Samuel Johnson's Alpine Essence

Alpine Salvage Work: 2011 Neacolas First Ascents & The Pragmatism of Creativity in the Mountains

2012-02-12T22:28:00.002-09:00

On February 21st at UAF's Schaible Auditorium I will be presenting an alpine climbing show including a couple of first ascents I completed in the Neacola mountains this summer with climbing partners Aaron Thrasher and Ben Chriswell as well as a trip up the classic Northeast Buttress of Mount Temple in the Canadian Rockies. Along the way we'll probably manage to make fun of alpine climbing a little bit as well as draw out some serious issues about strategy and creativity in the interest of staying alive in the mountains. There will be some great imagery as well as video from the above mentioned trips as well as snippets of a few others. I look forward to seeing people again and sharing a few more mountain adventures, especially this year's high quality consolation route 'Last Bastion' (V 5.10 A1, 14 pitches) on the previously unclimbed Dogtooth Spire in the heart of the remote Neacola Mountains.

Alaska Ice Climbing Festival - Clinics

2012-02-10T15:01:00.002-09:00

Hello All - Just a heads up here about some clinics I will be teaching at the 3rd Annual Alaska Ice Climbing Festival in Anchorage which takes place in Anchorage and surrounding areas from February 16th - February 18th.

On the 17th I will be teaching the Drytool Clinic from 2-5 pm, while all day on the 18th I will be teaching a unique skillbuilding clinic on alpine climbing entitled Alpine Climbing: Skill Integration and Strategies for Aspiring Alpinists. The latter clinic is limited to four participants, will take place in a wilderness setting, and participants should be able to follow 5.10/WI4 with a baseline of physical fitness that will allow for moderate all day movement.

I encourage alpine clinic participants to also register for the drytool clinic on Friday to refresh their drytool skills and facilitate their having an enjoyable clinic day on the 18th. There are other awesome clinics taking place as well - visit the website (above) for more information. Contact Ascending Path at 001.907.783.0505 to register for clinics as well as the competition (6-9pm on Friday the 17th).

Puerto Rico and AK Adventures Dec 2011 - Jan 2012

2012-02-06T15:50:00.000-09:00

A few photos from Puerto Rico, DC, and Alaska this December - January. Many adventures were had, no dragons slain but solid peaceful adventures in wild places with great company were the theme.

The Tusk as seen flying from Bethel to Anchorage.

Aaron Thrasher getting rowdy on a Thanksgiving ski day.

The Museum of the American Indian. I went to visit my grandmother for about 5 days in early December and had the chance to check out this museum among others.

Outside Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, the Oracle Tree sheds light on future possibilities.

My friend Altaira and I gave presentations to local schoolkids about Alaska! This is one of the classes at a Montessori school in Aibonito.

Altaira Wilhelm and friend Ricky Lopez mid adventure in El Junke, a most beautiful rainforest.

Navigating a boulder bridge over a deep gorge climbing up the Rio Blanco's waterfalls. I spent about 5 days exploring Puerto Rico's incredible canyons with Altaira, Ricky, and on my own.

Continuing up the Rio Blanco.

A view down the slippery adventures behind us with hopes for a path through the next section..

Viejo San Juan at night, outside the walls.

At the top of the highest communications tower on the highest point in Puerto Rico in high winds. We also went surfing and trail running throughout Puerto Rico.

Back in Alaska, skiing and climbing adventures replaced water and land sports. On New Year's eve, Altaira and I skied up Summit Creek to the old mine. When I was young, this building was mostly intact. It is now returning to the earth.

Out in the Chugach, one of several days skiing on

Harp Peak.

Sterling

Yukla and friends from Harp.

Sunset

Spurr from Harp on a different day.

Rachel Steer and Alex Wilson's dog Amber on baby O'Malley.

Sterling

Altaira on another day in Hiland skiing powder.

Ben Chriswell on yet another day in Hiland before I drove back to Fairbanks to get started on research and dissertation work.

Rockies 2011 Video

2012-01-05T18:18:00.003-09:00

An aborted attempt onMount Geikie and an ascent of Mount Temple's Northeast Buttress(Greenwood-Jones). We were slackers with regard to our waking and departuretime from the car and the bottom of the route: We thought we would simul-climbthe route quickly but our off the couch mental fitness level had us pitch outquite a bit of the route due to chossy rock. Combined with a late departure, we ended up spending the nighta couple pitches from the top.

Highlights of the trip included the Greenwood-Jones, mosquitos, and lotsof friendly Canadians. Thanks for our friends and family as well as BlackDiamond Equipment for their support of my climbing ventures.

Neacolas Video on Alpinist TV

2011-11-23T10:01:00.001-09:00

Our Neacolas video made it on to Alpinist TV, pretty psyched to see it up there. Take a look if you haven't seen it already, good times in the mountains with good friends and one cool FA also! We didn't get to attempt our primary objective due to short weather windows and hope to get back there someday. Thanks to our friends and family, Black Diamond Equipment and the American Alpine Club McNeill-Nott Award for their support!

Mount Moffit Northeast Ridge Attempt 2011 - Video

2011-11-10T18:00:00.001-09:00

Our attempt on a giant line on Mount Moffit this past July. We didn't climb it but still had an 'interesting' time what with the choss, stove flying into the abyss, bad weather, a bushy hike out, and a river crossing in an overloaded packraft. Reminder to self: Next season, pursue objectives with splitter granite. I don't think I'll be going back to the Northeast Ridge of Moffit, a bit too much steepish choss this year. Not saying I won't return to my chossy roots, or course. Thanks to our friend and family, Gore Tex Shipton Tilman award and BD for their support.

'Citadel' in Alpinist 36

2011-10-22T20:36:00.001-08:00

'Citadel,' a painting I completed on our Neacolas trip this year, made it into Alpinist 36.
If interested in my art stuff, check out Avid Abstracts. Thanks for looking!

Climbing Anchor Ban Proposed in Chugach State Park

2011-10-12T15:02:00.001-08:00

Check it out people, get your voice heard! There is still a lot of route development to be done in the Chugach; it would be a shame to set a precedent that would decrease future route potential - there are many crags and faces yet to be climbed on.

All Alaskan Neacolas Expedition 2011 - Video

2011-10-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

This is a video of our 2 week climbing expedition into the remote Neacola Mountains of Alaska. We completed two first ascents during the trip which was plagued with bad weather. Thanks to Aaron Thrasher and Ben Chriswell for the awesome companionship through the storms and climbing. We completed a new route called Where's the Gas (III 5.8 AI3) on Mystery Mountain and another called Last Bastion (V 5.10 A1) on a peak we called the Dogtooth. Music from Alaska musicians Rebecca K. File, "With Salt," and Double Aught, aka Operation Overlord, "Speed Racer." This trip was supported financially by the American Alpine Club McNeill-Nott Award and with gear from Black Diamond Equipment.

Classic Fall Runs

2011-09-05T22:58:00.001-08:00

The fall is amazing here in Fairbanks at the moment. The tundra is slowly turning red, the trees yellowing, clear stiff breezes keep one invigorated and engaged with the environment - On Saturday running out to the hot springs from Angel Rocks, today the classic Granite Tors loop. I feel like I am ready for winter but the indian summer thus far has continued. I am almost done with our Neacola video which is waiting on permission for music use from a couple of local Alaska artists. It was great being out with a couple of fellow birth Alaskans on this trip, in a state with a quite migrant population.

Old Cabin Update: New Porch

2011-08-31T14:48:00.001-08:00

The old (ca. 1905) cabin at Summit Lake got some love this month when my father and Clive finished the front porch project! I am excited to get back down there and work on it next summer in a big way.

Mount Temple NE Buttress

2011-08-31T14:41:00.002-08:00

Ryan Hokanson and I had a great reunion, did a bunch of approaching, and climbed the NE Buttress of Mount Temple (V 5.8 A1) near Lake Louise. We also approached to climb the Hannibal-Lowe on the North face of Mount Geikie but were weathered out, and approached a first ascent project in Montana's Glacier National Park only to discover that it was easy and chossy. In both cases, we coped with our chagrin by hiking for long periods of time.

Mount Temple, the NE Buttress. A nice, 4000 foot line climbing up behind the skinny tree in the center. Photo scrounged from Parks Canada.

After a nice lazy 9:30 departure from the base of the route, we started climbing and scrambling up.

Myself scrambling up a steeper section mid-route. Photo: Ryan Hokanson

Ryan clambering through a chossband on the lower buttress.

Ryan's portrait for his mom. Handsome fellow, isn't he? My sister Sally got lucky I think, here. Or, maybe he got lucky. Hmm.

Clambering into the quartzite zone to find better rock.

Belay ledge mid-route.

High quality slab climbing on the upper route. Photo: Ryan Hokanson

Ryan and I are used to climbing things fast, and we thought we would simul this route in 6 hours. We started pretty late and ended up taking a chilly nap on a ledge above the crux pitch and finishing the next morning. Whoops! Photo: Ryan Hokanson

Ryan finishing out the last pitches in the morning.

Summit serac and snowfield.

Ryan punching it to the summit!

The boys on the summit. Then back down to Lake Louise for some R + R! After this we headed to to GNP and spent time in Missoula with Chris Gibisch, as well as Jeff Shapiro and his family. Photo: Ryan Hokanson

Heading to the Canadian Rockies

2011-08-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

Ryan Hokanson and I are meeting in Montana to go climbing in the Canadian Rockies for ten days. Ryan and I haven't gotten to climb together since last year, and we both have been working and schooling too much. It should be an awesome chance to climb and reconnect before my semester ramps up in preparation for my dissertation year and Ryan begins his OR rotations for the practical portion of his nurse anesthetist training around the US. Looking forward to it!

Citadel: Neacola Expedition Art #2

2011-07-26T17:50:00.003-08:00

Citadel - 11" x 15" - Ink and Charcoal

In field expedition art
www.avidabstracts.com

Dogtooth: Neacola Expedition Art #1

2011-07-21T12:20:00.001-08:00

In field expedition art: "Dogtooth" 11" x 15" Ink and Charcoal

In field expedition art

Belays of "Last Bastion" indicated by three dots.

www.avidabstracts.com

Back from the Hayes: Moffit Attempt Trip Report

2011-07-20T01:51:00.002-08:00

Stuckey rocking the classic double backpack Alaska single carry approach. Beware those of the soft southern lands, no trails and no roads here.

Jason Stuckey and I are back after an unsuccessful attempt at the Northeast Ridge of Mount Moffit. We climbed 4000 feet of choss on our first day and bivied early at the notch just prior to the first of the towers on the crux section, the plan being to wait to see what the weather would do the next morning before committing to the difficult to revcrse crux segment of the ridge which also appeared quite chossy, though not as bad as the lower segment of the ridge. Thanks to family and friends, and to Gore Tex for the Shipton Tilman Award in support of our trip.

Peak 9740-ish and Mount Hayes shortly after leaving basecamp.

Stuckey steps out of basecamp and onto the Northeast Ridge of Mount Moffit.

Your soul better belong to (insert deity/belief system of choice), cuz your ass belongs to the choss. Stuckey prior to a near miss choss collapse partway through the inital 4000 foot segment of ridge.

As it happens, however, late in the evening as we were settling down to sleep I accidentally knocked our jetboil stove off our tiny bivy ledge into the abyss, changing our game plan significantly as we would be unable to melt water or cook. I rappelled 60m down into the chossy chasm below into a vertical and overhanging iced chimney system to find only an icy ramp from which our stove would have no doubt launched quite a ways prior to initial impact on the next segment of the chossy face until it came to rest some 3500 feet below. Having no luck, I reascended the rope to our small bivy ledge.

The view from the bivy ledge at 8k, 4000 feet into the Northeast Ridge, pre stove abyss launch.

Photo: Northeast Ridge of Mount Moffit from the 1977 American Alpine Journal.

The next morning we awoke late, and enjoyed the ambience of the mountain, watching the Entropy Wall prior to beginning our descent. Shortly after we bagan our descent, precipitation began in earnest and we became somewhat thankful for the event of my launching the stove into the abyss as it inadvertently saved us from being 4-5 pitches into the crux, difficult to reverse segment of the ridge. By the time we reversed the 4000 feet of the initial choss ridge and regained our basecamp six hours later we had largely decided that we would not return to the route even with our basecamp stove, an XGK, due to the poor rock quality we experienced and observed on route. Just another huge plum and last great problem of the Hayes Range, appearing generally climbable but not particularly appealing up close.

The chossy beginnings of the crux segment of the Northeast Ridge, upper Entropy Wall looming behind.

A hanging glacier bordering the Entropy Wall as the weather moves in prior to our descent of the lower Northeast Ridge.

The next day the rain continued. We obtained a weather forecast indicating a continuation of precipitation in the coming days, and decided to load up and begin the walk out as our desire for another attempt waned with each rainy hour. We left camp at about 8 pm, crossed the Trident Glacier, and gained several thousand feet through a 6500 foot pass at which point we bivied by a nice alpine tarn. The next day we ascended a small 5200 foot pass and descended onto the terminal moraine of the McGinnis Glacier. We spent the next 24 hours bushwhacking and relaxing at various intervals until we reached the Delta River and bumped into friends Cortney and Tobey on their own adventure at the confluence of McGinnis Creek and the Delta River.

Myself and a cool ice cave in the Trident lateral moraine on the walk out to the Delta River. This one's for you Sherrie Soltis, AK self portrait mistress!

Following this, Jason and I plus 170 pounds of gear squeezed into a single Alpacka Yukon Yak, at some risk of capsizing, to make the crossing back the Richardson Highway where we were picked up by Jason's girlfriend Kennan for an expeditious ride back to Fairbanks.

Myself: 185 lbs plus clothes/boots (200)

Jason: 165 plus clothes/boots (180)

Gear: 170 lbs

TOTAL: 550 lbs

Heading to the Hayes: 2011

2011-07-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

Jason Stuckey and I are trying to fly into the Hayes Range tomorrow to make an attempt on Mount Moffit, which we are both looking forward to. I will update if we get stuck in town or plans change for any reason. Stay tuned for a trip report when we get back!

2011 Neacola Trip Report (Updated w/ New Pics)

2011-06-18T19:44:00.011-08:00

Here are some pics from our Neacola trip from May-June 2011. Aaron Thrasher, Ben Chriswell and I experienced three usable weather windows of less than 24 hours, spent 10 days of 13 total in the tent due to severe, Patagonia fierceness storms, and did not attempt our primary objective as a result. We did go climbing a bit, however, so enjoy the pics! The highlight was this new route on the Dogtooth. Thanks to family and friends, the McNeill-Nott Award, the American Alpine Club, and Black Diamond Equipment for their support!

Preparing important expedition supplies prior to our departure from Talkeetna. Photo: Aaron Thrasher

Beluga Lake on the flight into the Lake Clark area from Talkeetna. A big thanks to Talkeetna Air Taxi and particularly Paul Roderick for making an extra trip when our fuel was inadvertently left in the belly hold of the plane!

A beastly peak we took to calling Berserker. This fierce northwestern wall is around 3000 feet of steep, crackless rock and ice.

Art station Zebra! I completed two new pieces of expedition artwork while we were out in the Neacolas.

In process on a new piece depicting the Neacola Citadel, a couple of miles from the Dogtooth. Photo: Aaron Thrasher

Skis after a multi-day storm in front of the Neacola Citadel.

Aaron delicately handling two of our last four eggs during a six day storm that broke a pole on our brand new tent at 4500 feet elevation. The Neacolas have some of the strongest winds I have ever encountered at this altitude.

Ben with depression setting in sometime during our six day storm. Photo: Aaron Thrasher

Ben starting up a 2000 foot granite buttress during a weather doomed attempt on a peak we called Triangle. This was the end of the first usable weather window on our trip.

Aaron at our high point on Triangle.

The boys at a break during our second weather window on the first ascent of a ridge Aaron called Where's the Gas on a mysterious peak we called Mystery Mountain. We had originally intended to launch on another steeper peak but could tell the weather window wasn't going to last long enough to get up and down safely so we climbed this 2000 foot ridge instead.

A fun 5.8 rock step on Where's the Gas.

Heading toward the top of Mystery Mountain.

We didn't get to attempt our primary objective due to bad weather. Above was our consolation prize, the insanely beautiful Dogtooth. We climbed the skyline arete to the summit in 14 pitches on a route we called Last Bastion (V 5.10 A1). The one 40 foot section of aid would go free at about 5.11+ if one cleaned the large amount of soggy lichen we found on our single push send.

On the approach to Dogtooth during the beginning of another doomed weather window. Thankfully, this weather window remained great to at least marginally climbable until we reached the summit, when it became quite seriously bad during our descent. Climbing as a party of three, the followers climbed at the same time on separate lines which worked really well.

Myself leading pitch 2 on Last Bastion on the Dogtooth. Photo: Aaron Thrasher

Ben following on pitch 2.

Aaron leading pitch 3.

Ben following pitch 4.

Ben following pitch 5.

Ben following pitch 6.

Myself following pitch 6, 60m of 5.10 splitter crack climbing. Photo: Aaron Thrasher

Aaron leading pitch 7.

Brew stop in deteriorating weather at the top of pitch 8. Following this, we climbed 6 pitches along knife edge ridge to the summit of Dogtooth.

Myself leading on pitch 9. Photo: Aaron Thrasher

Ben leading pitch 13 on Last Bastion.

The boys rigging the first rap in bad weather at the summit of Dogtooth. Stay tuned for video of the entire trip as it gradually gets edited. The descent was pretty epic with 50-60 mile an hour winds resulting in a stuck rope.

Ben completing our final rappel off the Dogtooth in bad weather.

Dogtooth Route Topos

2011-06-14T15:06:00.003-08:00

Here are a couple pieces of data for our new route in the Neacola Mountains, "Last Bastion"

Photo topo for "Last Bastion."

Photo: Aaron Thrasher

Route topo for "Last Bastion."

Back from the Neacolas

2011-06-10T16:43:00.001-08:00

10 of 13 days spent stormbound in basecamp isn't a great ratio. We put in an attempt on one really cool buttress line, did a possible first ascent of an easier ridge, and completed the first ascent of a great 14 pitch rock line during the short weather windows that we got. Also, finishing up the last touches on two new pieces of in field expedition artwork and looking forward to sharing with you when they are scanned in. I will update with more information soon. Thanks for checking in!

Heading to the Neacolas

2011-05-25T18:35:00.001-08:00

Heading to Talkeetna to fly into the Neacolas with TAT hopefully tomorrow morning with Ben Chriswell and Aaron Thrasher. I'll update if anything interesting happens with flights and we get stuck in Talkeetna for a while. Otherwise, expect an update on our Neacola expedition sometime around June 10th. Thanks to the McNeill-Nott Award for their expedition support, to Roger and Black Diamond for giving me more excuses to go climbing, and to my loved ones for their supporting me going climbing!

Partnerships

2011-05-04T23:48:00.004-08:00

"They just HAD to sit in the same chair."
Photo: Sandra and John Christopherson

More than anything else, partnerships are the dominant factor dictating survival, success, and enjoyment in the realm of first ascent alpinism in remote environments.

The photo above is a depiction of probably the longest lasting non-familial partnership that I have experienced: About 31 years by my count. The tyke on the left is myself. On the right? Rune Christopherson. His parents still live in this house. My parents still live 8 blocks away in their house. We made our own radio shows, rode our bikes all over, built forts, wrote thousands of consecutive integers on graph paper, listened to superman records, sang Bruce Springsteen, laughed, got in fights, yelled, said sorry, did it again. The most important piece? We never gave up communicating, which is probably why it still feels like the bond of our friendship is very strong despite the fact that we don't see that much of each other anymore.

Rune and his fiancee Shelly just had their first baby, Lucia Lakshmi Christopherson. In June, they will be taking the big step and recognizing their love with a formal ceremony in the small Alaskan town where they met: Hope. Hope is a place laden with vivid memories from our families' shared childhoods and growth as individuals, and as families. In Hope, as in the birth of their Lakshmi, Rune and Shelly will be marking the end of one stage in their lives, and the beginning of another.

In a reflection of the ebb and flow of living systems, this is a time of great change in my life. After four and half years together, three and half of it married, Wendy and I have come to the decision that our journey together is at its end. Though this was a difficult and drawn out decision, we feel that we have explored all of the healthy alternatives available to us and have parted peacefully, with love still in our hearts. My thoughts also go out to my friend Jeremy Frimer, who is experiencing his own great life changes. We hoped to find rebirth together somewhere between the stars and the dust, but an accidental physical injury has commandeered this plan.

This will be a summer of great explorations and reconnections. My coursework will be all but complete, and work energy can turn toward creative and purposeful motion in the direction of research. I will be working to reconnect with myself and those whom I love and enjoy, as well as reconnect to that mountain self that has been waiting for an opportunity to revisit its full expression. Hoping for some time to create art in the mountains and in my home. This summer I will hope to strengthen old alpine partnerships (Ryan Hokanson, Ben Chriswell), forge some new ones (Aaron Thrasher, Jason Stuckey), and build on my portion of the web of relational existence. Wendy's energy? It seems it is already returning to her passion for running up mountains and to her family, two places of peace and connection for her. Perhaps you and I will share a moment or a thought. Only time will tell. Best wishes to you all as you enter this special time of year.

Scott Darsney Questions the Accuracy and Fairness of "Three Cups of Deceit"

2011-04-26T06:42:00.000-08:00

More data on the whole freaky situation surrounding CAI, this time more hopeful!

2011 Shipton-Tilman Award: Heading to the Hayes

2011-04-25T18:11:00.003-08:00

The folks at Gore-Tex contacted me this morning to let me know that we have won a 2011 Shipton-Tilman award for our proposed attempt on Mount Moffit in the Hayes Range out in the Fairbanks backyard. My longtime friend and climbing partner Jeremy Frimer will be accompanying me in place of Clint Helander, who hopes to be out commercial fishing when we planned to be out climbing. Jer just hurt his wrist so sending all positive vibes his way in the hopes that he is healed up and can go climbing this summer. Here are links to wikipedia info about Eric Shipton and William Tilman, pioneer explorers and mountaineers.

Interior AIDS Association May First Friday: "Inside and Out"

2011-04-21T23:35:00.000-08:00

More Thoughts on the CAI Discussion

2011-04-20T21:40:00.003-08:00

I have spoken with quite a few friends about the recent Krakauer publication, some of whom who have also spent time in Pakistan and believe in the mission of Central Asia Institute (CAI). The bottom line is, whatever else has been happening, that CAI has been doing wonderful work and helping many, many children access education. The Krakauer book is quite impactful in many ways - however, it barely draws upon any sources that could be considered supportive of Greg or CAI, choosing instead to focus almost entirely on sources which are critical of Greg's story and the organization. It seems that there may be some significant issues in financial management and the governing structure at CAI - but the work of CAI is far too important to ignore.

Update: April 21st - Link to Outside interview with Greg regarding the allegations brought against him and steps that CAI has been taking to address issues relating to financial interdependence within the operations of CAI.

Three Cups of Deceit

2011-04-18T20:47:00.005-08:00

This is a very disturbing read, not pleasant for me in any way. It is written in very strong terms. Central Asia Institute has done amazing things in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and I very much support their mission. Greg has done stacks of wonderful work in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This hot off the presses e-book exposes a different side of the story that I am sorry to report seems more than slightly credible and certainly makes me a little sad. I'm not sure what more to think of it at this point, having read it once through. Rock and Ice also issued something preliminary which can be found here. These are important issues for those interested in the health of people living in mountain environments around the world, in education, nonprofit management, and trustworthy spending of their donated dollars. For now, I am taking it with a grain of salt and waiting to learn more. I hope that the way that this has been presented overreaches the data, but for now will just have to wait to learn more.

Additional Hayes 2010 AAJ Data

2011-04-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here's the link to the last gasp of info about our Hayes trip from last year in the electronic version of the AAJ, with contextual information regarding previous routes completed on both Hayes and Balchen. Enjoy!

Dr. Evil, His Hairless Cat, and "The Peach"

2011-04-09T15:23:00.006-08:00

Here is another great video to keep you all psyched for your climbing season whether you are a winter climber or someone entering the summer alpine season. Not that overhanging boltless choss should get you excited, but I thought this video is both engaging and got me thinking about climbing. Watching Dr. Slawinski the physicist stroking his hairless cat while discussing the pitches is also amusing. I am in the final month of coursework in the UAF-UAA Psychology PhD program at this point, and greatly looking forward to the summer alpine season and hopefully building more flexibility and climbing into my schedule next winter as I enter the research phase of my graduate eduction. Enjoy!

Link to John Kelley and Partners' New Chugach Lines

2011-04-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

John Kelley with alternating partners Ben Trocki and Kevin Ditzler sent four new lines in the Chugach this winter, two of them quite proud. The conditions midwinter this year were pretty insanely good, and John put in quite a bit of time to make these lines go down. Always happy when locals send here at home, so props to John, Ben, and Kevin. The Chugach is home to some of the more huge and obscure low altitude unclimbed lines in the state. Here is the link to their trip report on the new AAJ website, and here is a link to Kevin's picasa album of the climb on Nantina Point, probably the proudest of the four climbs.

Lost Video from Balchen

2011-04-02T20:22:00.003-08:00

I happened upon this tiny segment which somehow I overlooked when making our Hayes 2010 video. This was taken just before starting our final simul pitch to the summit ridge on the Northeast Buttress of Mount Balchen: 3000 feet up a new line, Ryan and I converse about the conditions. Though we decide to continue, intersect the line of Balchen's first ascent, and make it to within 100 feet of the summit, we are turned back by St. Elmo's Fire and the threat of impending lightning strike. Ryan having been struck before, there wasn't much of a discussion about which way to go in the end: Down, rappelling through spindrift avalanches. Mount Balchen's weather also treated me harshly the year before during the first ascent of Alchemy Ridge with Matt Klick. You can hear my desire to continue at this juncture, but it was not to be in the end...

Interior AIDS Association April First Friday: Haifa and Digital Prevention Stories

2011-03-29T12:18:00.002-08:00

It's going to be a good time, come on out and support a vital community nonprofit in downtown Fairbanks!

Clint and Scotty Get 'er Done on Mausolus

2011-03-29T12:06:00.000-08:00

Alaskan friends Clint Helander and Scotty Vincik just nailed the first major FA of the alpine season up here in Alaska with their ascent of The Mausoleum on Mount Mausolus, a 4500 foot route with cruxes up to grade 5 ice. Congrats boys! Psyched to be partnering for the first time with Clint for a proposed trip to the Hayes Range mid-summer this year. Here's the link to Climbing's update on their trip.

Another Film to Amp You for Alpine Season!

2011-03-27T21:38:00.002-08:00

Renan and Cory's awesome film about their ascent of Tawoche's 1200m Central South Buttress. If you can't tell, I am getting excited for alpine season up here in Alaska. A confirmed trip to the Neacolas to try a couple 4000 foot buttresses and possibly as 3000 foot face in May - June, and a trip to the Hayes in July, both for unclimbed alpine lines, are great goals to look forward to. This year my fitness is finally back where I want it to be despite grad school, so I am looking forward to pushing myself. How about you?

Enjoy!

Mt. Edgar Video

2011-03-17T12:27:00.002-08:00

Kyle Dempster and Bruce Normand's next installment talking about their ridiculously objectively hazardous approach and the good climbing on Mt. Edgar.

Grosvenor Video

2011-03-15T20:39:00.002-08:00

The is the first segment of Kyle Dempster and Bruce Normand's video about their trip to the Daxue Shan. This video shares their ascent of Mt. Grosvenor via a new line. The next segments will share about their climb of Mt. Edgar. It looks like they had pretty perfect conditions and weather and made the best of it!

Interior AIDS Association March First Friday

2011-02-24T18:17:00.004-09:00

I have been working in a practicum at Interior AIDS Assocation during this school year. IAA has been developing a creative outreach program which will gradually be transitioned into the hands of community members, artists, agency clients and staff. The March First Friday is coming right up and it should be a good one. Lillian Misel and knitting friends have been dropping off top quality handmade knitted items for silent auction with 100 percent of proceeds going to IAA. In addition, new work as well as work from Rebecka Del Castillo and Jessica R. Pena's BFA graduation exhibits will remain up through this first friday. 25 percent of sales on these amazing items will go to IAA.

Click here for my recent digital story from the RurAL CAP workshop in Anchorage, designed to recruit participants in our Creative Outreach events. Stories of this type can be quite useful for communicating a personal story or a message of prevention.

Come support a vital area nonprofit. I'll be there for anyone who wants to talk climbing as well!

Click here for the link to the event. Please come on out and support the agency while drinking wine and eating tasty food. We will have available information about all of the services that we provide, and can get folks set up for a free, anonymous HIV test during the following week if anyone is interested.

Share the link with a friend - it takes investment from the community to make these things a success.

Bridwell Recollections and Predictions

2011-02-24T15:26:00.000-09:00

Jim Bridwell is a bad motherf*^$r.

2011 McNeill-Nott Award: Off to the Neacolas!

2011-02-23T18:04:00.004-09:00

Ben Chriswell and I just heard from the McNeill-Nott Award committee - it seems we have won an award for attempts on big new routes in the Neacola Mountains!

In 2004, I met Sue Nott at the Canadian Rockies classic Pilsner Pillar while climbing with my good friend Heike Schmitt. While I sweated and grunted my way up a wet, icicled-out and overhanging variation on the right I remember reflecting on the different experiences that she and I appeared to be having; she was dancing (while I grunted) her way up the standard Pilsner while chatting and laughing with her friends - one of whom is now my friend - patient, crushing Black Diamond rep Roger Strong.

In 2005, Freddie Wilkinson and I stayed in Sue and Karen's giant Mtn. Hardwear basecamp dome after our 55-hour repeat of the Diamond Arete and traverse of Mount Hunter- Freddie later thanking them by sending in a couple burgers from Talkeetna. It seems I now owe them - again - and I guess I'll just have to pass on what I can of their desire and motivation to developing climbers just as they did.

In 2006, Greg Collins and I were shut down guiding clients on Mount Hunter during the same weird wind event that created the avalanche conditions we hypothesize killed these two strong women in May of the same year. We had a storm drop snow consistently from the South, and then a major wind event - from the North - causing some incredible windloading on southerly aspects. At the time we considered it quite unusual and dangerous, hoping Sue and Karen were hunkered down in a snowcave where the spur tops out, or on their way down the Sultana (NE) Ridge. Sadly, it was not the case and their belongings were located a couple of weeks later.

Ben and I had resolved to check these peaks out no matter what, but are excited to be able to put more of our focus into the climbing and less into worrying about whether we'll be broke when we get back to town. We have good beta on one 8300 foot peak with a couple of gorgeous 4000 foot granite buttresses. We are also aware of an 8900 foot peak with a steep 3000 foot wall nearby. Steve Gruhn has since researched and informed me that Joseph Carl and Joan Firey climbed the 8300 foot peak via the South Face of the East Ridge and named the peak Citadel in 1965. So, at least we know the best way to try to get back down!

Here is the link to the American Alpine Club announcement.

Thanks again to the American Alpine Club, and the McNeill-Nott Award (funded in large part by Mountain Hardwear). As always, I hope this years crop of AAC award winners do their best to carry the spirit of the strong departed with them. Wish us luck!

IAA Creative Outreach Digital Story for HIV/STD Prevention

2011-02-18T20:25:00.001-09:00

I just got done participating in a really cool three and a half day STD/HIV prevention digital storytelling workshop with RurAL CAP as part of my work with Interior AIDS Association related to the UAF-UAA Joint Psychology Ph.D. program. Certainly, the best part of the workshop was sharing stories with the other participants. Some of the personal stories were incredibly powerful, especially those of two HIV positive, strong Alaska Native grandmothers. I hope to be able to provide a link to the other participants' stories when they are posted to the RurAL CAP website. The other participants are proud to share their stories. In terms of public health related conferences/workshops that I have been to, this offered immersion and the opportunity to be quite creative. I post it here because I share a little of my personal journey from full-time climbing into the helping professions.

Interior AIDS Association Creative Outreach Digital Story from Samuel Johnson on Vimeo.

2011 Copp-Dash Inspire Award Open for Applications

2011-02-06T12:01:00.002-09:00

The 2011 Copp-Dash award is open for applications!

The award folks asked that I repost this to encourage folks to apply for the award for the upcoming climbing season. Of the various awards that I have applied for and/or received over the years I have to say that this is the coolest one: An excuse to learn new skills in the context of climbing - It helped me motivate to work on in-field expedition art while in basecamp, make an expedition video, and create a multimodal presentation with which to motivate other climbers. The latter ideas are really the point of the award - I always work to motivate local climbers up here in Alaska to seek out first ascents in our home state and abroad simply because we know the conditions best, and spend a lot of time out in country whenever we can. In the end, we didn't climb what we hoped due to conditions, but had a successful expedition nonetheless. In addition, it motivated me to share my creative side with the world through Avid Abstracts, my fledgling art company. Here is the link to the 2011 award info.

Alpinist Free Solo Features

2011-02-01T16:38:00.001-09:00

I've been thinking a bit about free soloing as it is something I used to do relatively regularly. Generally, I never really free soloed 'hard' (in excess of 5.10 or WI5) climbs but did always enjoy pushing myself in this mode of climbing expression- especially the winter I was in the Canadian Rockies, or in the Italian and French alps around 2004-2005. Over the years, some of my favorite climbing moments have been on free solos. As I was thinking about this, I thought it might be a good time to revisit these old Alpinist features on free solo specialists! Here is a link to the Alex Honnold feature, and here is a link to the Guy Lacelle feature for some inspiration and perspective. Some of you may have seen these before, some not. Either way, I hope you get a chance to visit or revisit these perspectives from two world-class free soloists.

Janet's Wedding Sandwich Newfie Climbing Video

2011-02-01T16:15:00.000-09:00

A video from Janet Bergman, Sarah Garlick, and Kirsten Kremer's climbing trip to Newfoundland. Good climbing and good laughs!

Newfoundland: Wedding Sandwich Climbing Trip from janet bergman on Vimeo.

Peninsula Ice Exploration

2011-01-27T23:34:00.002-09:00

Andy and I headed down to check on a couple project areas I watch on the Peninsula. We didn't find as much ice as we hoped, but did get a couple good days in trying to make new lines go in the -20 F conditions. Ultimately we were shut down as a hoped for multipitch mixed line ended after two pitches of easy mixed and grayish alpine ice in a pile of alders - and again when the second pitch of another line showed us it would need some serious cleaning and possibly bolting to make it go. In the end, we ran out of time - but there is always next year, and perhaps things will form up reasonably again. Pics are limited here due to project nature of the climbs we we checking out...more to come if they get sent later this season...

Moonrise somewhere near Moose Pass.

The two pitch mixed line from afar. The second pitch needed some cleaning. Combined, this would make for a nice climb when complete.

Climbing a short pitch of vertical ice in search of new mixed... in -20 F. Alas, not enough time to clean and possibly bolt it. Sometime...

Portage Climbing

2011-01-27T23:17:00.001-09:00

Andy and I spent a couple days climbing a couple of classics at Portage over the break. Here are a few photos from those days.

Andy walking on black ice out to the ice climb Hands Across the Water. The climb was so enjoyable that I went back with Ben Chriswell a week later and climbed it again. Both times we ended up climbing the center line since it was the steepest and had reasonable ice quality.

Hands Across the Water

2nd pitch on Hands. The first time Andy and I went, there was no snow so we had a great time climbing an extra pitch at the bottom. The second time there was snow and Ben and I just ran up the first 400 feet on super easy ice and snow climbing.

More cool ice formations, this time in the two foot thick black ice of Portage Lake.

A photoshopped Jenny on graphically tweaked textures in the black ice.

Conditions on Death Lizard (left) and Rainbow Bridge (right).

Conditions on the Fringe wall.

Conditions on Gingus.

Conditions on Lucky Man. Andy and I also went and climbed this classic.

Peters Recon

2011-01-27T22:50:00.001-09:00

Andy Sterns and I, buoyed by reports of good ice conditions back in Peters Creek, headed back to see what we could see. Our schedule was pretty aggressive, aiming to complete the 20-mile ski approach on day one, climb an alpine route of some sort the following day, and a ski out with a dinner appointment on day 3. It ended up looking like our aggro schedule wasn't going to work, but we did get a pile of good load hauling in. After we got done here we headed to Portage and found good ice conditions.

Ready to go...

Cool ice formations in Peters Creek

Rumble and Peeking graphic photo art

And...more drama on Cerro Torre

2011-01-23T12:50:00.000-09:00

So, I can't guarantee that my sentiments here are shared, but - There are a few areas in the climbing world that seem like they receive more than their share of press. I have to include Yosemite (sorry, all, but I don't really want to see another picture of the changing corners pitch) and Patagonia (Is that Cerro Torre's summit mushroom again?) in that category.

In all honesty the climbing in Patagonia has huge appeal to me due to its alpine nature and clean granite. But, at the same time, there are other spires of comparable size and beauty that remain rarely visited or even unclimbed in other areas of the world. It is to these places that my thoughts and desires extend.

Many people in the climbing world already know about last year's David Lama and Red Bull debacle on Cerro Torre, in which case David et al reportedly placed about 60 bolts on the already overbolted and overclimbed Compressor Route. These bolts were placed in the name of filming David's attempt to free climb the well-traveled route which consists of miles of splitter cracks which take protection easily.

Colin Haley has a great post here which outlines Mr. Lama's approach last year, and describes how his team intends to approach the climbing on Cerro Torre this year. Apparently, Mr. Lama intends to rap bolt a steep headwall on Cerro Torre, starting at the summit. Read up if you want to, leave it if you don't. It's more commentary on the controversy - but it comes from Colin's personal experience in this case and as such is illuminating in a different way. Here's the link.

I swear, I really will post climbing pics from the last couple weeks soon. My truck is broken down with my camera in it, so please wish me speedy truck recovery!

Cool Ski Video - Northwest Couloir of Shuksan

2011-01-18T23:10:00.000-09:00

Soon I will catch up on posting climbing pics from the last week. For now, enjoy this sweet video. I hope this winter is treating everyone well.

BD athlete Zack Giffin skis Mt. Shuksan's Northwest Couloir from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Maui Wowie

2011-01-11T00:15:00.001-09:00

Wendy and I just had a great trip to Maui, an entirely new place to me. Tomorrow, off to climb in the Chugach with Andy Sterns!

Here are a few pics from our trip. Highlights were trail runs up 10,000 foot Haleakala and a cool trail loop we ran from Wainapanapa to Hana and back, as well as hanging out with friends and various modes of water play.

A humpback surfacing off the coast near Kahului.

Wendy dropping into the crater on a fun 13-mile trail run up across Haleakala crater from a lower trailhead, finishing on the sliding sands trail at the summit visitor's center at 10,000 feet. We hitched from there back to the car at the lower trailhead. A great day out!

A funny sign at a beach along the Hana road where we went surfing and snorkeling.

Have you seen our beachballs? They're about THIS big.

Rugged coast at Nahiki.

In camp at Wainapanapa, near the black sand beach.

Wendy doing her yoga on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean, mid trail run from Wainapanapa to Hana.

A fishing hut mid trail run between Wainapanapa and Hana.

The view of the violence and textures in moving water from the sea cliffs we ran along between Wainapanapa and Hana. We definitely recommend this outing!

Tributary

2010-12-26T21:59:00.001-09:00

Had another good day out with Charlie Renfro, Sally, Ryan Hokanson, and Kristy DeYong exploring Tributary, uphill from the Hope cutoff (we thought it was Frenchy's). We didn't find wonderful snow conditions but we did have a nice day out nonetheless.

Tributary in relation to the Seward Highway just South of the Hope cutoff.

Sally and Ryan down low, headed up while we still hoped for good snow. Alas, just the bottom 500 feet of the real skiing had good snow, much of the rest having a strong windcrust with sections of the Thanksgiving rain crust rearing its head as well. The terrain on Tributary is actually pretty nice, and we would've been very happy skiers in better conditions.

We were peering across toward Turnagain Pass and remarked that that run over there sure looked nice. Then we realized it was the peak we skied just the other day! This view shows a little of the grandeur of the terrain on TT 43. We skied down right below the arrow down the couloir about 4,000 feet to the flats near the car at the East fork Sixmile Creek bridge.

TT 43

2010-12-25T13:57:00.005-09:00

Yesterday was a nice day out in quite cold conditions on TT 43, the cryptically named highest peak in the Turnagain Pass area. The snow conditions were a little beat due to wind, but it was still a fun ski. Here are a few photos from this gorgeous cold day out with my sister Sally, Cortney Kitchen and Tobey Carman.

Skinning toward the upper steeps on TT 43. The initial goal was the narrow couloir left of the summit, but AM problems with skin glue in the -15 F temps kept us from topping out so we skied our line of ascent through the funky snow features just right of the summit.

Booting up the final couloir below the summit ridge in firm conditions.

Nice midwinter light as we approach the ridge.

Cool snow fins shortly before we started skiing.

Sally and Tobey ready to launch from our transition ledge just below the ridge on TT 43.

Cortney starting out the long run on TT 43, getting first dibs on turns off our transition ledge. All in all, a good day out!

Skiing, and The Day the Dog Disappeared (Again)

2010-12-23T12:12:00.004-09:00

I just spent a few nice days down at our cabin at Summit Lake on the Kenai Peninsula with my sister Sally, Ryan Hokanson, Cortney Kitchen, Tobey Carman, and three dogs.

All in all, it was quite a nice trip, with a mini solstice party and a full lunar eclipse. One late afternoon, however, my dear Jenny dog had a conniption, and decided that going down the mountain wasn't a very good idea despite coaching from all of the humans in our group. After much talk, while peering up the mountain from the bottom of the run while she yipped and barked, it was decided that she would be OK overnight and that it didn't make sense to head back up in the dark while not knowing if she would come down voluntarily anyhow. So, aside from her adventure into Cook Inlet last summer trying to find me while commercial fishing, it would be safe to say that Jenny had the most exciting day she's had since I inherited her last February from Robert Boeckmann.

About to head down at sunset near Summit Lake.

The crew getting ready for another nice ski run.

The view out toward Turnagain Pass and the arm, from the top of 'Clive' Peak, as named by our family. I guess this peak is called 'Templeton' on the CNFAIC website Summit Lake map.

'Clive' Peak from the Seward Highway with the nice bowl/couloir run and tracks, and Jenny's chosen bivy spot where she dug a ledge and spent a night. The below video is Jenny's bivy ledge and her eating a giant pile of food and broth we brought her the next day. To top it off, she successfully overcame her conniption and had a good ski run the next day (with some coaching)! Enjoy...

Goat Peak

2010-12-18T22:01:00.001-09:00

A day out skiing Goat Peak with Ryan Hokanson, my sister Sally, Ben Chriswell, and Cortney Kitchen. Stellar views in every direction. Perhaps Ryan will share a couple pics to share on his site. I hope the winter is treating you all well.

More Ice

2010-12-16T00:08:00.001-09:00

A visit to Avalon Falls and the Alaska Rock Gym made for a fine day...but no camera!

Here is Sherrie's post on our Avalon day. I kind of felt bad because this time around, Avalon wasn't that icy and we spent most of the journey to the crux pitch kicking steps. Being Ryan's first time on the route, I think we all hoped to treat him to something special, which Avalon often is. Despite the snow, there were still 4 or so really nice steps of significant height that we all soloed. Then, we roped up for the crux pitch which took a few minutes to climb. At the top we decided that heading down from above the crux was better than slogging snow for another thousand feet to the good descent. In a nice year, it would all be ice and we would have been jumping for joy to tag another thousand feet of low angle water ice. But, instead, we rapped and downclimbed and headed to Pizza Man in Eagle River for a schooner and a snack!

Back in Southcentral

2010-12-14T23:22:00.001-09:00

I got back to Southcentral AK on Saturday and have had a couple fun days out climbing near Anchorage and skiing up at Hiland Rd. since then. Today was mostly about work, but it looks like tomorrow might be about climbing again. Somewhat sad, I forgot my camera in Fairbanks so I will need to pick one up somewhere if I am to share adventures on here. Tomorrow, it looks like ice, but it is brutally windy out this evening. Here's hoping!

Slovak Direct Video, Time to go Climbing!

2010-12-05T11:49:00.008-09:00

Well, folks, its that time of year again. We finally have something that looks like winter around here in this odd season. It is by far the warmest winter of our three (in process) Fairbanks winters. The coldest nights we have had in our neighborhood have barely broken the -30 F barrier.

Finals time will be desperate for the next 11 days, after which it will be time to climb and ski quite a bit. I've been so busy I've barely been doing any cardio, but I have been doing a lot of plastic pulling the in the hopes that we will find some good conditions for ice and mixed in the lowlands or alpine in Southcentral AK. I will hopefully be climbing and skiing with Ryan Hokanson for ten days or so prior to the 29th, then going to Hawaii with Wendy for a week, and finally hanging out with Andy Sterns in Southcentral for another ten days or so in January. I am looking forward to the break but at the moment need to have my blinders on and plow ahead on the last schoolwork of the semester. If anyone is looking to climb or ski, be in touch.

I watched this video again recently: Jesse Huey with my buddy Mark Westman doing a repeat of the Slovak Direct on the South face of Denali. Enjoy, hope it gets you psyched up to go climbing too...

Denali Park Fee Increase - Justified?

2010-11-23T16:54:00.000-09:00

The National Park Service (NPS) is talking, again, of increasing fees for climbers on Denali or Foraker in Denali National Park from $200 to $500. There are a lot of reasons that this doesn't make sense. Here are a few:

For anyone interested, scientific data on Search and Rescue (SAR) published in 2009 by Travis Heggie and Michael Amundsen can be found here:

'Wilderness and Environmental Medicine', 20(3): 244-249. 2009.

Climbing and mountaineering present a low percentage of SAR costs. There is no justifiable reason to discriminate against climbers and mountaineers with regard to fees on the basis that we are a riskier user group. We represent only 7% of SAR costs nationwide. Hiking presents 48%, boating presents 21%, etc.

Think about it. We do not deserve to experience financial discrimination simply because our sport presents the appearance of risk. With regard to rescue, we are not nearly as risky population as hikers (day hikers are the biggest risk!). Activities other than climbing or mountaineering comprise 93% of overall SAR costs.

If we aren't more of a risk than other groups, why should we pay $500 to go climbing for two-three weeks while others pay $80 for a whole year of hiking? Oh wait, and we still pay the standard park entry fee in addition unless you have that $80 'America the Beautiful' Parks Pass.

From the American Alpine Club (AAC) site:

"Comments from the public will be accepted between November 1, 2010 and January 31, 2011. Public Comments may be submitted via email to: DENA_mountainfeecomments@nps.gov or faxed to (907) 683-9612. Written comments may also be submitted by mail to: Superintendent, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755."

The NPS argument FOR fee increase can be found here.

The money they are talking about spending 'in support' of each climber might more accurately be assigned to paying salaries, feeding rangers, the yearly contract for the helicopter support used to fly all food and personnel to and from the mountain (sometimes necessary, sometimes quite unnecessary). The rangers are good people, but the argument made by the NPS for increasing climbing fees on Denali is biased.

Of course, you can always go climb on a different peak, but that's another issue.

NPS suggested options for voicing your opinion can be found here.

Real Big Drip Video: Jesse Huey - Motivation to Climb

2010-11-12T17:22:00.001-09:00

BD grassroots athlete Jesse Huey on The Real Big Drip (M7 WI 6), Canadian Rockies from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Alaska Alpine Club Show: "Exploring Plan C: The Space between Plans and Outcomes in the Hayes Range"

2010-11-03T15:10:00.002-08:00

"Exploring Plan C: The Space between Plans and Outcomes in the Hayes Range"

This show is open to the public and should be a mix of storytelling, imagery, some art, and our expedition video. There is a lot more to tell than what made it onto this blog. If you're interested in hearing more of the story, come on out! Thanks to the Copp-Dash Award for spurring me to explore other methods of storytelling. It has made for an interesting year!

Sharpening BD Screws

2010-11-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

Get 'em sharp, climb more!

Interior Ice Exploration - Drier Than Expected

2010-10-13T21:17:00.004-08:00

Andy following on a nice piece of ice that we assume was previously climbed by the late Keith Echelmeyer who did quite a bit of climbing in the area.

Andy and I getting ready to rap off the likely Echelmeyer route.

Andy topping out on a short piece of ice at mile 207.9 on the Dalton. We called this Majorly Minor (WI3 tiny). I'm sure it has been climbed before.

Sister to my Sorrow on the Northwest face of Mount Dillon. Quite run out on the rock section at the top.

Sister to my Sorrow (WI3 M4/5X 45m)

Getting started on Sister to my Sorrow

BD Journal Post

2010-09-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

Click here for the BD Journal report on our trip this year...

Hayes 2010 Expedition Video

2010-09-04T18:36:00.006-08:00

BD grassroots athlete Samuel Johnson's expedition to Alaska's Hayes Range from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Audio from Jerene's "Three Cups of Tea: A Mother's Perspective"

2010-09-02T21:54:00.001-08:00

Follow this link to the KSKA post about Jerene's presentation, and this link to hear the audio broadcast of Jerene's recent presentation at UAA.

Jerene Mortenson and Central Asia Institute

2010-08-28T11:11:00.004-08:00

Hushe School, a school I visited with my local friend Little Karim in 2007. Hushe school was one of the early schools built by Central Asia Institute.

I had the pleasure of meeting and introducing Jerene Mortenson for a UAA Social Work Department backed presentation this week. Jerene is a humanitarian and mother of Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools. I thought I might take the opportunity to share the links for Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace since I have greatly loved the time I have spent with the people of Pakistan and the work Central Asia Institute is doing is extremely inspirational. May you also be inspired. Tom Brokaw donated 100 bucks to the cause back in the 1990s...maybe you can donate 101!

Sam and Wendy Eklutna Adventure

2010-08-26T23:23:00.000-08:00

Wendy and I coordinated for a fun 4 day trip in the Chugach. We biked out to the junction of the Eklutna Lake trail and the East Fork trail, then bushwhacked on animal trails up through small cliffbands on the South side of Stiver's Gully to a basecamp on the moraine between Bold (7,522') and Bashful (8,005') Peak. We put in attempts on both peaks and came close to the summit of both, and overall had a really good trip and caught some wild scenery in the heart of the Chugach.

Wendy approaching the Stiver's Gully approach on the East Fork trail through the initially healing aftermath of the 2010 Eklutna Lake Fire.

Our basecamp below Bashful Peak's North face

A nice shot of me by Wendy high on Bold Peak's West Ridge

Mist on Bashful Peak's West Ridge high above the Eklutna Valley

Gorgeous cloud as we search for a path down from our basecamp back into the Eklutna Valley to find our bikes and head back to town...

Hayes Range Heli Ride

2010-08-16T17:42:00.000-08:00

A few photos from a weekend heli ride through the Hayes Range with neighbor and heli pilot Alex Shapiro in his helicopter.

Mount Shand (12, 660) featuring the monstrous mile high South Face

Alex's R22 2 seater heli with building lenticulars

L to R: Mt. 10,910, Mt. 10,990, and Mount Hayes (13,886)

Granite Tors Trail Run

2010-08-12T15:39:00.002-08:00

So much fun, an afternoon trail run of the 15 mile Granite Tors trail loop...

Expedition Art #2

2010-08-10T23:27:00.002-08:00

Mount Balchen Electric 9" x 12" - Ink

www.avidabstracts.com

Expedition Art #1

2010-08-10T22:57:00.008-08:00

Mount Deborah Day and Night 9" x 12" - Ink and Pencil

www.avidabstracts.com

Commercial Fishing in Kasilof

2010-07-13T17:08:00.000-08:00

I am currently commercial fishing in Kasilof, and am slowly working away at pulling together the video footage from Ryan and my trip. I look forward to sharing it with you all when I return...until then wish us good luck catching some salmon!

Best Line of the Trip

2010-06-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

Me: "Ryan, I was reading on Kelly's blog the other day that the Jumbo of the Giri-Giri boys says that to really be successful in the mountains, he imagines his body lying broken in a ditch. What do you think?"

Ryan: "OK, I'm imagining his body lying broken in a ditch. Is it working?"

For background information on the Shi-Shi philosophy and the context of the original quote, visit Kelly's post on Jumbo.

Hayes 2010 Trip Report

2010-06-11T15:58:00.011-08:00

Please see previous two posts for an expedition summary and route photo topos. We climbed two new routes and tagged one summit. Both of the routes have been attempted prior to our climbs.

Below: Rob Wing landed his Super Cub on wheels on the ice of the Hayes glacier following our unproductive time on the Gillam glacier. Then we hiked up glacier into the hayes basin with a LOT of stuff. Photo: Ryan Hokanson

Following are photos from each of the climbs we engaged in. Please see previous post for routeline photos.

Direct West Face of Mount Hayes: V AI3 R 6,500 ft (ca. 9,000 feet of climbing)

12 hours on route

Below: Taking a break a couple thousand feet up the Direct West Face at around 10,000 feet to pull out the ropes and begin simul climbing. We climbed the route in about seven simul pitches. Photo: Ryan Hokanson

Below: Ryan heading up terrain typical of much of the route, climbing toward spectacular ice and rime gargoyles beneath the summit ridge.

Below: Me following yet more alpine ice to a simul transition at Ryan's belay. The scale of the face is apparent in this photo. Photo: Ryan Hokanson

Below: Me starting the last simul pitch to the summit ridge at around 13,000 feet. Photo: Ryan Hokanson

Below: Ryan following the last simul pitch to the summit ridge.

Below: Ryan on the summit of Mount Hayes (13,876 ft/4230m), 12 hours after starting.

Below: Ryan in the midst of many rappels on the northern portion of the West face.

Northeast Buttress of Mount Balchen: V AI4 M6 3500 ft

10.5 hours on route to turnaround at ca. 11,000 feet on the summit ridge due t o due to lightning strikes. Again, see previous post for routeline photos.

Below: Me climbing the initial icefield on the Northeast Buttress. Photo: Ryan Hokanson

Below: Ryan approaching a short mixed crux on the Northeast Buttress.

Below: Ryan climbing an 80+ degree alpine ice smear to bypass a rock headwall about two thirds of the way up the rock buttress.

Below: Me happy for the temporary clearing, heading across easy mixed ramps to access the final icefield. Photo: Ryan Hokanson

Below: Following the above pitch, we headed up the final icefield and snow rib to the summit ridge in increasing cloud, and started tromping toward the summit. Sadly, lightning and thunder which had been hearing from a distance began to get closer and we began to experience the electrical phenomenon known as St. Elmo's Fire. As our metal objects and bodies begain to emanate electrical squealing noises, we called off the summit bid within spitting distance at 11,000+ feet and headed down as fast as we possibly could to decrease our risk of being struck by lightning. Here is Ryan rigging our first v-thread rappel down the East face while sheltered in a nook below the summit ridge. We ended up getting around 6 inches of new snow in two hours and experiencing a lot of slough avalanches while on rappel/at anchors descending late into the evening.

Below: A brief clearing in the could soup during our descent.

Beasts of Burden

Following a day of rest, we began the trudge down to the Hayes moraine airstrip bearing 100 pound loads.

Below: Ryan with his beautiful load on the Hayes Glacier.

Thanks so much to the Copp-Dash Award, the American Alpine Club for supporting our expedition, and Black Diamond Equipment for supporting me in my climbing efforts over the last 3 years. Thanks also to my other company support- PROBAR and GU Energy Labs.

Hayes 2010 Photo Topos

2010-06-09T16:53:00.005-08:00

Here are the photo topos for the routes Ryan Hokanson and I climbed on our 2010 Hayes Range trip.

Below: The routeline for the Direct West Face of Mount Hayes, which we climbed in 12 hours in single push alpine style from the bergschrund to the summit. The route gains about 6500 feet from the Hayes basin at an average angle of about 55 degrees with steeper steps and smears here and there for a total of about 9000 feet of climbing. More photos to come soon...

Photo: Received from Jeff Benowitz

Below: The routeline for the Northeast Buttress of Mount Balchen, which we climbed in 10.5 hours in single push alpine style from the bergschrund to 100 feet short of the summit, where we turned around due to nearby lightning strikes :(. Again, more photos to come soon...

Back from the Hayes

2010-06-07T08:18:00.006-08:00

Ryan and I flew out of the Hayes Range yesterday following time on the Gillam and Hayes glaciers. Due to issues with our initial flight, we were unable to land anywhere near Mount Shand's South face, which we had hoped to attempt. As an alternative, we landed on the Gillam in the hopes of attempting new lines on Deborah or Hess. We found Hess quite melted out and chossier than we had hoped, and were unable to negotiate the icefall and serac threatened approach to Deborah.

Our intended plan B routes extinguished, and our favorite pilot now available, we flew with Rob Wing over to the Hayes basin. There, we spent some time examining an enormous ridge traverse we hoped to attempt, eventually deciding that the traverse would likely be much safer as a threesome and with some more snow protection. We then shifted our focus to other unclimbed lines in the Hayes basin, completing the first ascents of two routes: The Direct West Face of Mount Hayes, and the Northeast Buttress of Mount Balchen (though prevented from summiting by active lightning and St. Elmo's Fire 100 feet away from the tippytop), both in single push alpine style. I will update with more information and photos as we sort through the media from the trip. I have quite a bit of video also, which needs sorting, converting, and some serious truncating. Thanks to the Copp-Dash Inspire Award, Black Diamond Equipment, and my other company support for all your help! Thanks for checking in!

Giri-Giri Crush South Face of Logan

2010-05-15T08:11:00.005-08:00

The Japanese climbers who call themselves the Giri-Giri Boys have completed a long standing North America climbing project, the Southeast face of Mount Logan. Rising over 9,000 feet from the glacier below, this is where Ryan and I had planned to go last year before Ryan's injury. They did a nice job, spent three days on the face, and descended the East Ridge. They ended up climbing the single relatively safe line splitting the middle of the South face, the same line we had hoped to try. Scooped! Here is a link to Climbing's Hot Flashes report.

Copp-Dash Inspire Award

2010-05-03T15:04:00.002-08:00

Jonny Copp and Micah Dash were super talented alpinists and activists who devoted a large part of their time, effort, and energy to establishing world class alpine routes in many different places as well as being advocates for important causes. Last summer, they were caught in an avalanche on their way to another big alpine project in China. It was a huge loss.

I met Micah in the Trango Towers in 2005 when he and his friends Nick Renan were going for a single push ascent (in a day) of Eternal Flame on Trango Tower and we were warming up for our ascent of Severance Ridge on Trango II. I met Jonny in Talkeetna with his friend Kelly around the time they established Going Monk on a peak Kelly named after their lost friend, Bruce Andrews.

Recently I was informed that Ryan and I won an inaugural Copp-Dash Inspire Award, an award dedicated to the pursuit of hard alpine first ascents and the sharing of experiences with others in the age old format of storytelling. These were two areas Jonny and Micah excelled in. It is odd to have that tangible connection to them a year later. It feels like we are bound to do our best to carry their spirit into the mountains with us and do our best to share our experiences and vision for the alpine in new ways. Click here for the 2011 application.

Chickaloon River and Canwell Glacier

2010-04-02T12:23:00.020-08:00

It was sad to spend the first part of Spring break ill rather than climing ice and mixed up at Eklutna Glacier with Jon Cobb as I had planned. However, later on in the break Ryan Hokanson and I got together to try and get an adventure in. We started by heading to Chickaloon, and Ryan's cabin, and climbed a little on the Chickaloon River. This was also my first snowmachine-borne backcountry adventure.

Above: Ryan and the machines about 10 miles up the Chickaloon River just short of the narrows.

Above: Dune Creek Pillar and friends.

Above: Ryan enjoying some mixed near the Dune Creek Pillar.

Above: Gorgeous peaks on our way North through the Majestic Valley.

Following a night in Chickaloon, we then moved on North to Black Rapids to attempt a ski descent of Mt. Gakona in a day from the road. Here is a link to Ryan's post on our Canwell Glacier trip. We wanted to go ski Mt. Gakona in a day from the road, but were shut down by a gnarly icefall for Gakona, and bailed on our consolation prize due to unsafe avalanche conditions (top 10 cm release on pit preparation), on a large (enough) open slope. There was also a secondary weak layer presenting the possibility of additional propagation at about the 2 1/2 foot mark.

Above: Mount Shand and Moffit as seen from about 10 miles up the Canwell. This is where Ryan and I intend to head for our May-June Hayes Range expedition, getting psyched and fit and hoping for good weather!

Above: Ryan in the pit of despair. No turns for us. We did have a super fun day out though, and got to take a look at a lot of different terrain. It was a bit of a time warp to be 20 miles off the road with minimal effort, looking at a lot of good ski terrain, albeit without a ton of snow this year. Following this trip, Ryan headed off to Valdez to get a week plus of skiing amidst some large snowfall.

Panorama Quickie, Heading North with Big R

2010-03-10T22:22:00.003-09:00

I haven't posted in a while because I have been sick, which is a bit of a bummer but it has allowed me time to catch up with family and distract myself with doggie good times. Tomorrow morning I will crawl out of the sick bed and see if Ryan Hokanson (Big R) and I can't go bag ourselves a few nice ski and/or ice lines up north around Chickaloon and Black Rapids. I will update with pics when I get back to Fairbanks next week.

Right: One of the ice pitches.

A couple weeks ago, I had the chance to go run up a fun, easy ice route on Panorama Peak off the Parks Highway in tropically warm conditions. This was on the way back to Fairbanks after picking up the newest addition to the family, 101 pound black lab Jenny (aka Thumper). She made some whimpering sounds as I left the vehicle and made sure to let me know she was unhappy that she had been left behind. Here are a couple pics from that. The climb was a nice basic gully with 4 or 5 short pitches of grade 2+ ice, not the most exciting but the setting was really nice and it felt good to get the lungs pumping in the midst of the 7 hour drive. I was able to traverse right and descend an upper fork of this couloir so that I only had to downclimb one of these steps on the way back to the truck. Skiing conditions in this and neighboring couloirs were in very good shape at the time.

The Burden of Proof: Documentation of Climbing Ventures

2010-02-23T11:17:00.001-09:00

Throughout climbing's history, there have been great ascents, and there have been hoaxes. This post by Martin Gutmann (a climber I do not know) sheds some light on possible standards of documentation for climbers pursuing bold climbs around the world. Per his viewpoint, it seems that if one expects to climb in the limelight, that one bears the burden of proof for documentation of climbing ventures. Interesting, and timely, in light of the current discussion, a la stalker, that has most recently spilled onto Alpinist.com.

BD Spinner Leashes Usage Info

2010-02-04T12:36:00.004-09:00

For all those folks out there who use tether systems for their leashless tools, here is the official word from Black Diamond about the strength and potential for injury when using leashes such as the Spinner or the Grivel Double Spring. I really like the illustration so I am pasting it in here for everyone's information and as sort of a quickie safety briefing so you don't end up looking like that guy at the bottom!

An Unfeasibility Study: Method and Madness in Alpine Style Climbing

2010-02-03T16:03:00.007-09:00

Thursday, February 11th at 6pm I will be providing the entertainment for the first day of the Beaver Sports Birthday Bash with a themed slideshow titled: An Unfeasibility Study: Method and Madness in Alpine Style Climbing.

“Hope for the best, expect the worst, some drink champagne, some die of thirst…” or so go the lyrics from Mel Brooks’ film The Twelve Chairs (1970). A similar maxim might be applied in the situation of the alpinist, perhaps something along the lines of “Plan for the best, Expect the Worst.” While careful planning may go into the choice of objective and chosen strategy, alpine first-ascent routes have a way of crushing well-laid plans.

The featured presentation will explore hubris and commitment through coverage of such age-old questions as: “what happens when your food is gone?” “does ‘run-out’ mean that you’ve run out of something, and should you go to the neighbor's to get some more?” and “is it awkward to be tied to another man for several days?” Join me as we explore these and other delicate questions in an interactive community presentation designed to spark your sense of humor and desire to get out on your own adventures.

Vince Anderson's 'Lego' Ouray Comp Route Video

2010-01-23T13:03:00.002-09:00

Vince Anderson was charged with putting together the comp route for this year's Ouray Ice Festival competition and made this 'video' of a fictional conversation between himself and the competition judge where they try to decide what the route should be like, and how they want it to affect the well-being of the competitors. I wouldn't usually share a link like this except that it is hilarious and the bad graphics and sound quality add to the humor. Warning: You will only find this funny if you are a climber AND don't mind a couple of curse words. Follow this link to the video.

Farewell, Tia!

2010-01-22T22:38:00.004-09:00

My faithful adventure companion of over 13 years, 15+ year old Tia died this week. She died beautifully, and peacefully in my arms, amidst the flux of everyday life. She had quite the journey, from instigating unsatisfied young sub-alpha to aged queen alpha of the neighborhood. The above photo was taken on a family float on the Chena River with my wife Wendy and stepdaughter Allie, and Tia's newest companion, the young Sterling. Tia had just found a beaver skull that she carried in her mouth. It was probably her proudest moment of last summer. Goodbye, Tia! Thanks for comforting me and walking with me for all these years...

Hatchery Wall Mini-Topo

2010-01-15T22:47:00.005-09:00

Here are a few photos and topos from the week plus down at the cabin. Enjoy!

Above: Current condition of King's Beard (WI5+).

Above: Topo of Orion area. Photo: Peter Illig

Above: Topo of Altruist's Way area.

Above: Topo of Stray Comet. Tippy Topout needs someone to send it clean on lead, we ran out of time to develop the crag. One can clip the bolt with a double shoulder length runner and still head into the trad (standard) finish. Another interesting variation would be the traditional start which climbs in from the left on a crack (directly above the belayer bolt) at about M7, with reasonable gear.

Shocker: Alpinist Seen Bolting at Kenai Peninsula Crag

2010-01-14T18:41:00.007-09:00

Recently, on the Kenai Peninsula, a triumphant homunculus with a sport-climbing physique was seen wielding a drill upon the twitching carcass of one unkempt Alaskan alpinist, having crawled from within the belly of said beast. Gore aside, the end results were not entirely unpleasant.

I have never sought out reasons for the placement of bolts. But, this December I was down on the peninsula looking at one of my oft peered-at crags and noticed that the dribbles that sometimes form had turned into full fledged mixed and ice climbs.

Over the course of ten days, I cycled through four climbing partners to clean and establish several new mixed lines at the Hatchery Wall near Trail Lake, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska and climb some local ice. None of these lines are very difficult, but they are a lot of fun and the current condition of the crag presents several new options for the excited winter climber burnt out on the meager options offered in this warm yet relatively dry winter season. In addition to cleaning, bolting, and redpointing a couple of steeper mixed gear lines, we also developed a couple easier traditional lines and installed anchors in several places so that the crag should be relatively user friendly for those interested in seeing what it has to offer.

Above right: On the first ascent of Orion (M6+ish WI4). Photo: Sam Herreid.

Many thanks to Todd Helgeson and Ryan Hokanson for the use of their drills. And, many thanks to Peter Illig, Ryan Hokanson, Sam Herreid, and Jon Cobb for their belays, feedback, and help in the development of the crag. Thanks to Clint Helander for offering up his bolts to be placed at the crag! It was a pleasure climbing at the Hatchery Wall, and visiting Victor Creek with Sam Herreid for an ascent of the classic King's Beard, which we found in excellent condition. At some point in the next several days, I will develop a photo topo with basic information about the crag for those interested in heading out to repeat some of the more often formed pure ice lines or the new mixed rigs. For now, enjoy these photos of a couple of climbs that we did while hanging out at my cabin.

The new lines need repeats to determine consensus grades, so please go repeat them and let me know what you think at alpineessence at gmail.com .

Above left: During an ascent of the classic King's Beard in Victor Creek (WI5+). Photo: Sam Herreid.

Waking Up the Body

2009-12-15T18:01:00.002-09:00

The head has been very awake this last 4 months. The body, not so much. I have been in a state of hyperarousal, always one more thing to do for grad school or some activity of daily life like the groceries, the dogs, dishes, cleaning up dustbunnies in our little cabin. Whatever. Having the powerlifting set-up and hangboard has helped, but it is a far cry from daily cardio and climbing such as was my life for about 5 years. Another thing I notice is that exposure seems slightly novel again, which is a welcome perception but can cause one to secondguess solid ice placements.

Usually the way I start out my ice and mixed season is I go around soloing everything I can get my picks into that is easier than WI4+, saving the steeper ice and mixed climbing for later, and generally starting with the easiest climbs and working my way into steeper terrain. I am going about things the same way this year, but the ice around Anchorage, Portage, and Eklutna is pretty anemic, so less options. I went soloing out on the arm (hardly ANY ice) and in Eklutna the last couple days. What I am noticing, this year, is this odd feeling that I will likely be more comfortable on mixed terrain than steep ice. Generally, this has always been the opposite for me. In the past, on trips to the Canadian Rockies or trips to Italy/France, I would spend day after day climbing demanding pure ice testpieces with extremely poor protection...and that was my 'fun.'

For some reason, this year, I feel more motivated to explore some of the mixed climbs that I have been passing off as 'not in' enough, or dismissing due to the fact that they might need bolts. I am hoping that my arms will be up to the task, as these climbs might prove to be demanding in a different way that pure ice. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes! The brain training of grad school may help...or hinder. I have avoided placing bolts for 13 years...perhaps December or January will see the first ones. Todd Helgeson has generously offered up his drill for the cause of establishing new mixed routes. I hope we get the weather and ice conditions to make it happen.

Southcentral Sunset

2009-12-13T12:07:00.003-09:00

I was back in Anchorage last week for the Alaska Public Health Association (ALPHA) yearly summit. One day while there I went out mixed bouldering with Ryan Hokanson. He and some other folks have been running training circuits out on the arm. We got thoroughly pumped and had a great time. I put a crampon through my calf which made for a bloody afternoon...but it is all healed up and ready to go. On our way down to the car, we were treated to this spectacular sunset...it is nice to be near the sea again.

We are headed back down from Fairbanks today to get Wendy to her Costa Rica vacation and me to a couple weeks of climbing/guiding and such. I will be working with Ascending Path to guide a few days and hope to get a peek at my mixed projects to see if they are icing up to possibly return in January.

December Hiatus and Winter Training

2009-11-29T13:03:00.004-09:00

Last year at this time, I wrote something about how much reading and writing I had left to do before yet another semester of grad school is under my belt. This year is much the same, but somehow I am managing to remain more focused and balanced despite the increased workload, though there have been some notable exceptions. As a person driven by poignancy, it can be at times difficult to maintain balance. Last year school wrecked my body through too many hours sitting hunched over my computer doing work. This year it has been easier to maintain my core fitness, because I can get serious workouts in at home in a decreased amount of time; I got a bunch of weights this summer so that I could powerlift in the backyard. When it hit zero for the first time this year the weights came inside. An old yoga mat protects the floor, and the dogs look on from their beds wondering what all the grunting is about! I also got a v10 hangboard from Nicros so that I can do more climbing specific training and core. The bigger challenge is finding time for cardio since my lungs are sensitive to the cold. Soon, I hope to have a respirator so that it is more feasible for me to get out running and skiing when it is colder than -10 F as I did last year.

A goal for my winter training is to come out of the gate in the springtime more prepared to free climb (mixed as well as rock) well on the alpine routes that I am planning to attempt in various locales around Alaska. Winter break is coming up again, and I am also hoping to get out skiing and climbing (the prime activity depending on the temperatures, snow, and ice conditions). It should be a good time, and I will update with any extra cool adventures that occur.

Controversial Figure in Alpinism Dies in Nepal

2009-11-15T12:05:00.060-09:00

One of the most controversial figures in modern alpinism, Tomaz Humar, passed away recently on the South face of Langtang Lirung (7227m), Langtang Himal, Nepal. Known for his courageous solos and dramatic rescues, his tactics called into question the very definition of modern alpinism. He was a commercial alpinist, an iconoclast within the small world of individuals pursuing hard alpine climbs worldwide. He controverted the long held maxims of self-sufficiency and judicious decision making, two of the central tenets of alpinism held by climbers who wish to push their limits in alpine for a lifetime. Here is Climbing Magazine's account of Humar's climbing life with all excitement included, by Dougald MacDonald. For yet more historical context, please see this National Geographic link: "Tomaz Humar: Incredible Rescue, Angry Backlash on Pakistan's Nanga Parbat" written in the wake of Mr. Humar's 2005 rescue from the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat. This article contains thoughtful comments on the importance of self-sufficiency and factors in the decision-making process in alpine endeavors from alpine luminaries such as Kelly Cordes, Michael Kennedy, Marko Prezelj, and Mark Twight.

November 17th- Alaska Alpine Club Slideshow

2009-10-24T18:51:00.014-08:00

Event poster from Peter Illig, Alaska Alpine Club. This photo is the 4th pitch of the Pillar Arete on Caliban in the Arrigetch. Photo: Ryan Hokanson

November 17th at 7:00 PM at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Schaible Auditorium in the Bunnell Building, I will be giving a slideshow for the Alaska Alpine Club's November meeting covering climbs I have completed during the last year. I will present on climbs in the Arrigetch, the Hayes Range, and the Chugach. The show, titled "Test Tasting an Alpine Medley" will include first ascents, repeats and a solo ascent to whet the appetite for the upcoming alpine season. The primary theme will be encouraging other alaskan climbers to get out there and fire some of the routes that often get climbed by visitors.

Jed Brown's New Alpine Line- "The Great White Jade Heist"

2009-10-03T13:21:00.003-08:00

Longtime Fairbanks climber, now Fairbanks expat Jed Brown recently posted some photos from his recent China expedition to Xuelian West peak where he and partners completed a 2650m new mixed line on the peak which they called "The Great White Jade Heist." Looks like it was a great climb, and would make any alpinist get excited about heading to China! Follow this link to view his photos from the trip or visit the American Alpine Club's Inclined Blog Entry by Dougald MacDonald for details on their trip.

October 12th- AMH Season Opener Slide Show Alchemy Ridge, The Arrigetch, and Mount Yukla

2009-09-23T22:14:00.022-08:00

Melting some water in high winds below the crux of Alchemy Ridge, Mount Balchen, Hayes Range. Photo: Matt Klick

On October 12th, 7:30 pm, at Grant Hall Theatre on the Alaska Pacific University Campus, I will be giving a slideshow for Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking's winter season opening event titled "Test Tasting an Alpine Medley." All attendees will receive a 20% discount on Black Diamond Ice Climbing Equipment on October 13th and 14th. The show will include the first ascent of Alchemy Ridge on Mount Balchen, Arrigetch climbs such as the Pillar Arete on Caliban and a repeat of the North Buttress of West Maiden in the Arrigetch, and a solo ascent Mount Yukla's 6700 foot Complete West Ridge. Black Diamond Equipment was the catalyst for this event, and have graciously assisted me, over the last year and half, to get out into the mountains during the windows I have available during hiatuses from the UAF-UAA Psychology Ph.D program. Seth Holden will also be presenting about he and Clint Helander's first ascent of the Southwest Ridge of the Ice Pyramid in the Revelation Mountains.

I plan to focus on climbs that I have not yet presented upon in the Anchorage area to include climbs in the Arrigetch, the Hayes Range, and the Chugach. These are all climbs I have completed since Black Diamond Equipment has been assisting me through their Grassroots Team. I also intend to share about the pursuit of alpine climbing and the utility and pleasure of using an alpine approach in the mountains, vision and execution, and the two-edged sword of the single push. Tag-teamed with Seth's presentation of he and Clint's climb in the Revelations, it should be a unique show, so come on out!

Anchorage Drum and Healing Circle

2009-09-14T20:04:00.005-08:00

This past summer the Anchorage homeless community lost 12 people, huge among such a tight knit group. As a result, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority decided to fund a special healing event organized by the Alaska Mental Health Consumer Web in the community of Fairview in central Anchorage. I was one of the people (a lucky newbie) who assisted in the facilitation, led by Bob Parr and Larry Roberts (Alaska Rural Behavioral Health Training Academy) of Fairbanks and native elders Liz Sunnyboy and Frank Haldane. Bob and Larry brought somewhere around 40 drums (and a variety of other percussion instruments for use in the circle) down from Fairbanks the night before. The next two days were a really cool process of community strengthening, all out drumming fun, and healing. KTUU Channel 2 Anchorage did a feature of the event on the evening news. It can be viewed by following this link: http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=11118134

Anchorage Cultural Event, Nome Institute and Visit

2009-09-07T23:26:00.009-08:00

I was in Nome recently for work with my assistantship this year (ARBHTA) at a clinical supervision institute, following a UAF-UAA Psychology Ph.D Program cultural event in Anchorage. Visiting Nome was an awesome experience. It seemingly offers a variety of outdoor activities. I visited with Ian McRae while there, who shared about what climbing dreams look like when one is already removed from the conventions of climbing society's norms and like minded individuals: Not surprisingly, it can be hard to find climbing partners when the weather is often bad and you live near the point of Alaska's Seward Peninsula at the junction of the Bering and Chukchi seas, far away from almost all other climbers. Ian had some inspirations about living in Nome, and some good stories about exploratory climbing adventures throughout Alaska, a few of which have made it to his brand new blog, Kigluaik Tales.

Here is a video of surf crashing into the seawall that defines the edge of town there.

Mount Healy Challenge

2009-08-25T23:45:00.003-08:00

Wendy and I decided to take a drive and enter the Mount Healy race near the entrance to Denali National Park this past Sunday. We had a good time despite heavy rain and fog. The lack of visibility caused the race organizer (Matias Saari) to shorten the course. It was a fun course, and everyone was very supportive. Amazingly, the turnout was much larger than the previous running of this race despite the rain. Results can be found here on the Running Club North website.

Trip Report: Yukla West Ridge Solo

2009-08-06T10:30:00.029-08:00

Above: Visible as the skyline, the complete West Ridge of Mount Yukla starts further down than is visible in this photo. The ridge gains 6735 vertical feet (2050 meters) from its beginning near the beautiful Eagle River to Mount Yukla's 7535 foot summit. Photo retrieved from rockclimbing.com. Please view the source for more information.

Trip Report

Rain, rain, rain! That was all the forecast offered as I considered heading south to Anchorage for 10 days to try and climb and pick up some work. Speaking with climbing buddies, it also seemed that no one had the time to be able to go climbing. Then a glimmer appeared as the forecast showed a three day hole of sunshine in the middle of a month of rain. I packed up and headed down to Anchorage. After reconnecting with family and arranging work plans, I threw my pack together and headed out to Eagle River drainage, eager to make a solo attempt on Yukla's Complete West Ridge (IV 5.7), first climbed in 2004 by Rod Hancock and Stuart Parks in 11.5 hours. As far as I can tell after a lot of digging, they made the first and only ascent of the complete ridge prior to my climb. While the ridge had been attempted by several local parties prior to their successful ascent, it is by no means a 'difficult' climb. It is, however, a very long and relatively committing route, gaining 6735 vertical feet (2050 meters) from base to summit. The ridge also has extensive horizontal sections and several areas where one loses elevation. So, it makes for a long day on route. I climbed the ridge in 11 hours, self-belaying one pitch, climbing carefully and thoughtfully the rest of the time, and loving the views! I was pleasantly surprised both at the commitment factor on route, and the presence of a lot of fun mid 5th class climbing interspersed with scrambling and walking. The exposure on route was the most defining factor, as one is traversing along 5000 feet above the Icicle Creek drainage. One would not want to have to descend that way in an emergency. It would be better to descend into the Twin Falls drainage.

Right: A exposed, clean traverse along the crack in the center of the photo.

Left: A fine section of au cheval (straddle) ridge.

Below Right: Some big exposure on clean rock.

Below Left: Getting ready to haul up the pack on a steeper section that I self-belayed.

Right: Self-portrait high on route.

Below: The view from the tippy top.

The descent down to Twin Falls was kind of a pain in the ass. Since I hadn't ascended that way before, I missed the small trail that apparently wends down through the brush to the Crow Pass trail. So, I did a lot of bushwhacking instead, making for a fitting southcentral Alaska finish.

Update: Yukla West Ridge Solo

2009-08-05T00:56:00.011-08:00

Yesterday I returned from a great solo trip to make the second (?) ascent of Mount Yukla's 'Complete West Ridge.' It is a really fun, LONG 5.7 ridge first climbed by Rod Hancock and Stuart Parks in 2004 after several attempts by locals over the years, including Charlie Sassara in the 1980s. All partners I spoke with told me that they couldn't go at that time, but I wasn't going to miss out on the only weather window in the last month, so I geared up to go alone. It turned out well, and the weather crapped out the day after I returned. Stay tuned for a few photos and a trip report.

BD Journal Post

2009-07-30T11:08:00.003-08:00

Black Diamond added a BD Journal post from our Hayes Range expedition to their new website. Feel free to check it out. It is pretty similar to my dedicated Alchemy Ridge blog, but is a nice introduction to the BD Journal which hosts updates from many disciplines of the sport and has additional safety features. As an aside, I am headed south to hopefully make the most of the bad weather that has been plaguing southcentral Alaska by doing some climbing.

Summer in Alaska

2009-07-27T12:14:00.009-08:00

Events this week: Went to an awesome rainy wedding at Spencer Glacier. Our friends Britta and Ian got married there along with their brave, cold relatives from other areas of the country. Ran Lost Lake trail with my bride and oldest friend Rune. The running conditions were pretty perfect, really, for AK kids such as ourselves (50 degrees, drizzle). Wendy then headed back to Fairbanks, and Rune and I went down to Anchor Point to fish with my father. We caught a bunch of Halibut, then went home (Rune to Hope, me to my family's house in Anchorage). Then the dog and I went back to Fairbanks and ran up Mount Healy along the way. I didn't take a lot of photos that week but a few are posted below. Wendy and I also recently ran the Granite Tors trail in its entirety which made for a nice afternoon.

Right: Wendy hiking loads in to the wedding ceremony at Spencer Glacier after hopping off the train.

Left: The old man and the sea. Funny how dad seems most at home out on the water. Kind of like me and mountains!

Below: Two porpoises that made a habit of swimming around the boat while we were fishing.