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winter routes for beginner winter alpinists

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 11:18 am
by oshikore
Hello

Do you people have any suggestions for winter ascents in Europe?
preferably Slovenia, Austria,Slovakia, maybe Romania.

This would be my first winter climb so it should not be overly difficult :-D

thanks!

Re: winter routes for beginner winter alpinists

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:13 pm
by WouterB
As you are a beginner, I'm going to guess you actually have no idea as to what winter ascents contain. I strongly advice you to do a winter TREKKING first. You'll get the thrill of being out in winter conditions and a chance to learn in a relatively safe environment. There's lot of additional risks involved when going into the mountains in winter.

If you've done the trekking, you'l have a first/better idea of what extra gear you'll need. The mountains will be colder and likely windier! After that try to read up on avalanche danger, crevasse rescue, self-arrest,... (and buy the equipment needed for it!) . And/or take a winter mountaineering course!

AND read this thread.

Good luck!

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:31 pm
by oshikore
Thanks for your concern. I'll read the post. Actually I have. Not that I needed the reminder... just last week a group of three experienced Hungarian climbers - one of them a mountain guide and instructor got swept away in Slovakia. Luckily they all survived.

I have been climbing rock and alpine routes for a few years now. And I've done quite a bit of winter trekking. Some ice climbing too, so I am not a beginner altogether, it's just I've never done any climbing in winter. Which is why I am trying to get an idea what routes would be nice to try first.

I am asking not necessarily for this winter either just building up a list :)

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 2:23 pm
by oshikore
I have to keep repeating, I don't necessarily intend to do it this year...
I am trying to build a list of routes. Partly because I would want to see them in summer if they catch my fancy. I am not overly suicidal.

It always makes me sad when people try to stop me from being stupid. Not because it bothers me but because in my experience it never works. No one I told a particular course of action would prove a bad idea in hindsight believed it until the disaster happened. Just yesterday I watched as a guy in a climbing movie inserted a friend behind a largish granite flake - he weighed on it and a huge piece of rock came off. Together with the climber. His partner even murmured sth like "that doesn't look too good" while the friend was being placed...

As always, I am thankful for your input.

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:29 pm
by WouterB
megla wrote:In Slovenia, what they used to say at school is that one needs to climb a route three times in the summer before trying a winter ascent...


Very good idea. If something would happen, it would be nice to be in an area you know. Glad to see the threadstarter had the same idea.

oshikore wrote:I am trying to build a list of routes. Partly because I would want to see them in summer if they catch my fancy.


Now it's about time sombody gave him some routes. My first winter ascent was Roterkogel in Austria.

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:27 pm
by WouterB
sjarelkwint wrote:
WouterB wrote: My first winter ascent was Roterkogel in Austria.


Just to say again I didn't make it to the summit bastard?


You'll learn :wink:

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:38 pm
by oshikore
thanks guys I'll take these into account!

Any more ideas from Austria, Slovenia, maybe from Slovakia?

I did the Stuedlgrat and Palavicini rinne in summer, and I intend to revisit Stuedlgrat this summer too.

How is that in winter? Has anyone around here done it?

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 8:14 pm
by bledl
A good idea for training on bigger alpine winter climbs is climbing easy "sport" rock routes in winterly conditions. I just recently climbed a 50-metres fourth grade route here in Frankenjura. The rock covered in snow/ice, all good nut placements hidden, wearing grampons & gloves made it really "interesting". Try to climb as much of that kinda stuff and get competent doing so.
A good winter climb in Germany is Jubiläumsgrat on Zugspitze. But unfortunately two climbers disappeared there just recently.

Have fun!

PostPosted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 12:28 am
by WouterB
oshikore wrote:thanks guys I'll take these into account!

Any more ideas from Austria, Slovenia, maybe from Slovakia?

I did the Stuedlgrat and Palavicini rinne in summer, and I intend to revisit Stuedlgrat this summer too.

How is that in winter? Has anyone around here done it?


I climbed part of the Stuedlgrat in winter. I didn't intend to do it, but we ended up there and I decided to give it a go. But as I got up higher weather really turned round, so I didn't continue. I climbed Grossglockner the next day via the normal route. That's a pretty nice climb and not too hard. Just watch the weather.

You can read my trip report on that one.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 3:39 pm
by Petro
bledl wrote:I just recently climbed a 50-metres fourth grade route here in Frankenjura [...] wearing grampons


Is that allowed in Frankenjura?
For instance climbers in Poland agreed that drytooling is not allowed in any sport climbing areas as it causes a lot of rock damage. Frankenjura is a limestone area and limestone suffers a lot (compared to granite e.g.) from scratching by crampons. You say no one has a problem with that in Germany?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:37 pm
by alexey
Triangle on the Mt. Blanc du Tacul:Contamine-Mazeaud AD or Contamine-Negri AD. Chere couloir D a bit harder, but with good pro and easy rap descent.
Tacul east side Jaeger and Gervasutti couloirs (both ab. AD+). these are a bit longer
Aiguille du Midi Cosmiques ridge PD+. Mallory-Porter on the North Face AD, easy but long.
Midi-Plan traverse AD, especially good if you carry skis and descent towards Montenvers via Requin hut.
La Tour Ronde Normal route PD and North Face AD+
Aiguille d'Entreve traverse SW-NE PD
All these in the Mt.Blanc massif and easily accessible. You can even find a lot of other nice ice/neve couluirs and mixed routes in the area at summitpost.