Ascents in Central Region having Beta

Wrote as N.B.on the wall. Lots of sand on the rock. Not a completely clean send yet, but beautiful climb with cracks, smears and crimps.

On descent. Some minor avalanches going on in the upper caldera (above the entrance point from Bucsoi), then reasonably uninterrupted good snow down to a bit above the canyon upper end, where I took off my crampons and descended on dry paths to the bottom. Got super lost for a while on the valley exit (fresh, springtime vegetation) and while this is pretty normal for me the group behind me got super lost too, so I dub the "estuary" below the intersection with Rapa Zapezii the Morarului triangle

Perfect snow, little cracking, all obstacles covered. 10-15cm fresh snow above 2200 or so, but really stable. Should be in conditions for another month lol.

At above 2000m, right above Turnul cu Jnepeni, there's a far steeper bifurcation to the right I took for a hundred meters or so. Really cool chimney with two chockstones, and a still-barely-continuous snow ridge in it that led to some pretty fun mixed climbing. above the chockstones the snow disappeared and it all looked quite gravelly and bushy so I downclimbed back to the main line. Pretty sure this is the entrance to Valcelul de sub Varf, but need to read up more on it.

Retreated at the canyon - a bit too much rockfall going on around me to risk it in the Costila particle accelerator.

Snow, good. Traces of major rockfall at 1900, with microwave-sized boulders still flying around, not good. Our initial plan had been Albisoara Rasucita, but between that and there being less snow than we hoped for....nah.

Probably a fun easy slab route when not covered in crap

A family of worms crawls out of a pile of shit. Baby worm asks: mommy could we climb in Montserrat? Yes son, we could. Mommy but could we climb in Meteora? Of course, my dear. Mommy mommy, but could we even climb in Costila? Certainly, nothing's stopping us. Mommy, then why are we climbing in fucking Caraiman?

Toproped a plumb line containing bits of maybe 3 routes. Really cool overhanging start on alveoles. Footslip on a bit of the 5a I had done fine in boots earlier lol

Had to try it on lead even though it was beginning to rain. Rain stopped and sun came out the moment I was over the first bolt ♥

Common start with Stagiatura. Turns out I'm not too short to reach the start hold if I deadpoint it a little. Really cool route above, varied and kinda alpine climbing (loved the small traverse, and the forearm-and-foot-jam crack above)

Too short to reach the start jug, so clipped the first bolt with a kong panic and then pulled on that. Also a weird moment near bolt 2, didn't quite trust a hold

In boots, for practice. It's really hard to unclip the crux bolt when seconding

Amazing conditions, perfect snow and just the right amount of drytooling

Solo,up to the major obstacle of the gully - so I really just did a bunch of snow frontpointing, and an attempt to bypass on the right ridge that fizzled out on account of 2m of shit snow I would have liked a belay on. Had a good rock for that and everything Tried going on one of the ledges that cross the wall (apparently the old timey routes are less committing than the modern stuff, since you can use those ledges to retreat to Hornul Caltunului when you cross them) but had weird vibes about the snow (corn crust above deep completely unconsolidated pow, on a northern face that sees no sun but a helluva lot of wind) so nah. Oh well, results not excuses.

Did a nameless gully on the aiguille across the Portita Caltunului as a consolation prize. Classical Romanian 1A, up on snow, then switch to some grassy ledges with a couple chimney moves to cross through a narrow saddle on another grassy ledge (1 weird but very short traverse where the hold I'd have needed to reverse broke in my hand, and this above 30m of void) and then a walk up to the refuge.

All in all, a very enjoyable morning.

Three years from the mountaineering class that started everything. The most "wow" thing there, for me, had been toproping a frosty boulder and ....can't believe I'm here now, rather than in five years' time. Granted, it helps that this is the babies' route, with bolted belays and everything, rather than the "leader must not fall, second must not fall either" style of the rest of the wall.

Conditions aren't really optimal btw,hard friable ice. P1 has enough of it, and P5 has bonus ice up to the first bolt, but the crux of P4 is hollow-sounding in points and a bit too thin to protect properly even with short screws.

Descent in 4 raps (we united p2 and 3). Watch out for the p3 rappel, it's easy to get your ropes stuck in grass

Cleaning the route.

Easily redpointed up until the chains. Spent some time there de-pumping and decided to go for the ice overhang, with screws on me, having no pre-set holes in the exit ice and no pre-placed gear in place. In hindsight, a screw way up there where the ice was stuck to the rock, with a sling on it would have been beneficial for clipping right after I cleared the ice. Got above the chains, committed to the ice, and went over the lip, feet still under. Did some bashing in the very hard ice and manage to slowly advance on some okish ice tool placements. Heinous stuff, swinging from lock-offs from under the curtain. Spent another minute de-pumping and decided to fully commit and made (an intentional) cut-loose, and in one single motion, brought my feet over the ice and voila, made it over the curtain. Unfortunately, just a few seconds after, my right tool blew (the okish one), and with 2.5-3m of rope from the chains, and rope stretch and fortunately a dynamic fall, took a mega whipper, being catapulted in the back (since I pulled my entire body back from the tool) with a severe arch, head down, body rotated, and smashed my body-sideways into the ledges of the overhang 8m lower. Hurt my back and spine pretty badly, no lung issues, and my elbow and forearm. Took my clothes off, got in the snow to lower the inflammation, and 10 minutes later redpointed the route again, but without attempting the ice once more time. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Putting up the draws and breaking off all the rotten ice from the curtain. Strenuous, 30min job, but managed to clear all the bad ice and was left with a hefty ice overhang, ready to be climbed.

Climbed the first 10m, which follow a narrow icicle/flow, used only screws and rapped from a V-thread. — with Mara Miron

Climbed the first 10m, which follow a narrow icicle/flow, used only screws and rapped from a V-thread. — with Mara Miron

Climbed the first 10m, which follow a narrow icicle/flow, used only screws and rapped from a V-thread.

Climbed the first 10m, which follow a narrow icicle/flow, used only screws and rapped from a V-thread.

Tried a harder, vertical line.

Set up a belay just under the rime mushrooms. The exit was not feasible in these conditions.

Cleaning the route.

Friable and dirty, cleaned the first few meters. Redpointed in two bits, some holds (drilled ones) are broken, making the lower half almost impossible to link. Placed screws on lead and set up a V-thread with quicklink at the top for others to use.

The overhanging icicles on the left.

The overhanging icicles on the left.

The overhanging icicles on the left.

The overhanging icicles on the left.

The overhanging icicles on the left.

The overhanging icicles on the left.

Slabby line.

Center, vertical line.

Up to the Window and rappelled back. Dry start, poor ice on the second major obstacle, more snow above (gets kinda shitty under the Window). Not that cold, but 90km/h gusts, and not a lot of space between.

Rappel line we used with 2x60: one end of the ropes one from the Window to just above the piton at the entrance in Furcile lui Baticu, one 15m one from that to the bolt, one long but not full length one to a 2-piton belay station (on a ledge to the left of the chimney proper) and another end-of-the-ropes one to a few easily downclimbable m above the start

Good snow, all covered

Really cool, highly featured ice, the initial pillar almost feels like dancing. Did this once in the morning, came out of it super pumped. Spent the day running laps on the mini-waterfall above it, trying to train my brain in wasting less energy. Tried it again at the end of the day when I already felt tired and beat, came out on top with barely any pump. Yay learning

Hornul N portion. Retreated pretty quickly due to shit snow

Good snow up to Saritoarea Mare, snow deposits and some windslab above. Most obstacles partially uncovered. We roped up for the last big obstacle (my head not in it that day) and descended the way since climbing nontechnical terrain on shit snow in high winds didn't sound fun

Worst approach-to-technical terrain ratio ever. 2 very short pitches, at most M2, on friable bullshit that the new bolts improve but can't fix, and you do about 1500m altitude diff on trail and grass face for it. The company was lovely though, and at least it was good cardio, am not feeling v peaky these days

On descent, horribly loose avalanche boulders under the Blid

Almost no snow

Good snow up to the Amphitheater, almost none after. Obstacles covered in the lower side, above we had a fun lil bit of drytooling, and an ice chimney that unfortunately mostly had ice on the exit