February 19, 2004

Hi Folks,

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get just a bit jaded with climbing. Don't get me wrong, frankly there's almost nothing in the world that I'd rather be doing, but let's get real... Climb Dracula, Pegasus, Fun House, Bombardment or even Recompense half-dozen or more times a season, and how many times can you get all excited about it?

That said, being out with someone out who hasn't climbed before, and especially ice, and I see things with a fresh perspective. When they get excited, I get turned on. When they're nervous, I feel what they are experiencing. It's a direct conduit of emotion up that rope. I can see the climbing through their eyes, and sometimes even remember what it was like for me the first time on that climb. It's a very energizing feeling. For some reason this seems particularly true with ice climbing. There is something totally exhilarating about being up on a monster chunk of ice, holding on only by a collection of wicked pointed objects and protected by nothing more than a bunch of screws. For many it's more exciting that rock. Even a moderate climb, like Chia or Cave Route, can take their breath away.

That's one of the reasons I like to work with the Boston AMC Mountaineering Committee's Ice Program every winter. I get to spend a weekend working with one or more student climbers, taking them up classic climbs at places like Frankenstein, Mt. Willard, Trollville and other places. Of course the climbing is fun, but I also get to feed off those students new-found infatuation with the sport. It's particularly rewarding and, when we part at the end of each day, it's great to know that they are very likely to do their best to get on the ice again as soon as they can. What's particularly cool for me is to be wandering around at someplace like Frankenstein, and actually see one of the students out there climbing on his or her own. Next time you have the opportunity to take a beginner out, jump on it. It's a very rewarding thing to do.

Ice Festival Slideshow Schedule:
That's right, the 11th Annual White Mountain Ice Festival is THIS weekend folks. While the demos, classes and clinics are always great, my favorite part is the slideshows. It's always such a source of inspiration to see the amazing climbers you read about all the time up front and in person. I get new ideas about how to do things, find myself getting all inspired and psyched up to climb harder, and of course I see a ton of people that I don't run into that often. This year's crop of presenters looks very good. As usual the presentations will be held at the John Fuller School in North Conway.

Here's the schedule and some info:

Thursday -
7:00 PM Craig John: Everest from Tibet - Craig's done Everest twice and a lot of other big mountain climbs. This should be a very good show.

8:15 PM Mark Synnott: Scorpion Wall in Guyana - Join Mark for an evening of stories and slides recounting an amazing adventure in the heart of the Amazon Jungle. In March and April of 2003, Mark Synnott and Jared Ogden, accompanied by a National Geographic Film Crew, established a first ascent on the "Prow" of Roraima, a remote sandstone rock tower (known by the local Amerindians as a tepui) in Guyana. Mark and Jared established a ground-up 5.11+ free climb up the overhanging 1500-foot, tiger-striped wall. Only six bolts were placed in over 1500 feet of climbing, and those only at belays. Mark calls the Prow: “Just like a huge jungle version of the Gunks’ Yellow Wall.” The team spent five nights in portaledges on the wall, battling with tarantulas, scorpions, and monsoon rains.

Friday -
7:00 PM Robert Frost: AutoRoute - This is local filmmaker and videographer, Robert Frost's, latest effort. It's a full-throttle European climbing odyssey featuring an all-star New England crew of Dave Graham, Joe Kinder, Luke Parady, Tim Kenple, Lisa Rand and Swiss native Stephan Siegris as they test themselves on the most difficult boulders and cliffs in Switzerland and France.

8:15 PM Steve House: Himalayan Pilgrimage - Steve traces his personal journey from the Alaska Range's greatest routes to the summit of an 8,000 meter peak to lightweight alpine style attempts on the world's greatest unclimbed Himalayan routes. You will see photographs from Mount Foraker's inspiring 9,000 foot Infinite Spur, Denali's Slovak Direct, Cho Oyu (the world's fifth highest mountain), the great south wall of Nuptse, the unclimbed north pillar of Masherbrum, and a collection of images from Steve's recent solo climbs on the stunning Karakorum peaks of Haiji Brakk and K7.

Saturday -
7:00 PM Barry Blanchard: "The Global Alpine Meanderings of a Bubba, What Alpinism Means to Me". - Alpine images and stories sifted from 25 years of charging at windmills in Alaska, Peru, the Alps, the Karakorum and Himalaya, and especially at home in the Canadian Rockies. Also how to convince Hollywood to cough up coin so that it can be redistributed to mountain people in remote alpine villages the world over.

8:15 PM Jack Tackle: The Alpine Bond" - It incorporates stories from the past 30 years and highlights 4 partners more than just the climbs. These stories and climbs range from Montana to Canada to Alaska and The Tetons.

I plan to be at all of the slideshows myself. Hope to see you there.

Snot Rocket Correction:
Todd Swain corrected me on the first ascent info on this climb. He pointed out that he and Jim Frangos had climbed it, and the Trestle Gully, way back in '83. I'd actually had a hard time imagining that it hadn't been done until 1997, as the new guide book alleges. <grin> Thanks to Todd for setting me straight.

Selected Ice Conditions effective April 24, 2024
It's all over for 2023/2024.
	Huntington Ravine	OUT
	Repentance	OUT
	Standard Route	OUT
	Dracula	OUT
For the full current conditions report, CLICK HERE

Remember - climb hard, ride the steep stuff, stay safe and above all BE NICE,