Bouldering in Davos

Made my first bouldering moves today. Feels very weird, uncontrolled and shaky. Still very esy stuff of course but it was good to just feel rock again. Now I just have o wait for the morning and see if it better or worse...

Anders have found himself a nice project in Dischma. Very hard it seems, but the friction is crappy at the moment.

Some high beauties in Dischma as well.



Davos set updated: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48420022@N08/sets/72157624282908950/

Flat and steep

Anders and I made two nice lodging improvements this week. First we moved from Holland House (which probably is an improvement no matter where your next lodging will be) to the institute flat of SLF. Nice, somewhat unclean but newly renovated and shared with 6 other masters. But then something had been missing in the communication and they where sooo sorry that we had to move to the House of Three Flowers (suiting name, huh?) in an own apartment. So, now we live in an own small flat, just 2 minutes from the office. And for the price of maybe a fourth of a normal flat in Davos. We're happy =)

On thursday we had a whole day with a mountain guide from Davos. He learn us how to move in steep terrain. Sounds maybe a bit ridicuolous but it was actually quite interesting (and we toperoped a 4- in mountaineering boots =) The steepness of the flower mountains will hopefully increase from now on. On monday it will be botanizing in a harness! Yee ha.

Today we sportsclimbed on a sunexposed limestone rock in Schmitte. I estimate the temperature to be around 50 degrees there. Awful. But quite nice crag, even if i only climb easy stuff still. And beautiful butterflies.

Now we'll enjoy a beer on our new balcony.

Flower Power

The title presents a quite good summary for the first two weeks in Davos. Being used to endless Ericaceae-heaths, the alpine plant diversity of the Davos mountains is somewhat chocking. But in a few weeks I bet we will catch up on our botanical colleagues, which were a small, small step in front of us.

The most fantastic thing, and also the most annoying, with this job is that we need to know everything, and then I really mean everything. I mean, it's not for example accepted to just ignore the 1,5 cm rosette which have just emerged from the snowbed, which later in the summer probably will end up in a 1,5 metre tall violet beaty. And the millions of small grass tufts which can be either one out of 15 Festuca-species but also a Elyna, Agrostis, Carex, Sesleria.......

But all this is of course outweighed by the fact that we actually get paid for hiking up to mountain summits, botanize a bit and the hike down again. And that we learn crazy amounts of new stuff every day.

Have aslo had some time watching football (practical to move to countries which actually qualified...), running, sleeping, eating cheese and taking some pics. The latter will end up on flickr in a few minutes.

Peace and love.

Cajsa

Davoser girl

Finally here, and also soon feeling comfortable in our new home (at least for 8 months) town. It might not be the cutest and cosiest alpine village but we've certain got the alp feeling already with marmot observaton, raclette dinner, lots and lots of new plant species and the mandatory tons of Swiss administrative paper work.

We stay the first two weeks in the Hollender house, but i'm thankful that we'll move to SLF soon. This house is a mixture between a tuberculosis clinique, fancy but oh so old hotel, skibums place and gangstahouse. A real ghost house so to speak.

SLF and all its staff seems really nice. We will certainly have an interesting time here! I may be blogging somewhat now and then but always short since i write with one hand only. Haveto convince Anders to guest blog!

Some pics on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48420022@N08/sets/72157624282908950/

Tillbaka till vintern

Igårkväll kvart över tio rullade den blå bussen in på gruset på Parkgatan 19 efter att ha avverkat än så länge ca 800 mil på svenska, danska, tyska, franska och spanska vägar. Möttes av föräldrar, lasagne, säng och dusch. Nu på morgonen känns det som om man lätt skulle kunna fara iväg på en 2-månaders tripp direkt igen, men nu börjar verkligenheten igen.
Jobb på måndag, ska bli himla kul att komma tillbaka till alla jobbarkompisar. Våren är i antågande i Ume har jag hört, Linus har borstat upp I-20stenen och livet verkar flyta på trots att vi varit borta så länge =)
Ska bli så gött att få träffa er alla igen!

Home sweet home...

kanns det nastan som nar man svanger in pa route nationale och hem till alskade fontainebleau. Nu ar det bara en vecka kvar pa busstrippen men forhoppningsvis ska den avslutas storstilat (det ska bli varldens stick; typ plus tva och vaxlande molnighet).
Vi ankom nyss fran targasonne, ett helt underbart fint bouldero,rade med tokfina linjer i varje sektor. Stenkvallan var valdigt lik ume; fast de omgivande pyreneerna var kanske liite battre. Mot all formodan fick jag dessutom ticka tva 7a och inte sarskilt mot formodan fick anders gora en superfin 7c. Kan verkligen rekommenderas och jag tanker definitivt aka dit igen. Vadret var helt okej och temperaturen perfekt nar det inte regnade. Ingen sno heller, fast kalla natter (borjar ju bli vana vid det nu...)
Nu ska vi forsoka hitta nya klatterbrallor till anders och INTE av market Quechua denna gangen (bildbevis pa varfor kommer senare).
Ha de!!

Snart hejda Spanien

Har klattrat ett antal dagar i Savassona, fint omrade men vi har haft lite otur med vadret. Rakade kora lite for hart en dag sa armen ar lite samre tyvarr. Anders och jag har dock startat en slabtavling (for de oinvigda: slab ar klattring pa mindre an 90 graders lutning) sa jag far satsa pa att vinna den. For narvarande ar det lika pa 6b =)
I natt sov vi pa ett hotell i Vic, sa jakla skont med varm dusch, restaurang och rena lakan. Ska dock inte klaga pa var lyxbuss, men vi har haft lite fukt pa sistone. Nu blir det Targasonne, det verkar som om varsta kylan lagt sig och det ska bli sa himla kul att kolla in detta "chaos" av boulders.
Idag blir det en slappa-dag med mys i solen och lakning av sarig sandstenshud. Savasonna ar inte helt snallt mot fingertopparna!
Ha det bra mina kara lasare!