THE CLIMBER
WINTER 2013 $9.95
84
NEW ZEALAND’S CLIMBING MAGAZINE
QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE NEW ZEALAND ALPINE CLUB
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SNAPPED
DANILO HEGG
David Walden BASE jumping from the Charismatic Wall, Cleddau Valley, Fiordland. Check out climber.co.nz for more info on the jumps David opened in the Cleddau last summer.
Get your photo published on this page and we’ll give you a stylie pair of Chalkydigits pants of your choice from their current range.
ON THE COVER Matt Scholes on solid turf, climbing Stone Free (M5), Remarkables Range, Queenstown. MARK WATSON
CONTENTS ISSUE 84
FEATURES 18 BORN AGAIN BOLTERS A discussion on style and ethics. BY PAUL HERSEY
22 THREE RIDGE TRAVERSES A profile of three classic Kiwi ridge traverses. BY TOM JERRAM, KESTER BROWN and STEPHEN SKELTON
30 O CANADA One summer climb. One winter ski tour. BY SIMON CARR and GRAHAM JOHNSON
36 THE GUIDING LIFE Mountain guiding in New Zealand. BY ANNA KEELING
40 ON SIGHT Climber photographer profile. BY JOSHUA WINDSOR
REGULARS 4 The Sharp End (comment and opinion)
6 Exposure 10 Climbing News and Events
16 NZAC News 44 Technique 47 Stuff You Need 50 Books and Films 54 Wall Directory 56 The Last Pitch 2
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
CLIMBING NEWS AND EVENTS
Creating New Worlds of Light
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NEW from LED Lenser comes SEO - four lightweight, extremely bright, IPX 6-rated models that will revolutionise the world of headlamps. See them in store at your nearest LED Lenser stockist or visit www.tightlines.co.nz THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
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THE SHARP END
RETRO ISSUE THERE’S BEEN a lot of discussion online recently regarding retro-bolting and I urge people to contribute to it [see the climber.co.nz forum pages and the NZAC Facebook page—Ed]. I think it’s important that this issue gets attention as adding bolts to existing routes seems to be an increasing trend. I accept that extra bolts can increase the number of ascents a route gets, by making it easier, safer and more convenient. However, I feel this increased accessibility comes at a big price, as it can decrease the satisfaction of climbing the route. Trad routes are thought-provoking and rewarding. They’re also a place to learn and practise important skills like gear-placement, route-finding and judgement, especially regarding climbing above poor or limited gear. If we dumbdown our crags, where will the next generation of climbers learn these skills before they head into the mountains? In my opinion there needs to be very strong justification
before adding new bolts to an existing route (other than direct one-for-one replacement). When bolts are added this should be made public knowledge in route descriptions, acknowledging that the route was originally climbed with fewer bolts. If there is good justification for the extra bolts then this should be explained. Many of the recently retro-bolted routes I’ve seen have adequate trad gear, which in my mind means there’s absolutely no justification for retro-bolting. In addition to this, and perhaps more controversially, I would argue that there’s a very good case for preserving run-out, bold climbs. One of the things that inspires me to try and improve my own rock climbing is my desire to be able to safely climb some of the bold routes that are currently beyond me—retro-bolt them and I could climb them tomorrow, but then again I might as well top-rope them for all the satisfaction I’d get.
Write & Win Send uS a letter and you’ll be in the draw to win a $200 CaCtus EquipmEnt gift vouChEr
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–Reg Measures
THIS ISSUE’S PRIZE GOES TO: REG MEASURES
EDITORIAL
60 YEARS ON 2013, THE sixtieth anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s first ascent of Everest, on 29 May 1953, has truly been a year of celebration. All eight of the Kiwis who attempted Everest this year have been successful. Dean ‘Rocket’ Hall, Bruce Hasler and Rochelle Rafferty each summited for the first time, and Marty Schmidt reached the summit for the second time. Mike Roberts made the first doubleascent by a New Zealander of Everest and Lhotse. Lydia Bradey made her third summit of Everest, and Mark Woodward and Dean Staples both bagged their ninth summits. Congratulations to them all. The number of New Zealanders who have climbed Everest now totals 45: 40 men and five women. These climbers have made a combined total of 90 ascents. Dean Staples and Mark Woodward hold the New Zealand record—of nine summits each—and Lydia Bradey, our most successful female Everest climber, has summited three times, and is the only Kiwi to have climbed Everest without oxygen. The anniversary celebrations have extended beyond the Himalaya to our own shores. NZAC’s celebratory dinner, which was held at Mount Cook over the weekend of 25–26 May, was well attended. Auckland Museum is hosting a major exhibition on Everest’s first ascent, From the Summit—Hillary’s Enduring Legacy, which is open until 29 September. And General Film Corporation is currently working on production of a 3D feature film, Beyond the Edge, which will tell the story of the ‘monumental and historical ascent of Mt Everest in 1953.’ Likely prompted by this year being the sixtieth anniversary of the first ascent, there has been much media attention given to the state of Mt Everest and the industry surrounding it, not all of which has been positive. Early in the season a dispute between Sherpa guides who were working to fix ropes on the Lhotse Face and three independant European climbers erupted into violence. The situation remained tense after the initial altercation, and New Zealander Marty Schmidt was drawn into the conflict. Marty gives his account of the situation: I personally decided to act when I saw a huge crowd of people moving towards three Western climbers’ camp with anger and fury. I stood my ground of non-violence between this angry crowd and the three climbers, asking the anger to stop, [asking] them to put down their rocks; but the fury was beyond control, the damage was already happening. I had no intention [of doing] harm, only peaceful actions. I did not strike first—why would I? No reason to! But when the violence broke through, with me being kicked, beaten with a rock, I did stand up, in self-defence, and [I] threw a punch back at this crowd, to then 4
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
find shelter. I saw that Uli was badly bleeding like I was, both [of us sheltering] in a tent. That is it—this is what happened to me, and I would stand up against this bad force again. Shortly thereafter, a representative of the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism was flown in to base camp, and he negotiated a peaceful resolution agreement between the Westerners and the Sherpa involved. By late May, over 500 people had summited Everest this year, and the world’s news media shifted its attention to a plan by operators to install a ladder on the Hillary Step. The ladder will offer an alternative route down the step for descending climbers and, it is hoped, will ease congestion. Veteran Himalayan climber Colin Monteath expressed his opinion about this proposal in a post on the NZAC Facebook page: ‘There are ladders in the icefall, a ladder on the Tibetan second step, ladders in the climbers’ stockings who play snakes and ladders at base camp and beyond. So a ladder on the Hillary step ... maybe [there should be] two ... one for up, one for down.’ Witty wordplay aside, Colin has raised an interesting point—commercial and safety imperatives on Everest have in this instance come into direct conflict with the climbing ethics of the wider climbing community. As one of the first two people to set foot on the roof of the world, Sir Ed became something of a moral guardian of climbers’ conduct on Everest. When asked what he thought Sir Ed would think about the ladder, NZAC immediate past-president Peter Cammell said, ‘I suspect his initial reaction is he would wonder where this whole wonderful sport of mountaineering is going.’ While Mt Everest is an incredibly special and sacred place, the nature of climbing the mountain has changed dramatically since the days of the early expeditions. That’s not to say that this change is for the better or worse; climbing Everest now is simply a different proposition to what it was in 1953. With so many people now vying for the summit each season, climbers seeking exploration, solitude and self-reliance must look elsewhere. But there is no need to lament the demise of those elements in modern New Zealand mountaineering. I wonder if Sir Ed might be heartened by the adventures Kiwi climbers are undertaking in the world’s mountain ranges these days, beyond the realm of Everest. In the last 12 months New Zealand teams have reached the summits of previously unclimbed peaks in Nepal, Tibet, Afghanistan and Canada, completed major new routes in Alaska, Chile and Bolivia, and travelled to rarely visited areas to climb peaks that are well and truly off the beaten track. Closer to home we’re finding adventure in our own backyard, traversing unexplored ranges and finding new lines on remote mountain faces. There are even a few unclimbed peaks still waiting for attention in our own country! Adventure is not hard to find for those who seek it. And for those whose aim is to reach the summit of the world, it’s more viable now than it ever has been. –Kester Brown
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EXPOSURE
COLD CALL
WINTER IS HERE! As this issue of The Climber goes to print, in early June, the Remarkables have received a couple of good plasterings and are looking very white and alluring—a great sign for this year’s upcoming season of ice and mixed climbing in the range. Here, John Burrow samples the delights of an engaging mixed section on one of the many variations to the Grand Traverse. See page 26 for more about this route. PHOTO BY GUILLAUME CHARTON
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EXPOSURE
COMING OF AGE THE R EN AI SSAN C E O F M A P O U T A H I
FROM 2012 TO 2013, Mapoutahi Crag—north of Dunedin—has been undergoing a bit of a renaissance. Several new routes have recently been bolted and Steve Carr has put in a lot of work retrobolting and extending some of his older routes. Many routes have been substantially cleaned of large, loose blocks, revealing classics such as Hell Hath No Fury. Most of these routes have now been added to climbnz.org.nz, with a few recent additions popping up on the Dunedin Climbing Facebook page. Increased traffic in the summer of 2013 has cleared most routes of loose fragments and softened the previously sharp edges. The 2013 surge of new route development did not finish with the end of summer. In the latter half of April Dave Brash opened up two new routes on the main wall before he left to go on holiday to the UK. As recently as 4 May, during a community storm of the crag, Steve completed a new extension to the excellent Jospe–Carr route to the top of the crag. Chase Gatland sent an open Paul Hersey project, which Chase has named The Brave and Humble. In many ways, Mapoutahi represents a new chapter in Dunedin's rock climbing scene. The crag features a climbing style unlike anything at Long Beach or the purely traditional climbing at Mihiwaka. Both old and new route-setters have been developing climbs at Mapoutahi, resulting in varied and sporty routes with a bit of gear in places. The future of the crag is looking bright, with a few closed projects on the horizon to add to this diverse, intermediate-level crag. Mapoutahi can now join newer developments such as Buttars Peak and Mount Cargill, adding to the wide array of crags around Dunedin. PHOTO: Maud Ceuterick climbing Bush Stream Blues (18/19), Mapoutahi. DANILO HEGG
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THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
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CLIMBING NEWS AND EVENTS
Alex Schweikart on the crux pitch of Weather Spell. CHRIS IGEL
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THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
CLIMBING NEWS AND EVENTS
WEATHER SPELL
ELIOS Photo © Kalice
A NEW nine-pitch route has been established on the amazing wall at the head of Sinbad Gully in Fiordland. Weather Spell is the second completed climb on the wall. It shares its first pitch with the original route, Shadowland, then branches left and parallels Shadowland for eight more pitches of sustained climbing on a mix of bolts and traditional protection, up to grade 30. The climb was established over two trips in late summer by Karl Schimanski (NZ), Claudia Kranabitter (Canada), Alex Schweikart (Germany) and Chris Igel (Germany). The team established pitches 2–5 on abseil (accessed from Shadowland) and pitches 6–9 ground-up over 12 days on their first trip, then went back in and freed all the pitches on the second trip. Merry came very close to sending the 35-metre, crux, eighth pitch, but just ran out of time before his and Claudia’s scheduled helicopter pick-up. Fortunately, Alex and Chris stayed on a little longer and despite freezing conditions (including light snow), Alex managed to redpoint the pitch. Alex describes it as having ‘incredibly steep and bouldery, dynamic moves followed by heel and toe-hooking, sharp crimps, pinches and a skin-eating sidepull’. Two days later, Alex and Chris climbed all the pitches free in a day, including a grade-26 variation to the crux pitch that they had prepared previously. Weather Spell has 28 bolts in total and is approximately 250 metres long. The pitches are individually graded: 20, 24, 21, 22, 23, 27, 25, 30, 24. Alex and Chris spent a total of 27 days in Sinbad Gully, including four days in total walking in and out from Milford Sound. The completion of Weather Spell certainly raises the bar for steep, difficult multi-pitch alpine rock routes in New Zealand. Saugeil!
Durable protection, now with climate control
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We couldn’t find a photo of Wiz on Immortal Technique, sorry. This is him sending Crag Vultures (30) at White Falls a few days earlier. LISIA GROCOTT
THIS REVOLUTION
SIROCCO
SIROCCO
At 165 grams, a featherweight that can take the hits.
At 165 grams, a featherweight that can take the hits. Photo © Kalice Photo © Kalice
WIZ FINERON completed the first ascent of Immortal Technique (32), at the White Falls Cirque crag on Mt Ruapehu in early April this year. This route is now the most difficult climb in the North Island. Success came for Wiz on his third day of effort, having familiarised himself with the moves on the project the week before—as well as some of the harder routes at the crag. Bolted by James Field-Mitchell a couple of years ago, the locals had written off the project as too hard and, in the words of Regan McCaffery, thought it ‘was really going to be a long time before it got done’. Wiz put paid to that assumption however, proving that ‘the future is now’. It’s worth searching Vimeo for a short film of Wiz’s ascent, which includes a superb example of how to do an upside-down driveby dyno.
www.petzl.com/SIROCCO www.petzl.com/SIROCCO
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CLIMBING NEWS AND EVENTS
Roman Alexander-Hofmann on Moonshadow (33), Blue Mountains, Australia. WIZ FINERON
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THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
CLIMBING NEWS AND EVENTS
NEW ZEALAND ALPINE CLUB
PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION 2013
A lpine Recreation T R E K
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R E D R A H B CLIM
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Dust off those cameras. Fame and great prizes are just a click away! The NZAC Photographic Competition will open for entries on 17 June. Check out last year’s winning entries at alpineclub.org.nz/photocomp/2012 for some inspiration. Photo: Wolfgang Maier
To make an online entry, log on at alpineclub.org.nz and go to alpineclub.org.nz/ photocomp. Entries close 2 August.
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Margaret’s Leap, Tukino. JES MICHAELSEN
NORTH ISLAND ICE CLIMBING MEET THE AUCKLAND SECTION of NZAC is organising an ice climbing meet that will be based out of Tukino Lodge at Mt Ruapehu, over the weekend of 6–7 July. The Lodge has 4WD access to the door (unless the weather is really bad), there is wood-fire heating, electricity, mattresses and everything needed for cooking. The area hosts easy access to water-ice and steep snow climbing. Climbers should have ice and/or mixed experience, or must have alpine experience (having completed an NZAC snowcraft course or similar), and be eager to learn how to ice climb. For more information or to register your interest contact Anthony Stead at newsletter@ aucklandclimber.org.nz.
Office: (03) 435 1834 Email: mtcook@alpineguides.co.nz Facebook.com/alpineguides www.AlpineGuides.co.nz
KIWIS SENDING OVERSEAS
KIWI CLIMBERS Wiz Fineron, Roman Alexander-Hofmann and Stu Kurth have been climbing well in Australia recently, and Zac Orme and James Morris had a productive trip to the Red River Gorge in the USA. Wiz and Roman cut loose this past month, taking advantage of cooler autumn temps, they both sent Search and Destroy (32), and its harder variant Moonshadow (33) at Centennial Glen. Moonshadow was first climbed by Garth Miller in 2007 and given ‘soft’ 33, the route has had six repeats and five of those ascentionists have confirmed the grade at 33. Roman also climbed three more 32s earlier this year: Mr Tickle and Mr Line (which share the same start then branch into separate crux finishes) at Diamond Falls and Truckstop 31 at Shipley Upper. Truckstop 31 is a variant extension to the classic Pooferator (31) (which Roman and Wiz also both ticked). Truckstop 31 was first climbed by Zac Vertrees in 2004 and graded 33, it has since had seven ascents and consensus has lowered the grade to high-end 32. Stu managed to take down Ammagamma (V13) in the Grampians after just two days of effort. Stu also sent Mad Max (V11), 100 Pint Club (V10) and Gobsmacker (V10). Zac and James came away with an impressive ticklist considering their short stay at the RRG. Zac sent God’s Own Stone (32), Ultra Perm (31) and onsighted Forty Ounces of Justice (28), and James clipped the chains on True Love (31).
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CLIMBING NEWS AND EVENTS
GEORGE LOWE 1924–2013 LEGENDARY NEW ZEALAND mountaineer George Lowe passed away on 20 March this year. George was a veteran of early New Zealand expeditions to the Himalaya and Antarctica and was the last surviving member of the 1953 Everest Expedition. George was also a founder the UK branch of the Himalayan Trust. GEORGE LOWE COLLECTION There will be a Civic Memorial Service for George at 10.00am at Hastings Parish Church on Sunday 30 June. Mary Lowe has advised that NZAC members are welcome to attend. An obituary for George will be published in the 2013 New Zealand Alpine Journal.
REDEFINING LIMITS Disabled climber sets her sights on seven summits NEELU MEMON recently announced that she will take on Richard Bass's version of the Seven Summits challenge. Neelu has 30 per cent of her sight and impaired balance due to an autoimmune condition. She was the first blind person to complete the Speights Coast to Coast and has already climbed Mount Aspiring and kayaked across Cook Strait. Neelu says her motivation for pursuing these challenges is 'to inspire others to take on their own "personal mountains" with passion and the right support.' Neelu will first attempt to climb Mount Aconcagua in South America in January 2014, with the assistance of her friend and guide Gavin Lang, and with financial support from a Sport New Zealand Hillary Expedition Grant. Beyond Mount Aconcagua, Neelu and her team hope to enlist the generous support of the public to keep their mission going. Neelu says that she hopes 'to find more sponsorship as these are costly challenges … I hope their worth will be proven in showing people that they can do almost anything with the right frame of mind, no matter what their obstacles are.'
MORE SUCCESS IN THE ALASKA RANGE BRENDAN MAGGS and John Price had a successful trip to the Alaska Range in May. The pair climbed Shaken Not Stirred and the classic Ham and Eggs on the Moose’s Tooth, south-east of Mt McKinley (or Denali, 6190m) and east of Ruth Gorge in the central part of the Alaska Range in the United States. Brendan and John then climbed the Japanese Couloir (Alaskan Grade 3) on Mt Barill before forecasted bad weather came in, prompting them to fly back out to civilisation. For more on Brendan and John’s trip, including photos and video, please see climber.co.nz/news/more-kiwis-alaska-range.
1000 POINT PUSH THE POWER of the Golden Bay vortex remains strong—many climbers were pulled back in last summer, succumbing to long stints camped under the trees at Hangdog. But what to do when you’ve climbed all the routes at the Ford? Search the etherworld for the auditory source of the jellyfish and UFOs? Commit to the realm of existential hydrotherapy research? Long-term Hangdoggers Zac Keegan, Troy Stephenson, Jon Butters and Alex Faid chose to follow a new path to enlightenment—indulging in a pursuit of the Paynes Ford 1000. The foursome, in a single 24-hour push, climbed enough routes graded 20 and over so that the combined total of each climbers’ grades equalled 1000. That’s a lot of climbing! The bar has now been set for the ‘marathon’ of sport climbing. The day on which these guys succeeded might be the only time an alpine start has been employed for actual climbing gain at Hangdog (not just a tent-crawl of shame). 14
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
EVACUATION OF THE WHITE WAVE EXPEDITION THE WHITE WAVE EXPEDITION took a dramatic twist after Ben Dare and Scott Blackford-Scheele reached 6450m on the North East Face of White Wave on 6 May. Ben and Scott had been attempting to reach the East Ridge of White Wave to position their final camp, at about 6500m, with the intention of summitting the following day. All four team members had been acclimatising at Camp 2 (6000m) and waiting out avalanche-prone conditions. Rob and Andrei assisted Ben and Scott’s summit bid by hauling gear up to 6200m and trudging steps in the snow, before descending to Base Camp (4800m) that day to rest. On the day of their summit bid Scott and Ben swung leads at first, but Ben started feeling unwell so Scott took over leading duties. Scott was leading a pitch on ice that turned into snow near the crest of the East Ridge when he tumbled about 80–90 metres, leaving him temporarily unconscious and with serious concussion. Ben had been at the belay and did not sustain any injuries from a small avalanche that occurred at the time of Scott’s fall. Due to the state of Scott’s injury and a lost crampon, Ben had to assist Scott down to Camp 2 over the course of 23 hours, including a night out at around 6350m. Once the pair reached Camp 2, Ben set off their locator beacon, setting in motion the detailed rescue plan that Rob had developed as the expedition leader. Ben also attempted to make radio communication with the other team members, but this failed due to faulty radios. Rob and Andrei received word from New Zealand that the beacon had been activated, so they climbed through the night to get to Camp 2 to ascertain the situation. Due to the circumstances of Scott’s injury, it was not safe to evacuate on foot. From Camp 2, Scott was helicoptered out with Ben to a hospital in Kathmandu. Scott was discharged from Vayodha Hospital on 14 May and joined Ben for their flight back to New Zealand on the 15th, arriving in Christchurch on the 16th. Rob and Andrei returned to Base Camp the day after Scott’s evacuation with all remaining gear from Camp 2, before trekking back up to Camp 1 (5500m) to collect more supplies. According to the team’s website (whitewave2013.tumblr.com), Rob and Andrei spent two days at Camp 1, taking in the scenery, before saying ‘their farewells to the mountain and [leaving] prayer flags, a New Zealand flag and a Nepalese flag’ on a prominent buttress at 5700m. Rob and Andrei have gathered the team’s remaining gear from White Wave and have made their way back to Kathmandu via Taplejung and a 30-hour bus journey. PHOTO Scott Blackford-Scheele approaching Anidesha Chuli (White Wave). BEN DARE
CLIMBING NEWS AND EVENTS
PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF IN THE ALASKA RANGE Kiwi-American Graham Zimmerman and American Mark Allen claimed the first ascent of a 1417-metre route on the north-east buttress (V AI4, M7, A1) of the Mastodon Face of Mt Laurens (3060m), Alaska Range in the United States. MT LAURENS sits prominently on the southern ridge of the Fin Group, which includes Voyager Pk (3723m), a peak that Graham and Mark completed the first ascent of in 2011. Graham and Mark spotted the east face of Mt Laurens during their first ascent of Voyager, and called it the Mastodon Face. Prior to Graham and Mark's ascent, there was little information on Mt Laurens, including a tested altitude. The peak had seen only one other (solo) ascent by Austrian climber Thomas Bubendorf in 1997—the South West Ridge. The trip began with the pair flying into the Rampart Region of the Alaska Range, to an airstrip between the Lacuna and Kahiltna Glaciers, followed by a two-day, 14-kilometre trek up the Lacuna Glacier to its junction with the south-west fork. At first, they tried to climb the steep East Buttress of Mt Laurens but to no avail. The East Buttress yielded only 457 metres of unprotected, overhanging, 'very dangerous climbing on an unformed ice hose,' according to Graham. On 20 May, Mark and Graham headed up the north-east buttress of Mt Laurens and encountered 'difficult, mixed sections separated by long sections of excellent, steep ice and snow,' according to Graham. After that they bivvied on a beautiful prow, before climbing a steep snow arête to the North Ridge, where they followed the ridgeline to a second bivouac site (part-way up the ridge). From this vantage point, Graham and
Mark could see Foraker Pk (5304m), Mt McKinley (or Denali, 6190m), Mt Hunter (4442m), and Mt Russell (3557m) in the central Alaska Range. Aside from its incredible views, Graham said that this ridgeline produced 'wild, unprotected climbing on steep snow in and around huge gargoyle cornices,' before and after their brief bivouac. From the top of the ridge, they were forced to 'hunker down for three very uncomfortable hours' in their tent, amidst a frigid windstorm and wait for Alaska's early light. Dawn brought about a calming of the wind, enabling the pair to climb the last pitch of 70-degree snow and obtain the summit. According to Graham, the southern margin of the Mastodon Face provided their descent route, down a number of couloirs via '12 rappels on ice, snow and rock,' followed by some down-climbing on steep snow to the Lacuna Glacier 610 metres below. After 67 hours (59 hours up and eight hours down), Graham and Mark stopped to rest for a day and half before retreating back to their base camp. Graham described their route on the north-east buttress as having a superb blend of 'an adventurous approach, exploratory alpinism, and challenging climbing.' Graham and Mark's climb proves that persistence sometimes pays off for those patient enough to weather the storm and wait out the dawn. PHOTO Mark Allen on the north-east buttress of Mt Lauren. GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN
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NZAC NEWS
THE CLIMBER NEW ZEALAND’S CLIMBING MAGAZINE
ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013 Editor Kester Brown kester@alpineclub.org.nz Sub-editor Nic Learmonth Design and Layout Kester Brown Climbing News Editor Polly Camber Gear Editor Graham Johnson NZAC News Sam Newton Proofing Rachael Williams Printing Spectrum Print, Christchurch Musical Inspiration The Meters – Rejuvenation Contributors Jean Brady, Simon Carr, Charlie Catt, Guillaume Charton, Ben Dare, Carl Deane, Pat Deavoll, Peter Dickson, Wiz Fineron, Lisia Grocott, Danilo Hegg, Sam Handley, Paul Hersey, Chris Igel, Tom Jerram, Graham Johnson, Anna Keeling, Gavin Lang, Nic Learmonth, Jes Michaelsen, Troy Mattingley, Jane Morris, Jamie Robertson, Mark Sedon, Stephen Skelton, Justin Venable, Jamie Vinton-Boot, Mark Watson, Joshua Windsor, Graham Zimmerman. Advertising enquiries Kester Brown tel: (64) 03 377 7595 | fax: (64) 03 377 7594 e-mail: adverts@alpineclub.org.nz Subscription information Published quarterly. Copy deadlines 2013: Spring (85) 6 August ‘13, Summer (86) 28 October ‘13 Autumn (87) 1 February ‘14, Winter (84) 1 May ‘14. $9.95 per issue, $28.00 per year (incl. GST & NZ surface mail; overseas p&p at cost). subscriptions@alpineclub.org.nz
CLUB COMMITTEE MEETING THE CLUB COMMITTEE is made up of section delegates and sub-committee conveners (accommodation, publications, climbing, instruction etc). It serves as the de facto board of directors. It meets twice a year and is NZAC’s highest decision-making body. Traditionally, the May Club Committee Meeting (CCM) focuses on approving a budget for the subsequent financial year. This year the CCM resolved to consolidate the rapid expansion of NZAC over the last few years and focus on existing fundamentals (rather than further increase the club’s scope). It is prudent that NZAC focusses on paying down its mortgage on the Home of Mountaineering (HOM) and prepares to repay the member loans associated with the Unwin Lodge rebuild. Major expenditure items for the 2013/14 financial year will be the reprint of Avalanche Awareness in the New Zealand Backcountry and the publication of North Island Rock Deluxe. Items considered, but not advanced, included the instillation of a heat pump at HOM, and a heli-portable hut at De la Beche corner. The proposed project to research, develop and design a heli-portable hut will be converted to a fundraising project, with the intention of obtaining external funding.
NZAC STAFFING RESTRUCTURE AT A MEETING of the Club Committee in November 2011, a paper entitled A Market Led NZAC was presented and accepted. In recent months, the Club Committee, the Executive Committee and general manager have turned their attention as to how NZAC could best address the remaining aspects of A Market Led NZAC. Several objectives were identified: • Integrate promotional and marketing capability into the NZAC staff structure. • Renew the focus on the NZAC volunteer-base and improve interaction between volunteers and staff. • Strengthen and expand the relationships NZAC has with commercial partners. After a comprehensive consultation process, the decision was made to disestablish the existing Activities and Events Coordinator role and establish a new programme manager role. The existing Activities and Events coordinator, Pat Deavoll, has indicated that she will not be taking up the newly established position of programme manager. Pat’s departure from the NZAC staff team in late June will be a sad loss for NZAC. Pat has made an extraordinary contribution to NZAC as an employee over the last four years. Her work on the Banff Mountain Film Festival, the Photographic Competition and numerous other NZAC events has been exemplary. The establishment of the National Instruction Programme, for which she was directly responsible, will have a lasting impact on the New Zealand climbing community. Dozens, if not hundreds, of Kiwi climbers have received instruction organised by Pat, for that NZAC will be forever grateful. We wish Pat all the best in her future endeavours. The role of programme manager is being advertised in this edition of The Climber (on the facing page) and through other channels. The new role is an exciting opportunity to work at the hub of New Zealand climbing and mountaineering and apply project, event and relationship management skills to advance the club’s objectives. Applications close on 19 July.
Contributions are welcome THE CLIMBER is published by the New Zealand Alpine Club. We welcome contributions in the form of photography, features, short articles, news, reviews, comment and letters. Please get in touch if you’d like to submit some material—we are always keen to hear from potential contributors. Contact us for payment rates.
RUAPEHU HUT UPGRADE
THE CLIMBER climber@alpineclub.org.nz PO Box 786, Christchurch. Unit 6, 6 Raycroft Street, Opawa, Christchurch. tel: (64) 03 377 7595 | fax: (64) 03 377 7594 alpineclub.org.nz
SPORT NEW ZEALAND ACTIVE RECREATION INVESTMENT FUNDING
THIS LONG-AWAITED project to install a self-contained pump-out waste-water system has finally come to fruition. Working at such an altitude during May was a challenge for the lead contractor, Laser Plumbing of Taupo. This complex and expensive project has been managed by in-coming NZAC President John Cocks, with support from Richard Wesley and several members of NZAC Auckland Section. Users of Ruapehu Hut, and the wider NZAC community will be grateful for the hours of effort they have put in to complete this significant project.
NZAC HAS been the grateful recipient of Sport New Zealand (formerly SPARC) annual grants. The current funding period of three years has drawn to a close and competing organisations have been asked to apply for the 2013/15 period. Based on its excellent record and attractive value proposition, NZAC has been successful in its application for continued funding. This is an impressive achievement, particularly given the competition from similar organisations. On-going support from Sport New Zealand will allow NZAC to continue to support its volunteer instructors with training and qualifications, as well as administer the National Instruction Programme.
MACPAC ADVENTURE PARTNERSHIP NEW ZEALAND ALPINE
CLUB
NZAC Our vision: NZAC champions the pursuit of climbing, enabling skilled and active adventurers. We provide inspiration, information and seek to enable a vibrant climbing community. Our core purpose is to foster and support climbing. DISCLAIMER Material published in The Climber is obtained from a variety of sources. While all care is taken, neither The Climber nor the New Zealand Alpine Club nor any person acting on their behalf makes any warranty with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information published nor assumes any liability with respect to the use of, or for damages arising from the use of, any information disclosed within this magazine.
© NEW ZEALAND ALPINE CLUB | ISSN 1174-216X
ON BEHALF of NZAC and the New Zealand Alpine Team (NZAT), Daniel Joll has negotiated a fantastic partnership with Macpac. When making a purchase at Macpac, let them know you are an NZAC member and you will receive a 20 per cent discount. Additionally, Macpac will donate 10 per cent of your payment as in-store credit to NZAC and the NZAT. Through this initiative, the NZAT will be able to support its young trainees with NZAC branded apparel and basecamp equipment. Hopefully, this will eventually enable NZAC to treat its volunteer section-instructors with some clothing as a thank you for their service. But this will depend upon the degree to which the partnership is supported, so please make sure you identify yourself as an NZAC member so you can receive your 20 per cent discount and to trigger the donation from Macpac.
MOUNTAIN LITERATURE NZAC RECEIVES numerous donations and bequests of mountain literature, and these donations are gratefully received. When the club receives a book that we already have in our library, we sell it and invest the proceeds from the sale back into the club. There is a range of interesting and sought-after books being auctioned for NZAC on TradeMe. If you are interested in adding depth and quality to your own collection of mountain literature, visit the TradeMe website and search for the seller ‘nzalpineclub’. Keep a close eye on our listings; we will continue to auction duplicate copies of books as we receive them. In the event that a book does not sell after two auctions on TradeMe, it will be listed at a fixed price on the alpineclub.org.nz online shop.
NZAC NEWS
WANTED: NZAC PROGRAMME MANAGER
NZAC WINTER INSTRUCTION PROGRAMME
Registration is now open for the NZAC National Winter Instruction Programme. Mountain Skills for Youth (29 June – 1 July) This course is a recent initiative of NZAC, designed to encourage young people into the mountains and inspire them to become alpinists. It will be run by qualified NZMGA guides, at a ratio of one guide to four students. Students must be between 16 and 18-years-old on 1 June 2013. The course will be held at Arthur’s Pass. Introduction to Backcountry Skiing (1–6 September) This is not a learn-to-ski course; it’s for strong intermediate (or better) skiers with excellent aerobic fitness, who want to get a good grounding in ski-touring so they can go experience the winter backcountry by themselves! The course will be based at Mt Olympus Ski Area and will be run by qualified NZMGA ski guides. Introduction to Leading on Technical Ice (19–21 July) This course is for climbers with good mountaineering skills who want to push their grades by learning to lead efficiently on technical ice. The course will be held on the lower icefall at Fox Glacier, and is run by qualified NZMGA guides. For further information on these courses and a registration form please see alpineclub.org.nz/national-instruction-courses –Pat Deavoll
WEBSITE ADVERTISING WITH THE RECENT upgrade of alpineclub.org.nz and the establishment of climber. co.nz, NZAC members are being offered the first opportunity to purchase advertising space on these sites. Hundreds of people visit these sites every day. If you would like to have your business or organisation advertised on NZAC’s websites, please get in touch with Kester Brown: kester@alpineclub.org.nz
New Zealand Mountain Guides Association
DO YOU want to work at the hub of the New Zealand climbing and mountaineering scene? Would you enjoy supporting and enabling present and future generations of Kiwi climbers? Since 1891 the New Zealand Alpine Club has been actively supporting climbers in their pursuit of great adventures. We provide a range of high-quality information, services, facilities and opportunities. Our goal is to foster and support an active climbing and mountaineering community. Sound interesting? We are looking for someone who has a strong affinity with the outdoors and, preferably, is an active climber themselves. You must have the project-relationship and event-management skills to take NZAC to the next level. The programme manager will be responsible for managing the clubs relationships with commercial partners as well as organising NZAC events and National Instruction Courses. It is a varied and interesting role, demanding a high level of multi-tasking ability and a ‘can-do’ attitude. NZAC programme manager is a full-time position, based at our National Office in Christchurch. For exceptional candidates NZAC will consider the possibility of working from another location. The role is being initially offered as a two-year fixed-term contract, but is likely to be established as an on-going role, upon the achievement of pre-agreed objectives. Applications close 19 July 2013, with an anticipated start date of 2 September 2013. For more information contact Sam Newton: sam@alpineclub.org.nz 03 3777595
NZAC MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE SEVERAL YEARS ago, NZAC realised its membership database system was past its lifespan and no longer fit for purpose. As with most IT projects, implementing a new system has been a surprisingly time-consuming and expensive process. However, after a lot of effort from Margaret, we have finally made the switch over to the CiviCRM software. We now face the challenge of learning how to integrate it into our day-to-day tasks and learning how to take full advantage of its features. The immediate outcome will be that membership renewal notices will be sent via e-mail rather than post. If you know of members, especially additional members (partners, children etc), who are not receiving this e-mail, please let them know that they can send their e-mail contact details to margaret@alpineclub.org.nz It will save the club and the environment an envelope!
It’s what you do that counts! Study Outdoor Education at Aoraki Polytechnic. Definitely not for fashion gurus or the faint-hearted.
Venue: Whakapapa skifield Dates: August 5-11th Accommodation: Levin-Waiopehu Lodge (Whakapapa skifield) Price: Domestic $1566+GST International $2500+GST (includes accommodation and food)
Training and certifying New Zealand Mountain, Ski, and Hard Ice Guides to international standards .
www.nzmga.org.nz
AVALANCHE STAGE 1
supporting your success
0800 426 725 www.aoraki.ac.nz
Contact: Mary Wilson mary.wilson@whitireia.ac.nz (04) 298 0205
supporting your success
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BORN-AGAIN BOLTERS A DISCUSSION ON STYLE AND ETHICS BY PAUL HERSEY MY WIFE Shelley and I recently headed up to my hometown of Whangarei, to visit my father and chase a few waves in the winterless north. While there, we decided on a climb at Ngahere Drive, a local crag of oversized limestone boulders that I helped develop, many moons ago. Walking down the driveway to the Top Rocks sector, I noticed some new bolts high up on the first prominent face, just left of Creaky Tree—a grade 21 with a tricky start that I had established way back in 1992. 'Sweet,' I said to Shelley. 'Must be a new route. Great to see there's still interest here.' I walked a little further, and then noticed all the other shiny new bolts that had been added. Someone had almost grid-mapped the crag with them. Most of my old routes' bolts had been replaced (a good idea as many were 20 years old), but then further bolts were added at the beginnings and ends of the routes. The easy access scramble had been bolted. A decent crack line had been bolted. I felt sick! It was like looking at vandalism. Now, I'm no Dave Fearnley, and none of these climbs had been even remotely approaching death routes. Sure, there was a wee distance to the first bolt on some, but given they were grade 22 and 23 climbs, and the first three metres of climbing was about grade 15 to a good stance to clip from, I had figured that was prudent bolting. Then there were other, even older climbs than mine, that had also been retro-bolted. I had previously replaced the bolts on these climbs, but only after approaching the person who put them up, and being careful not to alter the nature of the climb. In my mind they were part of the crag's history, and I just wanted to preserve that. I tried to tell myself that all the shiny new metal didn't matter, but after a few minutes of bouldering I gave up and left, angry. I didn't risk having a look at the Main Crag to see what might have been retro-bolted there. I later found out who did the bolting and asked them why. I won't mention the person's real name, but let's call him Matt. Matt said he was sorry, that he hadn't really thought about it and that he was only trying to encourage climbing in Whangarei by making the routes more user-friendly. It seemed he wasn't particularly interested in the area's climbing history—he just wanted an outdoor gym. But the thing that really got me was that while Matt had consumer-ised my and others' routes, his own new route still had a highball start. There was no shiny first clip almost within reach from the ground. You're right for thinking I sound bitter. This guy's actions really annoyed me. I'd always thought that the dos and don'ts of re-bolting were pretty clear-cut. So should I be getting over myself and my oversensitive, ego-driven thoughts about routes put up two decades ago? Hell, maybe I am related to Fearnley after all. Take a glance at the forum section of climber.co.nz, or the NZAC Facebook group page, and you're likely to see that this scenario is being played out at various crags around the country. Recent examples include Christchurch, where earthquake damage to crags has seen a number of old routes being retro-bolted, and Dunedin, where there is also pressure to add bolts to runout classics. Discussion about bolting and re-bolting ethics may be, as The Climber editor Kester Brown puts it, 'like flogging a dead horse,' but it seems the discussion is never-ending and clearly still relevant. Another example that caught my eye was the recent surge of development on the Sebastopol Bluffs, not far from Unwin Lodge at Mount Cook. I remember thinking that this was a great idea. I'd always felt that, apart from the Red Arête area, the rock climbing potential at Sebastopol was underutilised. Many of the old routes had been forgotten and hence were overgrown. A spruceup was certainly needed. But then it was reported that one route, Paul Aubrey's 45-metre, grade 22, Drug Abuse, had been extensively retro-bolted. What used to have five bolts, some sketchy natural pro and, apparently, a ten-metre runout, now has 16 bolts. I'd never attempted the climb—due to its minimal protection and high scare factor—but I certainly appreciated the 'ballsiness' of it. To my thinking, it had been one of the crag’s testpieces. Debate over the pros and cons of the retro-bolt of Drug Abuse and whether this should have been done has raged over forums on the internet. Reasons given in support of the retro-bolt 18
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include that the route was never going to be climbed in its current condition, it was 'dangerous' with so few bolts, that making this climb safer meant it would get more traffic and that more quality pitches further up the rock face could also be accessed. As I'm writing this piece, the arguments continue on Facebook. What one contributor calls a 'storm in a teacup' has highlighted the extremely varied views on this subject. A lot of the discussion is aggressive, fingerpointing that quickly deteriorates into vitriolic personality-bashing rather than dealing with the issues in question. There's more than a whiff of excessive testosterone, climbing politics and even old scores being settled. This of course helps no one and clarifies nothing. So—despite the obvious risk of entering the fray—what are the issues, not just for Drug Abuse but for bolting and re-bolting our crags and mountains? Is a one-shoe-fits-all approach even possible? The NZAC Bolting Position seems a good place to start. Created in 2010 by a working group comprising Pete Barnes, Ross Cullen, Phil Doole and Sam Bosshard (as part of the NZAC Recreational Advocacy Committee), the document was released after consultation with NZAC members and the wider climbing community and is available online. After reading the document I feel the NZAC Bolting Position is middle-of-the-road in terms of guidelines. The Bolting Position document states, and rightly so, that NZAC seeks to preserve the adventurous nature of climbing and mountaineering where possible. The uncertainty of the outcome is considered a key part of the overall climbing experience. I think many serious climbers would agree that their most memorable experiences tend to occur at the sharp end of a rope when things get spicy. What I may have hated at the time (who likes being scared?) has been character-building. My sense of achievement felt stronger afterwards. Those testing moments taught me a lot about myself and about my climbing, whether high up in the mountains or at a local crag. That's not to say there aren't plenty of days when I'm happy clipping pleasantly-spaced, stress-free bolts—this broad spectrum of available experiences is something I love about climbing. Climbing requires a certain level of risk assessment and management. This lets us learn something about what our limits are, and how we perform when we're testing them. The element of personal responsibility when standing at the bottom of a route and deciding whether to try it is important. The final say about whether it is too hard or too risky is ours. Obviously, this is a particularly subjective measurement which depends on a climber's ability, drive and propensity to risk exposure. For me, this is where the different types of climbing begin to diverge. Intrinsic to mountaineering and traditional crag climbing are adventure and constant risk assessment and management. With adventurous climbing, nature and the climbing objective are usually experienced on their own terms, with minimal permanent, artificial protection. Sport climbing, on the other hand, is more about the pursuit of athleticism in an environment where risk is greatly reduced. These different climbing values are influenced by what Kester Brown refers to as the 'style' of a route. Kester has climbed right across the climbing spectrum, from bouldering to Himalayan expeditions, and I think his approach to this topic is both well considered and low-key. Kester points out that style depends on who did the first ascent, and can differ from route to route, and from crag to crag. 'If Dave Fearnley was around these days putting up necky crag routes, he’d probably receive some very pointed criticism,' Kester says. 'Things have certainly become more safety conscious. But then trigger-happy developers still get a hard time for routes with a bolt every metre. Is there a happy medium? I don’t know. I think diversity is good, and I also think rock is actually a valuable resource, especially at popular areas.' Kester reckons it's a good thing that this topic is being discussed by climbers. 'Retro-bolting and the impacts are of little interest to anyone but climbers, and it’s important that we’re able to debate, discuss and try to resolve conflicting points of view amongst ourselves, without inviting anyone else on board,' he says. Kester understands why some people want to retro-bolt so-called dangerous routes that are on good-quality rock but rarely get climbed.
'If (those) routes were safer, more people would climb them,’ he says. 'But I also think climbing history is important. I value a bold style of climbing, so while I might curse Dave Fearnley when I’m shaking and whimpering on one of his awful run-outs, I also value that experience, even if it is usually well afterwards.' According to the NZAC Bolting Position, bolts are appropriate in sport climbing areas and on alpine rock climbing crags where no natural protection is available: 'In some mountain situations, the advantages that bolt anchors can provide for safety, reduced congestion and/or aesthetics will outweigh their disadvantages. NZAC believes that the weight of opinion in local and national climbing communities must be considered before deciding if bolting is acceptable. Each situation is unique, and the issues outlined above will have differing degrees of importance. It is not possible to satisfy every user-group at every site or on every route.' Trying to satisfy every user-group is a crux issue, especially if the Facebook thread is anything to go by. For Kester, it comes down to the quality of both the route and the crag. 'Some areas just suit run-outs and boldness, some don’t.' In an effort to provide guidelines, NZAC suggests the following bolting principles in its Bolting Position document: 1. Bolts should not be placed on climbing routes where good natural protection is available and the rock is sound. 2. Bolts and retro-bolting are only justified if they provide significantly greater benefits than costs to the climbing community. 3. Bolts on frequently used mountain access routes may be justified if they provide significant safety benefits and ease of access. 4. Representative views of the relevant climbing community and other stakeholders must be sought to determine if bolts are in harmony with the values of an area. 5. Prior consultation with the first ascentionist is advocated before any route is retro-bolted. 6. Bolting on private land must only occur with the approval of landowners or their agents. 7. Bolting on the conservation estate and other public land must be in accordance with the relevant management strategy and/or plan. 8. If bolts are used, they must meet NZAC bolting technical guidelines of the time. 9. Climbers assume personal responsibility for the safety of any bolts that they use. Long-time climbing activist, and NZAC member, Richard Thomson, accepts that this policy has its limits, and is probably in need of looking at again. 'It was initially developed in relation to mountains,' Richard admits. 'The crag and sport climbing stuff was added afterwards.' Richard highlights guideline numbers two and five as needing particular attention. 'Personally, I'd remove retro-bolting from the second principle, and beef up the need for consultation with the first ascentionist and the local climbing community in number five.' Judging by comments on the internet forums, it's pretty obvious some climbers resent any form of guidance. Part of the climbing attraction to some people is its anti-establishment attitude. But this shouldn't detract from the NZAC focus on attempting to steer climbing culture in what its members see as the right direction. So, generally speaking, bolting or not bolting a route is up to whoever is doing the first ascent, whether natural protection is available and the style of other climbs around. When I asked Murray Judge—an absolute legend in New Zealand climbing circles—to comment on this issue, he was rather reluctant. He did mention that other climbers have approached him since the Drug Abuse saga began, asking that their routes nearby also be made more safe. 'In one instance, this was following a fall last year resulting in serious injury from a bolted pitch,' Murray said. 'I think there is a more recent approach that putting in bolts does involve responsibility to those who later do the climb.' Kester agrees that there is a trend towards making climbs safer, and stresses the importance of diversity and quality in this approach. But the real sticking points seem to be how, or if, to upgrade old routes. As a young South Island climber who doesn't want to be named points out: 'At the end of the day, these historical routes are affecting developments which I think are in the interests of the climbing community.
What are the issues for bolting and re-bolting our crags and mountains? Is a one-shoe-fits-all approach even possible?
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JEAN BRADY
There needs to be a balance of preserving the past, but also looking to the future. What is the problem with putting more bolts on a route if it is actually going to be climbed? These old, dangerous routes just don't see any traffic. It's a waste of good rock.' This climber is referring to ethics, an age-old climbing chestnut that has invigorated and continues to invigorate many a campfire discussion. Take Queenstown climber Daniel Joll. One of the strongest alpinists in this country, Daniel is focused on pushing his own climbing boundaries, but has also been busy encouraging other climbers of all abilities. He has been instrumental in setting up the very popular Queenstown Ice and Mixed Festival, and recently helped establish a mentoring programme for young climbers. Daniel is very clear about his own climbing ethic, an ethic he thinks should be widespread. 'What we're talking about is pretty simple really,' he explains. 'This is about two separate issues. Firstly, is it okay to re-bolt or replace a bad bolt? The answer I think everyone agrees on is “yes”. Replace it with another bolt in a similar position. There is no need to consult over this. The other issue that has everyone wound up is whether someone should change a route just because they find the prospect of leading it too scary. No, that's not okay. Leave it in the style of the first ascent.' But not all climbers take as strong a stance as Daniel. Ed Nepia is an old(er) climber who has been active in putting up new routes in the past. He believes that, in certain situations, there is a place for retro-bolting. 'But I strongly believe it's worth thinking very hard about the merits of each route on a case by case basis,' he says. 'Yes, in some places retrobolting may be required, but it should be a measured approach. I just find it bizarre to be part of a climbing community which on the one hand gets endless milage out of recycling old climbing history, retelling old stories and admiring top-end achievement. Yet on the other hand there are folks banging on about elitist attitudes, and altering historic lines to meet the new safety-first ethic. Does history count anymore? Do people see a benefit in pushing themselves mentally anymore?' So where to from here? What do we value about climbing, and what direction do we want it to head in? There is certainly room for a variety of routes and a divergence of views. But it's clear from the 250-plus comments on the Drug Abuse post that consultation with the wider community might have been a good idea before all the extra bolts were placed. How this consultation should be facilitated and measured is another issue. NZAC needs to consider whether it should be involved in this consultation. My feeling is that it certainly should be. And what about Drug Abuse? Ed climbed the route before it was retro-bolted. 'It was certainly an exciting and runout line, bold but not lethal,' he recalls. 'I would like to have seen the route cleaned and just the old bolts replaced to start with. Then it should have been climbed. This seems like a sensible way to assess the character of a route rather then just assuming it was a death route. It could have been a route to aspire to, not just another sport route to tick.' I can't say I'm unbiased on this topic. For me it's about the pursuit of good style and an aspirational ethic that, while we as climbers might not be able to match all the time, we at least recognise and understand. Surely this is the direction we should be encouraging the next generation of climbers towards. So, I'll leave the final words to yet another aging rock-jock, Mike Rockell (who occasionally also ventures into the mountains): 'Different climbs will always have different levels of risk associated with them. This is one of the things that makes rock climbing great. Having been climbing for 35-plus years and coming from an era when bolts were to be minimised, and danger was a real factor, it is interesting to see that there seems to be a recent trend to think that every rock climb should be made safe. I think this is a reflection of our risk-averse society. Managed risk taking is an important facet of life, and we are in danger of taking this away. Sure it's good to have a number of climbs that are safe. They are fun and pleasant and good for skill development. But, when I think back, the climbs that I remember best are the ones that had some spice. The ones that required mental strength, self control, careful assessment of what I was getting into. It would be a tragedy if this element of climbing was lost, and that is why we need to defend this aspect carefully and not let the creeping proliferation of additional bolts on routes continue unchallenged.' For further information about the ‘retro-bolting’ of Rambandit, at Castle Hill (right), check out the online version of this article at climber.co.nz.
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The Dragon’s Teeth, Kahurangi National Park. MARK WATSON
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RIDGE TRAVERSES
A PROFILE OF THREE CLASSIC SOUTH ISLAND RIDGE TRAVERSES
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THE DRAGON‘S TEETH BY TOM JERRAM IT’S A funny thing, hitting your mid-30s. A combination of babies, a grown-up job and a move to a new town meant I hadn’t done a decent trip in two years. The pull of Fiordland was strong, but I was pretty keen to explore my new backyard. A traverse of the Dragon’s Teeth was top of my list— most likely because of the cool name. I’d talked to a couple of locals and it sounded like the ridgeline traverse had been done, but there wasn’t a whole lot of information about it floating around. I’ve always particularly loved ridgeline traverses, mainly because I’m a crap rock climber and ridge traverses are generally easier than face climbing! Justin was doing six months work in Nelson and is always keen for a mission, so it wasn’t too hard to get him interested. Some roster juggling and shift swaps gave us both a three-day window. Metvuw.com reckoned we would get a clear 24-hours between weather systems. We didn’t bother with much research, figuring we’d keep some adventure in the trip. Justin had sprained his ankle in a close encounter with an obese German, so our getaway was delayed by a day. This proved to be a silver lining, as it rained on us most of the way to Adelaide Tarn, then cleared to a beautiful starlit night. The walk up to the tarn almost made the trip worthwhile in itself. Kahurangi National Park is a spectacular, special place. At times we both felt like we were in the central Darrans as we wandered around under steep rock walls in the misty gloom. Adelaide Tarn Hut is a great place to spend the night, although I did manage to share most of my kai with the resident hut mouse. After a lighter than planned breakfast the next morning, we were on our way. An initial easy climb, then a bushy grovel, led to the base of the ridge to the first tooth, which looked reasonably intimidating. As usual, the climbing was easier than it looked—in the sun it was really pleasant scrambling, with occasional moves up to about grade 14 to keep things interesting. Any terrain not in the sun was still pretty greasy, which definitely upped the sketchiness factor. For psychological comfort, we got the rope out to traverse a steep tussocky ledge that skirted a small overhang directly below the first tooth’s summit. Gear was difficult to find on most of the ridge; the rock strata did not make for good bollards. Good cracks were a rarity. Luckily, we felt pretty comfortable soloing most of the time, even though there is some decent exposure in places. The summit of the northern tooth is a spectacular viewpoint, with views of Farewell Spit, Abel Tasman and out towards the West Coast. We hung out there for 40 minutes or so, just enjoying being on top of North Westland. An easy, exposed section of ridgeline led from there to the base of the southern tooth, which has an intimidating overhanging upper section if climbed directly from the ridge. Both of us decided we were feeling a bit chicken to tackle this direct—it looked as if it would have
at least grade 17–18 climbing, with minimal gear. So we wasted a fair bit of time and had some anxious moments trying to drop off the ridge on greasy, mossy slabs. You still owe me that beer Justin! We ended up doing a couple of dodgy abseils down onto steep snowgrass. From there, a short traverse to the east ridge of the southern tooth led to easy scrambling up onto the summit. At this point the autumn sun was starting to get a little tired, and it looked like a long way over the top of Anatoki Peak and on to Lonely Lake Hut. ‘What do you reckon bro, shall we bail out this valley and just follow the creek down?’ I suggested. ‘Sure, looks like it should go okay,’ Justin replied. So off down the upper Anatoki we went. We passed the cairns for the usual high-route sidle on the way down, then dropped into a steep creek and began a grovelly, vegetation-assisted descent down steep, slippery slabs. A couple of abseils towards the bottom had us at the bushline just on dusk. The route had one last surprise in store for us—a couple of 10–15metre high bluffs in the bush that we negotiated by the ‘biff the pack down, jump for the nearest tree and hold on tight’ technique, suggested by Justin. I was a little dubious, but it turned out to be a great idea and produced only minimal skin loss. We were feeling pretty good about getting back to the hut at this stage, so kept on trucking, passing a few nice dry bivvy rocks. The bush was saturated from rain the night before, and an open bivvy with no gear was less than appealing. The upper Anatoki wasn’t about to give up easily. It was another six hours of exhausted crashing around the bush and down the river in the dark before we hit the track, just past Stanley Forks. I’d spent a fair bit of that time cursing my decision to not bring a GPS. I hadn’t wanted to ‘ruin the adventure’. In the end it is always more satisfying to find your own way out. The hut was a welcome sight, and sleep wasn’t a problem. The next day’s entertainment was meeting three pretty unusual folk on the way out—an older dude and two young tourists. When we learned that it had taken them two and a half days to get halfway to Anatoki Forks Hut, we suggested they might want to turn around. But they were keen to continue on their mission. These guys subsequently made the front page of the papers by becoming ‘stuck’ at the hut (four hours walk from the roadend) for seven days and needing a helicopter evacuation. They did apparently use their ‘bushcraft skills from Canada’ to try to catch fish in the ‘lake’ outside the hut, but had no luck. So all in all, it was a classic Kiwi trip—up there with climbing Mitre Peak or the McPherson–Talbot traverse as an easy but exposed day out in spectacular country, with an added adventure element. I’d encourage anyone who’s up that way to take a look.
beta Access The traverse is normally done north to south. There are a few options for accessing the start and end of the traverse. We did a round-trip from the Anatoki River roadend. Adelaide Tarn Hut can also be approached via Boulder Lake. The ridgeline from Lonely Lake Hut to Fenella Hut and then the walk out down the Cobb River valley is highly recommended. Season Any time but winter. We went in autumn, which was great. Times It takes about ten hours to get to Adelaide Tarn from the start of the Anatoki Track, 12–15 hours for the traverse (to Lonely Lake or out down the upper Anatoki), then four or eight hours back to the roadend (depending on where you spend the night). Gear A single rope will suffice, although two ropes could be useful for some of the abseils. A small alpine rack, including some small cams, would be really useful. Difficulty The terrain is mostly easy-to-moderate scrambling, with climbing moves up to grade 14 or so. The route is difficult to protect, so you need to be comfortable making exposed, easy moves with no rope. Map Topo50 BP24 Takaka. 24
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ABOVE Tom on the ridgeline leading to the second tooth. JUSTIN VENABLE
BELOW Justin on the walk in—the Dragon’s Teeth and Anatoki Peak are in the background. TOM JERRAM
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REMARKS GRAND TRAVERSE ABOVE John Burrow on the Grand Traverse. GUILLAUME CHARTON
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BELOW Kester Brown on the summit of Single Cone, looking back at the Grand Traverse. MARK WATSON
THE REMARKABLES GRAND TRAVERSE BY KESTER BROWN THE GRAND TRAVERSE, over Double Cone and Single Cone on the Remarkables, is a truly classic Kiwi alpine day-trip, and it can be done at any time of the year. Chris Prudden covered the traverse in summer in The Climber issue 46 (the article is available to view online at climber. co.nz) so I’m going to talk about a winter traverse. *** The Remarkables Ice and Mixed Festival had been a blast. We’d spent the last couple of days hanging out up on the Queen’s Drive, a broad ledge system that runs across the upper section of the Remarkables Range, making new friends, enjoying the sunshine and climbing icy grooves and steep lines of fractured weather-beaten schist. I’d spent the last night of the festival in the Frankton Ale House with some of the older climbers. I can’t remember what we’d talked about—there had been too many empty wine and beer glasses on the table at 3.00am for clear memories of the evening to remain. The following morning was the day of the inaugural Double to Single Cone Traverse Race. I hadn’t done the traverse before, and I was very keen to give it a go. What I was less keen on was trying to do the traverse for the first time at race pace, so I teamed up with my old friend Mark for a casual day out. We were planning to climb most of the route together but unroped, though we would be carrying one rope and a very light rack, just in case. At the sound of the starting horn, all the top climbers raced off up the skifield. Mark and I sweated up to the ridgeline behind them and onto the moderate slopes on the northern side of Double Cone. The traverse really starts to get interesting as you approach the summit of Double Cone. As the angle steepens, you get your first glimpses of the views over the crest of the range, which drops steeply to Lake Wakatipu, 2000 metres below. The section of ridgeline that forms the twin summits of Double Cone is alpine climbing terrain at its finest— the steep upper ramparts of the west walls of Double Cone drop away to the right, and the Grand Couloir and East Buttress tumble sharply towards the shore of Lake Alta on the left. While the moves were rare-
ly difficult, the exposure made us hyper-aware of every shift in balance and every placement of hand, axe and crampon. A short step-down on the southern side of the northern summit got me a little excited. A small, rocky ledge slabbed off to an overhanging step. Tell-tale crampon scratch marks extended to the lip of the ledge, but the powder-snow saddle below bore no bomb-hole signs of previous passage. I shuffled up to the edge, thought about jumping, then decided against it. I was tempted to purposely let myself overbalance to avoid any further decision-making, and to feel the thrill of losing control to gravity. At that moment Mark turned up. I quickly turned around and pretended I was looking for a better way down. We found a much more responsible snow gully a few metres around on the west side that had good, solid rock handholds and packed footprints in the snow. It turned out to be the crux of the route, but it also proved to me that the traverse can be achieved while retaining complete control at all times. From the southern summit of Double Cone, a perfect, fluted snow arête leads down to a saddle and on to the northern side of Single Cone. The summit of Single Cone is usually gained via a slight sidle on the eastern side. The mellow nature of the climbing on this section of the climb was a pleasant respite from the more difficult traverse of Double Cone. The summit of Single Cone is a spectacular spot to stop for a cup of tea. I remember staring through the steam coming from my thermos and out at the ridge we’d just traversed. We could see the ranges of the Southern Alps behind the ridge, from Earnslaw to Aspiring and beyond. There are bolted anchors for the descent down the south couloir, but we opted to downclimb as the snow conditions were great. The final amble down to Wye Saddle and then on to the Remarkables skifield café was pleasant and made slightly sweeter by the prospect of an overpriced coffee and a stale pie at the end of our day.
beta Access The traverse starts and finishes at the Remarkables skifield carpark. Season The traverse can be done at any time of year. It changes character dramatically between summer and winter. Time The record time to complete the round-trip in winter from the ski area carpark is one hour and 29 minutes. It took Mark and I about three hours, moving steadily without a rope. Don’t underestimate how long it will take, especially if you want to pitch a lot of the terrain. Some parties were benighted on the day we did it. Gear One 60-metre rope, a small rock rack and some large slings. Two ice tools and crampons in winter. Ice screws will rarely be useful. Difficulty In summer the traverse is a fine alpine rock route of mostly scrambling terrain, with some exposed sections of roughly grade 12-15 rock. In winter, when the route is covered in snow and ice, mountaineering and mixed climbing experience is required, the most difficult sections are about grade M1–M2. The climbing is exposed, insecure and feels very alpine in winter. Map/Guidebook Queenstown Rock, Ice and Mountains, by Guillaume Charton. Topo50 CC11 Queenstown. THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
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THE MACPHERSON-TALBOT TRAVERSE BY STEPHEN SKELTON ONE O’CLOCK, that’s the cut-off time. If I can make it to the Darrans by one o’clock I’ll still have enough daylight to do the MacPherson–Talbot Traverse. The car is loaded for a late-morning start in Invercargill. I have two weeks to spend in the Darrans and only one thing on my mind— doing the traverse. Everything else is secondary, I need to get the traverse done first. Bang! I slam the car door shut at Homer Hut. It’s 1:30pm. I’m a little late but the sun is hot and the hut is empty. I’m off, on my way up the road, tracing the line with my eye. *** The Macpherson–Talbot Traverse is without a doubt one of the best alpine walks in the country. It’s always in season, it comprises two saddles, two peaks, two glaciers and of course, Talbot’s Ladder. High across the craggy lips of the Darrans Mountains, this traverse is accessible, moderate and packed with choice. The first time I climbed it I chose to go light and fast. I was ill-prepared. It was late in March, the weather had been clear for weeks, so the rock was bare, the crevasses were open and the days were long. A few years later, when I climbed it again—this time in mid-May after a heavy snowfall—the ground was wet and snow covered the crevasses. I went with a few friends and we carried all the standard alpine kit, and we used it all. The climb starts at Homer Tunnel and scurries through a boulderfield before trouncing up to Homer Saddle. In winter most people will harness-up here. Talbot’s Ladder keeps you true to the north ridge of Mt Macpherson. Steel stakes hammered into the ladder a century ago make great fixed pro as you climb slabs, gullies and ridges. The ground quickly peels away until you reach a snowfield about 100 metres shy of the summit. Here’s where more choices are presented. Some people stay true to the ridge all the way to the top of Macpherson, some cross the snowfield to the summit, but most probably skip the peak and head straight for Traverse Pass. Getting on top of Traverse Pass can sometimes be the crux of the climb. There are so many choices! Up to the ridge and over? Across the crevasse field and then up? Up where? The snowfield? The low point? Where the ridge meets Mount Talbot? Which notch? Am I going to fall in that hole? Will the schrund eat us whole? Which way is the easiest? Which way looks the most fun? No matter what, the craggy crest of the ridge always draws you up to it, to see what’s on the other side. Unless you hit it just right, you’ll often end up on the west side of the spur that separates the Esperance and Gulliver rivers. While this is not the most direct route, it is the correct route. Looking out past the Esperance River, the Donne and Tutoko valleys scoop their way up the steep mountain faces. Mount Tutoko caps the horizon while the
Ngapunatoru Plateau sneakily hides the ocean. The alpine air is crisp and light and falls down like an axe to the forested valley floor, 1700 metres below. Traverse Pass feels like the half-way point but there is still another choice—summit Mount Talbot or scurry on down to Gertrude Saddle. The climb up Mount Talbot is on solid granite and has a few interesting obstacles. It can take some time but the movement back across the ridge is just as enjoyable when done in the reverse direction. Back at Traverse Pass, bergschrunds break the mountain in half, gravity scrapes the glaciers off the craggy faces, the power of Fiordland is at your feet. When I first peered down the shady snowfields towards Gertrude Saddle, late on a chilly evening, without an axe or crampons, I imagined the mountain was a gun and my body a bullet. When dropping down towards Gertrude Saddle, you must keep moving right to avoid the vast abyss below you. A bit of glissading, perhaps a sluff avalanche, some rock-hopping on snow-scoured slabs, and a scary step or two down and you’re back in the land of hardy alpine vegetation. The atmosphere seems to shift from alpine to coastal as the Tasman Sea makes a cameo appearance—glittering to the west like the golden patina of the earth. Here, the ocean seems close enough to swim in, and it is. Some people have a sneaky way out from here. In the right conditions you can avoid going to Gertrude Saddle altogether, and pad your way down the east ridge of Talbot all the way to the base of Black Lake. Otherwise, follow cairns to the saddle and hit the DOC-installed steel cables that lead down across the dark slabs and into the mirrorlike hollowness of Black Lake. The lake is the last good opportunity for a photo before the terrain flattens out into the Gertrude Valley. Walking across the moraine at the base of Psychopath Wall, the mind switches off and the body takes over. Every worthy climb seems to have an arduous finish. Five hours and fifteen minutes. That’s my time, hut to hut, and I bagged both summits. That was pretty good I thought, and I was only racing daylight. Returning years later with a crew and all our climbing kit in soft winter conditions, it took us closer to 12 hours and we only climbed to Traverse Pass (1987m). The pass is higher than Macpherson (1931m) but just shy of Talbot (2105m). We basically wore our rope from saddle to saddle, and we were glad to have it on the whole time. The Macpherson–Talbot Traverse is an absolute classic! Exposure, views, accessibility and climbing quality make it a stand-out route, one that, although not too technically challenging, will leave an impression on the minds of seasoned veterans and bright-eyed beginners alike. It does, after all, take you across the tops of one of the most beautiful places in the world.
beta Access The start of the route is accessed from the Milford Sound Highway at the carpark on the eastern side of Homer Tunnel. The route finishes back at the highway, a couple of kilometres east, at Homer Hut. Season The traverse can be completed at any time of year. Summer is the most popular season as the days are longer and the rock sections should be free of snow. Time Moving steadily on a solo mission in autumn, I completed the traverse in just over five hours. In winter and as a party of three, it took us nearly 12 hours. Gear One 60-metre rope should suffice, plus general mountaineering kit (including crampons and a walking axe each). You’ll need some rock gear if you want to pitch Talbot’s Ladder. Difficulty The rock sections are of moderate difficulty. The snowfields are mostly low-angled, although there can be some slightly steeper sections, and there are crevases to negotiate. Map/Guidebook The Darran Mountains—An Alpine and Rock Climbing Guide, by Craig Jefferies. Topo50 CB08 Homer Saddle and CB09 Hollyford 28
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ABOVE Keith Brown and Shana Skelton near Traverse Pass, looking across the Esperance Valley towards Mt Tutoko. STEPHEN SKELTON BELOW Homer Saddle and Talbot’s Ladder (centre foreground), leading up to Mt Macpherson and the ridgeline towards Mt Talbot (centre–right skyline). Traverse Pass is top-right of frame. KESTER BROWN
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A SUMMER
GRAHAM JOHNSON
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CANADA ONE WINTER
ANDY DYSON
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THE WAPTA TRAVERSE BY SIMON CARR THE WAPTA Traverse is one the most popular ski-touring trips in the Canadian Rockies. This ‘Haute Route of the Rockies’ lies along the British Columbia – Alberta border, and is usually done north to south, starting on the Icefields Parkway and finishing on the Trans–Canada highway. The classic ‘full’ traverse covers 43km, at an altitude of 2000–3000m, and crosses the Wapta and Waputik Icefields via four unguarded huts that are owned by the Canadian Alpine Club. Typically, the traverse takes four to five days, but there are numerous peaks to ski up and down if you want a longer trip. The fastest recorded time for the traverse is seven hours, 35 minutes! Booking hut space months in advance is necessary. The huts are equipped with mattresses, gas stoves, and cooking and eating gear. The skiing is intermediate level, although there are opportunities for steeper runs off the summits. Transceivers and shovels should be carried, and ice axes and crampons are usually carried, along with crevasse gear. Perhaps the most important equipment is navigational, as the weather is notoriously variable, and it may be necessary to ski from hut to hut in poor visibility. As the huts are heavily used, it’s generally not feasible to stay past your booked nights. The nearest town is Lake Louise, home to a large commercial skifield, a selection of expensive hotels and the more reasonably priced Lake Louise Alpine Center, a hostel. If you don’t have a car, Lake Louise can be reached by bus, from various destinations, including Calgary airport (CAD$74 one way). Shopping is limited in Lake Louise so you’re better off buying food before you get there. There’s also a Parks Canada office where you can pay for your backcountry permit (CAD$9.80 per night) as the route lies in Yoho National Park. Unless you are planning a car shuttle and leaving a car at the entry 32
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point, the easiest approach is probably to get a taxi the 40km from Lake Louise, for around CAD$150-200 to the drop-off point at Peyto Lake, 2.5km past Bow Pass on the Icefields Parkway. The route ends at the Great Divide Lodge on the Trans-Canada, a short taxi ride from Lake Louise. There is also a free bus that services the skifield in Lake Louise and calls at this hotel. The traverse is usually started by skinning 10km to the 16-bunk Peyto Hut (2480m) or the 30-bunk Bow Hut (2330m). Bow Hut is the second and largest of the four huts, is the most accessible and can be reached in three to four hours from the road. Consequently, it is popular for weekend trips and with guided parties, and is convenient for a food dump if needed. From Peyto Hut, Bow Hut is a 6km ski over the col between Mts Thompson (3084m) and Rhondda South (3015m), with a 300m descent (unless you are bypassing the Bow and going directly to Balfour Hut). From Bow Hut it’s easy to skin up to the Wapta Icefield proper, which is flat and extensive. Nearby peaks (within 2–3 hours skinning) include the very impressive St Nicholas (2970m), Rhondda South (3015m), Mt Olive (3130m) and Mt Gordon (3200m), the highest point on the Wapta Icefield. Somewhat more distant is Mt Collie (3116m), which is an 18km return trip, across the icefield. The character of the route becomes more alpine on the section to the 16-bunk Balfour Hut (2500m). The usual route is over the 2930m col between Mt St Nicholas and Mt Olive, with 450 metres of turns down the Vulture Glacier to the hut, which is hard to find in poor weather as the hut is on a terrace shared with a number of large hut-like rocks. Once at Balfour Hut, there’s no easy way out in bad weather. If completing the traverse from here isn’t feasible, escape back to the road via Bow Hut.
From Balfour Hut the route skins up through crevasse territory to the Balfour High Col at 3200m. This is followed by a long ski descent across the Waputik Icefield to reach Scott Duncan Hut (2700m). The total distance is 10km and is difficult to navigate in poor weather. In good weather, it’s possible to detour and climb Mt Balfour (3272m). Scott Duncan Hut, located at the foot of Mt Daly (3152m), is much smaller than the other huts. It has just 12 cosy bunks, and has no vestibule, so keeping snow out is a constant struggle. It’s very reminiscent of the older NZAC mountain huts before they were replaced by DOC. There are three exits from the Scott Duncan to the road: the original Sherbrooke Lake exit, the Bath Glacier exit and the now standard Schiesser–Lomas route. The latter route is the safest in terms of avalanche risk but does require careful navigation through the upper sections in poor visibility. All three come together at Sherbrooke Lake, where the final section of the traverse is down an often icy hiking trail to reach the road. This last day is mostly downhill (12km and a 1060m descent) with the lure of a beer at the roadend. In April–May 2012 I completed the full Wapta Traverse with five Brits from the Eagles Ski Club. We spent ten days in total, including a few days at both Peyto and Bow Huts linking turns and bagging summits. To cut down on weight, we put in a food dump at Bow Hut before starting the traverse. A GPS was invaluable, as we were forced by our hut bookings to change huts on poor weather days. PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT: Skinning across Peyto Lake. SIMON CARR Sam Handley on the Waputik Icefield, near Scott Duncan Hut. ANDY DYSON On the Wapta Icefield. SAM HANDLEY
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Buses www.brewstertransportation.com Canadian Ski-touring www.chicscott.com Guides and maps Summits and Icefields, Chic Scott. New edition, 2011. Murray Toft’s Wapta ski-touring map is no longer in print, but photocopies are available from Parks Canada in Lake Louise. Online map: angeles.sierraclub.org/skimt/trips/wapta05/ Wapta-0.htm Google: maps.google.ca/maps/ms?gl=ca&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF 8&t=h&vpsrc=6&msa=0&msid=203322192587888928923.000 4b11a535f9b71213c1 Alpine Club of Canada PO Box 8040, Canmore, Alberta T1W 2T8 +1 403 678 3200 info@alpineclubofcanada.ca Lake Louise Alpine Centre 203 Village Road T0L 1E0 Lake Louise Canada + 1 403 522 2201 lakelouise@hihostels.ca Parks Canada, Lake Louise Visitor Centre +1 403.522.3833 ll.info@pc.gc.ca
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MT GIMLI BY GRAHAM JOHNSON SOME ROUTES just beg to be climbed. I found this one on the back cover of the West Kootenay Rock guidebook. Mt Gimli is a stunning prow of rock, rising steeply from a pristine alpine meadow. ‘Four stars,’ said the guidebook. It had to be done. Climbers from all over the world have heard of the Canadian alpine granite mecca of the Bugaboos—a cluster of spires in south-east British Columbia with (mostly) impeccable rock, a bear of an approach and a reputation for both amazing climbs and crappy weather. Outside of British Columbia, very few have heard of the Valhallas (‘Valhalla’ is an old Nordic word for a sort of warrior heaven). The Valhallas are a sub-range of the Kootenay Mountains, even further south-east than the Bugaboos. The granite range of the Valhallas harbours a number of striking peaks, few glaciers and fantastic climbing in a remote setting. Of all the peaks in the Valhallas, Mt Gimli—in keeping with the Nordic nomenclature, Gimli is named after a hall in heaven where righteous men live—is by far the most striking, most popular and one of the easiest to access. Unlike the Bugaboos, the peaks in the Valhallas are further apart—a single basecamp for a number of peaks is less practical. My friend Carl was coming up to meet me in Revelstoke for a few weeks of climbing. He was fresh from an alpine climbing course in Alaska and was hungry for more technical challenges. Not one to be bothered with details or unnecessary questions, he took one look at a photo of Gimli and was in. While there are a number of routes on the peak, when choosing a route for aesthetic reasons there is really only one option: straight up the crest of the prow (the South Ridge, 5.10a, four stars). Basically, we wanted to climb the coolest-looking peak in the range by the coolest route. The forecast was not terribly promising, calling for thundershowers in the afternoon on two of the next three days, but we decided to risk it for the biscuit, gambling that an early morning start would see us off the peak, or at least on the walk-off descent by 34
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the time a storm hit. We were also gambling that the peak’s exposed position would mean that it was windy and would thus dry fast after rain. Just getting to Valhalla Provincial Park from Revelstoke required an adventure—we caught two ferries and drove 40km on an eversteepening logging road. We arrived at the carpark at dusk, just in time to wrap our vehicle in chicken-wire (to prevent hungry porcupines from devouring the rubber hoses under the car). It was a clear night, and we could see Gimli above us, clouds swirling all around. While there is a campground in the meadow just below Gimli, the trail to the base is only a two-hour walk, so we opted to camp next to the car and leave early with light packs. The trail, popular with both climbers and trampers, is well marked and well-travelled. We made it to the campground (a large rock windwall, a flat area of gravel with room for three to four tents, a metal food locker and a cable to hang food and packs from) in good time and met the locals—a small herd of mountain goats. Mountain goats are attracted to the salt in human urine. In their quest for a salty snack, goats can cause large amounts of erosion in fragile alpine habitats by digging for urine-soaked dirt. Travellers in goat country should urinate on rocks so that the goats can lick the urine off the rock instead of digging. We shouted and waved our arms to scare them off, but this only worked temporarily. I went behind some boulders to have a goat-less pee and found a cam, just sitting there! Buoyed by my find, we walked the few minutes to the start of the route. Carl ducked off to have a pee of his own and came back with three cams on a ‘biner! After jumping up and down for several minutes to warm up in the pre-dawn chill, we started climbing. The first ascensionists had graded the route 5.8 (about 16) in the 1970s, but the route has since been upgraded to 5.10a (about 19). Be warned though, this grade is still a bit of a sandbag!
We climbed splitter granite cracks with great jams, around wet, mossy roofs and up openbook corners, all on fantastic rock. Most belays had some old gear (slings or fixed nuts) to reassure us that we were still on route. While the pitches are graded moderately (only two of the nine pitches are graded harder than 5.9), none of them felt like easy climbing. At the top of the fourth pitch there is a nice grassy ledge, large enough to walk around on unbelayed. We stopped there for a quick snack and nervously discussed the clouds building on the horizon. A retreat would have been difficult—although many of the belays have some fixed gear, we only had one 60-metre rope with us. Most of the pitches are around 50 metres long. To bail we would have had to have left a fair bit of gear and made several, short abseils. We opted to pick up the pace and get on with it. As I bridged up the first half of the last ‘hard’ pitch of the route towards a large roof, I wondered about the 5.9 (17) rating. As I traversed tenuously under the wet back of the roof, I really began to wonder. It felt far harder than the previous crux pitches. Leaning back under the roof with five pitches of air beneath me may have contributed to that feeling. Thunder was in the air now and we could see occasional bolts of lightning on the horizon. The guidebook had mentioned something about a life-saving jug over the roof and I groped blindly for it. As the first drops of rain hit the rock, I found the jug and pulled over the roof onto a poorly protected slab and set up a belay. The final pitches became increasingly easier, as the angle kicked back. The storm passed, with only a few light raindrops reaching the rock. For such a pointy-looking peak, the summit is huge and flat, with an abundance of places to bivvy, or even set up a tent city. The classic descent (and easiest ascent) is the East Ridge (class 4) and after the obligatory goofy summit shots we descended the loose, steep and sometimes scary rock of the East Ridge down to a small glacier. We crossed the glacier to regain the meadow at the base of the South Ridge and the trail. We reached the car before dark, basking in the glow of the setting sun, success on an excellent route and the joy of new booty! The Valhallas really are a climbers’ heaven.
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Guidebook West Kootenay Rock, Kristiansen and Hempsall, 2009. There is a small section in the end of the book that briefly covers the Valhallas. The information is good and detailed, but only a small number of routes are listed. With the exception of the South Ridge of Gimli, routes are not commonly travelled and may have some loose rock. Gear For the South Ridge, a single set of nuts, four tricams and a full set of cams is sufficient. More difficult routes in the range will require more gear. Season The northern hemisphere’s summer (June to September) is the prime time to climb, with the lowest snowpack of the year, longest days and warmest temperatures.
PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT: Looking straight at the South Ridge of Mt Gimli in the setting sun. CARL DEANE Carl Deane near the summit of Mt Gimli. GRAHAM JOHNSON Carl beginning a descent of the East Ridge of Mt Gimli. GRAHAM JOHNSON
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The Guiding Life BY ANNA KEELING
Guide Jane Morris and guest Ian McKinley on the upper Tasman Glacier, heading towards Mt Green on a summer trip in 2012. JAMIE ROBERTSON
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ave you ever wanted to turn your recreation into your job? Mountain guiding is a career that many climbers will consider at some stage. Turning your passion for the mountains into a job is not for everyone, however. To get an idea of what is involved, I spoke to a cross-section of New Zealand mountain guides. Guides are a peripatetic crowd, and the job description has evolved a lot since the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association (NZMGA) was established 40 years ago. When I began researching this article, late in the 2013 Kiwi summer, a group of Adventure Consultants guides were working as safety/film crew on preliminary filming for Beyond the Edge, a feature film about Sir Ed. The ‘impossibly tall’ guide Jim Spencer was playing the role of the man himself. Other guides were running safety on a Bear Grylls television show production. Over the next month I spoke to guides working in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America. Kevin Boekholt was on his annual heli-ski work trip to Greenland after assessing a Japanese ski guides exam. I managed to catch up with Kiwi Everest guides while on a family trip to Nepal. Some I contacted were pursuing other careers to make ends meet. Looking closer, these other careers are often aligned with guiding—these second day jobs commonly include outdoor instruction, building, engineering, and film, access and environmental work. These occupations have similar emphasis on good judgment and decision-making and, like guiding, they are physical, variable and frequently outdoors-based. I’m an International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) guide myself, so I reflected on what made me choose this profession. I was drawn to guiding by the mountains, of course, but also by the camaraderie and the variety in this career choice. I like my fellow guides and their self-confidence and sometime brash attitudes. Guides are a pack of strong-minded individuals who live life to the full and can have feisty opinions. The costs can be high—a life of travel makes it difficult to establish and keep relationships; there are risks; and, as with any seasonal trade, the pay can be low. The spirit of living outside outshone the negatives for me, however. The fitness required motivated me, and on every trip I learned something about myself and/or the people around me. I have met great people through guiding, and I have developed patience in spades. Oh yes, there have been times when I have wavered—becoming a mother caused me to question my choice, as did the deaths of colleagues over a black, multi-year period. But I’m still here, working as a guide, perhaps not full-time, and maybe I’m not travelling widely with it, as many of us do, yet I’m irresistibly drawn to the profession. It’s a calling. *** To understand the various motivations that commonly influence a climber to become a guide, I’ve reflected on the roots of New Zealand’s guiding culture. I spoke to NZMGA guides at all stages of guiding training and careers. I wanted to find out what drew them to the job. Some I spoke to sought other careers but commented on ways in which skills gained from guiding have helped them with their new professions. Some left guiding only to return later, unable to truly give up the calling. Formed in November 1974, the NZMGA aimed to establish a consistent training programme for professional mountain guides in New Zealand. Perhaps the first ascent of Aoraki, 80 years earlier, by New Zealand guides Tom Fyfe, George Graham and Jack Clarke, set the stage. In their wake, high guiding in New Zealand blossomed, with overseas guides such as Mattias Zurbriggen providing a strong influence in the development of the skills and professionalism of New Zealand’s guides. By the 1960s high guiding had all but died out, though glacier guiding on the West Coast continued to thrive. Mountaineering was surging in popularity, with many steep face routes being established during the period. In 1966 Pete Farrell, Lynn Crawford and Don MacKay established Alpine Instruction Inc. Chief guide Bruce Jenkinson recognised a need for training and a qualification. In 1973 Alpine Instruction became Alpine Guides Ltd (AGL). Bryan Carter guided for and later owned AGL. Forty years on, he reminisced about the early 1970s: ‘In terms of my guiding career, it was more a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I came in at the tail end of the era, when all you needed to start as a guide was a few good climbs on your CV. We did have rudimentary training at the beginning of each summer, but it evolved quite quickly into forming the association. That was the time that heli-skiing was booming, and I ran the Ben Ohau operation for maybe eight seasons, with up to 1500 skiers a winter. We were invited to start up Methven Heliski in the late 1980s. The highlight in the first two seasons was skiing where no one had ever skied before.’ The New Zealand outdoor instructor scheme developed concurrently when Graeme Dingle, who was also guiding, formed the Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC) in the Central North Island. The ever-youthful guide Marty Beare was an early link with OPC: ‘The OPC became a sort of family that I used to come and go from while I learnt more about climbing, kayaking, instructing, and acting a part. Stu Allan and Jo Straker were—and still are—giants to me: they’ve been mentors, climbing partners, and role models. Stu convinced me to get guiding qualifications. It was part of his mission to develop specialist outdoor-skills instruction courses in New Zealand—he could see that qualifications were the future for the outdoor industry.’ The first standardisation course was held at Mt Cook in October 1976. Initial guide candidates were Graeme Dingle, Mike Browne, Nick Banks, Dave McNulty and Gavin Wills. Observers Lynn Crawford and legendary 1950s guide Harry Ayres were joined by observers from the Council for Sport and Recreation (now SPARC) and the Mountain Safety Council (MSC). After an assessment period, the NZMGA joined the IFMGA in late 1981. Aligning with the IFMGA ensured the NZMGA would be internationally tied with a globally recognised system of standards and practices. It also gave guides the option to work overseas. Dave McNulty developed and ran New Zealand’s first professional avalanche classes and was extensively involved in avalanche mapping. He also pioneered heli-ski guiding in Manali, India in the late 1980s. Tragically, McNulty was killed in an avalanche in the Ben Ohau Range in 1989. McNulty left a tremendous legacy in profes-
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Ski guide candidates Tim Steward, Karen Corcoran and Nori Saritome dig pits as part of the snow safety component of the 2012 Ski Guide Exam. ANNA KEELING
IFMGA guide Mark Sedon took this shot of instruction-course participants climbing Peak 2374m, Fox Névé, Westland. MARK SEDON
sional avalanche training. Jos Lang, McNulty’s sidekick, became New Zealand’s first female IFMGA guide when she certified in 1981. Guides Ray Button, John Entwisle and Pete Brailsford were responsible for setting up the New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association (NZOIA) in 1987. During the 1990s Kiwi guides were at the forefront of high-altitude Himalayan guiding. Rob Hall and Gary Ball’s guiding company, Adventure Consultants, and Russell Brice’s Himalayan Experience (based in Chamonix) set the standard for a business in Himalayan guiding that is booming today. That impetus continued when Guy Cotter took over Adventure Consultants in 1996. Wanaka-based Adventure Consultants is one of the big players in New Zealand and overseas. Other companies—including Alpine Guides Ltd, Mt Aspiring Guides, Alpine Recreation, Harris Mountains Heliski, Southern Lakes Heliski, Methven and Wilderness Heliski, together with the glacier guiding operations at Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers—ensure employment, guide training and mentorship throughout New Zealand and beyond. NZMGA guide training is rigorous, intensive and expensive. Recent developments in the IFMGA require guides-in-training to complete four two-week practical exams within five years. A certain number of training and workdays must be logged between exams. There are two paths guides can take: rock climbing / mountaineering and ski touring / heli-skiing. IFMGA guides are certified in both skiing and climbing, and carry the internationally recognised carnet. They also enjoy cheap ski passes in Europe. Many members specialise in one of the two disciplines. Alpine trekking guides are certified to work in moderate alpine terrain. The Hard Ice Guide qualification exists for guides who work on the lower, hard ice of the glaciers. Training for all includes instruction courses as well as level-one professional avalanche training and a 40-hour pre-hospital emergency medicine course. Upon completion of these pre-requisites, trainee guides aiming for IFMGA or full certification in one discipline (climbing or skiing) must complete the level-two avalanche certification plus the required field exams for their chosen discipline. At a cost of $5000 per exam, plus the costs of completing the Avalanche 2 programme and other courses, the total cost to become IFMGA qualified is around $30,000, not including loss of wages during the examination periods. Current NZMGA membership stands at 171. IFMGA guides number 44. (Three of these guides are women, with several more poised in the wings.) The skiing and climbing disciplines each have around 40 assistant guides who have yet to finish their exams. There is a pool of approximately 60 hard ice guides who mostly work on the West Coast. Ages of working guides range from those in their early 20s to hardman Shaun Norman, who is still actively guiding at 70 years of age. (When I contacted Shaun for this piece, I was told that Shaun was, quite aptly, in Alaska.) I asked my colleagues what keeps them in the game, to learn more about the motivations and the trials and tribulations guides face. With such a stringent and costly process to qualify (think of it like a physical Master’s degree), I wanted to know what drew them to guiding and what kept them in it. The colourful Lydia Bradey has been guiding for the past ten years (although she was out for approximately three of those years due to injury). I managed to pin Lydia down to discuss her career when she
was in Namche Bazaar, on her way to Mt Everest to guide for Adventure Consultants. Now aged 51, the indomitable Lydia has a parallel career in physiotherapy, and aims to complete her IFMGA exams. So far she has completed both of her climbing guide exams and is working to pass the Level 2 Avalanche course and her first ski exam. ‘The ski exam is more challenging to complete because I don’t work in the snow industry,’ Lydia explained, ‘I have always been passionate about Himalayan guiding and climbing because it creates relationships.’ She loves the problem-solving involved in helping someone achieve their goals. ‘So much of it is about physiological and psychological health.’ Lydia claimed that learning gained from training courses and exams has been essential for the technical side of guiding and decision-making—when to go for it, when to ratchet it back. Lydia’s injuries, which have resulted in years of absence from guiding, highlight the physical effects of this line of work. While many guides I spoke to were blasé about its toll on the body, long-termers like Marty Beare were quick to bring it up: ‘Guiding compromised my fitness, my strength and my health. The need to work in the prime climbing seasons, and the lack of cash for overseas travel, meant that I was never in a position to push frequent or big climbing plans.’ Reflecting on a lengthy guiding career, Jos Lang raved about her great ‘office,’ but also conceded that the work had taken a toll on her body. Bryan Carter left guiding, though he remained with AGL at an administrative level, because of knee and sunburn issues. I vividly remember the late Dave Hiddleston and his frenzied efforts to rehabilitate his knees in time for Everest in 2002. Hugh Barnard completed a Master’s degree in film-making after a serious knee injury and now mixes guiding, film-making, and outdoor safety consulting. A few days after talking to Lydia, I arrived in a windy and misty Pheriche, in Nepal, where I was greeted by a loud whistle. Mike Roberts, AKA ‘Ralph’, was talking by sat-phone to a mutual friend of ours in Wanaka. It was an excellent opportunity to corner a vastly experienced international guide. I had run into Ralph high on Denali in 2003. Later that same year, this time on the Kongma-La Pass in the Khumbu, I had caught a glimpse of a Macpac pack. It was Ralph again, fresh from guiding on Cho Oyu. Two weeks later I saw him sprinting up Ama Dablam, alone. Ralph is tall and broad-shouldered, with grey hair and a ready smile. In the rarified, somewhat ego-ridden environs of Everest, few know that he has guided to the summit six times. On Everest, again at work for Adventure Consultants, Ralph reviewed his career. Qualifying as an IFMGA guide in 1986, he worked as a guide for ten years, and then trained as a physiotherapist. ‘I thought I was done [with guiding], with a new life and new career,’ Ralph told me. ‘Then personal circumstances led me back to guiding and expedition guiding … the variety has been key.’ Ralphs’s experience is amazing— he’s done 21 seasons in Antarctica, mostly with scientists in remote locations, completed recent glacier studies in Bhutan, and worked in outdoor education, ski patrol and heli-skiing. ‘The variety of terrain, the travel and the different styles all keep me going.’ Variety comes up a lot. Guides seem happiest when travelling and motivating people to climb—or descend—mountains. Former owner of Aspiring Guides, and noted alpinist and family man, Nick Cradock has been a guide for 30 years. Nick said he couldn’t bear the thought of a nine-to-five job. Methven Heliski owner Kevin Boekholt emailed me for
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WE DON'T CHOOSE THIS PROFESSION FOR THE MONEY OR FOR JOB SECURITY … MY TOP DAYS AT WORK ARE THE DAYS WHERE SOMEONE TELLS ME THEY JUST HAD THE BEST DAY OF THEIR LIFE
IFMGA guide Dean Staples (top right) working a mountain safety job during shooting for the Kiwi production Dying for Everest. HUGH BARNARD
this piece from Greenland. Kevin is perpetually enthusiastic, whether he is climbing at Castle Hill with his kids or in Canada (where he has worked as a heli-ski guide for CMH Heli-skiing for 25 seasons). ‘My operation in Greenland is now well-established after ten seasons and we are busy with three guides and next year will have ski-touring as well.’ Kevin said. Like many, Kevin initially worked for the Park Service (now DOC), and has been guiding full-time since 1983. He said he was a little surprised to find himself still guiding, 30 years down the track: ‘When we set up Methven Heliski I could see a gap between Canada and New Zealand in terms of avalanche knowledge, so I got on-board with CMH to learn more … this became my specialty. Highlights have been working with the Russians to develop guide and avalanche courses in various Russian locations, working with the Japanese ski guide programme and setting up my East Greenland operation. I enjoy guiding and the business ventures I have gone into have been successful for me. I want to see the industry grow and I want to be able to offer good employment opportunities and, most importantly, I want create as safe a work environment as possible.’ As safe a work environment as possible. This is perhaps the greatest challenge in an employment situation in an alpine environment, which can be full of potential dangers, so safety and risk-management are critical. Risk can be reduced but never entirely eliminated in the mountains. It could be argued that just spending time out there increases the likelihood of an accident. Judgment comes with experience, but human error is always possible. The NZMGA lost several members from 1998 to 2008. A small association, we are like an argumentative family, and the losses hit hard. Several of the people I spoke to mentioned career low-points being the deaths of friends and co-workers. When Europe-based IFMGA guide Stefan Sporli reflected on the learning he gained from his last exam, he talked about ‘setting the level of conservatism in decision making … and adjusting the level of risk-taking according to group size, ability and situation.’ The ever-doughty Cradock kept his explanation brief: ‘Calculation from past experience and avoidance/acceptance.’ Assistant ski and climbing guide (and new mother) Penny Goddard expanded further: ‘Guiding is fundamentally about managing yourself [and your clients]. You have to make a clear assessment of conditions and your clients, you have to be physically efficient, and you have to let extraneous pressures brush off you. You need faith in your own judgment and you need to be a centre of calm, a convincing leader for your clients. To do all that really well means mastering your own uncertainties and weaknesses. It’s a good thing to work towards.’ Penny intends to continue her guiding certification process. She has two exams to go. Assistant ski guide Ben Corcoran evaluated the pros and cons of the NZMGA assessment process. For Ben, NZMGA training has enhanced a career that is not purely guiding. In an effort to make a living, he feels he must diversify. An Experiential Leadership Development Activity Instructor with the New Zealand Army, Ben shared his perspective on his ski guide exam in 2011: ‘You are measured based on actually performing a guiding day and/or a guiding task. It’s a really robust assessment. You have the time and environment to be given real time, real risk guiding tasks. It’s not contrived or a “sampled assessment”. There is scope and time for
improvement and coaching. On the negative: It’s expensive! With course fees, expenses, and loss of wages, it’s a real drain on the finances.’ Marty Beare was succinct about pay issues: ‘Obviously the downside of outdoor instruction and guiding in New Zealand in the twentieth century was that it was “rewarded” by a subsistence wage. I think mountain guiding is more financially realistic now, but it is still difficult without being an overseas nomad.’ IFMGA guide Caroline Ogden left New Zealand partly because she could make a better living guiding in Europe: ‘Here [in Europe] it is possible to make a good living as a guide and still have time for your own relationships and recreation. I think the combination of difficult access into the mountains in New Zealand, maritime weather, and complicated logistics with food and fuel make working as a guide in New Zealand harder, in summer and in winter.’ For climbing and ski guides, pay ranges from $200–$425 per day, depending on qualifications, the number of days worked for a particular company and the location and difficulty of the work. The complicated logistics mentioned by Ogden, together with the seasonal nature of the work, make for steep overheads for New Zealand guiding companies. No one is getting rich. Guides like Cradock, Boekholt, Cotter and Mt Aspiring Guides’ Whitney Thurlow, have established successful businesses while still actively guiding. But many guides rely on other careers and jobs. Some, like Barnard, mix it up for physical longevity. Ben Corcoran elaborated on his view of his multiple jobs: ‘Ski guiding and alpine trekking guiding are part of my current employment and will continue to be for some time. But this is part of a greater role as a leadership development instructor that includes other outdoor disciplines and academic training.’ Marty Beare told me, ‘Every time I tried out something new I felt that it was still a part of the same game of outdoor adventure tourism or education. Mountain guiding is simply a trade, and it uses the same set of generic skills as do all other outdoor tourism and outdoor education professions.’ IFMGA guide Sean Brooks splits his career between building and guiding: ‘I feel very fortunate to have the skills to have two careers I can jump in and out of. It helps me to keep a fresh view on things and I never get tired of a single chosen career.’ A bit of a romantic, Sean speaks lyrically of working in the Antarctic Peninsula, ‘one of the most beautiful and special places on the planet.’ Sean muses on the guide’s need for patience. He speaks of meeting people from different places and walks of life and the opportunities he has had to help achieve their goals and dreams. Sean reminisces about a gritty client who wanted to climb Aoraki for her fortieth birthday. Fair conditions allowed a speedy ascent and then, despite a nasty shin-bang, the birthday girl was up for a traverse of the Syme and Silberhorn ridges, on Mt Tasman, as well. The pair traversed Tasman in perfect weather, and walked out over Cinerama Col the following day. I am not surprised that Sean relates this guided trip as a highlight. Working with a fit and keen client and perfect conditions—it was a great week. Climbing guide Gavin Lang added: ‘Lots of significant achievements happen in guiding that go unnoticed. There are people of sometimes limited abilities, in places that they would not otherwise dream of going.’ Gavin is spot on. We don’t choose this profession for the money or for job security—and it certainly isn’t for the retirement package. (Think aching backs and wobbly knees.) Any guide will tell you that the exceptional moments in this profession are when they help someone realise a goal or a perfect (or even an average) powder run. My top days at work are the days where someone tells me they just had the best day of their life or that the trip exceeded their expectations or, in tears, they tell me that the top of this climb has been a great dream. It doesn’t fill the bank account, and I struggle, as many guides do, with the work-life balance—especially now that I have a family. But my life is richer for these shared alpine experiences. It is a calling, and for those who hear that call, there isn’t any other way.
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ON SIGHT S E V E N
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[climber photographer profile]
F A V O U R I T E
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
S H O T S
F R O M
JOSHUA WINDSOR
t ON THE SLOPES OF
s JAMES FIELD-MITCHELL ATTEMPTING
One of the highlights of a trip to White Falls (especially when the routes there categorically exceed your level of ability) is the evening wander back to the Turoa carpark. Invariably this coincides with the hallowed ‘golden hour’ for photography, when everything becomes gilded with magical hues. Giddiness makes for sloppy photography though, so it was lucky that I spotted this river to anchor my shot, which aligned perfectly with Mount Taranaki on the horizon.
When confronted by such a mammoth feature as the Babylon crag, it is difficult to determine how best to frame a shot. I think I captured a decent balance here between the vertiginous exposure of the face, the rich textures of the diorite rock, and the poise of the climber. Fiordland truly dwarfs the humble spectator, and for me this image summons the words of Edmund Burke, theorist of the sublime: ‘tranquility tinged with terror.’
MOUNT RUAPEHU
FUEL (29), BABYLON, FIORDLAND
u JOSH EVANS ATTEMPTING
MINOR THREAT (29), FROGGATT EDGE
A no-frills climbing image. I like the Frieze-like simplicity and strong lines of this one—and that commandeering touch of the finger to rival Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam.
u u JAMES FIELD MITCHELL
SENDING WENDY KROY (26), AGS ROCKWALL
I had intended to photograph the moment when James placed the nut, but decided that this compromising position more effectively conveyed the precarious nature of trad climbing. THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
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Joshua Windsor is a scruffy arts student, museum-employee and sporadic rock climber based in Auckland. An eight-month trip through South America in 2010 crystalised his incipient interest in photography and he has been hooked ever since. He is open to donations of lenses, socks, and new climbing models.
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t JAMES FIELD-MITCHELL
SENDING THE LIGHTS ARE ON BUT NOBODY’S HOME (27), FROGGAT EDGE I have never considered the rock at Froggatt to be the crown jewels, aesthetically speaking, but the confluence of mellow afternoon light and the austere geometry of this route made for some good shots. A narrow depth of field was easily achieved on my ‘nifty fifty’ (Canon EF 50mm f/1.8), which parenthetically, probably represents the best $200 I have ever spent.
s JAMES FIELD-MITCHELL SENDING CRAG
VULTURES (30), WHITE FALLS
The base of White Falls is rather cramped so I had to use my ultrawide-angle lens to dilate the field of view sufficiently for this shot. One of the joys of rock climbing photography is the opportunity to combine landscape and decisive action in the one frame. I am happy with the union achieved here.
u KATE BOYS SENDING BÊTE
NOIRE (23), FROGGAT EDGE
A classic climb and a classic viewpoint. What else do I remember about this moment? Sitting through a litany of expletives emanating from an exasperated climber before getting the shot that I wanted. THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
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CLIMBING NEWS
DRY-TOOLING TECHNIQUE
BY JAMIE VINTON-BOOT ‘The picks became extensions of my focal point … I quickly grasped the precise balance of steel perched on dry rock and I used my sport-climbing background to power to the next hold.’ –Kyle Dempster, Alpinist 42. Dry-tooling—the practice of using ice tools on rock—is a critical skill to develop for any aspiring ice or mixed climber. If you want to progress to climbing steeper routes and harder grades you will no doubt encounter rock at some point, especially in New Zealand. Like any form of climbing, to be proficient at drytooling requires a certain amount of technique. Learning and practising the basics at a local crag (not a rock climbing crag), is a good place to start and it can be a lot less daunting than jumping straight on the sharp end in the mountains. WARNING! Dry-tooling causes damage to rock, much more so than rock climbing does, so please don’t do it on established rock climbs. TOOLS OF THE TRADE The first thing to know is that there are tools and picks designed specifically for use on rock instead of on ice; they’re referred to as ‘mixed tools’ or ‘mixed picks’. These are designed for hooking, rather than swinging, and therefore behave quite differently to ice tools and picks. Of course you can use mixed tools on ice, and ice tools on rock, but tools will always perform better on the climbing terrain they were designed for. If you plan to only occasionally go mixed climbing, then it’s probably not necessary to invest in specialist mixed tools. But if you want to get serious, it’s worth investing in some good tools, or at least some mixed picks if they’ll fit on the tools you already have. Make sure 44
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Matt Scholes climbing Stone Free (M5), Remarkables. MARK WATSON
your tools have a trigger-style grip (AKA a pinky-rest). Most modern tools come with these and there are after-market options available for older models. You can always get creative and make some yourself if you want. LEASHLESS IS THE WAY Of course a trigger-grip is only necessary if you climb with leashless tools, but this is the only way to go if you want to get into mixed climbing. Climbing with leashless tools may feel insecure and scary at first, but once you get used to them, it becomes second nature, and your climbing will become much more efficient. Most of the techniques described below are intended for climbing with leashless tools. CRAMPONS I advise against using crampons when practising dry-tooling at your local crag. I normally just wear rock or approach shoes. Mountain boots are a good option too. For real mixed climbing, mono-point crampons are the business, as they are more stable than dual-front-points on edges and can be slotted into cracks that dual-points won’t fit into. GLOVES Thin gloves are good to wear when dry-tooling—they protect your knuckles and absorb sweat. HELMET Always wear a helmet when dry-tooling. Some people also use face guards and safety glasses.
TECHNIQUE
THE BA SIC TECHNIQUES HOOKS Hooking on edges, large or small, is the most common technique used in dry-tooling. Find the most positive part of the edge to hook by feeling with the tip of your pick, then test it with just some of your weight. Once committed, keep your pick perpendicular to the edge. Keep your weight (your centre of gravity) low and close to the rock. Pull down, not out. When choosing an edge to hook, don’t look for a hold with a large surface area. If an edge is positive, the downward force of your weight will hold the tip of your pick on it, even if the edge is very small. Trust in the force! Don’t be tempted to pull outwards as this will only cause your pick to skate, or blow off the edge completely (see top row of photos at right). Some features are best hooked sideways, instead of from a perpendicular angle. In this case keep your tool shaft close to the rock, otherwise your pick may skate (see bottom row of photos at right). Practise hooking lots of different features and pay attention to how each one requires a slightly different angle to hold. Doing this develops confidence to trust smaller and more delicate hooks.
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8
4
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TOOL-CAMS (STEIN-PULLS) The classic tool-cam is sometimes called a Stein-pull. Place the tip of your pick on an edge or feature immediately below or at right angles to another feature and then pull the head of your tool up against the opposing surface, so that the tool wedges in place. An inverted Stein-pull is when the pick is placed into a downward-facing crack or slot and the tool pulled outwards. There are many variations on the Stein-pull. The idea is simply that the tool is locked in place so that long reaches can be made without it popping. DRAPING Draping—stowing a tool over one shoulder—is used when you are clipping or swapping hands on your other tool. Hook your pick over the shoulder of your arm that is holding your other tool and drape the shaft on your chest. Another common technique used to stow a tool is to hook your pick over the thumb of your hand that is holding the other tool. The advantage of this technique is that your tool stays closer to the rock, so is easier to grab. However, it gives less freedom than the drape. CHOKING Choking or short-tooling, is used to gain extra height during a long reach move with your other tool, or as part of swapping hands from one tool to the other. Most modern tools have a triggergrip part-way up the shaft for this purpose. Be aware that choking puts more outward force on your tool, so care is needed to maintain the direction of force so your pick doesn’t blow.
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DIAGRAM PHOTOS: KESTER BROWN
PICK-CAMS Thin cracks are ideal for pick-cams. Torque your tool shaft to wedge the pick in place. This hold is slightly trickier to use than a hook because you must keep the shaft tilted at the same angle throughout the move, to keep your pick wedged in place.
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BODY TENSION The art of dry-tooling is in being able to move between holds whilst maintaining control. Constant tension or force in a particular direction is required to keep a tool in place as you pull on it to make progress—the key to controlled movement is in mastering the direction of force that your body applies to your tool as you move. The direction of force naturally changes as your centre of gravity moves away from your starting position, so it’s important to be aware of how your body-movement affects the direction of force of your tool on the rock. It’s generally best to keep your centre of gravity low and as close to the rock as possible (see photos above). This means using tricks like dropping one shoulder as you reach through with the other arm. On steep ground, body tension is critical at the moment when your weight is transferred from one tool to the other, so that you don’t upset your tools’ direction of force and swing off. CLIPPING TECHNIQUE Clipping the rope when dry-tooling can be tricky, not only because it’s necessary to stow a tool, but also because of the direction of force issue described above. If you’re clipping from a hold that requires constant force at a specific angle, make sure your quickdraw is at waistheight before clipping, otherwise you run the risk of a tool blowing as you try to reach high. With additional slack in the rope that comes with clipping high, this will result in a longer fall. FURTHER READING Ice and Mixed Climbing: Modern Technique, by Will Gadd is an excellent resource and a must-have for any serious mixed climber. THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
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Climbers approaching an ice route on the Remarkables. MARK WATSON
CARRYING LEASHLESS TOOLS BY GRAHAM JOHNSON
DIAGRAM PHOTOS: GRAHAM JOHNSON
THE LATEST generation of leashless tools are fantastic to climb with, but a bit of a pain to carry on traditional packs with ice axe loops. The lack of hammers on leashless tools (or at least often absurdly small hammers) means that their heads are often too small to stay securely fastened in traditional loops and tools can slip through and fall out. While many modern packs have various other types of attachment systems for leashless tools, not all of us see the need to get rid of a perfectly functional pack just to update the attachment loops. An obvious work-around solution is to tuck the tools into the side compression straps of your pack, but this is less than ideal—if your pack is not full, the straps may not hold the tools securely and they could fall out in an upside-down slip. Here’s an easy, secure method of attaching your newflangled, leashless and hammerless tools to your trusty, ancient, old-school climbing pack.
2 Push the tool loop through the carabiner hole in the head of your tool (Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the second tool).
1 Align your first tool as you would a traditional tool, without slipping the head into the tool loop 46
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3 Clip the exposed loops together and secure the handles of the tools as you normally would. Done!
4 This method also works for carrying just one tool too—simply clip the opposing (empty) tool loop. As far as carabiners go, any will work, but I prefer to use small (nonload-bearing) metal accessory biners that are light and plenty strong for the purpose.
QUICK RELEASES PRODUCT AND INDUSTRY NEWS EDELRID SNIPE DUAL-DIAMETER ROPE German company Edelrid have released a rope that cleverly incorporates two different diameters. The first seven metres and a section of the middle of the Snipe rope are 10mm, while the rest of the rope is 9.8mm. The thicker section is also a different colour and a different texture to the rest of the cord. The idea is that the 9.8mm portion of the rope handles nicely (for belaying) while the 10mm end and middle sections—where ropes see the most wear—are more durable. Edelrid won the prestigous Outdoor Product of the Year award at the ISPO tradeshow this year for the Snipe rope.
MAMMUT REALIZATION SHORTS These shorts, from Swiss company Mammut, are the first combined climbing harness and shorts. That’s right, a climbing harness is built into these shorts. The shorts have double tie-in loops in the fly region and handy gear loops above the hip pockets. The fabric is lightweight and stretchy—they sound very comfortable. We think they’d be great for scaring your Mum or getting told off at the climbing gym. These shorts aren’t available in New Zealand, but can be purchased online from various overseas retailers.
This stove/charger uses a ‘true on-demand’ renewable fuel source (sticks and twigs) to cook food, heat water and charge your iPhone. What you do is build a little fire in the stove, cook stuff on the top, and plug your gadget into a USB port on the side. A little thermoelectric generator converts the heat to electricity and bingo, you can Insty on the run. This is great if you need to recharge your gadgets on an extended trip to the hills, unless you’re above the snowline, where there is no wood, then you’d have to burn your map to charge your GPS. See ampro.co.nz for stockists in New Zealand.
ICEHOLDZ INDOOR ICE CLIMBING HOLDS These ice holds, designed for use on indoor walls using normal ice climbing tools, are now available in New Zealand from showmeshop. co.nz. They are made from a composite plastic shell that you can swing your tool directly into. Each surface can take about 3000 hits before it starts to wear out—although it will then still be usable as a drytooling hold. The shell is mounted on a removable backing, so when it does wear out it can be replaced. There are different shapes and sizes available and showmeshop also has some holds specifically for drytooling.
© Marc Daviet
BIOLITE CAMPSTOVE COOKER AND CHARGER
TECHNICAL GEAR AND LIGHTING FOR ALL YOUR OUTDOOR ADVENTURES New products available now
TIKKA XP 2
TIKKA 2 Facebook. com/Petzl
www.petzl.com/tikka www.spelean.co.nz for stockists
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STUFF YOU NEED
BLACK DIAMOND SPEED 30 PACK THE BLACK Diamond Speed packs are a group of backpacks designed for light and fast alpine climbing. There are four packs in this series: the 22, 30, 40 and 55 litre models. The three largest all share a similar build and features. I purchased my Speed 30 because I was looking for a simple, lightweight pack for long days in the mountains that was still capable of hauling some heavy gear around comfortably, yet be stripped down for when I wanted a lighter pack. I’ll start with the good: the Speed 30 is extremely well made, with very high quality, bomber materials. This is a pack built for abuse. It is comfortable to wear and it moves easily with you, whether you are walking, scrambling or climbing. It carries heavy loads well and has a narrow body that did not interfere with arm movement when I was swinging tools or ski poles. There is a hydration bladder sleeve, four compression straps long enough to fit sleeping pads or other bulky items under, a whistle on the sternum strap, a rope strap that tucks away into its own pocket, and a nice grab loop. Plus, it looks really cool in the sulphur/black colour scheme. And now for the bad: this pack is neither lightweight nor simple. A medium size is 1260g, placing the pack firmly in the heavy end of the spectrum of 30 litre packs. The framesheet, hip-belt and lid are all removable to save weight, but this only brings the pack down to 900g, which is still relatively heavy. The framesheet is a pain to remove and removing it does not seem to change much about the pack. The lid itself is relatively simple—it has a single zipper pocket with a keybuckle inside. The way the lid attaches to the pack is annoying though; it has a standard two buckle attachment in the front, but in the back a ladder-lock buckle is used on a sort of pulley system. I believe Black Diamond chose this method to save a few grams (eliminating two buckles) but it is very hard to get the lid cinched down in the back and makes completely removing the lid annoying. I’m all for saving weight, but not if it means sacrificing functionality. The hip-belt is quite nice. It is well padded and has gear loops on both sides, as well as designated slots to fit plastic ice-screw carabiners in. When the hip-belt is
removed, however, a thin webbing hip-belt remains and it is not removable. If I want to remove the hip-belt, it’s because I don’t want a hip-belt, not because I’d rather have a thin bit of webbing around my waist or dangling behind me. This pack uses Black Diamond’s IceLink tool attachment system. This system is fiddly to use and less secure than just about any other system out there. The system involves a single piece of 3mm cord threaded through a tunnel in the pack with a small metal bar that hooks through the head of the ice tool. Yes, it will carry just about any modern ice tool and axe, but if that 3mm cord breaks, your tool is gone. Once again, this is weight-saving at the cost of functionality. Two pairs of metal rings for attaching straps for crampons are present, but no straps are included. A removable crampon pouch is available as an accessory, but was not tested. There are some more negative features: the body of the pack has two types of closure—a standard collar with a drawstring that serves as the extension collar and a roll-top drybag style closure as the primary method. The drybag closure really only works well if the pack is filled to the right volume. If it’s too full, it doesn’t close. If it’s too empty, it becomes cumbersome. A simple drawstring closure would work much better. There is an internal zippered pocket for small items, but you have to add your own zipper pull tab. Finally, there is one feature that is a complete mystery to me: a padded bottom. The bottom of the pack has a layer of light padding quilted into it. Perhaps it is to prevent sharp objects from poking through? The bottom line: this is a comfortable, well-made pack with a myriad of stupid features. It is not a lightweight alpine pack, but a confusing blend of robust construction and weight-saving features that rob the pack of functionality. I would much rather have a burly pack with wellthought-out features. I don’t think this is a pack I’d take on an alpine climb, although I may use it as a crag pack for day climbs, or I may just get rid of it. Black Diamond Speed 30 pack. RRP $299.00. HHHHH –Graham Johnson
ZAMBERLAN PARROT APPROACH SHOES I HAVE been using the Zamberlan Parrot approach shoe for several months now for everything from light tramping to scrambling to wearing to work. For the most part, I have been pleased with them. The shoe is low profile and has a lightly lugged Vibram ‘Tech Approach‘ sole that provides good grip on most surfaces. As an approach shoe, these are comfortable and supportive both on and off the trail, but despite their climbing shoe inspired look (laces down to the toe, a rubber toe-rand and something called a ‘Grip Climbing System‘ under the big toe) they did not perform as well on easy rock as some of the other approach shoes that I have used. The rubber is not particularly sticky and the shoe flexes uncomfortably when edging. While scrambling on easy rock this is not much of a problem but if the approach is at all technical (despite the ‘Tech Approach‘ sole) there are other approach shoes that actually climb much better than the Parrot. The fit is typically European—narrow, but because of the laces that go all the way down to the toe, it could accommodate wider feet. I have quite narrow, low volume feet, so the fit was initially a little high-volume for me, but with a pair of after-market insoles they are comfortable for all-around use. While the shoe is not waterproof (a Gore-Tex model is available—the Parrot Plus GTX), my feet have remained dry and comfortable whether I’ve been step-kicking up soft snow on Ruapehu or day-tramping in the rain. Of course my feet got wet while crossing small streams, but for a non-waterproof shoe I have been impressed with their weather-worthiness. As far as durability goes, these are very well built shoes. I have been wearing mine for several months now on an almost daily basis and they still look reasonably new. Even though I have been wear48
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ing them in urban environments as well as in the backcountry, the sole is hardly worn down (perhaps because the rubber is not very sticky). My only real complaint has been that there seems to be something wearing out the lace on one side of one shoe. The other shoe is fine, so perhaps the inside of the one of the hard rubber lace loops still has a sharp edge from the manufacturing process. When the lace eventually breaks, I will investigate, but it’s not been a big deal. The bottom line: while these are not amazing shoes in any one category, these are comfortable, well-built approach shoes that perform reasonably well everywhere. They would be a good choice for light tramping, moderate approaches and general all-around outdoor use. I would not hesitate to take them anywhere, unless there was going to be a lot of low-grade technical rock, in which case I would bring a shoe that climbed better. Zamberlan Parrot approach shoes. RRP $189.95. HHHHH –Graham Johnson
STUFF YOU NEED
THE NORTH FACE SIMPLE BIVY BIVVY BAG WHEN I got my new bivvy bag in the post I was immediately impressed with the size and weight of it. Let’s face it—how often do you carry your bivvy bag and not use it? Well, personally, lots! But I slept out in the snow several nights last winter and was really impressed with the Simple Bivy; it breathed well and kept moisture out. I’d gotten rid of my last bivvy bag as it didn’t breathe and after one night the inside of the bag would be wet, as was my sleeping bag. Bivvy bags can also be an emergency sled, and I think this one might just survive dragging an injured person over snow for a while. A common mistake when using a bivvy bag is to use a sleeping bag that is too warm and to close all the zips. This makes it really hard for the materials to breathe enough. I always keep my face clear, unless it’s raining of course. I also never put my air mattress inside a bivvy bag as I prefer to be able to bend my legs. My only criticism of the Simple Bivy is that one night I did wake up surprised at the amount of moisture inside the bag. I was so annoyed, I was ready to throw the thing in the trash, but then I looked closer, and I’d used the bag upside down. The floor material is not so breathable. Note to self: look more carefully at the logo on the outside! So I did learn that the Simply Bivy doesn’t breath so well through the base material, which is probably a good thing. The bag is as it’s called, ‘Simple’, and has no extra bells and whistles, which is perfect for me and also means it’s light. The bag doesn’t keep you dry in heavy rain, but none do, so that’s no com-
plaint. If it did keep the rain out, it’d keep the moisture in and you’d get wet anyway. The bag is roomy and the mesh provides pleasant protection from early-waking sandflies. There’s enough room around the head area to accommodate a small pack and some gear, which is nice. The reflective stripes on the outside make it easy to pick out your bag in the dark returning to camp. The hood works well when it’s blowing, snowing or raining lightly. Amazingly, it is small enough to stuff inside a one-litre Nalgene bottle and it features DryWall™ single skin construction. The floor is water-resistant and tough enough to sleep on rocks (although I’d put a foam pad under it). It’s got four exterior lash points, but if the weather’s that bad I hope to be in a hut or snow cave. It weighs less than half a kilo, which, along with its performance, is the biggest selling point. The DryWall™ material is apparently also fire-retardant, which is good for when you’re cooking up a cuppa or dinner from bed. In summary, the Simple Bivy is light, breathable, spacious and reasonably priced. It’s a great bag and by far the best one I’ve ever owned. Bivvying out is awesome, get one and go sleep under the stars! The North Face Simple Bivy bivvy bag. See thenorthface.co.nz for stockists. RRP $275.00. HHHHH –Mark Sedon
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FILMS BOOKS AND FILMS
REST DAY PSYCHE
KUKUCZKA Jerzy Porebski, Artica Productions, 2013. 45 minutes. Reviewed by Charlie Catt WHILE THIS documentary may not be of the thrills-and-spills variety that we so often see at the Banff film festival or in YouTube clips, it certainly has an all-star line-up that includes Carlos Carsolio, Krzysztof Wielicki, Reinhold Messner and Kurt Diemberger. The first three names above, along with Jerzy Kukuczka himself, make up four of the first five climbers to have summited all 14 of the 8000m peaks. Kukuczka was one of a group of renowned Polish climbers (which included Wojciech Kurtyka and Wanda Rutkeiwicz) that came to prominence in the late 1970s and ‘80s. For more information on these mountaineers see the book Freedom Climbers, which was reviewed by Pat Deavoll in issue 81 of The Climber. Broadly speaking, the documentary looks at what it was that made Kukuczka so successful in the mountains, and the degree to which the mediahyped rivalry between him and Messner actually existed. It also makes comparisons between present-day expeditions and those that Kukuczka and his contemporaries undertook. It goes without saying that Kukuczka had tremendous mental and physical strength. He did after all climb all his 8000m peaks in only eight years, as opposed to the 16 years it took Messner. However, as Kukuczka’s wife points out in the film, Kukuczka was also able to withstand extreme cold and go alone, with minimal food, for considerable periods of time. Apparently, on some of his earlier trips, when access to Western gear and food was very limited, he did get food handouts of unlabelled tinned food from the Polish army. It was said that he could smell which tins contained meat, and he would go for those; tins of pig knuckles were his favourite! Messner, who gets quite a lot of airtime in the film, downplays the rivalry that existed between the two men as they both strove to be the first to scale all the 8000m peaks. However, Kukuczka’s wife and son both suggest that he
was inwardly quite disappointed that he was pipped to the post by Messner, but as Kukuczka himself said, they did not set off from the same starting line, and the conditions were not the same for their ascents. For example, nine of Kukuczka’s ascents were by new routes, and four were done in winter. In contrast, Messner’s ascents included just six new routes, and none were done in winter. Most of Kukuczka’s climbing was done alpine style, with 13 of his 8000ers climbed without oxygen, and much of his climbing being done solo. Diemberger, who holds Kukuczka in high esteem—not only for his skills but also for his perseverance and the manner in which he climbed—goes on at some length about the issues surrounding the current fad for guided climbs of the world’s major peaks. Overall, it is not hard to admire Kukuczka and the other Polish climbers of that period; they achieved so much with minimal resources—the still-photo in the film (which also appears in Freedom Climbers) of the team on a trip to Alaska, pushing their clapped-out Kombi van up a hill, shows where they all started out from. Even on his last climb, on the then-unclimbed south face of Lhotse in 1989, Kukuczka was using a length of second-hand 6mm rope he’d bought in Kathmandu. It was this that broke and caused him to fall to his death at the age of 41. Kukuczka is a film well worth watching, with some interesting insights into the man and this fascinating era in mountaineering. Kucuczka is available as a digital download from steepedge.com.
THE NETWORK Chuck Fryberger Films, 2013. 75 minutes. Reviewed by Troy Mattingley WHAT HAPPENS when you mix the big budget of a brand like Red Bull with the slick film-makers at Chuck Fryberger Films? Well, you get The Network, an extremely technically well-made film with climbing sequences to make your seat damp. What you also get is a film that is poorly binded together by a lame theme about climbers around the world being connected to each other through something called ‘the network’. At the centre of this so-called network is the climber Kilian Fischhuber, an Austrian who is at the top of the competition bouldering game. The movie begins with an introduction to Kilian and his life in the high-stress environment of competition climbing. We are also treated to some awkward moments in his private life with Anna Stöhr. We learn that Kilian and Anna relish the chance to get outside between comps and how the Bouldering World Cup is all about Kilian vs the Russians. Now, there is a particular scene I would like to bring your attention to—it’s one in which Chuck Fryberger Films really work their editing magic, to show they are on par with mixing-master DJ Sasha. After one comp, Kilian and Anna make a TV appearance at Hangar-7, the Red Bull media-arena in Austria. During the show Kilian and Anna are compared as equals to Formula One drivers and A-league football players. The transition into the next segment of the film is well-executed and includes a great combination of music with flash-backs to contrasting wide-openspace outdoor scenes. The narrator also shuts his trap here, which really works wonders for the scene. After that magical moment we find ourselves in Colorado where we are treated to a section of some pure climbing-porn. This section is fantastically filmed and includes some nice moments with various climbing stars, including a funny cameo by Jamie Emerson. At the 30-minute point we get to meet some of the other climbers who live within the network and they bring along with them a new set of sponsors.
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First up are Daniel Woods and Sean McColl, who show us around Ticino and tear the place up. Enough said. In the following segment we are introduced to Paul Robinson. Chuck Fryberger Films really work their magic here, allowing the scenes and music do the talking. Paul is a wayward vagabond who leads us on a soul-searching sojourn across the Nevada desert and into a complex maze of sandstone canyons, where he shows us some of the hidden gems that lie within. This segment is magically crafted. We then return to the centre of the network. Kilian quickly refreshes himself at a bouldering area in Turkey in preparation for an upcoming comp in his home town. Kilian has never won this comp before. Spoiler alert! He wins: Yay! After the comp we are transported to the Grampians in Australia, where we get to hang out with our homies Nalle Hukkataival, Ian Dory and Dave Graham. Now, finally, the tone of the movie is brought back down to earth and we get to see landings being built and rocks brushed clean. The next thing you know, surprise, surprise, Kilian shows up and we build up to the climax of the film—Kilian climbing an extension project on Taipan Wall. Sick! The Network is well-crafted, highly-polished, big-brand-backed climbing filmmaking at it’s worst. There are some amazingly good sequences and some superb climbing, but there is too much cringe-worthy faff and pandering to soulless, brand-influenced hype. Best served up with a can of the good stuff. The Network is available as a digital download or on DVD from thenetworkfilm.com.
BOOKS AND FILMS
BETTER BOULDERING Second Edition
By John Sherman Reviewed by Nic Learmonth THE VERM writes back! Not one to rest on his laurels, bouldering’s favourite Mr Big Mouth, John ‘the Verm’ Sherman, has revised his ground-breaking bouldering how-to, Better Bouldering. And, after a traditional boulderer’s diet of canned spinach and rice, Better Bouldering has doubled in size (to 286 pages, and in a larger format). Sherman has added new material as well as updating and revising content from the first version. This second final word on bouldering covers gear, technique, headspace and risk assessment, safety measures and training, with a tonne of new photos and includes sections by guest-writers Paul Robinson, Angie Payne, Dave McLeod and Nico Brown. Some things have stayed very much the same. There’s no smoothing those delightfully rough edges off the Verm, who revels in every opportunity to bombast us with strategies for getting more problems, with more bravery and in greater safety. The Ego-Swelling Combat Tales remain, and Sherman continues to package his unusual but practical advice in that distinctive Verm voice—a juggle of braggart hyperbole, self-depreciating wit and plain old, cut-the-crap common sense. But since 1997, when Better Bouldering was first published, Sherman has evolved as a climber, in much the same way that bouldering has as a sport, and this second edition has screeds of new material addressing these advances. The so-called sketchpads that Sherman dismissed as unaffordable in book one now have extensive coverage in a chapter titled Essential Gear. The usual how-to on mats and their use includes a detailed commentary on the dangers of rolling an ankle on the edge of a pad, with instructions on practical modifications to reduce this hazard, and is spiced up Verm-style. Sherman’s opening to his discussion of cheater stones involves Pope Benedict, and it’s worth a read even if you want nothing to do with stepping stones or old guys
in pointy hats. Most of the contributions from other writers are on-par. Dave McLeod’s chapter on training and physio Nico Brown’s chapter on common acute and chronic injuries, post-injury recovery and prevention are standouts. Paul Robinson’s piece on gym climbing was less informative, though fully institutionalised lab rats might find it useful. Photographs are an important component of any climbing how-to, and Sherman has worked very hard to get images of famous and less well-known problems to illustrate his points. Some mimic his tone too—check out the series of the beer-swilling Sharka. While Sherman has taken many of these photos himself, he has also included work by other photographers, giving the book real international flair. Andy Mann’s shot of Tommy Caldwell on Shark Arête in Rocklands, South Africa is a beauty, as is Derek Thatcher’s pic of Zac Orme heel-hooking the arête on Koolstie at Spittle Hill. But the quality of the image reproduction for some of the contributed photos is decidedly poor. Overall, however, this edition of Better Bouldering is better than ever. Whatever you’re after—technique, training tips, headspace, a better spot or just plain, straightforward inspiration—this latest edition of Better Bouldering has it in spades. So do yourself a favour: get yourself a copy and Verm up. Better Bouldering. Second edition. By John Sherman. How To Climb Series. Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon Guides, 2012.
NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE? NZAC can cover skiing, trekking, rock climbing, mountaineering and much more PHOTO: KATJA RIEDEL
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BOOKS AND FILMS
NZAC guidebooks EVEREST 1953
The Epic Story of the First Ascent By Mick Conefrey Reviewed by Pat Deavoll
Arthur’s Pass NEW EDITION $25 nzac members/$35 non-members.
moir’s north the otago southern alps NEW EDITION $30 nzac members/$40 non-members.
NOWADAYS, CLIMBING Mt Everest has become almost a rite of passage for those who want packaged adventure and can afford it. Who can forget the images of the hundreds of climbers queuing for the summit that inundated the media last May? But put yourself in the place of Hillary and Tenzing and the other members of the original 1953 Everest expedition, as Mick Conefrey’s book has you do, and it’s a different story. Their expedition had no clear idea of where it was going, ran up against such unexplored perils as the crevasses and seracs of the Khumbu Icefall, and above the South Col faced serious problems with the weather and malfunctioning oxygen sets. The climb was some years in the planning. The British desperately wanted to succeed on the mountain after many failures and many deaths, going back as far as Mallory and Irvine’s disappearance in 1924. The Himalayan Committee appointed Eric Shipton as leader of a ‘trial’ climb of Cho Oyu in 1952, to prepare and test equipment for the following year. Hillary was on this expedition. Unfortunately Shipton proved to have little organisational know-how and he was, rather controversially, sacked and replaced by Sir John Hunt. In the same year the Swiss got dangerously close to the summit of Everest, and vowed to return in 1954 if the British didn’t succeed. The pressure was on. The first British attempt on 26 May was made by Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans. Despite meticulous preparation, it was fraught with difficulty and in the end the pair was forced to retreat only a few hundred metres from the top. Hillary and Tenzing were up next. Hillary’s diaries show they were determined to succeed, no matter what. After a sleepless night on the South Col the pair surmounted enormous difficulties to make the summit, Hillary a few minutes before Tenzing, although he has always claimed they made the top together. This is the ultimate adventure story and Conefrey tells it brilliantly. To be honest, when first confronted with this book, my thoughts were, This has been written about before. But then I discovered that, actually, it hasn’t. This is the first book devoted solely to this expedition since 1956. It’s the first time all the diaries, letters, archive materials, released papers and interviews have been gathered together, tossed around and compared. The end result? A book that deserves to become the definitive version of the first ascent of Mt Everest. Conefrey pulls the reader into the story with his free and flowing style, getting them involved to the point that even though I knew the plot so well, there was no way I was going to put the book down before reaching the end. This is a human, funny and meticulously researched account of what was a very British expedition. It’s also a tale of great courage, and of a world that has passed. One hell’uva book! Everest 1953—The Epic Story of the First Ascent. By Mick Conefrey, Oneworld Publications, Oxford, England, 2012.
The Canterbury Westland Alps $25 nzac members/$35 non-members.
FOR SALE
Contact Peter Taw peter.taw@xtra.co.nz
Climbing Hold Business
AVAILABLE from alpineclub.org.nz/shop 52
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
• • • • • •
25k turnover PA Make and sell your own designs Long standing regular client base Minimum input approx 4 hours pw Training and post sale assistance Includes website and commissions, moulds and plant
BOOKS AND FILMS
THE CONQUEST OF EVEREST
Original Photographs from the Legendary First Ascent By George Lowe and Huw Lewis-Jones Reviewed by Kester Brown OF ALL the books on Everest published in recent years, The Conquest of Everest has been the most anticipated. This remarkable book has been in the making for ten years and was eventually published on the eve of the sixtieth anniversary of the 1953 expedition and shortly before George Lowe passed away, on 20 March this year. Despite the title, The Conquest of Everest is much more than just a book about the 1953 Everest Expedition, it is organised into three chapters by Lowe, each followed by a portfolio of photographs, plus a foreword by Sir Ed, an introduction by Sir Chris Bonington, an epilogue by Jan Morris, and essays by Reinhold Messner, Norbu Tenzing Norgay, Kenton Cool, Peter Hillary, Colin Monteath, Tom Hornbein, Stephen Venables and Doug Scott. For Lowe’s part, he broadly reflects on his early days climbing in New Zealand, his first experiences in the Himalaya, his role on the famed, successful 1953 Everest Expedition and the subsequent media attention the expedition members duly received. Each of Lowe’s chapters is followed by a portfolio of photographs reproduced mostly from 35mm film stock, sourced from the personal collections of Lowe and his contemporaries. Although Lowe went on to produce and direct a film of the same title as this book with Tom Stobart (the cine cameraman on the 1953 expedition), at the time Lowe’s interest remained principally in black and white still photography and he carried his Kodak Retina II 35mm stills camera with him on most of his climbs. While few of the photos are of a technically high standard, it is clear that careful attention has been paid to the reproduction processes, and the quality of the photographs throughout the book is outstanding. The selection of images offers a moving insight into Lowe’s personal experiences on his climbs and expeditions. It’s a joy to appreciate the depth of contrast and tonal quality that these photographs occassionally offer, qualities that just don’t exist in digital photography. The clever layout and chapter structuring clearly exhibits each photograph and each section of text, and these elements are complemented by Liz House’s elegant typesetting and design choices. This is a book you can easily spend a lot of time with. Lowe’s relationship with his best friend Sir Edmund Hillary is a recurring and central feature and the book provides some wonderful insights into the characters of these two men. This book is as much a celebration of the first successful climb of Mt Everest as it is a fine tribute to an exemplary New Zealander. The Conquest of Everest—Original Photographs from the Legendary First Ascent. By George Lowe and Huw Lewis-Jones. Thames and Hudson, London, UK, 2013.
Two more of our picks from the selection of books published this year (in light of the sixtieth anniversary of the first ascent of Everest) are: Letters from Everest—A New Zealander’s Account of the Epic First Ascent, by George Lowe. A great companion read to The Conquest of Everest, this book collates a series of letters written by Lowe to his sister Betty between 20 February 1953 and 26 June 1953. Everest—The First Ascent: The Untold Story of Griffith Pugh, the Man Who Made it Possible, by Harriet Tuckey, details the contribution of Pugh, the 1953 expediton physiologist, to the successful ascent of Everest.
All of the information you need to plan and enjoy a safe trip in the mountains
QUEENSTOWN
Rock, Ice & Mountains
Ou t th Wi i s nte 20 r 13 ! A Climber’s Guide • Queenstown Crags • Over 860 Routes • Selected Peaks Guillaume Charton & Mike Dunn | Queenstown Climbing Club
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
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WALL DIRECTORY
List your wall here for free.
E-mail details to: climber@alpineclub.org.nz * Discount offered to NZAC Members
Whangarei McBreen Jenkins Climbing Wall* Advocate Stadium, Western Hills Drive, Whangarei. Ph (09)437-6395. Public sessions are: Tuesdays 5.30–8pm and Sundays 4–8pm only. Admission: $7 Child, $10 Adult. Concession Card available, group bookings available for other days of the week. 20% discount for NZAC members.
Auckland Rockup Mobile Rockclimbing Wall* LATEST TECHNOLOGY MOBILE ROCK-CLIMBING WALL. HIRE & SALE. INSTALL & CERTIFIED. We deliver the Mountain to you! Hire from $6.50 per person (Minimum group of 120) or *$525 + gst for 3 Hours *$650 + gst for 4 Hours. *Plus travel if applicable. To add the wow factor to your next Event Free phone 0800 ROCKUP (762 587) or visit our website www.rockup.co.nz School Packages Available on request or contact us for our latest promotion. 10% discount to NZAC members.
North Shore Leisure Birkenhead* Mahara Ave, Birkenhead. Ph (09) 418-4109. Open 7 days, 10am to 10pm. Admission: $13 adult, $10 children. Day Pass $21. $11 entry for NZAC members. Instruction and gear hire available. Harness $5, shoes $7, chalk bag $5.
Extreme Edge* 40 Morrin Road, Panmure, Auckland. Ph (09) 574-5677, Fax (09) 574-5678. www.extremeedge.co.nz. Hours: 10am– 10pm seven days. Admission: $15 adult, $10 child with own gear. NZAC members 10% discount.1, 3, 6 and 12 month memberships available. Courses available. Climbing gear for hire or purchase.
Extreme Edge West* 5a Waikaukau Rd, Glen Eden, Auckland. Ph (09) 818-3038, www.extremeedge.co.nz. Hours: 10am–10pm seven days. Admission: $15 adult, $10 child with own gear. NZAC members 10% discount.Students 10% discount with ID. 1, 3, 6 and 12 month memberships available. Courses available. Climbing gear for hire or purchase.
The University of Auckland Rec. Centre 17 Symonds St, Auckland. Ph (09) 3737599, ext 86796. Hours: Mon–Thurs 6am–9.30pm, Fri 6am–8.30pm, Sat 9am–5.30pm, Sun 9am–6.30pm. Admission: Entry to wall for Students who are members - free; gear cost (harness, crab, grigri) $1; shoes $3; chalk $1. Entry for student/staff non-member $8 (harness etc free). Entry for non-student non-member $12 (harness as above)
Bryce’s Rock Climbing 1424 Owairaka Valley Rd, RD7, Te Awamutu. Ph (07)872-2533. Hours: 7 days a week. Admission: $5 or free if staying at the Centre.
Otorohanga Harvest Rock* 5 Tuhoro Street, (07) 8738893. E-mail:harvestrock@xtra.co.nz Hours: Mon 2pm–7pm, Tues–Sat 10am–7pm. Adult $12.50, Child $9.50. Real Roc crack climbs, chimney climb. Birthday deals, group concessions, NZAC discounts, Facility hire for functions.
Mt Maunganui The Rock House* 9 Triton Ave (off Totara St), Mt Maunganui. Ph (07)572 4920. www.therockhouse.co.nz Hours: Tues to Fri 12noon till late. Sat & Sun 10am to 6pm. Public holidays: 10am to 6pm. Admission: Children under 13 $12.50, Students (with ID) $14.50, Adults $16.50. $2 discount to NZAC/NZSF members.
Rotorua The Wall* 1140 Hinemoa St. Ph (07)350 1400. E-mail: thewall1140@ hotmail.com, www.thewall.co.nz Hours: Mon-Fri 12 noon-10pm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-8pm. Admission: (12 and under): $8 with own climbing gear, $12 including harness hire. Students (with ID) $10 with own climbing gear, $14 including harness hire. Adults: $12 with own climbing gear, $16 including harness hire. Climbing Shoe Hire: $5, Chalk Bag Hire: $3, Bouldering: $6 and $8 with climbing shoe hire. Lead Rope Hire (must be experienced). $6Membership: 10 climb pass, 1/2yr and 1yr available. Retail: Shop and 10% discount for members General: Instruction and courses available also guided trips by qualified instructors, Group booking discounts, and discounts for affiliated clubs on presentation of membership cards, NZAC, FMC, NZSF, etc.
Taupo Events Centre and AC Baths complex, Taupo. Ph (07) 376-0350. Hours vary, holidays open from 10am and from 1pm during term. Late nights Mondays and Thursdayss until 9pm. On site shop stocking climbing equipment. Check www.taupodc.co.nz for monthly opening hours, events, information and shop details. Admission: $10 adults, $6 children and students with ID. Harness hire $4, shoe hire $4, chalk $3, lead rope $4. Memberships and concession cards available. Instruction from $25.50/hr. Private wall hire $51/hr.
26 Ngawaka Pl.,Turangi. Ph (07)386-6558, Fax (07)386 8946. Verticalassault@xtra.co.nz www.extremebackpackers.co.nz Hours: Sun–Tue 10am to 6pm, Wed–Thur 10am to 9pm, Fri 10am to 6pm, Sat 10am to 9pm. Admission: $15.00 for adult with harness. $12.00 for adult. $11.00 for child with harness. $9.00 for child. $4.00 for shoes. Club night Wed 7.00pm to 9.00pm. 20% discount for Alpine Club Members on Entry. 10% discount for Alpine Club Members on Retail. Internet Cafe open 10–6pm Tue till Sun.
National Park
Clip ‘N Climb
National Park Backpackers
610 Dominion Road, Balmoral, Auckland. Ph: (09) 630 60 40 www.clipnclimb.co.nz Open 7 Days. Mon – Fri 10am – 8.15pm. Sat & Sun 10am – 615pm. Sessions begin with a safety briefing followed by an hour of climbing. Sessions begin on the hour every hour. Bookings are Essential. Admission Prices: Adult (18+) $18, Student with ID $17, Youth (5+) $15, Under 5’s $10
Finlay St, National Park Village, PO Box 89. Ph (07)8922870, www.npbp.co.nz Hours: 9am–8pm, seven days a week. Admission: $10 adult, $8 under 14. Group discounts. Instruction and gear hire available.
90 Greenwood St. SH1, Frankton. Ph (07) 8475858 Monday–Friday 12pm–9.30pm, Saturday & Sunday 10am–7pm. Adults: $17.50 Kids: $13. Shoe/Harness/Chalk hire available. Memberships available: 1/3/6/12 months. Students: 10% discount with I.D. NZAC Member discount of 10% any day and Kids prices on Tuesday s.
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Massey University Rec. Centre Massey University, Orchard Road, Palmerston North. Ph (06)350-5080. Hours: M–F 6.30am–10pm, Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 12–8pm; during uni holidays: M–F 6.30am 8pm, Sat 1pm–5pm, Sun 4–8pm. Admission: $3.50 students, $5.50 non-students. Annual membership MUAC members $30, Non members $50. Instruction and gear hire available.
New Plymouth YMCA 83 Liardet Street. Ph (06)758-3666. Hours; Thursday 5.30pm to 8.00pm. Sun 1.00pm to 3.30pm. Admission; $8.00 Adult, $5.00 Student and under 16. Harness hire $2.00 per person. Instruction available, also exclusive group private session available on demand.
Wellington Ferg’s Kayaks* Shed 6, Queen’s Wharf. Ph (04) 499-8898 Hours: Mon–Fri 10 am–10pm. Sat–Sun 9am–10pm. Admission: $15 adult; $10 child. Lunch-time specials; concessions/membership available. Every Monday is NZAC discount night, entry is $8. $10 for members other days.
Hang Dog* 453 Hutt Rd, Lower Hutt. Ph (04)589-9181 Hours: Mon–Tues: 12pm–9pm. Weds, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun: 10am–9pm. Admission (with harness): Adult $19.50; student $16.50; child $15.50. It is $4 cheaper if you suply own harness. NZAC Member $13 + 20% discount off gear from the shop. Lunch-time specials; concessions available. Gear hire/ instruction available.
Outdoor wall at the harbour end of Freyberg Pool in Oriental Bay. Bolted routes, grades 14-24. Free.
Vertical Assault*
Extreme Edge*
West Coast Climbing Wall
148 Park Road Palmerston North (YMCA building) Ph/Fax (06) 3574552 Email city.rock@clear.net.nz Prices: under12 $8:12 & over at school $10: Students $11: Adults $12. $3 off if you have your own harness
The Edge – Taupo Events Centre
Turangi
Hamilton
City Rock Climbing Gym
Freyberg Wall
4 Winston Place Henderson. Ph (09)837-6033. Operated by Adventure Specialties Trust. A group use only facility. Instructors provided. Exclusive use with equipment. Monday–Saturday. 4 sessions a day. Cost $3.00 (child), $5.00 (High School+) plus instructor. Minimum costs apply.
163 Dominion Road, Papakura (Corner of Dominion and Croskery Rds) 09 2972040 centremanager@redhillcommunitycentre.co.nz Group books required – minimum of eight people. $30 per hour instructor fee plus $5 per person. Harness included in hire charge.
Greymouth
Taupo
The Crater Indoor Rockwall
Winstone Climbing Wall
Palmerston North
Napier Kiwi Adventure Co.* 58 West Quay, Ahuriri. Ph (06)834-3500. info@kiwi-adventure.co.nz www.kiwi-adventure.co.nz Hours: Tues–Fri 3pm–9pm. Sat & Sun 10am–6pm, School and public hol. 10am–6pm. Group bookings available. Admission: Under 6 $6, under 12 $12, Adults $15, all prices include harness hire and intro. Climbing combos, concessions and memberships available. 10% disc. for NZAC Members on entry.
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
Nelson Vertical Limits 34 Vanguard St, Ph 0508 VERTICAL. www.verticallimits.co.nz Hours: Mon–Fri 10am–9pm Sat–Sun 10am–6pm. Admission: $10, + gear $15; Student $8/$13, Under 16 $6/$10. Memberships and concession cards are also available.
Christchurch YMCA City Stadium* 12 Hereford St. Ph (03) 3660689 Hours: Bouldering Room - Everyday 9am–9.30pm. Main Wall - Top Rope and Lead Climb times: Mon–Fri 5pm–9pm. Sat & Sun 11am–3pm. Admission: Adult $12 (NZAC Members $10 with membership card), Student $10, Child (13yrs & under) $8. Concessions: 10 visit & 3 month available. Gear Hire: Harness - $3 Shoes - $3 ($5 for both) Chalk Bag $2. Specials: Monday - Cheap bouldering adults $6, students $5, child $4. Wednesday - Entry to wall is $8 for everyone. Thursday - Students are discounted to $7 (must have I.D.). Saturday and Sunday - $6 Child (includes gear) $10 Adults (includes gear).
Canterbury University Ilam Rd. Ph (03)364-2433. Hours: Mon–Fri 7am–10.30pm, Sat 9.30am–6pm, Sun 10am–10pm. Admission: $5 public, $2.50 student. Gear hire: $5 for two.
The Roxx* Corner Waltham Rd and Byron St. Ph (03)377-3000 climb@theroxx.co.nz, www.theroxx.co.nz Hours: 4pm–10pm Mon, Weds, Fri. 12 noon–10pm Tues, Thurs. 10am–10pm Sat, Sun. Other times by arrangment. Admission: $12 adult, $10 student, $8 youth (6–12), (plus $3 one-off registration fee). NZAC discount.
Twizel Twizel Events Centre*
Ph: 03 4353124, email: info@twizel.com Top Rope and Lead Climbing Walls Hours: Thursdays 7-9 pm, school and group bookings welcome at other times. Adults $10, Tertiary and NZAC $8 (with I.D), School Children $6.
The Civic Centre, Puketahi St, Greymouth. Open to members of the West Coast Alpine Club. Annual membership fees $30 single, $35 family, plus a per session fee. Usually open Tues and Thur nights - contact Ph 03 769 9607 or email kareng@tpp.ac.nz for further information.
Franz Josef Franz Josef Community Centre The Guiding Company. Ph (03)752-0047 or 0800 800102. Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8.30pm onwards. There is a joining fee of $30 and it costs $5 per session after that. Half day courses and gear hire available.
Wanaka* Basecamp Wanaka Climbing Centre 50 Cardrona Valley Rd, Wanaka. Tel: (03) 443 1110 E-mail: info.bcw@xtra.co.nz, Website: www.basecampwanaka.co.nz Hours: Vary on season. During summer: 12pm-9pm weekdays and 10am-6pm weekends. Admission: Main Wall: $15/adult, $12/youth (7-17yrs), $5 6 yrs and under. Gear Hire: $5/harness, $5/shoes. Clip ‘N Climb: Harness included. $18/adult, $12/youth, $5 6yrs and under. 10 visit pass and group rates avail able. Indoor & Outdoor Climbing Walls. Alpinista Cafe & Bar attached for all your food & beverage needs. Memberships, Instruction Courses, Party Bookings and Function Rooms available. NZAC Members Discount for Entry.
Queenstown Queenstown Event Centre Joe O’Connell Drive, Frankton. Ph (03)442-3664. Hours: Mon–Thurs 9am–9pm, Fri–Sat 9am–5pm, Sunday (winter only) 11am –7pm. Admission: Adult $10, U16 $4. Gear Hire: Boots $5, Harness $5 - Both for $7. Unlimited climbing options also available. Open Nights for adults Tuesday and Thursday 7-9pm NB: Always call before coming out as special events sometimes disrupt climbing availability.
Element Remarkables Park, Frankton. The wall is free of charge to climbers with their own equipment upon completion of a belay license. Without their own gear we charge $10.00 for hire of shoes and harness. Our hours are Monday–Thursday 9:00am–6:00pm. Friday 9:00am–7:00pm. Saturday/Sunday 10:00am–6:00pm.
Oamaru Waitaki Recreation Centre* Orwell St. Ph (03)434-6932. Hours: Tues 8.00pm–10pm, Thurs 5.00pm–6.30pm. Other times by arrangement for experienced climbers (check with Recreation Staff) Annual Pass: Senior $88 (NZAC $66). Junior $60 (NZAC $45). Family $120 (NZAC $90). Casual per day: Senior $8 (NZAC $6). Junior $5 (NZAC $4). NZAC members must show membership cards. 10% discount to school kids as a group if paid in full Other groups – to pay gym hire + instructor + gear @$30 per group
Dunedin Room 14 Bouldering Ground Floor, King Edward Building, Upper Stuart Street. Offers a range of membership or casual night options. For more information check out the website www.room14bouldering.co.nr
Invercargill YMCA* 77 Tay St, Invercargill. Ph (03)218- 2989. Hours: Mon–Thurs 6am–9pm, Fri 6am-8pm, Sat 8am–12pm. Admission: $4; NZAC members discount; Students $3.50 YMCA rockclimbing instructors available to take groups. Gear available for hire to groups with instructor.
THE LAST PITCH The Last Pitch: continued from page 56
I had no climbing partner to drag my attention away from the here we discussing a sport that would usually sit in this category? and now. It’s challenging at times, when you’re confronted with long Mountaineering is about partnerships. When soloing, your partner is riverbeds, seas of moraine or five preliminary rounds at the Australian the mountain. The environment becomes your companion and it’ll give Open. But pushing through those first few hours by yourself elicits the you plenty of feedback if you are open to it, just like a reliable partner. beginning of a connection to your surroundings and provides an opporCertain routes can lend themselves to soloing. When climbing alone, tunity to reflect on your intentions. you are better able to keep moving and travel Taking every opportunity to climb is a efficiently, which reduces the time in which motivator for me, hence soloing hasn’t come Soloing requires a certain under- about out of choice, but rather of necessity. you’re exposed to risks. Another benefit of soloing is that it The realisation I’ve come to—after spendstanding—it’s not something that absolutely hones your decision-making ing a few years chasing people— is that caston the surface can rationally be skills, which can lead to being more ing around trying to find a partner with the cautious, as your decisions can have more same time off, and with similar objectives classed as safe. But then, are direct consequences. becomes testing. This was exacerbated by Through soloing I have found great learnwe discussing a sport that would going to live at Mount Cook, a place where ing and a self-reliance that is not apparent I am blessed with the ability to walk out my usually sit in this category? when there are two. You alone are respondoor and head off on an adventure. sible for your decisions. You have to back By applying the general mountaineering yourself 100 per cent. There are no psychological prop-ups from your apprenticeship principle of starting with simple trips in friendly terrain, buddy. It brings about a real, honest, internal dialogue with absolutely slowly the idea of soloing ceases to be the outrageous thought it once no bias or support. was, and unexpected rewards present themselves on many levels. You have only the voices in your head and the tennis match that I’m happy to have the company of a partner when possible but it is goes on between them when you are confronted with a critical decino longer a limiting factor for me. Soloing is just another way of being sion to rely on. Reconciling these voices can be a great hurdle but in the mountains. once silenced there can be a powerful connection that evolves as There is a closeness to the elements that comes from being alone you become more tuned into the land, which responds in its own in such incredible places. There is something raw and simplistic subtle way so that a unique understanding develops. I recently expeabout solo adventures that epitomises the experience of being in rienced this process as I sat at the bottom of the Strauchon Face of the mountains. Dilemma Peak, transitioning into rock shoes, with the commentary of You don’t need to solo the Caroline Face to find this closeness. a Wimbledon final well underway between my ears. When I reached Walking up a valley, sleeping under a rock, counting the shooting stars, out and touched the rock for the first time, my internal dialogue was reflecting on the world at large and seeing the Southern Cross winking immediately silenced. It was as if the mountain breathed a sigh of relief back at you all help to find a connectedness that is food for the soul. (or was that me?) to have someone grace its presence and offer an You are not alone, you are linked to everything around you. unspoken handshake. I took it as a delicate confirmation that this was the right place to be.
AVALANCHE AWARENESS NEW EDITION
in the New Zealand Backcountry
Everyone who visits New Zealand’s mountains needs to have an understanding of avalanches and the threat they pose. This new edition provides updated information on simple strategies for identifying avalanche terrain and avalanche conditions, explains how to make wise decisions and teaches rescue techniques. Well illustrated with photos, diagrams, and a New Zealand regional guide, this book is an essential companion for climbers, snowboarders, skiers, trampers and hunters.
photo: www.alpinerecreation.com
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
55
THE LAST PITCH
Dilemma Peak. PETER DICKSON
A SOLOIST’S DILEMMA BY JANE MORRIS
‘ARE YOU alone?’ a startled walker asked as I wandered down the lower Hooker Valley. ‘No, I’m at home,’ I replied, ‘with my old friends the mountains.’ The thought of going climbing without a partner on an alpine excursion is, at times, met with incredulity and suspicion—‘What is this person thinking? Do they not have any mates? Are they socially inept? Mentally unsound? Incapable of company? All of the above?’ Surely one of the fundamental ingredients for a successful mountain adventure is having a partner at your side. As I’ve gradually travelled along this mountaineering path, I’ve realised the factors that contribute to a successful outing are often credited as coming from a result of planetary alignment. Like the Southern Cross, there are four stars that need to align: weather, conditions, being in the zone and having a partner. But how often in a year do all these four stars appear in sync? About as often as the southern lights grace us. 56
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 84, WINTER 2013
So how is it possible to get more climbing done without compromising something critical? What elements can be negotiated to create a Southern Triangle? Let’s begin with the weather. Early on in my climbing life, I would try to climb in any weather, with an enthusiasm that stemmed from a new-found love. This eventually, like all loves, required patience and understanding. Once I had been dealt one-too-many beatings from thinking I could outsmart the forecast, I became more discerning about when I climbed. Another key star in the constellation is conditions. Once I’d attempted a few climbs in optimal weather and conditions, I realised that being somewhat selective about when to embark on a route can really pay off. Even if it means waiting a year or five, it’s always worth it in the end. If I’m not feeling the vibe, or am not in the zone with either the mountain or my partner, it’s not worth chasing the goal. That mental zone will ebb and flow, and I’ll know when
I’m ready. It’s important to go with your gut feeling on this one. Those times when you are tuned in serve as a reminder of how effortless climbing can be. So that leaves a partner—and a debate. Over the years, in order to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible, I’ve found that having a partner has become less important. If three out of four stars are in alignment, I would rather attempt something than miss an opportunity altogether. It might mean changing my objective, but for me it’s all about being out amongst the environment anyway, regardless of what I actually get done. Soloing is a rewarding, viable and safe alternative. I hesitated in adding ‘safe’ to that list. The implications of uttering such a word make me quietly nervous. How on earth is soloing safe? Soloing requires a certain understanding— it’s not something that on the surface can rationally be classed as safe. But then, are
Please turn to page 55
ANDREW BURR
Jasmin Caton, Blues Riff (5.11c), Tuolumne Meadows, CA.
For more information go to: www.southernapproach.co.nz or call 0800 335 000
PLUGGING IN Camalot X4
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WIZ FINERON Somalia (33)
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