Big summer project 2017: Adias TERREX Mountain Project
Being out in the mountains is our main motivation and what drives us daily – if it’s Via Ferrata climbing, classic hiking, trailrunning or since very recently skiing, we try to spend as much time outside apart from our job. So it’s no wonder that we started to listen attentively when we heard about the Adidas TERREX Mountain Project for the first time. When we got asked whether we want to participate in the 2017 edition in July, we didn’t think twice – it was a big YES! 🙂
What is the TERREX Mountain Project?
The Adidas TERREX Mountain Project is a multi-day and multi-sport event in which 15 teams of two cross a part of the Alps to meet at a designated meeting point in the Dolomites, South Tyrol. Each team of two plans it’s own four-day route making their way trailrunning, climbing, mountainbiking, hiking and eventually paragliding, with an experienced mountain guide by their side. People from all over Europe can apply single or as a double already and the event will take place in the first week of July.
As we are not very experienced in terms of climbing apart from some bouldering in the hall and quite a lot of Via Ferratas – and as this is something we’d love to improve and definitely want to do in the project – we decided to spend a weekend of preparation and training in Val Gardena. 🙂
Climbing training at the Sella Towers
The Val Gardena is a beautiful valley in South Tyrol (Italy) with some great outdoor opportunities. And according to our guide for the weekend, Michi Wohlleben, to climb the Sella Towers is one of them!
The Sella Towers are a distinctive rock formation consisting of five (or four, depending on the literature) rocky “needles” in the Sella mountain group, up to 2.696 meters high and with multiple possibilities to climb. Starting from Sellajoch at Sellapass, where cars can be parked, a 30 minute hike takes us directly to the foots of Sella Tower 1. As we have no experience in “real rock climbing” (and above all not in an alpine environment), the regular route is the way to go for us. Michi, who is a professional mountain climber, alpinist and Adidas athelete picks pitches around grade III to IV for us and as soon as we realize that we’re off to our first Mini Training TERREX Mountain Project, we already find ouselves scrambling over rocks. 🙂
The normal route of Tower Nr. 1 takes us via the south-eastern face in 280 more or less easy climbing meters in grade III to a spiny rock needle with great views of the surrounding Dolomites. The climbing on a short rope is sometimes uncomfortable and challenging, but we try our best and after half an hour slowly get used to somehow synchronize our movements. 🙂
The boulder training turns out to help a lot and we have almost no problems with the climbing itself. Thankfully we are both not afraid of heights and the whole thing is a lot more fun than we thoughtit would be!
On our way back down from Tower 1 and to the ridge to Tower 2, the weather unfortunately changes very quickly. The clouds, that were already there in the early morning, gathered up and in the first pitch on Tower 2 it unexpectedly starts to snow. It instantly gets cold and, with the upcoming wind, really uncomfortable. After a short discussion at about the half of Tower Nr. 2, we decide to turn around. The rock starts to get wet and the cold doesn’t help on that, so our climb ends ealier than planned, but safe and sound.
Relax – and plan further! 😉
Cold and freezing, but happy, we arrive back at Sellapass where the cars are waiting for us. The weather doesn’t get better and we made the right decision to escape from the second Tower. Now we’re really thankful that it’s only a 15-minute drive to Wolkenstein, where our weekend base, the lovely Gran Baita Sport Hotel is located. We quickly change to our swimsuits and jump right into the 36 degree hot water of the SPA’s salt pool – what a relief and the perfect end of our first “real climbing” mountain adventure! 🙂
The day at the Sella Towers was a great start into the training for the TERREX Mountain Project. There’s still trailrunning, mountainbiking and hiking on the list, but those we’re at least a little bit more experienced in. Climbing is our weakest part and something we definitely will try to improve until July!
You can see youself in our shoes?
The application for the TERREX Mountain Project is open until 7th of May 2017 here:
www.adidas.de/terrexmountainproject
Apply and maybe we’ll see us! 😉
In friendly cooperation with Adidas TERREX. More information: www.adidas.de/terrexmountainproject – thank you!
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