3 Peaks 3 Week's 2009 Team

In January 2009 the second “3 Peaks-in-3 Weeks Team” traveled to Africa and climbed 3 of the continent’s tallest peaks: Mt. Kenya, Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro. The goal was to raise money and awareness for Africa’s 3 “peak” issues: HIV/AIDS, Education, and the Environment. The Team’s raised money over a one year period for these important causes and our award was to climb these three peaks in just three weeks.

The team which was comprised of 13 women from around the world ranged in experience from intermediate climber to beginner; some never being over 3000 meters in their lives.

While none of the mountains required any technical mountaineering to summit, it was challenging nevertheless considering the elevations we all endured.

Our adventure started with Mt. Kenya (Point Lenana), at 4,985m. This was a great warm up climb for what awaited us. All the way up I was captured by the beauty of Pt. Batian and imaged myself one day coming back and climbing up the remaining glacier slowly being destroyed by global warming.

Mt. Meru, for being the smallest peak we climbed, has one of the most amazing ecosystems I have ever encountered. Other amazing feather about this mountain is the number of false peaks and how we were all constantly fooled by their continuation! We were all warned by others that climbed before us but just laughed thinking to our self’s no way will that happen to us! I can’t tell you the how many times we were all fooled with thinking the summit was just around the corner.

Mt. Kilimanjaro…..what we all had been waiting for! The largest free standing mountain in the world without needing oxygen or technical experience. We took the Machame route and circuited the southern part of mountain. It rained and snowed every day except for summit day. We couldn’t have been any luckier.

I would say it was an experience of a lifetime but I’ve had a few of those already and plan on having a few more… maybe better just to say, what a great way to begin 2009! Yes I know it’s already April. I’m still trying to catch up with my everyday life.

Learn more about our cause at http://www.3peaks3weeks.org

Spring Skiing in Gaspe Canada

Spring break 2009 arrived on March 21. On the 22nd I loaded my gear and self in the van with 5 Middlebury College students. We drove for ten hours into Quebec along the St Lawrence River to the Chic Choc Mountains in the Gaspe Region. The Chic Chocs Snow Bulletin stated transitional ski conditions were to be found, in other words expect a hard crusty surface. We were not sure what to expect but when we arrived it was snowing and the snow banks that lined the road were taller than the van. Looked as though these conditions would be just fine for our spring skiing trip. On the first two days we skied excellent conditions with a few inches of new snow covering the old surface. Soft and quiet powder turns on the glade runs of Champ-de-Mars and Mt Blanche brought smiles all around. Mid week we skinned up to Mt Hog's Backs and Mt Albert. Nothing was transitional about the skiing here either. The runs were smooth and covered with a few new inches. The small amount of new snow made a big difference - the result was very good skiing during the week.

Middlebury College has an extensive outdoor program. The college is loaded with equipment for the students use. Many Mammut products were in use on the trip. The number one Mammut product was the Pulse Barryvox Beacon with Ice 35 Packs, Probes, and Belay Jackets also in use.


This was my second trip to the Gasped and I am planning to go back next spring. The area has a large variety of ski tours ranging from moderate glades to advanced chutes. The snow pack is deep into April with March being a prime time to go. Thanks to Dave, Jacqui, Kyle, Sam and Nat for coming together to make this trip happen. I had a great time meeting and skiing with each of you.


Art Mooney
UIAGM Mountain Guide

My Escape

Green Bay, WI ...

The wind howls through naked tree branches and whips down desolate grey streets. The cold seeps through cracks as the sound of a lone automobile fades into the distance. Am I on another planet? In another world? Has time stopped altogether? Grey days and cold windy nights blend together in this ethereal vortex. I feel as though life has stopped around me, or has slowed to the degree that movement is barely noticeable. Motivation comes slowly and inspiration is lost in the dreary grey skies.

The dampening pressure of this place was closing in around me. Instead of using each day to write or paint, I became apathetic and felt myself sinking into a state of depression. I needed people, warmth and sunshine. Escape became necessary ... I had to protect my sanity.

A friend told me about his planned Spring Break trip to the Red River Gorge. I immediately felt a pang of jealousy. I longed to go somewhere warm and sunny, to sit at the base of a crag, adn to be in the presence of the climbing world. The gears in my head started turning as I thought back to previous hikes I had done in the RRG. I somehow convinced myself that even in my present state, I could still hobble around on the trails ... as long as I was extra cautious. As Mike told me his plans, I had already formulated some of my own. I was broke and crippled ... but I was going to Kentucky, too! I grabbed a credit card, my dog, and a change of clothes, hopped in the van, and told the folks I was going to visit some friends. I didn't tell them exactly where I was going, because I knew that they would seriously disapprove.

Let me clarify an important aspect of my situation. When I got to town, I did not have health insurance. Only by the generosity and goodwill of others did I receive surgery and top-notch medical treatment. I CANNOT re-injure my knee. There is not a question in the matter. My one 'job' in the world right now is to protect my knee at all cost.

Only five weeks out from surgery and still on crutches, I was ready to take full responsibility for anything that happened. Even if I simply sat parked at Miguel's for a few days, I needed to feel as if Charlie and I were on the road again. As we drove off, Charlie resumed her rightful place on my lap, as though it as only yesterday that we had arrived in Green Bay in the same manner. The engine roared to life, coughing up the residue from months of inactivity. I felt a rush of adrenaline flow through my body as I felt the wheel at my fingertips. It had been too long.

Hours down the road, I opened the windows to warm fresh air ... this was a good decision. After stopping at my cousin's house in Milwaukee, we continued to pull over at almost every rest stop along the way. I hobbled around the parking lots, letting my baby girl run circles around me off-leash. It felt amazing. Recently, her fear of my crutches and my immobile state caused her to grow quite fond of my parents. I was definitely a little jealous, but I was excited that she was my little partner-in-crime again. It took us almost two days to drive the ten hours it takes to get to the Red.

You always THINK you know what you want, but sometimes life knows better. I wanted people ... I wanted the climbing world ... and boy did I get it. Spring break at the Red? Cars were double and triple parked in the lot at Miguel's. The tables were jam-packed, crowded with enthusiastic faces. It was amazing to see so many people psyched on climbing ... especially after spending the past few months in seclusion at my parents' house. However, because I was used to days alone on the couch nursing my swollen knee ... I soon became overhwelmed and faced a major system overload. Eventually, I retreated to the van to cuddle with Charlie and recoup overnight.

The next day, I hiked to two crags and top-roped two routes ... it was exhausting. I was unprepared for the huge amount of energy it would take out of me. My leg muscles had atrophied to the point of being non-existent, and due to recent rainfall, the trails were muddy, sloppy and slippery. I was horrified that I would slip and hurt myself. At the end of the day, I returned to the van, crashed, and had to rest the following day. Pathetic, right? I guess it will just take time for me to get back into shape. Time and a lot of pain. I was sore everywhere, and my knee had swelled to twice its normal size. Luckily a day of reading and playing chess was enough to get me out to the crag again the next day.

Unfortunately my friends chose a crag with a slightly more involved hike. Not to back down from the challenge, I went along. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I got to TR a few more climbs. I even got to watch a friend send his first thirteen! However, hiking back made me realize that I had gotten in a little over my head. I was not quite ready to be out and about yet. I was thoroughly convinced that if I stayed any longer, something really bad would happen.  I started craving the safety of home.

Charlie and I took two more days to get back, during which I contemplated the risks and rewards of my trip. There is no question in my mind that I made the right decision. The week out of the house was exactly what I needed. I feel bad keeping the truth of where I was from my parents, but I know that I will tell them about it sooner or later (after all of my medical bills are worked out). It is not that I dont want them to know, I just don't want them to feel as if I dont respect them. I took a huge risk, and luckily everything worked out. I got out of the funk I was in and got to watch Charlie bury her head in piles of leaves, hunting for small critters. We both spent hours in the sun and returned home refreshed, renewed, and psyched to spend this last month at home with my folks. 

Winter Closure and Spring Babies

Stepping back in time to February........ it went! I took off the spurs and gave her hell, the result is Northwest Passage M11. The climbing is super cryptic, with giant pulls between the good hooks, and the crux arrives as you pull the lip. It's old news but I thought it necessary to report. Thanks to my brother for snapping a few shots. We have another that awaits for next year.

After all the cave time, I needed to get back to my roots. A route called Death Star lives in a canyon not far from Bozeman, it went first as an aid climb A3. That was 4 years ago. I went back once, a year later; bolted some anchors and worked on it as a free climb. It's been burning a hole in my brain since. A month ago I got to go back for the free attempt. The first three pitches climb moderate 5.11 then you enter the Death Star..... 5.12 stem corner with a 25 foot run out over micro cams (so heady) then clip the thank god bolt and do an all points off dyno out of the corner to a good edge, to more run out, to a 5.12 mantle finish. It's awesome! A four year project now to rest, the Death Star 5.12+ R. Sorry for all the spray I get real excited thinking about it.

Now it's back to winter here in Montana spring comes and goes this time of year. Spring skiing is setting up nicely but still I wish I was hanging in the RRG with the crew down there. Nice climbing you guys, you're killing it! Aside from all the climbing talk I have my craziest trip ever approaching, the birth of my first child. My wife Kimberly is in her last month of pregnancy and doing well. Wish us luck!

Onward,
Whit M

Spring time rock climb

     After a frustrating winter of mysterious debilitating back pain most likely related to a ground fall I took last summer, I finally healed up enough to get all trained up and back in shape enough for a trip.  I only got one day out on the Vermont schist (see above) before Will Mayo and I headed south to Kentucky for a few weeks of rock wrastlin' training camp at the Red River Gorge.  Will hooked up the caffeine IV, set himself on autopilot and crushed the first driving shift from 8pm to 8am without so much as a head nod.  I took over for the easy coast down the west virginia mountains into Kentucky where we promptly got out of the 'Vansion' (Wills' Dodge Sprinter) and got after it.

     I finished up a Red River mega classic out the left side of the Madness cave called 'Transworld Depravity' 5.14a that I'd tried last fall. Then I tried this amazing arete (below) called 'Kaleidescope' 5.13c that I'd been looking at for a couple of years but saving for an onsight attempt...didn't onsight it, and 2nd go fell off after clipping the last bolt,  so third try I opted for skipping the last bolt and that did the trick.  Absolutely stunning, definitely one of the very best routes here at the red.

Here is Will cutting loose at the Bob Marley crag,  on his first real 'sport' climbing trip homeboy is crushing.  Ticking off 5.12s and getting animalistic on the steeps.  Here in Kentucky you don't split your tips like you do back in the northeast, you rip off the callouses further down your fingers and flay yourself open like Will did here. 
    

        

      The last day out I tried another super beautiful route that I'd been looking at and saving during the last few trips down here.  'No Redemption' 5.13b...(above) its another atypical route for the red, not too steep with technical, interesting, bouldery sequences.  This time I watched some other people climb it and then flashed it by the skin of my teeth.  Super psyched. We've got another week and a half to go...wish us good weather.

enjoy

Peter Kamitses 

     

The other side of the Rendezvous

When i started attending various events for different sponsors back in the late 90's i formed a philosophy that working the event be my first priority and my personal climbing desires would wait for the available time after the event. Over the years, this philosophy has really allowed me the opportunity to make a difference for other climbers who aspire to learn the tricks of the trade during clinics I've taught. Sometimes i wonder if people question if i really climb because of my dedication to working at the event instead of arranging time to fill my personal agenda. Sometimes i wonder myself if i climb!! But that personal philosophy i established all those years ago still rings true and i feel that my dedication to donate a handful of my personal climbing days to mentor others is what keeps the good karma flowing in my life.

This was the first time i was not able to teach a clinic and to be honest, i was really bummed out by this. Thankfully Josh Wharton stepped up to the plate and offered to teach both of my clinics for the Rendezvous while i took refuge in the hotel room bathroom. It's athlete's like Josh who will continue to excel as a Professional Athlete as he recognizes the importance of being a good ambassador to the brand; setting aside his chance to climb with friends and donate a few personal days for the benefit of fellow climbers. Thanks for covering for me, Josh! And to all of those who where in my clinics, sorry i was not able to be there.

Dean Lords - Idaho

Smith Rock in Spring

We escaped a rainy spring break in Squamish by dashing off to Smith Rock mid-March for one week. Although we’ve been many times before, Smith always gets me excited about climbing. The park is beautiful and there’s lots of history scribed into the walls and routes. Many standard-setting climbs have been done in this area and one look at the sheer walls is enough to understand why. I’ve been dealing with a shoulder injury since early December so I was in “cruise mode”. We enjoyed touring the park, chatting with other climbers and ticking many classic lines we’d done before. We capped our moderate tour with an ascent of the awesome Monkey Face tower on the backside. My wife and I climbed West Face Variation to the Pioneer route, a great link-up of 5 pitches that goes at 5.8/A0. It was a beautiful day and a nice finish to an enjoyable week. We hope to head off on a more extensive trip in late April, but progress with the shoulder injury will dictate.

This is a view of the Phoenix Buttress and the Christian Brothers (Scarface, Rude Boys, etc) at dawn.

This photo shows the Christian Brothers on the left and the Dihedrals on the right.

Detail of the Dihedrals. Chain Reaction (12c) is the small curved overhang just left of center. To Bolt or Not to Be takes the longest vertical face in the dead center of the picture.

Starting up Chain Reaction, an iconic route and no pushover for the grade!

Another view of Chain Reaction.

Blue Light Special on the quality stone of the Shipwreck Wall.

The famous Monkey Face as seen from the southwest. Just Do It, The Backbone, etc are located on the opposite side of the tower, which sees little sun.

Finishing up the Pioneer Route on the west face of the Monkey.

Marc Bourdon - Squamish, BC

Red Rocks Rendezvous 2009

Red Rocks Rendezvous 2009...Day One Update

The Red Rocks Rendezvous, the unofficial start to the rock climbing season, is underway here in Vegas (baby!). Day One went down without a hitch, for the most part...except Team Mammut is currently down one man due to the flu. Keep your fingers crossed that the damage is limited to Dean Lords and the rest of us don't go down.

Despite this little bump in the road, the RRR is off to a great start. After a day of climbing in beautiful weather participants returned to the festival site for food, beer, music, more beer and to visit the vendor areas. The official festivities wrapped up around 10pm, but the after-hours fun and games moved to the Bonnie Springs Resort Bar and that's when the silliness kicked into high gear. Let's just say some people should NEVER be allowed to sing karaoke....ever! Regardless of the audio torture metered out by some of our friends, we survived the night and woke up to great weather today.

If you are in the Vegas area stop by the RRR and come hang with Mammut athletes Josh Wharton and Dean Lords, see a bunch of new products for this summer, score some free swag, and make some new friends. That's it for today, more to come...

Wharton Mops Up at Ouray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Josh Wharton crushed the rest of us at the Ouray Mixed Climbing Competition this year, winning by a wide margin. I know this is, like, totally old news; but, I've been slackin' and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to congratulate Josh! You are a machine, dude!!!!!!!!! It was a good time, all around, and I'm already training for next year! Psyched!!!!! Cheers, Will Mayo

friday the 13th suicide chute

Friday the 13th looked like a fun day to try suicide. The chute that is. My good friend Jeff and I decided to go check out the snow since it is a north ease facing couloir. The skin up was firm as it could get, but I new there should be some good snow in the chute it self. At the bottom there was a booter already put in and it was like walking stairs. lucky for us. We made it to the top just in time for the sun to pop up and light our faces with its golden rays. I don't know why, but I never get tired of seeing the sun rise. Spent some time taking photos and then skied the goods. Pretty good snow considering how hot it's been. Anyway here are some photos. 

All smiles all the way

looks like fun to me.

Jeff getting the goods.

I cant think of a better way to start the day!!

Steve LLoyd

Three weeks and counting ...

I am entering the fourth week of rehab after a climbing fall left me with one good leg and a  torn ACL and meniscus in the other. The force of the impact shredded the cartilage on the end of my femur, and life as I knew it came to an immediate screeching halt. I am only 25, but bare bone is creating friction in my right knee joint as we speak. I know this, because i have seen pictures and I can feel it. To combat the immediate onset of arthritis, I have been sentenced to eight weeks on crutches at my parents house in Wisconsin.

Bam ... Splat ... CRUNCH ...  I knew my ACL was gone at the moment of impact. My knees have always been weaker than the rest of me. My three reconstructive knee surgeries will attest to that. However, my ONE goal for this climbing trip was to stay healthy and unhurt. This short jaunt to Mexico was only meant to bide some time until my real project could be attempted with the first warm days of spring. I was so close to sending that it hurts me now to think about it.

Penoles, Mexico is a beautiful area. Relatively pristine and undeveloped, there are miles of untouched highball boulders. Not exactly my area of excellence. I prefer a nice soft catch on a rope and trad gear, but here I was in Mexico for a week. If nothing else, I was at least going to soak up some sun!

All went well until our last day there. One bad fall, one misplaced pad ... and everything changed ...

I tried to see a doctor in Boulder, CO. Unfortunately, with no insurance, I would have to wait two weeks to even have a financial aid appointment. After that, I could schedule a visit with a doctor, who could then refer me to an orthopedic surgeon. I knew what was wrong with me and who I needed to see, but the process was going to take forever.

Patience is not one of my virtues. I would like to think that it is, but it is not.

So instead, the dreaded call to my father ...

I waited until I had exhausted all other options. However, things were looking grim.

As the chief Medical Officer at a hospital in Green Bay, my dad has connections with all of the doctors in the area. Maybe he could help me out. Even if I left town with a $20,000 hospital bill, at least I would be on the road to recovery. I knew I needed surgery, and I wanted to have it as soon as possible. I am not one to ask for help from anyone, especially my parents, so this was a very difficult decision.

It took two days to get to Boulder, where I quickly packed up the van and started the trek across the great Plains. Incredibly strong crosswinds and a nasty Nebraska blizzard made the gling slow. I crashed at a random gas station in the middle of nowhere ... hugging Charlie (my puppy) tightly to stay warm. The next (my fourth) consecutive day on the road was a test of will power. The swelling in my knee had become crippling. Without its elevation, I could feel the blood pooling in my bad leg. There was only so much pain I could take.

However, two days later, I was in my dad's office in the top floor hospital administration suite. I was about to meet with one of the top knee surgeons in the country. Talk about quick service... after four days in a car, I was glad to just be at home again. It had been two years since I set foot in Wisconsin. 

Because of the extent of damage to my knee, I have been left to motor around on crutches. No weight bearing activities are allowed. Even this, however, doesn't guarantee a full recovery. Cartilage unfortunately does not grow back.

Immediately after surgery it was easy to stay off the leg. The pain and swelling kept me pretty immobile. But now, after three weeks, it is becoming increasingly hard to rely on them. I can bear weight without pain (yes, i've been a bad patient) ... and it kills me that my dog is terrified of the 'big bad sticks' that keep trying to take her out. 

My parents have been incredible through all of this. They have helped out as much as they can, but at the same time, have left me to be an adult and take care of myself. For now, I am just waiting ... waiting to heal, waiting to get back out west, waiting for something to change ... I have become a prisoner in a cell without bars. Along with the challenge of waiting, comes the challenge of learning to accept help from my folks. It took a huge swallowing of pride to come home.

Life, things, people ... they just seem to move slower here ... maybe due to the below-freezing temperatures. I am used to living in the van, running free, doing whatever i want, whenever I want to do it. But it has been a treasure for me to come back home at 25 yrs. old and have the opportunity to just hang out with my parents like i never have before. I love having a beer with my dad when he gets home from work in the evening... and the three of us have formed a nightly ritual of exchanging back scratches while watching bad TV. My only complaint is the local news which they insist on watching every day, even though the topics of discussion never seem to change. I swear that the newscasters never talk about anything other than the Packers, the weather, or the recession!

All in all, i am content. The closest I get to climbing these days is the pull-up bar in the basement and the hangboard that my father so graciously hung in my bedroom. But i know that someday soon I will be back at it, so I plan to treasure this time that i have at home, as boring as it might be. Friends have come out of the woodwork to let me know they are thinking of me, and it is always good to take some time off and explore other facets of life. Check out the last painting i finished!