Archives
The Missing Link
Up to now we have been flying blind. But that will change. I just finished building a ground station down link that will receive live video from the GoPro. We will be able to see what the camera is seeing as we fly. This will help us better compose our footage and save valuable flight time. I also received my […]
Avalanche Airbag Effectiveness
This winter I noticed a magazine advertisement for an avalanche airbag pack that claimed “A 97 percent success rate in real world conditions.” What the advertisement didn’t mention was that people caught WITHOUT an avalanche airbag have an 80 – 90 percent success rate. In other words, most people caught in an avalanche will get a cheap lesson; they will either escape off the slab, grab a tree, dig into the bed surface, ride on top of the debris, it will be a small avalanche that wouldn’t burry them anyway, they could be saved by a beacon recovery or they could just get lucky. Most people caught in an avalanche will survive, which is very good news for all of us.
Northeast's Tom Nonis and Jeff Previte Join Seth Timpano for a FA in Antarctica
Tom Nonis, Jeff Previte and myself had hopes of establishing a new route on this impressive peak. I had noticed a very direct line up to the East Summit of Dolence a few years previous and we all agreed this would be our line of ascension. Contrary to popular belief, the weather in Antarctica in the austral summer can be quite pleasant. However, the day of our climb was not.
Adding to the NEice Air Fleet
The latest build in progress Just starting a new build. A small quad copter. I am hoping for more portability, longer flight times and a true FPV (first person visual) experience. Oh, and more power! The photo shows the basic frame and arms. This is a Team Black Sheep Discovery frame. Not easy to get but awesome! I […]
Night Vision
While we are still trying to figure out what makes the helicopters fall from the sky on cold days.. (not good!).. we ended up testing one theory long after the sun went down. Maybe next time, both the chopper and the pilot will have night vision goggles. The first night flight of the WooKong (click […]
Fear – Taking the Sharp End
“This was supposed to be the easy line. Soft sticks, a fun groove, and good stems made for fun climbing. Somewhere along the way though, everything changed – Now I’m 20 feet out from my last screw snd I’m absolutely terrified.”
North Gully, Huntington Ravine 2.22.13
The calm before the storm and another beautiful day in the alpine zone. One week earlier Doug and I enjoyed the “calm” with entirely different conditions in Madison Gulf. This time we experienced mid March weather on February 22. Enjoy and get ready for the long days of March. Alan Cattabriga […]
Lard Tunderin’ Jaysus, Der’s A Lotta Ice Up Der B’ys!
by Ryan Stefiuk I buried my face inside my puffy coat as Andre’s snowmobile lurched into motion. The rubber tread beneath us occasionally slipped on the thick black tiles of ice as we sped along the pond. To my right, Alden and Walt were cruising along, closer to the shoreline. The Cholesterol Wall, looming just […]
Behind the Tights: Andrea Charest
I’ve had a somewhat ambiguous relationship with Mammut since about 2007 when JP Hong hooked me up with my first pair of Softech pants. I’m fortunate to work just a few miles from the Mammut USA Headquarters in Shelburne, Vermont, and it has been a pleasure to get to know so many of the folks there—they work very hard! Through the years, I was the local female climber, guide, gym manager, they were the attractive Swiss brand down the road…
