There's no place like home...
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Wayne and Lise, hangin' out. |
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What goes up, must come down. |
After a month of travel devoted to training, professional development and the AMGA Aspirant Alpine Guides exam/course, it's nice to get back home to the Adirondacks and get on track with good old fashioned summer rock climbing in shorts and a t-shirt. And when it gets hot, there's nothing better than cooling down after climbing with dips in Chapel Pond and the Ausable River.
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Wayne, Lise and Jesse getting comfy at a mid-cliff belay stance. |
Over the 15 years that I've been mountain guiding, I've observed a pattern to the seasons. Winter is a frenzy of enthusiastic ice climbers, aspiring alpinists and motivated backcountry skiers- all eager to make the most of their winter holidays. In the summertime (aside from the alpine climbing trips where we have a definite summit objective) there's always a subtle shift towards more family oriented 'intro to climbing' days, scenic multi-pitch climbs w/ couples and friends, and group climbing programs contracted with youth and adventure travel camps.
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Another student discovers the beauty of recreational top-rope climbing- all the fun of climbing without the fear of falling! |
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Wayne refreshing his rappel skills. |
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Top-rope day at King Philip's Spring Wall- considered by some guides to 'the best intro climbing crag in the country.' |
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After climbing all morning, a Mountain Element student practices a belayed rappel. |
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Ready...set...go! |
That's summertime around here- a great chance to get out and work on that ticklist of classic climbs, share a fun and exciting day outside with a friend or partner, or to set up a private small group program for your friends, family or co-workers.
Now is the time to get out in Adirondacks. The summer tourist season hasn't quite kicked in yet, and our schedule still has good availability before we head out to guide alpine rock climbs in Washington's North Cascades and a Mt. Rainier summit climb at the end of July....
Chamonix- the birthplace of alpinism and mountain guiding
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Kip follows the crux pitch of the Voie Rebuffat. |
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A party behind us on the classic Arete du Cosmiques. |
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The Aguille du Midi from across the Col du Midi / Vallee Blanche glacier. |
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The Aguille du Midi. |
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Kip follows pitch 3 of the classic Voie Rebuffat on the SE Pillar of the Aguille du Midi. |
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Mike and Michael ahead of us on the Arete du Cosmiques. |
One of our goals with Cloudsplitter has always been to provide a professional standard of mountain guiding on rock, ice and snow in the Adirondacks, but also beyond. While in the past apprenticeships and employment has been an accepted path to mountain guiding in the US, participation in American Mountain Guides Association training and certifications has been integral to the process of attaining a truly professional and international standard of proficiency, which means more rewarding experiences, better climbing and better risk management for our guests. Just as Lake Placid is home to world class athletes and international athletic competitions, we would also like to be on par with the standards of the International Federation of Mountain Guides (IFMGA). It's a serious commitment to be an IFMG guide, requiring a significant investment in time, energy, experience, ability and proficiency.
Better yet, we'd like to be able to take our guests that have climbed and trained with us here in the 'Daks, to international venues like the European Alps, the Canadian Rockies, the Peruvian Andes, and beyond...
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A party starts up the final mixed chimney on the Arete du Cosmiques. |
Which brings me here to Chamonix, where AMGA/IFMGA/UIAGM mountain guide Michael Silitch has called home for almost a decade now. He's at the forefront of a community that has been integrating American mountain guides into the European community over the last decade. Specifically he is instructing an AMGA Aspirant Alpine Guides Course and Exam that I am participating in right now. It's an intensive program that both assesses our foundational skills in rock and ice climbing and technical rescue systems, as well as coaching us in our guiding skills on complex alpine terrain and ultimately verifying our entrance into the final Alpine Guides Exam. In the big picture, it's still only part of the process towards full international certification- which is a rigorous and lengthy investment in multiple tiers of training and exams in rock guiding, alpine guiding and ski guiding- but if there's any place in the world to build those skills- it's here in Chamonix, the birthplace of mountain guiding.
If you think this is a cool idea, and like the idea of training with us at home and eventually joining us for a trip to some of these great venues- then give us a call for some climbing this summer. It's the guiding work at home that makes this all possible. Thanks to all of our guests over the last 15 years that have helped put us on this path.
I'll be back in the Adirondacks on June 17. Emilie- who is also in pursuit of her Rock Instructor Exam this fall, is there now (and also available for guiding). Call or email us, and let's get out in the Adirondacks this summer- a birthplace of American mountain guiding, and a great place to climb!
UPDATE 6/15/09: Some more photos from the course/exam
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Kip on the arete of the Petit Charmoz. |
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Kip livin' the dream of primo alpine granite. |
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Kip traversing the Petit Charmoz ridgeline with the N face of Grand Charmoz behind |
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AMGA Instructor/Examiner and IFMGA/UIAGM guide Michael Silitch- taking notes for our final scorecards during the day. |






















