don't eat anything for two days on the hill you will certainly feel like crap, get really tired, make silly potentially dangerous mistakes, and not make your summits. But you will not die of starvation, scurvey, clap, scrofula, galloping anaemia, terminal constipation or any other of the horrors that nutrition fanatics try to scare you with.
Like many other aspects of mountaineering (extreme soloing aside), mealtimes have been hijacked by people who want to sell you stuff or show you just how bloody clever they are. And for people who are just starting out, or those trying to extend their enjoyment of bivvying in mountains this can be pretty worrying and confusing stuff.
Nutrition is indeed a complex subject that requires a sound knowledge of food, drink and body chemistry, and therre is nothing wrong with studying this subject and giving yourself a healthy balanced diet in readiness for the summer bergs. Nutritionally preparing the body, however,is done months before your trip in tandem with your alpine physical fitness programme.
Because once you are on the hill, all you will be doing is pumping fluids, carbs and proteins into your head to help maintain the energy levels you built up whilst in training.

Wonder who this guy is?:-)

Some "food for thought"!:

If ever your concerned about the weight of the food you are carrying.Its wise to remember that the human-body allways heats up and produces energy "from the inside"!!

It doesnt matter how good youre expensive new clothing is,its all for nothing if your internal energy reserves are dropping.If you have to sacrifice weight make sure it isnt from your rations or your liquid reserves.

The Golden Rule!: When in doupt,carry more food!

In alpine mountaineering your energy output will always exceed your energy input, no matter how fast and often you pump in the food and drink, so it's pretty much "all downhill" from the start.
The trick is to work out a "personal system" of cooking and feeding "specific to your needs" on the mountain, that is easy and, more importantly, enjoyable enough to maintain your "energy high" so you can enjoy your bivvies, acheive your summits, and get down in one piece.

MY WAY OF DOING IT!
I am a lazy guy, in fact, on a scale of one to ten I must rate a 9.5 on the "Idle Meter", so I like to keep things really simple.
All my hot drinks and foods are made on a Jet Boil Stove, with the simple caveat that no foods or beverages ever touch its insides. It is only for heating water or small "boil-in-the-bag" foods. That way, I never have to sod about cleaning it!
From long experience on army active-service and civvy expeditions I know that most dehydrated ration packs contain everything I need nutritionally for a week of mountain yomping.

Dry tucker.

So all I ever bother to do is choose the least spicy, oniony, or toxic-tasting that include loads of pasta or potato, also, the largest I can find.

The rationale for this is simple: "You can make a bland meal tasty, but you can't make over-flavoured rations blander". To give extra flavour to my food I take a tiny plastic container of curry powder, because I love the stuff on anything - what you take is up to you.

Beware of taking strong-tasting dehydrated ration packs: the powdered onion, garlic and heavy flavourings can be like "battery acid" in your mouth and stomach after a hard day, and will kill your appetite. I choose extra-large ration packs for the main evening meal because I can never finish them, the rationale being: that I can just seal the remaining contents up overnight and just add a little hot water at breakfast. This is the time when my appetite is lowest, I most need the energy but least feel like cooking, so I can usually shovel it down.

My favourite breakfast ration is Porridge Oats with Sultanas (breakfast of champions!) which is another of the dehydrated variety that you can eat at any time with very poor appetite.

I always take a few items of simple fresh foods that you can eat hot or cold, along with my ration packs. These rarely vary from a quarter-pond block of Emmentaler Cheese and two packs (x4) of Wiener-type Sausages in sealed plastic wrap. Again, you can eat these cold anytime, or tear off two at a time to heat in the Jet Boil in their wrap.

My hanging Jetboil setup.

I really love my coffee, even if it's not the best thing to drink on mountains, so I always take some "instant" which I pre-mix with sugar in an old 35mm film canister, enough for one mug at breakfast. My all-time favourite and most useful alpine drink, however, is "Coop Ice Tea"(available all over Europe), lemon or peach flavour, in 80gram packets of granules, which makes a litre (or 1.5 litres if you stretch it). Again, you can have it hot or cold, just tip the granules in a mug or bottle of water to your taste. Two 80gr packets will last me 4 days or more at a stretch. If you don't like tea, just take powdered fruit juice with some extra sugar. If you stick to lemon or orange it's superb hot or cold.

All of the above are far more refreshing than coffee or strong tea, and you will be surprised at how quickly you adapt to juices over tannin or caffeine.

My other hot favourites for evenings in the bivvy are Ovaltine/Ovomaltine or Chocolate blocks. The block forms can also be chewed if you run out of gas for your stove.

Finally, take plenty of mixed munchies to chew on route. I use a mixture of dried sultanas and "Haribo" gelatine sweets, divided up in7 or 8 plastic coin-bags and spread around my pockets, ration-box, and pack-lid. In Switzerland you can get these Banking coin bags for nothing, and there's one Bank on every corner. Also, it's the only thing they give you for free!

A packet of dry biscuits, "Tuc" for example, makes a great bread-substitute to mop up your ration packs or eat with a fruit-jam (conserve), which is best bought in 4-inch "toothpaste-style" tubes, again available in Euro Coops.

So my typical 2-3 day Alpine Solo ration and utensil list looks something like this:

GEAR: (1) Jet Boil Stove plus x2 Propane 97gram canisters, including spare gas-lighter (never trust piezo-electric!).

(2) Plastic Mug - half-pint with handle.

(3) Plastic "Racing Spoon" (or half Spork) on a cord around neck.

RATION BOX:

(1) Pasta/potato based dehydrated rations with meat x2 large or x3 medium.

(2) Porridge/oatmeal and sultana dehydrated rations x3 medium.

(3) Emmentaler cheese in sealed plastic wrap x2 8-ounce blocks.(Can substitute with Babybel waxed cheeses x6).

(4) Wiener sausages in sealed plastic 2 packs of 4 sausages each.

(5) Jam/conserve, 2 tubes of 4 oz each.

(6) Dry biscuits, Tuc or similar.

(7) Sweets/Candies, sultana-Haribo mix, 200 grams.

(8) "Ice Tea" granules, 2 x 80gram packs.

(9) Ovaltine/chocolate blocks x 4 = 4 cups.

WATER: 1-litre full bladder in Sack, plus full half-litre water bottle.

(Can take extra gas canister to melt snow/ice for meals and top-ups of

containers.Take a strong plastic shopping bag to collect snow in,and

top-up your water at every oportunity.)

One final thought!! Never take rations that you have not used before.Allways taste test a new variety of dehydrated rations,so you know you can stomach them before you use them for real!

Good Climbing,

Rob.

WALKING POLE STUFF. (Tools not crutches!)

2011-08-31T04:23:00.000-07:00

"Ive tried then but they dont work for me",is the usual refrain of walkers who have bought poles,but never bothered to learn how to use them! Hardly suprising as this most purchased of mountain tools has very little written on their correct use.

As a result one can observe some of the most expert of mountaineers with the latest shiny super-pole,floundering around like a pig with a musket getting very little out of his sticks.
Poles have only two functions when used for walking-1:Balance.2:Propulsion.There are lots of improvs- of course,bivvy support poles,buried snow anchors,etc,but those are the primo uses.If your using them just to support your weight dont be suprised if they collapse on you.Since the excercise form of Nordic Walking arrived on the scene a few years ago.There has been a great deal of good scientific research on the benefits of poles,and much of this is applicable to standard Walking Poles.It should be remembered though,that Nordic Walking Poles are designed for that particular excercise only, and are completely unsuitable for Hiking or Mountain Walking.One of the off-shoot benefits from Nordic Walking is the LEKI SILENT SPIKE,a small rubber boot covered in ultra-grippy titanium pegs that fits on any standard pole tip.

Leki Silent Spike.

For the slippery,algae covered rocks of the UK,they are the equivalent of having crampons on your poles.They are all very grippy and quiet on any hard or flat surface,hence the name "Silent Spikes".Ive been using them for some years in tandem with "Grivel Spiders" on my boots for high-alpine Swiss paths,and icy British paths in winter conditions. They are no substitute for crampons in heavy going,but its amazing what they will get you over when you dont feel like lugging the ironmongery.

Fitting Spikes.

Curved surface toward you.Handle Strap facing away.

Use this method when putting them on and they wont end up back to front on your poles.

The biggest mess people make with sticks is adjusting the hand straps and pole-length correctly.The strap is simple,you just put your hand in the loop and tighten enough to get the position depicted below.

A good strap length will enable a well supported handle grip.

When your done,"do not" cut the loose end of strap away,just fold and electrical tape it to the strap itself.You may want to extend the strap in future to take chunkier gloves or mitts.

One of the most irritating things in my "mountain-pain in the bum" list,is being in a group that has to hang about in a freezing wind.While the other half of the group are poking each others eyes out,trying to adjust poles useing the barely visible graduations on the stick.Theyve usualy forgotten the measurement and get the length all wrong.Then they get flustered because they are driving everybody else bat-shit with their fumbleing and frequent readjustment stops!Heres the simple way to do it that solves all those probs,and makes you look like a mountain god.

Mark pole length with indelible pen.

Go to a stationary shop for a black(colour of choice)indelible felt tip pen.Adjust and equalise your pole sections to your specific length (see adjust pic below)and mark a clear visible circle around all sections at the point of locking.Let it dry for ten minutes them fold them away,and all your problems (And mine!)are solved!

(If youve read this blog,and havent done this when I meet you on the hill.I might have to kill you!) Once done,you only have to redo them once every winter.

Finding your correct pole length is dead simple,because there is only "one" correct pole length for you.All this stuff about adjusting pole length according to steepness of ground,and terrain is total bollocks!The pole manufacturers dont help this mythology much by constantly adding printed micro-graduations to their products.

Extended forearm to the ground,is your correct pole length.

Apart from secondary uses as ski-poles,bivvy-poles,or dagger-picks on steep ground,they should only ever need to be adjusted to your personal length.Stand upright and extend your forearm(only)from the body at 45-degrees.Your pole length is from where it fits snugly in your grip,too where the tip touches the ground.Make sure each extendable section is of equal length to get the maximum strength and support out of the pole.Then mark in your personal graduations as previously mentioned and "robs your uncle",thats your length!

For further instructional tips go too- www,farsightmountainventures.com (training page).Or watch out for part:2 of this blog coming soon.

Good climbing,

Rob.

CLIMBERS CLUB .Book of poetry.(Voice of the Mountains.1905-1913)

2011-08-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

Just when i begin to think i have seen most facets of mountaineering i am brought back to earth,with a bump,by something entirely new(or in this case,very old!).

CLIMBERS CLUB POETRY-"The Voice Of The Mountains-1905"

My dear friend and FARSIGHT MOUNTAIN VENTURES archivist Peggy is forever scouting British bookshops and bootfares for new,old,or just plain unusual material that might be of use to our archive.And this time she came up with a real treasure!

(leather bound front cover.)

"Where rose the mountains,there to him were friends."

(Lord,Byron.)

It is a small book of poetry and thoughts entitled "THE VOICE OF THE MOUNTAINS",and is dedicated to "Charles Edward Mathews (1st President) and fellow members of the CLIMBERS CLUB".It was compiled,and edited in 1905 by Ernest A Baker and Francis E Ross who were allso members of the CLIMBERS CLUB.This particular edition was printed in 1913,which makes it only two years short of being one-hundred years old.

"Among the mountains did i feel.The joy of my desire."

(William Wordsworth)

It is beautifully leather-bound as was the fashion of the time and contains the works (and excerpts of works.) of some sixty poets,from Virgil through to Lord,Byron,A L Tennyson,Longfellow, and A F Mummery.It has poems written in Latin,Greek,Italian,German,and English.

"If thou art worn and hard beset

With sorrows thou wouldst fain forget,

If thou would learn a lesson that will keep

Thy heart from fainting and thy soul from sleep,

Go to the hills."

(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

The great wonder of poetry is that in its verse, ones own intensity of feelling is reflected in a thing,a place,or an event.And in this time of instant-information we forget that there was a time in the (not to distant) past.When one required an elevated social status and a classical education to enjoy works such as these.

"Indeed i am waxen weary;but who heedeth weeriness

That hath been day-long in the mountains in the

winter weathers stress?"

(William Morris)

The editions of this book,very tellingly,end in 1913 one year before the Great War of 1914-1918.I have not been able to find a record of any reprints after that period.

I intend to contact the CLIMBERS CLUB to ensure that they are not without a copy of this work.If they are not, i will offer it for their club archive.

Good climbing,

Rob.

THE BIRTH OF THE ALPINE IDEA. (Historical Milestones.)

2011-08-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

Mont Ventoux, at 1912m with a whaleback profile rather than a spectacular peak, would pass almost unnoticed if it stood among the Alps. But it has one unique distinction apart from being the highest mountain in Provence. Ernst Feuz, a mamber of the Swiss Alpine Club, thought it worthy of submitting to the SAC journal of February 1939 a German translation of a letter written in Latin by the "Father of Humanism", the great scholar and lyric poet Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) in which he set out the first detailed account of an ascent of a mountain. This has been described as the "birth of the alpine idea".

Having spent most of his life in the area (although he was born in Italy), Petrarch had always seen Mont Ventoux on the skyline and his desire to climb it grew stronger until in the year 1336, at the age of 31, he achieved his dream. The impulse to climb a mountain simply because it is there appears to have been very rare in those times, though today we take it for granted as a part of human nature. His work in various clerical offices at the court of Pope Clement V in Avignon allowed him plenty of time for his writing, poetry and travel. Travelling purely for the pleasure of seeing new places was also unusual in the 14th century, and Petrarch has also been dubbed "the first tourist", as he travelled extensively. It was therefore characteristic of him to want to climb the highest mountain he could see from his home.
He adopted a very modern approach to what was then a serious expedition. He had to choose a companion who was compatible with him, and knew that character traits which could be easily tolerated at home in the charitable spirit of friendship could become intolerable on a journey, especially a challenging one such as climbing a mountain. Assessing his friends' psychological makeups and physical abilities he had to dismiss all of them, and decided to take his younger brother Gherardo and a couple of servants.

The brothers spent the first day travelling the 50km from Avignon to Malaucene, which lies at the foot of the mountain, where they had a rest day before setting off for the ascent the following morning, leaving the servants at the inn. The weather was fine, without the strong winds for which Ventoux was and is notorious. (The clue is in the name!)
The route was very steep, but at first they found the exertion exhilarating. They met an old shepherd who tried hard to deter them, claiming that 50 years ago, fired by the same youthful impulse, he had made it to the summit but all he'd got out of it was a lot of bruises and torn clothing. He stated that no-one else had dared to attempt it before or since (which was not strictly true but Petrarch believed him). The old man behaved much as some people you encounter today - trying to frighten you off whatever your planned ascent happens to be. And the Petrarca brothers reacted much as you or I would now. "Yo! Challenge! Let's go for it, Bro!" They left their superfluous items of kit with the shepherd and set off at a cracking pace, which of course they could not keep up for long. Fatigue set in and they had to stop for a breather before setting off again at a more measured speed. Gherardo was the fittest and took the most direct lines upward while Francesco tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to find easier routes, realising eventually that it merely lengthens the journey while postponing and increasing the inevitable pain. As a man of religious background, Petrarch saw in this an allegory of the Christian life, aspiring to Salvation which can only be reached via the high, hard route, not the low, easy one.

It was a typical Long Slog. Annoyed by his own mistakes, Francesco struggled to follow his brother, arriving with trembling knees to find the laughing Gherardo already refreshed, having had a rest while waiting for him, ready to start off again.
Philosophising on the nature of the soul and temptation, Petrarch at last reached the summit. He was dazed by the panoramic view. The clouds were below them. Looking towards Italy, his beloved homeland, and feeling a pang of homesickness, he could see the snow-capped Alps; to the west the Pyrenees, which he knew were there, lay beyond the range of human vision, but the mountains around Lyon were clear as was the Bay of Marseilles and the river Rhone. As we all know, mountain summits can create a literally elevated mood, and he goes into great detail about the religious, philosophical and moral insights and conflicts which came into his mind. But the sun was already low and they could not delay their descent any longer. He was content to descend his mountain.

What would Petrarch think if he could see Mont Ventoux today? A road was driven up it in 1879. Like so many scenes of great adventures in the past it has been tamed and civilised, a trend which saddens many of us.
Mind you, Mont Ventoux is still a notorious climb - as a stage of the Tour de France.

See you on the hill!

Peggy

EASY SWISS SUMMER SOLOING. (Pt:3- Altels,3629mtrs.and others.)

2011-08-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

Note: I very stupidly blew my Altels photos away,and so have borrowed most in this blog from
the work of Cyril Ruegger (deceased).My sincere thanks to Cyril,a very fine mountaineer
who died doing what he loved most.

Altels:3629 metres,is another of those bergs where the term "easy" must be used very loosely.Its an impressive looking mountain even in summer when allmost devoid of snow on its face,except for the 300metre glacier that runs its centre.The normal route graded at PD+follows the NW-ridge up its imposing,multi layered north face.

Altels:3629mtr,& Obers Tatelsishore:2965mtr (left) from Oeschinengratte.
The last of its firm consolidated upper icefield burned away in 1994.Leaving its entire north face a gravel strewn slab system of 40-48degrees,that is treacherous underfoot in summer,and prone to avalanche in winter.The dangers of a slip and fall are very real as there is little chance to place protection,and the rubble surface would have a horrific cheesegrater effect on the body if you did take a tumble.The original grade was given at a time when there was a permanent snow layer,and i think it now exceeds its PD+ in terms of overall difficulty and objective seasonal dangers.
I climbed it in july 2010 and again this year as a training route for Eiger,Austrian route,and West Flank.On the first occaision i met a local guide hurtling down the central glacier in the opposite direction who was less impressed than i was,having been turned back by sheet-verglass on the last 100metres of summit steps.(fortunaetly it had melted by the time i arrived)

Looking down from above glacier.(Cyril Ruegger)
It is not often climbed now due to the warmer conditions and is usually only used as a descent route from the Balmhorn-Altels summit saddle link.It does have its charms however in incredible views of the Berner-Valais region,and the sheer testing, bloody mindedness required to persist on this route.It is home to some amazing geological formations,herds of Ibex,and the odd Chamois.It allso provides a great "Cave Bivvy" complex with access to water and firewood,as a jump-off point for Obers Tatelishore:2965mtrs further west over the foothills .This same bivvy can be used before an ascent of Balmhorn via the old moraine route of the Schnarxgleitscher,up to the Zackengraat ridge.
When Peggy and i first found the caves,they had good overhead protection and well used fireplaces.A few had excavated shelves for candles etc,and ancient iron nails in the rock on which to hang gear and clothing.We even found old intact glass-stoppered bottles dating back to the Victorian-period.It is obvious they have been used by hunters,goatherds,and mountaineers,for many hundreds of years,and perhaps even longer.(Swisstopo,GEMMI-1267.!:25000,GR:143161)

Swisstopo.GEMMI-1267.
Wild Camping is illegal in the Berner region but nobody minds too much if your climbing,acting responsibly,and leaving "No Trace" behind when you depart.The map for this are is the-"GEMMI(1267),1:25000.Landeskarte Der Schweiz.by Swisstopo".
The Kandertal can be a bit confusing to navigate around,as it is bang in the middle of the GEMMI,LOETSCHENTAL,MURREN,ANDELBODEN maps convergence.A quick visit to the Tourist Office in Kandersteg will avoid all this pain,and get you an excellent "local" Swisstopo map of 1:25000,that covers all the main bergs and walks in the entire area.Thus saving you a navigational nervous breakdown!

Altels summit.(Cyril Ruegger)
The gradient of the normal-route steepens as it narrows near the summit,and one is presented with a series of slab steps not unlike the lower section of Eiger,West Flank.It is prudent to place protection (Blade Pitons do the job) here and "Back-Rope" for the last 50metres,as the verglass patches are often very hard to spot.The summit cross is set-back from the summit on the saddle to Balmhorn,and comes as a welcome suprise.(in my case a great relief!) There is a SAC-Logbook in the box on the cross,if you can get it open that is?!
For the clinically insane who want to link Balmhorn,be warned,you will require two abseils of 20metres to protect yourselves and one and a half hours to reach it (perhaps two more hours to return if your not going on.)
The descent is very slippery and tiresome and one could consider a slow glissade down the central glacier if so inclined.This idea gets more attractive the further you descend!

Dudeist Tai Chi,on Obers-Tatelishore summit.2965metres.
If you dont want all the pain of Altels,or are just plain masochistic,you might want to consider Obers-Tatelishore:2965metres a bit further to the west.Its very much like Altels in gradient and condition and,what there is of a route,goes up its far left ridge in the form of multiple traverses.Its much less of an ordeal and gives incredible views into the hidden valley of Gasteratal.The summit is allso a great spot for lunch and Tai-Chi.The lower knoll of Unters-Tatelishore at 2497metres is an easier option to this,and can be walked too on the "Taterli" path (In summer,great wildflowers and maybe some Ibex.)

Unters-Tatelishore summit,2497metres.
In winter the Unters is a Ski-Tour summit and allso could be made on snowshoes,a great view down to Sonnbuel and Kandersteg can be had from here.
I have not bothered putting route times in on this blog as i climbed from the Cave-Bivvy,and not from Sonnbuel SAC-Huts or Schwarenbach bunkhouse.I am happy to give them from the caves (on request), but suggest the huts be used unless you are a competant,and confident bivvy-freak.

Good climbing,

Rob.

EASY SWISS SUMMER SOLOING.(Pt:2.Rinderhorn.3448metres)

2011-08-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

I didnt need much excuse to climb Rinderhorn for the second time in two seasons.Its a bit like climbing Altells except that the last 300metres of its 3448metres,actually has a summit icefield instead of verglass and scree.The North Ridge route is at grade-PD and takes me to the summit within about 4 and a half hours of Les Swindin,s estimated 4-5hrs.

Rinderhorn.3448mtrs.(Fred Spicker)
The great incentive for me on this occaision was that i was booked into the historic Schwarenbach Hotel in the Gemmi Pass.A place that in its time has played host to Guy de Maupassant,Oscar Wilde,Pablo Piccasso, and even Ernest Hemmingway on one of his Ibex-hunting/Mountaineering expeditions.And now it had little old me!!:-)
Peggy and i had a two bed suite on the third floor (Yes,this is a real hotel!)with an incredibly tasty four course dinner, and a superb early alpine breakfast for a very reasonable price.

The Schwarenbach Hotel.
I was a little disapointed that our excellent hosts (The family,Peter Stoller-Wehrli.) hadnt sought to display more of the hotels great history,since it was built as a customs house in the Gemmi Pass in 1742 between the Berner and Valais regions?But judging how hard they worked to make us comfortable,no doupt they will eventualy find time to put up a few old boots and ice axes to keep us old alpine history hungry Brits happy?!And i will certainly be staying there again next year,providing they dont find out that i accidently detached one of their double glased windows (The lever was so tempting!?)and allmost dropped it on some customers,three storys below! I got a three hour lecture from Peg on "Why i must not fix things!" after that episode,and thus have paid for my sin!

Peg telling me off,at Schwarenbach.
We hurtled up the still-dark track by headlamp at 5am next morning fortified by a full nights sleep and a great breakfast.About twenty minutes along we turned left up the col,just before Daubensee,and headed up the steep Cwm to Rindersattel.We made it in under two hours,followed by two super-fit Swiss aspirant guides and a freezing morning wind,that made us all scuttle for cover behind the Chli-Rinderhorn ridgeline at 3000metres.

Chli-Rinderhorn(left)Rock ridge shelter(right).
Our new guide friends took off uphill like rockets after about five minutes.We lumbered along after and were soon far behind.Pegs knee had been playing up for days so it was decided she would shelter at the big cairn,just before the summit icefield,and i would go on.Whilst waiting she found a Trilobyte fossil in the rubble at about 3200metres.Peg allways finds remarkable stuff on our trips!

Peggys Trilobyte fossil find.
I donned my crampons and started a broad traverse up the summit icefield in the tracks of our Swiss friends.I soon wished i hadnt as the ice prooved as soft as it was on Frundenhorn a few days before,and i was stumbling and swearing in frustration at my poor progress.After an hour of this horror i reached the Gemmi end of the summit ridge to be met by the descending guides.

Rinderhorn summit.3448metres.
I was kind-of relieved to see that they looked as shattered as i felt!As we shared some ice-tea,they agreed that it was the worst summer conditions they had known in the region,so i felt a little better as i staggered up to the summit cross.

The view though a little cloudy was as stunning as usual with its agorophobic drop into the Valais region on the opposite side of the mountain,and the sharp Tallegratte ridge shooting up to Altells and Balmhorn on the left.

Altells and Balmhorn from Rinderhorn summit.
The incredible panorama of near and distant peaks lasted only long enough for an obligatory pack-shot and four snaps before the clouds closed in and the wind rose.I stumbled and skidded my way back down,barely under control in the slush,laughing like an idiot at all the abuse and anger i had vented on the way up.Wondering if the guides had heard it and what they would make of it?! I was soon back with Peggy who barely noticed my arrival being totaly engrossed in her new fossil and some wierd insect she had found,and together we made our way back to Rindersattel.

Icefield descent to Rindersattel.
The scree slope down to Daubensee punished us both,and we were shattered by the time we reached Schwarenbach again.We took our time over a good cold water wash in the Boot Room,and downed a gallon of cold beer and soft drinks before heading for the Sohnebuel Gondolla back to Kanders.We had a fantastic time and resolved to return next year,as there is so much yet to do in the Gemmi Pass.

Good climbing,

Rob.

SOME EASY SWISS SUMMER SOLOING. (Pt:1,Frundenhorn 3369mtrs)

2011-08-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

I guess the definition "easy" is pretty relative.These smaller bergs have claimed many lives in the past and continue to do so.Ive used these climbs as they are amoungst my warmup favourites for the High Berner region,are all achievable in one week,given good summer conditions and a high level of fitness.

Frundenhorn.3369mtrs.
From the soloists viewpoint the Kandertal region is a smoregasboard of closely packed 3000ers offering known alpine routes from AD to TD,with great huts for stopovers and allso plenty of safe places to test that newly purchased bivvy gear.The main town,Kandersteg at valley base has lots of low priced accomodation,and is rarely crowded even in high season.It has a local Tourist Office whose staff are superb for inarticulate Brits who want to book a night in a hut,or who need help with travel or accomodation probs.They will even phone and book your hut or lodgings for you while you wait!?It doesnt get better than that dudes!
I mentioned the Kandersteg-Allmenalp Klettersteig in an earlier blog,and thats allways a great place to get your hands back on Swiss Limestone,have a good look around,and put your head into gear for the bigger stuff.

Hut=(4) Route=(1)

First off,i reccomend the Frundenhorn.3369mtrs,NW Ridge at grade-PD(Pic-1) with a night at the Frundenhutte(Pic-4) (Dont forget to ring for booking and to ask if the bergs in condition?) Take the Oeschinenbahn Gondolla up to the lake and hoof it from there.You can walk up from Kanders if your daft or hardcore,but in summer you will fry! Go right at the lake and up the picturesque and very steep track to ascend to the hut(2hrs,or 3 for me!).Keep your camera out because the views up too,and at the hut will blow your mind!
Have a chat with the hut-caretaker as he is allso a local Bergfuhrer who can point out the entire route and conditions for you.This is allso a great time to decide if you wish to lengthen your expedition along the Galletgratte to take in Doldenhorn.3643mtrs,and descend via the Doldenhutte,which will add another day or two too your climbing?

Peg at the Red-Spot.(Beggining of route)
Leave at first light as the route though not long,is pretty slushy in these summer days.In fact the sooner you can make it to the summit icefield,the better,as it can become nearly impossible underfoot.
Put your crampons on early and head up the glacier to the big (very obvious!) Red Spot on the lower rock band.(You cant miss it,its irradescent!) Dont try to ascend the right hand chimney unless you are suicidal? Look over to your left for the steel rungs that will take you up some near vertical rock to a notch,above which are rubble strewn slabs.

These will lead you up to the icefield,and the route is marked by red-paint splotches.Take great care on these downward sloping slabs as they can be covered with rubble and verglass.Apart from the odd piece of fixed cable there is no chance at all to place bomber protection of any kind.If you slip along this route,you will fall all the way to the glacier and most certainly die.
When i descended on this route i found the red markers impossible to see,and only found it again by the small stone cairns that i had built at strategic points on the way up.In poor visibility the second dogleg route section is impossible to see from above,as it follows an overhanging geological fault in the face,so build cairns!

Summit icefield.
Once on the summit icefield its pretty straightforward,though i would now strongly advise ascenders to head up the (now exposed)rockband on the right to give yourself a start in case the ice has turned to "ice cream".Another good tip in hot conditions is,not to use the large exposed rocks as "waypoints".They attract a lot of the summer suns heat and the snow can become waist deep around them.Very spooky and very tiring!?

Peggy nearing summit.
Again have your camera ready for incredible views from the summit cairn.The entire range is visible from this point,and its the perfect place to rest and lunch.In descent simply retrace your steps,but take great care to stop and check your position.

Frundenhorn summit.
You may find as i did that its better to abseil through the first upper route dogleg,to make the slabby descent safer?You may allso need to do at least three 25metre abseils from the slab section back over the vertical pitch,and down to the glacier?

The notch.
There are plenty of bolthangers and ancient iron rings to abseil off,but check them carefully as one that looked fine came off in my hand.It simply is not worth risking a downclimb over verglass or scree covered slabs.Once back on the glacier its a steep but direct descent to the hut.Watch out for the sneaky narrow crevasses you may have missed on the way up! The hut sells half-litre glasses of iced-lemon tea.Buy one! You will thank me for it!?

Good climbing,

Rob.

SAC-MOUNTAINEERING HISTORY. (Our thanks to Richard Winter of ABMSAC)

2011-08-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

We would like to thank our good friend and fellow ABMSAC (Association of British Members of the Swiss Alpine Club) member Richard Winter,for his recent donation of old Swiss Alpine Club magazines to the AVA-Archive.There are ninety-six magazines in total whose contents cover the most historicaly important period in european alpine climbing history,from 1939-1967.

Front cover of the 1939 edition.
Though not a complete set,these valuable documents highlight the many evolutions in print and pictorial layout from the beggining of the Second World War to the flower-power era of the swinging sixties.
They show that though the glossy front cover of todays SAC-mag is a fairly recent inovation,great quality colour pictures were a feature of the magazine as early as 1952.

The early advertisements are a sheer delight,if not a little terrifying,when we are reminded of the kit that we considered "state of the art" in its time.The Ski-Boot advertisement reminded me of my first pair of realy good "Dolomite" leather alpine boots,that i purchased in Australia in the early sixties,and which took me about four years to break-in!
The articles are of course written in French and Hoche-Deutsch.The earlier magazines were dominated by the French language,but a greater parity was reached in the late fifties with a better balance of German articles.
In the sixties editions we begin to see the long awaited introduction of Schwitzer-Deutsch coloquial influence,that makes our SAC-magazine such a delight to read in these modern days.

SAC 1962-Andes Expedition.
These magazines will not be collecting dust on our shelves! As i write this blog,our archivist Peggy is in "hog heaven" pouring through the hundreds of great articles,and selecting some of the most historicaly significant for translation in English language!

From December-1952 edition.
German to English translation is Peggys forte,and we are looking forward to releasing at least one article per-month on this blog! Once again,our sincere thanks to our friend and ABMSAC colleague Richard Winter for making this possible with his thoughtfull donation.

Good climbing,

Rob.

SWISS ALPINE CONDITIONING. (Kandersteg Klettersteig)

2011-07-31T08:56:00.000-07:00

As an old Brit mountaineer i long ago learned the folly of jumping off a plane in Switzerland and storming straight up the nearest 4000metre peak.Its a recipe for disaster!

As much as i dislike seeing good rock festooned with ugly bolts,rungs,and ladders i grudgingly confess to a guilty affection for Swiss Klettersteigs in recent years.
The damned things are realy useful for re-conditioning us Brits(who only get to Schweiz once or twice a year!)to the sheer scale of the countries exposure,verticality,and the difficulty of judging distances on these larger bergs as against our smaller more compact ranges.
This year(for the second time!)i had the pleasure of warming up on the Kandersteg-Allmenalp Klettersteig.

Its 350metres of vertical delight at grade K4-Schwer with long peg-traverses,wire Nepalese Bridges crossing twice over the great waterfall that drops its entire length.There are two(optional!) Tyrolean Traverses to fly over,if your so inclined?Several delicious overhangs rigged with spiral ladders to take the sting out of the tail,but still keep your heart pounding too the top.Even the final 150metre walk to the Allmenalp Restaurant through pine forest and pasture is wonderful in July,with its fields of wildflowers and two fully grown Lama stareing snootily at you as you walk and unwind.

The restaurant is inexpensive,charming,and serves half-litre glasses of Iced Tea which you will certainly need!The small DIY unmanned Gondolla that brings you back down to Kandersteg is only a four person affair.You just climb aboard,sit down,and press the Bell Button.(its marked,so dont play with the other ones or you get barked at by the operator through a loudspeaker!)

We didnt bring any Via-Ferratta gear,but thats no problem!You can get the lot for only 30-Swiss Francs a day from the guy at the Gondolla Station below or the Climbing Shop(near the railway station)in Kandersteg.
Make no mistake,this is a tough and demanding climb,true to its grade.As allways i took my own harness with my "chicken chain" attached for drink and photo stops,and my 50metre 8.5ml half-rope just in case!
I have witnessed at least seven people struggling to reverse this beastie,having bitten off more than they could chew.and the locals dont warn you of its severity.The Swiss are a common sense,pragmatic people who expect you to be intelligent enough to know your own limits!

If your still full of beans when you reach Allmenalp(unlikely!?),you may decide to thrash up another few hundred metres to Bunderspitz summit at 2546metres(T3+) for some incredible views of the entire Kandertal region?! But however far you go i can guarantee a great days climbing,and alpine conditioning.

Good climbing,

Rob.