Sunday, April 26, 2015

Everest Avalanche 2015 - wreckage photos

Here are several photos showing the tragedy from Everest Basecamp from the Nepal Earthquake. Some of these are quite graphic, so please be warned. It's a great tragedy, and I have lost one friend in the Base Camp avalanche, and have more stuck above the Ice Fall, not knowing when they will be rescued.

If you'd like to contribute in any way, please register here to the right column, and I'll be sure to include you in the email that goes out to let you know reputable ways to donate for Nepal and the Sherpa people.




Photos from the wreckage of base camp on Everest, including injured and damage. A must-see.
Posted by Seven Summits Quest on Sunday, April 26, 2015

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Monte Cristo Couloir on Quandary - a Repeat with a Friend

On Saturday, April 11, I took my very good friend Todd Gilles, who shared my adventure on Elbrus Race 2013. He took 3rd place and I took 5th. I wrote about it and it's one of my best selling books on Amazon:

Elbrus Race 2013 (Seven Summits Quest Book 4)

It was my second time up this season. Last time the snow was really damp and deep, but that made for really easy climbing. I was using my GRIVEL Condor Trekking Pole with Arrest Pick instead of an ice axe. I was also using Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 CS running shoes. Yes, they're a bit more stout than my usual trail running shoes, and yes they are somewhat waterproof, but I have run a 10:00 pace in them and I know several trail runners who do use them as their main shoe. I also wore Grivel Air Tech Light Crampons.




Since that worked out for me last time, I used it all for this time as well. I wore my GoLite WindPro Tights (sadly they went out of business), my Columbia OmniHeat (reflective dots) tech tee with TNF arm sleeves under my Patagonia R1 sweater. The weather was supposed to be a bit warmer according to the forecast. It wasn't. I ended up with my TNF BTN superlight softshell on as a wind shirt.

At the dam we took off up the couloir. I knew that there would be a longish section of tundra just over the first bulge, so I didn't bother with crampons at first. At the top edge of the tundra we stopped to put them on at a large rock. Up the steep snow slope we went with me in the lead. There was about a foot of powder/sugar over breakable crust and about halfway it changed to thick powder over the crust. There were some very solid bits that the aluminum crampons were a bit slick on, but I still felt comfortable and glad I wasn't in steel. Todd was in Lowa single boots with Petzl steel crampons. I figured he'd be just fine. I did slip a few times after breaking through the crust on some of the steeper sections, but jamming the pick in prevented any downward movement.

Using the Condor was intuitive for me.




At the top we took some pics and then took off down the East Ridge. I wanted to reconnoiter for an upcoming attempt at breaking my own record, and possibly get second place for the Winter East Ridge Route on Strava. More on that later.

We ran into some goats, and got pretty close to a big old one before it booked it down the South Face in one of the remaining snowfields where a half dozen of his family waited for him. Quite a sight. We pulled off our crampons at 12,000' and slid on our feet the rest of the way to the car in the softening snow. Fortunately it was quite overcast and cold and windy in spite of the forecast, so it didn't melt out too bad. But gosh that snow looked and felt dang fast to me. Hmmm....





We had a blast, and it's been a while since we've climbed together. Today I wasn't looking for speed, just a good workout, good snow climbing, and good companionship.

That's what it's all about, right?







Photos on this page were taken by Charles Miske and Todd Gilles on their own and each others' phones.


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Elbrus Race 2013 Facebook Video Plus Teaser

Elbrus Race 2013 - the book It's available on Amazon right now, and I recommend that you get it and read it just for the adventure, if nothing else. In a nutshell, I returned to Elbrus after my attempt at Elbrus Race 2010, in which I aced the Qualifier (essentially a VerticalK Race) but was pulled from the main event, The Classic, after a serious case of food poisoning left me too weak to run.

I took my padowan Todd Gilles with and together we shared a hut with Kilian Jornet and his entourage. It was all great fun, despite running the Qualifier and Classic in storms. Todd took 3rd and I took 5th. Near the end of every winter season I sell a lot of these in Europe as people begin to wonder if they'll be entering or not.


VIDEO BELOW


I've been on a wave of PR's on both Quandary and the Manitou Incline, and have been considering that I'm in excellent shape for how early in the season it is, and maybe I should make a run at Elbrus Race 2015?


Top of the Manitou Incline after shaving 3 minutes off my previous effort


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Elbrus Race 2013 - the book - one of my best selling books on Kindle - get it now. Share this page with all your friends who climb, run, train, and increase the tribe. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FMBBRJU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FMBBRJU&linkCode=as2&tag=imbizwebcom&linkId=64T2EUJONUERR7JF
Posted by Seven Summits Body on Wednesday, April 1, 2015