Lucy on the Climbing Wall

Since NCS will start school in two weeks, Lucy has started her training for the crag-a-thon. Here she is starting up on our indoor climbing wall ... about 5.5 and 25 feet high.

Difficile and Beyond

Click on the text to access a link to an excellent five part series from the British magazine "Climber." The series covers the A-Z of moving into the more difficult alpine routes. Excellent advice, as well as gear and route suggestions.

Ahwahnee Hotel

A major rock avalanche coming off Royal Arches in Yosemite has forced the temporary closure of this historic hotel. Click on the is text to read the full story.

Bergfilm

In the 1920s and 1930s German film producers began setting stories in the Alps with mountaineering themes, much as in America we developed a special genre called "westerns." One of the classics of the Bergfilm genre was the "White Hell of Piz Palu." Click on the text to access a link to a short video excerpt from the film as well as some key historical background text.

Consolation Prize

After work - having missed the fun with Larry and Dave - I spent 70 minutes bouldering and going through my yoga poses out by the yurt. Back in my youth I managed a circuit with at least a dozen problems, now I concentrate on doing laps on the 3-4 modest problems I can still do. The peace and quiet of the woods out by the sugarbush was greatly appreciated after a somewhat chaotic day in the office. (At some point I will figure out how to use iMovie to add music to this 15 second video.)

Hock Bails ... too much work!

Dave and Larry had a great day on the Washbowl and King Cliffs. They did the two pitch "Partition" (a classic 5.8 corner), and then a three pitch 5.7 called "Prince." (As always just click on the images to enlarge the photographs.)

More laps

Gary was up again to help with the garage construction after which we
went up to the crag. I did four laps on "Gynandamorph" (5.6) ... Now
it's off to town for a pizza ... Oh, I also talked to El Presidente
today. (Did you notice that I was wearing one of Lewy's Vertical Painting shirts?)

Potato Late Blight

All the NCS and CTT staff that are around have spent time in the garden these past two days, cutting tops off potato plants, in an effort to save the spuds still ripening in the soil. Late blight is one of the most important potato diseases in the world. It was the cause of the great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840's and it continues to be a challenge to control. The northeast is currently being visited, and globally it seems to be reaching pandemic proportions.

NCS Crag: "Want some"

This short video captures Dave on the crux of a 5.10a at the crag during the NCS reunion. Beware the ratings at NCS are often a bit understated ... given how Dave has been climbing this summer ... could be more like 5.10d.

The Ausable Club

The NCS reunion closed with our hosting a small "thank you" reception for major donors at the prestigious Ausable Club. This private preserve - tens of thousands of mountain acres - has one of the largest remaining all wood hotels in the northeast, tennis courts, and a golf course with spectacular mountain views. Finally, their lobby and sitting rooms are hung with excellent mountain landscape paintings. This is a early 20th century oil painting of a view of Noonmark by Harold Weston. (To find out more about the Ausable Club just click on this text.)

Owl's Head Cragging

As part of our five-day NCS reunion, I took Matt and Frank to Owl's Head to do a few short rock routes. This crag has a bald summit with a fantastic view and it dries out quicker than any other place in the Adirondacks. Enjoy this short video.

Dana Couloir makes the NY Times

Click on this text to access an article in the New York Times about climbing the Dana Couloir in Yosemite. A pretty good article and an even better slideshow as a sidebar to the story. (This past June, Mark and I climbed the snowy face just right of the gully. We also climbed the gully several years ago with Calli.)

Matt Cruising on the Crag

This ten second video snippet shows that even though Matt has been stuck behind a lab bench for many years in pursuit of his PhD, he can still move over stone.

NCS class of '85

Matt spent the morning out at the crag, logging 4-5 laps on the moderate routes "Hock's Blessing" and "One Taste." He came oh so close to nailing "Unexpected." Hock managed 9 laps in the 5.5 - 5.7 range. He looks a bit beefier than on his Denali summit attempt with Danny!

Sunny Weather in the Alps

The webcam suggests that there are fantastic climbing conditions in Chamonix. (This has been confirmed by a daily look at my iPhone weather page.) The Geant is the spire in the center which overlooks the Mer de Glace. Mark and I climbed a route on it over 30 years ago ... the question in my mind is whether the two of us will get back there to rope up?

Fossils Cragging Again

Gary was up for a family gathering, and despite a hectic day with the
upcoming NCS reunion I managed 90 minutes at the crag. The picture
shows Gary doing laps on a 5.7 (Unexpected), he also managed to do a 5.6 (Too Late Dave) and a 5.9+ (Un-named).

The Greatest Climber in the World

As I watched Dave, and heard of his commitment to his bouldering project I was reminded of a famous short story from the anthology "Games Climbers Play." The story was written by Bernard Amy, and if you click on this text you can access the full text ... Enjoy.

Weekly totals

A decent week of exercise and activity: 3 hikes with 4000', 2 sessions at the crag with 8 laps up to 5.9, 2 good yoga sessions, and 6 modest rowing or canoeing workouts. (If you are truly a fanatic you can click on the image and enlarge the spreadsheet.)

Its closer to this season than last!

Here are college fossil buddies (Dave, Ted, Harry, Dick) at Killington this past April, planning the 2011 Haute Route trip from Chamonix to Zermatt.

Ueli Steck again

This four minute video, just concentrates on the Swiss alpinist's speed record on the Colton-MacIntyre route of the Grand Jorasses in the Chamonix area of the alps. This mixed route is 4000' and is often done with at least one bivouac. (Just click on this text to access the link to the video.)

The beta on the "Impossible Dream"

This 20 second video shows Dave getting the bottom moves "wired." After almost 30 years, the problem remains unclimbed.

The Impossible Dream

About 25 years ago, having tired of the campus bouldering circuits, I became "slightly" obsessed about the possibility of putting up a route on one of the more improbable glacial erratics scattered on our campus. I say "slightly" because the energy invested, and commitment, comes no where close to the focus and attitude that Dave has brought to the project this summer. Dave and his dog are out every morning at 7 AM ... rain or shine. If the weather is poor he works on cleaning, draining, or tarping the boulder. If the weather is nice he tapes up, and puts his heart and soul into it, for five - maybe six - good attempts.

About 20 years ago, after I had given up on the "Impossible Dream," I brought Russ Clune - Black Diamond sales rep and ace climber - out to sample the NCS bouldering circuit. Russ had quite a climbing resume as he was the first American rock climber to compete in international competitions, he had hundreds of first ascents to his credit, and he had soloed "Open Cockpit" and "Supercrack" (5.12+) at the Gunks. (His article, "Fool's Goal" in John Long's collection entitled "The High Lonesome" is a good read.) Anyway, after sampling the 5.10 and easy 5.11 routes on the circuit, he gave a half-hearted attempt on the "Impossible Dream." He did say it would "go," and that probably it would be 5.13+.

More NCS Cragging

Two pictures of Dave climbing "Useless Expectations" (5.10c) and "Too Short" (5.9). I did three laps including a lead of "Hock's Blessing" (5.6). A fantastic day at the NCS crag, and now its off to Nick and Liz's wedding.

Mind boggling video

Click on this text to see footage of Swiss climber Ueli Steck setting the speed record on the three big alpine north faces ... Eiger, Grand Jorasses, and the Matterhorn. This guy climbs vertical ice as fast as we walk down the ramp at NCS. His average time for these routes is about two hours ... pretty amazing given that the 1938 route on the Eiger is usually done in about 65 pitches!

Fossil Friend on Mount Sir Donald

Greg - on his way to work in the arctic - did the "50 Classic Climbs," Northwest Arete. As per his email, he had this to say about the Canadian Rockies classic, "it was super long and fun ridge climbing ... beautiful views ... 15 raps and lots of down climbing." It is good to see that the youth of America get beyond the local sport crags! (Click on the image to enlarge the photograph.)

August 25th Idea

Hock, Dave, and Larry are thinking of doing a long backcountry alpine route. Our original intention had been to climb the "Diagonal Route" (5.8) on Wallface. However, having just climbed Sawteeth and gotten a close-up view, I think we may switch our objectives. At the moment we are leaning toward hiking in 4 miles to the base of the North Face of Gothics, climb the moderate 1000' route (5.2) on the right hand edge of the face, and then make three rappelsdown the back-side to do the 5.10a Direct South Face. The photographs show a route close-up, as well as the view from the Upper Ausable Lake. (As always, click on the image to enlarge the photograph.)

Fantastic Three Days!

I just returned from a short wilderness stay in a rustic cabin on the Upper Ausable Lake. Esty (an NCS trustee) and his wife Nina, hosted Reggie, Patrice, and Hock. (Click on the photographs to enlarge the images.) The sounds of the loons were hauntingly beautiful. The early morning mist rising off the lake with the Great Range as a backdrop was sublime. Finally, the hiking trails were uncrowded and awesome. It was a sad moment when we had to hike and paddle out this morning. (PS ... the rock on the south face of Gothics and Pyramid looked awesome!)

Barkeater Cliffs

Larry, Dave, and Liz ran another summer climbing program for NCS. This day camp for local area residents was called Summer Rox. On the last session of camp, here is Larry leading "Mr. Clean" one of the classic 5.8 routes on this Adirondack Crag. (As usual, just click on the photograph to enlarge the image.)

Notch Mountain Slabs: "And She Was"

This 10 second video features Gary cleaning this 5.3 crack, with the West Branch of the Ausable River - awesome fly fishing - in the background.

More Fossil Cragging

Gary and I got away from for a couple more hours of climbing on Notch Mountain Slabs (near Multiplication Gully). We managed six laps in the 5.3-5.6 range with each of us also leading a pitch. Behind the photograph of Gary is Moss Cliff which has 23 multi-pitch routes from 5.8 - 5.13d. The picture of Gary on the top rope is "Roast 'n Boast" (5.6), next to it is a variation called "Broil 'n Brag" (5.6) which we also did. (Click on the photograph to enlarge the image.)

Ricardo Cassin passes away

The legendary alpinist - having just turned 100 a few months ago - passed away yesterday. He climbed hundreds of new routes, and climbed all over the globe. Two of his routes that I have always wanted to climb - and fear that I will not - are the Walker Spur on the Grand Jorasses (photo), and the Cassin Ridge on Denali. Click on this text to access a link to his mountaineering obit.

Fossil Cragging

It wasn't grand alpinism, however Gary and Hock were out at the NCS crag this morning. They did 12 laps each, and Hock led a couple of the moderate routes. The picture is of Gary on "Gynandamorph" one of the classic 5.6 routes. Any day when two - or more - fossils get together is a great day!

Too much food, too little exercise

Last night I had the farm interns over to the Fossil Cabin for dessert, and today I had a long lunch with Larry G. at the Lake Placid Club. Tonight it is drinks and appetizers at the start of the Keene Valley Library book sale ... feeling fat ... I need to blow off some CO2 and lace up my rock shoes! (One added bonus was the discovery that the Lake Placid Lodge has a wonderful collection of 19th century Adirondack oil paintings.)

Garage Apartment

Jon is on top of the ridge-line, clipped into an anchor I installed. From this distance it is hard to read the facial expression, but it is clear that he is more comfortable in the editorial room of the local newspaper than on a roof pounding nails ... cie la vie!

More Cragging

Larry and his Summer Rox program were out at the NCS crag today. I came out late in the day and did five laps on "Hock's Blessing" a moderate 5.6 route. Meanwhile check out the video footage of Larry doing laps on "Un-named" a 5.10d to the right of "Unexpected."

A Page Turner

Hello Fossils. Summer is supposed to be a time for block-buster movies in the theater and pot-boiler novels on the beach. I am quite sure that we are a bit out of step with the rest of the country, however I am reading a great mystery thriller ("The Fall Line") right now. You can get a used copy on Amazon.com for a penny. The action takes place in Alta, Squaw Valley, and Jackson Hole. Clearly the author has a great deal of experience in the mountains or he has done superb research with some real climbers and skiers. A quick read ... even if you are not working on your tan at the beach!

Dreaming again!

Yesterday's glance at the Chamonix webcams, of course lead me to look at the weather predictions for the coming week (iPhone photo enclosed). It seems that if I took the red-eye from JFK International tomorrow, I would have a week of fantastic weather. Airfares are actually pretty cheap, I have the frequent flyer miles, however I have no warm alpinists to go with. Anyway, I was reminded of the great route Larry and I did on the Aiguille de Gliere last summer, and the picture looking back of another summit party as we descended. Is it too soon to be scrounging for partners to go do some alpine routes in Chamonix next summer?

Doctor D ... Where are you? What are you up to?

Such extended periods incommunicado can only mean: backpacking with the family in Colorado (yahoo), swamped with video-conference calls from Japan and Europe (boo-hoo), flying below the radar with a secret training plan for the Hawaii Ironman Race, a stealth non-permitted attempt up the Kangshung Face on Everest, or you have taken up golf and there is no cell phone reception on the links! Enclosed is a picture of Brian from back in the days when we used to hear from him!

Early Evening at the Yurt Boulder

Not exactly the last great alpine problem but I did spend an hour doing easy problems (up to 5.6) and stretching out with a variety of yoga poses. A 100 feet away is the "Impossible Dream" boulder that looks like it may go at 5.13d. Dave is methodically draining, cleaning, and figuring out the moves ... he is halfway there! The short video footage features Hock doing the improbable, but quite easy, mantle problem that comes in at 5.6.

August 1st and Sunny Weather in Chamonix

I am looking forward to doing some bouldering this afternoon, and maybe a quick trip up to Montreal tomorrow to sport climb with Greg. I am reading a novel written a century ago set in Chamonix (Mason's "Running Water"). The plot involves quit a bit of alpine climbing, and so I couldn't help but check out the webcams in various alpine settings. The picture is about 100 yards from where Larry and I bivvied last year before we did the classic route on the Gliere.