Fear of Falling - Clip-Drop Technique

The scariest thing in all of climbing is falling. And perhaps the hardest thing to do in all of climbing is to manage the fear of falling. The Clip-Drop technique is a way to train your brain to accept that falling is a part of the game and that in many cases, that falling is perfectly safe.

In a nut-shell, the Clip-Drop technique is simply what it says. You clip a bolt, climb up a bit and fall. You clip the next bolt, climb up a bit and fall again. The idea is that if you do this all the way up a route, you will become accustomed to falling and will be able to get past the fear of it.

The following video from Steep Media and UKclimbing.com illustrates the use of this technique in a climbing gym.

Fear of Falling - clip-drop technique from SteepMedia on Vimeo.

--Jason D. Martin

November and December Climbing Events

--November 27-29 -- West Cochise Stronghold Sweet Rock Campground, AZ --Cochise Stronghold Refuse Roundup 2009

--December 1 -- Bellingham, WA -- Banff Mountain Film Festival

--December 2-4 -- Seattle, WA -- Banff Mountain Film Festival

--December 5 -- Duluth, MN -- North Shore Style Climbing Competition 2009

--December 6 -- Berkeley, CA --Sierra Nevada Section Annaul Holiday Dinner

--December 9 -- New Haven, CT --Connecticut ABS 11 Bouldering Competition

--December 9 -- North Bend, WA -- Banff Mountain Film Festival - Index Support

--December 11 -- Bellingham, WA -- International Mountain Day Festival - Index Benefit

--December 12 -- Montbleu Resort, South Lake Tahoe --World Class Action Sports Cinematography featured at Tahoe Adventure Film Festival

--December 13 -- Sandstone, MN --Sandstone Ice Festival

--December 13 -- Bozman, MT --Bozman Ice Festival

--December 31-January 3 -- Joshua Tree, CA -- Joshua Tree Climbers Carnival

Consumerism and Climbing

I recently watched the excellent documentary, What would Jesus Buy? The film uses a theatrical troupe that poses as an anti-consumerism church as a window into today's shopping-driven lifestyles. This is a very serious topic, but the church and their tactics are also extremely funny. As a result, the sober nature of the subject matter can be addressed in a way that provides a non-confrontational look into how most Americans spend their time and money.

The Church of Stop Shopping is lead by a charismatic man who acts like a faith healer in order to stop people from buying into the need to constantly shop. The Reverend Billy preaches of the shopacalypse, an apocalyptic time when the world will literally collapse in on itself from too much shopping. The Reverend and his choir preach their message in front of Walmart and Starbucks and in churches across America. Check out the trailer below:



The documentary got me thinking. How do we as climbers and as outdoor people buy into the need to constantly get more stuff?

Clearly, based on the climbing and skiing and hiking gear stored in my garage, the Reverend Billy would see me as great sinner. A consumer with too much stuff for my own good.

However, I would argue that I use all my stuff until it wears out. I would argue that I don't spend my days hanging out in shopping malls and I would argue that I'm a fierce advocate for these sports that I love...sports that revolve around getting away from buying more stuff and getting people out to experience the outdoors.

I would also argue that the stuff we buy allows us to experience wild places that need protection. Our ability to see the beauty of these places leads us to become stewards of them, either from afar with our choice of elected officials and our donations to stewardship funds, or from close by with trailwork and litter cleanups. The stuff we as outdoors people buy leads us to be better advocates for wild places.

And indeed, many expeditions go to places where the entire economy is based on visiting climbers and trekkers. Not only do those who visit such places bring money into those communities, but they also bring aid in the guise of schools and medical care. Many who visit these places are so impressed by the people that they support foundations that provide such services to developing countries.

Now clearly, this is my defense of our lifestyles. And it's easy for us to get tunnel vision and to only see what's good for our own selfish interests. Certainly, the person who owns 700 pairs of shoes might have just as good a defense....but then again, maybe not...

--Jason D. Martin

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 11/26/09

Happy Turkey Day!

This week and weekend is traditionally the busiest time of the year for climbers in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, in Joshua Tree National Park, in Smith Rock State Park, in Zion National Park and in Indian Creek. Many people journey to these locations to take advantage of extra time off. If your on your way to one of these locations this weekend, it would be good to have a back-up plan for camping as most campgrounds will be full...

Northwest:

--Jordan Nicurit was hiking when he slipped and fell nearly twenty feet, crushing his pelvis. After three days of not eating anything, the man was forced to drag himself to a place where people could find him otherwise he would have died. His harrowing survival story, which took place in October, is just coming to light. To read about it, click here and here.

--Two teams established prominiate new routes in British Columbia's Coast Range over the summer. The first team put up a new line on Mount Combatant (12,322'). AAI guide Mike Pond was involved in the second team's ascent of a new variation on Mount Desire (8,549'). To read more, click here.

--A new film adapted from Cormic McCarthy's apocalyptic novel The Road, was shot on and around Mount Saint Helens. "Once you're up top on, it's pretty bare, and you can still see the devastation of 30 years ago," said Mortensen by phone from Los Angeles. Because the production team had to wait for a break in the weather, the St. Helens scenes were among the last ones filmed. To read more, click here.

--The Northwest-based Mazama Climbing Club has a grant program to promote adventurous climbing and provide resources for climbers to explore and attempt challenging climbs. While trips do not need to be at the leading edge of alpinism, special consideration will be given to expeditions contributing to the sport of mountaineering and alpine climbing by attempting new routs or significant repeat ascents. To read more, click here.

Sierra:

--Yosemite National Park Rangers are asking the public's assistance in locating a missing person, who was last seen in Yosemite National Park on November 6, 2009. Anthony Clifton Green, Jr. was in the park and may have contacted his family from a pay phone at Happy Isles on November 7, 2009. His vehicle was found in the Wilderness Parking Lot. To read more, click here.

--Colin Haley and Dave Turner just made a sub-24 hour link-up of El Capitan and Half Dome on October 31, treating it as a fun training for their future missions to Patagonia. By choosing to go for the link-up (which involves roughly 5,000 feet of climbing0 so late in the season (their link-up was possibly the latest in the season anyone has pulled off) the pair spent 12 hours climbing in the dark by headlamp compared to only eight hours of climbing in daylight. To read more, click here.

--Another wild year of bear issues wrapped up in Mammoth Lakes with Wildlife Specialist Steve Searles presenting his year-end review at the November 18 Town Council meeting. Searles called this year "busy". Searles warned the public that not all of the bears have gone to sleep yet for the winter, so vigilance with food sources still needed to be maintained. "Five or six bears are working in the early morning hours and a car was recently broken into," Searles explained. He added that when more snow falls the bears would head into hibernation. To read more, click here.

Himalaya:

The Italian team that conquered K2 (1954). Standing, from left: Achille Compagnoni, Ugo Angelino, Dr Gino Pagani, Mario Fantin, Ardito Desio, Erich Abram, Gino Solda, Lino Lacedelli, Walter Bonatti, Sergio Viotto, Pino Gallotti. Front: Ubaldo Rey, Cirillo

--Lino Lacedelli, the Italian mountaineer, who died on November 20 aged 83, was the first man to conquer K2, the world's second-highest peak, a feat that generated national rejoicing in Italy but also unprecedented controversy. To read more, click here.

--A Nepalese man who climbed Mt. Everest at age 76 and became the oldest person to conquer the world's highest peak celebrated Monday official recognition of his achievement by Guinness World Records. To read more, click here.

--Japanese explorer Tamotsu Nakamura has made his third photographic expedition to the Nyainqentanglha and Kangri Garpo regions of Tibet. His photos literally illustrate mind-blowing first ascent potential. To see the photos, click here.

--Yannick Graziani and Christian Trommsdorff, the French duo first to climb the south face of Nemjung (23,425') in October referred to their new line as "maybe the most beautiful we have ever done, certainly the most continuously steep, sustained and constantly exposed." To read the details of their ascent, please click here.

--Rock and Ice posted a nice round-up of the sold-out, black-tie New York section dinner of the American Alpine Club with Stephen Venables. Stephen presented a slideshow on his life and his accomplishments including the only solo ascent of the East/Kangshung Face of Everest. To read more, click here.

Notes from All Over:

--A man convicted of raping and assaulting a hiker in Marin County in 2005 may be spending the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced. Forty-six-year-old Terry Ray Hawes was sentenced to nearly 34 years in prison Tuesday after being convicted in a case that went to trial in June of this year after it had been delayed by legal battles over his mental competency. To read more, click here.


-- Former AAI Guide Steve House recently won the Boardman-Tasker prize for Mountain Literature for his book, Beyond the Mountain. To read more, click here.

--Supertopo.com has a very funny thread running about "after-the-fact funny bee sting stories." One of the stories starts by saying, "the injured bee crawled up my inner thigh toward “big bob & the twins,” and it gets worse and funnier from there. To read the post, click here.

--British climbers Steve Beckwith and Matt Traver recently climbed a new route on the Dragon's Horns, twin towers. The pair of towers are a prominent feature above the dense jungle on the Malaysian Island of Tioman in the South China Sea. To read more, click here.

--Peruvians Beto Pinto Toledo and Erick Albino climbed a new route on the south face of Urus central (18,011') in Peru's Ishinca Valley in the Cordillera Blanca. The line climbs steep snow up to 80 degrees. To read more, click here.

--National Geographic has named winners of the 'Best of Adventure' awards for 2009. Topping the list, as 'Adventurer of the Year' is extreme climber Dean Potter. Dean was filmed, as seen in the video below, flying in a specialized 'wingsuit.' He's since worked toward perfecting the art of human 'flying' from several locations around the world. To read more, click here.



--Max Dünßer, Reinhard Hones and Martin Schindele recently climbed a new nine pitch 5.12c route in South Africa in the massive Yellowwood Amphitheatre. The new route on the 1200 foot wall is called, Your Mother's Face. To read more, click here.

-- A man's body was found yesterday by a rock climber in Sydney, Australia. The body was approximately thirty feet from the top of the cliff and had been there for a month or more. To read more, click here.

Conditions Report -- November 25, 2009

RED ROCK CANYON:

--The American Alpine Institute's Red Rock season officially started on September 21st. Please call our office for up-to-date information on courses and trips offered in Red Rock.

--Forecast and average temperatures for Red Rock Canyon.

--Webcam for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

--The late exit and overnight permit number for Red Rock Canyon is 702-515-5050. If there is any chance that you will be inside the park after closing, be sure to call this number so that you don't get a ticket.

--The entrance to the scenic drive had a parking area for those who wanted to carpool up until approximately April of 2009. That lot has now become employee parking and people who want to carpool are required to park at the lot outside the Scenic Drive exit.

--The scenic drive currently opens its gates at 6 in the morning.

--There are plans to change the fee structure for camping and climbing in Red Rock Canyon. To learn more about the proposed changes and to find out how you can help keep the fees as they currently are, please click here.

JOSHUA TREE:

--The American Alpine Institute Joshua Tree season has started, please contact us for more information.

--Forecast and average temperatures for Joshua Tree National Park.

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

NORTHWEST:

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Sno-Park permits are now available for purchase in Washington State. To purchase a permit and/or read more about them click here.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.

--Forest Service Road Report for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

--Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams conditions and recreation report.

--Webcams for Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Leavenworth, and Highway 2.

--An up-to-date ski and snow report for the Northwest may be found here.

--Up-to-date Pacific Northwest ice conditions may be found here.

SIERRA:

--Conditions in the Sierra are generally excellent in October and November for alpine ice climbing. Call our office to find out about guided ascents of classics like the U-Notch and V- Notch couloirs.

--For an update on road conditions in the Eastern Sierra region. Follow this link to read more.

--For up-to-date avalanche and weather reports in the Eastern Sierra, click here.

--Webcams for Bishop, June Lake, Mammoth Mountain, Mono Lake, Tioga Pass, and Yosemite National Park.

ALPS:

--Chamonix and Mont Blanc Regional Forecasts may be found here.

--Webcams for Chamonix Valley, Zermatt and the Matterhorn.

ALASKA RANGE:

--The climbing season in the Alaska Range has come to an end. The American Alpine Institute is now accepting applications for the 2010 climbing season. Please call our office at 360-671-1505 for more information.

--Forecast for Denali.

High Altitude Oxygen

We are always hearing about 8000 meter mountains and the use of oxygen. Should it be used of should it be left behind?

This blog entry has absolutely nothing to do with this common debate about oxygen in the mountains, but instead explains what

There are really two systems being employed in the high mountains. They are the constant flow system and the demand system.

The constant flow system delivers oxygen on a constant basis through a face mask worn by the climber. A flow rate is set and the oxygen keeps coming at that rate until you are out. This system is also often referred to as the Poisk system.

The second kind of oxygen flow system is the demand system. In this system, the climber wears a nose pipe that only provides oxygen when you inhale. The value of this system is that it's running half the time that a constant system is running. As a result, you have to carry half of the oxygen cylinders that you might carry otherwise.

The demand system has been used for nearly twenty years, but it has some problems. These include frozen tubes and release of oxygen when not in demand.

There is a third alternative which is a heavier and less realistic system and that is the closed circuit oxygen system. Most systems are a combination of the ambient oxygen in the air and supplemental oxygen from a bottle. In a closed circuit system, all of the oxygen is coming from a bottle, which could theoretically reduce the altitude feeling to sea level.

As the weight of all that oxygen is unrealistic, there has never been a valid test of a true closed system.

In the following video, we see the different parts of a normal constant flow system.



The first ascent of Everest in 1953 required quite a bit more in weight and old school technology. The following video shows a diagram of the original oxygen system and quickly describes how it worked.



The oxygen debate is one that will always rage, but that has nothing to do with the actual oxygen systems. If you choose to use oxygen in the high mountains, research each of the different systems, including brands and models available. Your summit and your life depend on making the right choice.

--Jason D. Martin

Lynn Hill - Visualization and Patience

In this climbing technique video, world class climber Lynn Hill demonstrates her movement on a world class climb. While she is climbing a 5.13a, she talks about how to be patient and how to visualize the movement while resting.

Most of us won't be climbing 5.13s anytime soon, but that doesn't mean that this advice isn't apt. Lynn's recommendations are just as valid on a 5.6 or a 5.10 as they are on a 5.13.



--Jason D. Martin

November and December Climbing Events

--November 22 -- Baltimore, MD --Loyola University Maryland ClimbMax Climbing Competition 2009

--November 26 -- Vancouver, BC --4th Annual Reel Rock Film Tour

--November 27-29 -- West Cochise Stronghold Sweet Rock Campground, AZ --Cochise Stronghold Refuse Roundup 2009

--December 5 -- Duluth, MN -- North Shore Style Climbing Competition 2009

--December 6 -- Berkeley, CA --Sierra Nevada Section Annaul Holiday Dinner

--December 9 -- New Haven, CT --Connecticut ABS 11 Bouldering Competition

--December 11 -- Bellingham, WA -- International Mountain Day Festival

--December 12 -- Montbleu Resort, South Lake Tahoe --World Class Action Sports Cinematography featured at Tahoe Adventure Film Festival

--December 13 -- Sandstone, MN --Sandstone Ice Festival

--December 13 -- Bozman, MT --Bozman Ice Festival

Weekend Warrior -- Videos to get you stoked!

Ahoy there Weekend Warriors!

I found a couple videos for this weeks post that I really think you'll enjoy. They are made by the Rocky Mountain Sherpas, a very talented group of filmmakers who are passionate about the outdoors, especially when it is covered with snow! I hope you enjoy, both these videos are award winners at the Whistler film fest and are well worth watching.

Vertical Limit - An Instructional Video

Hold your breath! Okay, you can let it out now. There wasn't that much a reason to hold your breath, because the 2000 film, Vertical Limit is dumb.

It has been discussed here in the past and in many other climbing forums and blogs. There is no other way to put it...

Vertical Limit is stupid.

Maybe I should make this a little bit more clear. Vertical Limit is perhaps the most ludicrous climbing film of all time. There is not one iota of truth or reality in the entire movie from the beginning to the end. And in many cases, the storyline is so outrageous that it is actually comical.

So a small group of climbers decided that the best way to use the content of this film was to make an instructional climbing video out of it. Hilarity ensues...



--Jason D. Martin

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 11/19/09

Northwest:

--The body of a 54-year-old man from Coquitlam, B.C., was found in the Mt. Baker wilderness Monday, Nov. 16, close to where he was last seen by his wife. The man was reported missing at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday. He was found by search and rescue workers at about 5:40 p.m. the next evening. His name is being withheld until family members have been notified, said Deputy George Ratayczak of the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. The man was found buried in about 18 inches of snow 60 to 80 yards outside of the backcountry gate of the Mt. Baker wilderness. He apparently had fallen off a cornice and was buried upside down, Ratayczak said. To read more, click here.

A Climber in Index
Photo by Alasdair Turner

--Cascadeclimbers and the Boalps have among many others have run successful campaigns to raise money for the purchase of the Index climbing area. The Cascadeclimbers event over the weekend was quite successful. The American Alpine Institute will be running an Index event on December 11th. To learn more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

-- On the evening of Sunday, November 15, park staff of Pinnacles National Monument assisted two male climbers, from the San Jose area, off of a climbing route after they had become stranded due to nightfall. Both climbers were uninjured. The climbers were able to place a cell phone call to a friend, who contacted the park, around 6:00PM after they could no longer climb in darkness. They were near the top of "Condor [Condom] Condiment", a 500 foot route on the Condor Crag formation in the High Peaks area of Pinnacles National Monument. The climbers were in different locations on the route and could not complete the final 100 feet without additional light. Rangers contacted the party via their cell phone and determined their approximate location and condition before the climber's phone battery was exhausted. To read more, click here.

----Federal officials plan to spend $11.7 million for about 5,000 acres of private land in national monuments, forests and recreation areas in three Western states. The largest purchase announced Monday was for 4,573 acres in the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in southwestern Colorado. The 166,000-acre monument, about 380 miles southwest of Denver, has the country's highest known density of archaeological sites. This money also includes purchases in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. To read more, click here.

--Joshua Tree National park employees are at work this week closing off abandoned mine shafts. In the current phase of mine closures, National Park Service employees will close 11 holes at eight sites while contractors will close 29 holes at an additional 14 sites throughout the park. To read more, click here.

Himalaya:

--A renowned Slovenian mountaineer has been found dead in the Himalayas. Tomasz Humar, 40, last contacted his base on Monday to say that he had been injured while climbing a peak in Nepal. Viki Groselj, a fellow Slovenian mountaineer and friend of Mr Humar, told the Associated Press that he had broken his leg and become stranded. To read more click here and here.

Notes from All Over:

The Jungfrau

--The trial of two Swiss mountain guides charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of six army recruits is underway in the eastern Swiss city of Chur. On July 12, 2007, the guides gave the go-ahead for the group of soldiers they were leading to ascend the Jungfrau mountain despite a high risk of avalanche. The defendants face up to three years in prison if found guilty by the military tribunal. To read more, click here.

--The second year of the American Alpine Club's Patagonia Sustainable Trails Project has kicked off with a trail-restoration educational course for 17 Argentinean rangers from eight national parks across Patagonia. The course, held October 24 to November 1, was organized by AAC member Rolando Garibotti, directed by Max Ludington, a National Park Service (NPS) seasonal trail crew leader based out of Jackson Hole, and coordinated by Claudio Chehebar, director of the regional office for all Argentinean Patagonia national parks. To read more, click here.

--Federal officials plan to spend $11.7 million for about 5,000 acres of private land in national monuments, forests and recreation areas in three Western states. The largest purchase announced Monday was for 4,573 acres in the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in southwestern Colorado. The 166,000-acre monument, about 380 miles southwest of Denver, has the country's highest known density of archaeological sites. To read more, click here.

--Tired of constant threats to close California’s state parks, a coalition of environmental and nonprofit groups has proposed a ballot initiative that would charge motorists an additional $18 to register their vehicles in exchange for free admission to the state parks. The registration fee would apply to all California vehicles, including motorcycles and recreational vehicles. Larger commercial vehicles, mobile homes and permanent trailers would be exempt. In exchange, Californians would no longer pay day-use or admission fees at any state park. To read more, click here.

--This week we did a round-up of all the literary awards offered this Fall. To see them, click here.

Conditions Report -- November 18, 2009

RED ROCK CANYON:

--The American Alpine Institute's Red Rock season officially started on September 21st. Please call our office for up-to-date information on courses and trips offered in Red Rock.

--Forecast and average temperatures for Red Rock Canyon.

--Webcam for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

--The late exit and overnight permit number for Red Rock Canyon is 702-515-5050. If there is any chance that you will be inside the park after closing, be sure to call this number so that you don't get a ticket.

--The entrance to the scenic drive had a parking area for those who wanted to carpool up until approximately April of 2009. That lot has now become employee parking and people who want to carpool are required to park at the lot outside the Scenic Drive exit.

--The scenic drive currently opens its gates at 6 in the morning.

--There are plans to change the fee structure for camping and climbing in Red Rock Canyon. To learn more about the proposed changes and to find out how you can help keep the fees as they currently are, please click here.

JOSHUA TREE:

--The American Alpine Institute Joshua Tree season has started, please contact us for more information.

--Forecast and average temperatures for Joshua Tree National Park.

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

NORTHWEST:

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Sno-Park permits are now available for purchase in Washington State. To purchase a permit and/or read more about them click here.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.

Geoff Georges skinning up to Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier. Photo by Jessica Todd

--Jessica Todd and her friend skied up to Mt. Rainier's Camp Muir last weekend to check out the conditions. She was rewarded with some good turns with the exception of some pea soup down lower. To read the full report click here.

--Forest Service Road Report for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

--Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams conditions and recreation report.

--Webcams for Mount Rainier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Leavenworth, and Highway 2.

--An up-to-date ski and snow report for the Northwest may be found here.

John Mauro ripping up the powder at Stevens. Photo by Greg Louie

--Greg Louie and friends headed up to Stevens Pass last Saturday and were greeting by some fantastic conditions. To read the full report click here.

--Up-to-date Pacific Northwest ice conditions may be found here.

SIERRA:

--Conditions in the Sierra are generally excellent in October and November for alpine ice climbing. Call our office to find out about guided ascents of classics like the U-Notch and V- Notch couloirs.

--For an update on road conditions in the Eastern Sierra region. Follow this link to read more.

--For up-to-date avalanche and weather reports in the Eastern Sierra, click here.

--Webcams for Bishop, June Lake, Mammoth Mountain, Mono Lake, Tioga Pass, and Yosemite National Park.

ALPS:

--Chamonix and Mont Blanc Regional Forecasts may be found here.

--Webcams for Chamonix Valley, Zermatt and the Matterhorn.

ALASKA RANGE:

--The climbing season in the Alaska Range has come to an end. The American Alpine Institute is now accepting applications for the 2010 climbing season. Please call our office at 360-671-1505 for more information.

--Forecast for Denali.

The Sin of Sponsorship

Elite climbers and well-known guides have been sponsored by gear manufacturers for years. The idea behind sponsorship is that a gear manufacturer will choose an individual who is making notable ascents and has good interaction with the public (through magazines, through guiding or through notoriety) to help promote their gear.

However, there is some controversy about this among sponsored climbers. Some ask, should certain individuals be sponsored? Certainly some may be asking this because they want to remain in a small elite crew of individuals. Others may be asking -- perhaps more legitimately -- the question because they don't see some of their peers as qualified.

Until recently, this particular question was left to the privacy of the brew pub...but then about a month ago Scott Semple wrote a blog entitled, "Is Sponsorship a Sin?" This question started a very serious conversation in the climbing community, both on his blog and in forums like cascadeclimbers.com.

Scott wrote specifically that the ability of some climbers to self-promote outweighs their actual climbing abilities. His thesis is that those who are lying or exaggerating about their abilities to secure their sponsorships shouldn't be sponsored.

Following is the heart of his blog:

The more you climb, the less you’re interested in reading the same recycled stories with the same characters smiling from new faces. And the less you can tolerate the self-promotion that comes from white lies and self-serving exaggerations in hopes of becoming (or staying) sponsored. And those indulgences are rampant and widespread.

If sponsorship isn’t backed up by a legitimate accomplishment that is significant to the sport, then being rewarded for something insignificant is sad and undeserved. And it’s immoral, because it creates a facade, and facades are lies.

This happens more often than you might think. Many of the athletes you often see in climbing magazines are phenomenal at self-promotion, but range from average to crap at actually climbing. Ice, mixed and alpine climbing have the worst offenders. (Rock climbing is usually too consistent, popular and objective for lies to last long.) Truth is, many climbers are sponsored for what they say, or how well they’re known, rather than for what they’ve done.

The problem stems from the fact that the “athlete” is the performer, but also the judge and the journalist. A lack of objectivity and a lack of integrity combine to create opportunistic self-promotion masquerading as journalism. The result is that average achievements beget above-average attention.

Scott got so many comments about this particular blog that he presented a slideshow on the topic at the Night of Lies event in Canmore, Alberta on October 30th. The 22 minute slideshow was videotaped and is one of the most interesting and intriguing issues that has been presented recently, that will never be covered by the major climbing news outlets.

Though it is impossible to see Scott in the video, it is well worth watching all 22 minutes of this piece and it is well worth hearing the comments that were made by the audience as he presented it.

For a larger video format, click on the "Is Sponsorship a Sin" link below the video.

Is Sponsorship a Sin? from Scott Semple on Vimeo.

After the slideshow, Scott wrote a second blog about the responses that he received. One of the main comments that he posted was from Dave Karl, a gear rep.

I disagree with the three-test rule. I have IFMGA & AMGA Mountain Guides that I sponsor that are totally worthy. Their personal (non-guided) climbing accomplishments may not be noteworthy among their elite peers, but they don’t bullsh*t either, and they do help sell product. These guides help the entire sport and climbing community by educating the public and introducing new participants to climbing. A good mountain guide can be a great sponsorship investment.

Scott agreed with this comment and indicated that "I agree with Dave that there are folks out there worthy of support that may not be on the cutting edge of climbing. They are typically local, grassroots climbers or industry-folk like guides that are in front of the target market on a daily basis. I have no objections to these athletes being supported, either by sales reps or by brands, on an informal basis."

The outdoor industry is full of sponsored individuals. And it is full of a lot of ego, arrogance and self-promotion. Sponsorship is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it's great. It provides us with an insight into who is at the top of the game. But on the other hand, if we can't trust the magazines and the gear manufacturers to screen their athletes, then the value of every sponsored athlete -- whether they deserve it or not -- is diminished.

--Jason D. Martin

Outdoor and Climbing Literary Awards - 2009

It's the season of outdoor book awards. And as the weather is changing and the days are short, we thought that people might be looking for some good adventure books to read. This blog is a round-up of major outdoor adventure oriented book awards.

There are three different organizations that offer book awards to outdoor oriented books and their authors. They are the Banff Mountain Book Festival, the American Alpine Club and the National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation.


Banff Mountain Book Festival:

Grand Prize

Revelations -- Jerry Moffatt. By Jerry Moffatt and Niall Grime. Vertebrate Publishing (UK, 2009) Best Book -- Mountain Literature

Beyond the Mountain. By Steve House. Patagonia Books (USA, 2009)

Best Book -- Adventure Travel

The Great Polar Journey -- In the Footsteps of Nansen. By Borge Ousland. Ousland Design AS (Norway, 2009)

Best Book -- Mountain Image

The Alps -- A Bird's Eye View. By Matevz Lenarcic. Panalp d.o.o. (Slovenia, 2009)

Best Book -- Mountain Exposition

Flakes, Jugs and Splitters. By Sarah Garlick. Globe Pequot Press (USA, 2009)

Best Book -- Mountaineering History

The Last of His Kind: the Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer. By David Roberts. HarperCollins (USA, 2009)

Special Jury Mention

Royal Robbins: To be Brave - My Life, Volume One. By Royal Robbins. Pink Moment Press (USA, 2009)

Canadian Rockies Award

In the Bear's House. By Bruce Hunter.Oolichan Books — A Literary Publisher (Canada, 2009)


American Alpine Club Winner:

Where the other organizations have a series of awards, the AAC only presents one author with an award every year. The Literary Award was established to recognize excellence in alpine literature by American writers. Recipients of the award have contributed extensively and over many years to mountain literature. Recipients are not selected through a submission process.

This year's winner was Doug Robinson.


National Outdoor Book Award Winners:

History/ Biography Category:

Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America. By Douglas Brinkley. Harper, New York

Outdoor Literature Category

Halfway to Heaven. By Mark Obmascik. Free Press/Simon & Schuster, New York.

Honorable Mention. Rowboat in a Hurricane: My Amazing Journey Across a Changing Ocean. By Julie Angus. Greystone Books, Vancouver.

Design and Artistic Merit Category

Lars Jonsson's Birds. Illustrations by Lars Jonsson. Princeton University Press, Princeton

Classic Category

Kayak: The New Frontier. By William Nealy. Menasha Ridge Press, Birmingham.

Honorable Mention. Appalachian Odyssey: Walking the Trail from Georgia to Maine. By Steve Sherman and Julia Older. Author's Guild, New York.

Children's Category

Whistling Wings. By Laura Goering. Illustrated by Laura Jacques. Sylvan Dell Publishing, Mt Pleasant, SC.

Honorable Mention. Operation Redwood. By S. Terrell French. Abrams/Amulet Books, New York.

Nature and Environment Category

Our Living Earth. By Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Abrams/Books for Young Readers, New York.

Natural History Literature

Every Living Thing: Man's Obsessive Quest to Catalog Life, from Nanobacteria to New Monkeys. By Rob Dunn. Smithsonian Books. New York.

Nature Guidebook Category

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America. By Roger Tory Peterson. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston.

Honorable Mention. Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West. By Dennis Paulson. Princeton University Press.

Outdoor Adventure Guidebook Category

Guide to the Green and Yampa Rivers in Dinosaur National Monument. By Duwain Whitis and Barbara Vinson. RiverMaps, Buda, TX.

Honorable Mention. The Guide to Baja Sea Kayaking. By Dave Eckardt. Paddle Publishing, Eagle, CO.

Instructional Category

Girl on the Rocks: A Woman's Guide to Climbing with Strength, Grace and Courage. By Katie Brown. Photos by Ben Moon. Globe Pequot Press/Falcon Guides, Guilford, CN.