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| Up Coming SWS Winter Trips
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Adventure Travel Show -Washington DC March 6-7, 2010
Join SWS Mountain Guides (Tim, JB, and Kumar) in the Nations Capital for the Adventure Travel Show this coming Saturday and Sunday March 6-7, 2010. Booth 704 right by the National Geographic Theater. Come see us!
FOR FREE TICKETS AND DIRECTIONS see below:
Promo Code: EXHFREE |
SWS Mountain Guides has merged with Maya Devi Trekking USA to form the SWS Asian Division to conduct our Nepal and India Treks and Climbing Expeditions. We now have two Asian Reps to answer all your questions about our Himalaya adventures. You may all know "JB" James Brown - our senior guide, now taking on another role as our Asian Rep. Don't worry, JB is still going to be guiding all summer on both Shasta and in the Sierra Nevada. New to the SWS Mountain Guides family is Kumar Karakheti, a native to Nepal with 20 plus  years of trekking experience in the Himalaya, with an added plus that his sister owns and operates Maya Devi Trekking (Nepal) our Nepal  Partner.
Give them a call if you have any questions about Trekking to Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit Trek or our up coming Climbing Expeditions.
JB - toll-free 888.797.5539
Kumar - toll-free 888.797.8975
SWS Office: 888.797.6867
Follow us SWS Mountain Guides!
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 PLASTIC VS LEATHER?
On Mt. Shasta or Elsewhere? The most common question I get next to "What will the weather be like on summit day?" is "should I use Plastic Double Boots or Leather Boots for my climb?". If I could answer the first question I would more than likely not be writhing this article or making my living as a mountain guide!!!! As for the second question the answer is easy... "IT DEPENDS!!!" Oh well, so much for an easy answer. It depends on many different factors of which here are a few: climber experience level, time of year (winter vs summer), climbing terrain. Actually the answer in most cases is easy and that is use Plastic and here is why.
For simplicities sake I am going to narrow it down to the following conditions: A beginning climber on Mt. Shasta between the months of January and July. We will be climbing Avalanche Gulch which should range from soft powder tohardpacked snow with some icy spots requiring the use of snowshoe and crampons for the entire time of the climb. For a beginning climber Plastic is definitely the way to go. Plastic boots are friendlier to the feet. They are easier to keep dry. They do not freeze like a Leather boot will. Thus allowing the beginning climber to concentrate on other things rather then having to consistently have to think about caring for their feet which can at times be the case with Leather boots. If Leather boots wet out and then freeze this can make, at the very least for a very uncomfortable trip and at the other extreme a limb threatening  situation! I generally only recommend Leather mountaineering boot to experienced climbers who have a broken in pair of boots that they have worn many times and they know what is required to keep their feet happy and warm.
Having said all that there is one boot out there that combines the best of both worlds an that is La Sportiva's Spantik boot (at right yellow) This boot is a leather double boot. The price, however, is quite high so for a beginner I would still recommend renting plastic boots for their first trip. The Plastic boot I really like is Scarpa's Omega (red one above). This boot is extremely light, yet very warm.
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 Leashed or Leash-less.....you decide
The debate over climbing ice with a leashed tools vs. leash-less tools has been a hot topic amongst ice climbers I have spoken with. Is it more efficient to climb with a leashed ice tool or one that is free from the restraint of leashes? After climbing for more than a decade without leashes I can't imagine going back to a leashed ice tool. To me leash-less climbing feels more pure and simple. Some ice climbers feel that hanging in a leash allows you to rest in the leash, therefore reducing the pump. You may be hanging in a leash instead of holding on to your tool, but your hands are still over your head and to be able to simply let go of the tool, drop a hand and quickly shake out is crucial. I feel that although you may get pumped a little easier while climbing without a leash, you can de-pump much easier and quicker climbing leash-less. When it comes to climbing you have an unhindered freedom and ability to use crossover moves, high grip the tools, traverse, switch tools on mixed terrain and a variety of other tactics and tricks to ascend the ice. When it comes to placing protection it is only a matter of letting go of the tool, grabbing a screw and twisting it in.......no unclipping or fishingyour gloved hand out of a leash. Although the introduction of the quick re-lease leashes makes it easier to put in screws, it is simply not the same.
Another argument is the leash keeps you from dropping your tools. With the introduction of the stretch leash systems that attaches to your harness, dropping the tools is no longer a concern. Although the stretch leash systems are most commonly used in alpine terrain where dropping a tool could prove fatal, they are also being employed on modern ice routes. The reality is leash-less ice climbers are not dropping their tools very often, and if that is a real concern then you should carry a third tool. If I was to write a Pro/Con piece for the argument of leash-less tools vs. leashed tools I truly would not be able to provide an unbiased opinion and come up with Pros for a leashed system.In the end the only way you can truly foster an opinion is to climb with both options and see which best suits your climbing style and discipline. |
 Black Diamond Ski Review
Having just got back from the Winter Outdoor Retail show I have to say that the backcountry ski 's are only getting better, fatter, and lighter. Tim and myself go to the Winter OR show in Salt Lake City every January to try out new skis at the on the snow demo at Snowbasin, UT. Invariably the first booth we head to his Black Diamond, because they seem to put out some of the best skis in the business and this year they did not dissapoint! For 2010 they have totally revamped their Light and Efficient Series with a series of skis that are incredibly light, but still stiff and fat enough to handle a variety of conditions. Their Power Series of skis has stayed pretty much the same with a few tweaks here and there. While we really enjoyed skiing the Verdict, Justice, and the Kilowatt our favorite ski was definitely the new Zealot with a rockered tip. The conditions were packed powder on the groomers and pretty descent fluff in the off piste. The Zealot handled it all with incredible ease, but I have to warn you a big, stiff boot will be needed to drive this baby. Get more information on these and other Black Diamond Skis at www.blackdiamondequipment.com
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 Shasta Climbing Season Update:
Looks like we should have great climbing conditions this summer!
This Season: Strong El Nino conditions have existed in the equatorial Pacific over the last 3 months. Climatologists predict equal chances for precipitation over the next 3 months and above normal temperatures. Since September 1, our precipitation is 124% of normal in Mt. Shasta City (NWS ASOS station). The Martin Luther King Jr. storm was the biggest of the season with several days setting precipitation records. From January 17 to January 26, we received 12.80 inches of water and 9-10 ft. of snow at mid elevations. Ice and very wet snow during this storm caused a plethora of snapping trees and power lines in town, closing roads and brought a state of emergency to Mt. Shasta City. Since 1948, this was the 3rd wettest January on record. Snow survey results at the beginning of February in the Mt. Shasta area show the snow pack at 143% of normal. Thanks to Eric White at the Shasta Avalanche Center for this information - more info at www.shastavalanchecenter.org | |
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