The new slide is on the far right side of the peak and just out of view in the picture is Marcy Dam which was completely washed away by Irene.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
A New Slide On Wright
The new slide is on the far right side of the peak and just out of view in the picture is Marcy Dam which was completely washed away by Irene.
The Eiger Nordwand in Video
During the last week of summer I have re-watched three videos while doing some rowing on the Ergometer ... all excellent and well worth watching. The first was the recent lightly fictionalized German film (English subtitles) called simply NORTH FACE. It is available on Netflix. The second was Joe Simpson's THE BECKONING SILENCE after a book of that name, which is available in eight installemnts on YouTube. The final one being by Leo Dickinson, called SOLO which is available on the Steep Edge Films website.
Which catches your fancy?
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF THE BECKONING SILENCE.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
THE ROAD NEAR CHAPEL POND SLABS
The storm damage from Irene will put a bunch of good climbing areas out of commission for several months. The valleys of upstate New York and Vermont got hammered. Many homes have been lost or damaged and roads and bridges are in need of serious repair.
Monday, August 29, 2011
In Irene's Wake ... new slides in the Adirondacks
No doubt yesterday's massive rainfall created numerous new slides and widened existing slides, the first one we know about is across the street on Cascade. Dave took this picture from the top of Balanced Rocks today on the side of Pitchoff
Alpine Flowers In Yosemite
Last week I did a short hike to the summit of Gaylord Peak, at 11,007 it is just inside the northern boundary of the park. It afforded a spectacular view, as well as some nicel clusters of late blooming alpine flowers.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
JUMP ... A steep edge video
Having seen slides and read accounts of the high standard climbing being done on the pinnacles of Saxony, I am damned sure you would not catch me jumping from one pillar to the next. High adrenal value.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Quote of the Week ... About Dougal after the Eiger Direct
"Dougal was now famous ... He received scores of letters from fans, mostly from females entranced by his brooding looks and modish clothes. He was now, in fact, established as a cult figure on the climbing scene: Jim Morrison in crampons."
Clint Willis, THE BOYS OF EVEREST
Friday, August 26, 2011
BLAST FROM THE PAST: valley of death on Denali
Weaving our way to the base of the Cassin Ridge, where Don realized he was way over his head, and so we re-calibrated and headed up the West Rib. Now-a-days folks do not do this dangerous approach, they down climb a ramp from the 14,000' camp on the West Buttress.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Toulumne Meadows is awesome
Pictured here are Tenaya Lake, Stately Pleasure Dome, Mount Dana, and Tenaya Peak. The rock, the weather, the history, the ethics, and the fossil memories do not get much better than what we have experienced here in the last 30+ years. Of course, missing from the collage are pictures which would remind us of past epics and adventures on Fairview Dome, Matthes Crest, Lembert Dome, Conness, Cathedral, and North Peak.
Yosemite Crack Climbing
Today I finished off my three day vacation in Toulumne with multiple laps on 5.6-5.9 glacier polished crack climbs. As always, your first days in Yosemite are humbling, a real eye-opener getting used to these slick, often flaring, and pure jamming cracks ... Not like back in the 'dacks where you can always find some good face climbing holds on the outside edge of the crack.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Laps on Puppy Dome
Here we are getting ready for an afternoon assault on the 5.6 routes on the infamous Puppy Dome. Mark is giving an anti-light is right lecture, talking about the virtues of his locking biner that weighs close to two pounds!
Fishing in Toulumne
It is great to be back in Toulumne Meadows. Doing a combination of yoga, easy hikes, and top-roping ... Mark is also catching trout for fish tacos.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Fond memories of Michael ... South Face of the Petite Grepon
Hot Chicks and Stormy Afternoons from Mark Smiley on Vimeo.
This short video reminded me of the trip to Colorado when I climbed the Petite Grepon with Michael Franklin. A spectacular day, spectacular climbing, and a spectacular summit. Over two decades ago we met in RMNP for a week of climbing. Because it was in the 50 Classic Climbs, we anticipated a crowd and so bivied at the base of the route and planned to get up at first light. Well starting at 3:00 am, the first in a series of about a dozen people stepped over us, and so at dawn we headed to the valley and climbed outside Este Park. Later in the day we hiked back into our bivy, and even though we were on the climb at 4:30 am we almost got skunked by a party of two gals ... However we took an alternate line and raced them to the base of the final tower. Later that evening - in our sleeping bags - we listened all evening as a party rapped down the gully towards us - without headlamps - leaving their entire rack on the descent. At first light the next morning we scored some serious booty.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Free Mountaineering E- Books
With the new - free - google books app, you can download an enormous number of historical mountaineering books
written before 1930. The titles I have downloaded onto my iPad include books written by: Young, Jones, Workman, Abraham, Conway, Freshfield, Norman-Neruda, Collie, Mummery, Perry, Lunn, Haskett Smith, Dent, Raeburn, and Whymper.
Karakorum Classic ... Nayser Brakk (5200m)
Nayser Brakk - Charakusa Valley, Pakistan - 2011 from Pat Goodman on Vimeo.
After this "warm up" the team did a new route on another pillar (Fida Brakk, 5350m), although the main objective the unclimbed SW pillar of K7 again eluded them. A longer video of their first ascent route on Fida Brakk is due out this Fall.
Monday, August 15, 2011
A Bit Of Rock Climbing History
This is a superb website, with many wonderfully written essays, although unless you are a Brit or you fancy the history of the sport, it may not be your cup of tea. This essay on Colin Kirkus is superb, and for those that do not know him, it puts modern day sport climbing in perspective. Reading about his feats on Welsh crags as a 17 year-old, just after World War I is mind boggling. Many routes solo, and those done roped, had little if any protection, yet he climbed to a standard of HVS or 5.7-58. Sadly, he died young during World War II.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE ESSAY.
Blast From The Past ... Talkeetna, Denali, and our first Alaskan trip
Over the years in Alaska we have had many fine fossil memories hanging out before and after our climbs ..., dancing in double boots, playing volleyball in the streets, and of course, Michael Franklin losing his lunch after leaving the Fairview Inn.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
NEW ZEALAND WINTER GAMES
Along with the Kiwis,the American, Canadian, and parts of the Russian team were in attendance. Kris Freeman and Andy Newell finished 1-2.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS SOME RACE FOOTAGE.
Tuning Up For A Couple Of Days In The Sierras
On Sunday I fly to California and hope to meet El Presidente in Toulumne Meadows. I am trying to get out of the office during lunch or after work to get ready for some rock climbing. Mark, on the other hand, is getting ready for double knee surgery and so our itinerary is not very ambitious!
New Route on the Matterhorn
Hervé Barmasse | Exploring the Alps # 1 | Solo on Matterhorn from STORY.teller on Vimeo.
A fantastic video of Herve Barmasse putting up a hard new route - roped solo - on the Southeast Face of the Matterhorn. His first attempt took place when we were in Zermatt last March. The scenery is spectacular, and of course it is great to get some views of the other side of the mountain - Cervino - the Italian side of the mountain.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Historic Mountain Film
In the 1920-30s, the genre Berg Film was to German Cinema what the western became for American cinema. This beautifully filmed and scored movie, produced in 1938 is a lightly fictionalized account of the 1865 first ascent of the Matterhorn. The story focuses on Carrel, played by the famous actor Luis Trenker, and Whymper takes something of a back seat. The sub-titles are well done, and this is another spectacular offering from the Steep Edge website. ENJOY this window into climbing history.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Last Day Of Summer Rox
Larry and Carter had many top ropes set up for the campers, and so toward the end of the day, when I knew most of the kids would be played out I headed up to the crag to do some easy laps. This picture was taken on the 5.6 "One Taste.". The weather continues to be quite good and I hope to do some pitches this weekend.
DENALI: west buttress and Cassin ridge
Alaska, Denali- Cassin Ridge single push, and the West Buttress from Jonathan Griffith on Vimeo.
An excellent video shot by Jon Griffith, of a very fast, single push ascent of the classic route on the South Face. It is still on my "to do" list, although there are probably not many more years that I will be capable of a route of that magnitude. It gives you a look at how modern climbers get to the base of the Cassin ... No more toiling up the valley of death!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
NCS Grads Nordic racing in New Zealand
I just got this picture from a former NCS parent, and two of my former racers - now in high school - are training and racing down under.
Still skiing the Baldy Main Chute in Mid-August
While we are doing laps at the crag, hiking 46ers, or watching the Yankees-Red Sox, or maybe even watching the first NFL pre-season games it looks like there is still great skiing to be had in the Wasatch.
CLICK HERE TO READ A TRIP REPORT FROM ATRAIGHT CHUTER.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Ten More Months Until We Leave For Peru
Time to pull out the guidebook and start thinking about route selection. Urus, Ishinca, Tocllaraju, Ranrapalca, Alpamayo, Quitaraju are all possibilities.
Quote of the Week ... About Chamonix
"In Chamonix men achieve great things, and the Nietzschean ethic of surpassing one's previous best efforts plays out every day. As with all geographic sites of power, young people make the pilgrimage to measure themselves against the place and it's people. Some commune with the mountain god and find their true selves among the ice and the stone. Others are slapped down and end up in the ground."
Mark Twight
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Elite women's nordic training camp in Alaska
Eagle Glacier Training Camp from Marc Lester on Vimeo.
While the men are in New Zealand, the American and Canadian women were on the Eagle Glacier in Alaska. Pretty high volume days, averaging between 65-75K per day.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Development Threatens Red Rocks
Click on this image to enlarge it and see the details in this posting from American Alpine Institute. THEN CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE SAVE RED ROCKS SITE.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Soloing easy laps at Owl's Head
A beautiful evening, great views, and no others on the summit. Just after I topped out on my second 40' lap I got stung in the ear by a bee, it hurt like hell, and reminded me that you can never tell what might happen when you are soloing. Be careful, three points of contact, and be sure your mind is focused.
Blast from the past ... Mike Brochu on the West Rib
Flipping through some recently digitized slides I came across this gem. Mike setting up an anchor at about 12,000' on the south face of Denali. Looking at this picture spurred me to do a quick search for him on Facebook. Low and behold there he was and we reconnected after almost 20 years.
