I had a good discussion about chalk a little while back with my friend and fellow climbing buddy Edwin. It got me thinking I should write up an entry on the use of chalk. Yup, that good ol' magnesium carbonate or MgCO3. So, we'll take a look at it and the issues around it and see if maybe you can't learn a little something that makes you think a bit more about when to use it and especially when not to use it.
In the relatively short history of climbing, the use of chalk is even shorter. It started to show up more and more in the 80s and climbers starting coming from the realm of gymnastics. Climbs started getting steeper, more overhung and just generally harder. The use of chalk had a big role in this. As the gymnasts and weightlifters already knew, chalk helped keep your hands dry thus enabling you to maintain your grip on the bars, rings and weights. The transition to rock climbing was inevitable.
Fast-forward to today and a chalk bag is on the list for every newbie climber buying gear. You see all types of chalk bags from every major climbing gear company. Hell I've even sent off some unique cloth that I've picked up to be made into chalk bags by Misty Mountain in North Carolina (seriously, they'll do it for like $25...custom chalk bag...pretty sweet and makes a great gift. Misty is such a cool company!). Chalk balls have also become commonplace. As opposed to loose chalk sitting in the chalk bag (which can easily spill), chalk balls are essentially a small sock or cheesecloth filled with chalk. Most gyms require people to use chalk balls instead of loose chalk to help limit the amount of chalk in the air and their ventilation systems (and your lungs).
How much chalk a climber uses varies widely from person to person (especially climber type), region to region and even seasonally. Some people's hands just sweat more for one reason or another and so they probably end up chalking up more. Climbers at a crag in the middle of a humid Southeast US summer will quite likely use more chalk than those in Yosemite or Joshua Tree. But those same Southeast US climbers might not use quite as much come October or November when the temps and humidity come down. I mentioned climber type because I'd venture a guess that boulderers probably use the most, followed by sport climbers and finally trad climbers. This really has more to do with the amount of traffic a route sees and proximity to chalk than anything else. I do all three of these and I use chalk as needed. When I'm bouldering, I know I'm using more chalk because I have a good bit of down-time between routes. Putting your hand in your chalk bag just becomes a rather thoughtless action when waiting to hit the next boulder problem. Whereas when I'm trad climbing I'm typically more concerned with placing gear and moving to the next stance. Chalking up is something I do when I have a stance and can relax for a moment. Sport climbing tends to fall in between.
Sadly, chalk gets used waaaaaay too much by climbers, sometimes to the point of actually making the route harder and the holds more difficult to grip. Just go climb something like Exoduster at the New River Gorge. It's a great route, but the crux is obviously more difficult because chalk is caked on the holds so thickly that it actually makes the sequence more difficult. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples out there. Actually, all you have to do is go to your local gym and over a couple of weeks pay attention to a particularly popular, but difficult bouldering route. Assuming the holds are generally clean from the beginning, you'll see the changes from when it's first set and then over the next few weeks as more and more people chalk up the holds and hardly anyone brushes them.
But then of course you have places that just don't allow chalk. Probably the most well-known "no-chalk" area is Elbsandsteingebierge on the Germany-Czech Republic border (another good link is here).
My buddy Alan visited there a few years ago and he said what climbing
they were able to do (it rained a good bit) was fantastic. There is
also the rule there of no metallic protection, so you place knots in the
rock. Just before he left for that trip we climbed Ecstasy at Seneca
Rocks in WV. It was a warm, sunny, early summer day and he did the
route without chalk. Good on ya Al!
One last thing. Take some time and use a few different types of chalk to see what works best for you. Different chalks work for different people. I used to use Metolius Super Chalk (who also makes an Eco friendly, non-marking chalk) and before that it was Bison. Then I had to get a chalk ball of SoIll because I was out of chalk and it's what my gym has available for sale. For some reason, SoIll just works for me like nothing else. Black Diamond also makes a very popular chalk, White Gold. I haven't used it so I can't really comment on it.
So in the end, what's the conclusion here? Chalk is going to be used by climbers. But it's up to us to try to use it sparingly, and rely more on our skills as climbers not something as minor as chalk. Blaming a lack of chalk for your inability to climb something is just a cheap, sad excuse for your lack of skills...don't use that as a way out. Lots of hard routes were put up and climbed repeatedly by climbers without chalk. Want an example? Here's a great one: Cemetery Gates. This route is E1 5b (about 5.9+/5.10a) and was put up in 1951. This video is of the FA crew repeating the route 33 years later. Note the shoes and the protection they're using. Listen to what he's saying about 'wet holds'...and then realize that neither one of them has a chalkbag...f'n badass man! Oh and if anyone wants to get on some nasty, chalk-caked route and clean it up with a big ol' metal wire grill brush (or maybe a powerwasher!) you'll be doing the community a great service and I doubt if you'll get any hecklers. If you do, send 'em my way! :-)
Stories, thoughts and reflections from my life.
- Hi, my name is Andy.
- I'm a climber, skier, hiker, and biker...among other things. I believe that communing with the outdoors can give us incredible insight into our lives, build friendships that last a lifetime, and open our eyes to the larger world around us. This is my blog. Welcome.
26 June 2013
22 April 2013
Even the best laid plans...are subject to change
Soooo remember how I said Alan and are going to Ireland? Yeah...about that. We've changed that plan. It came from a couple things.
One was the realization of the goals we want to accomplish. We want to climb and climb a lot. We want to be able to have different options available in case of inclement weather...and that means not just heading to a pub.
We also had a discussion about previous goals and unfinished work. Things that were essentially left "un-done" the last time we were in Britain. I think we both came to the conclusion that you only get so many shots at these kinds of big trips and if there's a possibility of doing something really cool, take the shot. If you get a 2nd shot at something, you damn well better take it or you're just plain dumb.
And finally...this is what sealed it...I had a discussion with my friend Simon who's climbed fairly extensively in Ireland and Britain. Simon's advice was to stick with Britain. Ireland, (especially the areas where we planned to go) while lovely, can be difficult to climb. The weather is one factor but the aspect of many cliffs is that they are north facing. He said it's great if you have the time and can pick exactly when to go out there...in other words, you live there. But otherwise, we're better off picking another place.
In the end, Alan and I talked it over and came to an agreement on Scotland. I've somehow managed to get three (yes three) weeks off from work this summer for this trip. That means I basically can't take any other time off but in the end I know it will be worth it. And this time we're flying into Edinburgh, Scotland. Though it was a bit more difficult to figure out, it should save us time since we won't have to travel up from London.
We have three main goals for this trip. Anything beyond these will be great but these are where we are focusing our efforts:
1. Climb "Centurion" on Ben Nevis. The last time we were in Scotland (late May 2010) there was still too much snow to safely climb on Ben Nevis. So this falls under the "2nd shot" I mentioned. It's a classic 7-pitch route that goes at about 5.9 (UK grade HVS 5a). I would also like to do "The Long Climb", another classic route on Ben Nevis that goes at about 5.75.8 (VS 4c), but at 10-pitches and about 425 meters long (just a 1/4 mile). For more info, check out this blog entry: http://yorkalpineclub.org.uk/blogs/?p=373
But what makes Ben Nevis even more daunting is that it's really an alpine day to do a route on it. When Alan and I were last in Scotland we had an approach hike in to Etive Slabs that took us about an hour or so. Two Scottish climbers we met there told us that it was easy by Scotland's standards. We haven't forgotten those words and know very well that we have to factor in probably a 1.5 to 2 hour hike-in just to the base of the climb.
2. Climb the "Old Man of Hoy". This is a dream climb for both of us. The Old Man of Hoy is a sea-stack just off the coast of the Island of Hoy in the Orkney Islands. It's a 4-pitch climb at about 5.9, but we may have to contend with some Fulmars (sea birds) that live around and on the stack. Hopefully none of them decide to puke on us...which is known to happen. Just getting out to Hoy will be a challenge. A long drive to the very north end of Scotland, then a ferry ride to Mainland Orkney (the big island), then another ferry ride to Hoy. Then after we climb the thing (fingers crossed the weather is good for us!) we get to reverse the route. It will all be worth though if it comes together anywhere near as-planned.
3. Climb the granite cracks of the small tidal island of Erraid, off the coast of the Isle of Mull. This place is just beautiful and remote. We'll have to take a ferry out to the Isle of Mull, which is on the west coast of Scotland. From there we drive to the far western end of the island and park the car. We then hike out to the island, crossing a tidal sandbar.
I randomly found this place when flipping through the Scotland climbing guidebook I have. I thought it looked pretty cool and the more Alan and I looked into the place, the more excited we both got to check it out live and in person.
So that's the new plan. We also have a list of a bunch of other smaller crags and places we want to get to. We're going to mostly camp, either in campgrounds or "in the wild" as they call it there. Scotland's laws on wild camping are very lenient and we'd like to take advantage of that and do it on the cheap when possible. That'll also let us shorten some approaches some days which is always a good thing.
The trip isn't until later this summer but I'll be sure to keep y'all up to date as things get closer. Until then, stay safe out there everyone and thanks for reading!
One was the realization of the goals we want to accomplish. We want to climb and climb a lot. We want to be able to have different options available in case of inclement weather...and that means not just heading to a pub.
We also had a discussion about previous goals and unfinished work. Things that were essentially left "un-done" the last time we were in Britain. I think we both came to the conclusion that you only get so many shots at these kinds of big trips and if there's a possibility of doing something really cool, take the shot. If you get a 2nd shot at something, you damn well better take it or you're just plain dumb.
And finally...this is what sealed it...I had a discussion with my friend Simon who's climbed fairly extensively in Ireland and Britain. Simon's advice was to stick with Britain. Ireland, (especially the areas where we planned to go) while lovely, can be difficult to climb. The weather is one factor but the aspect of many cliffs is that they are north facing. He said it's great if you have the time and can pick exactly when to go out there...in other words, you live there. But otherwise, we're better off picking another place.
In the end, Alan and I talked it over and came to an agreement on Scotland. I've somehow managed to get three (yes three) weeks off from work this summer for this trip. That means I basically can't take any other time off but in the end I know it will be worth it. And this time we're flying into Edinburgh, Scotland. Though it was a bit more difficult to figure out, it should save us time since we won't have to travel up from London.
We have three main goals for this trip. Anything beyond these will be great but these are where we are focusing our efforts:
1. Climb "Centurion" on Ben Nevis. The last time we were in Scotland (late May 2010) there was still too much snow to safely climb on Ben Nevis. So this falls under the "2nd shot" I mentioned. It's a classic 7-pitch route that goes at about 5.9 (UK grade HVS 5a). I would also like to do "The Long Climb", another classic route on Ben Nevis that goes at about 5.75.8 (VS 4c), but at 10-pitches and about 425 meters long (just a 1/4 mile). For more info, check out this blog entry: http://yorkalpineclub.org.uk/blogs/?p=373
But what makes Ben Nevis even more daunting is that it's really an alpine day to do a route on it. When Alan and I were last in Scotland we had an approach hike in to Etive Slabs that took us about an hour or so. Two Scottish climbers we met there told us that it was easy by Scotland's standards. We haven't forgotten those words and know very well that we have to factor in probably a 1.5 to 2 hour hike-in just to the base of the climb.
 |
| Ben Nevis |
2. Climb the "Old Man of Hoy". This is a dream climb for both of us. The Old Man of Hoy is a sea-stack just off the coast of the Island of Hoy in the Orkney Islands. It's a 4-pitch climb at about 5.9, but we may have to contend with some Fulmars (sea birds) that live around and on the stack. Hopefully none of them decide to puke on us...which is known to happen. Just getting out to Hoy will be a challenge. A long drive to the very north end of Scotland, then a ferry ride to Mainland Orkney (the big island), then another ferry ride to Hoy. Then after we climb the thing (fingers crossed the weather is good for us!) we get to reverse the route. It will all be worth though if it comes together anywhere near as-planned.
 |
| The Old Man of Hoy |
3. Climb the granite cracks of the small tidal island of Erraid, off the coast of the Isle of Mull. This place is just beautiful and remote. We'll have to take a ferry out to the Isle of Mull, which is on the west coast of Scotland. From there we drive to the far western end of the island and park the car. We then hike out to the island, crossing a tidal sandbar.
 |
| The main bay on Erraid |
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| Beautiful walls of granite |
I randomly found this place when flipping through the Scotland climbing guidebook I have. I thought it looked pretty cool and the more Alan and I looked into the place, the more excited we both got to check it out live and in person.
So that's the new plan. We also have a list of a bunch of other smaller crags and places we want to get to. We're going to mostly camp, either in campgrounds or "in the wild" as they call it there. Scotland's laws on wild camping are very lenient and we'd like to take advantage of that and do it on the cheap when possible. That'll also let us shorten some approaches some days which is always a good thing.
The trip isn't until later this summer but I'll be sure to keep y'all up to date as things get closer. Until then, stay safe out there everyone and thanks for reading!
02 April 2013
Catching up on Winter Adventures
"Stay...just a little big longer...we wanna play...just a little bit more..."
That's what I've thought about this winter. It's just been so good that I almost haven't wanted it to end. But since it is winding down, I figure it's time to sit down and write a blog entry on what I've been up to. I know it's been awhile since I've written so I'll catch up in one big swoop here.
Ok, so first after the Christmas trip to Vermont I didn't think I'd get back up there. But then I decided to go on my climbing club's annual trip to the Adirondaks to ice climb...aka the Daks Big Haus trip. Every year we rent a house up there for about 4 days and pile a bunch of crazy ice climbers into it. It started on a Thursday and ended on a Monday. So I figured, why not drive up to VT the weekend prior and then just spend the week until Thursday in VT, driving to the Keene, NY area on Thursday.
The trip worked out beautifully as I was able to play around with my (Alan's) ice tools at Moss Glen Falls (right by my sister's) and Springer Forest while I was waiting for new snow to fall.
New snow (about 8" or so) finally did show up on Tuesday night so I headed down to Mad River Glen the next morning. Wow. What an amazing day that was. I'd always wanted to ski Mad River in great powder conditions and this was it...or so I thought. As I finished up that day and headed into the lodge I noticed it had started snowing. By the time I got inside and sat down in the pub it was snowing pretty steady. I wondered about the forecast (they hadn't mentioned this snow earlier) and sure enough we were under a Winter Weather Advisory. I got back to Stowe and spent the evening out with my sister...it continued to snow. We were both wondering, "What's the deal with this snow? I love it but what's up?" I checked the forecast again...Winter Storm Warning! Sweet! Needless to say, I was back at Mad River on Thursday after another 8-10" dump of fresh snow. Another amazing day.
Quick side note...I actually injured my right kneecap on Wed at MRG. I was in mid-tele with the right knee down and in deep powder when the bottom dropped out and my knee went down, hitting something hard down there. I kept it moving and tried to "walk it off" which I did OK during the day. As soon as I was sitting in the car for awhile though...ouch. Hurt like hell. I ended up having to take it easy with the ice climbing and I bought a set of Black Diamond Telekinesis knee-pads. I don't ski without them now and I hardly notice they're on; they easily fit underneath my ski bibs as well.
The 2nd half of that trip was spent ice climbing in the Daks with the Potomac Mountaineering Club (PMC). Great trip...even though I had to share a bed with another guy (Eric) and even though my knee kept me from feeling 100%. It was still a lot of fun. I went to that trip with a very limited amount of time on ice. I had been once before, years back, with Alan at Whiteoak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park. I had also spent a couple days earlier in the week soloing some easy stuff in VT. Graciously, a couple of the experienced guys ended up doing two days of top-rope setups for us ice climbing Newbies. It allowed us to try out a lot of different tools and see how they swing. The third day, a couple of other experienced ice climbers did the same thing, setting up a bunch of top ropes that everyone could do some laps on. I also got to follow Kelly on a single-pitch route and remove ice screws. All-in-all it was a very sweet trip. I learned a lot of new skills and made some great new friends. I won't forget that trip anytime soon and I have to admit I was sad to see it end.
There have been numerous trips this winter to Whitegrass to ski. For those that don't know, Whitegrass is a Nordic ski center with no ski lifts in Canaan Valley, WV (www.whitegrass.com). You either snowshoe, cross-country ski, or backcountry ski (either using skins or skis with fish scales...aka waxless. You could also use climbing wax but I don't think it's efficient at Whitegrass...too much time scraping and waxing IMHO). We ski telemark (free heel) but you could also use an alpine-touring (AT) setup.
Most trips to Whitegrass have been great with the snow being light and fluffy on top, packing down fairly well a few inches beneath the surface. The stuff in the trees has been even better and deeper...about 8-10" or so. Lots of runs through the trees linking some beautiful tele turns. Nothing beats just cruising down around the trees through untouched fluffly white powder. Heaven. Chip (the owner) has been spot on with his assessment this winter, "Utah powder, West Virginia prices." That doesn't happen every year (as evidenced by last year) but when it does, get out and ski the crap outta that place!
For map references of where I'm talking about at Whitegrass, click here: http://www.whitegrass.com/downloads%202011/Map2011LG.jpg
A very memorable day was when I thought I was going to be skiing solo and then I ran into Patrick, an acquaintance I had skied with last year at the Gulf of Slides on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. We decided to meet up in Springer Orchard awhile later. After I had made a bunch of fun runs I saw a group of 3 coming up. No big deal...didn't think much of it. And then they got a bit closer and I hear someone say, "See! I told you it was him...I knew he'd be here this weekend. What's up Caaaandy Andy?" Up rolls Alan, Gene, and Alex. What followed was an awesome day of skiing some great powder with a great bunch of friends. So great in fact that we decided to skip out on work on Wednesday and head back for more. Unfortunately, Whitegrass got just enough of a light rain/drizzle to put down a thin layer of ice on top of the powder. This made Wednesday's conditions downright difficult. Gene was having a blast though, taking pictures with his really good camera of us falling and skiing (but mostly falling:-).
I think it was the weekend before that I went out there with my friend Leah. She wanted to get in some snowshoeing so I skied alongside her (or in the general vicinity) for awhile and it actually worked out really well. At some point we came out into Upper Springer Orchard. On the eastern (right) side of Upper Springer is this large tree that kinda stands alone. On that day it was just plastered white with snow and the contrast between it and the dark pine trees behind it made for an amazing scene.
We worked our way down to Lower Springer and I skied down a small slope and out into the Lower Orchard, which on the right side drops steeply into a drainage swale. I was amazed at how nice the snow was there. It helped that it was snowing pretty heavily at this time as well. I ended up telling Leah to just head back to the main lodge...I was going to be there awhile. Indeed. I made ten runs down that slope!
One of the best and most memorable runs at Whitegrass this year was with my friend Jack. There were four of us skiing that day: me, Jack, Doug and Mitch. Doug and Mitch were skinning with their bigger skis while Jack and I were on waxless Karhu 10th Mountain skis (lightweight backcountry). Once we skied up to Bald Knob (pretty much the local high point around Whitegrass) we decided to split up. Doug and Mitch were headed out on the pipeline that runs south from Bald Knob. Jack and I decided to head down to Upper Springer. I knew of an area along the fenceline on the western edge that usually had really good snow. Standing on top of Bald Knob I decided to give it a look and see what I thought. Jack took the trail that leads down and around to the base of the steep drop. Most of the time Bald Knob isn't skiable, but sometimes the left side will catch enough snow to be "do-able". That day it was do-able. The top was garbage but there was a line I could use to pick my way further down to where the good snow started. I slowly worked my way around some small blueberry bushes and a bit of ice, stepping down and side-slipping to finally get to the good stuff. Once Jack got down there below me he broke out his camera and I took off (where are those pics???). The steep snow was actually really deep and the turns were just heaven. No one had skied this upper stuff yet. I flew down the steep section, past the upper fenceline opening and then down into Upper Springer, stopping before the big drop from Upper Springer that goes down into the meadow...I had to wait for Jack for this...I knew this was going to be pretty amazing. That run down Bald Knob was sweet, but this would be better. Once Jack caught up I told him where I was headed, "Right between those two big pines...we're gonna hit that gap fast!" I had been in Upper Springer the weekend before and skied this same area, but this particular section didn't have enough snow...now it did and I knew it would be sweet. Carving through that snow on the way, skis straight down the fall line, I felt like I was on the edge of control. I had sooo much speed, yet every tele turn was flowing perfectly into the next. It was a perfect example of why I ski tele...grace, flow, control. Nothing is jerky. Nothing erratic. I cut over just a bit right to hit the gap between these huge 40+' pines and then blasted out into the open meadow below. Once on the flat area there I figured I'd stop, though I had plenty of speed to carry me into Lower Springer. To my surprise, Jack was pretty much right behind me. I didn't realize he was basically following my line. We looked at each other and just had huge ear-to-ear grins, "Wow...THAT was amazing." I couldn't contain my excitement and we had to go hit it again. While I'm sure the other runs were good, they could never be as sweet as that first one through that fresh, untracked powder. If I had to pick one run that I will remember from this winter, that would be it. Many others come close (including the one below), but this one down Upper Springer truly was "Almost Heaven".
Another Whitegrass adventure....I was lucky enough (and crazy enough) to take the unexpected day-off for the "snowquester" and head out with my friend Dustin to Whitegrass. The snow was wet and sloppy from about Manassas, VA into West Virginia. But once we hit the Mt. Storm area I noticed the flakes were much lighter and didn't just splatter on the windshield. I had a feeling we were in for something good. When we arrived at Whitegrass we were greeted with at least 14" of fresh powder. This was on top of a nearly 2' base. Yes, this is Canaan Valley, WV in a good year. We skied the north face of Bald Knob that day, something that is not usually skiable. The powder was steep and deep. We actually cut a boot trail on skier's left along the tree line so that we could make multiple runs. Some other areas of Whitegrass that are normally great in 8-10" of powder were just simply overwhelmed by this much snow. We sought out some steep areas and just had an absolute blast with the unexpected gift from Ullr.
The weekend of 23/24 MAR was probably my last ski trip this winter. Jack and I were skiing at Whitegrass on Saturday, which saw mostly "spring conditions" with some soft snow, corn snow, and a bit of a little more than dust-on-crust. In many places there was about 3" or so on top of a very firm base. Where you could find these conditions the skiing was fast. On one particular run in Upper Springer Orchard you had to make very quick decisions as there were some exposed rocks and small grassy patches. However, the snow was just a dream to ski, linking tele turn to tele turn. On Sunday we ended up skinning at Canaan Valley State Park ski area, which had already closed for the year. All the runs still had snow, though Saturday's warm temps had turned much of the dust-on-crust into boilerplate or very firm powder. We did manage to find some good stuff though and as the day wound down it started to snow. By the time we got in our last run it had been snowing for about 30 min...enough time to stack up about 1/8-1/4"...just enough to make for one last fun run.
So that's a wrap-up on this winter. Now, I'm getting ready for the climbing season and another international trip. Plans are in-flux but I'll try to get a post up about all that sometime soon.
That's what I've thought about this winter. It's just been so good that I almost haven't wanted it to end. But since it is winding down, I figure it's time to sit down and write a blog entry on what I've been up to. I know it's been awhile since I've written so I'll catch up in one big swoop here.
Ok, so first after the Christmas trip to Vermont I didn't think I'd get back up there. But then I decided to go on my climbing club's annual trip to the Adirondaks to ice climb...aka the Daks Big Haus trip. Every year we rent a house up there for about 4 days and pile a bunch of crazy ice climbers into it. It started on a Thursday and ended on a Monday. So I figured, why not drive up to VT the weekend prior and then just spend the week until Thursday in VT, driving to the Keene, NY area on Thursday.
The trip worked out beautifully as I was able to play around with my (Alan's) ice tools at Moss Glen Falls (right by my sister's) and Springer Forest while I was waiting for new snow to fall.
 |
| Lower Moss Glen Falls |
 |
| Upper Moss Glen Falls. Soloing up above open water isn't something I want to repeat anytime soon. |
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| Springer Forest Gorge |
New snow (about 8" or so) finally did show up on Tuesday night so I headed down to Mad River Glen the next morning. Wow. What an amazing day that was. I'd always wanted to ski Mad River in great powder conditions and this was it...or so I thought. As I finished up that day and headed into the lodge I noticed it had started snowing. By the time I got inside and sat down in the pub it was snowing pretty steady. I wondered about the forecast (they hadn't mentioned this snow earlier) and sure enough we were under a Winter Weather Advisory. I got back to Stowe and spent the evening out with my sister...it continued to snow. We were both wondering, "What's the deal with this snow? I love it but what's up?" I checked the forecast again...Winter Storm Warning! Sweet! Needless to say, I was back at Mad River on Thursday after another 8-10" dump of fresh snow. Another amazing day.
Quick side note...I actually injured my right kneecap on Wed at MRG. I was in mid-tele with the right knee down and in deep powder when the bottom dropped out and my knee went down, hitting something hard down there. I kept it moving and tried to "walk it off" which I did OK during the day. As soon as I was sitting in the car for awhile though...ouch. Hurt like hell. I ended up having to take it easy with the ice climbing and I bought a set of Black Diamond Telekinesis knee-pads. I don't ski without them now and I hardly notice they're on; they easily fit underneath my ski bibs as well.
The 2nd half of that trip was spent ice climbing in the Daks with the Potomac Mountaineering Club (PMC). Great trip...even though I had to share a bed with another guy (Eric) and even though my knee kept me from feeling 100%. It was still a lot of fun. I went to that trip with a very limited amount of time on ice. I had been once before, years back, with Alan at Whiteoak Canyon in Shenandoah National Park. I had also spent a couple days earlier in the week soloing some easy stuff in VT. Graciously, a couple of the experienced guys ended up doing two days of top-rope setups for us ice climbing Newbies. It allowed us to try out a lot of different tools and see how they swing. The third day, a couple of other experienced ice climbers did the same thing, setting up a bunch of top ropes that everyone could do some laps on. I also got to follow Kelly on a single-pitch route and remove ice screws. All-in-all it was a very sweet trip. I learned a lot of new skills and made some great new friends. I won't forget that trip anytime soon and I have to admit I was sad to see it end.
There have been numerous trips this winter to Whitegrass to ski. For those that don't know, Whitegrass is a Nordic ski center with no ski lifts in Canaan Valley, WV (www.whitegrass.com). You either snowshoe, cross-country ski, or backcountry ski (either using skins or skis with fish scales...aka waxless. You could also use climbing wax but I don't think it's efficient at Whitegrass...too much time scraping and waxing IMHO). We ski telemark (free heel) but you could also use an alpine-touring (AT) setup.
Most trips to Whitegrass have been great with the snow being light and fluffy on top, packing down fairly well a few inches beneath the surface. The stuff in the trees has been even better and deeper...about 8-10" or so. Lots of runs through the trees linking some beautiful tele turns. Nothing beats just cruising down around the trees through untouched fluffly white powder. Heaven. Chip (the owner) has been spot on with his assessment this winter, "Utah powder, West Virginia prices." That doesn't happen every year (as evidenced by last year) but when it does, get out and ski the crap outta that place!
For map references of where I'm talking about at Whitegrass, click here: http://www.whitegrass.com/downloads%202011/Map2011LG.jpg
A very memorable day was when I thought I was going to be skiing solo and then I ran into Patrick, an acquaintance I had skied with last year at the Gulf of Slides on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. We decided to meet up in Springer Orchard awhile later. After I had made a bunch of fun runs I saw a group of 3 coming up. No big deal...didn't think much of it. And then they got a bit closer and I hear someone say, "See! I told you it was him...I knew he'd be here this weekend. What's up Caaaandy Andy?" Up rolls Alan, Gene, and Alex. What followed was an awesome day of skiing some great powder with a great bunch of friends. So great in fact that we decided to skip out on work on Wednesday and head back for more. Unfortunately, Whitegrass got just enough of a light rain/drizzle to put down a thin layer of ice on top of the powder. This made Wednesday's conditions downright difficult. Gene was having a blast though, taking pictures with his really good camera of us falling and skiing (but mostly falling:-).
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| I love this place! :-) |
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| I snapped this one of Alan and it turned out pretty well. |
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| Good tele form...dunno where my helmet is though. Dumb! |
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| Gene perfectly capturing my day...ouch. |
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| Team Red Jacket! Alan, Andy and Gene |
I think it was the weekend before that I went out there with my friend Leah. She wanted to get in some snowshoeing so I skied alongside her (or in the general vicinity) for awhile and it actually worked out really well. At some point we came out into Upper Springer Orchard. On the eastern (right) side of Upper Springer is this large tree that kinda stands alone. On that day it was just plastered white with snow and the contrast between it and the dark pine trees behind it made for an amazing scene.
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| Leah and the cool white tree behind her |
One of the best and most memorable runs at Whitegrass this year was with my friend Jack. There were four of us skiing that day: me, Jack, Doug and Mitch. Doug and Mitch were skinning with their bigger skis while Jack and I were on waxless Karhu 10th Mountain skis (lightweight backcountry). Once we skied up to Bald Knob (pretty much the local high point around Whitegrass) we decided to split up. Doug and Mitch were headed out on the pipeline that runs south from Bald Knob. Jack and I decided to head down to Upper Springer. I knew of an area along the fenceline on the western edge that usually had really good snow. Standing on top of Bald Knob I decided to give it a look and see what I thought. Jack took the trail that leads down and around to the base of the steep drop. Most of the time Bald Knob isn't skiable, but sometimes the left side will catch enough snow to be "do-able". That day it was do-able. The top was garbage but there was a line I could use to pick my way further down to where the good snow started. I slowly worked my way around some small blueberry bushes and a bit of ice, stepping down and side-slipping to finally get to the good stuff. Once Jack got down there below me he broke out his camera and I took off (where are those pics???). The steep snow was actually really deep and the turns were just heaven. No one had skied this upper stuff yet. I flew down the steep section, past the upper fenceline opening and then down into Upper Springer, stopping before the big drop from Upper Springer that goes down into the meadow...I had to wait for Jack for this...I knew this was going to be pretty amazing. That run down Bald Knob was sweet, but this would be better. Once Jack caught up I told him where I was headed, "Right between those two big pines...we're gonna hit that gap fast!" I had been in Upper Springer the weekend before and skied this same area, but this particular section didn't have enough snow...now it did and I knew it would be sweet. Carving through that snow on the way, skis straight down the fall line, I felt like I was on the edge of control. I had sooo much speed, yet every tele turn was flowing perfectly into the next. It was a perfect example of why I ski tele...grace, flow, control. Nothing is jerky. Nothing erratic. I cut over just a bit right to hit the gap between these huge 40+' pines and then blasted out into the open meadow below. Once on the flat area there I figured I'd stop, though I had plenty of speed to carry me into Lower Springer. To my surprise, Jack was pretty much right behind me. I didn't realize he was basically following my line. We looked at each other and just had huge ear-to-ear grins, "Wow...THAT was amazing." I couldn't contain my excitement and we had to go hit it again. While I'm sure the other runs were good, they could never be as sweet as that first one through that fresh, untracked powder. If I had to pick one run that I will remember from this winter, that would be it. Many others come close (including the one below), but this one down Upper Springer truly was "Almost Heaven".
Another Whitegrass adventure....I was lucky enough (and crazy enough) to take the unexpected day-off for the "snowquester" and head out with my friend Dustin to Whitegrass. The snow was wet and sloppy from about Manassas, VA into West Virginia. But once we hit the Mt. Storm area I noticed the flakes were much lighter and didn't just splatter on the windshield. I had a feeling we were in for something good. When we arrived at Whitegrass we were greeted with at least 14" of fresh powder. This was on top of a nearly 2' base. Yes, this is Canaan Valley, WV in a good year. We skied the north face of Bald Knob that day, something that is not usually skiable. The powder was steep and deep. We actually cut a boot trail on skier's left along the tree line so that we could make multiple runs. Some other areas of Whitegrass that are normally great in 8-10" of powder were just simply overwhelmed by this much snow. We sought out some steep areas and just had an absolute blast with the unexpected gift from Ullr.
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| Jack under the non-operating lifts at Canaan Valley SP and Ski Area |
So that's a wrap-up on this winter. Now, I'm getting ready for the climbing season and another international trip. Plans are in-flux but I'll try to get a post up about all that sometime soon.
14 February 2013
Some snow and some slab (climbing)
Sheesh...I haven't written anything in awhile. There's just been a lot going on I guess and sometimes it's hard to carve out time to blog. Weekends have been filled with one skiing trip after another. Any of you that I'm Facebook friends with have probably seen the pics.
We've been incredibly fortunate the past few weeks to get a lot of good snow in Canaan Valley, WV. So that means I've spent a good bit of time at Whitegrass XC Ski Center (www.whitegrass.com). The powder was just amazing and there's nothing quite like taking a lightweight telemark setup into this little backcountry heaven and earning some seriously awesome turns. Of course I've taken my share of falls too but thankfully the powder has been forgiving and no serious injuries have resulted (*knocks on wood*). Hopefully the winter will continue to build on the good base that's out there now and we'll have a month or so more of decent skiing.
On the climbing side of things, my friend Alan and I made a visit about a month ago to Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina. I'd never been there. While I was climbing I wondered just what the hell had possessed me to want to go there...what was I thinking! But now, looking back, I can't wait to go again. Stone is mostly friction slab climbing on granite. The steeper the angle, the harder the climb. There are one or two climbs that you can protect well with trad gear (such as the Great Arch). Most climbs are sparsely bolted...meaning like 2 bolts over a 100 ft pitch and then anchors. Yeah. Exhilarating is a great word for this place. Luckily, you generally want to climb here in the colder months. The most popular area is southern facing and gets sun nearly all day. In addition, the humidity is usually lower in the colder months too, giving you much better traction on the rock.
Stone is a traditional "ground-up" area where new routes have always been and hopefully always will be established by climbing up and placing new bolts while on lead. Old bolts have been replaced while on rappel, which is acceptable. But rappelling in to place bolts for a new route (aka 'rap-bolting) is not acceptable at Stone. Good. We need places like this. There are enough places of the other kind...far too many in my opinion. This is a large part of what makes Stone unique. It is scary, no doubt.
I looked up at the climb called "Yardarm". Alan asked if I was ready to lead a "real" Stone route. "Yup, let's do it." I replied. Alan says to me, "Ok, you got something the anchor? Cuz here's all you'll need for the climb." And he handed me two quickdraws. Yes, two. I took some thin trad gear with me in the vain hope that might find some placement somewhere...perhaps it just made me feel better or maybe I thought of it as good luck charm. Whatever the case, the gear went unused.
Friction slab is all about getting as much of the top half of your foot on the rock as possible, smearing it on there and then standing up that foot to move the other foot up. Your hands are gripping whatever is available, but mostly they're just really helping you to maintain balance (if you've done some work with big sloper holds it will really help). Occasionally you'll come across a real crimp, an edge, or something you can actually grip with your hand/fingers...it feels like the largest hold ever. It's like you just reached a huge ledge. If you start to fall or think you might fall on slab, you stay facing the rock and just kinda let your weight sink straight down and onto your feet. This happened to me once. My feet slipped down about an inch or so and I just stopped where I was, half-terrified, half-relieved.
Climbing up to that first bolt was a mental exercise and then some. It's about 40 ft up there. There is no other protection between you and the large ledge you start from. With every step up I exhaled. I had been listening to Alan do this and realized that it was an incredibly smart technique. With every exhalation I was relaxing and ensuring a solid weight transference to foot still on the rock while moving the next foot up with focused precision.
You do not move that fast. You take small steps. You keep your weight balanced and lean your butt out. You are patient, cool, calm, and collected. When I was within about 10 ft of that first bolt I kept looking over to my right and then back down and straight in front of me...then back to the right again. There was a large, left-facing corner about 15-20 ft to my right with plenty of gear placements. I forced myself to stay focused on the task at hand. I thought I was quite likely going to fall. The muscles in my calves and shins were burning...they weren't used to these kinds of stances and this kind of work. Focusing on just the area I could really see around me, I slowly moved one foot at time...small steps, small movements, and with my weight centered over the top of each move.
I reached the first bolt. Wow. Now there was another mental battle. Could I go on? I had set this bolt as my goal in the short term, knowing I could bail and let Alan finish the route. But I told myself, "this seems kinda fun. Why don't I just make a few moves right here above this bolt and see how it goes?" Then I made a few more moves...and a few more. Before I knew it, I was 20 ft above the bolt and well on my way to the 2nd bolt and then the anchors.
Alan later told me that he was ready to finish the route for me, but he wasn't going to suggest it, knowing that this might give me an easy way out. He did exactly what a good climbing partner should do. Sometimes you just gotta keep quiet and let the leader make their decisions...let them figure it out and work through their own struggles. By doing that, I grew. Had I given up I would've sold myself short...not really believing in myself. Alan could've helped me do that, but instead he kept quiet and let me work through the mental crux of friction slab climbing...putting an amazing amount of trust in your feet and just finding a way to relax your body...and your brain.
All told, we did some excellent lines over those two days there. Alan even led a very hard route that I'm still not sure how I followed. It was in the 5.10 range for sure. Stone was a blast and I look forward to going back sometime soon. Perhaps next time it'll be me taking a Stone Mtn newbie to watch them practically mess their pants. :-)
We've been incredibly fortunate the past few weeks to get a lot of good snow in Canaan Valley, WV. So that means I've spent a good bit of time at Whitegrass XC Ski Center (www.whitegrass.com). The powder was just amazing and there's nothing quite like taking a lightweight telemark setup into this little backcountry heaven and earning some seriously awesome turns. Of course I've taken my share of falls too but thankfully the powder has been forgiving and no serious injuries have resulted (*knocks on wood*). Hopefully the winter will continue to build on the good base that's out there now and we'll have a month or so more of decent skiing.
On the climbing side of things, my friend Alan and I made a visit about a month ago to Stone Mountain State Park in North Carolina. I'd never been there. While I was climbing I wondered just what the hell had possessed me to want to go there...what was I thinking! But now, looking back, I can't wait to go again. Stone is mostly friction slab climbing on granite. The steeper the angle, the harder the climb. There are one or two climbs that you can protect well with trad gear (such as the Great Arch). Most climbs are sparsely bolted...meaning like 2 bolts over a 100 ft pitch and then anchors. Yeah. Exhilarating is a great word for this place. Luckily, you generally want to climb here in the colder months. The most popular area is southern facing and gets sun nearly all day. In addition, the humidity is usually lower in the colder months too, giving you much better traction on the rock.
Stone is a traditional "ground-up" area where new routes have always been and hopefully always will be established by climbing up and placing new bolts while on lead. Old bolts have been replaced while on rappel, which is acceptable. But rappelling in to place bolts for a new route (aka 'rap-bolting) is not acceptable at Stone. Good. We need places like this. There are enough places of the other kind...far too many in my opinion. This is a large part of what makes Stone unique. It is scary, no doubt.
I looked up at the climb called "Yardarm". Alan asked if I was ready to lead a "real" Stone route. "Yup, let's do it." I replied. Alan says to me, "Ok, you got something the anchor? Cuz here's all you'll need for the climb." And he handed me two quickdraws. Yes, two. I took some thin trad gear with me in the vain hope that might find some placement somewhere...perhaps it just made me feel better or maybe I thought of it as good luck charm. Whatever the case, the gear went unused.
Friction slab is all about getting as much of the top half of your foot on the rock as possible, smearing it on there and then standing up that foot to move the other foot up. Your hands are gripping whatever is available, but mostly they're just really helping you to maintain balance (if you've done some work with big sloper holds it will really help). Occasionally you'll come across a real crimp, an edge, or something you can actually grip with your hand/fingers...it feels like the largest hold ever. It's like you just reached a huge ledge. If you start to fall or think you might fall on slab, you stay facing the rock and just kinda let your weight sink straight down and onto your feet. This happened to me once. My feet slipped down about an inch or so and I just stopped where I was, half-terrified, half-relieved.
Climbing up to that first bolt was a mental exercise and then some. It's about 40 ft up there. There is no other protection between you and the large ledge you start from. With every step up I exhaled. I had been listening to Alan do this and realized that it was an incredibly smart technique. With every exhalation I was relaxing and ensuring a solid weight transference to foot still on the rock while moving the next foot up with focused precision.
You do not move that fast. You take small steps. You keep your weight balanced and lean your butt out. You are patient, cool, calm, and collected. When I was within about 10 ft of that first bolt I kept looking over to my right and then back down and straight in front of me...then back to the right again. There was a large, left-facing corner about 15-20 ft to my right with plenty of gear placements. I forced myself to stay focused on the task at hand. I thought I was quite likely going to fall. The muscles in my calves and shins were burning...they weren't used to these kinds of stances and this kind of work. Focusing on just the area I could really see around me, I slowly moved one foot at time...small steps, small movements, and with my weight centered over the top of each move.
I reached the first bolt. Wow. Now there was another mental battle. Could I go on? I had set this bolt as my goal in the short term, knowing I could bail and let Alan finish the route. But I told myself, "this seems kinda fun. Why don't I just make a few moves right here above this bolt and see how it goes?" Then I made a few more moves...and a few more. Before I knew it, I was 20 ft above the bolt and well on my way to the 2nd bolt and then the anchors.
Alan later told me that he was ready to finish the route for me, but he wasn't going to suggest it, knowing that this might give me an easy way out. He did exactly what a good climbing partner should do. Sometimes you just gotta keep quiet and let the leader make their decisions...let them figure it out and work through their own struggles. By doing that, I grew. Had I given up I would've sold myself short...not really believing in myself. Alan could've helped me do that, but instead he kept quiet and let me work through the mental crux of friction slab climbing...putting an amazing amount of trust in your feet and just finding a way to relax your body...and your brain.
All told, we did some excellent lines over those two days there. Alan even led a very hard route that I'm still not sure how I followed. It was in the 5.10 range for sure. Stone was a blast and I look forward to going back sometime soon. Perhaps next time it'll be me taking a Stone Mtn newbie to watch them practically mess their pants. :-)
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| Yup. We toasted a great day with the drink of Alpinists...some great Scotch from one of our adventures in the UK. |
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| The lovely South Face of Stone Mountain, NC. You can see the Great Arch directly above me. |
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| Alan on Fleet Feet. Take the flake up till ends, then cut left on slab past 2 bolts to the anchor. Scary fun! |
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| Crushed it! |
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| The middle-of-nowhere breakfast spot we found on the way home. Good NC eats! :-) |
09 January 2013
2012 Reflections
Though it's now over a week into January 2013, I find it useful and necessary to reflect on 2012. Below are some things that I learned and discovered about myself. I figured I'd share. These are in no particular order; I simply typed them out as they came to me.
03 January 2013
Resolutions
As it is the beginning of the new year I think it's only appropriate that I have some resolutions. I feel inclined to share. So in no particular order, I resolve to...
31 December 2012
Flow into 2013
-Day 31 of 31-
Wow. What a month. There's been plenty to reflect on and talk about in this blog over the past month. I took on this "Nablopomo" challenge to see if I could actually stick with it and to push myself to think a little harder about why it is I do some things like climbing and skiing and what those things mean to me in larger scale of my life.
Wow. What a month. There's been plenty to reflect on and talk about in this blog over the past month. I took on this "Nablopomo" challenge to see if I could actually stick with it and to push myself to think a little harder about why it is I do some things like climbing and skiing and what those things mean to me in larger scale of my life.
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