Climbing Endless seas of alpine granite on Dent d´Orlu Sitting at the very end of the Ariege valley in the French Pyrenees the Dent d´Orlu is best known for its striking silhouette and its monster 1000m+ routes. However we were not out for a multi day climb and chose the less intimidating 11 pitch Tapas sans Dalle for our first outing on this mountain.
Tips and tricks How to Road Trip in Norway Having to leave our trusty van behind in Spain we set out to explore the Fjords and Fjells by car and on foot. The goal was to see as much as possible in 10 days and not spend a fortune doing it.
Hiking A perfect day out on the Besseggen Ridge I mostly tend to stay away from hikes that do not include at least some scrambling and also those that draw big crowds. However after my own research and a personal recommendation I had to check out this ridge cutting through mountains and lakes.
vanlife A perfect slice of Spain Picturesque sun baked houses on a backdrop of beautiful steep mountains combined with the possibility to take deep dives into the culture and history of the „real“ Spain. That what awaits!
Hiking High above the wildest of Norway on the Romsdalen Ridge While all of the Fjord lands of Norway are stunning, the area around Åndalsnes is of special rugged beauty. The walls here rise almost 1500 meters straight from the sea and the Romsdalen ridge cuts through the area. From my experience the hike along it has some of the best views in all of Europe.
Tips and tricks Review Patagonia Nanopuff Vest Light and packable piece of synthetic isolation that works very well as a layering piece for all kinds of outdoor activities - and not too technical looking for an everyday item as well.
Tips and tricks Review Black Diamond Hotforge Hybrid Quickdraws No fuss, okay weight, reasonably priced sport climbing quickdraws that do their job quitely day in and day out. Solid gates at the wall side and wire gates at the rope side.
Climbing Getting slabbed around in La Pedriza After quite a few successful multi pitch climbs on Mallorca Toby and I decided to try our luck on the granite slabs and cracks of La Pedriza north of Madrid. What followed was a week of hard work, run outs, being put in our place - and good memories.
Climbing The Southern France Ramble What was planned as a quick drive-by meetup between Martin, Brigitte and I on our respective ways north and south in France turned into a almost weeklong raid through the climbing areas and backroads of Cevennes and Ventoux regions.
Climbing In the land of vultures and limestone: Climbing in the Spanish outer Pyrenees After our great trip to the ranges of the Costa Blanca the year before we chose another region of Spain for this year's adventure and added two more players to the team - and we were welcomed with stunning landscape, great rock and perfect weather.
Cycling The Zip Tie Express and its entourage Take four climbers, put them on (and in) bikes, point them towards the Tramuntana mountains, add the special sauce of this being a test for Sebastians handbike creation and see what happens: That was the plan for this two day round trip on Mallorca.
Tips and tricks Review Decathlon Forclaz MT500 pants In summary, a super robust set of hiking pants with five pockets that come in at a very reasonable price - if you are willing to buy from a discount clothing company (and live with all the baggage related to that).
Mallorca Adventure Guide Multipitch: Via Directa des Pilar on El Paredon / Puig Major Quick info * A straight and proud line on the right and side of the Paredon wall that goes right to the top. * Never really easy and with some distinct crux
Tips and tricks Review Kapitän Ohlsen solid shaving gel A good alternative to big name brand products that gets points for being locally produced and almost wastefree. Being solid rather than liquid also helps while traveling - be it in planes or any other way.
Hiking The Sa Mola quarry in Felanitx This website talks about the natural beauty of Mallorca all the time but even I must admit sometimes artificial places can be really interesting. The abandoned rock quarry Sa Mola in Felanitx is one of those weird and at times slightly creepy lost places.
Tips and tricks Review Petzl Sama climbing harness A do it all harness that works very well and is reasonably priced - those were my criteria when I bought my first “good” harness. After some looking around I found what I searched for in the Petzl Sama - and I have bought a second one after wearing down in three years of heavy use.
Tips and tricks Review Patagonia Houdini jacket This is one of the items of clothing that surprised me with how often I do use it. The idea was to have a windproof layer for outdoor activities that does not take up space in a pack but it turns out I carry this thing almost all the time: From multi pitch climbing to a walk around town.
Climbing The multi pitch lines of Paret dels Coloms on Mallorca While the bigger lines in the area are all in the Sa Gubia Cirque the sheer of Paret dels Coloms on the opposite side of the valley has some impressive and unique medium length lines on offer.
Mallorca Adventure Guide Multipitch: Via Socuellamos on El Paredon / Puig Major Quick info * The classic line on the crown jewel of a wall that is El Paredon (Puig Major). * A mix of harder, steeper pitches in the beginning with a traverse
Climbing A loop around the Sa Gubia Cirque The walls of Sa Gubia are THE playground for anyone who is looking for sport bolted multipitch lines on the island of Mallorca. Medium to hard climbing on solid rock in a beautiful Cirque that feels wild and exposed makes you want to come back here again and again.
Mallorca Adventure Guide Scramble: Galatzo East Face Quick info * An alternative and more adventurous way to reach the top of Puig de Galatzo, one of the premier hiking peaks of the island * Light scrambling with some exposure
Mallorca Adventure Guide Multipitch: Agulla Forcada „El Bispe“ / Galatzo Quick info * Very aesthetic rock tower in a beautiful mountainous setting. * 3 pitches / 105 meters * 5a / 5c / 4b * Trad protection / only some fixed gear at belays and rappel stations * Descent
Mallorca Adventure Guide Multipitch: Penyal Bernat / Port de Soller Quick info * A stunning rock tower in a fabulous location that can be climbed fairly easily in one long pitch. * Very crumbly rock and therefore risky * 1 pitch / 35 meters
Mallorca Adventure Guide Multipitch: Na Penyal Arista Brucs / Son Servera Quick info * Short climb up a rock tower adjacent to the Penyal face above the town of Cala Millor on the east coast * One or two pitches / 40 meters * 5b