Mountaineering by the Incas of Peru

It is hard to imagine the extent of their mountain travels, and the summits they visited for ceremonial purposes.  For instance, the Inca burial artifact below was found on the summit of 17,815' Cerro El Plomo. 

Sheep grazing on the farm

Increasing training volume for the Andes

An 80 minute morning run, and then 50 minutes of yoga and the ergometer. The day started with thundershowers. So, I did laps on the Old Mountain Road, however I enjoyed some great views of Pitchoff and the High Peaks, as the weather cleared.

Widely covered by the media, this Everest photo is mind boggling

It raises all kinds of questions: Too commercialized?  Too many permits?  More restrictions? Why would you want to stand in this line? Is this the freedom of the hills? What would Mallory have thought? 

In Manhattan but thinking about the Cordillera

I was in the Big Apple for a couple of days helping to introduce my successor to alumni of school and camp. However, the thought that I was flying to Lima in July 4th keep entering my mind while I was riding subways to and fro. Starting to haul out books about the Andes from my Mountaineering library.

Iron levels in endurance athletes

https://www.outsideonline.com/2397065/how-much-iron-is-enough-for-athletes?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=onsiteshare

Science of Exercise Recovery

A great article from Corrine Malcolm, an ex-biathlete and current elite ultra mountain runner.  Cryotherapy is just one recovery tool she investigates, in this article, among others, she examines evidence for: massage, compression, foam rolling, and electric stimulation.

https://www.irunfar.com/2019/05/a-million-modalities-the-science-of-exercise-recovery.html

Proud dad of a nordic ski racer

For the third year in a row, Lucy was the St. Lawrence University MVP, and she was also named an Academic All American.

Principles of Good Practice For Alpinism

In almost every profession there is a quest to codify "Best Practice," and Steve House has done that for alpinists. Five videos that will be good for the alpine novice as well as alpine Superman:

1. Perfect Preparation

2. Pay Attention

3. Fail Well

4. Reflection and Debrief

5. Be Realistic

 Enjoy; learn, and refresh your knowledge.

https://www.uphillathlete.com/alpine-principles/

Getting psyched for the Andes

Life continues to be hectic on campus as I gear up to preside over my 20th and last graduation ceremony at North Country School, as well as finishing last minute projects, before I hand over the keys of the kingdom to my successor.

That said, I am getting psyched for the Huayhuash trek, and some Peruvian mountain loops I will run with my daughter as a tune-up. (Of course, there is no way I will be able to keep her in sight.)

With the goal of stoking the fire, I have started to haul out a bunch of books from my extensive mountain library. Ever since Freshman year in college, when I always parked myself at a study carrel in the library basement, adjacent to the shelves of mountaineering books. For the past 45 years, I have been fanatically absorbed with mountaineering history, routes, literature, geology, art, history, literature, and culture.

With less than two months until I blast-off for Peru, most of my spare moments will be spent out on the trails, however I will no doubt fall have one of these classics on my bedside table.

Boot and Texas Flake

Well, my days of hoping to climb the Nose are long gone, but this is really interesting science, and really scary for climbers! 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/science/el-capitan-yosemite.html?action=click&module=Discovery&pgtype=Homepage

45th college reunion ... I must be getting old

A great weekend with old buddies. Many old tales re-told, and many drinks downed, but not being the young tigers we once were, all were asleep by 11 pm. The weekend ended with an amazing fireworks display.

My dog Stash investigating the 1980 Bobsled run

A nice day for a late afternoon run/hike. Getting ready for the Cordillera Blanca and the Alps.

Gorgeous sunset on our Farm

Halfway through ... quite good.

The author of Running With The Kenyans, is off this time to get enough points to get into the UTMB lottery. This compelling book is one part history, one part profiles of idiosyncratic characters in this niche sport, one part travelogue, and one part narrative of a serious middle distance runner fumbling with the demands of distances over 100 miles. As with Running With The Kenyans it is quite engaging.

Going back to the Brenva Face of Mount Blanc 42 years later ...

This summer, El Presidente and I are leading a group of NCS alumni and friends on the 105 mile TMB hike around Mount Blanc. After the TMB  we are going climbing for two weeks. Well, when we first met in Chamonix I soloed the Sentinelle Rouge (red), this year we will probably try the classic, but much more mellow Brenva Ridge (green).

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ... the rise of the ultra runners

I am five chapters into this delightful book and Finn is talking about walking into the grocery store after a hilly 21 mile training run ...

"Perhaps part of the appeal of ultra running is simply being ravenously hungry and steeping into a shop full of brightly colored packages with a five pound note in your pocket."

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... my first ski mountaineering bindings

Up until a few years ago, when my knees became just too decrepit, I had been a confirmed tele-dude since the late 1970s.

Having said that, as an alpine climber faced with long approaches you always had those winter dilemmas: Snowshoe to the base of the route? Strap on crampons and climb Pinnacle in your three pin boots? Cruise the Kahiltna in nordic race gear and carry ice climbing boots? Or, find a binding that might work with your double boots. In the late 1970s I was introduced to ramer bindings while teaching winter courses for the Colorado Outward Bound School.

Yesterday, tossing stacks of old magazines into the recycle bin (not my complete set of Alpinist though) I found this old publication Alpine/Nordic: journal of unconventional skiing. Well forty years later, I seem to have sorted through the winter dilemma having moved from ramers, to silvrettas, and on to dynafit pin bindings with TLT boots for my ice routes.

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... our first expedition to alaska

About 7-8 months after our first trip in the late 1970s to Alaska, CLIMBING published an issue totally devoted to that far northern state. I assume El Presidente remembers running into those two Colorado babes at 14,000 as well as running into Dick Jackson. Of course, with just a half gallon of Johnnie Walker - we ran out - and heartily agree with the assessment, "a case is barely enough."

Another Retirement Gift ...

Not a gold watch, but a beautiful sterling silver compass from the Board of Trustees.

Eric Shipton ... a brief biography of a historical badass

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2019/05/eric-shiptons-style-and-whims-shaped-mountaineering-history/

Good day ... back from Manhattan

I got home late from NYC, after having finished my 81st NCS board meeting. Today I was dragging, even after a nap. However I did some yoga in the morning, a nice hike up Mount Van Hoevenberg in the afternoon, and watched a great sunset from the deck.

A most unusual retirement gift

Last night there was a gala event for 130 in Manhattan in honor of my upcoming retirement. A bit of good natured roasting, but a lot of delightful toasting. A beautiful sterling silver, engraved compass, from the board, so I can always find my way ... physically and metaphorically.

But the real surprise, was the metal hawk sculpture, welded from bits of old ice axes and ice screws, with the feathers scavenged from 20 pair of trashed rock shoes. Larry is a talented teacher, artist, and sometime climbing partner, who can lead vertical ice faster than most people can run down the hall.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ... ernest shackleton

In a conversation with his wife about turning back so close to the pole he said "Better a live donkey than a dead lion."  We have all been there, how close to the edge to you go? 

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2019/04/should-we-turn-around-the-fine-line-between-foolishness-and-bravery/

First run on the Olympic trails

A couple of days ago - in between snow squalls - I had my first training run on the 1980 Olympic nordic trails. They were mushy, muddy, and with lots of frost heaves, however hiking trails up the lower peaks should be ready to go soon.