Miron on Twin Towers, Poke-O-Moonshine, Adirondacks NY 12/11/10, Photo grzegorz
The American Alpine Club awards more than $50,000 every year for projects ranging from worldwide exploration to local conservation. The application deadline for two of the AAC’s more prominent grants, the Lyman Spitzer Cutting Edge Award and McNeill-Nott Award, is January 1, 2011. Deadlines for other AAC grants are quickly approaching. More…..
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http://www.sphinxonline.net/petzl_market/LIGHTING_SURVEY/index.htm?sphinxaspxid
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Eugene Kwan on a cold but fun day. The approach was burly! – Kevin
Kevin Mahoney
Mahoney Alpine Adventures www.mahoneyalpineadventures.com
In any developing sport, the high end of the equipment spectrum is constantly changing. This is the case in the growing sport of ice climbing.
Today’s difficult mixed routes require a delicate touch, and a thin pick is a clear advantage. It enters the ice with greater ease, causes less fracturing, and helps ensure that each swing results in a solid placement. Petzl recognizes this and offers the highest performance picks for its top-level axes, the new 2010 Quark, Nomic, Ergo. Even with their radically tapered tips all of the picks on these Petzl tools are given a “T” rating according to EN 13089, the European standard for ice tools. This is true for both the “ICE” and “DRY” picks which are both only 3 mm wide at the tip. Originally the “T” and “B” designations stood for tools that were robust enough to pass the respective tests for “Technical” and the less demanding “Basic” ice axe use. Despite this you may find B rated picks on some manufacturers technical tools.
In order to receive a “T” rating, an ice axe pick must pass two tests: (1) a pick strength test – sometimes called a “bend test”, and (2) a fatigue test. In the strength test, the pick is clamped in a vise, a force is applied to it, and the amount of permanent pick deformation is measured. If this deformation exceeds the threshold, the pick receives a “B” rating; otherwise, it is rated “T”. In the fatigue test, the pick is clamped in a vise and a cyclic force is applied to both sides of the pick for a total of 50,000 load cycles, during which the pick must not break.
In years past Petzl had B-rated Cascade picks, these were used on the previous generation of waterfall tools (i.e., old Quark & Nomic Cascade Picks). All of these picks passed the “T” fatigue test, and in many cases they also passed the “T” strength test as well, but not always. To insure consistent quality and ratings Petzl labeled them “B”. It is important to remember that these B-rated picks on Petzl’s older tools still passed the “T” fatigue test with flying colors.
The picks on Petzl’s new Quark, Nomic, Ergo all pass “T” ratings which is quite remarkable! It is very rare to hear of someone breaking one of Petzl’s picks, they may bend in extreme circumstances but they rarely if ever break. “Charlet Steel” is indeed really incredible material. We are convinced that the excellent performance gained with a thinner pick is beneficial to all climbers and all types of ascents. It is very difficult with current technology to produce a 3 mm T-rated pick, that is why you may see some rather thick picks on some manufacturers T-rated tools, or perhaps even the use of B-rated picks on their technical tools. The picks on Petzl’s tools will allow users, novice and expert alike, to get to the top with fewer swings, better hooking, and less ice in the face.
U19 ICE ICE pick for Quark, Nomic, Ergo
U19 DRY DRY pick for Quark, Nomic, Ergo
AAC Grant Deadlines Fast Approaching
The American Alpine Club awards more than $50,000 every year for projects ranging from worldwide exploration to local conservation. The application deadline for two of the AAC’s more prominent grants, the Lyman Spitzer Cutting Edge Award and McNeill-Nott Award, is January 1, 2011. Deadlines for other AAC grants are quickly approaching.
Some AAC grants specifically target climbers under the age of 25, fund research in alpine areas, and promote conservation projects in mountain regions throughout the world. Althea Rogers, Mountain Fellowship and McNeil-Nott grant recipient, has praised the AAC and what its grants offer: “I do not know of any other organization which so directly encourages its members to explore and challenge themselves.”
“There’s no doubt that the grants have enabled some of the best American alpine climbs in modern history,” said Kelly Cordes, Senior Editor of The American Alpine Journal. He added that such a feat was “especially impressive, considering that only one of the grants is specifically targeted to those attempting cutting-edge climbs.”
The AAC would like to support your trip, no matter its focus: trad climbing, big-wall rock climbing, alpinism, conservation, or scientific research. For application resources, deadlines, and further information about AAC grants, visitamericanalpineclub.org/grants.
About The American Alpine Club
The American Alpine Club provides knowledge and inspiration, conservation and advocacy, and logistical support for the climbing community. The Club publishes the world’s most sought after annual climbing publication, the American Alpine Journal, cares for the world’s leading mountaineering library and offers annual climbing, conservation, and research grants to budding adventurers. Learn about additional programs and become a member at americanalpineclub.org. Join the AAC’s online community at facebook.com/americanalpineclub.
Mike Garity topping out on Pinnacle Gully, Huntington Ravine, Mt. Washington NH 12-05-10 - Alan Cattabriga
After the last thaw, most of the good climbing has been up high. That is about to change. After torrential rains last week the cold is back with a vengeance. A temperature of -4 is forecast for Lake Willoughby VT Thursday night. Look for perfect ice making conditions over the next week.
After a week + of warm weather, which took it’s toll on what little ice we had, the cold temps have returned! Climbable ice was found in the Adirondacks & Northern New Hampshire over the weekend.
Rowdy Dowdy on the thin start of 'Screw and Climbaxe'. A few worthless stubby screws halfway up. Half a dozen parties climbing the two routes that were 'in'. - 11/21/10 North Face of Pitchoff, Adirondacks NY - Rockytop
Cannon Cliff, Franconia Notch NH
Michael Wejchert leading pitch 3 of the “Black Dike” – Photo by Ryan Stefiuk
It looks like the 2010-2011 ice season is right on schedule!
“Great conditions were found on the right exit today. Plenty of ice up there. The sun was cooking Fafnir and Quartet, which both have some ice on them.” – Ryan Stefiuk – Big Foot Mountain Guides
The Black Dike (WI 4-5), Franconia notch NH is usually the first high-quality ice climb to come in and it usually happens this first week of November. We are off to a great start…lets hope it continues!
Alfonzo finds some early ice on Damnation Gully, Huntington Ravine 10/10/10 – Doug Millen
While others were climbing warm rock at Rumney, or having their Sunday coffee, Alfonzo, the alpine junkie was in his element climbing some early season ice. We found more ice than expected, and it was well bonded, but by mid morning the sun was starting to take it’s toll. Looks like a great start to the season. Look for more photos in the gallery .
Doug Millen
Along the Matthes Crest (photo by Mike Garity)
For almost two years this climb has been occupying space in my head, this Evolution Traverse and for that same amount of time, almost everything I’ve done in the mountains of the northeast has been geared to helping me with this line. I hate to call it a project, for I don’t “project.” I boulder Vermin 0 negative and sport climb, on good days, solid 5 easy. In my early climbing years, when sport climbing in Rumney was in it’s infancy, I was a never a “hang dogger”, working routes never worked for me. I covered up my weakness with a warped sense of ethics. But, the Evo. was a “project”… a once a year, long distance project and the best there could be.
Your ice climbing connection for New England, the Northeast and Beyond!