Ice Fest Season

Despite pretty dry and grim ice conditions here in New England, the Ice Fest and Trade Show season has been full on.  I have been spending just about every week since late December traveling to one or the other.    And it’s been a total blast!  Tons of friends, family, new routes, and LOTS of partying and meeting new folks.   First up was a trip to Colorado to climb at the Rigid Designator Amphitheatre on the way to the Ouray Ice Fest, do the comp, climb some more, and basically enjoy the sun and good temps.  The climbing in Vail was amazing, and I was able to spend a couple days sampling some of the best mixed climbing in the world.  I meet up with fellow competitors Sam Elias and Emily Harrington who were also there prepping for the comp.  It was nothing but inspirational watching them quietly CRUSH everything in sight!!  Thanks to both of them for all the beta and encouragement! 

 

 The Amphitheater

Emily hiking M9

 

Ouray 2012:  After two 5^th place finishes and no Josh Wharton this year, I thought I was a shoo-in for 4^th...HA, but it was not to be and I ended up 6^th.  I have to say I do love the unique rush of tying in beneath the route, hearing the crowd and announcers cheering and jeering above, and goin’ ALL in. 

 

Up next was the Adirondack Mountain Fest in New York, where I worked the Mammut booth handing out gear and beta, and had a great time hanging out with both new and old friends from all over.   With no time to spare I packed up again and headed to Utah to the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake, which anyone who has been will tell you is overwhelming, exhausting, and an absolute ragger of a good time.

 Mammut at the Mountain Fest: This dude knows whats up

The Usual Suspects

  Now, time marches on and this week I’m back home to help set an indoor drytooling competition route at our local Ice Fest the Smugglers Notch Ice Bash.  Fellow setters Matt McCormick, Doug Madara and I go all out for this.  Full on hanging logs, upside-down Ice features, and every mixed move in the book…gonna be good!!  
 

And then FINALLY some time to get back to the real motivation; New routes, these two just went in 20 minutes from my house.

Josh Worley - Burlington VT

The Never Ending Story

This winters plans started many years ago but just happened to luck into place this summer.

I was lucky enough that my parents friends had this old Scamper that had been sitting in their yard for about five years not getting used. They were willing to give it to me.

Not only that but it was in Castle Valley Utah right next to Jah Man a great climb that I had looked at the last time I was in Castle Valley climbing the Castleton Tower.

This was the first drive me and my bud Jake took with the Scamper. It was a good 4x4 off road test for the camper and the truck. Up a gnarly wash a few miles short of the base of Jah Man.

We made the hike in and the heat of day was just starting to melt the frost off the north faces of the trail.

I got a few photos on the climb but this isn't what this blogs really about.

Here we are on the top of the spire. An amazing day.

What this is all leading to is the work its taken to get where I am now.

Canada, where there is lots of snow.

Work can have many meanings. Like the work it takes to get up a big climb or ski down a big face.

Then there is the work that takes time, patience, mental vigour, and strength. This was one of those project.

The roof on the Scamper had leaked over time and was in need of some major work.

The wood that gave the edges of the roof their strength and structure where all rotten. The sky light had cracked and also leaked. It took a few weeks to rebuild the roof and get it back together for our road trip to Canada. I got it back together just before the deadline.

This was our home for the first week we stayed in Canada. The parking lot of Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

The first stop in Canada was Revelstoke B.C. and I made a last minute decision to compete in the Freeskiing World Tour. This was a big event where the European Freeride World Tour joined with the U.S. Tour.

Here I am on the right. Pumped just after getting out of the Heli. I kicked off a ski in a hard turn after a cliff drop just before another cliff and took a big fall but came out with out a scratch.

Check out the video from my run. Oh well thats the way it goes sometimes.

http://biglines.com/video/fwt-revelstoke-2012-dylan-crossman

Here's a photo from where the judges vista was. We started on the peak on the left.

We spent another week in Revelstoke while it just kept on dumping snow. We went snowmobile skiing a few times and skied the Resort again. My snowmobile seized up and we had to tow it out. I took the motor apart and found that one of the pistons rings had chipped off some chrome and scratched cylinder and piston real bad. I looked and called around for parts but it was a dead end so I took out my diamond stone from the tune kit and got to work. Just made it feel smooth to the touch and put it back together. She started right up.

The next day was cold and clear and we left the sleds back in town and stuck the skins on and hiked up into the high alpine. I have driven over Rogers pass many times but never when it has been clear. Wow. I'll have to spend a season up here.

We got Revelstuck long enough and it was just time to move on. Off to the west we go.

In Whistler B.C. now but been in more then a few places between. It's been worth the work and it's still making me stronger every day.

Thanks to everyone that helps make this possible.

Peace and Love

Crossman, Out.

www.skierboyz.blogspot.com

www.dylancrossman.blogspot.com

Mountain Niceness~A Sunny Valley Day

Rock Climbing in Savona, Italy

This year, we spent Christmas in the Pennavaire Valley, a quiet gorge near the old-school, seaside locale of Finale Ligure, Italy. I'd had this valley recommended by friends over the past few years, but was always skeptical due to the lack of climbing media coverage and the feeling that the Italian Coast lacked the clout of the big Spanish winter destinations, like El Chorro, Margalef and Santa Linya. My concerns were short lived, though, once we arrived and got acquainted with the area. Although the valley's crags weren't in vast supply, they were of very high quality with all the characteristics of Spanish stone.

Logistics: Fly into Nice and rent a car. It's about 1.5 hours to the valley from the airport. Have Euros available for the drive on the toll highway - our credit cards did not work until we got into Italy.

Accommodation: We stayed in the hamlet of Vesallo at a beautiful bed and breakfast called Casa dei Nonni. The hosts spoke fluent English, easing our transition into the new culture. Our apartment was beautiful and had a full kitchen so we could prepare our own food. The village sits high on the hillside, and gets plenty of midday sun, a precious commodity in the depths of winter. I'd highly recommend this casa to visiting climbers.

Gear: I brought a 70-metre Mammut Serenity and it was the perfect rope for the trip. It held up well to limestone abuse, the skinny diameter was light for the airplane and the length allowed for safe lowering from many of the 60-metre-plus pitches. Sixteen quickdraws and a pair of shoes that perform well on technical faces and steep overhangs will round out your kit.

Guidebook: All the crags in the valley are covered in the book, Oltrafinale, a companion to the massive Finale rock climbing guide. Casa dei Nonni sold Oltrafinale, as did Bar Neva in Cisano about 15 minutes down the road.

The Rock: Although each crag differed slightly in character, the overall nature of the climbing was vertical to moderately overhanging on tufas, edges and generally positive holds. Routes from 4+ to 8b+ were available, but the greatest concentration for abundance and quality seemed to be from 6a to 8a. One special feature of the cliffs was the plethora of both moderate and advanced routes, allowing groups of mixed abilities to climb in close proximity. For instance, my five-year-old daughter could top-rope a 5a slab while I worked a 30-metre overhanging tufa route just around the corner. Finally, the routes were very well bolted - runouts were rare.

Conditions: The crags are generally north and south-facing, allowing climbing in a variety of seasons, but for the best crags cold weather is best. The months from November to March seem optimal, and we had perfect conditions at the end of December: frosty mornings with pleasant climbing in the midday sun. We were told the weather was drier than usual, and if it's cold or wet the pocketed walls of Finale Ligure, about 40 minutes away, are a better bet.

The Food - What's there to say? It's authentic Italian and is absolutely incredible. Whether you choose to eat out or buy fresh pasta from the local grocer, you won't be disappointed. Oh, and the gelato is the best on the planet.

Other Activities: This is the Italian Riviera, so beachside activities are abundant. The promenade below Finale Ligure is full of cafes, shops and amusement park rides for kids, all right off the beach. We enjoyed a couple of fantastic hikes, one along an ancient Roman road above the sea, and a second above treeline at the top of the Pennavaire Valley. The sightseeing in the medieval villages was wonderful and for a big city experience, Genova was only an hour away.

If you are looking for a climbing destination a bit off the standard circuit, but with all the allure of the European hotspots, consider the Pennavaire Valley for a future trip. We've visited many of the big name crags over the years, and were not disappointed with this Italian destination.

Happy New Years - Marc Bourdon, Squamish, BC