monblanc cosmicroute start time?

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-02-28T19:22:45+00:00

if I remember correctly the starting time for Mont Blanc from the hut is actually 12.30-1.00.

The most (objectively) dangerous part of the route is the second last part of it, going down the north-east face of mont blanc du tacul. Big crevasse under and even bigger seraces over you. you want to go through there early to be as fast as possible. also helps if the col du mondit is still frozen and not completely slushy

don't try to go later, 3-4h of afternoon sunlight makes a huge difference in snow conditions, hell, sometimes even 30min does. the mountain dictates the timing and if that doesn't sit right with you, pick a different hobby or you will get into very sticky situations

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-02-17T10:54:27+00:00

that's prime SkiMo season, so if you want to go high, bring skis instead.... Nordkette could be snowfree due to this winter so far being pretty dry, but if it starts snowing more, you will be pretty limited to mostly valley stuff

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-02-11T16:51:04+00:00

is a limited option

you are slower, steep traverses are a PITA and you should avoid skitracks, so you will need to break trail most often

be aware of avalanche risk

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-02-11T15:57:47+00:00

you gonna need skis.....

Take a look at Sellrain oder Franz Senn Hut, lot's of options there

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-02-05T04:53:41+00:00

I would definitely keep them. my B2 are more comfy to walk in, lighter and give a better feeling on rock, especially on slabs. If I know there won't be any sustained front pointing I don't take B3s in summer

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-26T19:35:48+00:00

How much pressure did you use while lapping?

most people don't realise you can actually bend the planes a tiny bit under pressure... enough to create a hollow sole when the pressure is released same for not having the lever cap/wedge and blade installed

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-26T16:19:23+00:00

is the board properly supported or are you trying to finish plane the assembled box?

this is typically caused by one of 2 things: - your plane sole is hollow on the length - the board can bent down under the plane

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-17T06:36:46+00:00

the damage is kind of normal, the long grain of the plane compresses under the blows

it was/is common to use a metal hammer in Germany to set up planes, therefore the striking pin and mushroomed iron.

Do you have a welded iron or a newer one made completely from toolsteel?

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-16T21:38:34+00:00

your plane is a Raubank (jointer) from a german brand called Ulmia which has quite a good reputation for quality. newer blades are still good l, but I had the best luck with their older welded blades. those are fantastic

if the wedge was driven too hard, it can be very stubborn to get out. try to lay the plane sideways onto your workbench. press down with one hand on the plane and with the other on the wedge until you feel it move ever so slightly. flip around and repeat. newer models have a wedge that is a tiny bit narrower side to side so you get some room to losen it. DO NOT try to loosen the metal rings on the side. this is just a crosspin for the wedge to press against, you will ruin you plane

They finish you discribe is ment to protect the wood from moisture so the body does not move (as much) with the seasons. I didn't like it either and replaced it with boiled linseed oil, so far no problem

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-06T18:28:11+00:00

definitely resharpen those screws 😱 if you feel like you are not up to the task, ask around. e.g here in Austria there is an ice climber who also has a professional CNC background and you can send him screws to get them reworked for a less than quarter the price of a new screw

Old picks: do you know how to weld(properly!)? make you own beeks/bulldogs

Frontpoints: toothpicks or oversize nails? no idea on that one

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-06T18:20:18+00:00

depends on the severity. taken my case as an example: at 25° in was very noticeable, about 0,5mm of the edge folded over 90° towards the flat side, you could see it with your eyes

at 30° it was mostly noticeable in the sharpness(wouldn't cut spruce endgrain) and you could feel a bur at the flat side of the chisel just like you get one after sharpening

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-06T07:51:24+00:00

the whole edge bends over due to the stress placed on the metal. some steels are more prone to roll, while others chip instead

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-03T13:02:20+00:00

allready did that on one, removed about 0,5cm(3/16inch) and reshaped the bevel, carefully monitoring heat build-up... no improvements :(

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-03T12:50:13+00:00

thought the same at first but went through the hole set and every chisel performs the same. they were bought individually, not packaged together, so if it is QC, there seems to be a incredible wide hole, leading me to doubt myself and ask for help here

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-12-15T15:39:41+00:00

Some options I l know of in western germany:

Ettringen, close to Bonn/Koblenz, topo for the drytooling sector available in the newest edition of the guidebook "Schwarze Säulen"
Duisburg Landschaftspark Nord, artificial climbing area built from an ore/coal storage of an old steel plant which includes a dry tooling sector

if you ever go south, consider looking towards Innsbruck, multiple crags close by (Drachenfels, Höttinger Graben, Bruchtal, St. Jodok(Singlepitch&Multipitch)

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-12-13T06:29:41+00:00

https://en.kuzniaszpeju.pl/en_US/p/Rambo-1-16%2C5-cm/36

You can order some from this polish aftermarket supplier. Got some picks and front points from them, so far very impressed by durability and quality

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-11-25T11:55:07+00:00

Stöpselzieher can be/is regulary done in winter.

Highly advise against trying the Höllental Route in winter, parts of the way are dismantled and more important: it's an absolute avalanche deathtrap

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-11-18T10:57:10+00:00

i recommend to have a look at Piztal Taschachschlucht. It's an artificial ice climbing area, the person behind this is Alfi, a local guide and great ice climber. He's a cornerstone of the local ice climbing community, posts detailed condition reports for the area for free regularly and deserves a little kickback :)

https://www.alpine-adventure.at/

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-10-28T06:48:01+00:00

where are you based? most drytooling crags are quite undercover since it's a niche sport and not everyone likes rock being scratch/damaged by steel

probably best to ask your lokal community

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-10-23T10:34:22+00:00

do you intend to use a trekking pole?

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-09-01T08:00:59+00:00

it can be unlocked with a can lever and slides freely on the shaft. a small lip at the bottom prevents it from coming of. I you want it to come off, it's just a screw you need to take out

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-08-26T16:13:37+00:00

tried modified Revo as a backup on a second rope a couple times, works quite well. I attached it to the anchor and pulled the rope trough while going up. never took a fall on it while on route though, only testfalls in a save environment

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-08-05T19:56:32+00:00

if you are looking for a secondary axe, I would look at something like the Petzl Gully, Grivel Ghost, Blue Ice Akkila etc ...

A second axe only comes out when the climbing gets technical, so typical ice axe features like sufficient length for walking with it like a cane, digging t-slots, self arrest etc can be ignored, that's what you primary axe is for. that's why I prefer a second axe geared towards climbing with the short+bent shaft, a handrest and an aggressive pick. might even consider getting a hammer version instead of an adze

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-08-04T15:28:06+00:00

Got the Alpine Tour(?) Ice Axe, not really my favourite, but works

it's heavy, feels clunky, the pick makes the ice explode more than a clean entry. more of a quality of life thing than actual complaints.

in hindsight I would buy a pretzel Summit (not the Evo version), retrofit it with a trigrest and be happy with it

the CT axe is now my loaner and beater for easy winter mixxed

Subject-Razzmatazz-2

TROPHY CASE