Training, Climbing and an Avalanche Course

The leaves from last fall crunched under my feet as Joe, Melissa and I walked through a forest of maple trees towards Rose Ledge. It was hard to believe that not even a week before we were climbing frozen waterfalls on Lake Superior and now we were climbing warm gneiss in tank tops. The temperature swing from the upper UP was drastic, but we were far from discouraged. We put on rock shoes, slapped some chalk on our hands and went to the crag.

Double Helix (5.9) PC- JDSTYLOS

Being on the road, and traveling makes training a bit difficult. You take advantage of the resources you have… whether it be a playground or paying $5.00 for a day pass at a gym. So having the ability to settle in at Northampton and start to truly focus on training has been quite the relief.

Melissa on Beginner's Corner (5.7) PC- JDSTYLOS

The book “Training for the New Alpinism” [Steve House, Scott Johnson] has been our sort of “Bible”. We have read the book front to back, and reference it almost every day. Time seems to be flying by before we leave to Alaska, so we have had to shorten the training a bit… but I think we are making it work.



Our weeks revolve around training. Whether it be getting in an hour or more of running in, hiking with big heavy packs and a couple of times a week making sure to go down to the shed to get a strength workout in… all are so valuable for our objective.

Double Helix PC- JDSTYLOS

With all of the training, we find that we tend to feel pretty tired most of the time. For a bit, we were disappointed to see the weather up north in the Adirondacks and North Conway to have warm temperatures and rain, ultimately started to melt all the ice. So when a large winter storm system came into town we did not hesitate to put away our rock shoes, grab the tools and go north.



The ice was revived by snowy days and cold temperatures. Joe, Melissa and I drove into the parking lot of Chapel Pond to find it full with other climbers. A bit of a shock for a Monday, but nevertheless we hiked down through the canyon to find some ice and were successful.

FIRST LEAD! Quinns Eskimo WI2/3 PC- JDSTYLOS

When you talk to any other climber about leading on ice it's never really a light subject. Like I said before in my last blog, falling on ice has high consequence. So when I considered leading on ice, I told myself I wouldn't lead until I felt like I was not only physically ready but mentally ready. This season my mindset had a bit of a shift, going from there's no way I will lead, to considering it, then finally getting to the point of… “yes, I am ready for this”.

FIRST LEAD! Quinns Eskimo WI2/3 PC- JDSTYLOS

When the weather looked like it was not going to cooperate for the rest of the season, I wondered if we were going to be able to get one last climb in. So when our chance emerged, both Joe and I were looking for good climbs to do our first leads.

FIRST LEAD! Quinns Eskimo WI2/3 PC- JDSTYLOS

Joe started the day out on a 180ft climb called Midnight Cruiser. A WI3, with a thin and awkward start. Not only did he start the day on this climb, but he lead it. I gave him a belay and watched him climb out of sight. I heard him yell “off belay!” and knew he was at the top! First lead checked off for him! By the time I was climbing and got up to him, I congratulated him but also questioned if I actually wanted to lead the same climb.

Joe's First Lead Midnight Cruiser, WI3

By the time we all regrouped at the bottom of the climb, we looked to our right and saw a perfect 110ft climb called “Quinn’s Eskimo”. Without the weird awkward start, this WI2/3 was much more appealing, so I racked up and tied in. Before I climbed I didn't really know what to expect, but as I started to swing my tools and place the screws, it was as if a mental calm came over me. With the ice grade low, and not extremely challenging, it gave me the ability to really focus on safe, and accurate climbing. Once I reached the top, I gave out a hollar, made an anchor and came back down. Melissa followed, and Joe finished up the day with his second lead.

Melissa Climbing the Main Flow of Lion's on a Beach, WI4
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The next day we were the first climbers out into the canyon and set a top rope on a more difficult climb, that neither Joe or I felt ready to lead. Lions on the Beach is a wide WI4 flow, with plenty of options to climb. Each time I climbed I had climbed a different line by setting a directional above us. From mock leading the main flow, to delicate climbing on a thin smear far left that was never more than an inch thick, to climbing far right on some technical bulges and pillars. We all got a full days worth of climbing in. Even though there wasn't any leading like the day before, it gave us all a chance to have some fun on more difficult ice.

Climbing the 1/2 in smear, far left on Lions
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Anyone who has been to the backcountry in the winter, or when there is snow involved knows that one of the biggest concerns is avalanche danger. With our Alaska trip quickly approaching, Melissa, Joe and I all signed up for an AAIRE 1 course with Synnott Mountain Guides in North Conway, New Hampshire. With another big storm approaching, the snow conditions were going to be perfect, and we drove up to New Hampshire feeling excited.

Climbing Far Right, Lions on a Beach WI4+
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The first day was all classroom work. Learning terminology, heuristics, different types of avalanches, reading avalanche forecasts, and what to be prepared for in the backcountry. This class was a perfect balance of not teaching you how to run away from avalanches but learning how to safely travel through avalanche terrain. The next two days focused on this concept.

Joe Climbing Far Right on Lions
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We met up with our teachers and classmates at the lodge to do a quick day brief before heading out on the Tuckerman Ravine trail at the base of Mt. Washington on Saturday morning. With the fresh powder surrounding us, the place was packed with skiers and climbers looking for fresh new lines. We hiked along the trail and as we did, our instructors taught us about informal snow tests, and what to keep an eye out for. We took time to learn how to use our Avalanche beacons and about partner rescue.

The Belay... PC-JDSTYLOS

The next day we all met up once again, did a quick brief before planning to climb up into the base of Huntington Ravine. Our two instructors took us to where we could see all the climbs in the ravine. From Central, to Damnation, and Pinnacle, he pointed all of them out to us. We admired the possibilities of future climbing. Our teachers demonstrated digging a snow pit, and we all took turns feeling for different layers in the snow. After a couple hours working and learning in the snow we came to the conclusion to continue further up into the terrain. We practiced safe travel through avi terrain and once we got to our high point, us three snowshoers watched the skiers ski through gorgeous uncarved powder. I’m a skier, but I have never skinned our done anything in the backcountry. After watching them ski down away from us, I was quick to make a mental note to get me a good pair of touring skis someday.

Shake it out.... PC- JDSTYLOS

Overall the AAIRE 1 course was indispensable. We may not be in as much avi terrain as a backcountry skier, but as climbers we do find ourselves in similar situations. I went from being completely blind about avalanches to feeling like I now have the necessary tools to make an educated decision on whether today is a good day, or maybe to end on a good note and come back later.

Melissa... PC-JDSTYLOS

After many hours out in the wind and snow, we said our goodbyes to North Conway and made the drive to Eastport, Maine to visit with Joe’s mom. With less than six weeks till we fly out to Alaska, I think we are all feeling the pressure to get everything in line to go. From purchasing gear, to making a food list and tracking the route on topo maps. Everything is slowly coming together, but at the same time it still feels like we have so much to do! There has been a lot of things about preparing for this expedition that I haven't quite expected but also as we get closer, the excitement starts to build… The ice has made a rebound up north, so as we train, pack and prep for Alaska, we will climb too!


Cheers!

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