Adventures by Alan and Melanie
This long alpine route was at least as mentally demanding as it was physically demanding. In the mostly stable weather of August 1st, 2018, Melanie and I set off from the Muttekopfhutte hut (1,934 m) at 6:15 AM. The route summits the Hintere Platteinspitze (2728 m) after about 690 m of 5th class climbing.
Tucked away in the Alps of north Tyrol, Muttekopfhütte felt like staying in a 5 star hotel for Mel and I. The views out the bedroom window were fantastic, there was a meal service, showers… and most importantly climbing all around!
We arrived to the island paradise of Kalymnos ready to spend 9 days climbing and enjoying island life. Little did we know, 9 days was not nearly enough time. As we came by ferry from Athens, Bleu Lightning got to come too – her second boat ride.
Our first climbing destination in Croatia was Paklenica National Park, which initially felt like climbing in a gym! We walked 5 minutes from the van, and were climbing a wall between the park restrooms and cafe. While not the adventurous experience we were expecting, it was the perfect setting to meet other climbers and warm up.
On the recommendation of friends we met in Finale Ligure, we headed to Osp, Slovenia. Osp is a tiny village surrounded by an imposing limestone amphitheater, just across the border from Italy. We arrived at what appeared to be the only business in town, a campground/restaurant/climber hangout named “Pri Vovku”. We walked in under a fierce wolf painting and a sign which translates to “At the Cry,” according to Google translate… a really amazing name, we thought. We met the owner who didn’t hesitate to loan us his guidebook for our short stay.
Tucked away in the unassuming wooded valleys at the western edge of Liguria, this limestone paradise brings climbers from all over Europe. Like Calanques, this crag has thousands of routes, enough for a lifetime of climbing. We climbed what we could in our limited time there, and it felt like tasting a sample at a famous italian gelato shop and having to leave right after.
Our first stop on the climbing road-trip adventure was Calanques National Park on the Mediterranean coast of France. We started off strong with a pleasant hike into a small calanque which had a crag right on the beach. Our climbs were short but offered beautiful views of the turquoise water surrounded by limestone cliffs.
After a breathtaking flight from Bariloche, we reached the northern terminus of our Argentine adventure. After a quick resupply in Mendoza, we set off to meet our Workaway hosts in the Valley of Uco (El Valle del Uco).
Frey was one of the first destinations we had decided on for our trip to Argentina. The mountain destination came highly recommended from a climbing friend, and is easily accessible from the town of Bariloche. After a 3 hour hike from the Cerro Catedral ski resort, we arrived to Refugio Frey. Within the hour, before even setting up our tent, we were off to climb “El Diedro de Jim” (Jim’s dihedral). Our introductory climb in the area was a perfect dihedral followed by a perfect crack in the granite face of “Aguja Frey,” the nearest spire to the hut. A perfect start to the week…
We first heard about Piedra Parada from the Petzl Roctrip, but didn’t think we’d make it there on this adventure. After talking with a lot of Argentinian climbers and seeing their faces light up when they told us about Piedra Parada, we knew we had to go. They were right. When we got off the bus, we stood in awe of the huge lonely rock in the middle of the desert. “Piedra Parada” – or “standing stone” – looks like a forgotten piece in a cosmic game.