Goals/how to become a Mountaineer

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MoapaPk

 
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Re: Goals/how to become a Mountaineer

by MoapaPk » Thu Aug 06, 2009 4:38 am

Eman2005 wrote:So, I have decided to make a list of places to make goals to climb. As a little introduction, I live in the Pittsburgh area, and I am 17 and have a decent amount of climbing/belaying experience through school. I have read the Freedom of the Hills. I have also marked my first goal as to complete a climb of Mt. Washington with the IMCS three day course.

(...)

If it's an IMCS winter school, you can learn everything but crevasse skills, as well as in any school out west. One thing about the northeast: your back yard may be a very steep hill suitable for learning basic ice axe skills.

2. Possibly a summit of An Adirondack mountain

Contrary to some opinions here, a winter climb up something like the north face of Gothics is quite challenging. There are many 35 to 45 degree slides in the Adirondacks that, when covered with snow and ice, would cause many to poop their pants.

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Charles

 
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by Charles » Thu Aug 06, 2009 4:18 pm

Lots of good advice - I´d second the caving too! Hitch on to people who can.

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Eman2005

 
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by Eman2005 » Fri Aug 07, 2009 4:51 am

After thinking more, I am interested in Summit for Someone, since it helps people. I am currently looking at the Mt. Sneffels course. I am wondering what size pack would I need for it though.

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Charles

 
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by Charles » Sat Aug 08, 2009 12:20 pm

Eman2005 wrote:After thinking more, I am interested in Summit for Someone, since it helps people. I am currently looking at the Mt. Sneffels course. I am wondering what size pack would I need for it though.


Same as always - as small as possible.

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Moni

 
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by Moni » Sat Aug 08, 2009 3:06 pm

A 30 to 35 liter pack is great for day climbs and the very lightweight overnight.

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Grampahawk

 
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by Grampahawk » Sat Aug 08, 2009 4:06 pm

Diggler wrote:Appreciate suffering in all forms- (below) freezing cold temperatures, long & arduous approaches, stifling heat, lack of water, escaping terrifying thunderstorms above treeline, praying that sketch-looking slope resting on a bed of depth hoare won't slide when you try to cross it, cornice & snow bridge collapses, not being able to find your tent after not locating the correct descent drainage in the dark, uncomfortable unplanned bivies, marginal camp food, terrible rock on technical ascents, bad pro' or the risk of injury miles away from civilization, losing the trail/route, turning back after encountering unexpected terrible conditions, your partner's snoring or unbelievably foul-smelling feet after several days of nasty funk accumulation, etc.

When you graduate high school, move out West (& get a job, study, dirtbag, whatever) & start climbing.

Good luck & have fun- see you in the hills!
You forgot hungry moskitos, bears, and coyotes

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welle

 
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by welle » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:00 pm

kheegster wrote:I concur that it's possible to get a lot done in New England if you put your mind to it. The ADK and the Whites may not have glaciers or high altitude, but in winter they are a great way to pick up some alpine skills. I don't have my 2008 AAJ, but I remember reading about a first ascent in Alaska by a bunch of climbers from New Hampshire, and for one of them it was his first trip to Alaska.


Brad Washburn was from New England and White Mountains of NH was his playground.

IMCS owner Rick Wilcox successfully led a team of New Englanders to summit Everest back in 1991, I think it was a big deal and maybe still is for Easterners to climb the roof of the world. One thing you can count on in NE is steepness and cold.

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mconnell

 
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by mconnell » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:41 pm

kheegster wrote:I concur that it's possible to get a lot done in New England if you put your mind to it. The ADK and the Whites may not have glaciers or high altitude, but in winter they are a great way to pick up some alpine skills. I don't have my 2008 AAJ, but I remember reading about a first ascent in Alaska by a bunch of climbers from New Hampshire, and for one of them it was his first trip to Alaska.


Look into the accomplishments of the Harvard Mountaineering Club. But then, they couldn't be real climbers 'cuz they were from 'back east'.

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armorfoot

 
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by armorfoot » Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:05 pm

Diggler wrote:Appreciate suffering in all forms- (below) freezing cold temperatures, long & arduous approaches, stifling heat, lack of water, escaping terrifying thunderstorms above treeline, praying that sketch-looking slope resting on a bed of depth hoare won't slide when you try to cross it, cornice & snow bridge collapses, not being able to find your tent after not locating the correct descent drainage in the dark, uncomfortable unplanned bivies, marginal camp food, terrible rock on technical ascents, bad pro' or the risk of injury miles away from civilization, losing the trail/route, turning back after encountering unexpected terrible conditions, your partner's snoring or unbelievably foul-smelling feet after several days of nasty funk accumulation, etc.


I feel like adding; exposure that'll make your heart stop, being practically alone with your head for long, long stretches of time (you can sometimes only chat so much after a while), continuing through hellish conditions for no logical reason, those magical moments where you get stuck outside in the dark with no moon, flashlight or ambient light, having nothing but rocks or snow for padding when you sleep(IF you sleep), rationalizing to yourself why you spent so much time to only spend 30 minutes at the destination, and of course...

I swear to God there will be one song stuck in your head the whole time, and it'll haunt you through every miserable foot you climb.

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xDoogiex

 
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by xDoogiex » Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:42 pm

I'm in this category too. 23 and living in akron, oh(30 mins south of Cleveland) I wanna get real into mountaineering. Last week I went to the adirondacks and did marcy and Phelps mountains in the same day by myself. Hoping to go with the manager of the rock climbing gym I go to and do Mt. Washington either late fall or in early winter.

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Dow Williams

 
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by Dow Williams » Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:01 pm

I observe so many folks, whether it be climbing or business....spending an enormous amount of time planing, developing and discussing "goals" until they are blue in the face....there is a whole business model developed to rake in huge amounts of profits at "goal" related seminars. I know one dude in Canmore, who can't and does not climb worth a lick, but managed to pay his way up Everest so he could go on the road and give seminars. I know another one in Canmore, who bought my home in 2007 and has lost about half a million on his investment. He to is a "professional" seminar guy on how to set goals and "get rich" in real estate. Both of these guys wrote books...but to my knowledge, know way more about seminar speaking and setting goals than actually "doing" the respective things they are paid to discuss.

Honest to god, I never set goals in business or climbing. I just simply got at both with a certain vigor and vitality. I believe our society has lost track about performing in the "here and now" and "get 'er done" mentality. Instead we sit around and discuss a lot of "what if's" and "how to's" and plan the future to death and back.

Just an observation.

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kheegster

 
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by kheegster » Sun Aug 16, 2009 2:58 am

Dow Williams wrote:I observe so many folks, whether it be climbing or business....spending an enormous amount of time planing, developing and discussing "goals" until they are blue in the face....there is a whole business model developed to rake in huge amounts of profits at "goal" related seminars. I know one dude in Canmore, who can't and does not climb worth a lick, but managed to pay his way up Everest so he could go on the road and give seminars. I know another one in Canmore, who bought my home in 2007 and has lost about half a million on his investment. He to is a "professional" seminar guy on how to set goals and "get rich" in real estate. Both of these guys wrote books...but to my knowledge, know way more about seminar speaking and setting goals than actually "doing" the respective things they are paid to discuss.

Honest to god, I never set goals in business or climbing. I just simply got at both with a certain vigor and vitality. I believe our society has lost track about performing in the "here and now" and "get 'er done" mentality. Instead we sit around and discuss a lot of "what if's" and "how to's" and plan the future to death and back.

Just an observation.


Isn't dropping a load of cash and getting guided up Everest without any prior training "here and now" mentality?

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Dow Williams

 
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by Dow Williams » Sun Aug 16, 2009 3:11 am

No. Both of these dudes do nothing and mean nothing without discussing "goals"...they both wrote books, one how to get rich, the other how to be a mountaineer...both make a living charging like $5K speaker engagement fees and/or seminar fees of like 3.5K to learn how to get rich (real estate dude) or become a success at anything you want because he climbed Everest (mountaineer dude)....what always amazed me since I knew the lack of real substance these cats had in their respective fields of expertise, was the naivety of the folks who handed their cash over to them....assumed most were not rich already because they were seeking that kind of success in their lives and the one guy gives seminars on how to get rich, not how to spend your money if you are rich....I climb whatever is around me...in a free spirit sort of way....setting goals and discussing them to death and back...never appealed to my senses much nor did it seem to regarding the partners of mine who really do climb for a living....and then the whole "goal" cash biz is all around me...Canmore has 11,000 full time residents and I am neighbors with two men who make a living in the goal setting biz?....kind of surprises me...but maybe that is what folks need now days to get motivated....unfortunately it is not the Barry Blanchard types who are teaching them ideals learned from successful mountaineering trips...instead some dude who paid to get hauled up Everest...what does he really have to teach?

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dan2see

 
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by dan2see » Sun Aug 16, 2009 5:10 am

Yesterday I shared a summit rock with my hiking buddy.

We observed how the clouds swirled around us, and got thrilled when a hole in the cloud-bottom revealed the Bow Valley, 'way down there. We tried to be cool enough to keep the chipmunks and grey-jays away from my sandwich without yelling "shoo". And laughing.

Mountaineering? Goals?

It seems so simple (although it's not easy). Just get out there. Just do it.

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RickF

 
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by RickF » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:45 pm

First: Goal
Second: Plan
Third: Execution

I believe most people have some kind of plan when they head for an outing in the mountains. At a minimum, at least we check to see if we have a few essentials in our packs. Sometimes I just get a few things together and get my kids in the car, then drive to a trailhead for a day-hike. But for the longer and more challenging trips I do a lot of planning. What date to go, how to get permits, how to coordinate time away from work and family, what partners will be available, what to wear, what to pack, where to camp, what route to take, what equipment to bring, how to shuttle vehicles if neccessary, what are the options if an obstacle is encountered. And the planning goes on from there.

In order to make a plan first you have to have some kind of objective (O.K. call it a GOAL) in mind. I have a lot of goals. Not just mountaineering but life goals in general. I have'nt paid any proffessional, lecturing snake-oil salesman to tell me how to set my goals or plan the steps of how to acheive my goals. Some of us have to set our sights on something to motivate us to take action.

Yes, at some point you have to execute your plan and just "git-er-done".

I just got back from a six-day trip where I along with two partners summited Polemonium, North Palisade, and Starlight Peak. I made a goal several years ago to climb all 15 of the California Fourteeners. The three peaks we climbed on this trip were a part of my overall goal. I along with my partners, spent months discussing details and planning. I derived great satisfaction from the planning phase of the trip but the real reward was getting out there and doing it.

In my opinion, goals and planning are important prerequistes to execution. I acknowledge there are some people who are more talk than action. But I wouldn't suggest to those new to mountaineering to head off into the hills without a plan.

"I love it when a plan comes together"
-One of my favorite quotes utterred by a cigar wielding George Peppard, playing the role of the squad leader on the A-Team.

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