2020 a year in photo's and what a year it's been!

A small summary of what has happened over the last 12 months and all the adventures that have gone down!

January:

Lots of time spent up scrambling around rocks, exploring in the Engadin

February:

Celebrated my birthday on the slopes, with a wee bit of blue sky and some Pow! Took the opportunity to get on the ice in Pontresina (also Julia’s first Ice climb), made for a perfect winter month!

March:

Made the last few trips to the gym, before Covid hit and the lockdown came…. Lock down…. Training didn’t stop, fingerboard mounted and TRX hung up, I continued training but couldn’t help but spend a day trad climbing through the kitchen, missing the real deal!

April:

Started getting creative, thinking outside the box what to climb in my surroundings. The training didn’t stop and the yoga kept flowing!

May:

Spent driving through the west of Switzerland, bouldering, exploring and enjoying the beautiful surroundings!

June:

We drove through the west of Switzerland, climbing more than 70 pitches each in 5 days.

July:

Had the opportunity to publish an article about my work with ReBolting in the Transa 4 Seasons magazine.

August:

We spent a week cruising around in the bus climbing and I asked Julia to marry me! (She said yes!!)

September:

We spent time in the south of Swizerland, climbing, scrambling, and running, getting to know all the mountain passes in the Tessin!

October:

Was a busy one with lots of work, hosted a small beginner climbing event. However made the most of it and got out running up in the Lauterbrunnen valley.

November:

Making the most of the cold blue sky days, bouldering up at Lagalp in the Engadin before the first snow fall. Training also continued up in the mountains!

December:

Finished off the last month of the year with some light skimo training up in Zuoz in the Engadin!

2020 has been one hell of a year, Lockdown, Bus adventures, Engagement, Climbing, Bolting, Skiing, Ice climbing, Yoga and so much more!

The biggest thanks to all my friends, family and all my sponsors who have supported and believed in me and in what I am doing over the last years , excited for whats to come and another year of adventure ahead!

Keep rock’ing,

Yours Truly,

Tim

Talk's with Tim - 16 questions with Outdoor extraordinaire and mountain professional Ian Martin

A little introduction. I have known Ian for over 13 yeas and we have spent countless weeks climbing all over Europe together. He was one of the first people that started pushing me with my climbing in all the different disciplines from sport, trad to ice and winter climbing. Ian is an MIC guide, who has vast experience climbing and guiding across UK and Scotland, but also partaking in many expeditions across the globe. I have asked Ian 16 interesting questions to give you an in-depth look at how Ian got to where he is today!

1. When did you start climbing and why?

IM: I did my first ‘real’ rock climb at a Scout Camp in the Peak District (UK), on Harbrough Rocks, when I was at school. It was super scary, but I remember being really pleased to got to the top. Encouraged by an older school friend, I later earnt a place on an expedition to the Arctic Islands of Svalbard with the British Schools Exploring Society and that really got me hooked. Before going to University, I deferred my place to spend a year as a Voluntary Instructor at an Outdoor Education Centre near the Black Mountains in South Wales. Living at the Centre, I had access to equipment, knowledge and crags - so whenever we had any time off, I would tag along with the other more experienced Instructors who were all super keen and they literally taught me the ropes. In short, I loved the adventure of it all, the new places and having the skills to get yourself into and out of have some outrageous situations. 

Welsh winter classics

2. What inspires you most?

IM: I'm almost always inspired by a good view. A photograph of a peak, rock face or landscape has been the starting point for quite a few of my expeditions and climbing trips. I have often found myself looking at an awesome photo in a magazine thinking – I want to do that/see that/experience that. The inspiration is one thing, but I usually try and make sure that if I’m going to have an adventure, it’s with close friends in an amazing place. If I had to whittle it down to just few words it would probably be “good friends, sunny rock, snow-capped peaks and blue skies”.

3. Where’s the best place climbing has taken you in the world?

IM: Climbing has provided me with a great excuse to visit all kinds of places around the world which I would have never even thought of travelling to previously; Bulgaria, Kenya, Turkey, Romania and Morocco have all provided wild adventures thanks to climbing. 

Generally, the rock climbing in New Zealand is nowhere near as good as what we have here in Europe but the Islands themselves are an incredible place to explore. Having the climbing guide gave us a starting point for planning our itinerary and helped create a really memorable trip a few years back (as well as the ‘stop-off’ to go surfing in Fiji on the way home). 

Travelling in our van around Europe has always given us great adventures at some of the best climbing regions. Visiting Australia, California, Colorado have also all been all amazing climbing road trips; the fact that there was climbing there as well felt almost a bonus at times. 

4. The craziest thing you ever experienced while climbing?

IM: So, off the top of my head, one thing that springs to mind is an ‘incident’ that happened while climbing a route in a relatively remote forest in Bulgaria. I was belaying at the base of the wall while Clare was on lead. She was about 25m up above me when she gave a shriek. The following few seconds happened in slow motion - a snake came flying through the air and landed in amongst the ropes at my feet. It had been chilling on a ledge and when Clare reached up to grab a handhold, she put her hand on it! She managed to cling onto the rock with her other hand, but the snake made a dive for it and landed safely at my feet in the rope bag. It was difficult to say who was the most shocked of us all!

Being outdoors a lot, the weather has also provided many crazy experiences and phenomena. While out rock climbing and mountaineering, I’ve occasionally been caught out by the odd thunderstorm, although none quite as frightening as suddenly being pelted by huge hail stones, while hanging off an exposed belay in the Dolomites. Back home here in Wales we had a close encounter with an electrical storm a few years back and had to descend fast with our hair standing on end and our ice axes vibrating and humming!

5. How has being a teacher of Outdoor Education changed the way you approach your personal climbing and mountain sports?

IM: I’m not sure if my approach has changed, but I’m certainly more aware and mindful of thinking about how I could incorporate some of my adventures into my next student expedition. I always want to help give them the experiences I’ve had and to inspire them to have the skills and confidence to go on and have their own adventures once they’ve left. 

6. How do you earn your keep? What does that entail?

IM: I'm in charge of running the Outdoor Education Department at St David’s College in North Wales. It has a well know historic reputation for running adventurous expeditions through it’s curriculum program of Outdoor Education. I love being part of it and being able to continue to fly the flag for genuine Outdoor Education experiences with young people. 

I'm also part of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI). The Association is sponsored by Rab, Lowe Alpine and DMM and I am part of the AMI Test Team so am involved in product development and testing some of their great kit.

Yosemite cruising

7. What was your best climbing day thus far in your career? And why ?

IM: Ah so many to choose from! The best days of climbing that I have had usually involve long routes, with some sort of journey or memorable shared experiences attached. I’m definitely more attracted to the potential ‘experience’ over the potential ‘difficulty’ or grade of the climbs I choose.

One day that springs to mind, is climbing a route called ‘Espolon Rojizo (V-, AD) on the west face of a peak called Santa Anna in the Picos de Europa in Spain. The route is quite remote, so took a day to walk in to and involved a bivi in a crazy small hut the night before the climb. We then had to find the route, get up it, summit the peak and walk out again. The whole experience was so fulfilling on many levels, even though the climbing was at a reasonable grade. 

The name of the route escapes me now, but I remember climbing a classic route in Yosemite Valley National Park and experiencing full-on ‘flow’ conditions. We arrived at the base at the same time some other teams who very generously let us go first. The climbing was immaculate, but the real buzz was flowing up the rock at speed, swinging leads without a single tangle and generally feeling like heros! We were back in the valley before the next team were even halfway up the route.

Man, you’ve got me going now!.... I spent a year living in Switzerland where there is no shortage of classic routes. The huge slab of the Mirror d’Argentine was something that I could almost see from our apartment and I’d been itching to climb it since the day I arrived. When we finally got to climb it, my parents were visiting, so they they watched us from the meadow through binoculars and then met us in the Hut at the top. After treating us to celebratory hot chocolates, we got a ride back to the valley with them in the guardian’s 4x4 in time for a celebratory fondue!

Okay, one last one or I’ll be here all day…. During one winter I spent almost all of the climbing season with a friend living in the British Mountaineering Council’s Hut on the West coast of Scotland. We climbed almost every day and amassed loads of great routes together, but our winter ascent of Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis was a classic day indeed. It's a long route and having stayed a few days at the CIC Hut, under the cliffs of the North Face, we had the privilege of having the mountain to ourselves. It felt like we were climbing a little bit of history.
8. How has your approach to training changed over time? 

IM: I've never really had a fixed training regime, but have always been active – generally, I've just gone climbing a lot. I come from a family of builders, so I’d always been involved with ‘physical’ work as I grew up; moving bricks, was a good way to keep in shape. I would say these days I vary my climbing with other pursuits that have a similar fitness ‘entry requirements’, such as cycle-touring and surfing. Yoga, Somatics, stretching and even breathing exercises, play a much more important part of my training these days in order to stay supple. Now I think about it, I’ve only even been in a gym a couple of times.

9. You’re constantly out in the mountains with kids. How do you balance training and work ?

IM: I have the flexibility with my work to choose where I go with my groups. If I’ve had a big day with my students , I’m likely to take it easy in the evening, but otherwise, I’m usually pretty psyched to get out in the evening to climb – I feel that if I’m psyched, it rubs off on my students. 

Scotlands finest

10. If you could only climb one route for the rest of your life what would it be? And why? 

IM: Ugh…. Tricky…. Probably a long one, with good gear, a stunning view and decent belay ledges.

11. Five things you can’t leave home without?

IM: 1.Camera/iPhone – I love taking photos almost as much as I enjoy looking back over them years later. Climbing and mountaineering take me to places that a lot of people will never go to or see, so it’s nice to be able to share the adventure afterwards.

2.Lippy – Gotta watch those UV rays

3.Sunglasses – It’s not just about looking cool; I can’t close my left eye very well, so they stop me staring at the sun!

4.Food and water – I need constant top-ups!

5.Rab Kinetic Soft-Shell – the first lightweight waterproof soft shell – amazing!

12. Who are your key influencers, in your climbing career? And why ?

IM: I've been lucky enough to have spent time in the mountains with many great climbers, mountaineers and thinkers. There are so many different people who have all influenced me in different ways. For example, a guy called Andy Brown who took me on my first climb in the Peak District, really influenced me and my outlook, when I was younger. At University my lecturers, Dave Hardy, Andy Boorman, Tim Jepson (to name a few), were people that were quietly getting on with doing hard climbs or big ski descents and I liked that style – it resonated with me. When I started working towards my qualifications in the rock climbing and mountaineering world, the Mountain Guide Phil George gave me encouragement and motivated me to be the best I could be, rather than just ‘getting through’ the tests. 

There are hundreds more but generally, it's been the people who actually practice what they preach - those who really walked the walk not just talked the talk. People like Nicolas Favresse and Alex Honnald spring to mind. They are both operating at such a high level of physical and mental skill, yet they always seem to be making sure that the climbing is fun – as it should be. That’s great style in my opinion.

Chamonix granit

13. Which one person has the biggest and most impact in your career to get you to where you stand today? And how? 

IM: Ahh, that's an impossible question as I have been impacted in so many ways by so many different people. I’ve been lucky in that I have lived through many experiences and with people who have positively impacted not just my climbing and mountaineering but in all areas of my life. 

14. (Nutrition) Run us through what’s on your meal plan for a full days climbing and working all day? 

IM: Everyday starts with several mugs of hot water (60°C) with a slice of freshly squeezed lemon. Breakfast is almost always involves a big bowl of organic, sugar free granola, mini-shredded wheats, a sprinkle of bran flakes, a dollop of organic natural yogurt, half a sliced banana, a good amount of milk and some fresh blueberries if we’ve got any in the fridge. I picked this routine up from my cousin when I stayed with him in my mid-teens and it’s been my go-to daily staple ever since.

Elevensis snacks could be a coffee, flapjack or green smoothie, depending where I am. Lunch is usually a sandwich of some sort. When I’m climbing, I usually have some grain bars, cashew nuts and apple as my preferred nibbles. Clare and I usually have a brew together in the late afternoon and then eat dinner later in the evening.

15. Run us through your typical day to day routine as a MIC mountain instructor / outdoor education teacher? 

IM: The best thing about my typical day, is that there is no ‘typical’ day. Having said that there are some common themes that run through most days for example I usually finish and start the day studying the weather forecast. Knowing the conditions allows me to make the best decisions for my group not just for their enjoyment but also for their safety as well. 

I'm usually up pretty early as I like to spend some time reading and relaxing to get in the right frame of mind before the day really gets going. Depending on how energetic my day has been I usually try to climb, surf or go for a bike in the early evenings. One rule I do have though, is that I don’t check my emails after 19:30 and my phone switches itself off at 22:00 to ensure some off-screen time for my brain to wind down before sleep.

16. What’s next for you, any future plans and objectives? (expeditions ?)

IM: As always, I’ve usually got a few plans bubbling away. I’m a few ‘esoteric’ scrambles away from having ticked the local North Wales guidebooks. Unfortunately, they are generally the ones that no one ever climbs because they are overgrown wet and green so finding a suitable partner can be as much of a challenge as the routes! Ha-ha! 

Naturally, this year’s expeditions plans have all been put on hold for the moment, so currently I am looking up more local (UK) options for the nearer future. Classic long lower grade routes are ones that catch my eye; especially if they're off the beaten track. 

I would love to explore some remote peaks in Greenland in the future. I’m looking forward to getting back to some long rock alpine rock routes and we also have a half-baked plan for an extended adventure cycling expedition in North Eastern Europe. Ah, so much to do!.....

Thank you so much for your time Ian! Make sure you check out Ian’s blog (click the button below!)

climbOn review - Skincare Kit

This is just a little overview of the different ingredients and why I rate these products so highly. I have been working with climbOn for over 5 years but even well before that I was buying climbOn to keep my skin soft and help with healing after them tough training and climbing sessions. All products are 100% food-grade ingredients! 

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climbOn Bar - Original : 

This is the original bar made in 1996 for climbers by Polly the founder! However it is not only for climbers but crossed over for anyone that has dry skin. This has been my essential go-to for many years to help soothe calaisis, and heal my fingertips. 

Ingredients: Cera alba (beeswax), Prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, Vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) germ oil, Citrus limon (lemon) peel oil, Citrus aurantium L (neroli) flower oil, Lavendula Angustifolia (lavender) flower oil. NON-GMO tocopherol (Vit E).

climbOn Cream:

This is a smoother version of the original climbOn bar, comes in cream form. It can be used for any moisturizing needs, with 100% active ingredients it has added organic aloe vera gel and rose hip seas oil. I have been using the cream to soothe chafing after long bike rides. 

Ingredients: *Prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, Vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, *Butyrospermum parkii (shea) nut butter, Cera alba (beeswax), Tritium Vulgare (wheat) germ oil, * Rosa mosqueta (rose) hip seed oil, Citrus Limonium (Lemon) oil, Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) flower oil, Cananga odorata (ylang-ylang) flower oil, Pelargonium graveolens  (geranium) oil + NON-GMO tocopherol (Vit E). * organic ingredients.

climbOn Cream Lite:

To bridge the gap between the climbOn bar and the cream come the cream lite this is a moisturizing past. This is what is always with me when I am traveling an essential for long hall flights, to keep your hands and face hydrated. I use this after shaving in my face and to help with soothing scabs making them soft and not brittle so they don’t crack open. 

Ingredients: *Prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, Vitis vinifera (grapeseed) oil, *Butyrospermum parkii (shea) nut butter, * Rosa mosqueta (rose) hip seed oil, Citrus Limonium (Lemon) Oil, Lavendula Angustifolia (lavender) flower oil, Cananga odorata (ylang-ylang) flower oil, Pelargonium graveolens (geranium) oil + NON-GMO tocopherol (Vit E). * organic ingredients.

climbOn RIDICULIOUS! paste: 

This was created for Tommy Caldwell, to help him with his DawnWall climb to recover faster and better. However it has since found many uses, from climbers to CrossFit athletes alike to aid recovery. I use this paste not only after training sessions and big days out in the mountains to help with my recovery. I have found it extremely useful to rub a thick layer in on my face to help protect it from harsh winter conditions while ice climbing in Scotland and Wales. 

Ingredients: Cocos Nucifera (coconut) oil, Sesamum Indicum (sesame) seed oil, *Butryospermum parkii (shea) nut butter, *Coffea arabica (coffee) extract, *Camellia sinensis (green) tea leaf extract, Cedrus atlantica (cedar) wood oil, Vaccinium angustifolium (blueberry) fruit extract,*Rubus idaeus (red raspberry) seed oil, Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) berry oil,  Curcuma longa l., Zingiberaceae (turmeric) root oil,  Syzygium aromaticum  (clove) bud oil,  Piper nigrum L. Piperaceae  (black) pepper oil, Manihot esculenta (tapioca) root starch, with NON-GMO tocopherol (Vit E). * organic ingredients.

ClimbOn RIDICULIOUS! Spray:

This is the spray version of the paste, a little more concentrated, I use this after all my workouts and training sessions massaging it in to soothe the mussels and aid recovery. 

Ingredients: Cocos Nucifera (coconut) oil, Sesamum Indicum (sesame)seed oil,  organic Coffea arabica (coffee extract), organic Camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract, Cedrus atlantica (cedarwood) Vaccinium angustifolium (blueberry) fruit extract, organic Rubus idaeus (red raspberry) seed oil), Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) berry oil,  Curcuma longa l., Zingiberaceae (turmeric) root oil,  Syzygium aromaticum  (clove) bud oil,   Piper nigrum L. Piperaceae  (black pepper) oil, with NON-GMO tocopherol (Vit E).

All CBD products are not currently available. The ones in the photos are all samples I have been given to test.

Crag essentials, climbOn bar, Tape, Sandpaper / fille, Pocket knife, Pouch

2019 a year in photos

Another year has passed! Here is a short round up in photos of what the last 12 months have looked like for me.

January

Spent most of January training the legs, touring through Engelberg.

February

Finally got back on the Alpine climbing game, finishing a childhood dream of mine to climb the grove above. Also getting back on the board after a 9 year break.

March

started making the most of the mild conditions, with a pre season ascent of the Kleiner Mythen in snowy conditions, and making the most of the end-of season snow!

April

Starting to time my ascents and decents on the Kleiner Mythen for a record crossing, trying to bring down time with a quick abseil down tricky terrain. Making the final push for pow, jumping cliffs fully geared up!

May

May was a busy one, working lots squeezing in runs in the city. However I did make it out to Chamonix for the weekend for a catch up and a climb with the Martins before the May showers came poring down!

June

Temps are rising, got them short shorts on! Dropping that time to sub 1 Hour of running over technical terrain.

July

Was spent soaking up them rays, working on that tan, camping high in the Gastlosen, climbing on some incredible limestone!

August

More climbing and more sunshine, cruising some classics, moving across Swizerland to more incredible views of the mountains!

September

Back on the Alpine wagon, with the idea of climbing the Kesh needle, one must stay flexible. Unexpected weather moved in so we bailed and ended up hiking all day for a coffee only to revers our tracks and head home at night fall. Still a great day out in the mountains!

October

Training has begun, most of October I spent training in the Gym pulling on plastic due to a little knee injury, however i did make it out to enjoy the sunshine as seen here on the Albula pass in Switzerland!

November

The first proper snowfall of the season, got out on the slopes to test some skis and see whats to come this year on the market!

December

Wild times, ski tours, ice climbs and big turns. Julia and I spent a week in the mountains adventuring every day, catching a line in an already rundown hill to skiing some steep couloirs in the Oberengadin! Shoutout to Julia completing her first SkiTour!

What a year 2019 has been, exploring and getting to know my homeland better Switzerland! It has been a fantastic 12 months of adventures with lots of highs and a few lows (injuries) but we grow and get stronger!

Big thanks to Friends, Family and all my Sponsors who have supported and believed in me over the last few years, super excited for the start of a new decade and all what is to come!

Keep rock’ing

Yours Truly

Tim

Whats in my pack - Summer Trail running edition

Gaining some exposer on the Arvigrat in central Switzerland (Photo: M.Kelly)

Welcome to a new What is in my pack series, over the last few months I’ve really been getting in to trail and mountain running. So I thought it would only bee fitting to do a what is in my trail running pack summer edition. 

1.    Backpack, this is a 12L trial pack, its an ok pack compact light and comfortable and dose the job for summer runs. I found it in an outlet super cheep. 

2.     Kailas Visor – I nearly always wear either a hat or a visor when im out running, two reasons. 1 it keeps my hair out of my face, 2 it helps keep the sun out of my eyes. 

3.    First aid kit, this is just a small TatNak pouch, which I kited out myself . (see below) 

4.    Hydro pack. I like to carry at least 2x 250millileters of water with me and on a hot day ill add additional 500ml flask. Big fan of these soft flask as they don’t take-up much room in your pack and are super light and reusable. 

5.    ClimbOn Sunscreen, always carry a small tub of sunscreen with me, I’ve been out to many times running and burnt my face raw because I forgot the sunscreen. ClimbOn sunscreen is 30spf and it 100% plant based and organic. You can even eat it! 

6.    Zeal Optics Big Timber,  the shade has an automatic polarized photochromic lens, which adjusts to different light condition. It is a super sturdy shade well built and is comfortable to wear of extended periods of time.

7.    Food wise, it varies completely on what I am doing and where I am running. If its only a short training mountain run 10 – 15km, I usually only carry 2 energy gels incase of an emergency, such as my sugar level dropping. Otherwise I carry more nuts and natural foods. On longer runs I would take a sandwich or burrito of such as lunch.

8.    Kailas wind breaker, this is an essential on any mountain run to keep the wind off when on an exposed ride or just for an extra bit of warmth when taking a quick brake. 

9.    While running comfort is key, I personally really like the SAXX Kenetic boxer brief, as they are quick drying, moisture-wicking and semi compression. However my favourite feature is the Ballpark pouch, which is a 3D hammock shaped pouch the keeps everything in place, thanks to mesh panels that prevent skin against skin friction, for chafe free comfort. 

10.    Kailas trail shorts, I’m a big fan of short shorts for trail running, allowing for air to keep my quads cool while moving fast in the mountains. These are quick drying and have a mesh liner for extra comfort and support on the inside

11.    Kailas active Tee, this is my go to, it is moisture wicking and quick drying, with a semi louse fit, it allows for optimal range of movement when running and moving fast in the mountains. 

12.    Grivel Buff, this is an essential always in my packs, summer and winter. For example if the wind pick up and I need to keep my ears warm or the sun of my head, the buff is my goto. 

Running along the Arvigrat in central Switzerland (Photo: M.Kelly)

Welsh Winter "Ever so slightly damp" Vlog 4

Making the most of the beast form the East, chasing the Welsh winter around north wales! 

Classic spot of Welsh winter climbing in the Ogwen valley! Vlog 4 - 2018 Follow me: Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mrtimmueller Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/timmuellerad... Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtimmueller Music: Intro: legendary - by Welshly Arms

Welsh winter hit!

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The Welsh Winter is always a quick hit! When the temps drop, the waterfalls freeze and the snow falls. Its always an interesting time during January and February time in Wales as all winter climbers are monitoring conditions (also known as con’nes) once it drops and freezes up every one grabs there gear and runs for the hills. This was the case for myself and Ian @mountain-lifestyle we packed our bags and headed fro the hills, the conditions read cold, 60/70 mph wind gusts and white out conditions. We ended up snagging an ascent of Idwal stream, however as there where already 6 people in front of us on the icefall we decided to bypass the crowds and move fast and light so we did a solo accent. With temps well below freezing we had to keep moving to dusty warm, everything froze!!

Definitely a spot cold! 

After checking out some other falls during our decent we climbed the first pitch of Idwal steps, and as the sun was already setting and there was a party above us we decided to bale from the first pitch and abb off.

Day two:

A day out with Nick, we went for a full solo accent of Idwal steps on the left side, and a ramble up on the upper waterfalls. We ended up making the most of the empty ice around, getting as much mileage in as possible. As the day went on the temperature started to rise and the ice started to get softer, it was like hitting butter. When each pick penetrated the ice it sunk in and stuck like glue.

What an epic few days, cheers Ian and Nick! 

An eventful and thought provoking weekend rambling in the hills here in North Wales!

Saturday, 17th February 2018

Saturday morning I woke up to crisp, clear blue skies. Before I knew it I was dressed and kitted up for a day of adventures. I drove up into Ogwen Valley with endless ideas about what I was going to embark on today. Driving in, Tryfan's north ridge looked in stellar conditions, covered in a layer of ice and snow. This wasn’t going to deter me from getting the weekend training up and running in the hills.

The start up to the hike on the north ridge is a bit of a free for all really, having to find your own pathway to the top which really allows you to make it as technical or easy as you like.  40 minutes in, I reached the first technical climb up and over a number of rocky bulges. Adding to the hike was the strong exposure as a result of higher altitude. Hiking for another 5-10 minutes I reached the main shelf on the north ridge and moved into the bundle of 20 or so people who were contemplating whether they were going to go ahead and continue or retreat down again. The ice and snow had really picked up after the bulges. A lack of crampons and axes didn’t put an end to  the hike, as I found enough exposed rock to continue on a safe passage up.The end result was standing in a snow filled gully, however I continued on up.

The weather worsened as I made way for the summit and the snow showers and thick cloud became very apparent. I was relieved to stumble upon other hikers on the summit, celebrating a 50th birthday with tea and cakes in the snow!

Overall, my ascent of Tryfan’s north ridge only took 1h 20m, reaching the summit 917.0m above sea level.  Upon my decent the weather conditioned plummeted and I took the recommend route down, following snow and ice down into mud socked bogland back to the road. 

Sunday, 18th February 2018

Another day waking up to a blue sky - not a cloud in sight! I grabbed my overnight oats and drove to Ygard. I planned to do a training lap up and over Ygard and down through the devils kitchen. I powered up the main ridge in just under 50 minutes and stoped for a quick refuel at the top. Whilst here I met Peter. A 74 year old a passionate hiker with a love for soloing. We shared a brew on the summit and he shared stories about his crazy north face adventures across the alps, climbing the Eiger, the Matterhorn and the Dru in the 70’s - with idealistic conditions in the winter and in the summer months. These kind of conditions are only imaginable now due to the global warming crisis.

After the short break we took the decent together, down through the devils kitchen. Peter was equipped with just two walking polls, after having hiked up YGard summit which was covered by a field of snow. He spoke of how he passed countless groups with crampons and axes. He then turned to me a said ‘‘my knees and hips are falling apart. But why should I stop? Its not going to get better just sitting around.’’. It was clear that Peter was admirably fighting against the assumption that your age should limit your ability. As we walked though the devils kitchen was, we passed idwal slabs and both pondered on how empowering and inspiring adventures such as this can be. 

Thank you to Peter for sharing stories of another life time with me, I hope to see you in the mountains again some time. 

2017 in Photo's

Once again a year rolls by, and its been a strong one with lots of climbing, adventuring and traveling! Here are 12 photos which I think sum up each month for me.

January, The beginning of the year I spent skiing making the most of the little snow, followed by some epic ice-skating on this frozen lake and some awesome waterfalls climbed!

February, I spent countless days in the climbing gym training and pulling on plastic due to rain, however we did manage to get out on a cheeky dry day to put up the portaledge, multi pitch climbing in the Ogwen valley North Wales UK   

March, the sun has come out in Wales! Spent many days out chasing dry boulders baking the rays in-between revision and dissertation writing for my degree. 

April, More climbing in Wales but also spent a week up in the mountains in Switzerland climbing and adventuring. Also climbed around the Morteratsch glacier shooting for my final university project abasing in to crevasse. 

May, I packed my bags in Wales, after 10 years of schooling and university and heeded back home to Switzerland. Here I spent some day's bolting and trying my friction slab project in the Gastlosen followed by some bouldering in Magic woods. 

June, I had the opportunity to hike around the Isle of Man cost. One must say we where lucky with the wether and it was an absolute scorcher! (we did drive the TT track before we left ;) )

July, I spent a-lot of time cross training, running and pulling in the gym! 

August, I was bouncing between the UK and Switzerland! Pulling not only on resin, but also on real rock. 

September, Spent some time adventuring around wales, camping, climbing and running. 

October, I had the opportunity to participate in the kalymnos climbing festival in Greece with Evolv. Thanks Danial for the catch! 

November, I cruised around Wales, ticking of some classics. Just a wee lap of Jerrys roof.

December, with lots of snow, I spent the month skiing, and touring getting some milage in on skies for my upcoming races in 2018

2017 what a year its been! Big thanks to all my sponsors, friends and family!

Lets make 2018 a even better and stronger year!! 

VLOG 2

This time round I raced in a skimo sires, and soloed somme icefalls in Swizerland

Vlog 2 - 2018 Follow me: Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mrtimmueller Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/timmuelleradventure Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtimmueller Music: Intro: legendary - by Welshly Arms

VLOG 1

This is the first instalment of a my Vlog following my journey calming and adventuring around the world! 

Vlog 1 - 2018 Follow me: Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/mrtimmueller Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/timmuelleradventure Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtimmueller Music: Intro: legendary - by Welshly Arms Last time - By Akouo

The Green boost - Power of a smoothie

Here is to the first recipe of “Cooking with Timmy, an athletes diet”. I kick start my day with a green smoothie in the morning to give me a boost. Also to provides me with vital nutrients that I need throughout my day to accompany me climbing, training or traveling.

This is a very simple recipe that doesn’t require any expensive super food ingredients, but still gives you all the important vitamins, proteins and fibers needed. Another great thing is that it only requires minimal preparation time of 5 minutes, leaving you with over a litre of smoothie and a whole range of nutrition. 

Ingredients:

2 x Big handfuls of spinach

1 x Handful of kale

3 x Stick of celery

1 x Thumb of ginger

Half a cucumber

1 x Apple

2 x Cup of water

Wash the celery and cucumber under cool water to remove any dirt. 
Chop into smaller lengths and place in the blender.
Boil a kettle full of water and place the spinach and kale into a colander.
Pour the boiled water over the spinach and kale to wilt the greens, making it smoother to blend.
Rinse the spinach and kale with cold water to help cool before adding to the blender.
Peel and chop the ginger root, and place into the blender.
The next step is to wash and slice the apple into sizeable chunks and add into the blender.
Finally, add around 2 cups of water, depending on how thick you like your smoothies.
And blend!

 

2016 review in photos

2016 has been a hell of a year, with lots of ups and downs! I’ve climbed classics, made finals, won a race, met great people and never stopped moving, constantly traveling. 

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January, winter mountaineering, ice climbing and skimo training all throughout the Welsh hills. 

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February, Won the skimo Scotland race, up in Glenshee Scotland.

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March, after breaking my wrist I spent the rest of the month hiking and exploring around Wales.

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April, got a second diagnosis on my wrist and figured out I had part torn a main tendon as well, but kept the adventure and training alive by running and traveling.

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May, road tripped through Switzerland with the crew exploring Graubuenden and climbing up in the glacial valley of Morteratsch. 

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June, spent a week on my own up in the Engadin for some solo adventures making the most of the last  snow for a spot of skimo training.

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July, Spent most of the month training in the gym and climbing indoors getting back up to strength. 

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August, spent another week up in the Graubuenden on my own for some solo alpine climbing, ended up climbing Piz Kesch and Piz Julier.

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September, two boulder trips to Magic Wood, re-climbing some of the classics making the most of the good weather.  

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October, drove across the whole of Switzerland to go for a boulder with an old friend in Brigg Switzerland before heading of to LA

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November, trip out to Boulder Colorado to climbing with Paul, Dave and Jeremy in the Basin 

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December, skiing and ice climbing on the little bit of now and ice around. Photo soloing the Silvaplana ice fall in Switzerland. 

Big shout out and thanks to all my sponsors, family and friends for this crazy year!

Looking forward to another fantastic adventure filled year, bring on 2017!

What’s in my pack, single pitch Sport Climbing.

This post is about what I take for a classic day sport climbing at the crag, in places such as the Pyrenees South of France or El Chorro in Spain.  This will explain the essentials I always carry with me and why. Also it will look at what I might wear for such a days bolt clipping at the caging.

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1. Metolius Bravo Key lock quick draws. I usually always carry between 14 – 20 draws, as terrain and route length can vary vastly. 
2. Evolv Addict slipper, I am a big fan of warming up in a comfy shoe that I can wear all day. The addict is also very good on slabs with its flat profile. 
3. Evolv shaman 2.0, This is my go-to shoe for hard sport climbing. It has an aggressive profile which is good for steep climbing more than vertical. This shoes really suits my style of climbing very well.
4. Natures bakery Fig bar’s, I always carry a few figbars in my bag they are great for a snack in-between, also they come gluten free, vegan and are verified non GMO. 
5. Metolius 3/4th Grip gloves, I belay a lot and with these beauties, they save the day and the skin on my hands when on belay duty.   
6. Grivel Twin gate carabiner with a grigri 2 belay device with assisted braking, and a Twin gate as it’s the safest biner on the market.
7. Grivel Twin gate quick draw, this is what I put up at the lower off on a project if i'm working it on top rope, to not wear out the lower off.  
8. Grivel Twin gate adjustable lanyard, 
9. Metolius bravo biner, screw gates are always handy when lowering off, threading a belay lower off. 
10. Metolius comp harness, this is my go to harness. it is absolutely boom proof, Lightweight with 4 super strong gear loops. 
11. Bellagels belay glasses, definitely a neck saver. 
12. ClimbOn bar and sunscreen and finger tape, ClimbOn Bar and sunscreen are the best on the market and all 100% food grade.
13. Warm up kit is made up of a tera band and Metolius GripSaver ball to warm up and warm down my fingers, this is important especially on them crisp cold winter days. 
14. Chalk bag and chalk, My go to chalk is Metolius Power chalk, it has a drying agent in it, which I like as I get very sweaty hands. 
15. Sterling 70m nano, this is a great all round rope, super durable and light. 

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16) Zeal Optic Ace sunglasses, which are polarized and Biodegradable

17) Kailas Quick Dry singlet good for hot summers day. 

18) Kailas Rock and road shorts when I want to get my legs out for a tan 

19) Kailas 9a climbing pants, stretchy and light water. Super comfortable to wear under a harness 

20) Kailas Polartec power dry tee, this tee is grate for them hot days, it is designed to keep your skin dry when you sweat, ideal for a hot summer's day.

21) Kailas Hoodie

22) Kailas Men’s 3L Hard shell, 100% water proof, always good to carry on with me as you never know when a freak storm can move in, especially at a mountain crag.

23) Kailas Men’s rock climbing jacket, which is windproof and super flexible.

24) Kailas Ultra lightweight Down jacket, this is 800fill goose down, super compressible, and fits nicely in to the bottom of my pack and is super light weight. 

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25) Kailas Guofu 28L rucksack, this is a light weight pack, with its roll top closure system it allows to be packed down easily. Also its super abrasion resistant thanks to Cordura fabric, which is super hard wearing grate to be thrown around at the crag. 

26) Metolius ropemaster rope bag. Always carry a rope bag with a tarp to protect my rope form dirt and grit, this will increases the life of the rope. 

27) Hydrapak SoftFlask 750ml, I usually carry at least one 750ml SoftFlask's with me for hydration. they are super light wight and packable. Also as they are soft and flexible I have no problem squeezing them in even when my pack if full to the brim.

28) Small first aid kit, Such as the Ultralight/ watertight 7 form Adventure medical kit. I also add a small headlamp, to avoid them steep dark hike outs under only the light of your phone. 

April and May, No rest for the broken....

The last week of March was a game changer for me, working long days and training twice a day feeling super fit. I found myself on a long board cursing down hill relaxing taking in the evening sun.  For some reason that night something felt different, I felt unsure. But I went for it any way to wined down after an intense day at the office, only to find myself 3/4th of the way down the hill doing 18mph with a speed wobble, normally I would slowly brake with one foot. But I was wrong after 5 huge lunges I find myself flying through the air, going face first down the tarmac, saying to my self while in the air “don’t hit my head, don’t hit my head”. I was lucky I didn’t hit my head, but instead put most of the impact on my left wrist….. not to mention all the deep road rash on my arms hip and knees (I was wearing two cotes, which ended up looking like an exploded chicken). This whole scenario landed me in the emergency room as my wrist went numb, after siting around for 3 hours Matty the legend who drove me to A & E and hung out with me collected two pizzas for us to tuck into :) Then another 3 hours went by, and I got an x-ray which didn’t show any brakes, I thought to myself how lucky I was and I’d be back climbing in 4 weeks once the swelling went down the cuts healed. However the day after the accident I realized I didn’t have any power in my left had, tasks suck as opening an already open jam jar became a struggle, this went on for 3 weeks.

During those 3 weeks I didn’t train (pull-ups, pushups and hangboarding), but I compensated by walking a minimum of 10 miles a day. At this stage in my recovery my wrist still aching. At Easter I thought I would go to get a second opinion from my DR in Switzerland, after a few checks he sent me straight for an MRI and a CT scan. A day went by and I was thrown another bombshell. The scans revealed I had torn a piece of bone and a small tendon in the base of my palm off. I was sent to get my arm put in plaster for another 4 weeks.

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Some where over the UK 

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The flatter side of Switzerland

Funny thing this whole recovery business. Week 8 after my accident I got my cast removed by the hand specialist who told me I had another 12 weeks of recovery to go. That meant recovery until August! As an addition to the tear and the brake I bruised all the floating bones in my wrist to the core (which takes longer to heal than a fracture)

As much as it sucks to be injured, life throws things at you, good and bad. I’ve learnt many different ways to cope with feeling down about not being able to do the things I love. I’ve spent time with friends, family, met new people and gone to many places. Life doesn’t stop giving even when it feels like the world is caving in. Living in the moment gets me by just fine.

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Some of my adventures while in plaster were, hiking up the north snowy ridge of Tryfan and light one handed slab climbing (it felt so good to move after 3 weeks of forced rest). I also squeezed in the one random midnight adventure aurora hunting.

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taking in the last bit of snow up in Ogwen North Wales (photo: Dan E)

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Sunset slab climbing up at Penmaenbach in North Wales

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sunset view form Penmaenbach in North Wales

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Wee evening paddle board session on Llyn padarn

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interesting cloud formations in the night skys.

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Now it’s May and recovery is going well, light physio exercises, and gently easing back in to climbing. I successfully finished year 2 of my product design degree, and as I still need to take it easy on my wrist I went for a body board session at Surf Snowdonia as a reward to my self! All I can say it was epic and y’all need to check it out!!

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Scoping out the perfect line....

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On Monday I am Alps bound, for an epic climbing / alpine adventure!! I will be updating daily through snapchat! (Add me at: mit3334)  

February / March adventures - finding the balance

February was a hectic month for me , with university, work placement, training and fitting many adventure in around that. finding the balance whether it is to sleep an hour less to get up early to go on an adventure go climbing or just training its all worth it! Having been doing a 9-5 desk job for the past 6 weeks I have come to the realisation that being stationary all day is definitely not my cup of tea. Like Will Gadd once said “ An object in motion tends to stay in motion and an object at rest tends to stay at rest” 

Over the past month working it showed me that trying to make the most of every day and every free moment is what counts, weather that is driving in to the mountains looking for snow in the middle of the night. Or even after them long nights out dancing and throwing down shapes on the dance floor, getting up after only a few hours sleep on your day off before the sun rises and get in to the mountains breathing fresh air in to my lungs and making my hart pump to go skiing, climbing or running. Its days like these which keep me on track.

Below is a collections of photos and a video from this months adventures from the city life to mountain lifestyle! 

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Classic sun rise adventures in North Wales 

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Classic evening training session at the SDC wall. Photo: Ian M

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Midnight skate on the hunt for snow in the hills Photo: Enfys 

powered by fig on my epic weekend ski, climb and run adventure

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Not much snow in the valleys of Ogwan with the clouds rolling in over tryfan.

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Welsh Ski mountnering at its finest

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More total white out adventures up in the Carneedd dafydd. 

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Definitely bringing the summer vibes back to Wales on a cold cloudy day. 

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Quick weekend trip down to the capital. London 

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Quick evening ruin around llyn Idwel 

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The snowdon lady out as its finest.

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Random midnight adventure up in Ogwen, in searching for the stars. 

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Orion's belt on the right of Tryfan on an evening stroll with the stars.

Some cool projects coming up, watch the space!

January, skiing, ice climbing, skimo Scotland and a shoe review

Heres an insight in to my adventures over the last month. It started with a plan to go skiing and ice climbing in the Engadin Switzerland, then drive back to the UK to start uni again and go ski tuning and winter climbing in the full Welsh winter conditions. Back indoors puling on plastic training and a wild weekend adventure to the Scottish ski mountaineering championships.

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Julier Mountain pass Switzerland 

It all started in the middle of December, with the plan to go home over Christmas to Switzerland and go skiing and ice climbing. I arrived home in Switzerland after a long sluggish drive form Wales due to high traffic… I spent two days at home were I competed at the Swiss indoor dry-tooling competition before relocating up in to the mountains. Having seen the forecast I knew there wasn’t going to be much snow as it was way to warm, but what I didn’t expect, was it to look like spring whit the tourist boards advertising to go biking and hiking due to the lack of snow. I spent my first few days skiing, on the few slopes that were open to get warmed up, and then transition to skimo training running up the side of the ski slopes. 

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Swiss dry tooling championships (photo: Tim E)

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Not much snow up in the mountains

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Only skiing on man made runs

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Skimo training up in the Bernina range 

As the day's went on and the snow didn’t come. So I went to search for some ice to climb, having already had to resort to the glacier last year it i didn't expect much different again this year. My sister and I ventured of to the base of the Morteratsch glacier. This time we didn’t ski tour in, we hiked on a rocky path as there was still now snow. We had a good few hours climbing around on the glacier. 

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(photo Sina M)

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Finally one week in to January it started to snow, nothing to be excited about for freeriding but enough to give every thing a good snow coat. As the slopes where still busy from new years holiday crowd, I resorted to running in the woods for bits of my training. Check out my short film below for an insight in to how little snow there was. The Engadin from above.

A few shots from above, flying over the frozen lake Bianco, and the Piz Sass Nair and more. Track by: Roses - The Chainsmokers Filmed by: Tim Mueller

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running in the Morteratsch woods (Photo: Max M)

Back to Norht Wales

After another long drive, I made it back to Wales to be pleasantly greeted by nice weather and snowy hilltops. Being back in wales also means starting back with university, so I trained during the week and am weekend warrior on weekends. Through out the week the hills where filling up nicely with snow which meant slowly things where getting in to condition. 

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Sunset over North Wales

First weekend back Tim Hunt and I had a successful day out winter climbing on Saturday. We climbed the classic route tower gully flowed by a white out lunch of  avocado on pre toasted toast and a long walk out over the devils kitchen and down banana gully. 

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(Photo: Tim H)

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climbing the icey step

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total white out descent 

Sunday the objective was to climb a gully and skimo along the top then ski down the Carnedddau. This was a grate success with only a minor hick up. Once we reached the top of the gully we put our bags and skis down on the plato of the mountain to have lunch. But as we are leaving I pick up my bag with my skis strapped on. But one of my skis detached its self form the bag and starts skiing down an avalanche prone gully on its own…., to cut a long story short I climbed halfway down the gully waist deep in snow where my ski came to a halt thanks to a big rock, retrieved it climbed back up then we skied on. Grate snow conditions for a Sunday ski session. Check out the little film by Tim Hunt.

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Tim following up the gully 

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cracking skimo training conditions (Photo: Tim H)

Throught out the next week I was training indoors and running in the morning ready for Skimo Scotland the following weekend. 

Skimo Scotland weekend was an epic adventure, both tim and I had deadlines to meet on Friday before we could leave for Scotland, so we worked all day till 5 pm for the hand in then packed up the van and headed for Scotland only arriving at Glenshee at 1am. Which was fine as the race was only scheduled to start at 3pm that day.  After a chilled morning in the van we got our skis out and skinned up and around the ski resort to get wormed up before the registration. 3pm hit its race time, I have my skin tight lycra suit on, then the whistle goes and we are off, I knew I wasn’t going to be the fastest but I could make up time in the 5 transitions we had to do form climbing skins to ski mode and back to climbing skins back to ski mode. I ended up winning the one lap race with a time of 38 minuets. Sadly we didn't take many photos that weekend. The next day we ended up going for a winter mountaineering hike in a total white out which was fun before driving 6 hours back to Wales to start Uni on Monday morning. 

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walking out of the mountain in Scotland.

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Coming in fast on the final stretch of the Scottish skimo race. Photo by: Drew photography

Evolv Luchador Review

The Luchador as an all-round technical shoe, it is slightly down turn but when on your feet, almost feel flat with a semi asymmetrical toe profile. It uses TRAX high friction rubber, this is a grate shoe for everyday climbing, but also technically advanced climbing.

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Toe box ( Knuckle box )

I found that the toe box of the Luchador SC did a good job of pushing all the power right in to the edge of the shoe. This was a big plus for me, as I focuses on my footwork a lot and rely heavily on feeling stable and strong pushing of small edges.

Comfort and fit

The Luchador is super comfortable strait out of the box. This is due to its ergonomic profile which isn’t to down turn. The padded toung with a one side opening adds for a more sock like feel to the shoe. The shoe felt packed out on my foot giving me a tight fit all around and on my heal.

Evolv used there own TRAX rubber again, with a 4.2mm sole section on the front, so it doesn’t wear out that fast. Having climbed in theses shoe over the last few months, indoors and outdoors. I find the performance fit of the shoe stays intact. This is my go to shoe for indoor training sessions and long sustained routes with good holds.

Conclusion

Over all the luchador is a decent all round shoe. The toe box dose its job well of harnessing power, the fit of the shoe is comfortable so I can wear it for an long indoor session with out having to take it off. The slight down turn gives it the upper hand on steep overhanging climbing. Personally I would recommend this shoe to a friend as a good all-rounder.

2015 in photos

As 2015 comes to a close and we look onward to 2016, here are 12 photos which sum up my 2015 year of adventure, fun and travel.  Travels to over 7 different countries from Italy, the US to the the far ranges of China! 

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January, Making finals of the British tooling series in the UK

February, lots of awesome sun sets While winter climbing in and around North wales

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March, ended up being lots of pulling on plastic and training, due to bad weather and lots of uni work.

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April was another wet one with lots of pulling on plastic, but was able to squeeze in some outdoor sport with V in the few sunny days.

May getting out in-between uni climbing lots of the classic routes on the North Wales slate.

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June was the first time I had a chance to compete on an international stage at the Kailas bouldering competition in China.

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July I started doing a lot more yoga in the US. ( yoga definitely improves your climbing ) 

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August was a moth of traveling for me.

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September was a great month, of playing in the mountains, trail running, climbing and biking but also starting back with university.

October, was a month with lots of sun and lots of outdoor training. (morning runs before uni) 

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November was a very wet month despite that I trained hard indoors 5 days a week. 

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December, it was a great month. I competed at the Swiss Dry Tooling championships, and have been climbing, skiing and ice climbing in the mountains despite not much snow! 

Thanks to all my sponsors, friends and family for a grate year.

See you all in 2016, bring on another grate year!

What is in my pack: Alpine climbing, part two of two

What’s in my pack: Alpine climbing, part two. Here is an insight in to how I layer up for my alpine climbing endeavors. I chose layering up with lots of thin layer rather than two big layers for better climate control. These are my favorite essentials.  

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1. Kailas Extreme Seamless Hard Shell:  This is my outer layer which is also breathable, with filtertech fabric.

2. Kailas Poartech Wind Proof Soft Shell: I use this as a mid-layer. On dry days I don’t wear the Hard Shell.

3. Kailas Ultralight Primaloft Jacket: This is my insulating layer which fits under the everything else.

4. Kailas Fleece Jacket: This is what goes over my base layer and is my second layer.

5. Breathable Bass Layer: This is the first part of my layering system, and is the most breathable. It make sure I don’t overheat when moving around in the mountains.

6. Gor-tex Hard Shell Pants: The outer layer protecting my legs.

7. Softshell Pants: These go under the hard shell. In summer I use this without the hard-shell.

8. Breathable Base Layer Tights: The first part of my layering system for my legs, this is the base of all layers. From here I can build up without an issue.

9. Two sets of gloves: The big set are gor-tex and primaloft insulated for the cold snowy icy days. The other small gloves are windstop and are used on warmer days, and dry conditions. Also I find when the doing lots of technical rope work or hard mix climbing I prefer the smaller thinner glove.

10. Energy gels and Figbars: When out in the mountains I pick my food strategically to save weight and space. When moving fast and light through the mountains I pack 2 GU energy gels and some GU chews also some Natures bakery FigBars to snack on in-between. Nuts and dried fruit are also good to snack on thought the day.

11. Canon S120: This snaps reasonable good photos, and shoots pretty good video.

12. Headtorch: This is definitely an essential piece of any alpine climbing kit. This one uses 3 AA batteries, compare to rechargeable ones when it runs out you can just change the batteries. I always keep spare in my first aid kit just incase.

13. Small firstaid kit: Slways carrying the essentials for emergency situations is important. From blanket to plasters and bandages.  

14. Zeal Optic’s sunglasses: Snapshot, great glasses that are super durable, for being thrown around in a pack. I’m always wearing sunglasses when I’m walking/climbing on a glacier.

15. Watch: I always carry a watch with an altimeter and a barometer.

16. Grivel Buff: This is super versatile for wearing under my helmet keeping my ears warm and protecting my nose and mouth in the crazy weather days.

17. 750cl water bottle: I like to always carry a big bottle as I sweat a lot, so I don't dehydrate.

18. Kailas Guofu 28L pack: I use a variety of different alpine climbing packs, depending on how long I’m going for and what I’m doing. They range from 18L for moving fast and light on my own to a 45L for a multi day climb. However the 28L pack is my go to all-rounder of choice.

KAILAS bouldering competition

The whole thing started with a Skype call and a simple idea. Fly 7000 miles to compete in the KAILAS bouldering competition. I would meet a whole new team, compete in a foreign country and test my limits. 

I wanted to do this. I knew I did, but it also meant skipping school. I needed to get permission to miss University hours, to fly half way across the world on a trip that couldn’t be any less educational. I don’t know why or how, but they said yes. I would be able to pass my year and fly to China. 

So, after two days of organizing I found myself at the airport boarding a flight to Guanzhou, China.

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Flying in to China

I’ve never been anywhere as far as China before, so I knew it was going to be an adventure. I was to fly Zurich to Paris and then catch a connecting flight to Guangzhou. I left with only hand luggage and a good start for a fast transfers. It all seemed to be going really well, I boarded my Zurich flight only to be told that there would be a delay of at least 45 minutes. Miraculously, I made my connecting flight! I took a quick nap on the plane from Paris but every mile I flew, I became more excited. I saw the Tibetan mountain range, it was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. An endless stream of unclimbed peaks. 

Finally, 11 and a half hours later – touchdown. I met some other KAILAS athletes at the airport including Austrian Andi Afschnaiter. We were going to meet Sam from South Africa but she ended up being stranded in Kenya for the night, too bad. 

That night we, the KAILAS team, went out for a Chinese dinner. Dumplings, rice noodles, the whole shebang. After that we called it a night. After the short three hours I slept on the plane, I couldn’t be any happier to go to sleep.

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Some stunning tibeten mountains

DAY ONE

Jetlag woke Andi and I up at 4AM and the first thought that came into our heads was to scout the area. We finished up our morning with a Chinese breakfast including onion and egg cakes with noodles. 

After checking out the KAILAS HQ where we met more of the office team and got a look at the behind the scene at production. We got a look at their flagship store located under the office, this including the bouldering gym in the back! No climber can ever resist a nice bouldering gym, so we spent some time warming up for the competition the next day. 

Baggio, KAILAS owner, took us for lunch at a local restaurant and introduced us to some local specialties. These included sea worm, which tasted great but looking at it raw may make your stomach turn. 

Andi and I then ventured off to check out the technology market in a high rise. The indoors market consisted of a variety of stands, the higher up you went, the cheaper the prices got.     

After more than an hour of wandering and many shouts in our direction, trying to sell us the best tech gear, we headed back to HQ. Once again, the jetlag hit us and after a short nap we found out that Sam had finally made it! The next dinner included a variety of dumplings, fish and risenoodles. I’ve come to accept my love of all these foods. 

Andi, Baggio and I in the KAILAS flagship store

DAY TWO

It started off with an early breakfast and then we headed off to one of the largest convention centers in China where the competition was taking place and the sales meetings were being held. Sam, Andi and I were all competing in the pro category. Qualifying only started at 3PM for the women and 5PM for the men. In other words, we had some time to pass. 

We got a good look at the KAILAS products and were able to scout what would be released in the coming year. We got the chance to watch a fashion show for all the Chinese retailers. It was epic, like no fashion show I’ve ever seen before. Not that I have a lot of experience. Anyway, there was break dancing and motor bikes. I’m pretty sure that’s not everyday fashion show stuff. 

3PM arrives and Sam started climbing. She did really well, she missed the finals by one spot which is pretty damn awesome.  

And then 5PM struck and I was sitting isolated, preparing for what was to come. It was the first time I was competing at a timed pro bouldering competition. As time ticked down I felt the pressure weighing my down. I wanted to do well. I wanted to place. 

My number is called out and I ran ahead, T-four minutes to complete the first problem. After feeling strong and getting the bonus with the final hold in sight, I go for the jump! I’m so close I can taste it!

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Photo by: Forrest

And then I slip. 

I hit the matt and look up, the timer says three minutes left. I gave it four more attempts, always getting close to the finish line but never quite making it. The timer buzzes as I fall yet again on the last hold. 

I get another four minutes to recover until I’m out on the second problem. This one was a dyno from 2 crimps to a sloper. I figured I could statically do the move with my height advantage being 6 foot tall. I pull on and make the bonus, throw my left heel over my hand and pull to reach up. I was so close, I touched the sloper! But my heel slipped off the tiny crimp and before I knew it was eating matt. Again. 

I tried to think of all the different ways to get there. I gave it a few more attempts but didn’t manage. This comp. wasn’t going my way.

Back in isolation I felt my arms screaming in pain, the pump was kicking in. But I told myself, two problems to go. I can be in pain later. 

Photo by: Janine G

And then I’m out again, third problem. I pull the crimps through out, go right into a shoulder move and hold the lock off. I reach up, my foot slips and I slam head first into the wall. 

I’m back on the matt, by now I was pissed. My heart was racing and my time was running out. 

It ran out, all of it. In recovery I thought how to drain the blood from my arms. No time though, the final climb awaits. 

A crimp fest with high rockups. I knew I could manage the crimps and I was going for the bonus but my foot kept popping off in the last second. 15 seconds on the clock, I tell myself. 15 seconds is all you need! I go for one last try and give it my all, and it works! One more, I tell myself. One hold from the top and my foot pops again. And I’m on the matt. Again. 

So much to placing. 

All in all, it was a learning experience. I got a pretty good grasp of what my weaknesses are and what I need to train to become more successful. I didn’t end up qualifying for the final but that’s okay. I had fun thats the main thing.

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Air time, Photo by: Forrest

DAY THREE

It was another early start, todays goal was to go sight seeing in the morning and make it back to watch Andi in the finals after lunch. 

We explored some markets and checked out all the fake goods they had, ranging from Sounto watched to Rolex’s. After that we went to the sales meeting for lunch and started prepping for the finals. And by prepping I mean we took out some cameras. 

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At the finals we went to cheer for Andi. He did great on the first problem! The second looked promising too, popping off the last hold over and over again.  Overall he came in second. 

We watched the prize ceremony and headed out for dinner where we met up with the KAILAS competition organizers. We all squeezed into a round table and ended our dinner with a walk around the canton tower exploring more of the area at night. 

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canton tower

DAY FOUR

The last day, There was a photo shoot planned in the morning followed by some sight seeing and souvenir shopping. We took some turns into some crazy markets and walked down corridors that were filled top to bottom with stuffed animals. 

Time was flying and before we knew it Andi, Sam and I were heading off to the airport. 

I had a great time on this trip. I learnt so much, not only about China and KAILAS but also about my fellow climbers. It was a great experience, not only did I learn about my strengths and weaknesses but I also made some great friends along the way. 

A huge thanks to Janine and KAILAS for organizing the entire trip. Also Lisa and the whole team for making us feel so welcome and making the trip unforgettable.

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