How to Lose Seven Pounds in Seven Days While Eating Candy Bars
I'm back from Rainier, and I've taken several showers. I think the smell is almost gone. We all smelled a lot nasty at the end of the week. A lot. Pictures later.
Topic
climbing
A collection of 218 posts
Days Until....
Nine days until Rainier, seventy-four until McKinley, one hundred twenty-seven until Half Dome. I'm thinking about crevasse rescue, how to shave for a month without hot water, and whether q-tips have been quietly ruining my ears.
Consolation
Nothing consoles like a box of mountaineering gear in the mail. Snowshoes with re-designed bindings (does that mean they messed up the first time?), carabiners, booties, a Petzl helmet, and mitts marketed as absolute zero.
Words of Wisdom from an Ice Climbing Instructor
Words of wisdom from my ice climbing instructor: swing like your screw, step like you pooh. You'd understand if you gave ice climbing a try. You should.
Ice Climbing in Adirondack Park
Three days of ice climbing in Adirondack Park, which is amazing if you're into the torture-for-fun thing. I climbed over a flowing waterfall on thin ice, and my guide's advice when it looked soft was: don't hit it hard.
Intersection of Friends
A diagram of my friends, grouped two ways: those with money, and those interested in mountaineering. Behold the intersection.
High Altitude Cerebral Edema
High altitude cerebral edema is just one of the fun things on the medical waiver for the McKinley trip. Honestly, any trip without such notices probably isn't worth doing.
McKinley - West Buttress
I booked my spot on the West Buttress route up McKinley: twenty-two days, return ticket for June 6, insurance encouraged. Mostly I'm wondering where the diminishing returns on smell really set in.
Equipment
My list of Things To Buy for Rainier and McKinley is staggering, so I'm acquiring gear as needed. Also: New York winters are milder than everyone claims, and crampons would dominate a shin-kicking contest.
Adirondack
It's confirmed: ice climbing Jan 22 to 24 with a private instructor in the Adirondacks. With this out of the way, I'm much less likely to die on the West Rib of McKinley, and much more likely to be allowed to try.