Cloudsplitter Mountain Guides

There's been a LOT of whining in the interwebz these days about how warm this winter has been...enough already! It may not be winter everywhere, but here in the Adirondacks we've been experiencing some full winter conditions.

Sure the ice has been a little fickle this year- not all of the usual climbs are 'in'- but plenty of them are- and the thaw/freeze cycles have made for some excellent mixed conditions and brought a fresh challenge to many of the classics. Pleasant daytime temps have kept the ice plastic and the post-holing to a minimum. So don't be dissuaded by the naysayers- there's plenty of winter climbig going down and it seems like most days we have the place to ourselves.

I think expectations are just skewed from the last couple of winters- which were atypically snowy and cold for 6 full months. This year it's more like the North Country I remember- early season has been the time to climb and enjoy scrappy, icy conditions. Now as we roll into February it's starting to snow more- only a few inches at a time down in the valley- but up in the mountains and on the northern aspects it's been starting to pile up. Which means it's time to start skiing more and pushing into the backcountry objectives.

Looking for more evidence of winter?  Check out this video clip Emilie shot yesterday in the Trap Dike with our friend and guest Holly. They showed up at the Loj ready to walk-in, but were pleasantly surprised by a freshly fallen 6-8 inches of snow at the trailhead, 8-10" above Marcy Dam and- in the Trap Dike where the snow gets scoured off the Colden Slabs and deposited- it was shoulder deep in places. They broke trail all of the way from Marcy Dam to Avalanche Pass and then up the route to within a couple of hundred feet of the summit, before sticking to their turn-around time and descending back down the Dike to their skis and skiing out. Emilie estimated 45 mph winds and they climbed all day in full battle gear (mittens, balaclavas, goggles, belay jackets...)

I don't know about ya'll, but that sounds like full winter conditions to me! So what are you waiting for?

Mike eyes a hollow ice tube on one of Cascade Waterfalls many steps.

Aside from his contributions world-wide to hard alpine & ice climbing, Jeff Lowe helped usher in modern mixed climbing in the Adirondacks too and pioneered world-class routes at Poke-O-Moonshine and Chapel Pond. Support his new project- Metanoia- refelecting on the transformative exoperiences of badass alpine climbing- at jeffloweclimber.com

I came across this old gem recently his Ice World: Techniques and Experiences of Modern Ice Climbing (p. 106)

'It has often been said that climbing itself is the best training for climbing. But this is not always true...Coordination between eye and hand or foot and tool is enhanced by the practice of other sports and activities that use tools... All depend on the dynamic manipulation of an object or tool through space and time using either hands or feet. Skiing is the best parallel sport for normal alpine ice climbing, as it involves both hands and feet in precise, simultaneous, balanced movements, coordinated through sight and sensation.'

'Rough carpentry definitely helps in learning to swing tools accurately and with subtle power, while cabinet making and fine woodworking are excellent introductions to the subtle qualities of well-designed tools and their interface with the medium being worked.'

Timeless advice, even if they are using leashes in all the 'old' photos.