View this post on Instagram This proud Dad celebrated his 40th birthday in the summit Bivi hut of the Piz Badile, (3308m) following a family ascent of the 1000m North ridge, the finest route of its grade I've yet to climb. My beautiful Freya, who just turned 7 a week ago, carried herself up and down the whole mountain up on her skinny little legs without any assistance! What a star. Little Jackson, 3 had a bit of help from his Uber-Mum Jess who climbed with him harnessed up inside his carrier for most of the route although he broke free for a few pitches. We paced it out over 4 days, a gruelling 6 hour hike up the new trail to the immaculate and welcoming Sasc Fura Hut, a shorter day with a bit of scrambling to an awesome bivi spot on the shoulder beneath the start of the climb, the massive and continously brilliant rock climb to the wildly exposed summit bivi hut and finally half a dozen abseils and long descent into the beautiful Val Masino valley where Jess and I spent our honeymoon 14 years ago. Employing tactics usually resevered for more extreme ascents I first led with a heavy bag then rapped down and we all climbed the fixed rope on micro-traxions enabling us to climb together and allowing me to show Freya the hidden fairy staircase. Huge kisses to @jesscorrie for being the most amazing wife and mother, to Freya and Jackson for being such brave, strong children and to the weather gods for granting us the stable forecast we needed for our family outing. #familyfun #Bregaglia #kidsarestrongerthanyouthink #socialdistancing #pizbadile A post shared by Leo Houlding (@leo_houlding) on Aug 1, 2020 at 12:15am PDT
This proud Dad celebrated his 40th birthday in the summit Bivi hut of the Piz Badile, (3308m) following a family ascent of the 1000m North ridge, the finest route of its grade I've yet to climb. My beautiful Freya, who just turned 7 a week ago, carried herself up and down the whole mountain up on her skinny little legs without any assistance! What a star. Little Jackson, 3 had a bit of help from his Uber-Mum Jess who climbed with him harnessed up inside his carrier for most of the route although he broke free for a few pitches. We paced it out over 4 days, a gruelling 6 hour hike up the new trail to the immaculate and welcoming Sasc Fura Hut, a shorter day with a bit of scrambling to an awesome bivi spot on the shoulder beneath the start of the climb, the massive and continously brilliant rock climb to the wildly exposed summit bivi hut and finally half a dozen abseils and long descent into the beautiful Val Masino valley where Jess and I spent our honeymoon 14 years ago. Employing tactics usually resevered for more extreme ascents I first led with a heavy bag then rapped down and we all climbed the fixed rope on micro-traxions enabling us to climb together and allowing me to show Freya the hidden fairy staircase. Huge kisses to @jesscorrie for being the most amazing wife and mother, to Freya and Jackson for being such brave, strong children and to the weather gods for granting us the stable forecast we needed for our family outing. #familyfun #Bregaglia #kidsarestrongerthanyouthink #socialdistancing #pizbadile
A post shared by Leo Houlding (@leo_houlding) on Aug 1, 2020 at 12:15am PDT