Just before the first avalanche course of the season we got a great Nor’ Easter that dumped about 18″ on the mountain. Just in time!
We have a course scheduled for just about every weekend of the winter but they fill up well in advance. If you are planning on spending time in avalanche terrain and haven’t taken a course yet now is the time!
Course details at this link:
David and his daughter joined us for my first ascent of Mount Washington this season. 35-50mph winds and fair temps made for a great day on the mountain!
Well this is definitely the latest I have started my ice season since I have been an ice climber. Guess I don’t have a good excuse, but getting settled into married life and buying a house can take up a little bit of your time. Since this blog has traditionally been just guiding work I am making a change today and including any good days out in the mountains, which this past Saturday, certainly was a good day. Enjoy!
These two young ladies took an intensive 3 day accelerated rock climbing program with us a couple days ago.
http://emsclimb.com/rock.shtml
They spent the first two days with Sara, and I got the pleasure of wrapping their collective knowledge into a full length climb up Whitehorse Ledge on Day 3!
From complete strangers before the course you two become solid rope-mates by the end. Thanks for sharing the beginning of your climbing education with EMSCS!
Mark and his family joined us for a day on the rocks this past Tuesday. Mark remembered climbing with the EMS Climbing School 18 years ago and wanted his wife and daughter to get to enjoy the experience as well, so off we went!
I had an really nice time climbing with you guys. Whitehorse Ledge is next!
Every year I try to volunteer a day to help out with the Kistmet Rock Foundation.
“KRF enhances the physical, intellectual and emotional development of well-functioning but economically disadvantaged children by providing access to the immense value of a comprehensive and multi-dimensional education in technical rock climbing.”
That’s a mouthful huh? Bottom line, they get kids climbing that otherwise would not have had the opportunity. That, I can support! I had the pleasure of taking Drew, one of their seasoned kids, climbing on a number of fun routes on Cathedral Ledge. Here are some of the shots from the day, along with some pics of other Kismet kids I was able to get from nearby climbs.
Drew, great climbing with you man. For those interested in Kismet and how you can help, (or attend), please visit http://www.kismetrockfoundation.org/.
Emma climbed with me a couple times the last couple years and this time she brought her friend Evalina. These Swedish girls definitely have climbing in their blood as they could climb anything they set their sights on. Despite sporadic rain showers we got some great climbing in!
Fun climbing with you young ladies. Next time I think we will go for a long multi-pitch route up nearby Whitehorse Ledge!
Last year I took Ray Hamel on his first outdoor rock climb; see August 2009 in archives. This year Ray’s younger sisters came along as well for their first outdoor climb. While Conrad took Ray over to Cathedral I got to take the girls up Whitehorse to Lunch Ledge.
These girls were great rope-mates and did a tremendous job climbing 600 feet on their very first outdoor rock day! Let’s get the whole family out together next time!
Technical issues are preventing me from converting video from the climbing school camera to something that iMovie can read, so until then some stills of the day:
Isaac, Alexis, Hannah, her friend Hannah, and their parents John and Aimee joined us for a really fun day on Cathedral Ledge. It was everyone’s first time rock climbing and we had a blast.
We after getting plenty of top-roping in to head to the top of the cliff to try put some rappelling.
I had a great day teaching you guys the basics of rock climbing and am looking forward to seeing you up here again for some more climbing (and some multi-pitch soon after!) Thanks for sharing part of your vacation with us!
