Pilgrimage two Mecca(s)
So we try to travel for personal and professional development this time of year. And through a strange turn of events it;s going to be a hell of a month. Emilie and I will be in Yosemite through the end of May working on a tick list of long, free rock routes. Thanks to Bill Schneider (photo) for the Yosemite beta! Emilie will be back here after June 1 and available for guiding after that for those eager to get out on Adirondack rock.
I'm headed immediately to Chamonix, France for an American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Aspirant exam/ Advanced Alpine Guides Course- thru June 16. It's the second step (for me) of a three-phase AMGA Alpine Guide Certification (and the eventual goal of International (IFMGA) certification). Chamonix is the birth place and big leagues of modern mountain guiding, and I can think of no better place in the world to train!
After that, it's back here to the Adirondacks for warm summer rock climbing and apres-climb swims in Chapel Pond!
Speaking of alpine climbing and later in the summer- our friends at Alpine Endeavors in the Gunks have asked me to again guide on their annual North Cascades and Mt. Rainier Alpine Climbing trips in late July and early August:
There are still a few spots left and it's an especially unique opportunity to train and climb Mt. Rainier w/ a small team, or get into more technical and wild glacier, snow and rock climbing in the North Casacdes. Contact Marty at Alpine Endeavors for more info.
Which begs the question- why do I like alpine climbing? The spectacular arena that it takes place in. See attached photos, some from the North Cascades, some from the Alaska Range:
