Monday December 29, 2008

A dry looking Mount Washington yesterday

Yesterday and today I had the unique experience of climbing Central Gully on Mount Washington on two very different kind of days. Climbing with Tom yesterday the summit saw temperatures around 40 degrees with winds in the 80 MPH range around 2pm. Today while climbing with Adam the temperatures on the summit were in the mid teens and the wind was light. The climb of the gully itself on both days was fun but the hiking yesterday was very difficult with significant postholing. The postholing made us avoid the snow so we took crampons off on the Alpine Garden and tried to stay on rock to avoid the weak snow and the large patches of ice near the summit, all the while being blown around by the strong winds. Today the snow was perfect for cramponing so on the upper mountain so we kept the crampons on and connected the snow patches to the summit. On the descent yesterday Tom and I were able to glissade down Lobster Claw Gully AKA Right of Right in Tuckerman Ravine while today Adam and I cramponed down Right Gully. The conditions made the two days feel very different and add to that the fact that the mountain had a fresh coating of rime ice today making the mountain look very different.

The ice conditions didn't change too much over the two days. The ice climbing in Huntington looks a lot like early season but still pretty good. With the cold temperatures now the ice should only get better. Tuckerman Ravine ice climbing should get good if we don't get much snow but today it looked undermined in places. Another consideration for conditions is with all this water and cold temperatures ice dams may be hazard for the next couple of days.

Tomorrow and Wednesday I will be climbing in Crawford Notch and I will report conditions from there in the next day or two.

A much more wintery look today

Yale, Damnation and North Click on the picture for a larger version

Pinnacle Gully yesterday Click on the picture for a larger version

Tom on the crux of Central Click on the picture for a larger version

Good cramponing today

Adam on the summit

Tuckerman Ravine Click on the picture for a larger version

Friday December 26, 2008

Jay on the Rock Finish

Today I got a chance to climb at Frankenstein with Jay. We left North Conway after noon so I didn't get to drive through Crawford to check conditions anywhere else but at Frankenstein. Really the only place I got to see was the Amphitheater because Jay and I wanted to climb there for our first time this season. I had seen the Amphitheater from the trestle the last couple of times I had been to the notch but I hadn't climbed there yet. It appeared to me from the trestle that a number of routes in the Amphitheater were climbable, specifically Rock Finish, Hobbit and Chia. The last time I looked at the column on Pegasus it looked to be forming and I had hoped that would be in today. What we found in the Amphitheater was not much different than what I had seen on the 23rd, the Pegasus Column was not in but Rock Finish and Hobbit were and Chia was climbable with a thin undermined finish.

When Jay and I arrived at Frankenstein we were surprised by the number of cars in the parking lot. We were expecting it to be somewhat busy but we figured that most people would be driving today and that tomorrow would be busy but the lot told a different story. Despite the cars we only saw two other parties in the Amphitheater. We climbed Rock Finish first. We started it by going up Hobbit then breaking left, this allows it to be climbed in one pitch. After climbing Rock Finish we rappelled down to the bolts at the base of the crux of Hobbit, then climbed the crux of Hobbit. If you plan on doing Hobbit Couloir the section just after where you break left for Rock Finish looked very broken and thin. You can always break left and then go to the bolts and then finish the upper crux section but that will require you to do it in two pitches. By rappelling down from Rock Finish Jay and I avoided the broken thin section in the lower couloir and we climbed the very thick upper section. After climbing Hobbit we made our way to the Right Side of Chia. The start was a little hollow and the upper section was very thin and undermined. Chia could deteriorate very quickly if we get much warm weather or rain. Before you head up it, carefully look at the last 30 feet to make sure you can top out.

A very fat Hobbit Couloir

Near the top of Hobbit Couloir

 

Tuesday December 23, 2008

Dropline, Last Exit and Welcome to the Machine Click on the picture for a larger version

Yesterday I went up to Hermit Lake on Mount Washington again to ski the Sherburne Trail. What I found was very deep snow that had been stiffened up by the wind. There were many times on the descent I came to a complete stop unable to move due to the deep stiff snow. For the most part all I could do was to point the skis straight down and try to keep the tips up. Compared to the last couple of times I skied down, this was just hard work. If the trail gets more skied on or if the snowrangers pack out the Sherburne with the snowcat, the conditions could improve

Since I got a bit burned by the skiing yesterday I decided to go climbing today. I wanted to see how conditions had improved so I headed up to Crawford Notch this afternoon after doing some holiday shopping this morning. All the climbs have gotten fatter with the Amphitheater at Frankenstein improving the most, including Bob's Delight which is starting to come in. Also notable was Last Exit, the climb between Dropline and Welcome to the Machine. Last Exit is in very infrequently and it is looking pretty good and has improved a lot since last Friday. A few more days of building and it will be in better than I can ever remember it being. Another area to check out is the Hanging Gardens.

For the most part there is a lot of climbing to be had in Crawford Notch. The near term forecast is keeping the precipitation we are expecting tomorrow mostly frozen in nature and with continued cold temperatures forecasted after that, it looks like we will have an excellent Christmas week of climbing.

Happy Holidays

The Numbered Gullies on Willard Click on the picture for a larger version

Cinema Gully Click on the picture for a larger version

Pegasus, Rock Finish and Hobbit Click on the picture for a larger version

Chia Click on the picture for a larger version

Standard Route Click on the picture for a larger version

Hanging Gardens

 

Sunday December 21, 2008

Today is the the first day of winter and we are in the mist of a big Noreaster. This weekend seemed more suited to skiing than climbing so that was my focus. Initially I was scheduled to teach an avalanche course this weekend but after talking with the participants we decided to postpone the course to another weekend. With a storm on Friday evening and another on Sunday driving north didn't seem prudent. The postponement of the course allowed me to get some Christmas shopping done and a little skiing. Both days this weekend I skinned up to the Hermit Lake Shelters and skied down the Sherburne Trail.

The condition of the Sherburne is good. The waterbars are filling in nicely and with this powder they make for some fun bumps. If the ski surface gets hard however the waterbars could still be a bit of a pain. Yesterday I went late in the day and the trail had seen quite a few descents but the skiing was still pretty good. Today I waited till late again to get as much new snow as possible and the skiing was great. There were a few tracks but there was plenty of snow to go around and the tracks made the flat sections less tedious. I didn't get any pictures because I was alone and photos just would show lots of snow. So both the calendar and the conditions in the mountains say winter is here!

Friday December 19, 2008

Looking down Welcome to the Machine

Just like an addict I couldn't get just one day of ice climbing this week so I had to get out there again today. After seeing that Welcome to the Machine looked "in" yesterday I wanted to get out and climb it before it faded away. It has been quite a few years since I last climbed this route and I haven't heard of anyone doing it in the last few years as well. After seeing it yesterday I ran into a friend and mentioned that "machine looked good". He immediately replied "I know I climbed it a few days ago". Although my hopes for the first ascent this season had been dashed his news only spurred me on more to get on it quick before it got more ascents that might wound it and take it out of condition. With a seldom forming climb like the machine it's best to get it while the getting is good.

Jay and I headed to Frankenstein late this morning and approached the climb. The start of the route felt like the crux to the both of us. The ice was thin and steep with a short little column to start. The next 30 feet or so were less steep but still pretty thin although the ice took 13cm ice screws in well chosen places. After the thin sections the ice got a bit steeper but was solid. The climb from this point right up to the start of the last crux was wet so it should continue to form. Just below the last crux there is a ledge and that was the top of the wet ice. The next section was much older looking ice with a thin fragile column and a bare section you could reach over. Once you pull that last bulge the climb eases and in another 40 feet or so you reach the trees. It is the last fragile crux section that is the most likely to deteriorate to a point that will make it very hard or impossible.

From what I could see there has not been much of a change in the climbs at Frankenstein from yesterday so if you want info about the conditions of the rest of the climbs at Frankenstein please read yesterdays post below.

Jay just below the final crux

Thursday December 18, 2008

A pretty thin Pegasus area Click on the picture for a larger version

Today was my first day ice climbing for this season. This year my first day is a bit later than usual but my trip to Africa kept me from taking advantage of some of the early season ice that formed in late November and early December. It was nice to get on vertical terrain and the weather could not have been better. I had considered going up onto Mount Washington but the new snow created a bit more of an avalanche hazard than I wanted to deal with so I'll wait until stability gets a bit better before I go up there. Given that it looks like we are going to have storms every other day till Christmas I don't expect stability to get real good for very long if at all till after Christmas. We'll just have to keep track of the snow and wind and keep a close eye on the avalanche forecast to see if there is any opportunity to climb in the ravines.

Since Mount Washington was not an option I headed up to Crawford Notch. I drove through the notch to check out Mount Willard and then backtracked to Frankenstein. The parking lot at Frankenstein had quite a few cars in it for early season midweek climbing. I walked down the tracks and stopped on the trestle to check out the Amphitheater. All the climbs there had ice on them but nothing looked in. Hobbit Couloir and Pegasus Rock Finish both looked doable but the other climbs didn't look like they would be good for awhile. I wouldn't expect to get much climbing in the Amphitheater this weekend but with snow and cold weather in the forecast things can sometimes form up faster than I think.

After hiking past the Amphitheater I made my way through the road cut where the ice was much fatter and a couple of friends were climbing. After chatting a little I continued down the railroad tracks to Standard where I climbed the right side line past the cave and onto the top. I would call that route in, while the center line looked good it appeared to have a water channel down it that might cause some challenge, by the weekend though Standard should be pretty good. After climbing Standard I walked down past the Hanging Gardens, Dracula and Welcome to the Machine to check out those routes. Once back to the tracks I went back to the trestle road cut and climbed one line there and bouldered a little before heading back to the car.

My forecast for this upcoming weekend is that there should be pretty good ice to climb. The numbered gullies on Willard may be in for the weekend as they appear close right now and Cinema is likely to be in thin but climbable conditions. Frankenstein will have quite a few lines with the Amphitheater being the one area lagging behind. Hobbit and Rock Finish are the most likely climbs that will be doable there. The Trestle Mixed Climbs won't be very mixed and should see lots of traffic this weekend. Standard should form up pretty good with the Right Side of the Cave being in the best shape. Penguin had climbers on it today as did Standard Left. Dracula's Right Side was in and Welcome to the Machine looked good and has been done. There are likely to be lines at the Hanging Gardens but that area can always be a little fickle. Since we are looking at snow late tomorrow, the Ravines might be a bit risky unless this storms tracks more south than they are forecasting. Despite the fact we might not have many options in Huntington you should be able to find some good ice to climb this weekend. It appears that the ice season is on!

The Numbered Gullies on Willard Click on the picture for a larger version

Cinema Gully Click on the picture for a larger version

Chia Click on the picture for a larger version

Trestle Mixed Climbs

Standard Route Click on the picture for a larger version

Dracula Click on the picture for a larger version

The Hanging Gardens

 

Tuesday December 16, 2008

Harvesting cashews in Mozambique

For the past 3 weeks my wife Jane and I were visiting my daughter Nia who is in the Peace Corps in Mozambique. During that time we were shut off from most media, particularly the Internet, so I couldn't update my blog or keep track of ice conditions here in New Hampshire. Since getting home I have been reading reports and it seems we have been going through the typical early season cycles of warm and cold spells where ice has been forming then deteriorating. Since I have been home I have seen very warm weather and ice storms but it appears that we are now going to get into a consistent winter weather pattern and it seems that the ice should soon also become consistent. I will be heading out to get a report on conditions later this week.

Since I don't have any first hand knowledge of the ice right now I'll write a bit about my trip to Africa. Our goal for the trip was to visit my daughter and see where she has been working for the past year then do some traveling with she and her friend Jamie while they were on break. Over the first 2 days we flew to Nampula in Northern Mozambique where we were met by Nia and Jamie. The next day we headed to Monapo where my daughter lives and works. During our visit there we went into the countryside to visit the family of Asani one of my daughter's students. The visit was truly an amazing experience. After a couple of days in Monapo we headed a couple hours by vehicle east to the coast for some time on the Indian Ocean. After a few day at the coast we backtracked west back through Monapo and Nampula then continued west by train, vehicle and bicycle to Malawi.

Our trip to Malawi was highlighted by an 11 hour train ride that traveled about 200 miles from Nampula to Cuemba near the Malawi border. After a night in Cuemba we continued by vehicle to Mandimba then by bicycle across the border into Malawi at Chiponde. A quick ride from there got us to Liwonde. We spent a couple of days in Liwonde visiting the national park there then we made our way to Blantyre . After a day arranging our flights back to Johannesburg and home we had a few days remaining so we went to Mount Mulanje for a little hiking. After a couple of days there we headed back to Blantyre and started our series of flights back home. I hope you enjoy the photos..

My daughter's colleagues in Monapo

The water source for the small village where Asani lives

Getting on a "bus" in Monapo

Enjoying some time on the coast

Traveling 3rd class on the train to Cuemba

Early morning in Cuemba

Another "bus" this time to Mandimba

The last few kilometers to Malawi on the bike

Liwonde National Park

Hiking on Mount Mulanje

A nice swim at the end of the hike

Lunch at Wandies in Soweto, South Africa

 

Thursday November 13, 2008

A snowy Tuckerman Ravine Trail

The snowy boulders at the base of Huntington

Pinnacle Click on the picture for a larger version

The Harvard Bulge Click on the picture for a larger version

The Yale Slab Click on the picture for a larger version

A closer look at Pinnacle Click on the picture for a larger version

The Corner in Tuckerman Ravine Click on the picture for a larger version