Focus Sport: Mountaineering

"Chasing angles or fleeing demons, go to the mountains" 

Jeffrey Rasley 

"The mountains are calling and I must go" 

John Muir 

Welcome to Mountaineering! This sport goes higher than any and forces adventurers into some of the most hostile yet beautiful places on Earth! 

www.summitpost.org

http://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/outdoor/mountaineering-made-easy-20120627

In this sport great skills in wilderness first aid, backpacking and cooking are essential. Strong rock climbing skills are also vital especially for steep sections of mountains. In mountaineering there are 5 classifications to mountains. Here are a few basic scales used in determining mountain difficulty. 

Grade I:	Normally requires several hours; can be of any difficulty.
Grade II:	Requires half a day; any technical difficulty
Grade III:	Requires a day to do the technical portion; any technical difficulty
Grade IV:	Requires a full day for the technical portion; the hardest pitch is usually no less than 5.7 (in the YDS rating)
Grade V:	Requires a day and a half; the hardest pitch is usually 5.8 or harder
Grade VI:	A multiday excursion with difficult free climbing and/or aid climbing

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Class 1: Hiking

Class 2: Simple scrambling, with the possible occasional use of the hands

Class 3: Scrambling; a rope might be carried

Class 4: Simple climbing, often with exposure. A rope is often used. A fall on Class 4 rock could be fatal. Typically, natural protection can be easily found

Class 5: Where rock climbing begins in earnest. Climbing involves the use of a rope, belaying, and protection (natural or artificial) to protect the leader from a long fall. Fifth class is further defined by a decimal and letter system – in increasing and difficulty. The ratings from 5.10-5.15 are subdivided in a, b, c and d levels to more precisely define the difficulty (for example: 5.10a or 5.11d)

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5.0-5.7: Easy for experienced climbers; where most novices begin.

5.8-5.9: Where most weekend climbers become comfortable; employs the specific skills of rock climbing, such as jamming, liebacks, and mantels.

5.10: A dedicated weekend climber might attain this level.

5.11-5.15:  The realm of true experts; demands much training and natural ability and, often, repeated working of a route.

http://www.mountainmadness.com/resources/climbing-rating-systems

Some mountains can be summitted  and descended safely in one day with a pair of hiking boots. Others may require ice axes, crampons, rope, cams, quick draws, ice screws, helmet and anchors. http://visual.merriam-webster.com/sports-games/mountain-sports/climbing/mountaineer.php

 Some of these technical climbs can take several days as the terrain is near vertical a demands great physical fitness and climbing equipment. For any mountain ascent be it a grade 1 or 6 being in good physical shape (cardiovascular and strength) and having the right equipment will ensure a safer and more enjoyable ascent and descent. Estimating how much time you will need to complete a mountain and weather all play into a safe climb. In most cases getting off the summit/high places of a mountain before the afternoon is preferable since afternoon thunderstorms bring with them deadly lightning and high winds. Be sure you know when to turn around and begin to descend even if you have not made it to the summit. "Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory." Ed Viesturs (famous Himalayan mountaineer) Again, climb smart or else the mountain will kill you. Most deaths/accidents happen on the descent so keep that in mind and respect it. As I mentioned in an earlier post the film "Touching the Void" is a great display of what can really happen on a mountain. Play it safe but have fun also and you are in for a fantastic sport! Go hit the nearest mountain near you! 

   

 http://www.loyaltours.com/mountaineering.html

  http://carlosbuhler.blogspot.com/

AT spring break trip

AT Spring Break Trip-Damascus to Fox Creek

Day 1: We, 17 school students and 4 faculty, drove a few miles up the road out of the little quaint town of Damascus Virginia located in the southwestern part of the state. http://www.colorantshistory.org/BeaverChemicalWorks.html/ We put in on the AT by Whitetop Laurel creek and the Virginia Creeper trail. Both where very beautiful and made the first few miles serene. We then began climbing a steep mountainside that led to a ridge where we found camp. We stayed at the Saunders AT shelter. This camp had a spring of untreated water and a nice shelter. Overall very spacious with a great fire pit. http://blog.gaiam.com/for-a-spring-green-bike-ride-try-%E2%80%98rails-to-trails%E2%80%99/

http://www.vacreepertrail.com/

Day 2: We got up at a leisurely time and hiked along the ridge line all morning. At lunch we met back up with the Whitetop Laurel creek and had a refreshing lunch by the stream. By the afternoon we climbed a little ways to a road and then beyond that made camp for the night in an opening surrounded by trees. It was a great campsite with a flowing stream near it but no shelter. Many slept outside to enjoy the stars. http://www.pjwetzel.com/2012/02/oh-temptation.html

Day 3: This was a big day! We got up early and began climbing up to Buzzard rock. Buzzard Rock is an outcropping in a large field that is just shy of the Whitetop mountain summit.  http://www.summitpost.org/whitetop-mountain/153534/ Great spot for photos and fun. Very windy and cold too mostly exposed in a big meadow! http://rohland.homedns.org:8008/at/at_VAsection44/AtPicturesAjax.aspx?page=AtPictures2

From there we made a long 6 mile push to Mt. Rodgers, hiking through some dense fern sections of forest that seemed to emulate the Oregon coast. At the base of Mount Rogers we had a grueling climb of about 3 miles (uphill) to Thomas Knob shelter. a HUGE shelter that held most of the hikers. Very windy and cold here as well. There is a rock outcropping that gives one of the best views in the blue ridge I have ever seen. To summit Mt. Rogers you must take a spur trail that goes half a mile up from Thomas Knob. The summit is covered with dense trees that also look like the pacific northwest forests. Very icy and slippery up there from the recent snowfall but still very cool! Highest point in the state!  5,728 ft. over a miles high. Thomas Knob Shelter: http://virginiahiking.wordpress.com/tag/appalachian-trail/

 http://www.summitpost.org/mount-rogers/150778

http://www.summitpost.org/sunset-from-near-thomas-knob-shelter/337666

Day 4: Yet another epic day! We hiked through California, or what looked like it. Along the top of this ridge it was mostly meadows and large pine trees. Looked like something out of Marin County near San Francisco. Crazy thing is you can save money and time by hiking up to Thomas Knob and through the Grayson Highlands State Park. The Grayson Highlands should be called the Sierra Nevadas. Large open meadows clumped with pine trees and TONS of rock outcroppings. Very beautiful, again not something you see everyday in Virginia. We even went through a sketchy but sweet ice slot between two boulders. It was very cool!!! Highly recommend going up there at some point! After descending off the ridge (back into Virginia terrain) we stopped for lunch at a creek that runs right through the trail. There is a nice bridge over it and a waterfall into a rapid. A nice place to relax and soak in a cool stream if needed. The rest of the day we slugged through the miles and finally set up camp at Old Orchard Shelter. Small shelter and a spring down the trail not too far from camp. Grayson Highlands http://cragmama.com/2011/05/parliers-project-a-documentary-of-grayson-highlands-state-park/

http://www.richardsmith.net/wrsunrise1.html

http://www.midatlantichikes.com/mountrogersbp.htm

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=54578

Day 5: Our final day on the trail. We started in the dark around 6 am. We hiked two miles with our headlamps illuminating the way. Some stopped at the nearby parking lot and road. Another group continued without backpacks for another 9 miles. Along the way we saw a flowing stream that cascaded over small waterfalls and rapids. Much of this hike traversed across a mountain side. We reached the final parking lot and had to wait for 3 hours until the bus arrived. In that time we built a lean to shelter around one of the trail signs. Pretty sweet and warm considering the rain that began to hit us. We then hopped on the bus, picked the other kids up and were headed home.  http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=30&c=556
https://www.google.com/search?q=Fox+Creek+intersection+AT&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=8pwzU_ycDaitsQSVnIC4Dg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&biw=1280&bih=933#q=thomas+knob+view&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=sDzH5-pcSJzUGM%253A%3B11PuwpcCJjmJqM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fgeorgiatomaine2012.files.wordpress.com%252F2012%252F04%252F4-19-view-from-thomas-knob.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fgeorgiatomaine2012.wordpress.com%252Fpage%252F48%252F%3B1632%3B1224

Focus Sport: Backpacking/Trekking

Are we going Backpacking or Trekking?

Backpacking and trekking are very freeing activities that many people around the world enjoy! Walking through a pristine forest or meadow or summiting a mighty mountain-all of these can be achieved through backpacking or trekking. So what is the difference between backpacking and trekking? http://www.xolaconsulting.com/adventure-tourism-hiking-trekking-trips-product-development.php

Backpacking is when a hiker carriers their supplies with them on their back in some kind of backpack. Backpacking is pretty much the same thing as hiking. Hiking is any walk done outside on a formed trail. The only difference is the backpack part which carries all of your supplies. Backpacking can consist of multiple days of hiking where carrying food and shelter (tents) is required.  

http://cloudenterprise.info/backpacking-tips-outdoor-living-guru.html

Trekking on the other hand is slightly different. Though it still consists of walking outside trekking is lots of times done across uncharted land. The term ‘off the beaten path’ applies to trekking. Trekking is done typically on sketchier terrain where there is no dedicated trail. Trekking is also done over the course of many days. Trekking can be considered a commute or way of life. Many nomadic people trek around a region as they follow their food. Trekking could be considered more extreme since it is done over more treacherous terrain with usually very little signs of a trail. Backpacking on the other hand, typically follows a dedicated trail.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mountain-Trekking-Morocco.jpg

http://www.wildhimalaya.com/trekking-in-ladakh-22

One great example is the Appalachian Trail that spans some 2,000 miles from Maine to Georgia. It runs along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains, the major mountain range of the East Coast. The AT is identified by its famous white blazes on the trees that follow the trail. It is a very dedicated trail that is one of the most famous in the country. http://cabinsbysundance.com/things-to-do-in-blue-ridge/the-mountains/hiking-on-hallowed-ground-at-springer-mountai.html

http://www.backpacker.com/destinations/hikes/438253

The West Coast equivalent to the AT is the Pacific Crest trail. This trail touches from Canada to Mexico as it runs through the Cascades and Sierra mountains.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/pct/

http://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/  
If one stays on these dedicated trails with a backpack full of supplies then they are backpacking. If one decides to wander off the trail and make their adventure a multi-day experience, then they are trekking. Both are fantastic ways to get outdoors and really rub noses with nature and all it has to offer.   
  http://www.treklocations.com/tag/trekking-in-kashmir/
http://www.visitchile.com/en/tours/short-w-trekking-torres-del-paine-national-park.htm

Focus Sport: Climbing

“The harder you fall, the heavier your heart; the heavier your heart, the stronger you climb; the stronger you climb, the higher your pedestal.” Criss Jami 
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/climbing

http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/home/things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/summer/rockclimbing

I thought i'd begin this post with a quote. Climbing is all about pushing yourself up. During this process though you will fall. If you can cling back to the wall and continue upwards, you will have great success in climbing. Your pedestal (potential) will be raised and you can do bigger and better things.

http://isucceedbook.com/success-stories/success-story-a-friend-of-the-family/attachment/mountain-climbing-2/
There are three main types of climbing that I will discuss in this post. The first being top rope, the second being lead, and the third being boldering.

Top Rope: Top rope climbing is among the most popular type of climbing especially among beginners. Hence its name, the rope is freely fixed to the top of the wall and the climber climbs towards the top where the rope is fixed. The belay in a sense is pulling the rope up toward the top of the wall as the climber continues upward. If the climber falls they do not fall far at all as long as the belayer locks off quickly on the rope. Another plus for beginners who might be afraid of heights.

http://www.rogerwendell.com/climbingphotos.html
LEAD: Lead climbing is what most professional or advanced climbers do. On big walls outside, lead climbing is also heavily used. Unlike top rope in lead climbing the rope is underneath the climber. As the climber ascends they clip into quickdraws along the route. these quickdraws are what catch the climbers if they fall. Being that a quickdraw is only one carabiner and the climber is climbing above the quickdraw a fall during lead climbing is much more dramatic than a fall in top roping. The climber falls to the last quickdraw they clipped into and then even farther below that. The epitome for most climbers and for major big wall stuff, lead climbing is the way to go.
 http://www.meetup.com/climbing/events/98701002/
http://www.climbingtechniques.org/sport-leading-basics.html
Bouldering: My favorite!:) Bouldering is one of the freest forms of climbing (literally, beside free soloing). No ropes, no harness. Just shoes, chalk, a brush and yourself. Bouldering is done with crash mats below you to cushion a fall. Most routes, or 'problems' as they are called, typically do not exceed 15ft. Many bouldering problems work under overhangs and require skillful movements to make them happen, or to 'solve' them. Some bouldering routes require a 'dyno' move. A dyno is when one must simply jump having all points of contact removed from the wall in order to catch the next piece of rock. Bouldering can be great fun and alos very challenging. Again, if you are going to attempt bouldering in your backyard you must have two things. One, a crash pad, two, a spotter. A spotter can protect the head from hitting the crash pad. Its great fun! Most climbing gyms will have a section of the gym that is dedicated to just bouldering.


http://www.dpmclimbing.com/climbing-gear/view/new-guidebook-j-tree-bouldering