Click here to see the November E-Newsletter
Click here to read Coley Gentzel's "Progression of a Mountaineer"
Click here for the Photo Contest
November E-Newsletter
AAI's November E-Newsletter has just been released! Read about new winter programs, check out an article written by Coley Gentzel on "The Progression of a Mountaineer," vote for the photo contest finalists, and view the newest gear for the upcoming snow days.
Click here to see the November E-Newsletter
Click here to read Coley Gentzel's "Progression of a Mountaineer"
Click here for the Photo Contest
Click here to see the November E-Newsletter
Click here to read Coley Gentzel's "Progression of a Mountaineer"
Click here for the Photo Contest
Climbing News from Here and Abroad -- November 13, 2008
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.
Conditions Report -- November 12, 2008
Red Rock Canyon:
--Forecast and average temperatures for Red Rock Canyon.
JOSHUA TREE:
--Forecast and average temperatures for Joshua Tree National Park.
NORTHWEST:
--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.
--Forecast for Mount Rainier.
--Webcam for Mount Rainier National Park.
--Forest Service Road Report for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
AAI Guide Chantel Astorga on Remote Control, 5.9
Photo by Mary Harlan
--Here is a great photo essay from a couple of people who spent a week in Red Rock.
--Forecast and average temperatures for Joshua Tree National Park.
NORTHWEST:
--Forecast for the West Slope of the Cascades.
--Forecast for Mount Rainier.
--Webcam for Mount Rainier National Park.
--Forest Service Road Report for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
--While there wasn't much climbing going on over the last week in Washington, people have really started to get their skis moving. These guys checked out Mount Baker. These guys checked out Mount Rainier. And these guys took a look at Mount Bachelor.
SIERRA:
--For up to date avalanche and weather reports in the Eastern Sierra, click here.
--A very cool, very photo-heavy trip report for a trip to the Needles may be found here. A spectacular photo-heavy report on a climbing, skiing and bouldering trip to Bishop may be found here.
ALASKA RANGE:
--Forecast for Denali
--Webcam for Denali National Park.
--The Alaska season is over until April of 2009, but we are already in the process of gearing up for it. We are now accepting applications for our 2009 Denali expeditions.
CLIMBING MAGAZINE WEATHER:
Climbing Magazine weather reports for Yosemite, Denali and Rainier may be found here.
SIERRA:
--For up to date avalanche and weather reports in the Eastern Sierra, click here.
--A very cool, very photo-heavy trip report for a trip to the Needles may be found here. A spectacular photo-heavy report on a climbing, skiing and bouldering trip to Bishop may be found here.
ALPS:
--Forecast for Denali
--Webcam for Denali National Park.
CLIMBING MAGAZINE WEATHER:
Climbing Magazine weather reports for Yosemite, Denali and Rainier may be found here.
First Ascent of Kang Nachugo by Climbing Rangers
In mid-September, one of our lead climbing rangers, David Gottlieb, took off for Kathmandu on a climbing trip through the Himalayas. David's climbing partner, Joe Puryear, is a previous Mt. Rainier climbing ranger and friend. Their goal was a first ascent of Kang Nachugo (6,735 meters), found within the Himalayan Valley of Rolwaling. Joe set up a climbing blog, so that friends, fellow climbers, and family can stay up-to-
date on their progress. We all waited patiently for news of their climb and verification of their safety. Thankfully, a post on October 25th stated simply that they were successful and were safe. Their blog now has a full trip report, complemented by some amazing pictures - definitely worth a full read-through. We just want to say "Congratulations" to both Joe and David, while wishing them safe travels home. We hope to see you on the Mountain soon!
The Figure-Eight Follow-Through
The figure-eight follow-through -- also often referred to as the figure-eight retrace and the rewoven figure-eight -- is one of the hardest working knots in climbing. Most climbers tie this knot multiple times a day.
This short video shows one how to tie the figure-eight follow-through. The climber in this video does a great job of dressing the knot. In other words she doesn't have any weird crosses and the knot looks very clean. What she does a poor job with is her "back-up" knot. If you use one, it should be a single fisherman's knot which is also known as a barrel knot.
This second video shows the proper finish, but names it improperly. They call it a double fisherman's knot in this video, when it is actually a single Fisherman's Knot.
The reality of the so-called "back-up knot" is that it is not necessary. If your knot is dressed and there is at least one fist worth of rope sticking out of the end of the knot, then all will be well.
Many of my students tell me that after they related this information about back-up knots to the manager of their climbing gym, the manager wouldn't relent on his gym's back-up knot policy. This is not something to sweat over. If your gym requires that you tie such a knot, you should just do it. Some gyms have insurance policies that require this unnecessary step, whereas others have created protocol based systems that are hard to change without chopping through a lot of red tape. It is less of a headache if you just follow the gym's rules while you are there.
Some climbers like to finish their figure-eight with a "Yosemite tuck" or "Yosemite finish." This is common technique is accomplished by tucking the end of the rope back into the knot. The upside of this is that it can clean up the knot. The downside is that this technique may seriously weaken the knot if you use the inside of the knot as a belay loop. If you load the loop of the knot it is possible that it will invert, after which you will only have part of the figure-eight remaining. Some people cure this problem by passing the rope around itself before going through the hole, but that makes the knot a little bigger.
A Figure-Eight Follow-Through with a standard
After learning about this, many people ask why one might use the inside of the knot as a belay loop. In alpine climbing, a small percentage of climbers still use harnesses without belay loops. In technical terrain it's always better to have a belay loop, so those without one often simply use the inside of their knot. If this is something that you wish to do, it might be better to avoid all types of Yosemite tucks or finishes. Even better, if you're going to be on technical terrain, you should use a harness with a belay loop.
And lastly, this is a nice video that shows an overview of a few different figure-eight knots from the figure-eight family:
--Jason D. Martin
This short video shows one how to tie the figure-eight follow-through. The climber in this video does a great job of dressing the knot. In other words she doesn't have any weird crosses and the knot looks very clean. What she does a poor job with is her "back-up" knot. If you use one, it should be a single fisherman's knot which is also known as a barrel knot.
This second video shows the proper finish, but names it improperly. They call it a double fisherman's knot in this video, when it is actually a single Fisherman's Knot.
The reality of the so-called "back-up knot" is that it is not necessary. If your knot is dressed and there is at least one fist worth of rope sticking out of the end of the knot, then all will be well.
Many of my students tell me that after they related this information about back-up knots to the manager of their climbing gym, the manager wouldn't relent on his gym's back-up knot policy. This is not something to sweat over. If your gym requires that you tie such a knot, you should just do it. Some gyms have insurance policies that require this unnecessary step, whereas others have created protocol based systems that are hard to change without chopping through a lot of red tape. It is less of a headache if you just follow the gym's rules while you are there.
Some climbers like to finish their figure-eight with a "Yosemite tuck" or "Yosemite finish." This is common technique is accomplished by tucking the end of the rope back into the knot. The upside of this is that it can clean up the knot. The downside is that this technique may seriously weaken the knot if you use the inside of the knot as a belay loop. If you load the loop of the knot it is possible that it will invert, after which you will only have part of the figure-eight remaining. Some people cure this problem by passing the rope around itself before going through the hole, but that makes the knot a little bigger.
A Figure-Eight Follow-Through with a standardYosemite Finish.
A Figure-Eight Follow-Through with an
extra wrap. This is better.
A Figure-Eight Follow-Through with anextra wrap. This is better.
And lastly, this is a nice video that shows an overview of a few different figure-eight knots from the figure-eight family:
--Jason D. Martin
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