quiz

11pm : 3 good looking girls, a bottle of wine and YOU - what do you do?


1. the "obvious thing"

2. the "obvious thing"

3. you go to the sofa to make some new GU-caps


ANSWER :)))

the "holy" grade

how coud i forget about the "most" important thing?


does anybody need a grade to describe bouldering like that?

well because it was never about a grade. it was about a dream: climbing a line, linking a logical start with a logical ending. despite looking WAY to hard first, the holds where there, so there had to be a way through it. spending hours and hours, days and days in solving an "impossible" puzzle and then push the body as far as it gets. that is what this boulder was about for me and then "numbers" disappear from itself - you just want to DO it - and it really does not matter anymore if 7A or 8A or 9A or what ever. 

entry moves into the hard moves of  part 1: close to the ground....

anyway, i will give it a try: it can be put it in pieces and compared to others: IKARUS is arround a 7C+ linking into a hard 8A - thats about the same numbers as the "neverendingstory, 8B+" in avers - just the other way round and ikarus/deadalus feels even more physical (and more fun to climb) to me.

...are often the hardest moves (the single hardest move at the beginning of the second part)

the next 5moves to gain the easy topout-part are "just" arround 6C/7A and from the bottom one coud think that this ads "arithmetically" nothing to the "NUMBER". but for me it was a BIG diffrence. up to IKARUS i climbed super safe and controlled. the next 4 "easy" moves i was totally out of controll and my "flight" up DEADALUS nearly "crashed". 



so can it be the SAME grade?! difficulty-wise it was something totally diffrent but as grades have "depth" its may the same grade. but where is the line between the grades? and if a grading-scale can not tell me such an obvious diffrences in difficulty then i just dont need such a "tight" grading-system! it woud be enough to state that DEADALUS is a HARD 8th grade boulder. the grading system may failed here (for me), but i can make a relation to how difficult DEADALUS felt compared to other boulders i did. you can find that relation/order in the column to the right where i put in the boulders i climbed. for me DEADALUS was for sure the hardest thing i climbed up today.


topping out on deadalus - better dont crash ;)



i will let others the "honor" to debate about that PRECISE grade that anyway just does not exist - i will stay with what FRED said in the "core"-movie about his "L'isola che non c'è" : "...i dont expect anybody to judge about me and my climbing; whats right, whats wrong. the GREAT thing about climbing is that there are NO rules from humans, just what nature gave to us. i saw the line, i liked it very much - and i climbed it..."




details

why 6years?! too stupid, too weak?! well may both ;)

as susten is a high-alpine area there is too much snow/wet holds sometimes up to july. then it gets normally too warm (not enough friction on crux holds). late october winter is back; snow, icing cold, closed road... - so not much time to climb HARD up there.


hmmmm, how does that work best?! the answer ocasionally can take some time...



usually you have just some 4-5weeks prime at end sept/october - if there is once some rain or snow, you have even less time. i first climbed the existing parts, got stronger, but then there were: broken holds, wet holds, injuries and other nice boulders you want to climb - all that can take some time...



why two names for "one" boulder?!

the part up to "traumland"-hold is pretty safe. the top out is not very hard, but if you blow it you may have a serious problem. so "ikarus" for the safe part, and "deadalus" for the topout seemed pretty appropriate.


after 5easy moves from down-right it STARTS

and it was EXACTLY like that on the send. as i climbed last friday for the first time to that finishing hold of "traumland" from the bottom-right, i climbed very solid, safe and felt strong.

BUT from there it seemed my "tank" was TOTALLY empty. the next 6moves to a REAL jug (and safe heaven before the easy topout) are maybe just 6C for itself - but you shoud not miss the last of them; a big move to a big jug. you cant spot that move anymore, if you miss it you swing out and you will "land" in the "bush" (full of stones) on the steep slope 3m below yourself. that was never a problem climbing in from the standingstart or the "traumlandstart" as everything was super controlled.

hard moves, but safe - IKARUS

but coming from the bottom-right these moves felt TOTALLY diffrent and they were suddenly OUT of controll. i may never fighted as hard on so "easy moves" before. on the move to the jug i nearly had a total "musculatur-failure" - my mind told me "no way you can do that", but i did not stop for a milisecond and just went all out for that jug - i got it. but then my fingers just started to open and i NEARLY lost the jug as i matched to it - so close... so there can be not better name than "ikarus" for the SAFE part and "deadalus" for the "not-so-safe-from-all-the-way-down" topout ;)


where you shoud not fall anymore, you cant really see it on the pic - but you will miss the pads and go a long way down... DEADALUS

and yeah, may "the most important" reason for 2names: like that (2names) you can register it twice and get twice the points on 8a.nu ;) but may the "boulder"-police will call you back because all that is not brave and hummer blablaballa... and as it is a pretty long boulder (6moves easy entry, 16hard moves, 10moves easy top out) - is that still a boulder? a route? a boulderroute? a routeboulder? ... you will have to register it as 6cB+b+C- or something like that. and as the move to the traumlandstart is a bit "dabby" and the following move bit "crouchy" - instead to get some more bodytension, flexibility and/or better beta - one can bitch arround that on internet-forums. AND... did i really climb it - no video-proof....puahhhhhh... ;)

FINAL day - EPIC it was...

... as it was NOT the best conditions, 4C is normally toooo cold for 15+moves (for me)

and as i was SUPER CLOSE on failing on the top-out (noooo good if so)...

BUT - ... lucky enough I was for once ;))))))))

so over 6years i dreamed of it, now i have done it:

IKARUS and the topout to it: DEADALUS

in the crux-sequence of IKARUS/DEADALUS (IKARUS ends at the traumland, next hold right) and DEADALUS (tops out)

topping out DEADALUS

2 minutes after topping out DEADALUS, the fog arrived

2min later, there was just 2C anymore and fog (humid as hell) everywhere - impossible to climb anymore - EPIC ending ;)

1day later; looks like i was "just in time" ;)

but all that was somehow just an "intermezzo" on the way to the "king-line" through the whole boulder. i now have ALL the beta i need, so see ya next year again: HIGHLANDER ;)

epic? EPIC!

- yesterday i waited longer and the friction was perfect.

- my power was ON

- no mistakes, everyting went PERFECT up to the very LAST move 

- with 2 fingers on the finishing hold i went DOWN

--> so NO, lucky i was NOT!!!

i went not down because i was too tired, but i pushed so hard on the secondlast move, that my fingers on the right hand CRAMPED and they just did not fully reOPEN while i was deadpointing to to finishing hold - so i partly missed it - CRAZY-BUMMMMMER!!!

- and NO, i did not discover my final beta on sunday - it way was (may) yesterday ;) i allways struggled, sometimes more, sometimes less with the startingmove of "traumland". i never truly understood why it sometimes was going ok, and why it sometimes was harder. i had an idea, but was not able to find the precise solution. yesterday on my "near send" i got a cut, had to tape my finger and went on my second go down on that underclingmove cause i slipped offfffffff the tape. i retried the move to bring my tumb on the hold to not slipp from my tape and "a move in the move" was then the missing puzzle and it worked perfectly - i can now do the move totally safe and i know precisly what i have to do. finally i UNDERSTAND every single move and its coming down to just be STRONG enough - or not to get cramped fingers on the final move...

to SPICE things UP:  first i wanted to travel today to the frankenjura with my girlfirend for a week or so. but the weather looks like it turns bad over there. so we decided to stay in swizzy till at least the weekend - what gives me another LAST (as the winter will arrive at the weekend in swizzy too) chance on friday (thanks a LOT to angela - KiiiiiiiiiiiiSSSSSSS;)

SO after 60+days over 5years - with the final BETA - one more MOVE to do - ONE FINAL DAY - thats EPIC!!! (i allways have to smile when people are like: ohhh, three days of epic - and then i climbed the problem. thats WAY far from EPIC ;)

susten - EPIC

the new beta worked - i did the move i went down 7times allready - just to go down on the next move - with my tips on the second last hold... but the temps were just toooo high - 17C - on 2000m (CRAZY!!!) - i shoud have waited longer into the evening - i did not - slipped off - with the finishing-jug just in front of my face.

if you can hang arround with just a t-shirt at 2000m in the shade - ITS TOO warm to SEND - beginner mistake - kind off... ;)

... so i found an intermediate hold for that move - never used it before (for the last 6years!!!), just in case i start to slipp again...is this the FINAL beta - or will the conditions be perfect for once - or will i be just strong enough for once - or will i be just lucky enough for once up there...???!!!

...we will see 2morrow... - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr -

nightsession and new KEY beta

i was wrong; just 11days for the snow

to melt - thanks to CRAZY summer (25C) weather ;)

so off i was for susten again. due to a meeting i was pretty late (5.50pm) - but with 11C the grip was magic - while wurming up i felt great - compared to summer-time the grip was sooo good - i nearly had the feeling of pulling out some holds ;) 

but as i was not up there for 2weeks (the snow), i knew i first had to rebuild the power endurance (15hard moves in a row) and get used to the special moves again. to my SURPRISE i climbed up to my highpoint on my first go (again). but facing the second last move, i felt tired and was not not toooo disappointed to miss the hold. i know my body pretty well. it will build up the powerendurance during the next one or two sessions and then i can climb to that move totally fresh - what is highly necessary if i want to suceed. 

my "falling-move" (7times allready)  - from the slot left hand (not sidepull as seen here) to the nice hold righthand i allready have here.

i then did some laps to build up resistance and played arround a bit on my "falling-move", which is a big move from a jam-slot left to a good hold way right up. the problem is that i do have to do it a bit dynamic and if i dont hit the hold right or the feet cut off - and youre bit tired - youre offfffff. its no problem from the traumlandstart, but gets a bit to a problem from the lower start. i allready had three diffrent betas, but not one was really safe - or to hard - coming from the low-start and beeing not 100% fresh (after climbing arround 8B to that point) anymore.

then i found a "non-hold" 10cm before the good hold right hand. i never considred to use this one, it also was not brushed, never seen it white - seemed useless - but yesterday i figured out that this "non-hold" actually fitted perfectly for me. i can get this hold statically, and with the right bodyposition i get tension on the hold - and then i can push me with my left feet the 10cm to the good hold right hand. this beta feels WAY better than the other ones - its powerful, but more controlled and i really LIKE the move now  - CANT wait for SATURDAY ;))

traumlandblock at 10pm: way better than the gym: get your LED lamps out and climb ;)

CRAZY, 6years ago i climbed the first time over this moves - now i found my best beta - good things need some time ;)

boogie boogie...

went up to magic wood with my brother and met some good old friends in the wood. despite the three days of beeing sick i did not feel too bad. the temps were moderate and there was wind blowing - NICE conditions!!! so i wanted to make use of it and had a look on nbsl.

but due to WAY toooo soft skin i punted around on  the second move like a beginner. from there it was ok, but i wanted to try from the start, and as that f*ç4" second move did not happen it was off (NEVER try this boulder with bad/soft skin - its a wast of time!!!) then i wanted to do something to keep up my endurance on big holds (for susten/ticino) - so looked for something with REAL holds and BIG moves: “Electroboogie”!

THE sloper on the boogie, pic back from 2005 when i did it for the first of maybe 15times up to date - it just toooo good to do it just once... ;)

I loved that boulder from the first moment I saw it YEARS ago. a freestanding pure line with intense and tricky compression moves – just perfectly my style ;) since last fall, electroboogie has a broken hold (does not affect the orginal beta/grade) – and I wanted to know if I coud still climb it with my old beta. I did not wanted to reclimb it with the original crux-beta, cause this beta involves a (haaaard) shouldertweaking move I really disliked from the first time I tried it in 2005. Back then I figured out some nice heelhook compressionmoves. I used the shoulderhold just shortly and then another crimp lefthand to avoid my shoulder from dislocate. That crimp I used back then is broken now and so I had to find something new.



the left-hand-crimp is broken, instead you can go another 50cm to the left and down (with a nice left heelhook) to get a good crimp and do some nice compression moves to gain the top-sloper.


After playing a bit around I recognized that I coud reach with my left hand even further down left to a nice sidepull. From there I could make use of my old beta with some more nice hooks and compressionmoves to top it out.

I tried this new beta shortly 4weeks ago, but was (powerwise) not ready yet after the summerbreake. This time I was ready. It felt perfect, nearly too good as i was kind of “disorientated” while climbing, never "knew" where i exactly was cause it felt so diffrent (more like 6A) compared to 4weeks ago (where it really felt like 8A+). it was a funny state of mind – shoud happen more often ;) unfortunatley it was allready too late for something else. but as I REALLY like the moves with the new beta i then made use of the “momentum” and did some laps on the "NEW" boogie, boogie – YEPPPPAAAA ;))



searching for the toe-hook left, to go for THE sloper left hand - bodytension all way to the top - i liked and i still LIKE very much ;)



presenting: THE BUTCHER

this NICE little cat can do BAD things to you if youre too slow...

cat-pics by angela wagner

 -if youre not fast enough -  it will CATCH you BADLY

and thats the DEEP RESULT as i WAS too slow (well at least not at the tips)

my hand after PLAYING a littel bit with the cat...

and to clompete the MESS, i must have eaten something "wrong" or i catched kind of a virus:  2days on the toilet does not really help to get you in perfect shape to get your projects down either.

at least the weatherforecast is CRAZY again: 25C for tomorrow; may the snow will disappear just in time to get another (last) chance at susten. we will see...

winter

arrived at the susten-area - project number one(s): IKARUS and HIGHLANDER are OFF.

sustenarea, yesterday

i  just can't believe it, everything went perfect after my summer-breake: in 5weeks i went from fb7A to 8B-area again, and my power endurance built up. temps finally droped from 30C to 20C and after 4days on "ikarus" and "highlander", i climbed allready three times a day (solid) to the second last move of "ikarus" to neeeeeeeeraly stick it and i was 100% positive to send in 1 or 2 more days.

but nature had other plans: winter hit at least 5weeks earlier and WAY heavier than usual (from 23C to 8C in 1 day) and it looks like the game is over at sustenpass for me :( approx 30/50!!!cm of snow will need at least 2weeks to melt. as i allready had to fight with wet holds, despite 2weeks of not so much rain, with all the new snow the holds will not dry again till end of october (when winter normally hits the area).

from TOP to FLOP in 2days. looks like the weather really does not like me this year - CRAZY SHIT- for the last 6years october was PRIME for bouldering up there... - this october it looks like you may better go snowboarding up there...



sustenpass dumped with snow



fit test II

chironico, still GREEN and WARM

if it rains in the north of swizzy - very often in the south it does not - so chironico this time - nobody else in the wood, may cause it was still WAY tooooo GREEN and still WAY tooooo WARM (23C) - but the forest is starting to change colors - HIGH hopes ;) anyway i re-did some nice classics, searched for shade and wind and then the 101-area is great. there i managed to "resend" "arrete with a pocket" and "einfisch,keinfisch". the problems went down quite well, despite the warm temps - HIGH hopes when COLDER temps ;)

einfisch,keinfisch - pic from last spring - by angela wagner

resting and waiting for the good weather to come

i surfed a bit on the net and had a backflash from my summer-holidays. thats how it was in august, and thats why you better dont go surfing to france in early august...

 early august: FLAT, crowded nonsens...

and that was THIS thursday, and thats why you better go surfing to france in fall. but as fall is also the KILLER season for bouldering, watching pictures like this results in a (kind of painful) tradeoff - its a 14h drive one way... its hard to get your boulderingprojects AND this waves done in the same short season... - but not impossible ;)

mid september: empty PERFECTION, pic by msw

testing my fitness - failure or PROGRESSION ?

i just wanted to test my fitness and NEARLY climbed a life-time-project...

i was up at sustenpass with my borther rolf and we had a great afternoon in the sun, above the foggy landscape. rolf climbed really well, flashing standingstart to classic and super aesthetic "3er-dyno" and sending the sds on his second try - cool!!!

beautiful sustenarea, again and again...  (if you dont count the roaring sound from "organ-donators" (bikers) speeding over the pass all the time)


after the sun was down behind the mountains friction increased and it was time to get to the "traumland"-boulder. last week i had set myself a new target: highlander woud have to wait (to hard), instead i woud first try to exit over "warmduscher", calling it the "icarus/deadalus-project" (still linking two 8A boulders that way). warumup felt great, but according to my "shedule" after my summer-break i needed another week or two to be in acetable shape again. nevertheless i decided i woud just give a "test-burn" from the sds to have a look where my fitness really was.

i climbed super relaxed, friction was great, fingers did not get cold and suddenly i was at the starting-moves of the "traumland"-part - i stuck the first super hard move climbed to my former highpoint - did NOT felt tired - stuck the next hard move - but just with three fingers. for 5 or 6 seconds i tried (nearly freehanging) hard to bring my pinky on the hold - i knew i woud send with my F**** pinky on it - but i did NOT mangage to bring my pinky on the hold and went DOOOOWN... - two moves from the "rescue-jug" - failure. this boulder really has nothing for free for me. but it was BIG progression too. i felt so good, i now KNOW (last week i was still sure, that its just to hard), that i even can CLIMB "highlander" - back in the game i am ;)



thats the position where my "fitness-check" ended; was not able to bring my pinky-finger on the right handhold to do the cross-move left hand to the right, to the top-hold of "traumland". pic by angela wagner 



on my second try from the sds i nearly stuck the hard "traumland"-move again. and to finish, i climbed through all the hard moves from just two moves in... GRRRRRRR, im getting fit again, and its getting clooose - SOOOOOOO 6weeks left for two moves - if i dont get this two moves together, i will BURN my pads ;)



Downgrading

ahhh soooo coool; finally i can downgrade something... ;)

summary: in 2008 i did the FA of two topouts (a left, and a right one) to the classic "traumland" at susten - perfect lines and very nice to climb!!! now they got the first repeats by local boulderer ronny birchler and better beta was found - what takes the grades down - what is cool, cause like that, more people shoud be able to try and climb this beautiful lines. that also shows that you shoud never let yourself fool from grades: if the line and/or the moves are cool, go for it!!! the boulder may suit your style, you may find better beta, you will never know unless you try it!

drive to susten: up there where the snowfields are, the boulders wait

details for the interested ones:  "warmduscher" takes the finishinghold of "traumland" and climbs slightly to the right and up. this line got the first repeat this starting summer from local boulderer ronny birchler. he had a great summer up there, making fast ascents of some 8A's at susten. he found new beta for the sitdownstart (to which to easiest beta (for me) is no longer possible after a hold broke) which suits him pretty well (i cant do that beta, feels to near everything).

he felt like the topout may not ads tooooo much to the difficulty to "traumland", but really completes the line. so he felt more to 8A then to 8A+.  for me the topout still adds difficulty but after rethinking may not enough for a real "+". may its just my "boulder" endurance that fails there... - but i will not call the boulder "soft". instead to make everybody (except yens) happy i will suggest a slashgrade 8A/+ for "warmduscher" (what also suits the name) - so everybody can take the grade he/she likes ;)

on the FA of "schön wie...", pic by angela wagner


«Schön wie das zufällige Zusammentreffen einer Nähmaschine und eines Regenschirms auf einem Seziertisch»
or shorter just; "schön wie..." is the direct (left) topout to "traumland". i graded this topout 8B cause of a horrible unsave, hard move after the "traumland"-part which took me weeks to complete on link. this spring (while getting ready for the highlanderproject again) i figured out that just 15cm to the left is a way better hold than i used (stupid idiot i was). the move to the new hold is bit harder, but the new hold makes the former crux-move EASY - so the grade has to go down to 8A+.

"schön wie..." got his first repeat yesterday by ronny - strong again after summer-family-holidays. AGAIN he found new beta for the cruxmove (normally i am the one who finds the easiest betas, but now i start to feel like a complete idiot... ;) but he still tinks its a notch harder then "warmduscher" - so we stick here with the "+".  or we go for 6B ;)  what ever, beautiful lines you have to climb when youre up there!!!

finally there was at least one boulder left, on which i had better beta... ;) after showing my "rève de faire"- beta to ronny he quickly climbed the crux-sequence and i am sure if the army-service does not make him to "lame", he will soon make a rare repeat of this amazing fred nicole classic - FUERZA!!!

WHAT GRADE

can a guy like HIM boulder??? 8C???

sorry but that pic was just tooooo NICE ;) pic by b3bouldering.com

yes HE can, even without some big PESEL, NANA, 10.5, BLACK BLABLA, E69 prints on his
back/butt...!!! well at least on this pic... ;)

i LIKE a LOT

Castle Hill New School Classics Vol One from derek thatcher on Vimeo.

fall FAILED but PSYCHE is HIGH

last week i was up at the susten area to check where i am after my yearly 4.5week summer-break. totally psyched for good temps after having seen the webcams (snow arround) and checking the weatherforecast which said: 8C at 2000m. arriving up there, still snow was arround, everything soaking wet and it was !!! 18C !!! - sooooo WARM - so much to swizzy-weather forecast.

nevertheless the "traumland"-block with the "highlander"project was more or less dry, just some wet holds. i had a great session with a local guy called ronny, who had a fantastic summer up there, crushing quickly lot of the 8A's at sustenbrüggli.

beautiful susten area. it looks cold but it was WARM during the DAY

i was quite satisfied with my bouldering that day. i am perfectly at the point in my schedule where i hoped to be. i start to feel power on the holds again and my skin is rebuilding. by 6 in the evening the sun was down, the temps droped, the grip improved DRAMATICALLY and we had a nice session. after two weeks of sun and sea, ronny worked on his shape too and was allready looking strong again - figuring out his beta to "reve de faire" and "schön wie...".

i surprised myself by doing the (for me) hard undercling startingmove of "traumland" on my second try that day and reclimbed "traumland". i did "reve de faire" from the standingstart, did the first part of "highlander" several times again, did the stand start to "schön wie..." with better beta... and so on... it was good training - and i am positive that i will be ready in two weeks for crushing mode again... FUERZA  

back from surfing...

...or what was supposed to be surfing. for everybody who thinks bouldering/climbing is really dependent from conditions (weatherwise) i suggest go surfing during summer in europe once!!! i was well aware that surfing in august in france can be like bouldering in cresciano in august: from 30days, may 1 or 0 will be good in terms of conditions - cause its just not swell season. and you know it allready: it was exactly like this - FLAT or FLAT and MUSHY. but even then, a REAL surfer NEVER gives up - he joins the crowd and waits for waves:

crowds waiting for waves - ALL day long - everyday picture...

but at least you have to be COOL when you are looking and waiting for waves, there have been soooooo many soooooo cool guys, i nearly needed a down-jacket for wave spotting ;)

flat sea but just be cool must save the day... ;)

after the moring swell-check i had to do something against the hunger: eat some healthy food everyday and you will be fine:

"american-sandwich" in st.girons - a real MUST ;)

so what to do instead of hanging out in the water and waiting for waves which everybody knew (swellforecast?!) woud never arrive that day(s)?! may going for aerobic?

morning aerobic on the campground - hmmmmmm....

or you coud go "whale-watching"

whale-watching in france is possible but, well ähmmm, may you try it better in oz... ;)

i preferred more to watch out for some greek "sirens" on surfboards...

yep, WAY better than "whale-watching"... ;)

fall has arrived in swizzy ;))))

webcampic from susten-area 1.9.2010

now the best time of the year for swizzybouldering starts - 2more weeks and i am ready again to CRUSH ;))))

can't wait for fall

therefore i will take my summerbreake right now. get some recovery from a long and hard season in which the weather just took me down three times in a row soooooo close before sending some of my nicest and hardest boulders ever. so hopefully it will be like in the past few years and i will come back in fall just a little bit stronger. and combined with slightly better weather i may will be able to do one or two more moves on diffrent boulderproblems, which will be enough to send...


for folks who are in the search for "neversummer" - this woud be the place to be right now, soooooooooo beautiful and NO crowds - just some nice and super motivated locals:


A few days at Castle Hill from derek thatcher on Vimeo.

and thats how i will escape the summer-heat in a non-climbing-way - fuerza... ;)