Alps: looking for a partner

Posted by JoGe on Sep 2, 2009
Page Views: 1185

Date: Anytime
Location: Switzerland
City or Place: Matterhorn
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Categories: Hiking, Ice Climbing, Mountaineering, Rock Climbing
Partner Status: Want Partners

Hey, I would be interested to make contact with someone for the next summer(s) in the Alps. I turn 18 next July and have some mountaineering experience. I have been hiking together with my family for about the last 12 years. Four years ago I became interested in higher altitudes, harder climbs and general "real" mountaineering. I took part in a youth-course in the year 2007 for mountaineering. It was organized by the Austrian Alpenverein.

This summer I took part in an advanced "high-altitude routes" course for adults and learned a lot about glacier, snow and ice climbing.

A overview of my skills and "achievements":

+ have a good condition: hikes and climbs 12+ hours (with 2000+ meters elevation gain) are within my safe limits
+ indoors I have climbed climbs rated over 8 UIAA
+ have lead a 7- UIAA indoors
+ tried ice-climbing this summer - I climbed a short pitch with over 90 degree angled ice
+ know basic crevasse rescue and self-arrest
+ highest summit: 3770meters (Wildspitze) - did not feel the altitude at all
+ have set up belay - stations in ice
+ organized a hiking trip with two friends to Sweden (Kungsleden and Kebnekaise) when I was 15 - carried 30 kgs for the first four days with 15 -20 km per day
+ I tried some free solo climbing - I felt 200 % sure of course: I do not like to take unnecessary risks
+ Have no problem with exposure and have a good balance.
+ Did my first via ferrata this summer solo. It was rated "Hard" - the Imster Klettersteig

What I would need to learn:

- setting up belay stations in rock
- placing pro in rock
- definitely need a day spent on training crevasse rescue
- do not know what maximum difficulties I can climb outdoors
- more practice on ice-climbing and leading ice-climbs

What plans for next summer:

Any summit over 4000 meters, specifically I would like to try:

Eiger,
Mönch,
Jungfrau,
Mount Blanc,
Matterhorn,
Weisshorn,
...

All of these I would naturally only try the standard routes, with someone more experienced I would not mind trying something harder after two-three standard routes (or whatever s/he would feel appropriate). I am also intrested in (bigger) walls in the Dolomites.

I am basically looking for any sort of partner with any level of skill interested in teaming up for not only one summer. The languages I speak fluently are German, English and Finnish. Swedish is quite fluent and French should be. French is perhaps my weakest language at the moment.

Please contact me at the following e-mail address: jg.chogori[ at ]gmail.com