Avalanche awareness lecture

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO A RECENT TALK ABOUT HOW TO RECOGNIZE AVALANCHE TERRAIN, AND HOW TO PLAN SAFE ROUTES IN THE ADIRONDACKS.

High avalanche danger on Mount Washington

The enclosed photographs of Left, Odell's, and Yale gullies, as well as the Headwall are looking pretty alpine. It got me psyched to start thinking about a New Hampshire road trip.

Another Antique Ski Poster

How to ski and not to ski!

SCOTTISH MIXED CLIMBING

The Gathering, VIII 9, Second Ascent from Jenny Crook on Vimeo.

Just back from Manhattan, and still skiing on the lake

A brutally long day that started with a 3:30 AM prep session for my board meeting, followed by 8 hours of meetings, a train ride home, and then a horrific car ride through a blizzard at exits 27-28-29, and an arrival home at 1:30 AM on Sunday. A snowstorm tonight means we will be back skiing hilly terrain tomorrow on the Olympic trails.

Winter Alpinism in Chamonix

Lesueur - Les Drus in winter (with variation exit) from Jonathan Griffith on Vimeo.

Climbing the Lesuer route on the North Face of the Dru. Ueli Steck is doing a "tune-up" for another Himalayan trip.

New England Rando Race Series

January Thaw

To call it a January thaw is really a gross understatement, it has been just a crummy winter. Anyway, I am back out Nordic skiing on our lake ... Better than nothing but still a great disappointment.

Thoughts on the recent yoga hubbub

CLICK HERE TO READ A GOOD ARTICLE ON THE RECENT YOGA "CONTROVERSY."

Nordic skiing from the stone age to skating

CLCIK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE FROM THE NEW ENGLAND SKI MUSEUM.

The Old Breed

The Old Breed from Cowboy Bear Ninja on Vimeo.

New climbing and skiing website about Chamonix

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS ... CHAMONIX TOPO ... A MIX OF PICTURES, VIDEOS, AND TOPOS OF ROUTES IN THE CHAMONIX AREA. THIS LOOKS LIKE IT COULD GROW INTO A VERY VALUABLE RESOURCE.

What is the best shovel for ski mountaineering?

CLICK HERE TO READ THE GEAR REVIEW FROM OFF PISTE.

Blast from the past

CLICK HERE TO READ A SHORT ARTICLE FROM THE TELEMARK TIPS WEBSITE ON THE EARLY DAYS OF TELE SKIING IN THE ALPS.

Loppet training

With only two training weekends before the Lake Placid Loppet, which is then followed by the Canadian Ski Marathon, we tried to log a lot of kilometers the past few days. Conditions are hard and fast, with shallow squirrelly tracks ... You need to keep your wits about you on the big downhills.

TLT BOOTS ... good for skiing and climbing

TLT 5 Mountain review for Backcountry.com from Drew Tabke on Vimeo.

20K, 1000', and a great sauna afterwards

About skiing Fridtjof Nansen wrote:

I know of no form of sport which so evenly develops the muscles, which renders the body so strong and elastic, which teaches so well the qualities of dexterity and resource, which in an equal degree calls for decision and resolution, and which gives the same vigor and exhilaration to mind and body alike. Where can one find a healthier and purer delight than when on a brilliant winter day one binds one's ski to one's feet and takes one's way out into the forest?"

THE FIRST CROSSING OF GREENLAND

Alps Getting Hammered With Snow Again

READ A SHORT ARTICLE ABOUT CONDITIONS IN CHAMONIX.

Alex Honnold Interview

Honnold nails a highball problem in the Buttermilks. CLICK HERE TO READ THE PLANET MOUNTAIN INTERVIEW.

First Ski Descent Of The New Cascade Slide?

1/19/2012 from ADKBCSKI on Vimeo.

Wish I were going to Cham for spring break!

Alpinist Jack Roberts Killed

MANY BLOGS AND MAGAZINES HAVE OBITUARIES, HOWEVER COLD THISTLE LETS THE MAN SPEAK FOR HIMSELF, WHICH I FOUND QUITE APPEALING. CLICK HERE TO READ SOME OF JACK'S WRITING.

Yoga ... The great debate continues

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES.

TAOS SKI VALLEY

A photo from a wonderful half day tour into the cirque above Williams Lake.

Bouldering in Yosemite

Park Life - Yosemite Bouldering from Louder Than 11 on Vimeo.

Antique Ski Poster

Great skiing in Taos

The trip back to Lake Placid was long but uneventful.

World Cup Nordic Sprints In Milan ... Kikkan gets two podiums

Sweden took top honors in both the individual and team event, but American Kikkan Randall had a great weekend with two silver medals. Jesse Diggins, who is only 20 years old and has kicked butt all season on the American circuit, showed that we have some depth on the women's Nordic team.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS FROM THE FASTER SKIER WEBSITE.

Great day at Taos Ski Valley

Sunny, warm, good cover, no lines even on a holiday weekend ... Everything you don't find in the East.

Almost, but not quite there

My travel odyssey started at 3 AM, unfortunately halfway down the Northway I realized I left my wallet on campus, and retrieving it meant missing my flight. So, that meant six hours to kill in Albany and then another three hours in the Las Vegas airport, before an almost midnight arrival in New Mexico ... Which of course means a 6 AM departure on Saturday morning for Taos and a day of skiing with alumni ... Needless to say I am shot!

Two highlights thus far: a spectacular sunset on the Grand Canyon, and then seeing this sign in the airport, and almost jumping in a taxi, to go demo a machine gun!

Great Ice Climbing Tips

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT NINE GREAT TIPS ON SLAWINSKI'S BLOG.

Skiing one of the new Adirondak slides

Skiing Taos

I am heading to an alumni ski reunion in Taos, one of the only places with good snow in this off year. CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT TAOS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES.

The Hierarchy of Human Propulsion

I certainly do not agree with his ranking, especially vis a vis classical skiing, however it is an entertaining concept. CLICK HERE TO READ THIS SHORT ESSAY ON THE GRIZZLY ADAMS SITE.

Adirondack Ice Climbing

Obviously not the best Winter, but as you can see, stuff is climbable at Chapel Pond ... ditto for Cascade Lakes and Pitchoff.

Twilight skiing ... Before heading to Manhattan

Multiple laps around our lake, with great views of Cascade, Pitchoff, Big Slide, Van Hoevenburg, and the High Peaks region. On the road by 5 AM tomorrow.

Snow Cover in the United States

IN A WORD ... GRIM

Still snowing in the Alps

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REPORT FROM THE PLANET SKI WEBSITE.

Be sure to do your yoga ...

So. Mark and Danny, are you guys getting off the couch?

UELI STECK ... The Swiss machine does it again

Ueli Steck Speed Soloing the Ginat on the Droites from Jonathan Griffith on Vimeo.

Ski Mountaineering Traverses ... It's not a fashionable activity any more

As I toy with the idea of doing a ski traverse of the Catamount Trail which goes along the spine of the Green Mountains of Vermont, I started to think of some of the great ski journeys Rowell and Gilette did in the 1970s and 80s. The traverse of the Brooks Range and Ellsmere Island, the circumnavigation of Denali, as well as The Great Circle were all adventures that deeply touched me when I was younger. Of course, that also brings you back to the journeys of Shipton, Tilman, and the Bullock-Workmans on foot.

Skiing steep chutes is all the rage, hucking cliffs, or footage of deep powder are what ski movies are all about. However, even though it's not fashionable, turn your browser to Steep Edge Films and rent THE DINOSAUR'S TRACK: KARAKORUM SKI TRAVERSE 2005. The sense of adventure, the wildness of raw nature, the traditions of our sport ... It's all there.

Zermatt Avalanche ... Everyone is stuck in town!

No traffic in or out of this isolated mountain town ... But as the Guardian report indicated ... Many of those stranded are taking the attitude that "there are worse places to be stuck than this." ... Now ain't that the truth!

Pointe Lachenal

In 2008 Larry and I did the easy traverse of Pointe Lachenal in Chamonix. This is the crux pitch of the M6 Solar, on the backside of Pointe Lachenal ... So Larry when are we going back?

Is Yoga Good For Your Body?

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS IMPORTANT NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE.

Skiing in South America

Argentina: A Skier's Journey EP3 [Season 2] from Jordan Manley Photography on Vimeo.

Chilly skiing at -15 degrees

History of backcountry skiing

CLICK HERE TO PERUSE THIS INTERESTING TIMELINE.

Trapp Family Nordic Center

Inspite of the dearth of snow in the Northeast, the coverage in Stowe was quite decent. Brian and I, as well as my daughter and two friends spent a good day logging some kilometers. We think our total was about 20K and 1000'.