Romanian Mountain Guides Association - Training in Retezat Mt. - Video story

Between the 16th to 22nd of March 2013 AGMR/RMGA Romanian Mountain Guides Association held the winter module course in Retezat Mt. at Gentiana Chalet. 17 participants and 8 AGMR/RMGA instructors attended to this event. Ortovox, the official supplier of AGMR/RMGA, represented in Romania by Alpin Expe Oradea came up with the prizes. During a week the participants were involved in the following workshops: alpine winter ascent, ski touring, climbing on mixt terrain or/and ice, crevasse rescue techniques, first aid, shelter building, avalanche awareness and avalanche rescue. Here you'll find a video story of the event, powered by MountainPro Romanian Guiding Agency. Enjoy watching!

Another epic winter on SplitBoard - K2 Panoramic

Well, it's for the second winter when I'm using this amazing splitboard made by K2 called Panoramic. I've got mine from Skateworld.ro, Bucuresti, Bulevardul Decebal Nr. 9, the official distributor of K2 equipment in Romania - thanx to Mr. Cristi Borda - to test it for the past winter season, and it was such a thrill! From my home resort to backcountry this snowboard shreded every single slope at any angle I was going to.

 As a mountainguide and snowboarder I started to appreciate the advantages of having a splitboard: long range for traveling on deep snow, autonomy created by this aspect, easy way approaching the summit, and, not at last, SNOWBOARDING ALL THE WAY DOWN!!! But K2 Panoramic is simply more than this. From the icy slopes of Retezat Mt. to the deep powder in Fagaras Mt. my K2 Panoramic splitboard was my faithful friend.

Funny enough, I was the only snowboarder in a ski-mountaineering competition at Postavaru Night - the 4th of March 2012.

Efortless turns on hardpack, majestic float on powder(thanks to its Setback 1" - 25mm stance) - despite I am pretty tall - 188 cm, and my Panoramic is just 162 cm long - it was just great to have this lethal weapon as my partner! This splitboard - if you buy it as a kit - comes with Voile binding system, and you can attach any snowboard binding you may have, and with custom climbing skins - swiss made, by Pomoca, providing unmatched grip and traction.

K2 Panoramic has a lot to offer thanks to the technology it was created with:

TWEEKEND - ADDED STABILITY, FLOAT & LANDING POWER A revolutionary tweek to the ends of our industry leading Baseline technology. By extending the Baseline rocker all the way out to the absolute ends of the board, new ride-able surface is unlocked, giving you a bigger, more stable platform to press, float and land on.

BAMBOOYAH - Skate inspired Indestructibility BAMBOOYAH® expands out into more models in this it’s second year. We now offer original Bambooyah cores and the all new Bambooyah Blended cores. Created for models that could benefit from just a little bit of Bambooyah’s incredible strength. A little bit of Bambooyah goes a long way.

HIBRILIGHT - Less waste, more shred! K2’s exclusive Hybrilight construction features a thin, constant thickness sidewall designed for maximum performance and minimal material usage. The result is a lighter, more advanced snowboard with significantly less waste produced in manufacturing. Better on hill and greener for the hill.

K2 Splitboard specs: 154, 158, 162, 168 cm
BASELINE: All Terrain Rocker Tweekend
DAMPING: Standard CONSTRUCTION: Hybrilight
SHAPE: Hyper Progressive
STANCE: Stance Setback 1" (25mm)

As I've been checking out another binding systems I have to admit that this Voile kit it's just fantastic! No loose parts to drop in the snow, everything's attached to the binding and switching from ski mode to snowboard mode comes handy and it's really fast! Very useful during climbs is the lifter but unfortunately it has only one position, which is a little too high, and probably you'll use it rarely. The good news is that you can buy the Voile Splitboard Dual Height Climbing Heels for about 36 $ and replace the existing one.

Maybe the best feature of K2 Panoramic Splitboard is the way that the tail responses to different terrain, keeping you on track, being very forgiving when riding conditions are changing from soft to hard snow, and on landings.

The skins have really good traction, and are pretty easy to fit and remove from the board due to the innovative fixing system. To add more traction during climbing on hard pack you can use the Voile crampons for extra grip. Cool thing is that you can use it in 2 modes: a swinging mode, when the crampon is attached to the binding - and the drag is reduced at minimum without loosing grip, and a fixed mode when the crampon will increase drag but will come very handy on hard and steep terrain, when the grip provided by the skins only is scarce.

Taking care of your splitboard is essential. From time to time you should check if all the binding screws are tight, and if every part is in a good condition; check also if the safety lock of the pin is not loose, and if it is use a pliers to tighten it. Inspect the edges and sharpen'em if necessary. Take good care of the skins if you'd like to use them for a long time, without loosing their properties.

So, at the end of all this, if you think about buying a splitboard, it might be an ideea to keep in mind this option provided by K2 Snowboards - the Panoramic Splitboard. For romanian customers - Skateworld.ro, Bucuresti, Bulevardul Decebal Nr. 9, Tel.: +4 0314 255 994 | Mobile: +4 0731 347 184, email: comenzi@skateworld.ro.

For updated info about riding K2 Panoramic splitboard , technical features, tips & tricks or just impressions please contact me on mountainpro romanian guiding agency website !!! Play safe!

Glacier tech workshop in swiss alps, august 2011

Mountainpro Romanian Guiding and Outdoor Agency is inviting you in Switzerland, in the heart of the beautiful Bernese Oberland Alps for a glacier techniques workshop in August, 2011.

It is a five day glacier workshop, starting on the 22nd of August till the 26th of August 2011, and during this time you'll learn basic glacier travel techniques, accidental fall arrest, how to set anchors in the snow, crevasse rescue, ice climbing and so on, and on the last day we'll summit Frundenhorn (3369m).

There will be two guides running this workshop, Marc Schertenleib (CH) - UIAGM/IVBV/IFGMA mountainguide and Ciprian Moruzan (RO) - AGMR/RMGA mountainguide, and we are expecting six to eight guests to attent, in this way we make sure that everyone has enough time to learn and practice during the workshop; on the other hand keeping a small guide/guests ratio will ensure an increasing safety aspect.



We'll be based in Frundenhutte, at 2562 m, at the base of the glacier, having an excellent view of the peaks around (Frundenhorn and Bluemlisalphorn), as well of the gorgeous lake below.




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We will provide the following:
- 5 days guided instruction on the mountain with 2 certified mountainguides;
- group gear - ropes, technical ice axes, ice screws, pulleys;
- meals and accommodation during your stay in Frundenhutte;


You should have your own equipment(waterproofs, thermals, crampons, mountaineering ice axe, strong mountaineering boots, gaiters, few pairs of good socks, sunglasses, gloves, water bottle, 2-3 locking carabiners, first aid kit, sunscreen), head lamp, 2 prusik loops.

Please use the contact area on MountainPro Romanian Guiding Agency website to join this trip and for further informations, or simply send and email to mountainpro(at)gmail.com .

We look forward to hearing from you and to meet you in August to share a beautiful adventure in the Alps!

White water adrenaline rush

It is as it sounds: a flow of adrenaline rush during the rafting trip! Starting from this year  MountainPro  - romanian guiding and outdoor agency and its partners is offering water-related activities, such as river rafting and kayaking. Challenging waters for the braves or more peacefull streams for family trips, everything's possible.


Our playground is Buzau river (ww2 up to ww3+), about 80 km away from Brasov,  a river that has a constant volume becouse of the water from the power plant, so we can provide white water trips starting from early spring 'till late autumn.
You'll be provided with full neoprene suite, neoprene boots, lifejacket, helmet and paddle, and certified river guides (will open a .pdf document with certified river guides from the International Rafting Federation website).

Safety is very important for us, that's why all our guides are IRF certified guides with great river guiding experience. As well, our equipment is designed for increased safety. We use Spreu Boote Hippo boats and equipment.

You can find us at Buzau river on weekends, but trips during the week are also possible upon request. Please use the contact section on Mountainpro website to make a provisional booking via telephone or email or to check the availability for a certain date.

There's no more to say than come out and play ! We hope to see you all by the river soon!

Freeride Tech & Safety Workshop, Ski Touring and Snowboarding - March 11-13th, Bucegi Mt. - Padina

It is all about safety first, and fun after.

This is an event developed by www.outdoor-events.ro with its partners K2, Ortovox, ABS şi Spot. Of course, MountainPro Guiding - the Romanian Guiding Agency is involved as well, as part of the staff, in charge with the presentation of safety equipment and running the avalanche workshop.

You'll be skiing/snowboarding all day long, along with a professional instructor in powder and hard pack on steep slopes, using skis perfectly tuned for you.

You'll learn how to use all the new safety toys on the market, that means an avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel, Avalung, ABS, GPS and SPOT. You'll learn how to plan a tour starting in front of your computer, at home.

This event is created for skiers and nonskiers, snowboarders and nonsnowboarders, for those who love the mountains in the winter and who want to do it safely, 'till they'll grow old.

Can I join? Yes, if you find yourself below:

- you are a skier/snowboarder at least at the intermediate level on piste and you want to learn how to ride safely off-piste
- you're already a rider and you want to learn the latest safety techniques, plus a ski test with K2 skis
- you are an absolute beginner or non skier/snowboarder yet but you'd like to start from somewhere
- you'd like to discover the mountains in the winter time, even if you're not skiing/snowboarding
- you'd like to meet cool people and discover a beautiful place in the mountains

The schedule is pretty tight and looks like that:

- ski/snowboard off-piste workshop, with qualified instructors (10-16 years of riding experience)
- tours on skis/snowshoes: technique, how to choose a route, group leadership and risk management
- ski test K2, using various off-piste models
- tech workshop: skis/bindings, (rocker technology, reverse camber, pros and cons)
- tech workshop: navigation with compass, map, GPS, SPOT, Google Earth, Touratech, MapSource
- tech workshop: snow profiles, the dynamics of snow layers, profiles, Rutschblock test, avalanche triggers
- tech workshop: avalanches - typology, prediction, evaluation, what to (or not to) do, live avalanche scenario, how to use the avalanche kit (transceiver, probe, shovel)
- Photo/Video presentation: when to relay on Mountain Rescue support and when on your own possibilities.

All workshops will start on Friday, the 11th of March 2011, at the ANSMR(national mountain rescue association) headquarters, Padina Strungii, Bucegi Mt.

AGENDA:

Friday:

10.00-10.45 intro, getting ready, route choosing
10.45-16.00 ski/snowshoes touring, beginners and intermediates groups
19.00-22.00 safety equipment(transceiver, probe, shovel, Avalung, ABS) workshop. Lecturer: Ciprian Moruzan
Ready to navigate/orienteering before starting the tour and "I Love Snow" film projection. Lecturer: Mihai Mares

Saturday:

09.00 Leaving to the sheephold in Strunga:
- downhill techniques on skis/snowboards workshop
- "survival skiing" workshop - techniques for beginners
- ski touring workshop for non-skiers and skiers
- avalanche workshop. Lecturer: Ciprian Moruzan
16.00-17.00 Food and refresing
17.00-19.00 Snow study workshop. Lecturer: Mihai Mares

Sunday:

09.00 Tours on skis/snowshoes; Riding offpiste on skis/snowboards; Snow study field workshop (snow profiles, Rutschblock test)

Lecturers:

Ciprian Moruzan, trainer, AGMR-RMGA mountainguide, ORTOVOX Tech advisor
Mihai Mares, trainer, Ski Instructor 1st Category, mountain rescuer, geography bachelor degree.
Mihaela Mares, trainer, Ski Instructor 1st Category, ANEFS licence in alpine ski
Cristi Borda, freerider, adventure photographer, K2 Tech advisor

COSTS:

250 Ron/pers (includes all logistics cost, including workshops and use of group technical equipment)

Extra: The cost for transport/food/accommodation. We are making NO reservation, make shore you book a place to stay at Padina or Coteanu chalets.

Diplomas and Prises:

Every participant will receive a diploma. 3 river rafting vouchers (50 EUR wort each)will be handed over.
The diploma will give you discounts when buying equipment from our partners.

REGISTRATION:

Via e-mail at office@outdoor-events.ro.

Maximum number of riders for this event is 20. At your arrival you'll be signing a responsibility assuming declaration and you'll be able to cover the event expenses.

Mandatory equipment:

Skis/snowboards, boots, helmet, goggles, poles.

Recommended equipment:

- Full ski/snowboard equipment
- Spine protection (guard)
- Avalanche kit (transceiver, probe, shovel)
- Backpack
- Water bottle, or thermo resistant water bottle (ideal)
- First aid kit
- Winter clothing
- Notebook and pen

See you in Padina!

www.outdoor-events.ro
www.TeamAdventure.ro
www.mountainpro.ro
www.k2skis.com
www.ortovox.com
www.112spot.com
www.alpinexpe.ro

Ortovox 3+ avalanche transceiver

Ortovox proudly presents the newest member of its family: 3+, a three antenna avalanche transceiver with great feature that you'll find only when you speak about avalanche scanners like Ortovox S1 or Pulse Barryvox from Mammut: automatic switchback to transmit mode(in case of a following avalanche). But the best thing about 3+ is that it can analyse its own position and it can operate using the optimal transmitting antenna, feature that will considerably shorten the search. 3+ is pretty light, with only 190 g and it runs on a single AA baterry, providing aprox. 250 transmiting hours and about 15 hours on search mode.
Here's a video released by Ortovox about 3+:



You get better found
The 3+ is a three-antenna device with a special extra function to first enhance your own safety. The intelligent position recognition system analyses the position of the antennas and automatically switches to the optimal transmitting antenna. There is no longer any such thing as the 'worst position'.

You find faster
The circular display lets you focus on the essentials. The distance to and the relative position of a victim. Always align the device to the arrow. The solid arrow and the central distance value keep you going in the right direction.

You find more exactly
The patented circular display shows you at a glance whether you are getting closer to the signal or moving away from it. With the precise distance value you can very effectively determine the distance to the buried victim and limit the area to be probed.

You find more victims
The 3+ allows you to maintain an overview even with multiple burials. The number of victims is shown in the display. As soon as you have found the first one you can blend out their signal with the pin key. The victim is displayed as pinned and you can immediately continue with your search.

Safety features:
Smart antenna technology enhances your own safety. Signal separation with pinning function.
Very easy operation due to: clear control elements, precise real time display with directional arrows and circular display. Rubberized housing for protection and ergonomics. Display lighting for night searches, switchover in case of a follow-up avalanche, clear and optimized search acoustics, updateability.

Product details:
Receive function: digital
No. of antennas: 3
Maximum range: circular up to 41 m
Search strip width: up to 40 m
Microprocessor control: yes
Display: Distance value, directional arrow, battery capacity
Multiple burials: Displays number of buried victims (3 and more), pinning function
Carrying system: Small, comfortable bag with elastic strap for device
Power supply: 1 alkaline AA 1.5 V LR06
Transmission life: approx 250 hrs
Size: 73 x 122 x 27 mm
Total weight: 200 g

More info about 3+ can be found on Ortovox official website: www.ortovox.com

First aid & CPR in outdoor environment

Well, all this time spent waiting for my dislocated shoulder to heal made me think pretty serious about an issue that a lot of people will leave behind sometimes, when preparing for a new thrilling adventure.
Basic knowledge about first aid and CPR is a must, you never know when the unknown will hit, so better prepared than helpless. You can get an arrangement with the local Red Cross in order to follow a basic first aid & CPR course, helping you to achieve an useful package in this field.
Don't forget about the first aid kit as well, most times you can buy one from the chemist shop; mountain & outdoor shops can also provide those items, in different packages, suited from individuals to groups.

Check out http://www.firstaidweb.com , a unique self-guiding CPR and First Aid course, time-saving alternative for those individuals who need to learn the fundamentals of Basic Life Support but whose schedules may not permit lengthy lectures and expensive instructors. Each of their step-by-step CPR and First Aid lessons are thoroughly explained with minimal technical jargon and include a helpful quick review section. A brief quiz will recap everything you learned and will give you the confidence you'll need to take appropriate course of action should an emergency arise.

We've got to end this in a happy mood, so here's a video about basic techniques of CPR, as suggested by Robin Blandford, founder of Decisions For Heroes on his Facebook account. Enjoy video and stay SAFE. Peace!

NorthStar 2010 - 1,800 km Greenland Expedition

Yeah, yeah, yeah! That's the spirit, cos is always good to hear that a friend is goin' to start a new adventure! What's the plan? Well, "to cross the island of Greenland from the East coast to the West Coast, unsupported, in a diagonal heading starting at the coast close to the town of Tasiilaq and hopefully finishing at Qaanaaq. This represents a distance of around 1800 kilometres or 1100 miles!" (North Star Expedition website)



More than this, the Greenland Expedition is designed "TO EXPLORE A TRUE WILDERNESS USING A NEW AND EXCITING SPORT AND CELEBRATE THE MEMORY OF A FRIEND." If you'd like to help and support the team please visit North Star Expedition official website (www.northstar2010.com). You should also know that 50% of all support goes to charities.

Who's in for this game? Mustard Robley and Fran Middleton, both with serious background in outdoor activity in worldwide environments, both of them determined to get over this new challenge, climbing to an altitude of 2550m and hauling 100kg pulks.

Mustard Robley


Fran Middleton


If you think that's the first adventure over the icefields well you're wrong, Mustard Robley and Matt Franzke done a similar project in Greeland, in 2007, traversing, by ski, 570km across the Greenland Ice Cap to help rebuild Lebanon and celebrate 100 years of Scouting.

Mustard Robley & Matt Franzke







They intend to man-haul sleds or ‘pulks’ with backcountry skis on to the top of the ice-cap and then switch to snow-kites and downhill skis to complete the crossing using as much wind power as possible. Their tent, cooking equipment, food and other essentials will all be contained in their pulks and towed behind'em as they ski along.

The Nort Star Team is currently seeking sponsors or supporters to help supply specialised Arctic specific equipment, flights, medical equipment, food and communication equipment. Less than 3 weeks to go to departure day, so if you want to give a hand DO IT NOW!

Good luck to North Star Team with this project, and fingers crossed for a safe traverse!

Matterhorn - icon of the Alps

There's no doubt that a lot of people will associate the Alps, and mountaineering in general, with this glorious rock pyramid called Matterhorn. Every climber's dream is to summit it at least once in a lifetime, to identify himself with this iconic mountain.
Working as snow and ice guide in Switzerland in Summer 2003 at KISC, in Berner Oberland, gave me the opportunity for an attempt on Hörnli Ridge in August, roping up with guide Steinthor Nielsson (IS).

The best time to climb Matterhorn is from mid June to beginning of September, when the weather is more forgiving, but many times it was snowing even on this interval, making the ascent more difficult, along the frequent rockfalls and the fact that the route is overcrowded.

As the mountain is a true maze, a very smart idea would be a short scouting ascent a day before the climb to inspect the beginning of the route and the way it leads to the Solvay Hut (4003 m), a shelter to be used in emergency, owned by the Swiss Alpine Club.

Steinthor Nielsson (IS) by Solvay Hut





We've reached the summit in 4 and a half hours, but it tooked 7 hours to descent to Hörnli Hutte, due to many teams still on the way up, waiting for them to climb on steep sections.



Guides Ciprian Moruzan (RO) and Steinthor Nielsson (IS) on Matterhorn Summit








Ciprian Moruzan (RO) on Matterhorn Summit




Climbing on Matterhorn is not very difficult, but good visibility would be a huge plus to your ascent. Small cam devices and various slings would be very helpful, along with a serious hydratation kit, cos you'll be spending at least 10 hours on the mountain. On our attempt we had only the basic gear: helmet and lamp, harness, a couple of binners, two fat locking binners so you can clip the thick ropes along the ridge, an icescrew, classic axe and lightweight crampons. Leather gloves can be a smart ideea to have too. We had a single 50 m rope, but twin ropes would make the difference on descent when rapelling.

Timing is essential if you want to descent to Zermatt in time to catch one of the last trains in the evening (cos we've missed the last one so we spent the night in the station); if not, you can relax with a beer on the Hornli Hut terrace enjoying the fantastic view.




There are several routes to ascent on Matterhorn, but I can say that most people will choose Hörnli Ridge, following Edward Whimper's route on his way up to the summit, few days before the italians, on the 14th of July 1865.
There's a lot of info on internet about climbing Matterhorn following various routes, and, on top of that, you can ask for advice on Matterhorn Summit Log.
You'll find below few pages from "The Alpine 4000m Peaks by the Classic Routes", by Richard Goedeke, describing the classic routes to the summit.