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It's Thursday, June 23: the second full day of Summer, the last day of school for the Kiddo, the bugs are as bad as I have EVER seen them and it's raining. Go figure… Well at least the weather HAS been good for a while, my garden can use the rain and with the Kiddo home from school I'll (hopefully) get some much needed help stacking the woodpile. Gotta accent the positive...
I rode my bike up Switchback Hill in Jackson on Tuesday right past the aptly named Mount Washington Boulder. Every time I go up there I keep saying I'm gonna go up there & check it out. The drag is that I have to drive or ride up there to do it. It is now on my official TICK LIST so it's gonna keep coming up until I do it. SO THERE!
There is a lot of news happening in the climbing community, so let's get right to it -
Accident On Recompense:
On Sunday there was an accident that took place on the last pitch of Recompense. Topsfield, MA climber Mark Gallagher fell while leading the dihedral pitch, taking a 20' fall onto a small stance and suffering a compound tib-fib break just above his ankle. 4 MRS members (Freddie Wilkinson, Sam Bendroth, Mark Richey and Bayard Russell) were in the immediate area, heard the accident and immediately initiated the rescue. They were able to stop the bleeding and stabilize the break, while another group of MRS personnel set up the litter and haul system to get him up. An ambulance was waiting for Gallagher at the top and he was taken immediately to Memorial Hospital in North Conway.
The accident took place at around 1:45 and according to NHF&G Sgt Brian Abrams Gallagher was at the top of the cliff by 3:50. Not bad at all!!! This was the second accident on Reccompense since last summer, tho the previous one was lower on the climb.
Mark's a great guy and I wish him a speedy recovery.
Petzl GriGri 2 Recall:
Petzl has discovered that exerting excessive force on the fully extended handle of the GRIGRI 2 can cause internal damage, such that the GRIGRI 2 handle may become stuck in the open position. When the handle is stuck in the position the assisted braking function is disabled. A damaged GRIGRI 2 in this configuration will function similarly to a manual belay device (e.g. tube-style device). When using a damaged GRIGRI 2 with the handle stuck in the open position, failure to control the braking side of the rope will dramatically increase the risk of an uncontrolled descent, possibly resulting in injury or death. A GRIGRI 2 with a damaged handle must be immediately retired from service. As of June 20, 2011, seven damaged GRIGRI 2 units have been returned to Petzl through our worldwide distribution network. Petzl has no knowledge of any accidents resulting from a damaged GRIGRI 2 handle.
Because the safety of our users is our primary concern, as a precautionary measure Petzl has decided to take the following actions:
* Ask users to immediately stop using all GRIGRI 2's with the first five digits of the serial number between 10326 and 11136.
* Recall all affected GRIGRI 2's and replace with new, revised versions.
* Petzl will pay for all shipping costs to complete this replacement.
* Increase the mechanical strength of the handle on all GRIGRI 2's from serial number 11137 onward.
* Begin shipping replacement GRIGRI 2's immediately. Users will receive replacements in the same order they return their old units to Petzl.
If you have a GRIGRI 2 (D14 2O, D14 2G, D14 2B) with the first five digits of the serial number between 10326 and 11136, stop use immediately and contact Petzl America to initiate an exchange. Contact Petzl America in one of two ways:
- By phone: 1 (800) 932-2978 (toll free)
- By email: grigri2recall@petzl.com
Petzl will pay all shipping costs associated with this exchange
Ice Conditions Report:
Selected Ice Conditions effective March 21, 2024
I can't actually say that there is nothing out there that can't be climbed. That would be foolish. But for the average, or a little above average climber, that's probably correct. That said, I did hear that there is climbable ice on Parasol in Dixville Notch. Not sure how that will be after we get a foot of heavy wet snow on Saturday. Regardless, here's a few pix I took today just to document things.
Huntington Ravine
AVALANCHE
Repentance
OUT
Standard Route
OUT
Dracula
OUT
For the full current conditions report, CLICK
HERE
Kismet & North Face:
North Conway, NH – JUNE 20, 2011– The North Face has awarded a $2,400 grant to Kismet Rock Foundation to help children and families explore the outdoors. Kismet Rock Foundation enhances the physical, intellectual and emotional development of well-functioning but economically disadvantaged children by providing access to the immense value of a comprehensive and multi-dimensional education in technical rock climbing. Kismet Rock Foundation was selected from hundreds of applications because of its focus on providing technical rock climbing instructions to economically under-served youth. In the first of two grant cycles in 2011, The North Face awarded $125,000 Explore Fund grants to 52 projects helping more than 30,000 kids to connect to nature.
Kismet's summer season will launch on July 17, 2011. To learn more about Kismet, visit www.kismetrockfoundation.org To learn more about all of the Explore Fund grantees and to keep up on their progress visit www.planetexplore.com.
Instant Bug Report:
I keep thinking that the situation is going to get better, but for the most part it hasn't. Sure there are places and times the bugs aren't too bad, but most everywhere they are terrible. I recommend DEET and bug nets for all!
NEClimbs & White Mountain Report On Facebook:
Join us and hopefully LIKE us on Facebook. I'll try and post some interesting pix every Thursday and the latest Ice Report in the season, tho certainly not the whole Report. Here's where you can check it out:
Mobile Version Of NEClimbs:
Up on one of the Mount Washington Valley's finest crags and want to know what that climb you're looking at is? Or maybe you're on your way up from Boston and want to check out the Ice Report for your upcoming weekend plans. Or more likely, you're at work just want to daydream about your next adventure. Well if you have a smart phone handy, you can get to NEClimbs from anywhere you have cell service. While it doesn't offer every single feature of the site and it's not an "app", in mobile form, it does do a whole lot and is very useful. Here is the live link to the mobile version of NEClimbs:
Check it out and if you have issues on your specific phone, please feel free to let me know.
NEClimbs & White Mountain Report On Facebook:
Join us and LIKE us on Facebook. I'll try and post interesting pix every Thursday and the latest Ice Report in the season, tho certainly not the whole Report. Here's where you can check it out:
Climbing is a very dangerous sport. You can get hurt or even kill yourself. When you go climbing, you do so of your own free will. Everything on this site is to be taken with a grain of salt. Don't blame us if you get up some totally heinous route, in over your head and fall and hurt yourself.
