pup_on_the_mountain

@JasonG, keep 'em POTD pics coming!

Thanks much for posting your report here, Eric. Big congrats on two huge ticks!

Wow, what a blast from the past! It turned out to be tendonitis from computer over use. I started doing yoga regularly several years ago, and that has really helped keep things under control. It still flares up when I use my laptop too much, but eases up when I get off it. Doing yoga on a regular basis (for a long enough time) could do wonders! I also got some tips from my yoga instructor (in Portland) who does therapeutic yoga. All of that was before the pandemic - I do some basic yoga on my own these days on most days. @DPS, have a similar I-90 commute joke for tendonitis? 🤣

NWAC recently released the final report for Colchuck Peak accident from last month. Wasn't aware of it till now... quite unfortunate.

Congrats to both of you! And thanks much for sharing (wonderful pics, as always!). May be you should revive those old double statements, but with positive ones: "It's so awesome up there, but at least I had my tough wife for company!"

Thanks much for sharing the link to the story and old pics, Kurt! You guys were a tough bunch BITD. And nice to see connections to the Palouse...

Looks like a trip you'll savor for a long time. And you timed it just about perfect, given the recent developments (although, Leh should not see much of the turmoil). Thanks much for sharing! Brought back memories from more than a decade ago... Second the advice to fly in to Leh (but take enough time to acclimatize there before going any higher). IIRC, flights from Delhi are available year round. Tons of big, steep, and many not so steep, hills to keep one busy for many years!

That's a good point @glassgowkiss. Should've thought about it better... Removed the links now, FWIW. Mods, please feel free to delete this thread.

Came across this commentary by Alex Honnold on climbing scenes in movies on YouTube. The oscar is certainly making climbing a bit more "mainstream"...

So, where are the ski pics, @DPS?

Nice to see your experience with fasting. The details and documentation are much appreciated. On a related but more general note, fasting on a semi-regular basis has been part of several Eastern cultures for ages (millenia). Folks have understood the benefits of fasting (both short- and long-term), and have incorporated the same into their culture/religion/life. I'm originally from India, and am a Hindu (religion). We have many festivals throughout the year (at least once a month on average), and people fast for many of them before breaking their fast with prayers (at least traditionally; present day habits vary). I myself am not as regular - I often celebrate the festivals by eating a lot . For some of these festivals, folks do a complete fast for 24 hours (even no water). Only fruits+water for 24 hours is more common, though. I try to do this sort of fasting occasionally (over the past few years). Also, I usually avoid eating anything till ~1 PM on Sundays (I drink water and coffee without sugar/cream - need the drug to read CC, sheesh!). I've not tracked any effects of these minor fasting efforts (good or bad). The game would be quite different if you're fasting while/as part of training for huge climbs, so I'd be curious how you incorporate the same into your future endeavors into the big hills.

I meant @DPS, a CC.com veteran and common climbing partner and friend of ours. He will teach you air guitar . @JasonG, this TR is filled with winning! So much winning that we got tired of it. I told the Russian to "Stop it! I can't take it any more!"

Trip: Vesper Peak - No Colusion with the Russian on Ragged Edge Trip Date: 07/27/2018 Trip Report: OlegV (The Russian) and I climbed Ragged Edge (Original start) on Vesper Peak Friday. Thanks a lot to Darin and Gene for putting up such an enjoyable route in a truly splendid setting. They are wonderful, tremendous, people! We had debated whether to bring ice axe and crampons. Our man Tom came to us and emailed us saying he had gone in there in June, and there was still a lot of snow. Tons of snow in June, folks! So we would want to take the axe and pons. But the Russian was very powerful in their assertion that there would be no snow, and that we'd want to go light. Now, my sources are very good people, and I trust my sources very much, but I can say this for sure. I didn't see why there would* be any snow up there! But the Russian tore his old trail running shoe on the approach. SAD! (image by the Russian) When we got to the lake in the bowl below Sperry and Vesper on Thursday, it was still covered with snow. There was just about one small patch of dry flat ground by the side of Vesper creek for us to bivy (image by the Russian): We were worried we'd be screwed by the snow. Lots of snow up there still, folks! Lots of it! But we had made the best approach from the trailhead - of all time! No one before us has made such a tremendous approach!! *I wanted to make a small clarification about my previous statement. I meant to say "I didn't see why there wouldn't be any snow up there". That should clear it all up, folks. I was in my Nepal Evos (don't have a lighter shoe that's as comfy ).That came in handy the next day to deal with the snow. We followed the trail up the East shoulder of Vesper. Where we wanted to cut across to the gap, the snow angle was not too bad. I cut steps, and the Russian was able to follow just fine. Luckily, the North side was all snow free! Who would've known?! Nobody knew, folks, nobody knew! There was just a small patch on the approach ledge, which we bypassed easily: Since we wasted enough time dealing with the snow, we decided to go for the original start as soon as we came up to it. The climb was a lot of fun. Thanks much for the bolts and the fixed anchors - just at the right places! And we could get a bunch of gear in otherwise. Here are some pics from the climb: The last pitch, with Copper Lake in the background: (At) The Summit with the Russian. Notice the Russian looks a lot more calm, composed, and in control ! The Russian made a bunch of video recordings. Who would record their partner? SAD! But in all the recordings, my voice is there in only one of them! It was great to get my fat ass up in the hills again after two years. But trust me folks, it's all a witch hunt, and there was no collusion with the Russian! Your favorite CC.com-er has done nothing wrong! We took our time lingering in the 'pine (wanted to avoid traffic driving back to Portland). But then we got delayed for almost an hour by construction on I-5. SAD! The 24-hr espresso drive-thru in Everett, and lots of fun conversation with the Russian kept me awake for the drive home. Among other things, we talked about obesity, epics in the mountains, Dan Smith, Maria Butina, etc. But there was no colusion! Gear Notes: We brought too much, placed much. Leave the axe and pons at home. Approach Notes: The 2.2 miles of dirt road to the trailhead (from the Mountain Loop Highway) is in bad shape for compact cars. I had to be super careful not to bottom out my Impreza! A highe(er) clearance vehicle is recommended.

Old school ones, perhaps. India's defense budget is minuscule compared to that of the Pentagon, after all (and one can't buy AR-15's at the Walmart in India either ). This video is (perhaps) a recruiting tool of the High Altitude Warfare School of the Indian Army, targeting eager young recruits. As @ScaredSilly mentioned, India and Pakistan have been fighting for over 70 years in the Himalayan high altitudes. Not surprisingly, most mountaineering/climbing instruction in India is administered by the armed forces to this day. Mountaineering as a form of recreation is still rare, although it's starting to catch up with (rich) people gaining more time and money to spare. I experienced a bit of this change when comparing my visits back there back in 2006 and the one last year. A friend of mine (now in the US) went for a 4-week climbing school almost 20 years back, which was run by one of these Army divisions. While the basics were all taught, It felt more like an army camp than a climbing class (and yes, he did get ordered around by the "guides"). "Staying/coming back alive" has a whole new meaning for these mountain fighters. We recreational climbers have it much easier out in the West ...

Congrats Kurt! I pre-ordered my copy (although, I'm not sure if/when I'll get to climb any of the routes ).