March 19th, 2010 by admin

Men’s Journal has a great climbing story on their website in which a team of crack climbers take on big walls in Borneo, and find an amazing, untapped wilderness, that is unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. That team consisted of Mark Synnott, Conrad Anker, Alex Honnold, Jimmy Chin, and Kevin Thaw, an experienced and very talented group to be sure.

The team traveled to the tropical paradise to challenge the 13,500 foot tall Mount Kinabalu, which is summitted by thousands of tourists every year. But these two didn’t come to take the trail to the top, but elect to take on the north side of the mountain, in a place called Low’s Gully, which they describe as a 10-mile long rift that was carved out of the mountain by a glacier 10,000 years ago. The area is so remote and rugged, that to the author’s knowledge, only three teams have ever climbed along that route.

The climb turned into a logistical challenge just to get close to the gully that they would be attacking. Back in 1994, a British military team went there on a training exercise, making a descent of the face, and ended up spending 31 days trying to find their way back out again. The region can be very dangerous, and the officials in Borneo are reluctant to let anyone go there, even climbers with the resume of this group. Still, the managed to eventually get the permits they needed and

The plan was to rappel down into the gully, then climb the face back up. But there was very little intel on the face itself, and the team had to put together a plan based on sketchy information from the British team, which was a disaster, and a Spanish team that had made a similar climb ten years ago.

Eventually the do begin the climb, and the story is a good one. You have some of the best climbers in the world working together on a virtually unknown wall, in a far flung, remote, and exotic location. Definitely a good read and one that will get your heart pumping this morning.

March 13th, 2010 by admin

Awhile back I posted a story about a promising looking climbing film called The North Face, and that it was about to get a release in the U.S. It turns out it was a fairly limited release, and while I waited and watched for it to come to my local theater, it never arrived. Now, I live in Austin, TX, which has quite a reputation as a “movie town”. Heck, SXSW is starting this week, and literally dozens of films will be debuting there, so you can imagine my disappointment when the movie wasn’t scheduled to play here.

Enter, REI. Yes, the gear store. Thankfully, they picked up the film and have been showing it off in some of their stores. When I saw it show up on my event calendar for March, I immediately made reservations, and planned to catch it. Last night, that finally happened, and I can tell you it was worth the wait.

The movie tells the tale of two German climbers, Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser (Played by Benno Furmann and Florian Lukas), who set out to challenge the Eiger back in 1936. At that time, climbing was quite the obsession in Europe, with newspaper stories written about mountaineers and their daring deeds. It was also a matter of national pride for climbers from a specific country to make a first ascent, something that would spur Kurz and Hinterstoisser on, as they made their attempt on the “Europe’s last great problem” in the name of the Fuhrer.

The film is beautifully shot, with both the landscapes and the action coming across very realistically. This is a movie that captures the essence of climbing, and the men who love it so. It is also historically accurate, and there were a number of times that I was struck by how primitive Kurz and Hinterstoisser’s gear was while I watched them climb. Everything form the clothes they wore, the packs they used, and even the pitons they pounded into the rock were painstakingly recreated, and it gives the film a level of realism that isn’t always found in these kinds of movies.

Those who know the tales of the Eiger know doubt know this tale too. I won’t spoil it for those that don’t, but it plays out on the screen very well, It is gripping to watch, and even while sitting in an REI store, I was riveted to the screen, watching the events play out. The characters are extremely well developed, the acting is superb, and, everything comes together on multiple levels. This isn’t Cliffhanger. This is a different kind of climbing film, and fans of the sport will enjoy it greatly. Historians of the sport will likely fall in love with it.

In case you couldn’t tell, I loved the film, and recommend it very highly. If you get the chance, you must see it. I’m not sure when it comes out on DVD, but I’ll definitely be looking to add it to my collection. And I can’t give a film a higher rating than that. Really great stuff.

March 9th, 2010 by admin

The National Geographic Adventure Blog continues to keep us up to date on all manner of stories from the outdoor world. Today, they have a story about a team of climbers that have recently climbed a remote peak in China, and made the first ski descent of the mountain.

The climbing team, which consisted of Kasha Rigby, Ingrid Backstrom, Guila Monega, and Jimmy Chin, made their way to Western China to challenge the 20,000 foot Reddomaine, a summit that falls in the Minya Konka massif. The mountain itself had been climbed a number of times before, but no one had ever skied its slopes, and while it wasn’t one of the best known peaks in the world, it offered plenty of challenge.

The climbers took a few chances on their way to the top. They pushed back their turn-around time on multiple occasions, and kept going up despite the hours trickling away. They had to over come some rather technical sections along the way as well, but late in the afternoon on Summit Day, they at last stood on top. It had taken them 12 hours to reach that point, and they would spend another three skiing back to base camp. But it sounds like it was all worth it in the end.

The article notes that this type of climb is becoming more and more popular. Mountaineers are seeking out new challenges on remote and unclimbed peaks, rather than going after the famous 8000 meter summits. They permits are cheaper and easier to obtain, and the technical challenges are more of a draw, so while the crowds continue to grow on Everest, the top climbers are going elsewhere to find what they are looking for. Seems like a really great trend if you ask me.

March 5th, 2010 by admin

The Gear Junkie has posted a story today about Troy Aupperle, an American climber who has successfully climbed each of the Seven Summits. He shares a few stories from his adventures, including hiding in the back of a 4×4 to get a crack at Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, while taking the opportunity to plug his nutritional philosophy that he claims helped to get him to the top of all of those mountains.

When he began his quest to scale the highest mountains on each of the seven continents, Aupperle hoped to set a new record for shortest time to complete those climbs. That didn’t happen, but he still managed to knock off each of the mountains in just two years time, which is plenty fast and ambitious in my mind. In the process, he spent roughly $150,000 realizing his goal.

But for the 44-year old business man this was just another opportunity to promote his products, which in this case, are a series of enzyme nutritional supplements that he swears helped him increase his energy and conditioning. Aupperle thinks that other mountaineers and athletes can see performance gains from his example as well. He also credits a number of other supplements for helping him be successful in the mountains, such as antioxidant products, probiotic bacteria, and medicinal silver.

As someone who works out regularly and tries to stay fit, reading about the nutritional habits can be interesting and useful at times. But in this case, I would have preferred more of the story focus on the Seven Summits and Aupperle’s experiences there. The story of being smuggled into Carstensz Pyramid is the stuff of high adventure, and I would like to hear more about that, rather than the pills he was popping on summit day. Still, I thought some might find his story interesting and possibly helpful. Anyone else use enzymes and other supplements to improve their performance at altitude?

March 5th, 2010 by admin

We’ve been hearing rumblings about this for sometime, but now it’s official. According to this story from Matador Sports, the International Olympic Committee has accepted sport climbing as an event, which makes it eligible to be included in the 2020 Summer Games.

As the article points out, sport climbing has been growing in popularity across the globe, not just as by those looking to climb, but also as a spectator sport. It has a great following in Europe already, with televised events and solid media coverage. Here in the States, bouldering has begun to get similar attention as well, although it is far from a mainstream attraction. Of course, the sport has ten more years to build on its growing popularity before it appears on an Olympic schedule, so we’ll see how it falls on the cultural landscape in a decade.

Personally, I think climbers are superb athletes, and I enjoy watching them scale a wall, but I think the nuances and challenges will likely remain lost on typical television viewer. Still, I think it’s very cool that they have added it to the Olympics, and I know I’d tune in to watch. What are your thoughts on the subject? Is this good for the sport? I’m sure a lot of traditional climbing purists will not appreciate the move, but I suspect it’ll be rather popular with the community as a whole.

Update: Slight clarification on this story. The IOC is giving recognition to the International Federation of Sport Climbing, which has three years to convince them that climbing should be included in 2020. There will be a final decision in 2013 about the sports inclusion in the 2020 games. This is the first initial step to that happening though, and still a big deal for the sport.

March 3rd, 2010 by admin

Several months back I had the opportunity to test out a number of great gear items from Outdoor Research. At the time, I wrote a glowing review of the products that they sent my way, but little did I know that over time I would become even more impressed by those gear items. In fact, they are now amongst my most commonly used apparel when I head out on a trail, go climbing, or just kicking around town. That’s why I was so excited when I recently received a new OR Helium Jacket to review, although that jacket would have a lot to live up to from the other OR gear I was already using.

The Helium is a lightweight storm shell, and when I say lightweight, I mean very lightweight. In fact, the jacket is so thin that I actually had to weight for some warmer days before I could actually wear it and test it out. It has been unseasonably cool here in Austin, and while the Helium provides good protection from wind and rain, it isn’t the warmest jacket in the gear closet. That said, it isn’t meant to be either. This is the kind of jacket that compresses down to a very minimal size, and fits in your pack, without you realizing it’s even there, until you need to break it out.

Weighing just 6.8 ounces, the Helium is never-the-less, both waterproof and breathable, which is a great combination in any shell. Along with our unseasonably cool weather here in Texas of late, we’ve also had plenty of rain, and this jacket has weathered those conditions perfectly, keeping me dry, and comfortable in everything from a steady mist to a downpour. The water resistant zippers also worked well in all conditions and the hood served as a fine replacement when I managed to forgot my umbrella.

Like all the products I’ve used from OR, the Helium shows an excellent attention to details. For instance, the inside the zipper is a stormfap which helps to further prevent water from getting inside, and the stuff pocket is conveniently located on the inside of the jacket, which also makes for an excellent place to store small items that you want to keep dry as well. My iPod Nano fit in the pocket quite nicely, and continued to play away while the rain fell.

Perhaps best of all, this lightweight jacket does not constrict or hinder movement in any way. It is equally effective hiking a trail as it would be hanging on a rock face or in the seat of a kayak. On top of that, it looks good too. The first day I wore it out and about in town, I had a number of people compliment me on how it looked. While that’s not much of an indication on how it performs, nothing says you can’t hit the trail in style.

Outdoor Research’s logo is “Designed by Adventure” and personally, I think that’s pretty accurate. While it remains a somewhat lesser known brands when compared to the likes of Patagonia and the North Face, it’s is second to none in performance, fit, and function. The Helium definitely continues that tradition. (MSRP: $140)

Disclaimer: The Helium Jacket was provided to me by Outdoor Research for this review.

February 19th, 2010 by admin

Yesterday I posted a story about Joseph Bohlig, a 52-year old climber who fell into the crater of Mount St. Helens in Washington state on Monday when an ice shelf collapsed under him while having his photo taken atop the volcano. At the time, rescue operations were underway, but the SAR teams were having a difficult time reaching Bohlig due to bad weather. They were hoping that conditions would change later in the day, and they’d be able to reach him. Sadly, they were able eventually get a helicopter into the crater, but Bohlig was already dead when they arrived.

According to this story from the Daily Mail, a Navy helicopter discovered Bohlig’s body on its second pass through the crater, although it was already partially covered with snow. It appears that he died of injuries sustained from the fall.

On Monday, Bohlig and his friend Scott Salkovichs made the four hour trek to the top of the mountain to reach the rim of the crater. Salkovichs stepped back to take the photo, just as the ice shelf broke, and although he tried to reach his friend, it was too late, and all he could do was watch him plummet to the ground below. Salkovichs tossed a backpack down to Bohlig, but the injured man couldn’t reach it. He was alive however, as he was heard blowing a rescue whistle not long after the fall.

Salkovichs then descended the mountain and went for aid, but rescue teams were unable to get into the crater due to high winds and low visibility. They had to wait until conditions improved on Tuesday, but by then, it was too late.

Bohlig was an experienced mountaineer who had hiked to the top of Mount St. Helens on many occasions. He had plenty of knowledge of the mountain, and had plenty of gear with him as well. Unfortunately, he had discarded some of his clothes, and his backpack, when he went to pose for the photo. The resulting 1500 foot fall left him injured, alone, and without most of that gear. As is often the case in these types of stories, it’s an odd set of circumstances that helped lead to the tragedy.

I offer my sincere condolences to Joseph’s family. I’m sure they are taking the loss hard. But as his father said, he died doing something he loved. We should all be so lucky to suffer that fate.

February 17th, 2010 by admin

Rescue efforts are ongoing this afternoon for a 52-year-old climber who slipped, and fell into the crater of Mount St. Helens yesterday, plummeting 1500 feet in the process. Apparently, Joseph Bohlig was preparing to have his photo taken when the snow shelf that he was standing on collapsed, sending him tumbling to the ground below. The climbing partner made it off the mountain safely and then called authorities for help, but the condition of Bohlig is unknown at this time, and they report that he is also without much of his gear and equipment.

Rescue teams were immediately scrambled to try to extract the fallen climber, but weather conditions deteriorated rapidly, forcing them to put off the attempt until today. As of this writing, they’re still waiting to make that attempt, and a call has been put out to the Air Force to aid in the rescue, but conditions remain dangerous. If the skies clear however, a helicopter will be dispatched to the crater itself, and the extraction can be made fairly quickly, as the SAR teams know exactly where Bohlig is at.

Located in the state of Washington, Mount St. Helens stands 8365 feet in height and is a popular climb in all seasons. In fact, Bohlig himself is a veteran of the climb, having made the attempt more than 60 times. The became famous back in 1980, when it violently erupted, sending ash and magma flying for miles. It still has seismic and volcanic activity from time to time, but hasn’t erupted since that time.

Lets hope conditions improve soon enough, and the SAR teams can do their thing.

February 13th, 2010 by admin

American climber Chad Kellogg has completed a new route on Aconcagua, going up solo and in alpine style, up the South Face. According to this story, courtesy of ExWeb, the new route took 42 hours to complete, covering more than 2000 meters (6561 feet) of new terrain in the process.

According to ExWeb Chad went to Argentina, along with a good friend, back in December with an eye on climbing Aconcagua, which is the tallest peak in South America at 22,841 feet. The pair acclimatized on the normal route along the Northwest Ridge, taking a week to complete that climb, but in the process, Chad’s friend picked up a lung infection that sent him off the mountain.

Not content with just reaching the summit along the usual route, Chat was looking for something more challenging and interesting. Before making their summit bid, he and his friend did a recon of the South Face, where he spotted a potential new route that he felt he could do. On Dec. 22nd, he received word of a three-day weather window, and he set off to take advantage of it. ExWeb reports that he carried just a down jacket, synthetic insulated pants, a pair of mittens and gear including a 30m rope, 4 screws, 4 pins, and 4 cams. 20 bars, a 300-calorie freeze dried meal, and a stove with one canister.

Kellogg says that he initially thought he could complete the route in just 24 hours time, provided conditions were right higher on the mountain. Obviously it ended up taking longer than that, as he had to deal with a number of issues, including very technical sections, avalanches, and the usual issues that come with route finding along a new line. In the end, he stood on top, but not before dealing with quite a few challenges including running out of all of his supplies. ExWeb’s story comes mostly from Chad himself, and it is a great read all around.

The Aconcagua climb was meant to be a warm-up for Everest, where Chad will be going this Spring. From the sounds of thins, he’s more than ready.

Note: To all the Chad Kellogg bashers out there, I don’t want to hear any comments or e-mails regarding his claims at speed records. The story has been beat to death, and I don’t want any part of it. Any comments will be deleted. Please move along to a different blog/forum.

February 11th, 2010 by admin

Last week we had a list of winners from the 2010 Polartec Challenge Grants, and now we have a run down of Mountain Hardwear’s sponsorship recipients for the year as well. The winners were posted to the Hardwear Sessions blog earlier today, and it looks like there are some great things in the works for 2010. All told, the company is giving out $10,000 to fund five expeditions this year.

The list of winners include the following:

Latok I, North Ridge - David Falt, Krister Jonsson and Marco Koupiainen
The group will travel to Pakistan from July to August 2010 to attempt an alpine style first ascent of the North Ridge of Latok I (7145m), a 2500m climb comprising of complex, steep terrain through rock, ice and mixed climbing. The North Ridge of Latok I is one of the most notorious unfinished projects in the Himalayas. The team plans to carry enough supplies to last up to 15 days on the route, allowing them staying power to sit out potential bad weather. The team members each have roughly 20 years of climbing experience in Scandinavia, the Alps, Yosemite, Himalaya and Alaska.

Jankuth, West Face - Malcolm Bass and Pat Deavoll
From September to October 2010, the team of two will attempt a first ascent of Jankuth (6805m), in Northern India on the Gangotri Glacier. In September 2004, Pat, Malcolm and three others attempted the ascent, but were shut down on two different routes due to inclement weather. Inspired by Jankuth, the highest mountain left unclimbed in the Gangotri region, Pat and Malcolm will call upon the time honored Garwhal ethic of self sufficient exploration choosing a “fast and light” climbing approach.

Ski Kyrgyzstan 2010 - Nathan Rowland and Ollie Nieuwland-Zlotnicki
Ski mountaineers Nathan Rowland and Ollie Nieuwland-Zlotnicki, both current residents of Aspen, CO, will travel to Kyrgyzstan in May 2010 for a circumnavigation of the Al-Dyrtr and Kary Sars glaciers in the Tien-Shan Mountains with multiple first ascent and descent attempts. The project ventures into a remote area of Kyrgyzstan that has rarely been visited or explored.

Trek for a New Nepal - Allegra Fisher, Caroline Pihl and Sarah Mortati
Wilderness explorers Allegra, Caroline and Sarah plan to be the youngest women, and the first Americans, to complete a traverse of the Great Himalayan Trail in Nepal. From November 2010 to April 2011, their goal will be to traverse Nepal from east to west while documenting the educational and environmental development potential along the newly created 1,600km Nepali portion of the Great Himalayan Trail.

2 Wheels 4 Education - Eleanor Moseman
Beginning in April 2010, Eleanor, a photographer who has been living and working in China, will attempt to complete a year-long, solo bicycle journey around Asia while raising money and awareness for two charities, Girls Education International and Stepping Stones China. She plans to document the journey through China, Mongolia and Russia through her photography, a book, and eventually, a cycling guidebook. Eleanor was inspired to raise awareness for female equality after noticing the obvious differences in rights between the male and female genders, and the disadvantages most females face living in China. www.2wheels4girls.com

Seems like a very worthy list of teams and expeditions. It should be fun to follow along with their various adventures this year. Congrats to all the winners and I wish them luck on their 2010 endeavors.