Ice Axe

So its kind of hard to fake surprise when youve ordered your own birthday present, but in any event, it was a cool moment. Before this, I used what Mountain Madness provided. I really like the finish on the Black Diamond Raven and thankfully I ordered the right size. I added the molded protectors for travel and attached a leash. As I read the directions for attaching the leash I thought how funny it was that one minute I'm playing with my ice axe and an hour later I'm chaperoning 4th graders on a field trip. Best of both worlds for sure.

    

I adore the instructions enclosed with gear that have no words accompanying them. I totally think the guy who illustrated this for the company cracked himself up at the final image he drew:

Happy Birthday to me...

A DIAMOND FOR MY BIRTHDAY!
http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/climbing%2Fice-axes-piolets/raven-ice-axe-BD410151000055_1.html

Harness

I bought a Petzl Luna harness which is a women's-specific fit and miraculously its pretty comfortable. Not sure if I should have sized down but I think I'm OK especially if I've got my fleece layer pants on under my soft shell pants. I  prefer to wear it around a bit so I can get used to it, seeing as I have so many tactile issues. Its not like I can NOT wear it if its bothering me on the mountain...better get used to having it on. I wonder what my husband thought when he saw me wearing it during the day, you know, putting laundry away etc. I think he smirked as I passed him coming down the stairs.
Eventually I returned it for a Black Diamond Alpine Bod harness, since its lower profile and lighter. I've decided I like it better.

Warning-

Label affixed to ropes in REI. I think that goes without saying...

Pages from my favorite book

One of the first things I bought for this trip was a book called Glacier Mountaineering, An Illustrated Guide to Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue by Andy Tyson and Mike Clelland. I need everything explained to me IN DETAIL.  The illustrations are definitely detailed and show all sorts of different scenarios, not just the ideal ones. Also, its funny.  For example, my kids both like the following page:

Awe

On the way back from walking the kids to school this morning, I noticed the wispy cirrus clouds in the sky. Reminded me how much I am looking forward to seeing the skies in Ecuador above Cotopaxi.

Know the Ropes

I love this page from Backpacker magazine. Thank goodness this trip has a guide. They make it look so easy. Crevasses make me want to barf.  Especially this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJtyzJg68sk

Prusik

Purchased new prusik cord and additional carabiners from REI this week. Part of preparation for this climb is learning/reviewing how to tie different knots. Youtube is very helpful for sure, but once I master it a knot, it never sticks in my brain-probably because I don't use them on a regular basis . Prusik is carried by all climbers and is a friction hitch that can be used to ascend rope without a mechanical ascender (jumar). It can be a lifesaver if you are in a crevasse----which I try to block from my mind from ever happening. One of my favorite videos is this one that shows a huge crevasse on Mt. Rainier from the bottom looking up. And then a guy using prusik to practice on the side of his house.  Not sure I'd ever practice that way, but interesting nonetheless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxbNT2rlq4I    But if I'm in a crevasse I guess I need to know what to do, in the dark, and most certainly with a pounding heart. 

The carabiners in the glass case at REI always catch my eye...like the glass case in a jewelry store filled with diamonds.  This time it was the brown colored screw-lock carabiners that caught my eye.  

Weighted Pack

I adore my backpack.  An Osprey Talon 44 that's fit like a glove since the day I bought it. When I put it on, it truly is like a part of me. Since its only about 2400 cu inches in size, I do need a bigger pack for this trip, one that's about 5000 cu inches.  Staying with the Osprey, I bought an Ariel 75.  Not nuts about the blue color but hoping it will grow on me.  $130 cheaper than the graphite color so I'll definitely make do.  So far I've only been out with my smaller pack but weighted it down with 20 lbs in water bottles. This weekend I hiked for 2 hours. The humidity made the air extremely thick even though it was only in the mid eighties. On the way home, I walked along the creek near our house on the way back.  It was quiet and cool and I could hear the crunch of the rocks under my favorite boots,  a sound I happen to like a lot.

Spreadsheeting

This is the spreadsheet that's been in my purse for over a year now. A little tattered but there's a crisper copy on the side of my fridge. While I'm terrible at Excel, I might be the queen of analyzing. The spreadsheet was made after I'd finally come to terms with Kilimanjaro being a longer term goal than 5 years, due to the huge expense, especially seeing as I'd want to take my family along, if for nothing else, a post-climb safari. Its about $6,000 for the land-only portion of the trip for ONE PERSON. One of the reasons that I feel urgency to climb Kilimanjaro is that I want to see the ice fields at the top before they melt. I'm intrigued that, despite its location in the tropics, the cold and dry air at the top of the mountain has sustained large quantities of ice for more than 10,000 years. Another reason which I will address in a later post is the "Darren factor", a friend of mine from my exchange year who was killed in Arusha doing charity work at the foot of Kilimanjaro.

After returning from the Everest Base Camp trek (from here on out abbreviated EBC) in October 2011, I sat for a long time on what I wanted to do next. Everest is magical and spiritual and challenging and life-changing.  It carved out its own place in my heart that will never change. Deciding to postpone Kilimanjaro gave way to a few months obsession with Mt. Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe (18,510) and another one of the Seven Summits. I had considered it so seriously that I even picked the date I was going to go and was working towards it. Elbrus is considered one of the easiest of the Seven Summits, although it is not an easy mountain and there are 15-30 deaths each year on it.  Elbrus (in the Caucasus Range in  Russia) can be climbed in a relatively short amount of time and the total length away from home would be about 14 days, which is not only appealing but necessary with my schedule.

The thing that changed my mind about it for now is that a trusted source said that if it weren't one of the Seven Summits, no one would climb it. It's un-spectacular. It's still on my list, mainly because of the low technical requirements and of course the allure of it being one of the Seven Summits,but it would be a huge let down after Everest I've decided, especially culturally.  Is it just something to knock off? Will it be an "experience"? I put it on the back burner.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have the allure and  so many places to both trek AND climb, but the safety factor at this time makes them improbable. Adding to the existing safety issues, this year the following event took place on the ninth highest mountain in the world, Nanga Parbat  http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/mountaineering/David-Roberts-on-the-Nanga-Parbat-Massacre.html

The reality checks begin...

Big boxes arriving by UPS are a good sign that I have a trip coming up in the next year.  Some girls spend their money on manicures and purses.  I like to spend mine on outdoor gear. 

This particular box happens to be my first attempt at Koflach Arctic Expes, the classic double-plastic boots that are good on expeditions. I cleared my mind of any hate I would have for this boot, as any picture Ive ever seen of it looks like it would rip my foot to shreds. It'd be like climbing for 2 weeks with a cement ski boot on. Inflexible to say the least. 

$400 of yellowy  goodness! Hey, so they didnt exactly go with the outfit I wore to work but whatever.  Except they were not yellowy goodness.  They were yellowy badness. I was sweating putting them on because of my high instep, even the inner boot was a pain. I couldnt get them laced up tight enough, and they were 5 lbs of inflexibility.  But I wore them around the house for 15 minutes and theres no doubt that they would keep my feet warm at 19,000 feet. Have I mentioned there is only unisex sizing? My tiny foot can not be appeased with extra padding.  All I could think about is that I'd be fit enough to get to the summit but Id have to turn back because I had blisters and shin bruising like nobody's business? No thank you!  Just ask my husband, the stitching on my seamless socks bother my toes, these Koflachs will never work.

I reordered the next size up from Moosejaw just for comparison. And another boot that I'd been stalking, the La Sportiva Nepal Evo--it comes in a women's version! So a few days later I have $1500 in boots alone sitting in my living room. The good news is, the moment I put on the Evos, I knew they were for me. Fit like a dream, padded in all the right places, more flexibility, and a trusted boot pick of Whittaker Mountaineering women guides.  Koflachs went back to Moosejaw, keeping the Evos.  

Wanna see 'em??

The Evo is on top (its actually a lime green) and for comparison, my regular hikers are below it.  The notches for my crampons can be seen at the toe and heel. This might be the first year I can't wait for it to snow.

So in the end, its $509 of lime green goodness.