How we set for Eiger- Tomáš Sobotka and Ondra Beneš

One of my and Tom´s (Tomáš Sobotka) plans for this year was Eiger in Switzerland. It was already raining on the way there but we hoped it would change later. It didn’t. During 5 days we spent in Interlaken we managed to gain all the info about Eiger including the information how to get there. We even managed to do some good climbing in the area of Lehn which is pretty close to the town. It is a sandstone area. Material of this rock is quite hard and overhanging. The difficulty reaches up to 8c.

Patagonia 2006 - Jindřich Hudeček and Tomáš Sobotka

Patagonie 2006 - 26th January, 5 p.m. and my flight to Milan is cancelled. When I try to complain that I will not be probably able to catch my flight from Milan to Buenos Aires I receive the voucher for 200 CZK and recommendation to get something to eat and leave it up to fate. I am having a beer and leaving later just before midnight.
Originally I was supposed to fly with Mára Holeček but his frost-bitten fingers were a good reason to cancel his participation. Fortunately “Hudy” (Jindřich Hudeček) was free so the problem with a climbing partner was solved. But only if I don’t talk about his broken finger and one month delay due to that.

Madagascar 2006 - Tomáš Sobotka and Ondra Beneš (Dolní Žleb Company)

Thanks to base-jump video two years ago we found out that there existed a big wall Tsarano in Madagascar. So we started planning and looking for money. But this year we could pull everything together and we could set the target date for this trip. Both of our Austrian friends Harald Berger and Florian Scheimpflug liked the idea and they decided to go with us. The goal was clear. Create as good prime climb as possible, make movie and have a real fun.

An interview with O. Beneš about his successful overcome of multipitch climbing route.

Hi Ondra, one more time “Big congratulations”. You hadn’t mentioned your plan to climb Silbergeier before. Had you been thinking about it for a long time before you decided?
I was thinking about it for one year. One year ago Tomajda (Tomáš Sobotka) and I visited Rätikon where we worked on prime climb "Czech Direct" 9+ RP. We met Harry Berger with his friend Floe here. Harry was just trying to climb Silbergeier and it was his last route in Alp trilogy. And because the weather was bad we had a chance to know each other very well and became good friends. Then Harry and his couple Austrian friends came to our sandstone areas and sow me climbing. He encouraged me a lot when he said I should definitely try Silbergeiera cause he thinks I can climb it. Another plus was my first 8b+ on the limestone route "Renegoide" in Siruana which I climbed this spring. And that’s why I decided to try it. I didn’t want to talk about it before. I had never climbed anything like this before so I didn’t mention this project in front of association...

Setting off or Filk´s heaven laugh – Expedition Garhwal 2006

9 years ago with Filk (Filip Šilhán), India / Garhwal - Mt. Meru 6 310 m.

Wet and cold like in a bad movie. Drenched to the bone and freezing for couple hours. I am lying on a snow island next to another desperado – daring person. He is like a grub wrapped in a wet and slowly freezing tunic which was quite feathery and warmth providing sleeping bag just 18 hours ago. The snow seized to fall and the drift and freeze got more powerful. Time’s passing very slowly. The wall changed in a white hell. We got ten lengths of rappelling towards the glacier plus a quick run up to the place where we need to store our stuff. The grub slowly moved and I recognize Filk despite his face stigmatized with pain and suffering. “Let’s get the outta here!!!” we both are screaming. It is kinda Russian roulette. But we decided to say good bye to slow dying in an “ eagle’s nest”.