Climbing

Exploring the beautiful and slightly technical Cova de na Mitjana

After some cool climbing adventures Wolf and I made the most of the turning winter weather on Mallorca by seeking out a lesser known cave in the north east of the island that can only be accessed by a bit of scrambling and a rappel into the main cavern.

Climbing

Climbing an unlikely trad line up the Puig d´Alaró

In our quest to discover and climb multi pitches on Mallorca Wolf and I attempted a very interesting line close to the village of Alaró on the foot of the Tramuntana. With only a rough topo and a single photo of the route Pepe Ramon we knew this would be quite the adventure.

Climbing

Multi pitch climbing at the Wildangerwandl crag in the famous Wilder Kaiser

During our explorations of the alps south of Rosenheim we had to visit the stunning Wilder Kaiser range. However as we did not want to stretch our skills and luck too far we decided on checking out the Wildangerwandl - a true alpine sport crag.

Climbing

Ma. Mountains silence the mind.

The Japanese word „Ma“ can be translated as negative space, the concept of silence or the potential for thoughts or things to develop. This text speaks about how being outside in nature silences the noise and clutter of the mind and makes space for real experiences and a clearer view insight.

Climbing

Don’t Rush! Don’t Dawdle! A week of sport and multi pitch climbing on Mallorca

After having evangelized for the climbing on the island a newish friend from Germany decided to take my word for it and visit for a week right after Christmas. The goal: Climb as much rock and catch as much sun as possible those few days!

MRC

Rock Climbing Mallorca: Quan es fa fosc - Albahida variation (Sa Gubia)

Tl:Dr: A steeper variation of THE multipitch classic in the Sa Gubia crag on Mallorca. The harder pitches are bolted while the rest needs to be protected.

Climbing

The Agulla d´es Frare: Real alpine climbing on Mallorca!

Hiking, wayfinding, scrambling, climbing with the bare minimum of protection, rappelling, a real mountain setting - all that in one go is what needs to be dealt with when attempting this stunning rock tower. Or as my climbing partner Wolf would say: „A tour for the complete Alpinist.“

Climbing

Obeying the Law of Desire

The Sa Gubia crag on Mallorca is well known for its stunning setting and high quality climbing - and the seven pitch La Ley del Deseo is among the jewels here. Sustained climbing up to grade 6a on high quality rock with tons of exposure - my kind of jam!

Tips and tricks

Review Decathlon Simond Rock+ climbing shoes

In summary a pair of comfortable, cheap shoes that offer fairly good climbing performance but do lack a tiny bit in durability. Not the right tool for really hard or steep stuff but great as a middle of the road sport climbing and multipitch shoe.

MRC

Rock Climbing Mallorca: Pixarells - Tramuntana Bouldering

Tl:Dr: The bouldering spot on Mallorca! Tons of mostly hard problems on very interesting rock in a very unique and beautiful setting.

vanlife

Into the heart of the Picos de Europa

Most people associate the name Picos de Europa with a very specific part of these mountains: The central massif including the Picu Urriellu or Naranjo de Bulnes. Our van trip brought us into this heart of the Picos as well and we fell in love with the rugged landscape.

Cycling

Exploring la España verde

Spain does have a deep history of road cycling both as a professional sport and an amateur activity. And especially the northern regions do offer tons of beautiful landscapes, cycling history and winding roads to explore.

vanlife

Agüero - Not just Riglos light!

The 300 meter towers of Riglos are both visible from kilometers away and very well known by fans of multi pitch climbing in Spain and beyond. However just a village over there is Agüero with its own Mallos that are just that bit smaller and less intimidating - but as beautiful and unique.

vanlife

Maraña - An outdoor enthusiasts dream playground

Our van based exploration of the regions of northern Spain brought us into the mountains of León and to the small village of Maraña. Sitting in a beautiful pastoral valley right at the foot of the Mampodre mountains, this place is a gem for hikers, climbers and anyone looking to get away from it.

Hiking

Peaks beyond Peaks: Traversing the Mampodre range

Besides the famous Picos de Europa there are many more ranges in Northern Spain. By traversing the main line of peaks of the Macizo del Mampodre I got to know one of the less famous but equally beautiful more closely.

Hiking

Scaling the Pico Gilbo from Riaño

The mountain panorama around the Riaño reservoir is stunning. But even among the many peaks here Pico Gilbo stands out. An almost perfect Toblerone pyramid that looks both inviting and foreboding. Its hard to see where an easy way might lead up - however there is one.

Climbing

Climbing on wild rock above the Bizkaia

The northern coast of Spain is known for its bizarre steep coastline and unforgiving Atlantic weather. And this provides the backdrop for a fantastic little climbing sector that we explored during our travels in the region.

MRC

Rock Climbing Mallorca: Cala Gat (East Coast DWS)

Tl:Dr: Nice, if somewhat busy, bay with some medium height rocks close to the beach. Good spot for a day at the beach with some climbing.

Climbing

South of Rosenheim: Sport climbing in Flintsbach, Ruhpolding and Zellerwand

Besides ticking off some cool alpine climbs in the Chiemgau alps we also took the chance to check out a few of the local sport crags that offer single and short multi pitch lines with very short approaches.

Climbing

A stunning line up the Staffelstein

Besides the classic Kampenwand traverse there are many other cool climbs to be done close to the main ridge. The Staffelstein is a prominent and striking rock tower that overlooks the Chiemsee and has several lines leading to the top. We chose one of the Nordwest Kante and enjoyed it profusely.

Climbing

A real alpine classic: The Kampenwand traverse

The many towers of the Kampenwand draw a striking line across the sky that can be seen from miles away in the Bavarian flatlands. The traverse from west to east is a classic technical route that combines climbing, scrambling and rappeling in a perfect alpine setting.

MRC

Rock Climbing Mallorca: Cala Provençal Bouldering

Steep and juggy boulders with sandy landings in a bizarre setting right by the sea on the east coast of Mallorca.

vanlife

In the shadow of Monviso

Our travels through this part of the Alps brought us over to Italy and the source valley of the river Po to continue our eclectic mix of outdoor activities.

vanlife

Exploring the Vallée de Vésubie

Like its cousin the Roya valley over the mountains to the east the Valley of the Vesubie river has much to offer to the outdoor orientated visitor. Tons of peaks, curious wildlife and twisty mountain roads provide more than enough to do!

2022

Outdoor sports and other adventures in La Brigue

The valley has been hit hard by the storm Alex in 2020 and it still shows. However this means that the area is quiet and the many outdoorsy activities you can do here are not crowded at all. And all of the alpine beauty is still there!