Climbing News from Here and Abroad -- August 14, 2008

Northwest:

--The SPOT GPS emergency tracking unit has its place in the outdoors, but it should not take the place of a well thought out emergency plan. A small team of climbers on the Wedge Glacier near Whistler Mountain used a SPOT locater on Monday night to call for help. A member of their team suffered a broken leg. Members of the team activated the locator and then left their partner to catch a good night's sleep down at the hut. When asked why they did this, they asked a question back: "Why should we all be cold?" To read about the rescue, click here. To read a forum discussion on the topic, click here.

--A Portland woman fell to her death last Thursday while approaching the Backbone Ridge on Dragontail Peak. Andrea Basque, 45, suffered a 300 foot fall while climbing a moraine below the route that she'd done just a week before. To read more, click here and here and here.

--The Seattle Times published an interesting article this week about mountain guides on Mount Rainier and their quest to beat each others times to the top. The current record is 4 hours, 49 minutes and 35 seconds. To read more, click here.

Europe:

--Two Colorado based climbers suffered a fatal fall on the the Matterhorn last week. It appears that Vince Bousselaire, 53, of Golden and a 57-year-old woman from Boulder whose name has not been released, became disoriented in a storm and fell. To read more about this, click here.

--Dean Potter -- super-climber, super-slack-liner, and super-BASE jumper -- did a very Dean Potter thing in early August. The 36 year-old climber free-soloed a very difficult overhanging limestone route on the Eiger with nothing more than a BASE jumping rig attached to his back. To read more, click here.

Himalaya:

--The mainstream media -- including the New York Times -- has reported heavily on the horrible accident on K2 that claimed eleven lives. Climbing writer Freddie Wilkinson feels that many contributing factors to this accident have been ignored or misreported. To read his article, click here.

--Italians Herve Barmasse and Simone Moro recently made the first ascent of Beka Brakai Chhok (22,769'). This peak, found in the Karakoram's Batura Group was climbed in a 43 hour push alpine-style. The team encountered extremely difficult terrain that included sections of exposed and poorly protected climbing. To read more, click here.

--The controversy about the Olympic Torch on Mount Everest continues. A Nepalese blog, Blogdai, reports that the footage of the Chinese on the summit of Mount Everest is suspect and might have been faked. They identify a number of factors that lead to this conclusion:

1. Teams that summitted after the Chinese found no new flags or mementos on the summit.
2. The old prayer flags that are commonly seen in photos on top of Mount Everest were absent in the photos and video.
3. In the video, people are carrying on a conversation behind the cameraman. They are speaking in long sentences without taking a breath. This would be an incredible feat at 28,000 feet.
   
4. And most compellingly, the footage shows fog-like steam coming from the climbers' mouths. There is no rime-ice present on their collars. And indeed, this phenomenon is categorically uncommon in the high dry air of an 8000 meter peak.

To read more, click here and here.

Notes From All Over:

--Chris Pazder, of Helena, Montana, was killed in a fall while traversing the ridge between the South Teton and Cloudvieil Dome in the Grand Teton National Park. Pazder was crossing the south side of Gilkey Tower when he slipped and fell 800 feet to a ledge on the north side of Avalanche Canyon. To read more, click here.

--The Wall Arch on the Devil's Garden Trail in Arches National Park in Utah collapsed this week. The combination of an easy trail and a beautiful vantage point made the Wall Arch one of the most photographed in the park. This is the first major collapse of an arch since parts of the Landscape Arch fell off in 1991. To read more, click here.

--It is now illegal for climbers -- or anyone else for that matter -- to carry their WAG bags or poop tubes or pee bottles or carabiners in Denver. The new city ordinance is designed to keep people from using human waste for nefarious purposes during the Democratic National Convention. This is understandable, but carabiners? Somebody didn't do their homework. To read more, click here.

--Jason Thompson, Seth Waterfall and Tyler Jones recently made the first ski descent of Mount Shkhara (17,063') in the Caucasus mountains of the Republic of Georgia. The small team of skiers was able to make this historic descent in part due to a Hans Saari Memorial Fund grant. To read more, click here.

--Two strong teams knocked off the tallest remaining unclimbed peaks in the Russian Pamir mountains in early August. Korumdy East (20,944') and Peak Chiringyad (19,238') offered difficult and remote terrain to each of the teams. To read more, click here.

--Bigfoot researchers claim to have found the body of a bigfoot in Northern Georgia. They plan on presenting a photo of the body as well as DNA evidence to prove the existence of the creature at a press conference tomorrow. Weird that they're not bringing the body to the press conference...isn't it? To read more, click here.

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Road Delays

The AAI office just received the following email from Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest:

• Aug. 18-Oct. 11 expect 60-minute delays on Forest Service road 12 (Loomas Nooksack Road), mile post 0.0 to 3.6 (junction with road 13 - Schriebers Meadow Road). For updated information about road and trail conditions go to http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/.

Conditions Report -- August 13, 2008

NORTHWEST:
--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for the East Slope of the Cascades.

--Forecast for Mount Rainier.

--Forest Service Road Report for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

--The Heliotrope Ridge trail on the North Side of Mount Baker is in much better condition than it was a short time ago. A few weeks ago we reported on the massive stretches of blowdown found throughout the trail. A few weeks before that, we reported on the bridge that was out at the start of the trail. We are happy to tell you that trail crews have replaced the bridge and cut through all the sections of blowdown. The trail is once again, in excellent shape.

--Some pretty serious weather blew through the Pacific Northwest over the weekend, but a few people got out both before and after the storm. This is a great report with cool pictures from the Inspiration Ice Cap. There are a lot of nice photos from this trip up Dumbell Mountain. And here's one more photo heavy trip report from Sahale Peak.

--As usual there are a couple of people who still think it's ski season. This group toured near Table Mountain and Ptarmigan Ridge. And this group messed around on the Paradise Glacier on Mount Rainier.

SIERRA:

--For up to date avalanche and weather reports in the Eastern Sierra, click here.

--The weather is phenomenal in the Sierras and there is a lot of time left there before the weather turns. Check out this great photo trip report from a climb of the West Ridge of Mount Conness.

ALPS:

--Chamonix and Mont Blanc Regional Forecasts may be found here.

ALASKA RANGE:

--Forecast for Denali

--The Alaska season is over until April of 2009.

RED ROCK CANYON:

-- Temperatures remain high in Red Rock but people are starting to gear up for the Fall climbing season. Average highs throughout the summer range between 102 and 108. The campground is closed and will re-open at the beginning of September. Locals tend to climb at higher altitudes where the temperatures are cooler. Many visit Mount Charleston or Flagstaff throughout the summer season.

CLIMBING MAGAZINE WEATHER:

Climbing Magazine weather reports for Yosemite, Denali and Rainier may be found here.

Americans in the Outdoors

A recent Outdoor Industry Association participation study indicated that of Americans who spend time in the outdoors, they spend the most time on the following activities:

1. Bicycling
2. Fishing
3. Hiking
4. Camping
5. Trail Running
   

A second OIA study identified youth (aged 6-17) who participate in outdoor activities as focused on the following:

1. Bicycling
   
2. Running
3. Skateboarding
4. Fishing
5. Viewing Wildlife

Among Americans participating in outdoor activities, 37 percent of youth participate in an outdoor activity at least twice a week. According to the study, this is more than any other age group.

The OIA study included over sixty-thousand participants. Of those, 6.1 percent(4,799 people) were climbers.

The largest flaw in the OIA study is that those who participated in in likely found the survey through some kind of outdoor oriented forum or blog. As such it may not reflect Americans overall. The following two studies are a little bit more grim.

A study last year by Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, indicated that 71 percent of mothers across the country reported that they played outdoors more than indoors as children. In that same study, mothers indicated that only 26 percent of their children play outdoors more than in.

A study by the Journal of Environmental Management found that electronic entertainment appeared to be responsible for a downward trend in National Park attendance. In 1987, when National Park attendance was at an all time high, Americans spent almost no time playing video games and surfing the internet. By 2003, the average American spent 174 hours a year on the internet and 90 hours a year playing video games. There appears to be a significant correlation between annual per capita National Park attendance and the use of electronic devices.

What does all of this mean?

• The OIA study provides a look at what those who are already outdoors are most interested in. Studies like this could ultimately lead those who allocate money to spend the bulk of what they have on those activities which have the most participation.
  
• The Hofstra study and the Journal of Environmental Management Study combine to create a much grimmer picture. Less people in the wilderness ultimately means less interested in wilderness preservation.
  

The excellent book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv takes a close look at these issues. Indeed, he even lays out strategies to change the indoor trend that appears to be sweeping across the country.

There is a great deal of value in promoting participation in outdoor recreation. Of course, those who are reading this blog comprise the choir to which I am preaching, but sometimes the choir is in contact with those who haven't already been converted. The more knowledge that we all have about these trends, the more we all can promote outdoor recreation. And the more we can promote outdoor recreation, the more resources we will have to continue to enjoy the wilderness that we all love.

--Jason D. Martin

August and September Climbing Events

--August 16 -- Mt. Baker Ski Area, WA -- Avalanche Awareness

--August 16-17 -- Bear Valley, CA -- Bear Valley Adventure Sports Festival

--August 16-23 -- Bicz Gorges National Park, Romania -- International Youth Climbing Camp

--September 5-7 -- Pine Mountain, CA -- Pine Mountain Pulldown

--September 5-7 -- Adirondacks, NY -- Adirondack Southern Rock Festival

--September 6 -- Charlotte, NC -- Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up

--September 18-21 -- Salt Lake City, UT -- HERA Climb for Life

--September 18-21 -- Ogden, UT -- Utah's High Adventure Mountain Film Fest

--September 24-28 -- Yosemite Valley, CA -- Yosemite Facelift

--September 29 -- Eugene, OR -- Justen Sjong Slideshow

--September-November -- Reel Rock Film Tour