Notes from Peaklessburg

Commentary on being a Suburban Mountaineer.

A Mountain Geek’s Treasure Chest: AAC Archives

/ Andrew Szalay / Leave a comment

As you know, I am much more of an armchair mountaineer these days with my career and family in Peaklessburg.  But even when I climbed and hiked with more regularity, I enjoyed coming across old maps in yard sales and climbing narratives from the 1930s in antique stores. 

I still do and I have to tip my Major League Baseball cap to the Henry S. Hall, Jr. American Alpine Club Library in Golden Colorado for maintaining and continuing to build upon the “collective memory” (their words) of the mountaineering community.  The library has a circulating collection available to American Alpine Club (AAC) members and Friends of the American Alpine Club Library, rare and non-circulating books in the AAC Archives, and photographs which can be considered documentary or art, depending on who is appreciating it. 

Mountaineers are also encouraged to donate their letters, diaries, photos and scrapbooks, expedition reports, films, and even gear to the library in the hopes of maintaining a continuous thread of history.  The library indicates that not everything may be accepted however based on its “appropriateness” — perhaps they mean historical value.  Their website, at least, does not elaborate on that point.  Regardless, this invitation helps ensure the collection will remain the current today as we look back tomorrow.

The libary’s archivists just began reviewing and catalogueing the Bradford Washburn archives with the climbing community’s financial support.  Washburn is one of the greatest Alaskan mountaineers in history, with multiple ascents of Denali, an epic first ascent of Mount Lucania and he was a talented mountain photographer.  He also lead the expedition to map the entire Wrangell-St. Elias Range when no one knew what was in that territory. 

The Washburn archives include 20 unopened file boxes, five flat unopened boxes and over 20 rolled maps.  Staff and resources are needed to properly go through these records of the great mountaineer and explorer.  Individuals may adopt the archives in $100 increments to help complete the work. 

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Bigger Send than Everest: Olympus Mons

/ Andrew Szalay / 2 Comments

Before I ever got into climbing in middle school in the 1990s, I knew the answer to a great trivia question: What is the name of a mountain bigger than Mount Everest?  The answer is Olympus Mons.  It is a sheild volcano with a broad, elevated caldera on the planet Mars.  It is approximately three times the ascent (measured from base to summit) of Everest, standing 27 km./17 mi. above Mars’ mean surface level.

What would be the challenge of sending such a peak?  Other than getting to Mars, the climber would be facing a myriad of different challenges.  For one, from base to summit, the mountain climber would be in a space pressure suit, dependent on that environment.  If the suit was suitable for the climb, it might make the ascent as easy as climbing a small peak in the thick air of sea level.  Would several days and camps be necessary?  Probably not.  One reason this mountain is so high is because Mars’ gravity is much less than earth’s.  Gravity keeps many of earth’s mountains more compressed and thereby closer to sea level.

Weather, however, would be a problem.  Mars commonly has numerous dust storms that may make climbing difficult.  It might be possible for the climber to bring a bivy shelter (not exactly a tent) to use as added protection from the winds and debris of a storm.  The bivy would probably be anchored into the side of the peak.

Here is an article that was published late last week on other peaks in the Solar System if you’re looking for more possibilities.

Well, I’ll cover a peak that we can actually go to in my next few posts.  And if you enjoyed this post, please consider following The Suburban Mountaineer on Twitter and Facebook.

A Quick Note on Smores

/ Andrew Szalay / 2 Comments

If you have been around a campfire for recreational reasons (assuming you’re not lost and hypothermic) you probably cooked something over the camp fire to enjoy the experience a little more.  Hot dogs roasted on the end of a stick are great and taste better than the wieners sold at the baseball stadium.  But for the sweet tooth, my Black Diamond helmet goes off to smores!

I realized, once again, how much I appreciate their magical qualities a few weeks ago.  That was when I was promoted at work, something I have worked long and hard for.  My wife and I celebrated at a local restaurant and started I with a craft brew, which is expected.  What was unexpected was that for dessert they offered the chance to make our own smores.  They even offered some variations to the choices of chocolate.  The slightly browned roasted marshmallows was enough to bring me back to summers in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks.

The lesson from this experience was 1) that smores can evoke memories from camping; 2) that you can make smores on a fondue table stove even if you don’t have a fireplace; and 3) that a number of other chocolate bars work great instead of just the usual one you get in the check out aisle.

While the traditional chocolate bar works well, here are some alternatives to use with the marshmallow and graham crackers:

  • Kit Kats
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
  • Lindt Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate

I am sure there are plenty of others, but these are just what my wife and I can vouch for.  I hope they send you to back to your mountains!

Well, thanks again for visiting.  If you enjoyed this post, please consider following the Suburban Mountaineer on Facebook.

Vittorio Sella’s Photography Reviewed

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I hope everyone had a good Oktoberfest weekend by enjoying some brew and perhaps a brat, like I did.  If not, hopefully you were out on the trail. 

This weekend I came across a review by Mark Feeney of the Boston Globe of the work of the great mountain photographer Vittorio Sella, who’s work is on display at the Panopticon Gallery in Boston.  Sella followed the Duke of Abruzzi, Luigi Amedeo, around for several expeditions.  These trips included the legendary journey by the Duke that named the most direct route up K2, the Abruzzi Ridge. 

Here is a sample of Sella’s work at this link.  The sample does not do him full justice.  Sella’s finished work in Europe brought the strange lands of the Himalayas and elsewhere to life the way National Geographic had in a time when the work beyond our borders was alien, not just exotic. 

Sella, as well as Amedeo, are responsible for advancing mountain exploration and inspiring climbers and mountain photographers like Bradford Washburn and their successors.  While some of us may wish the mountains were as mysterious today as they were then, it is thanks to their work that we can plunge into the great ranges with knowledge of the risks and dangers of the terrain and weather. 

So here is an Oktoberfest toast: To Vittorio — Proost! 

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NPR: Consumers Buying and Getting Outdoors

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National Public Radio reported earlier this month that despite the recession, the outdoor gear and apparel industry has been doing okay.  To me this illustrates two things: 1) Financially-enabled consumers continue to spend on their hobbies; 2) People want to enjoy the outdoors, possibly above other activities. 

The second point has the most significance to me.  I like to think that our collective interest in the outdoors and our sports of hiking and climbing are coupled with conservation and reducing pollution and waste.  If we are still buying that new headlamp for our next trip, are we also forward looking enough to invest in other “green” efforts?  I hope…

Jimmy Chin LIVE

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It was not entirely what I expected, though the slide show was fantastic!  As I announced last week, I went to see adventure photographer, skier and mountaineer Jimmy Chin present at the National Geographic Society.  I would have gotten my photo with him and displayed it in this post, but considering the makeup of the crowd, I decided against it. 

After a “champagne reception” (odd for these events), Chin told a story of how he got to be the adventure photographer he is known for, and also about some of his current work.  He was born in peakless Minnesota, where he said he built up the tolerance to be an alpinist: “The coldest I’ve ever been was when I was waiting for the bus,” then he added, “wearing a jean jacket.”  After attending a “normal” four-year college he took a year off to get his new climbing hobby out of his system.  It lasted longer than a year and he never looked back, though his parents had doubts about his pursuits after he was living out of his car for several years. 

Jimmy explained that after earning the rite of passage through a couple of years of sending in Yosemite, he and some friends looked toward the other big walls and mountains of the world.  He eventually ski descended Everest and started “shooting” pictures everywhere along the way. 

The presentation on his attempt to summit the perpetually unclimbed Shark’s Fin route on Meru in Northern India was the real highlight.  He interspersed comments throughout a film made by climbing partner Renen Ozturk.  It was similar to this one of Jimmy on El Capitan:
http://vimeo.com/8370536.  They planned for an eight-day climb and ended up being on the mountain for 20 days.  And no matter what happened Jimmy had a good sense of humor. 

The crowd at the NGS event surprised me the most.  I’ve seen a number of other authors and adventurers in the climbing community present in and around Washington, DC, but never with an audience like this.  Usually these talks attract other climbers or people knowledgeable with the subject.  It felt more like a Faith Hill concert.  There were at least two girls for every dude present.  This was all thanks to his sponsor… which makes designer sunglasses. Jimmy, it sounds like you’ve got a good gig!

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