Where is this storybook-looking cottage that sits on a hill high above the valley and modestly, yet magnificently looking down? It lies in the altitude of 2260 meters above the alpine Kaunertal valley and in winter is not easy to get there :)
In early March me, my friend David and mountain guide Háček (meaning „Little Hook“, haha) went for ice climbing trip to Austria. We left the car at the altitude of about 1300 meters and with equipment for three days, including climbing and skialp gear on our backs we started ascending. We had to conquer almost 1,000 vertical meters and with those 20 kilograms of equipment on our backs it was no fun.
November 4, 2023 – Val Verzasca, Switzerland – The Verzasca Dam, an engineering marvel nestled in the picturesque Val Verzasca of Switzerland that stands 220 meters tall, became the stage for the climbing elite. Red Bull Dual Ascent, now in its
second edition, attracted 24 of the world's best…
The cottage is kept the Austrian Alpenverein, from which we have borrowed keys and as members, we had a very nice price tag for accommodation for the night :) Although the luxury of electricity or water can not be expected, we wre not bothered – we could cook on a wood-powered stove, made water from the snow and spending few days without electricity was a nice change.
Frosty mornings
It’s morning. We have spent first night in the cottage. Although we have stuffed the fireplace with wood late at night, it burned out sooner than we expected and the thermometer in the room showed us a modest value of ten degrees in the morning. We add some energy, take food and climbing gear, put on our skis and head towards the waterfall of adernaline!
Fallender Bach - 200 m of vertical Ice
Although it is not far, considering the large layer of powder snow, walking on foot is unthinkable and we can only go on skis. A few hundred meters from the chalet we stand above the monumental 200 metres tall icefall. First, we have rappeled this wonderful mass of blue ice which took only few minutes and then we started our half day long climb back up. The icefall did not give us anything for free and moments of utter exhaustion fortunately turned into moments of phenomenal view and winner’s feeling. We reached the top at dusk. And as we change boots and pack equipment, the last remnants of light wane and we arrive at the hut when it is completely dark.
The Right Moment has come
After changing our dress and having some food, there was no more power left for anything. But then I looked out the window. The clouds that have been chasing here and there all day, suddenly disappeared. Before leaving for Austria I have been hoping for a situation like this: clear night when I can take long exposure pictures of a starry sky with the cottage and the valley.
The right moment has come. But what? No more energy left and it is so cold outside! Ten moment je tady. Ale co s tím? Nemám síly a venku je strašná kosa. My leg is blood battered from the boots, clothes are hung on a cord, we have wet shoes and especially the forces … There are no more left! The first attempt to fast action in slippers is not successful, within two minutes I was so cold that I shivered as miniature pinscher … so that my camera almost fell out of my hands.
So I put on three more layers, proper shoes, „snow sleeves“ and head the powder snow! The heavy tripod didn’t make it to my gear list, so I was looking for a natural element that would replace it. And I was lucky because in perfect position, I found a stump and it worked perfectly. I took a few shots with 30s exposure, ISO 4000 and aperture around f / 5 and with a feeling of ultimate satisfaction I could go back to the warm hut. And one of those images you are watching. If you like it, let the others know! :)
Adam Ondra dominated the bouldering scene again and won a gold medal in the second World Cup competition in Salt Lake City. He took second place in the qualification and proceeded to the finals from the same position. This time, he was surprised by the victory and admits that a little luck was…
Adam Ondra completed today's finals in Meiringen, Switzerland, and won a gold medal in the first competition of this year's World Cup. He kept first place in bouldering continuously from the qualification until the very exciting finals. He was satisfied with his excellent form and appreciated a…
