Local Climbers Ascend World's 2nd-Highest Unclimbed Peak

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Saser Kangri II

7,513 meters (24,649 feet)

Saser Kangri ll, south face - Mark Richey

Mark Richey, Steve Swenson, and Freddie Wilkinson have climbed the east peak of Saser Kangri II in the Eastern Karakoram mountains of India’s Kashmir region.

This was believed to be the second-highest unclimbed peak in the world.  Details of the climb are not available yet.

More at:
Climbing.com
American Alpine Journal
Steveswensonsblog.blogspot.com
Sources: American Alpine Club, Climbing.com, Steveswensonsblog.blogspot.com

 

Photo by Mark Richey, aaj.americanalpineclub.org

The Highs and Lows of NEice

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Creatures of Habit!

by Doug Millen, NEice.com

Have a look at this graph. Visits per day. The high points are almost always Monday, and the low points are mostly  Saturday. It Makes perfect sense. Out climbing on the weekend (Saturday), at work on Monday, bored, checking out what happened and posting new stuff from the weekend. It’s the same, week after week and has been for years.

There is a lot of  information out there these days. The question is, what to do with this knowledge?

Help the NEice viewer, of course 🙂

Floods and Deep Snow

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Spring is coming!

And with spring weather comes certain opportunities …..get ready!

Heavy rains hit hard in the south and deep snow (2-3 ft) in north west of our region. More heavy rain on the way, even on Mt. Washington. The ice will take a heavy hit. But the good news is that the  forecast is for much below normal temperatures to follow.

southridgewebsz

-North West Vermont

Heavy snow conditions on the beginning of the South Ridge Traverse, TD,II,15M, Aid was used to reach the lower ridgeline. Third ascent this winter. – Rockytop

moores

-Catskills New York

“Buttermilk… maybe more like Chocolate milk?” – Cramp!

Ice Fest Face Off – 2011

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Mount Washington Valley NH

February 4, 2011
MWiceFaceOffThumb

click to see the video

The Winners!

Men’s – Josh Worley  /  Women’s – Janet Bergman

Video by by Julian Rodier – Climberism Magazine in collaboration with Juharo Productions
Source: Vimeo, Climberism.com

Spray Ice, Quick Report

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PONDELLA__HELMCKEN__6357

“This is going out from Tim Hortons in Salmon Arm, BC. I wanted to post Pondella’s photos and some words. Yeah!”

“I am sure of little in life, but of this I am sure: The Helmcken Falls spray ice cave is absolutely the wildest, best, most insane ice climbing area I’ve ever seen.”

“The metal detector was an integral part of the rack, and will be for future ascents” – Will Gadd

Much More ….

Source: gravsports.com, Will Gadd

Smuggs Ice Bash 2011

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The 5th annual Alpinist / Smuggs Ice Bash takes place this weekend.

Friday, January 28: Kick off the Ice Bash weekend at Petra Cliffs in Burlington!

6:45 p.m. Matt McCormick presents “Climbing & Culture” – world class photography and video from Pakistan’s alpine playground, the Charakusa Valley.

indoor ice climbing7:00 p.m. Drytooling Competition begins – watch the area’s best climbers battle it out to a winner take all finish.  Presented by Petzl.

Saturday & Sunday, January 29-30: the 5th annual Smuggs Ice Bash, the local’s ice climbing festival at the foot of Smuggler’s Notch, will be offering some great clinics for women, beginners, intermediate and advanced climbers alike, and a wicked slide show by Ian Osteyee at the village tavern, 6pm

For complete event info, schedule and clinics, visit: sunrise adventure sports.com

"Rollies"

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Matt, Matt, Naomi, Freddie, Aya and Bayard - Photo by Matt Gluesenkamp

Matt, Matt, Naomi, Freddie, Aya and Bayard - Photo by Matt Gluesenkamp

Mountainfest FUN!

Sunday night after Matts slide show, we all went to the Bivi. Visiting climbers Matt McCormick, Bayard Russell and Freddie Wilkinson played “Rollies with the Legendary Joe Szot. Well you live and you learn, the boys definately got schooled!

“Most of the crowd made it to 4 and some cranked into the 5th round.
Matt McCormick made it into the one on one final with the Champ Joe Szot.
Matt bowed out with 8 rolls and Joe took the bar to crank out 11” – Brian D.

[nggallery id=11]

Photos by Brian D.

Watch an earlier video of Joe Szot finishing the last of a set. Simply unbelievable! Never challenge this man to “Rollies”. He is the master and you don’t stand a chance.

-Doug Millen

Endangered Species

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Video

Endangered Species from Matt McCormick on Vimeo.

On Friday January, 14. Bayard Russell, Matt Horner and I climbed a line on the “Big Wall” section of Poko-Moonshine in the Adirondacks. The line paralleled the legendary Jeff Lowe route Gorillas in the Mist which hasn’t seen a 3rd ascent since Alex Lowe and Randy Rackliff repeated it the day after the FA in 1997.

We called this new variant Endangered Species WI5+R M6+

-Matt McCormick

Endangered Species

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Poko-O-Moonshine – Adirondacks,  NY

01/14/2011
Adirondack Mountainfest 2011

Story Up-Date 1/20/11 from Bayard Russell

True to Mountainfest tradition of establishing new climbs, Bayard Russell, Matt Horner & Matt McCormick established – “Endangered Species” M6+ NEI5+ R. The climb is just to the right of Jeff Lowes legendary line “Gorillas in the Mist”.

“It’s so cool that, after all these years, the Northeast continues to generate some of the most exciting winter climbing in the country” – Dougald MacDonald

The 2 Matts having a go on Gorillas In The Mist. No tools left this time. Photo by Smike

The 2 Matts having a go at Gorillas / Endangered Species earlier that week. No tools left this time. Photo by Smike

We were treated with photos and a video of the ascent Sunday night at Matt McCormick’s slide show.  A very impressive climb by some very motivated and committed climbers. Well done.  See the video..

Matt Hornor,s tools on Gorillas in the Mist. - Photo by Jessew

Matt Horner’s tools on Gorillas in the Mist, 2008. – Photo by Jessew

Many attempts over the years have been made on this section of cliff . Lack of good ice has always blocked the way. Back in 2008,  Matt Horner tried the climb in an after-work ascent where he ended up lowering off his tools in the dark, that was the best anchor he could build in the thin, candled ice (see photo).

See Fifty favorite climbs: the ultimate North American tick list By Mark Kroese  for information on Gorillas in the Mist

The Big Wall section of Poke-O. The thin strip of ice is the new route "Endangered Species" (Horner/McCormick/Russel). Photo by Jim Lawyer

The Big Wall section of Poke-O. The thin strip of ice is the new route “Endangered Species”. Photo by Jim Lawyer

More on the NEice Forum

Source: Matt McCormick, Matt Horner, Bayard Russell, NEice Forum, Facebook & Climbing.com

Story Up-Date 1/20/11

 

“There are a couple of things that we did do, and a couple of things that we didn’t do; here’s the deal” – Bayard Russell


Mountainfest 2011

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Mtfest2011Poster

The 15th annual Adirondack International Mountainfest takes place January 14-16, 2011 (this weekend!). This year’s event will kick off with a slide show by Freddie Wilkinson on Friday night. Saturday’s speaker will be renowned Exum guide and mountaineer Mark Newcomb, and Sunday’s entertainment is Vermont’s star climber Matt McCormick. Freddie, Mark and Matt will join local guides Chuck Boyd, Emilie Drinkwater, Jeremy Haas, Carl Heilman, Matt Horner, Chad Kennedy, Colin Loher, Don Mellor and Jim Pitarresi to lead instructional clinics on ice climbing, mountaineering, snowshoeing and avalanche awareness on Saturday and Sunday.