You are What you Eat

        Wolf told me that two weeks from now we will be headed home to his parents farm to kill the chickens. About 20 of them, Tijan does it with a pocket knife, it is supposed to be a quick death. My job will be to pull out their feathers and luckily, escape without any blood on my hands. Once plucked and ‘prepared’ the chickens are frozen to feed our family for the next six months.

        Originally when Wolf asked me if I wanted to kill a chicken, I told him I No... and asked “ how do you pick which one to kill?” He had this strange look in his eye when he explained “All of them die. Everyone helps out, even Jules. You can pluck the feathers with her.”I didn’t realize that all the chickens had to die on the same day. The silly city girl in me just assumed that when you live on a farm and you need a chicken, you just go out and kill one. One at a time. Day by day. But I guess it makes more sense for everyone to help out and to get this deed over with quickly.

        This will be a mass chicken murder. I’m sad, scared and nervous to be a part of this day. Wolf keeps telling me I shouldn’t be eating meat if I’ve never experienced the ache of taking away an animals life. The European mentality is not plastic wrapped and picked up in the deli department like at home, it is real and it is agony. 

Jules and Tijan helping out in the kitchen

        So I guess in two weeks I will have my first real Thanksgiving... Ever. Usually on Thanksgiving in Canada, my family takes turns to say who and what they are thankful for before we eat. I don’t ever remember thanking the Turkey or the people who killed it for me.

        I’m not preaching vegetarianism, I eat meat, but I am preaching reality. It is something I have ignored for a very long time. The next time you pick up that clean cut chicken breast perfectly wrapped and laid out from behind the butchers counter...I challenge you to say thank you. Maybe even to the butcher. Thank you Chickens, may you rest in peace.

Ernie Kendler (Mama) cooking a christmas dinner last year

A taste of Kremstal

Located one hour northwest of Vienna, there is a petite climbing area called Kremstal. Overlooking castles and Vinyards, the unique black rock has features similar to sandstone but hard to the touch. Lots of unique mantles and stunning features. Highballs, roofs, traverses, mantles... and a ton of fun! Check out this little video I put together after our day in the woods! Also - enjoy listening to the wicked track that Wolf's sister, Julia Kendler recorded! German reggae is surely unique! 

A Step in the Right Direction Starts with the Feet, Right? ( or Left)

My jaw is still hanging in awe after watching the semifinalists in the Grindelwald World Cup this morning. These climbers need to be on their game, 100% of the time... and that’s exactly what it takes to succeed as a World Cup climber. Sean McColl explains that “ World Cup problems aren’t actually thaaat much harder than the problems we see at Canadian Nationals. Many of the problems are probably around a V6 or V7 level.” He continues, “The true challenge lies in whether you can do every V6 in the world, in any style, in any environment in under 5 minutes?” He laughs, “I know I can’t!” 

The funny thing is, Sean was right. After climbing yesterday in the qualification round I was shocked to come out and flash problem 1. Although I didn’t make it to the top of any other problems, I came quite close on one and tagged 3 bonuses. The problems weren’t impossible...even for normal people and normal climbers like myself. What seems impossible though, is the ability to execute these problems in 5 minutes time. Even more difficult and more important... to flash these problems. 

I don’t know the recipe for success yet, but I definitely tasted some of the ingredients this weekend. “You just had to trust your feet and stand up on them” said Sean when I asked him what went wrong on problem 2. I thought that would be his answer.... but I didn’t really want to hear it. In general, I have been finding the footwork here in Europe much more challenging than back at home. So many obscure features, hooks, smears and teeny tiny footholds. I remember my immediate thought after the Munich World Cup last year was “wow... I really need to learn how to use my feet on features!” So I dabbled with tricky foot sequences for a little bit but eventually grew bored and moved on. I can’t say I was surprised yesterday when I ran into tricky foot sequences and many footholds that were either a) features or b)dual textured pieces of S$&T! I sort of had to laugh at myself for not working on these things when I knew I should have. I’m that kid who doesn’t want to eat their broccoli!

       Today I watched the semi finalists and finalists use their feet as if they were another set of hands. I stood there in utter amazement at the number of sequences they could come up with and the subtleties in each of their attempts. While my feet are often an accessory, theirs are necessity. Just look at what they can do and have to do with their feet (moreover... legs) to solve these problems! So... In conclusion, I'm inspired yet again to train funky footwork. Aren't you?? ( You will be once you scroll down:)

      

The Road Less Traveled

A foreigner in Austria is called an ausländer; word for word translation ‘out’ ‘lander’. They sure picked a fitting word to describe exactly how I feel here as my life in Vienna slowly sinks in. I’m on the outside and they’re on the inside. Somehow I’ve gotta make this work ;)

Travel is apparently something I am married to. Committed to in good times and in bad, sickness and in health. I’m not sure I remember ever saying the vows, but here I am... sitting in a field in Vienna wondering how the hell my life lead me here. 

Every once in a while I have these nostalgic days where I miss home and feel like I’ve abandoned my former life. I guess in some ways I have. I always ask myself why I chose to come here to Europe.Why I’m chasing the dream of being a world cup climber... why I’m trying to learn a new language and live in a culture that doesn’t always make sense to me.The truth is I am haunted by my decisions and I cannot rationally explain what I am doing here... in a field... in Vienna.I guess I’m a bird with an anatomical clock and compass that tells me when and in which direction to fly. 

It’s funny to say it out loud, that the reason I am here is because ‘I follow my intuition.’ I mean... who really does that!? Well shucks, now I’m laughing to myself like a crazy person.... in a field.... in Vienna.

I guess, when opportunities arise in life they happen for a reason. If you never say yes... you will never know what you are missing out on. As much as I enjoy my safe and secure life in Canada, my ‘responsible’ life in Canada, I keep running away from it. I don’t want to pass up the opportunity to compete internationally even though I’ll probably never make it to finals at a World Cup. I don’t want to pass up sport climbing in Kalymnos with Wolf’s crazy hippie friends to pursue a career. I’m just not ready yet.  The people I have met and the places I have been have become a part of my character that I wouldn’t trade for the world. There are so many experiences to be had, and places for us to explore...a lifetime is hardly enough time to see the world! I constantly struggle with the pressure I place on myself to ‘grow up’... get a real job and settle down. But, is that really what I want? You only get one life. It’ important to make the most of it.