Another decent week of training

Good weather, 15+ hours of exercise, and just over 4500' vertical ascent. I scratched rock twice again this week, and feel like I am getting ready for the Sierras. Specifically, this came down to 106k on the exercise bike, just under 40k jogging, 6k on the ergometer, and a couple of strength sessions.

Scratching Adirondack Anorthosite

Many laps (5.4-5.7) at Notch Mountain Slabs.

Cool and breezy run up Mount Van Hoevenberg

Warmed up on the exercise bike for 30 minutes then made from farm to summit and back in just a bit over two hours. Finished the day with a much needed stretching session.

Bouldering laps in my approach shoes

Getting psyched for easy mountaineering routes in the Sierras in mid-June.

Data driven analysis of Everest deaths

https://www.outsideonline.com/2423965/why-do-climbers-die-on-everest

Most memorable Olympic 4x10k nordic relay

This is the opening minute of a thirty minute NBC video, telling the story of the 1994 Italian upset of Norway, in what has been called The Great Race.  An incredible video, but unfortunately I an unable to find a full length replay. (And yes, skiing the Norwegian Birkie is on my bucket list.) 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PxYcyNUkQUY&fbclid=IwAR2S8TCRQ1p6EYzmMR2HkuLKtJuJFhHqSKYAhXNfazAc3Pi5y3Em_C6HTtg

Good weather and good training

I logged 16+ hours and 4600' vertical this week. I also managed to get on the rock twice this week, as well as accumulating 120k (bike, run, ergometer).

Heading back to Bend is on my bucket list ...

https://vimeo.com/552932641

Skiing the Adirondack 46ers

https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Olympic-medalist-tries-to-backcountry-ski-all-16014965.php

Ned Gillette was certainly a mountain badass

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2021/05/historical-badass-climber-skier-adventurer-ned-gillette/

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... lumpy ridge

Ten years ago, bunch of buddies - Gary, Mark, Brian, and Hock - got together in Rocky Mountain National Park. The picture of me leading the first pitch of Batman and Robin (5.7), was from the first of five or six terrific days. 

Thursday morning adventure

https://www.relive.cc/view/vrqDQWJYMLv

Some Stories: lessons from the edge of business and sport

There are a large bunch of pictures, previously unpublished, like this one. Not necessarily great photographic art, but they do give you a window into Chouinard's life and climbs.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ... antoine de saint exupery

As recounted by Chouinard, in his book Some Stories: lessons from the edge of business and sport, which I have just started reading. (Two years ago in Chamonix I read quite a bit of the shop copy, while lounging on a comfortable couch upstairs in the Patagonia store. I bristled at the expensive price tag, but the digital version is quite reasonable.)

First time the rope comes out this spring

Many laps on the Pitchoff Slab.

Bouldering yesterday

View from summit of Owls Head. Time to stop bouldering and bring a rope along for some laps on this crag.

Jealous seeing all these nordic pictures from Bend

Sun, shorts, good snow cover ... what's not to like about skiing in May! Next year it will be on my "to do" list. I will couple it with some ski mountaineering on Cascade volcanoes. 

Lucy out in the lead, doing 200 meter sprint starts.

Good recovery week, but could have cut a few more hours

The week had 14+ hours, 4350' vertical, and 113 kilometers (bike, run, ergometer).

Superb views from the top of Mount Van Hoevenberg

The Angel Slides on Wright, and the summit of Algonquin are prominent. Just out of the camera view are Colden, Marcy, and Gothics. A beautiful morning.

Extreme skiing ... essay by Kilian Jornet

https://mtnath.com/the-steep-skiing-of-tomorrow/

Spring has come to the Adirondacks

BLAST FROM THE PAST ... big wall bev

 In 1978 Big Wall Bev was finishing her 10 day roped solo on El Cap (see link to her story), while I was sleeping on the North Buttress of Middle Cathedral.  I was climbing with a South African - Richard Wilmot whom I had met in Chamonix - and we could clearly see her single headlight high up on the wall. The next morning as we started our descent the choppers were dropping off journalist and TV cameras to interview her as she topped out. That night in the bar ... after her ten days and our piddling, one bivy, Grade V ... she looked like a million bucks and we looked like we had been run over by a truck. There was no doubt who the real "hard-man" was.

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2021/05/they-called-her-big-wall-bev/

Recovery week ...

The past few weeks have been pretty high volume - 15 to 16+ hours - so I am cutting back a bit. Halfway through my training week, I am looking at "only" 12-13+ hours. Nice easy hike with poles this morning.

So how many people have REALLY climbed all 8000 meter peaks?

Great article in the New York Times, with some wonderful multimedia elements.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/sports/tallest-mountain-summit.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Sports

QUOTE OF THE WEEK ... mark twain

As quoted in Jake Tapper's mystery novel, The Hellfire Club.

"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough."

The transition to a new season

Another good week of training: 156k (bike, run/hike, ergometer), 16 hours, and 4200' vertical.  This week I had a bit more on the mountain bike, a bit more running, and the first bouldering of the season. 

Innovative products from BLUE ICE

A short video review of this superlight harness, being used on the Cosmique Arete.  (A short, delightful, mixed route, which I have done several times, only spoiled by the ladder climbing up to the Aiguille du Midi observation deck ...  but after all this is Cham.) Go to their website and check out the harfang ski mountaineering crampon; due in America this September; and an eye-popping design.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-dVTmO4XPds&feature=emb_rel_pause

First day of bouldering this season ...

Easy moving, testing the knee, and clearing cobwebs on Owls Head

Skiing the Himalayan Giants ... another Killian essay

https://mtnath.com/hight-ski/

Footage of the first winter ascent of Mt. Rainer in winter

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=241&v=ySmQf3RaM7M&feature=emb_title

Planning my first bouldering session of the spring, but ...

It was to damn cold. The summit of Owls Head was 35 degrees with a very brisk wind. Yes, I guess that makes me a whimp.

Nice morning workout ...

I warmed up with 30 minutes on the exercise bike, and then did laps on the upper MVH competition loop. Terrific views, and nobody around, so Stash could be off leash the entire time.

Tuckermans Ravine ... facing the headwall

The video has some footage that is obviously a bit dated, but nevertheless, it is a good introduction to this historically important area and tradition. (Of course, the footage of skiing wipeouts is spectacular.)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FV-XtaRfEiI

Spring is coming ...

Despite late April snowstorms, and the snowpack above 4000 feet, our pastures are turning green. Street and Nye is in the background.

The start of a new training year ...

Ever since the late 1970s, I have used the nordic skier's training year, which begins on May 1st.  Back then I was a nordic racer, and partly because it also worked for me as a climber ... ice climbing ended in March, and rock climbing not really heating up until May. 

As per the last week of the old training year, it was another transitional week when I logged almost 16 hours, with 165k (biking, running, ergometer).  It was also the first week since November with no skiing, and under 4000' vertical. 

Another spring snowstorm

Not quite enough in the back pasture to entice me to drive over to the toll road. I cycled indoors for 75 minutes, and later in the day when most of the snow melted I went for a 70 minute run with Stash.