Mammut Products in Action- Light & Strong

Here in the northeast we are having a good old fashioned winter. The snowpack is deep, the ice is fat and the temperatures are always changing. This past week we had two storms and the temps went from 30f to -20f in a few days. This varied type of weather keeps me guessing. What clothing and gear should I bring for Mt Washington ascents, ski tours or ice climbs?

As a working guide I am out in the mountains over 20+ days each month. With this amount of climbing I require products that hold up and perform well. I am always looking for light weight items to keep my pack weight down. Many of the Mammut items I currently use are the lightest on the market but at the same time durable.

Mammut Sports Group offers a full assortment of products that range from technical garments, footwear, climbing hard and soft goods. All the Mammut products I use are light & strong while maintaining a high standard quality.

Lake Willoughby Vermont is the finest ice climbing area in New England. Lots of steep ice routes and at times very cold and windy.

Mammut Twilight Ropes. These twin ropes are my choice for climbing with one person.

These ropes are durable and ultra light. The ropes have a Teflon Coating Finish to reduce friction within the fibers. You get a lighter stronger rope with very good handling.

Aubrey and I have climbed together for years. Aubrey is a Mammut customer wearing his Laser Jacket, Baffin Harness and Cerro Gloves.

Last year I wore the Mamook GTX Boot for many days during the ice season. The boots are great, very light with a good fit equals very good performance. My only comment would be the boots were not warm enough for the colder days during the New England winters.

Sure enough Mammut came out with a warmer boot the Mamook Thermo. I have use this boot since December and have not had cold feet yet, the boot is light, the fit is good, and the boot is a top performer on steep ice routes.

Rumney is not just a sport area. The Geographic Factor is one of the prize ice lines on this south facing cliff. When the temps drop - Rumney is the place to go for some fine steep ice routes. There were a few devoted rock climbers sending routes at Waimea this same day.

For 145 years Mammut has designed fine quality alpine products.

Thanks very much to Mammut.

Art Mooney

UIAGM/AMGA licensed guide

SLC -> Moe's Valley

After a few years of "vagabond" living, I've decided to move back to Salt Lake-- to be able to earn money, sleep in a bed, subscribe to Netflix, take showers without sandals, go to yoga, train in a gym, etc... AI'm also living in a house of climbers, all of whom are very motivated to take multiple trips a month to the nearby deserts... About a week ago, we went to Moe's Valley, down by St. George, Utah. Even though it was snowing in Salt Lake when we left, we had highs near 60 F with lots of sun.

Hippie carpool: Four humans, two dogs, four crashpads, two tents, etc, etc... strapped to and crammed in one '95 Subaru legacy.

Bread, Nutella, avacado, egg.

David highballing up at the Dragonfly boulder.
View from the high plateau.


Thawing in the morning sun.

The Kung-Pao boulder.
Yours truly on Sichuan Peppercorn, on the Kung-Pao boulder. (Wearing Madyson Wmn's pants, Manola Hoody, and Goblin shoes -these are all some of my favorite Mammut things!.)

-Christine Balaz

PS Moe's has a new guidebook (http://markhorclimbing.com/climbing/guide-books/moes-valley-bouldering-guide-book/), so if you're curious about the place, it's definitely worth checking out. Though the rock quality is much worse than at Joe's, it's still a really fun place with many problems, very relaxed camping, and lots of winter sun.

Ricochet, Part 2, FFA

by Chris Thomas

For part one, see http://mammutathleteteam.blogspot.com/2011/01/2nd-ascent-of-ricochet-santaquin-utah.html

Last Saturday Hayden Kennedy and I returned to Ricochet to make its first free ascent. The route had deteriorated since I was there two weeks ago, and there was significantly less ice, but fortunately there was just enough left to make it go. The free climbing on the steep rock section came together much more quickly than expected, and although rarely forming, this route is a true classic. Hopefully it will survive the current warm spell and allow some more ascents.

Hayden on the first pitch

Established on the ice after the crux steep rock section

Steep pillar thugging to the top out

Where: to the left of the Angel of Fear in Santaquin Canyon.
Rack: set of cams to 3 inches, 3-5 pins, 6 ice screws
Rating: M8 WI5+. 3 pitches.

Cheers,

Chris Thomas

Hey everyone,

I'm sitting here in my (fairly ghetto) hotel room here in Hood River, OR, stained blankets and all. Slowly winding down the night by tuning some skis and may or may not be watching a little Jersey shore on the side...

Tomorrow, the official start of my competition (skier cross) season begins, and the rest of the season promises to be no less then crazy. Mt. Hood Meadows is holding the first Nor-am (North american cup) out of the 4 in the circuit. So, The race for the overall title begins. Even if/when the freezing level is at 8,000 feet with 100% chance of precip.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the sport of skier cross I would like to start by saying- where have you been? That being said, let me explain:

Skier cross is the Motocross of the snowsport world. The course is filled with jumps, bumps, turns, rolling terrain, and plenty of speed thrown in. 99.99% of the time there are 4 racers competing at once with the top two moving on each round until the winner remains. As the saying go's, "rubbing is racing" and in the sport of skier cross there is plenty of contact. Which keeps it interesting for spectaters and more so for the competitors. It's definately the most action packed, high paced event on snow.

I recently received my first invite to ESPN's Winter X Games! Being 20 years old and hearing that news got me... pretty excited to say the least. Remember me saying how 99.99% there were four racers on the course at once? well that .01% exception is X games. When it comes to X games, the men and women at ESPN decided to spice it up a bit more by throwing 6 competitors down a course at anywhere from 35-55 mph at a time.

So, a day after I get back home from Hood, I'm taking a little road trip to Aspen, Co. where I'll spend 4 days ripping down what will prove to be one of the most interesting yet challenging courses that I have competed on with names like Daron Ralves (the most decorated Downhill racer in the history of the US ski team), Casey Pucket (former US Ski Team member, with multiple olympic appearances), and John Teller (the current World Cup leader for the sport). With all these guys being right around 200-220 lbs, I'm definately not going to be able to rely soley on my 165 lbs but heavily on tactics and skill... and the magic that the Swix Tuning Techs can make happen (as far as fast skis go).

Mark Walberg (in "Shooter") once said, "Slow and smooth, and smooth is fast",

Well I am banking on it.

Wish me luck! Video's and pics will be up as things start happening,

-Ethan Fortney

The Limits of My Reach

I'm spending another winter amongst the rocks and vistas of Bishop, CA. Every winter here seems to have some theme that I fall into. This years theme is all about exploring the limits of my reach. Being a massive 5'00" I have a great advantage over most rock climbers, in that every route and/or boulder problem offers me a little bit more. Because something is a bit reachy for me isn't exactly a bad thing, it just means that I need to adapt myself and the way I climb in order to better reach the next hold(s). In this way climbs give me a little bit more to work for and while it may be seemingly daunting getting shut down on a V5 because "dang it, the hold is just too far away," I'm taking it as added training. I have to be that much more creative, try that much harder, and want it that much more. So, I'm running with this theme this year and I'm seeking out boulder problems with massive reaches so that I can push myself into the realm of doubt and hopefully come out on the other side successful, enlightened, stronger, and maybe even a little bit longer.

Crested Butte Winter

Winter has come in hard and fast in Crested Butte. With over 200 inches of snow in December, we are off to an incredible start. Of course, when the snow flies, I get busy with avalanche forecasting for the Crested Butte Avalanche Center, ski patrolling, guiding backcountry skiing as well as guiding for CS Irwin Snowcat Skiing. While it makes for a busy schedule, I love all of my jobs so much that I just can't seem to stop!
I haven't had much time to get on the ice this season, but did manage o make it down to the Ouray Ice Festival to lead a clinic for Mammut on advanced ice climbing technique. January's cold snap finally allowed the Park to get some good ice flowing just in time for the Fest. With a bit of free time this month, I am hoping to get into the Black Canyon to sample some big wilderness ice. Rumor has it that conditions are pretty good down there.
Sub zero temperatures last week made it hard to motivate to get on out my limited time off, but UIAGM guide Mike Bromberg braved it one afternoon to get into some steep skiing on Mt. Crested Butte's Country Club Couloir. This rarely fills in enough to be worthy as it faces due south, but sticky wet snow this year has it plastered. Still very narrow in some places, it made for an exciting descent!Check out Mike's video:

Skiing Crested Butte's Country Club Couloir from mikebromberg on Vimeo.

Bow Valley Sport Climbing

Our guidebook company, Quickdraw Publications, is currently working on a brand new guide to the high-quality limestone sport climbing in the Canadian Rockies. I've climbed here many times over the years, including this past summer, and believe it to be one of the best summer locations for sport climbing in North America. Nowhere else will you find such comfortable summer weather and multiple north-facing cliffs. The climbing is suitable for all ability levels and the surroundings in the Canadian Rockies are simply stunning. We expect to have this book ready by May or June, just in time for the prime climbing season. It features 13 major climbing areas and over 2,000 routes. Enjoy the photos!

The Three Sisters, just south of Canmore.


Mountain goats, along with many other large mammals, are quite common.


The awesome Planet X wall at the back of Cougar Creek. This crag has about 20 routes up to 5.14-, some almost 40 metres long! Elsewhere in Cougar Canyon are a ton of good moderates, all within walking distance of Canmore.


The famous quartzite crags at the back of Lake Louise. This is a must-stop for any visiting climber. The cliffs feature excellent sport and trad routes in an absolutely stunning setting.


The Raven Crag just outside of Banff. There's some monster pitches at this crag, too. The climb below is Telltale Heart (5.12d).


Bataan has some of the best pocket climbing in the Bow Valley. The rock is super high quality and the crag has excellent routes from 5.10-5.13.


You can't beat Acephale for high-end sport climbing. This steep crag has the greatest concentration of 5.12-5-14 sport routes in Canada! The routes are very physical and crag is north facing. Pictured below is Existence Mundane (5.14b).


The blue-streaked walls of Acephale.


The rarely visited Black Feather canyon. This is Carnal Prayer Mat (5.12c).


Prairie Creek is another great spot for compact grey stone and steep pockets. Pictured below is a 5.12b.


The famous Water Wall in Grotto Canyon, home to some of the area's oldest sport climbs. This is Tintin and Snowy Get Psyched (5.12d).


Beautiful blue streaks in Heart Creek. This is the Convincer (5.12b).


Heart Creek is great for kids too!


Heart Creek. The best zone in the valley for 5.10 climbing.


Enjoy the winter everyone,
Marc Bourdon

2nd Ascent of Ricochet, Santaquin, Utah

by Chris Thomas

The variable weather of Utah leads to fickle ice routes forming at very unusual times. It’s a typical on-again off-again season this year – we had some great conditions around Thanksgiving, followed by near 50-degree temps for a few weeks, followed by a fantastic stretch of cold weather that’s lasted since the New Year and is forecasted to keep on keepin’ on for the foreseeable future.
Two weeks ago, before most of the standard moderate classic routes like Squash Head and Backoff had even touched down, a steep and extremely rarely forming route in Santaquin Canyon come into great condition.

To my knowledge, Ricochet hadn’t seen a second ascent since Doug Heinrich and Chris Harmston did the FA back in the 90s. That’s not for a lack of talented climbers in the greater Salt Lake area – they’re a dime a down around here. But it takes just the right combination of a wet fall, melt-freeze cycles, and a little bit of luck for routes like Ricochet to come in. Paul Richer and I had a blind date to go give it a shot..

Ricochet is the pointy dagger in the center of the photo

Starting up the scrappy mixed first pitch. A full rock rack, including pins, were needed to protect the thin ice.

Starting up the last pitch


Quick smile for the camera before commiting to the first free hanging icicle of the pitch

On the first and second ascents , a section of steep rock had to be aided to give access to the free hanging dagger. Hayden Kennedy and I are headed back tomorrow to give free climbing it a shot. Wish us luck!
Chris

National Geographic' Ultimate Adventure Bucket List

Hey all, Happy New Year! For those of you who like to look back at the year, reflect and dream about the upcoming year, Nat Geo has come up with the Ultimate Adventure Bucket List for you to start making plans for 2011. It is a great compilation of vacation/trip ideas. Some of them are really far out there, while others are pretty attainable.

Check out the list here.

http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/trips/ultimate-adventure-bucket-list/#/extreme/4

Happy New Year from Sun Valley

Wow...what a winter so far! Yes "winter two thousand heaven" has blessed the west with loads of snow! Here is some follow cam from fellow K2 rider Zach Crist at Sun Valley last week. Sun Valley has been enjoying a great early season with La Nina!

As always I stayed warm and dry all day long with my Alagna jacket and pants! The Nirvana pack has been my go to pack at the resort for the last 3 season. It's the perfect size for everything you need to go bell to bell!

Peace and Powder,
Danny Walton

Christmas in Hawaii

After a crazy climbing trip to Turkey, we were ready for some tropical sun and sand, and with relatives living in Hawaii, we didn't have to look far. But what many people don't know is there's actually decent climbing on the island of Oahu. Currently, there are two main climbing options: the bouldering at Waimea Bay and the cliffs at Mokuleia. The bouldering at Waimea is smooth basalt with pockets, edges and jugs, and the sport climbing at Mokuleia is also basalt, but this time it's formed into columns.

About 40 routes exist from 5.7 to 5.13- and the climbing is predominantly up corners and on smooth, technical arêtes. Apparently, a new guidebook to the climbing on the island is on the way, and that would really open up the options for visitors. Watch for it. Interestingly, there's also a new climbing gym in Honolulu, although it will likely pale in comparison to some of the major gyms found across North America. Still, if you need a workout...

If you are a climber, it's definitely worth bringing a rope and draws to the island if you need your climbing fix. If not, simply take in the incredible scenery, beaches and hiking. Enjoy the pictures and, yes, that's is a photo of a shark cage and I'M IN IT!


View toward Makapu from the top of the Koko Head tram hike. There's good humpback whale watching from this end of the island.


Bouldering on the water-worn basalt at Waimea Bay. You can get a workout here, if you are itching to climb. Bring a mat to clean the damp sand off your shoes, though.


Flowers near Manoa Falls above Honolulu. This is a nice half-hour hike in a lush forest.




Ridge above Makapu Beach. This area of the island is dry and very nice for hiking. There is also some rock climbing on the peninsula pictured below.


Pipeline beach on the North Shore. If you visit during mid-winter, you might be fortunate enough to catch a surf comp.



Climbing at the Mokuleia crag on the North Shore. This is the right end of the crag where the climbs are more moderate.


View from the crag. If you get tired of the climbing, looks what's down below!


Climbing at Mokuleia.


The mountains above the city of Honolulu.


Endangered monk seal at Kaena Point.


Looking inland from Kaena Point.


Turtle snorkeling adventure off Waikiki. Recommended!


The shark cage!


MUDDY hike in the Kahana Valley. Recommended only to those that like to suffer a bit. It was buggy...


Local weekend fun near Kaena Point. Some things are the same everywhere you go.


Happy New Year!
Marc Bourdon - Squamish, BC