Ice Climbing: Rocky Mountain National Park Update

Over the Thanksgiving weekend CMS guides, Andrew Councell and Mark Kelly, climbed some fun ice routes in Rocky Mountain National Park. Things are starting to form up and with more sunshine, cold evening temps, and potential moisture for next week it's only going to get better. Andrew and Mark have been running around the Park checking out all the early season ice (see earlier post about West Gully and Northeast Face of Notchtop). Please stay in touch and let us know if you have any questions about conditions and hiring a guide for some great days in the RMNP.

The areas Andrew and Mark checked out were around the Loch and Jewel Lake. Both are starting to offer a good variety of ice but remember it's still early season.

The Loch offers some great classic ice pitches:
1) The Crypt: WI4, 2) Freezer Burn WI4, and 3) Cold Storage WI4

Mark and Andrew also checked out the ice around Jewel Lake over the weekend and found some fun slabs and iced up mixed terrain.

Thanks to Mark and Andrew for the great pics, info and inspiration. Cheers!

Colorado Mountain School
info@totalclimbing.com
800.836.4008

November Pow!

Sunday I headed out to one of my favorite stashes with my wife and a couple of good friends. The forecast was for a foot or more of snow overnight and then gradually clearing during the day. Early season storms can be deceiving, especially when there isn't much of a base, so we were cautiously optimistic as we loaded up the 4Runner and hit the road. But we had a good feeling about this one, and as the saying goes, “you don't know if you don't go.”

Skinning up the trail towards alpine zone, we knew we had made the right call and were in for a treat. The storm came in warm and with uncharacteristically little wind. At treeline, we found a foot or more of fresh snow with no wind affect that was bonding well to the old snow below. In other words, perfect riding conditions.

Discussing our snow, avalanche, and weather observations, we felt very confident about the snow stability and decided to head up to one of the alpine bowls for a longer run.

Our smiles widened as we pushed to the Continental Divide. The avalanche hazard remained minimal and the snow was classic Colorado powder! A few storm clouds still lingered, dropping the occasional flakes, and teasing us with brief glimpses of the terrain above. As we topped out, the clouds lifted and the sun shown through, illuminating our skin track and highlighting our line of descent. We quickly ripped skins, agreed on our descent plan, and headed down to take advantage of the good visibility.

It's days like these the remind me why I love being in the mountains and sliding on snow.

See you in the backcountry.

Matt Lipscomb
CMS Guide
AIARE Level 1 and 2 Instructor

Want to improve your knowledge of avalanche hazard and confidence in decision making in the mountains? Join CMS for a L1 Avalanche Course or a day of guided backcountry skiing this winter.

Ice Climbing: Lincoln Falls

My friend and I wear really psyched for ice climbing after all of the recent snow fall. We then took a chance to scout out some early ice conditions. I knew that some areas are more likely to have ice than others. I was looking for cooler temps and shaded aspects with higher elevation for forming ice. Also considering the hike in and a recon mission, I though that Lincoln Falls would be a great venue to check. Little did we know what we were in store for.

The drive in to the parking area was a great time to confirm there would be good ice. Once we saw the main gully in a mild blue hue I knew that there was potential for some climbing.

The 1st pitch was a little more wet on the right side the h2o was rushing down the ice fall. Over all there was pretty deep ice. The ice fall took screws and swings.

The second pitch was a bit more interesting. With chandeliers and steeper terrain, I was paying closer attention as to where my placements went . During early season one must try to tread lightly on this forming ice. Ice that is not ready to lead one must really try to avoid it for future climbing.

We found great mixed top roping with out bashing the ice pack apart that was still forming.

Working together we were able to come up with a plan. As mountain guides we are trained to be consciences of the resources and lead by example.

When the early season has you pumped to climb remember to think about preservation and the future of the season for you and especially others.

Joey Thompson
CMS Guide
AMGA Certified Rock Guide
AIARE Level 1 Instructor
jthompson@totalclimbing.com

CMS Expeditions - We have what you are looking for!

Expedition season has started for the Colorado Mountain School. From November through April different CMS guides will be traveling around the world to climb various peaks, send beautiful cliff faces, and ski some fresh powder. Needless to say we offer something for everyone.

Currently CMS guide, Steve Johnson, is down in Mexico enjoying the warm weather and sun climbing the limestone cliffs of Potrero Chico. A little bit later this month another CMS guide, Bob Chase will be heading down to Ecuador to climb some beautiful volcanoes. Once ski season is in full swing up in Alaska, Mark Kelly will be guiding our Valdez Heli-ski Mountaineering Expedition.

No matter what your medium of choice is, (mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing, skiing) we have something for you. Custom trips are always available. Take a look below to see what we have to offer.

Mexico:
Potrero Chico Rock Climbing
Orizaba and Izta ascents
Orizaba Express trip

Ecuador:
Cayambe and Cotopaxi ascents
Cayambe express trip
Illiniza Sur and Antisana ascents

Argentina:
Aconcagua

Alaska:
Valdez Heli-ski Mountaineering
Alaskan Mountaineering Seminar
Ham and Eggs ascent

We are also able to offer custom trip to Nepal, Bolivia, and Peru. Don’t see what you are looking for? Give us a call to see if we might be able to accommodate your team.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks,

E.J. Nogaski
Expedition Manager
Colorado Mountain School
800-836-4008 x3

RMNP Conditions - Ice is Coming In!

West Gully

CMS guides, Mark Kelly and Andrew Councell, checked out early ice conditions in RMNP and found some fun early season climbing. They climbed both All Mixed Up (lower pitches of AMU were thin) and the West Gully. AMU was thin but the flows above Black Lake provided better climbing.

All Mixed Up

Other climbs like Deep Freeze, Necrophilia, and Vanquished were not in and the Crypt is just barely there. Loch Vale ice was not formed on the main flow, the gully (low tide) was in and Mixed emotions and Blade runner were partially formed.

All the trails are hard packed and frozen.

Be careful with early season conditions and keep checking our website, Facebook, and Twitter for more updates. To check out Andrew's full conditions report click here.

AUTO BELAY UPDATE! Nov 4th, 2009

Below is a statement from MSA, the manufacture of the Auto Belay Descenders. The BRC staff is sorry for any inconvenience this has caused and thank you for your continued patience. We'll keep you updated as we find out more.

Redpoint® & Auto-Belay Descenders
Stop-Use Notice Update
November 3, 2009

As you are already aware, MSA issued a Stop Use Notice on Redpoint and Auto-Belay Descenders on October 14, 2009. The Stop Use Notice was emailed and mailed to all Redpoint and affected Auto-Belay purchasers that MSA has on record. In addition, this notice has been circulated via the Internet through climbing wall organizations and social networking sites, and it has been posted on the MSA website. We have made every effort to ensure that all users of the Redpoint and Auto-Belay Descenders have been notified of this situation.

We understand the difficulties and challenges that our Stop Use Notice creates for owners of climbing walls and/or climbing gyms, and we regret any inconvenience that users may experience as a result of this equipment being out of service. However, user safety is our primary concern.

Both units involved in the reported accelerated descents, specified in the recent Stop Use notice, have been returned to us for evaluation. Our review discovered no evidence of any physical damage that would have affected the rate of descent. Over the past two weeks, we have conducted a thorough investigation and several key performance tests in attempt to pinpoint the root cause of the reported accelerated descents. We have dimensionally checked the brakes, induced stresses on the brakes and one-way bearing in several ways, and conducted a dimensional and chemical analysis of the bearing; however, to date, our testing has not produced an accelerated descent. Bearings have been sent to the bearing manufacturer for further independent analysis, and we are currently awaiting a report. We are also conducting additional tests to determine the effect of vibration on the performance of the bearing. We expect to have the results of these tests in approximately one week. It is important that the Stop Use remain in effect. Please do not use any Redpoint Descender or affected Auto-Belay Descender until advised by MSA. As a reminder, the Stop Use Notice applies to the following descender units:
• All Redpoint Descenders (part numbers 10024873, 10027646, and 10027798)
regardless of the date the unit was manufactured or last serviced,
• Auto-Belay Descenders (part number 10021806) manufactured or last serviced on
or after June 30, 2000.

Rest assured we are making every effort to complete our investigation as quickly as possible and, more importantly, provide you with an effective and safe resolution to this matter.

As additional information becomes available, we will be sure to communicate it to you in a timely fashion. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to provide you with the answers you need.

If you have any questions, please contact MSA Customer Service in North America at 1-800-MSA-2222 or your nearest MSA affiliate listed at www.MSAnet.com.

Very truly yours,
Charles J. Seibel, Jr.
Manager of Product Safety

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