First Aid - When Animals Attack!

So you're on the third pitch of a route when you accidentally annoy a cute and fuzzy squirrel. And while squirrels are cute and fuzzy, they also have very sharp teeth. So while finishing your lead, you note that the cute and fuzzy squirrel has fastened his not-so-cute and not-so-fuzzy teeth to your wrist...

So obviously, you do what any big and tough climber would do in such a situation...you scream like a little girl.

You scream and you scream. And the squirrel looks at you like it's possessed by the devil and its no longer cute and fuzzy at all. In fact, at that moment, you know that you will have nightmares about squirrels attacking you for the rest of your life. Every time you see a little fuzzy animal -- even a happy teddy bear at Build-a-Bear -- you'll roll up in a little ball and sob...

And while all that is going through your head, your partner laughs.

And then tells everyone about your little girl scream for years and years and years.

While being attacked by a squirrel might give your partner a great story, it could also be very dangerous. Animal bites can happen on any type of trip. And the most important thing a victim can do is to note what kind of animal it was that attacked and what the nature of the attack was. Were you poking it with a stick and throwing rocks at the animal, did you disturb it's "nest," or did it just seem to attack for no reason?

Don't mess with me, I've got a lot more than rabies.

Unprovoked animal bites are particularly dangerous. The unfortunate likelyhood is that warrantless animal attacks are due to rabies, which is almost always deadly in humans who contract it and do not receive treatment. As a result, animal bites must be taken extremely seriously and medical attention should be sought with all animal bites.

Puncture wounds are also dangerous. Animals teeth are covered in bacteria and a bite that breaks the skin could inject said bacteria deep into the tissue. Infection from such a bite develops extremely quickly. A serious infection can develop in as little at 24 hours. Tetanus -- a life-threatening illness -- can develop from any bite, human or animal.

Additionally, bites to the hand, the wrist, the foot or a joint can be very serious. Bite wounds to the hand may result in major complications because the skin's surface is so close to the underlying bones and joints. Other wounds in such areas could create life-long disabilities without proper treatment and antibiotics.

The jist of this is that while being bit by a squirrel might be funny to your partner...all animal bites should be seen as serious events and medical attention should always be sought. Once you're better you can beat-up on your partner for spreading rumors about your childlike scream...

--Jason D. Martin

The Right Way

I officially completed the first thing on my "intern duties list" just the other day. I saw the ultra-classic mountaineering film, "Touching The Void." Originally a book by Joe Simpson, the movie details two climbers ascent, and subsequent epic descent, of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. How I hadn't seen this film before is beyond me, but apparently I can now call myself a climber. Besides simply being an entertaining piece of cinematography, I found myself asking questions during and after the film. What should he have done in the situation? What would I have done in the situation? What is the proper way to go about lowering someone like this?


What I realized, after not reaching an answer I felt completely satisfied with, is that in the climbing world it is very hard to define and explain every situation that you will encounter. There are books out there, such as Freedom of the Hills, which attempts to define and diagram every system possible as well as determine when they are appropriate. Regardless of these types of books though, they still can't detail and prepare you for everything you will encounter in the mountains.

This realization reiterated the importance of quality training and experience in my mind. Two years ago I was a client of the American Alpine Institute, and went through the Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership, 3 part course. I remember coming off the course with a breadth of knowledge that I simply didn't know existed before. More important than the hard facts however, was the new analytical and judgment skills I had developed over the course of 36 days. Knowing what is "industry standard" and what the climbing community accepts as safe and responsible is absolutely necessary. There really is no excuse for not following accepted practices in the mountaineering world. But when things go horribly wrong and you are in the middle of a situation that doesn't exist in any textbook or guided course, do you know how to think your way out of it?

Choosing the right technique or system in climbing is all about having the understanding of the hard skill, and knowing when and how it is appropriate to implement it. Gaining this ability for me, meant taking a guided course with AAI. I'm not suggesting this is the only way to learn how to think in the mountains, not at all. I'm simply advocating for beginning, and even advanced climbers to continue to focus on learning "how" to think in the mountains. At some point you have to put down the textbook, and starting gaining real and valuable experience.

To read a review of Touching the Void, written by senior guide, Jason Martin, click here.

--Andrew Yasso, Intern

Summit Success on 19,348' Cotopaxi in Ecuador

AAI guide Pepe Landazuri called at 8:40am Ecuador time (5:40am Pacific time) this morning from the slopes of Cotopaxi with the following report:

“Good morning.  This is Pepe calling from Cotopaxi.  We had a successful climb this morning.  We had excellent conditions, we made good time, and we summited around 6:30.  I climbed with Charles and Rebecca.  Brian climbed with Ramiro and wasn’t able to make it all the way.  There were some low clouds over the Amazon Basin, and we has some very nice colors during the sunrise.

It is such a beautiful day today.  It is sunny and clear, and the views are great.  We can see all the peaks to the north and to the south.  Antisana and the Illinizas are the closest, and they are looking very beautiful in their fresh snow cover.  There was a little snow yesterday, but it was no problem for us at all.  

So after a little rest and some food at the hut, we plan to head back to Quito.  We’ll have our final dinner in the capital, and then folks will head home tomorrow.  It’s been a great trip, and of course we are really happy about the good conditions and making it to the top.”

Photo:  a fresh dusting of snow on Cotopaxi     http://tinyurl.com/ycwolc3

This photo shows the team's route well.  It starts at the top of the snow triangle at the base of the mountain (directly below the rock wall), ascends fairly directly toward the rock (Yanasacha), veers to the right before reaching the rock, and then ascends to the summit just to the left of the right skyline.

The trip they were on is described here:  http://aai.cc/ProgramDetail/ecuador_volcanoes/

Feburary and March Climbing Events

-- February and March (ongoing) -- Various Locations -- North Face Movie Premier

-- February 6 -- Bellingham, WA -- Western Washington University: Veni. Vidi. Ascendi Comp

-- February 9 -- Bellingham, WA -- REI Ski Wild

-- February 12 -- Cody, WY -- Wyoming Waterfall Ice Fest

-- February 19 -- Rancho Cordova, CA -- Granite Arch Climbing Friday Flash Fest

-- February 20 -- Eugene, OR -- University of Oregon Vertical Circus Climbing Competition

-- February 27 -- Seattle, WA -- Stone Gardens Sport Climbing Series Comp

-- March 5 -- Dayton, OH -- Wright University Adventure Summit

-- March 6-7 -- Steven's Pass, WA -- Hope on the Slopes

-- March 6 -- Warrenville, IL -- Vertical Endeavors No Hold Barred

-- March 13 -- Washington, DC -- HERA Foundation Climb4Life

-- March 18 – Las Vegas, NV -- Banff Mountain Film Festival Tour

-- March 19-21 -- Red Rocks NV -- Red Rock Rendezvous

Team Poised for Ascent of Ecuador's Cotopaxi Tonight

AAI guide Pepe Landazuri called this morning by satellite phone to give us an update on his team’s climbing.  Earlier in the week they were thwarted on Cayambe because of extremely high winds, so they did a strategic retreat to some near-by hotsprings to plan their next moves.  After a night a Tambopaxi Lodge in Cotopaxi National Park Friday, they moved today to the Jose Ribas hut on the flanks of 19,348-foot/5897-meter Cotopaxi today.

His message was received today at 1:46pm Ecuador time (10:46am Pacific time):

"Hello everyone.  This is Pepe calling for Charlie [Montange], Rebecca [Montange], and Brian [Semkow] to give you the latest news on our climbing here in Ecuador.  Today we are in the refugio on Cotopaxi and all is well.  We just had lunch, and in about an hour we are going to leave and move up the mountain part way for some ice climbing on the glacier.  We did some good practice climbing on Cayambe on Wednesday, but it will be good to stretch our legs this afternoon and get in some more.

The weather has improved, and we are very excited.  It’s not perfect, but the wind has largely stopped, and it is plenty good enough for us to climb.  So tonight we will leave at midnight and give it a good try.

Everybody is feeling really good:  good health, no problems with the altitude, and good appetites.  So we are totally ready.  We’ll leave tonight at about midnight, and we’ll call tomorrow during or after the climb and to pass on word of how it went.  Wish us luck.  Hello to everyone back home. We’ll talk to you soon.”

Weekend Warrior - Videos to get you stoked

After watching people like Dean Potter "freeBASE-ing," I started to realize how ridiculous you have to be to get noticed in the climbing world these days. With that said, it seems like people are out there continuing to push the limits of their disciplines, be it in sport climbing, trad climbing, aid climbing, or whatever "head pointing" is. I guess you start to get numb when the next wonder climber shows up and creates their own niche which the media and climbing culture can praise them for. Here is one that I found that doesn't seem like it will get a ton of repeats.



The same guy in the video above was noticed for something much more impressive in my opinion. Will Gadd accomplished something during the Ouray Ice Festival that in it's individual pieces, doesn't seem like a big deal. He climbed a 40m WI4. On a top rope. In an ice park. So far not so impressive huh? Well, here is the thing, he climbed that route, "Pic O' The Vic," 194 times in 24 hrs. A minimum height of 25,414 feet, climbed in 24 hours! To me, that is way more impressive than someone sending their 5.15+ project. This goes beyond skill and determination, into a realm that I don't believe a word exists for yet. Even better, he did it for the dZi Foundation and raised a ton of money. I guess I won't feel that cool when I manage 5 laps in a row at the indoor gym here...

Skiing and Climbing Colorado

For the past two weeks I've managed to change out of my climbing and skiing clothes only twice. In the background now, I can hear the hum of the washing machine tumbling those stinky, overworked garments. The full moon is filling Silverton wall-to-wall with blue light. And
outside my window is the singular focus of my skiing attention this season.

Panoramic view of Red Mountain Pass ski terrain

Mt. Kendall is just over 13,000 feet, and my house is at 9,280. Every day when I am doing dishes or making coffee I dream of the sweeping arcs I will one day make down Kendall's "Naked Lady" slide path. Two weeks ago, before mother nature deposited over five feet of new snow on us, I awoke one morning to a sight; both disturbing and exciting....

Mt. Kendall from Danny's Kitchen. The "Naked Lady" slide path is the one directly facing the viewer, on the left side of the photo

Carved like the rhythm of a metronome, was a singular, perfect track down the center of the "Naked Lady." Someone had stolen my line out from under me as if they had snuck into my dreams! I paced about the kitchen wondering when, and with whom, I would ride the waves of the Naked Lady from the summit to valley floor. I could see the plumes of snow coming off my partners skis as they sliced through endless white.

Matt Wade in the entrance to the Granddaddy Couloir in Commodore Basin, Red Mountain Pass

Sheldon Kerr ripping up the Grandad Couloir


Matt Wade ripping the Grandad Couloir

And then one day...it snowed, and snowed, and snowed. The avalanche report called for "Extreme hazard, at all elevations and aspects." Some said it rivaled the biggest storm they'd seen in a decade in Silverton. What is meant for me and my Naked Lady...she'd have to wait until things settled out and calmed down.

Danny leading "Santa Claus Pillar" WI5

But living in the heart of Colorado's San Juans means that we have options. This is, in fact, the center of the US ice climbing universe. Ouray is only 40 minutes away and is arguably the best
venue in the country, if not the world, to improve upon one's ice climbing, and mixed climbing abilities. There is more ice than I can shake a stick at, and too many good climbing partners to let a day pass by unused for some adventure.

Gary Falk skiing up to Santa Claus Pillar

Hence why its been difficult to find any time to change out of my climbing clothes. Whats the point? I'm going to wear them tomorrow anyway! I've stumbled upon that magical efficiency in which all actions lead to the desired end, in this case, climbing.

Gary Falk leading up pitch 1 of Whorehouse Hoses in Silverton WI4/5

So while my clothes are nearing the spin cycle, I imagine the beautiful snakes of blue ice that are still begging for me to climb them. My mind gravitates towards that perfect ski mountaineering line I see every time I drive by Sultan Mountain, "The Elevator Shaft." It, like the Naked Lady, and all the climbs I dream of doing this winter, occupy my mind like a disease, and remind me how lucky I am to be living in the best place on Earth.

Looking up the second pitch of "Skylight" WI5, in the Camp Bird Mine Road in Ouray

If you're not too busy with your own adventures, come visit for some of mine. For now, the view out my kitchen window taunts me like a mean older sister. It knows exactly how to push my buttons. But I know when the time will be right to strike....

--Danny Uhlmann, Instructor and Guide