Dynafit Bindings - What are They and How do They Work?

Backcountry skiing is becoming enormously popular in the mountain regions of the United States. Enthusiasts are demanding more from their ski equipment and in response, the ski industry has been constantly improving its products. Recently, bindings have become an important decision when purchasing a new alpine touring set-up. Consumers are looking for a binding that provides good control over the ski, lightweight, uphill efficiency, durability, and ease of use. Enter the Dynafit binding, a well-designed and lightweight binding choice with few limitations.

The original 1993 purple and pink model!

Dynafit bindings have gained popularity in the US after decades of development and use in Europe, mainly amongst ski mountaineer and randonee racers. In 1993 the Dynafit TLT type binding became the first available in North America. Today the company sells more than 13,000 pair a year and as many as 8 different models of bindings here in the US. Even after this type of popularity many new to the ski world have never seen this type of set-up.

The Dynafit TLT type binding with boot attached

After seeing my first pair of these bindings in use during a ski trip on the Haute Route of France I returned to the US sans my telemark bindings with my prized new Dynafit set-up. Simply put this binding offers the lightest option for ski touring and offers the downhill performance that most are looking for in the backcountry.

The Haute Route French and Swiss Alps

The Dynafit binding works by rather ingenious engineering. Unlike most AT (alpine touring) bindings that have a bar connecting the toe and heel plates, the Dynafit binding uses the entire boot to attach the two together through the rigid nature of plastic ski boots. This means that a specific Dynafit compatible boot is necessary for the system to be complete, where the toe and heel piece of the binding actually “prongs” itself into the boot. This eliminates much of the extra metal that would construct a binding made in the more classic downhill style.

The Fritshi Diamir type binding with a more classic alpine type construction

The Dynafit compatible boot. Notice the metal toe and heel inserts.

Dynafit products have some small limitations. These are really limited to only a few problems including the overall release mechanism which can be somewhat trigger happy if you are a super aggressive cliff jumper and bump skier. The binding can also not provide enough power for a skier to handle a super fat ski. So if you are looking for a binding and boot combination for super fat, big mountain heli-skis you might look elsewhere. In terms of tourability this is the right choice for the touring-minded backcountry skier. For more information on Dynafit bindings online check out wildsnow.com or give our backcountry skiing courses a try!

-- Ben Traxler, AAI Guide

February and March 2011

-- Feb 2 -- Bellevue, WA -- Public Meeting on Mount Rainier Fee Increase

-- Feb 4 -- Munising, Michigan -- Michigan Ice Fest

-- Feb 5 -- Mammoth, CA -- (Ski Mountaineering) Mammoth Chase  

-- Feb 12-13 -- Alpental, WA -- VertFest sponsored by OR

-- Feb 12 -- Seattle, WA -- Northwest Collegiate Climbing Challenge (UW)

-- Feb 18 - 21-- Cody, WY -- 13th Annual "Waterfall Ice" Fest

-- Feb 26 -- Seattle, WA -- AAC Annual Benefit and Awards Dinner

-- March 12 -- Charleston, SC -- Palmetto Pump and USA Climbing Comp

Red Rock Rendezvous....Don't forget that there is a lot going on in Las Vegas in mid to late March. Following is a quick breakdown of everything that is happening:

• March 12-15 -- Learn to Lead: An Introduction to Traditional Rock Leadership
• March 12-14 -- AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Course
• March 14-17 -- Basic Rock Camp
• March 15-16 -- AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Exam 
• March 17      -- Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Las Vegas
• March 18-20 -- Red Rock Rendezvous
• March 21-24 -- Basic Rock Camp
• March 22-25 -- Learn to Lead: An Introduction to Traditional Rock Leadership

 

Weekend Warrior - Videos to get you STOKED!!

Learning how to do a 360 is all about trial by error, right?  Watch this lesson and learn!



Now that you know how to do a 360, maybe you can analyze this skier's technique:



Here's another quick lesson on how to pull off a 360:



But do we really trust this guy's advice?  He is in a knee brace and all...
You never know, maybe he taught this next guy?



Now get out there and have fun!

-Katy Pfannenstein
Program Coordinator

Haute Route

I hadn't heard of the Haute Route before I started working here. It turns out it is one of the most beautiful hikes (or it can be done as a ski tour) in Europe. It's an easy life going from hut-to-hut with only a daypack as you make the 11-day journey near Chamonix, France, to Zermatt, Switzerland.

Here's some proof. Check out these photos from AAI guide Jeff Ries. He shot these earlier this summer on a recent trip:

AAI trekkers enjoy amazing views of the Lesser Combin on day 5 of this Julys Swiss trek.

A great view of the impressive Moiry icefall greets the Swiss.

The Matterhorn welcomes trekkers at the end of the trip in Zermatt.

-Dyan Padagas, Program Coordinator

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 1/27/11

Northwest:

--A snowboarder out of bounds at Revelstoke Mountain Resort was lucky to escape with this life.  Revelstoke RCMP Cpl Rod Wiebe says a group of four ducked the operational boundary line in the Greely Bowl. While standing around deciding where to go, a section of snow broke away triggering an avalanche, taking one of the men down the mountain. To read more, click here.
 
--The Washington State Senate's Natural Resources Committee took testimony on Monday about out-of-bounds skiing.  In this context they were concerned about those who start skiing in a ski area and then go out-of-bounds creating a need for Search and Rescue to get involved.  They would like to impose a $1000 fine on those who leave the ski area. To read more, click here.

--There is a movement afoot to create three new non-motorized recreation areas in Eastern Washington. Backcountry skiers and snowshoers would love to see this happen.  The snowmobilers are not happy.  To read more, click here and here.

Sierra:

--A combined effort among members of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Mono Search and Rescue and Bishop CHP led to the rescue of a lost snowboarder. According to the Mono County Sheriff's Department, David Joseph, 27 of Crystal Heights, California, went snowboarding by himself and unknowingly crossed the western edge of the ski area boundary and became lost. To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--On Tuesday Senator Dianne Feinstein reintroduced legislation that would create two national monuments covering more than a million acres in the Mojave Desert. The California Desert Protection Act of 2011 is similar to a desert bill the California Democrat introduced in late 2009, but this one is more focused on land conservation efforts. To read more, click here.

Alaska:

--After spending a harrowing seven days stuck at 17,200 feet on a solo winter ascent of Denali, Lonnie Dupre has made it back down to 14,200 feet.  Unfortunately, he did not summit.  To learn more about his expedition and to get daily updates, click here.

--A newly discovered prehistoric bird from Denali National Park and Preserve has been named Magnoavipes denaliensis, which roughly translates into "big-ass flying Denali reptile" or something like that, according to the Museum of Nature & Science in Dallas. The bird was named by paleontologist Tony Fiorillo, the museum curator who has been spending recent summers up to his elbows in dinosaur tracks in Alaska. To read more, click here.

Himalaya:

--A 16-year old boy from England is currently getting ready to attempt Mount Everest.  If he summits  this spring, George Atkinson will be the youngest person to summit the seven summits.  Hot on his heels is Jordon Romero, the boy who summitted Mount Everest at thirteen.  To read more, click here.


Notes from All Over:

--A seventy-seven year-old skier in Snowmass, Colorado died in on last week after he told a good Samaritan that another skier had run him off the trail into the deep snow. Thomas Berglund died of cardiac arrest early Wednesday afternoon as a ski patrol team helped him out of a snowdrift. To read more, click here and here.

--A 52-year-old man died over the weekend while cross-country skiing at night in Maine's Acadia National Park. Officials say Duncan Rosborough was found Sunday morning on the park's carriage road system. They say Rosborough was an experienced skier, mountain biker, hiker and canoeist who apparently died of natural causes.  To read more, click here.

--A skier in her 40s was rescued by helicopter Wednesday afternoon from an area between Edelweiss and Christmas Tree bowls off Teton Pass in the Grand Teton National Park after she injured her knee.  Two skiers found the woman alone, said Tim Ciocarlan, Teton County Search & Rescue board president.  To read more, click here.

--The Austrian climber, Dave Lama, is back in the spotlight in Patagonia again.  He intends to free-climb the southeast ridge ("Compressor Route") of Cerro Torre. And like last year, his tactics are questionable.  To read more, click here.  To read our response to this individual's actions last year, click here.

--A group of ski patrollers have gone on strike in Banff's Sunshine Village to protest what they perceive as a unjust firing. It appears that a young ski patroller asked the son of the ski area's owner to follow resort rules.  The son complained to his father and had the patroller fired.  To read more, click here.

--Austria’s Markus Bendler proved he is still the man to beat in the Lead event, winning the first competition of the 2011 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup season in Cheongsong, Korea on January 8 and 9. Russia’s Maria Tolokonina came first in women’s Lead, while her compatriots, Maxim Tomilov and Irina Bagaeva took the honours in the men and women’s Speed events.  To read more, click here.

--The Alpine Club Antarctic Expedition, led by Phil Wickens, has made the first ascents of 6 Antarctic Peaks, making it one of the most successful mountaineering expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula in recent years.  To read more, click here.

--Visitors to national parks got into the parks for free last weekend, the first of 17 days in 2011 the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees. While it’s hard to complain about what seems like a free lunch, the NPS can ill afford such freebies.  Its backlog in deferred maintenance projects lies at $9 billion. And in 2008, for every dollar the NPS spent, it got back only 16 cents. Each fee-free day costs the agency between $750,000 and $1 million in foregone revenues, amounting to $12-$17 million for the free dates in 2011. This is a mere drop in the bucket when compared with the colossal backlog, but it begs a question: what should be done about the Park Service’s fees and budget? To read more, click here.

--Fifty-five-year-old Daniel Goodwin is facing charges of creating a public nuisance and trespassing in the Sept. 6 climb of the Millenium Tower. The trial is underway for a man known as "Spider Dan" who scaled a fifty-eight story downtown San Francisco skyscraper. To read more, click here.


--A twenty-four year-old Orono man was rescued on the back side of Maine's Sugarloaf Mountain just before midnight Wednesday after skiing beyond the resort's boundary. State game wardens found Cody Martel about 11:15 p.m. after they joined Sugarloaf ski patrol members in a search that lasted about seven hours. To read more, click here.

--We don't really follow fashion, at all. Indeed, there is no less fashionable group of people than climbers and guides.  But it is interesting to note that a big named fashion designer -- Diane von Furstenberg -- was involved in a ski accident in Aspen when another skier cut her off.  She says she looks like "Mike Tyson after his worst fight." There is some question as to the amount of involvement that she will have in a bunch of upcoming fashion stuff.  To read more, click here.

--SpiderDan may have no trouble scaling towers, but, on Tuesday, he smacked into a wall of justice - and lost.  A San Francisco Superior Court jury found the daredevil climber, a.k.a. Dan Goodwin of Marin County, guilty of two misdemeanors for his attention-grabbing ascent of the 60-story Millennium Tower in the Financial District on September 6th. To read more, click here.

Manufacturer Recalls and Equipment Issues:

--Backcountry Access (BCA), the North American manufacturer of avalanche safety equipment, has just announced a recall of its latest beacon, the Tracker2. BCA representatives say they have isolated certain issues that could cause a potential malfunction in the T2 units.  To read more, click here.

--The United States Consumer Products Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of 3,500 Avalung backpacks due to a suffocation hazard.  The backpacks, imported from China by Black Diamond Equipment, include air intake tubing that can crack at cold temperatures.  To read more, click here.

--Totem Cams sold prior to December 31st 2010 are being recalled.  The color anodizing of the cams gives them a surface hardness that may affect their holding power in certain areas of polished limestone and when the cams still retain their layer of anodizing on the area in contact with the rock.  To read more, click here and here.

--There have been some problems with Petzl ice tools.  The adjustment system of the GRIPREST (the lower hand rest at the bottom of the handle) on the 2010 NOMIC (U21 2) and ERGO (U22) in some cases may not stay fixed in the desired size position.  This issue concerns NOMIC and ERGO ice tools with serial numbers between 10208 and 10329 and all GRIPREST (U21 GR2) accessory parts. It does not concern the new QUARKs or the older versions of the NOMICs, QUARKs and QUARK ERGOs.  To read more, click here.

Conditions Report - January 26 2011

NORTHWEST:

--Looks like a large part of road the has been washed out on the Mountain Loop Highway, and is down to a one-way road. Click here for more info.

--What's up with this warm weather? Saturday brought some nice sunshine to the PNW -- What did you do? One person went to Erie this weekend. Another party did Dragontail but woke up to sunny conditions Sunday. Yet another party's climbing excitement was replaced by skiing excitement as they made a decent of Leuthold Couloir on Mt. Hood. 

--Forecasts are in the high 30s and low 40's in the Baker area this week. 

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.-- Route and Conditions Report from Mt. Baker Rangers: Mount Baker Climbing Blog.

--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.

--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.

RED ROCK CANYON:

--What's the road like to Black Velvet? The last comment on the page is note worthy. Click here. The last time that road was graded was in 1999.

--The scenic loop drive now closes at 5pm. See this thread and the BLM site for more information.

--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.

JOSHUA TREE:


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

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

-- As winter use in Joshua Tree is growing, camping can be difficult at times.  It is not a bad idea to come with a back-up plan if the park campgrounds are full.  Here are the NPS Campground Details. Some people like to stay at the rural campground often referred to as "The Pit."  And lastly, there is a campground available at Joshua Tree Lake.

--The Joshua Tree entrance fee is currently $15 per vehicle.  Your receipt will give you access to the park for seven days after its initial purchase.  Rangers check this receipt at each of the major access points going in and out.  Annual passes are available for $30.

--Here is a link to a website dedicated to the events surrounding Joshua Tree National Park's 75th anniversary in 2011.  Check it out for up-to-date news on the park and the things going on to celebrate this historic park "birthday."

SIERRA:

--For up-to-date avalanche and weather reports in the Eastern Sierra, click here. Avy conditions are still considerable in some areas.

--Webcams for Bishop, June Lake, Mammoth Mountain, Mono Lake, Tioga Pass.

--Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are now required seven days per week when the cables are up. This is an interim measure to increase safety along the cables while the park develops a long-term plan to manage use on the Half Dome Trail.  A maximum of 400 permits will be issued each of these days (300 of these permits are available to day hikers).  To read more, click here.

ALASKA RANGE:

--Conditions in the range are not currently available.  But we are taking reservations for both Alaska Range Ascents and Denali trips.  To learn more, click here.  We will begin regular conditions reports in the Alaska Range in late April.

ALPS:


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

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

Retrievable Fixed Line

Canyoneering tricks are often extremely applicable to rock and alpine climbing. The little trick featured in this video could easily be used by a party setting up a toprope on a sketchy edge or -- as in the video -- by a party rigging a rappel on a weird lip.

This technique is most applicable with a larger group that needs a fixed line. With a small group, the first climber could just belay the second climber down to him after building the anchor.

The crux of this trick is played out in the video very quickly. Watch closely at the 1:50 second mark.



I'm not sure that I'm all that excited about the ratty sling and the quicklink shown in the video. Before committing to anything, it's really important to make sure that your anchor is completely solid.

In review, the steps are as follows:

1. Belayer belays climber out to edge.
2. Climber at edge builds an anchor and fixes the line.
3. The climber at the top converts the line by running it through the quicklink and clipping a carabiner to a clove-hitch on the backside. This could also be done by running the rope around a tree or a boulder. If you do it through a tree or a boulder, be sure that there isn't too much friction and that the line could still be retrieved.
4. Once the line is fixed on both ends, a climber could clip in with a sling to a carabiner to descend or the climber could put a friction hitch on the rope. A friction hitch would provide a higher level of security.
5. Only one person should move on the fixed line at once.
6. The last person will bring down the backside of the fixed line, the end that is not running through the quicklink.
7. Once the rope is released from the anchor, it will be able to be easily pulled down.

--Jason D. Martin

The Ethics of Leaving Fixed Ropes, Caches, and Draws

The ethics of leaving gear in the mountains or at the crag is complex. Some might consider anything left behind anywhere, akin to abandoning gear. Indeed, some National Parks and the Bureau of Land Management identify any gear left behind for any reason at all as abandoned.

So under these draconian policies, if you leave a tent up on a mountain, hike down to your car to do a resupply, and then bring your food back up, a ranger could decide that you've abandoned your tent. And while resupplying is not a common tactic, it definitely happens to some extent in every mountain range in the country.

There are three tactics that climbers regularly employ that require them to leave equipment unattended for -- potentially -- extended periods of time. These include fixed ropes, caches, and fixed draws. And unfortunately, not every climber is educated on the ethics of these issues, so sometimes gear is stolen.

Aid climbers commonly fix lines on big walls. They will climb as high as they can, fix ropes and then rappel to the ground and return to camp. Their ropes will remain fixed in position. The following day, they will climb up the rope with mechanical ascenders to reattain their high point. These lines are regularly unattended at night and sometimes during the day.  Obviously, these climbers are trusting that the equipment will not only be there when they return, but also that nobody will have messed with it creating a dangerous situation.

Mountaineers fix lines on steep and exposed snow or ice slopes. These types of ropes tend to be set-up by guides or by large expeditions that need to get a lot of people through a dangerous section quickly. Fixed ropes in a mountaineering setting are almost always left on popular trade routes that require them. However, occasionally a person will leave a fixed line on a less popular route to help facilitate quick movement early in the morning.

A Fixed Hand-Line Employed by Guides to Assist Beginners on Exposed Terrain

Photo by Jason Martin

There are numerous places throughout the country where fixed lines have been left permanently to help facilitate safe movement. Most of the areas where such ropes have been left don't provide many other alternatives.  Some of these are employed on sketchy rock sections, but others are used to bypass steep mud

Occasionally, large groups will set short fixed lines at cragging areas to help beginners safely move up and down a sketchy section. Unlike the other examples, these lines are unlikely to ever be left unattended for more than a couple of hours.

Obviously in every example, the loss of a fixed line could result in a dangerous situation. It's pretty unlikely that somebody straight-out abandoned a rope in decent shape that is clearly tied off for a reason...

In many mountaineering and expeditionary settings, a food or gear cache is an important part of a team's strategy. Commonly these cache's are buried in the snow and marked with wands or an avalanche probe. If such a cache were to disappear, it could mean the end of an expedition...it could also be very dangerous for those who were expecting it to be in place.

It is the responsibility of those who employ the use of fixed lines and caches to clean them up when they are done. If they don't, this creates a negative impression about climbers with land managers and the public. If land managers know who abandoned a cache (in a place like Denali National Park), they will impose a fine.  Additionally, climbers who permanently leave these types of things behind provide a better argument for the ethically challenged to steal your cache or your fixed line. 

A Climber Confronts the Thief Responsible for Stealing Draws Off His Route in Smith Rock State Park
Photo by Ian Caldwell

Many high-end climbers (5.11-5.15 climbers) regularly employ the use of fixed draws on their projects.  In other words, they leave draws fixed on hard bolted sport climbs so that they can easily come back in order to continue working on the ascent of their routes.  Many sport climbers will come back to the same climb over and over again, sometimes logging weeks or even months, working to successfully complete their climbs.

This technique of "working" a climb used to be looked-down upon, but has become the norm for people trying to climb very difficult routes. The technically hardest rock climbs in the world are now regularly being climbed this way.

The issue with this technique is that it is now common for climbing draws to be almost permanently left on hard climbs. There are two problems with this. First, some land managers don't like the nearly permanent installation of these draws. And second, the fact that these draws have been left behind provides a major temptation to individuals who don't know any better and for thieves.

In the Winter of 2010, three climbers confronted an individual who was systematically stripping draws off of hard climbs at Smith Rock State Park. Instead of physically attacking the individual for stealing draws, the climbers kept level heads and educated the individual about what he was doing and how it affected them. Luckily for the climbing community, these climbers elected to film the confrontation for educational purposes. A video of the incident can be seen below:


Picnic Lunch Wall Draw Thief from Ian Caldwell on Vimeo.

There are many climbers out there who don't like the fact that there are bolts in the rock. And there are many climbers out there who really don't like the fact the bolts have draws permanently affixed to them.  But when all is said and done, regardless of your beliefs about this issue, if you know that the draws have been set to assist in a climber's ascent, then taking them is stealing.

There is controversy around each of these three topics.  But fixed lines, caches and fixed draws are an important part of many climbers experiences and it is important to respect those who choose to employ such tactics as long as they do it in a way that is in line with a local climbing area's ethics.

--Jason D. Martin

January and February Climbing Events

-- Jan 27 -- Seattle, WA -- Altitude Illness Seminar 

-- Jan 27 -- Bellingham, WA -- The Biology and Ecology of Winter Tracking: Wolverine Behavior and Track Identification. For more information about this event, please contact Dave Moskowitz by phone 425-891-4745 or email davem@wildernessawareness.org. 

-- Jan 29 -- Truckee, CA --  Lost Trail Lodge Ice Climbing

-- Feb 4 -- Munising, Michigan -- Michigan Ice Fest

-- Feb 5 -- Mammoth, CA -- (Ski Mountaineering) Mammoth Chase  

-- Feb 12-13 -- Alpental, WA -- VertFest sponsored by OR

-- Feb 12 -- Seattle, WA -- Northwest Collegiate Climbing Challenge (UW)

-- Feb 18 - 21-- Cody, WY -- 13th Annual "Waterfall Ice" Fest

-- Feb 26 -- Seattle, WA -- AAC Annual Benefit and Awards Dinner

FOR MARCH: Red Rock Rendezvous....Don't forget that there is a lot going on in Las Vegas in mid to late March. Following is a quick breakdown of everything that is happening:

• March 12-15 -- Learn to Lead: An Introduction to Traditional Rock Leadership
• March 12-14 -- AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Course
• March 14-17 -- Basic Rock Camp
• March 15-16 -- AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Exam 
• March 17      -- Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Las Vegas
• March 18-20 -- Red Rock Rendezvous
• March 21-24 -- Basic Rock Camp
• March 22-25 -- Learn to Lead: An Introduction to Traditional Rock Leadership

 

Weekend Warrior - Videos to get you STOKED!!!

Well, this weekend warrior's videos will bring you back to the 80's.  Pull your neon track suits, your tights and your high-tops out of the back of the closet and dance along to the following videos...



The next one will be sure to get you moving!



Grab those music tapes, dust them off and ski this weekend to your favorite oldies- but- goodies! I know exactly where my Paula Abdul tape is, now I just have to find it...

-Katy Pfannenstein
Program Coordinator

Book Review: The Sandstone Spine

I have attended the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour a dozen times.  And every time there is a spectacular story about a person or a group of people that go on an epic adventure.  Commonly those on the trip are participating in an adventure outside my expertise.  For example, they decide to kayak from Australia to New Zealand, or they bike across China, or they walk across Australia...

These phenomenal films taught me that not every adventure has to revolve around climbing and/or skiing.  Indeed, adventure merely needs to be something that inspires you, no matter the medium.

It was with this in mind that I picked up The Sandstone Spine by David Roberts with photography by Greg Child.  Roberts is well-known for his mountain writing.  He has authored or co-authored seventeen books on climbing, adventure, and the history of the American Southwest. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and journals, including National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, the New York Times and The Atlantic Monthly.

Greg Child is a well-known mountaineer and author.  The Australian-born climber has tested his metal in every venue including on 5.13 routes, A5 big walls and on Himalayan peaks like Everest and K2.  He is a North Face athlete, an Outside Magazine contributor, and was responsible for the award-winning climbing tome, Postcards from the Ledge.  Additionally, Child has repeatedly been an athlete at Red Rock Rendezvous, an event that the American Alpine Institute is heavily involved with.

Roberts and Child joined forces with Vaughn Hadenfeldt, a local wilderness guide, to make the first complete traverse of the 100-mile long Comb Ridge in one continuous push.  The Comb is literally a Sandstone Spine that slices out deep into the Arizona desert, starting just east of Kayenta.

The sandstone ridge is comprised of thousands of rock spires, turrets and jagged teeth and is home to hundreds of Anasazi and Navajo ruins.  Ancient cliff-dwellings and petroglyphs dominate the route from the start to the finish.  As does difficult and dry terrain.

While each of the three men were world-class adventurers at the start of their trip, none of them were spring chickens.  At ages 61, 53, and 47, the trio's adventure had a different taste than many of those that are commonly written about in the magazines and journals.  Each of them were at that point in their lives that society likes to refer to as "middle-age."  And in many ways, their adventure along the Comb took place at three levels.  On the top level, it's the story of three friends on a great adventure.  On the second level, it's the story of the Anasazi, natives who disappeared hundreds of years ago.  And at the third level, it's the story of middle-aged angst among the men.

Roberts is an excellent adventure writer.  He does a wonderful job of weaving the different parts of the narrative together.  At one moment we are on the Comb with the three men, worrying about water; and in the next we are with Mormon missionaries, trying to find a way through the steep and unforgiving desert landscape.  Books like this are the reason that I read adventure narratives.  They are striking and engrossing stories.

At the American Alpine Institute we run trips in a handful of desert environments. We do trips at the foot of the Eastern Sierra, just outside Death Valley.  We run trips in Joshua Tree National Park.  And we run trips in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.  Sometimes in the heat of climbing a route, we forget that we weren't the first people to discover the area, that people have been traveling beneath our lines and routes for years.  Ultimately, Roberts' book gives us both a taste of what we love to do -- go on adventures -- as well as a taste of the history of these beautiful places.  There is no better combination...

--Jason D. Martin

National Park Service Invites Public to Fairbanks Open House on Denali/Foraker Mountaineering Fee

The American Alpine Institute just received the following email from Denali National Park:

The National Park Service (NPS) is holding an open house in Fairbanks on Friday, January 28 as part of the public involvement process examining approaches to recover more of the cost of the mountaineering program in Denali National Park and Preserve. The open house is taking place from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center (in the classroom) located at 101 Dunkel Street.

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., Denali staff will give a 30-40 minute presentation on the mountaineering program and fee. Official public testimony will not be taken during the open house, but park staff will be available before and after the presentation to provide additional information and answer questions.

Currently each climber of Mt. McKinley and Mt. Foraker pays a cost recovery mountaineering use fee of $200. Income from this special use fee helps fund some of the cost of the mountaineering program, including preventative search and rescue (PSAR) education, training for rescue personnel, positioning of patrol/rescue personnel (including volunteers) at critical high altitude locations on the mountain, the CMC (human waste) program, and administrative support. Since the cost recovery fee was implemented in
1995, the number of fatalities and major injuries has decreased significantly. This is directly attributable to the increased educational and PSAR efforts made possible through the cost recovery program.

When the special use fee was initially established it covered approximately 30% of the cost of this specialized program. Even though the fee was increased from $150 to $200 in 2005, current fee revenue only covers 17% of the cost. McKinley/Foraker climbers make up less than 1⁄2 of 1 percent of the park’s visitors, and in 2011 Denali will expend approximately $1,200 in direct support of each permitted climber. The average cost per visitor for all other visitors is approximately $37. In recent years, the park has diverted funds from other critical park programs in order to fully fund the mountaineering program.

The NPS is seeking ideas regarding two key questions:

1. Is the current mountaineering program the most cost effective, efficient and safe program we can devise? 

1. How much of the cost should be recovered from users, and what options are there for how those costs can be distributed? 

Comments from the public will be accepted through January 31, 2011. Comments may be submitted via email to: DENA_mountainfeecomments@nps.gov or faxed to (907) 683-9612. They may also be sent to: Superintendent, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755.

Additional information on the mountaineering program and the mountaineering special use fee is available on the park website at www. nps.gov/dena.

Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad - 1/20/11

Northwest:

--Friends are remembering a Calgary man who died in a weekend avalanche in British Columbia as an avid backcountry skier, accomplished climber and safety-conscious adventurer. Manfred Rockel was killed on Sunday in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park near Nelson while on a backcountry ski vacation with fourteen friends. To read more, click here.

--Lyle Knight and Marc Piche made the first ascent of a new WI 6 in the Okanangan Valley of British Columbia.  They have named their new 400-foot line, Mythologic.  To read more, click here.

--First it was milk, then eggs and then bread that began to disappear from the shelves of The Siding General Store, the sole grocery store in B.C.'s picturesque mountain community of Field. Then, five days after the avalanche danger shut down the only highway leading into and out of the town of three-hundred people, the liquor was disappearing.  Finally on Tuesday afternoon, part of the Trans-Canada Highway reopened after the extended closure.  To read more, click here.


Sierra:

--Fifty-million years ago, powerful forces deep underground launched a new wave of mountain building that swept southward from British Columbia through Nevada and California, and on into Mexico. It was the beginning of what would become today's High Sierra. To read more, click here.

--A series of large storms hit the Pacific coast throughout December and into January, causing power outages, road closures and massive snow accumulation in the Sierras. Some Eastern Sierra residents saw as many as three days without power, while flights to and from Mammoth Yosemite Airport were canceled for more than five-days at a time. While good news for “snowed-in” vacationing skiers, record accumulations kept backcountry skiers inbounds as the snow settled. To read more, click here.

Desert Southwest:

--The Bureau of Land Management is accepting comments on its proposal to offer special recreation permits for groups within Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Cottonwood Valley and along the 13-Mile Scenic Drive. Under the proposal, permits would be required for weddings, running and mountain bike races, charity fundraising events and other large group gatherings. To read more, click here.

Rocky Harvey's Plane after Crashing in Joshua Tree National Park

Photo Courtesy of the Desert Sun

--The morning sky above Joshua Tree National Park was bright blue and dotted with a few clouds as Rocky Harvey eased his van out of the driveway. He headed to Roy Williams Airport for an 8am flight with his instructor, Warner Henry. They would fly to Palm Springs, and Rocky would land his plane at an airport with a tower for the first time on his own.  To read more, click here.

Alaska:

--Solo winter Denali Climber Lonnie Dupre is getting there. On the 18th, he was at 14,200-feet and had made a carry to 15,200 feet, which in the regular season is the bottom of the fixed lines. As of this writing his plan was to be at 17,200-feet by the time you read this. To hear his audio reports, check out his website, here.

Mount Foraker from 17,200 feet

Photo by Jason Martin

--Denali National Park has released the 2010 Annual Mountaineering Summaries.  To read this document, go to this page and download the PDF.

Notes from All Over:


--The parents of a Boy Scout who died last year during a 20-mile hike in extreme heat are suing the organization whose famed motto, "Be Prepared," sets a standard they believe the hike's leaders failed to meet. Michael Sclawy-Adelman was 17 and close to reaching scouting's highest rank -- Eagle -- when he collapsed and died during the hike in the Florida Everglades in May 2009. To read more, click here.

--More than one-hundred people gathered at a bonfire and candlelight vigil Monday night to mourn and honor 16-year-old Joshua Waldron, who died Saturday from injuries he sustained in a skiing accident at Maine's Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Resort.  To read more, click here.

--A nineteen year-old woman was rescued Tuesday after she got lost at the Eldora Mountain Resort. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said Gree R Garcia, was skiing at Eldora with her boyfriend and her boyfriend's brother. At 3:30pm, the group split up so the men could get in one more run. Garcia said she planned to continue downhill to the parking lot, but inadvertently traveled southward, and went out of the ski area boundaries.  To read more, click here.

--Last weekend, an amazing new variation was added to the ephemeral Gorillas in the Mist, a 500-foot thin-ice testpiece at Poke-O-Moonshine in the Adirondacks. Three top Northeastern climbers completed a the line that they called Endangered Species (3 pitches, M6+ NEI5+ R).  To read more, click here.

--The New York Times ran an incredible article this week about planes melting out of the glaciers in Bolivia and in the rest of the Andes.  Apparently, the glaciers melting from climate change are revealing many secrets, including long lost planes and pilots.  To read more, click here.

--Rocktown Climbing Gym in Oklahoma City has made use of their local cold.  They have farmed ice on the front of their building.  To see photos, click here and here.

--Several bottles of key expedition equipment are making their way back home to Scotland more than one hundred years after being abandoned in Antarctica by Sir Ernest Shackleton.  The British explorer's unsuccessful South Pole expedition of 1907 left quite a few bottles of alcohol buried beneath a hut in Antarctica. The stash was discovered last year.  To read more, click here.


Manufacturer Recalls and Equipment Issues:

--Backcountry Access (BCA), the North American manufacturer of avalanche safety equipment, has just announced a recall of its latest beacon, the Tracker2. BCA representatives say they have isolated certain issues that could cause a potential malfunction in the T2 units.  To read more, click here.

--The United States Consumer Products Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of 3,500 Avalung backpacks due to a suffocation hazard.  The backpacks, imported from China by Black Diamond Equipment, include air intake tubing that can crack at cold temperatures.  To read more, click here.

--Totem Cams sold prior to December 31st 2010 are being recalled.  The color anodizing of the cams gives them a surface hardness that may affect their holding power in certain areas of polished limestone and when the cams still retain their layer of anodizing on the area in contact with the rock.  To read more, click here and here.

Conditions Report - January 19 2011

NORTHWEST:

--Let me guess. You figured the warm weather was a bust, ditched your plans to go skiing and/or ice climbing.... and watched movies on your couch all weekend instead. Well, these guess didn't -- they went to Leavenworth and caught some decent-looking ice. Check out their trip report here. Who knows what it will look by the end of the week, though. It doesn't look like it's cooling off. 

--This is a good post to read if you're doing any kind of backcountry skiing. Considering taking an avy course this winter? Now is the time. Maybe it's colder in Canada? Here is a report from Nelson, BC.  

--Follow this thread for any updates on Smith weather. 

--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

--Webcam for Leavenworth and the Stuart Range.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.-- Route and Conditions Report from Mt. Baker Rangers: Mount Baker Climbing Blog.

--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.

--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.

RED ROCK CANYON:

--Click here and here to see the latest route beta for Group Therapy (5.7) and the recent bolting issue.

--The scenic loop drive now closes at 5pm. See this thread and the BLM site for more information.

--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.

JOSHUA TREE:


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

--Webcam for Joshua Tree National Park.

-- As winter use in Joshua Tree is growing, camping can be difficult at times.  It is not a bad idea to come with a back-up plan if the park campgrounds are full.  Here are the NPS Campground Details. Some people like to stay at the rural campground often referred to as "The Pit."  And lastly, there is a campground available at Joshua Tree Lake.

--The Joshua Tree entrance fee is currently $15 per vehicle.  Your receipt will give you access to the park for seven days after its initial purchase.  Rangers check this receipt at each of the major access points going in and out.  Annual passes are available for $30.

--Here is a link to a website dedicated to the events surrounding Joshua Tree National Park's 75th anniversary in 2011.  Check it out for up-to-date news on the park and the things going on to celebrate this historic park "birthday."

SIERRA:

--Check out an interview with Troy Johnson, who put up an FA of Native Son, El Capitan (A4, 5.9).

--For up-to-date avalanche and weather reports in the Eastern Sierra, click here. Avy conditions are still considerable in some areas.

--Webcams for Bishop, June Lake, Mammoth Mountain, Mono Lake, Tioga Pass.

--Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are now required seven days per week when the cables are up. This is an interim measure to increase safety along the cables while the park develops a long-term plan to manage use on the Half Dome Trail.  A maximum of 400 permits will be issued each of these days (300 of these permits are available to day hikers).  To read more, click here.

ALASKA RANGE:

--Conditions in the range are not currently available.  But we are taking reservations for both Alaska Range Ascents and Denali trips.  To learn more, click here.  We will begin regular conditions reports in the Alaska Range in late April.

ALPS:


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

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

Why YOU should go to Bolivia!

The Bolivia trip I did last year was truly a life changing trip.  Its likely I will be going back to Bolivia this year and I wanted to post some photos to show you why Bolivia really is one of the best trips a person who enjoys the outdoors can do.

To start with Bolivia is safe.  I travel everywhere with a lot of expensive camera equipment, and Bolivia last year was no exception.  The first couple of days I left it all in my room rather than carry it around, because I was worried about having it stolen.  On day three I realized that even in Bolivia's biggest city there was a surprisingly small amount of crime.  To put it simply, if you use common sense in La Paz you are likely safer than you would be in any major American city.  The people are kind warm friendly and honest.  No one on our trip had anything stolen or heard of anyone having things stolen.  This does not mean we were careless, but I was no more careful here than I would be North America.

Bolivia is cheap.  When I say cheap what I mean is once you get there it is really inexpensive to buy things.  If you are willing to eat street food then you can get lunch for a lot less than a dollar.  A good dinner at a very nice restaurant is likely $10.  Hotels are also a  good deal and there are plenty of hotels that would meet that standards of North America for cleanliness and comfort. 

Bolivia is Beautiful.  I don't need to say anything here.  Just look at the photos.

Bolivia is fun.  The people of Bolivia are some of the happiest people I have met.  They add to the enjoyment of what would be a great vacation anyway.  La Paz is a big city and the night life is a blast!  Great bars, great restaurants and great clubs. 

Bolivia has great trekking.  Just look at the photos.

Bolivia has great climbing.

So sign up for a Bolivia trip on the AAI website and join me in the country I have fallen in love with.

http://aai.cc/Programs/Location/South-America/

See you there!

--Alasdair Turner, AAI Instructor and Guide

New Rope Technology

In 2001, I was climbing a big wall in Zion National Park with two of our former guides.  Prodigal Son is an "easy" aid route that ascends the Northeast Face of Angels Landing.  As it was late in the Fall and it was getting dark early, we elected to fix the first aid pitches and then complete the ascent to the top on the following day.

On the second day of the climb we made our way to the base of the wall in the dark.  The approach was not pleasant.  We had to forge the freezing Virgin River at 5am.  And then we each began to jug the fixed lines with mechanical ascenders.

For some reason, I was the last person to climb the ropes.  As I climbed up the second rope, dawn was breaking and it was much easier to see.  And what I saw was terrifying...

Near the top of the second line, there was a hint of white peaking through a seriously damaged rope sheath.  The line was core shot.  And I was below the damage!

I quickly climbed through the damaged section of rope and clipped into the anchor.  Safe.

Three of us climbed up that rope on jumars.  The bouncing motion of our movement and the dynamic nature of the rope caused it to repeatedly rub on the sandstone, allowing the coarse stone to saw through the sheath.

Ultimately, we finished the wall.  But that particular incident has stuck with me for years.  Indeed, it has made me extremely cautious while aid climbing and constantly concerned about sharp edges while free climbing.

Recently the rope manufacturer Beal, revealed a new technology that they are calling Uni Core.  The concept is that the core and the sheath are integrated and that it will be much harder for rope damage to have a catastrophic effect.

The following video is pretty convincing: 



Certainly the catastrophic effect of the knife on the rope would have been mitigated by knots in the rope.  Aid climbers on jumars are taught to knot the rope as they climb for just such a possibility.  And indeed, in my situation back in Zion, had the sheath completely come apart, I would have been shaken up, but okay.  I had placed knots in the rope.

I haven't used one of these ropes yet and have no idea how well they handle.  But as this is a major jump in rope safety, I thought it important to discuss it here.

To learn more about Uni Core and the new Beal Rope, click here.

To read a discussion on these new ropes, read the thread at supertopo.com.

--Jason D. Martin

January and February Climbing Events

-- Jan 17 -- Seattle, WA -- Denali NP Open House Meeting On Climbing Fees

-- Jan 18 -- Golden, CO -- Denali NP Open House Meeting On Climbing Fees

-- Jan 20 -- Portland, OR -- Telluride Mountain Film Fest

-- Jan 22 -- Bellingham, WA -- Northwest Collegiate Climbing Challenge (WWU)

-- Jan 27 -- Seattle, WA -- Altitude Illness Seminar

-- Jan 29 -- Truckee, CA --  Lost Trail Lodge Ice Climbing

-- Feb 4 -- Munising, Michigan -- Michigan Ice Fest

-- Feb 5 -- Mammoth, CA -- (Ski Mountaineering) Mammoth Chase  

-- Feb 12-13 -- Alpental, WA -- VertFest sponsored by OR

-- Feb 12 -- Seattle, WA -- Northwest Collegiate Climbing Challenge (UW)

-- Feb 18 - 21-- Cody, WY -- 13th Annual "Waterfall Ice" Fest

-- Feb 26 -- Seattle, WA -- AAC Annual Benefit and Awards Dinner

FOR MARCH: Red Rock Rendezvous....Don't forget that there is a lot going on in Las Vegas in mid to late March. Following is a quick breakdown of everything that is happening:

• March 12-15 -- Learn to Lead: An Introduction to Traditional Rock Leadership
• March 12-14 -- AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Course
• March 14-17 -- Basic Rock Camp
• March 15-16 -- AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Exam 
• March 17      -- Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour in Las Vegas
• March 18-20 -- Red Rock Rendezvous
• March 21-24 -- Basic Rock Camp
• March 22-25 -- Learn to Lead: An Introduction to Traditional Rock Leadership

 

Weekend Warrior - Videos to Get You Stoked!!!

Since the avalanche danger this weekend is at the EXTREME level (check out Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center) in the Cascades, please be cautious while traveling out in the backcountry. 

For your viewing pleasure, here's a video showing how Steven's Pass, WA, controls the avalache danger at the ski area. 



With the avy danger so high, folks will be looking for ways to get out and entertain themselves.  The next video clip shows folks jumping the road gap at Mt. Baker. 

On average 37 people are killed each year by avalanches in the United States alone. Almost all of these avalanches are started by the people caught in them. Some basic level or training and knowledge can dramatically increase your margin of safety while traveling in the backcountry.  At the American Alpine Institute, we offer AIARIE Avalanche Courses where we will teach you what to look for in the snow pack, how to test stability, how to read terrain and avoid danger zones, and how to rescue yourself and partners if caught in an avalanche.  There is room available in our classes, so register  online today!  

-Katy Pfannenstein

Program Coordinator