Winds of change

So the new administration has firmly taken hold and you've gotten rid of your klunker and purchased a new vehicle in the sake of getting ahead ? So now it's time to get ready to climb some rock, get out to the mountains for a hike, or have a mojito. Better yet, do all three. I make the best mojitos around (from a stolen recipe) !

It's off to the San Juans in WONDERFUL Colorado to do a three day guided trip into Chicago Basin. Then, back to NM for some more fun with rock climbing. Our guests are having a great time out in the New Mexico sun and the southwestern chili is as good as it ever is. 

Justin Spain is working for Beverly Mountain Guides now and is off to take his AMGA Rock Instructor Course in Estes Park next week ! Good Luck, Justin. He's a great guide already and this will only make him better. I can't wait to glean new information from him when he gets back.

I am feeling awesome now that I am a UIAGM/IFMGA Aspirant Mountain Guide. I'll be hoping to host some guests in Europe this coming year under a fully certified guide. Contact us for details since I'll already be there to compete in this years International World Ice Climbing Competition. There are several venues and I'm hoping to be a competitor. Come join the USA crew at one of the venues (Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Slovenia, or Romania). Otherwise, plan for some skiing in the Alps!

Meanwhile, back at home, we've been busy and have put up more sport and traditional climbs in the Sandias this summer. Grades range from 5.6 to 5.12 so there's something new for everyone.

Ted Geving is back in town as well - good to have you back. He will be making some tweaks to the new web site and showing off our new BMG logo !

Stay in shape and get out and climb with us soon. We look forward to hearing from you.

All the Best,

Marc

Skiing New Mexico and Colorado 2009

Although New Mexico isn't known for its skiing, certainly not outside of Taos, there is a load of good skiing to be had that's close to the road and fairly steep. The Southwest Nordic Center runs a series of yurts near Chama, NM that are a great place to hike into and base out of for a fun backcountry skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing adventure. This last road trip took Kerry Hanes and I to Cumbres Pass where we were able to find some fairly steep skiing (up to 50 degrees). We skied this entire bowl and had a great afternoon.


Afterward, we moved on to Wolf Creek Pass and got in a great few days of backcountry skiing. A nice long tour from the Wolf Creek Ski Area to Big Meadows Reservoir via Gibbs and Spruce Canyons were a good morinig outing.


Then, the Western State Mountain Rescue Team in Gunnison, CO 5 year reaccreditation was held and I set the technical rock rescue scenario. They passed all 5 disciplines of the test. They have great energy and are willing to learn new techniques. I hope I never have to see them working for real with me as a patient, but I'm sure I'd be happy to see them if I needed them ! I've been an evaluator for the Rocky Mountain Region of the National Mountain Rescue Association for a long time and have seen nearly every team in the region perform under stress. It's a difficult task, but the real test is when things really hit the fan and someone's life is at stake. These tests assure competency and provide a good venue for continuine education. There is no professional rescue team for Search and Rescue in this (or most other) area(s). Volunteers do the best they can to help out fallen backcountry travelers in the United States.

Another week of Strike Rescue work kept me busy in Colorado. Tough conditions on a semi-spring snowpack provided a lot of work indeed. A high learning curve for those involved and future planning for other more intense projects are in the works !

On my way back to New Mexico, I stopped off and stayed with Chris and Amy at their place on the Dallas Divide. The next day Chris and I went out to ski the Snake Couloir on Mt. Sneffels. The gate was opened and plowed up to the Ruby Trust Mine.

We rode motorcycles with our packs and skis up to the mine. It was a good thing too since the gate was locked on our way back and we had to jump around the gate. The miners are great folks and their request is that people park at the gate until the county officially opens the road. Ouray County won't opent the road until the avi danger subsides. The Forest Service has its own opinions, and so the story goes...complicated.

Dropping into the Snake Couloir is a big commitment for sure. We did two rappels with a 30 m rope.

I did a lower and then a single rap off a single HB offset nut onto the wind slab that marks the high point of the Snake. A quick test pit showed easy shearing on layers 30cm and 60 cm down, but no failures in compression. The upper layers were a solid hard wind slab that I had confidence that we would not break through. I ski cut the top and nearly lost one of my Dynafit skis as the back end popped out. Good thing I locked the front.

We skied down to the dog leg in a few links as the avi danger subsided farther down from the 60 degree start.

Petal hops were a great technique to use as the couloir became only as wide as our skis. The lower section turned from a breakable crust to powder at 12,000'. we then hiked up to Lavender Col and then skied back down to the motorcycles on mixed conditions for a total of 6880' elevation for the day on skis !

Ouray Ice Competition 2009

01-16-2009
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Anyone who saw the route knows it was a tough year. Anyone who was on it, knows it was impossible. Someone asked me what the route was rated. I replied M20 since nobody sent it. Granted, it’s doable, but not on competition day and not in the conditions it was in. Overhanging verglass ice made for an improbable ascent. Brutally cold temps at night (10F during the comp) contributed to sublimated detachment and brittle ice on the competition route. Most competitors fell within a few feet of one another ( a couple of bolts apart). The route may be doable on a better day when a climber can reef on the holds, but not this day.

Speaking for my own performance on the route, I felt that I did a poor job of reading the route. Being 6’4” with a +2” index and strong lock-off ability did me no favors in trying to over pull through the opening moves to save time. My second placement hit ice and I felt secure. However, when I looked down at the placement, I could see the ice spalling from under the pick. Needless to say, that placement popped and I was off. Embarrassed and disgusted I was lowered off and wished Stephen Koch good luck and not to take anything for granted. 14th place this year wasn’t what I set my goals on, and I didn’t represent what I’m capable of.

Beyond the agony of self defeat, I was amazed at the amount of people that showed up to cheer and jeer me on. Jason Williams, Justin Spain and Ben Goddard were instrumental in helping me train hard this year and they were letting me know they were in the stands. Thanks guys. The Shooks made the journey and got some ice climbing in as well. Nic and Rose Mary came, bought me dinner after cheering me on, and enjoyed shopping at OMS shortly thereafter. Chrissie brought Logan and Sierra to watch “dad” climb not only mixed rock and ice for the first time, but also to be a part of the Ice Fest in Ouray. All my friends and climbing family from Ouray and elsewhere were having a great time and being a part of a great memory that will last forever. I feel so fortunate to have such great support from these people.

What can I say but, THANKS !

I’d like to publicly thank Chuck O’Dette and Petzl for sponsoring me and having me be a part of an elite team of world renown climbers. It’s a great crew that shows up every year and gets people from all ability levels involved in ice climbing and then throws an incredible party after the competition. PMI has been another great sponsor. Their ropes have kept me alive for many, many years whether pushing my personal limits in climbing or doing rescues in the middle of the night. Their Tech gloves have been great to climb mixed rock and ice with.

On another note, I was happy to coach several people this season so far in the contrivances of mixed climbing. I hope to bring more people into the sport and am thinking about holding a clinic on hard mixed climbing techniques next year. Seems I’m a good coach/cheerleader.

I’d also like to thank Vince Anderson who put so much time and effort putting up this year’s route, Erin and Mel who ran the Fest, Bill Whit who ran the comp, Conrad Anker who MC’d the Comp and took my information at breakfast in the wee hours before the start at the athlete’s breakfast, and everyone who played a role in making the Ice Fest and the Ice Competition happen not only for the competitors, but everyone who enjoys climbing in Ouray.

Having been in the only International Climbing Competition in the USA on an annual basis, I have to say that it’s a great experience. It’s now my third, going on my fourth season in competition and it’s a great experience. My personal goal is to be in next year’s competition and be able to give it everything, to have a good run, and to make the finish or to be gassed out trying, but not to fall off of a chincy hold.

I told Jay Smith at lunch the other day that my heroes are also my friends, there’s not many sports out there like that. I hope to compete again next year and hope to see everyone out there pushing themselves and living life !