melissa i strong

rock climber, writer, photographer, working on life daily

Switzerland 2015

 

For years I've dreamt about visiting the granite blocks in Switzerland and now it is finally happening.  I am very grateful for these 51 days in this beautiful land!  Feb 27-April 19 2015!

Leaving Estes Park, CO

Left: layover in Newark, NJ

Above: somewhere over France

Right: flying over the Alps

Views from around our apartment in Claro, Switzerland

First day leaving the boulders in Cresciano, Swizerland

Above: (knock on wood frirst and only rainy day so far--making the best of it in Cresciano on La Pelle

 

Below: Afternoon in Lugano

 

 

Below: Day one in Chiroinco

Layla Mammi & Line warming up

Adam on Les Doisgts Verts

Learning the lay of the land--Chironico

 

Far left: Adam sizing up Supersize Me

AboveL Line on The Aviator

Right & below: Me working out the moves on Il Volo Del Colibri

Far right: Adam working out Souvenir

Layla Mammi working out the moves on Il Volo Del Colibri

Below: Lunch date in St Moritz, Switzerland

Picture by Chris Fenxelino

Bellinzona castle day complete with gelatto!

Grindelwald--attempting to see th Eiger.

The boys attempting Freak Brothers, Chironico Switzerland

Rothner looking small on the sit to Confessions of a Crap Artist (after flashing the stand).   Chironico

above: swiss tree work sighs

far right: me on power ranger

right: Adam on Le Pilier

bleow: swiss rooftop

below: one try too many

far right: Tabea Schwab Le Pilier

right: Adam on Komilator

above: very excited i can still heel hook on this one--Les Doigts Verts

far right: Stillhearts

bleow: bleow springtime

 

screen grab from Rothner sending Freak Brothers

Change of scenery and a dream trip! Here is a view from our window in the junior suite at the Villa Tiboldi in Piedmont! Above, left and below are all scenes from Villa Tiboldi.

La Spinetta

Above: Aging Barberesca in Australian big barrels at Albino Rocca

Below: Their bottling machine

Right: out booty at this point minus the wine we already drank

Left, right, and below all La Spinetta

Right: after getting totally lost and missing a tasting appointment we stopped here at Fratelli Sergio Batista Borgogno Cannubi

Piedmont scenery--happy place for sure!

Piazza Duomo -- the only Michelin rated restaurant we have been to and it was a three star (Michelin's highest ranked)! It was a great experience that was not inexpensive and one that was probably once in a lifetime for us--top 50 rated reastaurents in the world!  Quite the experience!

 

Left: the tunnel in Cresciano

Above, left and bleow: the hike to the monastery above Claro

View of Claro left and right.  Left from the Stillharts and right from the monastery.

Brione, Switzerland

Above: Colin on Atlantis

Right: Adam trying Salamander

Far right: me trying Atlantis

Below: Brione=beautiful

Above: Adam and Rothner on Tomahawk

Far right: Adam on Reve de Mario

Right: Colin examining the skin thinness

Below: Rothner relaxing -- you can when you send everything so fast!

Below and right - scenic drive around switzerland--it never gets old.

Left--Stewie who belonged to a Spanish couple we climb with at Cresciano .  Stewie brings smiles for sure but as his mother told us Estewie es estúpido when he got stuck in a crevice.

Left--Spring

Right: Hannibal Lector , Cresciano and flapper from Hannibal

Adam's birthday in Brione--we went exploring to find boulders

Claro nights

Attempting Vatruvian Man without the chipped hold

Below: Milan Cathedral, dinner off the beaten path, AC Milan soccer game and a night out--I forgot my stilettos -ha!

Below--our one afternoon of "climbing" in Magic Wood--more like finding our way around and opening up the pads here and there.

Below our last day in Chironico--We waited until about 7:30 pm for the heat to subside.  I felt great thought the send was in my hands then I was on the pad bleeding and it was over.  Until next time Les Doigts Verts

Our last night in Claro.  View from the Stillharts.  Until next time!