Northwest:
--Prolific Northwest ice climber Don Serl was recently interviewed by the Vancouver based website, straight.com. In the article Serl discusses his experiences as a climber and talks about how it has changed. At the center of the story is Serl's concern that global climate change is having an adverse effect on ice climbing in Southwest B.C. and Washington State. To read more, click here.
--AAI Guide Mary Harlan recently moved to Las Vegas to guide in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Upon her arrival she immediately began to explore the park. Her explorations brought her to an unassuming little nook deep in the canyons. The Black Pearl is considered by some locals to be the best crack climb in the area. Surprisingly enough the route has seen almost no traffic since its first ascent in late March. Last week Mary made the second ascent of the route and became the first female to climb this soon to be classic line.
Mary Harlan leads The Black Pearl
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Notes From All Over:
--Eighteen year-olds, Benjamin Strohmeier and Laura Fletcher were killed in a rappelling accident last week in the Red River Gorge, Kentucky. It appears that the couple attempted to rappel off of an old discolored sling at the top of a route. Tragically, the sling broke and both fell over fifty feet. To read more, click here.
--Grivel North America closed up and ceased distributing Grivel products in the United States on September 1st, 2008. The company worked hard to stay alive, but the flagging US economy and the Euro's strength against the dollar prevented them from doing so. Grivel Italy is still alive and many retail companies are trying continue to distribute their products inside the United States. The American Alpine Institute is one of a very select group that is going to try to continue to carry these products.
--A couple of sections of the Backpacker's Field Manual by Rick Curtis was recently published online. In this chapter, Curtis talks about water purification in the backcountry. In this section he talks about Map and Compass skills and in this section he talks about safety and emergency procedures. These are all excellent write-ups!
--Speed climbing on big mountains has become a very popular sport. This summer a number of individuals vied for the top speed spot on Mount Rainier. But Mount Rainier isn't the only mountain that people race on. This summer 34 international athletes raced each other up Mount Elbrus in Russia. Extreme competitions used to be a tradition among alpinists in the former Soviet Union. The renewal of this race was a means by which recapture some of that competitive spirit. To read more, click here.
--In October, the Center for Leave No Trace and Outdoor Ethics conducted its first ever training in the Eastern European country of Montenegro. The center was invited to lead Leave No Trace Courses by the United Nations Development Program. To read more, click here.
