Viva Index

Ivan, et al., People with interesting stories and/or photos should feel free to send them to Matt or myself if they think it would be of interest to the guide. There wouldn't likely be monetary compensation for either - we just aren't in any kind of position to be doing that, which is part of why we are doing the work ourselves. That said, it is always good for a guide to have local color and flavor, especially from people who have been climbing there for years.

And yes, Glasgow, this WOULD be a great time for the photos - we unfortunately just could not be there this winter. If we really can't get the shots we need until next winter, then that will be the last thing to get done on the book, and the book will come out in the Spring.

Oh yes - this is one of the big goals of the book - to publicize some of the lesser-known classics (especially through tantalizing photos) and spread out climbers more evenly among all the walls (including upper pitches as well... let's not forget that the ltw is 4-5 pitches, and the upper wall is 5-6). The more traffic spreads out, the better all the walls at Index will be!

Hi everybody, I know I've been bopping around various forums over the last few months with lots of talk about this new guidebook. I wanted to let everybody know that the project is still a go, and that there is some very exciting news! I found a photographer, and friend, to team up with for the project - and couldn't be happier with who I got. Matt Van Biene is a professional photographer, talented climber, and severe Index enthusiast. I can't wait to work with him on this project. Matt and I will both be returning from separate trips to Patagonia in March, and are looking to rent a house in Index, or nearby. So if anybody has good beta on that front, we'd love to hear it! We will begin working on the new book in March, and are really hoping to have all the photography and route descriptions done by next fall. It may be ambitious, but our goal is to have a rakkup app downloadable by the end of the summer - and a full color book covering just Index on the market by Christmas of next year. Please note that these are goals, and while we hope to keep them, one never knows. For information on Matt, visit http://vanbienephotography.com/; to find out about myself, go to http://www.chriskalman.com/. There is contact info for both of us there. To learn more about rakkup, and their smartphone apps, go to http://www.rakkup.com/ At this point, we are leaning towards self-publishing. That said, we want to provide the best product possible to Index climbers, and have a number of publishers in mind, and whom we have talked to, that are interested in the book if we fail to create the product we are hoping for ourselves. Matt and I are both super-excited for spring to come, and open to suggestions and requests from Index climbers everywhere. Please feel free to contact either of us - but keep in mind that we will be starting work on the project in March. Happy climbing, and Viva la Index! -Chris Kalman

Hi everybody. My name is Chris. I spent the last two seasons as a climbing ranger on Mt. Rainier. In many ways it was a dream job. There were a variety of reasons I gave it up, which I won't go into great detail about here. Needless to say, it was a hard decision, and I miss my coworkers and the mountain. That said, I am still in the PNW (Seattle), and still unemployed. I am hoping to find exciting work that pays a living wage in something that allows me to focus more on rock climbing. I currently go down to Chile in january and february each winter to establish new multi-pitch routes. So, seasonal, or at least work with long winter breaks is preferable. Beyond being a previous climbing ranger, I've been climbing for 12 years, I am fluent in Spanish, I am a current W-Emt, I am a college grad, and I have a variety of publications in magazines like the Alpinist, Rock and Ice, and Climbing. I am ideally looking for work as a writer, guidebook author, alpine/rock climbing guide (no AMGA certs...), wilderness medicine teacher, or climbing instructor. I've applied for a variety of jobs at gear stores, at remote medical, and at climbing gyms. I'd be interested in suggestions, but I'm most interested in employers who think I could be a help to their business. I think I have a lot to offer, and am very excited to be back in the PNW. Take care, Chris