Build My Own FeedReport and Photos: Ice Climbing Festival Kandersteg 2010
The 10th Annual Kandersteg Ice Climbing Festival took place last weekend in the Ice Climbing Mecca Kandersteg, Switzerland in the Berner Oberland. With 500 spectators on hand, the Festival was held in a new location this year, at the Kandersteg Rope Park just across the street from the Gemmi lodge. This crag provided the best available conditions for Ice and Mixed- Climbing.
With sub-freezing temperatures as cold as -10°c, some 80 participants showed up for the Dry-Tooling contest on Saturday. The spectacular Final under the floodlights was won by Israel Blanco from Spain, with second place going to Patrick Aufdenblatten of Switzerland and third place going to Albert Leichtfried of Austria. The Women's event was dominated by the Swiss; with Petra Müller in first place, followed by Felicitas Feller and Dalia Hamdy. This was Petra Müller's fourth victory in Kandersteg; while last year's winner, Patrik Aufdenblatten, took on the podium for the third year in a row. The male competitors had to score well in an Open Qualification as well as the Semi-Final in order to reach the six-man Final. The 12 female competitors had to master one round of Qualifications before the Finals. The routes were set by Thomas Steinbrugger and Kurt Astner. Ice climbers from throughout Europe were among the participants, including some famous names from the ice climbing world cup scene.
The Workshops on Sunday were attended by approximately 50 enthusiastic participants, who tried their luck on the rock and ice, and received some helpful tips from the contest finalists and experienced ice climbers such as Samuel Anthamatten (CH), Dodo Kopold (SK), Klemen Preml (SI), Petra and Jack Müller (CH), Patrik Aufdenblatten (CH) and Matthias Scherer (DE).
The slide-shows presented on Friday and Saturday evening in the Kandersteg Congress Center were well-received by the approximately 300 spectators. The pioneer of the ‘Saxon Switzerland' in Eastern Germany, Bernd Arnold, recited in his program about the history of his home-crag ‘Elbsandstein' with insider information and deep historical knowledge. The young Slovak alpinist, Dodo Kopold stoked the crowd with his program ‘Himalaya in Alpine Style' with photos and video from his bold ascents on 8000 meter peaks; as well as his training grounds in his home mountains, The High Tatras.
The Ice Climbing Festival in Kandersteg is respected as one of the top events of its kind in the Alps and is known as the international get-together of the Ice Climbing scene. Main sponsors of this event are Arc'Teryx, Bächli Bergsport, Black Diamond, Nokia and Lowa. Partners of the event include Kandersteg Tourism, Destination Kandersteg, Sterling Rope, Klettern Magazine and Vertical Magazine.
More Informationen at www.ready2climb.com.
Fotos: Andrea Badrutt, Chur
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