N° 34 – Spring 2011

THIRTY DEGREES | 03

,iPad + 30°: enter the third dimensionIn springtime, the Greeks apply a fresh coat of lime to the walls of their homes.

Others embark on massive “spring cleaning” chores, while proverbs speak of the first flowers pushing up through the earth, trees donning their clothes, and swallows return-ing home. Renewal is everywhere, tangible, palpable—that rebirth which is part of life’s unending flow of regeneration and self-reinvention. Likewise, carried forward on the wings of time and its metamorphoses, 30º could do no less than experience its own rebirth in the form of a new multimedia avatar. Magazine, Web and now the iPad—your favourite magazine has now gone three dimensional. With the touch screen, even more so than with the glossy page, you become part of the story. At the command of your fingers the world spins, races, jumps, volleys and explodes with life and desire. Sport hits new extremes. Travel reaches new heights, as in the case of the Gentil brothers, those explorers from Chaux-de-Fonds perched in the Tree Houses of the Papuan Korowai. The body-to-body (heart to heart, some would say) con-nect between bodysurfers and the ocean feels more intimate, the balance of the stand-up paddlers more precarious, and Li Wei’s challenges to the force of nature’s gravity more preposterous than ever.

The iPad and 30° seemed to have been made for one another. The bonus video clips bring the pages instantly to life; the sounds recreate the scene with all its action and suspense. The dizzying climb to the summit, the electrifying drop down a couloir, the adrenaline rush—they’ve never been so captivating. And that’s not all. The icing on the cake is the enhanced interactivity with our news RSS feed, your votes and a search engine. In all, it’s everything you need to get closer than ever to the adventure, the summits, those inacces-sible worlds and the amazing people who inhabit them.

Claude Hervé-Bazin

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SPORT Le Stand Up Paddle surfe sur la vague du succès 14 Le bodysurf conduit au cœur de la vague 23 America’s Cup, des multicoques et des ailes 52 Freeride World Tour 2011 : Aurélien Ducroz, sur le toit du monde du ski freeride 54 Le GiantXtour 2011 57 Escalade : Giovanni Quirici ouvre une nouvelle voie en Gruyère 60 Le Trail Verbier Saint-Bernard, acte III 64 Trail : tour d’horizon des plus belles cimes de la course à pied 68 VTT : Nendaz, des randonnées pour tous 70 Portrait : Denis Burdet, entre Terre de Baffin et Patagonie 76

LIFESTYLE News 08 Les frères Gentil, explorateurs des temps modernes 24 Avec Li Wei, l’art contemporain a trouvé son Superman ! 30 Design : des meubles qui cartonnent 34 Chronique femmes : l’épreuve du maillot approche 38 Musique : Raphael Saadiq, la voix de la soul rétro 40 Portrait cinéma : Tahar Rahim 45 Cinéma : to be continued… 46 Cinéma : quand la séance devient un luxe 49 Skydance nous emmène vers le septième ciel artistique 42 Voyage : Budapest, entre histoire et modernité 78 Voyage : Cuba, joyau tropical 82

SOCIETE L’art du graffiti 51 A l’école du freeride avec les frères Falquet 58 Quand la TV rencontre le Net 85 La relation homme-machine se rapproche de la science-fiction 87 Les nouveautés dans l’univers des jeux 88 Panoplies 95 Bonnes adresses de 30° degrés 98

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contentsissue 34spring2010-2011 A word from the editor 003

SPORT Stand up Paddling: riding a wave of success 14 Bodysurfing - becoming one with the wave 23 America‘s Cup - a race of hulls and sails 52 Freeride World Tour 2011: Aurélien Ducroz rides to the top of the ski freeride world 54 The GiantXtour 2011 57 Rock Climbing: Giovanni Quirici opens up a new avenue in Gruyère 60 Trail Saint-Bernard Verbier, act III 64 Trail running: explore the most beautiful mountains in the world while running 68 Mountain biking: Nendaz - rides for all 70 Portrait: Denis Burdet From Baffin Island to Patagonia 76

LIFESTYLE News 08 The Gentil brothers: modern-day explorers 24 In Li Wei, contemporary art has found its Superman 30 Design: Thinking outside the box 34 Woman’s review: Bikini weather is just around the corner 38 Music: Raphael Saadiq, the sound of retro soul 40 Cinema: Tahar Rahim 45 Cinéma : to be continued… 46 Cinema: Luxury viewing 49 Skydance, a trip to artistic seventh heaven 42 Travel: Budapest - history and the modern age 78 Travel: Cuba, a tropical gem 82

SOCIETY The art of graffiti 51 Attending freeride school with the Falquet brothers 58 TV, meet the Web 85 Human-machine connectivity catches up with science fiction 87 The latest video games 88 Trends 95 30 degree’s address book 98

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iPhone — An (un-)CAtholiC APPit hardly seems a Catholic thing to do. And yet the American Catholic church (but not the Vatican!) has indeed given its blessing to the iPhone application called “Confession.” the app allows you to confess your mistaken ways and sins to a virtual pastor without having to cross the threshold of a church. According to its creator, Patrick Leinen, its aim is to “invite Catholics to engage in their faith through digital technology.” Amen.

Dining — trADing steAk for bugs?“the day will come when a Big Mac will cost 120 euros and a Bug Mac 12 euros. By then, there will be more people eating insects than beef.” thus predicts an entomologist.—But will it ever come true? Who knows, but any rate, the findings of a recent dutch scientific study do tend to point in that direction. Apparently bugs have the advantage of being rich in protein, low in fat, low in greenhouse gas emissions, and do not transmit diseases to humans. Not to mention that by 2050, the planet will have 9 billion mouths to feed. Now all that’s left is to change Western mindsets.

Art — MiróAnD MAnet exPoseD One is a surrealist, the other impression-ist. yet these two very different styles will have something in common in early 2011, as they are both to be hosted by two great european museums. the retrospective on Joan Miró will be shown from April 14 to september 11 at the tate Modern in London, while the personal and historical exhibition on Manet takes place between April 5 and July 3 at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. two distinct views of the world, one artistic thread. www.tate.org.uk andwww.musee-orsay.fr/fr

trAvel — A gooD snooze At the AirPort you’re at the airport, ready to fly, and your flight has been cancelled. grounded for the night, you’re unwilling to cough up for a hotel. to the rescue: the online guide to comfortable nights at the airport! Besides some general advice, the guide provides reviews of over 7,300 airports worldwide. there is even a ranking of the best and worst airports in the world to sleep at. singapore is the favourite of travellers stranded for the night. Zurich ranks 9th, while Paris Charles de gaulle is considered the worst! www.sleepinginairports.net

MountAineering — the kArAkoruM suMMit ConquereD in winterOn February 2nd of this year, history was made. simone Moro, denis Urubko and Cory richards, sponsored by the North Face, were the first to reach the summit of Mount gasherbrum (8035 m) in winter. simone Moro conceded that the ascent of the thirteenth highest peak in the world, located in the Karakoram range, Pakistan, was a difficult one. it was a double win for Moro, who with the climb had also pulled off his third 8000+ meter peak in winter. hats off to the team who had the perseverance and grit to make it to the top!

sPort — surfing «JAws,»the fAMous hAwAiiAn wAve, on skis! Chuck Patterson has taken his skis for a ride down the most peculiar slope. it’s called Jaws, and it is reputed to be one of the biggest and most dangerous waves in the world. Fusing his love of snow and water into a single daring act, last February the Californian glided down the side of this hawaiian “mountain,” towering several meters high, with a ride that lasted for several minutes. the exploit features among the most technically challenging in the world of skiing. Jaws has now been tamed both by night surfing and on skis. Anyone up to topping that?Check out the video on:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahk48h7P4ts

Design — A bike without A ChAin, sPokes or CAbles!What will the bike of the future look like? John Villarreal, American designer from Wisconsin, imagines a bike that doesn’t require a chain, spokes or cables! these are all replaced by a system based on direct-drive gears. itching to test drive one of these far-out designs? that will take a bit of patience—this is just a prototype design as part of a purely futuristic study. We’ll have to wait and see if one day these start coming off production lines—but at least they’ve got the style down! www.coroflot.com/Doodle_Monkey

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web — sober? CheCk. You MAY now log on.A glass too many in the real world can have serious consequences in the virtual one. Post a comment on a social network while plastered, and your reputation may take a serious hit. to fix that, the company Webroot, which specializes in internet security, provides a Firefox plug-in that prevents a user from connecting to Facebook or another site if they fail to pass a sobriety test, based on the user’s coordination skills. here’s a toast to avoid becoming a virtual roast! www.webroot.com

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PhotogrAPhY — the best Press PiCtures froM 2010,in zuriCh dutchman Martin roemers won first prize for photo stories in the “daily life” category at the 54th World Press Photo Contest—photojournalism’s most prestigious contest—with his series titled “Metropolis” (see photos). But it was a photo taken by the south African Jodi Bieber, showing a young Afghan woman disfigured for having fled her husband’s house, which won the highest overall award: World Press Photo of the year 2010. the winning photographs will be on show in a traveling exhibition, which will be in sihlcity, Zurich, from May 13 to June 5. www.worldpressphoto.org

ADventure — Miss wAterAt the toP of kiliMAnJAroJenny Pedrini from Aargau, who finished fourth last year in the Miss earth switzerland contest—an event that combines beauty with ecological and/or humanitarian contributions—also picked up the Miss Water title. given her latest exploit, perhaps being crowned Miss Air might have been more appropriate. the young Pedrini has just scaled the Kilimanjaro, in tanzania. this athletic performance, sponsored by Athleticum, allowed the “Pro Juventute” ambassador-at-large to collect donations for needy swiss children and youth.

Art — highlY PersonAlizeD PAintings Question: What’s something that your digital print and your dNA sequence have in common? Answer: they’re unique to you. two French Phds in biology turned entrepreneurs have found a second point in common: they can transform them into unique works of art which can be rendered onto coloured canvases, or even your iPhone screen. their company, helys, turns this very personal data into images, imparting an unexpected and innovative dimension. As the saying goes, “Uniqueness is an art.” www.helys.fr

sPort — glorY on the stePsof new York While some test their endurance on the slopes, these folks prefer a staircase. the approximately 450 participants of the 34th empire state Building run-Up climbed the 1576 steps from the lobby to the 86th floor of the New york skyscraper. the Australian Allee McNamara and germany’s thomas dold mounted the podium—for the sixth consecutive year! But it was only a nice little warm-up for the swiss treppenlauf Niesen (in the Bernese Oberland) ultra climb, held on June 4th, with its 11,674 steps! the 34th empire state Building run-Up in photos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwAVmUZeTwY

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thirty degrees | 1514 | thirty degrees

Stand Up paddlingriding a wave of success

SPORT

The act of gliding over water fills us with a sense of freedom that transcends our day-to-day lives. And on that never-ending quest for new sensations, its devotees are always seeking innovative ways to leave the beaten paths and discover new horizons. Today many sports involve gliding to some degree or another; recently Stand Up Paddle is emerging as a serious contender among them.

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Text°°° Christelle Coulon

,Faced with the popularity of surfing, stand up Paddle (sUP), or paddle surfing, has taken some heat. Nevertheless, it

has come out on top, without getting burnt, thanks to its passionate supporters. this new technique, which started out as a way to train on «flat» days, quickly gained recognition as a sport of its own, its multiple facets giving it a surprising range of diversity. standing upright on a wave inspires confidence; standing on a lake or a river, it offers previously untapped perspectives. the fact that everyone can have their own approach makes paddle surfing very accessible and gives it a wide ap-peal. sUP does away with that tricky switch from a prone to standing position while surfing, and the larger size of the board makes it easier to keep one’s balance in the waves. Another plus point is that it can be practiced on calm waters, allowing sporting enthusiasts to indulge in the joys of gliding even if the sea is not near at hand. Paddle surfing is growing in popularity by the year, and seems to strike a chord with all those willing to give it a try. it’s attracting a good number of fans, who see it either as a hobby or as a sport. getting started can be laborious, and it can take some time to acquire the necessary technical skills before it starts becoming more fun than work. But on the other hand, stand Up Paddle provides easier access to surfing, where you can enjoy the fruit of your labours paddle in hand.

Laird Hamilton at the bottom of the wave before sliding intothe Teahupoo tube,in Tahiti.

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Kai Lenny, in Tahiti. Despite his size and young age, Kai is

a real contender in big waves. He has earned the first ever

world champion title in the history of Stand Up Paddling. Be

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Carine Camboulives, who lives in Maui (hawaii), does windsurfing, kitesurfing, longboarding (surfing), and of course, stand Up Paddle, which, she explains, occupies an important place in her life.

Carine Camboulives, how did you start out stand up paddling?it was 2004, in hawaii. A few riders were in the process of develop-ing the sport (Laird hamilton, sean Ordonez, etc.). i tried one of their boards and was immediately hooked. it’s an awesome feeling to witness the birth of a new sport and its development— i’d been there before with kitesurfing in the late ‘90s —and there’s that incredible feeling of synergy and excitement. there’s lots of stumbling around, trying different models and innovative ideas, without exactly know-ing where things are headed.

Is SUP more of a hobby or a sport for you?it’s really a sport of its own—one more!— but it’s also a pastime for me. sUP has completely transformed my relationship with the waves. i had dropped «pure» surfing after some bad experiences in hawaii several years ago. since with sUP one glides on the waves while stand-ing, similar to windsurfing or kite surfing, i was much more in my element than when surfing. i was able to take on much bigger waves, and my apprehension of the «take off» faded. thanks to sUP, i ended up picking up the longboard again, which i practice whenever i can.

Where do you practice, and what is your favourite spot?When there is no wind on the North shore of Maui, i take my sUP everywhere i travel (the Caribbean, Micronesia, indonesia, etc.). though the fact is, i don’t have to go very far either. i’ve had some great times every fall in the south of Brittany and on the island of ré.

Where have you had your best experience?in Mexico, on a world class wave that the locals work hard to keep a secret. Maui has been great as well.

What’s the feeling you get when you paddle surf?A sensation of completeness and freedom. stand Up is a great way to get around and explore. it’s perfect for reaching bays that are inac-

cessible on foot, or islands surrounded by coral reefs where it’s too shallow for a boat. My board has done me great service a number of times!

For some time now, the number of women practicing gliding sports has been increasing. What does SUP have to offer them?sUP can be practiced both on waves as well as on calm waters, such as a lake or river. it’s sort of like «jogging on the seas.» And with a wetsuit, one can paddle all year round. so all in all, it’s a sport well suited to women, and a perfect means of getting or staying in shape. All the body’s muscles work together in harmony, unlike other sports where only the upper or lower body is in play. Keeping one’s balance requires a lot of focus, especially at the beginning, and provides a genuine physical therapy. it’s a neuromuscular balancing act similar to that what is usually performed on buoys or balls during physical reconditioning or training.

What advice would you give to beginners?Choose a board and a paddle that’s right for your size and weight. you’re better off choosing a light paddle as that will require less shoulder work. it’s also more fun and motivating to start out as a group. in order to reduce back strain, don’t be afraid to sit down to row or rest when needed, before getting up to your «peak» again. Also, don’t forget that when it comes to positioning on the waves, surfers take priority over sUPs. since the sUP is more mobile, it’s easier to get into position or accelerate; so take care not to abuse that advantage. And since the boards are heavy, you always have to be mindful of the surfers behind you when crossing waves.

Where do you see SUP heading in the future?it’s a sport that is booming, and can be done anywhere, at any age, and even by families. it can be a great addition to a beach vacation, or a means of getting fit, or used to get out to the surf, or just for tooling around. in short, there are many different possibilities to be explored!

www.carinecamboulives.com

INTERVIEW

thirty degrees | 23

Text°°° Christelle Coulon

,Fans of this art of gliding draw their inspiration from the origins of surf, indisputably found in the islands of the Pacific.

those islanders of long ago, who indulged in the pleasure of gliding on appropriately shaped tree trunks are the stuff of today’s legends. But even before they had mastered the boards, they enjoyed riding the waves using nothing but their bodies. Out of instinct, perhaps, the Polynesians discovered the most primitive, and most pure, form of surfing. this art of gliding is performed without a board, and consists of catch-ing the wave at just the right moment, leveraging one’s body strength and shape to propel forward and then be swept along and soar down. Many devotees consider it a rite of true communion with the sea. to become one with the wave, completely enveloped by its power, is a sensation without peer. the pleasure that it brings aside, bodysurfing is a highly physical activity much like surfing itself, and the two sports are closely linked. in fact, many of the best surfers, such as tom Curren or Kelly slater, are also very good bodysurfers. Notwithstanding the similarities, bodysurfing is nonetheless considered a separate sport in its own right. One of the largest competitions is the Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic, which has been held since 1971 at the Banzai Pipeline reef break on the hawaiian island of Oahu. While the wave, and the event, is dominated by the locals, in 2008, Frédéric david of Biarritz came in second behind Mike stewart, pulling off the best result to date by a “non-native.”

BECOMING ONE WITH THE WAVECompared to surfing, bodysurfing is a relatively unknown sport. And yet, within every hardy surfer lies, perhaps dormant, an excellent master of the sea. While the “sport of kings” is more popular, the art of the “dolphin pop” remains the way to defy the ocean.

We had the pleasure of a short interview with one of the most talented bodysurfers of his generation.

Fred Dvid, what inspired you to start bodysurfing?When i was first starting out as a coastal lifeguard, david dubès would make us bodysurf as part of our training. For several years i only body-surfed before eventually taking up surfing; more recently i’ve started doing sUP (stand up paddle) surfing as well. it’s hard to choose between them when the conditions are good!

What do you feel when you’re in the heart of the wave? i feel that i’m sharing something special with the ocean. there’s noth-ing between my body and the wave—i can feel its full touch and the power of the sea. it’s a completely unique sensation.

What are your next challenges when it comes to bodysurfing?Currently i’m involved with the making of a movie about bodysurf-ing with riraw and Watermansport. We’re shooting the first scenes in hawaii at the moment.i would also like to do what i can to contribute to the development of bodysurfing in France. i’m also testing out new techniques (tow-in, new perspectives, etc.)

www.freddavid.fr

BODYSURFing SPORT

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Gentil Brothersmodern-day explorers

adventure

The ExplorAction team was present throughout the building of the tree house of the Korowai people from Papua who live in the forest canopy, in this case, 30 metres above ground!

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Text°°° Frédéric rein

,An enormous pile of baggage and cameras has made itself permanently at home between the kitchen and living-room

of their apartment in La Chaux-de-Fonds. its presence serves to reas-sure the brothers, or perhaps appease them during their time at home, with the promise that they’re only in transit and will be off again soon. their native switzerland may be their staging post, but the world, with its endless discoveries, is their oyster. Meet Cédric and yanick gentil, aged 36 and 33, brothers, explorers. since 2000, these bohemians at heart have gone from expedition to expedition in far-away lands, and from building site to building site in switzerland. the former fills their spirits with unforgettable memories, the latter fills their wallets. they handle their high-tech cameras as easily on land as under water in an unending search for unseen footage and exclusive encounters, fodder for their home-grown production company, explorAction, and sometimes for the French cult tV channel Ushuaïa. Of particular note is the unimaginable feat which the two brothers un-dertook last year, off the south African coast. At a depth of 120 meters, using a closed-circuit rebreathing technique where special gases flow within a loop, they swam with the nearly-mythical coelacanth, a living reminder of the time before dinosaurs, fossils of which have been found dating back more than 350 million years, a fish which is thought to have played a critical role in the link between sea-based vertebrates and the first land-based animals. Not only can those who have swum with these living fossils be counted on one hand, but the adventurous brothers are the only ones to have come back from the abyss with high-definition footage of the legendary creature. “it’s the only place where this fish doesn’t live at its usual depth of over 300 meters,” explains Cédric. “this fish is over two meters long, and it swam alongside us without fear. it was magical. these depths are one of the only places on earth completely devoid of human presence. it’s reminiscent of the land of Pandora, in Avatar.” it was no small feat, in part because while they only spent thirty minutes in the fossilized canyon inhabited by the coelacanth, it took five hours of diving to reach it due to the necessary compression/decompres-sion stages. And that doesn’t even count the current that carried the divers 10 km away at the risk of getting lost at sea, and the sharks eager to sharpen their teeth on their them, or worse.

close encounters oF the shArp-toothed kindthis was not enough to worry the gentil brothers, though. they’re well acquainted with the south African sharks, since in 2005 they swam, with-out a cage or other protection, with the most imposing and dangerous of them all, the great white shark. in a seaweed forest they found them-selves surrounded by four of these fearsome creatures, each measuring 4 meters long and weighing about a ton. “Our air tanks were used up four

For the last ten years, two brothers hailing from La Chaux-de-Fonds have scoured the globe in search of extreme thrills and never-before-seen footage. They’re among the very few divers who have descended to a depth of 120 meters to swim alongside the legendary coelacanth. They’ve also dared to take a dip alongside great white sharks without the use of a cage, and have set out to meet indigenous Papuans. Truly a life of adventure.

In Papua there are snakes everywhere.

David Lipka, in charge of sound recording, with

a lovely green python.

Mimicry is a means of survival for many Papuan animals – as shown by this spider. Amongst the numerous subjects on Papua portrayed by Explo-rAction, one highlight was the cave paintings dating from 5,000 to 25,000 years old.

A storm broke out while shoo-ting the film. The Papuan tribe Una took refuge in the hollow of a tree to roast pigeon and potatoes.

Seen through the lens of photographer and marine biologist Laurent Bal-lesta, Cédric Gentil, swimming for the first time alongside a coelacanth, at a depth of 120 metres in the South African waters!


times faster than usual!”, recall Cédric and yanick. “One has to act like one would when confronting a dog. Face them, stand your ground, and make no sudden movements. you have to show them who is boss, even though, truth be told, it’s them! if they approached us quickly, we had to respond in kind. this unusual behaviour made them think twice. to get them to come towards us, we made ourselves look very small. then we’d quickly stretch out our arms and legs before they get their bearings and start digging in!” it was a psychological confrontation which the Chaux-de-Fonnier natives came out on top of, film in hand. they even managed to grab a hold of one of the shark’s fins and be pulled along for a few meters!

oF beAsts And men From encounters with exotic animals, to encounters with exotic humans.—such as in 2007, when the brothers travelled to the indonesian Province of Papua, where they met tribal natives who live the same way they have lived for hundreds of years. Or in 2003, when they visited the fishermen inhabiting the southern part of the island of Madagascar, who still use the fishing methods of their ancestors. Or again in 2001, when they travelled to Central America, land of the Mesoamerican descendants, where ancient customs are still a part of daily life. “in our journeys we look for places that share a link between humans and animals, with div-ing opportunities as well,” explains Cédric gentil, who has in his sights a trek to the Amazonian basin. the brothers avoid known locations at all costs, preferring the authentic-ity of uncharted domains. “We want to be surprised, and surprise our viewers as well by putting them in a place they would never have expected to find themselves. We prepare our expeditions ahead of time from swit-zerland, but we also do a lot of research on site in order to find places as yet unexplored and not found online. that’s how we found and explored the sunken caves in Madagascar. While the caves were known to exist, they hadn’t yet been explored. in our dives we observed new species, in-cluding a blind fish (typhleotris madagascariensis). And in a Papuan lake we discovered new subspecies, such as red shrimp and goby prawns.”

driven by desireWhat’s changed the most in a decade of exploration? “the weight of the bags,” affirm the brothers. “We set off to Central America with a camcorder. Now, our requirements are a considerably larger. We want

high quality images and sound, whether it be underwater, in the dark, etc. since we don’t have the means of scouting out the terrain before shoot-ing, we have to take all of our equipment with us each time. We’ve also gained a lot of experience. Fifteen years ago, we were afraid to advance too far into the jungle; we were afraid of snakes, and even of people. hav-ing been ripped off before we can now spot the swindlers, and we also can quickly recognize people who are charismatic and places that are photogenic. that allows us to seize the moment. At the same time, we’ve also come to understand our limits and stay within them.” What hasn’t changed, though, is their passion, through which they teach us that the audacity to explore the world can only be confined by the limits imposed by our own minds.

The Gentil brothers have swum with

South African great white sharks – wi-

thout a cage!

To honor the Una tribe, visitors must

make an offering of a pig that will be sacri-

ficed. A feast is then organized, as pictured here by Yanick Gentil.

Teclop, a Una chief from the village of Larié, wearing his ceremonial dress.

d In the lives of the Unas, many celebrations mark the pace of social

life. Feathers from the bird of Paradise represent an exquisite adornment.

s The brothers Cédric and Yanick

Gentil, with Mellie Francon and David Lipka. The whole ExplorAction team in the Indonesian province of Papua.



,Gravity lies at the heart of Li Wei’s oeuvre. there is the kind of gravity he endlessly defies, depicting bodies frozen in

levitation, as if the attraction of the earth has spontaneously disap-peared. then there is the kind of gravity related to the urgency of the present moment. For the subjects who figure in his contemporary frescoes, the present moment is always perilous: a fall into the void is often imminent, when it has not already happened! Li Wei turns ex-pectations upside down. in front of his work, you experience a genuine feeling of vertigo, a combination of mystery, unease and amusement. What should we see in the photos which immortalise his perform-ances? A subtle moment of poetry, or a wary view of the surrounding environment? “it’s an imaginary universe, into which the instability of the world is transposed. i’m not frightened by the world i live in, but, to be honest, i really do consider it to be very dangerous. And there are risks everywhere: in everyday life, but also in economics and politics. this is the message i’m trying to convey, and i hope people will hear it”, the forty-year old artist told us from Beijing.it is this sense of danger which Li Wei, who includes himself in most of his work, has decided to recreate with each of his happenings. While the images he produces come straight from his imagination, they always take place in reality first, before being captured for eternity by his trusty photographer. For it is in the real world, and not

In his creative feats, the Chinese artist defies the laws of gravity, critiquing through his images an unstable world where danger is ever-present. From his hometown of Beijing, he spoke to us about his spectacular work.

SupermanLi Weicontemporary art has found its

in

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through mere computer trickery, that this performing artist, as he refers to himself, brings his ideas to life. “during the performances, i sometimes even end up getting hurt a little! We use wires when we’re in the air and i remove them later with Photoshop. in a different style, i have produced a series entitled “mirror”, where i play with reflec-tions”, explains Li Wei, who worked for nine years before gaining international recognition, notably among collectors, in 2007.

MakinG the iMpossibLe possibLeAnd it is precisely the real-life existence of these scenes which brings something special to his surrealist shots, as well as inspiring Li Wei himself. “i like rising to challenges. i try to make the impossible pos-sible, and i’ll still want to do that ten years from now”, predicts the artist, without wishing to discuss the future challenges he intends to set himself. he openly admits, however, that he would have loved to have been superman, that defender of just causes! A revelation which, considering his powers, is not much of a surprise. Li Wei regularly adopts the superhero’s poses too, even if he does not go as far as to don his costume, too broad for his earthly shoulders. he himself lives in the real world, where the laws of gravity hold sway. But his artistic endeavours free him from physical limits and bring him towards the world of fiction, and therefore closer to his hero. And just like super-man, he is motivated by a world in danger…

For all the latest news on Li Wei, visit: www.liweiart.com

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,cardboard is environmentally friendly, fun and rather chic. in the 1970s, the American architect Frank O.

gehry proved as much by bringing it out of the attic and into the living room. the idea stood up well, as did the chairs, tables and armchairs he created! Over the years, cardboard has learned to hold its own, moving from packaging to product. in 1993, its reputation was given a further boost by Olivier Leblois’s t.4.1 armchair, more than 150,000 of which were sold. As the French designer explains: “Cardboard can be used in many ways, a bit like concrete for design-ers. Folded into a triangle, it provides rigid struts which can with-stand 200 or 300 kg! And corrugated cardboard, because it contains air, has isothermal properties which help make a great material for protecting against cold”. this subtle combination of lightness and strength also attracted the Japanese architect shigeru Ban when, following the Kobe earthquake in 1995, he designed emergency accommodation known as the Paper Log houses, mainly constructed from cardboard tubes. today, numerous “cardboarders” – both amateur and professional – continue to explore its potential. these include giles Miller, who sings the praises of this smart, contemporary material. We inter-viewed this 28-year-old British designer, who loves to think outside the box!

Light, sturdy and durable, cardboard is a material which has attracted designers for many years. Young British designer Giles Miller has made it his speciality. He takes us on a tour of his cardboard world.

boxtheoutside

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Giles Miller, you have been working with cardboard since 2006. What led to this choice? Corrugated cardboard is very interesting, from both a structural and aesthetic point of view. And there is also its ecological dimension, since it is widely recycled, and a lot of it comes from sustainably managed forests, where, for every tree cut down, three are replanted. And any leftover cardboard can be directly recycled.

But are there also limits to its use?i set out very deliberately to show that cardboard has real potential, which goes well beyond what most people think. For example, i’ve designed a laptop bag, treated to be water-resistant. the lifespan of items made from cardboard does not have to be short. take my “Pool rocker” chair. it can be kept for many years without degrading.

f The ‘Pool Rocker II’ cardboard chair, by Giles Miller, is designed to resist the weather for many years.

f Through his unique technique, Giles Miller gives a pixelated style to some of his cardboard creations, like this ‘Brown Paper Handbag’.

s This small clock, called ‘Mantle clock-C’, is the cheapest cardboard design by Giles Miller.

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Lots of other designers use cardboard too. What makes you unique? i’ve developed my own grooving technique, where i alter the angle of corrugation which runs through the cardboard, obtaining a kind of pixelated design. But i think it’s great that more and more people are using cardboard as a material, and i hope that in some way i’ll be able to play a small part in its promotion.

What is your finest piece of work?i’ve recently begun to design luxury interior murals. it started with a commission from the fashion designer stella McCartney for her Parisian store. so far it’s my most exciting creation with cardboard, but i hope other equally incredible creations will follow in the near future. in a similar style, although using different material, i’m go-ing to produce a brass mural for the ritz-Carlton hotel in singapore, and i’m currently working on a similar process using ceramics.

For those who want to buy a Giles Miller cardboard piece, is it affordable?the prices vary a lot and from one item to another. they range from £28 (around 40 francs: ed) for items the customers have to assemble themselves, like the little clock, to £1500 (around 2250 francs: ed) for some of my chests of drawers!

see more objects made with cardboard – and other materials too – designed by giles Miller, at his website: www.gilesmiller.com

iThe ‘Cardcase’, a case designed for laptop com-puters, has been treated to be water repellent.

s The British designer, Giles Miller, finds that corrugated

cardboard is very interesting, both from both a structural and

aesthetic point of view.

Text°°° Catherine CoChard

,We’ve been waiting for this moment all winter...With March over and just a few April showers to deal with, the

balmy, sunny days look within reach. We’ll soon be able to get rid of those heavy yet warm layers of clothing. But then, clothes can hide a multitude of sins. You can easily disguise the Christmas parties, Easter chocolates and the odd holiday drink under your coat.But when the time comes to peel off those bulky layers, you find some hid-den extras left lurking underneath! Arrgh! You’ve put on weight! Well, you can get away with it under a t-shirt but what will your bikini have to say about all this when it comes out of the cupboard?

The days are getting longer, the sun is making more than just a guest appearance, the birds are in song:

spring is back. Which of course means that summer is not far off and it will soon be time to reveal... the

leftover signs of winter excesses.

chronic

eaCh to their oWnSo once you’ve finished blaming your weak will on everyone and anything, you knuckle down and take some action. The precise nature of said action being, of course, entirely up to you.Some might wriggle out of the problem with a who-wants-to-sunbathe-anyway attitude, which admittedly solves the problem to a certain extent. What problem?Purists, of course, shall exert their utmost willpower week in week out to ensure they do justice to that adorable little two-piece. The array of punish-ments is endless, from fitness classes, to private coaches or country hikes and urban jogging.And then there are those who rely on their strong personalities to distract attention from their less than perfect figures. “What do you mean plump? Don’t you like curves? I feel great as I am!” Plenty of women sing along to this tune, but they sing it so loudly and so often that you end up wondering if they really believe in the lyrics.

Breathe inAnd then comes the vast majority, who try to minimise the problem by exercising and crash dieting at the first glimmer of sunshine. These women often group together to share secrets and motivate each other. The key words are “5 kilos in a week”, “say goodbye to flab in just 20 days”, “a bot-tom to die for, in just 5 minutes per day”. The magic words of these potions will keep them going until summer - and if the spell doesn’t work, at least it might make them feel less guilty about those extra helpings of apple pie.Ke

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Texte°°° Frédéric rein

,raphael Saadiq’s retro soul takes us back in time to the ‘70s, that heyday of Motown. Cut from the same cloth as

his fourth solo album titled “The Way I See It”—lauded by the press and called “Best Album of the Year” in 2008 by iTunes (in the U.S.)—his fifth album entitled, “Stone Rollin,” released in late March of this year, has once again proved Saadiq to be a worthy representative of “old school” R&B. Raphael Saadiq pays another homage to that golden age of American black pop, with style and rhythm, while at the same time adding his own subtle modern twist that suits him so well. The album features the rock & roll single “Radio,” but it will be especially loved for the brilliant “Go to Hell” and “Just Don’t,” the latter created in collaboration with Larry Dunn (Earth, Wind and Fire), one of his idols. The composer-performer also shows off his talent as a musi-cian as he handles the bass guitar, the mellotron, keyboards, guitar, percussion, and finally, the drums! Perfectly at ease out in front, this former Prince protégé has also made a name for himself backstage, producing artists like 2Pac, Whitney Houston and Joss Stone.

A chAnge oF Style And lookThe story of Raphael Saadiq, whose real name is Charlie Ray Wiggins, begins in 1966 in Oakland, California. His life revolved around music from his earliest years, and at age six he was already playing bass gui-tar in school and church. In the late ‘80s to mid ‘90s he became a bass player and singer with Tony! Toni! Toné!, where he invented the New Jack Swing. In 1999 he joined the band Lucy Pearl, and then in 2002 launched his solo career with the album “Instant Vintage.” But it wasn’t until 2008 that he stepped out of his contemporary ap-proach to music and made a complete about-face in style and image. Out with the backward caps and baggy t-shirts. In with the well-tailored outfits. It’s a hallmark of the rebirth of soul, for beyond the impeccable style, he is bringing back, with his own matchless groove, the soul tradition of yesteryear. Raphael Saadiq remains faithful to the original, without becoming another copy. There’s no doubt that he’s an original soul man.

www.raphaelsaadiq.com

Live in Kaufleuten, Zurich, April 23, 2011.

On the iPad. Hear the single “Radio”, from his new album, on http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xghrdt_raphael-saadiq-radio-2011_music

and the sound of retro soul

SaadiqRaphaelThe inimitable singer from the United States gets in the groove once more with “Stone Rollin,” his fifth album. In the same vein as his previous release, his latest album harks back to the golden age of American black R&B in hisown unique way.

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,der etwas antiquierte Soul von raphael Saadiq ist eine Zeitreise: Er versetzt uns in die glorreichen Motown-Jahre

der Siebziger zurück. Im selben Stil wie sein viertes Studioalbum The way I see it, das von iTunes US zum Album des Jahres 2008 gekürt und von der Presse in höchsten Tönen gelobt wurde, entpuppt sich auch sein Ende März veröffentlichtes Stone Rollin als würdiger Vertreter des Old-School-R&B. Raphael Saadiq huldigt in seinem fünften Werk dem goldenen Zeitalter des afroamerikanischen Pop mit viel Rhythmus und Eleganz, indem er ihm mit seinem unverkennbaren, entschieden modernen Twist seine Handschrift aufdrückt. Besondere Glanzstücke sind neben der wunderbar rauen Erstauskopplung Radio das brillante Go to hell und Just don’t. Bei Letzterem hat auch sein Idol Larry Dunn von Earth, Wind and Fire mitgewirkt. Saadiq überzeugt auf der Schei-be nicht nur mit seinen Sänger- und Songwriter-Qualitäten, sondern auch als Musiker. Er beherrscht den Bass mit ebenso viel Leichtigkeit wie das Mellotron, das Klavier und die Gitarre und macht sogar an den Percussions und am Schlagzeug eine gute Figur!Die Bühne ist ganz offensichtlich seine Welt, aber er hat auch hinter den Kulissen schon mehrfach sein Talent bewiesen. Der frühere Bassist von Prince produzierte mehrere namhafte Künstler wie 2Pac, Whitney Houston oder Joss Stone.

Stil- und KoStümwechSelDie Geschichte von Raphael Saadiq, mit bürgerlichem Namen Charlie Ray Wiggins, begann 1966 im kalifornischen Oakland. Schon im frü-hen Kindesalter bestimmte Musik sein Leben. Mit zarten sechs Jahren spielte er im Chor und in der Kirche Bass. Ende der Achtziger bis in die Mitte der Neunziger war er Bassist in der Band Tony! Toni! Toné!, die als Wegbereiter des New Jack Swing gilt. 1999 rief er das Neo-Soul-Projekt Lucy Pearl ins Leben, bevor er 2002 mit dem Album Instant Vintage eine Solokarriere startete.2008 wandte er sich von seiner sehr zeitgemässen Musik ab. Er wech-selte den Stil und den Look. Schluss mit verkehrt herum getragener Basketballmütze und T-Shirts in XXL-Grösse. Im perfekt sitzenden Anzug zeigt er, dass nicht nur er, sondern auch sein Soul erwachsen geworden ist. Mit unglaublichem Charme und seinem unnachahmli-chen Groove belebt er die Soul-Tradition neu. Er bleibt ihr treu, ohne sie zu kopieren, denn schliesslich ist Raphael Saadiq ein Original… und ein echter Soul Man!


Konzerttermin Kaufleuten Zürich, 23. April 2011

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Texte°°° Frédéric rein

,raphael Saadiq’s retro soul takes us back in time to the ‘70s, that heyday of Motown. Cut from the same cloth as

his fourth solo album titled “The Way I See It”—lauded by the press and called “Best Album of the Year” in 2008 by iTunes (in the U.S.)—his fifth album entitled, “Stone Rollin,” released in late March of this year, has once again proved Saadiq to be a worthy representative of “old school” R&B. Raphael Saadiq pays another homage to that golden age of American black pop, with style and rhythm, while at the same time adding his own subtle modern twist that suits him so well. The album features the rock & roll single “Radio,” but it will be especially loved for the brilliant “Go to Hell” and “Just Don’t,” the latter created in collaboration with Larry Dunn (Earth, Wind and Fire), one of his idols. The composer-performer also shows off his talent as a musi-cian as he handles the bass guitar, the mellotron, keyboards, guitar, percussion, and finally, the drums! Perfectly at ease out in front, this former Prince protégé has also made a name for himself backstage, producing artists like 2Pac, Whitney Houston and Joss Stone.

A chAnge oF Style And lookThe story of Raphael Saadiq, whose real name is Charlie Ray Wiggins, begins in 1966 in Oakland, California. His life revolved around music from his earliest years, and at age six he was already playing bass gui-tar in school and church. In the late ‘80s to mid ‘90s he became a bass player and singer with Tony! Toni! Toné!, where he invented the New Jack Swing. In 1999 he joined the band Lucy Pearl, and then in 2002 launched his solo career with the album “Instant Vintage.” But it wasn’t until 2008 that he stepped out of his contemporary ap-proach to music and made a complete about-face in style and image. Out with the backward caps and baggy t-shirts. In with the well-tailored outfits. It’s a hallmark of the rebirth of soul, for beyond the impeccable style, he is bringing back, with his own matchless groove, the soul tradition of yesteryear. Raphael Saadiq remains faithful to the original, without becoming another copy. There’s no doubt that he’s an original soul man.


Live in Kaufleuten, Zurich, April 23, 2011.

On the iPad. Hear the single “Radio”, from his new album, on http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xghrdt_raphael-saadiq-radio-2011_music

Ale

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,When the lights come on, a whole new world comes to life. it’s world of gaiety, glitz and glitter-tinged exuberance.

Welcome to the enchanting world of skydance. this self-proclaimed “greatest music and dance show on earth,” brings together 220 stars of music, dance and comedy, hailing from 22 countries. in 2011, this lively work of art will make its first ever appearance at the Arena in geneva on May 6 and 7, to be followed by the hallenstadion in Zurich from May 12 to 14, (where it performed four times to a sold-out house in 2010). the appearance in Calvin’s town of French singer Patricia Kaas has been confirmed for the show’s tenth tour. On the other side of the sa-rine, the audience will be seduced by the operatic voice of germany’s rtL supertalent Freddy sahin-scholl, who will sing a duet with none other than himself. these performances are sure to lift our spirits with moments of intense emotion, as will those of many other performers that make up this outstanding show. the following are 30 degrees’ (highly subjective) picks of highlights that are not to be missed!

Hip Hop on out to tHe frontJimmie surles (UsA), dmitry Lavrinenko (UKr), Jonathan huor (CAM), gerrit hotzel (d), yannik Misteli (Ch). those names may not

The world’s largest music and dance show will be performed in Geneva this May for the first time ever, before returning to Zurich. The 10th edition of this extravaganza gives “big” a whole new meaning.

A trip to Artistic seventh heAven

flamenco + ballet = !!Flamenco dancing and ballet music make an unlikely pair. And yet the two are beautifully melded by the dancer Nina Corti and sOZ Phil-harmonic Orchestra, comprising 50 musicians. this ambassador of a flamenco style that is unquestionably cutting edge but that does not lose an ounce of its emotional explosiveness, will lend her enthusi-asm and passion to Maurice ravel’s Bolero, with its invariable tempo and rhythm. this unique and bold blend blurs traditional visual and acoustic cues.

Sport! figHt! SHoW! it’s a show of the sport of combat, with an explosive fusion of martial arts, hip hop moves and acrobatics, with a welcome touch of humour bordering on healthy self-ridicule. the swisstricks—founded ten years ago by a group of swiss dancers but now very cosmopolitan, with members from countries as diverse as israel, the Czech republic, Korea and germany, as well as of course switzerland—fuses two uni-verses that are not as far apart from each other as one might expect. it’s martial arts with a capital “A” for Artistic. More info at www.skydance.info

ring any bells, but they’re some of the biggest stars in hip hop danc-ing. their outstanding performances usually provide a backdrop to concerts by superstars of the likes of Mariah Carey, Anastacia, Britney spears, Madonna or Usher. But at skydance, these dancers are coming together in an extraordinary reunion to stand out as their own act. the “hip hop gang of the World” will appear on stage to dazzle with their athletic and artistic prowess.

tHe cream of tHe crop of iriSH danceArms and upper body nearly immobile, back rigid, arms hanging straight alongside the body. By contrast the legs are frenetically and relentlessly driven along by the music. in short, irish dance stands apart. Or perhaps better said, it stands straight up! And this will be proved best by a troupe named CidA, made up of today’s top irish dancers. this group of 70 world-class dancers includes the outstand-ing superstar John Carey, a quintuple world champion of this dance form. their thunderous tapping will no doubt garner well deserved and equally thunderous clapping!

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,he himself said that no actor can win both the César for Best Promising Actor and that for Best Actor in the same year.

And yet, in March 2010, the French artist tahar rahim was crowned twice over during the ceremony for the most coveted awards in French cinema. While the venerable institution had to bow to the triumph of the worthy performer, it has vowed to change its rules to never again allow the same person to mount up to the podium twice in a row dur-ing the same event.A year later, we find the “Frenchy” starring in several films, including the eagle, an American big budget production by Kevin Macdonald. this feature film takes place in roman-occupied Britannia during the second century, where a legionnaire (Channing tatum) is looking for his father, who disappeared twenty years earlier in the scottish moun-tains. tahar rahim, under the guise of Prince seal (a tribal warlord) and a thick layer of makeup, will attempt to prevent the soldier from finding out the truth.

From sports to moviestahar rahim discovered movies as a teenager in Belfort, the town where he grew up. in an interview with the magazine L’express, he re-calls, “i’d spend my days in the movie theatres. i’d go four to five times a week, enough to give me a headache. ... i needed diversion, a place where i could be my own man; i couldn’t find that anywhere else.” But despite his interest in movies, it would be a number of years before it became his vocation.

prophet athome and abroad

First anointed in 2010 for his role in A Prophet, by Jacques Audiard, the Frenchman takes his talent to the international stage, starring in the American big budget production The Eagle.

in 2000, he took up studying sports at the University of strasbourg, specializing in swimming. A year later, bored, he signed up for mathematics and computer sciences in Marseille. he quit after three months, and finally turned to what had always seemed to beckon him: the seventh art, at the film department of Montpellier, where he graduated. in 2005, tahar rahim headed for Paris with nothing more than a backpack. he managed to get two small jobs to pay for his room and some drama classes. After numerous castings, he landed a part in the series La Commune (the Commune), written for Canal+ by Abdel raouf dafri, the co-writer of A Prophet. this brought his name to the attention of Jacques Audiard.since playing the role of Malik el djebena in A Prophet, tahar rahim has won a string of awards (Best european actor in 2009, the Prix Lumière, the Crystal globe, the etoile d’Or of French Cinema, and fi-nally, the two César’s). these days, he’s consolidating his international career—after the eagle, he’ll be appearing in Free Men by ismaël Fer-roukhi, in Love and Bruises by the Chinese director Lou ye, as well as in Black gold by Jean-Jacques Annaud.

TaharRahim

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stays in Vegas, right? this time, it’s stu’s turn to stand at the altar, and so, to end his free-swinging single life in style, he takes his buddies to Asia for an exotic tour. As is to be expected, nothing is as expected. Will what happens in Bangkok stay in Bangkok? While the crew who triggered the laughs the first time around are still here—Bradley Cooper, Zach galifianakis, Justin Bartha, ed helms, and even Mike tyson—some new faces make their appearance on set. Not least of all, we are graced with the presence of the former U.s. president, Bill Clinton, along with Juliette Lewis who in recent years has favoured music over the stage.

Kung Fu Panda 2—the returnin June, we follow the adventures of the overweight hero—played by Jack Black (voice) in the animated english version—of Kung Fu Panda. in the first film of this series, Po’s wish was granted. Now, as the dragon Warrior, the corpulent animal protects the Valley of Peace, assisted by his friends, the Furious Five: tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But their peaceful existence is threatened by the arrival of a new enemy who is bent on conquering China and eliminating the Kung Fu thanks to a secret and indestructible weapon. Will Po be able to defend his loved ones, save his country and triumph over a weapon stronger than Kung Fu? to succeed, the Panda will have to reach into the years of yore and explore his mysterious origins; understanding his past will be the key to helping him overcome his dangerous enemy.

To be conTinued…

Season of renewal, the spring of 2011 will give birth to sequels of several cult feature films, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Kung-Fu Panda, and The Hangover.

the movies

,In May, we once again meet the inde-fatigable Jack sparrow (Johnny depp)

in the fourth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, first launched in 2003. this time, however, the buccaneer is no longer flanked by his companions of fortune William turner (Orlando Bloom) and elizabeth swann (Keira Knightley), nor by the director of the previous films, gore Verbinski, who chose to work on other projects. in Pirates number four, rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a geisha) takes the helm—not of the Black Pearl, of course, but of the film’s directing. in this feature film, we once again loose the moorings and head out to the boundless seas in the company of Jack sparrow, this time in search of the Fountain of youth. On the trail of a spanish Conquistador, Jack heads for Florida. Once again, he crosses path with his nemesis, hector Barbossa, as well as the legendary and fearsome captain edward teach, better known as Black Beard. he must resist mermaids, fight hordes of zombies, as well as—naturally—a number of other pirates who try to thwart his ambitions. Most notably, he’ll meet Angelica teach (Penelope Cruz), Black Beard’s daughter, a woman from his past who will accompany him on this new adventure.

InItIatory journeythen, just before summer, it’s off to thailand for a second trip with the gang from the hang-over. in round one, Phil, Alan and stu left for Las Vegas to bid a long farewell to doug’s bach-elor life. What followed was quite the bash, to say the least. But what happens in Vegas,

Text°°° CatherIne CoChard

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Kumpels mittlerweile Vergangenheit. Jetzt steht Stu kurz davor, den Bund der Ehe zu schlie-ssen. Um sich von seinem Junggesellenleben zu verabschieden, nimmt er seine Freunde mit auf einen exotischen Trip nach Asien. Und natürlich gerät wieder alles aus dem Ruder. Was in Bangkok alles passiert, müssen Sie sich schon selbst ansehen. An der Besetzung der Hauptrol-len wurde nichts geändert – Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms und sogar Mike Tyson sind wieder zur Stelle. Daneben gibt es aber auch einige neue Gesichter. So haben beispielsweise Juliette Lewis, die sich in den letzten Jahren etwas aus der Filmbranche zurückgezogen und der Musik gewidmet hatte, und der ehemalige US-Präsident Bill Clinton in Person einen Gastauftritt in The Hangover 2.

KuNg Fu paNda 2Im Juni können wir den schwergewichtigen Panda bei neuen Abenteuern erleben. In der Original-version leiht ihm Jack Black, in der deutschen Ausgabe Hape Kerkeling die Stimme. Am Ende des ersten Teils war Pos grösster Wunsch in Erfüllung gegangen: Er war zum Drachenkrieger geworden und schützte zusammen mit seinen Freunden, den Furiosen Fünf Tigress, Crane, Monkey, Mantis und Viper das Tal des Friedens. Aber das friedliche Leben wird von einem neuen Bösewicht bedroht, der China um jeden Preis erobern und dazu Kung Fu mit seiner unzerstörbaren Geheimwaffe ver-nichten will. Wird es Po gelingen, seine Angehörigen zu schützen, seine Heimat zu retten und eine Waffe zu besiegen, die stärker ist als Kung Fu? Bevor er es mit dem gefährlichen Schurken aufneh-men kann, muss sich der dicke Panda seiner Vergangenheit stellen, um mehr über seine mysteriöse Herkunft zu erfahren und herauszufinden, woher er eigentlich kommt.

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HOT SHOT.*

*Hot Shot: 2 cl Molinari Sambuca Extra, 2 cl Marie Brizard Cranberry Liqueur, 2 cl Svedka Vodka, Shot anzünden (vor Genuss Flamme löschen). Drink responsibly.

Molinari Sambuca Extra ist bei Coop, Globus, Manor, Denner, im guten Fachhandel und überall in der Gastronomie erhältlich.

thirty degrees | 047

stays in Vegas, right? this time, it’s stu’s turn to stand at the altar, and so, to end his free-swinging single life in style, he takes his buddies to Asia for an exotic tour. As is to be expected, nothing is as expected. Will what happens in Bangkok stay in Bangkok? While the crew who triggered the laughs the first time around are still here—Bradley Cooper, Zach galifianakis, Justin Bartha, ed helms, and even Mike tyson—some new faces make their appearance on set. Not least of all, we are graced with the presence of the former U.s. president, Bill Clinton, along with Juliette Lewis who in recent years has favoured music over the stage.

Kung Fu Panda 2—the returnin June, we follow the adventures of the overweight hero—played by Jack Black (voice) in the animated english version—of Kung Fu Panda. in the first film of this series, Po’s wish was granted. Now, as the dragon Warrior, the corpulent animal protects the Valley of Peace, assisted by his friends, the Furious Five: tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey. But their peaceful existence is threatened by the arrival of a new enemy who is bent on conquering China and eliminating the Kung Fu thanks to a secret and indestructible weapon. Will Po be able to defend his loved ones, save his country and triumph over a weapon stronger than Kung Fu? to succeed, the Panda will have to reach into the years of yore and explore his mysterious origins; understanding his past will be the key to helping him overcome his dangerous enemy.

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,Petits fours instead of popcorn. 81 extra-wide reclining leather

armchairs, with footrests to boot. A long way from the commonplace dark movie theatre – with seats that you are often relieved to escape from at the end of the film. geneva’s Astor Film Lounge is in a realm of its own. since last december, it has been bringing a touch of aristocracy, refinement and added luxury to its showings. Online booking, a cloakroom, a personal welcome with free cocktail, a projector using the very latest 35 mm, digital or 3d technology, staff who serve you in your armchair, plus, finances permitting, valet parking and the option of having something

to eat in either the cinema itself or in a separate lounge area. “the whole concept is about quality of service”, reveals grégoire schnegg, Managing director of the company behind the operation, Premium entertainment switzerland, which also opened a cinema in Berlin two years ago. An-other luxury is the absence of advertisements, which are banished from the big screen. these opulent showings do, of course, come at a price: 38 francs per person. But just who are the audience? “Lots of people in their thirties or older, as well as younger people coming to celebrate a special occasion”, explains grégoire schnegg, also behind the Pathé network in switzerland. As for the programme, it is intended to be eclectic. As he puts it: “We show both arthouse films and commercial features, but

For several months, Genevan movie lovers have been able to watch films in a decidedly refined setting, comfortably seated in roomy leather armchairs, cocktail in hand. We shine the spotlight on this new trend.

always quality ones. For example, recently we have been showing a number of films nomi-nated for the Oscars”.

AlSo AvAilAble in Zurich On the other side of the sarine, something similar has already been successfully tried and tested since 2004, in the Pathé multiplex in dietlikon (Zh). in return for 44 francs, you can take in film sitting in one of the 32 big, ultra-comfortable armchairs, a glass of Prosecco in your hand, a snack, and even popcorn should you so wish. rather less flashy than in the city of Calvin! Which leads grégoire schnegg to believe that there is still room for an Astor Film Lounge in Zurich city centre, and maybe even elsewhere in the Lake geneva region, although, he admits, “We are mainly looking at major european cities, like Barcelona, Milan or rome”. While still rare in europe, (outside London at least), and just beginning to develop in the UsA, the concept is widespread in Asia and Australia.

how about you… do you fancy being treated like a star next time you go to the movies?

MOVIES

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,Often associated with the hip-hop culture, street art dots the urban landscape of large cities across the globe. Walls, streets,

sidewalks, urban furnishings—nothing is immune. For some, it’s a means of expressing themselves, while others see it as an art form of its own. in its subversive incarnation, it’s a channel for general discontent and blatant disregard for society’s rules. But it has also spawned a truly artistic side that offers a lot of exposure, and is becoming increasingly recognized as such.

A look back in time shows that interest in this artistic movement is not at all new. Against all odds, europe witnessed the birth of graffiti early on, and it began to be compared to an art form as far back as the ‘60s. it had no shortage of critics of course, but many artists recognized it as an opportunity to explore new creative avenues. it was often humorous and generally pleasing. it was during this time that the “New york” style began to appear in Paris, while germany experienced its own type of graf-fiti boom. the Berlin Wall had fostered much resentment among young germans, who found an outlet for their anger by plastering the wall with slogans, drawings and paintings of all kinds. Now more widely known for its art form, graffiti masterpieces can be found almost everywhere, and numerous capitals around the world provide the backdrop for ambitious projects. And so, over time, this urban art has become refined to the point that it has joined the ranks of other artistic trends.

some graffiti artists have benefitted from the acclaim and fame that can result from their work, and some very talented artists, such as Banksy, Blek le rat, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Cornbread, have become celebrities thanks to their creations. Other graffiti artists are driven solely by the desire to be creative, and simply prefer this particular medium as a means to express that creativity using a range of colours and techniques.

graffiti, as we know it today, is urban, but new styles have emerged which have accorded the craft much more credibility in the art world. A new trend is for groups of graffiti artists, commonly known as “crews,” to pool their expertise to create impressive works of art. graffiti, such as the art produced by the twe Crew member Flow, even finds itself displayed prominently in galleries. thanks largely to the internet, Flow has, over time, become well recognized in street art circles. his extremely realistic style can almost look like a photo at first glance. Like many other graf-fiti artists, he draws his inspiration from hip-hop and film (tarantino, scorsese, de Niro, etc.), and he has a natural gift for reproducing a scene or portrait in amazing detail. in this case, the where street culture and a true artist meet yields such great results that it’s hard to see graffiti in a negative light. Flow is one of those who use graffiti for results that are aesthetically pleasing and lovely to behold. Creating something that is as realistic as possible, using no more than spray cans, remains his passion. When asked about his future, there is no hesitation: more walls, more frescoes, not just in France but beyond. And why not?

these days, the most well-known graffiti artists are not necessarily just those who are pushing the envelope the furthest, but also those who are creating the most artistically challenging and beautiful works of art.

And even if the works of this relatively new genre are ephemeral by nature, graffiti that leaves an imprint on the soul has served its purpose. And so in the end, graffiti may indeed be deeper and richer than we had imagined possible.

see more graffiti at:http://flowtwe.skyrock.com or http://twecrew.skyrock.comor www.flickr.com/photos/flowtwe

the art ofgraffiti

Graffiti is better known for its illegal side. But while it’s long been considered an act of vanda-lism, it has remarkably evolved over time, and some of its devotees have turned it into a respec-table and successful art form.Text°°° Christelle COulOn

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,the extraordinary legal/sporting soap opera that shook the nautical world for more than two years finally ended in Valencia

a year ago. the match of the century, between the giant trimaran of Larry ellison (UsA) and the catamaran of ernesto Bertarelli, Alinghi V, signalled the end of the last episode of this long and bitter series. the swiss finally conceded without further appeal after being twice defeated by the Americans. the BMW Oracle racing team, who had the audacity to hoist its monster of a rigid sail, (measuring nearly 70 meters high), had left its opponent in its wake. the extraordinary 33rd America’s Cup was held without any other competitors after the Amer-icans mounted a legal challenge to the terms of the race. Many fans of the sport had grown tired of the innumerable and incomprehensible twists and turns of the affair, and even the general public ended up losing interest in the event, which seemed to be playing out in a court room instead of on the water.

the riGht to defendBy taking the 33rd cup of the oldest sporting trophy in the world, the Americans won the right to host the 34th race and to set its rules. to many observers, the rules proposed by the current holder of the silver ewer are not much more equitable than Alinghi’s controversial 2007 protocol. Nonetheless, no legal action has been taken this time, and those who disagree have simply decided not to take part in the race. the next America’s Cup will therefore take place in september 2013 in san Fran-cisco on 22 meter (72 foot) wing-sailed multihulls.

What Will chanGeUntil the legendary 2010 encounter, this race has always been disputed (with one close exception) on conventional sailboats, which rely on ballast, the lead placed beneath the keel, to provide power and stability. For the last thirty years, (discounting the sailing ventures of the ancient natives of the Pacific islands), the evolution of speedy sailboats has led towards multiple hulls, which provide the boat with balance without the need for ballast. the result: much faster speeds. A 2007 America Class ship would haul 19 tons of lead underneath the water—which seems almost absurd considering that millions are spent in other sports to shave off a few grams. the constraints of the protocol (the rules governing the sailboat measurements) have meant that one of the most prestigious sailing competitions in the world has for years been disputed by boats moving along at a mere 20 km/h. One could compare this to a Formula 1 world championship with high-tech 30-ton trucks driving no faster than 120 km/h! By choosing the catamaran, the Americans played the “modern” card, and the race will finally be contested by the fastest craft in the world today.

from sail to WinGin addition to a double-hull, the new Class America ships will sport a rigid wing-sail, along the lines of the one hoisted by “UsA-17” in Valen-cia, February 2010. this type of rigging has long been known to offer enhanced performance because its thicker profile is much more efficient

The next challenge for the prestigious America’s Cup will held in September 2013 in San Francisco bay. Aboard 22-meter long catamarans equipped each with a rigid sail, challengers will try to wrench the silver ewer away from the Americans.

than a conventional sail. however, obvious maintenance challenges have tended to side-line the development of this system. A traditional sail can be taken down easily, but the operation is nearly impossible with rigid gear. As of yet, no one knows what solutions the sailing teams will come up with between now and september 2013 in order to effectively handle these immense sails. One option still being considered is to house the boats every evening in enormous hangers where they can shelter from the wind.

a preliminary World series Currently, eight teams have signed up for the race, but it’s probable that only four or five will end up competing due to the huge budget required (around 80 million euros). since creating and building a 22-meter catamaran does not happen overnight, the sailing organization decided to host, in 2011/2012, AC45 and AC72 monotype championships, where all the sailboats will be identical. this will give potential participants the opportunity to try their hand at a high-tech rigid wing-sail craft. in order to take part in the race, each challenger will have to purchase one of these little gems before setting out to build their own prototype. A regatta, the Louis Vuitton Cup, to select a challenger for the Cup, will then be held before the America’s Cup as usual, which will pit the winner of the tournament, the Challenger, against the current America’s Cup defender, Oracle.

According to a number of experts, the dice are loaded and the technologi-cal head-start that the Americans have on the rest of the field means that there won’t be any serious challenge to their current reign. Nonetheless, two French teams, who have long mastered the art of multihull sailing, have already paid their entrance fees, as have the swedes, the Australians and the italians. so whatever the nay-sayers may say, the outcome of the 34th America’s Cup is anything but decided. And even if Alinghi have de-cided not to join in the game this time around, other boats will no doubt add a new dimension to this venerable sailing competition. Cup

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Yves Carcelle in the middle, Russell Coutts to his right, and Bruno Troublé to the left.

The new AC45, a rigid-wing catamaran which will be the basis of the next regattas to be held during the 34th America’s Cup, sailing in Auckland Bay (NZ).

USA 17, heading for the finish line in the first round of the 33rd

America’s Cup.



,Six stops, five countries, a joint event with the North American Championship, and the familiar and legendary Bec des rosses were

some of the primary ingredients that made up the 2011 Freeride World tour (FWt). this breath-taking and extraordinarily intense competition will not be easily forgotten by those few lucky enough to participate in all of its races. Aurélien ducroz, sponsored by Alpina watches and vowing to take back the world title, pulled off this remarkable feat by dominating a competition punctuated by spectacular crashes.

SeaSon opener For the second time, Chamonix was the stage for the season’s opening act, and at the end of January, the FWt cast found themselves at the foot of Mont Blanc once more, ready and eager to play their parts with gusto. Poor snowfall on the Brévent face forced organizers to cross the range and host the event on the south side of the Alps where powder could be found in greater abundance. the skiers sped down the Courmayeur trail – no disap-pointment there - and from the onset every competitor showed that they had enough true grit to impress their adversaries. Aurélien ducroz, Xavier de Le rue, Angel Collinson and Anne-Flore Marxer led the pack in their respective categories and set the pace for the rest of the competition.

the tour then headed to the grisons for the Nissan engadin st. Moritz by swatch. the north face of Corvatsch was not to everyone’s liking, and the winners at Chamonix did not repeat their stellar performances. ducroz crashed after a jump and finished last, while de Le rue, trapped by sluff in a couloir, was bumped to 8th place. taking the upper hand, the swedish skier henrik Windstedt and the American snowboarder Matt Annetts, had near perfect runs, and emerged as the victors of the day.

USa here we comeNext stop for the snowboarders was across the Atlantic and where they headed to Crystal Mountain in Washington state. the conditions were tough, as Xavier de Le rue explains: “it had rained for a week before dump-ing 20 cm of fresh snow, so by the time the race was held, it was icy on top and slush below.” Xavier de Le rue came in 6th, disappointed.California played host to the next stop for the men and women skiers, who faced off at Kirkwood in an event co-organized with the North American Freeskiing Championships. the Americans remained masters in their own backyard, and local Josh daiek sped to the front. samuel Anthamatten, (from the Valais), though, turned heads by almost literally subduing the face with one of the fastest lines and finishing 10th, well ahead of several top-ranked skiers.

Back in europe, the men headed to sochi in russia. Anthamatten contin-ued his ascent and finished ahead of ducroz, who finally seemed to have had enough of the tumbling. de Le rue still struggled, finishing 9th, while the Austrian Flo Orley came in first in the snowboard event.

the Austrian event, held at Fieberbrunn, held some surprises. stefan hausl and Mitch toelderer, two locals, took first and second place, while some highly ranked players finished in the middle or the back of the pack. de Le rue suffered another dramatic crash; the jury was not impressed, and sanctioned him for taking too many risks.

Back to the BeGinninGthe endgame was played out as usual at the Verbier Xtreme, with Bec des rosses presiding as judge over those who dared challenge its north face. Based on their overall scores, by the eve of the event five riders had jockeyed into position for a chance to win the most coveted title of the tour, that of ski freeride world champion. these contestants were: stefan hausl (AUt),

samuel Anthamatten (sUi), Aurélien ducroz (FrA), reine Barkered (sWe) and henrik Windstedt (sWe). each one knew they had to give it their all in order to edge out their competitors. ducroz came out unequivocally on top with an extraordinarily aggressive run. But the big surprise was Anthamatten from the Valais, who ranked second overall, a remarkable feat for his rookie appearance! de Le rue shone once more at Verbier, where he won, but finished third overall, conceding the top snowboard title to the Austrian Mitch tölderer.

the women re-joined the FWt team for the final event, and the swede Jan-ette hargin sped by the American Angel Collinson to clench the world title, while the Franco-swiss Anne-Flore Marxer won in the snowboard category.

And so it was that the best riders of the 2011 Freeride World tour and the qualifying races won their golden tickets for 2012. Next year’s program has yet to be unveiled, but we can be sure that the roughest and toughest slopes will be there, challenging the best of the best to take them on to the delight of the fans.

Final rankinGSFwt 2011

Ski menAurélien Ducroz (FrA)World ChampionSamuel Anthamatten (sUi)Jérémy Prévost (FrA)

SnowBoarD menMitch Tölderer (AUt)World ChampionFlo Orley (AUt)Xavier de le Rue (FrA)

Ski womenJanette Hargin (sWe) World ChampionAngel Collinson (UsA)Janina Kuzma (NZL)

SnowBoarD womenAnne-Flore Marxer (FrA/sUi) World ChampionLiz Kristoferitsch (AUt)Ursula Wohlschlager (AUt)

freerideg Nissan Freeride de Chamonix- Mont-Blanc 2011 by Swatch :Aurélien Ducroz.

ff Nissan Xtreme Verbier 2011 by Swatch : Aurelien Ducroz.

f Swatch Big Mountain Fieberbrunn 2011 by Nissan : Jeremy Prevost.

d Nissan Xtreme Verbier 2011by Swatch.

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The Chamoniard hoists the title of world champion for the second time in his career, leaving his rivals panting after his exceptional run during the Verbier finals. Highlights from the 2011 Freeride World Tour.

Aurélien Ducroz riDes to the top of the ski

thirty degrees | 57


,Once more, the giantXtour lived up to its name. the 14th finals, which took place last March in Leysin, were a “giant”

hit. this interschool competition for swiss apprentices and gymna-sium students, which brings together snowboard (boardercross and Big Air) and ski (skicross and Big Air), had a great set of results in 2011, as explained by Philippe Wenger, its founder: “it was a fantastic year. there’s been an impressive increase in the average skill level in Big Air, both on skis and snowboards, which was all the more evident in the skicross event. it’s hard to say for sure, but perhaps this is due to a “post-Olympic effect” and Mike schmid’s title. there are still many skiers on the traditional circuits who are re-adjusting and finding their feet with skicross. On the other hand, the level of snowboard cross has hit a bit of a plateau.”

A pivOtAl yeArAccording to the giantXtour co-organizer, this season also serves as a pivotal year for the event thanks to a sharp increase in awareness within germanic switzerland. Open&Pro, giantXtour’s little sister that is open to skicross and board-ercross lovers ages 13 and up (no upper age limit), has enjoyed similar success, to the point that Philippe Wenger has already announced that next year an additional stage will be added to the event held in the grisons, bringing the total to three. it appears that the giantXtour will have many more opportunities to be giANt!

More info at www.giantxtour.ch

the GiantXtourFor the 14th time, this national interschool event that combines snowboard (boardercross and Big Air) and ski (skicross and Big Air) proved yet again to be a resounding success. The 2011 results are in, presented by the competition’s founder, Philippe Wenger.

giAntXtOur 2011 winnerSthe winners of each category are awarded contracts with giantXtour’s main sponsors. this year’s winners are:

Skicross girls: Claudia grob, KBZ saint-gall.Skicross boys: timothé henzi, eCCg sierre.Snowboardcross girls: stefanie rieder, gymnasium interlaken.Snowboardcross boys: erik Bullens, CPLN Berne.Big Air ski girls: Camillia Berra, st-Maurice.Big Air ski boys: Alex Chabot, Monthey.Big Air snowboard girls: Célia Petrig, stiftsschule einsiedeln.Big Air snowboard boys: Nils Loye, Valais.

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,on March 8 to 10, the Falquet brothers, aka “huck and Chuck,” organized a freeride camp for youngsters wanting to get

to know the realities of shooting an outdoor sports movie. its purpose was to familiarize the participants with the different aspects of this type of filmmaking: safety, filming, and of course, athletic perform-ance. these three highly educational days on the slopes also resulted in a web episode that was broadcast on huck and Chuck tV. that’s how thirty-plus skiers and snowboarders, from ages 12 to 22, found themselves in the Marécottes, lucky enough to have this unique opportunity. “We had to turn a few people down because they were over the age limit; but otherwise, we took in all candidates who signed up and presented their application,” explains Loris Falquet at the start of the first day. it’s the first of its kind. Four mountain guides, along with two photographers and two cameramen, make up the team overseeing the participants, who are split into four groups at the start of the day. Quickly brouGht up to speedit doesn’t take long for the budding riders to be thrust into action. After a quick briefing, each group joins a filming or safety workshop. Loris sets off from the top of the trails with some of the participants for a tiring 45-minute climb to reach the top of a small couloir. hauling skis on their packs the group trudges through the heavy powder, single file. sébastien giroux, 17, lives in salvan (Vs). “it’s worth making a climb like this when you know what’s waiting on the way down,” he explains while trying to catch his breath. “the Falquet brothers are very well known in these parts, and it’s fun to participate in a camp like this with them.” “the kids don’t have much of an idea of what our daily lives are like,” explains Loris Falquet as he makes a line towards a patch of fresh powder. “those who watch our movies think that we spend our days tracing long lines through the powder, whereas the reality is completely different. in 12 years of skiing, i’ve never shot a feature film. Just a 5-minute short takes almost a season of shooting. “

no fearA team of youngsters from Finhaut stand on the summit, attentively listening to instructions given by steven, the guide, and Loris, who is standing a bit further down, camera in hand. estelle Lugon, 15, launches down a steep passage. she jumps, carves a hard right to make the snow fly, and lands in the middle of the corridor. the young rider’s confidence is impressive. “OK, you can go back up for another run,” Loris tells him. the sun begins to beat on the slopes, and the group find it necessary to move to the next couloir to find snow still untouched by its rays. despite the fatigue, nobody complains; the young riders don’t hesitate to climb back up again to link their runs. during the lunch break, the youngsters gather around and talk about their experiences. some have stayed at the foot of the couloir where they’re being trained in avalanche rescue. stéphane hottinger watches his team dig through the snow in search of a hidden AVd (avalanche victim detector). Beep, beep, beep ... the search moves along at a steady pace, and the exercise almost seems like fun. “the new devices make it possible to find victims very quickly, even when there are several of them. these kids are from the iPhone generation and adapt to new equipment very quickly,” explains the guide. “this type of exercise provides them with awareness in a number of areas. i’m convinced that all off-piste skiers should take a course like this; if we as pros do, it certainly seems necessary for amateurs as well. “

In early March, thirty or so young riders took part in a freeride camp hosted by the Falquet brothers, relishing the opportunity for a taste of what it’s like behind the scenes with “Huck and Chuck.”

an experience worth repeatinGhaving eaten lunch, each team heads back up the slopes. One group cuts through the snow to do some profile analysis, while another looks for a nice line in a small mass of rock just above the trails. Martin, 12, the youngest of the participants, shows amazing determination as he keeps up with the rest. he refuses help to carry his skis, and unflinchingly commits himself to the couloir. “Let yourself slide down over there, make your turn here and then link to that landing below.” the instructions are followed to the t and the descent goes without a hitch to the sound of clicks from Myriam’s camera. the evening is spent watching and discussing the day’s footage and pho-tos. At the end of the three days, Nicolas Falquet congratulates the team, and promises that the camp will be hosted again in the future. “there is definitely demand. We will analyze this initial event and make improve-ments for next time.” the next instalment is likely to attract even more participants. stay tuned so as not to miss the announcement for Freeride Camp number 2!

www.huckandchuck.com

A real Mecca for freeriders, the Maré-

cottes not only have an outstanding backdrop, there are also countless

couloirs for amateurs of this discipline. You

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i Loris Falquet wouldn’t miss the opportunity to get behind the camera while coaching the budding riders.

p Despite the lack of fresh snow, the youngsters received advice from the professionals to find the best spots.

s Digital single lens reflex cameras (DSLR) are now commonly usedfor filming.

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Text°°° Giovanni Quirici Photos°°° Evrard WEndEnbaum

,The Gruyère symbolises the harmony between man and nature, it’s like being in a fairy tale. Once we

leave the Charmey baths and the culinary specialities of Jaun, the gastlosen, meaning “the inhospitable”, awaits the climbers who have decided to continue on their way towards new high-rising challenges. this long limestone mountain range, nicknamed “the little dolo-mites” is a 400m high, 15 km long ridge on the borders of the Berne, Fribourg and Vaud cantons. it bears the scars of the devil’s remorse. the story goes that one day the devil threw his grandmother over the mountain. however, he realised the gravity of his act and made a hole in the rock to retrieve her. the hole is known as the grossmutterloch, an opening in the Petites sattelspitzen range. there seems to be no end to the legends surrounding this area.Climbers began ascending here in 1975, on the north face of the grand Pfad. two years later, the first aided ascents were attempted. erhard Loretan, the 3rd person to climb all fourteen 8000 metre peaks was

The world renowned climber has succeeded in linking the first free ascent of the Yeah Man route (8b+, 7b obl.330m) in Gastlosen. He tells us about his incredible one-day feat, which he pulled off after several attempts.

one of the first to ascend the 300 metre high wall. in the next few years, other routes were opened for aided-climbing. the yeah Man route was fully equipped in 1999 and ready for free climbing. the first four pitches were finished rapidly. however, it was not until the summer of 2004 that all pitches were freed. After that, a few teams attempted to ascend the wall. to no avail...

SEvEral aTTEmpTSin september 2008, guy scherrer, a mountain guide, took me to the face but it was already quite late in the season. After the first four pitches (7a+, 7c, 7b+, 7c), the going began to get tough. the first time round, i went straight on to the very technical 8a+ which has a high resistance segment with no footholds on the final traverse. the next pitch (rated 8a) was more of a problem. After a few attempts, i adopted a dynamic method, slightly rotating the tip of my toe to get to a good hold. At the end of the sixth pitch, we reached a ledge that was wide enough to sit on comfortably and gather our strength. i threw a piece of bread, which was swiftly caught by an Alpine Chough. the pitch af-ter the ledge, a 7c+ overhang, ended with a dodgy foothold and a good right arm bar. And at that point it started looking really hard. the eighth pitch is pure stamina 8b+, 300 metres above ground level, with a smooth rock face at the end. After four attempts, i finally managed the last pitch. Unfortunately, it was already too cold to try and link all the pitches.i returned with my friend Pablo Moghini from ticino in June 2009, just before an expedition to Kirghizstan. We set up fixed ropes and then practiced the pitches a little. it all fell into place quite quickly. i ascended the first four pitches. then the next two. i had a frugal snack

opens up a new avenueGiovanni Quirici

in GruyErErock climbing

Giovanni Quirici on the crux of the Yeah Man,an 8b+ involving 50m of sheer stamina.

The north face of the Gastlosen mountain range

62 | thirty degrees

perched on the ledge and then attacked the 7th pitch. i did it! the end was in sight. i began the eighth pitch. i was already thirty five metres above ground. the dream of completing the whole route in one day seemed close to coming true but the most uncertain passages were yet to come. Our arms were beginning to seize up. the first five millime-tres of my middle and ring fingers were gripping a little hold. the tip of my left foot was pushed up against a tiny grip. i stretched to grab a little hole with the tip of my forefinger. i was on the brink of succeed-ing. But i’d practically reached my limit and felt my hands opening. Nothing doing. i found myself 10 metres below, hanging on the rope. i failed and yet i was filled with joy. i now knew it was possible.A few days later, i still had the time to give it one more go. And there i was again, 300 metres off the ground, in the same place i fell last time. this time i didn’t fall but had to balance on a bolt to stay on the face. so near and yet so far.

pracTicE makES pErfEcTLate in July 2010 Pablo and i managed to fix up the static ropes in two days. As a musician friend says, to play a piece perfectly, you have to work at it really hard, then leave it a bit and when you come back to it something magical happens. i have the feeling that each hold on this face has become a note. each hold is like a note that has to be played harmoniously and in the right tempo so as to play the piece without coming askew. the key to success is in synchronisation. We sit on the ledge, 250 metres above ground. the first six pitches are behind us. After the 7th pitch, i put all my back into the 8b+ and stick to the face as if i were riding a wave of rock. All my consciousness is in the tips of my toes as i concentrate on pushing them upwards. My arms hang onto to the tiniest juts in the rock to help guide my movements. you can’t stay on holds like that for very long. My whole being is projected onwards and upwards. there is no room for the past. i have to seize the strength of the present. i shift my right heel onto an edge which enables me to shake my arms a little. i do the splits. the key to suc-cess is knowing how to dose your strength. i calmly grip the two tiny holds before me. the end of the route seems close. the joy rising up inside me spurs me on. i feel like crying, want to thank everyone who has helped me. the last 7a pitch. And that’s it. there are flashes in the twilight sky. Fireworks! it’s the 1st August, switzerland’s National day. thanks yeah Man!

Giovanni Quirici trying to find the next hold on the Yeah Man route (see red line)



,the love-struck “folly” of long-distance endurance running is spreading. As swift as the trails over which they

pass, these races boasting preposterous distances are currying the kind of favour in switzerland that they’ve enjoyed elsewhere in europe for some time. New courses are established or confirmed (see text box), and new runners are being bitten with the bug of this sweet madness. Pablo Blanco, 36, is one of its many devotees. “these are runs where, above all else, you’re competing with your own limits,” he explains. “While the distances are longer than marathon runs, the fact that you’re running on trails instead of asphalt is easier on the joints, allowing you to recover more quickly. Bear in mind also that the average running time is often hardly better than that of a fast walker. For example, last year, including stops and walking in parts, it took me 27 hours to run the 110 km of the trail saint-Bernard Verbier, which is the only course longer than 100 km run entirely within switzerland. that wasn’t a very good time, as i had to deal with rain as well. But it’s about more than the running time. these tests of ultimate endurance, usually held in mountain-ous regions, offer incredible and unforgettable views.”the third instalment of the trail Verbier saint-Bernard (tVsB), to be held July 2nd and 3rd, and this time sporting a “military” category, stands as proof of the increased interest in these races. 884 runners left the starting block last year. Will there be more this year? the organizers won’t give hard numbers, but confirmed that the number of people signing up in advance was following a similar trend to

This summer, the Valais will play host to this long-distance running event for the third time. The Swiss calendar for this kind of event is filling out nicely by the year, and the ranks of the faithful are swelling. The growth of the Trail Saint-Bernard Verbier epitomizes the increased interest in what could be called a Swiss phenomenon.

SPORT

Trail Verbier SainT-bernard, act III

f ‘La Fouly – Start of the Traversée, and

part of the course for runners doing

La Boucle – the 49th kilometre for trail

runners leaving Verbier at 5 am’

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66 | thirty degrees

three more SwiSS trailS

The Dents-du-Midi Trail (60 km long with 4700 meters of verti-cal rise), will kick off its trial run on september 18, 2011. seewww.traildm.ch for details.

Those enduring the Absinthe Trail (75 km), pioneer of swiss long-distance trail running, will leave the starting block on June 17 and 18, 2011. More info available at www.defi-vdt.ch.

The Brooks Trail in the Vallée de Joux (50 km with 2600 meters of vertical rise) will hold its second race on sunday, May 22, 2011 (see www.trailvalleedejoux.ch).

2010. the number of participants is limited to 1500—500 for La Boucle (100 km with 7000 meters of vertical rise), and 1000 for the traversée (61 km with 400 meters of vertical rise). “We don’t want to grow too quickly and run the risk of endangering the safety of the runners or spoiling the welcome provided,” explains tiphaine Artur, co-director of the event. “We’ve already doubled the number of participants compared with the first and second events, which has meant changing the way the race is organized. thus we’ve had to set limits for now.”

an earlier StartLike its runners, tVsB is on a course that will take it to the top at its own pace—slow but steady. it doesn’t overestimate its strength, and it learns from its previous experiences. that’s why the traversée race will start two hours earlier this year, at 10 am. “this was at the request of the runners,” explains tiphaine Artur. “they avoid start-ing out in the heat of the day, and don’t have to wait around until midday to get going. it also winds up the race earlier—which in 2010 was usually between 10 pm and 2 am—which means that there will be more people at the finish line to greet the later arrivals. “We’re improving communication between the guides and the race director by equipping them with satellite phones. We’re also increasing the number of guides at critical parts of the trail where there’s a greater chance of accidents in bad weather, such as the Col de Fenêtre, the Col des Chevaux and in the Combe de drône. Also, in order to allow hikers to enjoy the superb course of the trail Verbier

saint-Bernard in several stages, as well as to make it possible for those who have signed up for the race to scout out the course ahead of time, we’ve partnered with Valrando to permanently mark the course—that will take place in early June.” Judging by the success of the trail Verbier saint-Bernard, long-dis-tance running events aren’t about to run out of breath any time soon.

More information on the trail Verbier saint-Bernard, along with the dates of the scouting trips coordinated by the event organizers, can be found at http://www.trailvsb.com.

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AsiA. HimAlAyAs.AnnApurnA 100: THe ulTrA nepAl.running alongside the highest range on the planet, eyes fixed on a ridge more than 8,000 meters high, this 100 km course will take you along the famous trekking trails that cross the Annapurna mountains. the race leaves from Pokhara, Nepal’s most beautiful town with its lake humbly sitting at the feet of monumental blocks of rock and ice, winding its way through trails and villages to the mountain heights. the Annapurna 100 has it all: unforgettable views of mountain peaks, fresh forest trails, and quaint traditional villages. it’s certainly the only race where you’ll get a tikka on your forehead at the 20th kilometre, along with a khata around your neck. you’ll find yourself submerged in the hindu/Buddhist culture of Nepal, as climbing the Annapurnas is as much about discovering a mountain that is alive and full of smiles as it is about a yomp up to the heights. the race takes place each year on January 1st. it’s certainly one of the most original ways to ring in the New year, and the effort required is on par with the beauty of the circuit!

January 1, 2012. 50, 70 or 100 km. Nepal. http://annapurna100.com/fr/

EXPLORE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINSIN THE WORLD WHILE...

Trail running is booming and mountain peaks are the terrain of choice for those runners wishing to push themselves to the limit. Running trails that are enough to challenge the hardiest runner are also those that open a realm of discovery of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world. A bird’s-eye view of the most beautiful peaks hos-ting long-distance running events today.

Ten oTHer rAces To THe Top:

La Diagonale des fous,the great race of Réunion.the race criss-crosses this island mountain in the heart of the indian Ocean. 160 km, October 13 to 16.www.grandraid-reunion.com/

Hardrock-100. Colorado. USA.the highest race in the U.s., parts of which run at an altitude of 4,500 m.160 km, July 8.www.hardrock100.com/

Kinabalu Climbathon. Borneo, Malaysia. the most famous mountain race in Asia, to the top of Mount Kinabalu.21 km, October 22 to 23.http://climbathon.sabahtourism.com/2011/main.php?page=2climbathon.sabahtourism.com/

Mount Fuji Ultra Trail, Japan.160 km around the legendary Japanese volcano.160 km, May 21 and 22. http://www.ultratrailmf.com/

Mount Cameroon, Cameroon.this ascent to the top of the volcano named “Chariot of the gods” by the locals is perhaps the most extraordinary race on the planet. 55 km and 8,000 m of vertical gain. February.

Grand Raid des Pyrénées, France.An awesome crossing of the French Pyrenees. 160 km, August 24 to 28.www.grandraidpyrenees.com/

Huay Huash Trail, Peru.A race held in stages through the most beau-tiful range in Peru. 200 km, July 1 to 18. amac973.nuxit.net/gt973/

La Mision, Argentina.A true wilderness adventure through the heart of Patagonia. 150 km, end of November.http://axandes.voila.net/mission.htm

Transgrancanaria, Canary Islands, Spain.Coast-to-coast race across the largest of the Canary islands.123 km, March.http://www.transgrancanaria.net/

Kepler Challenge, New Zealand.the most famous trail in New Zealand.60 km, december 3.www.keplerchallenge.co.nz/

AfricA. THe cenTrAl HigH ATlAs.ulTrA TrAil ATlAs ToubkAl: morocco. THe new mounTAin HoT-spoT.Only a three-hour flight away from geneva but worlds apart, the toub-kal massif is unquestionably the new pearl on the planet’s string of running trails. single tracks hug the sides of the highest mountain in North Africa as they circle around to perfection, crossing flourishing and well-preserved Berber villages, and offering spectacular views of the mountains and their singular ochre-coloured rocks. you’ll find that Morocco isn’t just about deserts. the organizers of the UtAt hope to create the “African UtMB” while capturing the uniqueness of the host country through the renowned Moroccan hospitality and the exploration of this range that is home to the Berber culture. it’s a journey of discovery, full of colours, spices, sweat and determination along 105 km of terrain and 6,500 meters of vertical gain. it’s an exciting challenge for Atlas trekkers, and some of the greatest running champions will be there at the start of the third race, inclu-ding Mohamad Ahansal, multiple winner of the sahara Marathon des sables, as well as the Nepalese runner dawa dacchiri sherpa.

October 6 and 7, 2011. 25, 42 and 105 km. Morocco.http://www.atlas-trail.com/

europe: frencH, swiss And iTAliAn Alps. THe ulTrA TrAil monT blAnc: THe clAssic of All clAssics.Launched in 2003, it didn’t take long for this race to become a true legend. its inaugural run, along a legendary hiking trail that winds around the highest peak in western europe, made its mark on history because of the weather conditions, an efficient team of organizers, a whole host of willing volunteers, and the fact that a mere 60 runners crossed the finish line out of a field of 1000. the UtMB had all the ingredients to take top spot among mountain running events.since then, this challenge, which is held every last weekend in August, attracts thousands of runners from around the world eager to reach their “personal everest”: Complete the non-stop 166 km circuit in less than 46 hours, over 9,000 meters of vertical gain and decline in an attempt to run with the greatest champions of this discipline in search of the most prestigious win on the mountain running circuit. it’s an extraordinary challenge, now seconded by other events in the Alps run over shorter distances (the shortest being the 98 km Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix run). With many teams participating each year, it’s the greatest weekend trail running event in the world.

August 22 to 28. 160 km. France, italy, switzerland. www.ultratrailmb.com/

f Running as close as you can get to the peaks, crossing ver-

tiginous bridges: the magical nature of trail

running in Nepal.

d Climatic conditions n ot to be taken lightly

– here on the Gran Canaria they are an

essential facet of trail running.

p Almost walking on air, rocky trails

underfoot, with the sky stretching out for

miles around.

s The Atlas Moun-tains, with their

ochre-coloured earth, and trails requiring a

high level of skills; the great new place for

trail running.

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rides for allNeNdaz Text°°° AlbAn Aubert

Photos°°° PAtrice Schreyer

,the Valais resort of haute-nendaz has made a very good name for itself among families, but has yet to earn its

stripes as a top-flight mountain-biking destination. Nevertheless, it already offers a variety of opportunities which appeal to a wide range of clientele. With its sweeping glacier views and great day rides, it has more than enough types of terrain to make it the envy of any mountain resort. And as for the village itself, it has all the amenities you would expect so if bad weather hits, you’ll have no problems keeping busy!to kick off your explorations, head for the cable car located in the middle of the village, which provides access to the two downhill slopes that are specifically family-friendly. if you are an experienced rider, however, you may not find it challenging enough for your lik-ing, but the tracks are perfect for those who aren’t used to mountain biking, including those who have perhaps just rented a mountain bike for the day to try out something new. Both trails have the same departure (tracouet) and arrival (Nendaz) points, but one passes through Prarion, while the other makes its way through siviez. the tour is very well explained in the “Mountain Bik-ing” brochure published by the tourist information office— reflecting the professionalism of the resort, and setting an example for others to follow.

Off-rOAd. dOwnhill. endurAnce. Freeriders seeking a worthy trail will not be disappointed either. At tracouet take the trail which heads off towards the lake, and then the first right. From then on, keep your eyes peeled so as not to miss the turns. the trail isn’t signposted, but it’s the most beautiful ride in the area surrounding the resort. the best part is arguably the ride to Pra da dzeu, down a beautiful single-track trail where you can literally feel nature flowing past you. (Map enthusiasts, you’ll find the trail on local maps with a 1:50 000 scale). if, on the other hand, a guided ride is more your style, Ben, who works as a guide at Neige Aventure, is your man. Wanting more? then head up for a day on the tour du Mont-Fort or the tour de la Printse. these two rides are plotted for endurance (mostly downhill, but with some sections requiring pedalling) and cut through the Four Valleys, allowing you to discover the lovely resorts of

mountain b iking

Nestled within the Four Val-leys, Haute-Nendaz stands out by offering families an oppor-tunity to experience downhill mountain biking in safety, without having to settle for a colourless ride. There’s even something for experienced riders too!

The Lac Noir is the starting point for the various trails.


Verbier, siviez, La tzoumaz and Veysonnaz. the trails are marked and you’ll also be provided with a detailed description of the route. it’s a great adventure, with both rides offering nearly 2500 meters of verti-cal drop and 400 to 600 meters of vertical rise. endurance junkies, fear not. you’ll be delighted by the “pro” version of the tour du Mont-Fort, which sports four times as many vertical rises to match your style! the Four Valleys have something to delight all mountain bike enthusiasts: downhill rides, endurance trails, and a total of ten lifts that will quickly get you up to the heights. And if you still haven’t had enough, just take the long ride down all the way to the valley. the trail starts just below the haute-Nendaz pool and ends up in Bieudron. this very challenging descent will delight experienced riders, who will no doubt take great pleasure in flying from one hairpin bend to the next. Note, though, that it is not recommended for newcomers to the sport. From the top of the gondola, no less than 1700 meters of downhill riding await you, and once you reach the bottom, another 30 minutes of cycling will bring you to sion. the route even provides a great half-way stopping point at iles—a lake near sion specifically fitted out for swimming—where you can enjoy a refreshing dip or even a barbeque if you’ve planned ahead. What a great way to finish off the day!

p Seb Dassi on a tricky section.

s The magnificent forest just before arri-

ving at Pra da Dzeu.

p p Alban Aubert takes to the air on the

‘expert’ run.

074 | thirty degrees

infO: http://www.nendaz.ch/tourisme/vtt.html

lift PriceS: Nendaz: 27 francs.the Four Valleys: 44 francs.tour du Mont-Fort: 30 francs.

GOinG Out: the gourmet restaurant Le Mont-rouge will appeal to those with fine tastes. tel: 079/634.49.62, www.mont-rouge.ch

those who prefer a cosy atmosphere will enjoy the restaurant du Mont-Fort, tel: 027/288.26.16,www.hotelmontfort.ch/fr/resto.html

For local specialties, check out La Cabane, tel: 027/288.20.11

Or if a party’s your thing, don’t miss the Cactus saloon (open Wed-nesdays and saturdays), tel: 027/288.31.32 http://www.ocactus.com

AccOmmOdAtiOn:hôtel Mont-Fort, tel: 027/288.26.16www.hotelmontfort.ch/fr/hotel.html

Le Vieux Chalet (for those on a tighter budget), tel: 027/288.28.88, www.le-vieux-chalet.ch

rentAlS & rePAirS: Neige Aventure, tel: 027/288.31.31, www.onthemountain.ch.they also have great guides!

p Seb Dassi hurtling around the first bends on

the variant for experienced riders.

s Seb Dassi hot on the heels of Alban Aubert, at the

Tracouet peak.

a The first few kicks of the pedal, with surrounding

4000-metre peaks as a backdrop.


,Trudging up mountains is something Denis Burdet became used to early on, caring for the cows on alpine

pastures throughout his childhood summer holidays. he’s felt at home up there ever since. Athletically built, he played all sorts of sports and rode motocross before discovering a knack for rock climbing during an encounter with regis dubois. Able to scale a 7a climbing grade without any special training, he quickly invested body and soul into this activity, which has since become his greatest passion. At 23 he was already preparing his first expedition to Baffin island with some friends. “At that time we were still at the improvi-sation stage. We learned a lot from the experience, even if our first attempt to scale the North tower of Mount Asgard ended in failure after 15 days on the face.” the band of friends would not be deterred by their initial attempt, and returned the following year to finish the job and open up the inukshuk route to the peak.

Next was Patagonia, with a first attempt on Fitz roy and another on torres del Paine. After tackling greenland and Madagascar, denis decided to change careers. Originally a microtechnical engineer, it was upon his return from Africa that he decided to make a living out of his passion. “When i worked in an office, i was always on the wrong side of the window. even though i was able to regularly em-bark on expeditions, it wasn’t enough for me.” even so, it was a risky transition. “going into the mountains by yourself and taking clients are two very different things.” in hindsight, he’s happy to have made such a bold move. “As a guide, there’s an immediate sense of satis-faction when you come back from an expedition. that’s something i greatly appreciate. “

his new profession has allowed him to get to know the Alps better, and he’s discovered many new facets. A huge fan of great climbing routes and distant lands, he’s continued to make expeditions to places as far-flung as the yukon, Pakistan and india. At the same time, he’s opened up some tremendous routes in his own country, in-cluding into the Wild on the Wetterhorn in 2009. “the current trend in alpine climbing is to favour the best direct lines, instead of trying to get to the peak at all costs. i share that view, and use that approach when climbing.”

Full of his subject and lifestyle, denis Burdet is already thinking of new projects, but his greatest wish is to be able to continue doing the profession he loves. his plans include a route in the gastlosen, as well as some classics in the Chamonix region, scaled freestyle. An-tarctica is also on the radar as a possible future destination, though that hasn’t been decided yet.

www.denisburdet.ch

An outstanding rock climber with numerous expeditions under his belt, Denis Burdet is as much at home on Baffin Island or Patagonia as he is in the Alps. Not your typical mountain guide! Just back from Fitz Roy, which he scaled this winter with his wife, the 40-year old from Neuchâtel offers a modest and passionate look at a rare and rich twenty year career.

Denis BurDetFrom BaFFin island to Patagonia

Text°°° VincenT Gillioz

p Fitz Roy70m wall

s ArgentinaBariloche Frey

pp The Eiger, before skiing down

the west face

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77 | DREISSIG GRAD

,Denis Burdet kletterte bereits als kleiner Junge, als er in den Sommerferien auf der Alp Kühe hütete, über kleine und

grosse Felsen und fühlt sich seither in den Bergen zuhause. Der sportlich veranlagte Neuenburger startete in der Leichtathletik und im Motocross, bevor er bei einer Begegnung mit Régis Dubois seine Begabung für das Klettern entdeckte. Er schaffte 7a-Längen, ohne sich speziell darauf vorzubereiten und verschrieb sich schon bald mit Haut und Haaren dem Sport, der heute seine grosse Leidenschaft ist. Mit 23 Jahren bereitete er mit seinen Freunden die erste Expedition auf die Baffininsel vor. „Damals wurde noch viel improvisiert“, erinnert er sich. „Wir haben enorm viel entdeckt und Erfahrungen gesammelt, auch wenn unser erster Versuch am Mount-Asgard-Nordturm nach 15-tätigem Aufstieg scheiterte.“ Die Freunde liessen sich nicht entmutigen und kehrten ein Jahr später zu-rück, um die Arbeit zu beenden und die Inukshuk-Route bis zum Gipfel zu eröffnen.

Es folgten ein erster Besteigungsversuch am Fitz Roy und ein anderer am Torres del Paine in Patagonien, bevor es ihn weiter zog nach Grönland und Madagaskar, wo er einen zukunftsweisenden Entschluss fasste. Der Ingenieur in Mikrotechnik entschied sich, seine Leidenschaft zum Beruf zu machen und setzte das Vorhaben nach seiner Rückkehr aus Afrika auch gleich um. „Als ich im Ingenieurbüro arbeitete, war ich immer auf der falschen Seite des Fensters. Ich hatte zwar die Möglichkeit, regelmäs-sig auf Expeditionen zu gehen, doch das reichte mir nicht.“ Obwohl er wusste, dass sein beruflicher Wechsel auch Risiken birgt, denn „allein in die Berge zu gehen oder Kunden mitzunehmen sind zwei verschiedene Paar Schuhe“, trotzdem ist er heute noch froh über die mutige Entschei-dung. „Als Bergführer stellt sich für mich sofort nach der Rückkehr ein unglaubliches Gefühl der Genugtuung ein. Das schätze ich ungemein“, so Burdet.

Durch seinen neuen Beruf lernte er die Alpen näher kennen, an denen er viele unbekannte Facetten entdeckte. Während seiner Ausbildung be-stieg er sogar seinen ersten alpinen Viertausender. Seine grosse Liebe gilt aber den grossen Routen und den fernen Ländern, weshalb es ihn auch ins kanadische Yukon-Territorium, nach Pakistan und nach Indien zog. Parallel dazu unternahm er mehrere Erstbegehungen und eröffnete unter anderem die „Into the wild“-Route am Wetterhorn (2009). „Der aktuelle Trend im Alpinismus geht hin zu schönen, direkten Routen, es geht we-niger darum, um jeden Preis den Gipfel zu erreichen. Ich kann mich mit dieser Philosophie identifizieren. Sie steht auch bei mir im Vordergrund.“

Denis Burdet fühlt sich in seinem neuen Leben pudelwohl und hat auch schon einige neue Projekte ins Auge gefasst. Sein Hauptanliegen aber besteht darin, seinen Beruf weiterhin nach seinem Wunsch ausüben zu können. Als nächstes stehen eine Route in den Gastlosen und einige Klassiker im Freiklettern in Chamonix auf dem Programm. Und vielleicht kommt auch noch eine Expedition in die Antarktis dazu.

www.denisburdet.ch www.protrek.eu

PRG-240-8ERCHF 349.–

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AuthenticStephan Siegrist and Pro Trek

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thirty degrees | 77

,Trudging up mountains is something Denis Burdet became used to early on, caring for the cows on alpine

pastures throughout his childhood summer holidays. he’s felt at home up there ever since. Athletically built, he played all sorts of sports and rode motocross before discovering a knack for rock climbing during an encounter with regis dubois. Able to scale a 7a climbing grade without any special training, he quickly invested body and soul into this activity, which has since become his greatest passion. At 23 he was already preparing his first expedition to Baffin island with some friends. “At that time we were still at the improvi-sation stage. We learned a lot from the experience, even if our first attempt to scale the North tower of Mount Asgard ended in failure after 15 days on the face.” the band of friends would not be deterred by their initial attempt, and returned the following year to finish the job and open up the inukshuk route to the peak.

Next was Patagonia, with a first attempt on Fitz roy and another on torres del Paine. After tackling greenland and Madagascar, denis decided to change careers. Originally a microtechnical engineer, it was upon his return from Africa that he decided to make a living out of his passion. “When i worked in an office, i was always on the wrong side of the window. even though i was able to regularly em-bark on expeditions, it wasn’t enough for me.” even so, it was a risky transition. “going into the mountains by yourself and taking clients are two very different things.” in hindsight, he’s happy to have made such a bold move. “As a guide, there’s an immediate sense of satis-faction when you come back from an expedition. that’s something i greatly appreciate. “

his new profession has allowed him to get to know the Alps better, and he’s discovered many new facets. A huge fan of great climbing routes and distant lands, he’s continued to make expeditions to places as far-flung as the yukon, Pakistan and india. At the same time, he’s opened up some tremendous routes in his own country, in-cluding into the Wild on the Wetterhorn in 2009. “the current trend in alpine climbing is to favour the best direct lines, instead of trying to get to the peak at all costs. i share that view, and use that approach when climbing.”

Full of his subject and lifestyle, denis Burdet is already thinking of new projects, but his greatest wish is to be able to continue doing the profession he loves. his plans include a route in the gastlosen, as well as some classics in the Chamonix region, scaled freestyle. An-tarctica is also on the radar as a possible future destination, though that hasn’t been decided yet.

www.denisburdet.ch

Loïc

Bég

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78 | thirty degrees

BudapestHistory and tHe modern age

79 | thirty degrees

Text°°° Jeffrey Tirman

,Budapest, with its 1.7 million inhabitants, is capti-vating, welcoming, and elegant. its prestigious heritage, rich

cultural life, magnificent Art Nouveau monuments, numerous palaces housing thermal baths, beautiful boulevards, as well as its traditional coffee houses and bustling bistros, justify the city’s nickname of “Paris of the east”.

HisTorical BudaBudapest is historically two cities separated by the danube: Buda and Pest. And it is on its western side, Buda, that our journey begins with a climb up Castle hill, crowned by the majestic Buda Castle and its historic district, designated a World heritage site by UNesCO. stroll-ing through its streets, we enjoy the vestiges of gothic architecture, Baroque ornamentation, and ancient coats of arms, giving a contrast-ing and audacious mood to the city. Plucking up our courage, we head down a maze carved into the mountain that hides a multitude of caves and cellars (to be honest, it’s not exactly a comforting place). Buda was occupied in 1541 by the turks, who destroyed much of the exist-ing city and built anew. despite the destruction, it’s to them that we owe the many thermal baths that today are one of the cornerstones of Budapest’s tourist landscape. in fact, there are no less than 123 thermal springs scattered throughout the city. the opportunity this presents for relaxation cannot be passed up, and it’s thus that we head off to the famous gellert baths, an architectural masterpiece built and opened in 1918, along with its eponymous hotel.

The pearl of the Danube offers a sophisticated blend of past, present and future. Numerous historical monuments and attractions can be enjoyed alongside trendy galleries and cultural events. The Hungarian capital is the perfect place to combine relaxing moments in a thermal bath with fascinating tours of the city and its surroundings.

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transports us to another time, so much so that we half-expect to see its former distinguished resident appear at any moment. to our great dismay, there’s not enough time to reach szentendre this time around, but the picturesque town will certainly be on the agenda for our next visit. it would be a shame indeed to miss savouring its historic charm and to see even a fraction of its two dozen museums—each of which in itself would make the trip worthwhile. Of note among them is the Margit Kovács museum, where adorable ceramic figurines made by the hungarian artist of the same name (1902-1977) are on display; or the szabó Marzipan Museum, where one can examine the wonders of marzipan in nearly any form. And for those lovers of good vintages, the National Wine Museum is not to be missed. With such a lavish bounty of traditional and modern attractions, activities and opportunities for recreation, a trip to Budapest flies by much too quickly. the city and its romantic surroundings are enticing, and we’re eager to return and succumb to its allure once more.

PracTical PoinTs

When to gohungary has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. For lakeside holidays, plan for May to september.

Getting thereswiss, Malev and easy Jet offer several weekly flights to Budapest (Ferihegy Airport), though it’s also possible to reach the hunga-rian capital by bus or train.

FormalitiesValid identity card or passport.

lively PesTsatiated with so much history, and physically rested, we cross the dan-ube to discover the eastern side of the city. Unlike its twin, Pest is flat, making it an ideal location for a broad variety of shopping streets. Pest also plays host to a wide range of cultural activities. Our visit to the Opera and the Palace of Arts, built in the postmodern era, are without doubt among the highlights of our trip. the city’s music festivals regu-larly attract a top-tier international crowd, granting Budapest a degree of exclusivity in this respect. Among them is the famous sziget rock festival, known far and wide, to which young people from all around the world flock each year.

design and nosTalgiaAs we make our way through the hungarian capital’s trendy and mod-ern boutiques, each step seems to bring us closer to shopping paradise. Lovers of clothes, shoes, bags and other custom accessories, with a penchant for the sometimes extravagant, look no further than the Bal-lon showroom and gallery, where five fashion designers have created an inviting and cosy little spot where they present their customers with a full wardrobe. the creations of the young hungarian fashion designers hold their own even among the names of more international renown. the short list of shops most in vogue these days includes Chee Chee, close to the Opera. And if the search is on for unique items and uncon-ventional trends, a detour to the Mono Fashion store is a must. As we approach the monthly street market, or Wasárnapi Müvészpiac (WAMP) in hungarian, we mingle with a crowd made up mostly of locals. there, amid a display of magnificent jewellery, paintings, fabrics, ceramics, glassware, toys and art made of recycled materials, some renowned galleries also exhibit their wares.

cHarming surroundingsWe haven’t even begun to exhaust the plethora of attractions that the city has to offer, but our trip will be soon coming to a close, and we don’t want miss the chance of also exploring its surroundings. due to a lack of time, we can only choose one of many possible excursions. the aristocratic heritage of hungary has left us more than 700 castles and fortresses, and so it’s to one of these superb properties that we head out. in the Baroque period, under the influence of the French and Viennese courts, noble families were locked in a battle to outdo each other by building palaces each more lavish than the next. thus was born the royal castle of gödöllö near Budapest, which was to become the favourite residence of empress sissi. Walking its halls and rooms

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Text°°° Gavin’s Clemente Ruiz

,We’re heading towards Havana, the island’s capital, aboard a “coco-taxi,” eager to discover Cuba and its varied

facets. the old quarter, or habana Vieja, transports us to the era of the spanish colonization with its old mansions, ancient buildings with iron-wrought balconies and doors painted blue, yellow or red. As the sun begins to set, its rays bathe the streets around us with a lovely charm. the scene is punctuated by a 1954 Chevrolet slowly making its way. We take in some window-shopping on calle Obispo before moving on to the Plaza de Armas, surrounded by government buildings and hunched grandfathers smoking cigars- one of the island’s hallmarks. A visit to a cigar factory is a must, even if only to admire some of the 170 steps of the production process. Aficionados will head straight to Vuelta Abajo, on the west side, where most of the cigars are made. Next, we wander amid the havana casas, and pass through the amazing Chinatown. it’s not hard to imagine the past glories of beautiful mansions such as those on the Plaza Vieja or near the Paseo Martí, with its lovely Art deco street lamps. time here seems to have stopped. We pause to take in the spirit of the city, surrounded by lovers, children, parents and other locals who come to talk, walk or bet on one of the city’s baseball teams—the Metropoli-tanos or the industriales. Let the games begin!

a festive atmospHeReWe are quickly whisked away to the nightclubs, iconic symbol of the flip side of Cuban life. We let ourselves go in a frenzied dance to tropical rhythms, carrying us through the Miramar or Vedado dis-tricts. there’s something for everyone, and all rhythms of music are to be found and relished, from tango to latin jazz to salsa. Above all, one should not miss the peñas, a type of local popular festival, where lively drumbeats set the crowds into a seemingly perpetual rhythmic motion. the rum is freely flowing too, especially havana Club. this drink—difficult to drink in moderation—is the island’s other pride and joy. rum, distilled since the 16th century, comes in light (white/

The first time Christopher Columbus set foot there, he cried out, “Man has never before seen such a beautiful land!” Over 500 years later, his claim still rings true when you arrive at the Caribbean island affectionately dubbed the “crocodile”, thanks to its elongated shape (1250 km long and 200 km wide).

a Tropical gemcuba silver), golden (amber) or dark. it’s served in a

cocktail, like the famous Cuba libre, or simply on the rocks. it’s said that rum was invented to give the pirates a boost of strength as they rav-aged the surrounding seas. today, a new type of pirate sets out on a quest for hidden treasures.

a dReam Come tRuefoR divinG fans. A little-known fact about Cuba is that it is part of an archipelago with a multitude of small islands, just waiting to be explored. All aboard! some of the best spots are the isle of youth, the historically famous Bay of Pigs, and especially María la gorda, off the western point. the seabed is rich in shipwrecks, and aquatic fauna will peacefully sidle up alongside your keel. the islands offer a wide range of challenges, enough to delight divers of all skill levels. On land, hikers will find their spirits lifted by lush landscapes; but should it be needed, the sea is never far away.

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tv,meet the

web

Text°°° Eric rivEra

,Smarting from a lukewarm reception to 3D Tvs, mostly due to a lack of compelling content, television makers

are attempting a comeback by adapting their cutting-edge sets to offer services similar to those wildly popular on smartphones. sony and samsung, amongst others, are betting on integrated systems that serve up applications, video-on-demand, web surfing, and interactive services with certain tV networks. speaking of applications, iPhone devotees have not been forgotten: social networks, news, weather, games, and other video portal apps, both free and paid for, will be available to download directly into your tV’s memory banks. have no fear—you can get your twitter fix during the commercial breaks! When it comes to V.O.d., users will have a range of feature films to choose

from, available in hd and streamed over the web rather than stored in the tV’s memory. Additionally, the tV’s built in features will give users access to the same types of broadcast services available with today’s set-top boxes, but with the added advantage of greater interactivity thanks to hbbtV. this standard allows users to click on-screen icons during a tV show, reducing even further the cord between television and internet content and satisfying the demand for greater user interactivity. Closer integration of the web with our tV screens seems to be the way of the future, including features such as the ability to flick a link from one’s smartphone over to the tV’s built-in browser from the comfort of one’s couch. Conversely, content can be handed over from the tV to the smart-phone turning the latter into a second screen—handy for those times when nature calls in the middle of your favourite show.

After an attempt to bring 3D into our living rooms, television set makers are pulling another card out of their sleeves. This time around they want to connect our TVs to the Internet and give us access to integrated services from the comfort of our couches.

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human-machineconnectivity

catches up withscience fiction.

When it comes to consumer computing inter-faces, there have been no great leaps forward

since 1984, when the first Macintosh computer introduced the world to the graphical interface

and the mouse. Until now.

Text°°° Eric rivEra

,While the long-reigning triumvirate of keyboard, mouse and gUi is not about to be dethroned any time soon

(particularly due to being well adapted to business tasks), significant research has been made into the interaction between man and ma-chine. While advances in voice recognition have proven successful, al-lowing the average computer user to dictate text directly into a compu-ter with relative efficiency, other means of cyber-interactivity hatched in the lab have so far not trickled down to us mere mortals. however, in recent years new ground has been broken with the arrival of touch screen technology, now in widespread use in smartphones and tablets, allowing us to dispense with styluses and simply use our fingers. But the future might lie with technology such as the Kinect, Micro-soft’s new controller for their XBox 360 games console, and which for the first time brings gesture recognition to our living rooms—the stuff of science fiction previously reserved for those with deep pockets or the military. some talented programmers are already pushing the envelope by turning this high-tech toy into a device capable of controlling one’s computer through gestures, similar to the futuristic portrayal of computing in the film “Minority report.”And this is only the beginning. Most of the major consumer electron-ics companies are also working with the technology. toshiba, for ex-ample, plan to bundle their new Airswing system into commercially available displays. the applications possible are almost endless, and the computing power needed is no greater than that already available in today’s smartphones. Now that it will soon be possible to control any device equipped with a webcam with a flick of the wrist, we can truly say that truth has finally caught up with fiction.

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must haveConduit2: WiiBrink: X360, Ps3, WiiDungeon Siege III: X360, Ps3, PCGod Eater Burst: PsPPatapon 3: PsPPlaystation Move Heroes: Ps3

Deus ex: human Revolutionone end, many pathsthe third release of a franchise first launched in 2000, deus ex human revolution has whet the appetite of FPs fans hooked on rPg sauce.

a hint of matrix thrusting the player into a futuristic detroit in the year 2027, this sequel’s plot delivers, with marvellous precision, on its main themes of chaos and conspiracy in a bleak future. As Adam Jensen, a hero not altogether unlike Neo from the Matrix trilogy of films, you play a game that cleverly blends first-person shooting with role playing and which allows you to use quite different approaches for each mission. heavy hitters who like to fight their way through can bash their way to the end; those who prefer a battle of wits and shrewd dialogue can complete their missions while hardly firing a shot. the approach adopted triggers an altogether different sequence of events, resulting in an exceptionally comprehensive level of gameplay. infiltration is one of the game’s main features, and a good deal of the plot and mini-games involve hacking computer systems.

Fight night ChampionK.o.When it comes to sports video games, eA has been at it for a long time. its titles regularly set the standard for boxing games, and Fight Night Champion is no exception. With superb graphics that bring the blows to life, the game also has a Champion Mode that allows you to live the adventure of a boxer making his way through a hollywood blockbuster script, rocky-style. you can also play a star like Ali or tyson, and there are new features like the “one punch KO” with which you can take out your opponent with a single blow. With tyson, that’s to be expected! An excellent game that will make you want to suit up for the ring.

A boxing game from EAavailable on X360 and PS3.

moRtal Kombatnot for the faint of heart.Mortal Kombat—the legendary fighting game that 15 years ago was king of the hill—is back and with a bloody bang! Broken bones, dismembered bodies and brutal beheadings are all just another day’s play in the hd release of the MK franchise. the original game’s best-loved ingredients are all there, with the addition of a nice cooperative mode that allows four to play together. the game will no doubt strike a responsive chord among mature, hardened fans of haemoglobin and gory endings.

A fighting game by Warner Interactive for mature audiences available on X360 and PS3.

DuKe nuKem FoReveRhe’s back — Finally! For years, duke Nukem Forever was the biggest vapourware story in the history of video games. First announced in 1997, the project had been postponed so many times that people lost count. But now fans of this first person shooter that started back in 1991 will finally get what they’ve been waiting so long for. Well known for his sense of humour, the tall blond hero with dark glasses is finally back, to the great delight of his devoted fans. After so many years of waiting, it’s a true pleasure to see the duke back in action in a release that is faithful to the spirit of its predecessors. don’t miss it!

A FPS from 2Kavailable on X360, PS3 and PC.

think before you shoot By adding a healthy dose of strategy to a well-crafted and addicting shoot’em up game, deus ex human revolution stands out from the crowd. Check it out.

A FPS from Square Enix available on PC, PS3 and X360.

poRtal 2more dimensionshighly popular with fans of strategy games, the first release of Portal was a breath of fresh air with its original concept of dimension-spanning portals. All you have to do is punch holes. easy, right? Not so fast.

two are better than onethe game’s concept was set down in its first release: the goal was to solve puzzles using a weapon that creates two portals, with a dimensional link between the two. the second release takes the concept a couple of steps further. Portal 2 introduces a multiplayer co-op mode, whereby the players, in the guise of two friendly little robots, work together to tackle increasingly challenging puzzles. For those who have a hard time wrapping their brain around working with two portals, Portal 2 opens up a whole new level of head-scratching with twice the number of doors!

puzzles served up with a spot of humourWell crafted and with innovative gameplay, Portal 2, like its older sibling, is sprinkled with commentary from the central computer which has a particularly dry and spicy sense of humour. Fans of strategy games will no doubt welcome these new challenges with open arms.

A puzzle/shooting game from EA available on PC, Mac, PS3 and X360.


the WitCheR 2: assassins oF Kingsa brilliant sequelthe initial release of the Witcher for PCs in 2007 was a standout among rPg games, triggering a flood of praises. in this second release, available on consoles as well, the adventure turns sublime.

geralt and the headless Kingsgeralt of rivia, the famed sorcerer, will this time face a conspiracy to put an end to the life of the crowned heads. While your choice of character is predetermined, how that character develops is completely up to you, both in terms of skills, including magic and potions, as well as the choices that you’re forced to make throughout the adventure, all of which have a considerable impact on the world around you. set in an unquestionably mature world, the dialogue isn’t for the prudish. Without spoiling the storyline, we can confirm that the fighting scenes are grandiose and the gameplay is fully immersive—as beautiful to watch as to take part in.

an Rpg must-haveWith its unique world, carefully crafted gameplay, stunning graphics, 16 different endings and 2:30 hours of cut scenes, the Witcher 2 sets a new standard for rPgs. do not miss!

An RPG game from Namco Bandai available on PC, PS3 and X360.

inFamous 2still as electrifying.Cole, the electric-arc wielding hero from the first release in this franchise is back, charged and ready for action. While the new release follows in the shoes of its predecessor, it hits a bull’s eye with its “bigger and better” mantra. this carefully crafted production with its immersive environment, great graphics and that awesome feeling you get when Cole wields his superhuman powers with ease, meshed with a storyline that is refreshingly original, rich and full of surprises, provides simply great gameplay. getting to be the electric superhero in this supercharged release is definitely well worth it.

An action game from Sony, available exclusively on PS3.

F.3.a.R.scared?F.3.A.r. is a paranormal first person shooter, set in a chaotic and fear-filled world. in single

player mode, a gamer can play Point Man, while in co-op mode a second gamer can play as Paxton Fettel, Point Man’s sworn enemy, who has a completely different fighting style. the fight for survival in the franchise’s unique horror-filled world is presented with frightening realism, and the game’s action scenes take full advantage of the specific skills of each of the characters, such Paxton Fettel’s powers of teleportation, or Point Man’s superhuman speed. Worth keeping an eye out for.

A horror FPS by Warner Interactive available on PC, PS3 and X360.

l.a. noiReDark investigationsL.A. Noire is a detective thriller that takes place in Los Angeles in the late 1940s, amid a post-war jumble of corruption, drugs and jazz. Four years in the making, this release cleverly combines action, investigation and a complex narrative which is centred on solving a series of gruesome murders. those who secretly harbour dreams of being the next Marlowe will be quickly hooked by the game’s captivating experience and carefully crafted script. A highly immersive interactive fiction that will delight fans of detective thrillers.

An adventure game from Rockstar available on PS3 and X360.


soCom: speCial FoRCesextreme action!dropped into the middle of a city in complete disarray and infested with terrorist enemies, your goal is to stay alive in the war into which you have been plunged headfirst by this new sOCOM release.

built for the playstation moveWhile special Forces remains a third-person shooting game, the fact that the gameplay takes advantage of the Playstation Move gives it a new dimension, and combined with a solid movie-style storyline, provides a fully immersive experience. While tactical fighting is an important part of the game, including the ability to give orders to your squad, hard-core action is still front and centre. Using a Playstation Move that responds to your will, your life as a soldier will be challenging, whether it’s in one-on-one combat or calling for an air strike when the opposing heavy artillery gets tough.

a turning pointBy incorporating the Playstation Move and labouring over every detail, this sOCOM release is more spectacular than ever. A good dose of action, cleverly sprinkled with special effects, will not disappoint high-adrenaline Playstation 3 aficionados.

A third-person shooting game from Sony using the Playstation Move,available exclusively on PS3.

the courts are alive!Virtua tennis 4 delivers some new swings. the latest release of this tennis franchise takes full advantage of motion recognition on the new generation of consoles (Move, Kinect or Wiimote) to provide a fully immersive experience. this release also has a new gaming system that allows users to easily participate in online tournaments. single-player mode has also undergone some upgrades, with an emphasis on off-court events that can increase your player’s overall reputation. Finally, a new “match momentum” factor has been added to the gameplay, boosting your confidence level as the match progresses and impacting your physical skills.

A tennis game from Sega available on X360, PS3, Wii and PC.

motoRstoRm apoCalypse

the final race?After challenging each other in the desert, on an erupting volcano, or at the summits of towering mountains,

the drivers of the Motorstorm championship now find themselves in what could be their final crazy lap: a city that’s disappearing at an apocalyptic rate. Fun and compelling, Motorstorm Apocalypse serves up races which require unwavering concentration if you are not to miss a thing. A wacky racing game that will appeal to those who thrive on instinct and want to have their reflexes as experienced drivers tested to the limit.

A racing game from Sony available exclusively on PS3.

viRtua tennis 4

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By christian Bugnon

Fiat 500 By gucci We are witnessing the birth of a new star in italian design with this special edition created by Frida giannini, gucci‘s artistic director, in collaboration with Fiat‘s Centro stile. this diva is as eco-friendly as she is stylish. sporting an all-new Fiat 500C twinAir turbo natural gas/biogas engine, she is a paragon of clean emissions. this tiny urbanite is in fact the most environmentally friendly of all combustion engine and hybrid vehicles, with only 72 grams of CO2 emissions. initially created for the swiss market, it has a 10 kg natural gas/bi-ogas tank and a second tank holding 30 liters of petrol. there no doubt that this Fiat rolls!

columBia sportswear - tectonic soFtshell this garment has carved out a spot for itself in the world of lightweight outdoor and thermo-regulating apparel. Made to see action, the Omni-heat™ thermo-reflective lining provides an extra 15% of warmth while wicking away sweat, therefore avoiding the sensa-tion of overheating. so whether the temperature goes up or down, you‘ll stay comfortable either way. Additionally, the garment‘s Omni-shield technology provides extra protection thanks to its anti-stain, repellent, waterproof and breathable qualities.www.columbia.com

alpina genève Alpina returns to its aviation roots with its new startimer Pilot collection, created in close cooperation with Cessna Aviation and PrivatAir. the result is a range of very attractive contemporary watches, inspired by the original Alpina designs of the 1920‘s and 1930‘s. Check out the full collection on www.alpina-watches.com.

new in 2011: the honDa cBr250 rthis new model breathes a welcome breath of fresh air into the oft-neglected 250cc category. With lines reminiscent of a certain VFr1200, the CBr250 is sure to make its mark. the full line can be seen on www.honda.ch.

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By christian Bugnon

peaK perFormance this traditional jacket made of Limonta—a water-proof material renowned for its high quality—will strike a responsive chord in many a man‘s heart. Practical, elegant, and inspired by motor racing, it‘s the perfect complement for the modern man who likes to live life at full speed.www.peakperformance.com

JulBo - monteBianco A timeless classic for mountaineers who flirt with the peaks—and who don‘t forget to come back down! Well-suited for medium to large faces, these glasses have removable protective side visors that make them perfectly adapted to any type of weather. Light, high-tech and high-protection. Other models available at www.julbo-eyewear.com

timBuK 2: the classic messenger Bag simple but sturdy—and above all, practical—timbuk 2 sports a fashionable look thanks to its array of colours, and promises incredible durability with its solid build and water-resistant finish. With an outside shell of ballistic nylon covered with a second layer of tarpaulin, this bag includes a host of handy pockets for a laptop or anything else you might need to take with you. www.timbuk2.com

salewa - ascent 30 this new backpack, with its innovative design, is a faithful companion for hikes last-ing one or several days, and its new MotionFit transport system symbiotically links the backpack with the body of its host. More stability, more comfort and more fun! www.salewa.com

sorel spring-summer 2011 shoo those rainy day blues away with these bright and trendy boots! these cutting-edge boots, available in a full range of colours, have waterproof rubber outsoles that make them perfect for the rain. And thanks to their rubber-coated canvas upper and pat-ent leather shell, your feet will stay dry and warm. the boots‘ removable insole also ensures breath-

ability and ventilation. And to top it off, the polka-dot lining and shoelaces add a touch

of extra eccentricity. www.sorel.com

98 | THIRTY DEGREES

There is no shortage of creativity, originality, unique atmosphere and tasteful design around these parts. 30° opens its urban address book and shares some of its favourite spots.

Text°°° SERGE GRETER

Happening near you

CupCakes & the CityThe decor in Cupcakes & the City in Carouge is a mirror image of the speciality of this café-boutique: walls and flooring in creamy hues, biscuit-coloured furniture and bright pink chairs, as kitsch as the icing on a cupcake! Housed in a former carnotzet (wine tasting cellar), this sweet-hearted establishment has a charming little terrace, perfect for a relaxing over a little treat when the weather is fine. The menu includes sugary cupcakes of all kinds (honey-speculoos, carambar, etc.), but a

variety of lighter fare is also offered – toasted cheese sandwiches, homemade soups, carpaccios of octopus, bread and iberico ham. All this is accompanied by a number of sophisticated, decorative accessories, including scented candles, jewellery and recipe books. A very “girly” setting – and one which can also be found under the same name in the Eaux-Vives district of Geneva – where Sarah Jessica Parker’s character would surely feel very much at home…

Cupcakes & the City, Rue St-Joseph 42, 1227 Carouge, 022/301.15.50.www.cupcakesandthecity.ch Closed Tuesdays.

Double ZThis establishment, based in the heart of Lausanne, signs it name with a Double Z. The name is a nod to the history of the Rôtillon quarter, formerly one of the city’s alternative bastions: block “C”, where it is located, was once known as “Zizanie” – a troubled area. Today, there is very little of a rebellious nature to be found here. The place has been spruced up, with clean lines and grey hues, perfectly in tune with contempo-rary tastes. The cuisine is healthy and balanced, with

an emphasis on quality local produce, with a superb wine list to match. An epicurean frater-nity has also been set up here. To top it all, the roof terrace, separate from the restaurant, can comfortably seat thirty people for private functions, and there are also two conference rooms for hire, with optional catering. Not to be mizzed!

Double Z, rue Centrale 16, 1003 Lausanne. 021/349.94.10. www.doublezed.chOpen Tuesday to Saturday from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm, and evenings and weekends by group reservation.

Le MÖ Restaurant BarThis establishment in Neuchâtel is a really beefy place! Its name, Le MÖ (pronounced moo!), immediately sets the tone. In this meat restaurant, cows fit into the decor with subtle, amusing little touches, which detract little from the deliberately sober setting - resolutely grey. Cows are also on the menu. Pure Swiss beef (pasta dishes are available too) is served in a wide range of forms: vari-

ous kinds of tartars, hamburgers and steaks, from bavette to chateaubriand. After some Swiss cheese, made from cow’s milk of course, you might like to indulge in a banana crème brûlée or some ice cream. It goes without saying that you’ll want to stay here until the cows come home…

Le MÖ Restaurant Bar, Pierre-à-Mazel 53, 2000 Neuchâtel, 032/724.61.33.www.le-mö.ch Open Monday to Friday, and weekends for group bookings.

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Writers Claude Hervé-Bazin , Christelle Coulon, Frédéric Rein, Serge Greter, Catherine Cochard, Vincent Gillioz, Giovanni Quirici, Alban Aubert, Hilde Brunner, Gavin’s Clemente Ruiz, Eric Rivera, Christian Bugnon

PhotographersSwilly, Benjamin Thouard, Max Houyvet, Patricia Michel, Stéphane Bellocq, Laurent Ballesta, exploreaction.ch, keystone, Sony Music, Alex Prager, StarEvent Gmbh, Graffs de Flow du TWE CREW, Gilles Martin-Raget/www.americascup.com, Freerideworldtour.com / C. Margot/ D.Daher, GiantXtour, Vincent Gillioz, Myriam Lang-Willar, Evrard Wendenbaum, Gérard Berthoud, Darbellay, Transgrancanaria, Sylvain Bazin, UTAT, Patrice Schreyer, Nacéra Balanche, Office du Tourisme d’Hongrie

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N° 34 – Spring 2011

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