Pentecost climbing weekend at the Mittagfluh

The forecast for the long weekend was decent, so we decided to celebrate with some nice granite multi-pitch climbing.

Saturday morning we got an early train from Basel and did train-train-train to Innertkirchen. From there an Alpentaxi (the bus schedule is still stupid) took us to Guttanen, where we dropped off our extra clothes before hiking to the base of the Mittagfluh. There were certainly people there, but it wasn't too bad and we didn't have to wait to start climbing the Südkante (early season, first time on granite, start easy). Andrea started, the pitches were 4b, 4b, 3c, 4b, 4c, 4a, 4b, 3c, 4c, 5a. Really nice, easy climbing (though getting around the flake on the last pitch was a sudden change of style) without any stress from other climbers except for a short wait at the last belay for the group in front of us to clear. Total climbing time was about 3.5 hours. After a food break up top we follow the last of the ridge (nice scrambling right at the beginning) to the top of the Mittagfluh and then follow the well-trampled path that leads us down, down, adventurously down to the 4x20m abseiling pitches. We do the middle two together and get down without too much mess. We go back the same way we came, have a drink at the hotel, check in, have showers and a brief nap, and then do dinner and head off to bed.

Sunday morning we do breakfast at 7:30 and are back at the Mittagfluh at 9:15. This morning it's busy! Fortunately no one is doing the route we have planned: Durststrecke (5b+, 4c, 5a, 5a, 5a+, 5b, 5a+, 5b, 5b+). Greg starts this time. Getting to the first bolt is a bit scary (non-trivial and it's the first climbing of the day), but the rest of the climbing is just joy, particularly after we get up into the sun. Really great climbing, mostly fairly slabby, with long pitches and good protection (though sometimes the distances between bolts feel pretty long). Oh, and a faucet in the wall at the second-to-last belay. Total climbing time about 3.5 hours. Same descent (though the route ends higher, so no scramble at the beginning) as the day before. After seeing a couple of locals (probably) head off along a more direct route back to home, we check the map and decide to try this ourselves. We don't find any kind of use trail, so this ends up being a bit of an adventure... it's a shorter route back to town, but definitely isn't faster.

Monday morning is roughly the same schedule as Sunday and we're at the base of the route by about 9:00 again. Today it's less crowded (at least at the moment) and there's no one doing Heidi mir wei di (3b, 5b, 5a, 5a, 5b, 5a, 5b, 5b, 5b+). Greg starts the easy first pitch so that Andrea can start the first real climbing (note that we take the 5b variation around the 5c+ bit). Another super route that feels a bit harder than Durststrecke (Andrea actually falls on one of the pitches, which hadn't happened yet), but that could at least partly be because we're both definitely getting tired after the amount of climbing we've done over these days. (The climbing also took longer, >4h estimate). Same descent as before and we take the normal way back to town. We've got time to change and repack the bags before catching the bus that starts the long trip back to Basel.

Awesome weekend with three really good, long routes in a beautiful area. Sooooo good to be doing long multi-pitches again!

Ascension weekend trip to the Alpstein

For the long weekend we headed to the Alpstein to do some climbing. As with our two previous trips we take the train to Wasserauen and head up from there. Wasserauen is complete madness: there are people everywhere, a long line of cars waiting to get into the very crowded parking lot, etc. So much for social distancing.

crowds...

Day 1

We start up the trail towards Seealpsee and spend the next 25 minutes weaving our way up, up, through the crowd (really) until the trail splits at p1177. Fortunately the masses are going to the Seealpsee (don't even want to think about what that looks like) and we're more or less alone as we then head up, up towards the Bogartenlücke. We do a short food break not too long after p1432 but otherwise move steadily up to the pass. There are more people here (they mostly seem to have come along the trail from Alp Sigel), so we don't hang out in the pass but start down more or less directly. Past the turn off for the route up to Marwees (plenty of snow in that route) and then down, down, to the valley floor. Another short food break and then up, up through the woods the last bit to Bollenwees. We check in, enjoy a cool beverage and snack on the terrace (nice solution to distancing there: they divide each table in half with a canvas that people can decorate), and then head up past the Hundsteinhütte (not open yet) to get in a bit of climbing at one of the crags on the Schafberg (sektor Wandfussplatten). After some very enjoyable slab and water runnel climbing we head back down to Bollenwees for dinner and the usual early night.

Bollenwees and Fählensee

Routes climbed:

1. Verscheidung  5a (g did this both with the climbing shoes and his approach shoes)
2. Schawis Buben 5b
3. Abgeschmiert 5b (g did this top rope in speed mode)
4. Maya 5c

climbing with views to the Furggelenfirst

Day 2

After a good breakfast we start out at around 8:15 and head back up past the Hundsteinhütte to the sektor Fähnligipfel to climb the multipitch route Ostkante (5b, 4b, 5b, 4b, 5b, 5a, 4b). There's only one other group ahead of us and they are doing the next route over, so we can just enjoy ourselves. The climbing is great, though the alternating difficulty of the pitches means that A gets to lead all the 5b pitches while g gets most of the 4bs. tja... After a couple of hours of fun we reach the top and do a food break while enjoying the views. A bit of waiting for the group in front of us to clear the first part of the abseil route and then we start our way down. Fun on this part as A drops her ATC, but luckily she sees where it lands and that's accessible, so after g lowers her for two lengths she's able to retrieve it and we can finish the abseiling as normal. After making it to the bottom we have another short food break and then head back to the hotel for a refreshing beverage and then a lazy late afternoon.

Crowds note: we were early enough that it was never crowded, but by the time we got to the top there were plenty of people climbing.

Day 3

The weather forecast is for rain and storms in the afternoon, so we opt to head back up to the same area again. This time it's a bit further up to sektor Neu-Neues Südplättli, where we do the route Neu-Neues Südplättli (5b, 4b, 5a, 4c, 5a). This is more super fun climbing that's over all too soon. Up top we check the weather radar again to get a sense of how quickly we need to be moving, have a food break, and then abseil down. We make good time back to Bollenwees and have time for a refreshing beverage before heading in to escape the rain and storm. The rest of the day is lazy time in the hut.

Day 4

Things are still a bit wet and g has ook on his hands/lower arms, so we opt for a scenic hike out. We start by heading up, up to the Saxerlücke and then head up more to the ridge. We follow the normal hiking path along the ridge, past a nice bivvy spot, past Stauberen (food break with a great view on the nice bench up here), continuing along the ridge seeing way more people than expected (given that the gondola isn't running) towards the Hoher Kasten. Rather than do the last bit up to the peak we head down towards Alp Rohr, down, down, again passing more people than expected, doing another food break with nice views above the Alp, then down, down, through the cool tunnels on the road, down down until we get to Sennwald, where we catch the bus that starts us on the trip back to Basel.

Climbing at Court

After yesterday's climbing in the Baselbiet, today we opted for using the mobility subscription to drive to Court and do some slab climbing. Zero approach (unlike last time) and then plenty of fun with slabs. :-)

We climbed the first half of each the 5c's, had a food break, and then did a couple of the 5c+'s. A did the full length of one though this required a stop at the half-way stand on descent. We both did the full length of another (the 60m rope was *just* long enough). Then our brains were tired and it was time to go.

We were alone on the slabs. A group of three showed up as we started the last route, but they spent a while practicing basics and didn't start coming up to the shelf until we were abseiling down.

It's sooooo nice to be out climbing again and these slabs are just great.

Climbing at Ingelstein

Finally climbing again! It's been months since we were out.

We got the new SAC Basel climbing guide and are discovering nearby climbing areas we didn't know about.

Saturday afternoon was Ingelstein, which has an easy approach and loads of routes (though not that many at our difficulty level) but which seems less heavily trafficked than places like Pelzli.

We climbed a couple of routes:

- Riss (4c). The book says 4c but it sure did feel harder than that. Either we both totally missed something or the rating is just wrong. It was a bit of an "uh oh" moment. :-)

- Der Schöne Grat (5b). We moved to this after not being able to get to the base of another 4 route (too much greenery). g did the first pitch (easy), then A did the first pitch and wanted more, so we did the last two pitches as one and then abseiled down. This was super easy and fun (as a 5b should be) and it was good to be in the sun.

Vertical meters above Waldenburg

g wanted to get some vertical meters and at least one long climb in for training, so A  planned the perfect tour. We drove to Waldenburg and then headed up, up out of town towards Hinderi Egg. The plan for the day was that A would hike the route and that g would play dog and run ahead, then come back, then run ahead, etc.

g ran this first stretch (though certainly not fast) up, up to Hinderi Egg and then over to the viewpoint at Chellenchöpfli. Quick appreciation of the Alp view and greetings to the two other trail runners already up there, then back down to meet A just above the parking lot at Waldweid (soooo disappointed to not be further ahead than that!). We walk together for a short bit then g runs ahead again back to Hinderi Egg. Food break at the picnic table there while enjoying the views. Then onwards!

greg running on ahead towards Chellenchöpfli

Now it's down a bit, g running ahead, to the saddle and then up onto the ridge towards Vogelberg. g opts to continue "running" the ridge to Vogelberg itself, down to the saddle, down to the Berggasthaus (closed, of course), and then back up and over the ridge before heading down to Bürten. A bit of back and forth before learning that A is in front at this point. We meetup again at the bench above Bergmatte, have another food break and then walk together down into the valley. At the beginning of the Jägerweg g "runs" ahead again. more climbing up, up to the lift station at Wasserfalle, then running back down, to meet A (who's taken a different route up). 

view down to Hingeri Wasserfallen and up towards Vogelberg

Back up to Wasserfalle where we take a break and enjoy cool beverages (the restaurant is open as a takeout, which is awesome!) before continuing around back towards Waldweid. Again, g runs ahead here to the parking lot and then runs back to meet A. At the parking lot g turns off the running watch (that was enough). We continue past Waldweid and follow the trail around to the beginning of the Richtiflue. Nice path along the top of the flue, and then down, down, down to Waldenburg. Nice views, from an unfamiliar angle, of the castle ruins and the Gerstelgrat along the way.

meeting up at Bergmatte

Track (g, "running"):

Stats: g: 20.8km; 1580m up, 1100m down; 3:27.

 A hiking: