News of Canada and Alaska

(CNN) -- North America's tallest mountain has lost some of its stature -- 83 feet of it to be precise.
Alaska's lieutenant governor announced Wednesday that new mapping technology puts Mount McKinley at 20,237 feet rather than the 20,320 it was pegged at.
"That's 83 feet shorter than we thought," Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell said in a statement. She made the announcement Wednesday at a symposium of the International Map Collectors' Society in Anchorage.
The ...

Hi Friends,

Recently I got an invitation to do vertical caving with ropes/harnesses. But I am no so clear about rock climbing or canyoneering. Is there a way to get started and learn harness work really quickly? Are the procedures of vertical caving and rock climbing the same? I have done a mountaineering training from Alberta. Will that has something to do with this?

Or has it slid off this season yet? Also, a few more questions: how hard is the direct start (& associated pro')?; how hard is the standard straight-up (bypass upper crux) version of the climb, & what does it protect with? Thanks for any beta!

A record number of climbers (787) reached the summit of Denali this year. Also, a 78 year man broke the record as the oldest person ever to summit the mountain...

http://www.adn.com/2013/07/19/2980590/record-number-summit-mount-mckinley.html

Leaving to one or the other, which would be financially more appealing (i.e. costs less)- any big differences??? Esp. if numerous extra days possibly alloted for foot travel vs. shelling out $$$ for airline travel- it seems that this is the biggest/easiest way to get rid of money quick.... Most likely would be headed up from San Francisco, but potentially Wyoming, if we were to end up there to climb. Would likely allot 2 - ...

Hi folks,
FYI:
It looks like the University of Alaska Fairbanks has put The Dictionary of Alaska Place Names online in pdf form.
Per the webpage:
"This is a PDF version of the publication by Donald J. Orth published as Geological Survey Professional Paper 567, 1967, reprinted in 1971"

http://library.uaf.edu/resources-dictio ... lace-names

This is the "Big Book" of Alaskan Place Names (1,092 pages). The original hard copy edition is ...

Trying to find beta on Mount Veniminof and have been unsuccessful. It very well may be a virgin peak. If anyone out there is interested in roping up and giving this ultra prominent active stratovolcano a shot let me know. Any info at all is appreciated ( nieghboring peaks ect...)

Can anyone recommend good places for hiking in North Quebec? I would like to do trails where I can camp along the trail... I would like to be 3 to 4 days out.

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web13s/news ... wswires%29

New routes in the Ruth Gorge

http://alpinist.com/doc/web13s/newswire ... new-routes