What came of this craziness this summer was a huge learning curve as a guide and leader, more specifically how I handled what I called the simple corrections of skills often times overlooked by beginners.    Guiding non-stop gave me this edge and drive I crave in giving my guest and with that I was overly tuned into many things.   One was how much social norms have changed; duh right…more specifically with new climbers and how, where and why they choose to learn what they learned and accepted as tolerable to begin leading climbs.   And as a side note wrote this more to shed light on what I feel doesn’t get talked about, and most of you that have climbed with myself or with one of my guides already knows and have heard this bit but I’ve tried to articulate it a tad more in this entry.

I’ve noticed many things over the years as a guide, techniques both mine and others, teaching styles, attitudes, and so on to name a few.  For me the ability to adapt, correct, learn and stay consistently on top of whatever I’m doing has always been a very important tool I have needed as a guide.  One thing that has never changed is my safety, and why I see this as a vastly important skill needed to be a good guide I’ve witnessed a dilution in many new climbers at the local crags, not all but many in what they call safe or appropriate skills.  While it seems obvious to most that this would be a no brainier, your going to leave the ground, expose oneself and others in the pursuit of moving into vertical ground and many believing they’re doing the right thing.  The classic new backpack from the gear store loaded with shiny new carabiners, new shoes and a rope that hasn’t hit the dirt is one example.  Not to mention the piss poor techniques learned from inside a gym, ah ha…  As exciting as it is to experience these first experiences and challenges it is equally important to know when to ask for help.  While I believe gyms are a useful and fantastic opportunity to spend the winter training indoors with mates and good times, it is not a place I would suggest learning how to climb, climb and stay in shape sure, but learn to climb…really?  Wow, that is a big statement I know many would call me out on it, and I hope you do.  My argument is simple…Would you learn how to go fishing inside Cabelas in Denver (oh yeah huge store) and then go deep sea fishing, probably not?  I say this mainly because on more than one occasion I have witnessed either accidents, or near fatal accidents with so called hard climbers transferring skills from the indoor arena into the outdoor world.  If it were truly just that simple….I mean clipping bolts is clipping bolts, but what about setting anchors at the top, gear selection, or the skills of the belayer at the bottom for starters, how about communication?

I’m older now, and when I learned the art of belaying as a guide under the likes of Mike Donahue, Steve Young and Mike Caldwell (father or Tommy) and many more legends of the time in Estes Park.  What was so important was the prudence and mindful manner in which we belayed, yes he (they) would correct us in a stern tones if we made errors.  While his tactics at times were a drag, (I saw Mike once fire someone on the spot because they soloed in front of guest).  For me personally it evolved into so much more as a guide and skills I believe that shouldn’t be diluted in the name of hurriedly going outdoors, I’m simply saying be pragmatic.

How hard is it really to learn things the correct way?  Or from someone that knows how to properly do it, or how do we know when or where to find that person?  In an age where guides, instructors and so called leaders are popping out everywhere (and cheaply, cost of guides per day are decreasing in order to remain competitive).  Ask if he or she is certified as  “Rock guide” and if not why, and if they believe he/she have the skills already, great at least 5 years minimum in my opinion climbing outdoors at all levels is necessary.

I caution guest to remain prudent and take the proper paths to learning solid skills early in your climbing career, not take short cuts or waiver in the believe that because you have a “certified belay card” from some gym does NOT make you an expert…oh and yeah I heard that one many times this summer.   Instead tune into the real and present realities of improper belaying and or lowering and rappelling skills because even at the most basic levels these are highly technical and can have very negative outcomes if done wrong.   I know, I’ve rescued  given first aid and helped more than once in situations where the so called expert was in fact nothing more than an accident waiting to happen.

So in short, get outside, just do it slowly at first and grow into that good judgment.

Jamie

Many great shout outs to all who made this possible this week, in particular Sharon Larson and the management from Center for Creative Leadership…allowing us use of space and patience as we dipped in ponds, toed flowers, and more or less made a playground in your very nice backyard, glad know one laid witness to that…for all we know they would have joined in!

Gina Sollazi, from Center for Children s Literacy and the last minute use of their space,  Ade my beautiful finace and this week, hard laborer of 138 meals for what will be 10 straight days and many hungry mouths,  Gina as mentioned prior and again, Alex her capable daughter and great actress, instructors of WMI and the superb leadership of Adam…well done.  Jamie

(As of: Mon Apr 25 07:24:38 PDT 2011)

Topping out of Glen Cove Cirque. Photo Jamie Pierce

Busy spring preparing for summer, building new programs, fixing and updating  old ones, personal health, fitness, climbing, guiding.  Ascending and exploring new areas and local classics, easier ones, followed up with a tad of  challenge,  nursing my body back into climbing shape and not shake on 5.9, plus you have the off balance Tyrannosaurus build, complete with mongo legs, and bone arms one gets from being on skis all winter.

The peak is dry, skeletal in fact.  Crazy since the northern Rockies are flush with snow, great for those regions and watersheds.  Never have I witnessed such low  snow totals in regions typically holding much deeper amounts.  How much would be around without wind scrapping and peeling layers off the mountain?  Classic wind redistribution has occurred especially near cooler sheltered aspects, deeply dense layers that will hang on for a bit even with ambient warming.  Winds can and are at times robust to say the least.  A wind event here in town was tagged on the summit wind anemometer at 98 mph, with a good amount of natural pruning of trees.  Plus reminding me just how crappy the prior fence install was on my house, as it ripped out sections to the ground, yup new project to pile.

Total Abandonment is in and ready, didn’t check out Blind Assumption but will, I would imagine it is as well and ready to be ascended.  The winds though are what seems out of control, but then remembered last year and the year before how windy the spring time was past years and wrote it off.  Good time to consider some panels and wind turbines to power this place up!  Anyone else sick and tired of paying for something we can tag for um free?

Approach to Total Abandonment. Photo Jamie Pierce

Images of the earthquake in Christchurch New Zealand seem surreal being so far away now.    Many of us who travel to and from Antarctica use Christchurch as our base of operations through the U.S.A.P program.  Seeing images of dead bodies, leveled buildings including the town chapel in the center of Christchurch, whole storefronts fallen, cars buried under debris from images on the web are truly tragic and awful.  It is a desperate and  horrible situation for many, prayers to all.

Want to help?  Donate to the Red Cross of New Zealand:  www.redcross.org.nz

This weekend in Boulder Colorado, the American Mountain Guides Association will be hosting the annual International Federation of Mountain Guides technical committee meetings for the first time in the United States.  A unique opportunity for guides all over the USA and abroad to come together to discuss a broad range of issues we face in our profession both locally and and internationally.   Sunday a fun event with UIAGM/IFMGA guides,  international delegates and freshly minted IFMGA guides to wear traditional guide uniforms and walk in a fun Guides Parade on Pearl street in Boulder starting at 4:30 PM.

Classic Alpine Granite in its early morning light on Pikes Peak!

Recently I found myself again in a struggle with a climber from Boulder over the  topic of where I was from.  Often times I’m happy to share that information, but in this case I knew what to except even before I had time to answer that I was from the Springs.  Colorado Springs seems to elicit certain images to many not from here, and of course as usual they’re way off.   The idea that were surrounded by religious compounds, and militant gun totting conservatives and Tea Party meetings, is just ignorance once again shining through, and with all do respect who cares anyways?

Point is that climbing in this region and in particular Pikes Peak, and its world class neighbor the South Platte are incredible climbing destinations.  Why travel for hours if you live here, and if your from here you know that.  Being crowded is the popular myth of Front Range climbing, and simply put it is a myth.  Now if you solely get your climbing plans from Mountain Project and naturally migrate towards only the classics, then yes crowds or people you may find, but crowds, well rarely does that occur.  In fact in the multiple times I’ve spent guiding above 11,00 feet on alpine routes on Pikes Peak, the closest to people I got was on the highway, which was far away, and offers a convenient way in which to get to altitude, do your routes and get out, not spending hours, upon hours of walking to your climb-the climbing is tough enough.  Truth is bigger routes here require actual mountain skills, not your average weekend hack set of skills, but truly skills that can and will get you out of a pinch, well good luck if you don’t know how to find the routes, or you happen to go with someone that has climbed them before because I myself have gotten lost trying to get to some of our local gems, okay only once, but still got lost.  No guide books needed, besides none exist, all you need is a  sense of adventure and a little local knowledge will prepare you.  Again if your luck y enough to get on one of the many supremely great routes offered in this region you will find a true adventure in store for yourself!

Yes,   splitter granite cracks, zero people, gorgeous settings, and a lifetime of climbing opportunity.  I once said after climbing some of the best pitches of granite I have ever climbed in my life, why in the heck would I go compete with crowds, cranky locals and still not get the same quality when it’s in my back yard.  I’ve not even touched on the South Platte yet.   So if your really up for a true climbing experience and want the wind on your back and frost on your breath try a world class Grade 3 gems with us sometime, we guarantee you won’t walk away disappointed.   Besides ice should be in within a month!

Now I gear up for a hike with guest from the south as we take them on an adventure hiking in the Grand Canyon, nearly 280 guest!  Now talk about logistics!  40 guides, 875 lbs of food, 150 lbs of coffee, 35 radios, Sat-Phones, 12 tents, 80 cots, gourmet meals, gorgeous hikes and a chance of a lifetime for many of these hard working folks that have trained there brains off for this awesome adventure.