Innsbruck, part 1 - Pretty but Creepy

The stunning church just outside Innsbruck ...

... has a collection of saints' bones, dressed up in jewels. This is St Catherine.

And these are the skulls of 42 more!

Up close, with headdresses. Creepy.

Skiing! And Snowboarding!

Sunny days and snowy slopes - and a friendly (almost) local to show us around - meant an awesome three days.

Our buddy Marty played the tour guide, and each day he took us to a different resort in his current home region of Voralberg, Austria. We started at Damuls, hit up Lech's neighbour Warth on Thursday and finished up on Friday at Brand. Each place had its charms, but the runs were the best at Warth.

It didn't take long for us to remember the simple tricks on skis (for Jen) and snowboard (for Mark), and soon we were keeping pace with Marty and daring him to show us the black runs. Jen felt more confident than ever and surprised Marty and Mark by actually being willing to go fast, even beating those slowboarders to the bottom of runs (well, sometimes ... ) There were no notable stacks caught on camera, sadly, and only a few suspicious snow marks on clothes.

After midday it was time for a long and hearty lunch of local cuisine, including hot chocolate with cream and germknoedel for dessert ... germknoedel being a massive doughy dumpling, filled with a liquer jam and covered in vanilla sauce and chocolate shavings. Yum.


As the days wore on, the thin snow was taking more and more of a beating and the runs would become increasingly icy and hard. We guess sunshine has its downside, after all. There's no snow in the forecast, either, or even any decent cold temperatures - just more sun! As fun as ice climbing and skiing and snowboarding are, they need good conditions ... will we be back on the rock earlier than expected?

Brand ...

So we're in Switzerland, trip planning in a Swiss version of a greasy spoon (it was spotless), when Marty pops up online. Where to go, what to do and when: these are big questions.

But hey, Marty and his lovely girlfriend Julia live a little over an hour and a half away in Dornbirn, Austria ... and hey presto, a plan was formed!

We arrived for beers and a long catch up last night, and once we'd packed Marty off to work this morning, we headed out to enjoy the Austrian Alps. First stop was shopping for new boots for Jen (desperately overdue!), new sunglasses for Jen (a belated birthday present (Ed: due to indecision!)) and for us both - some wiregate carabiners. We're hoping the wiregates won't freeze up as much as conventional carabiners, if they get wet. We'll see how they go.

Then, mountain time - off to nearby Brandnertal  ...

... which looks a little like this. The photo doesn't do the ice justice - the chandeliers are truly spectacular, hanging down over an overhang in all manner of shapes. And these falls are up to 100 metres long, too - so taller than the image gives them credit for.

We thought they were looking a little thin after the recent (relatively) warm weather but after a glance at our guidebook, we realised that they're always quite thin - that's why most of the lines here are hard! So yes ... we might not be back to climb them any time soon... off for some skiing/snowboarding instead.

Hot Ice in der Schweiz

Sertig!

A destination found in our Alpine Ice book, with a cluster of moderate routes in a pretty amphitheatre. The aspect was north, the altitude was high enough - so there were good prospects for it being in fat condition.

We were not disappointed with the thickness of the ice!

Being the weekend, there were a number of other climbers there too - all Swiss, and once again being Australian marked us out as something a little different. That we were also free camping in the (paid) parking lot - hey, it had a loo and was at the end of the valley, in no-one's way - perhaps also raised some eyebrows. But after we returned expensive gear to a group of new climbers - who had dropped it, then the next day left more behind on a belay - we're pretty sure our free parking was ignored.

These sunny days and very cold temperatures have not been the best for the ice, however. Much of it was brittle to climb on, or extremely wet. On the third day, we climbed the couloir on the right. After getting soaked on the first pitch, we were astounded to find such hard and cracked ice on the following two pitches. How can an icefall be dripping when it's always in the shade and it's -16 overnight?! And then why are the next two pitches so cold and hard?!

Jen leading ...

... and smiling, bad ice or no!

However, there was one particular highlight - Saule, the steepest line there, on the left hand side. Two sustained, steep pitches. The second pitch was lots of fun, as the easiest way to climb it was to step completely inside the goove, being careful how you swung your axes of course but having steps for the feet front, right and even behind. At once stage, you could even take seat against the ice behind you. Stepping back out onto the face was a little tricky, and made even more intimidating for Mark on lead as a crack in the ice became visible (don't worry, we know now it's solid enough) - but all good fun, of course and a pretty impressive lead for Mark.

Mark leading the first pitch ...

... and heading off up the second, just out of the groove.

Having exhausted the lines we wanted to climb, we didn't spend more than three days here. And then it was back to asking hard questions - where to next, eh?

(On a side note, did you know there was a World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this weekend? We didn't either ... but worked it out when we were stopped by the police for an "identity check" just outside the valley, before being stopped in queues of traffic ...)

Heading North

We started near Lake Como, with a typically delicious coffee. Perhaps we were the only tourists in town?

Winding roads up the Maloja Pass ...

... but with great views.

And then we were in Switzerland! Pretty, pristine and pricey.

Australia Day (Italian Style)

We started the day early, hoping to jump on this line - Cold Couloir. Every day we've seen it in the valley, it's been busy ... but it looks spectacular. 600m long, if you go all the way to the top, but most people only climb the first (and best) 7 pitches of WI4+. Not for us today, however! Two parties had woken before us and we didn't feel like waiting around behind them, catching all the ice they drop.

So Plan B: Chandelle Levure (WI4+, 180m).

Not as spectacular in the photo, perhaps - but it turned out to be a fantastic climb and we had a really great day out. A few steeper sections, broken up by easy ground; and although we weren't alone on the route (this is Cogne in high season, after all!), we were first and could keep ahead of the friendly Belgiums and French guys behind us.

Mark enjoying the third pitch ...

... and the fourth!

But the best part of the climb was saved until last ... "magnifique gros free-standing au centre d'un amphitheatre rocheux" - or a magnificent, big free-standing pillar in the center of a rocky amphitheatre. 

It was beautiful to look at and fun to climb. Steep and sustained with all variety of ice shapes. OK, one section was a bit wet - so we were climbing through a shower that froze when it hit you - and some of the ice was a bit thin and patchy, requiring lots of attention to climb.

All up, though - we got to the tree in the sun at the top and congratulated ourselves on a really great day out.

(On a side note ... we found out just as we'd rappelled off that someone had fallen on this last pitch, injuring their ankle. We re-climbed the first pitch of the route, to rig a rappel line for them, and met him and his friends as they came down. More shaken up than seriously hurt, but with a limp and obviously in a lot of pain. We hope he's doing OK and is back on the ice soon!)

A little Lillaz luxury ...

We'd been free-camping in Fred for a while, or parking at Cogne's official van parking space, and to be honest ... we needed a shower and to wash some clothes, and to regain some of our civilisation. Thinking we'd stay just one night somewhere, research revealed a good deal: four nights in a studio apartment in Lillaz for a very fair price.

The apartment - all 30 metres squared of it - has an abundance of space. We don't quite know what to do with it all.

It also has an oven. This means roast potatoes.

After a day out in the snow, is it possible for anything to taste better?!