Confessions of a Beginner Climber

Back home

2011-11-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

I have been back home for a week now. It has been a somewhat difficult transition - at least more difficult than expected. The jet lag has been the worst I have experienced in all of my past travels back and forth between the US and Europe. I have been waking up every night around 2 am, unable to go back to sleep, which is unusual for me. So I would check my e-mail and find messages from Matt ("Are you awake now? Its 1am and am going to clean my car. The neighbors must think I am very strange."). By 2 pm, I would be so tired that I would nap until about 7 pm. Then get up and stay up until about 10 pm. Repeat.

But just as I was adjusting back to Seattle time, I was being woken at 2:30 am every night by gurgling, rumbling intestines, signaling that I had only about 30 seconds to find my way to the bathroom. Because, you know, I have not told you yet what happened on the flight back home...

As you may remember, my flight connection took me with Air India from Kathmandu to New Delhi, and Asiana Air took me to Seoul, Korea and then onward to Seattle. I had a 7 hour layover both in Delhi and in Seoul. The switch of carriers in Delhi meant waiting for hours for my Asiana boarding pass to be issued - a process enforcing all of the stereotypes you may have about how business is done in India. 15 people standing around, telling you to wait over there, or worse, ignoring you entirely. For hours. I had gone through this bottle neck on my way to Kathmandu, so trusted that in the end it would all work out. I had 7 hours to kill anyways. So it didn't matter where I waited.

After sitting around for several hours, bored but comfortable, I felt the urge to find the nearest rest room. A nice lady whose responsibility it is to keep the bathroom clean, handed me paper towels to dry my hands. How nice! I went back to my seat. Only to feel the urge to visit the bathroom again. The nice lady handed me paper towels again. Over the next hour or so, I repeated this process several times, smiling apologetically at the nice lady in the bathroom, who kept handing me paper towels every time I finished washing my hands.

At some point I felt better, then worse. Nausea started creeping in as well and I grew a bit more concerned. By the time two young lads from Asiana showed up to issue my boarding pass, I stood at the counter anxiously, unsure if I would be able to make it. And sure enough, I had to excuse myself quickly, assuring the two Asiana lads that I would be right back. I made it to the very first sink in the rest room and no further. The rest room lady looked very displeased about the mess I was making in her sink, but handed me a large plastic container, labeled "toilet cleaner," filled with water (I assumed). I was not sure what she wanted me to do with it, because I sure was not going to drink the water! So I poured the water into the sink to try and clean up the chunks of Indian food I had left there. I used the stack of tissues a nice traveler using the bath room had handed me to further clean up my mess. The rest room lady did not look pleased when I left.

Still quite queasy, I returned to the airline counter, where they finally issued me my boarding passes. I was worried whether I would be able to hold it together while going through security. But I successfully stumbled through and on to my departure gate, where I found a spot on the floor behind a big planter and layed down, shivering. I actually was able to nap for a while before I had to board the plane. I seemed to feel a bit better now. Once on the plane, however, the nausea came back. Luckily, no one was sitting next to me and it was only a short distance to the lavatory. I repeated the process I went through at the airport, repeatedly running to the bathroom, wishing I could vomit. But nothing happened. Eventually, I stayed in the bathroom, staring at the toilet bowl, inhaling the urine smell emanating from it. Eventually, that worked! For the rest of the flight I huddled uncomfortable in my seat, exhausted, sipping water.

At the airport in Seoul, I found a quiet, empty row of seats (luckily, they don't have arm rests between seats there!) and went to sleep for about 3 hours, clutching the cardboard role containing my precious thangka painting I bought in Kathmandu. When I woke, I felt a bit better, but feverish. When I found my gate, I realized that Matt and Tim were also at the airport, leaving on Korean Air around the same time my Asiana flight was scheduled to depart. Weakly, I made my way over to their gate to say hello. To my surprise, I found Matt lying on the seats, covered by his down jacket. I questioningly looked at Tim, who explained that Matt had started vomiting during the night after they had gone out to eat Korean food for dinner. Korean Air treats its customers to a free night at a 5-star hotel in Seoul to spend the 15-hour layover. While I was waiting and vomiting at the airport in New Dehli, Matt and Tim enjoyed the luxuries of the Hilton. Well, at least the luxuries of a nice, clean hotel bathroom floor. Poor Matt! He looked even worse than me.

The flight to Seattle was long and feverish, but without complications. I watched several unmemorable movies, dozed a bit, and ate very little (yogurt and a few apple slices). Other than fresh kiwi juice in Seoul (kiwi is one of my favorite fruit!), I had not eaten since depositing my lunch in the bathroom sink in New Delhi and on the plane to Korea. By the time we landed in Seattle, the fever seemed to have subsided and done its burning job. I briefly spoke with Matt at baggage claim, him looking very tired. I was glad to get a ride home from Anne and not having to take a taxi. Here is a picture Anne snapped of me waiting for her at the airport.

I was happy to be back home and having safely delivered "Tashi" the yak to Anne. The next day, I met up with Wendy and John at Herkimer Coffee on Phinney Ridge to watch the trick-or-treaters - human and canine (love the costumes!). It's our annual tradition that I was glad to be able to participate in.

Unfortunately, the intestinal issues have continued all week, further tainting my return and readjustment. Extreme bloating and burping made me worried that I may float away like a balloon, or worse, actually explode. So I made an appointment with my doctor. Of course, as it always happens, by the time I saw her, my symptoms had greatly improved. And what I thought may be giardia, she diagnosed with gastroenteritis, or traveler's diarrhea. No treatment required. The symptoms lasted until yesterday, a week after leaving my lunch in India. Then, suddenly, after a very "rumbly" night and morning, my digestion was back to normal - even though I ate badly all day (donuts, pizza, candy, ice cream; or maybe that was the cure?).

Today, I had my first cup of coffee (see picture below) after those fateful two cups in Namche Bazaar (did I tell you about it? I thought I had a stroke! Note to self: Never drink coffee at altitude again!). So far, so good! I am very happy that I finally feel better as I am heading off to Amsterdam tomorrow for a work trip and a quick visit to the family in Germany.

In Nepal, I always felt so incredibly lucky when I looked at the beautiful Himalayas. Now back home, I feel so lucky to live in such a clean and easy environment. At the end of the trip, I told Promish, one of our porters, that I felt sad to be going home. He replied, "But oh, you cannot be sad! You are going home to your friends and family and you are rich!"

Indeed, I am very rich.

Last hours in Nepal

2011-10-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, we took another wild taxi ride through the city of Kathmandu, this time to Gombu's house. The city was getting ready for the third day of the Tihar festival, putting up even more flower garlands and lights everywhere. Gombu's mother operates a small tea house where locals come to eat. It is just a small room with three tables and benches. When we arrived, Gombu welcomed us by placing flower garlands (orange carnations) around our necks, similar to Hawaiian leis. We were told to sit down at one of the tables that was nicely decorated with a purple table cloth, orange paper napkins, nicely folded and arranged in a cup. We were clearly treated like very special guests. Gombu brought us Fanta and Sprite and we said hello to his mother, brothers, sister, nieces, neighbors, and a few customers having lunch and drinking chang, the local rice beer. It is home-made, dispensed often from plastic pitchers, looks milky, and tastes like a mixture of cider and sour milk - not too bad, in my opinion. Matt hates it, Tim enjoys it! ;-)

Gombu's mom cooked a delicious lunch of dhal bhat for us - white rice, a soupy lentil sauce, curried vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, carrots), and fried chicken. It was the first time I ate meat here in Nepal because Mat warned us that the meat is not refrigerated and you are likely to get violently ill from it, especially out in the mountains. But this was a special occasion and the last day in Nepal. So I ate the chicken! And it was delicious! No ill effects from it. There were also nicely arranged plates of slices of fresh carrots, radish, and cucumber. So good! More and more food was piled on our plates until we had to say, "Please! No more!" For dessert, we had fresh bananas that were just the perfect ripeness (for my taste) - not too ripe, still slightly green. Gombu's little, maybe 1.5-year-old, niece ate 5 or 6 bananas, which amused us to no end. She was an adorable little clown and kept us all entertained. Later, a neighbor stopped by to have some lunch and drink some chang and it turned out he was a dancing fool! He selected music to play on his phone and started dancing for us.What a spectacle! What moves! It was amazing and so amusing! Everyone in the small room clapped and laughed and smiled. Lunch had turned into a party! Then it was time to head outside for some photos. Everyone wanted to take pictures with us with their phones. We gladly obliged. Kids and other neighbors walked by, watching curiously, and waving to us. Everyone seemed curious, sometimes shy (especially kids), and broke out in big smiles when we waved to them. It was a wonderful afternoon!

Matt and Tim left for the Kathmandu airport about an hour ago. I am leaving in about half an hour to start my 33 hour journey back to Seattle at 4:15 pm local time - first with Air India to New Deli, India, where I have about a 7-hour layover. Then on with Asiana to Seoul, Korea where I have another 7-hour layover before I start the final leg to Seattle. I still have to figure out how I will get the baby yak that I got for Anne on the plane...
But before I leave, I wanted to tell you about a couple of random sightings: two days ago, while having lunch at The Roadhouse, I saw Ueli Steck, Swiss alpinist of recent Eiger speed ascent fame, having coffee with his, I assume, girlfriend (?). And this morning, while having breakfast at Weizen Bakery, Miss Elizabeth Hawley drove by in her VW Bug - well, I didn't actually see it because my back was to the door, but Matt an Tim saw it.

Oh, and most importantly, I finally made contact with Chad Kellogg. We briefly chatted online yesterday. He is "happy and healthy," as he put it, resting in Namche after acclimatizing in the mountains for the last couple of weeks, climbing a 5500 meter peak on the way. He and David are now heading towards their base camp.

So, it is time to go now. Before I left on this trip, I told several friends that I may not want to come back. But it turns out, that I am ready to come home and tell you all about my experiences and the wonderful mountains and people of the Himalayas.

Namaste!

It's Tihar time!

2011-10-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

Nepal is currently celebrating the multi-day Tihar festival. Buildings are decorated with strings of colored lights and flower garlands. Yesterday was "kukur puja," the day of the worship of the dogs. You saw many of the street dogs walking around with orange flower garlands around their necks and red dots on their foreheads. I wonder whether they were very confused because on most other days people yell at the dogs and sometimes kick or beat them.

Gombu, the young head Sherpa who accompanied our trek into the mountains, explained to me that during Tihar, he and his friends go around from house to house and perform traditional Nepali songs and dances for people and collect money. It's a little bit like Halloween, he said. But really, it isn't - you know, no candy, and tricks, and scary costumes! On the other hand, kids do dress up in traditional dancing clothes. A group of kids and their parents stopped by our hotel and did a lovely performance for us. I was one of the very few guests who actually watched and participated. There were other people around, but didn't seem very interested. What's up with that???

The group of kids ranged in age from 4 to 14 years, maybe. Four of the girls were beautifully dressed and performed elaborate dances while some of the parents sang and beat the drum. The rest of the kids and parents stood behind them and clapped. It was really sweet. People who stopped by placed money on a plate with apples. Sometimes one of the little kids would go around and collect the money, thrilled to the bones, smiling from ear to ear. Later, the kids waved me and Tim over to encourage us to dance with them. The girls complimented me on my dancing and I complimented them back. For sure, they were much better with their hand movements and hip wiggling (a little like belly dancing). It was really fun. I later danced with the kids again, going around in a circle while clapping our hands. One of the littlest guys, maybe 5 years old, only needed one drum beat or one note of a song and he would wiggle his head, clapp his hands, and move his body. He was a dancing fiend! After finishing their performance, three of the girls in traditional costumes came up to me and thanked me for dancing with them. How sweet! I asked them their names and we took some pictures. Several of the younger boys also came over and shook our hands and asked our names and we asked their names. Just an all-around fun and pleasant experience of Nepalese friendliness, curiosity, and openness.

I am going back to my hotel room now to pack my bags. Later this afternoon, we are invited over to Gombu's house for lunch. I am looking forward to meeting his mother and siblings. Gombu's father, Chapa, used to be Matt Fioretti's and Four Wind's head Sherpa. Gombu has followed in his father's foot steps after his death a few years ago and was a great help on our trek. Read the moving story about Chapa's passing on Matt's blog here.

Namaste!

Some climbing news

2011-10-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Chad Kellogg is currently also in Nepal, trying for a first attempt on an unclimbed peak. Unfortunately, we have not been able to meet up during my visit here. If I have learned one thing here, it is to be flexible. Things and plans change constantly. That means that you may not be able to connect or meet up with a friend as planned, but it also creates other opportuntities and experiences. That's how it is!

Chad is preparing to set a speed record on Everest next year, climbing solo and without oxygen. If anyone can do it, it is Chad. I completely trust his ability, passion, and determination. He's got it! The New York Times just published a story about him. Read it here and watch the video.

Also, I wanted to share this story with you about Korean climber Park Young-Seok who is missing on Annapurna. Here is a link to the story on explorersweb.com. Mr. Park, as he is known in Namche, is a world-class climber. We met a trek leader and climber Ms. Key Hyung-Hee, in Phakding, who knows Mr. Park. I am afraid, it is not looking very well for Mr. Park... :-(

Namaste!

Back in Kathmandu

2011-10-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hello from Kathamandu! What craziness! After 20 days in the mountains, Kathmandu feels quite insane. The ride from the airport to our hotel in Thamel was just nuts. And the air here! The air! Bad, bad, bad. Dust and pollution! Yuk!

Yes, we are back a day early! After eating breakfast in Phakding this morning, Matt and I decided to make the day a bit more athletic and motor down to Lukla as fast as we could. There were a lot of zopkios and many, many trekkers on the trail, so sometimes we couldn't move as fast as we wanted. At other times, much of the uphill back to Lukla worked our legs and lungs despite being at much thicker air now. We made it to Lukla in just under 2 hours, thirsty and hungry. Luckily, Paradise Lodge right by the airport welcomed us and I devoured a yak cheese and tomato sandwich and lemon tea. Yum!

Matt's friends from Paradise Lodge have the in at the airport, so we were able to get on a flight back to Kathmandu this afternoon instead of tomorrow morning. We took it! Because you never know what the weather does and we didn't want to risk getting stranded in Lukla for days.

So here were are! Back in busy, crazy Kathmandu!

By the way, we received a phone call from Singi Lama from the summit of Island Peak the day we hiked from Namche to Phakding. Singi was on Pharilapche with us, but had to leave early to be on Island Peak in time for another expedition. {By the way, Singi summited Mt. Everest on May 19 this year. He climbed it in only 3 days and is the first of his caste to summit Everest successfully. Singi is quite an accomplished climber with several successful summits of other 8000 m peaks. He hopes to eventually climb all of them! I have no doubt that he will!) And yesterday, we heard that Wesley McCain also made it to the summit of Island Peak! Congratulations!

Also make sure you have a look over at Matt Fioretti's Himalayahigh blog for his perspective on our trip!

Back in Namche and all is well!

2011-10-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

Namaste! We are back in Namche Bazaar after 2 weeks of trekking up the Gokyo Valley. And all is well! I have been suffering from a persistent cold since we started trekking, but I don't have any other ailments or illnesses. Yesterday morning we woke to the first snow of the trip. We were staying in Khumjung, just a short hike up and over the hill from Namche. The snow turned to rain as we reached Namche, which made the decent into town a slippery and muddy affair. This has been the only bad weather day so far on the trip. Otherwise, the mornings have been beautifully clear with blue skies and sunshine, revealing the gorgeous snow-covered mountains around us. By late morning or early afternoon, the clouds and fog often move in, making it a bit chilly, but nothing really to complain about.

So here is a brief recap of what has happened. Details will come later with pictures!

All of us trekked together to the town of Gokyo, which lies at the third sacret lake on a chain of six lakes. It's a most beautiful place to be! At 4 am the next morning, we hiked up Gokio Ri to 5360 m or 17,585 feet. The trail was easy, but the altitude kicked our butts for sure! But the effort was worth it as the views were just amazing. Just wait, you will see it in the pictures! I was so overwhelmed by the realization of where I was, I broke out in tears!

The next day, we hiked up to the fifth lake, where the views of Cho Oyu and Everest and a host of other amazing peaks over a huge glacier were even better. The whole team, trekkers and porters took a communal nap in the sunshine. It was devine!

On October 15, the 3 trekkers, Arlene, Jill, and Sherry, left us in Machermo to head back to Kathmandu while Matt, Tim, and I took a needed rest day before heading up to our base camp on Pharilapche (6017 m/19,741 feet). The same day the three gals left (and it was a tearful goodbye!), Wesley arrived to join us on the climb. The next day, October 16, we all headed up to base camp, which we had established about a week earlier before heading up to Gokyo. Singi and a few porters had set up a higher Camp I while we were in Gokyo. Matt, Wesley, Singi, and I pushed on to Camp I the same day, while Tim stayed at base camp. The next day, October 17, we all headed to the base of the route, almost 1000 feet above Camp I and about 18,000 feet, to check out the conditions. Unfortunately, in the weeks since we first established base camp, the route had melted out so much that what used to be continuous snow and ice ramps were now clear rock steps. The rock was so loose and crappy (Wesley and Matt almost got hit by rock fall while checking out the route) that we decided it was too dangerous to go up. We were all pretty bummed out because it looked like just a week earlier we would have been able to make it to the summit. I was happy and satisfied, however, with reaching an altitude of 18,000 feet! What's to complain about?

That night at Camp I, Matt and I heard very strange and unexplainable foot steps outside our tents... Matt's friend, Fabrizio Zangrilli and his climbing partner Heather, who were camped near us at the base of Kyajo Ri a few days earlier had heard a strange growl during the night. There are no trails up there and no one ever goes there. So what was it? The Yeti?????

We made it back safely to Machermo on October 18 and began our decent back to Namche, where we arrived yesterday, on October 21. From Dole to Mong La, we took a high trail that is only known to locals and on no maps. Although we were in the clouds and it was quite cold, this trail was quite exciting and scenic. We were hoping to see snow leopard who roam in this area, but didn't.

Today is a rest day before we are heading further down the trail back to Lukla where we catch a plane back to Kathmandu on October 25.

Because our climb didn't happen, Wesley headed to Island Peak where he was able to get on a permit with Singi. We hope he made it and is on his way to base camp.

Wesley ran into Chad in Kathmandu, but unfortunately we have not seen him or have gotten any word from him. We hope he and David are well and find better conditions than we did.

More details on everything will come later!

Namaste!

Namche Bazaar

2011-10-07T03:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Namche Bazaar! I cannot believe I am here! If I didn't have a real headache, I might think I am dreaming! I have heard so much about this place. And now here I am. It is unbelievable! When we first started hiking in Lukla, I was so overcome by the realization that I was in Nepal that I teared up and cried. That happened several times during the first day of hiking. On the second day, I was just deliriously happy. And I still am.

We arrived here in Namche Bazaar yesterday after a somewhat strenuous climb. It sure got my heart pumping! But I have felt great so far. We are now at 3450 meters or 11,319 feet. Today is a rest and acclimatization day. We started the day by attending the morning puja (prayer ceremony) at the Buddhist monastery (which is right next door to our hotel). It was magical! The only monk there tied a red string around our necks, blessed by the Dalai Lama. What great fortune! We are supposed to wear it until it falls off.

After breakfast of oats, eggs, toast, potatoes, and ginger tea, we went for a acclimatization hike, another 1000 feet or so up the hill behind town. And there, suddenly, the clouds parted, and to our complete surprise, we got our first glimpse of Everest. Wow! On the way back to town, we also got our first glimpse of a yak - several baby yaks, to be precise. So far, the only pack animals on the trail have been zopkios.

Back at the hotel, we had a lovely lunch of dhal bat (lentils and rice), which is really quite good. And, of course, ginger tea again. The group's favorite drink. It consists of hot water with chunks of fresh ginger. Simple and oh so delicious! It is even better with sugar. Matt keeps telling us that we will all lose at least 5 if not 8 pounds, but so far, we have been eating and eating and eating and it doesn't seem like we will lose any weight. Unfortunately, Sherry has caught a bug or some food-related illness and has not felt well at all for the last couple of days. It doesn't appear to be altitude related, though. We all feel very bad for her. Everyone else is doing well, only a few minor headaches.

After lunch, Matt and I organized our climbing gear while the rest of the group rested or went to town. Our porters (who are all very young and quite cute!) were curiously checking out our gear. We are all packed up and ready to head up the trail tomorrow. Our climbing objective has changed from Pachermo to Pharilapche (6017 m/19,741 feet), approached from Machermo in the Gokyo Valley. Because there is a lot of snow in the mountains this year, Pharilapche is the safer objective because it is steeper (less avalanche danger). It is more technical, but since I am the only climber now (Mark and Earl had to cancel), it is an attainable objective with our smaller and more experienced team. I will definitely need to use those ice tools I added at the last minute (Thanks, Anne!). I am very excited and a bit nervous about this adventure.

The weather has been quite sunny and warm with clear mornings. Clouds usually come in during the early afternoon and hide the amazing peaks surrounding us. Once the sun goes down, evenings are quite cool.

Ok, these are my first few impressions. I wish I could write more and also post some pictures. But that will have to wait. This will most likely be the last chance for internet access for a while. Tomorrow morning we are heading to Dole.

Namaste!

Flying to Lukla

2011-10-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

We have been on the go pretty much all the time since we arrived in Kathmandu, so I have not had time to write a lot unfortunately. It is now 4 am and we are getting ready to head to the airport to fly to Lukla where our trek begins. Everyone is so excited that we woke up even before the alarm went of at 3:30 am. I only have a few minutes before we need to attend to our luggage and then head to the airport. We are trying to catch the first plane out. This will be an exciting process, we are told.

Yesterday, I met up with my friend Bram Whillock, who has been traveling the world for almost a year. It was great to meet up with him here, despite only very briefly. I brought him some gear from back home for his trek of the Himalayas and in return, he brought me a Mongolian horse man, as I requested. I am delighted! :-)

I may have a chance to write a bit more once we arrive in Namche Bazaar in 2 days. Be well!

Namaste!

Katmandu

2011-10-03T19:25:00.001-07:00

Everyone made it to Katmandu ok and we have been exploring the city and shopping for souvenirs. We are all so excited and happy to be here! It is a crazy place. Lots of sensory overloads to deal with. This morning we got up at 4 am and walked to Swayanbunath Temple and listened to the chanting monks and spun the prayer wheels. Tomorrow we will fly off to Lukla and start the trek. I can't wait to get into the mountains.

I don't know if I will be able to post pictures easily as I am using my iPhone. Maybe in Namche.

Hello from all of us, Matt, Arlene, Sherry, Jill, and Tim. We are so sad, though, that Mark and Earl couldn't join us. Thinking of you guys!

Plans for the climb have changed and I am excited to tell you more about it once I know what we'll do. But it looks like I will definitely need the ice tools!

Namaste!

Packed

2011-09-29T20:59:00.001-07:00

The bags are packed!

And the weather in Kathmandu looks good! Sunny and 73 degrees every day! And it is Dasain, a 15-day festival! I wonder what to expect...? :-)

Do you know what time it is?

2011-09-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

Do you know what time and day it is in Nepal right now?

Seattle:

Kathmandu

Time and date provide by www.timeanddate.com

Do you notice something? This surprised me - the time difference between Seattle and Kathmandu is 12 hours and 45 minutes! Not 12 hours. Not 13 hours. Not 12 and a half hours. 12 hours and 45 minutes! Who ever came up with that???? I think I will round up. 13 hours it is!

I also wanted to share this cool video taken a year ago on the same trek I will be doing. Mark, one of my fellow trekkers, found this and shared it with us. It will give you an excellent idea what the area looks like. When the video gets to Khumjung and you get your first view of the stunning snow-covered mountains, I almost cried. Ok, I admit it, I actually cried. Because I know I will be standing in that exact place, taking in that view, and it is just overwhelmingly beautiful to know! I am so lucky!

Packing

2011-09-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

Packing has begun and final gear purchases have been made. I think I am almost ready...

Two Books

2011-09-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

In preparation for my trip to Nepal, I ordered a bunch of books. But I soon realized that I won't have time to read most of them before the trip. But with the climbing season winding down, a work trip to Atlanta last week, and few social engagements recently, I actually finished two of the books and read most of the important sections in the trekking guides I bought.

"Bringing Progress to Paradise: What I Got From Giving to a Mountain Village in Nepal" (2010) by Jeff Rasley and "Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal" (2011) by Conor Grennan tell very similar stories about two Americans falling in love with Nepal and its people and wanting to give back to them in some way, reminiscent of "Three Cups of Tea". But while "Bringing Progress to Paradise" is a badly written story, told by an annoying narrator, definitely not worth the read, "Little Princes" is a well-written, funny, and inspiring book. I can highly recommend it.

The story of the trek to a remote mountain village (to deliver school supplies) told in "Bringing Progress to Paradise" shares some aspects of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods." The mishaps and adventures told in both books are the result of unpreparedness, inexperience, and lack of conditioning, but Bryson's book is hilarious and makes you laugh out loud, while Rasley's companions and his own behaviors are just plain annoying and make you utter out loud, "What idiots!" His trekking friends are whining and complaining from day one of their trip, ignoring instructions on what to pack (for example, they bring extra pillows, blue jeans, and a big camping stove, but no trekking poles) and the importance of conditioning (they are out of shape because they were too busy to train and some didn't break in their hiking boots - and you know what that means!). One guy brings a big camera and all of the associated equipment and repeatedly falls over on the trail because he can't even stand up.

Rasley, the leader and organizer of the trek, supposedly is the experienced one in his group, but he repeatedly walks ahead of the group because he's too impatient to stick with the pace of the rest of the group and seems to have the need to show off. He constantly ends up getting lost because he takes the wrong turn at intersections. Rather than relying on the wisdom and experience of his Nepalese guides and appropriate maps, he consults his trusted companion, Lonely Planet's "Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya" - which I can assure you (because I read it - see picture above) is not appropriate for finding your way around in a remote area like they went to. All of this could have been told in a funny and ultimately reflective way, but it wasn't. Well, I think you can sense my annoyance...

Conor Grennan in "Little Princes" is also unprepared and somewhat self-serving, admitting that his intentions to work with orphans in Nepal were not really quite altruistic initially: "What I wanted was to tell people I had volunteered in an orphanage." His honesty is refreshing and believable and not annoying because, over time, you see how he changes and truly falls in love with the kids of Nepal. And he's funny. Read an except from his book, including one of my favorite stories in the book, and you'll see what I mean. As a result of the experiences described in the book, Grennan founded a nonprofit organization, Next Generation Nepal, whose mission it is to reconnect trafficked children with their families.

I sure hope that my group of fellow trekkers and climbers will not turn out to be like the nightmarish one in Rasley's book. But I very seriously doubt it! :-) We've all met once at a pre-trip meeting and have been exchanging information and tips and tricks with each other by e-mail. Everyone is highly positive, appreciative, prepared, and excited. I can't wait to meet up with everyone in Kathmandu in just about a week!

In this spirit, here is a song by Cat Stevens (don't get distracted by the stoned dude in the video!).

"Katmandu, I'll soon be seeing you!"

Word from Nepal and a map

2011-09-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

We received this e-mail from Matt today, who already left Seattle yesterday, I believe, for Bangkok.

Hello Gang,
I just received the last of 7 emails from friends in Kathmandu and the Khumbu. Everyone is fine and all airports in good condition. There are parts of the trail that have collapsed so we will improvise on some sections. I arrive Ktm in 4 days. When I left Seattle I felt like I was leaving my ducklings behind. Hope you can sleep as the date for you to depart gets close. Matt

I am currently in Atlanta to present some of my research at the annual meeting of the National Prevention Network. But my thoughts are occupied with all of the things I need to do before I leave for Nepal next week. Packing will commence this weekend and I will post some pictures of the mayhem then!

In the meantime, check out this map of a very rough outline of our trek and climb of Parchamo, as I understand it. As Matt's e-mail indicates, we will have to improvise, so this will just give you a general idea of the approximate route we'll take. If you switch to Google Earth view, you can do a virtual fly-through, which is just so amazing! Enjoy!

View Parchamo in a larger map

Himalaya Earthquake

2011-09-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

You've probably heard it already - an earthquake struck the Himalaya region of India, Nepal, and Tibet yesterday, September 18. The epicenter was located in the Kanjenchunga Conservation Area at the Nepal-Sikkim border, not in the area where I will be traveling. The Mountain Institute's expedition to the Everest region posted on their blog that they felt the earthquake in Lobuche in the Khumbu valley (close to where I will be traveling), but no one was hurt.

I am not a fan of all the news stories that only seem interested in sensationalizing with death tolls and pictures and videos of collapsed buildings and injured people. So I am not posting any links. I prefer this sort of information:

The US Geological Survey has some good information and some maps here, including an explanation of the tectonic events.
Here is a link to a map by the Amateur Seismic Centre in Pune, India showing the reports on the felt intensity of the quake.

Speaking of the Mountain Institute - I have enjoyed their blog about their current expedition to the Imja Lake Region to study a newly-formed, potentially dangerous, glacial lake near Mount Everest. They have along an international team of scientists, including people from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Peru, Bolivia, Japan, the US and Europe, and are drawing on the knowledge and needs of local Nepalese people. Their work seems very cool, interesting, and important, but I also like reading their blog because they are in the general region RIGHT NOW where I will be walking soon. The pictures they have been posting give me a good sense of the weather, the area, and the people, and also my favorite creatures, the yaks! :-) They posted this picture today:

Click on the picture to go to the original location of this picture

Nepal

2011-09-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

I AM GOING TO NEPAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell that I am excited? I am! Nepal and the Himalayas have been on my list-of-places-to-see-before-I-die for a long time. And I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to do this trip NOW! And even better, I am going with my friend Matt Fioretti and his company Four Winds Expeditions. Matt is a very special person for many reasons (check out his blog profile), one being that he can communicate with animals, or at least mountain goats, as I found out during a trip to the Enchantments this July. See for yourself:

Matt tells me not to get close to yaks in Nepal because they are aggressive, nasty, woolly animals. I don't really belief him (because aren't they going to carry our bags?), but given his animal skills, I probably should trust his experience. But I don't know, the problem with the yaks may be that they never shut up - at least according to this...

Ok, enough with the yaks now. Let's just say that I am quite intrigued by them and I will make sure to take lots of pictures (and pet them if I can).

What you really want to know are some details about the trip, I bet. Here you go: A group of 7 of us will be hiking in the Khumbu/Everest region up the Gokyo Valley to the village of Gokyo and the six sacred lakes below the south face of Cho Oyu (26,864 ft/8188 m), the 6th highest mountain in the world. Gokyo is situated along the Ngozumpa Glacier, the longest (22 miles/36 km) in the Himalayas! The summit of Gokyo Ri (17,585 ft/5360 m) will be the high point of the trekking portion of the trip. While the rest of the group heads back to Kathmandu, four of us, accompanied by Matt, his climbing partner Wesley McCaine, and his friend Danaru Sherpa (who has summited Everest 7 times!), will then head west to climb Pachermo (sometimes spelled Pharchamo or Parchamo; 20299 ft/6187 m*) located at Tesi Lapcha Pass (18,881 ft/5755 m) in the Rolwaling Himal region. Only on the mountaineering part of the trip will we be staying in tents; otherwise, we will eat and sleep in so called tea houses, which are simple trekking lodges.

Pachermo
(picture by Micha Ahrens - check out his blog for additional pictures)

*The correct elevations for all of these places are difficult to ascertain - they vary depending on the source (internet and books). I am using here what is listed in Lonely Planet's "Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya" (2009). For example, Bill O'Connor's 1989 book "The Trekking Peaks of Nepal" lists the elevation of Parchamo as 6273 m or 20,581 ft.

Here is the itinerary - at least that's the plan:

Sept. 30 - Leave Seattle (by airplane, of course)
Oct. 1 - Arrive Delhi, India via Seoul, Korea
Oct. 2 - Arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal (4593 ft/1400 m), staying at the Tibet Guest House
Oct. 3 - Check out Kathmandu
Oct. 4 - Check out Kathmandu
Oct. 5 - Fly to Lukla (9,186 ft/2800 m) and hike to Pakding (8563 ft/2610 m)
Oct. 6 - Hike to Namche Bazaar (11,220 ft/3420 m)
Oct. 7 - Acclimatization hike around Namche Bazaar
Oct. 8 - Hike to Dole (13,419 ft/4090 m)
Oct. 9 - Hike to Machermo (14,468 ft/4410 m)
Oct. 10 - Rest and acclimatization day in Machermo
Oct. 11 - Hike to Dragnag/Tagnag (15,420 ft/4700 m)
Oct. 12 - Hike to Gokyo (15,584 ft/4750 m)
Oct. 13 - Summit Gokyo Ri (17,585 ft/5360 m)
Oct. 14 - Hike to the 4th lake, Thonak Tsho (15,978 ft/4870 m)
Oct. 15 - Hike to Lungden (14,272 ft/4350 m) via Renjo La (17,536 ft/5345 m)
Oct. 16 - Hike to Thame (12,303 ft/3750 m)
Oct. 17 - Rest in Thame
Oct. 18 - Establish base camp at 16,000 ft/4877 m
Oct. 19 - Move to Camp 1 at 18,500 ft/5639 m
Oct. 20 - Move to Camp 2 at 19,000 ft/5791 m
Oct. 21 - Summit Pachermo (20,299 ft/6187 m)
Oct. 22 - Hike to Thame
Oct. 23 - Hike to Namche Bazaar
Oct. 24 - Hike to Pakding
Oct. 25 - Hike to Lukla
Oct. 26 - Fly to Kathmandu
Oct. 27 - Fly home

Here is an elevation chart for those of you who like to visualize things:

Click to see a larger version

Hmmm, I see a theme here

2011-09-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, I see a theme here. Because I can basically write the same thing as in my last post over a year ago!

I have not found the time to update my climbing blog because....

... I have been climbing lots! :-)

Surprisingly, I had forgotten that I had a fairly good climbing season last year, too. I think that's because I spent A LOT of time at the climbing gym fall, winter, and spring. And summer seemed to never want to arrive here in the Pacific Northwest. But once it got here July 4 weekend, it stuck around until now, finally allowing me to work on my trad leading skills. Having spent so much time pulling down on plastic (which I love, don't get me wrong), it was quite the humbling transition to climb outside. With 4 trips to Squamish this summer, my crack climbing skills have finally improved. But slabs still scare the heck out of me!

Lisa, me, and Anne

After quite a bit of skiing this winter, Anne, my primary climbing partner, and I started the season well and early. But when she so unfortunately broke her hand in the spring, I wasn't sure how much I would be climbing this summer. We had a lot of plans and dates solidified on the calendar. I was prepared to do lots of hiking and conditioning to keep Anne company and support her in her recovery (and get myself in shape). But things came differently, in part with her traveling lots for work, needing surgery, and requiring a longer recovery that didn't get her back on the trails as soon as we had hoped. We did spend a wonderful weekend hiking in the Methow in early July, but other from that we unfortunately didn't get out together very much this summer. I ended up having lots of opportunities to climb with a range of other climbing partners and had a lot of amazing experiences. I feel very lucky and grateful for that. But I miss Anne and can't wait for her to fully join us again and share our adventures. I am happy that she's climbing with the morning crew at the gym again and is on her way to Yosemite now and later on to Red Rocks!Although I am sad that I cannot join her on those trips, I have a wonderful reason! I am heading to Nepal for a month of trekking and climbing in October!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a dream come true! I am leaving in 2 weeks and will write about the preparations and details of the trip later. For now, here is a summary of my season so far. Hopefully, I will find time to write a few trip reports and post some picture before I leave for Nepal.

Namaste!

The 2011 season (so far):

Jan 1 - Sking at Hyak with Amy, Gilbert, Jennifer

Jan 2 - Skiing

Jan 8 - Skiing

Jan-23 - Drytooling in Issaquah with Anne and Matt M.

Jan 29 - Skiing with Lisa

Feb 5-7 - Skiing in Winthrop with Anne and Jim N.

Feb 12-15 - Whistler skiing with John, Wendy, Barb, and Steve

Feb-19 - Vantage with Anne and Rod

Feb 21 - Skiing

Feb 26 - Hog Loppet 30k Ski Trek from the top of Mission Ridge Ski Area to Blewett Pass

March 19-20 - Vantage with Anne and Marty

March 23-28 - Red Rocks with Anne, Lisa, Rod, and Matt M.

April? - Leavenworth with Anne, Tom, and Dan

April 14-17 - Breitenbush Yoga Retreat

April 30 - Leavenworth with Justin and Gilbert

May - no idea what happened in May

June 5 - Index with Matt M.

June 30 - Leavenworth with Justin

July 1-4 - Squamish with Chad and Rod

July 15-18 - Winthrop hiking with Chad, Anne, and Rod

July 26-30 - Enchantments with Chad, Rod, John, and Matt F. (2 routes on Prusik Peak and partial Temple Ridge traverse with possible new route)

August 6-8 - Squamish with Gilbert (Skywalker, Snake, Buttface)

August 13 - Complete N Ridge of Mt. Stuart in a day with Chad

August 20 - South Arete of SEWS with Rod

August 21 - Prime Rib of Goat with Rod, Anne, and Lisa

August 27-28 - Squamish with Dan

Sept. 3-4 - Squamish with Justin (Angel's Crest)

Sept. 10 - Maple Pass Hike with Lisa

Sept. 11 - SW Rib of SEWS with Lisa, Anne, Rod, and Chrystal

Sept. 17 - Vantage with Rod and Rob

Year-To-Date Tick List

2010-08-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have not found the time to update my climbing blog because....

... I have been climbing lots! :-)

Instead of detailed trip reports, for now just a tick list of climbing trips thus far in 2010 (most recent first):

August 13 - Mt. Garfield, Infinite Bliss (10c), climbed 19 of 23 pitches (with Anne, Loni, and Ken).
August 8 - Pearly Gates area in Leavenworth (with Gilbert and Rod).
August 6 - Squamish, Banana Peel and various routes at Octopus's Garden, Smoke Bluffs (with Anne and Ken)
July 18 - Darrington, Dreamer (5.9), climbed 6 of 10 pitches (with John).
July 11 - Darrington, Silent Running (10b) with Gilbert and Jayashree.
July 4 weekend - Mazama, Prime Rib (5.9), Inspiration Route (5.9), and first 2 pitches of Sisyphus (11a) with Anne, Ken, and Jim.
June 17 - 21 - Road trip to City of Rocks, ID with Anne, Rod, and Gilbert.
June 6 - Rifle, CO, Popular Demand (10c) with Audrey, Mike, and Kenny.
May 23 - Leavenworth, Condorphamine Addiction (10b) with Anne.
May - Darrington, Silent Running (first 2 pitches) and various single pitches at Three O'Clock Rock with John and Anne.
April - Exit 38 with Dan.
April 18 - Leavenworth, Heart of Gold (10a) with Gilbert.
March 6-7 - Vantage with Audrey and Anne.
February 28 - Vantage with Anne.

Notice something? No alpine climbs! I just haven't felt like it. And my trad leading skills have suffered. But I am thinking about focusing on that a bit more this fall...I can't stop thinking about that crack in Squamish... Oh, and then there is of course Splitter Camp in October!

Projecting 11b

2010-01-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I brought my camera with me to the gym today but forgot to take pictures while we were climbing. So here are the routes Anne and I worked on this morning. 11b baby!!! :-)

Boring, I know. But the colors are nice, aren't they?

But anyway, "Moon over my hammy" required some tricky crack climbing technique right off a sloper hold that I didn't yet master. And "Average Temps with Rain" had us stomped on a sloper with a high step until I realized on my last try that I better use the small crimper hold to the right that we had totally ignored. That was it! Interesting how you close yourself off sometimes to seeing all possibilities. I am not certain where that sudden inspiration on my last try came from...interesting experience.

Although we didn't completely master neither of the two routes, I have to say I am thrilled that I am projecting 11b! (Big grin)

The Apprentice

2010-01-05T14:28:00.000-08:00

Today was a surprisingly good day overall at the climbing gym. I led two 10as! My head gave me a bit of trouble and I chickend out and hung a couple of times, but I am trying to give myself some slack (not literally!). At least I am there doing it! I am trying to apply Arno Ilgner's lessons of the Rock Warrior. When I got scared to make a particular move and had Anne take me, I finally told myself to just go for the next hold and not think about anything beyond that. I was right at the last clip! So the consequences of a fall were really minor. But I had to talk myself through it that way. And by focusing only on the next move, I was able to do it. No problem! I look at it as an apprenticeship. Practice, practice, practice will get me there. I also need to consider that the 5.9 I led gave me no trouble whatsoever. That's progress. I think the head is coming along...

...and so are the muscles and the power. Anne and I bouldered a bit and just threw ourselves at routes. Most of them were very hard and we fell off most of them - but not all! We used a lot of heel-hooking today and it worked! Audrey would be so proud of us. Many of the problems are not labeled yet, so it is difficult to know exactly how they are rated. But we were amazed to see that we might be bouldering V2s at times. Vertical World in Seattle is using the Fontainbleau grading system, which uses a colour-coded circuit to group problems of similar, but varying difficulty. Not sure what I think about it. But it clearly doesn't get you hung up on specific ratings.

I need to post some pictures here soon. But that requires me not forgetting to bring my camera to the gym...

Making progress

2009-12-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

Since my last post, my shoulder has completely healed (although it took a full month to do so) and I have been able to climb well and strong ... if there just wasn't that left middle finger, which is now painful and swollen with, what I believe to be, an arthritic attack.

Since Audrey recommended that I need to challenge myself if I want to make progress, I have been throwing myself at several 11as and even attempted one 11b, which totally rejected me. In any case, all that hard climbing has aggravated my finger, I think. I had a similar injury about 2 years ago, but with some rest (made possible by traveling and being forced to be away from climbing) it completely healed and I haven't had it since. So...what did I learn from the past experience? Rest, hmmm...? That's a tough one! I want to climb!!!!

Today I finally did some leading at the gym with Anne. It had been a long time and I got used to the comfort of the top rope. Finding my lead head is my next challenge. I am a big chicken with Elvis legs. So the apprenticeship has begun ... 5.7, 5.8, 5.8, 5.9, 5.8 ... it went really well! The strength I've gained this fall while training with Audrey is really making a difference, especially with my confidence. I was nervous with dry-mouth and even a bit of leg-shaking, and it was uncomfortable (I secretly wished for the comfort of the top rope). But I trust that with repetition and practice, it will get better. Given how strong I am right now and how well I climb on top rope, I know I can lead 10a for sure if not 10b or c (although my hands are sweating just at the thought of that).

Several of us are also working on a boulder problem (V2?) - we're close, but get spanked every time. It's all in the hip thrust and good foot work. We will keep working it!

Overcoming injury and meeting Timmy!

2009-11-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

After 6 weeks of intense, injury-free strength training with Awesome Audrey, I was strong and ready to try out my newly-developed climbing strength.

And then my neck muscles seized up on me and pinched a nerve in my right shoulder. For a month now, I've been waking up with pain in my shoulder and arm. Getting several very painful massages seemed to help (thanks Julie for bruising the heck out of me!) - eventually - but I've only recovered slowly. Frustrating! Argh.

Last week, my climbing was very disappointing and I worried that I had lost all of the strength I had gained over the last couple of months. But finally, finally on Saturday, I had a good day of climbing! I started a new project, 11a. Audrey said I need to challenge myself more. After climbing it once, I know I will get it soon. Happy again. :-)

And then, as I was packing up my things, I noticed a group of kids gathering on the stretching mats and among them sat...Timmy O'Neill!!! First, I thought he might be doing a clinic for kids, but then he got up and I realized it was another one of his jokes, pretending to be one of the boys. I eventually got up my courage to go over and introduce myself. I told him that I was the lady who eats burned toast (see my earlier post from 2 years ago), but he didn't remember any of that, of course. He was very nice, introduced us to his friend Dana, and we chatted for a while. Luckily, he knows Audrey and just hung out with her at the Rocktoberfest at the Red River Gorge, and having this connection made me feel less like a stupid groupie. I told him that he had sent me a picture of him skydiving and he reported that he just did his first basejump. Learning to skydive was preparation for that. I watched him climb for a little bit and was pleased to see that even Timmy O'Neill warms up on a 5.7 and a 5.9!

So, a good day of climbing ended even better. I had lamented to Steve earlier that I didn't get to see Timmy O'Neill a few days earlier when he gave a talk in support of the Index climbing area. I had chosen not to attend his talk because I do not wish to set a foot into the building where he gave his talk. So I was very pleased that I got the chance to meet him in person at the climbing gym.

All is good again and tomorrow I get to throw myself off the wall to practice falling. Yikes!

A bad head in Squamish

2009-10-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Went to Squamish with the Viking on Saturday. An unexpectedly beautiful sunny and warm fall day up there, eh. The only bad thing were the 150 or so students from the University of British Columbia who descended on Squamish. One moment, we are the only car in the parking lot at Murrin Park. The next moment, piles of students fall out of a few packed cars. I hate it when it gets so crowded. Another reason to learn how to climb harder routes - to get away from the crowds. But the UBC folks were very nice and shared the Sugarloaf cracks with us. That's where we started with some easing leading of a couple of 5.4-5.6 cracks. I am so impressed by the Viking's good lead head. His experience clearly shows there. My leading went ok, but I am clearly not practiced in my pro placements anymore. They were ok, but I am inefficient and clumsy.

We then headed over to the Smoke Bluffs - where we ran into more UBC students. I started to get really frustrated but the Viking convinced me to give the Burger and Fries area a try. And we lucked out. A group of UBC students was just packing up to leave, giving us a shot at "Wisecrack" (5.7). This was the kind of lead I needed to get back into things. The climbing was fun and not too difficult, but I was scared being above my pieces. Bad head. But of course I had no problem climbing it and ran it out quite a bit at the end once the climbing got really easy. Feeling this uncertain and nervous really fries my nerves. I experience a huge range of emotions, from fear to frustration and fun, relief, and confidence. Ah, climbing!

I have a tendency to overcam cams and my first piece got stuck. We pulled and tugged on it for quite a while until another climber suggested we hit it with a rock. So Steve did and it luckily came out. We then headed over to "Burgers and Fries" (5.7). I didn't feel up to leading it since it was late in the day and I was strangly exhausted (emotionally) from leading the earlier climb. So we top-roped it. I thought it was definitely the harder route of the two 5.7s there. Next time, I will lead it. That's a promise.

After that we packed up and went to the Howe Sound Brewery in town. A tradition. The beer was good but the kitchen very slow. Although I drank some coffee after dinner, I crashed and fell asleep before we hit Vancouver. The Viking drove all the way back to Seattle!

I have no pictures to show. Too bad since it was a beautiful day!

See Sabrina climb

2009-10-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Audrey has been videotaping us on the Morning Climbing Team. This is incredibly instructive. I am struck by how calm I look from the outside and how taxed I feel at times while climbing. Which suggests that I really could try even harder - I don't even see my arms or legs shake or a real fall! What's up with that?????

This one was an unmarked route from the Summer Slam competition at Vertical World and had a tricky start with a sloper hold. It ended up being rated 10a/b, but felt at times more like a 10b/c - especially at the start, but Audrey thought it clearly was a 10a - but what does 5.13-girl really know about 10a? ;-) .

Wallaby Peak

2009-09-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

Finally, finally I got out into the mountains! And what a beautiful day it was!

In true alpine fashion, we had a V E R Y early start. Because of the long drive to Washington Pass, the Viking and I picked up Brian at 4 am in Fremont. We made good time and arrived at the pass in just under 3.5 hours. There was only one car parked, with frosted windows (it was a cold morning with temps in the low 30s), suggesting that they had spent the night out somewhere. Soon enough, we would find their tent on the hike up to Kangaroo Pass. Everyone still seemed to be sleeping. Climbers! - as the helmet left outside suggested. On we went, getting to the pass in about 1.5 hours, where we finally hit some sun. But the wind still kept it chilly. After some snacks, water, and taking in the view, we started up the SW ridge of Wallaby Peak, which is accessed right at the pass. The scrambling across beautiful granite boulders was great fun and the views only got better.

From the great route description on summitpost.org (Thanks, Fred Spicker from Spokane! We saw your entry in the summit register), we knew we had to traverse right into a gully that would lead us up to the summit.

Picture by Fred Spicker

This is where the fun ended. The route was easy to find, but the gully sucked. But we made it to the summit with great views and chocolate chip-peanut butter cookies and nuts. It was the first time that I actually found the summit register and signed my name in it!

Steve and Sabrina at the summit

We saw some people on the summit of Kangaroo Temple - maybe those folks from the tents? The downclimb of the gully sucked even more. But once back on the ridge, it was lovely again and we made it to the pass without much trouble. Some more water and snacks at the pass and we headed back down towards the car. We were surprised to find that the little "waterfall" on the north side of the pass, in the shade, was still frozen. Fall temperatures and fall colors are here!

Back on the flat part of the basin and in the boulder field (ouch, my knees didn't like the downhill hiking), we encountered the group of folks from the campsite. And to our surprise, among them was the one and only Fred Beckey! What a neat encounter in this great place, which really belongs to him! A nice finish to the day.

The drive home was uneventful, except that I almost fell asleep at the wheel and Steve had to quickly interfer and grab the steering wheel so we wouldn't end up in the ditch. Very scary how quickly and unexpectedly that happened! This was right before Marblemount where we switched drivers. I guess, I am not used to those alpine starts anymore! Dang!

More pictures can be found here.

Mt. Thomson or Scotland?

2009-08-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

Gilbert and I attempted to climb Mt. Thomson on Saturday, but I think we ended up in Scotland!

Gilbert's excellent trip report can be found by clicking here.

Morning Team

2009-08-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

The awesome Morning Climbing Team with coach Audrey Sniezek at Vertical World:

In the picture (f.l.t.r): back row - Jill, Audrey, Helen, Paul; front row - Andrea, Sabrina, Anne.

I have been part of Audrey's Morning Team for about a year and a half now. It has been an amazing experience! Unfortunately, I have not been able to climb much outdoors during this time, but the workouts have kept me at a good level and clearly have made me stronger and a better climber. I was just starting to break into the 5.10b realm when I started with the group. Now I am projecting at 5.11a. (In fact, I climbed my latest 11a project cleanly for the first time this morning! Yeah!). We are going to start a 6-week Strength Training program with Audrey next week...and then? I am afraid we will lose Audrey soon to sunny Las Vegas...hmmm....

Pinnacle Peak

2009-07-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

July 3 - finally back in the mountains after a long hiatus! The Viking and I picked the perfect objective, Pinnacle Peak in the Tatoosh Range (Mt. Rainier NP), to get back into the swing of things: short approach, great snow conditions, fun rock scrambling to the summit, perfect weather, great views! An all around good day toped off with a blackberry shake and ice-cold coke at the Copper Creek Inn. Yum!

Eleven A

2009-03-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

My project at the gym - 11A.

Heel Higher Crescent

2009-03-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

Do you know that feeling when you go over a route you have climbed over and over again in your mind because you enjoyed it so much? And you can almost feel the movement in your body as you think about it? I am having that kind of experience after climbing "Heel Higher Crescent" (5.10a) at Frenchman Coulee yesterday.

I really understand now the difference between a 4 star and a 2 star route! And the enjoyment it brings you. THAT is fun climbing!

I wish I had climbed it again. I will definitely go back and will try to lead it. It is strange how hesitant I am to want to lead any of the 5.8 and 5.9 routes we climbed because I am nervous about it and afraid of falling. So what makes me think I could lead a 10a? But in this case, I enjoyed the climbing so much, it fit me so well, that I desire to lead it!

Die Freiheitsglocke

2008-06-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

Brian G. and I made it up to Washington Pass on June 14 to climb Liberty Bell via the Beckey Route. It was the first time for both of us and we were looking forward to this classic route. What a gorgeous day! Blue skies, snow covered peaks all around us. We felt very lucky indeed!

There are still ~2-3 feet of snow in the Blue Lake Parking lot, but it is plowed and the bathroom is open. When we arrived around 8 am, we saw several skiers, but initially no other climbers. The more direct ascent through the woods on the snow seemed much faster than the summer approach on the Blue Lake Trail. Once we got out of the trees and began moving upwards toward the ascent gully on steeper slopes, we put on crampons. The snow was in great condition and we had no problems getting to the notch and the beginning of the route. It took as about 2 hours at a fairly moderate pace. The snow stopped right at the notch and we found a nice spot on rocks to put on our climbing gear and stash our stuff. We moved into the sun half-way up the first pitch. Except for the gully on the second pitch (which is a b**** with a pack on!), we enjoyed the climbing immensely. As we started the 2nd pitch, another party of three approached. But they were far enough behind us that we only ran into them on our descent after lounging on the summit for a while.

What a perfect day on Liberty Bell! No crowds, beautiful views, perfect weather!

The rappels were easy to find and we were back at our packs in no time. By then, the snow had softened quite a bit and made the descent down the fairly steep gully managable. I don't care much at all (at all!) for steep snow, but am wondering if it was still preferable to the loose gully in the summer without snow. The snow definitely made the ascent pretty straightforward.

A great alpine climb! What a great day!

10d project becomes teaching experience

2008-05-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have been going to the climbing gym for the past few months pretty regularly, twice a week very early in the morning (6-8:30 am). Although it is always difficult to get up at 5:15 am in the morning, my commitment to it is firm. The reason: I climb with a fabulous group of women and it has been one of the best parts of my life recently!

At the end of April, we started training with Audrey Sniezek (www.audreysniezek.com) and it has been just a great experience! Last week, Audrey asked us to identify a project we are working on so she could watch us on it and give us feedback during our training sessions. I attempted a 10d route that was very much within my abilities, but two particular moves kept me from linking it all together. I watched how my climbing partners climbed it and realized what particular technique I was struggling with. I explained it to Audrey this morning and then started up the route. And guess what! I had no problems with any of the moves and climbed it cleanly to the top without falling! I was so surprised when I mastered the first move that initially gave me troubles, that I almost fell off!

This particular route is probably not a very difficult 10d, but it has taught me a lot of things! Not only did I learn several new climbing techniques, it also taught me that trying a new and initially difficult route a mere three times may be enough to master it.

This has been a very satisfying experience.

Independence at last!

2008-03-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

Gilbert and I completed our first independent climbing adventure a couple of weekends ago (independent of climb leaders or more experienced companions). We climbed Zig Zag, a 3-pitch (5.7) trad route at Mt. Erie. What a fun route! I was surprised by the quality and diversity of the climbing. Really good beginner trad route!

While the climbing gave us no problems, we got lost in the maze of trails at Mt. Erie on the way to the base of the climb and on the decent. After scrambling around for 45 minutes or so, we eventually decided to rappel off instead of walking off. It was a good experience for me to make decisions about the rappels without knowing whether the rope would reach the next anchors. The rope reached the anchors at the top of the first pitch just barely, the knots at the end of the rope almost jamming in the belay device. I had to bend down to clip myself into the anchors and then undo the knots at the end of the rope to be able to take myself off rappel.

A fun, confidence-boosting day!

Urban Aid Buildering

2008-03-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of a new variation to aid climbing and buildering?

Welcome to Urban Aid Buildering!

Here is me leading the traverse pitch in the stairway of the Mountaineers building in Seattle:

Another Ten D

2008-03-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

I was going to post another milestone today, but I forgot that I already climbed a 10D once last year. I had totally forgotten!

Maybe that doesn't sound like a big deal to you, but it is to me! After all, I still think of myself as a beginner most of the time. And not long ago, that kind of difficulty seemed unachievable to me.

Well, this morning, I climbed another 10D in the gym. It was fun! It seems I have been consistenly getting better in the 10b and 10c realm, but have not had any luck in completing a 10d yet. When I was lowered, I mentioned to my climbing partners that this was my first 10d. They couldn't believe me. They said they assumed I do this all the time! It's so nice climbing with the gals!!! :-) Girls rock!

Timmy O'Neill writes back

2007-09-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last week, when I was feeling pretty down, while eating burned toast, I decided to write to Timmy O'Neill. I've been a fan of his ever since I saw him in "Return to Sender" a couple of years ago at the Banff Film Festival Tour. He makes me laugh, and I guess I share his love for the beauty of crack climbing (not that I know how to do it), El Cap (after seeing it for the first time last year), and I have also been admiring his picture on the cover of SuperTopo's "Yosemite Valley Free Climbs" book.

Being so down also brings out my creative side, so I started thinking about a collage I want to create of my favorite things. Fergus (my cat), ice cream, bears, cowboys - and Timmy are some of my favorite things/people/animals. So I decided I may as well ask him whether he would send me a picture of himself so I can include it in my collage. And since he is a kind man, he did! Here is what he wrote:

Hey Sabrina,

Thanks for the props and I appreciate you getting in touch with me. I am in San Fran doing the yearly "take Mom on a week vacation somewhere in the US". This time it is San Fran to Monterey Bay to Sequoia/Kings Nat'l Parks to Yosemite Valley Nat'l Park to San Fran with maybe a drive by the Lodi Dropzone where I have been learning to skydive - I call it taking hits of "skycrack". I have attached a few pics of some first jumps. Here is the travel log of last year's trip with my Ma: http://timmyoneill.com/photoessays/momtrip.html

I do not have any pics to send you from the road or for that matter from Boulder, CO as I do not have any there to send you. Hmmm, how about printing some off my website - you certainly have my permission to duplicate and do whatever you like with the pics. What are you going to do with the collage? I recently helped my friend Vijay burn a few old collages he didn't know what to do with - it was exciting and illicit.

Keep being quirky in Seattle and I will continue my randomness on the road.

Have you been eating burnt toast?

Later

Timmy O

And here is one of the pictures he sent:

If you want to check out Timmy for yourself, check out his website: http://timmyoneill.com/

I already feel so much better! Thanks Timmy!

I am drafting my response...

High Sierras

2007-09-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

Went to CA in July to finally climb in the High Sierras. Objective: Bear Creek Spire, North Arete.

Here is a preview - details to come shortly.

Ten D

2007-07-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

Another milestone! Climbed a 10d route outside without falling! Greatly impressed Dan. :-) I am pleased myself.

But that doesn't mean I don't shake on a 5.8 or can lead a 5.6 chimney! Climbing - it's all in the head!

First Unplanned Bivvy

2007-06-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

Another first! I experienced my first unplanned bivvy while climbing Cutthroat Peak (8050 feet, 2454m, South Buttress, 5.8) at Washington Pass. What a cold and uncomfortable experience! We ran out of time while decending. Night fell around 10 pm and it started snowing (at around 7000'). We were on loose, gravely third class terrain above some rock cliffs. To be safe, we decided to wait it out until it got light in the morning. We huddled on top of a ridge between a snow bank and a low rock wall. I was cold, wet (it snowed lightly all night), and very, very uncomfortable. I spent the night sitting on my rope. Nevertheless, I fell asleep repeatedly, just to wake up again shivering. Luckily, it was one of the shortest nights of the year (June 22) and by 4 am it was light enough to get going again. We made it back to the cars by around 6:30 am. Probably the most dangerous part was driving home to Seattle by myself dead-tired. My eyes fell shut repeatedly and I eventually had to pull over to take a short nap.

This was also the hardest alpine route I have led so far. Of the ~10 pitches (ranging from third class scrambling to short 5.8 moves with lots of awkwardness), I led 4 pitches and backed off leading a fifth pitch with a very awkward chimney. The "Tarzan Leap" move I could have led, but I hate chimneys! Hate them!

I recently climbed my first 10d in the gym, but that doesn't even compare to the awkwardness and exposure of leading a 5.7 alpine pitch!!! This was good training for my upcoming trip to the Sierra Nevada in California where I will climb Bear Creek Spire (North Arete, 5.8) - ~10 pitches at 13713 ft (4180 m)!

In the pictures below, Cuthroat is on the right (summit not visible). We bivvied in the area of the lower rock buttress to the right and in front of Cutthroat visible in the first picture.

Baker and Ingalls

2007-06-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

Two successful summits! Mt. Baker (Easton Glacier) on June 3 and North Ingalls Peak (South Face) on June 8. I was a rope lead on both climbs. Gorgeous views from Baker and easy, enjoyable climb! Now I have 2 of the 5 WA volcanoes left on my "To Climb" list - Glacier and St. Helens. Ingalls is always a joy. What a beautiful area. I had never done the approach in the snow and found it much easier than later in the summer. A few pictures from the Ingalls climb follow. (I finally bought a new fleece jacket :-)! ).

S Ingalls on the left, N Ingalls center, E Ingalls on the right

On the approach

Top of the first pitch on N Ingalls

Sabrina and Adam, my rope partner, on the summit

Rappeling the route

New Milestones!

2007-05-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

I have accomplished several new milestones! Hooray!

On Friday, I led my first multi-pitch climb - me at the sharp end of the rope for all of the 4 pitches of the classic Washington climb, The Tooth. It was great! And wouldn't you know it, it was easier than ever before when I climbed this route as a follower. Strange how leading can put things in a totally different perspective. A great day with lots of fun glissading on the return (which made it look like I peed my pants)!

On Saturday, I practiced jumaring and cleaning a traverse in preparation for an upcoming climb of Monkey Face (Smith Rocks). Dan led a nice long traverse at Index (Bat Skins, 5.11a?).

After finally correctly sizing the daisies connecting me to my jumars, I had a great time following this pitch. I learned a lot! I had to be creative cleaning some of the pro. It was lots of fun! Ready for the big wall? Maybe not quite yet, but getting excited about it! Literature on my night stand these days? How to Climb Big Walls by John Long and John Middendorf. Oh my!

The season has started

2007-03-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

The new climbing season has started! And I am way behind updating this blog.

In February, we climbed Guy Peak as a first snow conditioner for the basic mentor group. What a day! Check us out on the summit (fltr: Gilbert, Ken, me).

Everyone had a great time, but we were also very happy when we arrived back at the Snoqualmie Ski area parking lot. Food and beer after outings like this always taste so good!

Next followed a weekend of practicing rescue methods in rain and wind at Mt. Erie (but I have no pictures to show). And of course, there are the early season climbing weekends at Vantage. Everyone in Washington seems to descent on the pillars at Frenchman Coulee these days. It's been just nuts! It seems that I know every third person that passes me along the crags. And the weather has been hit and miss – I’ve climbed in cool, overcast conditions most days there this month (snow on the ground once), with freezing, aching fingers. But on a couple of days I have been sweating in sunshine and 70 degree weather. That’s Vantage, Washington in March! Oh, how I yearn to be in So Cal (my trip to Joshua Tree and San Diego last November spoiled my patience with Washington weather)!

I have had the opportunity to get some good mental lead practice in during these climbing trips. I am still such a head case when I lead, legs shaking (go away, Elvis!) and hands sweating. Ugh. But I've led The Chossmaster (5.7, 14 clips) a couple of times now - not entirely feeling great every time, but always solid climbing. I have also led a few other routes in the 5.4-5.8 range at Vantage. I have not had the chance to lead any trad routes yet around here. This coming weekend will be the big test - 3 days of climbing in Leavenworth and Peshastin. My climbing is solid, but the thoughts in my head make me shake and overgrip. I should go back to reading the "Rock Warrior's Way"... !

Here are a few nice pictures (thanks, Julie!) of me leading the Chossmaster.

City Park in the snow

2007-01-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

Another attempt at aid climbing. This time for real: The classic "City Park" in Index. In the snow. That's what climbing is all about in Washington State! (Oh, I miss So Cal!)

Because the beginning of the route was covered in 3 inches of ice, we had to improvise a cheater stick. Check out Dan's skilled work.

I was very cold belaying...

... but soon got very warm. Jugging is hard work when you don't really know what you're doing.

Luckily, I made it up to the top of the first pitch before dark.

I must say, as intrigued as I am about the possibility of doing a big wall some day, aid climbing is awkward and scary! And I haven't even done a traverse or pendulum yet!

But El Cap is calling me...

Leading Trad in J Tree

2006-12-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have finally done it - led my first real trad route! I am mighty proud! Ok, fine, it was only a 5.1 and the name of the route is "B-1" on Trashcan Rock. So maybe it wasn't a glorious lead. BUT (!) it happenend in beautiful Joshua Tree! (Here is a picture on the web; it's the route to the right of the right picknick table with the wide dark section at the bottom.)

On the Cyclops at sunrise

There was more glory on my second lead - the classic 5.4 "Bong" crack on the "Blob". There is a good picture of it here on the web. And here is me pointing at the route:

The Bong (5.4)

It's a nice crack climb (60 feet) with good jamming and a crux move over a small roof. I was scared, but had no problems. It was awesome! Below are some pictures of me on lead.

At the start of the route in my ninja outfit and with my monster rack of cams

Sabrina leading the Bong

Sabrina just above the roof on the Bong

I climbed several other classic routes, including "Sail Away" (5.8), a great 100 foot hand and finger crack. Here is a picture on the web.

I also very much liked Stichter Quits (5.7) on Echo Rock, a nice friction climb. Here is a good picture of this route.

I also tried to climb "Hobbit Roof", a short 10c/d friction/crack/roof climb around the corner from the "Bong". Check it out here. I struggled on the friction part and couldn't do this move to get over the roof. Later I watched a woman climb it very confidently, and I knew I will be able to do it next time!

One of the very pleasing experiences was to climb a short 10b/c friction climb at Trashcan Rock ("Profundity") with the tiniest crystals (it's on the wide open face left of center in the picture here). I learned so much just on that one climb! Trusting my feet is not much of a problem anymore!

One of the funny events the day we climbed at Trashcan Rock was that we thought we were going to be in a movie. It was an incredibly windy day and there were no other climbers around, when a guy showed up in a tiny sports car, acting incredibly cool and proceeding to free solo multiple times the route I was going to lead later on. Cool climber left and an hour later, several large trucks, vans, and cars pulled up in the parking lot accompanied by two police cars. They started to pull out all kinds of gear, including a car with a camera arm attached to it. Then the cool climber showed up again in his tiny sports car, free soloing "my route" again, presumably to warm up for his role in the climbing movie they were going to shoot here at Trashcan Rock with us as the extras. I casually walked over to a couple film crew guys who had been watching us climb to ask when they would start filming me. They informed me that they were not here for me nor the cool climber, but were shooting a car commercial. Ah, dang. And I thought I would be famous soon! Alas, I exchanged a cool "How's it going?" with cool climber and went on climbing in the wind at Trashcan Rock.

All in all, a great road trip to Joshua Tree (we drove from Seattle). Although it was colder than expected and very, very windy. And I had to realize how wimpy the ratings are in Washington state compared to Joshua Tree and other areas in California. The 5.4s in J Tree seemed more like 5.6s in WA. And 5.7s had moves on them that seemed more like WA 5.9s. We also climbed around San Diego for a day, at Mt. Woodson. I tackled the classic "Robbins Crack", a 5.10a perfect hand crack. Wow! I wish we had rock (and weather) like that around here!

Women Climbers' Party a Success!

2006-11-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

About 40 women attended the women climbers' party on Wednesday, November 15, 2006. What a turn-out! And what energy! What a spread of food! It was awesome!

Thank you Denise for being such a wonderful host! And thank you climbing committee for supplying us with plates, cups, and napkins!

Most women were Mountaineers members, but a few non-members attended as well (some affiliated with WAC, the UW climbing club, and Passages Northwest). Many women had recently completed the basic climbing course and several are planning on taking it in 2007. There were also many intermediate climbing students and crag grads. There was a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm for a women's climbing group. It seems that everyone has been waiting for someone to organize this kind of event. I am glad I did it! The enthusiasm and turn-out are very rewarding!

The general sentiment was that finding more female climbing partners is the primary interest for participating in a women's group. Everyone shared the experience that a lot of our time in the outdoors (and in tents) is spent with men. While we all enjoy that (since we have the same kind of passion for climbing as men!), we also miss the companionship of fellow women. Always being in the minority is just not as much fun. Some women also expressed that the support and encouragement women climbers give each other, and the style of climbing, is often different compared to co-ed climbs (in part because many women climb with their partners, boy-friends, and husbands, which introduces another complicated dynamic - you know what I am talking about - "Come on, honey! You can do it! Power through it!" just doesn't always work).

Bottom line is, women want to climb with their female friends just as much as with their male friends. But because there are fewer women than men who climb (about 30% of basic students every year are women and 19% of intermediate grads are women!) it is harder to find female climbing companions. And that's what this party and hopefully continuing group is about - providing a network and community for women climbers to connect with each other for mentorship, fun, companionship, and climbing partners.

I for myself am interested in a women's climbing group because I would like to encourage more women to become climbers and climb leaders. In part for selfish reasons - I don't always want to be the freak among my girl-friends who don't understand why it is satisfying to grunt up a steep hill, sweat and get smelly, have banged-up legs that I am proud to show off at work when I wear a skirt, and get dirt under my fingernails and in my pores that doesn't wash out for 2 days. I think a lot of women don't know what they are missing!

At the party, we collected many ideas for things the women climbers' group could do together. I think there was the most interest in women-specific (1) training and conditioning events, such as weeknight conditioning hikes and climbing groups at the various rock climbing gyms around the region (Vertical World and Stone Gardens), (2) outings and trips to regional and classic rock climbing areas, such as Leavenworth, Tieton, Smith Rocks, Squamish, City of Rocks, Joshua Tree, and Yosemite, and (3) climbs of the major peaks in Washington (the usual suspects like Glacier Peak, Stuart, Eldorado, Logan, Shuksan, Baker, Olympus, etc.), but also climbing events such as family climbs (with kids) and participation in Climb for Life events. Other ideas included seminars and clinics about lead, crack, and ice climbing, additional social gatherings (for example, movie nights, dinner parties, and a women's climbing literature book club), and other events such as a women's gear swap and talks and slideshows about diverse topics. There was also some interest in putting together a women's expedition to regions and mountains around the world, such as Kilimanjaro, Everest (basecamp), Cho Oyu, Denali, and the Mexican volcanoes.

While these are great ideas, and I am sure earlier attempts of organizing a women's group came up with similar ideas, the challenge now is to keep the enthusiasm going, create a thriving community, and make these events happen. That depends on the active participation of all of the women. It has to be a grass-roots effort. Things will only happen if women are willing to step-up and organize events that they are interested in. To encourage continued communication and community building, I am in the process of creating an online message board, just like this one. I will post the link as soon as it is ready.

For now, I want to thank everyone who came to the party on Wednesday and made this event such a success! Let's keep it going!

Climb on! - Sabrina

Photos from the Women Climbers' Party Nov. 15, 2006

2006-11-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the Women Climbers' Party on November 15, 2006. Thanks Megan for documenting the event!

Organizer (Sabrina) and Host (Denise)

The Moms' Climbing Club (Angela, Megan, Lonnie)

Climbing Wish List

2006-10-31T12:55:00.000-08:00

I decided to start a list of climbs I would like to do and publish it here. I will update it as new ideas come up - and as I complete the climbs - hopefully!

Last Updated 3/20/08

Climbing Wish List (in no particular order):

Mt. Baker (WA) - DONE! Easton Glacier, June 3, 2007. Fun!
Mt. Whitney (CA) - East Face and/or East Buttress - Didn't get permits in '07. Did Bear Creek Spire instead.
Mt. Stuart (WA) - West Ridge, North Ridge - maybe in 2008? I am ready!
El Cap - route TBD
Denali? Maybe
Mexican volcanos: Pico de Orizaba, Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl
Mt. Shasta (CA)
Zugspitze (Germany)
Stawamus Chief (BC, Canada)
Glacier Peak (WA)
Liberty Bell (WA)

5.10c!

2006-10-31T12:45:00.000-08:00

Today I passed another milestone. I climbed my first 10c! In fact, I climbed two 10cs in a row! At the gym. I totally surprised myself. I had no idea I could do it! I am proud and thrilled. This is fantastic!

Women Climbers' Party

2006-10-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

Inviting all women to the

Mountaineers Annual Women Climbers’ Party

on November 15, 2006, 7 pm in Seattle.

Come and meet other women climbers to share experiences and ideas, ask questions, learn from each other, get encouragement, motivation and support, and have fun! We will brainstorm ideas for women-oriented climbing events that we may want to organize.

No matter if your passion is rock, snow, ice, alpine, sport, trad, aid, or speed climbing and whether you have climbed for years or never before, come join us! Non-Mountaineers members are more than welcome! Bring some food or drink to share.

Contact me for details and directions to the location.

Elected!

2006-10-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who voted and supported me and the other candidates in the Mountaineers Board of Trustees election.

Election results can be found here: http://www.mountaineers.org/2006bot.html

Beginnings of a Trad Leader

2006-10-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

Went down to Smith Rocks last weekend. Highlight: I completed a couple of mock trad leads. First pitch of Superslab and Pumpkin Patch, both rated 5.5. What an experience! It was exciting, complex, fun, exhausting, and oh so satisfying!

I dreamed about anchors.

I am hooked!

I bought a set of aliens today. Wow!

Pictures to follow shortly.

Sahale Peak

2006-09-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here I am again on top of a summit (as always with my lime green fleece and red helmet)! This time: Sahale Peak (with Forbidden Peak in the background).
I was happy on the summit, but suffered big time most of the way up. This was not a particularly fun climb for me. I was not able to keep up with the group and wore myself out pretty fast on the approach - which, by the way, I hated. Crappy, overgrown, steep climbers trail followed by endless slabs and boulders until you finally reach the Qien Sabe glacier. My calves were screaming, my thighs in pain, my lungs exploding, my mind frustrated. Ugh. I had much more fun on the glacier.
The route was in great condition. A few inches of new snow made cramponing perfect and the crevasses gave us no problem. We scrambled up to the ridge, dropped our packs, short-roped and continued a fun (and somewhat exposed) scramble to the (very small) summit.
The views were not as great as expected because the air was extremely hazy from several big wildfires. In fact, the smoke gave us all a bit trouble breathing and woke us up in the middle of the night. You couldn't even see the stars.

Johannesburg Mountain

Originally, we had planned to climb Sharkfin Tower on the way back to camp, but several of us did not feel very well and we were also short on time. When we passed by the gully where several people died in a climbing accident last year, we paused and sent our thoughts their way. A sad and chilling moment. I felt thankful that we completed another climb safely - to a large part due to Ken's competent leadership.

Sharkfin Tower

The return to camp down the slabs was painful for me - knees and thighs and feet hurting. I was miserable. And the sun was beating down on us. Finally back at camp we took a refreshing bath in the creek. Aaahhh...

The Tooth

2006-08-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

My first alpine climb this year was the Tooth. A Washington classic! I had climbed it already 1 1/2 times two years ago (first time only the first pitch because we ran out of time). But this year's trip in May with my mentor group (as part of the Mountaineers basic climbing course) was my favorite so far. I liked the approach on snow, it was a perfect blue-sky day, and I got to lead my first trad pitch! It was only the easy scramble pitch with mostly 3rd and 4th class rock, but hey, nevertheless!

Despite the popularity of The Tooth and consequently crowds of climbers, I like the climbing and the quality of the rock. It really is a very fun introduction to a multi-pitch alpine climb. Just make sure you get started early in the morning!

We went back for another trip earlier this month. The approach without the snow gives the climb a very different character. I definitely prefer going in early season on this one. The only downside in May was the moat we had to cross. It cost us some time because we belayed it up and rappelled it down, but otherwise it was no problem.

I am hoping to be back there next year and lead it! Can't wait!

(And yes, I do always wear the same lime green fleece jacket!)

Aid climbing the North Wall

2006-08-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

In July, I tried myself at aid climbing for the first time. Objective: the North Wall of the Mountaineers Building in downtown Seattle. What an experience. Harder than I thought. Odder than I thought. Next: Ice climbing!

I am ready to climb!

2006-08-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I posted here. The reason being that I got very unexpectedly and very seriously ill in May. It was questionable whether I would be able to continue climbing this year. It was incredibly difficult for me to face that possibility. It made me realize how much I love climbing and that I am the happiest in the mountains. But after taking it easy for a couple of months, I am thrilled to report that I am back! In fact, I have climbed much more than I anticipated just a couple of months ago. Last Saturday, I completed my latest adventure: the east ridge of North Ingalls. Here I am on the summit with Mt. Stuart in the distance:
The east ridge of Ingalls is a 6-pitch climb and quite easy technically (mostly 4th and low 5th class climbing with a couple of 5.6 or 5.7 moves), but the exposure on the ridge is considerable.
There are several knife edge ridges to cross and I was surprised how uncomfortable the exposure made me. Nevertheless, I was able to lead the 3rd pitch without a problem. Check it out:
I led the pitch in part because it was safer because it included a somewhat tricky down-climb into a notch. By leading it, I could actually be lowered down it rather than risking a fall as a follower on a run-out rope. We had originally planned to also climb the south face of Ingalls, but we ran out of time. Our second rope team was quite a bit slower and we ended up waiting for quite some time on the summit. I was quite tired right from the start of the day, but hiking back across the boulder fields after an already long day really wore me out. It ended up being a 15 1/2 hour day car to car, not counting the drive from Seattle and back. All in all, I was awake for 21 hours. One of the longest 1-day climbs for me so far.

Other climbs I've done this season and will report on soon:
Mt. Shuksan
The Tooth
South Early Winter Spire
Yellowjacket Tower

And stay posted for my first try at aid climbing. I successfully climbed the north wall of the Mountaineers building! I have pictures to prove it!

Reactions to honest blogging and this week's update

2006-04-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

I had quite a bit of feedback about my last post. People were struck by my honesty, which made some uncomfortable and inspired others. I must be on the right track with my blog! :-) Two things came out: 1) my fellow hikers had no idea I felt that way (and had actually spent very little time thinking about me and about my conditioning level - surprise! ;-) ), and 2) several people identified with me and my experience since they often feel similarly (but have rarely admitted it). For them, my public thoughts were inspiring. I know I took a risk, but I think it turned out very worthwhile. After all, these are confessions of a beginner climber...

On to this week's climbing thoughts: After somewhat dissatisfying climbing experiences last week, I finally climbed well again at the gym yesterday morning. I felt solid and focused on a 5.8 (that's what I am aiming for!), had an easy time on a low-angle 5.10a (which is probably overrated), climbed a low-angle 10b (with hanging), and cranked out an overhanging 5.9. I am motivated to try myself at some more leading outside soon, but probably won't have the opportunity to climb this week as I have several hikes planned this weekend.

And here is a picture from last weekend. My climbing mentor group went to Snoqualmie Pass to practice snow skills. Some of us where quite color-coordinated! That's me on the right and Amy on the left.

Conditioning from the back of the pack

2006-04-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have to admit it. Being the slowest of the pack is not easy to take. I experienced it again on Tuesday this week when I huffed and puffed up Tiger Mt., out of sight of everyone else in the group. My climbing mentor group (plus a gaggle of other people) has been doing conditioning hikes mid-week since March. I knew I wasn't in my best shape when we started, but I didn't expect to lag behind that much! After all, I was able to run more than 4 hours straight just last fall when I ran the Portland Marathon! I guess, I neglected to realize that October is 6 month in the past and I haven't been doing much since then.

Yes. I am frustrated with my conditioning. But don't get me wrong. It is not a bad experience to hang in the back of the pack. It is quiet and I focus on my breathing, my hard-workgin muscles, and my pace. My regular stops let me enjoy the beautiful things around me - the first Trilliums of the year, the sparkling rain drops on the leaves, the pretty bird song, the amazing green of the moss growing on the trees, the smell of the air and the wet soil. Do the others see these things?

The other thing is that being frustrated with my lack of conditioning (comparatively) made me realize that what I struggle with is not really the fact that I am slower but my pride and ego. I struggle with my insecurities and I wonder what the others think of me. Are they concerned about my ability to keep up on our future climbs? Do they think I am not as good as them, not as good of a climber? I don't have the luxury to endulge my competitive side and race up the hill, showing how strong I am and that I, woman, can keep up with the guys. Instead, struggling with these questions forces me to have a good, honest look at myself, face these insecurities, but also the reality (I really do need this conditioning exercise!). It focuses my thoughts on what's really important to me. Why am I here?

I am not here to impress anyone. I am here because I love climbing and I love the mountains. I am more passionate about climbing than anything else in my life right now. And I am here, huffing up this steep hill, because I want to get my body and mind into shape for the mountains. And by being here, every week, that's what I am achieving. Reminding myself of these things quiets my unproductive, insecure thoughts. I am doing what I need to do to realize my goals, to become a competent, reliable climbing partner. And I know I will be. I have no doubt.

But let's face it - I would also like to race up the hill with the front runners once in a while! :-)

Pictures

2006-04-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few random climbing pictures of me:

In Tuolomne Meadows (with Pywiack Dome in the background) in 2006:

On top of Mt. Rainier in July 2004:

In Squamish in 2004:

My first anchor (in Joshua Tree), May 2005:

Learning how to rappel at Camp Long in West Seattle in 2006:

Multipitch Climbing

2006-04-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

Went climbing on Sunday in Leavenworth with Ken, Eva, and Sammie. We decided on the R&D route (5.6, 3 pitches). I didn’t particularly climb well, but always love doing multipitch routes. "Not climbing well" in this case doesn not mean that I fell or couldn't do the moves. It just didn't feel smooth and particularly easy, which I expect it to be given that it was only a 5.6 route. But it's another important experience to have. Multipitch routes are still a challenge for me (cleaning pro, communicating with the leader when it's hard to hear, awkward belays) and I always learn a lot. But that's in part why I like it.

I am so happy that my climbing friends have the patience and interest to teach me new things. Ken showed me how to rack his gear. After we finished the R&D route, we went to Roto Wall to practice some crack climbing. Eva encouraged me to just go for it and try placing protection on top rope. I had never done it before, at least not while climbing. It was definitely challenging physically and for my mind. Eva checked my placements afterwards and thought that all of my pieces were very solid (although I felt better about some than others). It was especially hard to place something into wider, flaring cracks. Definitely something I want to practice more! I also must practice crack climbing!

I am learning lots every time I go out climbing and I love it. But it also strikes and intimidates me how much more there is to learn! It seems that I am a long way away from being able to lead a trad route, placing gear, building anchors, while also climbing well and safely. (Dropped my nut tool, dang it, but Sammie caught it.) The picture is from the top of the 2nd pitch of the R&D route.

Climbing 5.14

2006-04-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

In response to my bragging about having led my first 5.7 on Sunday, most friends were excited for me and very encouraging. One friend wants to see "photos of those 5.14 leads" and another truly believes that I will be climbing harder than him soon (and this is the best climber I know and the person who taught me how to rock climb). This is all very flattering and fun to contemplate. But I realized that climbing 5.14 really isn't my goal. What I really aspire to is to get perfectly efficient and comfortable climbing at lower grades. I believe that if I achieve that I will be able to enjoy climbing even more. In addition, it will help me become a safe and competent lead climber - the way to independence on rock! Eva and I were thrilled to be out there by ourselves on Sunday, leading and climbing competently together, without a more experienced climber - who, by the way, generally happens to be a guy. It is incredible to feel that competence and independence as a woman in an activity that is still so dominated by men. And that's why the best comment in response to my first blog posting came from a female friend of mine. She wrote to me: "I want to start getting out again. You are inspiring me." Now that's what makes my life worth living! :-)

My inspiration to get started

2006-04-01T20:55:00.000-08:00

Two things finally got me inspired to get started with my own blog today.1.) I started reading "The Rock Warrior's Way" by Arno Ilgner.2.) Bram, one of the participants in my climbing mentor group, shared his blog. His example made it look simple to get started. In addition, it has been a very reflective morning for me with lots of thoughts.

This afternoon, I went climbing with Eva at Exit 38. Besides cold wind (but no rain, hey!), we got several good climbs in. And most importantly:
I LED MY FIRST 5.7!
(Outside that is. I've lead 5.8s and 5.9s at the gym.) My second (outside) lead ever!

My final thought for today (formed as I was driving home from climbing): One of the reasons (there is more) why I would like to learn how to lead is that I don't think it is fair to always have my climbing partners take the risk while I safely follow. How about that?