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 It's all downhill from here, or at least from a little farther up. Neal climbs up from Talyor Pass. “Thirty-seven.” That was his answer to my question as to when he thought he had reached his top form, and after which he first noticed his speed, stamina and general physical condition begin to deteriorate– in other words, when things started going downhill. At the time, I didn’t think it to be an inconsiderate question, I was genuinely curious. But I later realized that to ask a guy 13 years my senior, and with a near lifetime more experience in the mountains than I, was actually a bit disrespectful. It implied that he had peaked, that he was over the hill, and my innocent curiosity put him in the uncomfortable position of having to actually nail down the exact start of his decline. I was asking him to admit that he was getting old.
But as certain as time may be, Neal still refuses to surrender to age, and he wasn’t going let me get away with forcing it on him. That would explain his answer, because I was thirty-seven, and it was the obvious, easy comeback to my unintentional call out. As in,”I may be getting older, but you’re right there with me, pal.”
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 A couple of climbers deep in the park. To get right to the point– it hasn’t snowed in a while so we went ice climbing. 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>>>
We love the Ouray Ice Park.
Once a season, in an effort to change things up, we make a trip down to the San Juans, to the town of Ouray, Colorado and its one-of-a-kind playground for big kids. This trip was a reunion of sorts, Christy and I were meeting Adrian, Lissa, Joe [...]
Ted Wins the Lottery
The results are in, and the news is good. With nearly 350 people vying for some 150 or so spots in this year’s Hardrock 100, my odds of getting a number weren’t all that great. Well, the lottery was held today and I got in. I suppose the hard part [...]
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