Christine Balaz

Thursday, February 9, 2012

NEW HOMEPAGE

Hi Everybody-

I've been running a new blog for a while. Check out

www.christinebalaz.com

Thanks!

Bye from Bishop

Friday, August 12, 2011

Sweden's West Coast: A Wedding and Extracurricular Climbing

Last weekend we went to a family wedding on the west coast of Sweden, in Stenungsund. The wedding ceremony took place on Saturday afternoon, so we managed a morning sport climbing session on Saturday and a brief bouldering tour on Sunday.

Sport climbing near Stengungsund. Very fun, though short, schist cliff.

Sport climbing near Stenungsund

View across the way from the cliff

Site of the wedding

View from the reception hall

Fisher cabins

The bride and groom arrive by boat.

Jakob "Wild Pony" Strömner graciously tours us around his legendary haunts near Stenungsund.

So solid, bro'. So solid.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Missingmyr, Norway: Climbing + Swimming

On Saturday we loaded up the car for a 1.5-day trip to Missingmyr, Norway for some sport climbing. Though we only had 30 hours, we still fit in two nearly full days of climbing, some Norwegian Yatzee, and a dip in the ocean -thanks to the long Scandinavian summer daylight hours.

Norwegian landscape.

The short approach into Missingmyr; note the cliff band, visible through the trees.

A small cliff with a dense collection of routes at a great angle.

At a campsite nearby.

Judging.

Norwegian coastline.

The customary Swedish fika.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Sweden!

Iceland Express stops in Reykjavik. Where are all the trees?

Ah! Back in Sweden!!!

Svenskpotatis

Into the forest to find some cantarella mushrooms

Not in Utah anymore

Cantarella mushrooms

Moose print

More cantarella mushrooms

Raspberries aka Hallon

Local (and really good) bouldering at Dye. Though water was actually running down the holds, the Swedes insisted it was dry. "It's amazing what chalk will do."