Galleries

The result of an accumulation of my most favorite humans, deliciously bubbly champagne and fantastic music. Somewhere in the middle of the Arlberg mountains!

In the past three years, life has taught me an important lesson: clarity. You need to know what you want and do not want. Whenever I gained clarity over a decision - life, fate whatever you want to call it, agreed or disagreed. Japan, the land of my x-rated-naughty-powder-dreams. One of many destinations of my must-travel-to-and-ski-list. This year I erased it off it. It was too far away, too expensive, a lot of "too's" to make it happen. It was simply out of reach. A clear decision was made: no more x-rated-naughty-Japow-dreams. Within days, I received a message from my friend Pia asking me to join her on a trip… to JAPAN. Life has its ways. Always.

When the Stänton crew comes to Slovakia. Mischievous ideas are found in abundance. Celebrating Balkos youthful age and visiting an abandoned swimming pool were a few of them.

Gather a group of goodness around you. Pack your back pack with warm clothes, food and a drink, hike a peak, watch the sunset and walk home in the dark. Warm up over delicious food and the flickering candle light. Do it! You shall thank me later.

Over an excellent lunch at Mott32, we were debating over an idea we all have had for some time... piercings. After a bottle of champagne and few bottles of excellent New Zealand wine. It wasn't a good, but sublime idea. There we went and knocked on the door of Mofo Tattoo!

It all started at boarding school a little over a decade ago (holly crap!). This time the three of us met in Hong Kong and travelled on to the Philippines. Ten days of Bachelorette Madness to celebrate Steffs last month as Miss and our friendship. This is are the photos of a surprisingly big night out with a few too many drinks.

After a couple of days we swooped Hong Kong city madness for fish market barter craziness in Cebu, Philippines. The first thing one notices before eben entering is its very distinct smell from the side road, across the street. A first glance and my senses exploded. Loud bargaining, colors, light, shadows, aisles flooded with people, row after row of fishes shells and who knows what in baskets, spider webs, fans, textures, undefinable things hanging everywhere... Loved it!

Life, death and everything in between. Svalbard way beyond the arctic circle is covered in glaciers, touched by pack ice and almost unharmed by the human destructive nature. Life takes it course. In all its beautiful rugged wildness.

A little island in the middle of nowhere of indescribable beauty: Svalbard. An island surrounded by blue. Vibrant ice blue, that meanders its way from the mountains to the deep dark blue of the ocean. White snow peaks break the blue sky. A little island in the middle of nowhere of indescribable beauty: Svalbard!

Boats aren't really my "thing". Every little thing is consistently moving. You are bound to a certain area. Both feelings I am not fond of. After a challenging start Polaris1 felt like home and the people on board like a second family.

This little island is a geological treasure, an encyclopedia of the earth's history. Every type of rock is to be found there in a miniature version: Mini-Rockies, Mini-Alps, Mini-Yosemite... endless possibilities for ski touring and climbing or to simply enjoy in silence the outstanding beauty of rugged wilderness.

Early mornings. They hurt. A little. The alarm goes off and my mind (very) slowly awakens. The body is still in denial. Hoping for another 10minutes rest. An image appears out of the dark cloud of sleep: Col de Roche Faurio. A white line between rugged rocks. A thousand meter vertical beauty. Details become clearer. The climb leads through a narrow snow band guarded by rocks on each side. After it the the couloir opens up. Step by step, passed two seracs, along the rocks until the saddle… My sleep drunken fingers unzip the sleeping bag. LETS PLAY! (But first coffee)

I am vehemently denying spring. Its warm temperatures, twittering birds and colorful spring flowers. The only escape is up. Very steep kind of up. Above 2.000m untouched snow and ice is to be found. Welcome to the national parc of the Ecrins (parc national des Ecrins) in France, Europe.

Tihar, the festival of light, worships the Hindu gods and humans, but also their relationship to animals. Dogs, crows and dogs each of them have their own their of celebration. The hindus draw patterns at their front doors and in their living rooms floors with colored rice, fruits, blossom leaves and colored sand. These are sacred. And are meant to welcome the Goddesses, Gods and animals.

A sneaky climbing quicky. Three days and two routes (Luna Nascente & Kundalini) paired with multiple unsuccessful attempts of overcoming my fear of traversing (singing to myself helped a little), refining the art of crack and friction climbing on granite and a good glass of red with fantastic human beings before crawling into the sleeping bag.