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Guide Training And A Birthday Party

May 7, 2013

Every spring all the guides who are not on expeditions around the world gather in the booming metropolis of Ashford, WA for our annual Guide Training weekend.  We shake out the cobwebs and refocus our energies on Mt. Rainier. Day 1 usually consists of some updates on procedures, protocols, etc. and culminates with a BBQ. Day 2 is up on Mt. Rainier refreshing on some fundamentals and tweaking some skills based on new gear or industry standards.

This past Saturday and Sunday were no different – except for the absolutely phenomenal weather and it being IMG Guide and resident ER Doc, Emily Johnston’s birthday.

Good times had by all!

Tye Chapman

Posted in Guide Features, Mt. Rainier | Comments Off

We Don’t Always Celebrate Birthdays…

April 19, 2013

…but when we do, we go big!

Ang Jangbu Sherpa shot this little video of the crew singing Happy Birthday to IMG Guide Jenni Fogle in the dining tent at Everest Base Camp! Click here for more on the 2013 Everest Expedition.

Happy Birthday Jenni!

Tye Chapman

 

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From A Guide’s Perspective – International Travel Tips

April 2, 2013

By Jenni Fogle

Jenni Fogle

Last year I spent 57 days at “home,” making me wonder where my home really is. I’m in Africa as I write this and will be in Myanmar later this month (Note: Jenni is in Nepal right now). A client on Kilimanjaro recently said to me, “Usually I think this sounds too cliche, but you truly are a citizen of the world.” I take it as a compliment. Home is where I hang my backpack. I can’t donate blood, because I have spent so much time in Europe that I am considered high-risk for mad cow disease. This is despite the fact that I haven’t eaten any red meat since I was 12 years old.

What I’m trying to say is that I suppose I am qualified to give the following tips about international travel and hope that at least one of these tips will make your next trip more enjoyable. I’m going to assume that you all know basic TSA requirements. Put your multi-tool in your checked bag and dump out your water bottle.

Tip # 1 – Pack what you need and leave what you don’t. Research the weather conditions for your destination and bring appropriate clothing. If you’re going somewhere you’ve never been, talk to someone who’s been there. Many items can be found worldwide, but how much time do you want to spend shopping at your destination? I went on a climbing trip to Ecuador in the fall. My climbing partner and I had a tight schedule planned and brought enough food to get us through the first climb so that we could head straight for the mountain less than 8 hours after our arrival.  We resupplied for the second climb on the rest day.

Tip #2 – Find out what type of adapter plug you will need at your destination. Small, universal battery packs can be convenient so can solar chargers if you will have enough sun and time to recharge with the sun.

Tip # 3 – Select your seat on long flights. I can’t stand being trapped in a middle or window seat on long flights, and I’m only 5’6″. You usually don’t have anyone to blame but yourself if you’re trapped between two people you would normally never sit next to. If you prefer a window or an aisle, you can usually select your seat easily on line. If that’s not possible, a phone call to the airline should do the trick. There are rare occasions when seats cannot be preselected, but even then you can express your preference when you check in.

Tip # 4 – Flexibility key. Water, electricity and Wi-Fi are much more reliable in the United States than most places in the world. I hope you don’t lose all three at once, but don’t freak out if you do. Try to remember way back when we only had landlines, even for the Internet. Relax and appreciate where you are rather than being caught up in staying in constant contact with home.

Tip # 5 – Before you leave home be sure to jot down important local names, addresses, email addresses, websites, phone numbers, etc.  These can prove invaluable.

Tip # 6 – Just like on the trail – communicate your plans (be specific) to a family member or close friend who is not going on the trip with you… then be sure keep them updated to any changes to your itinerary.

The list goes on forever, but hopefully these few tips come in handy on your next adventure.

Bon Voyage!

-Jenni

PS – Oh, and don’t lose your passport!

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From A Guide’s Perspective – Packing Tips

March 27, 2013

By Chris Meder

Chris Meder

Packing is one of those unsung skills of all successful climbers. Do it well and you will save time, energy, hassle… and be ready to go before everyone else.  Here are a few things to help you improve your packing game.

1. Pack only what you need, leave the rest behind.

Less gear means a lighter pack, which makes it far easier and more enjoyable to climb.  We all know this intuitively, but it’s easy to lose sight of when thinking about creature comforts.   Pare down your gear to only what is on the gear list, and you’ll be well on your way to a better climb.  Most climbs are relatively short in the grand scheme of things, so it’s easy to go without some of those supposed “necessities” for three or four days.  You will thank yourself every time you pick up your pack.

2. Be balanced and compact.

An ideal packing job should give you a compact and balanced pack that won’t be cumbersome while climbing.  Here are some guidelines to help you get there:

  • Heavy, dense items such as food, water and climbing gear should be centered in the pack, and go up against your back and generally from the small of your back up to your shoulders
  • Lighter, less-dense items such as clothing should surround the heavy items, further from your back and on the bottom
  • Use stuff-able items such as clothing to fill in around rigid items, such as food or climbing gear, filling all the empty spaces
  • Fit everything possible inside the pack (crampons and ice axe are the usual exceptions).  Attaching things to the outside of the pack can throw you off balance easily.

3. Big things in the big pocket, small things in the small pocket.

If you’re buying new, choose a simple pack with one large compartment, and a small pocket better known as the lid of the pack on top.  That’s really all you need.  This might sound limiting, especially when considering all the bells and whistles on most packs on the market these days.  But, the more pockets available, the more places to lose things.  Keep the pack simple; this helps keep the job of packing it simple.

4. Do a trial run.

Lay out your gear, clothing and food for the climb on the living room floor.  Now divide the gear into two piles:

  • Big items – think jackets, clothing, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, water bottles…
  • Small items – sunglasses, hat, knife, sunscreen, camera, GPS, toothbrush

Now pack the pack from the two piles; big things go in the big pocket, small things go in the small pocket.  Simple enough, right?  Think about it – if I put my camera or sunscreen in the middle of the big compartment amongst a bunch of clothes and other bulky items, I’ll never find it when I need it.  And thinking about an item being buried makes me less likely to actually look for it.  Translation – sunburn and no photos.

5. Same item, same place, every time.

“Where are those batteries?” “I know I packed that shirt somewhere.”  We hear things like this a lot, and it’s just due to a lack of routine.  So here’s how to avoid this.  Pack and unpack your gear a bunch of times before a trip.  Develop a system that works for you so that everything fits, and you know where everything is located.  Do this enough so that you put each item in the same general place every time.  This helps a lot when you’re looking for something or scrambling to pack quickly in the mountains.  Everything has its place, and you’ll always know where each item lives.  Then you’ll have time for a drink or a photo while someone else is looking for their batteries.

So there it is.  Only pack what you need, in a simple pack, in a balanced and well organized manner and you’ll be well ahead of those who haven’t yet mastered the packing game.

Posted in Gear Q & A, Guide Features, Mt. Rainier | Comments Off

South America Is The Place To Be

January 10, 2012

Peter & Josh's team a couple days ago in Mendoza. (Photo by waiter)

Let’s do a head count on who is where in South America…

IMG Guides Ty Gimenez, Peter Adams and Martin Lucero and their team are relaxing at Camp 2 on Aconcagua enjoying a rest day, a bit of an audible from their original plan, but well within bounds.  They’ll forgo a carry to High Camp (Peter and Martin carried some gear up there today) and instead move on up tomorrow.  Their summit day right now is slated for Saturday.

Lower on the mountain is Peter Anderson and Josh McDowell and their crew. I didn’t hear from Pete today, but they’re likely enjoying some fire-grilled steak at the first trekking camp after a nice walk in.

Back in Mendoza is Mike Hamill and his private Aconcagua crew. All gear arrived on schedule, permits are in hand, now it’s time for one more meal in Mendoza. They’ll head to Penitentes tomorrow.

And somewhere in, near or around Mendoza, is IMG Guide Emily Johnston. Emily is on a personal climb of Aconcagua with some friends. She’s a stealthy one, so we don’t know exactly where she is, but she’s got a radio with her so I imagine she’ll pop her head up at some point and say hi to the other guides on the mountain.

Way up north is Luke Reilly. Luke is on a bus in Arica, Chile at the moment (if you know Luke you know this is normal) en route to Santiago.  We may need to call him out of the bullpen to assist with Greg Vernovage’s Aconcagua program. We’ll know soon.

Quoting Luke:
“I´m ready to go.  I´m in Arica right now and will be in Santiago by Saturday or Sunday.  I´ll check my email, just let me know as I will have to rearrange a flight. I’m ready.”

Even further north in Ecuador, is Phil Ershler. Phil is awaiting his Ecuador Volcanoes team which is schedule to arrive later tonight. He makes a point to go down a couple days ahead of schedule to spend some time with long time friend and guide, Romulo Cardenas and his family.

And not officially in South America, though they wish they were, is our Vinson team. The flight didn’t leave Punta Arenas, Chile this morning due to some windy conditions so they’ll continue to hang tight.

There you have it, IMG is well represented in Chile and Argentina at the moment.

Tye Chapman

 

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A Nice Reminder

December 13, 2012

People always think mountaineering is so dangerous. Do you know what’s REALLY dangerous? Getting behind the wheel of a motorized vehicle. The longer I live, the more I am convinced that this is the most dangerous thing we do.

Yesterday, I was leaving a hotel to drive to my Air Force base to work. Luckily I was only going about 2 mph in the parking lot when the front right wheel of my truck became detached from the axle. It made a really awful noise, not to mention shook me up a little bit.

I got out of the truck unharmed and surveyed the situation. Worst case scenario, I thought, a couple thousand dollars of damage and maybe a few days to fix it. I called the base and let them know I wouldn’t be coming in. Their ONLY concern was that I was unhurt.

It turns out that some parts I had replaced on my truck in the fall were defective. What are the chances of THAT? The lower front ball joint just disintegrated.

As you travel this holiday season, keep in mind that the MOST important thing to anyone who cares about you, is that you arrive at your destination safely. I was really lucky. I don’t know what would have happened if I’d been going 65 mph on the highway or even 55 at night on a winding mountain road as I had been the previous night, or if I’d been going faster AND fiddling with my phone……well, use your imagination.

Most of us are trying to fit too much into our days already, and the holidays seem to exacerbate that tendency. If you feel rushed, just take a breath – slow down. I’m sure no one who truly cares about you will mind if you’re 15 minutes late or don’t respond IMMEDIATELY to their text.

Happy Holidays and be safe!

Jenni Fogle

***[The good news for Jenni, other than being unhurt, was that this was all covered by the manufacturer]***

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Paging Dr. Johnston…Paging Dr. Johnston

November 28, 2012

Ever wonder what IMG Guides do, to stay out of trouble, when we’re not walking uphill with a heavy pack?

I took a volunteer post working in the Emergency Department at the Jigme Dorje Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu, Bhutan. As an American ER doc, my role is to help the Bhutanese ER doctors develop their skills. A lot of what I’ve seen here is similar to what we see in the States . . . and then there are the farmers attacked by wild boars, or gored by sacred cows, and the occasional patient presenting with an obscure disease that we just don’t see in the US. The doctors are great to work with, they’re well trained, and very resourceful.  I’m grateful that English is the academic language here, because my grasp of Dzongkha is still a bit limited.

Of course, it’s not all medicine. I’ve been out bouldering at the local crag (just a short walk from the hospital), and trekking in the hills with other foreign docs posted here. They were delighted to hear that I also work as a mountain guide, so I lured them away from the hospital, and they’ve followed me blindly as we wander the Bhutanese mountainsides. It’s really just more recon for the IMG Bhutan trek I’ll be leading next October.

Recently, I was honored to meet the Queen Mother, and then have an elegant luncheon with the Queen Grandmother, and family, at her palace. Both were surprise invitations! I only brought scrubs, and my beat up climbing clothes. Fortunately, one of my Bhutanese coworkers was able to lend me a kira, the appropriate clothing for the event. Getting the outfit on just right turned out to be more difficult than putting on puffy pants over crampons in a stiff breeze, so I enlisted the aid of a passerby. It takes a village . . . to ‘formally’ dress a mountain guide.

But really, the kindness of strangers here has been remarkable. Bhutan has definitely been keeping me out of trouble. Plenty to do, plenty more to see, never enough time! I’m really excited to be coming back next fall to spend more time here, and introduce a crew of trekkers to the “Land of the Thunder Dragon”.

Emily Johnston

Posted in Bhutan, Guide Features | Comments Off

Have A Great Weekend!

October 26, 2012

The weather for Thursday was looking promising, so I called up my friend Scott to see if he was game to check out what the recent storm had deposited up on the Mountain (Rainier). After my trip up to Muir last week – and having to carry my skis to/from Pebble Creek due to no snow – we were delighted to skin right from the parking lot. We rose above the clouds around Pebble Creek and the powder kept getting deeper. We knew if the visibility held we’d be in for an epic run down. It was cold, the snow was dry, and there was no wind; pretty rare for late October. We lucked out and the visibility stayed good for a fantastic 2500-ft powder down to Pebble Creek. From there we had to put on the brakes and scoot through the snow-covered rocks, but we managed to ski all the way down to the parking lot with no core shots!

Not bad for October!

Dustin Balderach

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Into A Crevasse…On Purpose

September 28, 2012

Last week we put together an Intro To Mountaineering Course for a few Outdoor Research product managers and designers. They spent day 1 leaning the basics (ice axe arrest, cramponing, etc.). The second day they went out onto the Nisqually Glacier for an up close encounter with a crevasse.

Below is a note and a couple photos Kendra sent our way – sounds like they had a good time!

Tye Chapman

–

From: Kendra
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2012 9:51 AM
To: Tye Chapman
Subject: Thank You

We would like to give a huge THANK YOU to IMG Guides Emily Johnston and Austin Shannon for an amazing experience on our Intro To Mountaineering Course.  It was an experience none of us will ever forget.  Emily was an exceptional instructor teaching us self arrest with our ice axes and how to “walk like a monkey down a hill” with our crampons.    We had such a great time with many laughs throughout both days.

The second day, when Austin joined us, was sweet!  Having the opportunity to repel down a crevasse and ice climb out was absolutely awesome.  Never having ice climbed before I have to admit that I was absolutely terrified, however both Emily and Austin were very comforting and professional easing each of us into the situation.  It was so amazing I had to go down into the crevassse a second time.  This was such a great opportunity for our product team to get out  and use our product on a glacier with professional mountain guides to gain valuable feedback.

Seriously, this was such an incredible two days and we are so grateful for the IMG team to allow us such an amazing opportunity.  Next year….we summit!

Thank you for everything and we hope you continue to love and use the Outdoor Research product.

Thanks,

Kendra Brandenburg
Outdoor Research
Product Manager – Headwear

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How To Manage Your Expectations

August 19, 2012

Jenni and Luke have returned from Ecuador…with some good stories! You might remember their previous post “How To Prepare For The Knife” which describes how they got to Ecuador in the first place. Or you might remember reading “How To Make A Mean Chicken Salad” their story from Ecuador last year. Either way, you’ll enjoy this post:

How To Manage Your Expectations
By Jenni Fogle

Your experience is always colored by your expectations. The best way to enjoy a journey is to start with NO expectations. Easier said than done.

After a great climb on Iliniza Sur, Luke and I spent a day resting and relaxing with friends in Uyumbicho, then headed out early Monday morning toward Antisana. August is not the climbing season for Antisana, so we knew we were rolling the dice a little and were mentally prepared for poor climbing conditions. We set up camp at 4900 meters on Monday afternoon, and waited patiently for a good weather window. Early Wednesday morning was windy but clear, and we thought it was our best chance. We left camp at 5 a.m. and worked our way up the glacier, winding around crevasses and seracs. At about 10:45 a.m., covered in rime ice and in 40 + mph winds with very low visibility, we turned around 120 meters from the top, unable to find a safe way to continue.

We slept soundly that night, then got up the next morning to even stormier weather, eager to set out for part two of our Antisana plan. We wanted to head cross-country to Papallacta, a location famous for it’s fantastic hot springs. We were definitely ready for hot springs. We had a vague description of how to get there, map, GPS, compass…….it didn’t sound or look that hard. We expected this part of the trip to be easy – 8 hours of easy to moderate walking rewarded by a soak in the hot springs and warm, dry beds. With this vision in our heads, we left camp at 8:30 a.m.

At 7 p.m., after hours of navigating through everything from glacier terminal moraine to Amazonian jungle, wading through rivers and climbing up steep slopes with nothing but mud and grass to help us up, we arrived at a lake which was still 4.5 km (as the crow flies) from our destination. We were completely soaked, everything we had was still wet from our previous camp, but further navigation was useless. Even with headlamps we couldn’t see well enough to continue. We put our tent up, changed out of our drenched clothing into damp clothing, crawled into our sleeping bags and slept until daylight.

Friday morning we started out determined to find a trail. Luke found a beautiful, muddy cow-trail after about 20 minutes, and we were off. It was still difficult travel, but we got to the highway at 12:30 – muddy, stinky, and with 9.5 hours to get to the airport! We got a hot meal, flagged down a bus and headed back toward Quito.

There were a couple of times on that walk out that we both wondered how on earth we were going to ever get back to civilization. We knew we would, but the journey was so far off of what we had expected that it was frustrating at times. Talking it over later, we realized that the frustration was all due to our expectations. Looking back, it was one of the most amazing walks of either of our lives. I am sure we walked in places where no person has ever been. We saw wild horses, llamas, condors and hawks. We walked through jungle so thick we had to whistle back and forth to stay together. From Monday at noon to Friday at noon, we didn’t see anyone but each other (except for a truck in the distance once). It was incredible.

How often can you say that the walk away from the mountain was as memorable as the climb itself? Just be aware of what you expectations really are and what your end goal really is!

Jenni Fogle

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