Piolet d’Or award discussion

As you know, increasingly climbing and mountaineering have become topics covered by mainstream press, like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.  Personally, I believe there has always been a cutting edge of alpinists interested in pushing the envelope. However, I can well imagine, that with more alpinists being sponsored professionals, it may be that the pressure to push the envelope is more intense than in past decades. 

Well worth reading. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/29/sports/piolet-dor-climbing.html

First (only?) ski descent of Denali’s South Face

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

A good week of skiing …

Both on the toll road and MVH trails. Almost the 50k has been rolled, and much of it is skiable.

Tenth day on snow …

A short ski at MVH, and a sunset cruise on the Whiteface toll road.  Most of my skiing thus far has been on AT gear, and not very technical, although I have logged a bunch of vertical. 

Dick Durrance was a badass skier …

And his older brother was an early, and key figure in the history of American climbing. 

  

https://www.adventure-journal.com/2021/11/historical-badass-skier-dick-durrance/

David Hochschartner (Hock)

How fast can you do a vertical kilometer?

VK races and time trials, usually cover a 1000 meters vertical gain in under 5 kilometers of distance. A short four minute video with spectacular footage as Kilian chases a PR and a "world record." (However, as each route is different you can't really come up with anything more than a course record.)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_T0UXjuEpV0&feature=youtu.be

The Nordic World Cup Season Is About To Start

For more information about how to view the following events, use the link enclosed below:

https://fasterskier.com/2021/11/how-to-watch-the-2021-22-fis-cross-country-and-ibu-biathlon-world-cups/

The nordic season is almost here!

The Pisten Bully is moving a ton of man-made snow around, and it looks like Miunt Van Hoevenberg will open any day now. The three day mini-tour in Ruka kicks off the cross country World Cup on Friday; World Cup and biathlon IBU Cup begin on Friday as well. 

The ski season has started …

I have had six good days on snow thus far.  It was also a good week of training and transition to a new season, with 16.5 hours and just over 8200' vertical (almost all of it on snow). 

On a different note, I found this awesome website - Fit To Play - compliments of Norwegian Sport Science and Oslo Sports Trauma Center. A great (three tiered) resource for injury prevention exercises. I plan to do use these sport specific exercises  at least once a week; today I used the introductory level shoulder and knee exercises. 

https://fittoplay.org/

Only in Europe can you get a graphic novel about skimo racing published!

A wonderful book for that middle-schooler looking to get involved in skimo racing.  The setting is the famous Patrouille des Glaciers (PDG) in Switzerland. 

The Haute Route In A Day!

My theme this week, has been all things skimo. Watch this trailer, and come join us at the NCS theater (WallyPAC) on the evening of December 4th, for the annual Mountaineer ski season kick-off.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UR_ZR22SHRo 

Day 4 of my ski season

Yesterday I had another two hour workout on the Whiteface toll road, and conditions were quite good. Unfortunately today we have rain and temps into the low 50s.

Tonight temperatures drop, and will be more seasonable through Thanksgiving. So, I anticipate a return to snow - MVH and or toll road - quite soon.

Info graphic outlining skimo race gear parameters

A skimo day in lyngen, norway …

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YEwWB2RlGG8

Physiology of ski mountaineering

https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/ski-mountaineering-physiology-research/

Another good week of training

The volume was good, with 17 hours and just under 6000' vertical.  No real strength or intensity training, just easy aerobic base building … and of course skiing!

First day on snow

This may be the latest I have gotten on snow in my 35+ years living in Lake Placid.  That said - despite the 2k hike to get to the snow - it was a great outing on the Whiteface toll road.  Nice weather, some used superlight skimo gear, and not too much wind, means there was a big smile on my face. 

Hoping for some more snow tonight, so we can ski bottom to top. 

Reconnaissance for snow

A sunset hike up the toll road for 2.5k, with full skimo kit. Obviously, not ready for prime time, however I am heading out the door this morning to see how much additional snow they got. 

THE ALPINIST … rent this movie

Amazon, and a couple of other streaming providers, have this amazing video for rent.  While it was released in big city and college town theaters on September 10th, it never came to Lake Placid. However, I rented it on Thursday and it was gripping … soloing onsight huge alpine routes!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gvxiSP2Q-Zo

An hour at High Peaks Cyclery Rock Gym

Otzi the Iceman

Everything you need to about the oldest,and best preserved "ice mummies."  Next time I am in Europe, I might make a side trip to Bolzano to see him.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/tzi-the-iceman-what-we-know-30-years-after-his-discovery?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=SpecialEdition_Escape_20211110::rid=1DEB59617322B7D5B1DCE8C11037FFA3

Banff Mountain Festival Awards

A synopsis of the Banff Festival Awards … 

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web21f/newswire-banff-book-competition-category-winners-2021

Good training last week

With two days off last week, I still managed just under 17 hours, a tad bit less than 5000' vertical, and a total of 155k (47k running and 108k on the exercise bike).

Vertical Ice: the spirit of Guy Lacelle

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1Iau9wlE1j4&fbclid=IwAR3vOMxGiHDjBSm_ys0wSyIKwRMuAUcwKu_YfaZ0JB22HfIKG2XCJkHLjQQ

Thinking about driving to Labrador City

It looks like the Adirondacks will be without snow until just before Thanksgiving when MVH will have covered their new trails with man-made snow. It's a long drive, but shorter than going to the Rockies or West Yellowstone. 

Testing the snow guns at Mount Van Hoevenberg

Evening temperatures continue to be below freezing, however they are rising into the 40s during the day, so it's unlikely they cover nordic trails for another 8-10 days. I had a good workout with Stash, doing hill repeats on the new competition trails.

Another trip to the Gunks

A chilly, but beautiful day, and I was even climbing a bit better!

Grace Staberg … giving notice to the trail running and skimo communities

This 19 year old is an emerging star, look for her on the 2026 Olympic skimo podium.  When she is not setting a record of 56,000' vertical in 24 hours, she is crushing the RUT and Broken Arrow trifectas (VK-50k-28k), or now, prepping for upcoming skimo World Cups … it's an interesting read, from Wild Snow.

https://www.wildsnow.com/30074/fresh-corduroy-glacier-camp-in-tignes/

Interesting article about glacial archeology

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/02/science/climate-change-archaeology.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Science

A Monday morning sauna and moving three sets of skis out of storage

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!