Skiing Whitehorse Ledge

Those of you familar with skiing in New England know that occassionally some sweet lines come in when we have a strong winter. I happened to be back in my old stomping grounds over in North Conway, NH for the North Conway Ice Fest and noticed Whitehorse Ledge was looking promising for a ski. I've been eyeing this one for years but the planets and stars never aligned to make it possible...until now.

In the summer, Whitehorse is classic slab rock climbing. In the winter, when it comes in, it becomes a challenging, steep ski line. Coming in from the top presents some technical challenges usually involving a rappel. There is zero run-out at the bottom so a tumble will result in pinballing through the rocks and trees at the bottom, and a nice visit to the hospital. And on top of it all is the problem with the snow actually sticking to the rock once turns are in progress.

After slogging my way up the slab through hip-deep snow and with little to no purchase in my tele boots, I was ready to go. Since I was flying solo, I elected to start below the cliff band. My first two turns were promising; soft, deep, smooth snow. But as my slough caught up to and passed me by I realized things were about to get a little more challenging. The 8" of new snow had dried out the night before, and was decidely not sticking to the rock and ice below. Uuugh!

I managed to stay on my skis and overall the turns were pretty sweet, but a little hair-raising I must admit. And I'm glad I got that one out of my system...although I do want to return with a partner and nail it from the top...any takers?

Ian

Ice Fest Round-up!

Post by Josh Wharton on 2/20/08

Finally settling in at home after a few weeks spent traveling and participating in the Ouray, Michigan, and Mt. Washington Valley Ice Festivals. These events are a fun way for me to play an active role in the climbing community by teaching and giving slideshows. They’re also a great way of doing something concrete in return for all the generous support Mammut throws my way. And best of all it’s a great excuse to visit new places, meet new people, and check out climbing areas I might not otherwise visit.

This year the Mt. Washington Valley Ice Festival in northern New Hampshire was far and away the most fun because I was able to spend time with my Dad (I grew up in NH) and do a bunch of climbing! New England has great winter climbing, with big ice routes at Lake Willoughby, cool scrappy mixed climbing at Cannon Cliff, and lots of other great areas scattered all over the place. The traditional mixed climbing is especially good, because most of the crags are granite with natural crack and chimney lines. This makes for lots of great drytooling and fidgeting with gear, which we don’t really get as much in Colorado where most of the best mixed climbing is on relatively chossy rock and often bolt protected.

On the first day of the festival I was free to get out and do some climbing, but unfortunately all of the east coast climbers I know were busy guiding. I decided I couldn’t waste the day and just got out after it on my own. First I checked out the North Conway locals “secret” mixed crag, Trollville. I soloed a few thin ice lines and dropped a rope on one of the harder mixed routes. Feeling a bit silly to be hanging around on a mini-traxion, I decided to pack up and check out the New England classic Repentance at Cathedral ledge (have a photo for you, but still figuring out how to add it). The route looked in decent condition, so I headed up, but dragged a short rope and a couple pieces with me in case things got scary. Luckily things went smoothly and I had a great time. What a cool route! Three hundred feet of steep offwidth and chimney climbing with ice choking the back, little steep pillars towards the top, and a couple of tricky drytooling moves around a chockstone to cap it all off.

The next couple days proved to be just as good as I had some nice folks and talented climbers in my clinics, and we were all able to get in a bunch of pitches. I owe everybody in my clinics many thanks, because I’ve realized that teaching is actually the best way to learn! I think my personal ice and mixed climbing abilities have improved simply through the process of trying to help everyone else learn and master the various techniques. Now that I’m home it’s time to get back in shape after a few weeks of beer, margaritas, cold belays, and hanging on juggy ice tools. I’ve got a sport climbing project at the Fortress, and a few unfinished mixed routes in Rifle Mountain Park that all need some serious attention. And before long I’ll be headed to Alaska to climb in the Kichatnas in April!

New Route on Cannon; Butterfingers at Ouray

Photos of me competing at Ouray after dropping one of my tools (oops!) Photos by Kolin Powick. Better luck next year! I'm already gettin' psyched! Ouray was a blast this year! Thanks San Juan Mtn. Guides (Clint, you're the man!) and everyone involved. It's a top notch event!!!! See you all in about 11 months!!!!

"Mean Streak" (WI 6, M7), Cannon Cliff, Franconia Notch, NH (Photos by Andy Tuthill)

It's been a great winter so far! Two ascents of Omega; new route on Cannon; watching my daughters (Kinley and Elan) dance in a Nutcracker performance (they were cast as Clara and Fritz, respectively); training hard for Ouray in St. Alban, Quebec (in December I onsighted and redpointed more than 25 routes M9 - M10); solo-driving non-stop to Ouray (37 hours---ca. 2,300 miles); qualifying and competing; driving home; skating and skiing with my daughters; working a RAD new traditional mixed project in the Adirondacks (como se dice: M11 trad????); giving a slideshow and teaching clinics at the Mt. Washington Valley Ice Fest (which was a blast, even though I got violently ill); and, holding down the fort at the office. Katy and I just did a day at Lake Willoughby and a day back in North Conway, NH. Tomorrow, I'm heading to Poke-O-Moonshine in the Adirondacks. I'm on the run; but, I'll have more details later in the month! Get after it, y'all! Have fun and be safe!

Ciao,

Will Mayo

La Nina in Seattle

La Nina is our favorite child here in the Pacific Northwest. She brings colder temps to pair up with our copious amounts of precipitation which equals powder and rarely formed ice climbs, if you can get to them! Last week in particular we were clobbered shutting down I-90 for three days. This closure altered my plans to hit my favorite avy "safe" stashes and head for the lifts further south. I was not disappointed, the cold temps had produced light powder that felt more like Colorado fluff than Cascade concrete. As I write this, more wind and snow have closed the passes again. I hope our little Nina gives us a short break soon so the backcountry can stabilize.
Winter it is never long enough!
Sterling

Winter in the Desert

I think winter is the ultimate season here in Moab, for climbing and BASE jumping. When it's sunny, the conditions couldn't be better for sending the hardest cracks. And when it's cloudy and snowy, it just makes for more adventure getting on top of the cliffs to jump off of them.....

The only thing that can really shut us down for jumping is wind. Moab cliff jumps are all short, under 400 feet, and don't allow any margin for funkiness. These subterminal jumps (so named because your body never reaches terminal speed, of 120 mph, during free fall) require almost no-wind conditions.

In the morning, the first thing I see when I open my eyes are the vines and trees outside my window. If they're not moving at all, it's good conditions. If the trees are blowing and moving just slightly, it's worth driving the three miles out to Kane Creek and checking the wind there. I have a really nice wind flag I made out of thin, ripstop nylon. The flag lets you know right away if it's jumpable, or if you should just get back in the car and drive home.

On top of the cliff, it's good to check the flag again, and do a few spit tests down the wall. I always like to put the BASE rig on before going right to the edge, leaning over, and spitting down the wall :)

If the spit hits the wall, that's a pretty good indicator that the wind is not right for jumping. Because the greatest danger in subterminal jumps is the (slim!) chance that the parachute might somehow open pointing in the wrong direction, facing towards the wall, a headwind is very bad for jumping. Almost everything we do here in Moab is geared around having perfect, on-heading openings. But you just never know when a 180 might happen, and it's crucial to always be prepared for it before each jump, both with practice and mental planning.

If the canopy does open in a 180 offheading direction, you need every fraction of a second as you attempt to instantly turn the canopy around before you hit the wall. A small head wind could make the difference. So for that reason, the conservative BASE jumper (like me!) has to make decisions based on the wind, and this can often mean just walking back down from the cliff. It can also mean waiting for a while and doing lots of spitting. Since subterminal jumps take about 3 seconds, and then sometimes about 8 seconds of canopy time, even with funky wind conditions, the patient jumper can wait for a very short lull in the wind, and with some luck, still take the fast way down.....!

posted by Steph Davis (highinfatuation.com)

Seaon Update: Jackson Hole 2008

It has been a really hard season so far. Really. The sun never shines. Ullr is punishing us with snow. 340" and counting.

In between inhaling Jet B fumes and getting showered in pentolite dust from exploding hand charges, I have sucked down a lot of powder through my beard. At night I barely have enough energy to swill a PBR and stare at the IR on the computer to track the coming storm.

Every morning I am up at 5am to look at the study plots at Raymer and on Rendezvous Bowl. On the rare days it is sunny I know I will be working--flying in a Bell 407 with clients to ski powder in the Snake River Range.



But that is pretty rare this season. Gotta be able to see the sky to fly. More often than not I am off to the ski area, hiking by 7am with a pack full of pentolite cast primers to do avalanche hazard reduction work. I like explosives, always have.

When the work is finally done I get to go play.

Like I said, it's been a hard season.

Ouray Ice Climbing

Greetings Bloggees from the snowy San Juan Mountains! It has been a huge snow year with amazing skiing everywhere. Some cool routes have been coming in with all the snow as well.

First off. Mad Props to Mammut Athlete Will Mayo!!!! His performance at the Ouray Ice Festival Competition Finals was both entertaining and inspiring. I'm sure he would have finished if he had his trusty 3rd tool. I'm sure someone has photos. Post Up!It has been an incredible year for the climbs up by Gravity's Rainbow. Some visiting Canadians beat us to an unclimbed pillar and dubbed it Gravity's Test WI6+. We got on it a couple days later and it is fantastic. Photos 1 and 2.

There have been some nice breaks though. As seen in the photos above from the Ouray Ice Park. Danika and I were able to chase the sun and climb some nice sticky ice. Ryan got out for a lap on the Gazebo pillar as well!

I've been putting the new Extreme WS Jacket thru the wringer the last few weeks, and it is sweet! Sheds the water from dripping icicles, cuts the wind, and moves well. Check one out!

For more up to date info on the climbing around Ouray. Check out our blog at www.ourayiceclimbing.blogspot.com

Chow. Clint

Little Cottonwood Ice

Little Cottonwood Canyon has always been one of my favorite areas to climb - it's the main reason I moved to Salt Lake City in the first place. The oppurtunities for grueling cracks, techy slabs, and long alpine faces are unparralled. There is pretty consistent ice climbing, on the north facing side, but this year the weather has been just right to form up some rarely and never-before forming ice routes on the south facing side as well.

While there are hundreds of FAs still waiting to be done, one area in particular, the Black Peeler Buttress, has yielded the most quality new rock and ice routes in the last year. A few weeks ago my good friend Rick Vance and I spotted a never seen before ice smear high up on the main part of the wall, and put ourselves to work:

Pitch One: Climb a low angle ice smear up to the headwall and belay on some old bolts from a summer rock route. Very moderate climbing, but unprotectable in the conditions that we found. In thicker conditions, solid pro may be able to be placed. (WI3ish, ~150 ft.)



Pitch Two: Climb very thin ice and rock up a vertical step to get to the beautiful smear dripping down the corner. Climb the thin, engaging, slightly run out smear up to a sheltered alcove. A few stubbies can be placed toward the top of the pitch, and you can get some rock gear at the bottom. Save a #3 camalot, for the belay. A new #4 or an old 3.5 would work even better. An AMAZING pitch - great exposure and position! Same as pitch one: in thicker conditions this pitch would offer very solild pro. (WI 4+, M6 R, ~100 ft.)



Me on the second pitch:

Rick following:

Pitch Three: Climb a few feet down and right and make some balancy mixed moves to reach the hanging smear. Commit to the vertical ice and climb over a steep bulge to the top. We left a few slings around a bush on top of the buttress. It's not very sustained, but bouldery. (WI 5, M6 ~100 ft.)

Pitch Three variation: From the belay, climb straight up and over an overhanging rock step with a few patches of ice and frozen moss. M6.
Third pitch:

Thicker ice would make the route easier and safer, but in the conditions that we found we rated it WI5 M6 R. It's one of the most fun ice routes I've ever done.

Descent: Make two double rope raps back to the base of the route.
Gear: Set of cams from #.4 to #3 Camalots, stubby ice screws, 5 pins. Two 60 meter ropes.

In another area of LCC, the Waterfront Buttress, there's an existing route called Cold Duck. In the past few yars, it's formed up very, very thin. Here's a photo from about a year ago:

This year, it's huge (relativley, at least...)!!



Long story short, it's been an incredible year for ice in UT, and with the weather forecast looking as it is, it'll probably stick around for a while yet.

Chris Thomas