WATER FAIRIES

EXPEDITION TO ZAMBEZI

“Water fairies are translucent, lightly veiled, floating above the water…” is how Petr Hejtmánek describes the name of the route. He was here one morning in 1999, when mist hung over Věžický Pond and the sound of beating circles underscored the heavy romanticism. In addition to Petr, Tomáš Ruml, Standa Šilhán, and Gusta Havel also signed off on “Water Fairies” (VIII, 6a+). The latter returned to climbing thanks to this route, which is accessed from the deck of a watercraft. He spent some time tramping, but as soon as he heard someone hammering a ring in the distance, he was immediately there to join in. “And we couldn’t get rid of him. We climbed here together for ten years – almost every day,” recalls Petr.

Some 22 years later, Gusta Havel is inflating his rubber boat. “I bought it with my own money – my pension!” he says happily and sets off with Petr Hejtmánek and Radar Groh to climb a unique water wall that has no parallel on Czech sand… More in the new Story of the Journey, which is a little longer than usual. But we hope you won’t be bored.

TREASURES IN THE BUSHES

WITH PETR HEJTMÁNEK ABOUT THE VĚŽÁK AREA

When did people start climbing around Věžák?
I think it was in 1995. Before that, people didn’t climb much on massifs, especially ones as remote as this. In any case, we found some nice routes there, some up to 30 meters long.

Do you have any routes you would recommend?
Well, the routes there aren’t very well secured, so I’m a little afraid to recommend anything. But for example, the route that catches everyone’s eye is “Magická arete” VIII on Kouzelník. There are other nice routes there, but unfortunately in areas where conservationists have banned climbing. In the permitted towers, there is also the narrow needle Džbánek, which is accessed by the very nice “Normálka” VIIc via three rings by Petr Macnar and Vašek Chlum. There are also some nice newer routes nearby in the Pleskoty sector.

What about a guidebook for Věžák?
Well, I’ve started working on it, but it’s still in the early stages. There’s still a lot of work to be done.

Where did you sleep when you were climbing here?
Our main base was at the campsite in Čertoryje, on a bend in the road. The nearest pub was in Vidlák, by another pond, but it was more of a backpacker’s place.

Please tell me how the route “Bába v roští” VIIc on Sasanká came about.
We were climbing with Tílko (Roman Tilňák, ed.) during the work week… It was quiet, no one around… We hid on a rock near the road, but we couldn’t be seen from it. I was sitting below, belaying Tílko, who was hammering a ring. Suddenly, in the silence, an old woman appeared on the road – she was riding a bike with a crutch tied to the frame. You could see that she was interested in where the hammering sound was coming from. She didn’t understand, she looked around, and then she disappeared into a ditch. “Man, she killed herself,” I thought. I was about to go to her aid, but then I saw her scrambling back onto her bike. So I decided to stay hidden so we wouldn’t get scolded. She cursed, got on her bike, and disappeared. When we came to the pub after climbing, she was still sitting at the bar—she was about seventy, maybe eighty. She was drinking rum and telling the waitress, “Today I survived my death.” Well, we didn’t even admit it. (laughs)

ROCK WANDERER

RADAR GROH ABOUT CLIMBING WITH GUSTA HAVEL

I met Gusta the other day at the festival. He came to our company camp and started talking about how he climbed his first sandstone Xa (7c) with Jindra Hudeček. His unique storytelling won us over, as did his armful of promotional items. In addition to his captivating pantomime-interspersed descriptions of all kinds of climbs and cool tattoos, Gusta also caught my attention because, unlike most of the other temporary workers at the time, he was sober and showed an interest in the work at hand.

So he got a T‑shirt, parked his Caddy next to the stand, and was instantly part of the gang. The festival ended, the crowds dispersed, but Gusta stayed… Over the years, we climbed quite a lot together, but it wasn’t just on the rocks that Gusta had my back… He was basically there for everything… He was behind the creation of the documentaries Střípky ze života horolezce (Fragments from the Life of a Climber) and Boys 1970, participated in Czech Television filming as an expert advisor, acted as a bouncer at lectures, and served as a safety car during countless of our crazy events. He always proved that I could rely on him and, above all, that he would never spoil the fun.

“My life is so beautiful that sometimes I envy myself!” is Gusta’s favorite saying, which he joyfully shouts from the top of a rock tower, just as he does when the car he is driving is violently stopped by a police patrol, which has been alerted by observant fellow citizens that a gang of vagabonds is undoubtedly fleeing from justice. It is precisely this ability to enjoy every second of life and always be cool that characterizes Gusta. In addition to his easygoing nature, Gusta also has a whole range of superpowers that make him a wonderful companion, not only for rock climbing.

Off the top of my head, I would mention, for example, his unflagging enthusiasm and desire for climbing and being in the mountains in general. Time flexibility – Gusta basically always has time, and he usually arrives at the agreed location a day early. Since he has climbed thousands of routes across all kinds of areas and also has a gift for remembering most of his ascents, he is excellent at giving advice. He is a dedicated coach and mentor, especially when it comes to female climbers, carefully supervising their climbing technique, which, according to his theory, depends on the work of the legs, especially their active stretching, a technique which, according to Gusta, will benefit girls both on the rocks and in everyday life. He is a responsible supplier, with at least three thermos flasks of sweet tea, rolls, and Tatranka cookies always in his backpack.

He captures most of his adventures on his camera and then posts them on social media. I dare say that he is currently one of the top senior influencers. He is an excellent and reliable driver, a skill that is particularly valued in our group. It is worth mentioning that in the past, Gusta was one of the leading motorcycle racers in the Lomnice nad Popelkou region, and it was thanks to his refined riding technique that he earned the nickname Gusta (after the Czechoslovak Grand Prix racer Gustav Havel, ed.).

For his 70th birthday, Gusta really wanted to climb “Klenba” (VIIIa, free VIIIc, editor’s note) on Adršpach Castle. It was around the time of the festival again. I had a lot of work to do, and the weather wasn’t exactly perfect either. But then it occurred to me that, given Gusta’s turbulent lifestyle, this might be his last milestone birthday, so we hurried off to Království. The initial crack and the subsequent fissure went smoothly for both of us, and soon we were swinging under the overhang. However, the majestic arch gave me a hard time. The more I struggled, the more actively Gusta advised me. After a while, he came to the conclusion that the crux section could only be overcome by using the so-called “cat” technique, which Gusta is a passionate advocate of. In practice, this means that the climber dynamically pushes off and flies towards the desired hold.

From Gusta’s many stories, I understood that thanks to their excellent mastery of this technique, he and Roman Brt had made countless serious climbs. Under pressure from the approaching rain and knowing that in a few minutes I would be sitting in the Teplice town hall, I decided to try the cat technique. Of course, I didn’t reach the hold. In addition, my desperate cry of “Hold on!” was probably acoustically distorted by the surrounding rocks and reached Gusta’s ears as “Let go!” Fortunately, Gusta quickly understood from the context of the situation that it was a communication error and finally grabbed the rope in his belay device in time. “No more cat climbs. The future belongs to technical climbing,” I said after scrambling back to the ring. So, grab the ring, step on the loop, and it was solved. Gusta traversed the overhang with his usual elegance, and we had the final rappel as a reward.

The lucky birthday boy has literally the whole of Adršpach at his feet, and I am happy that he is happy. As we walk back along the tracks to the car, a friendly lady approaches Gust… “Sir, was that you on the Klenba?” Gusta smiles mischievously and nods, and the lady begins to shower Gusta with compliments. Who knows how it would have ended if we hadn’t had to rush back to Teplice… The next morning, I run to the rocks again. Gusta forgot his iconic ankle climbing shoes while rappelling, but luckily no thief had time to take them, and I find them, as I was told, at the foot of the tower. I gaze up for a moment; the arch at Zámek is truly a beautiful route, and Gusta is a champ for managing to run through it like a cat at the age of seventy.

I don’t want the above text to imply that the cat technique has no potential. On the contrary! Last spring, Gusta, a few friends, and I were at Sušky. I crashed into “Satanské verše” (VIIIb on Čihulova tower, ed.) and above the second ring, I confusedly started to crawl to the left. I was already shaking when Gusta appeared and precisely navigated me in the right direction. So once again, under Gusta’s supervision, I had to apply the cat technique in one step – fortunately for me, this time to a reasonable extent (rather than jumping, it was enough to bend my elbow properly). If it weren’t for Gusta, I definitely wouldn’t have climbed “Verses”; I would have ended up smeared all over them.

Gusta is simply a phenomenon and a huge inspiration. It is an honor and a pleasure for me when we can go climbing together.

MÍRA „BOJSA“ DĚDEK RECALLS

I climbed “Water Fairies” during the weekend
when we brought two or three boats to Věžák for both days. It must have been about ten years ago. Tomáš Flanderka ran around taking pictures. When Magnusek and I later climbed there, we also climbed the adjacent route “Mackie Messer” RP VIIIb by the Meiers. It leads up a rusty wall and is quite hard.

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