Rock Climber Girl

Pitiful

2009-12-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

I've been told that it's pitiful how infrequently I'm blogging right now... so here's a quick update.

I haven't blogged about Nepal more because I just, honestly, don't know what to say. Someday, I'll get around to "tactical" posts... where we stayed, what we ate, who we met, where we went, how we got there. But so far, I haven't been super inspired to write those. I usually write about climbing, here -- obviously -- and since I didn't actually climb in Nepal, there's nothing to say about climbing there. Instead, the trip, for me, was about things that I don't care to write about here -- and, frankly, which wouldn't be of interest to people reading a blog about rock climbing. As a result, I'm writing... but not here. Just for me, for once. Hopefully someday I'll have time to sit down and write those tactical posts... but not yet.

I also haven't been climbing as much as usual... I started a fantastic new job a few weeks ago, and have been full steam ahead on those commitments to get off to as good a start as possible. The upside: I am having a blast, and I am completely excited to go to work every single day. The downside: it's going to take me awhile to figure out a schedule that will let me train and climb as much as I want to, while still performing my job.

On the other hand, I got into the gym for only the second time since Thanksgiving on Friday... and I feel like I've turned a corner as a climber. Now... celebrating my fifth year of climbing, I seem to be able to take breaks without taking as many steps backward as I used to. When I return to the gym after a few weeks off now, I can tell that I've lost some endurance -- but I can climb at my typical training level without overdoing it. I'm pretty comfortable with being a moderate climber in terms of difficulty -- I'm just so happy to get to climb, that I'm also happy to not push difficulty too hard right now.

I had a great session down at Edgeworks in Tacoma today... my goal was to boulder until I couldn't boulder any more, and I did just that. I'm super tired... big muscle fatigue... which feels completely awesome. The vibe at Edgeworks was fantastic... very friendly people, great routesetting, and holds that were new to me, so the field trip was well worth it.

Otherwise, I've mixed in an irregular yoga practice at Samudra Yoga and Dharma Yoga here in Bremerton... I go when I can, which means I've been twice in about a month. The yoga just FEELS good... it feels good for my body, and it feels good for the rest of me, too. Being in a space with a singing bowl, and the word "Namaste," and breathing, is about the closest I can get to Nepal without packing my passport. Yoga is bringing up all sorts of wacky feelings and emotions for me... it's not easy, but it feels valuable to me both as a climber, and for me outside of climbing.

So, that's the pitiful update. I'm -- for the first time in years -- considering not taking a trip in December, and instead staying home to deal with some "real life" stuff that has to get ... well ... dealt with. I'm not terribly good at passing on climbing invitations, though, and I have a few possibilities, so we'll see.

How about you? What's going on in your non-pitiful climbing life? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

Yosemite in pictures, Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-02T13:15:00.001-08:00

No long winded post this time. Just a few pictures from last weekend's quick, fun trip to Yosemite.

Leaves, in the valley, as seen through my glacier glasses.

Yosemite Falls, I think? I'm not good yet with locations in the park... just getting to know my way around.

View from the top of Manure Pile Buttress, toward North Dome and Half Dome.

Bouldering at the Ahwahnee Lodge Boulders.

Katie showing off her skin damage.

Candace, bad ass girl, bouldering.

Blue eyed girls. Candace, me, Katiebeth and Kayla.

Hugs and love to my Yosemite partners in crime...

Dry tooling, new job, and where are you eating turkey or Tofurky on Thursday?

2009-11-23T19:31:00.000-08:00

So, my Nepal post plans have fizzled for the moment... re-entry continued to be a challenge, and I decided to try to immerse myself in the present for a bit to see if that helped give me perspective on the trip, and whether it might help with the adjustment back home. I think it did, mostly... so one of these days, I'll start writing. Just not yet.

In the meantime, I've started my excellent new gig with Waypoint Outdoor as a Field Service Rep, and I'm having a great time getting settled in there (or, as settled as you get when "Field" and "Service" are in your job title).

I have been climbing strong in the gym... not quite at my personal best, but better, happier and with more confidence and increased bold than before my trip. I feel strong, which feels really good. I also invited myself along with some friends going dry tooling at Squak Mountain this weekend (that's new #kickassgirl friend Genevieve in the photo at the top of the post) and had an awesome time.

Seriously, dry tooling in pouring rain with temps in the 40s felt like about the single most bad ass thing I've ever done outside. I'm super sore today, and getting more sore as the day goes on... it was a workout even on toprope. The pictures didn't turn out fantastically since -- obviously -- conditions were wet and super muddy. But, a few are up on Facebook just because it was too funny and fun not to memorialize. Highlights...

First, out of five initial RSVPs "Yes," four of us actually showed up. In my experience, that's unheard of even when it's sunny and 65 degrees.

Second, I completely enjoyed the technical nature of dry tooling compared to regular climbing... I learned early on that my movement had to be very deliberate, my axe placements incredibly careful, and that balance was a key. It was fun to get to work on different skills than just pulling hard -- by halfway up each pitch, my core was worked from how much balance and care was required in my movements.

Third, at one point while I was climbing, I'd worked my way through the crux up onto a muddy ledge near the top of the pitch. Dan, on belay, called up

"I can lower you from there!"

I yelled down,

"WHY?!?!?!?"

Jeremy laughed, and I kept climbing. I mean, seriously -- this time of year, I'm not going to pass up even six feet of mud climbing, if it's outside, and it's climbing, then it's precious.

Anyway... tonight I'm pining for Nepal, so I'm going to go exercise a little self-care and have a good dinner (I'm STILL harvesting potatoes from my backyard stash... awesomeness) and get some rest. Looks like plans are holding to get out of dodge for turkey day, so then I'll be even more behind on trip reports.

Where are you headed, this upcoming play-outside ... I mean ... holiday weekend?

Index Lower Town Wall Acquision Fundraisers, THIS week!

2009-11-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

I've been out of the loop so a huge thank you to Jon for emailing me today about this event...

Please join cascadeclimbers.com for "Sausage Fest 2009" this Sunday, November 15th... pre-funk at 5pm and slideshows by Steve Swenson, Joe Puryear, Sky Sjue and maybe more (any volunteers?) starting at 7pm. Where? Shultzy's on the Ave, 4114 University Way, in Seattle. There's a gear raffle, and the event benefits the Index Town Wall acquisition that's well under way but needs YOUR help! Here's the link on cascadeclimbers.com, for more information.

Also, on Wednesday of this week (November 11th), Edgeworks Climbing is hosting "An Evening with Climbing Legend Fred Becky." The show begins at 8:00pm, at Edgeworks at 6102 N. 9th Street in Tacoma, WA. Tickets are $10, and this event also benefits the Index Town Wall Acquisition efforts.

Please get out there and show your support! More information about the acquisition efforts is available on the WCC website at http://www.washingtonclimbers.org/.

Meet my Expedition Hanesbrands family...

2009-11-10T03:16:00.000-08:00

Re-entry continues. I'm actually feeling okay... starting to understand that the trip is going to take some time to digest, and appreciating the support and advice from friends who've done big trips, and gone through adjustments when they've gotten home. I think, if I didn't have you all sending me such wonderful little tidbits and advice, I'd think I was going nuts. I had a great short afternoon in the climbing gym on Sunday, which turned out to be just the ticket -- it was crowded, and loud, and both of those things made me feel at home. I was also surprised by the sensation of climbing... after basically taking the last six weeks off, it felt really good to use my climbing muscles. I felt strong, which was a surprise, and my commitment level is way up (before the trip, I was so scared I'd twist an ankle, or hurt myself ... so I'd been climbing really cautiously, when I was managing to climb). So -- getting out of the house, and specifically, getting into the climbing gym, are helping. I'm still not sleeping, which is getting really annoying. But, stressing out about it only makes it worse, so instead, I'm just going to keep a pile of books by the bed, and trust that this will pass, eventually. I read pretty voraciously during parts of my trip, so I'm considering finally taking the plunge and getting myself a welcome home Kindle. Larry, you're a bad influence (not really).

Since I can't sleep this morning, I might as well be writing.

Eileen, aka, Rockgrrl is one smart cookie. Aside from her support and suggestions with regard to my re-entry, one of her questions about my trip gave me the perfect starting place for my posts about Nepal... she asked what I thought about the people I met. It makes sense to start there, since then when I tell the rest of the stories, you'll have an idea of who the folks are that I'm talking about. Brilliant! I met so many wonderful people, that I'm even going to have to break this down into chunks... so first, here's an introduction to my travel companions from North America (and New Zealand).

The Expedition Hanesbrands Climbing and Trekking Team
Starting at the beginning... the first people I met were our own team!

I'd metJamie when he came through Seattle last spring. For this trip, I flew to Vancouver BC to meet up with Jamie, Todd, a guide based in Golden, BC, and Jamie's childhood friend Aenea who'd be joining us for the trek. After our long flight to Hong Kong, we were on the moving sidewalks in the Hong Kong airport and I looked over and saw a Westerner with a mop of curly hair and thought, "That dude has GOT to be a climber." Turns out, it was Scott, our trip photographer and a climbing team member, based in Salt Lake City and New Zealand. Here are Jamie, Todd and Scott, outside the Boudhanath Stupa, on our first full day in Kathmandu.

And here's Jamie and Aenea, in one of their "moments." Occasionally, they's just start OFF... some kind of interaction pattern that probably started when they were in Grade 5. I vaguely recall that this one might have had something to do with shaving... but I can't remember for sure.

Todd, Scott, Aenea and I all got to know each other during our travel to Kathmandu, with visits from Jamie when he wasn't dozing in his big comfy seat at the front of the plane. We all hit it off instantly -- I'd been a little nervous about a trip that long when I had only barely met Jamie and didn't know the other climbers... my nerves were completely unfounded. All of us had a great rapport from the start, the vibe was positive, fun, and inclusive... the guys helped me feel at home, right away.

When we got to Kathmandu, we were greeted by rolling cameras and the film crew for our trip. Paul, Lovinder, Kenny and David had come ahead of us to do some shooting before the team arrived, and they were ready to roll when we got off the plane.

Here's Paul:

And, Dave and Kenny hamming it up on our first day of trekking:

The biggest smile I caught on Lovinder was on the day he was headed down.

Also, on arrival in Kathmandu, I was excited to see Mike and Charlie from Hanesbrands, who I'd gotten to meet in person this summer in Winston-Salem, and both of whom had been just wonderful to me in the weeks leading up to the trip. Here's Mike, AKA "Big Diesel":

who turned out to be a wee fraction of the man I'd met in Winston-Salem... where I'd gained weight like crazy for the trip, he'd lost a bunch! Here's Charlie:

Finally, our trip leaders from Berg International, Leila and Wally. Leila was our trekking guide as far as base camp, and Wally was our expedition leader. They're based in Canmore, Alberta and operate trips all over the world. Here's Wally, in Pheriche:

And, Scott and Leila, getting ready to head out from Namche.

In retrospect, I laugh about this... but the whole start of the trip, I was super nervous about meeting Wally. Wally is an incredibly respected, knowledgeable and experienced climber, guide, and expedition leader. The first American (now, Canadian) to stand on the summit of Lhotse, with a long Himalayan history and the stories to match -- let's just say I had some preconceived notions about meeting a high altitude mountaineer with his resume. Again, my concerns were unfounded. I met Wally the first time in the lodge dining room at Pheriche, and he walked over, gave me a huge hug, planted a kiss on my cheek, and said, "I'm so glad you're here. Welcome to Pheriche."

I was blown away, right away, by his and Leila's warmth and encouragement, and their excitement about having me on the trip erased any remaining fears or nagging doubts I might have had about my place on the team. In fact, I'll never forget the day that we reached Dugla for lunch, at about 15,100 feet. At that point, I was still going strong, and the altitude hadn't really hit yet. I got to a rest stop and Wally looked up, snapped some pictures, complimented me on my altitude smile, and with a huge smile on his own face, said, "You BELONG up here."

For a girl who lives at sea level, who'd never been above 10,000 feet before, that was the kind of encouragement that will stick with me forever. I swear, when I started to have some altitude sickness, I could hear Wally in my head, saying, "You BELONG up here." It might not sound like much -- and I don't want to digress into a discussion of gender politics in the climbing community -- but I'll treasure it.

Here's me, somewhere in Nepal, snapped by Scott:

Anyway...

Those are the folks from North America (and New Zealand). If you want a sneak peek about our Sherpa team, here's a dispatch from while we were on the mountain, and I'll share more when I do a post about my experiences with the rest of the folks I met in Nepal ... the locals, and other travelers.

At least now, when I tell stories, you'll have a face to put with the name. Thanks, Eileen, for the idea... and stay tuned for more!

The re-entry...

2009-11-08T07:01:00.001-08:00

I'm home!

I got into Seattle after the long trip home from Kathmandu a couple of days ago, for some time with my parents and sister, then came home to Kitsap yesterday. Everyone's anxious for the trip report, but that has three complications:

I have literally hundreds of photos to go through. Here's a taste of what I'm up against, just taking into account pictures from our quick trip down:

The trip, for me, had precious little to do with climbing, so I'm a bit at a loss for subject matter;

And, my re-entry so far has kicked my ass, so I'm having a hard time deciding whether I need to devote some emotional energy to a trip recap to move on ... or whether it's just too much right now... perhaps the more appropriate next step is to apply the immersion approach to the realities of my life at home.

Wacky, I know, but I'm a girl who has a hard time adjusting back to "normal life" after a long weekend of climbing a couple of hours away from home; I should have known better, and planned a spa retreat (or maybe, inpatient therapy) or something for my return from this particular trip.

So far, the stages I've moved through have been:

Friday: Catatonic with jet lag. That was fun. I actually, physically, couldn't keep my eyes open and felt nauseous my first day in Seattle. My poor family -- if they kept me talking, I could stay upright, so they had to listen to story after story about yaks and conditions on the mountain and my extended periods of time in the Communication tent ... good sports, all of them. I actually, at a few points in the day, heard phantom yak bells. I managed to get a bunch of sleep that night, though -- pacific time night, not my biological night -- so I think that was a good start on my recovery. Word of the day: "Voracious." I couldn't stop eating. My metabolism, apparently, thinks I'm still in the Himalaya.

Saturday: Depressed. That was less fun. I know it happens... but it's still not pleasant. That phase never lasts long for me, but it's compounded by dealing with some really hard stuff at home. On the other hand, it was balanced by finally getting to spend some extended time with one of my girl friends who I'd been just desperate to catch up with the last few weeks, so as post-trip depression goes, I think I got off easy. There was, of course, ice cream involved. Word of the day: "Profound." When I thought about anything, the descriptive word attached in my inner commentary was "Profound." "Profoundly jetlagged." "Profound culture shock." "Profound disorientation." You get the picture.

Sunday: The theme, and the Word of the Day seem to be the same. "Paralyzed." I've completely lost track of both the physical time, and my biological time, and am just not tired. I didn't sleep much last night, and woke up really early this morning, and thought to myself...

"Well... NOW what do I do with myself?"

So, I put on a Genius playlist based on "Blame it on the Tetons," the song that was running through my head when I woke up. Step two was to pour a cup of breakfast tea, since -- unlikely enough, and probably short lived -- I managed to kick my coffee addiction during the trip in favor of a tea addiction. Luckily, that lead to a bowl of cereal, which made me think I should probably eat some proper food today (after yesterday revolved primarily around Lucky Charms) which will get me out of the house, to the grocery store, and suddenly, it's like a magic cure for my paralysis since I now have a "To Do list." I'd imagine, another therapeutic step will be to go to the climbing gym, so perhaps that's what today will hold.

If anyone would like to give me a sneak peak of the next few stages of my re-entry, based on your own experiences, I'd be all over it. A little early warning might help me plan the next couple of weeks better.

My instincts have been to flee... I'm home unexpectedly early from my trip, and I think part of my increased disorientation comes because my trip home was just so FAST because we had to jump on logistical opportunities that would get me and Jamie out of Lukla early. Here's me, head spinning, on the flight from Lukla to Kathmandu...

So, why not just leave again? I've got the means, motive and opportunity, but on the other hand, then I'm just going to have to re-enter after TWO trips, and I don't know if that will help anything at all. Escapism is great, and all, but real life will still be here when I get back, so that doesn't really get me anywhere.

Not to mention, the rhythm of constant motion that I've gotten used to is only one part of what I'm missing. The other part, which is harder to reproduce, is that I'm now accustomed to being completely surrounded by people. I've been traveling and living with the climbing team and trekkers from my trip for the last month... aside from my time alone in my sleeping quarters each night, and my solo trekking time, I've had the companionship of my travel buddies at all times.

Aside from missing my travel companions, I'm also now conditioned to interact with strangers in the Nepali fashion... with intense curiosity and conversation, pretty much constantly. It was disorienting, and strange, to sit down on my last flight and not have the person next to me turn to me and ask, "Where are you from? What's your good name?
Are you traveling alone or with a group? Where were you trekking? Is this your first time here? What do you do for work? Are you married? Where did you go to school? How many brothers do you have? How do you like Nepal?" and on, and on. Compared to my "home" there -- address, "Perpetual Motion, Nepal" -- home here is incredibly quiet, even with my wonderful, heartfully missed friends and family doing their part to help me not be too lonely.

So, first tea. Then breakfast and some good music. I just finished doing my photo dump, so I'm going to open up iPhoto and see if I can stand to look at pictures yet, which will dictate the rest of the day. It'll either be, "Nope - not ready yet," in which case it'll be second breakfast followed by a trip to the gym. Then, the grocery store, and making a yummy, healthy dinner of whatever I feel like eating tonight. Or, if it's the alternative, it'll be a day of writing and photos and immersion back in the trip. You'll know soon enough.

A little bit of gratitude...

Thank you, all, for your well wishes, love and support during this trip... I was mostly only able to broadcast updates and view your messages, not respond, because of our bandwidth limitations -- but I'll be slowly catching up with those of you who sent messages of encouragement and positive thoughts, and every single one was appreciated.

Also -- here's a huge thank you to Tiffany and our guest posters, who held down the fort here so incredibly well, and with such love and care.

And, the world's hugest thank you to Jamie, Mike, Charlie, the rest of the Hanesbrands team, Elizabeth, and Wally and Leila with Berg Adventures for their parts in making this incredible, first-in-a-lifetime trip a reality for me. There just aren't words to express my gratitude, and appreciation.

Finally -- what do YOU want to know? Ask away, and it might help me figure out what to write up from this trip...

Guest Blogger Rebecca: Gore-Tex Summit - How The Stuff Works

2009-11-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

From RCG HQ: Here's Day 2 of Rebecca's adventures at Gore-Tex Bloggers summit!

One of the most interesting parts of the Gore-Tex Blogger Summit was learning about the core science behind what makes a garment waterproof and breathable. This actually is important information for the outdoor consumer. It’s not unique to Gore-Tex and the science applies to all kinds of outerwear, manufacturers, and sports.

What exactly makes a jacket waterproof and breathable? What does breathable mean? Why do I get wet inside my Gore-Tex or eVent or other waterproof/breathable material jacket? In order to understand why a garment is or isn’t working for you, it helps to understand the science behind what is going on. Sometimes it’s not the jacket that fails - it’s science doing its best to make you uncomfortable.

“The laws of science be a harsh mistress.” - Bender, Futurama

Waterproof breathable membranes have one characteristic in common: they are porous in nature, and these pores are what keep water droplets out and allow water vapor to pass through. In an ePTFE membrane like Gore-Tex, the pores are approximately 20,000 times smaller than a droplet of liquid water, but 700 times bigger than a molecule of water vapor. Brad, our science guy for the day at Gore-Tex described it thusly: think of the membrane as a chain link fence, the water vapor as sand and the water droplets as beach balls. Throw a beach ball at the fence and it won’t fit through the holes. Throw a handful of sand at the fence and it will pass through.

What does waterproof mean?

It means exactly what you’d think - no liquid water can pass through the membrane. This has a lot to do with the properties of liquid water like surface tension and other sciencey mumbo-jumbo that I’ll steer clear of today. The bottom line is that liquid water in its smallest form is much larger than water vapor.

What does breathable mean?

This is a more complicated answer. Many people think that breathable means the ability for air to pass through, but this is not the case. Have you ever seen someone pick up a Gore-Tex jacket and try to blow through it? That’s permeability, not breathability. Permeability is a measurement more important to windproof fabrics. Breathability refers to the rate at which water vapor molecules pass through the membrane.

Just because water vapor can pass through the membrane doesn’t mean that it will do so in the most efficient way possible. As you sweat, the moisture is being vaporized by the heat that your body is putting out. This vapor will ideally ‘breathe’ through the pores in the membrane. However, this is where science steps in and does its best to mess with things.

The rate at which this movement happens is based on the how fast you are cranking out sweat and vaporizing it, the climate difference between your body and the outside, as well as the resistance of the layers between you and the outside. So, in reality, there are a lot of factors that go into how breathable you perceive a garment to be, and those factors are going to be different every time you use it.

In addition, if the membrane gets polluted with dirt and oils, it impedes its ability to let water vapor molecules pass through. Lastly, if the laminated textile (usually the outer fabric) ‘wets out’ it will prevent that vapor from passing through. The DWR (durable water repellent) that you find on most waterproof outerwear works as the first line of defense against the wetting out of the fabric, helping the water bead up and roll off. Maintaining the DWR coating will go a long way to making your waterproof/breathable outerwear more comfortable. I’ll focus on the care of DWR and waterproof/breathable garments in an upcoming post.

Measuring Breathability

There is an ISO standard for measuring breathability, but the results are not commonly part of marketing or consumer materials. Unfortunately, tests of breathability can vary significantly due to the large number of variables described above and test method used. Since there is no consistent measurement between manufacturers, numbers on charts and labels can be misleading, especially when you are using them to compare garments.

What is the difference between all of the waterproof/breathable materials on the market?

My answer to this comes from W.L. Gore, so take this as you will. There are four core types of waterproof/breathable materials out there, three of which are based on polyurethane. The polyurethane membranes tend to perform at a lower standard in one or more of the following areas: waterproofness, durability, and breathability.

The fourth type is ePTFE. Gore-Tex, as described in the previous post, is made of this material. When W.L. Gore’s patent on this technology expired other competitors entered the market, the most well known of which is eVent. Gore freely admits that eVent has the same performance with regards to waterproofness and breathability, but claim that Gore-Tex is far superior in terms of durability and endurance.

Why? Well, although the ePTFE patent has expired, Gore still holds the patent on the idea of protective engineering. In other words, W.L. Gore has formulated a proprietary chemistry that can protect the membrane from sunscreens, oils, DEET, and other destructive materials. Remember, the accumulation of dirt and oils can seriously impact breathability, and Gore says their product is much better at keeping the membrane free of these contaminants.

I don’t know how long it takes a jacket to be contaminated to the point of reducing its effectiveness, but if you regularly junk up your waterproof garments with sweat, sunscreen, and DEET, it’s something to keep in mind.

Gore-Tex does not do proprietary branding for their customers. So any membrane that is specific to a manufacturer (like Mountain Hardwear Conduit, or Marmot Precip) is not made by Gore-Tex and is likely made of one or more of the three polyurethane types.

Why do I get wet in my Gore-Tex jacket?

Well, as described above there can be several reasons - climate conditions (temperature and humidity differences between your body and the outside), the resistance of your layering system as a whole, a dirt or oil polluted membrane, deterioration of the DWR, and many other factors. If you are cranking out the sweat faster than the system can keep up with it, it’s likely that you’ll get wet.

And you can’t forget to check the source of your jacket, too. One of the Gore associates said they will get returns of ‘Gore-Tex’ jackets where people complain that they don’t breathe, and it turns out they bought some kind of knockoff from eBay or other dubious source.

Sometimes, you will feel wet and clammy inside a waterproof breathable jacket even when you’re perfectly dry. This feeling is especially pronounced in outerwear that has deteriorated DWR. As the outer textile wets out in a cold rain it sits against your body. Your skin interprets the cold and pressure as moisture, when in reality you’re dry.

Coming Up: Science lesson over, thanks for bearing with me. Next, I’ll move on to the fun stuff: a tour through the Gore-Tex testing facilities (wind! cold! rain! Washing machines!), the seemingly backwards way to care for your Gore-Tex garments, and final impressions of the event.

When Rebecca isn't busy getting her nerd on with trip reports and gear over at calipidder.com, she can be found somewhere in the backcountry of California, backpacking, hiking, climbing, photographing, or just soaking in the scenery. She communicates best at 140 characters at a time, so she looks forward to continuing the conversation at twitter.com/calipidder.

Guest Blogger Rebecca: Gore-Tex Summit

2009-11-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone, RCG HQ here. Rebecca from calipidder.com has posted her take on the recent gathering of outdoor bloggers at Gore-Tex. Enjoy!

The Gore-Tex Blogger Summit was a short whirlwind of tours, education, entertainment, and fun with fourteen other outdoor bloggers and many Gore associates. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this event but it was clear from the beginning that it would be an interesting 48 hours with a great group of people. In the spirit of full disclosure, I should mention that Gore provided the travel and expenses for this trip.

Everyone arrived throughout the day on Wednesday and at 6 pm descended on the Gore Barksdale facility in Delaware for dinner, drinks, and a meet-and-greet. I felt like I was in a museum - the center atrium of the building has been turned into the Gore Capability Center - a display of their technology and the many applications it has. My interest was piqued as I passed by a guitar, an astronaut suit, a motorbike, and other things, but they quickly whisked us into a room where tables, drinks, and a slide show were waiting.

After a few minutes the remaining group arrived straight from the airport and a tour of the Capability Center kicked off. They did a quick round of introductions and it was exciting to see the diversity of bloggers around me. Although we all fell under the general ‘outdoor blogger’ umbrella, there were backpacking bloggers, climbing bloggers, skiing bloggers, snowboarding bloggers, travel bloggers, mountain biking bloggers and more. I looked forward to getting to know everyone, but there was no time for chitchat - we had things to learn about!

My familiarity with the Gore brand has always been through outdoor gear - all of us here know Gore-Tex and Windstopper, right? Well, this is just a small part of their business. The focus of Day 2 will be on this business, but tonight it’s an introduction to the Gore business as a whole, and it’s incredible.

Gene and Emily, two Gore associates, took us around the Capability Center, starting with an introduction to the science behind their products. Gore’s core business is based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a material that Bill Gore was experimenting with back in the 50’s to make a better wire insulating tape. As the story usually goes with great discoveries, things were going terribly and in a moment of frustration Bill Gore yanked on the material and it expanded in an astonishing way.
This expanded PTFE is the material that eventually became Gore-Tex and a myriad of other products. As the history was described, we got to pass around a tube and sheets of ePTFE - it was really cool to feel what that membrane is like in my Gore-Tex jackets.

We then went through the other kiosks which demonstrated the applications of ePTFE in four scientific areas: physical, electromagnetic, chemical, and biological. I know the readers of calipidder.com are mostly interested in the outdoor applications, but I still have to mention how cool it is that Gore has been able to apply the ePTFE discovery to an incredible range of products. We saw everything from medical devices, wires that are used on Mars and Moon exploration robots, hydrogen-powered engines, to guitar strings and Glide floss.

There is a lot going on at Gore, and although this event’s focus was on their outdoor business, I couldn’t help but be impressed by all that the company is doing. There was one theme that was clear across all of the applications, and in a conversation I had with one of the associates he nailed it: Gore “only makes products to improve people’s lives”.

After the tour we sat down for dinner and had a chance to get to know one another a bit better. We also got a sneak peak at Gore-Tex’s new community at myexperiencemore.com. It looks great and I’ll post about it more once it launches and I get a chance to play with it. But it’s worth saying that Gore gets it when it comes to understanding their outdoor consumer and they want to listen to their community. In the process, they may be able to give their brand more of a personality. To consumers, Gore is a personality-free component maker that supplies the manufacturers of outdoor gear. However, as you’ll see from my Day 2 report, they go far above and beyond the role of supplier when it comes to their relationship with manufacturers and consumers.

Coming soon in the Day 2 report: the science of breathability and waterproofness, a tour of the Gore testing facilities, I survive a wind and rain storm, and silliness on the streets of Philadelphia.

When Rebecca isn't busy getting her nerd on with trip reports and gear over at calipidder.com, she can be found somewhere in the backcountry of California, backpacking, hiking, climbing, photographing, or just soaking in the scenery. She communicates best at 140 characters at a time, so she looks forward to continuing the conversation at twitter.com/calipidder.

Sara Post: Kala Patthar

2009-10-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

From RCG HQ: Check new pictures from Sara on her Flickr site. Here's her latest post - Enjoy!

Today has been a big day all the way around... the rest of the climbers overnighted at Advanced Base Camp last night, then pressed up to Camp 1 today. More information will come, on the official sites at www.climbwithus.com and Jamie's Twitter account.

My day revolved around my first big acclimatization hike: to the summit of Kala Patthar at approximately 18,360 feet. We could have gone back toward Gorakshep and up the gentle main trail from there... but no... while Kami usually takes me "easy way" when we hike together, today we took the direct "short cut" from our base camp that followed the trail about halfway to our Advance Base Camp, then turned to switchback up a steep rocky slope to the summit. It was a fun trip up... it felt good, after days of trekking and resting, to actually really exert and get some exercise. We made good time to the summit despite going slowly for acclimatization, and had the summit to ourselves for a few minutes before the next couple of groups ascended.

On the summit we radioed base camp, and a gentleman who'd just reached the summit overhead me -- he's a long time client of Wally Berg and Berg Adventures, our trip organizer. I handed over the radio so that Gus could chat with Wally back at base camp. What a small world.

The views were every bit as incredible as I'd heard. The trip down was scenic and serious too -- another "short cut" that skipped the meandering main trail around a series of ridges and instead came straight up and down a few ridges to drop us off right behind my tent. I felt great on the way up and down, and had a lovely time. My acclimatization continues to be much better this second time around, and I'm excited for more hikes during the rest of my time here.

Sara Post: Back at Pumori Base Camp

2009-10-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

I can’t even remember the last time I wrote directly, although some updates have gone up on other websites… but today I have the luxury of a few minutes at a computer, so here’s an update on the last few days.

The trek through the Nepali countryside has been blissful… comfortable accommodations, great friends, lots of laughter, and many steps forward through some of the most incredible scenery I’ve ever seen. I’m a fair to middling photographer, and even I can’t seem to take a bad photograph here… they just keep racking up on my camera, with only the blurry ones deleted. I’ve also found myself shooting more video than I expected… as much to try to record the sounds of this place for myself as anything else. I can’t sit still long enough to piece together any interesting video compilation since despite carefully working on pressure breathing while I type (talk about multitasking) I’m still not yet a master. My respiration rate tends to slow a great deal when I work on the computer, and it’s critical I keep my oxygen levels up.

If you hadn’t heard… on day 12 of our trek, after three nights in base camp, we decided unanimously that I had to go down.

I was having some trouble adjusting to the altitude once we left Pheriche on the way up: mostly, a moderate headache. But, when I was moving I felt better, so each day I’d head up with the team, thinking of it as an acclimatization hike, with the intention to head back down if my symptoms didn’t improve, but my stubbornness kicked in each evening and I never actually headed back down. By the time we reached base camp, I had more symptoms of AMS – a more severe headache; very suppressed appetite; and nausea. At first, my symptoms were managed with over the counter headache medicine and careful snacking; but by the evening of day 11, my symptoms plus my pulse/ox levels merited a team meeting. We decided that we’d see how I felt on the morning of the 12th, and either do a serious acclimatization hike to Kala Pataar if I was feeling up for it; or, head down to an altitude where I could recover if I wasn’t.

By the morning of day 12, there was no argument. I was going down. The headache no longer responded to over the counter pain meds, and the pain was so bad I could hardly function. I had great company for the trek back down to Pheriche – Layla, one of our trekking leaders, as well as friends David, Lavinder and Paul were all scheduled for the trip back to Pheriche that day – so we made our way slowly down.

When we walked through Gorakshep, I saw a pony warming up out in the sand dune, and thought for sure Layla was putting me on a “Khumbu Ambulance” for the trip down. Little did I know at the time – Layla was seriously considering it! But, the entire team made it into Pheriche in the early evening with the rest of the group, without the aid of any ponies.

We hadn’t even dropped packs in Pheriche when Layla whisked me to the Himalayan Rescue Association hospital to a greeting full of concern and care by Jen, Andy and Rachel. After just a couple of questions, Sara was full of pain killers and strapped to an oxygen mask, and laid down under heavy quilts to get some rest. The hospital was incredibly busy… patients and locals walked back and forth through the rooms the whole time, which was actually a welcome distraction. After the oxygen, and getting my headache under control, for the first time in days, everyone around the dinner table ate a pretty substantial meal, breathing in the relatively thick air at Pheriche.

I settled into a routine in Pheriche… breakfast with Todd, who was also down to recover from a chest cold; a visit with my new friends at the Himalayan Rescue Association; a walk, or, as I got better, an acclimatization hike; lunch with a random trekker in the lodge; and then an afternoon of rest and then dinner with Todd. After hour activities most nights took me to the HRA, either just for time with my new friends there, or one night, a movie night (action adventure movies aren’t the best choice for recovering from AMS since I found I held my breath through most of it – alas, even with me there, the girls at the clinic didn’t outnumber the boys, so “Taken” with Liam Neeson it was).

On the morning of day 15, we saw Charlie, Mike, Kenny and Aenea off via helicopter, for their speedy trip back to Kathmandu (a distance that took us six days to trek up, they covered by helicopter in a matter of minutes). Then, Wally (our other trip leader) and I headed to the HRA for a discussion of my options.

I can’t take Diamox, a drug that is used to aid acclimatization by increasing your respiration rate (and in other ways) because of a drug allergy. Doctors across the Khumbu had conferred about my case, and my goals up here in the mountains, and came to the conclusion that my two options would be to try again to acclimatize on my own through a slow ascent, or to try an experimental course of another drug, with the hope that it would aid my acclimatization.

Wally and I had one last sit-down with the doctors at the HRA to discuss my options for my return to basecamp, and unanimously decided that the best course of action would be to ascend slowly, and hope that my body would acclimatize on its own. With that, Wally, Cami (one of my favorite Sherpa) and I started the slow ascent toward Loboche, with a gain of nearly 900 meters, for an overnight to acclimatize.

My arrival at Loboche the second time around was a complete change from the first. On day 16, we headed up to Gorakshep, the last lunch stop on the way to base camp. I did great at first, then started to get a headache after a couple of hours in Gorakshep. I was extremely discouraged, at first, but then thrilled when the headache responded to a low dose of an over the counter pain reliever. We made it into base camp in great time, and I was able to spend the evening with the climbing team before they headed up to Advance Base Camp this afternoon (Day 17). I had a great night’s sleep that night; my appetite is excellent; and my headaches are minimal. The photo at the start of this post is of Wally, Todd, me and Scott on our return to base camp.

Now, it’s just me, Wally, Cami (although he’ll be providing support on the mountain for the climbers, too), Ang Tshering, Ang Temba, and the cook staff here at base camp. From the bustling herd we started with, our numbers have dwindled significantly.

I didn’t come here to summit Pumori, although if I’m 100% honest the thought was in the back of my mind the whole way up here, and even last night, I dreamt of climbing way up there, up high, my crampons and ice axe digging into the steep terrain with a huge smile on my face. It was hard to see the guys off this afternoon… partly because I feel a bit like a worried mama, and partly because it’s hard to not be going with them. But – given everything, I’m just incredibly thrilled to be back at base camp. When I left on day 12, the thought did not cross my mind that I wouldn’t be back in a few days. I didn’t even roll up my sleeping pad, or pack my tent. I left everything here, ready for my return. Somewhere along the line in Pheriche, when my symptoms weren’t resolving as quickly as I’d anticipated, I reset my goals to just – if the universe would let me – allow me to get back to base camp.

I’m thrilled to be here. I’ve got lots of work to do to help with communications for www.climbwithus.com while the guys are on the mountain, and I have a few reset climbing and trekking goals of my own, if my health continues to be good, which I’m optimistic it will.

Mostly, I’m just still incredibly thrilled to be here. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned, and how attached I’ve gotten to my travel companions. I feel like a whole different person this second time up to base camp – I feel healthy, and strong, and I’m having a truly lovely time just being here. I feel like climbing.

Neither my words, nor my little camera, do this place justice. Our base camp of several tents is nestled on a large talus field, next to a lake at the base of Kala Patthar and Pumori. Mount Everest and Nuptse are constant companions, whether by sunlight or moonlight. The starkness, the severity, and the beauty are absolutely beyond my expectations, and at times, more than I can believe. We rarely actually have rest time – I’ve been in a state of constant motion and then sleep, except for my rest days at Pheriche – but when I do, I find myself just sitting, staring up at Pumori or Everest and the incredibly blue sky. Taking in the sounds of the radio from the cook tent; the crowing of birds; and the chatter of the camp staff.

While I think of home often, and miss my friends and family (including my part-time dog Hana, who I can’t wait to see) I’m just so pleased to be back at this, my other “home.” Thanks so much for all of the well wishes and support – it’s been truly appreciated! Think positive thoughts for our guys who are now up on Pumori, and I’ll keep you posted as best I can!

In the meantime, you can keep tabs via www.climbwithus.com, and on Twitter at Jamie's account, my TheClimberGirl account and the official ClimbWithUs account.

Again, thanks so much for your support, encouragement, and positive thoughts. Take care, and have fun, in your own adventures!

-Sara

Sara Posts Latest On Trek Toward Pumori

2009-10-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Quick check in here... Sara posts at Expedition Hanesbrands site...

Via @ClimbWithUs on Twitter: New update from @theclimbergirl Sara wrapping up days 5-11 on Mount Pumori. A great read! http://bit.ly/9PMiY

Expedition Hanesbrands at Pumori Base Camp

2009-10-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

The latest from RCG HQ, with updates from Nepal! Expedition leader Jamie Clark, Sara and the team have arrived at Pumori Base Camp, according to the Twitter feeds from @JC_Climbs and @ClimbWithUs. New videos too of the team being blessed and making their way deep into the mountain range:

New video: Trek detail from day 6 (Pangboche to Pheriche) http://bit.ly/hpXgd

New video: Trek detail from day 8 (Pheriche to Lobuche). http://bit.ly/ARZuA

Berg Adventures has great updates on their blog as well of the team's progress (scroll to the bottom of the page for links): http://bit.ly/2kvBzO

Update from Sara!

2009-10-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone - RCG HQ here with updates from Sara and the team:

A voicemail from Sara and an updated slideshow of pictures are posted at the Climb With Us web site: http://bit.ly/268kRH.

Also, Berg Adventures, which is climbing with the team, is posting pictures and dispatches here: http://bit.ly/2kvBzO

Scroll to the bottom of the page for the nearly-daily updates!

I've also started tracking the team on GoogleMaps, when Sara sends a SPOT text to let us know of their location: http://bit.ly/OPV3o

Enjoy!

Guest Blogger Aleya: "Fear"

2009-10-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone - While Sara's in Nepal, she's asked a few of us to post on her site about our latest adventures, as well as post updates from Nepal as we get them. Here's our first guest post from Aleya. Enjoy! - RCG HQ

Fear

Today I am exhausted. My back and knees hurt and my eyes are puffy from lack of sleep, but it’s worth it.

Yesterday I had an adventure. I got to climb six pitches on Seneca Rocks in WV, tackling four different named climbs, a summit scramble, one rap to the base and a steeeeep walk out. I’m sore, but I can’t stop smiling.

This weekend wasn’t supposed to involve climbing. Initially this was a “manly bonding” trip, and being of the female variety, I wasn’t invited. Then a week ago the instigating male decided that a “couples trip” would be more pleasant, and thus I received my invite.

The conversation about what we should climb went something like this:

George (my man): What were you guys planning on doing?
Mike (instigating male): I dunno, Ecstasy maybe.
Katie (Mike’s girl): The drug?
Mike: (Sigh) No dear, the climb… What are you guys planning?
George: Thought maybe we’d start on Skyline Traverse and take it from there.
Me: Um, hu? (Silently panics at hearing ‘Skyline”)
George: We’d have to pick another route at the ledge cause Skyline doesn’t summit…
Me: Oh, I see. (Pretending that was actually why I said “hu?”)
Mike: That sounds like a great time, fo sho.
Me: Ah, yeah. I think I forgot something back at my house… in Maryland… I should go get it… (Sneaks away.)

Skyline Traverse is my nemesis. The last time out we climbed the first pitch and I decided my nerves were too raw to keep going. This makes more sense if you understand that I’m afraid of heights. I’m still a beginner climber, especially outdoors, so these sensations and fears are new to me. I guess, more accurately, I’m afraid of falling. And hitting the ground. Or a ledge. Or a tree. Or a person. The first move on the second pitch of Skyline traverse is the ideal place to trigger this fear. Its one huge step off a ledge onto a tiny foot over a hundred of feet of air. Its not really difficult, but it’s exposed and a bit spicy, and much harder to do when your hands are shaking and your palms are sweating.

It’s a good thing I respond so easily to peer pressure, or I never would have agreed to do the route. We packed our gear and started the approach early, getting to the climb before any other long-weekend recreationalists. The first pitch is straightforward: Climb a dihedral to a ledge, climb another dihedral to another ledge. I followed my leader up, feeling pretty confident. At the first anchor I started to feel the familiar butterflies of fear. We transferred the gear, restacked the rope and commented on the perfect weather. Then he said. “Ok, I’m leaving.” After a few careful steps (which I had a hard time watching) he was past the crux and out of sight. I was alone.

I’ve read so much on fear and how to overcome it I should be an expert by now. Drink orange juice, vitamin C decreases anxiety. Pick a soothing aromatherapy balm. Have a mantra. Work up to it. I’ve tried letting go of my fears, but it seems I’m afraid of even that too. It’s like if I let go I’ll lose a safety net. But when it comes down to it, to the moment you have to take action, where your worst nightmare overcomes you, it’s all about making a choice to step outside your bubble of comfort, and jump.

As I stood on the ledge feeding out rope and listening for commands I took an inventory of the risks in climbing the next pitch. They were embarrassingly few. I’d be on belay from the top the whole time. If I fell it’d be over air so I wouldn’t hit anything. My fears were irrational and I knew it. I glanced at the changing fall landscape below me and watched a hundred golden leaves break free and swirl with the wind, then suddenly shoot skyward in an updraft. The effect was breathtaking. I’d like to say that in that moment I was set free as well, and climbed with confidence and grace over the abyss below…

Instead my stomach churned and I farted.

I did, however, decide in that moment to take that step outside my bubble, and fight hard for clarity. Climbing can be a spiritual experience, or an intensely temporal one. I felt my heart thump against my ribcage while a thousand voices screamed inside my head. My palms grew slick despite the chalk as they groped and clawed for security. When I rocked my weight onto the tiny, exposed ledge I learned the meaning of the term “commit.” That pitch, and the next three after that, was a sustained battle for control. And I won. I didn’t give in and I didn’t make any mistakes.

The last climb up Windy Corner was a good step and a half back into my comfort zone. I’d even go so far as to say I relaxed a bit and enjoyed myself. Then I realized that by persevering through my fears I’d also expanded my bubble so far to include routes like Windy Corner.

I may never be a badass climber, but give me a challenge and watch me overcome it. That’s why I can’t stop smiling.

“Today was such a relaxing day…” – Mike reflecting on the day’s climb.

Aleya lives and works just outside of DC and is lucky to know Sara through the wonderful world of Twitter. She blogs at www.rockandsky.com, tweets as Blueskeyes207, loves science, her dog, and long walks on moonlit beaches.

Kathmandu to Namche, Nepal

2009-10-12T01:38:00.000-07:00

I've said this before, but this is really the end of my real connectivity... from here on out I'll be helping with the official corporate communication at:

ClimbWithUs on Twitter, JC_Climbs on Twitter, and
The official Expedition Hanesbrands website.

And then, I'll do lengthy updates when I get back to faster internet connectivity either in Kathmandu, Hong Kong, or at home.

I'm hoping against hope to do two posts today... this one, and then a separate one just with photos from our trip photographer, Scott Simper, who is not only a breathtaking photographer (I'd go so far as to say "Portrait Artist") but also a kick ass travel buddy.
At the moment, though, I'm photo upload challenged, so please keep an eye on my Flickr Nepal feed today and tomorrow morning just in case I do get photo uploads up, from my own shots and from Scott's first few days of shooting.

I'm having a ton of fun with Scott and Todd and Jamie and the rest of the team, and for a bunch of people who hardly knew each other (if at all) before about six days ago, we're all getting along fantastically and having a great time. I chatted with an American climbing guide from Seattle this morning and he observed that our team seems to be having a lot of fun. Perhaps that means we're being obnoxious, but whatever. Spirits are high, mostly folks are staying healthy, and after two days of trekking, we're taking a delightful rest day in Namche today.

The trekking itself has been quite pleasant. We're able to move slowly to aid acclimatization, and I've had plenty of peaceful time to myself on the trail, as well as time with friends. I can't get enough of the views... I expected the mountains to take my breath away, but I didn't expect the trekking country to be this stunning. Thank goodness Todd taught me to walk a bit without looking at my feet yesterday, so that I can take in more of the views.

I just can't describe how much fun I'm having. During the flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, when I first saw the mountains out the little plane's window, I started to cry. I couldn't help it. It wasn't little sniffles... this was wholesale sobbing. I had to fish out a handkerchief. I expected to be afraid, on that flight... but instead, I was just so completely overwhelmed by the pure joy of being in that place, at that time, and seeing those views. I haven't ever in my life felt that kind of unbridled, uncontrollable joy. I think that was when it finally started to sink in that I'm HERE. That I have this incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity to be here, in this place, with these wonderful people, as part of this team.

So, from here on out, it's more of the same. One step after another. Fingers crossed I manage to find a connection to get some photos uploaded, since they really do kick ass. I mean, if I may say so myself... even mine are good. Scotty's are PHENOMENAL. I tried to edit down my shots taken so far today, and didn't manage to delete many. This place, its people, its views... it's pretty hard to take a bad photo.

Time to get packing... we've got a bunch of expedition gear to organize this afternoon, after a few bags being delayed by weather for the Lukla flight. Then, a bit more rest before we hit the trail again tomorrow. Namaste!

Kathmandu, Nepal

2009-10-09T01:52:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Kathmandu yesterday evening, after a long but comfortable series of flights. The travel was really quite civilized, and not nearly as uncomfortable as I thought it would be given the fact that I never actually sit still under normal circumstances. I flew to Vancouver BC from Seattle, then on to Hong Kong for a long layover, then into Kathmandu.

Today, after a delicious breakfast at our hotel (the Yak and Yeti), we visited Boudhanath, one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu. I don't feel qualified to say anything about the city based on spending a half a day here, but what I've heard is that it's dirty, and the water is terrible, and that to an outside observer, the place looks like chaos -- all of those things seem to be true, from what I've seen.

But somehow, in that chaos, there's an incredible peace about the place. I feel very calm, here. Maybe it's the music streaming from the CD store near the stupa; maybe it's the stupa itself; maybe that I'm surrounded by friends who help me feel safe and at ease, even in such an unfamiliar environment; or maybe it's the jet lag. Whatever it is, I thought that I'd get to Kathmandu and be itching to get out of the city. While I'm undeniably excited to start trekking tomorrow, I am not itching to get out of the city. I'd like to spend more time here, and get my Kathmandu legs.

I'd expect my connectivity to be severely limited until we get back to Kathmandu at the end of the trek. I'll be assisting with communication out on behalf of our climbing team, but the technology isn't like it is at home. For anyone who's been in Nepal, I'd guess that sentence elicited a knowing chuckle.

Here's my Flickr set so far... this place would be a portrait photographer's dream come true. I only have my little "heavy duty" point and shoot along, but our real trip photographer, Scott Simper, has been snapping away, so watch for his images on the "official" sites as the trip unfolds.

Speaking of -- my connectivity is likely to be severely limited from here on out. Tiffany and Candace will post updates here at rockclimbergirl.com and they'll be tweeting on my behalf when they can, but the best place to keep tabs on my team's travels will be those "official" trip sites:

ClimbWithUs on Twitter

The Official Expedition Hanesbrand Website

Thank you so much for all of the well wishes over the last few days and weeks, and I look forward to long winded trip reports and oodles of photos to share with you when I return.

I'm leaving on a jet plane, and have a favor to ask you.

2009-10-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today's the big day. T minus 13 hours and counting, until I get on a plane bound for Nepal. I've been in constant motion for the last week or so, and am looking forward to meeting up with some of my travel companions in Vancouver BC tonight, bound for Kathmandu via Hong Kong. I don't know exactly what my tweet / connectivity situation will be, but I'll do my best to keep in touch. I'm hoping (fingers crossed!) my SPOT Personal Tracker arrives and is easy enough for me to set it up today before I leave. I'm hearing good things from teams on the ground in Nepal right now about coverage, so hopefully that will work out for keeping you updated on my location, at least for parts of the trip.

Before I jet, I have a favor to ask.

Will you please consider supporting my Summit for Someone bid for Mt. Rainier in 2010, to benefit Big City Mountaineers?

And, if it's not too much to ask, also think about supporting my friend Tiffany in her bid for the same program?
If all goes well, we'll be attempting Mt. Rainier next August with an all-women climbing team through Big City Mountaineers Summit for Someone program.

Tiffany's going to be "wo-manning the decks" here at Rockclimbergirl.com along with my friend Candace while I'm away; look forward to guest posts from other friends during my absence... If you're interested in guest posting and you never heard back from me, I'm just running out of time... get in touch with Tiffany or Candace via Twitter to volunteer!

Thank you, so much, for all of the kind words and well wishes leading up to this trip. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to keep up with everything the way I'd like, but I do look forward to catching up when I get back! Take care, have some great, safe adventures while I'm gone, and please keep in touch!

The countdown to Nepal

2009-09-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

This photo (click through for more breathtaking images... it was hard to choose just one...) is courtesy of Hidden Creek Photography. Peter, with HCP wrote up a "tips on trekking" post for me with that, and other brilliant photography included (more on that below), but I wanted to put the beautiful image right up top.

The countdown is on, with the days ticking past dizzyingly fast. Training has taken a backseat to packing, though I'm still getting on the treadmill for long, low-intensity "hikes" to help break in my boots and to manage stress; I'll probably get in a high-intensity workout this weekend, but for now, I've been feeling like I need rest rather than high-intensity. I did have a fantastic climbing night at the gym on Monday... I haven't been climbing as much as usual, but when I hit the bouldering wall I felt better than I have the last few weeks (the travel immunizations have had me pretty fatigued) and after my mountain skills training, bouldering felt positively like a walk in the park. Moves that would ordinarily take extra commitment, or that I'd be afraid of, I whipped through like they were nothing... it's funny how different experiences can have such a sudden impact on your perception of risk, and risk tolerance.

That came back to bite me a bit later when we'd switched to topropes and I was working out a sequence and cracked my knee into the wall so hard everyone heard it. That lead one of my climbing mentors, Brad, to amble over and start telling cautionary tales of injuries just before major trips... point well taken. I dialed it back, and, will keep things pretty dialed back between now and our departure in six short days.

Six days.

Holy cow.

The boxes of gear are still rolling in... bless my dear peeps at my mailbox place, and the friends who are helping me stay on top of the mail pickups. I unpacked a huge box from Hanesbrands last night, mostly stuffed with Expedition Hanesbrands clothing but with a few little treats thrown in for the trip, and a giggle here and there. The itty bitty scree gaitors with the Hanesbrands logo on them might be the cutest mountain gear I've ever seen... I'm going to giggle every time I see them. The last boxes arrive tonight, I think, and then the packing (and whittling down) in earnest begins.

I also have my last round of travel immunizations tonight, I hope, assuming that the pharmacy gets in more of one of the vaccines. The immunizations have knocked me for a bit of a loop... but I'm starting to feel more like myself. One more round, then hopefully by the time we're trekking, I'll feel all back to normal.

A highlight of all of this has been the opportunity to speak with other Nepal travelers and trekkers and climbers. I've been amazed at the generosity people have displayed when I start asking them questions... After finding relatively little information about Pumori at first, the last few weeks have been incredible.

Randomly, I picked up one of my favorite climbing books... Leading Out: Mountaineering Stories of Adventurous Women and read a few chapters. Then I flipped to the pictures, and what did I see... pictures from a 1989 womens' expedition to Pumori. I looked online to see if I could connect directly with any of the women and found Lynne Wolfe. Lynne is a mountain guide and avalanche instructor based in Victor, Idaho. She summited during that 1989 womens' Pumori expedition, and generously spent time on the phone with me sharing stories, tips, information about the peak, and her advice with regard to the trek and being a climber in that place. I am so excited to have connected with Lynne, and look forward to keeping in touch.

Also, a Twitter friend, Peter must have spent an hour or more on a response to my "You've trekked in Nepal? Do you have any tips?!" inquiry. Thankfully, he put his email into a blog post, which I might have to read a few times to internalize... but which makes my eyes well up with adventure and excitement and anticipation every time I read it.

I've got to hit "publish" and get off the ferry... I'm getting questions about how to keep track of me while I'm in Nepal, and I don't know exactly the answer yet, but I'll let you know when I do! I'll post an update here with details as I have them, and I'm looking forward to getting some of my girls hooked in so that they can keep the home fires burning at rockclimbergirl.com while I'm gone.

As part of that, another Twitter friend, Rebecca, is going to attend a Bloggers Summit sponsored by GORE-TEX as a representative of RockClimberGirl.com. Rebecca blogs at Calipidder.com, and is both my foot twin, and a fellow beer drinking outdoor girl. Rock on, sister. In preparation for the Blogger's Summit, if you have any questions for the fine folks at GORE-TEX, please post them below in the comments!

I'm also gathering more anecdotes from users about SPOT locator coverage and performance in Nepal. Anyone want to chime in? Please do so below!

WTF, Nepal?!

2009-09-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

So, for those of with whom I'm not connected on Twitter or Facebook, a little bit of news...

I'm leaving for Nepal in approximately twelve -- yes, twelve -- days, to support the Expedition Hanesbrand climbing team.

Since the news actually broke on Tuesday, I've gotten a deluge of support from my friends and family, and a puzzled comment or two from folks who don't know me as well.

Here, the short version of the whole story of how my imminent departure came to be, and what you can expect during my trip.

It all started on Twitter.
I'm not kidding. It did.

Early this year, a woman named Elizabeth Castro and I connected via Twitter. We chatted outdoors stuff a bit, then in April, when she was planning a speaking tour for a Canadian mountaineer, she asked if I'd help spread the word about his Seattle stop. I'm asked to do this frequently about climbing events, but I can only attend a small fraction. I didn't plan to go to this one, but at the last minute (literally) I decided... aw, I could use a mountain story and some pretty pictures today... so I went.

I met Elizabeth and Jamie Clark, a Calgary-based climber, at my alma mater, Seattle University. We had a nice chat before the event, and then I settled in for Jamie's talk. What he does is very different than what I do -- I climb big and little rocks, and he climbs big mountains. But as he talked, his story of "failures" and "successes" resonated with me, as did the little details of his life as a climber. I was struck by how much we have in common as "mountain people," and really enjoyed the evening.

Jamie and Elizabeth and I all kept in touch via Twitter and email, and after a couple of months, my phone rang and it was Jamie.

"I have a crazy idea..." Jamie started... and he asked if I'd be interested in participating in the project in some way. I didn't hesitate, and responded, "There's no way I could say no."

Jamie started to explain his thinking, I interrupted him to say something like "Oh - no - you don't have to convince me ... ultimately, you're going to come to your senses and find someone more qualified ... but until you tell me I'm not needed, I'm in."

And, that's how we proceeded. Through a visit to Winston-Salem earlier this summer where I got a preview of the project, to meet the team at Hanesbrands, during which I learned some of the finer points of North Carolina culture ("Bless yer heart" doesn't mean what you think it means). Through a summer of dividing my training time between rock climbing and conditioning for mountaineering, JUST IN CASE he didn't come to his senses. There was the acquisition of a small mountain of climbing gear, and the scheduling of basic mountain skills training. There was replacing my lost passport, and starting travel immunizations, and phone call after email after phone call with Jamie and Sheila in his office, and Elizabeth and her staff. And then, this week, the slip during the press conference that announced the project, that I'd be one of the climbers on a R&D and training trip taking place this fall to Pumori.

At this point, we're about twelve days from the date of departure, and I just chatted with Jamie the other night... nobody seems to be coming to their senses.

I'm going to Nepal.

Why?
A part of this project is a contest, called Climb Everest With Us where a lucky winner will receive $10,000 to help pursue their answer to the question: "What's YOUR Everest." This fall trip is also a practice run for Jamie's return to Everest next spring.

Hardened climbers and those who have seen sponsored Himalayan expeditions in the past will have their take on all of this, but the way I see it is that mountains do still have the power to inspire. If, in some little way, I can learn and grow through participating with Jamie and his team, and inspire others to get out there and play outside, then this is all time incredibly well spent.

You don't have to be planning to climb Everest to play outside. I like that the brands behind this project are accessible to "normal people," not just people who think of REI as a home away from home.

But seriously - what are you going to be doing over there?
From Jamie and the project's point of view, I have skills to offer -- I'll be writing and communicating on behalf of the climbing team while we're in Nepal, as well as hopefully assisting the team's photographer a bit (since I'm super excited about the opportunity to do some serious learning in that regard).

And, to borrow a comment and my answer from my blog, earlier today:

Do you really think you are ready for the Himalayan mountains after one trip to BC? And a training trip at that.

I think I'm ready to trek to Pumori basecamp with the group that I'm traveling with, yes (at least, once I get my flipping trekking shoe issues worked out, but that's another story). I've spoken with a number of folks who've been to Pumori, some of whom have climbed on Pumori, and I have felt encouraged by their stories of the trek to basecamp.

I don't have any illusions about my mountaineering skill or lack thereof, once we're actually on the mountain. Neither does the team I'm traveling with.

I'm not going to Pumori with a specific climbing goal; I'm going to learn from, and to support an incredibly generous team of climbers that does have the experience and skills to climb in the Himalayas. I'm very much looking forward to the trek to basecamp, and to supporting the climbing team to the degree I'm able.

I'm excited to travel with this wonderful group of people who I've come to know over the last several months, and am looking forward to seeing a part of the world I've only ever read about in books (lots, and lots of books) and seen in pictures. I hope that I'm able to help bring the trip's story home. And, if my participation happens to help another girl decide to sign up for Mountain school (or, an intro to climbing class, or to try interval training (my secret weapon -- more on that in an upcoming "training" post)) then sweet. But aside from all that...

How could I say no?

Alpine Mountaineering Gear Reviews... OR, Mountain Hardwear, Osprey, Petzl and more

2009-09-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

In a last minute gear scramble, some of my friends and favorite brands came seriously to the rescue to help equip me for my Mountain Skills Training last weekend.

Sneak Peeks

I'm excited to talk more down the road about some preview gear I got to test from Duofold and Champion as part of their Expedition Hanesbrand project. I know it sounds weird to get excited about underwear, but the Duofold synthetics I tested were leaps and bounds ahead of other synthetics I've tried -- they wicked moisture like a charm, kept me nice and warm, and smelled better after four days on than any other synthetic I've worn. I'm typically a thick-wool-sock girl, but the Champion thin socks I tested, paired with an Injinji sock liner lead to perfectly fit boots, and no blisters even though I spent the whole four days in boots borrowed from my climbing partner, Shawn.

I also tested out a not-yet-released Black Diamond Equipment 4-season harness that performed great. More on that, closer to its release date.

Osprey and Deuter Packs

A huge thank you to Osprey Packs, who provided a sample Aura 65 womens' pack on very short notice for me to use for the training (that's it, fully loaded, for the trip back home). The pack performed BRILLIANTLY, especially once I learned some of Evan's packing tricks and tips. The removable lid doubled as a day bag for some of our trips, and its large amount of adjustability meant increased comfort even under a load that probably exceeded the bag's rated capacity.

Thanks also to Deuter USA, who provided a Aircontact 60+10 SL for my testing, also. This pack had an increased carrying capacity (60 lbs!) and fit like a glove. I'm a huge fan of Deuter's Aircontact Back System -- when packing heavy loads, it carries very comfortably with a different weight distribution, so that I have less discomfort around my shoulders.

I chose the Aura over the Aircontact for this particular trip because my weight carried was lighter, and because the Aura gave me a little bit more "head clearance" with a helmet on. When I'm carrying weights in excess of 50 lbs, or need a tough-as-nails pack, the Aircontact would be my choice.

Thanks also to my friends at Outdoor Research and Petzl for their speedy handling of my last minute gear orders.

Outdoor Research

My OR GORE-TEX Enigma Jacket and Pants, Aria Down Hoody, Arete Modular Gloves, and Exped DownMat kept me warm and dry all weekend. I didn't understand why the OR guys were so excited about pit zips until this weekend... and now I know. Oh, how I love thee, pit zips. My biggest worry before the training was that I would be cold... I was shocked at how well my gear actually worked to keep me warm and dry.

Petzl Summit Axe and VASAK Crampons

I opted for the 59 centimeter Petzl Charlet Summit ice axe. In retrospect, I do wish I'd gone with a 65 or 66 centimeter axe, since that extra length would give me a bit more security when using the axe in "walking mode" on steep slopes. I'll appreciate the 59 cm when I get more confidence and am traveling steeper slopes, but for starting out, I think I'll pick up an additional, longer axe. And, I'm only 5 foot 6 inches. So -- when you're shopping axes, get a lot of good advice, and then be prepared to have some "gear learning experiences" if you don't pick right the very first time.

My Petzl VASAK crampons performed fantastically. I went with the SPIRLOCK attachment system, since over the course of the next few months I'll be using a variety of boots, not all compatible with step-ins. I found the adjustment and attachment system (for my first ever pair of crampons) to be extremely easy to use, and I was able to get my crampons off and on quickly and easily -- even with my gloves on.

Mountain Hardwear Clouds Rest: a little bit of heaven

I also got to finally put my Mountain Hardwear Womens' Clouds Rest down bag to a real test, and holy crap, did it pass with flying colors. I already had an inexplicably emotional attachment to it, given that it's an inanimate object... when I unrolled it in the tent I got all warm and fuzzy inside and just wanted to give it a big hug. Yes, I'm gear crazy. When I nestled in for the night, and tucked the face and neck gasket around my neck, and nestled in to its big fluffy hood, with room inside for all of my soggy gear to warm up and dry out overnight, that was it. It's all over. I'm afraid I'm going to be settling down, for good, with this sleeping bag. I'm off the sleeping bag market. The guys were cold on the cooler nights; I was stripped down to base layers and so comfy, toasty warm I had to vent the bag every single night.

Glacier Glasses and Bad Eyesight 101

For the first time, I brought along a pair of prescription glacier glasses from Opticus in addition to my standard climbing fare of Julbo sunglasses and my contact lenses. I made it the first two days in my contacts, then my eyes needed a break so I took them out overnight. The next morning we awoke to bright sun, so I tried out my Opticus glasses (a pair of Julbo Dolgans with prescription McKinley lenses). I found that they're ideal for around camp, but that I'm going to have to stick to contacts and non-RX glacier glasses when I need technical accuracy. It's no fault of Opticus or the glasses -- I have very bad eyesight, so doing any kind of wrap frame carries with it a certain amount of distortion. Some folks aren't as sensitive to it, but I'm one of the lucky few who's sensitive to that distortion.

Couple that with being accustomed to wearing contact lenses nearly 100% of the time, and I felt that with the prescription glasses I lost enough depth perception compared to my contacts and non-RX glacier glasses that I didn't feel like I could move over high-consequences terrain confidently (neither with my regular glasses, nor the glacier glasses).

The service I received from Opticus was phenomenal -- I'd highly recommend them for prescription action glasses. They also provided me some tips this morning on contact lens use at altitude, and this resource from Base Camp MD about eye health at altitude. I'll have a chance for my eyes to get used to glasses again when I'm actually in the mountains, and will report back.

A girl's gotta eat sometime

On the food front, we relied HEAVILY on my Jetboil PCS (and on Evan's). We had two older Jetboil PCSs for four people, and we boiled a LOT of water over the course of the weekend and the stoves simply sipped fuel. I don't think we killed a canister all weekend. We did both have igniter issues with them, but that was easily remedied by the use of a lighter. Dan and Justin were impressed with the speed and ease of use with the stoves, and I wouldn't be surprised if they both stop off at MEC and pick up their very own for their next mountain adventures.

When I wasn't eating mix-with-water, I was chowing down on ProBars. I'm not a big bar girl... they're usually too sweet, or too heavy, or too ... whatever. But these are now permanently on my camping / climbing shopping list... they're real food, smooshed together, and there's not a "too _____" about them. I like that they're non-dairy (since I am too), and they didn't freeze solid the way some other bars I've had out in cold temps did. I typically ate a half a bar then stashed the rest in a pocket for a snack, and had no bar-melt in my pockets or other mess, and I never ran out of fuel.

And, friends with gear save the day

Finally -- a huge thanks to Shawn for loaning me his precious mountain boots (which fit perfectly and performed fantastically), OR Gaitors and Mitts. They all came back safe and sound, as did all of my toes and fingers.

The Dynamic Mountain Environment, Always Changing

2009-09-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

If you just want the pictures, here's the photo album for last weekend's Mountaineering Training course. Otherwise, read on for the full story.

I got back to "civilization" Monday night after my four day basic mountaineering course through Canada West Mountain School. My teacher was Evan Stevens, a Squamish-based guide and climber, who was able to answer the question I'm asked often: Who's a good rock guide in Squamish? Turns out, his wife Jasmin. Evan and Jasmin both guide for a variety of backcountry disciplines in a variety of locales, so bookmark them for future reference!

I am acquainted with a number of fantastic guide services and climbing schools, but I chose CWMS for this training partly because it was a skills class, not a summit class, and I wanted to get in as much learning as possible; because of their dates available; and, because I wanted to get into the mountains in BC to see some different country than doing a course in Wahington.

My two classmates were fantastic -- Justin and Dave are both from British Columbia, and after our four days together, I'd tie into a rope with either of them, anytime, given the chance. Hopefully next summer I can drag them and their wives out for a rock climbing day at Squamish. Justin is on the left, Dave is on the right in the picture below.

Day One:
We met up at the other Starbucks in Squamish after I realized there were two of them on Friday morning. We sorted gear in one of the parking lots at Whistler, then headed for the lifts. I got a break on the gear-carrying: Evan carried our tent, Justin carried theirs, and Dave carried the rope. Even so, I was shocked at how hard it was to heft my pack around. I've never backpacked before, only car-camped, and I stuck closely to the gear list provided by the school, but even that was more than I needed. Evan taught us some key packing trips (best tidbit: put your sleeping bag AND clothes into a compression bag, which then fits in the sleeping bag compartment of the pack. That freed up a bunch of space inside my pack -- which helped a great deal for the trip down, but I didn't have time to apply that particular tip for the trip up so I had gear every which way strapped to the outside of my pack).

We took a lift up Whistler, then rode the Peak to Peak gondola across to Blackcomb. From where we landed, the lifts up the glacier weren't running, so we hiked up to the Horstman Glacier, where the training really began.

When I stepped around a rock corner to head down a little slope to the glacier, the wind almost blew me off my feet. The seriousness of what we were doing started to dawn on me about then...

The guys have snow experience, so they stepped confidently down a little snow slope that I went down more slowly (thus, beginning four days of me playing the role of "hey, guys! Wait up! I can't keep up!" girl. God, I hate being that girl, but it seems to be my lot in life).

After we put our crampons on I felt a bit more secure on my feet, and off we went across the glacier, working our way up to our camp at a high point between the Horstman Glacier and the Blackcomb Glacier. Check out the left hand side of this interactive map for a bit more information about our "classroom."

Once there, we set up camp pretty quickly, and settled in for the night. The weather was chilly and drizzly, but we were all pretty well equipped, so had a nice evening. I don't recall when we heard the first rockfall, followed by Evan's deadpan "Dynamic mountain environment... always changing..." but that became a routine that first two days or so. Now, whenever I think of rockfall, I hear Evan's voice saying, "It's a dynamic mountain environment... always changing..."

That night it positively monsooned. The rain was torrential, but even so, I slept pretty well... partly, thanks to my last minute impulse buy of a DownMat 7 from Outdoor Research. It inflated up high enough to keep me out of the soup... I slept as well, if not better, than at home.

Day Two:
After breakfast we headed out for skills day. We learned self-arrest skills (again, I didn't pick it up as quickly as the guys... definitely need more practice, but I'm going to read up and practice up now that I'm home). Ascending and descending fixed ropes was a great review for me, and gave me a chance to experience the phenomenon which I know now how it got its name: the screaming barfies... when circulation dies down to your hands, and suddenly, it feels like a medium-sized animal is gnawing on your fingers. Oh my god, it hurt. When I started to descend, my circulation started up again and they eased. I was so excited that I'd just had my first case of screaming barfies... now it was definitely time for ice climbing.

Evan set up a toprope on a low angle section of ice, after we each practiced with ice screws ourselves. The little ice slope was super fun, and I got to coach Dave and Justin on belay technique, which was also fun. It had started to snow lightly that afternoon, so that all made for a pretty full day. We nestled in again after dinner for a chilly but more dry evening.

Day Three:
Day three, we awoke to some much-appreciated sun and glorious views of the Coast Range to our West.

This was the day I was most nervous about. Crevasse rescue day. I was nervous both about being a "victim" and spending time down in a crevasse while a teammate rescued me; but I was also nervous about being the person on the other end of the rope to "rescue" one of my teammates. Evan did a fantastic, patient job of teaching us the basics of crevasse rescue, and then we set to work saving our backpacks. I'd rather go first than dread having to go, so once Evan had demonstrated a successful rescue, into the hole my backpack went, and I commenced setting up a mechanical advantage system to hoist Sally Backpack out.

That's Justin rescuing Dave from the crevasse with the unflappable Evan looking on.

Each time we repeated the system... me, Dave and Justin... I added one step to what I could remember without assistance. After lunch, Evan lowered Justin down into the crevasse, with me on the other end of the rope (and, with a backup anchor just in case so that we were all as safe as possible). I arrested, but then felt my feet slip as his full weight loaded my harness. I started to try to place my picket as the first point in my anchor, and I slipped yet again. I dug in my feet deeper, and finally had enough purchase to start digging down to where I could pound in my picket. After tossing off the mountaineer's coil and backpack -- which required me to remove my helmet (something I hope not to have to do if I'm ever in an actual rescue setting) -- I was able to lift my head and see what I was doing better.

Because of the challenging ice and snow conditions, Evan helped me get started with my picket pounding, then I finished it off. I escaped the rope, moving Justin's weight to the anchor, and then was able to take a good few deep breaths and let the adrenaline calm down a bit. From there, despite my nerves, I kicked it into gear and walked through the steps we'd been taught and practiced. The rescue actually went pretty smoothly, although our weight difference did become apparent when I started the work to lift Justin out of the crevasse. Even with a "6 to 1" mechanical advantage set up, with a wet rope and all the friction in the system, it took all of my body weight and every ounce of force I could muster just to move him up a few inches at a time.

It was incredibly physically challenging. But, inch by inch, I made progress. I think it became clear to Evan and Dave that I was neither going to give up, nor ask for help, so rather than watch me expend every ounce of energy I had getting Justin out of the crevasse, they ultimately pitched in and helped with the last few feet as a team. At that point, their help was appreciated -- in a real rescue setting, I know I could do what needed doing, but I also learned that I may be better off to climb in parties of more than just two, so that if a rescue was necessary, there'd be a chance of an extra pair of hands (although, also a chance of more partners to have to rescue).

As each of us practiced with a live load (my time in the crevasse was actually pretty cool... I wish I'd taken my camera -- and Dave's rescue of me was so speedy I was surprised when I felt myself being lifted out of there), the day passed. The weather was nice, but we'd done a lot of work. All three of us did well at our rescue... I was impressed with how the guys, who were newer to rope work, were able to learn so quickly and perform so well.

That was pretty much it for the day -- we adjourned to a sunny rock outcrop for a glacier morphology and feature lesson from Evan, and a map and compass lesson that screamed right by me. Partly, the guys nimbly transitioned from feet to meters since we had to work with both, and the conversions weren't as natural for me. It was another "hey guys! Wait up!!!" moment, where I decided to pick my battle and didn't try to keep up, I just chimed in when I could and figured I'll teach myself map and compass stuff in the peace and quiet of home.

Day Four:
We'd picked an objective for Day Four -- to summit Blackcomb via a traverse of the Blackcomb Glacier, then crossing a section of talus and continuing up the next glacier over -- Spearhead, I think? We were up and moving on time, according to the guys' objective planning, and on our way across Blackcomb glacier in a rope team. As we traversed the steep-to-me slope, my legs started to get tired. I expressed some discomfort, since as my legs got more tired, I felt like I wasn't as steady on my feet. And, the exposure of the slope of ice beneath us got to me.

Evan got up close and short roped me for a few steps, but I couldn't pull myself together. When I realized that I was going to be the "weak link" in our chain that morning, and that I was going to have to turn around and take my rope team with me, I lost it. I was so disappointed in myself for not being able to manage my emotions and perform for my friends... More than the fear, more than the exertion, more than the fact that I was physically hyperventilating and couldn't breathe... I was just so upset with myself for not being able to put one foot in front of the other with an adequate margin of safety. I knew I could take each of those steps -- I was just overwhelmed by the total number that would be required to get to a place where I would feel "safe" and by the exposure beneath us on the glacier. And, I didn't want to be the one to slip, and to take my team down with me.

Ultimately, we turned around. The guys got us safely up to the area where we'd done our self-arrest training, and then we moved back toward camp so that they could drop me off and pursue a modified objective: getting up to the false summit we'd been looking at all weekend, in front of Blackcomb proper.

That's the guys, coming down from the revised objective. You can see in the lower left quarter of the photo, the section of glacier that I got scared on, and that we ultimately came back up to the flat spot in the middle of the shot.

I went back to camp and decompressed and took a ton of pictures of the guys on their way up and down. For awhile, I beat myself up, and had feelings that I had just been "weeded out" of the mountains and perhaps should take up some hobbies that have a bit lighter consequences.

Then it began to dawn on me... We'd packed a TON of learning, and a ton of new skills into four short days. I was doing something totally new to me, with a whole different level of risk and commitment required, than anything I've done before. My weakness as a rock climber (and in other areas of my life) has always been the mental aspects... managing my emotions, and my lack of self-confidence... those aspects were magnified ten fold (or more) in the "real" mountains.

Now, after a few days to reflect, I feel better about it all. I'm proud of myself for getting up there; I'm proud of myself for my performance on each task except for the map and compass section, and that last climb. But even that last climb, I'm glad that we turned around. I was in over my head, and the further we went, the more risk I was putting myself and my team in. I feel bad that the guys didn't get to bag their peak, but on the other hand, I'm thankful and pleased that we all came back safely, and that we learned so much in the process. Each of the guys -- Dave, Justin, and Evan -- were incredibly patient with me, and were very kind and very good sports about the whole thing. I took it much harder than they did.

After they arrived back at camp, we packed up (much more efficiently, given Evan's brilliant packing instruction) and made our way back down the Horstman Glacier, up a snow hill, to the little rocky steps back up to the relative safety of the more "civilized" areas of the ski park. The trip down the Glacier was scary -- I was still in "panic" mode, but Evan patiently encouraged me down, reminding me that I'd done much more difficult cramponing over the course of the weekend, and this was just walking down a little hill. I felt bad for moving so slowly, but I was trying hard to keep myself calm given the still-fresh sensation of fear from earlier that morning. I did get more comfortable as we moved lower down, and as I started to trust myself more. I really think I just need to build more experience on slopes, to feel more comfortable. I'm planning to take some ski lessons this winter, which everyone tells me will go a LONG way toward feeling more comfortable on slopes whether walking on snow, loose dirt, or cramponing on ice.

That's Dave and Justin on the Peak to Peak, on the way down... happy and tired.

The Post Game:
I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity to participate in this training, even though parts of it were way harder than I expected, and more scary. I'm still sore from the crevasse rescue, but it was so worth it -- especially because the lifting system we learned could also be used in rock climbing rescue applications, which is something I've always wanted to know.

During our post-trip "wrap up" session, I commented to Evan that I had completely underestimated the seriousness that would be involved in such a training -- that I felt he did everything that would be possible to create conditions that were as safe as possible to allow us to learn... but even so, I was unprepared for how serious and how much actual risk I'd feel even in a training setting. Everyone has different levels of risk tolerance, but if you're on my end of the spectrum... aka, more of a scaredycat, just be aware that this type of training takes place in a Dynamic Mountain Environment, Always Changing, and that there are serious objective hazards.

Unlike in rock climbing, where the risks are mitigated by systems and decisionmaking that I'm now very familiar with and comfortable with after years of practice; in the mountains, sometimes, the risk is only mitigated by your ability to calmly place one foot in front of the other without making a mistake; keeping your head level, your emotions in check, and executing perfectly. I've been in "no fall" climbing situations before, but being in a "no fall" mountaineering situation was way more intense and scary than I anticipated.

This was a full value training, and a full value life experience. I'm in debt to Dave, Justin and Evan for everything, and look forward to following each of their adventures from here on out.

Speaking of in debt...
My participation wouldn't have happened without my mountain mentor, Jamie Clark, the crew at ClimbWithUs, and m'dear Elizabeth Castro at O'Malley Hansen. The baselayers provided by Duofold for me to test were phenomenal... more on all of that later this week!

Stay tuned... later on, I'll post some gear reviews and a few more thank you's from the trip.

Contest updates and La Sportiva Mantis, Black Diamond Aura Reviews

2009-09-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announced that lovely Lauren Yant and her fair skin and red hair are the lucky winners of the "Romance" contest here at rockclimbergirl.com. Thank you, Lauren and everybody who wrote in. You all have inspired me to think a bit more about where I find romance in my world... it's in funny, unexpected places. But that's a story for another time. Right now, right on Lauren! Thanks to Kiss My Face for sponsoring this contest, and providing a kick-ass prize package stocked with every sunscreen product a redhead could need.

Next giveaway... no big contest. Thanks to my friends at Black Diamond and La Sportiva, I have two gear items I'd like to find a good home for: A brand new Black Diamond Aura Harness, Women's size Medium; and a pair of La Sportiva Mantis climbing shoes, size 37.5 (US 5.5 mens / 6.5 womens) (worn one session for testing). Please drop me an email with the subject "GoodCause" and nominate yourself or someone you know as a recipient. Please check the relevant size chart (linked to below in the review text), then tell your story. There's no set end date -- I just want to find these items a home where they'll help someone who might not otherwise be able to, get out there.

Black Diamond Aura Harness

You may have seen this harness already -- you really can't miss it. The Black Diamond Aura is about the brightest thing at any crag / in any gym / in any gear shop. It's the bright yellow harness, that all your friends will tease you about, because it's so, incredibly bright.

Now that you've got that out of your system... look past the color (which I, no kidding, like). I've been wearing this as my primary gym harness for the last few months -- originally, to review it, and since, because I like it a lot for gym climbing. This harness is super lightweight, extra comfortable, and fits well even with its fixed leg loops (rare, for me, since I seem to be a funny shape for a girl when it comes to harnesses). The pre-threaded speed adjust buckle makes off and on quick, and elastic rear leg loop straps allow you to just squat when nature calls rather than having to fuss with unhooking a drop seat (just squat carefully). The minimalist nature of this harness takes getting used to in just one regard: it has two fewer gear loops than most of us are used to, so the first few times you rack up or clean a sport route with it, be aware that if you go for your rear gear loops, you will be dropping whatever you're attempting to clip in mid-air. But, for gym climbing it's no big deal -- and for most sport routes that aren't epic long, two gear loops will hold a sufficient number of draws.

Weighing in at 11 ounces for the size medium, this harness is lightweight but still nicely padded. I've taken falls both on lead in it, and on toprope on an uncomfortably static rope (don't ask) and have spent a fair amount of time hangdogging in it -- in all situations, as well as while belaying, it's been quite comfortable (and I'm picky about harness comfort).

I've, historically, had some trouble fitting Black Diamond harnesses, but both this harness and a new for 2010 model I'm testing right now fit me perfectly according to their size chart. I don't know if I've changed, or their harness sizing has changed, but I'll take it either way!

Overall, I'm quite happy with this harness, and I expect it will be in service in the gym for quite some time. It's holding up very well to the abuse I'm dishing out.

La Sportiva Mantis

Sportiva has introduced an affordable (retail price: $80) all-around velcro shoe in the form of the La Sportiva Mantis. I measure a size 38 on a foot measure when I'm barefoot, and based on reviews I went with a 37.5 in this shoe. I think for a newer climber, they might be happier with their street shoe size; but the 37.5 is a good fit for me. If you've got low volume heels, the heel cup on this shoe may be a bit deep for you -- when I have the shoes on, on the ground, they do dig in at the Achilles tendon; once I'm climbing, they don't.

I put these shoes through their paces in the gym bouldering and toproping and found them great for moderate gym climbing. The velcro adjustment is handy; the shoes are an all-around cut so not super asymmetrical or downturned. The generous amount of rubber on the upper should make these a durable shoe for the gym, including for crack climbing on thinner cracks.

Although my feet have gotten stronger in the last year especially, I still am quite happy in a firmer midsole shoe, and this shoe delivers in that arena. If you're more of an edger, or if you need a firmer midsole (e.g. if you have extra bendy foot joints) then this shoe may be a great solution.

Check these out if you're on a budget and looking for a solid, all-around shoe, especially if you tend toward edging (rather than smearing). The fit and finish is better than some shoes selling for twice the price, and if they fit you, these look like they'd stand up to abuse in the gym and out.

This weekend's two-fer: Marmot Pass Hike and Exit 32 sport climbing

2009-09-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

That's a view of the Olympics from the false summit below Buckhorn, and just up from Marmot Pass. Breathe deep, and you can almost imagine the crisp, clean air way up there.

This was a fun, busy training weekend. I'm getting ready for my four day mountain skills course this weekend (I'm super, incredibly, excited) and wanted to get in a two-fer this weekend. I had originally considered some ambitious solo goals, but ultimately have too many friends that I want to spend some time with before some additional trips on the calendar in the next few months, so opted for some closer to home activities. Saturday's goal was to do a nice hike in the Olympics, then Sunday, to head out to Little Si (Exit 32) for a short hike and some sport climbing with friends.

Marmot Pass

I chose Marmot Pass as the destination for Saturday, which turned out to be great. Here's a great trip report and beta on the hike, on Mike's Hikes blog.

There were other hikers and backpackers during the day, but all either totally quiet or friendly. The hike up was pretty uneventful... it seemed that most of the wildlife knew it was the weekend, so were laying low. The fungus is out in full force... I saw all different kinds of mushrooms, in a variety of shapes and colors I'd never imagined. The trail is pretty steady... up, up, up, up through the woods until it opens up... then up, up, up, up until you reach the meadows below Marmot Pass. From the pass itself, the views were lovely. The Olympics spread out on one side, with strikingly little snow to see this summer; the other direction is views of the Hood Canal, the Puget Sound Basin, and more. Seattle and the other "civilized" areas are just fuzzy blurs... you can hardly tell they're there.

I had hoped to make it to the top of Buckhorn, which is just a steep scramble up from Marmot Pass, but we moved a little bit leisurely so only made a false summit before our turnaround time. Even from the false summit, the views were phenomenal.

There's a view out over one of the cairns that marks a false summit on Buckhorn.

And, that's a view out across at the true Buckhorn summit, with Puget Sound, Hood Canal, and pretty much the rest of Western Washington in view. From that false summit, we could see everything from Mt. Baker to Mt. Rainier, although my camera doesn't do it justice.

The hike down was uneventful. It was a bit punishing on the knees, even after we'd offloaded a half gallon of water to another hiker we met on the trail coming down from Buckhorn, and even though we'd drank the other nearly three gallons (!) of water we carried up. The trail down seemed to go on forever, but it was a steady fast downhill, and round trip we moved fairly speedily. Some stretching, a lot of water, and a good dinner... then it was time to sleep up for the next day's part two.

Little Si Climbing (Exit 32), in North Bend

Exit 32 is one of my favorite places to sport climb... partly, because I've climbed there each season, and always have projects or goals to work on, so it's rewarding to be able to measure my progress. It's also reasonably close to home, and the scene is, on its best days, friendly and fun. There are only a few climbs 5.9 and under, with the bulk of the action at 10+ and harder.

What it lacks in sheer number of routes, the area more than makes up for in quality. I find the routes at Exit 32 inspiring. I tend to prefer onsight climbing, where I can start and finish the route in one try, with no falls. That means, my comfort zone is at a level much lower than my actual maximum difficulty potential. The routes at Exit 32 are different. I think, partly because the harder routes are closely bolted, and tend toward being vertical to overhung, the falls are cleaner and not as scary as falls on easier or less vertical terrain. For some reason, I tend to pick projects at Exit 32, and it's always fun to actually finish one.

Earlier this year I finally was able to tick off "The Big Easy," a super fun, great movement 5.9 on Blackstone Wall. That day, I worked Goddess, a slightly harder route, taking a small fall up high and then getting the route up bolt to bolt on lead, so that I could spend some time on toprope rehearsals. I also tried Son of Jesus, a harder route, on the World Wall that day, making it through the lower and upper crux only to pump out because I didn't do a good job reading the route up above.

This weekend, I wanted to get back on Goddess and Son of Jesus. After a great warm-up on Big Easy, the peer pressure was on (and really, I had zero excuse) so we set off for Goddess.

This is what I look like when I'm psyching myself up for a redpoint attempt. I think the blue helmet I had to borrow because I couldn't find mine in the approximately 2.5 minutes I took to pack for the day gave me extra send-o's, since it matches my eyes.

And, this is what I look like when I've made the first clip on a route where if I were to fall before the first clip, my belayer and I would go tumbling down a steep embankment and probably be seriously injured. I suppose that's a place for a ground anchor, if you're concerned about making the first clip. I've rehearsed the start enough times up and down, that I was confident about my ability to either get the bolt clipped properly and safely, or, to downclimb off the route.

I racked up with a familiar amount of nerves and anticipation. I was stoked to have one great belayer on belay, and one great belayer taking pictures (thank you, guys), and as I read the route, it didn't look quite as hard as I remembered. I got a good look from the ground, then set off. Once the first bolt was clipped (without difficulty) everybody started breathing again, and the climb was just fun from there. The crux was way less scary than I remembered; I was above it before I even knew what was going on. After I pulled the crux, the first flash of a thought I had was "It's all over but the shoutin" but I knew I had to keep it together and finish up the route, since I typically pull the crux then pump out on the 5.7 finish.

Not this time... finished 'er up, then lowered off happily. Unlike most finished projects -- I didn't think, "great, now I don't have to do it again..." this time, I thought, "ooooohhhhh... I wanna do it again!"

But, instead, I belayed and hung out with other friends taking Burns on Goddess for awhile, then we set off for World Wall.

My date with Son of Jesus didn't go quite as smoothly... the rock felt more slippery than usual, so this stemming problem felt more challenging than usual. Just after the move that's a bit tricky for me down low on the route, I moved up a bit past a bolt then realized... crap, I'm out of position. I reached up to slap for what I hoped would be something to move up on and slid right off a greasy sloper. I called "Falling!" then fell for probably a split second before doing what I always do... screaming bloody murder. I have GOT to get that under control... it's totally an uncontrolled fear response... but I keep it together long enough to call "Falling!" then I totally lose it. During the fall, I can feel myself shaking with fear, and I uncontrollably scream.

Shawn caught me (thank you) and I pulled right up to my high point to rest for a bit. Then, much to my surprise, still shaking a bit from the fall, I got back on. I made a better organized move, to gain the next clip, then worked my way up to the upper crux, which really isn't that hard -- it's just always hard for me to remember exactly what beta works best for me because there are a few options. I started to try one of the options, and then "Falling!" ... and the "Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" of another blood-curdling scream. Again, I took a deep breath, pulled back up to my high point, and then took a rest then climbed on. I ultimately finished the route, I think after two falls (I can't remember) and still pretty shaken up by the falls. I felt tired, and a bit out of steam, so did a clean toprope run on it and tried to drill my preferred beta into my head. At least I'm a little closer on it, and I was proud of myself for trying hard enough to fall, though I do want to work on being a less noisy faller. Screaming in the backcountry (or even at a crowded suburban sport crag) is for when something is Really Really Wrong. When I'm on a safe belay, with a safe fall, and good gear, there's no reason to make such a ruckus.

The guys all climbed sick hard, and John and Candace did too. New friend Josh, as well as a great herd o'girls (and Bill) from Olympia rounded out a really fun, positive crew at World Wall for the day. All in all, it was a lovely Sunday at Exit 32, which made for a great two-fer for the weekend.

A short list of thank you's

2009-09-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

I'm just about to hit "publish post" on a little photo trip report from this weekend, but I'm multitasking tonight. Specifically, I'm washing dishes, unpacking from my last trip, doing laundry, packing for my next trip, recovering from getting my first round of vaccinations for out-of-US-travel (more on that next week), paying bills, cleaning my apartment, crafting an expedition plan for my next big project -- Mount Gear -- in my living room, and, if I'm lucky, getting my quarterly taxes done before the deadline.

Phew.

Anyway -- I was starting to hyperventilate just thinking about how much I have to get done tonight, and realized... there's an easy cure to cleaning-and-life-induced hyperventilation: music. And, what better music to crank than a friend's playlist that I haven't gotten a chance to listen to? Which made me think... holy crap. I have a whole lot to be thankful for right now. Which, possessed me to sit down and take a five minute break from all of the above to say a few "No - seriously - you have no idea how much I appreciate you's" before digging back into my "night off."

This is, in no way, an exhaustive list, and it could be a mile long. But, since I've gotta get back to all of the above, here are five (oops, six) quick "thank you's."

The inspiration behind this post... tonight's hyperventilation cure, courtesy of @chaseadamsphoto who put together the playlist that I'm rocking out to tonight for @cupcakemafia's blog.

The wonderful folks at Verde PR for still coming to my gear rescue even though I'm behind on my gear reviews.

My rep friends Dave Haavik with the Alta Group Inc., Bob Holding and the crew at Waypoint Outdoor, and Brad Werntz and the good peeps at Pemba Serves who are now on speed dial for friendship, advice, trip talks, gear pow-wows, and the occasional much-appreciated pro deal.

Steph, because every time I pee with my harness on without having to drop the seat, I think of you. I thought of you several times on Sunday.

Shawn, who kept me from hitting the ground on Sunday, and GR, who would have kept me from hitting the ground had I fallen on Goddess (at least, after the first clip).

My girls. #badassgirls #smartgirlsrock

Love,
Sara.

Mazama Mountain Fest, this weekend!

2009-09-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the kick-ass fundraiser the great folks at Outdoor Research put on awhile back to benefit the Index Town Walls acquisition effort, here's another chance to get involved. Did I mention, this one involves beer?

Saturday, September 12th at the Heli Barn in Mazama, Mark Allen and Seth Hobby will be putting on slideshows, and according to the flyer I was sent, "All proceeds from the door and hop water will go toward the Index climbing fund." Doors open at 6:30, slideshow starts at 7 pm. From what I hear, Mark's going to show some Ruth Gorge slides, but there will be new content too -- so for those of you who've already seen Mark and Phillipe at OR, it'll be worth a second stop!

I don't have a lot of detail, so if you do, fill it in via the comments below. Enjoy, I wish I could be there!