TAKE ACTION: Obama to Increase Appropriations for Public Land??

Because the past 8 years has left public land managers and forest managers with meager funds to maintain trail management teams, search and rescue teams, and more, there has been limited access to some of the country’s most beautiful and precious outdoor recreation resources, for activities such as hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing and camping. Understandably so, since without the infrastructure to support this type of land use, the land managers have no choice but to restrict the activities. This is something that the Access Fund specifically targets and works on with these land managers, however the Federal Government has made it extremely difficult because ultimately they are the ones providing the lack of funding.

BUT NOW THE GOOD NEWS….

Barack Obama, along with promoting an excellent energy plan, and making the oil companies use their windfall profits to help consumers, is also planning on increasing appropriations for public land….and therefore will most likely help to give access to many, many areas.

Their administration needs our support to get this done. Please visit Outdoor Alliance and choose to Take Action, and send letters (via the website) to Barack Obama, to help open up access to these public lands.

Along with a better energy management and energy use system, the funds that are going to be provided to these land managers will help conservation of our natural resources, including “roadless areas” that will be protected. This country is taking a turn in the right direction!

Thank you and Happy Climbing

Brandon Hensinger

Ascent Adventure Consultants- Sustainable Rock Climbing in North Carolina

The Importance Of Getting Outside and Climbing, Hiking, and Playing

Today I read an article on UsaToday.com about the importance of “playing” during these difficult and stressful financial times. The author, Janice Lloyd, spends time reviewing Stuart Brown’s new book Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul. ( See the article here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-03-23-play-stress_N.htm)

Stuart Brown is a proponent of making sure that everyone, adults especially, take time to “play” and do things that are enjoyable and invigorating for them. Without doing this, it doesn’t just lead to boredom, but rather depression and discontentment.

Getting away from cell phones and computers and enjoying the outdoors is the best way to do this. Of course, leisure activities such as video game playing is still relaxing, but until you take action to get away from all things that can distract you, you won’t truly be refreshed.

I often find that when I get away from all the daily responsibilities and demands of running my company, I come back with a renewed vision and determination for Ascent Adventure Consultants success. Often, it can be easy to think, “There’s no way that I can get away….I will miss opportunities.” However, the opposite is true. If you don’t get away every once in a while, you will miss opportunities because you will get burnt out and discouraged.

This coincides with some of the postings we have done last year: Escaping the Normal Routine of Life

Visit our website today to: Take time to play and enjoy life! We only get one life…so make the most of it! Climb some cliffs, hike some mountains, or whatever else you may enjoy!

Kammerlander establishes extreme trad route

This is amazing: 5.14a Trad Route

I would love to know how he mentally trained to climb this. Too bad there isn’t climbing like this in North Carolina!

Introduction to Alpine Climbing with Ascent Adventure Consultants, in the North Cascades and Mount Baker

Introduction to Alpine Climbing with Ascent Adventure Consultants, in the North Cascades and Mount Baker.

We have officially launched the most exciting and unique program that we have ever offered…check out the Intro to Alpine Climbing Class.

If you have ever dreamed of standing on top of a snow capped peak in a remote setting, or if your skills are just a little rusty Ascent Adventure Consultants has the course to fit your needs.

Choose from four course lengths: 4, 7, 10, or 13 days. Starting with our four-day basic course set on beautiful Mt. Baker in the North Cascades of Washington State. The first three days will be spent learning the skills that you will need to safely climb in a large alpine mountain environment. We will culminate this portion of the course with a summit attempt of Mt. Baker on the fourth day.

At the conclusion of the 4-day section of your trip, you will be ready to head into the heart of the North Cascades and put your new skills to use on some of the most stunning peaks in the lower 48 states. Each 3-day course section will find us attempting a new summit and learning new skills and techniques. If you are unable to do the entire 13-day course in one climbing season you can do part of the course then complete it the following year.

At the completion of our 13-day course you will have the skill to safely get out into the mountains on your own.

Lindsay Fixmer’s Red Rocks Trip Report

Lindsay Fixmer, one of our guides, just returned from a personal climbing trip to Red Rock Canyon, NV. Here is her trip report!

I start all my trips, as I started this past excursion, with a tick list: the ‘must-do’s’ in line with my immediate goals keeping in consideration that the conditions are right: weather, mental and physical preparedness, partner’s agenda, etc.
Since my climbing partner, Karsten, and I are both in ‘training’ mode for AMGA courses and exams and with guiding at the forefront of our minds, our goals and focus reflect these intentions and drive.  We both set out to do as many long routes as our bodies could handle on the trip.  This means all-day routes involving tricky route finding and well over one hour skirts to and from the route: walk-offs, 4th and 5th class approaches, and looking at these from a guiding perspective: risk management and client care.

We found ourselves wearing down the Oak Creek, Pine Creek, and Black Velvet Canyon paths regularly with classic lines such as Nightcrawler to Hourglass Diversion, Community Pillar, Triassic Sands, Hot Fudge Thursday, and being blown off the descent of Black Orpheus with 60 to 70mph winds.  This trip proved to be one of the windiest and coldest Red Rock trips I’ve ever been on: one day Karsten and I (as well as the party above us) were literally blown off Levitation 29.  I will say this: it was probably excellent training for me to have to deal with frozen hands and feet: overcoming uncomfortable (to a certain extent), can only strengthen oneself.

What I really love about longer climbing trips (over 1 week) is the learning process one goes through: and it’s different on each trip because the set-up varies.  Whether in a new area, on new routes, with a different climbing partner, how physically and mentally fit you are, adverse weather conditions… all these factors add in to the equation of what you accomplish and learn in that time.  And the more trips you take, the different areas you see and climb at, and covering vast terrains, you hone your route finding skills, better adapt to changes, better prepare your day’s schedule, strengthen your climbing on-sighting ability, and improve your knowledge and efficiency in a difficult, demanding setting (which I think is imperative with regards to guiding).

The return from the trip is always the hardest part; especially when your climbing partner gets to stay!  Alas, all good things must come to end … right?  Or do they really need to?  I say, no.  This reasoning is why I’ll be back in Vegas at the end of March to get in four more long days of excellent climbing on the bullet sandstone (and not so bullet, depending on what route you choose) of Red Rocks.  Good thing flights to Vegas are cheap!  Forget the gambling, it’s time to rope up again.

Ascent Adventure Consultants: Bringing Adventure to Life!

Carrying a Pack on Multipitch Climbs and Chimneys

I have had several people ask me over the past few years what exactly I do when climbing chimneys on multipitch routes, in order to carry a pack up with food, water, approach shoes, etc, since climbing a chimney with a pack is so difficult!

I just wanted to give my quick advice. The leader never carries a pack, but always the second. And instead of carrying it on their back through the chimneys, we simply use a tagline. I prefer to use a piece of webbing, and then just hang the pack from the harness of the second and then it can be pulled up through the chimney. Just a quick piece of advice!

http://www.ascentadventure.com

North Carolina Climbing Classes- Climb Outside- Learn how to Climb Outside, Skills and Techniques

 

Climb Outside! Climbing Classes

Do you long to climb outdoors? Are you a gym climber who is looking to learn how to climb outside and you are ready to take that next step? Are you a new climber wanting to refine your skills? Often one of the biggest challenges that people face when they have a desire to climb outside, is that they don’t know where to begin, and they don’t have the proper skills and technique.  Our Climb Outside! Climbing Classes are designed to provide you with the knowledge and technical skills needed to pursue a lifetime of climbing outdoors. The classes consist of three 2 hour sessions, held at local meeting places, culminating with a full day of climbing at a local crag, to put all of your skills into practice. Topics covered include route selection, anchor building, knot tying, rope management, and more.  Price Per Person: $200.00 per person

April 2009- Cary NC and Pilot Mountain NC (click on the location for directions) Date  Time  Techniques and Skills Taught Location    April 1   6:30-8:30 PM  Climbing Styles, Equipment, Knots  Caribou Coffee, Raleigh NC   April 8   6:30-8:30 PM  Anchors  Caribou Coffee, Raleigh NC   April 15   6:30-8:30 PM  Belaying and Rappelling  Caribou Coffee, Raleigh NC   April 18   8:00 AM-5:00 PM  Practice Your Skills, Climbing, Rescue   Pilot Mountain NC

More Yoga for Rock Climbers

I found a great website…www.yogatoday.com.

The people that run the site and the blog are rock climbers and avid outdoor enthusiasts. The blog can be found here:

http://www.yogatoday.com/blog/

I have started doing Yoga daily and have watched my balance on the rock dramatically increase, as well as my core strength and flexibility. Go to their site, click “Watch Classes” and there is a class you can watch called Yoga for Rock Climbers. Enjoy! I know that I did! I would love to hear about the results you see from doing yoga…comment below!

Don’t Get Weighed Down by Too Much Gear!

One of the biggest problems that new trad climbers face is being overburdened with gear on long multipitch climbs. Standing at the base of a climb, it can be so tempting to say, “Well…I might need that cam, and this hex, those 3 sets of nuts, 15 quickdraws…”, well you get the picture. I know that I personally ran into those problems all the time. One of my first long multipitch routes was Solar Slab in Red Rock Canyon NV. (Here’s someone’s trip report: Solar Slab.) I equated many pitches with lots of gear. I carried 2 full sets of cams, 2 full sets of nuts, a full set of hexes, 10 non locking carabiners, 10 locking carabiners, a nut tool, 12 quickdraws, slings in mass quantities, a chalk bag, and filled my pockets with food. Needless to say, I got burnt out and didn’t top out!

Many years later, I have learned from these mistakes and have learned how to streamline the process of choosing the right gear for the right climb. Over the next few weeks, I will post some thoughts and tips on these things.

• Read the route description and topos thoroughly. Often you can read about features such as “Hand Cracks”, “Off-Widths”, “Chimneys”, and “Thin Seams”. You can learn about directions, such as “Traverse”, “Pull the roof”, or “Hanging Belay”. Tips like these can help you learn what gear to bring. If a climb says that it is a hand crack, followed by a 25 foot traverse to the right, before a hanging belay on bolts, chances are you will not need small cams for that pitch…since it is a handcrack. You also most likely won’t need small stoppers, so just bring larger stoppers. You may need to double up on medium to large cams, and leave the smaller ones behind. You will need some slings to extend your pieces for the traverse. And you will need a cordellete or slings for the hanging belay, with 3 non locking carabiners and 2 locking carabiners. Your partner can bring up the gear that you didn’t carry, in case it will be needed for the next pitch. Hopefully you catch my drift. Study the route.

Climbing Strength Building Yoga Sequence

To me personally, Yoga is one of my new found favorite rock climbing training activities. I have noticed significant core strength and balance improvements from it. Here is a great sequence from the Yoga for Rock Climbing Blog. If you aren’t familiar with Yoga, you can look up how to do these poses by going to the Yoga for Rock Climbing Blog and simply highlighting the names of the poses listed below. It will show you a picture. Or just search on Google and you will find numerous sites that list these poses.

Strength-Building Asana Sequence for Climbers:

1) Down Dog

2) Warrior I — press the palms together and take the gaze upwards 5 breaths.

3) Release the arms behind the back, interlace the fingers, lean back, and touch the hands to the back thigh. Lower body remains in Warrior I position here. 5 breaths.

4) Keep the arms and legs as they are, just lean foward and extend the heart out over the front knee. 5 breaths.

5. Keep the legs as they are, release the arms, and then extend the arms forward as if you are reaching out to someone. 5 breaths.

6. Lean into the front leg and slowly stand up right into Warrior III. 10 breaths. Remember to keep this pose active! Extend back through the heel; extend forward through the finger tips. Keep raising that back leg and don’t let anything sag.

7. “Airplane” the arms to the side, and then “barrel roll” into Half-Moon Pose. 10 deep Ujjayi breaths. You may even try to take the bottom hand off the ground and extend that arm forward.

8. Very slowly, lower back into Extended Side-Angle Stretch. The landing here should be light and controlled. Hold Side-Angle for 10 breaths. Again, keep this pose super active. Extend forward through the top arm, and cut the back foot sharply into the mat. Imagine a line of energy extending from the back heel all the way throught he tips of the forward fingers.

9. Now here comes the fun part. 5 rounds of Extended Side-Angle Stretch into Half-Moon, and back again, holding each pose for 2 deep breaths. Remember to move between the poses with lightness and control.

10. End up in Half-Moon. “Barrel roll” back into Warrior III. Just 5 breaths this time.

11. Bring the hands to the floor and come into Standing Split. Hold for 10 breaths. Try to take both hands to the ankle so that your leg is doing all the work in holding you up.

11. From Standing Split, either press up directly into a Handstand or kick up into a Handstand. Alternatively, just come straight back into Chaturanga.

12. Vinyasa. Repeat on the other side.

I’d love to hear your comments on this!

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