Guides' Tip: Spring 2008

Guide: Nate Disser: AMGA Certified Rock Guide

The Early Climber Nabs the Summit

I hate getting up early. There is nothing I like better than hitting the snooze button or zipping up my sleeping bag so that incoming light is filtered out and I can pretend that it's 3 hours earlier. Let's face it, warm is comfortable and cold, crisp air makes me want to put on my down jacket. In the winter, I'm sometimes able to justify this m.o. because it often is just to friggin' cold. In the spring, however, I'm motivated to wake up and get things going by the fact that:

• A) It's really not that cold.
• B) I'll be feeling the warmth of the sun before I know it.
• C) Climbing a big route means that I need every second of daylight.
• D) Warmer temps mean more rockfall, and sloppy mid-day snow conditions and avy hazard.

During the night or during periods of colder temperatures, the ice that holds many of those big blocks together is, wel, more ice. During the day during periods of warmer temperatures, that ice turns to, yes you guessed it, water. That water lubricates the bonds between the rock and gravity takes over. Therefore, an early start serves three important functions:

• 1) It allows you to climb those long routes without getting stuck in the dark, thus avoiding the potential epic descent (by the way, don't forget to bring an EXTRA headlamp in your backpack because you just never know).
• 2) You can avoid predictable rockfall events in narrow couloirs or on sun affected faces which contain rock of questionable quality.
• 3) Fun with post holing is kept to an absolute minimum. An added bonus is that the early return allows you to cook a huge recovery dinner and bask in the glory of your ascent, and/or make it to happy hour at one of the area's finest extablishments.

We all hate getting up early, but it's really not that bad. Before you know it, your legs will be propelling you upward. You'll be moving fast, and with confidence. You might not even need to wear your down jacket!

Guides' Tip: Winter 2008

Guide: Andrew Klotz

Winter Repair Kits: Ski and Avalanche

Unlike the majority of summertime adventures, a simple gear failure in the winter can be catastrophic because we rely so heavily on relatively complex systems to keep us afloat and moving in wintertime snow. Next time your are out in the middle of a virgin powder field in the high mountain snowpack, take your skis or snowshoes off for a minute - did you sink to your knees, waist, or worse? Now imagine walking/wading through that snow for miles back to your car or nearest road. Although with snowshoes or skis we may traverse 5, 10, or even 15 miles easily in a day in the snow, moving those same miles without the flotation provided by skis and shoes can easily triple or quadruple our travel times. Consequently, at minimum, it is imperative that we be able to repair our snow flotation devices to the degree necessary to enable a timely return to civilization. With a reasonably comprehensive repair kit and some ingenuity, most problems can be solved quickly and effectively. The kit need not weigh you down either as it is not necessary to prepare for every possible contingency. The one outlined below weighs in at a very reasonable 11.7 ounces.

My primary daytrip repair kit is geared towards solving problems for myself and the group of 2 - 6 people I might be travelling with - typically one of these per group is totally adequate for any day long adventure. It includes the following:

(The essential kit for backcountry repairs.)

• 1. Ski straps - I recommend carrying at least 4 with 2 of those being the super long 20 inchers. These are both extremely durable, effective, and useful. They can be used to repair broken bindings, boot buckles, backpacks, and skins that won't stick.
• 2. Dental floss - I use this for all field sewing repairs - it is more durable and stronger than most threads and easier to work with than fishing line.
• 3. Zip ties - often used for handcuffs by police in riot situations, these are quite strong and handy, especially for buckle or skin repairs. Be aware that they can fail in very cold temperatures.
• 4. Skin tail attachment, skin tip attachment - I carry extras of all of these pieces for super quick skin repairs.
• 5. Mini Leatherman - pliers, knives, files, all the good stuff we are used to in a Leatherman but in a much smaller package.
• 6. Binding buddy - driver device, make sure you have the sometimes odd bits, (e.g. star) that your binding requires.
• 7. Extra pole basket - losing or breaking a pole basket is far from life threatening but it can be a nuisance so bring an extra.
• 8. Binding screws.
• 9. High tensile strength steel wire - can be used for a variety of heavy duty applications such as lashing or reinforcing a broken binding back to a ski or doing major repairs to a snowshoe.
• 10. Duct Tape - Mandatory!! Wrap it around your ski pole for easy storage and quick access.
• 11. Steel wool - bring a little along to fill screw holes that have been stripped.
• 12. Epoxy/super glue - multiple applications, only a very small amount is needed.
• 13. Hose clamps and a four or five inch aluminum tube sliced in half lengthwise - can be used to repair a broken ski pole.
• 14. 3 mil perlon cord - some of the same uses as the wire - I carry as a backup/multiple use.
• 15. Ultra lightweight zip pouch. Easily accommodates the whole kit.

Finally, on multi-day trips I typically will add a fastex buckle (identical to the one on my backpack's waist belt), remove the mini-Leatherman and replace it with it's bigger brother, take additional epoxy and patches for tents and sleeping pads, and an additional half inch by 4 inch tubular aluminum sleeve to repair tent poles with.

Guides' Tip: Fall 2007

Guide: Andrew Klotz

Packing the Pig

We¹ve all seen the hapless hiker, climber, or skier on the trail with the lumpy backpack and vast quantities and varieties of gear lashed on and around the outside of the pack - a sleeping bag tied to the bottom, ice axes interwoven into a matrix of straps, avalanche shovels swinging, dangling water bottles, and a full compliment of other accouterments utilizing every buckle and piece of webbing leaving us to wonder what might actually be inside the pack. This form of packing is affectionately known as "chuckwagon" style, harkening back to the early pioneer mess wagon to which was strapped every piece of good and gear ­ presumably for easy access or lack of other space.

In the mountains, Chuckwagon style is to be avoided, and not just for aesthetic reasons. Hard won experience suggests that hiking eight miles to base camp and discovering that your sleeping bag or tent fell off somewhere around mile three is an unpleasant lesson at best. Backpacks are meant to be packed and the goal is to fit every single piece of gear inside the pack. When gear is inside the pack there is no need to worry about losing anything from your kit when a strap system fails or a tree branch grabs. Also remember that climbing, skiing, and yes, even hiking, are primarily balance sports ­ strapping a 30-40 pound pig full of gear to your back generally does not improve balance, so we want to stack the odds in our favor and try to make that gear as small, condensed, and centered on our bodies as possible,. When we move, the pig moves with, and not against us.

The reason many guides and other experienced mountain people prefer simple, streamlined, top loading packs and eschew all of the latest gizmos and strapping systems provided by the industry is because top loading packs allow us to push, cram, and use basic brute force when stuffing everything into the bag. It is common to take a razor blade to a newly purchased pack and cut off all of the miscellaneous straps and patches ­ some claim the weight savings, I do it because those straps are just not needed and have the nasty habit of whipping you in the face in high winds. Side entry zippers are a liability as they might blow out under the force of aggressive stuffing. Ice axes are really the only exception to the rule of keeping all of the gear in the pack, and even then, when skiing or climbing with a small ax, it is a good idea to put those inside as well, as climbing sometimes, and skiing, usually, involves some amount of falling ­ ice axes and cartwheeling down steep slopes is a bad combination.

Without doubt, perfect packing is a goal that takes some practice to achieve, however it is attainable and a clean, tight pack nuzzled close to your body will reward every time a hold is stretched for, dense forest is bushwhacked, a turn is leaned into, or just arriving at camp, confident all your gear is intact, present, and accounted for.