Rocky Mountains

Since I returned from Switzerland life has been amazing. Switzerland almost felt like something of a 'reset' button for me. Amongst the rain and the hustle it was oddly centering. Coming to the US last month felt very refreshing--  surrounded with old friends, familiar zones, clear goals, family, Zeke. I'm always quickly reminded of how wonderful Colorado is, and how amazing the summers can be here. Up next was a quick trip to Squamish for the amazing Climbing Academy there, a quick trip to Salt Lake City for the Summer OR show, and a change in gears. I spent the next few weeks hiking and climbing and preparing for a route I've been dreaming of for years, the Direct Dunn Westbay on the Diamond. In an emotional fight to the death with the strong support of my Dad, Bob Siegrist, we completed the route last weekend. I wrote about this experience on the Arcteryx Bird Blog -- go and check it out!

Cam Dog photo from the crux 80m pitch on the Direct Dunn Westbay. 

Squamish, climbing the incredible 'Spirit of the West' 14a

Now I will try to switch gears again. Alpine climbing is so demanding and tiring to the whole body. The kind of exhaustion I felt the days after my ascent on the Diamond are very distinct - and debilitating. I have a few more traditional routes on my radar but I really feel I need to play catch up and prepare for my fall of sport climbing at this point. Back into performance climbing mode... not an easy task. I will use outdoor bouldering to try and jump start the process. Things feel hard, my body is no doubt still recovering, even almost a week later. But if I want to carry on with my goals I need to think differently again. Intensity over volume. Power over stamina. It's incredible how the body can adapt if you give it the right stimulus. Wish me luck!

A little taste from Swiss!!

A Swiss Goodbye

Trips always produce more than I expect. More emotion, more rad new people, more unique experience and sometimes even more sending. Here I am on the flight back to the US. I imagine what it would be like to sit next to myself -- on that departing flight to Europe back on May 6. I wouldn't want to give away all the details but I would certainly offer up a little advice. "Prepare for some rain" perhaps. Or, "This is the best grocery store in Interlaken" ... "Trummelbach falls is worth every damn penny" ... "Go hard when the crag is dry" or "Save a whole day for the Truck and Country festival"... But all in all there is little I could really tell myself back then that could have improved the trip. That's a good feeling.


Daniel Hulliger photo of 'El Molinero' 

Despite some low moments this was an awesome visit. The weather was some of the worst - most recorded rain for over 100 years, but I still climbed and did some sending and I'm really proud of that. I definitely feel like I was hustling and working overtime to keep my hunger for rock satiated. Thankfully with all the micro climates around the Swiss Alps it was possible to move around as the weather was shifting and as one zone got soaked, another seemed to be drying out. 

Switzerland is staggeringly beautiful - like a dream. The Alps are incomparable to any mountains I've seen in the world aside from the Andes and Himalaya. They are massive and right there in-your-face and so beautiful it's almost nauseating. Rock climbing and, furthermore, living in this setting is so motivating. Near the solstice we had light until essentially 10pm, and the climbing days were long. The sun sets very slowly. Evenings were breathtaking.

running from the rain


Engelberg... photo from Mathias Trottman 

In the last six days of my trip I moved out of my radical little home in Bonigen, and met with some good friends in Engelberg, partied in lively Zurich and explored the warm streets of Milan. It was a welcome change and really helped to cap the trip. It really ignited me to plan both an Alpine mission to Switzerland and also a climbing trip to Italy (maybe not in the summer..).

All that being said I'm looking forward to being back in the States. My plans are more wide open than they have been years. I'm still unsure exactly what I'll be doing this fall, which is strange considering that I usually have a year planned out. It feels nice. Leaning towards a road trip, some bolting maybe. Maybe a few projects in mind. Any ideas? 

In the meantime I'm right back on a plane this week to Canada for the Squamish Climbing Academy! I am really looking forward to this event and stoked to see the Arc team once again. Holler if you'll be in the area!

I don't usually do this kind of thing but enough people have asked so here it is -- my routes from the Swiss trip, 5.13 and up. Cheers everyone. 

Missing Link 14c/d 

Appel au Sodom 14b

Femme Rouge 13b 

Bett des Fakirs 13c 

Torero 13b 

Jungfrau Marathon 14d 

Zenit 14a 

Goldfinger 14b 

Termilater 14a 

Schwarzes Glas 14a 

Diesseits Von Jenseits 13a os 

Weisse Arena 13a os 

Gravitationalist 13a os 

Okoschwein 13a os 

Cabane au Canada 14d 

Paradis Natural 14b flash 

Deprime Sous le Soleil 13d 

Le Voile de Maya 14b/c 

Stop Sika 14b 

Degout et des Couleurs 13c flash 

Ultime Opera 13a os 

L'espace Bleu 13d 

Gaucho 13d 

Hyper Finale 14d fa 

Bulletin de Sante 14a flash 

Tornado Power 14b 

Brot fur Bruder 13c 

Gimmel Express 14c 

Ewigi Liebi 13d 

Bit Man 13b flash 

Ganja 13d 

Marc 14a 

Philou 14a 

Vapeur de Tacos 13b flash 

Molinero 14c 

Hau den Lukas 13d 

Lethargie 14a 

Zollo del Lachel 13a os 

No Time for Wanking 13b os 

Lasertusse 13b flash

Fred Moix photo of the night sky above the Bernese Oberland

last week...

Suddenly looking ahead to my final week in Switzerland. Since I last checked in the weather has continued to give and take but overall improve. Thus allowing for some sends and some new terrain and yet still some sorrow-filled hours of anxiously reading weather forecasts. It's been utterly frustrating at times but good company and this beautiful country have kept me surprisingly sane. I feel I made the best of this horrible weather season overall and for that I'm very proud!

Vikki Weldon came through for a week to enjoy the Swiss stoke. We climbing around several crags in a variety of weather scenarios but this day was pretty damn prime. Gastlosen. Photo by Hugo Vincent. 

'Philou' 14a at Gastlosen. Hugo Vincent. 

Vikki getting all fired up on the Gimmelwald lovin'. 'Torero' 13b.

In one moment I'm sitting near the Lake Thun, enjoying some wine and the delights of overwhelming sunshine. Enough sun to fully warrant a dip in the chilling glacial waters and a second glass of rose. Reflecting on a couple of incredible climbing days in the stunning Swiss Alps and in moments like this I could snap my fingers and move to the Bernese Oberland. Only a day later the heavy rain settles in. Shoes are soaked, humidity is maximum. Climbing is impossible and being outside is downright heinous. The short term forecast reflects oncoming rains that would be equivalent to a year's worth of Colorado thundershowers. In this moment I wish I could snap my fingers and book a plane ticket to Las Vegas. 

I wrapped up this open project from Bertrand Martenet at the amazing sector Rawyl, near Sion, Swiss. A gnarly crimp boulder problem at the fifth bolt to some ridiculously thin climbing (pictured) and a few jumps above. 14d. Fred Moix photo. 

Good company makes a huge difference. Rain or Shine. We had a rad crew packed into the little house. Everyone stoked on their own routes and areas, but we still managed to crank some 80's movies together at night to boost moral. 

Even the locals are quick to admit that this year is particularly horrible. Regardless, I've been climbing. As many days as possible. I've done the majority of what I hoped to on this trip and certainly more. Bad weather pushed me to explore some areas I would have missed otherwise. It also made me appreciate how stable and clear the Western US is. But damn... when it's nice here it is epically nice. And those are the days I will no doubt remember the most. 

For the final week here I've got a clear forecast and still ambitions for sending. We'll see how things turn out. In the meantime enjoy the sun where ever you are and in the event that it's raining and horrendous, I feel your pain. 

Sometimes it sucks out and you still climb because you're overstoker and you only have a week left! One hung this beast in some humidity yesterday. Fingers crossed for the clear weather! Daniel Hulliger photo. 

I did a three part series of informational type videos with Epic TV on a rainy day here in Switzerland a few weeks back. Each one includes a nice little 'task' they spontaneously asked me to preform, mostly with the intensions of embarrassing me - which obviously resulted in some humor. Hope you Enjoy!

Swiss Update

My list of must-do routes is growing every day. Each new climber I meet and share a belay with has a new burning recommendation for me. Projects, forgotten zones, popular cliffs, hidden gems. I knew that Switzerland had an underrated sport climbing scene but I'm downright baffled by how much stone there is packed into this tiny country.

.... Zurich.... Lauderbrunnen. photos from Colette. 

Unfortunately the weather has been nothing short of horrible as of late. For the most part the last two weeks was too wet, although visiting climber and videographer Colette McInerney and I made the very best of it, damn it. It gave us a chance to see some of the lesser known spots and also to spend hours studying weather forecasts. Regardless we had a great time together doing a video piece for EpicTV and touring around the Alps a bit. 

Since I left Voralp about three and a half weeks ago I've been climbing on every sunny day - which were depressingly few. I did get some routes finished though, some of my favorites actually. After a visit to a ultra powerful, slippery, radical 8c rig called 'Appel au Sodom' I was in better condition for my first big mission. It was an unrepeated power-endurance test piece at a stunning crag, Gimmelwald. 'Jungfrau Marathon' 9a, is a battle route. Twenty meters longs, only one poor rest, punching from the start to finish. I got lucky on this one and pulled off a send only a day before it dumped snow and drenched the cliff. Keep eyes peeled for a video on this brilliant route!

Gimmel Express... is very wet... but I still try. Over-stoker? Colette photo. 

Daniel Hulliger photo of Goldfinger.

'Goldfinger' 8c is one of the few routes at Gimmel that remains dry even in the worst of conditions. A savage, lurpy boulder problem sandwiched between grade 7 climbing, this is not my favorite route but dry rock is dry rock! As the clouds descended on the mountain we changed locations. An hour long drive through pure moisture and dense clouds left me less than hopeful we would find anything worth our time. Pleasantly surprised we arrived in Engelberg at a dry and beautiful green-side (on a golf course) cliff named Shlanggen. Colette could sense my boy-like excitement erupting from a seemingly assured defeat, and, in complete over-stoker fashion I tried to warm up with an 8b+ onsight which was less than ideal. I took it down a notch, but I did do 'Termilater' 8b+ and the bouldery, hard, 'Schwarzes Glas' 8b+ by the end of the day. My stoke was well renewed. 

Colette McInerney photo of 'Termilater' 

Colette McInerney climbs on the powerful 'Femme Rouge' at Gimmelwald in less than ideal conditions

Unfortunately from here on the weather continued to shit on us. Stubborn and perhaps too optimistic I forced Colette to continue making the muddy slog up to Gimmelwald, only to find that nothing had dried. And then again... and then again. Finally I got the memo and after several days of rest I changed my aim to Valais, a valley south of Interlaken and a place rumored to always have sun. The two and a half hour drive to Rawyl was like a slow climb out of a steamy bathhouse and onto a sunny beach. I found rock just dry enough to climb and my skin was once again met with the golden warmth of the sun! 'Cabane au Canada' 9a is a route that I've wanted to try for years. Pictures showed this perfect banded limestone, overhanging and featured. This time, despite my complete mind boggling over-stokedness, I warmed up properly and then jumped on the rig. Tension climbing on amazing sculpted crimps, long poppy movements, rests throughout, with a heart breaker crux at the very very top. Borderline perfect route. Pumpy. Awesome. I did the route yesterday but only after waiting out some pretty damn warm temperatures. Funny how quickly the tables can turn. 

Rest day in the sun here in Interlaken! Wishing I had shorts on. The Swiss way: if it's nice out you go outside, period. Definitely helping me appreciate clear skies. Cheers everyone. 

Swiss

Switzerland. I was here two years ago. I slept in a barn, I partied in Zurich, I climbed some great routes. It definitely left an impression on me. The people I met in Switzerland took such incredible care of me. Showing me crags, letting a complete stranger (me) crash on their couch and offering belays and beta to no end. After all my name is very swiss... maybe that's why I feel so at home here.

It's not so much on the map for sport climbing. You've likely heard of Ticino and you've heard of Magicwood. Maybe you've heard of the Ratikon. You've definitely heard of the Matterhorn and the Eiger. But have you heard of Gimmelwald? or Voralp? or Basler Jura? Probably not. The sport climbing here is good. Actually it's really good. 

Little crags spread across the country. A country that you can literally cross in 4 hours. I've been wanting to give myself a good chunk of time to experience these little gem zones since I first tasted the scene here. And now after a whirlwind week landing in the Alps I've settled into my new home in Interlaken - actually a sleepy neighboring town called Bönigen - I can sit down and share a little.

MelloBlocco. I have always heard about this event. I'd heard it was massive and the parties were great and Italians are crazy. All are true. The largest climbing event in the US is likely the Red Rock Rendezvous in Las Vegas, which I did just 6 weeks ago. Mello is easily two times as big. People and cars and crash pads are everywhere. It's an infectious energy. It's fun to be around. The parties and the social aspect of the event are cleary as important as the climbing. Many people take the climbing and competition seriously 97% are there to enjoy the mountains and share some delicious Italian wine with friends. Italians are great. Energetic, warm, spontaneous.... it's a great vibe. Thank you MelloBlocco! I really hope to return.

Afterwards I drove directly to Voralp with an annoying mix of hangover and jet lag. There I met a buddy Logan and we took every advantage of the rare dry and sunny weather. It was perfect. Crashing on my good friend Toby's couch, we spent the days exploring a mythical route from Beat Kammerlander called 'Missing Link'. I fell so much in love with the climbing style at Voralp on my last visit that despite finishing off the main cliff I was hungry to check out this 'other' route. Beat did the route in 1997, giving it the grade of 11 - at the time this was on a short list of routes graded this way. 'Action Direct' and 'Hubble' on that list. Since then it had remained mostly obscure and unrepeated. This alluring history only fueled my desire to check it out. 

As you could imagine I found the route filthy... (only after some terrifying 5th class grass and loose rock traversing). I blew through an entire brush slowly making my way up the route, unlocking some sequences, chalking holds and brushing dirt and worms (yes actual worms) out of the pockets. The crux was clearly a very thin section at 3/4 height. A difficult should move to a tiny right hand edge, followed by a tenuous move to a sloping left hand pocket. From here you grab an imaginary right hand crimp / dimple / pinch thing and then rocket up to a series of poor crimps before a long rock-over / lock off to a side pull. There are hard moves before and after this crux but this is what I'm guessing was the 'missing link' section of the route. Thankfully although the handholds barely exist I did find many foot options. The following day I returned and continued cleaning and even had a nice try falling up just below the crux. 

Perhaps it was the impeding storm, or the looming threat that this route was in fact off limits (?), or maybe it was that my training had worked and this route fit my style and stoke perfectly but on the next day I climbed it. With every move I surprised myself again and again. Ending at the anchor in disbelief.

A few things about this route... It might be off limits. I was unable to get a clear answer on this. I was never convinced enough to stop trying, in-fact most climbers told me to not worry at all. In the end it seems it was fine, but if you plan to check it out be VERY careful on the approach. There are some fixed lines to help your journey but the ground is steep and loose and the consequence is huge (death) if you take the slide. During a rain the top of the route will likely be wet and furthermore the approach will be downright impossible / suicide. The crag is beautiful and the route is phenomenal. It's around 35 meters long and aside from the first couple bolts it is hard the whole way. Slightly overhanging but very different rock than the other Voralp routes. As for the nebulous 11 grade... It's a technical, vertical masterpiece. A route that suits my style perfectly. I'm not convinced that this route could be 9a but perhaps 8c+ is better? Or maybe I got very lucky and things clicked for me faster than predicted? I doubt the route is as hard as Hubble or Action Direct however, despite the fact I've never tried those classics. Who knows? Maybe it suits this obscure beauty to remain ungraded anyways... 

Okay... more projects await. Now I just need the rain to stop... cheers everyone! 

exit Nevada

Vegas in the rear view. It was my sixth winter there and just like the other five it was tough to say goodbye, emotional even. Just when I think my enthusiasm for this lonely place has dissolved I dig into a new, motivating project. Several of my hardest routes have been in and around Vegas, and now that trend continues.

I learned a lot this winter. It would be a lie to say that I loved my time in Las Vegas. I struggled at times both personally and in my climbing. Sometimes the battle is swift and easy, but sometimes there's simply no way to win. Damn it. Climbing has taught me countless things about life, helped me through rough times and lifted me up when everything else seemed to crumble. Climbing has given me a space to develop my sense of self, and a backwards reminder that ups or downs, send or no send, life is good.

Trying something at your physical limit will rip your heart wide open. My victories on this one must be counted very carefully (read: they're small). I am a stubborn bastard though and once I feel I want something - be it that fickle, one star 12d that I can't seem to freaking send - or a dream route, I will keep trying until it kills me. I really look forward to my next campaign in Sin City and I've already made plans for it. There's a long route there that I'd really like to climb and a Casino or two that I'd like to get even with.





Looking ahead -> I'll be on my way to Switzerland soon. A few months living in Interlaken, exploring many crags that I've dreamt about for years. Solo mission. Zippy little german car winding through the luscious Alps. Beautiful cows. Nice people. Snowy peaks. Ive got a fat list of projects and ideas - just praying for some stable weather and to meet some good friends along the way.

@BEARCAM PHOTOS. 

a few photos...

Long days at the crag. A night or two on the town. Family, friends, dogs. Enjoy a few photos and keep your eyes open for a proper blog update here soon.

one last session.

So much garage time... well... to be fair it's been laundry room time. We moved the hang board set up to the laundry room and installed a window A/C unit that makes the 50 Sq/ft torture chamber icy like a walk in beer cooler. My room mates come in wearing sweaters to load the washer. The silly things we do, I suppose. Me, not them.

Why is this at all necessary? Summer has arrived earlier than planned in the Vegas Desert. My bouldering motivation was cut short by the unusual heat, and my attention shifted to my route climbing goals - and a few weeks of preparation. Thus, many many days of baltic laundry room sessions.

While I do love the grind of training and it is in a weird way very centering for me, I am ready to be outside everyday again, exploring new routes and climbing until I'm utterly destroyed. Beers back at the truck by headlamp, dreaming about beta, supporting friends on their mission and being out and under the vast blue desert sky. Ready for the real thing again!

And luckily for me, tomorrow is my final session. One more opportunity to bust my ass with several months of climbing ahead of me. New areas, different countries, different partners, all new ambition. I can't wait!

Wish me luck finishing out this training cycle and in the meantime enjoy a couple videos below!


I will be returning to the Arcteryx Academy this summer in Chamonix Mont Blanc and I can't wait. What a perfect setting for no doubt the highest quality mountaineering and climbing event in the world. Arcteryx events have every bit as much attention to detail and precision as you would expect from the brand. If you're around Europe this summer come and say hi!


This will be my second year as an official Epic TV athlete. It's another year of opportunity to bring in some rad new climbing footage and I'm really pleased to be involved with them again. The team for this year is massive (in talent) and quite honestly I'm not entirely sure that I belong along side these crushers but regardless I'm honored. Adam Ondra, Stefano Ghisolfi and Magnus Midtbo... Watch this rad little clip above.


Lastly a little behind the scenes action from our Nikon mission in the Verdon. Hardly shows how incredibly hard working Keith is, but you do get an idea of how he puts together all the craziness behind the lens.