Snow Rangers Of The Andes … enjoyable young adult novel of the 1960s

The basic plot - romance, Cold War, espionage, and mountaineering - keeps you engaged, however the writing is so-so, and you constantly wonder why are they using fictional countries, towns, and ski areas? 

Given a good script, this could turn into a pretty decent movie … footage of awesome avalanches, superb ski footage from Portillo, Olympic footage (Cortina, Squaw Valley, or Innsbruck), as well as the beefcakes and eye candy you would have for the main characters. 

Of course, a knock-off could be written in a different location (Indian-Pakistan border or Indian-Chinese border), with the real modern tensions of nuclear powers going head-to-head. Inexpensive used copies are a readily available, and you may also read it on the internet archive. 

14 Peaks: nothing is impossible

Mark your calendars for November 29th … truly mind boggling to have climbed all 8000 meter peaks in just over six months!

https://gripped.com/news/new-netflix-film-on-nirmal-purja-climbing-worlds-highest-14-peaks-in-189-days/

Russ Clune climbing in the Gunks

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8U0H0FCRYDk&feature=emb_title

Caspar Wolf … one of the first to paint the mountain in the Swiss Alps

https://www.thomascrauwels.ch/en/blog/caspar-wolf/

Summit Of The Gods coming to Netflix at the end of November

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2021/10/summit-of-the-gods-takes-an-animated-approach-to-everest/

Unbelievably, the first frost of the fall …

Spectacular, easy morning hike up Mount Van Hoevenberg. (The new trail is quite run-able.) It was another good week logging 19 hours of exercise and 6500' vertical.

Profile of Miriam O’Brien Underhill … a leading alpinist in her day

Her memoir, Give Me The Hills, is an excellent read, and I will look for a copy of the National Geographic article.

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2021/10/men-mountaineer-miriam-obrien-underhill-dont-need-no-stinkin-men/

TRAILER: finding fury

Seems like this will be an epic North Cascades ski adventure …

https://vimeo.com/635601048

82 year old chasing the 14 highest mountains in the world

He has climbed a dozen of the 8000 meter peaks this far … truly amazing. 

https://adventureblog.net/2021/10/82-year-old-climber-misses-summit-of-dhaulagiri-for-12th-time.html

Excellent diagnostic tests for an uphill athlete

From the Chamonix Mountain Fit guy. 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CVD9FQBh8eK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Skimo boots … this could be the one!

After six years of substantial use, my much loved TLT 5 boots are looking like they might not make it through the season. These puppies just might be the right replacement, especially given that it looks like Outdoor Gear Exchange in Burlington has last year's model for $499.

https://www.wildsnow.com/29983/a-first-look-dalbello-quantum-asolo/

May is the month for skiing the Cordillera Blanca

This video from a guided expedition will give you a sense of what it's like … Pisco and Copa seem like they ought to be on the bucket list. 

https://vimeo.com/174022788

Joined the High Peaks Cyclery Rock Gym

Going to try and boulder once a week through the winter and spring, and then maybe do some routes out west in 2022.

GREAT snowfall data from NOAA … so interesting!

I am keeping my fingers crossed for a November like 1910, with 40 inches of snow in Lake Placid.

https://www.weather.gov/btv/climoSnowfall

Leslie Stephen: seminal figure in early alpine climbing

A wide ranging biographical essay, that doubles as a good introduction to the early days of alpinism. 

http://footlesscrow.blogspot.com/2021/09/sir-leslie-stephen-spirit-of-age.html

A good day and a wake up call at the Gunks

During the past two decades, I have climbed at the Gunks exactly twice. And while I thoroughly enjoyed hiking, looking at past routes, and bouldering it was humbling. Even easy problems are steep, even easy problems have big reaches, and even easy problems are quite physical.

Thankfully, I just took out a year membership at the High Peaks Cyclery Climbing Gym!

October means skiing is just around the corner

Maybe you even get lucky with.an early snow, and get to do several Whiteface toll road laps like I did in 2019.  Regardless of early snow, now is the time to click on the Wild Snow link and do a thorough pre-season check of your gear.

https://www.wildsnow.com/29918/the-nitty-gritty-pre-season-checklist/

Another good week …

Fully recovered from the ultra; last week I logged almost 16 hours and 5000' vertical on 150k (exercise bike, run, ergometer).

Game changer for alpine snow routes and ski mountaineering?

I have put my deposit for the first pair shipped to my local shop …

https://www.wildsnow.com/29930/a-first-look-blue-ice-harfang-crampons/#more-29930

1300 year old ski found in Norway

https://secretsoftheice.com/news/2021/10/05/the-best-preserved-pair-of-skis-from-prehistory/

Peak Foliage In The Adirondacks

Cool weather, great trail running, and with evening temperatures dropping, a first snow can't be too far off.

Awesome video … Link Sar

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ViSXePkt7t8

Extreme Eiger … lots of detail but no spice

Well 1/3 of the way through, I need to put this re-hash down.  

It goes into excruciating detail about each of the 8 German climbers who will be considered for the climbing team involved in the Eiger Direct.  Maybe some readers will be interested in what mandatory equipment they had to purchase - silk gloves for some, down pants for others, and on to a harness for another - but it seems to be padding the narrative. Are the authors paid by the page, for new material?

Having said that, and getting to look again at the famous picture of the British-American team in front of their gear, there was one factoid that just popped out at you … one roll of toilet paper for all 8 German climbers!  When that was done, it's time to use snowballs. 

I hope they have alpine insurance

A broken crampon, could cost at least 10,000 euros for a helicopter evacuation. 

https://www.air.tv/watch?v=cMHwThvATLqZ9hB-yUXgNg

Extreme Eiger

This is basically a re-hash of the Eiger Direct, which Peter Gillman co-authored with Dougal Haston in the 1960s.  However, if you have not read that account, this is worth reading on-line; after all he was the journalist at the telescope when the fixed rope broke, and Harlin took his fatal fall.

https://archive.org/details/extremeeigerrace0000gill/mode/2up

End of a good week …

I am feeling fully recovered from my ultra-marathon.

Today, I started the morning jogging part way up the Whiteface Toll Road as I watched the Climb to the Castle rollerski race. It was the first time in many years that I was not cheering my daughter Lucy, as she is out training in Bozeman.

After years battling injuries Anton Krupicka podiums at Leadville

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rx-0SL25cZQ

Mount Moosalamoo

First week back on a real training schedule seems good as I should hit all my goals easily.