European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 6, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday. November 6, 19b5 the stars and stripes Page 3 i Mountain climbing i fun but Alpine c Lub members find Here s a Lul of work involved. Just ask Lisa Fredrich at top left who is Busy burning rope ends to keep them from fraying. Al Bottom left Rachel i inlay straps in Dean William Mcmahon for a practice trip Down a Wall. Above club members Rappel Down the Side of University building. Ill ova club adviser Al Traunsteiner makes a Point with one of the student climbers. Munich dub s social climbers love getting High by Charlie Bowien Munich Bureau Munich some University of Maryland students have dedicated them selves to getting High with the bless ing of the College. And. When they get High they get very High. Members of the Munich Campus Al Pine club a select group sponsored by German teacher Al Traunsteiner spend their spare time preparing to fulfil the club motto gel High on a Mountain. While Transl cinch is the focal Point for the club he takes i talc credit for its birth eight years ago or its continued Success. It s a student club said the i or Man born Traunsteiner a Veteran Moun Tain climber skier and outdoors Man. Unlike clubs that require a nominal degree of participation the Alpine c Lub requires hard work and lots of it. While about 100 students will Drift into the weekly meetings at the beginning of the school year most give up in the first few weeks Traunsteiner s goal is to narrow the group to about 25 to 30 students with the determination and stamina to stick it out. Al their wednesday night meetings students learn about the gear used in Mountain climbing skiing and camping. They learn first Aid nutrition knot lying through and physical fitness. They run t the Halls up flights of stairs Down flights of stairs and then up again. And they learn to Rappel. If the club has a Leader the role Falls on returning Sophomore Lisa Fredrich of Parma sons. You have to be willing to work Fredrich said. It s physically demanding and takes a lot of time. It forces you to exercise on your own. You can t just do it exercise on wednesdays or you la never make Traunsteiner who at 40 still has the Stocky muscular Frame that earned him a wrestling scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh is deadly serious about the students following orders. He con stantly emphasis safety during train ing preaching its importance in a sport that often has its participants just a step away from a Long drop and serious in jury. The emphasis paid off during a ski and climbing tour last Spring when an Avalanche buried two club members. They were totally out of sight but we found them and had their Heads uncovered within seven minutes he said. You be got about 20 minutes of air around you if you Don t the Quick response was no Fluke. The team had trained for two Days on the use of electronic beepers repeatedly burying them in the Snow and then tracking them. Alpine club membership pays off in other ways As Well. The students learn organi action planning and scheduling. While Traunsteiner sets Dales for trips Early in the school year he assigns trip organi Alion to two students usually a new student and a returning student if possible. They organic it he said. They Tell everybody what food they need what clothing How much Money when we leave and come Back and assign jobs. They learn to do it in preparing for the club s annual rap pc a lion. A fund Raiser that doubles As a Confidence and skill builder for the members Traunsteiner makes sure that it remains a student affair. The students organize the event with Traunsteiner coaching from the sidelines. The Rappel a lion requires extra time dedicated to physical logistical and mental preparation. Members spend much of that time in the club s equipment room an office sic space filled from floor to ceiling with skis boots ropes and the numerous other necessities of the Alpine hiker climber. Skier and camper. In the midst of the crowded room is a shopworn work table looking much like a derelict from a Flea Market. It is Here or in Traunsteiner s equally cluttered office thai the prospective sealers of Cliffs and rugged Mountain trails learn the rudiments of their extracurricular pastime. For the Rappel a Thon where guests pay for the Chance to Rappel some 40 feet Down the Side of the University building the club members spend hours making harnesses called Swiss the tedious work takes six hours for each of the primitive looking scats. It s not hard to do it s just time con suming Frydrich said As she burned off the frayed ends of ropes used in making the harness. Besides raising Money for the club it leaches the kids discipline and Confidence Traunsteiner said of the event. You have to have it. But. More important it teaches do spill the work Fredrich said he club is lots of fun. You get to meet such neat people she said. And the experiences you have up there arc so phenomenal. It s a fantastic feeling that i Don t think i could feel anywhere else. In my wildest dreams 1 never thought i would Rappel off a building or go hiking in the mountains or stay overnight in a wooden hut in the cold and enjoy for Transl cinch mountaineering never gets old even after 15 years. It s a tremendously rejuvenating experience every time 1 he said. You come Back with a clean
