A Couple Pictures from Summer Adventures

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."  Doesn't bode real well for me.

I have had the best intentions to start posting regularly on the blog again.  I have failed miserably.  I have about 20 half-finished blog articles that have yet to be posted and I just haven't had time to finish any of them.  

Well, I have about 20 minutes tonight, so I thought I would simply post some pictures from some of my more recent adventures.  I am hoping that longer trip reports, gear reviews, etc. will follow, but I am not making any promises.

This was during our Grand Traverse in a day attempt in July.  I was not fit enough to complete the route in a day, but we were able to do the Cathedral Traverse in decent time.  Here I am on top of Teewinot with Owen and the Grand in the background.

Here I'm standing on top of Mt. Owen.  If I look a little fat in this picture that's because I am. 

Daniel, my climbing partner, is a much stronger climber than I am.  He quickly and effortlessly ran up Owen.  When I was at the final move to get to the summit, I got a little sketched by the exposure.  He dropped me a rope just in case.  I wouldn't have hesitated to pull the move in the past.  It's funny how a family changes one's perspectives.  I consider that a good thing.

Heading over to Gunsight Notch.  Daniel is in this picture.  Daniel is the director of the Weber State University Outdoor Program.  He runs an awesome program for students and the community.  About the nicest and most talented guy you'll ever meet, too.  It was fun to spend this time with him.

Daniel on top of the Grand.  We had intended to head up the Italian Cracks variation on the North Face of the Grand.  We ended up climbing the North Ridge.  The chimneys on the North Ridge were wet and tiring.  Daniel led and was psyched on the climbing even though we would have rather climbed the Italian Cracks.  I was less enthusiastic about the route and was wondering how it was ever considered a classic.  Now that I've forgotten how tired I was and how wet the chimneys were, I think I like the route.  Probably wouldn't intentionally climbing it again.  I'm excited to do the Italian Cracks though.

We headed down to the Lower Saddle and bivied for the night.  I was moving too slowly by that point to finish off the route in a day.  We decided to just run up the Middle Teton the next morning and head back home to family festivities.

Myself on top of the Middle Teton with the Grand in the background.

The next adventure worth sharing was a recent trip to the Cirque of the Towers with my family.  Because my wife was carrying our little boy, I got to carry my stuff, her stuff, Lincoln's stuff, and climbing gear.  I'm just not that tough of a person and this pack just about did me in.

70lbs is more than I've carried in a long time and more than I ever want to carry again.

Kelsey, Lincoln, and I on our way up over Jackass Pass.

The view of the Cirque of the Towers from Jackass Pass.  A few friends of mine just happened to be going to the Cirque the same days that I was going to be there with my family.  In spite of the fact that this was supposed to be a family backpacking trip, my wife gave me permission to climb with them for part of a day.  We headed up and did the East Ridge of Wolf's Head.

Heading up over Tiger's Tower between Pingora and Wolf's Head.  In the foreground is Joe Keeler and Ryan Thompson is in the background.

Myself, Wes, and Joe and we approach Wolf's Head.

Joe and I and the beginning of the Piton Pitch, enjoying the view of Bollinger Peak in the background.  Joe was really fun to climb with.  He has such a positive attitude and a lot of enthusiasm.  He's also a good climber.  The other two, Wes and Ryan, and great to climb with too, but Joe and I got to rope up together on this particular climb.

Wes, Joe, Ryan, and I enjoying the view on top of Wolf's Head.  It was an easy route to climb, but the beautiful views and great exposure made this a definite classic.

The view on the descent from Wolf's Head.

Kelsey and Lincoln going to sleep.  Lincoln is a great hiker.  He happily rides in the backpack all day.  Sleeping is another story.  We're still trying to figure that one out.  This picture was taken before Kelsey went to sleep.  She looks much less happy in the morning after a night with little sleep.

The Cirque of the Towers has to be one of the most beautiful places in the lower 48 states.  Every time I'm there I'm surprised by its beauty.  I will post a lot more pictures of this trip that were taken on my father-in-law's DSLR as soon as we exchange pictures.  They were absolutely spectacular.

Lone Peak Climbing Trip Report

I have been really busy lately working to get the GEAR:30 store ready for our November opening.  Whenever I've had a free moment, I have tried to get out into the mountains.  Unfortunately, that means that I haven't taken the time to write on the blog.  I apologize to the one or two people that regularly read my blog.  For everybody else that didn't notice my lack of writing, carry on with your lives.  There's nothing to see here.

Anyway, I was given a pack a few weeks ago to try out.  I have only been able to use it a couple times, but so far I'm really impressed.  The pack is the Aarn Guiding Light.  A much longer post is in the works, but this pack is one of the most complicated that I have used, so it is taking quite a while with my limited time to write.  I initially didn't think I would like it because it is so complicated and I generally like clean, simple packs, but this one has surprised me with its ability to carry weight comfortably.  Anyway, more is coming in the near future on this pack.

A few weeks ago I wanted a quick break to clear my head, get some exercise, breathe some clean air, and get re-energized for work (and I think the rest that went along felt the same way).  My wife and I and our good friends decided to head up to Lone Peak to do a little climbing.  This was the first time we had taken our wives up there.  My wife is 4-months pregnant and Phil and his wife brought along their 5-month-old little boy.  The hike up to Lone Peak is plenty strenuous with a day pack, but with overnight  and climbing equipment, water (because there is no available water up there this late in the year), being pregnant and carrying a little boy, this hike definitely gave us the exercise we were looking for (and then some).

Here are some pictures:

Kelsey starting up the Jacob's Ladder section of the Jacob's Ladder trail.  It is NOT an easy trail, but it is, in my opinion, one of the easier trails to Lone Peak.  I really don't think there is an easy way to get up Lone Peak.

Phil with 65 pounds of gear and 18 pounds of child.  I didn't realize that I hadn't gotten a picture of Katy on this trip.

This picture was taken on the hike back down after climbing, but I thought placing it here may be helpful to understanding which route we climbed.  Open Book (5.7) which we climbed, follows the main arete on the south (right) side of the face below the main summit (the highest point on the left of the picture).  This was our first trip to Lone Peak to climb, so we decided to climb Open Book which is one of the easiest routes in the cirque.  We can't wait to get back to Lone Peak and climb the Lowe Route, Vertical Smile-Triple Overhangs linkup, and many others.  The climbs up here are some of the best I have done in northern Utah.   

Crossing talus on the approach.

Phil leading up the first pitch.  He led the first 2-3 pitches (we linked p1 and p2).  We planned to simul-climb the route, but ended up only simul-climbing the first pitch because the route ended up being slightly more difficult than we were expecting.  We usually simul-climb routes up to about 5.9-ish (depending on the exposure and level of sandbagging) in order to move faster.  We probably could have simul-climbed this route, but because we were not in a hurry and because of the physical nature of the route (i.e. offwidth), we decided to pitch out all but the first pitch

Myself at the bottom of the 2nd pitch looking down to the cirque valley below.

I'm not a very good photographer and didn't get any pictures of Phil leading the hardest pitches.

Myself on Pitch 3, I think.

Though there are a lot of cracks for protection, the cracks were not as easy to climb as I was expecting. A combination of offwidth cracks, lots of gear, and the higher elevation made for tiring climbing.

Myself heading up the 4th pitch of the Open Book route.  Though the route is only rated 5.7, it is a pretty physical 5.7 with multiple sections of offwidth cracks (which I don't usually enjoy, but this route was pretty fun).

Phil took this picture while hanging at the bottom of the 4th pitch of the Open Book route.  Across the valley is Question Mark Wall with the Lowe Route heading right up the middle.

Kelsey and I on the summit of Lone Peak.  Kelsey hiked to the top while Phil and I climbed.  Phil's wife, Katy, and their little boy decided only to hike to the cirque because she didn't want to risk falling with the babe while crossing talus.

Phil on the summit of Lone Peak.

Kelsey

Myself coming down from Lone Peak after a day of climbing.  I am wearing the Aarn Guilding Light pack.  The pack isn't designed to carry real heavy loads, but I hauled about 65 pounds of gear and water in it and it was surprisingly comfortable.  Definitely a unique pack.

Kelsey, 4-months pregnant, hiking down from Lone Peak.

This was a really fun trip, though I think I would plan to go up earlier in the year next time so that there is water to filter.  Phil and I ended up carrying about 25-30 lbs of water each for ourselves and wives.  The hike would be much easier without that extra weight.

Arc'teryx I-340a Harness Review

*You can read this review and others at http://www.gearthirty.com/blog/2012/06/08/arcteryx-i-340a-harness-review/.  You can also find information on hiking, climbing, and paddling destinations and outdoor news from around the world.  Please check out www.gearthirty.com.

Let me preface this review by saying that I am not really a harness specialist.  I have been using the same harness for years and years.  In fact, my BD harness was 7 years old before I replaced it (wouldn't recommend that and neither would BD).  I was so nervous about climbing in that harness that I would borrow one of Phil's when we would climb together.  I have hung in most BD, Petzl, and Arc'teryx harnesses on the market, but I have only climbed in the BD Focus and Xenos harnesses, and the Arc'teryx X-350a and I-340a harnesses (and various ultralight webbing harnesses while mountaineering).  When it comes to all of the harnesses on the market, I can't tell you which one is best.  But, if you're debating about one of the harnesses mentioned above, this may be helpful.

The Stats and Features

From Arc'teryx's Website

The I·340a is an ice specialist with the ultimate combination of lightness, suppleness and support. A wide Warp Strength® Technology swami gives greater support without adding weight. Brawny tie-in point adds more critical strength where needed and adjustable leg loops are patterned with an anatomical conical shape for greater comfort while hanging. Fourteen slots present more options for clipping ice screws.

Harness Features

• Two drop seat buckles
• Wear safety markers on belay loop and tie-in points
• WST™ load is evenly supported across entire harness structure
• Low-profile webbing haul/gear loop
• Fourteen ice clipper slots
• Belay loop
• Thermoformed tie-in point
• Self locking buckle
• Extra Large width WST™ (Warp Strength Technology™) swami belt
• Four injection molded reversible/ removable gear loops
• Adjustable leg loops
• $170, ouch

My Experience

I have been using this harness for the past two months and I can't say enough about it.  The few complaints I had about the X350a harness have been remedied and, in my opinion and according to my limited knowledge on harness design, this harness couldn't get much better.

This harness is light, flat, and supple enough that hiking in it is very comfortable, even while wearing a backpack with a wide, padded hipbelt.  The gear loops on the hipbelt are removable and reversible, so if one were to do a lot of hiking with a backpack, the plastic could be removed for increased comfort.

Arc'teryx's Warp Strength Technology makes this harness very comfortable to hang in.  In my experience,  the BD Xenos was as comfortable or maybe slightly more comfortable than the X350a, but also a little heavier and bulkier.  Well, I would have to now say that the I-340a is more comfortable than either of these other harnesses.  I think this is due to a wider swami belt and a slightly different shape of the leg loops.  I have also found that it breathes a little better than the Xenos.

One gripe I had (and so did Phil) with the X350a was that the ice clipper slots were just a little too big for my BD ice clippers.  This meant that the little flange on the ice clipper that is meant to keep the ice clipper oriented properly wouldn't catch, and the ice clipper would rotate through the clipper slot and hang funny.  This problem has been remedied by making the ice clipper slots out of elastic.  This means that the slots are tight enough to catch the flange and keep the ice clipper oriented properly.  The elastic also has multiple slots so that multiple ice clippers can be used and you can customize the position of the clipper.

Photos and Explanations

Arc'teryx I-340a Harness.  This harness has 4 gear loops, many ice clipper slots, and comfortable, warp strength technology.  This harness is a size Large.  I have a waist of about 34 inches and this size fits well with and without layers under it.

Self-locking buckles.  No need to double back.

These ice clipper slots are made of elastic which allow one to use any ice clipper or carabiner to rack ice screws or hold tools.

Removable gear loops.  You can remove the plastic, or you can switch it so that they're angled in the opposite direction.

Switching/removing plastic gear loop.  If using a harness with a backpack that has a big hipbelt, it is more comfortable to carry the pack without the plastic gear loops.  It is a nice option, but it is a pain to remove them. It's not particularly easy and I'd hate to try to do it in the field with cold hands or gloves.  Luckily, the gear loops hang down far enough that the hipbelt on my pack doesn't cover the plastic.

BD Ice clipper.

The flange on the BD ice clipper helps to keep the clipper oriented properly.  These ice clippers don't work very well with the X350a but do with the BD Xenos and I-340a.  In my opinion, the Petzl ice clippers are better than the BDs anyway, and will work well on any harness that has ice clipper slots, no matter what size they are.

You can also use carabiners as ice clippers, but they don's stay oriented as well as the real deal.

The belay loop and tie-in points are reinforced and have wear markers for safety.  Or, in other words, when they start to wear out, you will see red showing through.

Some of the ice clipper slots are too far forward and the ice screws hang in the way of one's leg.  When ice climbing and the teeth of the screws are exposed, that can be a problem.  That's only a problem on the right side.  Easy to avoid.  Just don't use them.

Screws in the way of one's leg.

This is one of the lightest and smallest, full-featured alpine climbing harness.  About the size of a nalgene.

This harness weighs 13.8oz with its stuff sack in a size large; 13.4oz without it.

The Verdict

This is the best harness I have used up to this point.  Admittedly, I haven't used a ton of harnesses, but I have used a few.  The only down side is the price.  $170 is definitely not cheap.  But, if you spend a lot of time in a harness and you want to make sure you're comfortable, this is worth it, in my opinion.

Ogden Climbing Festival 5 Recap

Here are some pictures from the 5th Annual Ogden Climbing Festival held over the weekend.  Other pictures of the event can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/GEAR30/238664089522909

GEAR:30 was at the Gear Demo for their public debut.

Many vendors showed up with gear to demo, including Mad Rock, Scarpa, Black Diamond, Red Chili, and Revv NRG.  It was a fun time.

At the Boulder Comp the next morning.  

We had a strong female showing.  There weren't necessarily a lot of females that climbed, but they were all strong.

Curt and Denver helped organize and judge the comp.  Curt is a huge help every year, marking all the routes on each of the boulders with chalk.  This year it rained over night, so he had to remark each of the routes early Saturday morning.

Eric Zschiesche cruising routes that few others seemed to get up

Sawyer Wylie, a friend of mine and blogger at http://wasatchtales.blogspot.com/. 

Shane Bryson.  This traverse is rated at a V8 or so.  Shane went on to take first place in the comp for the open category.

Eric Zsciesche came in 2nd place in the open category.  He always brings a lot of positive energy to these events.

Staff from The Front Ogden climbing gym taught a children's bouldering clinic.

Peter Croft taught a climbing clinic/Q&A session.

It was super fun to have Peter out.  Later that night he gave a slideshow presentation and told some great stories.  It was a really good time.

Peter signing posters before his presentation.

For more (and better) pictures of the Festival, check out the OgdenOutdoorAdventure Facebook page here and the GEAR:30 Facebook page here