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An interesting sequence of news came together a couple of weeks ago which has since generated quite a lively debate. Here’s what it’s all about.
- Last May, a 16 year old golfer from Texas named Jordan Spieth finished 16th in the PGA’s Byron Nelson Championship.
- Around the same time, a 16 year old sailor from Australia named Jessica Watson completed her seven month solo circumnavigation of the globe.
- A few days later, a 13 year old climber from California named Jordan Romero reached the 29,035 foot summit of Mount Everest.
I think it goes without saying that all three teens should have everyone’s respect for being able to set and achieve huge goals at such young ages. And all three are probably so thrilled right now that if they were introduced to one another, none of them would claim their individual achievements to be greater than the others. What’s the big debate then?
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 Christy schusses the middle gully of Mace Peak's North Face with late April powder. With plans to be away in the Utah desert for most of next week I thought I’d share some pics from a quick little tour Christy and did up in Ashcroft Sunday. A huge storm blew threw Colorado just before the weekend dumping some twenty inches of snow on the mountains and bringing us back into full winter, at least for a few days.
Interestingly, according to ski patrol friends, the snow that fell amounted to two full inches of water, and by that measure was the biggest storm of the season. read more>>>
 The haze might be from pollution but it at least it makes for some cool lighting effects in the mountains and valleys. Cinque Torre in the foreground on the left. We’re on the beach in Mexico on a second honeymoon and figured we should share the remaining photos from our first wedding getaway.
The Via Ferrata Cesco Tomaselli – Punta Sud was our favorite climb in the Dolomites– and for a couple of reasons. Its steep and unrelenting exposure places this route in the highest difficulty and commitment category with a 5C rating. Also, being a good deal shorter than our prior day on the wire climbing the Tofana di Rozes, we didn’t get ‘cable burnout’ which we experienced after that six hour day. Add some beautiful weather, a fun tram ride to start the day and a route that was free of snow and Christy and I wrapped up our visit to the Dolomites on a high note.
The photos tell the story. read more>>>
 On the summit of Tofana di Rozes, in Eurpoean terms- 3244m, 2 deg. C and 15 cm of new snow. You do the conversion. And the honeymoon continues. A day after the warmup on Punta Fiames we decided to hit something bigger. Highly recommended by friends and guidebooks alike, the Via Ferrata Giovanni Lippelli on the Tofana di Rozes was said to be a must-do.
The Tofana group is comprised of three separate peaks– Tofana di Rozes, di Mezzo and di Dentro– and with each just over 3200 meters, they represent the highest summits of the Dolomites. Appealing to climbers for obvious reasons, they were also considered locations of strategic interest in the WWI days which resulted in the establishment of extensive tunnel networks and several via ferrata which, nearly 100 years later are as popular as ever.
Via ferrata are rated two ways. The difficulty is measured on a scale from 1 to 5, with a 1 being an easy hike and a 5 having considerable technical challenges, exposure and at times requiring real climbing moves. The commitment level is measured separately, from A to C, with an A grade having easy escape(light commitment) in case of weather, emergencies or the like and a C, well, it’s two notches higher so if you’re clipping into a grade C, know that once you start you can’t easily turn back or simply decide that you’ve had enough. read more>>>
 Say 'cheese'-- no, better yet, say 'honeymoon.' Christy smiles big nearing the top of the 5th class VF Tomaselli. Some Euros are following down below. If they didn't smoke so many cigarettes they may have caught us. Click all photos to enlarge. The wedding was awesome. Afterwards, in need of some serious rest and unwinding, Christy and I headed to Europe, Italy to be exact. I know what you’re thinking, how romantic it must have been to cruise around the canals of Venice by gondola, the cliche honeymoon, right?
Not quite. In full disclosure we did eventually find ourselves in Venice, but it was only for a night at the very end of the trip. Instead, Christy and I threw the conventional honeymoon advice aside and headed to the mountains, choosing to relax in our own style. A two hour drive from Venice Airport put us in Cortina D’Ampezzo, in the heart of the Dolomites, where we went climbing.
More specifically, we were climbing “via ferrata.” Loosely translated into “the iron way,” this uniquely European concept began back in the WWI era and has since evolved into a climbing discipline in itself. Back then, in an effort to gain strategic positions on the high peaks of the Dolomites, the Austrians strung up cables and built iron ladders up mountainsides to recon and track movements of the approaching Italian forces, even launching attacks on them from high above. The summits of this region and the passes between them became critical fronts in the war between the then native Austrians and the Italians. With the help of these climbing aids, soldiers could quickly and safely gain these offensive positions and vantage points, on peaks that by today’s standards would require fifth class climbing with huge exposure. read more>>>
 As seen from KC the weekend prior(click all pics to enlarge)
As we topped out on Kit Carson’s summit last week, the ordinarily awesome view to the east looked even more impressive than usual. Across the valley, the North Couloir on Crestone Peak had collected a good amount of snow and, at first glance, appeared to be in skiable condition. When gazing upon this route in the past it has always appeared too rocky and lean to be safe, much less fun. Others agree, including Lou Dawson who wrote in his book,”if this couloir ever filled up with snow it could be a classic….” So I decided I should give the photos a closer look when I get home. read more>>>
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