Following up on the first successful skill transfer workshop (Ice-climbing in Engadina), AACZ club members participated in a Piton Climbing Workshop organized by Matija Brumat. All of us clip existing pitons on alpine routes, but few know how to place, test and remove them, which are skills that can come in handy when doing first ascents or climbing in areas where that’s the prevailing style. Matija comes from Slovenia, where alpine routes often have bad rock quality and pitons are sometimes the only available protection. He agreed to share his knowledge with other club members in two events – an intro day trip to Alpstein that took place on June 11, 2022, and an upcoming week long trip to the Slovenian Alps in August.
Seven AACZ members hiked to a small crag under Schafberg in Alpstein. Following an introduction by Matija, who discussed different hammers and pitons, as well as techniques for placing and removing them, all of us practiced on the ground.
In the afternoon, two of us decided to climb the Schafbergkante, a mellow but very polished alpine ridge, while the others practiced single-pitch climbing with pitons at the original location. A huge thank you to Matija Brumat for organizing the workshop and for sharing his knowledge with the rest of us!
Text: Ven Popov
