Mount Van Hoevenberg

Well, the nordic and biathlon venues did not get all the funding that they had asked New York State for, however as the dysfunctional legislature has finally passed a budget ... they did get most of what they asked for ... YAHOO!

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Wright Peak

Two camp and school alumni flew their single engine plane up last evening, and this morning we did the eight mile hike roundtrip up one of
our Adirondack 46ers. Identical twins - Regis and Guillaume -
dispatched the 2,500' in pretty short order. It was great to get out
of the office. (Algonguin is the peak in the background.)

Father's Day

All day long, I was counseled - don't look, don't come in my room, why don't you leave to go work out - as Lucy had a very clear plan and conception of a project for Father's Day. Now that the cabin and out buildings have been moved to their final resting place, we have begun plans for turning the last tool shed into a bunkhouse, to increase the sleeping capacity of the Fossil Compound. With this in mind, she made me a special sign out of birch bark and birch twigs. FABULOUS. So, come on up for a visit and bring the entire family!

Ski Specific Workout

With the biathlon team getting ready to host youth clinics for the next two weeks, I thought it appropriate to do a nordic type summer workout. Yesterday I did a speed hike with poles on the Olympic biathlon trails for about 40 minutes. One has to pick carefully this time of year, as trails that get used for mountain biking have been mowed and are generally pleasant, the others are overgrown and may involved struggles with weeds and brambles.

Ted on Mount Whitney

Ted recently returned from a trip to the Sierras with his daughter Lydia. He did the "mountaineer's route" in a still very snowed up, late Spring conditions. Kudos. Moreover, there is no better training for the Haute Route than getting out and logging some vertical. Now that my trip to the Cordillera Blanca has solidified (July 24- August 9), and my many alumni trips are being scheduled for work, let's get down to the business of scheduling the Franconia Ridge Trail.

I may not be able to manage an entire weekend, and it is most likely that if you rendezvous at Dick's house that I would meet you at the trail-head the following morning. Good dates for me to do that hikes are: June 27, July 3, or July 4. OMG MORE CIRCUMSCRIBED THAN I IMAGINED!

Quote of the Week ... Eric Shipton

Dusting off an old Christmas present, I peruse Jon Waterman's 'The Quotable Climber," to find an entry for today. (Of course it also brought up such wonderful memories of Jon ... introducing me to COBS, climbing ice on Katahdin, holding a fall on "Dracula," sitting in a soggy tent in Scotland, climbing in Chamonix one winter, and of course laughing in his face on a 15 mile run, as he goaded me to join the winter ascent of the Cassin Ridge.)

In the last lines of his biography Eric Shipton route the following: THE SPRINGS OF ENCHANTMENT LIE WITHIN OURSELVES; THEY ARISE FROM OUR SENSE OF WONDER, THAT MOST PRECIOUS OF GIFTS,THE BIRTHRIGHT OF EVERY CHILD."

Bouldering

As I headed out to the yurt boulder yesterday for a 75 minute session, I ran into Dave at the conclusion of his bouldering workout. He had done it all: multiple laps - up and down - on the hardest problems, girdling circles around this Adirondack glacial erratic, then adding some interesting sit starts. His goal is to build up the strength needed to send the "Impossible Dream" problem.

Working out

Trying to get ready for serious alpine climbing ... yesterday it was a session on the crag, today bouldering and yoga at the yurt ... maybe some hiking later in the day. Watch the short clip with me doing laps with my soloist to the tune of the Rolling Stones.

Oh, and another thing about John Gill

He was one of the first American climbers to do specific training for bouldering so that he could master hard rock moves. He was also the first to understand that gymnastic moves might require a gymnasts training regimen. Of course, he also popularized the use of gymnastic chalk. Despite all his concentration on physical preparation for his sport, maybe his mental prep and his spirituality of bouldering was an even more important legacy. Again, all this is very common today, but was viewed as wildly eccentric in his day.

Video interview of John Gill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-QO3Vwl04Q&sns=em

A very short vide snippet from a movie in the making about the history of American climbing. Gill was way ahead of his time. Many of his bouldering problems are considered quite hard even by today's standards, and what was once a very eccentric activity is now considered quite mainstream.

More Peru Prep Work

With my plane reservations made - with an added couple of days - I have started my planning for the Cordillera Blanca. My gut feeling is: I will go with double boots; I will bring my skis; and I think I will bring my trad alpine tools and leave the cobras home. No idea yet about iPhone ... Maybe I will have to borrow a camera. Excitement builds over this Andean adventure; although once again it looks like I will not be able to get to Machu Picchu.

Laps On The Crag

A beautiful day - stuck inside for meetings - so around 4:30 I took 90
minutes off to do a half dozen laps on "One Taste." The picture shows
me looking down from the belay on top of this 5.5 route.

Mark Twight Interviews

In a series of over 20 short audio interviews, Twight spills his guts on all aspects of his Alaskan climbs ... Fast, light, and a take no prisoners attitude prevails throughout.

CLICK HERE

Fossils on Denali

A pictorial synopsis of three trips on Denali spanning 15 years. The statistics are: two summits via the West Buttress, one new route on the Thunder Ridge, one failed attempt on the West Rib, and one failed attempt on Hunter. Of course, the picture doesn't capture it all ... Hock's sled's wild ride, Dandy Don hiding personal food stashes, sitting out a 17 day storm, the plane that got stuck in wet snow, and drinking whiskey with Bridwell. I still hope to go back. (Click on the photo to enlarge the image.)

Yahoo!

The Fossil Cabin is set to go. Fantastic views, not only of Cascade, and Picthoff, but also Street and Nye, Big Slide, and Mount Van Hoevenberg if you walk a couple of yards away. Many thanks to Selden (in the picture) and her crew!

The Soloist

I bought this device over 15 years ago, and it has certainly come in handy. I just spent an hour at the crag doing laps of "Hock's Blessing" our classic 5.6 route. Not much gear needed ... a harness, rope, soloist, and chest loop.

Moving Day

Selden had a crew of guys show up with big machines. Their goal today was to move the Fossil Cabin, crapper, sauna, and a shed, soon to be turned into a bunkhouse, down to their final resting place. As you can see from the picture, the new location - very close to the Olympic ski trails - will have an amazing view of Pitchoff and Cascade.

Celebrating a 75th Birthday in the Adirondacks

Roger is the guy that hired me almost 30 years ago. Yesterday he turned 75 - still fit and bagging peaks - however over the weekend we had almost 100 people turn up for some portion or other of his birthday celebration. The first part of this special day was his traditional hike up Cascade - 2.5 miles and 2000' of climbing - he has done it almost 250 times during his life-time. As you can see from the enclosed picture the weather was dreary. Later in the evening we had a sit-down dinner fro 65, and he non-chalantly blew out all 76 candles (one for good luck).

All Fossils should only hope to age so well.

Ahrundhati Roy

I am finally getting around to reading a book my son got me for Christmas. The Indian author is most famous for her fiction - "The God of Small Things" - however I am a fan of her political essays. This book of essays includes one short fictional piece called "The Briefing." The piece was commissioned for Manifesta 7 a biennial art event that is set on the edge of the dolomites. This 8 page story is set during the "Snow Wars," when global warming has made it impossible for people to enjoy the traditional coast and beach vacation resorts (because of rising sea levels) and so year-round ski vacations are all the rage. However, with temperatures rising, there is a corporate war to see who can invent the best snow substitutes, or who can produce snow at the highest temperatures above freezing. That and the description of covering glaciers with foil so that they will not recede too quickly are scary harbingers of what may come to pass ... Highly recommend ... Take a look at an outline of this work and Manifest 7 ...

http://www.manifesta7.it/artists/504

Peru ... andean cocaine production

Tingo Maria is back in the news again. My first trip to Peru in the mid-80s was scuttled because of the drug related activity of The Shining Path - in that area - had spilled out of the jungle, over the Andean mountain passes, into the Cordillera. Hopefully, this will not happen again, as Peru has suffered violence and economic stress from that. (Click on the photograph to enlarge the image.)

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE.

A gift for a family with young children

"Mark The Mountain Guide" seems to be something of a first, a children's story about an alpine guide with some lessons about avalanches and mountain safety thrown in on the side.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE AMAZON REVIEWS

Vitamin I ... ibuprofen

A pretty technical article on the effects of vitamin I on endurance, pain management, and swelling reduction. The article comes out of the work of the Olympic Training Center. The bottom-line ... use in moderation, only post-exercise, and be sure to be well hydrated.

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The Rain has Stopped!

School is out. The end-of-year faculty meetings are over. Treetops staff meetings have just begun, and the celebration of Roger's 75th is behind us. Dave is starting to train, so he can get mega-fit, and see if this is the year that the "Impossible Dream" boulder will be climbed. The picture shows him doing casual laps on "Un-named" (5.9+) at the NCS crag. He is also just about to purchase a soloist so he can log more mileage. (I did laps on the 5.7 "Unexpected" to the left.)

Huaraz Satyricon

I can not seem to verify, if this wonderfully artsy cinema - in an ex-patriots living room - still exists. I have great memories of kicking back with a beer and enchilada, while recovering from a 6,000 meter peak. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Lists. Questions? And more lists

I am getting plane tickets this weekend ... Cordillera Blanca here we come!

Penmen Climbing Cartoons

Amazing Ski Descent in Chamonix!

Aig Blanche ski descent from Luca Rolli on Vimeo.

It is hard to comprehend the stuff the Euros are doing. Having been at the base of the Brenva face several decades ago, and having climbed the Sentinelle Rouge on the south face of Mont Blanc, and looked across to this route, I just can not believe it was skied.

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Quote of the week

Charles Houston - pictured in the lead on K2 - had a long fruitful life, however he always felt that it was the friendships in mountaineering that mattered most. So raise a glass to Fossil friendships ... "When men climb on a great mountain together, the rope between them is more than a mere physical aid to the ascent; it is a symbol of the spirit of the enterprise. It is a symbol of men banded together in a common effort of will and strength against their only true enemies: inertia, cowardice, greed, ignorance, and all weakness of the spirit."

New York State Budget Woes

A recent article posted on Faster Skier.com alluded to the possibility that the Olympic nordic, biathlon, and ski jumping facilities could be closed next year if funding cuts are deep in the state budget. This would be a tremendous blow to elite skiers, juniors, NCSers, and of course to me.



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Happy Birthday Selden

She scored big time on this birthday ... Three books, a tractor hitch,
and sawzall blades ... no dresses, jewelry, or fancy shoes for this
lady!

Scratching Anorthosite

After the morning faculty meetings, but before the planting of the flower garden, I grabbed a couple of quick laps (5.6) on the NCS crag with my soloist. I am going to try an do a lot of my climbing in big boots before I head off to the Cordillera Blanca with Matt H. This evening we celebrate Selden's birthday, (about a week late as usual), her birthday always falls on the last - busy -days of school.

Beautiful, Breezy, Crisp Day

Back from my quick trip to DC, we were stuck inside all day with end-
of-school meetings. I did sneak in a quick hike up Owl's Head before
dinner with the family. Tonight a frost is likely!

Missing Snow?

A video of Salt Lake City nordic racers doing some skating workouts in the Wasatch during the last week in May, on the terrific Spring crust. Of course, they time it right so that have velvet corn to telemark down on their racing skis. Looks pretty good to me, but then again you would have to trade that late season skiing for Adirondack black flies ... what kind of trade-off would that be!

Checking in with the US Nordic Team

Check out the first on-snow camp of the new training year!

Haute Route 2011

Here is another video to get you psyched for the upcoming alpine adventure. This summer is the time to build the training base, secure family "buy-in," and start to review your ski mountaineering gear needs. In terms of training the critical elements are general aerobic endurance and leg strength to handle the 20,000' of vertical climbing. On a related note, after graduation I talked with one of our families that resides in Switzerland, and we shall be welcomed with meals and showers.

NCS Graduation

This last few days have passed in a flurry of very late nights, over-scheduled days, high emotion, and far too-litle exercise. In particular, the last 48 hours have been a blur of eating at special events, schmoozing with parents, and speech-making to the assembled multitudes. The enclosed pictures are from: the graduation ceremony, one from our end of the year performance of "Alice in Wonderland," and one from our equestrian drills. In another 90 minutes I head off to DC for an alumni event and a meeting at NAIS. Then back for a couple of days of meetings with teachers, and then finally I can catch my breath before next weekend's alumni event.

Tragedy in the Cordillera Blanca

So What Fueled Shackleton's Endurance?

Any Fossil could have guessed the answer ... Single malt! Now an archaeological dig has confirmed what every Fossil surmised, the success of that heroic polar adventure was directly related to a liberal supply of scotch. It brings to mind the rather large quantity of that elixir which Hock, El Presidente, and Mike B flew into the Kahiltna glacier with in the 1970s. And while their stove failed on Denali, and their diet was monotonous on the West Rib, they found that you could always barter for goods on the glacier with high quality scotch. (As always click on the image to enlarge the photograph and read the text.)

Giri-Giri Boys At It Again

Two well-known Japanese alpinists climbed one of the unclimbed plums of North America. The South Face of Mount Logan in the Yukon is well over 8,000 feet high. They climbed in impeccable style - three days alpine style - descended the East Ridge and did a 30 kilometer glacier trudge back to their camp. These two are no strangers to the frozen north, having already done a link-up of the Isis and Slovak Direct on Denali during a previous trip.

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May Training

Despite a busy school schedule and lots of travel, I did manage to keep reasonably fit. For instance, I did some kind of exercise on 25 days last month, my short hikes yielded almost 4000' of climbing, and seven short bouldering sessions, combined with the equivalent of six full-length rock pitches signal the real start of the climbing season. My goal in the next 6-7 weeks is to lose a few pounds, log significant vertical, and lead some pitches every week to get ready for a potential climbing trip to the Cordillera Blanca.

(As always you may click on the image to enlarge the screen capture.)

Training for a Speed Ascent of the Nose

Alex and Uli speed climbing The Nose on 5.20.10 from Chris Falkenstein on Vimeo.

Uli Steck and Alex Honnold are in Yosemite Valley training for a speed scent of the Nose. They are hoping to break Hans Florine and Yurji Hirayama's record of 2:37:05. This short video, shot with a big zoom lens from El Cap meadows, shows the two climbers getting ready for the "King Swing." (As always you may access the video on vimeo and see it in a larger format.)

On Your Next Himalayan Expedition Or Trek

A recent new York Times article explored the significant growth in yoga facilities in Pokhara, as many travelers look to continue their yoga practice while they are on the road. The article reviews both minimalist and high end luxury ashrams. It made me wonder, so has someone started a similar business in Huaraz, the gateway to the Cordillera Blanca?

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TED Talks Video

In this short video - slightly more than four minutes - Matthew Childs shares 9 Lessons about rock climbing that are also applicable to life. He illustrates his points with pictures from the Sierras and the front range of the Rockies. Excellent advice and well worth watching and remembering.

Women Climbing Guides

In the entire six million acre Adirondack Park there are only two women working as full-time rock and ice climbing guides. Nationally - and internationally - this mirrors the trends in this male dominated sport, with almost 70 percent of participants being males.

Click here to access the New York Times article

20 Second Video

This short piece catches Gary climbing the face holds on the bottom section of "Unexpected." A dozen feet above Gary the nature of this short route changes dramatically, as it overhangs with monster jugs. Come on up and see how many of the 39 routes you can do at the NCS crag.

Laps on "Unexpected"

At 5.7 and overhanging, six consecutive laps certainly got me pumped and blowing off carbon dioxide! We also did laps on "Hock's Blessing," and "One Taste," which are 5.6 and 5.5 respectively.

Gary at the NCS crag

A quick break from work, as Gary was hanging out at his lean to for Memorial Day. We did 12 laps of easy and moderate routes.

Black Diamond and Gregory Sold

Rarely do I include news from the business pages, however when two critical outdoor gear companies get bought out, that is news for Fossil alpinists. It seems that all current outdoor management types will be left in place. Click on the image to enlarge the photograph and read the article.

Ski Mountaineering in Peru

A bit out dated, and in need of tighter editing, this is still an interesting and valuable article for those who want to take their boards to the Cordillera Blanca.

(As always click on the image to enlarge the photograph.)

Click here to access article

More Data on Tropical Glacier Shrinkage

While I lament what the retreat of glaciers in the Andes, Himalayas, and African mountains mean in terms of climbing, the real issue is that these glaciers are the source of fresh drinking water for hundreds of millions of people, who will be adversely effected by climate change. (As always click on the image to enlarge the photograph.)