normal magazin nummer20 sommer

Entschädigt für die Strapazen: der Ausblick auf die Engelberger Berge.

Schritt für Schritt werden die Kursteilnehmer an das Highlight, die Fürenwand, herangeführt. Course participants gradu- ally work their way towards the high point of the course – climbing the Fürenwand.

Makes all the effort worth- while – the view across the Engelberg peaks

at tempt it. Usua lly, the par ticipants can see for themselves when they aren’ t ready, be- cause they get ver tigo or they rea lise they aren’ t quite f it enough.” But if the guide can see that a par ticipant is physica lly and men- ta lly capable to take on the Fürenwand, of course he encourages him or her to do so. The nex t thing on the agenda for the f ive remaining climbers is a menta l training session with Claudia Mü ller, who coaches the skiing aces of the f uture at Spor tmit telschu le Engelberg. Now, in the evening of day 2, it ’s

climbed I felt more and more cer tain I cou ld do it – even as the bot tom got f ur ther and f ur ther away.” He was f ine until he reached the f ina l sec tion with its ver tica l ladder, and then he did fa lter a lit tle. “But I took a deep breath and remembered Claudia’s words – ‘You can do it ’ – and then I took each rung as it came. And there I was at the top! It was a beautif u l feeling.” Kur t will a lways have fond memories of the f irst time he climbed the Fürenwand, which surely won’ t be his last. Simone Hug a lso felt great throughout the course and especia lly during the high light on the f ina l day. “I had no prob-

her job to menta lly prepare the f ive par ticipants for the Fürenwand. “You can rea lly look forward to tomorrow,” she says. “The v iew across Engelberg is sensationa l.” But sweet promises a lone aren’ t

People who successfully complete the course are able to go on and climb via ferrata independently.

lems on the way up. For one thing I completely trusted the guide, and for another I felt capable of completing the climb.” Her par ticipation

enough, of course. Claudia a lso takes the par- ticipants through a range of dif ferent menta l exercises. It becomes clear what an impor tant role the mind plays in a ll our ac tiv ities – be it climbing or any ever yday task. If someone approaches the v ia ferrata with a mind f u ll of doubt, they won’ t get far. And, as Claudia points out, “Menta l training is not a magica l cure. It is an exercise that has to be prac tised repeated ly.” Her words, the exercises, and il- lustrations of what the Fürenwand v ia ferrata is like seem to have the desired ef fec t. “I had a good night ’s sleep af ter the menta l training,” Kur t Hägi tells me. “I woke up feeling cer tain that things wou ld work out.” On day three, the mountain guide selec ts Kur t, as the most experienced climber, to go f irst up the v ia fer- rata. And Kur t ’s conf idence is not misplaced: he and his four fellows successf u lly tack le the Fürenwand – this time in glorious sunshine. Kur t explains how he felt going up: “I still felt some trepidation, but with each metre I

in the Rock & Safety Days was an unforget- table experience, and it a lso had a prac tica l application: just four days af ter completing the course Simone independently took on a v ia ferrata for the ver y f irst time. And that is precisely the goa l of the Rock & Safety Days!

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