Winter in the Lost River Range

Ten days ago, Scott, Mike and I climbed the Northwest Ridge of Peak 11,308. This peak sits just Southwest of Borah Peak and boasts a couple of the finest mixed lines south of the Canadian Rockies. The weather was clear and cold, and there was no mistaking the fact that Spring had NOT sprung in the Central Idaho mountains.
Although the ridge is not technically difficult, don't be lured into thinking it is an easy objective. The ridge requires mountaineering skills, knowledge of avalange terrain and conditions, route-finding skills, and the ability to negotiate the knife-edge ridge while maintaining your composure. The ridge is wildly exposed which makes it quite possibly the most aesthetic ridge climb I have ever done.
Views of Borah, Sacajawea and Mt. Idaho are impressive along the full length of the climb.
We encountered mixed conditions and spent an hour or more slogging through the sugar snow of the lower ridge. At times we were chest deep in the loose powder, and had to worm our way over steep steps and around gnarly trees that reached their branches toward us like something out of a J.R.R. Tolkein novel!
Once we attained the upper ridge (above tree line) the exposure became even more dramatic. Large snow bowls line both sides of the serrated ridgeline and hold HUGE amounts of snow, hanging precariously above gigantic avalanche chutes. At one point, we were forced to drop off the ridge for about 50 feet and ascend the very top margin of one such snow bowl. As we sunk to our waist in the soft powder, our hearts skipped a beat and tense moments ticked away to the rhythm of our punding hearts...we waited...hoping our footsteps hadn't triggered an avalanche. Then, clinging to the rock wall of the ridgeline that loomed above us, we pressed on and again regained the backbone of the ridge.
A series of false summits made it evident that we still had a long way to go. The summit view was definitely worth the effort and we spent an hour on top eating high fat foods and taking photos. When we couldn't stand the extreme cold any longer, we descended. The radiant heat beating off the limestone wall was a welcome sensation. We took 12 hours from car to car, a little slow given the length of the ridge, but not bad considering the depth of the snow.
Experienced mountaineers have wisely backed away from climbing this dramatic ridge. We felt a true sense of accomplishment in having reached the summit and, most importantly, getting back to the car safely.
Our hope is that the mixed climbing on 11,308 is in fat condition in another 2 weeks. Even if it's not, this trip marks only the beginning of great adventures in the gem known as the Lost River Range!

The Question is..."Why?"

Since man first started climbing mountains and rocks with the objective of getting to the top, the question has loomed, "Why do you climb?" I too have been asked that question countless times. My answer has always been the same. The difference between me and George Mallory, when asked why he attempted to climb Mt. Everest said, "Because it's there" is that I don't have a snappy one-liner to answer with.
I've climbed alot of things that are "there". And so have alot of other people. For me climbing has become a definition of who I am. I'm not a world famous climber and I certainly can't climb as hard as my good friend Dean Lords. But ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you I'm a climber. Not just on weekends, but always. It's the core of who I am and it defines my life.
I returned Sunday from the Cody Ice Festival and had a few days of great times and got to do some great ice climbing. Ultimately, the trip reaffirmed for me the reason that I climb. There is a comradery that develops between climbing partners that is inexplicable. The collective drive to accomplish something great and the battle of men versus nature creates a condition that can't be explained, it can only be experienced.
Walking off of "Stringer" (WI 3+, 160 meters) on Saturday, I walked away from possibly the best lead climb I've ever pulled off on the ice. What made it so special was sharing it with my friends. Together we hiked endless miles in waist deep snow and scaled beautiful curtains of blue-green ice. The experience was the payoff. The journey was the reward. I climb because climbing offers an experience that can't be faked, can't be mimicked, can't be replaced.
Sharing the experience with friends is priceless! And this weekend was no exception.

I'm Finally Back!

Below "Right Ghost" Teton Canyon, Wy. (WI 5-)

It probably seems like I dropped off the face of the earth. In a sense I kind of did, at least metaphorically. Since climbing in Mexico, I've spent some time helping my buddies finish the construction of the climbing wall at Sticks & Stones; done alot of hoursework, and made yet another attempt to summit Diamond Peak's East Ridge during the winter.

My friend, Keith Larson, who has joined me on Diamond before, commented that after spending 2 days skiing 6 miles towards the base and six miles back out, "I now understand the difficulties of climbing in the Lemhis during the winter!"

Keith decided that making a winter approach in the Lemhi's was such a daunting task, that he needed to head to Norway and spend some time working as a dog sled guide to recuperate.

Three weeks ago I had a series of surgeries to fix my nose (from the multiple times it has been broken), drill out my sinuses, remove my tonsills and hopefully cure my affinity for strepthroat infections.

Although the surgery went well, I blew an artery in my throat that landed me back in the OR for another surgery to repair the broken artery. I lost nearly 1 liter of blood (that's 1/3 of my total blood supply) and the Surgeon attributed the fact that I didn't need a blood transfusion to my high-altitude climbing!

Now I'm back in the game, for the most part, and anxious to get back on the ice. The end of this week will find me climbing at the Cody Ice Festival in Cody, Wyoming with Dean, Scott, Mike and Chad. Stay tuned for updates and some cool photos.

Be sure to leave some comments and let me know what you do or don't like about the blog. If there's something you'd like to read about or see added, just let me know.

In the meantime, get out there and create your own ultimate expedition - life!

Pico de Orizaba

December 18th, 2007 was a monumental day for the team of climbers from Idaho and Utah attempting a summit of Pico de Orizaba, the 3rd highest mountain in North America! This expedition became a story with all the elements you would expect from high-altitude mountaineering; from determination and courage to frostbite and High Altitude Pulmonary Edema.
With wind chill, the temperature on the summit was -25F when Garon and Chad, first to reach the summit, stood at the roof of Mexico. A few hundred feet below them, Rolf, Karl, Andrew and David, a climber from British Columbia who had joined our team, were all enjoying views from the glacier-capped North Summit. Thirty minutes later the team from the North Summit arrived at the highest point - the South Summit. Despite the freezing temperatures, the entire group spent time on the summit enjoying the magnificent vistas, taking summit photos and even testing the new MSR stove (reputed to work efficiently at any altitude).
Below us, at 17,500 feet, a drama was unfolding. Bill Lewis, who had been complaining of fatigue and difficulty breathing, was experiencing High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), a condition in which the lungs fill with fluid because of the extreme altitude. If not treated quickly, HAPE is deadly! Also feeling the affects of the extreme cold and altitude were Jeff Hopkin and Scott Hurst. And though he had received several hours of sleep the night before, Doug Mason was just running out of steam. All four wisely chose to descend from 17,500 feet - a high point for all four climbers. The slope of the glacier steepens abrubtly at 16,000 feet to nearly 65 degrees in spots. The final 3,000 feet of climbing is over bulletproof alpine snow and ice on a slope of at least 60 degrees. The accomplishments of all the members of our team cannot be understated!
We climbed during what we later learned from local guides was the coldest period of weather in 10 years or more! Bill suffered frostbite on the tips of one or two fingers, Jeff was temporarily blinded by a frostbitten cornea, and all four who descended from 17,500 had climbed several thousand feet even under the strain of AMS symptoms (Acute Mountain Sickness).

The story of nine climbers from Idaho and Utah who went to summit one of North America's highest mountains is one of determination, courage, drama and success. Every member of our team achieved a new highpoint! But most importantly, we worked together and achieved the most important goal... everyone returned home safely.
The fact that, in spite of encountering the types of illnesses, cold and fatigue that most people believe only happen on Mt. Everest, our team employed years of mountaineering skill, talent and technique exhibited by the worlds best mountaineers!
Our team will never be famous, but the things we accomplished can never be taken from us. Individually and collectively we acheived a monumental feat in the battle between man and nature...the battle known as mountaineering!

A Good Cause

The local climbing gym, Stick & Stones, is where we go to climb when it's lousy weather outside, and when we want to fine-tune our ability to crank some wickedly hard moves while hanging upside down!

We're pretty blessed to have a place where the gang can kick back, crank hard and enjoy each others company a couple of nights every week. While we've all been getting stronger from our workouts on the climbing wall, our friendships have also been getting stronger. So we owe alot to the weekly sessions at the climbing gym, and in that spirit, we want to give something back.

The climbing wall needs some serious renovation and we're trying to raise money to make that happen. You can join the effort by enjoying a totally cool slide show by professional climber, Dean Lords, and help us raise money while snagging some really great stuff from Mammut, Black Diamond, Petzl and more.

Whether you've ever enjoyed pulling moves at the gym, know someone who has, or just want to help keep the local climbing on the cutting edge, join us Saturday, December 8 for a slide show and raffel that promises to be a great time for a good cause.

If you can't attend and would still like to make a donation to the cause, please contact Garon Miskin at the e-mail address below. Your support will help us keep this vital part of the local climbing community alive and well.

When: Saturday, December 8th

Where: Sticks & Stones - Rexburg

Time: 6:30 PM Doors Open - 7:00 PM Slideshow

email: info@ultimateexpedition.com to donate or for more information.

"Hanging" Around

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, even though the air temperature was still pretty chilly until lunchtime. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and head to Blackfoot Canyon and "hang" around the cave a bit.

After warming up on some vertical terrain, we took the ropes inside the cave to see if we could hang upside down a little. Blackfoot Canyon cave boasts some great cave routes put up by Dean Lords, Chuck Odette and Mat TeNgaio. Ranging in difficulty from 5.11a to 5.13d (that's wicked hard in laymans terms) they are great test peices and lots of fun!

Chad figured out the sequences to Bride of Crankenstein (5.12), and Heather made the redpoint while hanging the draws. Jordan brought his younger brother, Tyler, who found out that there is more to life than X-Box 360.

Speaking of 360...Chad and Jordan both took some fun falls on Crankenstein, getting some sweet airtime and necessitating the use of the "batman" technique to get back on the route. I hung upside down below the lip of Free Fallin' (5.11a) and figured out the crux move.

Mysha hopped on some routes and focused on her breathing and movement, making her ascent of the 5.9+ route look like a lesson in finesse.

Kenna and Jarik joined us for the day and also got some time on the rock, pulling "liebacks" and pushing "mantles".

As the sun melted into the foothills and the evening chill returned to Blackfoot Canyon, we drove toward Idaho Falls, anticipating the sweetnees of a Cookie Monster dessert from Craigo's; and relishing a great day of late fall climbing with friends.

?Habla Espanol?

For the past week, I've been so bilingual that I'm even beginning to dream in Spanish! With multiple e-mails written to Government officials requesting permits and advice on logistics, I've had plenty of practice on my Spanish-speaking skills!

Our expedition will include attempts on Pico, La Malinche and Izta. Iztaccihuatl is next to Popo, an active volcano which is restricted from climbing. Permits are necessary to enter the IztaPopo National Park and require passing a military checkpoint along the way. For these reasons, the logistics involved in climbing Izta are far more involved than for the other two peaks. Were it not for the fact that at 17,159 feet Izta is the 7th highest peak in North America, we probably wouldn't be interested in climbing it. But another chance to exceed 16,000 feet is just too tempting to pass up. The real complication at this point is that in addition to the typical governmental bureaucracy, I have to communicate solely in Spanish - that makes things progress very slowly!

We're actually on target with logistics, though. We've pretty much settled on butane fuel canisters which can be secured in our checked baggage. All of our technical gear has been O.K.'d by the airline as well (Doug took some things down to the Idaho Falls airport and asked security to tell him what was legal to carry onboard or check, and what was restricted. A great idea when the majority of your gear is so unusual.)

Bus scheduling is 50% complete. Specific reservations just need to be made once we determine a concrete daily schedule. Medical forms are being completed and Jeff will secure group medications such as Diamox for severe altitude illnesses, antibiotics for infection and whatever else the good Doctor sees fit. (Probably a few canisters of Oxygen for the older crowd!!!)

Tents, sleeping bags, personal technical gear and clothing as well as food have been arranged for. An exhaustive gear list was e-mailed to everyone today so a complete checklist of items can be made prior to our "gear check" day. Gear check is an event that takes place a day or two before we leave for the expedition to ensure that everyone has the essential personal gear and all group gear is packed and accounted for. We also compare the individual weights of our backpacks and other non-essential gear and try to come as close to each other (and a pre-determined "ideal weight") as possible. In this case, all essential gear for Pico, the longest climb of the three, should weigh approximately 50 lbs or less and fit in a compact backpack of no more than 65 liters. In comparison, we had 75 liter packs and an average weight of 68 lbs on our trip to Mt. Rainier. The difference is the total number of days we intend to spend on Pico: 2, versus 4 days on Mt. Rainier.

Of course we also plan a light food and fuel contingency for the possibility of 1-2 days more in the event of bad weather or emergency bivouac. The formula's for how much gear, what is considered essential, and what defines a contingency supply comes from a combination of the amount of personal experience and specific physical needs of each climber. That is one huge reason why expeditions tend to include teams of similar experience and fitness levels. The more homogenous the team in all aspects, the easier the planning and the more realistic the preparations.