rock climbing aalah an extreme sport that takes courage and strength to do do it. Here you can see those who have extraordinary courage in conquering the cliff in various corners of the country
--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.
--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.
-- 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.
--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.
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:
Belayer belays climber out to edge.
Climber at edge builds an anchor and fixes the line.
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.
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.
Only one person should move on the fixed line at once.
The last person will bring down the backside of the fixed line, the end that is not running through the quicklink.
Once the rope is released from the anchor, it will be able to be easily pulled down.
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 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:
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.
-- 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.
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:
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...
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...
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:
Is the current mountaineering program the most cost effective, efficient and safe program we can devise?
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.
--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
--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 hereand 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.
--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.
--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.
-- 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.
--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.
The Bolivia trip I did last year was truly a life changing trip. Its likely I will be going back to Bolivia this year and I wanted to post some photos to show you why Bolivia really is one of the best trips a person who enjoys the outdoors can do.
To start with Bolivia is safe. I travel everywhere with a lot of expensive camera equipment, and Bolivia last year was no exception. The first couple of days I left it all in my room rather than carry it around, because I was worried about having it stolen. On day three I realized that even in Bolivia's biggest city there was a surprisingly small amount of crime. To put it simply, if you use common sense in La Paz you are likely safer than you would be in any major American city. The people are kind warm friendly and honest. No one on our trip had anything stolen or heard of anyone having things stolen. This does not mean we were careless, but I was no more careful here than I would be North America.
Bolivia is cheap. When I say cheap what I mean is once you get there it is really inexpensive to buy things. If you are willing to eat street food then you can get lunch for a lot less than a dollar. A good dinner at a very nice restaurant is likely $10. Hotels are also a good deal and there are plenty of hotels that would meet that standards of North America for cleanliness and comfort.
Bolivia is Beautiful. I don't need to say anything here. Just look at the photos.
Bolivia is fun. The people of Bolivia are some of the happiest people I have met. They add to the enjoyment of what would be a great vacation anyway. La Paz is a big city and the night life is a blast! Great bars, great restaurants and great clubs.
Bolivia has great trekking. Just look at the photos.
Bolivia has great climbing.
So sign up for a Bolivia trip on the AAI website and join me in the country I have fallen in love with.
We all thought La Nina was going to give us a cold and wet winter with lots of snow and great skiing. Well, there have been some good days of skiing at Paradise, of course, in the last month, but there's been a lot of wild weather.
We're currently on the tail end of a 7" rain storm at Paradise. It was raining at times, clear up to 9000 feet. Fortunately, no major flooding damaged any roads (so far). We're planning on opening the road to Paradise today, after keeping it closed yesterday, due to avalanches (both snow, rock, and mud), flood, and rockfall potential.
Ranger Drew Bryenton dug a pit last week. Look for more full profiles from Drew. We'll post them here as well as on the NWAC website. Here's the January 11th, full profile / before all this rain.
Currently, the rain has switched to snow. It's sticking to the old rain surface pretty well. The new snow density is about 40%... Not good skiing, but good for stability.
There are some scheduled climbs this week. I hope to hear back from them so stay tuned.
~ 2 hours later: Just got back in from digging around for avalanche stability along the road to Paradise:
In 2001, I was climbing a big wall in Zion National Park with two of our former guides. Prodigal Son is an "easy" aid route that ascends the Northeast Face of Angels Landing. As it was late in the Fall and it was getting dark early, we elected to fix the first aid pitches and then complete the ascent to the top on the following day.
On the second day of the climb we made our way to the base of the wall in the dark. The approach was not pleasant. We had to forge the freezing Virgin River at 5am. And then we each began to jug the fixed lines with mechanical ascenders.
For some reason, I was the last person to climb the ropes. As I climbed up the second rope, dawn was breaking and it was much easier to see. And what I saw was terrifying...
Near the top of the second line, there was a hint of white peaking through a seriously damaged rope sheath. The line was core shot. And I was below the damage!
I quickly climbed through the damaged section of rope and clipped into the anchor. Safe.
Three of us climbed up that rope on jumars. The bouncing motion of our movement and the dynamic nature of the rope caused it to repeatedly rub on the sandstone, allowing the coarse stone to saw through the sheath.
Ultimately, we finished the wall. But that particular incident has stuck with me for years. Indeed, it has made me extremely cautious while aid climbing and constantly concerned about sharp edges while free climbing.
Recently the rope manufacturer Beal, revealed a new technology that they are calling Uni Core. The concept is that the core and the sheath are integrated and that it will be much harder for rope damage to have a catastrophic effect.
The following video is pretty convincing:
Certainly the catastrophic effect of the knife on the rope would have been mitigated by knots in the rope. Aid climbers on jumars are taught to knot the rope as they climb for just such a possibility. And indeed, in my situation back in Zion, had the sheath completely come apart, I would have been shaken up, but okay. I had placed knots in the rope.
I haven't used one of these ropes yet and have no idea how well they handle. But as this is a major jump in rope safety, I thought it important to discuss it here.
To learn more about Uni Core and the new Beal Rope, click here.
To read a discussion on these new ropes, read the thread at supertopo.com.
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:
Since the avalanche danger this weekend is at the EXTREME level (check out Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center) in the Cascades, please be cautious while traveling out in the backcountry.
For your viewing pleasure, here's a video showing how Steven's Pass, WA, controls the avalache danger at the ski area.
With the avy danger so high, folks will be looking for ways to get out and entertain themselves. The next video clip shows folks jumping the road gap at Mt. Baker.
On average 37 people are killed each year by avalanches in the United States alone. Almost all of these avalanches are started by the people caught in them. Some basic level or training and knowledge can dramatically increase your margin of safety while traveling in the backcountry. At the American Alpine Institute, we offer AIARIE Avalanche Courses where we will teach you what to look for in the snow pack, how to test stability, how to read terrain and avoid danger zones, and how to rescue yourself and partners if caught in an avalanche. There is room available in our classes, so register online today!
Many climbers consider Red Rock Canyon's Epinephrine (5.9 IV+) to be one of the best routes of its grade in the world. With over fifteen pitches of climbing, Epinephrine is a phenomenal route that places one in an incredible position high above the Black Velvet Canyon.
The chimneys on Epinephrine are behind the pillar at the bottom of the wall. Photo by Greg Barnes from supertopo.com
Many look at the moderate 5.9 grade and believe that this route will be a walk in the park. The reality is that Epi -- as the locals call it -- is a route that includes significant difficulties that one doesn't often encounter on a regular day out at the crags. Indeed, the route is known for one major feature: a long 5.9 chimney system.
The first third of Epinephrine is dominated by chimneys. These chimneys are incredibly smooth inside. Some have even equated them to glass. It often feels that the inch at a time gains inside the chimneys might be lost at any moment from a mild slip or fall. Difficult passage inside the chimneys are exacerbated by the fact that the route is so big that a pack is absolutely necessary. To move through the chimneys one must drag their pack between their legs.
Climbing the Chimneys on Epinephrine Video by Richard Draves
A climber in a chimney on Epinephrine. Photo by Richard Draves
Once the first third of the route is completed, the difficulties ease, but there is still over a thousand feet to climb. The second third of the route ascends an exposed headwall which drops off nearly a thousand feet. There is a great deal of 5.9 terrain in this section of the climb, but the climbing feels significantly easier than that of the chimneys. The 5.9 climbing in the central part of the route is "normal" 5.9. In other words, it feels like any 5.9 that one might find on one of the shorter routes in Red Rock. This section goes significantly faster than the first section.
The last third of the route climbs a massive mid-fifth class ramp. One climbs pitch after pitch after pitch of easy terrain that slowly allows altitude to be attained. Finally after traversing an exposed tree ledge, one finds himself at the base of an easy scramble which leads to the top of Velvet Peak.
Red Rock Canyon is famous for its moderate (5.6-5.9) multi-pitch routes. There are literally hundreds of them. At the upper end of moderate climbing, Epinephrine stands out as a spectacular and unforgettable adventure.
The American Alpine Institute Booth at the Baker Beacon Rally
Photo by Andrew Yasso
--The American Alpine Institute was a key sponsor of the Baker Beacon Rally this year. This event took place over the weekend at the Mount Baker Ski Area and introduced nearly 400 people to avalanche awareness. The guides who worked the event however, were adamant that a short clinic is no replacement for a full avalanche course. To read more, click here.
--The Pacific Crest Trail Association is looking for individuals who would like to assist with trail clearing on the PCT in the Snoqualmie Pass area after the snow melts. To learn more, click here.
--From a more climber related perspective, there is a movement to get the Bachelor Creek Trail designated as a Class 1 wilderness trail. This heavily overgrown path provides access to the Ptarmigan Traverse and the Dome Peak area. To get this turned into a Class 1 trail, it is important to send a request to the forest manager. A template has been designed and is available on nwhikers.net. To see the template and to learn more, click here.
Sierra:
--The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has come out with some more snow statistics. The mountain measurements show Mammoth Pass snowpack still even with the wettest years on record - that's 1982-1983. The statistics remain staggering with both snow and precipitation measurements double, triple even quadruple normal for this time of year. To read more, click here.
Desert Southwest:
-- "Mountain Gear Presents: Red Rock Rendezvous" rock climbing festival for its eighth annual event, March 18-20, 2011. The festival takes place at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas and will host athletes and American Alpine Institute guides teaching clinics and running courses. This year's event is limited to the first 1,000 registrants and early registration is recommended. To learn more, click here and here.
--A teenager charged with placing graffiti on ancient artwork in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area will be taken to federal court. Las Vegas police arrested a 17-year-old known by the nickname "Pee Wee" last month. Because of his age, Pee Wee was charged as a juvenile under the state's anti-graffiti law and his name was not released. At the time, federal authorities said he might be charged under the U.S. Archaeological Resources Protection Act, a felony that carries a penalty of up to $100,000 and five years in prison. To read more, click here.
Alaska Range:
--In an audio update on his website Monday, Lonnie Dupre said he was making progress on his attempt to become the first person traveling solo to reach the summit of Denali in January. Dupre was flown from Talkeetna, Alaska, to the Kahiltna Glacier, the starting point for the climb, on Friday afternoon. To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--Three men died in the mountains of western Montana over the weekend, two on a ski hill and one in an avalanche, Flathead County officials said. A Kalispell man died in a snowboarding accident Saturday at Whitefish Mountain Resort, where a 68-year-old skier also died of natural causes while skiing, and a snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche west of Hungry Horse Reservoir. To read more, click here.
--After years of anticipation and direct advocacy by the Access Fund, the National Park Service has released an updated draft of its wilderness management policies in order to provide accountability, consistency, and continuity in its wilderness stewardship program. The update covers a wide range of topics including the long-waited-for provisions specific to climbing fixed anchors. Iconic climbing areas in the U.S.—including as Yosemite, Zion, Black Canyon, and Rocky Mountain national parks—would be governed by this new policy. The proposed policy acknowledges that climbing is a legitimate and appropriate use of wilderness and that each park with significant wilderness climbing activities must prepare a climbing management plan. However, the policy calls for climbing to be restricted or prohibited if unacceptable impacts to wilderness resources or character occur. To read more, click here.
--Congratulations to AAI Guide, Dawn Glanc! Dawn won in the women's division at the Ouray Ice Festival and came in seventh place overall. While Dawn didn't make it to the top of the route in the allotted time, she got higher than any other women. The preceding video shows Dawn climbing the route. Josh Wharton took first place for the third year in a row. To read more, click here and here and here. Following is a video of Josh and his first place ascent:
--Late last month, a team of Pacific Northwest Climbers made an ascent on a new route on the east Face of Patagonia's Agua Mermoz. The team comprised of Mike Schaefer, Jens Holsten, and Colin Haley climbed their new line Jardines Japoneses (V 5.10 A1 AI4 M5) in a 26-hour push. To read more, click here.
--British climber Joe Brown has been appointed the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) award. The 80 year-old climbing legend was the driving force behind the rise in rock climbing standards in the United Kingdom after the second World War. To read more, click here and here.
--Late last year, the 62nd meeting of IKAR CISA was held in the Tatras mountains last fall gathering the mountain rescue corporations from all the European countries, USA and Japan. The goal of the meeting is to share and discuss techniques, equipment and experiences in order to improve efficiency and safety during rescue operations in the mountains. To read more and to see a video about the event, please click here.
--In the Summer of 2009, Craig Luebben was killed in a tragic accident while climbing in the Cascades. The guide was well-known and well-loved throughout both the climbing and guiding community. As a testament to their love, Craig's friends, Cameron Cross and Bennett Scott, finished a guidebook that he was working on The Poudre Canyon. All proceeds from the book will go to help pay for Craig's daughter to go to college. To read more and to learn how to purchase the book, click here.
--A Delaware state senator and his two daughters were among those injured in the ski lift accident at Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Resort last month, The News Journal of Delaware has confirmed. State Senator Michael Katz said that he and his two daughters are recovering from injuries sustained December 28th when the lift derailed and their chairs fell about 35 feet to the snow. To read more, click here.
--From closing state parks to reducing the number of state firefighters, Jerry Brown's proposed budget contains significant changes to California's environment. Picking up where former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger left off, Brown's budget calls for reducing the hours of some of California's 278 state parks and closing others entirely. The proposal would cut $11 million this year, and $22 million next year, from the state parks budget. Brown has asked State Parks Director Ruth Coleman to submit a list by early February of the parks that will have reduced hours, or will be closed completely. To read more, click here.
Manufacturer Recalls and Equipment Issues:
This is a new section in our weekly news. We have long felt that hitting a recall just once in a quick blog might not be enough to get the word out. As a result, we will try to keep each recall up for a month. Regular equipment problems that appear in forums or on other blogs will still only be hit upon once, but will be featured in this section.
--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.
