The Olympic flame has to freeze. Not yet in Greece, where it will be inflamed for the Winter Games of Sochi 2014 at the ancient sites of Olympia on 6th October, but very soon after arriving in Russia. Mid of October a nuclear icebreaker will bring the torch to the North Pole. This and other stations of the torch would “showcase the beauty of Russia to Russians and to the rest of the world”, said Dmitry Chernyshenko, president of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee. According to Russia’s reading the North Pole seems already to be incorporated – even if under international law it is still disputed whether or which of the Arctic nations has the right to exploit the huge oil and gas reserves that are presumed below the North Pole.

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My gut feeling was right: Ueli Steck has actually returned to the Himalayas in order to climb again an 8000er – four and a half months after the unfortunate Sherpa attack against him, Simone Moro and Jonathan Griffith in Camp 2 on Mount Everest. The 36-year-old top climber from Switzerland travelled to Kathmandu yesterday. His destination: the South Wall of the 8091-metre-high Annapurna. “To walk through life in a comfortable way is still not my goal”, Ueli writes on his website. “This is why I want to try to climb Annapurna a third time. I would like to implement my dreams and visions into reality. Annapurna is one of them.” In 2007, he had narrowly escaped death on this mountain.

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The clouds were hanging low, it was cool. Not exactly the perfect weather to tempt curious or spontaneous people to climb up to over 3,000 metre to the Koednitzkees, a glacier below the summit of Grossglockner, the highest mountain of Austria. On Saturday – as reported here – the “longest rope team of the world” should be formed there. A notary certified the number of participants of the action which in case of success should find its place in the Guinness Book of Records. Despite the bad weather 193 mountain friends roped up to a length of 600 metres. “The exercise has been successful,” said Peter Ladstätter, district head of the mountain rescue in Osttirol (Eastern Tyrol) who had organized the event.

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Unless a climatic miracle happens, Sweden’s highest peak will soon be only the number two in the country. Scientists of the University of Stockholm measured that in August the South Summit of Kebnekaise in Lapland was only 2099 meters high, which is a record low. The summit is covered by a small glacier. In the past 18 years this ice cap has melted by about a meter per year on average. “It’s a clear trend”, says geographer Gunhild Rosqvist. Climate change was to blame: “There is no doubt that the melting process is caused by the warmer weather.”

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The longest rope team of the world. That is the goal of an action on Grossglockner, which, if it works, will find its place in the Guinness Book of Records. On Saturday at 2 p.m. mountain rescuers of Osttirol (Eastern Tyrol) will rope up as many climbers as possible on the Koednitzkees, a glacier below the highest peak of Austria. A notary is commissioned by the Guinness Book of Records to count the participants. Afterwards the Austrian artist Dieter Remler will make a performance, according to the motto: “As free as an eagle, with a person’s mind”. This is just one of several actions in Osttirol during this weekend which is dedicated to safety in the mountains . I contacted Peter Ladstaetter, district head of mountain rescue in Osttirol. He has organized the action on the Koednitzkees .

Peter, what is the message of forming the longest rope team of the world?

Our key message is: It must be a standard to take a rope before you enter or cross a glacier. Unfortunately many do not know that glacial ice is always moving and therefore also crevasses are “walking”. There are many falls which only end without serious consequences – in most cases even unhurt – because the mountaineers are roped up.

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