Marmot PRO Jorg Verhoeven is currently on a road trip in the US where he has been able to tick several hard routes and boulder problems. New on his list: Some of the classics in Hueco Tanks like Slashface (V13), Nagual (V13), Alma Blanca (V13), Full monty (V12), Bleeding Brothers (V12), Loaded Direct (V12), Tequila Sunrise (V12), Pelerin (V12) and several V11′s flash. Congrats!

Hueco Tanks part I: Slashface; Alma Blanca V13 (8B) etc. from jorg verhoeven on Vimeo.

A few days ago, Marmot PRO Sarah Seeger could tick "Kalte Sophie“ (Frankenjura), making it her first 8A+ bloc boulder problem. Read how she describes the day of the ascent:

“Heavy snowfall, strong winds, no sight, and the weather forecast predicting rising temperatures and heavy rain for the afternoon. Not the kind of conditions which make climbing fun. To be honest, I regarded the walk to the crag rather as a nice opportunity to get some fresh air and did not expect to be able to try my project seriously. Whatever, I thought, better than spending the afternoon in a crowded climbing gym. Yet, the boulder problem was surprisingly dry except for one hold which, after some toilet paper treatment, also became climbable.
Warming up was not better than the weather conditions, cold muscles, uncoordinated moves, shrinking motivation. But unexpectedly, my first go went relatively well and I only was stopped at the crux, a move going from a shallow pocket to a side pull which requires full body tension. I checked out the move again, dried and cleaned the holds once more and gave it another go without any expectations. Already the first part went quite well, the moves on some pockets and pinches were surprisingly solid. I got the shallow pocket perfectly, grabbed the side pull, then got the undercling with my left hand, going up right to the good hold, the final moves to the top were just flowing.
Due to the unfriendly weather conditions, the ascent of “Kalte Sophie” came quite unexpected for me and I am very glad about this very special Frankenjura winter afternoon."

The brand new editino of MARMOT LIFE is out now!

Marmot was created in 1974, born out of the idea of capturing intense moments in the mountains, nurturing them and using them to create energy for new adventures. Marmot PROs Albert Leichtfried, Stefan Glowacz, Alix von Melle, Nina Schlesener, Roman Rohrmoser, Lars and Niels Hoffmann, Robert Jasper and Jack Geldard are the living embodiment of this philosophy; indeed, they have arranged their lives around it.

The third issue of MARMOT LIFE is packed with stories about our fascination with the cold season. We hope you enjoy reading them.

You would like to order a free copy of MARMOT LIFE? Then drop us an email at magazine@marmot.de!

After his trip to China, the venue of this year's Petzl ROck Trip, Marmot PRO Steve McClure spent some great days at Costa Blanca / Spain. Read what he writes about the trip:

"A perfect recipe needs all the right ingredients. Miss some out and what you get might still be good but not quite right. The perfect climbing trip needs a lot of ingredients to come together. Good climbing most important, but feels empty without good people, beautiful surroundings and a comfy place to crash.

The Costa Blanca was my first Spanish climbing venue, back in 1985 when I was still at school and had no idea of sport tactics; it was double 9’s and crippling fear without a solid wire above my head! But I could already see I’d be back. More recently I found all the ingredients were on hand, bound together with the best weather in Spain. The Orange House is what really makes it work though, an amazing place to stay which is close to absolutely everything; airport, shops, beach, countryside and central to all the climbing. This isn’t an advert for them; it’s telling you what you need to know! I was in the Costa Blanca about 6 times over two years, until the key ingredient ran out: the climbing. Ticking the very last route at Wild Side was a sad day, I reckon its one of the best crags in the world. There was no need to come back!

So I’ve spent more time in Catalunya, the vast expanses of awesome cliffs taking all the attention. Rhodellar, Margalef, Siurana. These have held the action and quietened the Blanca. But a very last minute 4 ½ day trip took us back, stuck for a doss an email to the Orange house swung our decision on venue and we rolled straight in. A breath of fresh air! It was like returning home, and I surprised myself at just how good everything felt! And the real treat? A whole new supply of climbing, new routes at old venues, and complete new crags to get started on. If you have not been for a while, or never been before, remember, this used to be the premier venue in Spain, and in reality, it still is!

Things you should know!
Wild Side has a load of new routes
Cabezon also has new routes, but doing the old ones again is amazing!
Rincon De Bella is awesome for 40m routes of all grades
That massive wall up from Cabezon is ‘Sherpa’ and is as you always thought – amazing! Topo from me if needed!
theorangehouse.co.uk

Sherpa was the highlight, way up there with a cool wind. It’s kind of like Oliana, technical face climbing with the odd tufa. It’s blatantly sustained, 40 or 50 meters, almost no rest! The grades felt hard! Fill in the topo with your own ideas!"

You'll find more info about Steve at steve-mcclure.com.

Marmot PRO Sarah Seeger writes about her climbing year and the new bouldering season which she started with "Billard" (8A trav.) and "Walker on Earth" (8A):

The rope climbing season 2011 is over, it was an intense and instructional time. This year I have probably spent as much time on the rock as never before and I was quite motivated to try some harder projects. But maybe I was too impatient, maybe I had too few breaks in between – I couldn’t climb my too mayor projects for this year. At the end, my body and my mind were just not focused properly anymore. I finished my route climbing season with 16 routes between 8a and 8b+ on my list, knowing that the projects most likely also will be there next year…

However, as expected, I couldn’t stay without climbing for a long time. Time to start the bouldering season! November started extremely dry which was perfect for the start of the bouldering season. I managed to climb the nice pocket traverse “Billard” (8A) which for me as a passionate pocket climber is one of the most perfect boulders in the Frankenjura. Then we headed to Ticino. Sunshine, blue sky, dry air and temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees every single day – a boulderer’s dream made true! Besides some nice boulders such as “Atlantis”, “Sonnenanbeter”, “That goes left” and “Waldbrand” (all 7C), I also managed to climb “Walker on Earth” (8A). Middle finger stuffed into the mono, thumb and index somehow pressed against the rock, going with the left hand from the mini starter crimp to the 2 ½ finger pocket, jumping to the knob with the right hand, hitting the two intermediate holds with the left hand until getting the upper side crimp, reaching to the good sloper on the right and, with some knee work, wrestling around the bulge. And for the many remaining projects, we will come back soon!



Walker on Earth


Walker on Earth


That goes left

All photos by Manuel Brunn

Marmot PRO Jorg Verhoeven is currently on a six-month climbing trip in the US. His first stop was the sport climbing paradise Red River Gorge in Kentucky. There he crushed "Pure Imagination" (9a) in only 5 tries. He also added some further hard ascents to his tick list, among others:

• "50 Words for a Pump", 5.14c (8c+)
  
• "Southern Smoke", 5.14c (8c+)
  
• 25 routes graded 5.13 (7c+ to 8b), mostly on sight or flash.
  

Now Jorg will head to Yosemite. More info on his trip can be found at www.jorgverhoeven.com.

Foto: Roman van der Werf

Pure Imagination 5.14d (9a) from jorg verhoeven on Vimeo.

Marmot PRO Steve McClure is currently exploring the endless rock potential in China. In the following, he wraps up his first impressions from the Petzl Rock Trip 2011:

China. A country just over the edge of the radar. A little exploration here and there. But it is vast, and only just opening up. Are we in for a surprise as the view unfolds! People talk of our rock running out, but here in China we have not even begun. The Petzl rock trip is beginning at the area of Getu, a national park, only opened up maybe 10 years ago. Before that the only eyes that passed over the mind blowing scenery were that of the locals. But we are privileged to be here and to witness something totally off the scale with a natural arch that sinks all others dead in the water.
There is so much potential for climbing here that it makes my head spin. Petzl have done a massive effort to put up and clean a lot of routes ready for this trip, and to put the place on the map. And it deserves its place on the map; the map of wonders of the world, the places that climbers just must visit to be complete. Yosemite, Fontainbleu, Verdon, Kalymnos, Horseshoe, whatever your list, this one just got added!

There is pretty much every style at every grade, short intense hard 8’s, long multi-pitch 6’s, and the reverse. There are crimps and tufas and jugs. There is also a world of slopers and this stuff is shutting me down. Those with lots of compression and pinch and undercut strength will do well, if you are a crimper you need not apply. Just off vertical walls that look anything from 6a to 7a turn out to be 8c, the intensely scalloped surface offering endless holds, all of which are useless, like holding onto the inside of a breakfast bowl. Its totally unique. I’m crap at it, but I love it!

For more info on Steve, have a look at www.steve-mcclure.com.

Skiing? In summer? Yes! Marmot PRO Teresa Brenner is currently on a road trip in South America. Read what she writes about her experiences and adventures:

"In July this year I was just more than happy to go to Chile to enjoy the winter there, since I wasn’t able to ski the whole season in Europe after an accident in December that left me with a torn ACL. On my first day I went to Valle Nevado, close to Santiago where I had blue bird, powder and just a perfect day for skiing again after the long break. Also I met Rodrigo, the owner of the Heliski company Powdersouth (www.heliskiguides.com), who was a Telemarker as well and apparently liked my style of skiing. A few days later he invited me to a day of Heliskiing in the Andes around Mt. Jose. Again an amazing day with blue bird, powder, 8000 meters of descent and 4 of the 8 mountains we landed were never skied before by anyone else!



After this, I’ve tried to get as many days of skiing and hiking up as possible in the mountains and ski fields around Santiago, like La Parva, El Colorado and Valle Nevado. Also I took part in a trip with the Chilean Photographer Juan Luis de Heeckeren (www.freestylemedia.cl) and some other guys to the Nationalpark Huilo Huilo, for taking some pictures around the two Vulcans Mocho and Choshuenco. We had pretty good snow, a great time and some really nice pictures!



Another highlight was to meet the Chilean Marmot Chicka Ines Dussaillant by chance, while skiing. And because we did not only have the same taste regarding to clothing in common, but also a pretty good relationship from the first moment on, we decided to go to the south of Chile together for climbing up some Vulcans. And so we did. Last week we were proudly reaching the peaks of Lonqimay (2865m), Lanin (3776m) and Laima (3125m). Not just my Spanish has developed during this time, but also my knowledge about the mountains, Vulcans, and the Andes. I love being in Chile!!!"

Marmot PRO has climbed "No Siesta", one of the hardest routes on the Grandes Jorasses and maybe in the Alps. On his blog, he tells the whole story about this great adventure. Great job, Will!

On October 1, the first European Marmot Store has opened its doors in Nuremberg.



The new store is at 35 Kaiserstraße in Nürnberg in a central and easily accessible location. "With our new store, we would like to create a lively platform for exchanges between outdoor fans and mountain lovers", says Andy Schimeck, Managing Director of Marmot Mountain Europe.

Full range of products in all colours
The entire Marmot collection with all models and colour variations will be on display over a 500 square meter sales area, split over two floors. The range includes technical women’s and men’s functional-wear, casual urban styles, children’s functional clothing, gloves, sleeping bags, tents, backpacks and other mountain sports accessories.

Welcoming, sustainable in-store atmosphere
Marmot’s new store reflects the brand’s interest in sustainability and naturalness. The shop has been fitted out using environmentally friendly, sustainable materials. All floors are laid in Franconian marble and part of the wood used was sourced in Franconia. The innovative lighting concept, which was planned by the firm Zumtobel, is visually impressive as well as being exceptionally energy efficient.
The store is modern and light with its large glass frontage and its central staircase and galleries provide views through the building and out the other side at every turn. A first floor lounge invites visitors to linger a while and to enjoy a cup of coffee from Christoph Feichtinger - Café de Guatemala or one of the refreshing drinks from the eco-brewery Neumärkter Lammsbräu.



Experienced Team dedicated to the outdoors
The sales team at the new Marmot Store is made up of seven experienced outdoor enthusiasts. Store Manager Julia Weyh will be placing the focus on service and personal interaction with customers: “We would like to offer customers expert advice in a relaxed atmosphere.” The team will also benefit from the close proximity to the outdoor scene in the Frankenjura.

Regular functions and events
Part of the philosophy behind the new store is that it should not just be a sales area but also a lively platform for exchanges between outdoor fans and mountain lovers. The large Event Space can house creative and exciting events, which will range from a series of lectures or fashion shows right through to travel tips or cookery courses.

Limited edition Store Shirts – Revenue goes to SOS Kinderdorf Nuremberg and Bluepingu e.V.
Right on schedule for the opening, Marmot is launching its brand new Nürnberg Marmot Store Shirts. These t-shirts for women, men and children are a limited edition production and will only be available in the Nürnberg Marmot store. Five Euro of the revenue from sales of each t-shirt will be donated to SOS Kinderdorf Nürnberg and to Bluepingu e.V.. The t-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton.

At a glance: The Marmot Store Nuremberg
Contact:
Marmot Mountain Europe GmbH
Marmot Store Nürnberg
Kaiserstraße 35
D - 90403 Nürnberg
Tel.: 0911-80199070
Fax: 0911-80199079
Web: www.marmot.eu

Contact Persons:
Julia Weyh (Store Manager), Susan Faatz (Assistant Store Manager)

Opening hours:
Mo.-Sa., 10.00-20.00

Links:
Trend-Store
Zumtobel
Die Möbelmacher
Christoph Feichtinger - Café de Guatemala
Neumärkter Lammsbräu.




Marmot History


Marmot Mission Statement


Marmot Shells


Marmot Urban Styles


The kitchen from "Die Mäbelmacher" in the event space


Marmot PRO Stefan Glowacz during the opening ceremony


Marmot PRO Stefan Glowacz during the opening ceremony


Marmot Store - fascinating light effects in the dark


A variety of insights and perspectives


The event space of the Marmot Store


Marmot Gloves


The lounge invites visitors to enjoy a cup of coffee


The Marmot Store Nuremberg Shirts