From Alpinist:


Will Gadd climb for 24 hours straight at Ouray to raise money for the dZi Foundation.


Full Article


The dZi Foundation helps build schools and get clean water to remote Himalayan communities of India and Nepal.


Link to dZi Foundation Website

This is how the Franklin climb is looking as of Tuesday, January 5th. There were a few people out climbing and the ice was nice! It's pretty much what you'd normally expect for that climb - like a ladder but still fun. Get out on the ice while it's good!

Eric Gates, who was a MythBusters regular for everything rockets, died in a fall at work on Dec 20th. Why is this here? Gates was a base jumper who had over 600 jumps and also an avid skydiver. He was an electrical contractor and even though he had jumped out of planes and such he died from a 30 ft. fall at work.


I'm often up on ladders, in lift baskets and on roofs. I've been more concerned about the dangerous situtations I have to put myself in everyday at work than I have ever been when I'm out ice climbing. A few days before Erik gates fell my good friend and coworker fell off a ladder about the same distance and landed head first in a pile of boulders. He fared much better than Erik did but it was a big eye opener for all of us on the site. Thoughts go out to his friends and family.


Follow the link for more information.


http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/dec/21/worker-who-died-in-fall-in-newbury-park/

****This just in from the Minnesota Orienteering Club (MNOC).****







Holiday Greetings to everyone,


MNOC is pleased to announce the first installment of the 2010 schedule has now been posted.


The following events and dates are confirmed :


Sun Jan 10th Lake Elmo winter meet


Sun Feb 14th Tamarack Nature Center winter meet


March 5- 7th Gateway Grunt and 2 day A meet at St. Louis (SLOC )


Mon March 15th REI Roseville Intro to Orienteering class


Wed March 24th REI Bloomington Intro to Orienteering Class


Sat March 27th Hyland Lake Park Reserve Orienteering Skill Development Clinic


Sat July 10th MNOC 2010 Adventure Race


More details (start times etc) on each of these events can be found at : http://www.mnoc.org/schedule. shtml


The balance of the 2010 schedule will follow as park permits are granted.


Hope to see you out in the woods with MNOC in the New Year


Ian Harding
MNOC

I've said it a thousand times. GPS is not a valid form of navigation and never a back-up plan for the lost. They run on batteries which die. Especially fast in the cold. They can be dropped and broken. They also count on getting a signal from towers and satellites. With a map, compass and some basic navigation skills you're much better off.


These people got lucky.


http://www.startribune.com/nation/80213347.html

All I can say is "what?" This is completely absurd. I guess I can see the CPR training requirement to some degree but why would a guide taking people fishing on Gull Lake need to have a background check and provide finger prints like they're working for the CIA? If they are terrorists or something does anyone really think they're going to go and get their fingerprints taken? No, they'll just act like they're a private party out fishing.


This is absolutely absurd. Follow the link to the despicable plan.


http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_14034689?nclick_check=1

Mountain bike racing in the winter? Heck yes! It's fun, cheap and great way to spend an afternoon. If you haven't seen a Pug race before it's all on big fat tire bikes that roll across the snow on the single track with ease.





Race director Richzilla


This is the schedule for the races at Hillside Park in Elk River:

Dates, all on Sundays:
January 3rd
January 24th
February 21st = PUGFEST!!!

The course is cross-country/wooded singletrack
It will use the entire 7+ mile loop for each lap
10:30am Registration opens
12:00pm Race start (Noon!)
$10 Entry fee ($15 for PugFest - FREE hats Yo!)
Classes are: Advanced Men, Recreational Men, Open Women, and the "King of the Hill" Pugsley's
Experts and Pugs do 2 laps, all others are one lap. (The Women can vote for more...)
Prizes for top three in each class, except the Pug's
Pug class is winner-take-all
Random drawing for swag
There will be a big fire to warm up around
Studded tires will not be needed unless it gets icy again
We will be using the back lot for registration and staging, NOT the front lot


For more information and event changes go to the Minnesota Off Road Cyclists website.


More Hillside winter racing photos here.

So far it looks like the metro ice goods are going to shine upon us again this year. As of Sunday, December 20th this is what it looks like.





There was plenty of water running through and it's still a bit hollow but it should be looking nice by the end of next week and ready for some ice tools. Reports on Homer look good too but I haven't been out to look at it yet.


This very short video from last year shows what it looks like with climbers on it.

Friday, Dec. 18th Wild Mountain will be hosting the 21st annual Wild Mountain Invite. There will be 25 high school ski teams out here competing in ski racing.


It is a festive event as the teams all come and set up a tent city at the bottom of the race hill. They bring everything from couches to fire pits and grills.


At 9:15am a Civil War Cannon (replica) will be fired followed by the National Anthem as a skier skis the American Flag down the hill prior to the first ski racers starting at 9:30am.


Visit the Wild Mountain website for more information.


Wild Mountain Event List

Boulder, CO, December 15, 2009 — The Access Fund, the national advocacy organization that keeps U.S. climbing areas open and conserves the climbing environment, announced today that it will provide Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition with short-term financing to pay off an existing $30,000 bank loan on 7 acres of land at the base of Farley Ledge in Erving, Massachusetts.


The funds will be supplied by the new Access Fund Land Conservation Campaign, a revolving loan program that provides local climbing organizations with the funds and expertise needed to act quickly to save threatened climbing areas. The Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition has paid down 90 percent of the original $300,000 bank loan. By refinancing the remainder of the loan under the Access Fund’s new program, the Coalition will save approximately $3,500 in interest and fees that can be invested in other projects that benefit the Massachusetts climbing community.


Farley Ledge contains arguably the best climbing in southern New England between Rumney, New Hampshire and the Gunks in eastern New York. In 2007, the Coalition purchased the undeveloped tract at the base of the cliff to protect the access point and allow for a parking area. The Access Fund provided a $10,000 grant to assist with the original purchase.


Prior to the purchase, the parking and trail access for Farley Ledge and the adjacent Metacomet-Monadnock Trail lay across a patchwork of private land parcels at the end of a dense residential neighborhood. Access was constantly threatened by a combination of overuse and lack of adequate public parking, which lead to neighborhood concerns. Farley was closed four times over the last twenty years due to these concerns.


The successful acquisition of this property solidified climbing access by allowing for the creation of a sustainable parking area and a permanent trailhead. The Coalition spearheaded the construction of a new 16-car parking lot, access trail, and kiosk in the fall of 2008, which is now enjoyed by the public.

The Western Massachusetts Climbers Coalition has a long history of protection and preservation at Farley Ledge, funding biological surveys, writing an award winning climbing management plan, and hosting annual Access Fund Adopt-a-Crag stewardship events. “We are excited to give WMCC a new level of support in this stage of conservation at Farley Ledge,” says Access Fund Access Director Joe Sambataro.


The refinance is expected to close by December of this year. The Coalition has an aggressive fundraising plan in place to pay back the loan, allowing the Access Fund to invest in other projects. Please stay tuned to the Coalition for detailed fundraising plans and opportunities to give your support. For more information, visit www.westernmacc.com for new updates.