The fixtures of Silver Gulch–a bar and microbrewery in Fox, Alaska–had something to talk about: an 152-foot ice blob rising out of the flattest part of Alaska. What they didn’t know: The Ghost Raven Ice Tower was a proving ground for the precocious.
While reading the weekly feature about Ontario ice, I noticed the sole picture of Minnesota ice climbing. I felt it necessary to add to the discussion by indicating that Nightfall (WI4+, 60m), Minnesota’s longest natural ice fall, is also the site of the Gentleman’s Occasional. This almost annual event is, likely, the most important gathering of ice climbing enthusiasts in the country.
Over the summer I tested the Sprint double rope (8.4mm, 60m), a member of the new Infinity line from Wild Country. While the company is a relatively new rope manufacturer, they’ve got the time-tested reputation to back up their products, and I was not disappointed. The rope, weighing in at 64 grams/meter, has a UIAA fall rating of 8, a relatively high impact force rating of 875 daN, an 8 percent elongation and 0mm of sheath slippage. And as a double-dry rope, both the core and sheath are treated to resist saturation. All of the aforementioned specs prove that Wild Country is truly putting safety and functionality at the forefront of their rope design.
Jonathan Thesenga and Brittany Griffith, the first American rock climbers to climb at Stolby, Siberia, share the madness of the local ethic–family free soloing en masse.
I wanted to like this because I love the Huber brothers. If I could climb 5.14 in leather pants, I would. Actually, if I could climb 5.14, I would do it in leather pants to prove a point. Much like the Hubers. Alex is a physicist, too, just to spice things up. In any event…
Captain GJ Finch, who took part in the Mount Everest expedition, speaking at a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, London, last evening on the equipment for high climbing, testified to the comfort of cigarette smoking at very high altitude. He said that he and two other members of the expedition camped at 25,000ft for over 26 hours and all that time they used no oxygen.
