Mixed Rock and Ice World Cup 2012

I'm looking forward to the next 3 months, January, February, and March. They are my most favorite of the year without question. The Fall semester is over, the sun has lowered into the winter sky, and the temperatures drop to once again encase the mountains in my favorite crystal lattices of ice and snow. No bugs, few crowds, fires in the wood stove, it just gets better. How? Because climbing is now funner than any other time of the year. Sure, I like to rock climb, but I love to ice climb.
I'm looking down the barrel of the UIAA International Ice Climbing World Cup once again and am really excited to be going back for my third year of participating in this incredible competition. I have gained so much as a climber from these competitions it's difficult to put into words. It's hard to sum up the days, the weeks, the months on the road. Sharing a drive that all the competitors have during these competitions is beyond explanation.
Sometimes, the World Cup feels like a traveling circus, doing stupid human tricks for a couple days, then getting back on the road with the "carnies" and doing it all over again in yet another country. What breaks up the madness of the competitions is the development of a family. We speak different languages, share good times and bad, and learn about each others cultures and traditions.
I hope that I will be able to continue to represent the United States of America this year as best I can in this forum...on all fronts. I'm looking forward to freeing up some time and getting away from school, from work, and the all of my "local duties" to get back on the circuit. And although I think this year will bring some change to the ice climbing realm it should be a great year to get back to some of the older stomping grounds and realize the future.


Getting ready for the road,
Marc

Guided Climbing Threatenend in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Climbers are an easy target, believe it or not. Why ?? Because climbers are like cats and trying to herd them together for a common cause is nearly impossible. Climbers can't even agree on ethics, ratings, or access issues.

My thought is that people climb for many reasons. However, one of the common threads that everyone shears in climbing is the sense of freedom. We, meaning all of us, are becoming more threatened from many angles. One of which is the banning of guiding in the National Parks. Although I don't personally guide much in the Parks, I see it as a threat to all guided climbing. The trend will then become to close down climbing altogether. Think that's far fetched ? Think again.

I would ask anyone who is interested in preserving climbing in some of the most beautiful places in the world, like the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, to take action against the oppression. How ? Here's the recommendation form the American Mountain Guides Association:

The Park has already heard from guides, and what they really need are comments from the general public and clients.

What can you do now?

1. Email your client list, friends and fellow climbers today urging them to submit a comment by Oct. 27th. Use Facebook, your website, blog and any other communication vehicles to get the word out to your clients.

2. See below for a sample email to your clients, friends and fellow climbers.

It's in all of our interests to raise awareness and take action on this important issue today. The deadline for comments is Thursday, October 27th. Thank you for supporting the future of the profession in the U.S.

For more information, visit http://parkplanning.nps.gov

The National Park Service wants to ban guided climbing and prohibit members of the public from being able to climb with a professional guide in one of our country's most adventurous wilderness climbing areas. This is a national threat, which could set a debilitating precedent for guided climbing access in National Parks across the country. We are requesting your urgent support to help preserve guided climbing access in the Black Canyon as well as in other National Parks the U.S.

Here is another way how you can help:

Send an email to Ken_Stahlnecker@nps.gov today using the talking points below. Our goal is to have 500 people (who are not guides) contact Ken Stahlnecker opposing the Park's plan to ban guided climbing in the Black Canyon and urging the Park to preserve guiding climbing access in this unique venue.

Dear Ken Stahlnecker,

Chief, Resource Stewardship and Science

National Park Service,

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

I am writing to urge you to keep guided climbing access available to the American public. Along with Yosemite National Park and Red Rocks National Conservation Area, the Black Canyon is one of only a few climbing venues in the country offering big wall climbing opportunities. There is often a scarcity of willing and adequate climbing partners to tackle the bold and remote terrain of the Black. Because climbing requires a team of two unless one is free soloing, my options for experiencing this unique wilderness area will be substantially reduced or eliminated altogether if guided climbing is banned in the Inner Canyon Zone.

Having the option to climb with a professional guide is necessary for me to be able to experience the vertical wilderness in the Black Canyon. Partnering with a professional guide will enhance my opportunity for an experience of adventure, challenge and self-reliance. I see no difference between climbing with a professional guide and climbing with a non-guide partner who happens to be stronger or more experienced than me. It is not uncommon for climbing partners to be of varying levels of experience. Climbing successfully in the Black always requires the self-reliance, commitment and personal fortitude of both climbing partners regardless of their varying experience levels.

Rescue in the Sandias

 

Rescue on the Shield, Rainbow Dancer, 5.11 R Sandia Mountains, NM.

When working as a PA in the CCU/ICU, and there were few patients in-house (in the hospital), I used to say "wow, it's slow." The nurses would then "psssst" me, or say "oh great, now you blew it," meaning I somehow jinxed the "calm" and soon the floor would be overloaded. I never witnessed bad luck coming to fruition immediately, but it eventually happens. We can only hold our breath for so long. Such is the case with rescue work. This summer is starting to remind me of the 1996 season in the Sandias when there were 11 total fallen climbers where rescues were called and only 4 survived.

I've been on rescues on nearly every rock face in the Sandias, and have pondered where a worst nightmare case scenario might be. I still have those locked up under my hat because I don't want to "jinx" anyone. But this week one of those events came to fruition. A 26 year old female fell while lead climbing on the second pitch of Rainbow Dancer on the Shield, the Sandia's most formidable face that stands more than 1000 feet tall, rivaling some of the biggest faces in United States. She had climbed up and apparently pulled on a piece of rock that broke from the wall. It is unknown exactly how far she fell, but she hit the ledge below and became an instant critical trauma patient.

Her friend rappelled her from the ledge to the ground, then made a brief attempt of carrying her out, but only made it a few meters before realizing that it would not be possible, nor ideal to continue. He then ran for help. He eventually found someone far below on the Piedra Lisa Trail and asked them for a first aid kit and to call for 911 for help. The climbers had neither a first aid kit nor a phone. We actually got none of the information above, we only knew that there was a fallen climber with a broken leg on the Shield. The the BCFD and NMSP Incident Commanders had sparse information and could only guess as how to respond, but sent crews out with the hope of success of finding her and begin to effect a rescue. People watched like "Eiger Birds" through spotting scopes, but seeing someone on the Shield from Albuquerque is next to impossible.

Only some of the ground team of rescuers were able to reach her since the way to the base of the Shield is difficult terrain. She was actually more critical than what was thought and the clock was ticking for her. Radio communications from Justin Spain came through my headset in the Blackhawk helicopter that she was unstable and had poor lung sounds. We flew around the cliff faces waiting for the final packaging and preparation to have the patient hoisted up.  The hoist mandated that the pilot hover close to the face of the Shield and with the tail rotor nearing the trees on the steep ramp at the base.

 Preparing for hoist up against the Shield

The New Mexico National Guard has several premiere flight teams and medics. Today, they helped civilian rescuers help others. I've been fortunate to have worked with them on many missions like this one over the past 30 years while doing rescue work. Long story short, their medic administered pain medicine to her and was hoisted back up with the patient. She was wrapped up in multiple splints and secured into a litter.

I won't go into the details of the patient's injuries, but we had to perform life-saving measures by decompressing her lungs with large bore catheters and administering 2 units of blood in conjunction with her IV fluid once she was loaded into the Blackhawk. Myself and Drew Harroll, MD attended her into the ambulance and then into the trauma room at UNMH where we passed off care to a 20 person trauma team quietly awaiting our arrival.

Although I've run 1000's of trauma calls, I find that my heart is being able to provide care to mountaineers where few others can. Most mountaineers don't help others. They don't have time for it in their personal pursuits.

The very fast hoist and transfer to Johnson Field at UNM. The Blackhawk flew in at about 200 m.p.h. and lost nearly 3500' in elevation to get this patient to the trauma room.

On another note, I've been publicly accused of putting in too many bolts in the Sandias on the web site Mountain Project. Perhaps my style or ethic rubs some people the wrong way. I've scraped up enough people to know that bolts save lives. I now publicly challenge those who condemn me to come out and take my place and rescue their friends, family, and climbing partners. The same holds for anyone who prefers to slander rather than resolve issues. In Albuquerque, the rescue community is bonded together with a focus rather than scattered.

I hope that this climber will be able to recover. I know from my experience that had we not been able to get to her that she would have died within a couple more hours at best. This is the most critical trauma patient that I have brought out of the wilderness that has survived...but she's not out of the woods yet.

I love to climb and ski and I love medicine. Bad things happen, no doubt. But mitigating risk is part of the game. Preparing for a consequence is also part of that game. Everyone is involved, whether you like it or not. I'm happy to be a part of Strike Rescue as well as Albuquerque Mountain Rescue and to offer my abilities to those who need it when things go wrong.

El Portillo, Chile (cont) Video

I thought that I would have more time to write on the blog, but I spent most of my time skiing, partying at El Portillo with all the cool people we met, or being a "touron" in Santiago. Chris and I owe Camile a huge thanks for not only showing us around Santiago but also for taking us to her home in the beautiful Isla de Maipo, a wonderful farmland and massive vineyard region.

My partner, Chris Chaput, is more than I could ask for. It was great to work with such a colleague and we will be working together again in the future towards more high-level courses and adventures, no doubt. We've been putting our heads together to put on something like this in Colorado.

Kerry had a great time and hopefully will be going back again next year. I think the trip made a good impression on him, so I hope the word will travel. If it weren't for Kerry pushing so hard to go on this trip I'm not sure that this magic would have come to fruition. We were ready to pull the plug with all the complications of the volcano, switching flights at the last second, and having to make this happen at the last second, but you can see from the video that it more than paid off. I'll NEVER regret this pilot run with this program. It was awesome.

A photo is worth a 1000 words, but this video says it all. I think the BMG program is awesome and Chris and I have more dreams of bringing the same quality programs to the States in the future. In the meantime, I'll bet you wished you were there:

El Portillo from marc beverly on Vimeo.

El Portillo, Chile

Travel to Santiago, Chile is relatively painless in more ways than one compared to going over seas either to the east or west from North America. After having to pull the plug on Bariloche, Argentina because of the major amounts of ash that was threatening the area, it was easy to come to the decision to head to El Portillo. Made famous in the USA by Warren Miller, this South American gem is like stepping into a time capsule of what skiing used to be like in the 1960's. Families, huck dolls, and an eclectic international crowd now make up the majority of the patrons. Mountain Guides, ski guides, and ski instructors frequent this area not only for its access, but also its skiing. The Chilean Andes is an incredible place to spend some much needed cooler temperatures while the rest of the USA is baking in the sun. Great skiing on several aspects, an incorporable and delectable menu, as well as wonderful accommodations are some of the major benefits of traveling south of the equator, as one might expect.

Other points of interest are the fact that people bring their families here and the kids have a sustaining relationship with the staff. This isn't Vegas so you'll likely come back and know people that you have met before. There is a strong American influence not only with style (Chris Davenport's "Ski with the Stars"), but also some of California and Colorado's best ski instructors and guides work here. It's no wonder the die hard winter enthusiasts conglomerate in great locations like these in the "off summer season" when forests close, work is sparse, and the economy is being crunched. This is a little slice of heaven for clients and the work force.

There must be something said about the dining room. We have our own "team" of wait staff. They make sure that our meals are delivered with astounding presentation, that the wines are excellent, and that everything is to our satisfaction. Deserts are simply off the chart. For me to try to describe it would be a dis-service.

Today, the skiing was excellent. a plethora of people come and go for a week at a time. It's great to see so many people from such a diverse background. In any other ski area in the USA there would be moguls, bumps formed from so many skiers making the same turns at the same locations. But here, days after a storm, there are still fresh lines to be had within the ski area. Outside the area, or places that one must hike to, there are simply no tracks at all. The Roca Jack, a counterbalance sling-shot lift that takes up 5 skiers at a time on a single cable is where Kerry and I started one of our ascents. We gained about 2000' elevation and skied fresh fluffy powder back down to the ski area on 46 degree+ slope angle. With Aconcagua in the background, it's hard not to feel lucky to be able to ski in such a place.

Chris Chaput and I have been looking at starting to bring clients down to South America for a winter experience during the USA summer.

Austier Mountain Medicine and Strike Rescue

Perhaps one of the most exciting new events in Emergency Medicine Services since the advent of the BS-EMS degree at the University of New Mexico is the highly anticipated debut for the UIAA IKAR recognized Terrestrial Strike Rescue course. The course will not only be a Strike Rescue certification course as well as provide and National Fire certification, but will also be the first university-backed, internationally recognized rescue instruction course in the United States that will offer college credit towards a degree.



This is going to be a 400 level course that will quickly review the standard rescue skills to get the participants capable in the vertical environment, introduce all the concepts in modern rope rescue for all disciplines, as well as delve into the literature and learn how to formulate critical thinking for rescue work. This is an integral part of the BS-EMS program that will help Paramedics be more productive and competitive in the job market.

We're putting together the topics and syllabus for this course late this summer/early fall. The SR team is a group of people with various backgrounds and experience. This course promises to be extraordinary. We hope that you'll be able to get into this course since seating is indeed limited and expectations are high.

There will be NFPA, Wilderness, and Alpine Industrial rescue techniques described and displayed by our professional instructors and utilized by the students. This is likely on of the best opportunities around when it comes to rescue work in the outdoor industry when it comes to training. See yo in the classroom this Spring !!!

Say it Ain't So

One of the most wicked photos ever ! National Geographic photo.

With the Chilean volcano continuing, we had to make a change of location from Bariloche, Argentina to the infamous El Portillo, Chile. Up to 9" of ash was dumped on our target ski grounds of Bariloche. Since all I can think about is visions of trying to ski in Pompeii, it was the only good decision to chase the sun and find better conditions elsewhere.

We're getting everything packed and meeting up tomorrow to over the final plans of what we'll take and what we'll leave behind. Skiing close to Aconcagua, the highest North American summit is a great experience. Skiing in Patagonia during the sweltering summer months, while the dog days of summer in New Mexico are taking full responsibility for creating my lowest energy state, is also an alluring prospect. I love winter and what cold temperatures bring to the land.

Stein Pulls and Can Openers

What is the definition of a Stein Pull ?
Stein pulls are something that most people like to do at the bar with their favorite ale. For ice climbers, it's a necessary technique of levering the head of the ice axe at the head while the pick is forced onto its point.

Dennis van Hoek from the Netherlands using two Stein pulls at once in competition at Rabenstien's Ice Fight.

Moreover, an upside-down Stein Pull, also known as a "can opener" is one of the more interesting and seemingly mystical moves in mixed climbing. Big moves can be made, and a lot of real estate covered over what seems to a a blank slate. Sometimes Figure 4 or Figure 9 moves can also be incorporated with either of these moves. There's always at least one of these moves, and usually 2-3, in every World Cup Ice Climbing competition route, and in every mixed competition route for that matter.

At my home wall I have several of these worked into my training since these moves involve different muscle groups than just straight-on dry tool climbing. Hopefully by the winter of 2011 I will have been able to get my design of an Ice Can and a Dry Can model on the market through Ice Holdz. They already have great holdz for mixed climbers to train on, but they hope to be coming out with another line of products that should be great for training and local gym use. This model would revolutionize the way ice climbers are able to train since the new models would be modular. You will be able to use the same backing and merely switch out the face on any given Ice Holdz or dry Holdz. Cool concept.

Ice climbing season is something that has definitely become a much longer season for me with the advent to training year-round for this type of climbing. I love having my own training facility in my back yard so that I can climb with ice tools anytime I want to. I had hoped that rock gyms would make their facilities more accessible to mixed climbing, by using non-peak hours to open their doors for this purpose.

Although mixed or dry climbing may seem contrived to people, remember that the sport of climbing is contrived to 99% of the population and that climbing is a fringe activity to begin with. It's only because of rock gyms and birthday parties that rock climbing has gained exposure in the USA. I personally like this form of climbing the most. Don't get me wrong, I still love to rock climb, but I like climbing with ice tools more.

Climbing with ice tools also allows me to climb in many locations that I would not otherwise be able to climb in since there ice actually ice. Ice is a transient medium that comes and goes and is constantly changing throughout its existence. It has only a narrow margin of temperatures that it likes to exist in for any length of time, adding to the wonder of the frozen world it creates. Waterfalls have long been a place of beauty and many are sacred to native peoples. They are even more sacred to ice climbers when they freeze, making time stand still.

From a little bar in Val Daone, Italy, where the "other type of Stein" is used.

Jemez Mountains Las Conchas Fire 2011

Usually I write about good and exciting things. Today I have to write about something intense. The Jemez Mountains are on fire. I grew up in the Jemez and spend a great deal of time there not only rock climbing but hunting, backpacking, and enjoying the amazing place that the Anasazi roamed. I went to summer camps there, and grew into the person that I am today. This wonderful time lapse video shows only day 1 of the fire that is the biggest fire in the history of the Jemez Mountains on record. Los Alamos National Laboratory, the town of Cochiti, and many other places are under mandatory evacuation.

The winds of change are upon us...all of us. I see the futile efforts of the C-130 bombers that carry so much slurry that they can barely gain elevation to get over my house on their way to the fire, watched the flames rip across the sky scape of the Jemez last night as the reports said only "1000 acres burned", but it was 49,000 acres ( burning 2,000 acres an hour), and think of the places that I've been that were lush with green and filled with elk are lost to a flame and a darkness. All of the Los Alamos crags, Cochiti Mesa(one of the first bolted sport climbing areas in the USA), and many other climbing areas both old and new, are now compromised.

Most of the best climbing are bolted sport routes that have been established by many people. The bolts themselves are likely suspect after a fire such as this can ruin the temper of the metal. To what degree is unknown. The photos of green pastures and climbing in a pristine area such as the Jemez are gone for now.

For me, I almost wonder if I should go back once the fires are done. For me, it's like knowing that an old friend is dying a slow and agonizing death. Going back once the fire is over will be like going to see my friend's torched body in a casket, yet waiting for their offspring to grow up to take their place and be green once again.

Yes, I'm sad. I know that the mountains should have burned a long time ago. We think we have control of the forest somehow. We do not. I grew up believing that Smoky the Bear concept was good. Now, I'm not sure. The United States Forest Service has been very good about not having forest fires. Maybe we need to accept the fact in the USA that death is a part of life, or maybe we need to accept that we can do a better job. That the cycle is a circle, and that from death there is life.

Our society has evolved since the early and mid 1900's. Out thought process on how we "manage" natural resources should also evolve.

Over the last 5 years I have lost many personal friends in the climbing world, mostly to avalanches. Certainly, if I were in another line of work, and not only in guiding, that I would find that friends would die from other causes.

The fires are necessary and will purge the foliage and the decay. I will be off on another journey in my homeland to find other places to make good memories and "new friends" while reflecting upon the loss of this one.

So lift your glass and toast: here's to enjoying the moments that make our lives extraordinary! I'll miss the Jemez in what is was, and through the smoke and carnage, will learn to appreciate the dawning of a new era.

Bariloche, Argentina. PSIA and AIARE combination course.

Well, the poster pretty much says it all. Well, not really. Bariloche is one of the newest places that Americans are starting to visit as the cost is lower than Portillo, Chile, or Las Lenas, Argentina. Not only that, but the views are spectacular since there are Patagonian alpine mountains and large lakes in the valley floors. The temperatures are generally mild, the food is great, and there's more to do than sit around and drink on your time off from skiing.

This is the first time in history that PSIA is going outside the USA. Chris Chaput is the PSIA Instructor Trainer from Telluride Ski Area who teaches ski school Ski Instructors around the world. Last year he went to China to train their ski school members. He also made it to Taos Valley Ski School and Ski Santa Fe, both in New Mexico. For this course he is taking the clinic into the backcountry as well as the groomers to provide a PSIA Level 1 Certification.





AIARE is the world wide standard in avalanche instruction. We will be covering all the AIARE level 1 material and providing a certificate for this course as well.

We feel that integrating these two courses is a great way for those ski instructors, entry level ski guides, or anyone who wants to become a good backcountry skier to get a great deal of hands-on before the North American winter season approaches. The students will be sharp and ready to use their new skills without having to take precious time off of work in November or December and will go into the following season with TWO certifications!

Personally, I'm really excited to see this program go and am looking forward to providing the same course in the winter season in the USA and perhaps Europe.

Even though it's 106F at Red Rocks, Nevada already, and the fires are burning and razing Arizona, we have our sites on cooler places.

If you would like to register, please click here.

Home updated and redesigned.

For the past 11 months my house has been more like a tent. The roof leaked, the windows separated from the frames when the wind would blow, and the yards were not so functional to say the least. Then, I had the discussion with Chrissie and we decided to pull the trigger on the refinance. We wound up paying less for our mortgage that we did prior to the redesign and remodel. The key to all this new change was my father, Jim Beverly.

I grew up watching my father starting out in landscape design. He worked for some small construction companies during the sprawl of suburbia as an architect. He gained recognition and started out on his own building some of the best award winning houses in New Mexico. His signature designs stem from an appreciation of the ancient Anasazi. Their incredible buildings found specifically at Chaco, are an immense complex of pueblos strewn over many miles in the remote New Mexican high desert landscape. The walls of places like Pueblo Bonito have cardinally aligned walls. Some pueblos are solar pueblos and some are lunar. Pueblo walls are aligned with other pueblos in other canyons with large buttes in between them.

If you don't know anything about Chaco Canyon, WATCH THIS VIDEO.

Obviously, a culture that was in existence for nearly 1600 years has something to teach us. My father has picked up on many of those nuances and uses what he has leaned in the design of the houses he designs. He can visualize how the potential house will integrate with the environment the house will be placed in to reap the largest benefit of the local aesthetics, a kind of Southwestern Feng Shui of sorts is the best way I can explain it. He then takes all of that and considers the practicality of the people who will live there and develops extraordinary functionality.

Jim Beverly has been awarded top prizes in the Parade of Homes. He lives in his own master pieces. I have been fortunate enough to help him with menial tasks along the way like cleaning up the construction site, wetting down the uncured stucco, and running odd chores here and there.

Now, I am even more fortunate. Jim Beverly is helping to update my home. A new roof that works and will last for at least 30 years is now up and protecting the home. New awesome windows are installed all around and new stucco. He's not a fan of Stoe, but it's great since the guy doing the work is also talented and has worked with my father for over 20 years. We built an additional storage unit and have revamped both front and back yards. the grading is now set so that the water will drain off the lot and not into the garage. A new Drolet wood burning stove is now the main source of heat. Jim put in a patio wall with an incredible design that allows for a large patio that provides protection from the elements and privacy from the street and city park. We've increased lighting with solar tubes in the garage and the bathroom. We've replaced the garage doors that were falling apart with new insulated doors.

The city gave us a discount on the windows, and placing xeric landscaping. The windows, the new roof and the stucco have made the casita tight and weather proof. The heating costs have gone down more than $200 per month. It will be nice to live in a place that is palatial for a guy like me. The training wall has also been worked into the mix.

Yes, I'm bragging on my dad, but don't take my word for it. Check out the before and after picture(s). I'm psyched. In these times of economic hardship, I'm happy to say that I'll be paying less for more. I'm happy that we'll be making less of a carbon footprint in regards to using natural gas and electric for heating and cooling. I've put a lot of work into this project as well and I'll admit that its been stressful at times, but I can't wait to reap the benefits once its done.

Jim Beverly Designs is a great custom homes design company. He'll be working on some friend's houses in the near future, but can design a new home for you if you're in the market.

I'm happy that this portion of my life if coming to a close. Owning a house can indeed be a black hole of money, labor, and an emotional sink hole. However, it's a nice place to rest weary bones from long trips to wherever around the world. It's also the office, so it's nice to make a warm cup of coffee, have a gin martini by the backyard fire pit, or get in a good climbing sesh on the backyard wall. For now, the major renovations are over and it's time to get back to business.

Grigri 2 - the coming of age

The new Petzl Grigri 2 is what I've been waiting for. As a mountain guide, I look at any device for multiple uses. The Grigri 2 not only provides great security, hands-free descents for double rope technique and counter balance rappels, but also offers light weight and space saving for those staunch about those kinds of things (like airlines and every climber out there).

I've been using it to put up new routes as well. The handling is a little more compact. The ropes that most climbers use are in the 9mm range and the Grigri 2 handles this range with ease.

Over the years I have used the regular Grigri in drop testing and have abused it more than anyone out there...I'm almost sure. I've done so many pull tests with the Grigri that I've incorporated it into my armamentarium for rescue work holding 2kN loads ! The new Grigri 2 is made with the same workmanship as the standard Grigri and I'm sure that it should be just as good, and perhaps better ! I say this because mountaineers and guides will now have a new weapon to use with those smaller ropes when dealing with crevasse rescue or smaller static lines for big walling.

You can order your new Grigri 2 at the strike Rescue store:
http://store.strikerescue.com/store.php?crn=235&rn=480&action=show_detail

There's limited supply and Petzl has been on a six month back order.

I'm excited to have this new tool in the tool box for sure. Personally, I use the Petzl Omni carabiner so that I also never have to worry about cross loading my belay device carabiner. We;ve recently integrated this biner into the Albuquerque Mountain Rescue's litter spider. It's got beefier stock aluminum too.

I think that everyone will be upgrading to the new Grigri 2 sooner than later.

Addendum: Yes, there was a recall. The recall notice comes after a recent finding where someone was using the device incorrectly and found that they could "lock it open", essentially turning the Grigri 2 into an plate device and by-passing the drum's added friction. Although people should never let go of the brake hand, it happens all too often and presents a potential hazard. It was an incidental finding and no injuries have occurred, but Petzl thought that it was siginificant enough for them to recall the device. Only the updated Grigri 2 will be sold through our store.

Bergführer - Mountain Guide

March 15, 2011

Today is a special day for me. Not only was I able to go ski with a friend, but also a motivational mentor of mine who was also evaluating me on my last day in the process of me completing my certification as an international mountain guide. Vince Anderson is perhaps one of the USA's most celebrated alpinists of all time. It was only fitting that he was able to tell me after the last ski run, "wait to make strong turns at the bottom of the chute to finish up getting your pin!" The "pin" is a statement that you have completed the Certified Guide Program. The echo of my whoop filled the valley.

We skied the San Juans, old stomping grounds for both of us, and the setting of some of the most beautiful mountains in the world.

Skiing the avalanche chutes at Chatanooga, looking down on highway 550. Vince Anderson photo.

The UIAGM/IFMGA/IVBV is the international foundation of mountain guides. I've always wanted to perform well in the mountains whether it was in guiding, working, climbing, skiing, rescue, or instruction. Knowing that I meet the international standard is something that I have spent several years on. The process of going through all the courses and exams is good, but sometimes quite frustrating. At times it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but today, with the sun high in the bullet blue sky over the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, that light is brilliant.
Heaven's Eleven. With only about 20 descents on this highly committing line ending in a cliff, we were fortunate to use this as a "warm-up." Vince Anderson photo.

I'd like to thank all the people and guides who have inspired me, who have put up with me, evaluated me, and honed me. This is a major accomplishment for which I am indebted to many, including myself.

Skiing Wheeler Peak 13,161' and the Peace Sign Chutes Area near Taos, NM

Feb 2011

After getting home from a manic and massive European World Cup competition circuit (see older blog post(s), I had to fly back over the pond to home in NM. Jet lag is one of those things that is a continual bane. I simply resolve myself to the fact that I'm going to feel like crap until I get home and recover for a few days.

What better way to recover than to go with my friends Kerry Joel for some skiing up in New Mexico's premiere ski area, Taos. Today we didn't go to the ski area until after the tour. Wendy gave me this killer little video cam for Christmas, so I've been using it a bit and having some fun with it. Here's some footage from some great backcountry skiing on Wheeler Peak (NM's highest peak at 13,161') and some steeper skiing in the Peace Sign Chutes area on the way back to the lodge !

Skiing Taos Backcountry Wheeler Peak, Peace Sign Chutes Area Feb 2011 from Marc Beverly on Vimeo.

The Icefight 2011, Rabenstein.

This past weekend was the Icefight in Rabentein, Italy (really part of Austria since everyone there speaks German, and is located on the border of Italy and Austria). It s a very small village tucked away high in the Southern Tyrol Region and is home to one of the best organized competitions I have ever been to in any capacity.

The people there are amazing. Markus was telling me that the community built the climbing structure and hosts the event purely on sponsored dollars and from volunteer work. Loads of local show up to witness the best competition ice climbers in the world compete on a self standing, well engineered tower of hard mixed climbing and man-made ice.


As a competitor, you get to spend a lot of time in the isolation zone. The more successful you are, the more time you get to spend in isolation. Another way to get to spend time in isolation is during the qualification rounds and to be the unlucky person who draws to go last out of all the competitors, that would be me this time.

Really, its best to only have a little time in isolation. It can be cold and, given enough time, one can psychologically undo oneself. It's difficult to know exactly when to warm up and when to get physically and mentally ready to go. Competition is so different than real world ice climbing in many ways since there are so many more factors and pressures that come into play. Its easy to start casting doubts and let the phantoms of failure creep into your mind. Finding a good focus is a skill. The more pressures I seem to put on myself, the worse things get. It seems like the less care about failing in a competition, the better I perform. It's hard not to care.

Learning from failures is an important part of competition climbing.

Evgeny Kryvosheytsev told me over dinner that he has been in more than 700 competitions. That's nearly a competition every day for two solid years if they were done back to back ! Markus Bendler said on the drive home that on his second World Cup Ice event his first move was to step out of bounds over a red line and be disqualified. Competitions are tough, there's just no two ways around it. Learn from mistakes or become part of the collateral damage, that's the choice. I guess that's one of the things that makes climbing so appealing, that there's always something to learn or some way to make yourself better.

Like the rest of this trip to Europe, I am fortunate enough to be able to go with friends to new climbing areas. Markus took me to some of his crags near his home in Austria. It was great to climb at yet more cool places. I'd love to spend more time climbing with Markus, but he's going to Romania and I'm going home to the States.

I've had my fill of the World Cup tour for this year and after the shenanigans in Saas-Fee, I'm not psyched about investing more time and money to go to the next UIAA World Cup competition until some issues area addressed. Maybe they will learn from watching places like Rabenstein. I like learning from the competition climbing about my abilities and my weaknesses. Rabenstien always allows me to make the mistakes so that I can become a better climber. Can't wait for next year !

Kandersteg, Switzerland to Innsbruck, Austria

Saas-Balin - mixed climbing (will have to post the photo here later)

Leaving Saas-Fee in the past was hard since my rental car didn’t like the elevation, the cold, the grade coming down from Saas-Fee, or some combination of all since the engine ceased on the hairpin turns several times. The big surprise was that not only did the power brakes go out, but the steering wheel locked when the engine shut down. I got lucky and somehow didn’t have an epic going over the railing and taking the plunge as I followed Rob and Ramon (both from the UK) on our way to Kandersteg. Rob and Ramon had rented a flat and said I could stay with them for a nominal cost for a couple of days on my way to Innsbruck. They woke me up, as promised, and told me they were on their way out of Saas-Fee at 8:00 am. That just about killed me since I was at the athlete party until about 6:00 am.

We boarded a train with our vehicles and traveled through a tunnel and under some major mountains impassable otherwise by roads, and popped out directly in Kandersteg. This little town must have been chiseled out of pure stone by God himself. This is where I would go if I was given the choice if I had to spend eternity on Earth.

We settled into their flat after settling up with the man who grew up in the next house over and now rents his place to visitors. Rob and Ramon were serious about getting in some ice climbing from the time we got in, so we packed up our stuff and headed out. Rob drove his right-sided Land Rover to the crag. I couldn’t believe the amount of ice in proximity of the valley. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, even though they swore that there just wasn’t that much ice. My jaw agape, we arrived at our trailhead that led to a nice little crag where lots of beginners were climbing. No major mixed climbs were being done, and we took a small walk around to see what was in good condition to climb. We found something that we thought looked good and we climbed a nice line that I figured went about M8 (climbing on rock with ice tools) until a curtain of ice could be gained, mounted, and climbed.

My tools are the new Petzl Ergos and I was having a hard time getting them to get into the ice. I figured my problems stemmed from a combination of my depreciated skills of throwing into the ice and the fact that I have only been climbing rock with ice tools for so long. Maybe its one-in-the-same, but anyway I felt klutzy and slow on real ice. After getting off the climb, I bouldered around a bit without a rope and just off the ground so that I could get my “sea legs” back. It didn’t take much.

The next day I hung out and rolled around Kandersted to get an idea of how things were. There was some sort of historical event going on and people were dressed up in traditional regalia. Catching up on e-mails and rest, I did make it over to see some of the sledging. I brought back a poster to commemorate this visit as I’ve been trying to collect posters and such to decorate my garage with. I like seeing posters of events that I have been to as it reminds me of good times. I didn’t pick one up from Saas-Fee this year.

Dennis Van Hooke and Marianne Van der Setine brought Gelle (?) with them to come and climb some ice. I wound up making some plans to go to Innsbruck to stay with Christina Huber, another athlete from the World Cups that I’ve been to, and to hook up with Markus Bendler and train before Rabenstien. I wound up climbing with Gelle on an ice climb that looked difficult, but I figured was rated only to about WI4+ (usually 5+/6 apparently). Gelle is an accomplished alpinist and was on the K2 expedition in 2008 and lived to tell about it. A young man, he is working on becoming a mountain guide and wanted to learn some skills. We only did two pitched together, but I guess he picked up some quarky tricks from me since he mentioned that he climbed exactly how I did over the crux, using a knee post to gain a higher tool placement. I hope that I helped him out in some way and hope to climb with him again, but would also like to ski with him since he’s an Olympic skier as well.

I left around noon from Kandersteg and drove to Innsbruck. I figured I spent about 60% of my drive in tunnels. Absolutely amazing are the tunnel systems in Europe. Colorado should look at putting a tunnel from Denver to Vail and include a train system for that corridor. I took a couple of wrong turns but quickly corrected them and drove fast to make up for any lost time. Driving small diesel cars on narrow and winding European roads is entertaining and demands full attention. I haven’t seen one car wreck since I was in the USA over a month ago. In Albuquerque I would see at least one car wreck per day.

Finding Christina was an epic. I don’t read, write, speak, or understand any language besides English and Spanish. She speaks pretty good English, but explaining directions to me was less than useless. I was able to get an internet connection near the airport at the backside of an apartment complex and she sent me some vague directions that got me close enough. I saw her standing on the street waiting for me and I pulled over and she jumped in. After dinner, I went to a reggae party with her boyfriend until late-thirty. It was fun to check out the scene, but I was so tired from the climbing and traveling I had to go to bed.

The next day I took Christina to breakfast and dropped her off at her university since she had some exams to take. She gave me directions to the city center and so I played tourist on my day off. I got a couple of Austrian hats for Logan and Sierra and caught up on e-mails and business at where else but McDonald’s. It seems to be the only place in Europe that offers free wi-fi. I took a tour of some of the old chapels and learned a lot about some very old history, stuff that was never covered in my history classes in school. The ornateness and workmanship that went into the Tyrolean region is astounding.

Christina dropped me off at the local rock gym and I met up with Peter Albert, a mountain guide from the area. We got in a good boulder session focusing on big holds and long moves, more specific for mixed climbing. He's a not only a great mountain guide (his reputation preceeds him) but he's also a very down to earth guy. So much for my "rest day" ! We went to dinner afterward and then went back to his flat where we enjoyed some Brass Band music playing ska on horns and drank a Bavarian beer !

The next day Christina and I got up to meet her friends and go skiing in Garmisch, Germany. Her dad runs the ski area, so it was pretty cool to see what was going on there. It turns out that the World Chamionships will be going on for the following week, so a huge portable bleacher and town was being set up. Helicopters were flying overhead carrying loads up the mountain while we skied some fresh powder. Christina is very supportive of her friend who was seriously injured in a ski accident last year. Her friend is now an adaptive skier who can hang with the best. It was really cool to get to ski with her crew and get some ski training in for myself as well. I'm always learning.

Skiing is a good way for me to get away from the stress of competition climbing. It's helped me get past Saas-Fee and start looking towards the next competition.

Enough can't be said about the hospitality of my "competitors" / friends from the ice climbing competitions. It's been a great way to meet a lot of really cool people and see many new places this year. I feel extremely fortunate.

Chamonix Wrap-up; Skiing

Augille du Midi

I've wondered what it would be like to live in Chamonix over the years. The town is host to one of the biggest outdoor tourism locations on the face of the planet since there is any activity to be had within about an hour from the town square. Not to mention that the best cheeses, meats and tasty beverages of all types support the gnostic experience.

A view from the Augille du Tacul

Chamonix is perhaps best known for its skiing first, and then its climbing. If funny that Gordon and I didn't even have Chamonix on our radar when planning our tour for the UIAA International World Ice Climbing Competitions in 2011. The chain of events that happened bring about a cancellation of the competition in Val Daone, Italy spurred us on to find other places to go and other things to do.

Since Stephanie was so gracious to show us around we gained far more than we ever could have form competing in Val Daone. L'Usine and the Zoo were two of the highlights, but having a chance to shoehorn in some skiing in Chamonix was great. Here's a great clip of some of the skiing we did by that Lukasz Warzecha put together:

Behind the Scenes - Skiing in Chamonix from Lukasz Warzecha - LWimages.co.uk on Vimeo.

Behind the Scenes - Skiing in Chamonix

I would have embedded the video here, but Austria won't let me do it.

Unfortunately, I also heard from Margaret Wheeler, President of the AMGA, that all Aspirant Guiding for 2011 is prohibited in France due to a major overhaul of the French program. I have heard from locals in Europe that this has to do in large part to the fact that aspirant guides were trying so hard to push the limits to prove themselves that there was a high mortality rate of aspirant guides. I can fully appreciate this since I have been there, done that, in the AMGA program. It's an unspoken peer pressure imposed by an adrenergic system fueled with one-upmanship that contributes to aspiring guides to push it too hard, too fast to reach a standard that may or may not be tenable objectively or subjectively. I lost a few friends last year to this exact issue. I'm glad they are looking at this problem.

Most people who have my Facebook account have seen this video. I've toiled a bit over why I compete thereafter and have been a bit on the sour grapes thought process. After seeing Justin Spain going through very similar problems in the UIAA competitions last year, I thought that the judging might have gotten better, I guess not. It's hard to not get down over something like this and I did submit a protest and appeal, but was told by Pavel Shabalina that I would just lose money in the process, so I just went to the bar and tried to get over it. When I walked into the bar, the route setters were there and immediately told me that they were sorry for not having a red line and that the judge shouldn't have pulled me off.

People asked me if I was coming back to compete in Saas-Fee or another UIAA World Comp last night. I said, "you want my answer tonight ? " I think that the people I was competing against should be the most upset since they didn't get a chance to better me or not. What a waste.

Gordon and Malcolm have been great energy and have picked me up out of the mud. Its great to have good friends to be there when things go bad. I'd love to say that I learned something from this competition. Maybe I did learn something. Perhaps I learned that I don't have control over all the elements in the competition environment as I thought, and that I should be ok with the fact that I didn't fail to train, didn't mentally prepare, or wasn't ready in some way.

I have only one more competition (not a UIAA comp). I'm not sure how I'll feel about it all in a week or a month or next season. Time to go to the mountains after Rabenstien. Competitions are good to make me a better climber, but I need some head space after them.

French National Competition, L’Argentiere Le Bessee, France

Lappin' and Nappin' in Usine, France. Stephanie catches up on much need rest and Marc takes a spin on one of the best mixed lines in the world.

We got fired up that there was going to be another competition that we could go to in France since the Val Daone competition in Italy was canceled and we got on the road with our rental car and drove from the Scarpa Boot factory in Asolo, Italy to meet

Stephanie Maureau, who was already invited to compete in the final. Gordon and I drove through Chamonix and under Mont Blanc and then on for another couple of hours to the southeast to arrive at her parent’s house. They were more than accommodating and made us feel at home. Of course we ate the best cheese from the region and had some incredible genepi, local drink made of the flowers in the hills right behind the Maureau’s chalet.

The competition was in L’Argentiere Le Bessee, meaning that we got to drive up through the stunning mountain pass village of La Grave, one of the world’s premiere backcountry skiing locations.

The format of the competition was such that Jeff Mercier and crew put up a new dry tooling crag that was still under construction when we arrived. The key to any good dry tooling area is that the rock is usually bad enough that nobody else wants to climb it. The holds are drilled pockets and the feet are poor at best. The climbing is generally great though since long dynamic moves give rise to hard climbing on steep overhanging terrain.

Unfortunately, there were only 8-9 routes and there were nearly 40 competitors, half of which were the Russian team that got there early and clogged up the routes. They cued up 4 and 5 spots in advance for a climb while climbing on another route, which made it impossible for others to get in on a climb.

As usual, however, Alexy Dengin and Ludmilla were more than hospitable to Gordon and I and let us climb with them. The climbing was fun, but overall. In general the competition was supposed to be about fun and climbing, but it became difficult when there was too many people at the party, so to speak. Poor organization made for a semi-dangerous situation by having so many people in too close proximity and with large amounts of rock fall. Some of the competitors were snatching my water without asking and trying to take over our route even when we were on it, making for some hard feelings as evident by on-line postings. It’s funny that some people take it so seriously, but when there’s money on the table some people seem to turn into a ruthless competitor.

They should have given a time allotment or managed the climbing to some degree since some people didn’t even have a chance to climb the routes. It might sound like sour grapes, but it’s hard not to when one travels so far and invests themselves into the process only to have to experience such a poor process. Mostly, it fostered a lot of poor sportsmanship. I was able to get what I needed out of the day and climbed hard and climbed well, although after they closed the preliminary time allotment.

We stayed and watched Stephanie win the women’s finals and then left, not even going to the party afterward where they were playing slow reggae. The next day we got up and went climbing at Usine, perhaps one of the best mixed climbing experiences I’ve had. The cave is unreal. The guys from France have a great thing going at Usine and have had some great climbing competitions hosted in the cave, complete with DJ and lights! Seems like something that we could do at the Hall of Justice in Ouray, Colorado at some point.

I’m definitely inspired to put climbing routes up like what is in Usine, but Jason Nelson and I were already on the same mind set. The traditional way of climbing in North America is to climb on slopy little holds and pray that your tool doesn’t skate out. Perhaps this is seen as “alpine” or something but is not the style of climbing that I like. Rather, I prefer to do long moves on good holds and minimal foot placements. I’m not sure how people will take to this style back home, but there’s got to be room for everyone.

Aside from the experience at the competition, we managed to keep a good attitude and pull off some shenanigans:

LWimages RAW - Usine from Lukasz Warzecha - LWimages.co.uk on Vimeo.

I'm looking forward to more climbing at the Zoo in Chamonix and the next, and best, International World Cup at Saas-Fee, Switzerland, 2011 !! So send your good vibes from the other side of the pond.