More great weather and new routes

Nice new route on Ben Nevis, climbed with Helen last week. Once again I was feeling a bit jaded after cleaning new boulder problems the day before, so it was nice to give the legs a workout instead. My ankle seemed to handle the strenuous bridging ok. However, there were some positions it just didn’t like, so I ended up using the old knees a fair bit!

Ocean from shipwreck

http://www.iredale.de/maritime/peter1.htm This the web site where there are photos of the Peter Iredale before it went down and right after in 1906 as well as one from 1999.

Heavy equipment and during/after photos

The road to Mt Rainier National Park's recovery is passing through some interesting terrain. Today, I saw a large bulldozer working in the Nisqually River. One of the vexing problems for the NPS is that rivers and streams have jumped their main channels. During a storm, riverbeds can become filled with debris, which in turn causes the river's flow to change its course. To some extent, that is why the Emergency Operations Center was threatened, and why the stream jump at Kautz Creek is causing such a repair headache. So to protect the facilities in Longmire, heavy equipment is now being used to clear the build up of rock, logs and other debris from the last rainstorm and flood.

The historian in me wanted to capture a during and after view of the Nisqually River. Here is the "during" image from Monday afternoon, Nov. 6th when things really started to roll. This picture is taken from the Longmire bridge looking upstream.

And here is the "after" view, taken today Nov 17th. Note the tree that hangs over the Nisqually River in both photos, and also the color of the river.

Why a double boot?

With reviews of the most popular double boots on the blogand more coming of similar models I think the use of double
boots might need some explanation again.



The majority of my alpine climbing has
been done in the Canadian Rockies in winter or in the Alaska Range in
spring.



In both places a good single boot and decent gaiter will get you
by, generally, in perfect conditions. The problems arise not in the perfect
conditions but in the exceptions both in the weather conditions and
temperatures. As important or maybe more import is the physical condition of the
climber.



Open bivy high on the North side of
Deborah May '76





Frostbite is not generally a cold issue
believe it or not but simply a physical exhaustion and dehydration issue of
climbers strung out in difficult conditions. Double boots are a reasonable
insurance policy to avoid a cold injury when you are dehydrated and exhausted
and still having to keep moving. Sounds pretty much like any worthwhile alpine
climb doesn't it?



While expensive, quality double boots are nothing
compared to the price of what even a short stint in the hospital from frostbite
and the resulting down time will cost you long term. Not to mention the
resulting cold sensitivity that will follow you well into the future. The result
of a serious case of frostbite is you'll either stop climbing in cold weather or
you'll buy double boots after the first incident. My suggestion is buy the
double boots up-front and save yourself the worry and pain.



With all the
new climbers able to get out and crag climb long before they jump on difficult
alpine climbs single boots are the norm. The single boots generally climb better
and are cheaper. The same single boots are generally over kill for most things,
including Rainier in summer. So, of course we all want to use those same single
boots...that aren't cheap either....all winter and on every climb.



A good
percentage of the time you'll get away with it. In Canada these days most
climbers won't go out if the temps drop below -15C. That is up from the old norm
of -30C as the temps we generally called it off. One of the reasons is most
boots are not comfortable climbing below -15C unless they are double
boots.





Galiber Makalu dbl boots, late
'70s.











The other important reason to
invest in double boots is the amount of time you can comfortably spend out in a
cold, harsh environment. No they aren't fun to walk in or climb difficult mixed
terrain in. But both can be done adroitly with a little practice. You might find
they climb ice better than your single boots in fact. On moderate, long, ice
routes, most will appreciate the added support and calf relief of a good double
boot. The most important reason to look at a double boot is the ability to keep
the liners unthawed and warm over night and if required dry the inner out in
your sleeping bag. If things really go to shit and you have an open bivy the
fastest way to thrash your feet is to be laced into a tight pair of single
boots. Better yet on a open bivy you can loosen a dbl boot a bit, gain some
warmth usually by doing so, and still keep your 'pons bolted on the boot and not
worry about loosing gear. It is a big advantage if actually required. Getting your steel crampons off your boots or better yet your boots off your feet is alwasy a better and warmer over all option.



The advantages of a
double boot are significant to keeping your toes and feet in good health. The
down side is first the expense, and then the ability to climb difficult ground
in them. That can be over come with time, by climbing more in your dblboots. Lastly the bulk
and weight. The newest boots are getting better. The Scarpa 6000 and La Sportiva Spantik are bothwarm, light and climb well.Worth the added effort to climb in doubles unless you feel like the risk of
damaged feet is lower than I do.





On frozen feet after an open bivy at
13,800 in Nov.



Some will wonder about the Batura and Phantom
Guide style of boots (single boots with attached "supergators") as a less expensive
(if $500+ is less expensive) option to a true double boot. This style of boot
has two design features that limit their use in similar conditions. They are
both very difficult to dry out and keep unthawed on over night or longer trips.
And the ankles are generally a lot softer and more flexible than a true double
boot. So you lose the extra ankle and calf support as well. My take having used
a Batura for a few years is they are good one day boots on cold days but I would
never take them out over night intentionally. Each style of boot has a place.
Just don't trust the advertising to help you decide when and what is right for
you.



Times haven't changed much. Good (read winter technical boot) double
boots would/do cost a lot more than a good (read winter technical boot) pair of
single boots. That changed for 20 plus years as plastic double boots dominated
the market place. No matter your skill or experience level plastic double boots
were common on almost every mountaineer's feet. And for good reason..they would
keep your feet warm and dry in just about any condition...some times too warm.
For years you could easily assume that anyone who did technical ice climbing or
went out in winter would own a pair of plastic double boots.



Not so today.
And because of it I am seeing and hearing of frost bite injuries again outside
of the greater ranges....which had been, until just very recently, a thing of
the past.

One of my litmus tests for winter climbing partners, 30 years ago
and again now is, "do they own double boots?" It doesn't mean that you use
double boots on every winter climb.

But if they do, I can generally count on
the fact they take their own survival and climbing seriously. That is usually
because of hard won experience in really cold weather conditions. So I can worry
less about them getting a cold injury and both of us staying healthy on our
adventures. And just as often the owner of a pair of double boots is likely to
value his partner more than some one with less experience would. Surprised? You
shouldn't be. It is all in the details.



If you plan to go BIG and go
LIGHT....the place not to short yourself on gear is your boots...go BIG there
first!



More on the end result of "minor" frostbite.



http://www.summitpost.org/frostbite/856321















A pair of Herman Buhl's cold
weather boots.



By comparison a light weight double boot for their time. Something the first Kolflachs were. And the recent TLT5 hinted at prior to the full blown ski boot with the introduction of TLT6.



The climbing world still waits for the super light technical double boot to catch up with themodern technology available.





Hermann Buhl (September 21,
1924 – June 27, 1957) is considered one of the best post-World War II Austrian
climbers and one of the best climbers of all time. He was particularly
innovative in applying alpine style to Himalayan climbing. His accomplishments
include:



1953 First ascent of Nanga Parbat, 8,126 metres (26,660 ft)
(solo and without bottled oxygen).

1957 First ascent of Broad Peak, 8,051
metres (26,414 ft).

Before his successful Nanga Parbat expedition, 31 people
had died trying to make the first ascent.



Buhl is the only mountaineer to
have made the first ascent of an eight-thousander solo. Just a few weeks after
the successful first ascent of Broad Peak (with Fritz Wintersteller and Marcus
Schmuck), Buhl and Kurt Diemberger made an attempt on nearby, unclimbed
Chogolisa peak (7654 m) in alpine style. Buhl died when he fell through a
cornice on the southeast ridge near the summit of Chogolisa. His body was never
found.



"Buhl was very lucky on Nanga Parbat, escaping with just a
few frostbitten toes. This story reflects Buhl's style of climbing; totally
focused and by taking enormous risks he often succeeded where others
failed."



Buhl on Nanga Parbat 1953









http://www.summitpost.org/article/173032/Hermann-Buhl-1924-1957-.html

Pirates of Nassau Museum

We can't seem to visit any place without hitting at least one museum during our visit, so it is no surprise we had to do the same here. This little museum was lots of fun, starting out with the hilarious tour guide. Here he is encouraging me to take a picture of his "booty":



The museum was a little pricey for what it offered ($12 for adults) but we did learn a lot about pirates while we were there so I'd still recommend it.



From their website:



The
Golden Age of Piracy lasted for thirty years, from 1690 to
1720 and Nassau was at its heart. Here was a tropical pirate
paradise which attracted the greatest concentration of pirates
ever seen in the New World.


Nassau
was well suited as a pirate base of operations, its waters
were too shallow for a large man-of-war but deep enough for
the fast shallow draft vessels favoured by pirates. From their
snug harbour they could employ their hit and run tactics to
full effect; they devastated merchant shipping that plied the
trade routes just a short sail away. Their pirate gold and
goods formed the basis of a thriving community that attracted
rogues, merchants and wild women from far and wide.



It was
said that when a pirate slept he did not dream of going to
heaven but instead to return to his favourite port of Nassau
on New Providence Island.


Now you
can join them when you explore Pirates of Nassau, an new
interactive museum of Piracy in the heart of this historic
city.





My favorite part was learning about female pirates. They sounded pretty fierce. It was a fun visit and added to our already interesting day.

Meeting of the Mercians

In the sort of uncanny coincidence that can only happen in the alternate bikeland universe that is the Boston area, our local Somervillain is now also a Mercian owner. His is a vintage model, restored with new paint and period-correct components by the bicycle's previous owner. Somervillain's bike arrived at about the same time as our frames. While we were building mine up, he was putting the finishing touches on his.



Once both bicycles were ready, we of course had to commemorate the occasion. We arranged to meet on a sunny day. Alas as I cycled to our meeting spot, the clouds gathered and so our Mercians met under dramatically overcast skies. They had a great deal to say to one another - though, regrettably we could not understand their secret language.

Somervillain's Mercianis really quite a find. It is a 1971 Olympian model in English Racing Green with white headtube and seattube panels and gold outlining.

The geometry is like that of a club racer (would that be Audax or Sportive?), and the frame fits him well at 61cm x 58.5cm.

The complete history of this bicycle is unknown. The previous owner found it in pretty rough shape - badly repainted and entirely unrecognisable. Only after stripping the surface layer of paint and finding a serial number did it become apparent that the frame was a vintage Mercian. The owner decided to get it restored. He sent the frame off to England for a full repaint and began to hunt around for period correct components.

A year later, the bicycle was restoredto its former glory, and it was beautiful... too beautiful! The former owner found himself incapable of riding it. He kept it as a collector's piece for a bit, but ultimately decided to sell it to someone who would be willing to give the bicycle an active lifestyle.

...which Somervillain was more than happy to do. He got a good deal on the complete bicycle, and is happy both with Mercian's restoration and with the former owner's choice of components -

- which include a Campagnolo drivetrain,



Weinmann centerpull brakes,



andCinellihandlebars and stem.



One thing Somervillain was keen to add to the build, was a set of English Bluemel fenders. He felt that the Mercian did not look right with French style fenders, or the plastic SKS. I've considered this as well and agree that English bicycles don't look right with, for instance, hammered or fluted fenders. But for me the plain ones would be all right, since they really have no identifiable style to them and look fairly neutral.

But the Blumelfenders are quite special and difficult to find. Behold the little contrasting mudflaps.

Despite the 1971 Olympic and my Vincitore being entirely different models made with different lugsets and hailing from different eras, we marveled at how similar they are. The finishing is similar, the tubing is similar, the overall "presence" of the bikes is similar, and our accounts of ride quality are similar. Somervillain describes a responsive, but comfortable ride, easy over bumps and potholes - which is how my bicycle feels as well.

It is fascinating to me that Mercianhas managed to keep their process so consistent over the years with their classic models. You can choose much lighter tubing now if you wish, but the method remains the same. I would love to try an older Mercianin my size and compare it to how mine rides. Unfortunately Somervillain's frame is much too big for me, but if I visit New York City, maybe Justine of Midlife Cycling will let me try her1994 mixte - it would certainly be a treat!

Christmas Goodies

I am really enjoying our new convection oven and have used it as much as possible. I have especially enjoyed it for making Christmas goodies! I have so many wonderful memories of doing Christmas baking growing up, then with my own children and now I am having fun still continuing the tradition.



I am looking forward to the Princess being old enough to help me! In the meantime, I get to lick the beaters!



Living the life in Florida!

Tree & Houses

In this photo you can see the old juniper tree with a dirt road behind it and the houses in the housing development that is near it. It is such a shame to see this ancint piece of history being threatened by development. There is a dirt trail on this side of the tree where I found the tracks of motercycles and ATV's, and I saw lots of trash; mostly beer cans and bottles; in the area right around it, which I picked up. The tree is surviving but it doesn't look as healthy as it did 25 years ago when I first saw it. Every time I go by there I am afraid I will find that progress has destroyed this beautiful, and still living conifer.

The Simple Life with Issy Morgans

"I live a very simple life" IssyMorgans Where do I start? This girl is complicated. I don't think I've ever received a morebewildering personalprofile from a climber.But lets begin. Issy Morgans is a tight ass. Her words, not mine.

Sheworks for a tight ass, my words not hers, in a climbing gym in Logan on the south side of Brisbane that not only doesn't have the internet but doesn't even have a computer.How tight is that?







Morgan(s) my bad.



Last time I posted photos of Issy I was stuck for a single word to describe her style. Lee Cujesoffered "composed".

The composure runs deep. She not only plans every meal for a week ahead, she plans every little thing she will do for a year. Climbers, I have stopped laughing at driven people and started taking lessons. I admire the dedication I see in people who are working hard on improvement.



Issy doesn't watch TV, hasn't watched a movie for over a year, doesn't eat out.

She says, "I work hard and save hard, I'm persistent and routine".



A fear of leading kept her indoor for nine years. Look at her now.

Let the picturestell thestory.































Here's Issy's answers to the quiz:



Q: Fave crags - A:Coolum and the Blue MountainsQ: Fave music - A: Listen to the radio most of the time jjj and Nova

Q: Fave movie - A: haven't watched a normal movie in over 12 months!

Q: Fave mag - A: I guess this would have to be Rock mag as its the only mag I have bought since I was a teenager!

Q: Fave celeb -A: Couldn't name any apart from Chris Sharma

Q: Fave cafe - A:Grandmas kitchen, I don't eat out!

A: Dogs - The question was "Cats or Dogs"?

A: Rock - The question was "Rock or Rap"?

A: Jeans - The question was "Frocks or Jeans"?

Issy scored 8/9 on the quiz. The correct answer was "Frocks"



The simple lunch - a rice cracker and water.



If I can re-phrase her words just a little, she says one of the things she is planning to do is to be more spontaneous.



Enjoy the simple things Issy.We love your positive style.

jj

If a Branch Falls in a Forest...

On the day after Irene we had beautiful weather and I went for a 40 mile ride on the Seven roadbike that I scandalously still have on loan (and will soon be reviewing). Though a preliminary cleanup of the roads had already taken place, branches and other debris were still scattered in some areas and I thought the biggest challenge would be cycling on narrow tires. However, that part was fine - the wheels rolled easily over the occasionally unavoidable obstacle, with the bike either retaining or quickly regaining stability every time. But toward the end of the ride I began to feel as if the rear wheel had an odd little bounce to it. It was barely perceptible, but I decided to stop and check it out - thinking it was probably a flat tire. What I saw was very different: The quick release of the rear wheel was open and the wheel was sitting completely loose in the dropouts. At first I thought that the lever was broken or the skewer had somehow snapped. But everything was fine and once I re-secured the wheel the bike was good to go. My theory is that a tough little branch must have gotten jammed in there, prying open the quick release. I suppose it was lucky that the wheel did not come out of the dropouts entirely, and lucky that the branch did not jam the spokes.



Later I told the Co-Habitant about my mishap. "This is why you need to face the quick release lever inward and not outward," he warned. I don't actually remember how it was positioned before the incident (and honestly I think it's possible for things to catch on it regardless), but I will keep it in line with the chainstays from now on.



As tempting as it is to derive lessons from this, I think these things can happen regardless of how many precautions you take. I had been debating whether to take the Sevenon that ride orawider-tired, fendered bike - but it would not have mattered; this could have happened to any bicycle with quick release wheels.I think the only lesson here is that it's important to pay attention to your bike - even to what may seem like subtle weirdnesses in handling - and stop to check it out if something feels odd. It could be nothing. Or it could be your wheel about to come off.

The storm that never was

Today I went for a drive up to the end of the Gunflint Trail. As the end of the road got closer and closer, I started seeing a really ominous cloud bank up in the sky. I thought that it for sure was not only going to rain, but thunder and lightning something fierce by the looks of it. Nothing ever came of it. The cloud bank loomed, but moved on without so much as a whisper or a single drop of rain (at least, not that I noticed!).

Belt Driving Impressions

I've wanted to try a bicycle with a belt drive for some time, but they are not exactly mainstream around these parts. So when I saw a belt driveSevenCafe Racer in my size at theRide Studio Cafelast week, I seized the opportunity and took it out for a ride. The belt drive Cafe Racer is a single speed version ofthis bike, one ofSeven's commuter models. I will save my impressions of the bicycle itself for a different post, focusing for now on my impressions of this unique drivetrain.




The belt drive is a product called theGates Carbon Drive-a polyurethane belt that replaces a traditional bicycle chain. Unlike a bicycle chain, the belt does not need to be oiled or otherwise maintained, which also means that it won't get the cyclist's clothing dirty. It is said to be longer lasting than a traditional chain. And it is silent. For these reasons, many praise the belt drive as a revolutionary innovation in cycling - particularly cycling for transportation.





On the downside, the belt drive requires a dedicated split-frame construction; it cannot just be retrofitted on any old bike. This is because the belt itself, unlike a traditional bicycle chain, cannot be split apart. In the picture above you can see that the seatstay of the Seven frame disconnects from the dropouts to make the belt installation possible (and that is a Surly Tuggnut chain tensioner they are using, in case you are wondering).





The belt's unique groove structure also requires it to be used with belt drive-specific front and rear pulleys instead of traditional chainrings and rear cogs. It is, however, compatible with standard cranks and hubs. The drive can be used with single speed and internally geared hubs, but not with derailleur drivetrains. As I understand it, it can be used with fixed gear and coaster brake bikes, as long as hand-activated brakes are present.





I rode thebelt drive Cafe Racer for 5 miles or so along the Minuteman Trail in Lexington and Bedford MA. Compared to a traditional chain, the belt felt smoother and "softer." It was a neat sensation, distinctly different from cycling with a normal drivetrain. On first impression, I would say that it felt nicer. Although some describe the belt as silent, I would not say that exactly. It was definitely quieter than even the quietest traditional chain. But it made a gentle "swooshing" sound that I could hear whenever my surroundings grew silent. Additionally, I am pretty sure that I could feel something happen in the drivetrain at the end of every crank rotation. It was the subtlest of sensations, but definitely there. It was almost as if the belt had a seam in it, and I could feel when that seam went over one of the pulleys.




To be clear, neither the "seam" nor "swooshing" were something I would have noticed, had I not been intentionally paying very close attention and trying to take in every single aspect of the belt drive experience. They were more like ghostly traces than full-fledged sensations.






Prior to trying the belt drive myself, I'd read and heard a number of impressions from others. Alan from ecovelo is probably the "king" of belt drive test rides; he has tried at least half a dozen different bikes with this system and loves it. On one of his personal bikes, the belt drive has worked reliably for him for some time. Others (including commentators on ecovelo posts and persons I've spoken to locally) have reported a number of issues, such as squeaking noises, the belt slipping, and the system performing sub-optimally in winter conditions. I think that in order to get the big picture of how the belt drive performs, we need to wait until more cyclists use it for considerable periods of time, in different climates and weather conditions, and on a variety of bikes.



Next month I will be receiving another bicycle for a long term test ride that also happens to have a belt drive. No doubt I will have more to say after a few weeks of real-world experience with the system; maybe it will even start snowing by then. In the meantime, I am glad to have tried it on a different bicycle first - having done so will allow me to separate the feel of the belt itself from the feel of the specific bike. As far as first impressions go, mine are positive and I would love to see a classic city bicycle fitted with the GatesCarbon Drive... speaking of which, why do we never see that? The belt drive seems best suited for everyday commuting, yet most bicycles I see fitted with it are "weird" and "techy," if you'll pardon that biased terminology. An elegant belt drive city bicycle would be a delight to try.