Day 12 to 14: TNF Mountain Festival

Screen shot from the 2017 TNF Mountain Festival website

We didn’t exactly hike and run alpine trails, nor took up any outdoor photography and cooking clinics. But if taking our breath away was one of the festival’s objectives, I’d have to say it was a great success.

The weekend went by in a blur. Not because it was pissing rain. Not because everything happened so fast. I think it was more because the experience was so distinct, that it's as if all my energy went into trying to soak in each moment and to chain down every memory.

Like when we arrived on the first day, and I met the TNF Athletes one by one. Miel mentioned that the festival was an opportunity to mingle and learn from the professional athletes directly. It’s one thing to have a chance to speak to them, but to actually join them in their playground and receive advise and encouragement is a different kind of education.

This started from the day of our arrival, when the restless group didn’t want to stay cooped up in the festival tents. The rain poured the whole morning, leaving all outdoor areas unclimbable for the day. One open invite was all it took for all the climbing athletes to head for an indoor climbing facility in the neighboring village, for a little bouldering session before dinner.

Name that head/back ;) Sorry, nakaw na picture lang kaya walang nakaharap!
But in this photo are: Stefano Ghisolfi, Jacopo Larcer, Iker Pou, James,
Mathieu Maynadier, Siebe Vanhee, Hansjorg Auer

TNF Athletes admiring the Eiger and enjoying the surprise arrival of the sun....
scroll down for the Eiger's own photo!

The succeeding days were no different – Miel and I signed up for climbing two days in a row, and were able to share routes and exchange notes with the athletes assigned to our activity. With all the enthusiasm and motivation passed on to us, I'd say "rubbing elbows" is an understatement!

Climbing at Lehn crag in Interlaken (City)

The festival venue also took our breath away. Lauterbrunnen is a valley situated around the Swiss Alps, surrounded by towering rock walls, waterfalls, and alpine lakes. Lauterbrunnen, in fact, has 77 waterfalls, the biggest one being 300 meters high! Resting at the bottom of these rocky cliffs are dense pine tree forests, luminous green pastures, with grazing hairy cows and goats, and farm houses.

TNF Mountain Festival location map

See one of Lauterbrunnen's waterfalls on the right!

Before reaching Lauterbrunnen, one can also pass through its neighboring village Grindelwald, a more popular destination for winter tourism. Equally picturesque, and also with its old-country village vibe, Grindelwald gained popularity for being a jump-off point for various alpine activities such as climbing the Eiger, a glaciated mountain having the biggest north face in the Alps.

When we saw the sun on that first afternoon in Switzerland, it felt as if it was the Eiger itself that shoved away all the clouds to majestically stand in front of our faces, calling our attention to its grandeur.

Outside the Grindelwald climbing gym, and behind it, standing proud and tall is the Eiger

The Eiger's north face, with the Grindelwald valley at the bottom

To wake up every morning and zip open our tents to a view of these pine-tree-laid cliffs with alpine ridges in the background...it made me whisper a thankful prayer each time.

A good morning photo, from my side of the tent. This is around 7:30 AM.

It's no joke to mount an event like this. I can imagine the logistical challenge, because the festival caters to a variety of activities: Rock climbing, walking on glaciers, trail runs, night hikes, river kayaking (in freezing cold water, argh!), paragliding. Equipment for all of these were made available for festival participants, as well as transport services to shuttle them to the different activity locations. 

Then there is the festival "headquarters" itself: Big domes for the main stage and receptions, eating halls for the 800+ participants/staff/volunteers, product and demo tents, plus large camping areas and eco-portalets and showers with hot water. It seemed like a lot of work for the organizers, and I must hand it to them for handling everything smoothly and professionally. The staff were always helpful and smiling, and the TNF community leaders always encouraging and ready to cheer the crowd on.

Participants lining up for their chosen activities

Dinner at the "mess hall"

Instructions for the eco-portalet

At night, especially, one can really appreciate all the warmth brought about by the glow of the table candles, lamps, tents, and big domes put together. 

Finally, just enjoying the outdoors with new climbing buddies. We met people from Poland, Switzerland, France and Spain. We shared ropes with them, gave and received tips on climbing, exchanged laughs and cheers in the crag. 

Come Saturday night, the Main Tent erupted with the heat of the crowd dancing to a live band's reggae beats. It was a celebration of new friendships forged over a love for the outdoors.

  

"Brought to you by The North Face, this is a long weekend that will leave your muscles tired, your spirits high, and your hearts content." Advertising copy captures it well *clap, clap*. 

But if I must add something, it's that being in the Festival also left me overflowing with gratefulness, and a desire to pass on the fruitful experience to others. The question now is, how to do it? I suppose that's a new adventure to take on.