Putting it all together.

I love a good collage, who doesn't? All those pieces somehow related but somehow not complete.

That's S'matt up theremaking sense of a wild collection of very cool moves.

(click to enlarge)

Beartooth Highway

Yesterday I took a break from sorting and deleting photos from my hard drive and decided to follow U.S. Highway 212 from Red Lodge, Montana south into northern Wyoming. This route is also known as the Beartooth Scenic Byway or the Beartooth All-American Road, and, according to an acquaintance, Charles Kuralt put this highway on his list of the top 10 spectacular drives in America. It is also the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies. And, it definitely lives up to its reputation!

Looking northeast from Rock Creek Vista Point (elevation 9,190 feet) in the Custer National Forest, Montana. The highway is that ribbon of white way down in the valley.

Looking northwest from Rock Creek Vista Point. The speed limit was 25 mph along this stretch of winding switchbacks that traveled up the south side of the mountains.

The view to the north, a short distance from Rock Creek Vista.

From Rock Creek Vista, the road continued upward and into Wyoming where the peaks were viewed from across wide-open meadows.

Stopping at almost every overlook along the way, I was taken by surprise when I saw this view as the lake was not visible from the road. The wind was quite strong and several times I had to brace myself when a big gust came along.

Taken from near the summit (elevation 10,947 feet at Beartooth Pass) in Wyoming, looking towards the north. It was windy and cold, and the short walk to get this picture was quite exhilarating.

A Wet Week at the Gunks: Stannard's Roof (5.10a), Uncle Rudy (Pitch 1, 5.7+) & A Lesson in Aid Climbing

(Photo: Approaching the big overhang on Stannard's Roof (5.10a).)




I just finished a whole week in the New Paltz area with my wife and kids. It has become our tradition to rent a house in or around New Paltz for a week in July every year. It is my wife's way of indulging me. She likes running in the area, there are great family hikes, and the community pool is nice. But we wouldn't do it if I were not a rock climber.




Last year we got into a nice groove in which I met up with Gail for several days in a row to climb. We would get up early, spend a few hours at the cliff, and then return to our respective families. These short climbing days allowed both of us to climb before it got too hot, and without taking too much time away. This year I hoped to repeat the same system. I was going to climb for one full day on Saturday, June 29, but apart from that day I expected that during our week in New Paltz I'd get out climbing for just a few mornings with Gail.




I hoped to hit several of my 5.10 targets, some old, some new. I wanted to try a second run at Balrog, P-38, and maybe even Simple Stuff or Directississima. And I hoped to flail away at some new ones. Probably my top candidate was Feast of Fools (5.10a).




As the trip approached I made plans to climb on Saturday with Maryana and Nani. I hadn't climbed with either of them outside in a while. As the day neared Gail decided to join us as well, so it looked like we'd have two parties. Maryana suggested we meet up in Lost City, where we could set up top ropes near each other and hang out. I was agreeable, but I knew I wouldn't be happy just top-roping all day. I had some trad-lead goals in Lost City, chief among them two new 5.10's on my list: Lost City Crack (5.10b) and Stannard's Roof (5.10a). I figured we could top rope for a while, but I intended to do some leading when the right time came along.




On Saturday, Gail and I arrived at the parking lot before Maryana and Nani. We headed out on the High Peters Kill Trail until we reached Lost City. We wandered straight up the boulder field to the cliffs and found ourselves in one of the spots I'd previously visited. I later heard another climber call this area the Amphitheater. This area has several easy climbs in the 5.6 to 5.8 range, a rarity at Lost City. Most of the walls at Lost City are so steep that the entry level climbs are 5.10 or 5.11.




It had rained a bit on each of the previous two days but the climbs seemed dry enough. Gail started us off by leading an easy corner climb on the left side of the Amphitheater (mostly 5.easy, maybe 5.5 or 5.6 for one or two moves?), and then I led a very nice vertical crack climb right in the middle of the wall. It starts off steep and committing, up a slanting crack, but then after about fifteen feet a ledge is reached and it gets easier. The angle lessens and there are frequent rests. But the good moves just keep on coming. I really liked this pitch. I would say it is a good Gunks 5.8 (Gail thought maybe 5.9). I don't know if it has a name. We named it the "5.8 Death Warm-Up."




While Gail and I were warming up in the Amphitheater, Maryana and Nani arrived and went over to the Corridor area, setting up a rope on Gold Streaks (5.11b). I've been on that one twice before and although it is really good I wasn't that psyched to hit it again. But I was keen to get back onanother great 5.11b just around the cornercalledForbidden Zone.So I set that one up for us and then nearly sent it on the first go. At the upper crux I missed the key hidden hold and fell off. As soon as I looked up I could see the hold I missed, and then I went up and finished it. Gail did really well on Forbidden Zone. It was her first time on the climb and she got through the crimpy, tense start and the steep, bulgy middle without a fall, struggling only with the technical moves to the hidden hold at the final crux. Forbidden Zone is such a great pitch-- if every top rope were this good I'd consider converting to the top rope lifestyle. I can't imagine ever leading it. I'd have to have it really wired. There is gear here and there, but nothing for the really tough moves right off the deck. The landing is not good: it is a pile of pointy boulders. I think for me it will forever remain a great top rope.









(Photo: Getting ready for the big reach into the ceiling on Stannard's Roof (5.10a).)




Gail and I left our rope on Forbidden Zone for Maryana and Nani and took a little walk around the right side of Lost City, finding a wet, slimy Lost City Crack and discovering faces and chasms we'd never seen before. There is so much exploring one can do at Lost City. By the time we got back to the Corridor I was ready for my big lead of the day. We took a pass on Gold Streaks and headed with Maryana's rope over to Stannard's Roof. This impressive overhang is a bit to the left of the Amphitheater. I had taken a peek at it earlier in the day and it looked nice and dry.




I had asked Gail to bring an extra yellow Number Two Camalot for me because Parker had once told me that the ceiling takes two of them. I'd also heard that the face beneath the roof goes at 5.8 and that the belay right below the roof is optional. That was about all I knew about Stannard's. We got racked up and I started climbing.




The start goes up an easy chimney and then some very nice 5.8 moves take you up a crack through an orange face. Soon the angle eases and you are beneath the huge ceiling, which looks even bigger once you are really up against it. As of this writing there is a small fixed nut in the crack at the back of the ceiling, and you can get up there and clip it, then return to the optional belay stance and think about how you are going to make the first big reach out to the good holds in the roof.




It is very intimidating. This first big move out is committing, and it is the hardest move of the sequence. There is a little creaky flake to grab, and then a big move to the jugs. I looked it over from several different angles. I shifted my gear around so that, in theory, my two yellow Camalots would be easy to reach.




Then I went for it.









(Photo: Fully in it, right hand on the creaky flake, left hand in the jugs.)




Once you do the big reach you are fully horizontal for the remainder of the roof. There is no time to dilly-dally. When you make it to the first good hold you can throw in a yellow Camalot and make the moves to the next great horizontal slot. I managed this first part just fine.




As I reached the next great horizontal, the end was already in sight. I wanted to place the second yellow Camalot and get out. I could see a positive-looking hold at the lip of the roof. If I could get there, just one move away, I figured I was as good as done.




I want to note here, before I go into my old familiar story of failure, that I really should have gotten this route on-sight. My footwork was solid. I had a good plan. I tried really hard. I had a great handhold and a wonderful heel lock. I just needed to plug and go. It kills me that I messed this one up.




Poor gear management was my undoing.




I reached for the yellow Camalot but I couldn't get it free. I struggled like mad to unhook it. I was wearing a gear sling and everything was difficult to reach, hanging way down beneath me.




I know what you're thinking. I am aware that wearing a gear sling is the mark of the gumby. But I have never liked the weight of all the gear on my harness. Usually I prefer using the gear sling, no matter what other people think. But not this time. Under Stannard's Roof the sling turned out to be a big liability. Even though I'd put the yellow Camalot in the first section of the sling, I had a devil of a time prying it loose. It seemed like I was fumbling forever, just hanging in there. My left hand was on a great hold but it was getting more and more sweaty. I could feel my grip getting weaker and weaker. I had to get that cam! Finally I got the cam off of the sling, reached up to place it.....




And it was the wrong Camalot, the green! I had been blindly grasping for the piece, and I grabbed the wrong one. I was officially screwed, and I knew it. I stuck the green cam on my harness and started fumbling for yellow all over again, but my left hand slipped and I took a fall. I had blown it. It was a good little whip but the fall was clean.









(Photo: Trying to place gear on Stannard's Roof, but grabbing the wrong cam.)




I don't know why I didn't just take the yellow cam off the gear sling then and there and put it on my harness, but I didn't think of it. I went back up again, fumbled all over again, and this time ultimately placed the cam. But now I was exhausted and took another fall reaching for the lip. Finally on my third time up I didn't need to place gear and I just executed the moves, getting over the lip and finishing the route. It actually felt easy without all the idiotic fumbling and bumbling.




I can add Stannard's Roof to the long list of Gunks 5.10's that I have failed to get on-sight. Even more than the others, I feel like I can just fire through it next time. It is a three-star experience, for sure. The 5.8 face is really nice and the roof is everything the Gunks is all about. I just know I can do this climb. Next time I'll keep the gear on my harness. And I'll probably split it into two pitches. Doing it as one pitch made for truly horrible drag at the top.




By the time we were done with Stannard's I felt like I'd been put through the wringer. We went looking for our friends but it took a while to find Maryana and Nani. We went to the right side of Lost City to look for them while they went left to look for us. Eventually we found them beneath an incredible-looking finger crack called Resistance (5.10c). But none of us really felt like climbing it. We sat around and talked instead. It was a beautiful afternoon. I wasn't in a rush to do more climbing-- I figured I still had several good days ahead.




Sadly, it was not to be. On Sunday we went out to Bonticue with the kids and did the hike/scramble up the middle to the top. This was our second family trip up Bonticue. It is a beautiful cliff, white like Millbrook, and larger than I remembered. I've never climbed there. It looks like there are lots of fun lines to explore.









(Photo: My son Nate atop Bonticue.)




Storm clouds were rolling through as we did the Bonticue hike and we got just a little bit wet on the way back to the car. Later on, after we returned to our rental house, the skies really opened up. It poured like crazy for the next twenty-four hours. Gail and I had hoped to climb on Monday but we had to call it off.




The rain seemed to stop on Monday evening so Gail and I planned to meet on Tuesday morning. We knew it would be wet but Gail brought her aid gear, figuring we could get some practice aid climbing while we waited to see if the cliff would dry out.









(Photo: I'm not sure I've ever seen it running off quite this fiercely behind the Susie A block.)




When we got to the Trapps the whole area was covered in a misty fog. So we aided a wet Oscar's Variation (normally 5.7, but A0 for us). Gail went first so I could watch and learn. I'd never aid climbed before but it seemed simple enough. Gail was methodical about it, stepping up, placing gear, bounce testing, shifting weight to the new piece, clipping in with a fifi hook, then cleaning the aiders off the last piece and clipping the rope to it. When she finished the pitch she cleaned all the gear so I could lead it fresh. I found it difficult at first to trust the gear and step up, which is funny because I trust it enough to fall onto it all the time! After a few moves I got used to aid climbing and enjoyed it... to some extent.









(Photo: Gail aid climbing pitch one of Oscar's Variation (5.7 or A0).




It started to dry out a bit while we were working on Oscar's Variation. I ran up a slightly damp Ribless (5.6 and not so bad) to the first set of bolts, and from there I could see that the crux of Strictly From Nowhere (5.7) appeared to be dry enough for us. So even though the bottom part of the route was still pretty slimy I led that one too. The crux is always really good, the rest is fairly forgettable. It is much nicer to start Strictly's from the Oscar's corner when it is dry.









(Photo: My first time in aiders, climbing the wet Oscar's Variation.)




Conditions were finally improving but we both needed to leave for the day. There would be no big milestones on this day. We packed up and headed out.




The next day was Wednesday, our departure date. I negotiated with the wife for a few more hours of climbing and hoped against hope that it wouldn't rain overnight. Gail and I planned to meet early so I could get back to our house by check-out time.




When the day dawned I thought we were in luck. It was partly sunny at the house. Maybe the cliff would be dry?




Alas, I was too optimistic. The cliff was again shrouded in fog. As I arrived at the Trapps it seemed to be sprinkling a little. Gail and I headed to the Mac Wall to see if anything was in shape for climbing. When we got there Birdie Party and MF were both seeping. It was wetness everywhere.




Frustrated, I decided to lead Three Pines (5.3) to the GT Ledge, even though it was soaking wet. I just wanted to climb something and I figured it would be good practice. And I guess it was, although I wouldn't really call it fun. At times it felt more like wading through a running river than climbing.




Once I had the rope up we descended to the lower set of bolts and top-roped the first pitches of the two climbs underneath: Something Boring (5.9) and Something Or Other (5.7). These were both new to us. I didn't care much for either one. Something Boring is aptly named. It has unremarkable face climbing and no pro for most of its length. Something Or Other has a bit more to offer. In the early going you are supposed to use a wide crack that is filled with vegetation. I made it more interesting for myself by mistakenly staying right of the crack and doing some hard 5.9-ish moves on little crimpers. Next comes a good 5.7 move off a little ledge up to a jug. Not terrible for a rainy day, but I can't imagine we'll ever do either of these climbs again.




After four crummy pitches it was almost time to go. The sky was brightening but it was still quite wet. Gail and I started walking back to the parking lot, looking for one dry pitch that we could do. It wasn't long before we found ourselves beneath a good candidate: Uncle Rudy (5.7+). I have been interested in this roof-problem pitch for years but have never managed to get on it. (I have done pitch three, and it is really good.)












(Photo: Gail at the crux roof on pitch one of Uncle Rudy (5.7+).)




I liked this pitch. The roof is good, and the pro for the crux is great. The crux is actually two moves: one to get over the roof, and then another thin move up right after the roof. Dick Williams implies in his guidebook that you need a big cam to protect this second crux move, but I found it not to be so. The crack narrows to the right. I got a bomber gray Alien in this crack; lots of other cams would also work.




After the crux, pitch one of Uncle Rudy is pretty dirty and run out, but the climbing is easier. When I got to the belay ledge I considered continuing with Dick's 5.8 PG variation to pitch two, but as it seemed to be covered in wet lichen I decided to leave it for another day.




Uncle Rudy is no great classic, and sending it was no great achievement. But at least it was a pleasant little climb, which was about all I could ask for by the time our wet week was finished.

Yellow Wild Flower

I don't know the name of this wild flower or the name of the small red one in a previous post.

Happy New Year from White Sands, New Mexico!

Above left: New Year's Eve moonrise. Above Right: My friend Roger photographing the dunes under the New Year's Eve full moon.

Well, my trip is nearly over... almost 6 weeks ago I left Grand Portage on a quest to explore the West, focusing mostly on the Pacific coastal areas of Washington and Oregon. Its been a great trip, but some of the best experiences were at the end of the trip! My friend Roger and I arrived at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico the afternoon of December 31, . We were planning on camping overnight in the dunes and arrived at the park just in time to get our orientation and register for our campsite before the daily deadline. After we registered, we had just enough time to scope out a place to shoot sunset and the moonrise. Watching the moon come up over the white sand dunes was incredible.



Above: Our campsite. We placed our headlamps inside the tent to illuminate it for this shot.

After shooting the sunset and the moonrise we decided to set up camp before doing some moonlight shooting. Our campsite was about a mile from the parking area and after finally locating our site (which was a little difficult to find, since the trail markers through the dunes are VERY difficult to locate in the moonlight!), we set out for a few hours of moonlight shooting.



Above: Our campsite, nestled against a dune with the San Andres Mountains in the background.

White Sands is an awesome landscape during the day, but switch to night and throw in the light from a full moon and its downright magical! We had a blast hiking around the dunes and taking pictures. It was a lovely night, the air was crisp but not too cold and there wasn't a lick of wind. Its pretty amazing when its so still and you can't hear anything except for your own breathing. Thule (Roger's dog) even seemed to really enjoy the night as he was friskier than usual, running laps around us and jumping up and down.



Above and below: Roger photographing the White Sands landscape.



Below: A wider view of our campsite amongst the dunes. This view is looking south towards Mexico.



We were out shooting until about 1:30 a.m., so we rang in the new year while walking around on the dunes :-) We settled into our sleeping bags, hoping to get at least 5 hours of sleep before sunrise.



My alarm woke me at 6:30, and when I crawled out of the tent I noticed right away that it was much colder than it was when we went to sleep. In fact, our tent was even covered in a thin layer of frost! I don't know what the temperature actually was, but it felt like it was in the mid 20's. As I crawled out of the tent I turned my eyes skyward and the first thing I saw was the full moon just above the dunes directly out in front of the tent. What a sight to wake up to! I quickly forgot about how cold I was and went back into the tent to wake Roger and retrieve my camera gear.



As the sun got closer and closer to breaking the horizon, the sky to the West took on this amazing pink glow. The pink sky with the moon and the white sand made a view that was to die for. Definitely one of the prettiest New Year's Day mornings I have ever seen!

Design triumphs..the Norrøna Lyngen Down Belay jacket

Nice title, huh? Yes, I actually do think the Norrøna Belay jacket is worthy of the hype but read on and you can decide for yourself.

Preface:
When I went looking for a new belay jacket for myself this winter I had little idea what I was getting into. I had no doubt I could find a great jacket for my own use. What I didn't realise was just how good some of the jackets I would find were and just as surprising just how poorly designed some of the jackets I would find would be in comparison.

To be fair I was looking for an extremely specialized and technical piece of clothing. From conversations with manufacturers after publishing my thoughts on CC.com and here, I learned much to my surprise that a few of the manufacturers had no clue on how a "belay jacket" was going to be being used.

Some of the info I heard from manufacturers defending their products and designs would be laughable to anyone that actually climbs and used these jackets in an environment where the details actually do matter.

"Free" jackets given away by sponsors to climbers at the front of modern alpine climbing do not guarantee you a state of the art garment. A "free jacket" might well translate into one more plane ticket to the sponsored climber. Fair enough. "State of the art", as we all know, is not required to get up any mountain. But for us as consumers, it is still, "Caveat emptor!".

We already know most any garment that is warm will work at Hafner Creek or Ouray on a cold day. And as I was told, "that is who we design for, back packers and hikers, not climbers. They aren't a big enough market". OK, fair enough, design and build for the general population, after all that is where the profits are. But how about learning from the comments instead of whining when you obviously get caught with your pants down with bad design work for "climbers"? From the looks of their web site Norrøna is at heart a ski clothing company. Successful cross over designs are nothing new for the outdoor clothing industry.

Rather than detail the short comings of so many manufacturers that I looked at I'd rather take my time to give you the beta on one of the really good ones.

There are a few things that I get really excited about. Truly great design work is one of them. The Colt 1911, the Porsche 911, Jardine's Friends, the Chouinard/Frost original piolet, the Nomic, the Fire', the North Face Oval Intention and Gramicci pants (based on martial arts pants) are a few designs that come to mind and have already stood the test of time. They have all also generated a of host of clones, which is a compliment to the originals.

But clothing design and especially technical clothing design is not something I first think of when it comes to inspiration. The newest fabric mountaineering boots certainly are there but little else imo. But boots aren't clothing are they? Generally it is new materials that I get excited about. Egger and Monclear down and pile from Helly Henson, then GPIW (later Patagonia) in the early '70s. Francital jackets in the '80s. Shoeller material from Switzerland. Which I first used in the mid '80s and the innovation they created in soft shells that continues today. So most of the innovation in clothing I have seen is in materials, not actual design work. But to be fair I might well be naive to those more subtle changes.


The details and design work on Norrøna's down climbing jacket are obvious even to me.

Norrøna's web site sez:

"High power insulation in a compressible belay jacket
A careful creation of down and lightweight protective face/liner fabric built to prioritise insulation, breathability and movement whilst belaying. Its bulk-free properties allow excellent compressibility in stow pocket."


http://products.norrona.com/webshop/tradepoint/b2c/ItemView.aspx?ID=3170-09%206640

retail price $378.00
available in the USA only from Backcountry.com





http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Norr%F8na-Lyngen-Down-Jacket-Mens/NRA0141M


The facts for a XL size:
31.8oz (factory says 24oz)
Insulation is a combination of 750+ down and 100g Primaloft 1
(Norrøna's 750 down means down fill power is 750 to 800 cu in/oz with the percentage of down cluster from 93-96%.)
Single slider main zipper
One internal mess pocket on left side (it huge at 9.5" x 12.5")
two side pockets, unlined construction is a combination of over laid and sewn through baffling (body front) and simple sewn through (back, shoulders and upper arms) 750+ down, along with 100g Primaloft 1 in the hood and the side panels, full length from jacket hem up and under the arms all the way to the cuffs.

The jacket's one, huge, internal, mesh, "stow" pocket.


If you have climbed for several seasons, you know when you try on the right size and style rock shoe, that it "fits". Same with a good pair of boots, a harness or the right size pack for you. For me the Norrøna was a fit...from the very first time I tried it on. I was trying on 9 different belay jackets and looking at the details of each over several hrs. I put on the Lyngen and immediately said to myself, "damn I could really climb in this one!" Not something I recognised in any of the others so easily. Including the jacket I have used the most while actually winter climbing! To be honest even though it was clearly a stand out in my selected group of jackets I only recognised a little of its detailing and a few of the more obvious features but still intended to return it to Backcountry.com none the less. The Eddie Bauer XV ($269 retail) in my review was almost 1/3 the Norrøna's price while on sale ($132.50) and a incredible jacket in it's own right. I have kept and used the XV and am happy with the choice. But in almost every way the XV is not in the same league as the Norrøna Lyngen.

I've come to realise the differences as old school materials and design work done at a very high level (the XV) for a specific kind of climbing and the Lyngen as new school materials and design work done at a very high level for cutting edge, modern climbing. But to be more clear on use, the Lyngen is what I would consider a medium weight belay jacket and not suitable for the coldest temps a XV would be used in. But it is darn close and while still a "big" down jacket in all ways it is more compact and easier to wear while technical climbing than my XV. Norrøna has gone high tech in the pattern and construction with this one and has an excellent amount of insulation for the temps a down climbing/belay jacket might be used in. My own use so far? This jacket is plenty warm even as a bivy jacket in all but the coldest Alaska/Canada temps. Thanks to its DWR coating the down stayed dry inside and out during a full day of climbing in serious spindrift. The Primaloft hood and turtle neck did get damp as expected running the zip up and down taking pictures or venting as required. And the fleece lined zipper closure collected some snow in really bad conditions. But both dried out easily once I was zipped up and on belay again. Conditions will have to be pretty cold before you'll be able to climb comfortably in this jacket. I've done 8 trips to the Alaska range and never used a jacket this warm, this light weight and compact up there. The Norrøna jacket is one of the most specialized, technical and useful pieces of down outdoor clothing I've ever seen. Given the chance I'd take it to Alaska in a heartbeat.


Here is how Norrøna describes their Lyngen line of clothing:

"Lyngen-Randonnee relief
Ascend alpine steeps with lightweight ease, descend the peak with speed: lyngen jointly protects your aerobic climb and ski time. Tailored to alpine tourers, lyngen’s focus on total windproofing, breathability and flexible venting options, enhances your mountain tour commitment. "

Hate to think all that detailing is being wasted on just skiers :) Makes me a little nervous as well when they label their only down jacket as a "belay jacket".

I had originally intended to return the Norrøna and after a long overdue detailed inspection decide not to. Even though the price is pretty steep at $378.00. It wasn't the most expensive jacket in my search. The Arcteryx Duelly was @ $498. And the Duelly is a synthetic filled jacket! With the Feathered Friends down insulated Frontpoint in "Event" right behind it @ $429.

The reason the Norrøna won't be going back is its detailing and features. The complicated construction......double layered and sewn-through baffled down front panels, single sewn through baffles on the back, shoulders and top side of the arms. Primaloft 1 in the hood, turtle neck and full length under the arms and down the sides to eliminate bulk and protect areas likely to get damp in use. Someone who climbs, or as least listened well to some knowledgable climbers, was thinking when they came up with this jacket design. It is an extremely complicated sewing pattern, combinations of materials and worth every penny of the $378, imo.

A true climber's jacket?!
From a company that makes ski clothing?

Even though the jacket I am writing about here is not the jacket he used on Mt. Hunter I have to give the direct credit for me finding the Norwegian made Norrøna line of clothing to Bjørn-Eivind Årtun and his climbing partner in May of '09, Colin Haley. I'd never heard of Norrøna until I saw Colin's pictures and started a Goggle search online.

Colin's blog and his and Bjørn-Eivind's adventure from last year:

http://colinhaley.blogspot.com/




And a summit picture on Hunter with the "usual suspects" from Colin's web site.
I saw enough detailing in the photo and knowing where it was being used to want to see more. Dbl click to enlarge the picture and the one below for a better look.



Colin, Bjørn-Eivind and their partners are some at the leading edge of light weight, extreme alpinism. If you want to see what they are doing and how, take a long in depth look at their climbs, writings, blogs and web sites. They all have good projects coming up this spring! I'm inspired every time.



Copy righted Colin Haley photos used above with his permission

Back to the Norrøna Lyngen Down Belay Jacket.

Ok, first lets talk about down being used in a belay jacket. The first requirement of a belay jacket is warmth. Seems obvious. But equal to that demand....which only takes an effective level of insulation, is the requirement for a belay jacket to be capable of drying you out. Down belay jackets, no matter the outer shell material, SUCK generally for most climbing in the lower 48. Yes, I did say, " SUCK!"

Down jackets can easily get wet. Then they lose a majority if not all of their insulation property. And no way in hell you can dry things like gloves out in them as easily as you can with a synthetic jacket.

A Primaloft 1 synthetic jacket will dry your sweat soaked body, your inner layers and outer layers out quickly and efficiently with only body heat in any condition including a lwt rain. (DWR coatings not withstanding) All it takes is for you to continue to produce the body heat required to do so. In comparison to down, synthetics lose only a tiny fraction of their insulation properties when wet or even totally soaked through.

So why would anyone ever willing choose a down belay jacket? To be honest most knowledgeable climbers won't. They are simply too delicate in a world where not being conservative on clothing choices can be a serious mistake you'll have to pay dearly for.

For less money than the Norrøna, good synthetic and down belay jackets can be had from Patagonia, MEC, Outdoor Research, Eddie Bauer and MTN Hardware to name just a few.

But in a couple of places, like Canada in winter or Alaska in the winter or spring, down insulation makes some sense. Both places the Norrøna Lyngen will excel if you limit your diet of off-width cracks and nasty mixed chimneys. Nothing warmer than Down for its weight and its ability to compact/stuff into a small package. Weight and space are and have always been hard won commodities in cold weather alpine climbing.











Both environments (Alaska and Canada) are cold enough to not have to worry so much about getting the insulation wet from external factors. But you still have to watch getting down wet from your own sweat and getting your clothing and gloves dried out as required.

Gloves aren't as big an issue, keeping them dry in those environments, as they are in warmer climates. Hopefully the time your hands spend in the snow on steep routes is limited and because of the temperatures you aren't soaking them every few pitches like you might down south. And thankfully gloves are getting better every year as well.

Speaking of gloves? Many belay jackets have some sort of cuff closure or too tight of cuffs. You often can't get a thick pair of climbing gloves and your hands through the cuff opening without first removing the gloves. On this Norrøna the cuffs are a polyester blend of stretch knitted material that shed water and easily stretch to fit over a gloved hand going in and coming off. All the while the cuff still forms a good seal around the wrist with no maintenance required on your part. Another detail someone paid attention to on the original design.

Down?
You always need to manage your heat out-put on long routes and even more so when you are using down. It has to be cold out to force moisture from your body through your layers and out a down jacket without soaking the last down layer. The advantages of down? There have to be some right? There are two...the first is the down jackets are lightweight. Less for the amount of heat preserved than any synthetic and the second is just how small a down jacket will compress to carry. If you are climbing, the belay jacket might not be used at all climbing but will be used for belays, short rests and a bivy if required.

So we get the idea..."down is not the greatest idea for a belay jacket but it can work and has several advantages if you can take care of the insulation, right?" Right :)

Now take high quality down insulation and one of the best of synthetic insulations and add exceptional pattern making/cutting, current technology, modern manufacturing and real climbing details and I think you end up with an exceptional jacket.



The two areas you need really good insulation from a belay jacket when alpine climbing are the front of your torso and the hood. Your gut and head where you lose the most heat unprotected. And the two fastest places to lose heat. Fairly obvious right? Norrøna has used a dbl layer of sewn though insulation for the jacket front body and a Primaloft hood and turtle neck.

Fully quilted down is the warmest, lightest in weight and most easily compacted construction for a down garment. Double layer sewn-though baffleing is more wind proof and can be equally as warm if the insulation thickness is the same. Good move on the designer's part for the front body of the jacket to use a dbl layer of sewn through baffling and 4 layers of nylon here for additional wind protection. Primaloft 1 was developed for the US military as a replacement for down. It is currently the most efficient synthetic insulation available. It is a smart use of the Primaloft 1 in the turtle neck tunnel and hood as they are the likely places to get soaked by perspiration from breathing hard in cold conditions.

Both sides of the zipper opening are generiously covered with a soft nylon pile for comfort and to protect your face in harsh weather.

The hood and turtle neck tunnel will be recognized as true works of art for anyone that climbs in a helmet or can appreciate a good hood design in a cold winter storm. Hood fit, visibility and adjustment in or out of a helmet are exceptional. Easily one of the best hoods of the jackets I looked at in this group by a long margin compared to some.



The hood, visor and neck area.

Detail and adjustments on the back of the attached Primaloft 1 hood



Your climbing pack will cover the majority of your back. You also lose less heat through your spine area in comparison to your abdomen. So less insulation is required there while climbing. Norrøna chose to use sewn-through down baffling on the entire back of this jacket. I might have chosen Primaloft 1 for the same area and lost some of the heat retention value of the thicker and more compressable down when fully lofted. If they had used Primaloft in the back panel you would never have to worry about down compression or the down soaking through with sweat under the pack and losing all its insulation . Primaloft would dry easier and always breath well. The change might make it a good trade off.

The sewn-through down back panel and on the far right 100g Primaloft in a strong back light.


I think arguments could be made for either insulation in the back panel. But I am happy over all with what Norrøna chose, sewn-through down baffles, on the back and the resulting additional warmth without a pack and a jacket that packs smaller for the level of warmth offered.

The side pockets are unlined and while they will work as hand warmer pockets I am surprised that Norrøna resisted the temptation to add a lwt nylon fleece material or Primaloft and make the jacket as easy to dry as possible if ever wetted in the pockets. I think I would have used a layer of Primaloft 1 as the second layer of insulation here under the 1st one of down. It would have made the jacket easier to dry out overall and the pockets more user friendly in all conditions.

This is such a highly technical jacket just by design that it forces you to rethink how material can be used to best effect. I understand Norrøna's commitment to down insulation in this jacket. The design work shown by Norrøna here makes every other jacket I looked at seem like their patterns were draw up in the Stone Age. And a couple of those jackets, in down and synthetic, are truly exceptional belay jackets in their own right! I might want a few minor changes to the Lyngen but only because Norrøna has given us such a high quality and outstandingly designed piece to pick apart. One I would really like to see improved upon. I can't over emphasis just how good this jacket is, AS IS, in every single detail.

I would love to see the same level of commitment to a even warmer Primaloft 1 belay jacket from Norrøna. That is a jacket that would put Arcteryx's $500 "Michelin man"Duelly into prespective as a true belay jacket!

There isn't a manufacturer out there making bivy jackets that couldn't learn something...or more like a lot of somethings...from taking a close look at the Norrøna Lyngen.

OK, let's move on to the pattern. There is a workable articulated hood and articulated arms. Not just a nod and a wink at doing articulation in the pattern mind you but actually making it a major part of the pattern.

Add a radically tapered cut at the hem line and you clear a harness in front and cover your bum when required in back. Keep the bulk down with a smart combination of insulations and it is a hem line you can adjust easily for your own requirements.

A better view of the amount of articulation in the pattern and the separation between down and Primaloft insulation under the arm. That combo of insulation runs from the cuff on the sleeve to the hem on the bottom edge of the waist-line of the jacket.

Remember the idea of a belay jacket is to allow the owners to actually climb difficult lines in these jackets when required. The overall length of the Norrøna is actually easily adjustable and allows the use of a single zipper pull because the front of the jacket can be snugged and secured where required with your harness. So the jacket stays zipped while in use. The zipper chosen is not a weak attempt to make poor design and pattern cutting work better with a more fragile and harder to use dbl. slider zipper. The zipper is also backed with a stiff nylon tape on both sides to eliminate the zipper snagging on the almost silk weight shell material and works well to block any wind at the zipper as well.




The Norrøna is a climbing jacket, and wearing a harness is common, not the exception. Why would a belay jacket interfere with your harness or your harness interfere with your belay jacket? The answer is, it wouldn't, if your jacket was designed from the get-go to actually climb in, by anyone who actually climbed.





From my own testing there appears to be a very effective DWR coating on the external and internal shell material. Not the typical "lifetime" guarantee we are use to seeing in the USA. According to the US importer, Backcountry.com, Norrøna offers a 5 year manufacturer's guarantee on materials and workmanship. Worth noting Backcountry.com offers their own "iron clad, lifetime" guarantee to every product they sell.



The single pull and easy to use zipper.













The Norrøna on cold and windy winter ice...buried in spindrift...just where it belongs.









Hopefully you have had the time to read through my previous "heavy weight" belay jacket comparison. Now you'll understand why I ran out of time trying to write up every jacket on that list :) cheers!

Walking the walk?

Easy to sit in the office and tap out total bs on a blog. Ya gotta wonder just how much of what I write, am I really willing to do. How deep do I get?

After getting rained out of the alpine yesterday morning at 3AM and then waking up to sunshine at 10AM I was more than a little depressed. For me the 3AM starts are generally the crux. Getting up at 3AM driving to the trail head and then bailing is not easy for me. So, for much of yesterday I planned a resurrection.

But I wanted something different. A new challenge. I wanted to do a climb as light as possible (in my context). All this new gear and technology and I had yet to push both and then myself.

For a quick test I choose a 2 mile hike with 2200' of elevation gain and another 800' of AI up to 70 degrees to finish.

Gear? All my clothing including socks and gloves weighted 3.25# total. For the bottoms I used a set of poly boxers and a pair of super light weight Gamma Lt Arcteryx pants. I added grommets and elastic to the pants legs so I could ditch the gaiters. Two pairs of socks and the silver bullet, La Sportiva's Trango Extreme Evo Gortex boots. The top? A short sleeved, wide open, fish net poly bicycle t shirt, a lwt merino wool zip front and a new Eddie Bauer, Frontpoint jacket, a lwt silk bandanna and a polar tech pile head band. Gloves were the REI multi-sport Minialmist. Big day for Petzl! Tools? Nomics, with BD umbilicals. Crampons were Dartwins clip-ons and my helmet was a Meteor, harness a Hirundos. I also bagged a 65m 5mm rap line, a small rope Reversino, a long spectra sling with 3 ultralight biners, 2 wire gates and a locker.

Temps were between the low 30s walking in and the mid 20s on the climb. But I still forced myself to start in the fishnet t shirt and the silk head band. Yes sir, it was a little chilly for the first few minutes in the legs, more than the torso, surprisingly.

2 hrs later and just short of the ridge I added the EB Frontpoint wind shell. In the wind and fog on the ridge crest, while others were adding belay jackets, I peeled the Frontpoint jacket and added my dress weight (very lwt) Merino wool sweater ($30 from a Men's Warehouse sale) and zipped up. The other climbers already on the ridge were well kitted for the weather as long as you weren't going to actually move!

An hr. later I was on top and comfortable. My clothing still dry. The first climber up behind me (who started before me) was complaining that he had to take a break and peel some layers before he could continue. He was both, over heated and wet.

C2C ...even with breaking some trail I had set a personal best for the route and had cut hrs. off my time. Better yet it was the most enjoyable time I have had on the climb. While the conditions were the hardest ice conditions I've seen there.

Good reminder for me to be selective of your gear and pay attention to what it weights. Wear less, be more comfortable and climb faster! Good day out for me. But obviously in the grand scheme, not all that deep :)

"Cool muscles work more efficiently."

For more on the subject of lwt gear and a great read try Mark Twight's "Extreme Alpinism"




A 24/48/60 hr follow up on this little adventure. Typically I would be dehydrated the evening after a climb and well into next day. I drank less on the approach and climb and wasn't dehydrated later that day or in the next 48 hrs. Which means in this case I could carry less weight in water and still be comfortable. I had less muscle soreness than usual. A lot less. I ate a bit of sugar and carbs and a drank a pint of water after I arrived at the car and had a really hot shower when I got home. We ate a typically light dinner that night. I did an casual, hour long, hike the next day but recovery was much, much faster than usual.

The one thing that really sticks in my mind about this trip was being able to literally run out the last mile of so of the trail and actually thinking it was fun! I was having the rare day physically. But I suspect that "rare" day might well be repeated on demand given the right circumstance and preparation. That idea obviously deserves further investigation and documentation.

Ziva

Braybrooke - Dingley - Brampton Ash - Braybrooke

Just under 8 miles. With Barry, Gordon and Maureen. Quite wet, long spells of persistence, with drier spells at start and finish. Walking through thigh-high fields of beans is a guaranteed recipe to soak trousers. Plenty of stiles, some slippery in the wet.





We left Braybrooke from the road opposite the church. We parked on the grass at side, just by a footpath sign, which takes you over a stile on the left. We crossed the meadow diagonally, disturbing some of the cows which were lying down,to a point where we crossed the railway line. We continued to climb gradually crossing several arable fields, some with corn, and some which had been harvested recently, then more steeply to reach the A6. We had to walk along this road for about half a mile. First we were welcomed by a sign into Leicestershire, the heart of rural England. Soon afterwards we walked along the verge to a lay-by, full of trucks and a snack bar, and the smell of bacon butties.





Shortly after the old Kettering Road from Harborough joins the road from the left, we turned right on another footpath. We followed this down hill and to the right along the side of a hill, just touching the edge of Dingley Warren wood, before making uphill for Dingley Lodge Hotel, on the main Corby-Harborough Road.

Mud sticks to boots

Trust you to take a photograph now!

You can see from the photographs that the view would be pretty good on a clearer day, but those fields were hard work, as our boots grew heavier with every step.





We walked up to the road, and followed it to the right into Dingley. After a short distance we turned left on to a small residential road which leads to Dingley Park. A short way along this we turned right, past some stables and a dressage area, then continued through fields and short paths through hedge boundaries until we crossed a wheat field with a clear wide path, which took us to the Corby- Harborough Road again.





The weather was starting to look even less friendly by now, so we had our snack break, before walking a short distance towards Brampton Ash, and taking a footpath to the right.





So . . . behind the church, and Grange Farm, which now has a picture window extension with views over the valley, and out to the quiet road downhill.

The road turns to the right and a little further on we took a footpath to the left, leading down to farm outbuildings called 'Red Hovel' on the map. A quick google shows that 'hovel' can mean an open outbuilding for storage or for the use of cattle.





Next we climbed up to the ridge, where we turned right aiming for the edge of Hermitage Wood. If there was a hermit, he was keeping himself very much to himself today - well out of the rain, I imagine.







We rejoined the minor road at a settlement called Hermitage Cottages, close to a roundabout on the A6. We followed the footpath (Jurassic Way, Mid-shires Way, and Macmillan Way),through two large fields of wet beans to Braybrooke Lodge - another farm with several horses and foals and a dressage area. Across the minor road, over stiles and underneath the railway line before making our way across the fields and back into Braybrooke, past bumps in the fields which are the remains of a castle, which was built in 1304, was the home of the Latymers and Griffins, but was destroyed by fire in the 1500s.

Braybrooke's Millenium Monument



We learnt something of the history of Braybrooke from the Millenium Monument and the information board near by.