One of the great things about climbing after Christmas is chance to try out all those new toys you got over the holidays as gifts or on sale. And I am guilty as charged!
I recently went ice climbing in Ouray and then made the summit of Colorado 14er, Quandary Peak in temps well below zero and winds gusting over 30 mph. Perfect time to try out new gear.
In Ouray, I used my new Black Diamond Cobra ice tools for the first time. I had bought them on sale at the BD site and was anxious to see if they lived continue reading
Over President’s day weekend in mid February 2010, I joined some friends for some ice climbing in world famous Ouray Ice Park. It was a great time with perfect weather and nice ice.
Ouray is famous for man-made ice and the annual Ice Festival held every January. Ouray is a small mountain town in Southwest Colorado. A longtime favorite summer destination, it is nestled in the high Rocky Mountains. Ouray, once a mining town, might have disappeared or slowly dwindled away if an accident had not occurred. A leak in the fresh water pipe running along the top of a river continue reading
If you have ever driven along Colorado’s Interstate 70 from Denver to Vail, you might have noticed all the dead pine trees along the highway. Some think it is due to pollution spewed by cars but is actually nature at work.
Mountain pine beetles have killed an estimated 3.6 million acres of trees in Colorado alone. Their favorite food is the lodgepole pine tree but they also enjoy the ponderosa, Scotch and limber pine. The beetles kill the trees by creating fungus under the bark, which slows growth and eventually kills it.
The root issue is that the beetles are enjoying run-away continue reading
Those who want to make an immediate contribution, there is a quick and easy way to do so. By texting “HAITI” to “90999″ a donation of $10 will be made to the Red Cross and charged to your cell phone bill.
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If you missed Everest:Beyond the Limit Season 3 (2009) you can watch all 5 episodes online for free http://tinyurl.com/yeyav9o
Update: it seems it is not available online in Europe.
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Welcome to a new decade! And as you would expect, technology leads the way with cameras at the center stage. Most hikers, trekkers and climbers love to take pictures from their perils so picking the right camera is important. I have updated a long time section of my site for the latest technology now available in 2010.
Probably the most exciting announcement in the past year or so was a brand new format called Micro Four Thirds. The promise is of a camera with the performance of a DSLR in the size of a point and shoot. Panasonic and Olympus are continue reading
When I started this website almost a decade ago, my vision was to simply share my experiences through introspective and candid reporting. That has not changed however the site has evolved over the years so let’s take a brief look back before we look forward.
All of my 16+ big climbs including Denali, Aconcagua and the 3 to Everest had extensive coverage that included live dispatches, gear lists, an FAQ page plus an extensive collection of pictures presented in a gallery format with a sideshow presentation. Every Colorado 14er summit has it’s own page – 52 at this point.
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The final two episodes of Everest: Beyond the Limit Season 3 were quite good; very different from the first three in a number of ways.
First, the camera work seemed much better; perhaps because many of the scenes were in full daylight. The editing was smooth and neither episode felt rushed when compared, especially, to the first episode.
Then, I think the story line was more even and took us into the team dynamics without any of the conflict. I appreciated hearing directly from so many of the climbers and their unfiltered honesty.
Finally, we held a Titter Chat (#EV09) with Astronaut and continue reading
It has been about a month since we replaced our Windows PCs with iMacs so I thought a quick report was in order. I am glad to report – all is fine.
As I posted on November 19, we replaced an HP and Dell PC running Windows XP with two iMacs. The installation and data transfers were simple. And the learning curve fast. We both have standard configurations with 4 MB and are pleasantly surprised at the speed.
Cathy’s World
Looking a bit deeper; I tend to use the computer for more functions than my wife, Cathy, who mostly surfs her favorite websites, continue reading
I am extremely excited to announce that starting today, I am a regular blogger for Outside Magazine’s Online website. After watching my annual coverage of the Everest climbing season the past few years, plus the content on my own site from my own adventures I was approached by Editor Joe Spring to join their team. I am honored to join such excellent bloggers as Stephen Regenold of the Gear Junkie.
In addition to sharing my experiences and a passion for mountaineering, this is also a wonderful opportunity to raise visibility for Alzheimer’s causes. I am most grateful to Outside for supporting continue reading
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