Petzl ERGO

Ueli Steckon the m6 Direct Startto the Super Couloir.Jon Griffin photo and link here:



http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions/1438782-its-been-a-long-10-days



The original Ergo was one of the new tools that started the mixed tool explosion. That was several generations ago now and it is obvious that dbl handled tools are here to stay. Once thought an esoteric in design and for the specialists only it became a pretty common place design along with the BD Reactor and other newer tools from a few companies playing catch up.













Then the Nomic came out. Even more radical in design and appearance it didn't take long for almost everyone to realise just how good the Nomic was and how much easier it made ice and mixed climbing. The radical shaft shape and lack of hammer didn't stop the Nomic users from getting on everything from easy alpine ice to hard M8 all with the same tool. And amazingly almost everyone happy with it!



The newest Ergo is another big jump in shaft and handle design. You now have an extremely high clearance shaft and the option of three supported hand positions.





To be honest I am still learning how to climb on a Nomic after 5 seasons and figure I have yet to fulfill its potential.



The new Ergo is a big step up on the Nomic's potential from what I first see, visualise and can act upon even now.



Another look at the new Ergo here with good pictures:



http://rafalandronowski.wordpress.com//02/12/petzl-ergo-at-haffner-creek/



More here from someone who can actually use the new Ergo as intended:



http://machavok.blogspot.com//10/petzl-ergo-mixed-climbing-tool-review.html



In the grand scheme of the Ergo I am a gumby climber. But then I am a gumby as well when you look at who the Nomic was designed for. It is a true stroke of genius to have a tool like the Nomic that climbers at any skill can take advantage of. The question is can a gumby take advantage of what the Ergo has to offer and will it up your game over the Nomic?























































For what it is worth the Ergo is an amazing piece of kit even for a beginner on mixed. Easy or hard terrain and with no concern for your climbing ability imo the Ergo is a rather big step up in performance over every previous ice tool I have used. There is little question it really excels on vertical terrain, mixed or ice. But you can just as easily climb Grade 3 water ice with the Ergo as you can with an original Quark or a Nomic for that matter. The more horizontal grip of the Ergo really has a grip strength advantage over even the Nomic'c excellent grip profile. Enough so that the Ergo's grip kept me on a climb that I should have and would have blown off an Nomic's grip when I popped both feet trying to get onan icicle while coming off mixed terrain.

The new grip angle is a big advantage on difficult terrain and doesn't seem to have any down sides or easy terrian that I can tell. It is easy enough to move your hands up the shaft as the terrian looses angle. The other big advanatge I see form the previous generation of Nomics is the serrated lower grip pommel. The serrated steel blade really does offer good bite on the ice and makes the tool much more stable. More so than I ever thought it would. Big plus here. Down side is the Nomic and Ergos pommel attachment design is seriously flawed and is prone to quick failure. Which makes the tool pretty worthless.

I really like this tool. Much more so than I had ever envisioned. It works very well on any mixed or pure ice terrain. Even the easy stuff and is exceptional on the vertical stuff. I can see this being the only tool many climbers will own and they will be satisfied by doing so.The only down side from a huge positive recommendation for a beginner wanting to climb harder and get better, tothe proficienthard core mixed master, is the poor pommel design that Petzl is obviously going to have to fix sooner than later.

But there is enough advantages to the new shaft design that I am going to figure out a away to make my set of Ergos reliable enough to take ontosome serious alpine mixed terrain.

(see the other post for the details on the Nomic Ergo"failures")

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger (1928)

Phend-Fisher Family Reunion Ledger (1928)

The 19th Family Reunion of the Phend - Fisher Families was held on Sunday Aug. 26th at McNaughton Park.

The time before dinner was spent in getting acquainted and greeting old friends. At noon all gathered around the table and after grace, pronounced by Rev. Oberholser, all began eating and talking.

After dinner a meeting was called by the President Claude Poole, and following officers elected.
President Claude Poole
Vice President Harold Phend
Sec. R. H. Phend
Treasurer John Ernest.
Memorial Committee Surelda Thornton
Arrangement Com.
J. J. Phend
Fred Ernest
Iva Wherley

[page 2]
Entertainment Committee
Fred Ernest, Chairman to elect two others to serve with him.

It was voted to hold the next meeting the last Sunday in August the place to be decided later by the Arrangement Committee.

We were then favored with two duets by Rev. & Mrs. Oberholser and a duet by Mrs. John Ernest and Mrs. Shaw. Fred Ernest then presented the Family Tree in a very interesting manner and the meeting was then closed with a prayer.

R. H. Phend, Sec.

The Attendence was 75.

[in a different handwriting] Births
Virginia Rose Phend Daughter of Victor Phend.

Native Clematis

This is a California native clematis, Clematis lasiantha.

Cute shoes: definitely cheeky

I'm starting to think I'm obsessed withshoes - but I can assure you that I'm not! However, my recent posts may indicate otherwise, with my beloved Crocs that most of my friends turn their noses up at (fortunately I generally only wear them when travelling, so no one see's them!), my walking boots that are in need of replacing for something less clunky, and my love of brown boots (yes, I have 3 pairs now, necessary as the winter sets in!); you really wouldn't expect me to be a fan of a cute little pair of 'pump' type shoes that I recently won in a competition online...







I think the selling point for me is that these little 'Cheeky' shoes (as they are suitably named) fit nicely in whatever bag/case/backpack I happen to have with me and take up virtually no space at all. You hardly know they are there until you realise you need them.



More importantly they are a godsend on my feet and really comfortable. Although I have come accustomed to wearing them around the house (I have wooden flooring downstairs) these brightly coloured footwear have held their own on even reasonably rough terrain.



For example, whilst I was in Lake Garda a few weeks ago, I took them out for a spin on a walk that probably clocked a good couple of miles along a dusty track and cobbled streets. Although I have to admit to preferring my trainers or walking shoes on this sort of terrain, the Cheeky Shoes surprisingly didn't make the walk as uncomfortable as I was expecting.



I think generally these shoes are much better suited to flat ground, and perhaps not places I tend to frequent whilst travelling as I am a keen walker, and love a good hike or two. However I'm still packing them in my case for this weekends jaunt to Budapest as I know they will work well with jeans or to dress up my slightly less than formal outfits.



So in my view, to summarise and in response to other reviews I've read:



Upsides:

- Comfortable as long as you are not walking too rough a terrain;

- Easy to pack as they take up little space;

- Funky colour options;

- Dainty and would be great for dancing (I have yet to try them out at a salsa or ceroc class as haven't had time).



Downsides:

- For long periods of wear whilst walking (a lot) I found it necessary to wear socks or footsies inside the shoes as my feet got a little sweaty/hot;

- Toes tend to stick out underthe material, but you do get used to this.



Why not check out the full range here.

Cabin & Truck

In this shot you can see the logs that were part of the log cabin and an old rusted out Model T truck that was near the cabin.

Blue Sky & a Bush

I don't know what kind of a bush this is that I found on the edge of Sandia Crest.

Clear Above, Films Below

Wednesday Morning on the Ingraham

The past couple of days have been absolutely gorgeous on the upper mountain. The sun has been out, winds have been calm and fresh snow covers almost everything. There have been a few climbers who were undeterred by the mediocre forecasts,and three hardy souls braved postholing andgusty windsabove 13,000'to summit via the DC earlier today. Even the climbers who did not make the summit have found some fun making fresh turns on their skis and boards, practicing rescue and ice climbing skills in crevasses, or soaking in the views of volcanotops poking through the clouds.




There is a forecasted low pressure system moving through the Northwest over the next day or two, so some inclement and unpredictable weatheris expected on the upper mountain, but this systemseems to haveenough similarity to the last one where climbers can alsoreasonably expect periods of nice weather to be found on the upper mountain over the coming days. The only way to know what is happening is to come see for yourself. Check out recent conditions updates for more specific information on climbing routes.



Also in other news check out the Rainier Independent Film Festival going on this weekend at variouslocations around the base of Mt. Rainier. It looks like they have some great films selected and the venues(which include a Cine-Yurt!)are as varied as the films being screened.

Walkin' the Land of my Ancestors

With clear skies and 80 degree temps (in October, no less!) I just couldn't stay indoors today. The Crooked Lake Nature Preserve lies mostly in Whitley County on the Noble-Whitley county line about half a mile west of State Road 9.

The southern area, which I explored today, is the Lawrence Bishop Memorial Addition and is located on the south side of Little Crooked Lake, off of County Road 600N. This southern area borders the land where my 3rd great grandparents, Jacob and Malissa (Stem) Wise lived. And where her parents, Conrad and Indiana (Sisley) Stem lived on a neighboring farm.

Below is a portion of the 1889 Plat Map of Thorncreek Township, Whitley County. It shows that M. A. Scott (Malissa Ann, married Jacob Scott in 1876) owned 106 acres of land in Section 3 on the south side of Crooked Lake. This land had been purchased by Jacob Wise in August 1849. To the east of the Scott property was C. Stem, who owned 32.5 acres. Conrad had purchased 152 acres (most of that southeast quarter) in December 1853. Nowadays, the majority of their lands have been subdivided into 2-5 acre lots, several are still available for purchase. Some of the houses being built are ridiculously large, especially in light of the current economic situation.

The map below is from the Indiana DNR (Department of Natural Resources). The outlined area encompasses the Crooked Lake Nature Preserve. As always, click on the images to see a larger version. The dotted line on the right is State Road 9 and the dotted line along the bottom is County Road 600N.

A mowed path meanders along the south and east sides of the meadow. It enters the woods on the north side, weaving in and out several times before emerging into the meadow once again on the west side. This first view is looking to the northeast (from the west side of the trail).

Mt. St. Helens, Worm Flows

Foursquare Mountaineering split up and climbed 2 different mountains on the same day. This group went south and climbed the St. Helens winter route. What a view!






Pete M. and Dan on top.



Brian, Matthew, Diane, Andrew, Todd and David on the summit.

It was a great day to climb a mountain!

Dark Secret

Last night I posted a picture of a gimlet-sippingbikeyface at dinner, and a reader emailed to ask what bikes we ride when we go out. It would be great, she suggested, to write a post about being out on the town on bikes.



Hmm that does sound nice. But it would be pretty tough. Because the truth is, we didn't ride bikes. Last night our destination was only 15 minutes away and walking just seemed easier. The other week we did the same when going to see a movie. Come to think of it, most of the time we see each other there are no bikes involved. We live in the same neighbourhood and are usually so tired that we stick to local places and walk to them. Does that make us bad bicycle bloggers? Maybe I should have kept this a secret!





When I first began cycling for transportation 3 years ago, I was so excited about it that I would ride everywhere no matter the distance just for the heck of it. I would ride down the block, or to the store around the corner and back. Now that cycling has lost its novelty, it seems too much of a hassle to get my bike out just to ride a short distance. I would rather walk.



In a sense there is some sadness in having lost that beginner's excitement. But I think it also means that I've transitioned to a stage where transportation cycling has become truly normalised. With cycling established as an inherent part of life, I don't feel the need to ride down the block when I can walk. If you've been riding for a while, have you had the same experience?

Conflict of interests

By coincidence, the state meetings of both the Alabama Master Gardeners and the Alabama Wildflower Society were held in Huntsville this past weekend.

I had a conflict of interests!



Actually it wasn't too bad, except for half a day on Saturday, when the AMG was winding down and the AWS was beginning.



We did not get as much time at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens as we would have liked.

This is their 115+ year old dogwood.



A trillium that doesn't know how to count. (It's supposed to have only three petals.)

A quadrillium...?



At a garden we toured, my favorite feature was this granite wall that the owner had built out of free scraps.

I didn't take my "good" camera due to forecasts for lousy weather, and of course ended up wishing I'd had it.




Especially when we hiked the Monte Sano sinks trail. I saw Squawroot for the first time...



...I didn't realize it was so big!



One night the banquet hall was late opening up, so I wandered the neighborhood and photographed enchanted medieval castles. (Or possibly it was just a backlit church with swirling clouds.)

I had a wonderful time, but boy are my feet tired.

Big Al Spadijer

Here at jjobrienclimbing we've had hundreds of letters fromreaders asking when are we going to profile a real man and not just some stringy little kid.

We couldn't find one so here's Al Spadijer!

Property news:Prices around Mt Coolum have slumped in recent times.

Al has bought a new house in the neighbourhood.

Coinicidence?













Style:Al, and several billion of the Earths poorest inhabitants, make up a fashion movementcoined by jjobrienclimbing"Economical". Whilst the vast majority of"Economicalists" arevictims of place and circumstance, Al voluntarily embraces the movement with a strong sense of "Dishevelled Chic".





Spoonman 28'Hey mate well done on the send. Not bad considering your conscious state was one notch above coma.'

Bradley Babel (facebook)What Allan Spadijer doesn't know right now, amongst other things, is that the lost roll of finger tape heforlornly searches for is under Frey's rope mat and not in the long grass.

He also climbs.



If only Oli's mum knew who he was hanging around with.











Careful with those hangers!

A reader sent me this today. Thought it worth posting.





Photo from the new Outdoor Reasearch catalog sent to mebyPat Valade

Cycling and Sun Damage

Though I have derived many benefits from cycling, the one drawback I am still struggling with is sun damage. During my first year on the bike as an adult, I thought that I was being pretty good about using sun protection, but noticed visible damage to my skin that seemed to be a direct result of cycling over the summer months. Darkened patches and wrinkles appeared in areas of my face and body that had been most exposed to the sun while cycling. And this was despite using high SPF sunblock and staying off the road during the hottest times of the day.



At some point last summer, I switched from chemical to physical sunblock (titanium dioxide or zinc oxide), which seems to have helped. My skin was sensitive to the chemical stuff, and some friends told me that30SPF physical block worked better for them than 60+SPF chemical, as well as lasted considerably longer. I switched and found this to be true for me as well. Physical sunblock remains visible after application and looks kind of goofy, but at this point I couldn't care less and just want to ride my bike without wrecking my skin.After year two there was still some additional skin damage, but less than before.This summer I will try to be extra good about applying the sunblock as frequently as possible.



In speaking to long-time road cyclists about sun damage, I've learned that it is a common complaint - to the extent that some just accept it as inevitable, embrace their wrinkles and brown spots, and pay frequent visits to the dermatologist. I really don't want to believe that it has to be that way, but my own case has done nothing to prove them wrong.What has been your experience with sun damage as a result of cycling, and how do you deal with it?

We're All Doing It Right: Thoughts on Grant Petersen's Just Ride

Earlier this year, Rivendell founder Grant Petersen published a book, Just Ride - a collection of short essays serving as a "radically practical guide" to cycling. After readingJust Ride over the summer I was not sure how to review it, so I held off. But at this stage I've been asked so many times whether I've read it, or been told that I ought to read it,that I figured I should share my thoughts.




To provide some background, I am a huge fan of Grant Petersen's writing; can't get enough of it. I have been an avid follower of the Rivendell Reader and "blug" over the past 4 years. I'll even read the product descriptions on the Rivendell website just for fun. My admiration of his writing has nothing to do with whether I agree with everything he has to say; these are two separate things. But as a writer, I think he is uniquely gifted at creating engaging narratives and at establishing a sense of a shared perspective between himself and the reader. Just Ride has some of that magic, and that's what makes it stand out amidst the other bike books out there. At the same time, the book is quite short and largely reiterates what some of us have already read in Rivendell's literature over the years. I would like more! When discussing the book, Grant has mentioned that initially he had written a much longer, rambling manuscript that he and his publisher later nixed. I can't help but be curious about that earlier version. Maybe a longer, more in-depth book is in the future? I sincerely hope so. Grant Petersen is more than a bike industry guy; he is a writer.




But getting back to Just Ride: I would describe it as a friendly, engaging guide to cycling that is aimed at beginners and those getting back into riding later in life. Just Ride aims to portray riding a bicycle as a fun and uncomplicated activity, and seeks to free it from the seriousness that has been imposed on it by the racing, fitness and advocacy cultures.Each chapter offers advice on some concrete aspect of cycling. For the most part I agree with the advice, and the details I don't agree with don't really matter: You get a handful of bike people in a room and there is seldom a consensus. The important thing, as I see it, is that the advice feels accessible and appealing to beginners and makes them wantto start riding, makes them feel that cycling is for them. Once they get into it, they can form their own preferences about specifics. The main thing is to make them feel inspired and comfortable in the first place, and Just Ridedoes that.




The one thing that distracts from this, is that the book described as "the manual for the unracer" in fact focuses too much on racing, in my view. Even the term "unracer" itself suggests that racing is really the dominant type of riding, so much so that regular riding must be described in terms of what racing is not. Why not just call bike riding "bike riding," instead of turning it into a negative? It seems that the author assumes his readers have already been inundated by the racing culture and all the lycra/clipless/carbon/laterally stiff clutter that entails. But while this may have been true 5+ years ago, today I think it is far less likely. With plain-clothes bicycle commuting being covered by major US newspapers, I do not think racing is necessarily the prism through which novices perceive cycling these days. By mentioning racing constantly Just Ride makes it seem important, sending a mixed message to readers.




But my more serious critique of the book has to do with its interpretation. Namely, I notice that some readers are interpreting Just Ride to mean that there is a very specific way to "just ride," and that those not following Grant Petersen's advice to the letter are doing it wrong. Seriously: Since this book came out, every time I mention clipless pedals, a carbon fork, padded cycling shorts, riding with a club, or enjoying watching a bicycle race, sure enough someone will throw the book at me - telling me that I must read Just Ride and mend my wayward ways. I am pretty sure this is not the spirit in which the book was intended by Mr. Petersen, but nonetheless that is how some folks are seeing fit to use it. And to them I have this to say: We do not need more "you're doing it wrong" narratives in this crazy, fragmented bicycle culture. What we need is more inclusivity. As far as I am concerned, if you are enjoying riding your bike, you are doing it right - regardless of how high your handlebars are or what material your bicycle is made of. Let's all just ride our bikes in ways that make us happy, and not pass judgment on others.




Just Ride may be available at your local bike shop or book store, or it can be purchased from Rivendell direct.

Mt Rainier storm & flood damage photos - Ohanapecosh

Snow is accumulating at Paradise. I measured 46" total, with 15" of fresh snow this morning. It looks and feels like winter and if the park were open, skiers, boarders and snowshoers would be enjoying the early snowfall. But the floods really did a number on the roads and as the days pass, it becomes more clear how complicated the damage is, especially with the prompt arrival of winter.

Since it's going to be difficult to write about the climbing routes and upper mountain while the park is closed, I will devote more energy to the events surrounding the park being reopened. There will be updates, damage assessments, projected repairs and ongoing weather observations. I'll also pull together photos, when possible, like these NPS pictures of the Ohanapecosh area.

Above left is an interpretive sign in the Grove of the Patriarchs that has been flooded with mud and silt. Normally, this type of sign rests about 3 and 1/2 feet above ground.

The heavy rain also lead to a number of landslides, like this large one near Ohanapecosh Campground. The slide started on the road above (out of image) and swept everything in its path down to the Ohanapecosh River and Campground.

Here is the primary deposition zone for all of the timber that was unearthed in the same landslide.





The river also moved and in doing so, took a couple of the campsites with it. Here is the new loop C of Ohana.

Can Your Bike Withstand the Outdoors?

A couple of days ago I forgot my bike lock and dragged the big steel bicycle I was riding that day, complete with a pannier full of art supplies, up 3 flights of stairs to my studio. While doable, it was certainly an ordeal - not even the weight alone, but the awkwardness and inconvenience of carrying something so bulky up a long, winding staircase. I cannot imagine doing this on a daily basis, and normally mytransportation bikes spend the day locked up outside.



That is why it surprised me to learn that quite a few cyclists I know apparently do this several times every day and will not leave their bike outdoors for anything beyond a quick errand. Their concern is not safety, but durability. One acquaintance tells me that leaving her bicycle outside - not overnight, but during a normal workday - leads to rust and mechanical issues, particularly if it happens to rain. Another cyclist complained that after half a year of leaving her new Dutch-style bicycle outdoors 9-5 on a daily basis, the bike is now in such bad shape that the shop she took it to for a cleanup and tune-up told her not to bother and just buy a new one. It sounds absurd, but I have more anecdotes in the same vein, all involving bikes purchased in the past 2-3 years: It seems that many of the new wave "city bikes" -unlike the European originals that inspired them - were not actually designed to withstand the outdoors.



Of the current-production bikes I've owned or had on loan, I have kept a Pashley, a Bella Ciao, a Pilen, an Urbana, and a Paper Bicycle outdoors for extensive periods of time and have observed no damage as a result of this practice. Same with the vintage bikes I've owned - my Gazelle and the Steyr I rode in Austria both stayed outside overnight and were none the worse for wear. So what did these manufacturers do differently, and is it possible to do the same to other bikes aftermarket? I suppose a frame can be sprayed with some rust-proof solvent, but what about the components?



Finally, I am curious to know what you feel is realistic to expect from a new transportation bike, as far as its outdoor durability. Should it be rated for being left outside for a couple of hours at a time? A standard 9-5 workday? Overnight storage? Your own experiences with specific bikes are welcome.

Exploring the Science of.....Freebie Books

I'm still wading through our storage shed and sorting through the hundreds of books we have left. I have a few sets of books that I'd love to pass along to someone that could use them. The first set is a Science series that says it is for ages 9-12. They are hardcover books, with a library binding on them and they are in great shape. The set is of the four seasons and fire and sunlight.



Just leave me a comment if you would like them, and I'll email you for your address. If there is more than one person that would like them, I'll do some sort of drawing for them. I am guessing we will have a few more sets to give away so keep your eyes open for more.