The Apprentice... aka ice skills again

"Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a structured competency based set of skills."

Ice climbing is a subtle sport.  At first glance it would seem to be all strength and bravado.

It isn't.  Knowing the difference between a high volume flow and a low volume flow can not only save your life it might well tell you where the best line on the falls will be or tell you when to climb or not in a snow storm or bright sun light instead.

Having an "eye" to know where the quality of the ice changes and will most effect screw and tool placement is not something you can learn in a day's outing.  It is just a start.  Most will need seasons, or moving to Canmore to accumulate that education.

Pulling plastic has about as much to do with ice climbing as playing basket ball.  Both will get you in shape if done at a high enough level.  Neither skill will mean squat when you clip on a pair of crampons.

Ice climbing is also extremely gear DEPENDANT.  I have said many time any old club will do in place of a decent ice tool if your skills will.  That is true.  But miss match boots and crampons and having the ability to do a gazillion pull ups won't help you for long.

This coming from the guy who can barely do one pull up!

I know for a fact having good rock climbing and rope skills will make you a better ice climber.  For no other reason than it will allow you to manage the rope systems easier and quicker.  Basic rock climbing skills on how a rope runs or should run are required on ice just as they are on rock.

But being able to lead 5.12 trad  (and few really do) isn't going to help you much on ice if you have never placed a screw.   It is simple right up until the point it isn't.  Why anyone would ever put in a bad screw is beyond me.  Finding poorly placed screws while following simply dumbfounds me.   Either the leader is WAY in over his head or they are an idiot.    Take the time to learn how to put in perfect screws while on the GROUND.  Then never, ever put in a bad one.  Learn what it takes to accomplish that.  It aint rocket science but then it isn't all that easy either with out some practice.  You first grade 4 pillar is NOT the place to be learning how to place screws.

Just as your first 5.10 hand crack isn't the place to learn how to place your first cam.  Hello!

I learned to climb ice with a couple of friends who had also....never climbed water fall ice.  The sport was new then.  The original screws and ice pitons seldom worked.    We learned together as the ice climbing standards became more difficult and the gear better.  We paid our own dues.  Luckily none were costly.  But they easily could have been.  I can still honestly stay I have not taken a lead fall on ice.
But only through the grace of God.

The skilled ice climbers I am lucky enough to climb with can all generally claim the same.  Only "modern mixed" has changed that.  Even then a smart man/woman will go to great extremes not to fall with a pair of crampons on.  You down climb.  You hang on the rope, your umbilicals or a screw.  You DO NOT fall off.  

Remember, "it is a all fun and games until someone loses and eye."  Fall off and it just may be your eye!

These days "ice climbers" seem to be born in a gym.  Falling is a way of life.

Don't get me wrong...nothing wrong with falling.  I am done my own share learning to lead well enough to put up trad .11s and 12s.  And there were a lot of falls involved both on a top rope and on lead.

You must learn how to down climb.

Climbing up something you can't easily down climb is tantamount to swimming off shore and well out of sight with land.  Better to have a safety net.   A big one if you can't down climb easily and quickly what ever you climb up.   Sure you'll do leads that you can't easily reverse.  But they should be damn few and far between.  If you can lead grade 4 ice in comfort, you should be able to easily and quickly down climb grade 3 ice.  Grade 5 ice on lead then Grade 4 ice should be an easy down climb.

Picked out climbs make you lazy.  Make an effort to get on ice climbs that aren't just "sport ice" that are totally picked out with foot steps and pick hooks up big sections of the climb. I like that kind of fun climbing myself, "hook and book".  But it is TERRIBLE for the techniques required to climb virgin ice.
Get on new ice when you can.  You might find Grade 3 ice is hard enough again to get your attention and still be really fun.

Following?  If you can't follow any ice pitch faster than your leader can run it out......you REALLY NEED TO STOP AND ACCESS you own skill level.   Reality need to meet ability.    Because one of two things is happening here.  You are either attempting to climb way out of your skill level or the leader has skills you are a long ways from processing.  Nothing wrong with either......it just makes a hard day (and possibly dangerous day) in the mountains for leader and follower if that difference isn't recognised and understood.   Alwasy push yourself on a top rope or as a 2nd to go faster and climb better.   You can bet that is how the other guy got so much better.

Danger?  Yes, ice climbing will get you killed if you aren't careful.  It aint the gym or the local cragging area.  Things go to shit quickly on ice and snow.   Lots of pointy things to poke holes in your own personal meat bag that can cause problems.  Lots of things falling down for one reason or the other.  Climbers at drastically differing skill levels put the responsibility (and the majority of the safety issues) on the more experience and generally faster climber. 

Leading?   Leading isn't a big deal.  Falling off and getting injured is.  Who do you think will have to haul your sorry ass off the mountain if you take a winger?  Better hope your partner is up to the task. 

No one has the "right" to lead. You earn that right through experience, patience and skill.  You may know how to clip on a pair of crampons.  But do you know how to actually fit them?  You can buy all the cool gear, read of the books or pump your instructors for info but if you don't know how it works and most importantly UNDERSTAND the gear/info what good is it when the shit starts to fail?

And all of it will eventually fail, including your partner...

You better have a good plan.

Soloing?

If you want to climb in the alpine faster and climb more difficult water ice learn how to be confident soloing in your comfort level of technical skill.  In the right conditions WI3 should be casual.  The same bullet proof ice in the alpine might well take a belay, the rope and protection.  Know the differerence. Learn how to simul climb and more importantly...when you should and should not simul climb. 

You don't yet know what you don't know.   Again, nothing wrong with that.  But time to open your eyes if you fall into that category and start paying more attention.  We all "fall" into that catagory in case you are still wondering.  Including me.    Work harder at going faster, being more aware of your own and your partner's safety and learn how to down climb among other things.  Up your rock climbing skills and over all climbing SPEED in the summer.   Better and faster belays, not just your pure climbing speed.    It will help your ice climbing and alpine climbing next winter.

Back to the Apprenticeship?

It is a system of  training the practitioner in a structured competency based set of skills.

To get good and stay safe ice climbing (or alpine climbing) you need to serve a Apprenticeship. 

Either get some good professional instruction or find a friend (or a long list of friends) who has/have the ability to pass those skills on to you. 

I am still asking questions and learning every trip to the ice.  Are you?

Days are long past that I would suggest a few buddies teach themselves how to climb ice....if you want to stay safe while learning our craft.

Fitzroy and the Funhogs!

riMQpNf0










http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDUItVBDN2s&feature=related

It is a dead horse... (more on stainless crampons)

but do you really want to be riding it?

OK, this got my attention.  In less than 10 days counting back from today I got reports of 3 pairs of bent, broken or cracked Black Diamond Stainless crampons.

Call me cynical but it was exactly this time last year that the same thing happened...actually within days of each other one year apart.   Over a dozen cracked or broken pairs of Black Diamond stainless crampons popped up over the last year.  But 3 in a row, in mid Feb 2012!  Again?!

This one bent while climbing ice.  It isn't trick photography.  The front point simply straightened out under body weight,

"The one front point flattened out when he was 5' off the deck. He fell to snow."

cracked  using a rigid soled boot

Crack here is circled in red.

And these are crampons I really liked initially, BD's Sabertooth and Serac.  Crampons I climbed and soloed in.  And the most recent faulty crampons are all the reinforced 2nd gen. versions.

I could care less about Black Diamond.  They made it clear last winter that they have little concern about your safety while using this product.  The sales samples and prototypes excuses are really long in tooth a full year later.  These cracks and failures are all in the same place.  Make damn sure you inspect yours closely prior to EVERY use.  The front point collapsing under body weight is a new one for me. 

Check your gear, be attentive and pay ATTENTION if you are still climbing in any of the BD stainless horizontal front point crampons.  When these do come apart, make no mistake, it is a catastrophic failure.  Falling off an ice climb because of gear failure can very easily get you dead.

So one more time...

Since Black Diamond won't tell you this, I will.

You all be careful out there on Black Diamond stainless 'pons!  Friends don't let their friends climb on stainless horizontals. 

A reminder on crampon fitting....

Just got in two new pairs of boots as I get ready to go to Canada for 10 days of testing, photos and climbing.

I'll take 5 pairs of boots and 5 different crampons to climb in this trip as I attempt to see where I am at physically and mentally.

As I spend the evening fitting crampons this comment comes to mind,

"Precision crampon technique is impossible without a proper (perfect) fit of boot to crampon."
Jeff Lowe from the WATERFALL ICE video, 2005.

In other words, if your crampons won't stay on the boots first, without latching the binding, likely the crampon doesn't really fit your boot.

Finally some one gets (again) how it is suppose to be.  No tricks just a perfect friction fit.

Petzl Lynx on a Scarpa Phantom Ultra and no back binding.

More Petzl Nomic pick feed back?

This from Petzl America recently:


"- We are NOT bringing back the Cascade pick for the Nomic. Perhaps this rumor is based on availability of the Cascade pick for the previous generation Quark, which is still in production.

- Same story for the 1st generation Griprest. We have no plans to bring this one back, although there still may be some stock out there which could be feeding these rumors.

- There is no new Griprest on the horizon, however, the latest (post* Quality Alert) generation of the Nomic Griprest will fit the 1st Gen Nomic."

The still available 1st gen Quark Cascade picks can be easily cut down and used in any version of the Nomic for those that prefer less "stick" water ice pick.  And for durable dry tooling the old 4mm T rated Quad pick will work with little effort as well.  Quad is my choice in the alpine if a lot of rock is involved.    Might be better to think of the Nomic as having 4 different picks available directly from Petzl.
 
 

Ally's original Quad pick in a 1st gen. Nomic with a CT hammer.  Winter of '10/11 in Chamonix.

 

Either way easy enough to copy the Nomic blade pattern and reshape the lower back section of the older Quark picks to fit the Nomic.  Only adding the clip in hole, if required, is difficult.  The Quark Cascade pick tooth and back edge patterns are exact copies of the older Nomic Cascade picks.  A few minutes work with a grinder and files.  Add a spacer, bolt the new pick in and you are ready to rock!

Older Quark Cascade pick on the bottom, Nomic Cascade on top.

Obvious where you need to remove metal on the earlier picks to fit.

  
 

Quick mid weight down jacket comparison?

When guys get together there is usually no lack of posturing.   When it comes to climbing, the Internet allows all sorts of spewing that won't happen in person, face to face.  "Stand and deliver" actually means something on the rock.  It is how we measure ability..and mouth some times.

Some might have expected by now that I like measurement and comparisons.  I see a lot of gear and the small percentage of what I do like I can easily put words to.  But I find it even more interesting when very similar products are forced to "stand and deliver".    Get down to the details and there is generally a different worth noting.

Two mid weight down climbing jackets I like a lot and have mentioned before on the blog seemed worthy of a side by side comparison.  Both jackets run a little small compared to US sizing.  The numbers listed here are for a men's XL in both jackets.   I am 6'1" and 187#.  Both jackets fit me well with even light layers under them.  The RAB being the slightly bigger of the two for overall fit.  But easy enough to call both patterns "athletic" for fit.

The Narrona Lyngen, 22.3 oz or 632g. 3" of loft at the shoulder.  Retail?  $348.95 Only one US retailer.
(3/4" of additional loft and a big drop of 9.5 oz in weight from my first Lyngen of 3 years ago!)  One seriously has to wonder what changed?

"Aero™down proof 30 g

A super-lightweight and down proof technical fabric, aero™down proof weighs about 30 grams/m². It’s soft, water-repellent and windproof, and has a good strength for being so lightweight.
down™750

Our down products use the highest available down quality that we can find, which is a by-product of the food industry (in contrast to being killed just for insulation). Our down comes from the mountains of Pyrenees in France where the birds spend their days outside in a free gazing environment. All treatment of the birds complies with European standards, and the highly specialized washing of the down passes the Oeko-Tex 100 standards. Our down™750 means down fill power from 750 to 800 cu in/oz with the percentage of down cluster from 93–96%.

PrimaLoft™ One 130 g

PrimaLoft™ is a patented micro-structure that gives great thermal insulation to help the body maintain its temperature, minimizing energy loss. Extremely light and soft, it was originally developed by the US Army to replace natural down. As down absorbs moisture, it becomes wet and loses its thermal-insulating abilities. PrimaLoft™ absorbs three times less water, is 14% warmer when dry and 24% warmer when wet, than the competitive insulation."

130g Primaloft is used in the hood and neck, and in side panels from the wrist's cuff to the arm pit and back down to the waist's hem.

http://www.norrona.com/Products/3170-09/lyngen-down750-jacket-m

The RAB Infinity, 17.4oz or 492g, 3" of loft at the shoulder.  Retail?  $299.95  And many US retailers

"[shell] Pertex Syncro (10D ripstop nylon); [lining] Pertex Quantum (10D ripstop nylon)

850-fill European goose down"   (It seems RAB likes a short description, but that is all they have listed :)

http://us.rab.uk.com/products/mens-clothing/down_1/infinity-jacket.html

For a gear geek is was kinda fun to make this comparison.   For the 3" of  insulation both jackets offer with premium goose down one has to ask why the weight and cost differences?  And which jacket offers an advantage for the climber?

After all RAB has made its reputation based on customers for the most part, members of the climbing  community.  Differing with what Narrona has done for the most part in the skiing community.

I have used both jackets climbing with great satisfaction.  Again both jackets are sewn through baffling with an extra layer of material used as a wind panel across the chest.  Simply sewn through in back.  Both have hoods you can use over a helmet.  The Narrona hood is much larger though and easier to use with a helmet and offers much more protection with a flexible visor and a tunnel design on the neck.

28" back

24" back

The difference in that 4" is a longer back on the Lyngen.

Below is a side view of the front to back taper on both jackets.

But the front, where the harness is, stays the same.

straight cut sleeves and arms

Raglan sleeves and articulated elbows

Sewn baffle comparisons

Hood and neck detail

Hood and neck detail

double cuff on left and a single cuff on the right

Nylon mesh chest pocket that doubles as a stuff sack with haul loop

 

small internal chest pocket..of minimal use because of size

22.6 oz or 17.4oz ?  As expected from two of the cutting edge climbing design teams you get a choice.  5.2 oz more in the Lyngen gets you a little more jacket for warmth and coverage.  More hood, more garment length and the back up of Primaloft One in areas most likely to get wet in use.  And most important a pattern more easily allows one to climb some very difficult terrain and stay covered.

For a bit less than a 1/4 pound in weight savings the Infinity gets you a very basic jacket with a great attention to detail and a little less of weight.  Hard to turn a blind eye to that fact with all the basic needs covered and $50 less @ retail.

Both jackets have single slide front zippers.  Too bad because both could use a dbl slider to get around the harness.  Both offer good zipper buffers/baffles and coverage.

The integrated stuff sack and tie in on the Lyngen is a nice feature.  The Infinity chest pocket barely has enough room to carry the stuff sack that comes with it.   The integral pocket with the net backing seems a bit fragile on the Lyngen.  But it stretches to fit.  The Infinity comes with its own stuff sack.  Both carry systems have integral haul loops attached.  

Compression is about the same on both jackets.  Either will easily fit in the RAB stuff sack.

The shell material on either jacket will shed water for a good bit of time.  But neither material is "water proof",   The Lyngen 's nylon is heavier physically than the Pertex RAB uses.  Neither material will do well wrestling with  limestone.

So what did I get from this review?  Comparisons generally have a single winner.

I added up the "points". Lyngen has a better hood, better cuffs, better pattern and articulated elbows.   It has a better internal pocket to dry gear in and would make a better pillow if that is something you require. Call it 6 points better than the RAB.

The RAB is simple.  I like the fit and how light it is.  I like the Pertex.  I didn't notice the smaller hood or the simple pattern cut on the RAB while wearing it,  only as I layed them both out on the floor for photos.

I knew I liked the Lyngen better but wasn't sure exactly why.  But no question I like the $50 savings on the RAB.   The RAB version might well have a better quality down and more of it.  I can't tell. 

I am obviously nit picking here.  Others may prefer the simplicity and less weight above everything else on the RAB.  Both are seductive.

Both of  these jackets are exceptional garments for my own use.  This review, like many I do was simply for my own edification.  I am keeping and will use both jackets.

Bjørn-Eivind Årtun and Stein-Ivar Gravdal RIP

The info below, sad as it is,  was graciously sent to me from climbers in Norway and Sweden yesterday.

"Bjørn-Eivind Årtun (45) and Stein-Ivar Gravdal (37) were found dead attempting a new route at Kjerag in Lysefjorden, Norway yesterday.

They went out on Tuesday expecting to get back Thursday, when they weren't a Sea King was called on Friday and found them hanging from a rope 100m above the scree slope. Local mountain rescue will start a recovery operation today."

When they didn't return, a helicopter search was initiated, and on the morning of February 10 the two climbers were spotted hanging upside down on the face, motionless.  There are indications that a large rockfall was the cause of the accident writes the Norwegian Climbing Federation on their website.

http://nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/rogaland/ryfylke/1.7994611


Another really sad day this winter.   Bjørn-Eivind Årtun was certainly one of my climbing heros.  Both were easily two of the world's very best ice climbers.   Bjørn-Eivind was gracious enough to help with the Cold Thistle tool projects early on..   My heart goes out to family and friends.  Both he and Stein-Ivar will be dearly missed.

More on about Stein-Ivar Gravdal here:
 http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/norwegians_repeat_historic_trango_route/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8PxMYiUtwU

http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/awesome_big-wall_ice_in_norway/

"Bjørn-Eivind Årtun on his and Colin's new route, Dracula, Mt Foraker, June 2010."

More here on Bjørn-Eivind

http://www.aartun.no/

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2012/01/bjrn-eivind-artun-interview-with.html

http://www.colinhaley.blogspot.com/2010/06/alaska-2010-dracula-and-cassin-simul.html

Bjørn-Eivind Årtun soloing on the Cassin

Stein-Ivar Gravdal avec Bjarte Bø, Sigurd Felde et Rolf Bae (†)

Great Trango Tower, 6285 m, Norwegian Buttress, Pakistan, 2008

Stein Ivar Gravdal

photos courtesy of: Bjørn-Eivind Aartun/Annelin Henriksen/Colin Haley

Hopefully a better translation from the previous news feed:

"Two climbers died on Kjerag.  Both SeaKing and personnel at sea abort mission to collect the bodies of
the climbers."  This according Victor Jensen at the Rogaland Police.

"Unfortunately the SeaKing helicopter has to return from Kjerag at 1.30pm. The rescue boat with crew has also returned from the place" says Jensen. "Low cloud and poor visibility has made the mission difficult. The  crews will make a new attempt tomorrow."

The police are attempting to place guards at the scene of the accident until Saturday night.  One of the climbers is from Stavanger and the other from Oslo. Both are well known in the climbing community. They travelled out on Tuesday to climb the Kjerag wall and were due back on Thursday evening. When they didn't return their families tried to reach them on their mobile phones without success. Search and rescue were alerted at 12.30pm on Friday that the two climbers were missing. A SeaKing helicopter sent out and found two people on the mountainside at around 2pm. A little later the climbers were found to be dead.

World class

Ture Bjørgen is a spokesperson for Rogaland mountain rescue, where one of the climbers was a member.
"These were climbers at an elite level. They were extremely experienced, talented and had a long resume of climbs" says a sad Bjørgen, who knew the climbers personally. One of the climbers had climbed the Kjerag wall multiple times previously and completed many new routes according to Bjørgen

Found at the bottom of the wall

The two climbers were found low down on the mountain side and Bjørgen speculates as to what might have happened "As they were found at the very bottom of the mountain side it might mean that they were killed at the very start. They may also have climbed to the top, abseiled down and have been killed at the bottom" says Bjørgen.  Considering that the two are at the bottom of the wall, Bjørgen doesn't think it will be too difficult to get them down again during the day.

More details here:

http://www.rogalandsavis.no/nyheter/politilogg/article5923660.ece


Coilin Haley, Alpinist 32 "Scared"


"I might die climbing. You might, too. We can make efforts to minimize the risks, but ultimately we either accept the possibility of dying on a mountain, fool ourselves that the possibility doesn't exist—or we quit."