Rad
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Posts posted by Rad
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"From Seattle to the Aleutian Islands, by human power: Journey on the Wild Coast will be an unprecedented four-thousand-mile expedition along the northern edge of the Pacific Ocean, through some of the most rugged terrain in the world. No road or trail follows this steep and fragmented coastline. We'll be traveling through forests, between islands, around glaciers, and across the tundra - by foot, packraft, and skis. No one has done this before."
They hope to raise awareness of a number of environmental issues (global warming, clear-cutting, wild salmon habitat loss) through their efforts.
Website with info, pics, and blog of this trip and other trips they've done
Inspired but unable to go yourself? Support them.
Article in the PI:
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Wild trek set for Seattle couple
In June, they'll begin a 4,000-mile journey, hiking, rafting and skiing from here to Alaska's Aleutian Islands
By COLIN McDONALD
P-I REPORTER
It's important to test gear and be prepared, Erin McKittrick says -- moments before capsizing her 4-foot inflatable raft on Lake Union.
She is wearing a life jacket made from an old sleeping pad and an assortment of clothing that will not keep her dry or warm once she is in the water. The air temperature is below freezing. With a shrug of her shoulders, she flops over the side.
Dan DeLong / P-I
Bretwood "Hig" Higman and Erin McKittrick plan to leave their Seattle house and walk, float and ski to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. In the chilly waters of Lake Union, the couple were testing the lightweight rafts they will use to cross the fjords, bays and rivers in the journey.
"Cold water is probably the thing we are best at dealing with," said McKittrick's husband, Bretwood "Hig" Higman.
In June, the couple will start a 4,000-mile hiking, rafting and skiing trip that they hope will take them from their rental home in the University District to the north side of Unimak Island, the first of the Aleutian chain in Alaska. Using topographic maps and compasses, they will navigate an area with no roads or trails. They will carry 50-pound packs, average 17 miles a day and follow the edge of the Pacific across some of the wettest, highest and most bear-infested mountain ranges of North America.
"It's going to be a blast," McKittrick said.
They plan to finish by March 2008.
McKittrick, 26, has a master's in microbiology from the University of Washington, and Higman, 30, is planning to finish his Ph.D. in geology in June. They support themselves with $16,000 that Higman earns annually from his research and by selling jewelry that McKittrick makes.
Married in 2003, they met as undergrads at Carleton College in Minnesota.
Back then, neither was into long-distance, cross-country hikes, but on their first trip together during spring break in 1999, they went to Mexico where Higman proposed a three-day walk -- without maps or trails -- across part of the Yucatan Peninsula.
"I just said it to put it out there," Higman said. "And she said 'Sounds like fun.' "
That trip was followed by longer trips across Higman's native Alaska, where they have now logged nearly 3,000 miles. They hiked across the Brooks Range and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on their honeymoon.
The couple readily admits they are a bit odd, but maintain they are not crazy or taking unacceptable risks. This could be done by anybody, they say.
"What I equate us more with are the old-school explorers." McKittrick said.
As safety precautions, they may use tracking devices so friends and family can follow their progress and possibly an emergency beacon.
They also plan to document their trip with notepad and camera, then post findings on their Web site at aktrekking.com.
"I think the really hard part of the trip will not be the physical, but the physiological," said Roman Dial, a friend of the couple and a well-known Alaskan adventurer. "The big challenge is if they can do this for nine months. After a couple months it can be very hard to answer yourself, 'Why am I here again?' "
Dan DeLong / P-I
Erin McKittrick
Dial met McKittrick and Higman when the two competed in the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic, a cross-country, multiday, human-powered race that Dial has organized for the past two decades.
"I think these two really have the experience and drive to pull this off," Dial said. "I think they have the confidence and innovative spirit to deal with it."
Higman and McKittrick can't see getting bored or questioning their trip. For them, it's not so much a beginning and an end but a change in lifestyle for nine months.
"Sure, there will be bad days," McKittrick said. "But then you get to a really cool spot someplace and the sun comes out."
The couple is paying for the trip with a combination of their savings, donations from family members and gear sponsorships. To save money, and travel with equipment that's both lightweight and durable, they make their own backpacks, rain jackets, fleece garments and dry bags. They usually are forced to alter their store-bought gear, anyway, because it rarely holds up through the daily wear and tear of their treks.
After reaching Unimak Island, the plan is to either hitch a ride on a fishing boat or hire a seaplane to take them back to Anchorage.
"And if my life is going perfect, I will have a job in Anchorage starting in March," Higman said.
But after crossing the mile-wide channel between the Bering Sea and North Pacific to reach the mostly ice-covered Unimak Island -- and before settling down -- McKittrick has scheduled time to explore the island.
"It just looked so cool with the volcanoes on it," she said. "Why not hike around it?"
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My answer also would not change: first ascentionist has final say and is to be lauded for soliciting the opinion of the community before making a decision or taking action.
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You put up the route so you should be allowed to make the call.
Icicle bolting practices are all over the map, and both your original route and a proposed better-protected route would be within the scope of styles in the area. This also suggests you should be justified in whatever you choose.
How long until Raindawg chimes in???
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S Face Ingalls?
A hike, alpine scenery, views of Stuart, easy rock. Good combo for newbies, just ask the Mounties...
Must confess I've not been on the route myself.
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So did you do one of those finishes Blake?
HoC has pretty straightforward jams. I thought the upper part of P3 of GM, as mentioned by MattP, was harder.
What seems inconsistent is P2 of GM. It's way easier than all three of the sections of P3 discussed. It's like a fun Gunks 5.8.
BTW, can one TR the 10+/11a face route right of HoC from the ledge in the middle of HoC? That looks fun.
Finally, has anyone actually climbed the 10c direct start slab variation below the 5.8 pitch of GM. THAT IS HARD!
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Icicle creek has lots of great spots.
Got $$$?
If no: Past Rock Island (see campground map provided at Ranger station), on either road fork, there are some really sweet free spots with no amenities, great river access, and views. Excellent semi-alpine ambience abounds, and at almost 3000ft these sites shouldn't be too hot.
If yes: There are a half dozen or so well-maintained campgrounds sprinkled up the canyon (8 mile to Rock Island) with water, crapper, trashbin, and views.
I was with my toilet-training toddlers on our first camping outing together last night so we shelled out $13 for the convenience of a Rock Island site. No ticks or goats were seen! I guess they couldn't afford the fee.
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You rang?
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Everyone must find their own way, their own balance between reckless and bold, go-for-it and back-down. There is no right answer. This applies not just to climbing, but to everything.
The last half of Ripple, a Robert Hunter/Gerry Garcia song copied below, comes to mind:
.......................
If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung,
Would you hear my voice come thru the music,
Would you hold it near as it were your own?
It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken,
Perhaps they're better left unsung.
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air.
Ripple in still water,
When there is no pebble tossed,
Nor wind to blow.
Reach out your hand if your cup be empty,
If your cup is full may it be again,
Let it be known there is a fountain,
That was not made by the hands of men.
There is a road, no simple highway,
Between the dawn and the dark of night,
And if you go no one may follow,
That path is for your steps alone.
Ripple in still water,
When there is no pebble tossed,
Nor wind to blow.
You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone,
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home.
.................
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Fine. I look forward to hearing about them when you're ready to share.
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A handfull of the new undocumented routes are some of the best climbs in the state and put up in very good style.
Where can we learn about these? Are you just a tease?
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There are rules and standards at every climbing area and those should be the predominant factor in determining how routes are established in that area.
For some areas that means no bolts at all (Traprock CT), for some it is a mix of bolts and natural pro (Index, Vantage), and for others it may be bolts everywhere (Owens River Gorge, X38, and X32).
Climbs inconsistent with local standards may get chopped or won't get climbed by subsequent parties. Both outcomes are bad.
Attempting to apply the standards of one area to another is like trying to compare one culture to another. People will get upset and nothing good is likely to emerge in the process.
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Is the value of a new route in the experience of its first ascencionist or in those climbers that come afterward?
The ground-up trad group seems to fall into the first camp, whereas MattP and I and others fall into the latter camp.
In my view, if you make permanent changes to a cliff you should think like Spock: "The needs of the many outweight the needs of the one." You, mr. first ascencionist, are the one. You might stop to think about someone beside yourself.
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Gun rack would definitely be a fun lead on gear as you'd have to hang from the lip to place gear in the upper crack.
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Ok, so we were 'developing' routes, attempting to clean and protect natural lines, as you suggest, not setting them as in a gym.
To suggest that bolts draw crowds that create all the other impacts I mentioned is oversimplistic. Trad routes can draw crowds and have environmental impacts as well. Witness pin scars, fixed nuts and other gear, chopped vegetation, and trash on popular crack climbs, not to mention scads of people and trail erosion on classics like Outer Space. If you've been to popular sandstone crags you have probably seen grooves from extensive rappelling and toproping.
Another impact I forgot to mention: trash and human waste.
If you want to get a bee in your bonnet for a good cause how about getting a port-o-potty for Index town wall?
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Raindawg et al,
If you are truly concerned about preserving the natural state of the rock then you must consider several ways climbing can have an environmental impact:
1 - Bolts leave manmade materials behind and permanently alter a small section of rock (about one square inch per bolt, or only a few square milimeters if the bolt is removed and the hole is filled). This impact does not depend on whether bolts are placed on rappel or on lead or drilled by hand or with a powertool.
2 - Pitons have same impact as bolts, although the damage they inflict on cracks cannot be reversed and is more variable than bolts. If you think pitons have no permanent impact on cracks go climb in Yosemite, where some routes are climbed primarily via jams in pin scars.
3 - Anchors usually leave more manmade material behind than bolts or pins. They may involve chains and/or large quantities of nylon slings. When trees are used as anchors on high-use routes, they are often severely damaged. This is why many support the use of bolt anchors on popular routes.
4 - Many routes require cleaning before they are safe for mass consumption. The amount of cleaning will vary, but often involves removing vegetation and loose rock. Even areas that seem to require little cleaning are impacted by traffic. Case in point: finding most climbs in Leavenworth is simply a matter of finding the lichen-free stripes running up the cliffs. These are seen from a great distance, from which bolts are invisible.
5 - Trails, and all of their features, whether built through concerted effort or simply worn in by human traffic, can have a large impact on the landscape.
In my limited experience as a fledgling route-setter working at an area where bolts are already the standard, I can tell you that the relative impact of the items mentioned above is 5 > 4 >> 3 > 1. From the wilderness and alpine routes I've climbed, I would say that their relative impact is 5 > 4 >> 3 > 2 = 1.
Thus, with regard to environmental impact, your obsession with bolts seems to be misplaced and is perhaps driven by your view that sport climbing has unacceptably reduced the risks of climbing. If you could separate the environmental impact issues from your views on sport climbing style you might assemble and articulate a more compelling argument. Good luck with that.
Cheers,
Rad
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To fall off of the slab you would need to fling yerself off of it.
I agree completely.
If you get nervous do your best starfish impression, activate your MLU, and wait for the chopper and TV cameras.
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I heard that Bryan Burdo has one or two new guide books coming out soon. Does anyone know the scoop?
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Thanks for posting.
Your photos illustrate why sometimes it's good to have a helmet even if you plan to be unroped.
Keep exploring!
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Kaleetan S ridge is fun w/a little 3rd classing.
Snoqualmie peak is good via the trail that runs directly up from the Alpental lot, but I have not been on it early in the season when it is snow-covered.
Farther afield try Del Campo, Vesper, Baring, Daniel.
Have fun.
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Congrats, and thanks for posting a TR. This site could use more TRs and less spray.
Cheers,
Rad
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"(BTW Rad, how much did ya get for the kidney?)"
I got enough from the deal to quit my day job and sit around rural Canada posting 45,000 times on CC!
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I bear some responsibility for Mythosgrl's injury as I encouraged her to lead the 5.9 climb in question and was belaying her when she fell. It was basically just bad luck.
She has since gone on to greater things!
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I bear some responsibility for Mythosgrl's injury as I encouraged her to lead the 5.9 climb in question and was belaying her when she fell. It was basically just bad luck.
She has since gone on to greater things!
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Tape is aid - like BAND-AID!
Try it sometime, everyone's doing it
Dangers at Neverland
in Rock Climbing Forum
Posted
Actually, Hook is in Neverland, not Nevermind, and he does say Far side, not Deception.