Mazama Bowl Snow Pit

Well here it is...a snow pit featuring the infamous 'MLK crust'. As of January 19th, the crust has yet to freeze solid, and with the recent and forecasted warm temperatures, its unlikely to do so any time soon.

Stability tests performed on Sunday, Jan. 25:

Alta Vista, Aspect 90o; Slope 30o; evel 5800'.

ETCX

CTH(22) @ 30cm Q3

STM @ 10cm Q3

Also, there were 4 to 5 loose snow slides, (sluffs), off the south face of Panorama Point. These point releases resulted from the intense sun melting and weakening the top layer of snow and occurred on  Saturday, Jan 22 around 'high noon'.

Tuesday and Wednesday (1/25 and 1/26) should be mostly sunny and warm, so come on up to Paradise and enjoy some spring skiing in January!

Retrievable Fixed Line

Canyoneering tricks are often extremely applicable to rock and alpine climbing. The little trick featured in this video could easily be used by a party setting up a toprope on a sketchy edge or -- as in the video -- by a party rigging a rappel on a weird lip.

This technique is most applicable with a larger group that needs a fixed line. With a small group, the first climber could just belay the second climber down to him after building the anchor.

The crux of this trick is played out in the video very quickly. Watch closely at the 1:50 second mark.



I'm not sure that I'm all that excited about the ratty sling and the quicklink shown in the video. Before committing to anything, it's really important to make sure that your anchor is completely solid.

In review, the steps are as follows:

1. Belayer belays climber out to edge.
2. Climber at edge builds an anchor and fixes the line.
3. The climber at the top converts the line by running it through the quicklink and clipping a carabiner to a clove-hitch on the backside. This could also be done by running the rope around a tree or a boulder. If you do it through a tree or a boulder, be sure that there isn't too much friction and that the line could still be retrieved.
4. Once the line is fixed on both ends, a climber could clip in with a sling to a carabiner to descend or the climber could put a friction hitch on the rope. A friction hitch would provide a higher level of security.
5. Only one person should move on the fixed line at once.
6. The last person will bring down the backside of the fixed line, the end that is not running through the quicklink.
7. Once the rope is released from the anchor, it will be able to be easily pulled down.

--Jason D. Martin

Videos to Get You Stoked!

We are in the middle of the ice season and the ice is in to varying degrees throughout the west. So today is a celebration of ice climbing in all it's forms, from glacier to waterfall ice.

First we have a video of AAI Guide Dawn Glanc sending glacier ice on her American Mountain Guides Association European Guide Aspirant Exam. Dawn is an excellent ice climber and often does very well in the Ouray Ice Fest competition.



And speaking of Ouray, check out this video on the area and what it has to offer:

Climbing and Outdoor News

Northwest:

--Friends are remembering a Calgary man who died in a weekend avalanche in British Columbia as an avid backcountry skier, accomplished climber and safety-conscious adventurer. Manfred Rockel was killed on Sunday in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park near Nelson while on a backcountry ski vacation with fourteen friends.
--Lyle Knight and Marc Piche made the first ascent of a new WI 6 in the Okanangan Valley of British Columbia.  They have named their new 400-foot line, Mythologic. 
--First it was milk, then eggs and then bread that began to disappear from the shelves of The Siding General Store, the sole grocery store in B.C.'s picturesque mountain community of Field. Then, five days after the avalanche danger shut down the only highway leading into and out of the town of three-hundred people, the liquor was disappearing.  Finally on Tuesday afternoon, part of the Trans-Canada Highway reopened after the extended closure.

Sierra:

--Fifty-million years ago, powerful forces deep underground launched a new wave of mountain building that swept southward from British Columbia through Nevada and California, and on into Mexico. It was the beginning of what would become today's High Sierra.
--A series of large storms hit the Pacific coast throughout December and into January, causing power outages, road closures and massive snow accumulation in the Sierras. Some Eastern Sierra residents saw as many as three days without power, while flights to and from Mammoth Yosemite Airport were canceled for more than five-days at a time. While good news for “snowed-in” vacationing skiers, record accumulations kept backcountry skiers inbounds as the snow settled.

Desert Southwest:

--The Bureau of Land Management is accepting comments on its proposal to offer special recreation permits for groups within Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Cottonwood Valley and along the 13-Mile Scenic Drive. Under the proposal, permits would be required for weddings, running and mountain bike races, charity fundraising events and other large group gatherings.

Rocky Harvey's Plane after Crashing in Joshua Tree National Park

--The morning sky above Joshua Tree National Park was bright blue and dotted with a few clouds as Rocky Harvey eased his van out of the driveway. He headed to Roy Williams Airport for an 8am flight with his instructor, Warner Henry. They would fly to Palm Springs, and Rocky would land his plane at an airport with a tower for the first time on his own.
Alaska:

--Solo winter Denali Climber Lonnie Dupre is getting there. On the 18th, he was at 14,200-feet and had made a carry to 15,200 feet, which in the regular season is the bottom of the fixed lines. As of this writing his plan was to be at 17,200-feet by the time you read this.

Mount Foraker from 17,200 feet

Photo by Jason Martin

-
Notes from All Over:


--The parents of a Boy Scout who died last year during a 20-mile hike in extreme heat are suing the organization whose famed motto, "Be Prepared," sets a standard they believe the hike's leaders failed to meet. Michael Sclawy-Adelman was 17 and close to reaching scouting's highest rank -- Eagle -- when he collapsed and died during the hike in the Florida Everglades in May 2009

--More than one-hundred people gathered at a bonfire and candlelight vigil Monday night to mourn and honor 16-year-old Joshua Waldron, who died Saturday from injuries he sustained in a skiing accident at Maine's Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Resort. 
--A nineteen year-old woman was rescued Tuesday after she got lost at the Eldora Mountain Resort. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said Gree R Garcia, was skiing at Eldora with her boyfriend and her boyfriend's brother. At 3:30pm, the group split up so the men could get in one more run. Garcia said she planned to continue downhill to the parking lot, but inadvertently traveled southward, and went out of the ski area boundaries. 

--Last weekend, an amazing new variation was added to the ephemeral Gorillas in the Mist, a 500-foot thin-ice testpiece at Poke-O-Moonshine in the Adirondacks. Three top Northeastern climbers completed a the line that they called Endangered Species (3 pitches, M6+ NEI5+ R).
--The New York Times ran an incredible article this week about planes melting out of the glaciers in Bolivia and in the rest of the Andes.  Apparently, the glaciers melting from climate change are revealing many secrets, including long lost planes and pilots.
--Rocktown Climbing Gym in Oklahoma City has made use of their local cold.  They have farmed ice on the front of their building. 

--Several bottles of key expedition equipment are making their way back home to Scotland more than one hundred years after being abandoned in Antarctica by Sir Ernest Shackleton.  The British explorer's unsuccessful South Pole expedition of 1907 left quite a few bottles of alcohol buried beneath a hut in Antarctica. The stash was discovered last year. 


Manufacturer Recalls and Equipment Issues:

--Backcountry Access (BCA), the North American manufacturer of avalanche safety equipment, has just announced a recall of its latest beacon, the Tracker2. BCA representatives say they have isolated certain issues that could cause a potential malfunction in the T2 units.
--The United States Consumer Products Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of 3,500 Avalung backpacks due to a suffocation hazard.  The backpacks, imported from China by Black Diamond Equipment, include air intake tubing that can crack at cold temperatures. 

--Totem Cams sold prior to December 31st 2010 are being recalled.  The color anodizing of the cams gives them a surface hardness that may affect their holding power in certain areas of polished limestone and when the cams still retain their layer of anodizing on the area in contact with the rock.

Colleagues are a climbing

Finally, after two years I have managed to get some of my co-workers to come climbing with me. Katie Mabie and Teresa Yan each want to go and check out the new climbing wall in Everett (Metro Rock Gym). This new gym blows away the other gyms in the area and it is creating interest in the climbing community. I love bringing beginners to the gym for the first time, it is always exciting to watc.

Fear of Falling - Clip-Drop Technique

The scariest thing in all of climbing is falling. And perhaps the hardest thing to do in all of climbing is to manage the fear of falling. The Clip-Drop technique is a way to train your brain to accept that falling is a part of the game and that in many cases, that falling is perfectly safe.

In a nut-shell, the Clip-Drop technique is simply what it says. You clip a bolt, climb up a bit and fall. You clip the next bolt, climb up a bit and fall again. The idea is that if you do this all the way up a route, you will become accustomed to falling and will be able to get past the fear of it.

The following video from Steep Media and UKclimbing.com illustrates the use of this technique in a climbing gym.

Fear of Falling - clip-drop technique from SteepMedia on Vimeo.

--Jason D. Martin

The Culture of Youth and High Stakes Risk

Late May and June were interesting months in the outdoor world. Most of the high end climbing was taking place in the Alaska Range and in the Himalaya. Japan's Giri-Giri Boys completed a new route in the Ruth Gorge. Ubber-climber Colin Haily completed an ascent of the Cassin Ridge in seventeen hours. And a Kazakh climber added a new line to Mount Everest's closest neighbor, Lhotse.

But while all of this high-end end, high-stakes alpinism was taking place, something else was going on, something much quieter. Two teenagers were engaging in risky endeavors where the stakes were just as real as the stakes being sought by world class alpinists.

In one venue, thirteen year-old Jordon Romero became the youngest person ever to summit Mount Everest. And in the high seas 2000 nautical miles off the Western Australian coast, sixteen year-old Abby Sunderland was foiled in her attempt to make a solo sailing tour around the globe.

Jordon climbed Everest via the more technical north side and opted to go without a professional Western guide. There has been quite a bit of controversy about whether or not someone so young should be allowed to climb at such altitudes. It's not terribly clear what altitude does to teenagers. It tends to affect young adults more radically than older adults, so it might be possible that there could be serious cognitive effects from extreme altitude on a still developing brain. There are a lot of questions about whether or not he truly understood the magnitude and the potential risk involved in such an ascent.

After Jordon summitted, a Sherpa guide announced that he would take his nine year-old son to the summit. Nepali authorities do not allow climbers under the age of sixteen, so he too would have to climb from Tibet. Shortly after this announcement, the Chinese closed the north side to anyone under the age of eighteen. As a result, Jordon will remain the youngest person ever to climb Mount Everest.

Jordon is only one mountain away from completing an ascent of all seven summits. He plans on climbing Antarctica's Mount Vinson sometime late this year.

Sixteen-Year Old Abby Sunderland

After five months at sea alone, Abby Sunderland was rescued by the Australian authorities. She encountered thirty-foot swells and her boat was severely damaged. The teen lost her ability to communicate with the outside world and many feared the worst. A fishing vessel rescued her from the remnants of her damaged boat.

One might argue that this is a bit more dangerous than Mount Everest. On the mountain, you have your team to fall back on. On a solo voyage around the globe, you only have yourself. If something goes wrong and you can't fix it, then it's all done.

Some reports indicate that Abby's father signed a deal with reality TV producers shortly after the teenager set sail. It wasn't terribly clear what the show was going to be about, but it was likely going to feature all seven of Laurence Sunderland's "daredevil" children and was to be entitled "Adventure's in Sunderland."

The current rumor is that the television show is dead, but it sounds like all is not lost in media land. Indeed, some articles indicate that book deals, documentaries and other reality television projects are all a possibility for the family. Abby's father denies all of these rumors.

Abby is not the only teenage woman to attempt a solo circumnavigation of the globe in a sailboat, Australian Jessica Watson finished just such a journey on May 16th.

The Christian Science Monitor notes that:

A Dutch judge stopped a 13-year-old girl from trying to sail around the world last year. The Dutch Child Protection Agency had asked that the girl be placed under state custody, calling her plan to spend about two years circumnavigating the world aboard a 26-foot boat "irresponsible."

So is it responsible to send your child on an adventure such as this? At what point do you have to say, maybe when you're a bit older? Is it fair to tell your child to dream big and then to lock him or her in the closet?

Both families have been severely criticized...and perhaps they deserved it. Both teens are likely better for their experiences...and perhaps they earned it.

There are no easy answers here. I have two small children and I could easily see them climbing Mount Baker at fourteen years-old, but not Mount Everest. I don't know much about sailing, so it's hard for me to be comfortable saying that I could see them sail alone across a smaller body of water than an ocean, but maybe I would. It depends on who they are when they are that age...and perhaps more importantly, who I am when they're at that age...

--Jason D. Martin

Rappelling on Skinny Ropes

Super skinny ropes are becoming more and more common among high-end alpinists. Twin rope systems provide a climber with the ability to do double-rope rappels with just a bit more weight than a single line. They provide additional security should one of the lines get cut or damaged during a lead. And lastly, they are a bit slick when it comes to rappelling.

It's this last item -- providing more friction on the rappel -- that we will address in this blog today.

As with most of the things that we address here, there are many ways to add friction to a standard device. The first and most popular way is to simply add a second carabiner to the rappel. This decreases the size of the holes in your belay device and increases friction because there is more ground for the rope to run over.

The second way, while less popular, works just as well. In this system, the rope runs in a Z, running down from an extended device to the climbers leg-loop, being redirected back up above the device to a carabiner and then down to the break-hand.

The preceding picture is slightly difficult to see as there is shade on the climber; but you will note that the climber is holding the rope with her left-hand. The rope runs down from above and into the device. From the device it runs through her hand. There is a autoblocking hitch clipped to her belay-loop in her hand. From the autoblock, the rope runs to the leg-loop, is redirected off a carabiner and runs back up to the top. At the top, it is redirected off of another carabiner and the backside goes to the breakhand.

Some of you will probably end up pointing out that the woman in the picture is about to rappel off the end of the rope. Rest-assured, she was on the ground when this picture was taken and was just setting up the system to practice.

In the preceding picture, it is possible to see how the autoblock is engaged and how the rope is redirected back up.

After the rope is redirected off the leg-loop it is then again redirected off of a carabiner clipped to the line coming out of the top of the device.

This is a somewhat complex system to demonstrate here, but if you put it together, it will make sense once you see the ropes moving through the system...

Adding friction to a rappel is an important skill to have. Whether you use this system or add an additional carabiner, it might be a good idea to practice before you actually need additional friction. This will decrease the liklihood of a mistake when doing it for real...

--Jason D. Martin

The Philosophy Of Verve

The first six pairs of Verve shorts I owned were actually men’s and probably a size or two bigger than they needed to be. I was an 11-year-old tomboy, climbing in a gym where female climbing partners where considered an endangered species. I idolized the guys I climbed with, so, I wore what they wore.
A few years later, after some persuasion, I finally moved on to the women’s clothing and tried a pair of Saphos. I liked them. A lot. They tastefully fall just below the knee, safely covering up all the valuables. They’re loose, but drape perfectly over the butt and made me feel comfortable but not frumpy.





Since then, I’ve grown up and my shorts have gotten smaller. Although I now have no insecurities about wearing skimpy Magico shorts and Lorelli bras, I still have Verve clothes from 10 years ago that I like to wear now and then, simply because they are still comfortable. Even though my taste in clothing has changed quite a bit, Verve clothes continue to look and fit just right on me; being in climbing clothes is where I feel most like myself. I have a confidence and a comfort when I’m wearing them that I just can’t quite find when I’m wearing street clothes. In Verve, I don’t have to worry about whether my pants are falling down, if my bra is showing, or if my skirt is twisted; I feel natural, ready to sprawl out, or go climbing, or running, or dancing. My poor Verve clothes get stuffed into yoga bags, climbing bags, beach bags and suitcases. They go up mountains, down rivers, across oceans and August through May, they even attend school. My poor Verve clothes really go through it all. But as I grow up, as my hobbies vary, as I explore the world and figure out who I really want to be, I may change a lot, but favorite Verve pieces will always be in tow for the journey.

Going International

Looks like summertime is finally going to be with us for awhile. With nothing but sunny days in the forecast, now is the time to come out and crush the mountain! Conditions on the upper mountain are as good as they get for early July. Routes such as Liberty Ridge and the Fuhrer Finger that normally get a little thin this time of year are still holding lots of snow and should really be climbed a lot in the coming weeks.

Climbing rangers have been fairly busy over the past weeks with a number of tasks including climbing the mountain, training with the military, doing a couple of searches and rescues, and in our spare time trying to keep the toilets clean. One of the most special things that has happened in our world lately is that we have been able to host Ang Tshering Lama, a Nepalese climber, who was here as a guest ranger for three weeks in June. Ang spent time at both Camp Muir and Camp Schurman, patrolling climbing routes with rangers, taking part in our various trainings, and assisting in multiple rescues. If you were at Camp Muir or Schurman in the past few weeks you might have even caught a smell of the delicious food he cooked up for us during his stay. This is the third year in a row we have hosted Nepalese climbers in our program and we are very proud of our close relationship with their climbing community. Later this summer we will be hosting the Korean Alpine Rescue Team, so stay tuned...

Be sure to come by the Guide House up at Paradise, or one of the other ranger stations around the park, and say "hello."

Colleagues are a climbing

Finally, after two years I have managed to get some of my co-workers to come climbing with me. Katie Mabie and Teresa Yan each want to go and check out the new climbing wall in Everett (Metro Rock Gym). This new gym blows away the other gyms in the area and it is creating interest in the climbing community. I love bringing beginners to the gym for the first time, it is always exciting to watc.

Weekend Warrior -- Videos to Get You Stoked!

We are in the middle of the ice season and the ice is in to varying degrees throughout the west. So today is a celebration of ice climbing in all it's forms, from glacier to waterfall ice.

First we have a video of AAI Guide Dawn Glanc sending glacier ice on her American Mountain Guides Association European Guide Aspirant Exam. Dawn is an excellent ice climber and often does very well in the Ouray Ice Fest competition.



And speaking of Ouray, check out this video on the area and what it has to offer:

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 7/8/10

Northwest:

--Late last week, Erik Lewis, 57, unclipped from his rope team without saying anything to anyone and without anyone noticing, and disappeared somewhere below the summit of Mount Rainier. Lewis has been missing since.

--A California woman died after she was struck by a watermelon-sized rock Sunday while climbing Mount Shasta. Kathi Jeanne Ludwig, 56, of Santa Clara, was struck on the left side of her body by the rock, which other climbers described as being the size of a watermelon, the sheriff's office said. The force of the blow knocked Ludwig back at least 15 feet, rolling her three times on the frozen surface, breaking ribs and causing other fractures.

--Rescue crews headed up Mount Hood on Wednesday morning to reach a climber who injured his leg. The individual was successfully brought down the mountain later in the day.

Sierra:

--Good news for climbing access in Yosemite. A draft of a report detailing the many values of the Merced River Corridor of Yosemite Valley acknowledged climbing as one of the important uses of the Corridor, which extends a quarter mile on either side of the river. In response to the report, the Access Fund stated that "this is important because climbing as an activity is now more likely to be 'protected and enhanced' rather than restricted."

--Nine-year-old Trent Hulbert might weigh 60 pounds dripping wet, but within his small stature is a mountain man.Eight days ago, the soon-to-be fourth-grader became one of the youngest people ever to climb Mount Whitney in a single day. Trent and his mom, Diana, joined friends and experienced climbers Rodolphe and Stephanie Jourdan. Also with them were 9-year-old Jonah Kosakiewicz of Denair and his father, Joe. At 14,496 feet, Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 states.

Desert Southwest:
--Developer Jim Rhodes won a legal skirmish that will enable him to push for denser housing than zoning allows on a mesa next to Red Rock Canyon, but he still could lose the war. The state is challenging a federal judge's decision to strike down a law limiting Rhodes to one house per two acres on a former mining site that overlooks Red Rock Canyon on one side and the Las Vegas Valley on the other. If the state wins the appeal, the original restrictions will be restored and the people who opposed development near the popular outdoor destination will triumph.

--The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said Friday that it had called off the search for a Georgia man who has been missing in Joshua Tree National Park since June 24. William Michael Ewasko, 65, went for a day hike in the park last Thursday but did not call his girlfriend as planned that evening, the sheriff’s department said. T

Himalaya:

The Tibet plateau is a land of yaks and sherpas — and rapid evolution. Over a mere 3,000 years, a blink of an evolutionary eye, Tibetan highlanders have developed a unique version of a gene that apparently helps them cope with life at extremely high altitudes, according to a study published Friday in the journal Science.

Notes from All Over:

--A California lawmaker has introduced a bill to limit the president's power to establish the national monuments that he says endanger the livelihoods of thousands of loggers, miners and farmers. The bill by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., would let lawmakers weigh in on a president's designation of public land as new national monuments. The conservative congressman thinks this will restrain what he calls the president's "unfettered discretion."

Conditions Report - January 26 2011

NORTHWEST:

--Looks like a large part of road the has been washed out on the Mountain Loop Highway, and is down to a one-way road. Click here for more info.

--What's up with this warm weather? Saturday brought some nice sunshine to the PNW -- What did you do? One person went to Erie this weekend. Another party did Dragontail but woke up to sunny conditions Sunday. Yet another party's climbing excitement was replaced by skiing excitement as they made a decent of Leuthold Couloir on Mt. Hood. 

--Forecasts are in the high 30s and low 40's in the Baker area this week. 

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.-- Route and Conditions Report from Mt. Baker Rangers: Mount Baker Climbing Blog.

--Forest Service Road Report for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

--Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams conditions and recreation report.

--Webcams for Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Leavenworth.

--An up-to-date ski and snow report for the Northwest may be found here.

--Up-to-date Pacific Northwest ice conditions may be found here.

RED ROCK CANYON:

--What's the road like to Black Velvet? The last comment on the page is note worthy. Click here. The last time that road was graded was in 1999.

--The scenic loop drive now closes at 5pm. See this thread and the BLM site for more information.

--Forecast and average temperatures for Red Rock Canyon.

--Webcam for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

--The late exit and overnight permit number for Red Rock Canyon is 702-515-5050. If there is any chance that you will be inside the park after closing, be sure to call this number so that you don't get a ticket.

--The entrance to the scenic drive had a parking area for those who wanted to carpool up until approximately April of 2009. That lot has now become employee parking and people who want to carpool are required to park at the lot outside the Scenic Drive exit.

--The scenic drive currently opens its gates at 6 in the morning.

JOSHUA TREE:


--Forecast and average temperatures for Joshua Tree National Park.

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

-- As winter use in Joshua Tree is growing, camping can be difficult at times.  It is not a bad idea to come with a back-up plan if the park campgrounds are full.  Here are the NPS Campground Details. Some people like to stay at the rural campground often referred to as "The Pit."  And lastly, there is a campground available at Joshua Tree Lake.

--The Joshua Tree entrance fee is currently $15 per vehicle.  Your receipt will give you access to the park for seven days after its initial purchase.  Rangers check this receipt at each of the major access points going in and out.  Annual passes are available for $30.

--Here is a link to a website dedicated to the events surrounding Joshua Tree National Park's 75th anniversary in 2011.  Check it out for up-to-date news on the park and the things going on to celebrate this historic park "birthday."

SIERRA:

--For up-to-date avalanche and weather reports in the Eastern Sierra, click here. Avy conditions are still considerable in some areas.

--Webcams for Bishop, June Lake, Mammoth Mountain, Mono Lake, Tioga Pass.

--Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are now required seven days per week when the cables are up. This is an interim measure to increase safety along the cables while the park develops a long-term plan to manage use on the Half Dome Trail.  A maximum of 400 permits will be issued each of these days (300 of these permits are available to day hikers).  To read more, click here.

ALASKA RANGE:

--Conditions in the range are not currently available.  But we are taking reservations for both Alaska Range Ascents and Denali trips.  To learn more, click here.  We will begin regular conditions reports in the Alaska Range in late April.

ALPS:


--Chamonix and Mont Blanc Regional Forecasts may be found here.

--Webcams for Chamonix Valley, Zermatt and the Matterhorn.

Vegas

Check out a post I put together for the Mountain Hardwear blog on my trip to Vegas. I also edited a video that you can find there.

http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Blog-Post/BlogPost,default,pg.html?bpid=2011_1_14_MattWilder_RedRocks

Retrievable Fixed Line

Canyoneering tricks are often extremely applicable to rock and alpine climbing. The little trick featured in this video could easily be used by a party setting up a toprope on a sketchy edge or -- as in the video -- by a party rigging a rappel on a weird lip.

This technique is most applicable with a larger group that needs a fixed line. With a small group, the first climber could just belay the second climber down to him after building the anchor.

The crux of this trick is played out in the video very quickly. Watch closely at the 1:50 second mark.



I'm not sure that I'm all that excited about the ratty sling and the quicklink shown in the video. Before committing to anything, it's really important to make sure that your anchor is completely solid.

In review, the steps are as follows:

1. Belayer belays climber out to edge.
2. Climber at edge builds an anchor and fixes the line.
3. The climber at the top converts the line by running it through the quicklink and clipping a carabiner to a clove-hitch on the backside. This could also be done by running the rope around a tree or a boulder. If you do it through a tree or a boulder, be sure that there isn't too much friction and that the line could still be retrieved.
4. Once the line is fixed on both ends, a climber could clip in with a sling to a carabiner to descend or the climber could put a friction hitch on the rope. A friction hitch would provide a higher level of security.
5. Only one person should move on the fixed line at once.
6. The last person will bring down the backside of the fixed line, the end that is not running through the quicklink.
7. Once the rope is released from the anchor, it will be able to be easily pulled down.

--Jason D. Martin

Mazama Bowl Snow Pit

Well here it is...a snow pit featuring the infamous 'MLK crust'. As of January 19th, the crust has yet to freeze solid, and with the recent and forecasted warm temperatures, its unlikely to do so any time soon.

Stability tests performed on Sunday, Jan. 25:
Alta Vista, Aspect 90o; Slope 30o; evel 5800'.


ETCX
CTH(22) @ 30cm Q3
STM @ 10cm Q3


Also, there were 4 to 5 loose snow slides, (sluffs), off the south face of Panorama Point. These point releases resulted from the intense sun melting and weakening the top layer of snow and occurred on  Saturday, Jan 22 around 'high noon'.


Tuesday and Wednesday (1/25 and 1/26) should be mostly sunny and warm, so come on up to Paradise and enjoy some spring skiing in January!

The Ethics of Leaving Fixed Ropes, Caches, and Draws

The ethics of leaving gear in the mountains or at the crag is complex. Some might consider anything left behind anywhere, akin to abandoning gear. Indeed, some National Parks and the Bureau of Land Management identify any gear left behind for any reason at all as abandoned.

So under these draconian policies, if you leave a tent up on a mountain, hike down to your car to do a resupply, and then bring your food back up, a ranger could decide that you've abandoned your tent. And while resupplying is not a common tactic, it definitely happens to some extent in every mountain range in the country.

There are three tactics that climbers regularly employ that require them to leave equipment unattended for -- potentially -- extended periods of time. These include fixed ropes, caches, and fixed draws. And unfortunately, not every climber is educated on the ethics of these issues, so sometimes gear is stolen.

Aid climbers commonly fix lines on big walls. They will climb as high as they can, fix ropes and then rappel to the ground and return to camp. Their ropes will remain fixed in position. The following day, they will climb up the rope with mechanical ascenders to reattain their high point. These lines are regularly unattended at night and sometimes during the day.  Obviously, these climbers are trusting that the equipment will not only be there when they return, but also that nobody will have messed with it creating a dangerous situation.

Mountaineers fix lines on steep and exposed snow or ice slopes. These types of ropes tend to be set-up by guides or by large expeditions that need to get a lot of people through a dangerous section quickly. Fixed ropes in a mountaineering setting are almost always left on popular trade routes that require them. However, occasionally a person will leave a fixed line on a less popular route to help facilitate quick movement early in the morning.

A Fixed Hand-Line Employed by Guides to Assist Beginners on Exposed Terrain

Photo by Jason Martin

There are numerous places throughout the country where fixed lines have been left permanently to help facilitate safe movement. Most of the areas where such ropes have been left don't provide many other alternatives.  Some of these are employed on sketchy rock sections, but others are used to bypass steep mud

Occasionally, large groups will set short fixed lines at cragging areas to help beginners safely move up and down a sketchy section. Unlike the other examples, these lines are unlikely to ever be left unattended for more than a couple of hours.

Obviously in every example, the loss of a fixed line could result in a dangerous situation. It's pretty unlikely that somebody straight-out abandoned a rope in decent shape that is clearly tied off for a reason...

In many mountaineering and expeditionary settings, a food or gear cache is an important part of a team's strategy. Commonly these cache's are buried in the snow and marked with wands or an avalanche probe. If such a cache were to disappear, it could mean the end of an expedition...it could also be very dangerous for those who were expecting it to be in place.

It is the responsibility of those who employ the use of fixed lines and caches to clean them up when they are done. If they don't, this creates a negative impression about climbers with land managers and the public. If land managers know who abandoned a cache (in a place like Denali National Park), they will impose a fine.  Additionally, climbers who permanently leave these types of things behind provide a better argument for the ethically challenged to steal your cache or your fixed line. 

A Climber Confronts the Thief Responsible for Stealing Draws Off His Route in Smith Rock State Park
Photo by Ian Caldwell

Many high-end climbers (5.11-5.15 climbers) regularly employ the use of fixed draws on their projects.  In other words, they leave draws fixed on hard bolted sport climbs so that they can easily come back in order to continue working on the ascent of their routes.  Many sport climbers will come back to the same climb over and over again, sometimes logging weeks or even months, working to successfully complete their climbs.

This technique of "working" a climb used to be looked-down upon, but has become the norm for people trying to climb very difficult routes. The technically hardest rock climbs in the world are now regularly being climbed this way.

The issue with this technique is that it is now common for climbing draws to be almost permanently left on hard climbs. There are two problems with this. First, some land managers don't like the nearly permanent installation of these draws. And second, the fact that these draws have been left behind provides a major temptation to individuals who don't know any better and for thieves.

In the Winter of 2010, three climbers confronted an individual who was systematically stripping draws off of hard climbs at Smith Rock State Park. Instead of physically attacking the individual for stealing draws, the climbers kept level heads and educated the individual about what he was doing and how it affected them. Luckily for the climbing community, these climbers elected to film the confrontation for educational purposes. A video of the incident can be seen below:


Picnic Lunch Wall Draw Thief from Ian Caldwell on Vimeo.

There are many climbers out there who don't like the fact that there are bolts in the rock. And there are many climbers out there who really don't like the fact the bolts have draws permanently affixed to them.  But when all is said and done, regardless of your beliefs about this issue, if you know that the draws have been set to assist in a climber's ascent, then taking them is stealing.

There is controversy around each of these three topics.  But fixed lines, caches and fixed draws are an important part of many climbers experiences and it is important to respect those who choose to employ such tactics as long as they do it in a way that is in line with a local climbing area's ethics.

--Jason D. Martin

January and February Climbing Events

-- Jan 27 -- Seattle, WA -- Altitude Illness Seminar 

-- Jan 27 -- Bellingham, WA -- The Biology and Ecology of Winter Tracking: Wolverine Behavior and Track Identification. For more information about this event, please contact Dave Moskowitz by phone 425-891-4745 or email davem@wildernessawareness.org. 

-- Jan 29 -- Truckee, CA --  Lost Trail Lodge Ice Climbing

-- Feb 4 -- Munising, Michigan -- Michigan Ice Fest

-- Feb 5 -- Mammoth, CA -- (Ski Mountaineering) Mammoth Chase  

-- Feb 12-13 -- Alpental, WA -- VertFest sponsored by OR

-- Feb 12 -- Seattle, WA -- Northwest Collegiate Climbing Challenge (UW)

-- Feb 18 - 21-- Cody, WY -- 13th Annual "Waterfall Ice" Fest

-- Feb 26 -- Seattle, WA -- AAC Annual Benefit and Awards Dinner

FOR MARCH: Red Rock Rendezvous....Don't forget that there is a lot going on in Las Vegas in mid to late March. Following is a quick breakdown of everything that is happening:

• March 12-15 -- Learn to Lead: An Introduction to Traditional Rock Leadership
• March 12-14 -- AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Course
• March 14-17 -- Basic Rock Camp
• March 15-16 -- AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Exam 
• March 17      -- Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Las Vegas
• March 18-20 -- Red Rock Rendezvous
• March 21-24 -- Basic Rock Camp
• March 22-25 -- Learn to Lead: An Introduction to Traditional Rock Leadership

 

Weekend Warrior - Videos to get you STOKED!!!

Well, this weekend warrior's videos will bring you back to the 80's.  Pull your neon track suits, your tights and your high-tops out of the back of the closet and dance along to the following videos...



The next one will be sure to get you moving!



Grab those music tapes, dust them off and ski this weekend to your favorite oldies- but- goodies! I know exactly where my Paula Abdul tape is, now I just have to find it...

-Katy Pfannenstein
Program Coordinator

Book Review: The Sandstone Spine

I have attended the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour a dozen times.  And every time there is a spectacular story about a person or a group of people that go on an epic adventure.  Commonly those on the trip are participating in an adventure outside my expertise.  For example, they decide to kayak from Australia to New Zealand, or they bike across China, or they walk across Australia...

These phenomenal films taught me that not every adventure has to revolve around climbing and/or skiing.  Indeed, adventure merely needs to be something that inspires you, no matter the medium.

It was with this in mind that I picked up The Sandstone Spine by David Roberts with photography by Greg Child.  Roberts is well-known for his mountain writing.  He has authored or co-authored seventeen books on climbing, adventure, and the history of the American Southwest. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and journals, including National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, the New York Times and The Atlantic Monthly.

Greg Child is a well-known mountaineer and author.  The Australian-born climber has tested his metal in every venue including on 5.13 routes, A5 big walls and on Himalayan peaks like Everest and K2.  He is a North Face athlete, an Outside Magazine contributor, and was responsible for the award-winning climbing tome, Postcards from the Ledge.  Additionally, Child has repeatedly been an athlete at Red Rock Rendezvous, an event that the American Alpine Institute is heavily involved with.

Roberts and Child joined forces with Vaughn Hadenfeldt, a local wilderness guide, to make the first complete traverse of the 100-mile long Comb Ridge in one continuous push.  The Comb is literally a Sandstone Spine that slices out deep into the Arizona desert, starting just east of Kayenta.

The sandstone ridge is comprised of thousands of rock spires, turrets and jagged teeth and is home to hundreds of Anasazi and Navajo ruins.  Ancient cliff-dwellings and petroglyphs dominate the route from the start to the finish.  As does difficult and dry terrain.

While each of the three men were world-class adventurers at the start of their trip, none of them were spring chickens.  At ages 61, 53, and 47, the trio's adventure had a different taste than many of those that are commonly written about in the magazines and journals.  Each of them were at that point in their lives that society likes to refer to as "middle-age."  And in many ways, their adventure along the Comb took place at three levels.  On the top level, it's the story of three friends on a great adventure.  On the second level, it's the story of the Anasazi, natives who disappeared hundreds of years ago.  And at the third level, it's the story of middle-aged angst among the men.

Roberts is an excellent adventure writer.  He does a wonderful job of weaving the different parts of the narrative together.  At one moment we are on the Comb with the three men, worrying about water; and in the next we are with Mormon missionaries, trying to find a way through the steep and unforgiving desert landscape.  Books like this are the reason that I read adventure narratives.  They are striking and engrossing stories.

At the American Alpine Institute we run trips in a handful of desert environments. We do trips at the foot of the Eastern Sierra, just outside Death Valley.  We run trips in Joshua Tree National Park.  And we run trips in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.  Sometimes in the heat of climbing a route, we forget that we weren't the first people to discover the area, that people have been traveling beneath our lines and routes for years.  Ultimately, Roberts' book gives us both a taste of what we love to do -- go on adventures -- as well as a taste of the history of these beautiful places.  There is no better combination...

--Jason D. Martin

National Park Service Invites Public to Fairbanks Open House on Denali/Foraker Mountaineering Fee

The American Alpine Institute just received the following email from Denali National Park:

The National Park Service (NPS) is holding an open house in Fairbanks on Friday, January 28 as part of the public involvement process examining approaches to recover more of the cost of the mountaineering program in Denali National Park and Preserve. The open house is taking place from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center (in the classroom) located at 101 Dunkel Street.

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., Denali staff will give a 30-40 minute presentation on the mountaineering program and fee. Official public testimony will not be taken during the open house, but park staff will be available before and after the presentation to provide additional information and answer questions.

Currently each climber of Mt. McKinley and Mt. Foraker pays a cost recovery mountaineering use fee of $200. Income from this special use fee helps fund some of the cost of the mountaineering program, including preventative search and rescue (PSAR) education, training for rescue personnel, positioning of patrol/rescue personnel (including volunteers) at critical high altitude locations on the mountain, the CMC (human waste) program, and administrative support. Since the cost recovery fee was implemented in
1995, the number of fatalities and major injuries has decreased significantly. This is directly attributable to the increased educational and PSAR efforts made possible through the cost recovery program.

When the special use fee was initially established it covered approximately 30% of the cost of this specialized program. Even though the fee was increased from $150 to $200 in 2005, current fee revenue only covers 17% of the cost. McKinley/Foraker climbers make up less than 1⁄2 of 1 percent of the park’s visitors, and in 2011 Denali will expend approximately $1,200 in direct support of each permitted climber. The average cost per visitor for all other visitors is approximately $37. In recent years, the park has diverted funds from other critical park programs in order to fully fund the mountaineering program.

The NPS is seeking ideas regarding two key questions:

1. Is the current mountaineering program the most cost effective, efficient and safe program we can devise? 

1. How much of the cost should be recovered from users, and what options are there for how those costs can be distributed? 

Comments from the public will be accepted through January 31, 2011. Comments may be submitted via email to: DENA_mountainfeecomments@nps.gov or faxed to (907) 683-9612. They may also be sent to: Superintendent, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755.

Additional information on the mountaineering program and the mountaineering special use fee is available on the park website at www. nps.gov/dena.

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 1/20/11

Northwest:

--Friends are remembering a Calgary man who died in a weekend avalanche in British Columbia as an avid backcountry skier, accomplished climber and safety-conscious adventurer. Manfred Rockel was killed on Sunday in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park near Nelson while on a backcountry ski vacation with fourteen friends. To read more, click here.

--Lyle Knight and Marc Piche made the first ascent of a new WI 6 in the Okanangan Valley of British Columbia.  They have named their new 400-foot line, Mythologic.  To read more, click here.

--First it was milk, then eggs and then bread that began to disappear from the shelves of The Siding General Store, the sole grocery store in B.C.'s picturesque mountain community of Field. Then, five days after the avalanche danger shut down the only highway leading into and out of the town of three-hundred people, the liquor was disappearing.  Finally on Tuesday afternoon, part of the Trans-Canada Highway reopened after the extended closure.  To read more, click here.


Sierra:

--Fifty-million years ago, powerful forces deep underground launched a new wave of mountain building that swept southward from British Columbia through Nevada and California, and on into Mexico. It was the beginning of what would become today's High Sierra. To read more, click here.

--A series of large storms hit the Pacific coast throughout December and into January, causing power outages, road closures and massive snow accumulation in the Sierras. Some Eastern Sierra residents saw as many as three days without power, while flights to and from Mammoth Yosemite Airport were canceled for more than five-days at a time. While good news for “snowed-in” vacationing skiers, record accumulations kept backcountry skiers inbounds as the snow settled. To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--The Bureau of Land Management is accepting comments on its proposal to offer special recreation permits for groups within Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Cottonwood Valley and along the 13-Mile Scenic Drive. Under the proposal, permits would be required for weddings, running and mountain bike races, charity fundraising events and other large group gatherings. To read more, click here.

Rocky Harvey's Plane after Crashing in Joshua Tree National Park

Photo Courtesy of the Desert Sun

--The morning sky above Joshua Tree National Park was bright blue and dotted with a few clouds as Rocky Harvey eased his van out of the driveway. He headed to Roy Williams Airport for an 8am flight with his instructor, Warner Henry. They would fly to Palm Springs, and Rocky would land his plane at an airport with a tower for the first time on his own.  To read more, click here.

Alaska:

--Solo winter Denali Climber Lonnie Dupre is getting there. On the 18th, he was at 14,200-feet and had made a carry to 15,200 feet, which in the regular season is the bottom of the fixed lines. As of this writing his plan was to be at 17,200-feet by the time you read this. To hear his audio reports, check out his website, here.

Mount Foraker from 17,200 feet

Photo by Jason Martin

--Denali National Park has released the 2010 Annual Mountaineering Summaries.  To read this document, go to this page and download the PDF.

Notes from All Over:


--The parents of a Boy Scout who died last year during a 20-mile hike in extreme heat are suing the organization whose famed motto, "Be Prepared," sets a standard they believe the hike's leaders failed to meet. Michael Sclawy-Adelman was 17 and close to reaching scouting's highest rank -- Eagle -- when he collapsed and died during the hike in the Florida Everglades in May 2009. To read more, click here.

--More than one-hundred people gathered at a bonfire and candlelight vigil Monday night to mourn and honor 16-year-old Joshua Waldron, who died Saturday from injuries he sustained in a skiing accident at Maine's Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Resort.  To read more, click here.

--A nineteen year-old woman was rescued Tuesday after she got lost at the Eldora Mountain Resort. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said Gree R Garcia, was skiing at Eldora with her boyfriend and her boyfriend's brother. At 3:30pm, the group split up so the men could get in one more run. Garcia said she planned to continue downhill to the parking lot, but inadvertently traveled southward, and went out of the ski area boundaries.  To read more, click here.

--Last weekend, an amazing new variation was added to the ephemeral Gorillas in the Mist, a 500-foot thin-ice testpiece at Poke-O-Moonshine in the Adirondacks. Three top Northeastern climbers completed a the line that they called Endangered Species (3 pitches, M6+ NEI5+ R).  To read more, click here.

--The New York Times ran an incredible article this week about planes melting out of the glaciers in Bolivia and in the rest of the Andes.  Apparently, the glaciers melting from climate change are revealing many secrets, including long lost planes and pilots.  To read more, click here.

--Rocktown Climbing Gym in Oklahoma City has made use of their local cold.  They have farmed ice on the front of their building.  To see photos, click here and here.

--Several bottles of key expedition equipment are making their way back home to Scotland more than one hundred years after being abandoned in Antarctica by Sir Ernest Shackleton.  The British explorer's unsuccessful South Pole expedition of 1907 left quite a few bottles of alcohol buried beneath a hut in Antarctica. The stash was discovered last year.  To read more, click here.


Manufacturer Recalls and Equipment Issues:

--Backcountry Access (BCA), the North American manufacturer of avalanche safety equipment, has just announced a recall of its latest beacon, the Tracker2. BCA representatives say they have isolated certain issues that could cause a potential malfunction in the T2 units.  To read more, click here.

--The United States Consumer Products Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of 3,500 Avalung backpacks due to a suffocation hazard.  The backpacks, imported from China by Black Diamond Equipment, include air intake tubing that can crack at cold temperatures.  To read more, click here.

--Totem Cams sold prior to December 31st 2010 are being recalled.  The color anodizing of the cams gives them a surface hardness that may affect their holding power in certain areas of polished limestone and when the cams still retain their layer of anodizing on the area in contact with the rock.  To read more, click here and here.

Conditions Report - January 19 2011

NORTHWEST:

--Let me guess. You figured the warm weather was a bust, ditched your plans to go skiing and/or ice climbing.... and watched movies on your couch all weekend instead. Well, these guess didn't -- they went to Leavenworth and caught some decent-looking ice. Check out their trip report here. Who knows what it will look by the end of the week, though. It doesn't look like it's cooling off. 

--This is a good post to read if you're doing any kind of backcountry skiing. Considering taking an avy course this winter? Now is the time. Maybe it's colder in Canada? Here is a report from Nelson, BC.  

--Follow this thread for any updates on Smith weather. 

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.-- Route and Conditions Report from Mt. Baker Rangers: Mount Baker Climbing Blog.

--Forest Service Road Report for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

--Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams conditions and recreation report.

--Webcams for Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Leavenworth.

--An up-to-date ski and snow report for the Northwest may be found here.

--Up-to-date Pacific Northwest ice conditions may be found here.

RED ROCK CANYON:

--Click here and here to see the latest route beta for Group Therapy (5.7) and the recent bolting issue.

--The scenic loop drive now closes at 5pm. See this thread and the BLM site for more information.

--Forecast and average temperatures for Red Rock Canyon.

--Webcam for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

--The late exit and overnight permit number for Red Rock Canyon is 702-515-5050. If there is any chance that you will be inside the park after closing, be sure to call this number so that you don't get a ticket.

--The entrance to the scenic drive had a parking area for those who wanted to carpool up until approximately April of 2009. That lot has now become employee parking and people who want to carpool are required to park at the lot outside the Scenic Drive exit.

--The scenic drive currently opens its gates at 6 in the morning.

JOSHUA TREE:


--Forecast and average temperatures for Joshua Tree National Park.

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

-- As winter use in Joshua Tree is growing, camping can be difficult at times.  It is not a bad idea to come with a back-up plan if the park campgrounds are full.  Here are the NPS Campground Details. Some people like to stay at the rural campground often referred to as "The Pit."  And lastly, there is a campground available at Joshua Tree Lake.

--The Joshua Tree entrance fee is currently $15 per vehicle.  Your receipt will give you access to the park for seven days after its initial purchase.  Rangers check this receipt at each of the major access points going in and out.  Annual passes are available for $30.

--Here is a link to a website dedicated to the events surrounding Joshua Tree National Park's 75th anniversary in 2011.  Check it out for up-to-date news on the park and the things going on to celebrate this historic park "birthday."

SIERRA:

--Check out an interview with Troy Johnson, who put up an FA of Native Son, El Capitan (A4, 5.9).

--For up-to-date avalanche and weather reports in the Eastern Sierra, click here. Avy conditions are still considerable in some areas.

--Webcams for Bishop, June Lake, Mammoth Mountain, Mono Lake, Tioga Pass.

--Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are now required seven days per week when the cables are up. This is an interim measure to increase safety along the cables while the park develops a long-term plan to manage use on the Half Dome Trail.  A maximum of 400 permits will be issued each of these days (300 of these permits are available to day hikers).  To read more, click here.

ALASKA RANGE:

--Conditions in the range are not currently available.  But we are taking reservations for both Alaska Range Ascents and Denali trips.  To learn more, click here.  We will begin regular conditions reports in the Alaska Range in late April.

ALPS:


--Chamonix and Mont Blanc Regional Forecasts may be found here.

--Webcams for Chamonix Valley, Zermatt and the Matterhorn.