Finally we escaped the Munich area! Corona lockdown have not been easy and weekend in Frankenjura was perfect distraction. Great place for climbing and SUP adventures. Climbing The amount of climbing on Frankenjura is incredible. Multiple 1000s of routes spaced out in approx 2000 square km and two thick guide books. It is primarily single pitch bolted sports routes ranging from 15m to 40m. When selecting an area for my partner and I went for:

Last ski tour of the season. Last last weekend before the Germany coronavirus border closure. Route: outdooractive guide 1900 meters. Got to get high for decent snow. Talking with a guide at the Deutscher Alpenverein Library he recommend Kitzbühel range so off we went. Goal, summit Galtenberg. salomon kit Setting off from Inneralpbach we had a thin layer of snow over mud. We followed a shaded cross country track for a kilometre before heading up hill.

Last weekend I was ski touring in the Kitzbühel range and this weekend sport climbing in Kochel. Can’t get this everywhere. Bavaria makes for a good home. The alps a playground. With snow still visible on the summits, the lower elevations are starting to warm up. Thanks to a very mild winter the south-facing walls are in prime condition. Ready to climb. The season has begun. Not bad timing either, with Coronavirus quarantine the gyms are closed.

Location: Bayrischzell, Deutschland Ski poles, the worthy opponent. They struck first but not last. And so goes the tail of how I broke my hand and got revenge. one in my hand, one in the pack Skiing on the flat ground for a change. 40deg, 30deg, 20deg, now 0deg. First time cross country since I was a school child. Once upon a gym class we marched around the sports fields in skis.

Get out of the car, take the skis off the roof, beacon partner check, and head up the gondola. A day of touring starts. Location: Achensee, Tirol, Österreich Goal: Von der Erfurter Hütte auf die Rofanspitz Was taken aback by expansive sun bathed rock faces skinning near Erfurter Hütte. True high alpine environment. Leaving the ski resort we passed an automated beacon checker. Austria keeps its skiers safe. What looks very steep from the resort, up close was passable.

assessing fresh avalanches Last weekend Masha and I took a crew of eight friends down to Lenggries for an avalanche safety course. Besides learning about avalanches and ski touring we got to put our skills to the test. The basic itinerary was: tour up to Florianshütte in the morning of the first day, spend the rest of the day learning theory at the hütte, then do a demo tour the second day.

In the last few weeks, I’ve witnessed several close calls in the mountains. Also recently having taking an avalanche safety course I’ve had responsibility in the mountains on the mind. Here I share some resources to make your next trip safety and a story of warning. Last week I spent my days ski touring out of a hütte in Scoul Switzerland with friends. After returning to the hut one evening and we noticed a few members of the group missing.

masha and i Today I’m back after six days of adventuring from mountain hut near Scuol. It was a great trip with several successful ski tours high into Swiss alps. I had an outstanding partner and many warm nights sharing a meals with friends. After the week we covered nearly every skiable face both inside and above the resort and as a result learned a great deal about ski touring and German culture.

Marked by the start of the ski season winter is officially underway in Munich. The lack of snow in the city has been made up for by weekends in the mountains. Already took my new skis down some steep lines on the glaciers Hintertux and Stubai. During the weeknights skiing has also been on the mind researching avalanche safely in preparation to learn ski touring this year. Unfortunately not everything went as smoothly as planned.

Drinking red wine and enjoying the warm breeze overlooking the lights reflecting off Lake Garda, wait how did I get here? I was suppose to be in the Balkans. Well 24 hours prior to when we were set to leave Munich for Kosovo the carrier we booked, Adria airline, went bankrupt and canceled all flights, what luck. So we moved to a backup plan of a weekend climbing and doing via ferrata in the Arco area on Lake Garda.

Update 09-24-19 Excited to proclaim success! Last weekend I summited on the route I had attempted earlier in the year with a different climbing partner. This time nothing but sunshine. We employed the swinging leads method of climbing with notable success and made the climb in just under 3.5 hours, slow but for the longest climb to date for me I’m ok with it. It was a relief to summit because the day had been a bit stressful.

Frauenwasserl is a great beginner friendly crag just outside Oberammergau. I’ve been there a few times now and with groups, five to seven, usually including some first time climbers. With fifteen routes there are plenty of 4-5 UIAA routes to start off with and then some more challenging ones to hone skills. Its a great place to start climbing outside then expand into other crags in the area. my mentor

Hiking Mittenwald—Karwendelspitze Route: https://www.komoot.com/tour/63845277?ref=wtd Parking: Mittenwald Bahnof Primary photo source: https://www.instagram.com/antonpkazakov/ This weekend I had the good fortune to visit Mittenwald for summit hike with friends. It was another step in furthering my integration into Bavarian traditions where a summer weekend is not complete without mountains and a beer garden. The hike proved a good workout featuring views into Austrian Alps and after Mittenwald was more exciting then expected. tree line

From over a grassy hill, a group appears. A party of adventures trecking through farmland in search of rock walls. As they come into view gear laden packs adorned with climbing helmets are visible. Off to the left and right peeping in and out of view are the smiling faces of two girls pouncing, summer salting and, giggling their way through the open land. All from different backgrounds coming together for one thing, climbing.