There’s nothing quite like ticking off a lifetime’s ambition. Our very own Expedition Sales Executive Chris Davies, one of the top 5 boulderers in the UK, began 2009 by doing just that as he embarked on a personal bouldering mission in Austria. Here’s the story in his own words:
"I first heard about the boulder problem ‘The Power of Goodbye’ ten years ago, and from that day vowed to go and ascend this Austrian test piece. So, on the 1st January 2009, I set off in my trusty wagon and drove the 1380 miles to Maltatal, Corinthia, Austria to climb five moves up a 12 foot piece of rock – brilliant plan. When this was first climbed, it took the first ascentionist (Klem Loskot – strongest boulderer in Austria) 2 years just to make the last move, so I guess this was a tall order to climb it in just 10 days.
The ascent took me 7 days of effort over 9 days, and the temperature did not help! During the day it was minus 10 to 13, and at night, bivvying out in the woods on the mountainside, it was minus 22. On the day of the ascent, it was make or break – if I did not do it this time, I was driving home early – it was just way to cold (one inch of ice both inside and outside of the tent!). Good news – I got the climb. The first British ascent of the hardest piece of climbing in Austria (there are only four other people worldwide to have climbed this problem). ‘The Power of Goodbye’ V14 – this without doubt is the best piece of climbing I have done so far! And the bad news? Four weeks later, I still can’t feel my toes, but it was worth it!
The moral of this story, and a bit of cheese: “Live your dreams kids, live your dreams…”
