Fantastic Climbing Novel

How have I missed this 2001 Boardman-Tasker prize winner? By Roger Hubank, the author of NORTH FACE, this historical novel of the Golden Age of Lake District rock climbing is a gem. Many of the scenes are set in Wasdale head out on the Gable, Napes Needle, and Scafell. Many of the luminaries - Collie, OG Jones, and the Abraham Brothers - are here. This is a coming of age story set in an England consumed by the Boer War, conformity to Edwardian mores, the increasing industrialization of the country, and the fore-shadowing of the loss of the Empire. Brilliantly written and with a scope that places it well beyond the average climbing novel, if indeed there is such a thing!

Or, it doesn't get better than this!

Stegs and I had a great training day for the Haute Route on AT gear, which ended with gorgeous alpenglow on Cascade.

It doesn't get much better than this!

Porter Mountain Loop

Excellent and very fast conditions out on the Olympic trails. This is the first iPhone picture I have taken wearing gloves, which as you may know is no small feat. (Lucy sewed in some special patches that conduct the ions, which allow you to use these devices with gloves.)

Very Funny Photo Essay

If you have never visited the Pimpin and Crimpin hysterically funny climbing site, it is worth a visit. Photo essays like "Twelve Climbers You Know" or "The Cute Climbing Girl Of The Week" are over the top. This essay is entitled "What Your Belay Device Says About You."

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO ACCESS THE PIMPIN AND CRIMPIN ARTICLE.

Distance Workout

Fueled by Selden's pecan pie I headed out for many laps on - and around - our ski hill. I was using mountaineering skis, lots of good vertical, and when I was done I stacked firewood for just under an hour.

Ski Mountaineering in the Himalayas

I always wanted to do an expedition to the Himalayas. My goals were always two-fold, first to climb an 8000 meter peak and second to do a long ski traverse (Haute Route) and tag some peaks along the way. This photograph was taken from the website Telemark Tips.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ ABOUT THIS SKI TRIP TO THE NANDA DEVI SANCTUARY.

Temperatures just went above zero

I went out for a short ski with Brian and Holly before I headed into the office.

Superb Nordic conditions

However, it was pretty chilly when Lucy and I went out on our skate skis ... About 5 degrees. Tonight we are supposed to get 5-7 more inches.

Ice Climbing in the Canadian Rockies

Barry Blanchard's list of his top ten favorite moderate routes ... Of course his idea of moderate may be a bit different from most.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE SHORT ARTICLE THAT APPEARED IN CLIMBING MAGAZINE.

Haute Route Training

MERRY CHRISTMAS. I just finished an hour of laps up and down the NCS ski hill. Notice my special Santa visor hat!

The Alpine Santa Came

In our house the best Christmas presents are always books. And while I always get some serious literature, if truth be told, it is the addition to the mountaineering library that are most coveted. Of the six titles, three are reprints of old classics, two are climbing novels, and one is a scholarly work.

A Truth Seen While Shopping

I saw this T-shirt while looking for last minute stocking stuffers ... HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

> As my college buddies - the D Phi Haute Route expedition - get ready to head into the mountains with our guides, gore-tex, hi tech AT gear, and grey hair, I quickly pulled together some pictures of a different day.
>
> In order of appearance: Stegs ice climbing on the Athabasca glacier in Canada, Hock-Stegs-Trols leaving Edmonds col in January 1974 on a traverse of the northern Presidential Range, Harry and Hock calling it a day and heading for the gunks, Hock-Lenny-Dick on a warm winter day heading up Mount Washington, and Stegs in bluejeans and wooden planks skiing into the Carter Notch hut. (The picture quality is low, as I quickly just took an iPhone picture of my Kodak instamatic photographs. Someday soon I will have the time to scan them.)
>

More Snow in the Adirondacks

We got another five inches of snow today and Lucy and I toured around the sugarbush and ski hill just before dark. (She is standing in front of the tow house.) This morning before heading into the office I did some pitches with Larry.

Avalanche Safety Test

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO ACCESS THIS SELF ASSESSMENT OF YOUR AWARENESS.

MOUNTAINEERING QUOTE OF THE WEEK

No doubt Santa is going to bring each fossil some more gear in the next 36 hours. Never forget, it was our antiquated gear that gave us the name Fossils. These days though it is safe to say, our gear is more hi-tech than it used to be ... Gore-tex, wire gate biners, specters, as well as super-light ropes, tents, packs, and boots. So, please let's not forget our roots; swami belts, 70cm axes, and leather boots.

The quote today comes from Harold Raeburn, a Scottish hardman of the late 1880s and early 1900s. He put up many rock routes on Ben Nevis, the first winter ascent of Observatory Ridge, and he was the climbing leader on the 1921 Everest recon.

"Think of everything you could want on a climbing expedition, say, of thirty hours. Cut out from this all you think might be fairly easily dispensed with. Take with you 50% of the remainder."

Analysis of 2009-2010 Avalanches in France

As we gear ourselves up physically for the Haute Route, so too is there a need for mental preparation ... Glacier travel, rescue procedures, snow dynamics, and avalanche safety precautions to be reviewed.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE REPORT.

The Three Best Novels About Skiing

If you are looking for a last minute holiday gift from Amazon.com, try one of these three. A MEDAL OF HONOR by Olympian John Morton captures the real life drama of biathlon. As a competitive biathlete from the 1980s several characters are composites of folks I used to race against. Any Nordic racer would love this novel. THE DOWNHILL RACERS by Oakley Hall was the inspiration for the 1969 movie with Robert Redford. It does for Alpine skiing what the previous book does for Nordic. Finally, THE SNOW GODS by Herbert Burkholtz is a fictionalized history of skiing in the 20th century, with terrific writing, and a cast of characters that spans multiple generations. I read each of these novels every year as the snow begins to fly.

YOU ARE INVITED

Trimming the Tree

Selden's Blog and the Fossil Fest

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ SELDEN'S ACCOUNT OF THE FOSSIL FEST.

Fossil Climbing Summary

During the Fossil Fest, the following routes were climbed: Pitchoff Right (multiple laps), Buster (multiple laps), Chouinard's Gully, Green Gully, Cascade waterfall, and the Quarry. The Fossils pictured range from 56 to 60 years young!

The Quarry ... NEI IV

The fossils are headed home, although it was a nice morning to finish on. BD climbed leashless ... He's the man!

The 10 best depictions of the Alps in literature

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS SHORT ARTICLE FROM THE GUARDIAN.

Sunset at Fairhope Farm

I came back from climbing a bit early so I could fire up the sauna.

Cascade Falls and Green Gully

Another day with moderate temperatures and superb ice climbing. Of course with overnight lows around -10 degrees, the ice was pretty brittle. Frank and Edward started early as they were going to ski the Nye slide.

Prepping for another day of climbing

Keeping the fossil anatomy running requires a delicate balance between sipping single malt in the cabin and massaging spastic muscles in Hock's living room.

Chouinard's Gully

The end of a good day. The ice was thick and plastic. The temperatures were mild and Chapel Pond was not too crowded. Washbowl Cliff is just behind Brian.

Sunrise on the Fossils

Sorry to say the slugs are still in their fart-sacks. No doubt this morning's conversation will be around two questions: have you ever heard someone snore as loudly as Brian? Which single malt is best?

Ice Climbing on Pitchoff

We did laps on "Pitchoff Right" and then Brian led "Bouncer." Moderate temperatures in the teens helped make it quite a nice first outing of the season.

Belay Vest For Ice Climbing

Brian modeling his new battery powered belay vest, which keeps him warm and toasty.

Santa visits and the NCS term break starts

I have many donor thank you letters (almost 300) to do in the next two week, however I am taking a few days off, as starting tonight Fossils begin to show up for some mountaineering.

EASTERN ICE CLIMBING

Two routes that were done just a few days ago ... One on Poko in the Adirondacks and the other on Cannon in the White Mountains. Obviously the season is in full swing.

Loppet Training

Before the students went home for Winter break, we went for one last ski workout. The conditions on the Olympic nordic trails are quite good, even though the total snow depth is not very deep. The flags are all flying as there is a World Cup bobsled and luge event this weekend.

HAUTE ROUTE: so how much will it all weigh?

Next to your fitness, and technical ability, this is the key question. Read this article by an elite ski mountaineer, get out your full kit, and see if you've got too much.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THIS ARTICLE.