Christoffer Zangerl

The vision of Christopher Columbus
by Bernd Zangerl

Already Climbing Pioneer and boulderer Oskar Eckstein (1895) stated that climbers should be vagabonds and when the conservative followers have advanced, than it is time to move on. I am lucky, that I still fell this urge to travel and discover the world, or the next valley just around the corner. With my boulder-matt as faithful companion we traveled to the Highlands of Peru, Indian Himalaya, South Africa’s Rocklands and the endless Norwegian coastline. If you are the discoverer of an area then you can choose the most aesthetic lines. The discoverer bonus!!

Every time I find new Boulders, it reminds me of my first days in the Ticino. I am overcome by a type of inquisitive nervousness in the search for the best lines. Running and searching,….searching and running. It is like trying to create a bit of order in a new world. Like a world that shortly before seemed endlessly far away. Now, finally arriving at the ultimate goal. Overwhelmed by a feeling of joy, the air is electrified at every twist and turn. This is what Columbus must have felt with his discoveries.

Unfortunately, not many Climbers are infected with the Columbus gene anymore. What counts nowadays are the right numbers in the guidebook or if the “+” behind the 8A has it`s authorization. Everything has to be compared, everything must be measured. Some are collecting cars, money, victories….material things,  others are collecting boulder problems and get their points on the scorecards. This “hunting and collecting” mentality is just a mirror image of our society. But this happens to every sport.

Climbing and bouldering are mainstream now, with all it’s “outgrowths”. At the end this is just one side of the sport, and is there not a little challenge in every family? I was a bit disappointed the beginning of all this. I cleaned probably 600 boulders in magic wood, ticino, silvapark and all over the world, and then I see people passing by the greatest lines….following their guide books, and only discuss if the grade is right or not?  It wasn’t the grade why my friends and i brushed all these boulders. Is the grade and the time it took to repeat a problem really the only interesting thing in BOULDERING ??????? I don’t think so…….

NORTHERN BEATS:

This is a for all people out there, which are still effected with the Columbus geneJ Together with my friends Justin Hawkins, Torstein Eide, Belinda Weiss and new “Newcomer” Therese Johansen we have been looking for new “inspiration” along the beautiful coastline of Norway. It was an adventurous Boat Trip, starting in Trondheim. We found perfect granit & magic lines on these Islands out there. Of course, you also see “Norways Classic Boulderproblems”  and some of the hardest testpieces. This is the first bouldering movie, from the brilliant JOSH KNOX. Coming from the scater and snowboarscene ( he also filmed with Shaun White ) …..he shows this sport from a different perspective.

www.northernbeatsthemovie.com