Prepping for another day of climbing

Keeping the fossil anatomy running requires a delicate balance between sipping single malt in the cabin and massaging spastic muscles in Hock's living room.

Chouinard's Gully

The end of a good day. The ice was thick and plastic. The temperatures were mild and Chapel Pond was not too crowded. Washbowl Cliff is just behind Brian.

Sunrise on the Fossils

Sorry to say the slugs are still in their fart-sacks. No doubt this morning's conversation will be around two questions: have you ever heard someone snore as loudly as Brian? Which single malt is best?

Ice Climbing on Pitchoff

We did laps on "Pitchoff Right" and then Brian led "Bouncer." Moderate temperatures in the teens helped make it quite a nice first outing of the season.

Belay Vest For Ice Climbing

Brian modeling his new battery powered belay vest, which keeps him warm and toasty.

Santa visits and the NCS term break starts

I have many donor thank you letters (almost 300) to do in the next two week, however I am taking a few days off, as starting tonight Fossils begin to show up for some mountaineering.

EASTERN ICE CLIMBING

Two routes that were done just a few days ago ... One on Poko in the Adirondacks and the other on Cannon in the White Mountains. Obviously the season is in full swing.

Loppet Training

Before the students went home for Winter break, we went for one last ski workout. The conditions on the Olympic nordic trails are quite good, even though the total snow depth is not very deep. The flags are all flying as there is a World Cup bobsled and luge event this weekend.

HAUTE ROUTE: so how much will it all weigh?

Next to your fitness, and technical ability, this is the key question. Read this article by an elite ski mountaineer, get out your full kit, and see if you've got too much.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THIS ARTICLE.

A MESSAGE TO ALL FOSSIL ALPINISTS AND FRIENDS

Adirondack Ice Routes

After a brief 36 hour warm spell, frigid air will return, and routes will start getting fatter. As a quick update, people are leading routes on the back side of Pitchoff, Multiplication Gully is getting climbed, Cascade Pass routes are in, and by this weekend crossing Chapel Pond should be safe ... FOSSILS COME ON UP NORTH.

Ski Mountaineering Stocking Stuffers

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THE SUGGESTIONS ON LOU DAWSON'S WILD SNOW WEBSITE.

A History Of New England Skiing

Dartmouth College, it's outing club as well as alpine and Nordic ski teams, have played a major role in the development of skiing in the past century. The engaging essay that follows is an excerpt from this new book ... Maybe Santa will bring a copy.


CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THIS WONDERFUL ESSAY.

Fossils in the news of Peru

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THE NEW YOUR TIMES ARTICLE ON ILLEGAL TRAFFIC IN FOSSILS.

Lucy On The Olympic Nordic Trails

I skied a hilly 15k workout today - partly with Lulu and the NCS Nordic team - the "Ladies Five" kilometer race trail was in quite good shape. I am trying to log more vertical this year so I am ready for the haute route.

Get those belay parkas out

I will be heading out for the pre-dawn ski soon and it's going to be nippy!

WILL GADD: QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Telemark skiing doesn't need "defending" if it's working for you and you're secure in your belief that dropping a knee gets you closer to god. I just think telemark skiing has gone off in a weird direction, and so far it's not coming back.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS WILL GADD'S VIEW OF THE TELEMARK SCENE.

Never fear there is climbing without a canoe!

No doubt the Fossils will NOT be canoeing over to Three Flows. Today the temperature was -2 degrees, and single digits should prevail for most nights through next week.

NCS Crag Cabin

As you can see from the enclosed picture, Larry and the 9th graders have almost finished a small cabin. This will function as a destination to have school and camp overnights within spitting distance of our crag. Last weekend was the inaugural sleepout!

NCS Nordic Team

Practicing our classic technique on the first day of groomed snow over on the Olympic trails. key take-away points: hips forward, elbows close to poles, and poles planted in front of bindings. (Norway’s Marit Bjoergen, the queen of the 2010 Olympics, is in the red racing suit.)

Adirondack Cold Snap

The temperatures have dropped, and this morning when I went skiing the mercury was in the single digits. Tomorrow morning and Friday it is going to be below zero ... Yahoo winter has arrived!

Glacial Retreat

A new UN study was just released that documented climate change impact on the alpine glaciers of the world, and what challenges that poses for human societies.

YOU ARE INVITED!

Fantastic early season ice and snow

This morning I headed out shortly after 6:00 am. With over a foot of snow the touring was superb, and with consistently cold temperatures for over a week (with no end in sight) routes are shaping up nicely. The ski quiver is growing, although all my racing and tele gear is still over at the Fossil Cabin.

New Hampshire Ice Climbing: Fafnir

Former Treetops camper and counselor, Will gives us a look from the second belay.

Fafnir, NEI 5- from Will Whitney on Vimeo.

Skiing and climbing in the Kulu Valley

Climbing and skiing in India has always been on my hit-list, although it may have to wait until my next reincarnation!

Manali Short from Allen Taylor on Vimeo.

Skiing the Haute Route

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THIS ARTICLE.

Terrific Conditions In The Alps

The word is that it is the best early season skiing in a long time. They are also reporting cold temperatures so make sure you have a duvet.

Heading Back To The Adirondacks

Arrived in Union Station last evening, and had a wonderful dinner with the Kenney clan. It was great to chat with Frank and Edward about the Fossil Ice Fest and the Haute Route.

MORE MESSNER

The greatest mountaineer ever? Pure alpine ethics. Bold solo climbs. First to climb all 8,000 meter peaks. First to climb Everest without oxygen. First to solo Everest.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ARTICLE ON MURDERING THE IMPOSSIBLE.

Messner: the man, the myth, the legend

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS A SHORT PROFILE OF THE ALPINE GOD.

Wasatch Mountains

School and camp are planning to have another ski reunion in Alta during the second week in April. Utah and the Rockies are getting hammered with snow so it will be a great way to close out the ski season.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"I now realize that this book is about accepting risk, and pursuing dreams. Perhaps it's greatest value is not so much as a historical description of a Himalayan climb, but as a metaphor for a precious piece of life."   Tom Hornbein

Huge Wind Storm

I am heading to Baltimore to make a presentation to The Association of Boarding Schools. However, before I hit the road I went for a pre-dawn ski. There are hundreds of trees that came down in yesterday's storm, so my ski was confined to a 1K loop with only this one tree that was down.

Cerro Stanhardt Soloed

Read Colin Haley's blog for the full story and pictures of this Patagonian climb.


CLICK ON THIS LINK TO ACCESS THE BLOG.

Rock Climbing Injuries

An excellent article from the Climbing Coach blog, on avoiding a crimp grip, and reducing tendon injuries in your arms. CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE THE TEXT.

Keeping warm while skiing or climbing

Those that know this book (and it's companion volume) love them. These five cartoons clearly illustrate the ways your body loses heat ... so put a pad or the rope under you for insulation to prevent conductive heat loss. Put a windbreaker on to prevent convective heat loss ... You get the picture!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE THE PHOTOGRAPH.

10th Mountain Division

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE.

Kuusamo Nordic World Cup

Kikkan (wearing the new black uniform) skiing strongly in the pursuit skate race. The temperatures were just above the FIS legal limits, at -15C.

Sunset Over Algonguin

I managed another scratchy ski workout - skating 5 or 6k - however for the next few days it is going to rain. We have just a bit over two weeks left until winter break, and I have a presentation to prepare for Friday at a conference in Baltimore. (AS ALWAYS CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE THE PHOTOGRAPH.)

Video: ski to skin transitions

Aside from being fit, being organized and minimizing the length of your stops, are key to make good time in the mountains. Not only that, but having your act together makes the stops in bad weather less miserable ... you are not always putting those skins on during a warm, bluebird day!

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO WATCH A THREE MINUTE VIDEO, WITH A SWISS GUIDE GIVING HELPFUL TIPS.

Demise of the Ski Bum

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE.

Early season tour

Just before dark Lucy and I did a 5k tour in scratchy conditions with rock skis. (Earlier in the morning I skied uphill for an hour - 1200' - on the Whiteface Toll Road.)

The Most Reliable Ice in the East

As you can see even last weekend with little snow and relatively warm temperatures the ice was thick and fat in Huntington. I have very fond memories of care taking the Harvard Cabin in the late 1970s. Even with better gear, I am pretty darn sure I wouldn't be able to do all the routes in a day (like I used to), certainly twice in a day like Waterman and Young is out of the question.

Training for a Winter ascent of the Matterhorn

Yesterday I skinned up to the crag in what the Scots call "full conditions," rapped down the cliff, and then self belayed myself climbing up "Buried Treasure." It was hard to imagine that a 5.3 route could be so challenging!

Upcoming Fossil Ice Fest

Aside from some great climbing between Dec 17-21, the food is going to be pretty darn good too. Those that have participated before know that Selden pulls out choice home-grown cuts from the freezer. For instance, yesterday we fried up some bacon ... "Amelia" was named by Lucy after Amelia Earhart because she was such an intrepid and courageous little piglet ... In the freezer now, she sure is tasty.

Sunrise Over Cascade And A Quiet Campus

All the students and their families have left and NCS will be quiet for a couple of days. Gary had to bail-out and so I am canvasing the young staff to see if anyone is up for some laps on "Pitchoff Right." Maybe later today, we may just have enough snow for me to take out the rock skis again.

The Ice Is Back

CLICK ON THIS IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT AND READ THE TEXT.

Happy Thanksgiving

Up at 4:00 am to write my speech, a sit down dinner for 280 with 250 pounds of turkey, 125 potatoes, 55 pounds of squash, and 84 pies ... all homemade. I hope your feast and family are all good. Gary and I may be ice climbing on Saturday; if not rock climbing in the Gunks with Brian might be the other alternative.