-10 degrees first thing again this morning & a lot of the routes getting fatter & others starting to form. It won't be long at this rate that routes like Arbonium which at the start of the week weren't touching down are actually climbable!
Colin led Eggeschendfall grade 4+ this morning.
E
Colin leading Eggeschendfall grade 4+, 2 pitches - Kandersteg
The route today had formed a lot thinner than in previous years, having been only formed during the past week.
The single thin layer of ice gave us some great steep & technical climbing.
The route felt safe to climb, as the ice was very relaxed giving many first time axe placements in soft & sometimes wet ice - the icefall gets plenty of mid-day sun.
Opposite to that, if we'd have got there and the ice was very dry, super cold & under a lot of tension then we'd have probably have walked away as the thickness of the ice was to thin & wouldn't have coped with those temperatures & somebody climbing on it........
In the afternoon we headed back to climb on the main wall above the village.
Colin leading the 1st pitch of Grimm Haizahine - Kandersteg
Me leading the upper wall on Grimm Haizahine grade 6 - Kandersteg
Very steep, very thin technical climbing on newly formed thin fragile pillars & hanging bobs of ice!
The line at the moment (which is for-shortened) on the upper wall of Grimm Haizahine grade 6 - Kandersteg
We did some great climbing today. Our rest day yesterday consisted of us heading over to Brunnital to try & find some ice there. 2 hours of driving & 2 hours of walking up & down the main valley there....... we couldn't find any ice routes formed enough for us to climb! so we spun around & headed back to Kandersteg!
The journey was definitely worth while though, as I'd heard so much about the place...........
I took this amazing shot of a fantastic looking line - Hydrophobia grade 6 - which when it fully forms & touches down - awesome!
This beautiful 4 pitch route alone, will get me back there at some point in the near future!
Hydrophobia grade 6, Brunnital - Uri
Safe climbing
Ade
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