News article:

Sasha DiGiulian is already a champion climber, but now the 22-year-old is scaling the dangerous and deadly Eiger mountain in the Swiss Alps. In the summer between her junior and senior year at Columbia University, DiGiulian is hoping to pad her resume by becoming the first woman to scale the alpine peak with the nickname "murder wall." 
  
 The 6,000-foot vertical sheet of grey limestone is considered one of the world's most dangerous climbs. Dozens have died trying to reach the top. 
  
 After a long day scaling the mountain, DiGiulian Skyped with CBS News Tuesday night from her makeshift bed perched on the edge of a cliff. 
  
 "When you're alpine climbing, you're dealing with factors like unanticipated weather, which means storms can roll through," DiGiulian said. "It's really full on. You're facing like 12 to 18 hour days." 
  
 In his book "Eiger Dreams," mountaineer Jon Krakauer wrote, "The rockfall and avalanches that rain continuously down...are legendary. ...This makes the Eiger North Face one of the most widely coveted climbs in the world." 
  
 DiGiulian is attempting to become the first woman to reach the summit. 
  
 "When other women open the floodgates to showing that something is possible then all of a sudden you see progression in a sport," DiGiulian said, explaining why this climb was important to her. 
  
 DiGiulian, who's been climbing since she was 6 years old, won three national rock climbing championships and was female overall world champion. She's traveled to dozens of countries to compete and climbed some of the world's most difficult rock formations. 
  
 But when she decided to attempt Eiger, she said she faced more resistance than she expected. 
  
 "People saying like, 'Little girls don't belong on the Eiger.' Actually like in real life being laughed in my face when saying I was trying something on the Eiger," DiGiulian said. 
  
 That hasn't stopped her. Nor has the fear she admits she sometimes feels up there. 
  
 "I think that it's wrong to think that people can be fearless. I think that fear is inevitable, but I don't think that fear needs to be inhibiting," DiGiulian said. 
  
 Fear certainly hasn't inhibited her. DiGiulian hopes to reach the summit sometime next week, but it could all depend on the weather, which can be brutal there. Her father, who died last year, used to tell her three things before every climb: have fun, be safe and do your best. ||||| Focused crawls are collections of frequently-updated webcrawl data from narrow (as opposed to broad or wide) web crawls, often focused on a single domain or subdomain. ||||| Welcome back to Extreme Exposure, a weekly column bringing you the best photography and news from the world of action and outdoor sports​. This week Durango, Colo., mourns a river-running crown jewel, Sasha DiGiulian chases her Eiger Dreams and more. 
  
 Eiger Dreams 
  
 Sasha DiGiulian certainly isn’t taking it easy on her summer break. The Columbia University student is in the midst of her Eiger Dreams project in Switzerland where she’s attempting to be the first female and third person to ascend La Paciencia, the toughest route (5.13b) on the Eiger’s North Face. DiGiulian won a world title in 2011 but at 22, has excelled outdoors. “I’ve had this competition success,” she told SI.com. “(But) now I can do bigger pursuits outside. This is the hardest route up the Eiger, a 23-pitch climb.” 
  
 DiGiulian’s progress up Paciencia has been hampered by bad weather. Her and climbing partner Carlo Traversi have had to wait out a series of storms. They’re back up on the mountain now and you can follow their web series on the project here: 
  
 Instagram Jan 1, 2015 at 6:47pm PST 
  
 Instagram Jan 1, 2015 at 6:47pm PST 
  
 Toxic Sludge 
  
 In another environmental catastrophe, last week the Environmental Protection Agency accidentally dumped one million gallons of wastewater from the shuttered Gold King Mine into the Animas River, filling one of Western Colorado’s most pristine recreational gems with toxic sludge while potentially wreaking havoc on the native trout population and other wildlife that calls this grand drainage home. The river—a legendary whitewater run and trout fishery—actually turned bright orange and forced the city of Durango and La Plata County to declare a state of emergency while officials have told recreationists to avoid the river all together (the river’s waste-filled waters have now flowed into New Mexico). 
  
 The EPA says one of its teams was in the mine attempting to clean the toxic waters when it accidentally spilled the wastewater containing iron, zinc and copper into a tributary that then spilled into the river. “The magnitude of it, you can’t even describe it,” New Mexico Governor Susan Martinez told CNN. “Your mind sees something it’s not ready or adjusted to see.” According to one Yahoo report, the Federal Government claims that 40 percent of Western headwaters are at risk to similar spills. 
  
 Instagram Jan 1, 2015 at 6:47pm PST 
  
 Good Recovery 
  
 Jordy Smith has had a rough year on the injury front. Currently ranked No. 22 in the world, he hurt his arm at the end of 2014 at the Pipeline Masters and tore the meniscus in his knee free surfing, forcing his withdrawal from the Margaret River Pro. Then he tweaked his back in South Africa at the J-Bay Open. 
  
 But that didn’t stop him driving surf pundits half bonkers last week when he released a video clip from Western Australia, where he pulled one of the most radical combo moves in recent memory, weaving through a tight barrel at Mach speed before pulling a ginormous Alley-Oop. You can actually see the tiptoe athleticism as he keeps the board on his feet without grabbing the rail. Smith’s feat was summed up perfectly by his wife, Lyndall, on her Instagram account: “My husband’s a freak.” 
  
 Instagram Jan 1, 2015 at 6:47pm PST 
  
 MORE EDGE: Getting tested to the limit at Red Bull endurance camp 
  
 Throwing Down in Pairs 
  
 In a show of pure riding skill mixed with aerial prowess, Tyler McCaul (right) defeated Kyle Strait in Whistler British Columbia during Crankworx’s Dual Speed and Style Competition on a rain-soaked course. “We were a little worried about the ramps being slippery, but luckily it had traction on it,” McCaul said. Riders are judged on speed through the course and their tricks in the air, moving through rounds in man-on-man format. 
  
 This was the final stop on the Crankworx tour that also included Rotura, New Zealand and France’s Les 2 Alps, awarding Triple Crown titles for slopestyle, downhill and enduro. Bernard Kerr of Great Britain won the Triple Corwn for Dual Speed and Style. The event runs all week in Whistler. ||||| The climb thoroughly earned its name (paciencia is Spanish for patience), as it wasn’t until 2008 that Steck finally made the first free ascent. 
  
 It’s a surreal experience waking up on such an intimidating face to the sound of a door opening and two climbers walking out of a train full of Japanese tourists. 
  
 I first glimpsed the face at age 9, in 2004, during a hiking holiday with my parents. The imposing cliffs of the north wall only appeared briefly from the thick cover of mist and cloud, but this glimpse was enough to inspire me to read Heinrich Harrer’s The White Spider. Tales of the first attempts on the Nordwand—termed by some the Mordwand or Murder Wall after many aspirants died—made for chilling yet compelling reading.Although the efforts were heroic in my eyes, perhaps there was some truth in Strutt’s description that the face was "an obsession for the mentally deranged."Many young and talented climbers lost their lives on that face; since 1935 over 60 climbers have died on the Nordwand. Sections of the cliff became synonymous with danger, even gaining names following notable successes or deaths. Behind each name lies a gripping story in its own right, such as Karl Mehringer and Max Sedlmeyer’s ill-fated 1935 attempt, which ended at the grimly named Death Bivouac.To this day, the tension traverse where Andreas Hinterstoisser perished remains one of the most technical sections of the 1938 Route when fixed ropes aren’t in place.Some of my favorite Eiger stories were of the early British attempts and ascents. Don Whillans, on his only attempt on the face, decided that the rockfall danger was too great and bluntly told two Japanese alpinists who seemed unfazed by the risks that they might be going up a lot “higher” than they thought! Eric Jones’ 1981 solo ascent of the face also stood out as a wild ride and became all the more prominent as I regularly visited his cafe beneath the Welsh cliffs of Tremadog. The photos in the cafe of this quiet, unassuming pensioner climbing and BASE jumping around the world were inspirational to me to say the least.Last March, nine years after my first glimpse, I was again looking at the north face. This time the wall was clear of cloud and I could distinguish the features I had read so much about. Under its wintry coat the ice fields and the infamous White Spider became all the more prominent. Andy Woolston and I walked through deep snow from Kleine Scheidegg to bivi at the base of the wall ready for an early start on the 1938 Route the following morning. My dreams were vivid that night as I anticipated the coming day’s climbing. In one, I imagined I was slowly being smothered by snow.After a cold night, I awoke inside my zipped-up bivi bag to a muffled world. Snow surrounded me on all sides. After wriggling free I realized that my intense dreams were probably due to hypoxia. A storm had dumped around three feet of snow and my Eiger dreams were put on hold.Five months later I was back in Grindelwald, this time with Dave MacLeod, our sights set on a very different route. In 2003 Ueli Steck and Stephan Siegrist opened a new line they called Paciencia on the overhanging Rote Fluh and Czech Pillar, huge limestone walls on the far right side of the north face. The climb thoroughly earned its name (paciencia is Spanish for patience), as it wasn’t until 2008 that Steck finally made the first free ascent. It took that long for the unlikely convergence of a strong partner, good weather and suitable conditions to occur. Although the route mainly relies on bolts, it’s no sport route. Most pitches below 5.12b are runout, and on the upper section of the Czech Pillar the rock deteriorates into poorly stacked Jenga. The quality of limestone on the harder pitches is immaculate, however, and if you’re able to free climb the Rote Fluh you should be able to deal with the psychologically trying pitches on the lower-angled exit rubble.==I learned of Paciencia in 2011 when David Lama made his impressive two-day ascent. On his blog he described Paciencia as “by far the most difficult rock route I have climbed to this date in the Alps”—quite a statement considering his previous alpine achievements, including a two-day repeat of Bellavista, a 5.14b in the Dolomites, and a two-day repeat of the Voie Petit (5.13d) on the Grand Capucin, Mont Blanc, on-sighting all but one pitch of both routes. The fact that David, who make the first free ascent of the Compressor Route on Cerro Torre, thought that Paciencia was nails hard was worrying for any climber with prospects on the wall.Although Dave MacLeod and I had never climbed together, when we met in Chamonix in August we both had Paciencia at the front of our shortlist of routes. Dave hadn't climbed in the Alps, but I reasoned that since he’s one of the world's best all-round climbers, with ascents of 5.14R/X trad, 5.14d sport, V15 and M12, he shouldn’t have trouble walking on a glacier.We got on well as we discussed tactics for the route. Dave’s a thoughtful guy who philosophizes about climbing on his blog and has written an entire book on training. He’s also one of the most motivated climbers around, getting after it in all seasons and styles. He made the first ascent of his route The Hurting (M10), for example, ground up, placing all the pro on lead, in a blizzard! Not only did I feel like I could trust him immediately, but he’s someone I could have a laugh with, which is always nice when you’re alone together on a multi-day route.We arrived in Grindelwald, Switzerland, at the tail end of three days of storms. Waterfalls cascaded off the north face, with huge wet streaks down the Rote Fluh. Procrastinating in the valley was not what we were there for, but having read so many Eiger epics, I knew this was just part and parcel of the adventure.Two days later, with a promising forecast we prepared for a quick recce of the first pitches of Paciencia. We caught the Jungfraujoch train from Grindelwald in late morning hoping to get dropped off at the Stollenloch, the window cut from the 1912-era tunnel that goes straight through the Eiger and to an observatory and restaurants on the Jungfraujoch, a saddle between the adjacent peaks of the Monch and Jungfrau. For climbers, access from the Stollenloch cuts off the Eiger's lower rubble slabs, making it possible to quickly access Paciencia and the other rock routes. The conductor gave us bad news, however: We needed special permission for the train to stop at the Stollenloch. He did say that we should not worry because the climb to the window from the outside only takes Ueli Steck 15 minutes! We refrained from saying that it took Steck a further seven and a half years to get from the Stollenloch to the top of the Czech Pillar.The scramble up to the Stollenloch took three hours on first acquaintance. Scree, snow and loose, wet rock bands weren’t easy for us in our approach shoes while carrying heavy packs, especially when clouds descended. After the precarious climb up the lower flanks, we had to descend all the way back to the base of the Nordwand, pick up the rest of our kit and climb once again to the bivi spot next to the Stollenloch.It’s a surreal experience waking up on such an intimidating face to the sound of a door opening and two climbers walking out of a train full of Japanese tourists. Robert Jasper (German) and Roger Schaeli (Swiss) both had ambitions of their own on the face—an impressive new route crossing Paciencia at the 20-foot roof of the Rote Fluh. They pointed out the way to us, still bleary eyed, and were off up their fixed lines before we’d even had breakfast.When we finally dragged our damp and cold selves out of our bags, we made our way up to the first tricky pitch. Originally graded at 5.12b by Steck, it was pronounced a sandbag by Lama who upgraded the pitch to 5.12d. Keen to make a good start to the route, I fought my way upward to flash the pitch by the skin of my teeth. Despite cold hands—something we had to get used to— Dave led through the following pitch. The climbing was fantastic with sustained moves on small but positive crimps and pockets, reminiscent in many ways of Ceuse or the Verdon Gorge. Although we were both happy with our progress and the feasibility of the lower section, we were concerned about how tired our arms felt after comparatively so little climbing—especially considering the crux pitches were higher up the wall.Once back at the Stollenloch, we hitched a lift on the train down to Kleine Scheidegg. All you need to do to stop the train is flash your headlamp up the tunnel and the driver will happily let you jump on board. We were joined by Roger and Robert who spoke eagerly about the north face. Their current project will be an amazing route and perhaps the next step up in difficulty on the face. When we arrived at Kleine Scheidegg, I decided to hop off the train to save both money and my return ticket for the descent after our send. This was naive of me as the descent to Grindelwald was significantly farther than I anticipated and running in my approach shoes and softshell trousers on a summer’s evening left me hot and sore.==We rested for several days, letting the wall dry, and headed back up, joined this time by the talented alpine photographer Alexander Buisse who was keen to get shots. We were mainly unburdened scrambling up the lower part of the face, having stashed most of our kit at the Stollenloch, and the scramble passed pleasantly. Unfortunately for Alex, on one of the steeper sections a hold broke and he saw his life flash before his eyes. Despite having recovered his balance, Alex was understandably rattled. I climbed down to him and cautiously plucked the bag off his back, which contained the only rope between the three of us. I quickly passed an end to Dave and he found a belay before Alex climbed onto easier ground. “I owe you guys a drink,” Alex said nervously, and we continued upward trying to pretend that nothing had happened. The experience reminded us of just how dangerous this wall is. The treacherousness was further underscored by the fact that our relatively comfortable bivi was little more than a stone’s throw from where Toni Kurz met his untimely demise in 1936.That evening, we climbed the first four difficult pitches up to the crux in thick clouds so that we could spend as much time as we needed the following day on the 5.13b. The climbing went quickly and relatively easily, filling us with confidence for what lay ahead. We fixed our ropes and rapped to the bivy.The next morning we woke to blue skies and fresh arms and after hauling our bags, we were back at our highpoint. The crux of Paciencia is spectacular, breaching a roof 650 feet above the approach slopes before continuing up a gently overhanging wall. From here, we had a perfect view of the BASE jumpers and wingsuiters who lept from the giant mushroom feature now nearly level with us on the right side of the face.Although never desperate, the crux is sustained, requiring endurance and a thoughful pace to prevent blowing any moves. The holds are perfectly spaced, square-cut edges and small pockets, and as Dave set off on lead he said, “This is what we came here for, Calum!”We both managed to redpoint on our first attempt, though not without a fight. Jubilant after having climbed such a great pitch, we progressed steadily up the difficult and time-consuming upper section of the Rote Fluh, reaching our second bivi beneath the Czech Pillar late in the afternoon. Satisfied and tired after our day’s work, the ledge seemed a comfortable hang and was sheltered from rockfall by a large roof.We rose the second morning to a remarkable cloud inversion and slightly cooler temperatures. The tinkle of cowbells emanated clearly from the meadows several thousand feet below us as we prepared ourselves for more hard climbing. Both Dave and I felt tired and, although we succeeded quickly on a bouldery pitch, we felt utterly wasted on the next pitch of the same grade, a long and technical 5.13a. Our skin was so thin at this point that every small hold seemed to burn our fingertips. It ought to have been my lead but, with nearly no gas left in the tank, I handed the reins over to Dave, who kept it together and redpointed the pitch despite a hold breaking near the top. After a couple more pitches, climbed with extremely cold hands, we fixed the ropes to the bivi ledge to spend what we hoped would be our last night on the face.We were exhausted and dreaded the next day, which would involve one more difficult pitch and a number of moderately tricky ones. It must have been worse for Dave, who found that his dehydrated meal tasted of burnt rubber.“It really must be bad if a cold and hungry man on the north face of the Eiger can’t eat it!” he said.That night the whooshing sound of a large rockfall from directly overhead woke us. Fortunately, the big roof protected us. Unfortunately, the experience cost us our sleep. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?
– Between semesters at Columbia University, Sasha DiGiulian is summering at the Mordwand in the Swiss Alps, which sounds like a lovely getaway until you find out "Mordwand" is German for "murder wall." Per CBS News, the 22-year-old world-class climber is trying to become the first woman to scale the 13,000-foot Eiger mountain the hard way: by ascending the dangerous north face of the peak, a sheet of limestone that's more than a mile high and that was once described by a British mountaineer as "an obsession for the mentally deranged." Even DiGiulian, who's been tweeting terrifying pics of her climb as she goes, acknowledges the task before her—one that's claimed dozens of lives—telling Sports Illustrated, "This is the hardest route up the Eiger." Not that DiGiulian's an amateur. She's been climbing since she was 6 and nabbed top honors in national and world rock-climbing championships, CBS notes. Yet she still gets discouragement on her attempt, which she hopes to complete next week. "People saying like, 'Little girls don't belong on the Eiger,'" she told CBS last night in a video chat from the mountain. Not that it's stopped her, even with unpredictable weather and 12- to 18-hour days. "I think that fear is inevitable, but I don't think that fear needs to be inhibiting," she says. She also keeps in mind her late dad's advice ("Have fun, be safe, and do your best") and her dream to be a female pioneer. "When other women open the floodgates to showing that something is possible, then all of a sudden you see progression in a sport," she notes. (Hundreds were stranded on Everest in April).
Nyhetsartikel: Sasha DiGiulian är redan en mästarklättrare, men nu är 22-åringen på väg att skala det farliga och dödliga Eiger-berget i de schweiziska Alperna. På sommaren mellan hennes junior- och seniorår vid Columbia University hoppas DiGiulian kunna plåstra om sitt CV genom att bli den första kvinnan att skala den alpina toppen med smeknamnet "mordväggen". Den 6 000 meter långa vertikala plåten av grå kalksten anses vara en av världens farligaste klättringar. Dussintals har dött när de försökt nå toppen. Efter en lång dag på fjället skypade DiGiulian med CBS News på tisdag kväll från sin provisoriska säng uppsatt på kanten av en klippa. "När man klättrar i alpint har man att göra med faktorer som oväntat väder, vilket innebär att stormar kan rulla igenom", sa DiGiulian. "Det är verkligen fullt på. Du står inför 12 till 18 timmars dagar." I sin bok "Eiger Dreams" skrev bergsbestigaren Jon Krakauer, "De stenfall och laviner som ständigt regnar ner... är legendariska. ...Detta gör Eiger North Face till en av de mest eftertraktade klättringarna i världen." DiGiulian försöker bli den första kvinnan att nå toppen. "När andra kvinnor öppnar dammluckorna för att visa att något är möjligt då ser man helt plötsligt progression i en sport", sade DiGiulian och förklarade varför denna klättring var viktig för henne. DiGiulian, som har klättrat sedan hon var 6 år, vann tre nationella mästerskap i bergsklättring och var kvinnlig världsmästare. Hon har rest till dussintals länder för att tävla och bestigit några av världens svåraste klippformationer. Men när hon bestämde sig för att försöka sig på Eiger, sade hon att hon mötte mer motstånd än hon väntat. "Folk säger: 'Lilla flickor hör inte hemma på Eigern.' Egentligen som i verkliga livet blir utskrattad i ansiktet när jag säger att jag försökte något på Eiger," DiGiulian sade. Det har inte hindrat henne. Inte heller den rädsla hon medger att hon ibland känner där uppe. "Jag tycker att det är fel att tro att folk kan vara orädda. Jag tror att rädslan är oundviklig, men jag tror inte att rädslan behöver hämmas," sade DiGiulian. Rädslan har inte hämmat henne. DiGiulian hoppas nå toppmötet någon gång nästa vecka, men allt kan bero på vädret, som kan vara brutalt där. Hennes far, som dog förra året, brukade säga henne tre saker före varje klättring: ha roligt, var trygg och gör ditt bästa. ••• Fokuserade kryp är samlingar av ofta uppdaterade webbkrypdata från smala (i motsats till breda eller breda) webbkryp, ofta fokuserade på en enda domän eller underdomän. Välkommen tillbaka till Extreme Exposure, en veckokolumn som ger dig den bästa fotografering och nyheter från världen av action och utomhussporter. Den här veckan sörjer Durango, Colo., en flodlöpande kronjuvel, Sasha DiGiulian jagar sina Eiger Dreams med mera. Eiger Dreams Sasha DiGiulian verkligen inte ta det lugnt på sin sommarlov. Den Columbia University student är mitt i hennes Eiger Dreams projekt i Schweiz där hon försöker vara den första kvinnliga och tredje personen att stiga upp La Paciencia, den tuffaste vägen (5.13b) på Eiger North Face. DiGiulian vann en världstitel 2011 men har som 22-åring utmärkt sig utomhus. "Jag har haft denna tävling framgång," berättade hon SI.com. “(Men) nu kan jag göra större sysselsättningar utanför. Detta är den svåraste vägen upp Eiger, en 23-pitch klättring.” DiGiulians framsteg upp Paciencia har hindrats av dåligt väder. Hennes och klätterpartnern Carlo Traversi har fått vänta ut en rad stormar. De är tillbaka upp på berget nu och du kan följa deras webbserie om projektet här: Instagram Jan 1, 2015 på 6:47pm PST Instagram Jan 1, 2015 på 6:47pm PST Giftig slam I en annan miljökatastrof, förra veckan miljövårdsmyndigheten råkade dumpa en miljon liter avloppsvatten från den slutna Gold King Mine i Animas floden, fylla en av Western Colorado mest orörda rekreation pärlor med giftigt slam samtidigt som potentiellt orsaka förödelse på den inhemska öringpopulationen och andra djur som kallar denna stora dränering hem. Floden – ett legendariskt fiske efter vitvatten och öring – blev faktiskt ljust orange och tvingade staden Durango och La Plata County att utlysa undantagstillstånd medan tjänstemän har uppmanat rekreationister att undvika floden tillsammans (flodens avfallsfyllda vatten har nu strömmat in i New Mexico). Enligt EPA var ett av dess team i gruvan och försökte rena det giftiga vattnet när det oavsiktligt spillde ut avloppsvattnet som innehöll järn, zink och koppar i en biflod som sedan spillde ut i floden. “Storheten av det, kan du inte ens beskriva det,” New Mexico guvernör Susan Martinez berättade CNN. “Ditt sinne ser något som det inte är redo eller justerat för att se.” Enligt en Yahoo rapport, hävdar den federala regeringen att 40 procent av västerländska avlopp är i riskzonen för liknande spill. Instagram Jan 1, 2015 på 6:47pm PST Good Recovery Jordy Smith har haft ett tufft år på skadefronten. För närvarande rankad nr. 22 i världen, skadade han armen i slutet av 2014 på Pipeline Masters och slet meniskerna i knäet fri surfing, vilket tvingade honom att dra sig tillbaka från Margaret River Pro. Sen vände han ryggen till i Sydafrika på J-Bay Open. Men det hindrade honom inte att köra surf pundits halv bonkers förra veckan när han släppte ett videoklipp från Western Australia, där han drog en av de mest radikala kombo drag i senaste minnet, väva igenom en tät tunna i Mach hastighet innan han drog en ginorm Alley-Oop. Man kan faktiskt se tå atletisk som han håller brädan på fötterna utan att ta tag i rälsen. Smiths bedrift sammanfattades perfekt av hans fru, Lyndall, på hennes Instagram-konto: “Min man är ett missfoster.” Instagram Jan 1, 2015 på 6:47 pm PST MER EDGE: Att få testad till gränsen på Red Bull uthållighetsläger Kasta ner i par I en show av ren ridförmåga blandat med flygskicklighet, Tyler McCaul (höger) besegrade Kyle Strait i Whistler British Columbia under Crankworx Dual Speed and Style Competition på en regndränkt bana. "Vi var lite oroliga för ramperna är hala, men lyckligtvis hade det dragkraft på det," McCaul sade. Ryttare bedöms efter fart genom banan och sina trick i luften, och rör sig genom rundor i man-mot-man-format. Detta var det sista stoppet på Crankworx-turnén som även inkluderade Rotura, Nya Zeeland och Frankrikes Les 2-alperna, och delade ut Triple Crown-titlar för backestyle, downhill och enduro. Bernard Kerr av Storbritannien vann Triple Corwn för Dual Speed och Style. Evenemanget pågår hela veckan i Whistler. Stigningen gjorde sig förtjänt av sitt namn (paciencia är spanska för tålamod), eftersom det inte var förrän 2008 som Steck slutligen gjorde den första fria bestigningen. Det är en surrealistisk upplevelse att vakna upp på ett så skrämmande ansikte till ljudet av en dörröppning och två klättrare som går ut från ett tåg fullt av japanska turister. Jag fick först en glimt av ansiktet vid 9 års ålder 2004, under en vandringssemester med mina föräldrar. De imponerande klipporna i den norra väggen framträdde endast kort ur dimmans och molnets tjocka omslag, men denna skymt var tillräcklig för att inspirera mig att läsa Heinrich Harrers Den vita spindeln. Berättelser om de första försöken på Nordwand – som betecknades av några Mordwand eller Mordmuren efter många aspiranters död – gjordes för att kyla men ändå övertygande läsning. Även om ansträngningarna var heroiska i mina ögon, kanske det fanns en viss sanning i Strutts beskrivning att ansiktet var "en besatthet för de mentalt sinnesrubbade. "Många unga och begåvade klättrare miste livet på det ansiktet; sedan 1935 har över 60 klättrare dött på Nordwand. Sektioner av klippan blev synonyma med fara, och vann till och med namn efter anmärkningsvärda framgångar eller dödsfall. Bakom varje namn ligger en gripande historia i sin egen rätt, som Karl Mehringer och Max Sedlmeyers illa tilltygade försök från 1935, som slutade vid det bistert kallade Dödsbivack.Än idag är spänningen som korsar där Andreas Hinterstoisser omkom en av de mest tekniska delarna av 1938 års väg när fasta rep inte finns på plats. Några av mina favoritberättelser om Eiger var om de tidiga brittiska försöken och stigningarna. Don Whillans, på sitt enda försök i ansiktet, bestämde sig för att rockfallsfaran var för stor och berättade rakt på sak för två japanska alpinister som verkade oberörda av riskerna att de kanske skulle gå upp mycket ”högre” än de trodde! Eric Jones' 1981 solo uppstigning av ansiktet framstod också som en vild ritt och blev desto mer framträdande när jag regelbundet besökte hans café under de walesiska klipporna i Tremadog. Bilderna på kaféet av denna lugna, anspråkslösa pensionärsklättring och BASE-hoppning runt om i världen var minst sagt inspirerande för mig.I mars, nio år efter min första glimt, var jag återigen titta på norr ansikte. Den här gången var väggen molnfri och jag kunde urskilja de drag jag hade läst så mycket om. Under sin vintriga kappa blev isfälten och den ökända Vita Spindeln desto mer framträdande. Andy Woolston och jag gick genom djup snö från Kleine Scheidegg till bivi vid basen av väggen redo för en tidig start på 1938 Route följande morgon. Mina drömmar var livliga den natten, när jag väntade mig att få klättra upp på den kommande dagen. I ett trodde jag att jag sakta höll på att kvävas av snö.Efter en kall natt vaknade jag i min biviväska med blixtlås till en dämpad värld. Snön omringade mig på alla sidor. Efter att ha vridit mig fritt insåg jag att mina intensiva drömmar troligen berodde på hypoxi. En storm hade dumpat runt en meter snö och mina Eiger-drömmar lades på is.Fem månader senare var jag tillbaka i Grindelwald, den här gången med Dave MacLeod, siktet inställt på en helt annan väg. 2003 öppnade Ueli Steck och Stephan Siegrist en ny linje de kallade Paciencia på den överhängande Rote Fluh och tjeckiska Pelaren, enorma kalkstensmurar längst till höger på norra sidan. Stigningen gjorde sig förtjänt av sitt namn (paciencia är spanska för tålamod), eftersom det inte var förrän 2008 som Steck slutligen gjorde den första fria bestigningen. Det tog så lång tid för den osannolika konvergensen av en stark partner, bra väder och lämpliga förhållanden att uppstå. Även om rutten huvudsakligen är beroende av bultar, det är ingen sport rutt. De flesta platser under 5,12b är slut, och på den övre delen av den tjeckiska pelaren berget försämras till dåligt staplade Jenga. Kvaliteten på kalksten på de hårdare platser är obefläckad, men, och om du kan fri klättra Rote Fluh du bör kunna hantera de psykologiskt prova platser på den nedre-vinklade utgång spillror.==Jag lärde mig av Paciencia 2011 när David Lama gjorde sin imponerande två dagars bestigning. På sin blogg beskrev han Paciencia som “den överlägset svåraste bergvägen jag har klättrat till detta datum i Alperna”-ganska ett uttalande med tanke på hans tidigare alpina prestationer, bland annat en två dagar lång upprepning av Bellavista, en 5.14b i Dolomiterna, och en två dagar lång upprepning av Voie Petit (5.13d) på Grand Capucin, Mont Blanc, på sikt alla utom en tonhöjd av båda rutterna. Det faktum att David, som gör den första fria bestigningen av Kompressorvägen på Cerro Torre, tyckte att Paciencia var spikar hårt var oroande för alla klättrare med utsikter på väggen.Även om Dave MacLeod och jag aldrig hade klättrat tillsammans, när vi möttes i Chamonix i augusti hade vi båda Paciencia längst fram på vår slutlista över rutter. Dave hade inte klättrat i Alperna, men jag resonerade som så att eftersom han är en av världens bästa allroundklättrare, med bestigningar av 5.14R/X trad, 5.14d sport, V15 och M12, så borde han inte ha problem att gå på en glaciär. Vi kom bra överens när vi diskuterade taktik för rutten. Dave är en omtänksam kille som filosoferar om att klättra på sin blogg och har skrivit en hel bok om träning. Han är också en av de mest motiverade klättrare runt, få efter det i alla årstider och stilar. Han gjorde den första bestigningen av sin rutt The Hurting (M10), till exempel, mald upp, placera alla proffs på bly, i en snöstorm! Jag kände inte bara att jag kunde lita på honom direkt, utan han är någon jag kunde ha ett skratt med, vilket alltid är trevligt när man är ensam tillsammans på en flerdagarsrutt. Vi anlände till Grindelwald, Schweiz, i slutet av tre dagars stormar. Vattenfallen strömmade från norra sidan, med enorma våta strimmor nerför Rote Fluh. Att prokrastinera i dalen var inte vad vi var där för, men efter att ha läst så många Eiger-epos, visste jag att detta bara var en del av äventyret.Två dagar senare, med en lovande prognos förberedde vi för en snabb recce av de första platserna i Paciencia. Vi tog Jungfraujoch-tåget från Grindelwald sent på morgonen i hopp om att bli avsläppta vid Stollenloch, fönstret avskuret från 1912–era-tunneln som går rakt igenom Eiger och till ett observatorium och restauranger på Jungfraujoch, en sadel mellan de angränsande topparna i Monch och Jungfrau. För klättrare, tillträde från Stollenloch skär av Eigers nedre spillrorna, vilket gör det möjligt att snabbt komma åt Paciencia och de andra bergsvägarna. Konduktören gav oss emellertid dåliga nyheter: Vi behövde särskilt tillstånd för tåget att stanna vid Stollenloch. Han sa att vi inte ska oroa oss eftersom stigningen till fönstret från utsidan bara tar Ueli Steck 15 minuter! Vi avstod från att säga att det tog Steck ytterligare sju och ett halvt år att ta sig från Stollenloch till toppen av den tjeckiska pelaren.Skyddet upp till Stollenloch tog tre timmar på första bekantskap. Scree, snö och lösa, våta rockband var inte lätta för oss i våra närmande skor medan vi bar tunga paket, särskilt när molnen steg ner. Efter att ha klättrat uppför de nedre flankerna var vi tvungna att gå ner hela vägen tillbaka till Nordwandsbasen, plocka upp resten av vårt kit och klättra upp igen till biviplatsen intill Stollenlochen. Det är en surrealistisk upplevelse att vakna upp på ett så skrämmande ansikte till ljudet av en dörröppning och två klättrare som gick ut från ett tåg fullt av japanska turister. Robert Jasper (tyska) och Roger Schaeli (schweiziska) hade båda egna ambitioner i ansiktet – en imponerande ny rutt som korsar Paciencia vid Rote Fluhs 20-fotstak. De pekade ut vägen för oss, fortfarande blödiga ögon, och var av sina fasta linjer innan vi ens hade ätit frukost. När vi äntligen drog våra fuktiga och kalla jag ur våra väskor, vi tog oss upp till den första knepiga planen. Ursprungligen graderad till 5.12b av Steck, uttalades den en sandsäck av Lama som uppgraderade planen till 5.12d. Keen för att göra en bra start på vägen, kämpade jag mig uppåt för att blixtra planen vid huden på mina tänder. Trots kalla händer – något vi var tvungna att vänja oss vid – ledde Dave igenom följande kast. Klättringen var fantastisk med ihållande drag på små men positiva krimpar och fickor, som påminner på många sätt om Ceuse eller Verdon Gorge. Även om vi båda var nöjda med våra framsteg och genomförbarheten av den nedre delen, var vi oroliga för hur trötta våra armar kändes efter jämförelsevis så lite klättring – särskilt med tanke på crux platser var högre upp i väggen.En gång tillbaka vid Stollenloch, vi liftade på tåget ner till Kleine Scheidegg. Allt du behöver göra för att stoppa tåget är att blinka din strålkastare upp i tunneln och föraren kommer gladeligen låta dig hoppa ombord. Vi fick sällskap av Roger och Robert, som ivrigt talade om nordansiktet. Deras nuvarande projekt kommer att bli en fantastisk väg och kanske nästa steg upp i svårigheter i ansiktet. När vi anlände till Kleine Scheidegg, beslöt jag att hoppa av tåget för att spara både pengar och min returbiljett för nedstigningen efter vår utskick. Detta var naivt av mig då nedstigningen till Grindelwald var betydligt längre än jag väntat och löpning i min approach skor och softshell byxor på en sommarkväll lämnade mig varm och öm.==Vi vilade i flera dagar, låta väggen torka, och på väg upp, tillsammans med denna gång av den begåvade alpina fotografen Alexander Buisse som var angelägen om att få skott. Vi var huvudsakligen obelastade och klottrade upp den nedre delen av ansiktet, efter att ha gömt det mesta av vårt kit vid Stollenloch, och oljudet passerade behagligt. Tyvärr för Alex, på en av de brantare sektionerna ett grepp bröt och han såg sitt liv blixtra inför ögonen. Trots att Alex hade återhämtat sig, blev han förståeligt nog skakad. Jag klättrade ned till honom och ryckte försiktigt av påsen från hans rygg, som innehöll det enda repet mellan oss tre. Jag klarade snabbt ett slut på Dave och han hittade en belay innan Alex klättrade upp på lättare mark. — Jag är skyldig er en drink, sade Alex nervöst, och vi fortsatte uppåt för att försöka låtsas, att ingenting hade hänt. Erfarenheten påminde oss om hur farlig denna mur är. Förräderiet underströks ytterligare av att vår relativt bekväma bivi var lite mer än ett stenkast från där Toni Kurz mötte sin olägliga frånfälle 1936.Den kvällen klättrade vi upp på de fyra första svåra platserna upp till kruxet i tjocka moln så att vi kunde tillbringa så mycket tid som vi behövde följande dag på 5.13b. Klättringen gick snabbt och relativt lätt, och fyllde oss med tillförsikt för det som låg framför oss. Nästa morgon vaknade vi till blå himmel och färska armar och efter att ha dragit våra väskor var vi tillbaka på vår höjdpunkt. Paciencias krus är spektakulärt och går genom ett tak som är 650 meter ovanför sluttningarna innan det fortsätter uppför en svagt överhängande vägg. Härifrån hade vi en perfekt utsikt över BASE hoppare och vingdräkter som lept från jätte svamp funktion nu nästan nivå med oss på höger sida av ansiktet.Även om aldrig desperat, crux är ihållande, kräver uthållighet och en omedgörlig takt för att förhindra att blåsa några rörelser. Hållen är perfekt fördelade, fyrkantiga kanter och små fickor, och som Dave satte igång på bly sade han, "Det här är vad vi kom hit för, Calum! "Vi båda lyckades rödpunkt på vårt första försök, men inte utan en kamp. Jubilant efter att ha klättrat en sådan stor tonhöjd, gick vi stadigt upp den svåra och tidskrävande övre delen av Rote Fluh, når vår andra bivi under den tjeckiska pelaren sent på eftermiddagen. Nöjda och trötta efter dagens arbete verkade avsatsen en bekväm hängning och skyddades från att klippas ner av ett stort tak.Vi steg andra morgonen till en anmärkningsvärd molninversion och något svalare temperaturer. Käkklangen utgick tydligt från ängarna flera tusen fot nedanför oss, då vi förberedde oss för mera hård klättring. Både Dave och jag kände oss trötta och, även om vi lyckades snabbt på ett stenblock pitch, kände vi helt bortkastade på nästa tonhöjd i samma grad, en lång och teknisk 5.13a. Vår hud var så tunn vid denna punkt att varje litet grepp tycktes bränna våra fingertoppar. Det borde ha varit min ledtråd, men med nästan ingen bensin kvar i tanken, jag lämnade tyglarna över till Dave, som höll ihop det och röduddade planen trots ett grepp som bröt nära toppen. Efter ett par fler platser, klättrade med extremt kalla händer, vi fixade repen till bivi avsatsen för att spendera vad vi hoppades skulle vara vår sista natt i ansiktet.Vi var utmattade och fruktade nästa dag, vilket skulle innebära en svårare tonhöjd och ett antal måttligt knepiga. Det måste ha varit värre för Dave, som fann att hans uttorkade måltid smakade av bränt gummi. ”Det måste verkligen vara illa om en kall och hungrig man på Eigers norra sida inte kan äta den!” sade han. Den kvällen väcktes vi av det tjutande ljudet av ett stort klippfall från direkt ovanför. Lyckligtvis skyddade det stora taket oss. Tyvärr kostade upplevelsen oss sömnen. Vad är en kortare version av ovanstående artikel?
News article: Sasha DiGiulian is already a champion climber, but now the 22-year-old is about to scale the dangerous and deadly Eiger mountain in the Swiss Alps. In the summer between her junior and senior years at Columbia University, DiGiulian hopes to patch up her resume by becoming the first woman to scale the alpine top nicknamed the "murder wall". The 6,000-metre-long vertical sheet of gray limestone is considered one of the world's most dangerous climbs. Dozens have died trying to reach the top. After a long day on the mountain, DiGiulian skyped with CBS News on Tuesday night from his provisional bed set up on the edge of a cliff. "When climbing alpine, one has to do with factors such as unexpected weather, which means storms can roll through," DiGiulian said. "It's really full on. You're facing 12 to 18 hours of days." In his book "Eiger Dreams", mountaineer Jon Krakauer wrote, "The rockfalls and avalanches that constantly rain down... are legendary. ...This makes Eiger North Face one of the most sought-after climbs in the world." DiGiulian is trying to be the first woman to reach the top. "When other women open the floodgates to show that something is possible then you suddenly see progression in a sport," said DiGiulian and explained why this climb was important to her. DiGiulian, who has climbed since she was 6 years old, won three national mountain climbing championships and was a female world champion. She has traveled to dozens of countries to compete and climbed some of the world's most difficult rock formations. But when she decided to try Eiger, she said she faced more opposition than she expected. "People say, 'Little girls don't belong on the Eiger.' Actually, as in real life, being laughed at in the face when I say I tried something on Eiger," DiGiulian said. It hasn't stopped her. Nor does she admit that she sometimes feels up there. "I think it's wrong to think people can be fearless. I think fear is inevitable, but I don't think fear needs to be inhibited," said DiGiulian. Fear has not hampered her. DiGiulian hopes to reach the summit sometime next week, but everything may depend on the weather, which may be brutal there. Her father, who died last year, used to tell her three things before each climb: have fun, be safe and do your best. <unk> Focused Bugs are collections of frequently updated web crawl data from narrow (as opposed to wide or wide) web bugs, often focused on a single domain or subdomain. Welcome back to Extreme Exposure, a weekly column that gives you the best photography and news from the world of action and outdoor sports. This week Durango, Colo, mourns a river-running crown jewel, Sasha DiGiulian chasing his Eiger Dreams and more. Eiger Dreams Sasha DiGiulian certainly does not take it easy on his summer vacation. The Columbia University student is in the midst of her Eiger Dreams project in Switzerland where she tries to be the first female and third person to get up La Paciencia, the toughest road (5.13b) on Eiger North Face. DiGiulian won a world title in 2011 but at 22 years old has excelled outdoors. "I have had this competition success," she told SI.com. “(But) now I can do greater pursuits outside. This is the hardest way up Eiger, a 23-pitch climb.” DiGiulian’s progress up Paciencia has been hampered by bad weather. Her and climbing partner Carlo Traversi has had to wait out a series of storms. They are back on the mountain now and you can follow their web series about the project here: Instagram Jan 1, 2015 at 6:47pm PST Instagram Jan 1, 2015 at 6:47pm PST Toxic sludge In another environmental disaster, last week the Environmental Protection Agency accidentally dumped a million gallons of sewage from the closed Gold King Mine in the Animas River, filling one of Western Colorado's most pristine recreational pearls with toxic sludge while potentially causing havoc on the native trout population and other animals calling this large drainage home. The river — a legendary whitewater and trout fishery — actually became bright orange and forced the city of Durango and La Plata County to declare a state of emergency while officials have urged recreationalists to avoid the river together (the waste-filled waters of the river have now flowed into New Mexico). According to the EPA, one of its teams was in the mine and attempted to purify the toxic water when it accidentally spilled the sewage containing iron, zinc, and copper into a tributary that then spilled into the river. “The greatness of it, you can’t even describe it,” New Mexico Governor Susan Martinez told CNN. “Your mind sees something that it’s not ready or adjusted to see.” According to a Yahoo report, the federal government claims that 40 percent of Western sewers are at risk of similar spills. Instagram Jan 1, 2015 at 6:47pm PST Good Recovery Jordy Smith has had a tough year on the injury front. Currently ranked no. 22 in the world, he injured his arm in late 2014 at the Pipeline Masters and tore the meniscus in his knee free surfing, forcing him to retire from Margaret River Pro. Then he turned his back on South Africa at the J-Bay Open. But that didn't stop him from running surf pundits half bonkers last week when he released a video clip from Western Australia, where he pulled one of the most radical combo moves in recent memory, weaving through a dense barrel at Mach speed before pulling a ginorm Alley-Oop. You can actually see toe athletic as he holds the board on his feet without grasping the rails. Smith's achievement was perfectly summed up by his wife, Lyndall, on her Instagram account: “My husband is a freak.” Instagram Jan 1, 2015 at 6:47 pm PST MORE EDGE: Getting tested to the limit at Red Bull endurance camp Throwing down in pairs In a show of pure riding ability mixed with flight skills, Tyler McCaul (right) defeated Kyle Strait in Whistler British Columbia during the Crankworx Dual Speed and Style Competition on a rain-drenched track. "We were a little worried because the ramps are slippery, but fortunately it had traction on it," McCaul said. Riders are judged by speed through the track and their tricks in the air, and move through rounds in man-on-man format. This was the final stop on the Crankworx tour which also included Rotura, New Zealand and France's Les 2 Alps, and presented Triple Crown titles for hillstyle, downhill and enduro. Bernard Kerr of the United Kingdom won Triple Corwn for Dual Speed and Style. The event runs all week in Whistler. The climb earned its name (paciencia is Spanish for patience), since it was not until 2008 that Steck finally made the first free ascent. It is a surreal experience to wake up on such a frightening face to the sound of a doorway and two climbers walking out of a train full of Japanese tourists. I first got a glimpse of my face at the age of 9, during a hiking vacation with my parents. The impressive cliffs in the north wall appeared only briefly from the thick cover of the fog and cloud, but this glimpse was sufficient to inspire me to read Heinrich Harrers The White Spider. Stories of the first attempts at Nordwand – which were designated by some Mordwand or Mordmuren after the death of many aspirants – were made to cool yet convincing reading. Although efforts were heroic in my eyes, there might be some truth in Strutt's description that the face was "an obsession with the mentally deranged. "Many young and talented climbers lost their lives on that face; since 1935 over 60 climbers have died at Nordwand. Sections of the rock became synonymous with danger, and even won names after notable success or death. Behind each name is a gripping story in its own right, as Karl Mehringer and Max Sedlmeyer's ill-fated attempt from 1935, which ended at what was grimly called Death Bivack.To this day, the tension that crosses where Andreas Hinterstoisser died is one of the most technical parts of the 1938 road when fixed ropes are not in place.Some of my favorite stories about Eiger were about the early British attempts and climbs. Don Whillans, on his only attempt in the face, decided that the rockfall danger was too great and told two Japanese alpineists to the point who seemed unconcerned by the risks that they might go up much “higher” than they thought! Eric Jones' 1981 solo ascent of the face also appeared as a wild ride and became all the more prominent when I regularly visited his café under the Welsh rocks of Tremadog. The pictures of this quiet, modest retirement climb and BASE jumping around the world were inspiring to me to say the least.In March, nine years after my first glimpse, I was once again looking at the north face. This time the wall was cloudless and I could discern the features I had read so much about. Under its wintery coat, the ice fields and the infamous White Spider became all the more prominent. Andy Woolston and I walked through deep snow from Kleine Scheidegg to bivi at the base of the wall ready for an early start on 1938 Route the following morning. My dreams were lively that night when I expected to climb on the coming day. In one I thought I was slowly choking on snow.After a cold night I woke up in my bivi bag with zippers to a subdued world. The snow surrounded me on all sides. After turning freely, I realized that my intense dreams were probably due to hypoxia. A storm had dumped around a meter of snow and my Eiger dreams were put on hold.Five months later I was back in Grindelwald, this time with Dave MacLeod, aiming for a completely different road. In 2003, Ueli Steck and Stephan Siegrist opened a new line they called Paciencia on the imminent Rote Fluh and Czech Pillar, huge limestone walls to the far right on the north side. The climb earned its name (paciencia is Spanish for patience), since it was not until 2008 that Steck finally made the first free ascent. It took so long for the unlikely convergence of a strong partner, good weather and appropriate conditions to arise. Although the route is mainly dependent on bolts, it is not a sports route. Most places under 5.12b are out, and on the upper part of the Czech pillar the mountain deteriorates to poorly stacked Jenga. The quality of limestone in the harder places is immaculate, but, and if you can free climb Rote Fluh you should be able to handle the psychologically try places on the lower-angled exit debris.==I learned from Paciencia in 2011 when David Lama made his impressive two-day ascent. On his blog, he described Paciencia as “the by far most difficult mountain road I have climbed to this date in the Alps”—pretty a statement given his previous alpine achievements, including a two-day repeat of Bellavista, a 5.14b in the Dolomites, and a two-day repeat of Voie Petit (5.13d) on Grand Capucin, Mont Blanc, in the long run all but a pitch of both routes. The fact that David, making the first free ascent of the Compressor Road on Cerro Torre, thought Paciencia were nails hard was worrying for all climbers with views on the wall.Although Dave MacLeod and I had never climbed together, when we met in Chamonix in August, we both had Paciencia at the front of our short list of routes. Dave had not climbed the Alps, but I reasoned that since he is one of the world’s best all-around climbers, with ascents of 5.14R/X trade, 5.14d sport, V15 and M12, he should not have trouble walking on a glacier. We got along well when discussing tactics for the route. Dave is a thoughtful guy who is philosophizing about climbing his blog and has written an entire book about training. He is also one of the most motivated climbers around, few after that in all seasons and styles. He made the first ascent of his route The Hurting (M10), for example, ground up, placing all the professionals on lead, in a blizzard! I felt not only that I could trust him directly, but he is someone I could have a laugh with, which is always nice when you are alone together on a multi-day route. We arrived in Grindelwald, Switzerland, at the end of three days of storms. The waterfalls flowed from the north side, with huge wet streaks down Rote Fluh. Procrastination in the valley was not what we were there for, but after reading so many Eiger epics, I knew that this was just part of the adventure.Two days later, with a promising prognosis, we prepared for a quick recce of the first places in Paciencia. We took the Jungfraujoch train from Grindelwald late in the morning hoping to be dropped off at Stollenloch, the window cut off from the 1912–era tunnel that runs right through Eiger and to an observatory and restaurants at Jungfraujoch, a saddle between the adjoining peaks of Monch and Jungfrau. For climbers, access from Stollenloch cuts off Eiger's lower rubble, allowing quick access to Paciencia and the other mountain roads. However, the conductor gave us bad news: we needed special permission for the train to stop at Stollenloch. He said we shouldn't worry because the ascent to the window from the outside only takes Ueli Steck 15 minutes! We refrained from saying that it took Steck another seven and a half years to get from Stollenloch to the top of the Czech pillar.Protection up to Stollenloch took three hours on first acquaintance. Scree, snow and loose, wet rock bands were not easy for us in our approaching shoes while we were wearing heavy packages, especially when the clouds descended. After climbing the lower flanks, we had to go down all the way back to the North Wands base, pick up the rest of our kit and climb up again to the bivi site next to Stollenlochen. It is a surreal experience to wake up on such a frightening face to the sound of a doorway and two climbers walking out of a train full of Japanese tourists. Robert Jasper (German) and Roger Schaeli (Swiss) both had their own ambitions on their faces – an impressive new route crossing Paciencia at Rote Fluh's 20-foot roof. They pointed out the way for us, still soft eyes, and were of their fixed lines before we had even had breakfast. When we finally pulled our damp and I called out our bags, we made it up to the first tricky plan. Originally graded 5.12b by Steck, it was pronounced a sandbag by the Lama that upgraded the plan to 5.12d. Keen to make a good start on the road, I struggled my way up to flash the pitch at the skin of my teeth. Despite cold hands – something we had to get used to – Dave led through the following throw. The climbing was fantastic with sustained features on small but positive crimps and pockets, reminiscent in many ways of Ceuse or Verdon Gorge. Although we were both satisfied with our progress and the feasibility of the lower part, we were worried about how tired our arms felt after comparatively little climbing – especially considering crux's places were higher up the wall.Once back at Stollenloch, we hitchhiked on the train down to Kleine Scheidegg. All you have to do to stop the train is blink your headlight up into the tunnel and the driver will happily let you jump on board. We were joined by Roger and Robert, who spoke avidly about the north face. Their current project will be a fantastic path and perhaps the next step up into difficulties in the face. When we arrived at Kleine Scheidegg, I decided to get off the train to save both money and my return ticket for the descent after our dispatch. This was naive of me as the descent to Grindelwald was considerably longer than I expected and running in my approach shoes and softshell pants on a summer night left me warm and sore.==We rested for several days, letting the wall dry, and on our way up, along with this time by talented alpine photographer Alexander Buisse who was anxious to get shots. We were mainly unloaded and scribbled up the lower part of the face, having hidden most of our kit at Stollenloch, and the noise passed pleasantly. Unfortunately for Alex, on one of the steeper sections a grip broke and he saw his life flash before his eyes. Although Alex had recovered, he was understandably shaken. I climbed down to him and carefully pulled the bag off his back, which contained the only rope between the three of us. I quickly made it to an end of Dave and he found a belay before Alex climbed onto lighter ground. “I owe you a drink,” said Alex nervously, and we continued upward to try to pretend that nothing had happened. Experience reminded us of how dangerous this wall is. The betrayal was further underlined by the fact that our relatively comfortable bivi was a little more than a stone's throw from where Toni Kurz met his untimely demise in 1936.That evening we climbed the first four difficult places up to the crux in thick clouds so that we could spend as much time as we needed the following day at 5.13b. Climbing was quick and relatively easy, and filled us with confidence in what lay ahead. The next morning we woke up to blue skies and fresh arms and after pulling our bags we were back at our peak. Paciencia's cruse is spectacular and runs through a roof that is 650 metres above the slopes before continuing up a slightly overhanging wall. From here we had a perfect view of the BASE jumpers and wing suits that lept from giant mushroom function now almost level with us on the right side of the face.Although never desperate, crux is persistent, requires endurance and an intransigent pace to prevent blowing any movements. The holds are perfectly spaced, square edges and small pockets, and as Dave set off on lead, he said, "This is what we came here for, Calum! "We both managed to red point on our first try, but not without a fight. Jubilant after climbing such a large pitch, we steadily went up the difficult and time-consuming upper part of Rote Fluh, reaching our second bivi under the Czech pillar late in the afternoon. Satisfied and tired after today's work, the ledge seemed a comfortable hanging and was protected from being cut down by a large roof.We rose the second morning to a remarkable cloud inversion and slightly cooler temperatures. The sound of the jaws clearly emanated from the meadows several thousand feet below us as we prepared for more hard climbing. Both Dave and I felt tired and, although we succeeded quickly on a boulder pitch, we felt completely wasted on the next pitch to the same degree, a long and technical 5.13a. Our skin was so thin at this point that every little grip seemed to burn our fingertips. That should have been my lead, but with almost no gas left in the tank, I left the reins over to Dave, who held it together and redded the pitch despite a grip breaking near the top. After a few more places, climbed with extremely cold hands, we fixed the ropes to the bivi ledge to spend what we hoped would be our last night in the face.We were exhausted and feared the next day, which would mean a more difficult pitch and a number of moderately tricky ones. It must have been worse for Dave, who found that his dehydrated meal tasted of burnt rubber. “It must be really bad if a cold and hungry man on Eiger’s north side can’t eat it!” he said. That night we were awakened by the howling sound of a big rockfall from directly above. Fortunately, the big roof protected us. Unfortunately, the experience cost us our sleep. What is a shorter version of the above article?
– Mellan terminerna på Columbia University, är Sasha DiGiulian sommar på Mordwand i de schweiziska Alperna, vilket låter som en härlig flykt tills du får reda på "Mordwand" är tyska för "mordvägg". Per CBS News, den 22-årige klättraren i världsklass försöker bli den första kvinnan att skala det 13.000-fotiga Eiger-berget den hårda vägen: genom att bestiga den farliga norra sidan av toppen, ett kalkstensark som är mer än en mil högt och som en gång beskrevs av en brittisk bergsbestigare som "en besatthet för de mentalt störda". Till och med DiGiulian, som har twittrat skräckbilder av sin klättring när hon går, erkänner uppgiften framför henne – en som krävt dussintals liv – att berätta för Sports Illustrated, "Detta är den svåraste vägen upp Eiger." Inte för att DiGiulian är amatör. Hon har klättrat sen hon var 6 och tabbat toppbetygelser i nationella och världsmästerskap i bergsklättring, CBS-anteckningar. Ändå får hon fortfarande missmod över sitt försök, som hon hoppas kunna slutföra nästa vecka. "Folk som säger: 'Lilla flickor hör inte hemma på Eiger'" sa hon till CBS i går kväll i en videochatt från berget. Inte för att det har stoppat henne, även med oförutsägbart väder och 12-18 timmars dagar. "Jag tror att rädsla är oundviklig, men jag tror inte att rädsla behöver vara hämmande", säger hon. Hon håller också i minnet sin avlidne pappas råd ("Ha det så kul, var trygg, och gör ditt bästa") och sin dröm om att bli kvinnlig pionjär. "När andra kvinnor öppnar dammluckorna för att visa att något är möjligt, då ser man helt plötsligt progression i en sport", konstaterar hon. (Hundratals strandade på Everest i april).
– Between the semesters at Columbia University, Sasha DiGiulian is summer at Mordwand in the Swiss Alps, which sounds like a lovely escape until you find out "Mordwand" is German for "murder wall". Per CBS News, the 22-year-old world-class climber tries to become the first woman to scale the 13,000-foot Eiger mountain the hard way: by climbing the dangerous northern side of the summit, a limestone sheet that is more than a mile high and was once described by a British mountaineer as "an obsession with the mentally disturbed". Even DiGiulian, who has tweeted horror images of her climbing as she walks, admits the task in front of her—one that claimed dozens of lives—to tell Sports Illustrated, "This is the hardest way up Eiger." Not that DiGiulian is an amateur. She's been climbing since she was 6 and battling top honors in national and world rock climbing championships, CBS notes. Yet she still gets discouragement over her attempt, which she hopes to complete next week. "People who say, 'Little girls don't belong on Eiger'" she told CBS last night in a video chat from the mountain. Not that it has stopped her, even with unpredictable weather and 12-18 hours of days. "I think fear is inevitable, but I don't think fear needs to be inhibiting," she says. She also keeps in mind her late father's advice ("Have fun, be safe, and do your best") and her dream of becoming a female pioneer. "When other women open the floodgates to show that something is possible, then you suddenly see progression in a sport," she notes. (Hundreds stranded at Everest in April).