Latest news with #Monney
IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
Swiss 'Mountain Tinder' sparks high-altitude attraction
Patrick and Cathy, both 58 years old, read the "Mountain Tinder" notebook at the top of Wandflue peak. Cathy Rotzetter and Patrick found each other eight months ago: through a message left on a Swiss mountaintop. Cathy and Patrick relish describing how they found each other: through a message left on a Swiss mountaintop. "It was just a beautiful way to meet," said Cathy Rotzetter during a recent hike in the Pre-Alps of the western Swiss canton of Fribourg. Sick of online dating sites, the 58-year-old said she was thrilled to discover an analogue alternative, with a Swiss twist: "Mountain Tinder". Last October, she clambered up to the Wandflue peak, at an altitude of 2,133 metres (6,998 feet), and jotted down her information in the red notebook she found there. Rotzetter recalled the message as she sat in a mountain pasture, her arm laced around Patrick, with the Wandflue towering behind them. "I wrote that I liked relaxed hikes, and also to have a drink afterwards," she told AFP with a laugh. Patrick, who is also 58 and who declined to give his surname, found the message a week later, and was charmed. Mountain Tinder is the brain-child of Thibaud Monney, a 29-year-old avid hiker who said the whole thing started in 2023 as "a joke". During a climb up the Dent de Broc, overlooking the picturesque Lake of Gruyere, he realised he missed having someone to share the view with. On a whim, he jotted down his feelings in a leather-bound visitor's book. The books are traditionally found on peaks across Fribourg. "I wrote that I had climbed up for the sunset, and next time there would be two of us," he said. Monney, who provides woodwork vocational training for disabled people, said that when he shared the story with colleagues they jokingly suggested he place dedicated "Tinder" notebooks on mountaintops. "It has worked well," he said during a recent hike to the La Vudalla peak. "A number of couples have been created," he said, thumbing through the red notebook he had stashed alongside the traditional visitor's book in a metal letterbox mounted on a large wooden cross. In all, Monney said he has placed notebooks on seven Fribourg peaks, swapping them out for new ones as they fill up. The idea has also spread, with people in other Swiss cantons and as far away as Argentina telling him they have started Mountain Tinder notebooks. Monney said he felt "proud" when hearing from couples who met through the notebooks. It is nice, he said, "to make someone happy". The notebook on La Vudalla is filling up fast. "Passionate about mountains, skiing and climbing," one message reads, while another is seeking someone who "likes sports, metal and tattooed women". "The idea is very simple," Monney said. "If you contact someone, that person has also reached the peak, and probably likes nature and mountains. You already have something in common." Rotzetter agreed. "The shared love of nature... is a good filter," she said. Her first date with Patrick last winter was a long scenic walk, ending with a picnic. Rotzetter said she loved that Patrick brought along food and drink for her, and noticed that he kept pace with her. "I wasn't looking for someone I had to run after," she said, adding that walking makes for a perfect first date and provides good insight into the other person's character. "You can see if they adapt their pace... or if they charge ahead." Patrick added: "It is very revealing." Monney said he preferred his system to the online dating apps he stopped using a decade ago. "I didn't like the idea of choosing a person based on a picture and swiping left or right," he said. Others have congratulated him for liberating dating from algorithmic dictates. With Mountain Tinder, he said, "you have to reach the peak. That's the only algorithm". The peaks also naturally filter for age and physical ability. La Vudalla, at an altitude of 1,669 metres, is one of the easier peaks to reach, allowing older or less fit people to leave messages there. But Monney said only the fittest will make the technically difficult climb up the 2,376-metre Vanil de l'Ecri across the valley. He has himself found love, not by leaving messages but still thanks to his notebooks. "She saw me on television" speaking about Mountain Tinder and "got in touch", Monney said of his partner. "Now I am happy." | AFP
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
‘Mountain Tinder' sparks real romance
On Swiss peaks, hikers are skipping dating apps and leaving love notes for future soulmates—no algorithms, just altitude. The hills in the Swiss Alpine canton of Fribourg appear to be alive with the sound of (love) music, as lonely hearts take advantage of 'Mountain Tinder' as a real-world dating service. Started as a joke in 2023 by Thibaud Monney, a 29-year-old avid hiker, Mountain Tinder is leading to romance for many. Monney was climbing the Dent de Broc, overlooking the picturesque Lake of Gruyere, when he realised he missed having someone to share the view with. He jotted down his feelings in a visitor's book. The books are found on peaks across the Alps, enabling visitors to share their feeling with those who follow. ALSO READ: Dating games: The 7 quiet signs of attraction Monney has placed more books on seven peaks – and they are filling up as soulmates find each other. The recipe for love has a head start as only those with a shared passion for the outdoors would be writing in the books in the first place. Monney's 'analogue' link between people is refreshingly different from the often soulless, even dangerous, online dating apps. We think most people would prefer to find true love on an Alp. Not an app… NOW READ: Why you're attracted to the unexpected
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Express Tribune
Conquering peak of love
Patrick and Cathy met via messages in a red Mountain Tinder notebook. Photo: AFP Cathy and Patrick relish describing how they found each other: through a message left on a Swiss mountaintop. "It was just a beautiful way to meet," said Cathy Rotzetter during a recent hike in the Pre-Alps of the western Swiss canton of Fribourg, as per AFP. Sick of online dating sites, the 58-year-old said she was thrilled to discover an analogue alternative, with a Swiss twist: "Mountain Tinder". Last October, she clambered up to the Wandflue peak, at an altitude of 2,133 metres (6,998 feet), and jotted down her information in the red notebook she found there. Rotzetter recalled the message as she sat in a mountain pasture, her arm laced around Patrick, with the Wandflue towering behind them. "I wrote that I liked relaxed hikes, and also to have a drink afterwards," she told AFP with a laugh. Patrick, who is also 58 and who declined to give his surname, found the message a week later, and was charmed. Started as a joke Mountain Tinder is the brain-child of Thibaud Monney, a 29-year-old avid hiker who told AFP the whole thing started in 2023 as "a joke". During a climb up the Dent de Broc, overlooking the picturesque Lake of Gruyere, he realised he missed having someone to share the view with. On a whim, he jotted down his feelings in a leather-bound visitor's book. The books are traditionally found on peaks across Fribourg. "I wrote that I had climbed up for the sunset, and next time there would be two of us," he said. Monney, who provides woodwork vocational training for disabled people, said that when he shared the story with colleagues they jokingly suggested he place dedicated "Tinder" notebooks on mountaintops. "It has worked well," he said during a recent hike to the La Vudalla peak. "A number of couples have been created," he said, thumbing through the red notebook he had stashed alongside the traditional visitor's book in a metal letterbox mounted on a large wooden cross. In all, Monney said he has placed notebooks on seven Fribourg peaks, swapping them out for new ones as they fill up. The idea has also spread, with people in other Swiss cantons and as far away as Argentina telling him they have started Mountain Tinder notebooks. Nature 'a good filter' Monney said he felt "proud" when hearing from couples who met through the notebooks. It is nice, he said, "to make someone happy". The notebook on La Vudalla is filling up fast. "Passionate about mountains, skiing and climbing," one message reads, while another is seeking someone who "likes sports, metal and tattooed women". "The idea is very simple," Monney said. "If you contact someone, that person has also reached the peak, and probably likes nature and mountains. You already have something in common." Rotzetter agreed. "The shared love of nature... is a good filter," she said. Her first date with Patrick last winter was a long scenic walk, ending with a picnic. Rotzetter said she loved that Patrick brought along food and drink for her, and noticed that he kept pace with her. "I wasn't looking for someone I had to run after," she said, adding that walking makes for a perfect first date and provides good insight into the other person's character. "You can see if they adapt their pace... or if they charge ahead." Patrick added: "It is very revealing." Mountain 'algorithm' Monney said he preferred his system to the online dating apps he stopped using a decade ago. "I didn't like the idea of choosing a person based on a picture and swiping left or right," he said. Others have congratulated him for liberating dating from algorithmic dictates. With Mountain Tinder, he said, "you have to reach the peak. That's the only algorithm". The peaks also naturally filter for age and physical ability. La Vudalla, at an altitude of 1,669 metres, is one of the easier peaks to reach, allowing older or less fit people to leave messages there. But Monney said only the fittest will make the technically difficult climb up the 2,376-metre Vanil de l'Ecri across the valley. He has himself found love, not by leaving messages but still thanks to his notebooks. "She saw me on television" speaking about Mountain Tinder and "got in touch", Monney said of his partner. "Now I am happy."
Int'l Business Times
05-08-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Swiss 'Mountain Tinder' Sparks High-altitude Attraction
Cathy and Patrick relish describing how they found each other: through a message left on a Swiss mountaintop. "It was just a beautiful way to meet," said Cathy Rotzetter during a recent hike in the Pre-Alps of the western Swiss canton of Fribourg. Sick of online dating sites, the 58-year-old said she was thrilled to discover an analogue alternative, with a Swiss twist: "Mountain Tinder". Last October, she clambered up to the Wandflue peak, at an altitude of 2,133 metres (6,998 feet), and jotted down her information in the red notebook she found there. Rotzetter recalled the message as she sat in a mountain pasture, her arm laced around Patrick, with the Wandflue towering behind them. "I wrote that I liked relaxed hikes, and also to have a drink afterwards," she told AFP with a laugh. Patrick, who is also 58 and who declined to give his surname, found the message a week later, and was charmed. Mountain Tinder is the brain-child of Thibaud Monney, a 29-year-old avid hiker who told AFP the whole thing started in 2023 as "a joke". During a climb up the Dent de Broc, overlooking the picturesque Lake of Gruyere, he realised he missed having someone to share the view with. On a whim, he jotted down his feelings in a leather-bound visitor's book. The books are traditionally found on peaks across Fribourg. "I wrote that I had climbed up for the sunset, and next time there would be two of us," he said. Monney, who provides woodwork vocational training for disabled people, said that when he shared the story with colleagues they jokingly suggested he place dedicated "Tinder" notebooks on mountaintops. "It has worked well," he said during a recent hike to the La Vudalla peak. "A number of couples have been created," he said, thumbing through the red notebook he had stashed alongside the traditional visitor's book in a metal letterbox mounted on a large wooden cross. In all, Monney said he has placed notebooks on seven Fribourg peaks, swapping them out for new ones as they fill up. The idea has also spread, with people in other Swiss cantons and as far away as Argentina telling him they have started Mountain Tinder notebooks. Monney said he felt "proud" when hearing from couples who met through the notebooks. It is nice, he said, "to make someone happy". The notebook on La Vudalla is filling up fast. "Passionate about mountains, skiing and climbing," one message reads, while another is seeking someone who "likes sports, metal and tattooed women". "The idea is very simple," Monney said. "If you contact someone, that person has also reached the peak, and probably likes nature and mountains. You already have something in common." Rotzetter agreed. "The shared love of nature... is a good filter," she said. Her first date with Patrick last winter was a long scenic walk, ending with a picnic. Rotzetter said she loved that Patrick brought along food and drink for her, and noticed that he kept pace with her. "I wasn't looking for someone I had to run after," she said, adding that walking makes for a perfect first date and provides good insight into the other person's character. "You can see if they adapt their pace... or if they charge ahead." Patrick added: "It is very revealing." Monney said he preferred his system to the online dating apps he stopped using a decade ago. "I didn't like the idea of choosing a person based on a picture and swiping left or right," he said. Others have congratulated him for liberating dating from algorithmic dictates. With Mountain Tinder, he said, "you have to reach the peak. That's the only algorithm". The peaks also naturally filter for age and physical ability. La Vudalla, at an altitude of 1,669 metres, is one of the easier peaks to reach, allowing older or less fit people to leave messages there. But Monney said only the fittest will make the technically difficult climb up the 2,376-metre Vanil de l'Ecri across the valley. He has himself found love, not by leaving messages but still thanks to his notebooks. "She saw me on television" speaking about Mountain Tinder and "got in touch", Monney said of his partner. "Now I am happy." Avid hiker Thibaud Monney, 29, set up Mountain Tinder, a non-digital notebook left at the top of several Swiss mountains where hikers and climbers can seek a like-minded soulmate AFP Mountain Tinder notebooks have been left on summits across Switzerland and even as far away as Argentina as the idea spreads AFP Patrick and Cathy had to walk 2,133 metres (6,998 feet) up the Wandflue peak in the Bernese Alps to find love through the Mountain Tinder book AFP
Associated Press
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Swiss skier Monney edges out world champion Von Allmen in downhill of team combined at worlds
SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — Swiss skier Alexis Monney posted the fastest time in the downhill portion of the new team combined event at the Alpine skiing world championships on Wednesday. His teammate Tanguy Nef will start the slalom portion later Wednesday with a slim advantage of 0.02 seconds over another Swiss team, where world champion Franjo von Allmen ran the downhill and Loic Meillard was scheduled to race the slalom. Switzerland has won both men's speed events at these worlds and took silver in the parallel team event last week. Italy 1, with downhiller Dominik Paris and slalom racer Alex Vinatzer, was 0.46 seconds behind in third. Paris was fourth in Sunday's downhill, while Vinatzer secured gold for Italy in the parallel race with a strong last run in the final against Switzerland. On Wednesday, no other team finished within nine-tenths of a second off the lead. Norway's Fredrik Moeller trailed by only 0.73 near the end of his run but fell and slid off the course on his hip after landing a jump. Monney won bronze in Sunday's downhill but this time edged out Von Allmen. 'I really had fun on the slope. Everything went well,' Monney said. After early rain, the race was delayed for about 15 minutes twice as low clouds moved over the upper part of the course and reduced visibility for the racers. 'I pretty like bad light, maybe weird, but I like it,' Monney said. Von Allmen struggled early in his run when he came off the race line and skied into the soft snow outside the blue lines. He just managed to make the next gate and then made up almost all of the time he lost there. 'That can happen, I tried to make the best out of it,' said Von Allmen, adding he had 'a bit more space in his helmet' as he and the entire Swiss downhill team shaved hair off their heads after its successes in Sunday's downhill. Their standout racer, Marco Odermatt, skipped the team combined, opting to train for the giant slalom on Friday. Odermatt is the super-G world champion who tops the World Cup downhill standings. The leader of the slalom standings, Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway, also sat out the event where one racer competes in a downhill run and another in a slalom run, with their times added together to determine the final results. Each nation can enter up to four pairings. women's event. ___
