karsten delap
Ice Climbing in North Conway, NH: Unveiling the ...
Ice Climbing in North Conway, NH: Unveiling the Best Winter Adventure
karsten delap
Free Soloing (why you have to do it to be a ...
Free Soloing (why you have to do it to be a climber)

Seattle

I have been in Seattle for awhile now trying to train for my AMGA Alpine Guides exam, mostly on my mountain bike… The weather has been less than ideal, partners keep bailing (mostly for legit reasons), and I have rekindled my love for mountain biking. My last bike was purchased in 1997 and was a Trek Y-33, at the time, one of the best bikes made. I went to the Trek dealer and started looking around… Disc Breaks, 5″ of travel front and rear, 29er what??? Man, a lot has changed! I ended up getting a new Trek Fuel 9.8 ex and sales rep Jim told me to head to Tiger Mountain; so I did. It was the perfect ride, possibly the most fun I have ever had on a bike. I have now logged 200 miles in the last week. Here is some footage mostly from Duthie Park, WA:

iPhone as a GPS or "Standalone" GPS

After a few seasons in the mountains with my iPhone as my GPS, it was finally drawn to the real test. Full storm conditions on Mt. Rainier on a route I have never been on. There was never visibility farther than 20 meters and most of the time it was hard to see your hand in front of your face. The storm was wet so everything was riming and as we moved uphill we would start to sweat and the phone would condense with dripping water coming off it before it would start to freeze. I didn’t take too many pictures as the situation was waning of its fun and started to be more serious.

I will stay out of the technical hardware that the iPhone has and let Apple tell you what’s inside. However I will cover the practical tools and techniques that I used to navigate with the phone offline from cell reception.

First thing you will want to get for the iPhone is the LifeProof case. This case has proven itself through many drops as well as rain and snow storms in the mountains for me. I have never completely submerged the phone but have friends who have. I leave this in my sweaty pockets all day and even with a vapor pressure the phone stays bone dry.

Second, will be a back-up battery. The Morphie Juice Pack Pro is the one I carry. I didn’t use this on my 2 day trip up Rainier but have used it on 4 day trips in the past. I will charge the iPhone around 4 times. With this being said, I still go to airplane mode as much as possible. The GPS fix only takes a few seconds to find itself and this will  sustain the battery for a long time. I will also sleep with the phone in my sleeping bag to prevent it from getting too cold at night. I have only had problems with battery drain at temps less than zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Third, will be what program to use. I have been using Topo Maps for awhile now. This app is $7.99 and is a one time fee. You can download all the maps for the U.S. and Canada with WIFI or cell signal. I tend to only download high res maps. You can import waypoints as well as export them. DropBox seems to be the way to do this most efficiently. You can read more about Topo Maps here: http://topomapsapp.com/index.html

*update December 2018* (While Topo Maps still work I would highly recommend Gaia GPS)

The iPhone has become an indispensable tool in the mountains. From a way to communicate to a camera, to a notepad to journal, your ipod that drowns out the noise in a busy hut and now a very accurate GPS unit, I would say don’t leave home without it!

For more on the iPhone camera check out this post: Best Camera to Carry

If you have more questions feel free to email me: karsten@foxmountainguides.com

IMG_04421-1024x466.jpg

The Feeling of Sending, Falling, and that Moment in Between

I worked with a client the other day who has come a long way in her climbing. She is now leading 5.10 sport but still having trouble falling. She has taken Arno’s Warriors Way clinics and said they helped but like anything that isn’t practiced, it fades into the peripheries of our mind. We have all experienced fear before a fall as well as the defeat after, or as Arno puts it “the learning!”

Paige also sent one of her hardest climbs in the last two days. It makes you proud as an instructor to see students send their projects and you get many of the same feelings you have yourself when completing a climb that was at one time improbable. Those feelings of success are overwhelming and put you at a momentary high that will last relative to the time put into the project.

Both sending and falling are very distinct moments in a climb that we go back in our memories and bring back to share around the campfire. What about the moments in between?

I have been finding great solitude in those moments lately. It is that moment of total focus, on the present as well as the very near future. The moment where I am really, really pumped; but I know that the very near future could hold the send or the fall, and I am in the adventure to find out which one. It is a great place to be, in this in between state. You can only get there by yourself and only be there by yourself. It is the place of no expectations and one of the very reasons we find our self engaged in this silly activity.

 

IMG_5029_-2_-3_tonemapped-680x387.jpg

La Sportiva Batura 2.0 GTX

M28A2045__-3-682x1024.jpg

My time in New Hampshire is fading fast as Fox Mountain Guides NH Ice trip comes to an end. This year we have seen quite the swing in temperatures from 51°F to -10°F. I have been in my La Sportiva Batura 2.0 GTX every day for work or play! This year I have had two different clients on this trip alone buy the Batura 2.0 and be way psyched on them.

I have had all three generations of the boot, and the Batura 2.0 GTX is the ringer! It weighs in significantly lighter than its predecessor at 1.8 pounds total. As we all know pounds off our feet in the mountains make the summits that much sweeter!

Even with the older models, my feet have rarely been chilled in this boot. The 2.0 is no exception even though the boot does weigh a good amount less. Sportiva puts both a layer of aluminum in the boot, which helps reflect the heat, and  a 3mm honeycomb tech insulating carbon insole. The other big improvement has been the GORE® layers on the outer and inner boot. This was particularly noticeable when climbing on a 52°F day! Yes, we did stop by noon as it was becoming a little unsafe!

One of the biggest issues with the boot in the past has been the zipper system. This was greatly improved on the EVO model (last year’s) and has now been mastered on the 2.0 GTX. The zipper itself is smooth, waterproof, and covered by velcro tabs to prevent any moisture from getting inside.

Whether you are climbing in the Ouray Ice Park, or checking out the Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest, look to see what all the pros are wearing; I bet you it is the Batura!