Holiday Traditions: Cogne Ice Climbing Festival - December 16 - 18, 2016

Christmas is a time of traditions – traditional foods, traditional songs, traditional stockings hung by the fire… For me (as well as about 80 others!), the Christmas season is marked by another tradition - an annual migration to the Aosta Valley – to Cogne, Italy – for the Cogne Ice Opening celebration. 

Spearheading this annual event is no easy task – fluctuations in weather, coordinating ice-themed movies and gathering an array of inspirational speakers, and promoting the event (in 4 languages!) is a challenge in itself! For the fifth consecutive year, professional ice climbers Matthias Scherer, Tanja and Heike Schmitt met the challenge with gusto. Leveraging their creativity, huge talents and a contagious passion for the many disciplines of climbing, an array of nationalities from Finland to Canada to Holland to England took the opportunity to embrace and refine ice climbing, mixed climbing and dry-tooling skills.

The festival, one of the first key social events of the winter in Cogne, is an opportunity to learn, have fun, meet new people and share experiences. The event is sponsored by Arc’teryx, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Petzl, and Sterling Rope, who are all on-hand to answer questions, sharpen tools and ensure that even if you were to show up in a pair of Bermuda shorts you could be fully kitted out, cramponed up and climbing up a frozen waterfall in about 10 minutes. 

The first sip of hot mulled-wine (Italian style) in the bar at the ‘Apero’ on Friday evening indicated that the festival had well and truly begun – the atmosphere was already buzzing and a growing group of participants were chatting about the options available given this seasons already mixed conditions. This is my fourth consecutive year attending the festival. One of the highlights for me is seeing so many familiar faces – many met whilst hanging off the ice last year!

Early on Saturday morning, under a clear crisp sky and temperatures hovering well below zero, participants broke out into their climbing groups, led under the watchful eyes of guides from Italy, France, Switzerland and Poland. Led by our guides Heike and Isabelle, our group began the trek up to the ridgeline to a route which would not only challenge us but also provide a safe learning ground for new skills. The trek was invigorating and proved to be a wonderful opportunity to warm up our muscles whilst meeting new people and sharing previous climbing (and life!) experiences. 

Isabelle Santoire and Heike Schmitt shared their experience and insights with us. There was a strong focus on safety and skills balanced in equal measure with a sense of fun. 

About 5 hours later, the laughs, pumped arms, tingling toes and rosy cheeks were evidence of our brilliant day out. I learned and practised new techniques and certainly gave my arms a workout. By around 3pm with chilled fingers and toes we all began to head down to the bar for liquid refreshments and the opportunity to share stories with other groups coming back from their own adventures.

That evening we headed into the quaint town of Cogne for an ‘All about the Ice’ movie night. With bellies full of Italy’s finest pizza, we sat back in the theatre to be inspired… and were not disappointed. With presentations from athletes and films from extreme climbers including Rudi Hauser, as well as the inspirational Heike and Tanja Schmitt and Matthias Scherer we quickly realised the tremendous dedication, passion and commitment required in climbing – or any sport for that matter. 

Sunday presented us with an equally stunning blue-sky and crisp clear conditions. Under the watchful eye of  our guides for the day, Nicholas and also Jon Bracey, we headed up to a more advanced route. I was a bit nervous as the degree of difficulty was a significant step up from the previous day but aided by a solid top rope and a group of supportive ‘cheerleaders’ it was a perfect training ground. You don’t feel ego here and it quickly became clear that I was in the company of some very experienced climbers, yet the set-up had something for all levels.  We jumped in when somebody needed a belay, encouragements were shouted, and we learned from each other. It was clear from the outset that the routes tested our abilities and we all came away from the day with a tremendous sense of satisfaction and a desire to continue pushing ourselves to the next level. 

It was a brilliant weekend. Piling into my Swiss Air flight back to London that evening I’d already begun planning my next trip to Cogne as well as additional winter adventures. 

The annual Cogne Ice Festival welcomes people of all abilities and tailors the sessions around your level of experience and what you want to get out of it. If you're intrigued by the sport of ice climbing and want to have a go, there are a number of options available:

1. Try it out at one of the UK’s indoor walls: Vertical Chill in Ellis Brigham Covent Garden, (London) or Ice Factor (Europe’s biggest indoor ice climbing wall) in Fort William, Scotland
2. Check out www.mountainwomen.net to learn ice climbing in small groups
3. Sign up for an introductory course in the Alps or in Scotland. Rijukan, Norway is very popular for ice climbing too
4. Hire a private guide, such as Heike Schmitt, Jonathan Bracey, or Isabelle Santoire (all based between Chamonix, France and Cogne, Italy) to show you the ropes for a day or two. For an action packed weekend, combine this with a skiing trip in the Alps!

Huge thanks to Matthias, Tanja, and Heike for organising the event, for your creativity and for sharing your passion with us..! Thanks also to the event sponsors Arc’teryx, Black Diamond, Petzl, La Sportiva, Sterling Rope and to all the guides involved for supporting the festival and helping to open up this icy world... See you next year!!

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Looking for Love on Ice: "Tinder" and Ice Climbing in Cogne, Italy

If you compared ice-climbing in Cogne to the popular ‘Tinder’ dating-app, you could be picky and ‘swipe left’ for hours before finding the ‘perfect match’. A ‘perfect match’ would reflect preferences in ice conditions, level of gnarly-ness, number of pitches etc.  By ‘swiping right’, you would be given the option to explore the route further and check out photographs to decide whether the route is worth pursuing and whether or not to add to a growing list of ‘potentials’. Unfortunately, with no significant snowfall to date (no pun intended) and a season marked by relatively warm temperatures, this year Cogne was having a ‘dry-spell’ (literally) and it was going to be a logistical challenge to celebrate the Cogne Ice Opening festival in traditional style… In short, there would be a minimal amount of ‘swiping right’.

Based out of Cogne, Aosta Italy, professional ice climbers Matthias Scherer, Tanja Schmitt and Heike Schmitt, organisers of the third annual Cogne Ice Opening Festival met the challenge with a passion. Leveraging their creativity, energy and a contagious passion for the many disciplines of climbing we soon forgot that there was a shortage of ice and took the opportunity to embrace and refine new skills including mixed climbing, dry-tooling, and ski-touring… and learn one of the fundamental lessons of alpinism… you can’t do anything about the weather.

I attended the Cogne Ice Opening Festival last year when, through perfect weather conditions leading up to the event, we were spoiled for choice with short approaches and a plethora of routes suited to all levels of ability. The festival, one of the first key social events of the winter in Cogne, is an opportunity to learn, have fun, meet new people and share experiences. The event is sponsored by Arc’teryx, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Suunto, Sterling Rope, Gloryfy and Chimpanzee who are all on-hand to answer questions, sharpen tools and ensure that even if you were to show up in a pair of Bermuda shorts you could be fully kitted out, cramponed up and walking to a frozen waterfall in about 5 minutes.

Despite the lack of ice this year, the first sip of hot mulled-wine (Italian style) in the bar at the ‘Apero’ on Friday night indicated that the festival had well and truly begun – ice or no ice, the atmosphere was buzzing and a growing group of participants were chatting about the new options available. I signed up for mixed- climbing which means climbing on a mix of rock and ice – something I had only done previously in Nepal so very excited about the weekend ahead..!

The next morning we broke out into our groups under a blue sky and temperatures hovering just above zero.  Led by IFMGA guide Patrick, our group headed off to do some roadside crag-climbing to take advantage of the mixed conditions. After scrambling down into a small ravine, we stumbled up on a rock face dotted with patches of ice, rock and frozen clumps of grass where Patrick set up three routes– a one pitch ice climb route over some fragile ice waterfall sections, a one pitch mixed route offering a challenging mix of rock and ice, and a one pitch route of very thin and fragile ice over a rapidly flowing waterfall. We took turns climbing and belaying between the routes and the day passed quickly. As much as I enjoy ice climbing, I find mixed-climbing tremendously satisfying and enjoy the different ways that the earths’ natural ‘ingredients’ provides the ballast to support a body inching its way up a steep face.

We had an absolutely brilliant day out - I learned plenty of new techniques and certainly gave my arms a workout. It was fantastic to share the day with friends, both old and new. By around 3pm the ice on the waterfall had begun to melt and the mud began to thaw so we all piled back into our cars and headed back to the bar for some liquid refreshments and the opportunity to share stories with other groups coming back from their own adventures.

In the evening we headed to the Sala Grivola in Cogne for an ‘All about the Ice’ movie night. With rosy cheeks, pumped-arms still throbbing and bellies full of Italy’s finest pizza, we all sat back in the theatre to be inspired… and we certainly were not disappointed. With presentations from athletes in word and film including extreme climber Rudi Hauser (Austria), Klemen Premrl (Slovenia), Mael Baguet (France) as well as the inspirational Tanja Schmitt and Matthias Scherer (Cogne) we quickly realised the tremendous dedication, passion and commitment required in climbing – or any sport for that matter. You can find some highlights from the clips shown here: Reborn - the quest for early season ice and  Climbing icebergs in Greenland.  

Sunday presented us with equally stunning blue-sky and crisp clear conditions. There was a rumour of forming ice further down the valley so our group, led by guides Heike, Isabelle and Patrick, we piled into our vehicles and sped off down the road to find out if the rumour was fact or merely a case of wishful thinking. After a 40-minute walk in, we looked up to see two pitches of beautifully forming... and virtually untouched ice..! RESULT! The next 3 hours were spent reviewing the basics in ice-climbing, swinging our ice-tools, screwing in ice screws, kicking in our front-points and pushing our personal limits on the icy-face. Whilst the ice conditions weren’t as ‘gnarly’ as previous years and we weren’t spoiled for choice, the day proved to be a tremendous success simply because we, a group of passionate climbers, adventurers and friends, had gathered outside around the ice and were cheering each other on, exchanging stories and planning future adventures. I couldn’t stop smiling. It was a brilliant day.

Huge thanks to Matthias, Tanja, and Heike for organising the event, for your creativity and for sharing your passion with us..! Thanks also to the event sponsors Arc’teryx, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Suunto, Sterling Rope, Glorify and Chimpanzee for supporting the festival and helping to spread the ‘love’ for ice... Despite the lack of snow and ice, we certainly were given plenty of opportunity to 'swipe right'..! 

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Alpamayo - The chicas, chicos and gringos you meet along the way

Trawling through an online library of photography of Alpamayo I can’t help but feel excited about the weeks ahead. I made a conscious decision not to go back to the Himalaya this spring but rather to focus on exploring a new part of the world that would combine two passions which have fuelled my travels and numerous stamps in my passport over the past five years - mountains and people. When my friend Adrian Ballinger, understanding the lure of mountains of aesthetic beauty (Makalu, Cholatse, Ama Dablam to name a few) sent a well timed email, it didn’t take too long before Part 1 of my summer plans came together.

At (19,512 feet/5,947 meters), Alpamayo is the gem of the Cordillera Blanca in Peru. Ever since it was first climbed in 1951, alpinists have been flocking to attempt its fluted Southwest Face. In July 1966, on the German magazine ‘Alpinismus’, a photo made by American photographer Leigh Ortenburger, was supported by an article resulting from an international survey among climbers, photographers, etc., voting for Alpamayo as "The Most Beautiful Mountain in the World”. As soon as I saw the jaw-dropingly breathtaking photo, I couldn’t help but whole-heartedly agree.

Günter Hauser, who made the first ascent, wrote: "As we pitched our tents the sun went down and Alpamayo became a kaleidoscope of swiftly-changing colour altogether becoming suffused with the pale lunar radiance of the evening before against the background of the dark blue sky with its diadem of stars." 

Alpamayo deserves these accolades. Although smaller than many of its neighbouring peaks, it is distinguished by its unusual formation and overwhelming beauty. It actually has two sharp summits, North and South, separated by a narrow corniced ridge. 

We'll be climbing the Southwest face. Although there are several climbing routes on the Southwest Face the most common is known as the Ferrari or Italian Route. It was opened in 1975 by a group of Italian alpinists led by Casimiro Ferrari. It begins at the top of the highest point of the snow slope where the bergshrund separates the upper face on the left and then ascends a steep runnel to the summit ridge. Summit day consists of  450m  (1,500 feet) of perfect ice and neve (styrofoam-like snow) climbing on a flawless fluted face.

I’ve been told that you’ll know you’re nearing the top of the climb when you begin to see light ‘through’ the face from the other side. And on a good year, you can actually top out on the summit ridge, with one foot dangling down each of its almost vertical faces… Nothing like a knife-edge summit ridge to get the heart racing.

The journey...

I’ll be flying directly into Lima, Peru where the journey will begin. I’ll spend a few days on my own in Lima before meeting up with my climbing team - faces familiar and new as we head from Lima to Huaraz - a winter sports and adventure mecca,  attracting visitors from around the world to enjoy climbing, hiking, snowboarding, skiing and to visit the glaciers and mountains of the Cordillera Blanca.  From there we’ll make our way to the trail-head where the real climbing will commence…

As I’ll be traveling to a part of the world that I’ve never visited before, I thought I’d do a bit of research on the food, people, culture and traditions that I can expect to find there… From the looks of things, I’ll be eating and drinking well (if I acquire a taste for guinea pig!), get a real appreciation for the immense scale of the rain forest, learn some new Spanish words and… likely acquire a new pair of yellow underwear…

A few random but interesting facts about Peru…

• Peru grows more than 55 varieties of corn, and you can just about find it in any colour  including yellow, purple, white and black;
• The potato is originally from Peru, and there are over 3,000 different varieties. Proud Peruvians use the phrase “Soy mas Peruano que la papa” (I am more Peruvian than the potato);
• Cuy or Guinea Pig is a traditional dish eaten in Peru;
• Peru is the 8th largest producer of coffee in the world, and is the 5th largest producer of the Arabica bean;
• Peru is a surfer’s paradise. Chicama has the world’s longest left-handed wave at 4km’s long, and Mancora (close by) has the world’s largest left-handed point-break.
• Two-thirds of Peru is covered in prime Amazon rainforest;
• There are 3 official languages in Peru: Spanish, Quechua and Aymara, but east of the Andes in Amazon Jungle regions it is thought that natives speak a further 13 different languages; and,
• In Peru, it's traditional to give friends and family yellow underpants on New Year’s Eve as it brings good luck...!

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"Keeping it Real" - Ice Climbing in Cogne, Italy

Every once in a while I have to remind myself to ‘keep it real’. Life is short, it can be tough. There are moments when reaching for a hand-brake to slow things down a notch or two would certainly help provide the life-balance when it flips out of kilter. In the absence of a ‘hand-brake’ I have found the perfect alternative – the great outdoors. For me, there’s something incredibly therapeutic about being outside and ‘feeling’ – feeling cold, hot, happy, scared, tired, hungry in a pure, unadulterated state…. engaging the mind by trying something new and drawing energy from the passion of people you meet along the way. 

I was just coming off of a hectic few weeks at work and was feeling the need to ‘keep it real’. When my climbing guide and friend Isabelle Santoire suggested that I join her for a weekend of at the Ice Climbing Opening in Cogne, Italy I jumped at the opportunity. Having spent an exceptionally cold but fun day learning the basics with Isabelle in Cogne last winter I realized that this was fantastic way to get back into the ‘groove’. What better way to feel alive than to embrace the biting cold in the shade of an icy rock face at the end of a belay or to climb up a frozen waterfall, arms pumped, trying hard not to think about the sheer lunacy of hanging off of a frozen waterfall on ice only a few centimeters thick by only a few sharp metal points. On the flip side, what better way to feel alive than drink hot chocolate so thick you can chew it and laugh so hard with people you’ve just met that it makes your belly ache.

The annual Cogne Ice Festival is organized by hugely talented, hardcore ice climbers, Matthias Scherer and Tanja Schmitt. The festival is a quirky, fun, non-pretentious gathering place which presented an opportunity to learn, to have fun, to meet new people and share experiences. It was sponsored by Arc’teryx, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Suunto, Sterling Rope, Glorify, and Chimpanzee who were all on-hand to answer kit questions, sharpen tools and ensure that even if you showed up without anything you could be fully kitted out and walking to a frozen headwall in about 5 minutes.  I tried out a new set of Black Diamond Stinger crampons and a new BD  Speed-range climbing pack – both of which exceeded expectations.

It was an absolutely brilliant weekend. A number of clinics were on offer ranging from navigation through to the more hard-core ice-climbing clinics. For both the Saturday and Sunday I joined a women’s clinic with 7 other women of mixed abilities but all sharing common goals – to have fun, to laugh, to learn. And that we did. In spades. We proved that the outdoors can bring together a mix of cultures – in my group alone we were a feisty mix of Brits, Swedes, Italians, Canadians, Norwegians, Germans, French. With a shared passion for the outdoors we proved that this shared passion can transcend language barriers and spent the two days on routes which offered different levels of challenge and opportunity. And learned, amongst other things, one key message – “Don’t let go”. A message which was confirmed during Saturday evening’s programme.

On Saturday evening, we were treated to several presentations from the athletes including Jeff Mercier showed a video on his new route in the Dolomites. Klemen Premrl presented Wolverine, a short clip about his achievements with Tim Emmett, Will Gadd and Raphael Slawinski, on Wolverine, one of the wildest, steepest and most difficult ice climbing in the world located in Helmcken Falls, Canada.  Matthias Scherer and Tanja Schmitt showed their movie on Kjerrskredkvelven, the giant ice line in Norway. Finally, Matteo della Bordella and Luca Schiera talked about their new route on Torre Egger, and Ezio Marlier talked about Repentance, one of the most iconic ice falls in Cogne.

I sometimes find it tedious watching accounts of adventures which focus purely on ‘The Epic’ - the records broken, the near-death experiences, the summits achieved, the testosterone-driven ‘gnarliness’ of it all… especially when the ‘gnarly’ isn’t appropriately balanced with the reality of why these amazing athletes push themselves to these extremes of challenge and discomfort. It’s certainly not about the money or the fame (we’re talking about climbing here!). It’s the buzz. It’s about keeping it real. It's about the thrill of the challenge and the fun. This came through in the videos - especially Tim Emmett's account of how he and his team mates approached Wolverine (I encourage you to boil the kettle, make yourself a brew, and take a few moments out of your life to enjoy it). I absolutely loved it not only for the aesthetic elements but also for the passion and enthusiasm for the project before, during and after the climb. This passion was something that we could relate to as we’d experienced it first-hand on a smaller scale during our own ‘epic’ experiences on routes significantly less gnarly. 

There are few things in life as vicariously satisfying as self-indulgence after a big day outside. On Sunday afternoon we found ourselves back in the pub with rosy cheeks with steaming cups of hot chocolate and mulled wine… and sorting out our next adventures as we flipped through our reams of photos documenting our ‘hero shots’. We agreed to meet again for more shared fun in Norway on 21 Feb for the Rjukan Ice Festival‏..! 

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