Climbs, Peaks and Van Ho

Well the week hasn't disappointed. The ice climbs are in great shape and the weather has been spectacular.  We arrived and got some great ice on Roaring Brook Falls and the first timers cut their picks on a great intro area.

The next day we tackled Phelps mtn. This peak has great views when its not socked in by total cloud cover. The 8.8 mile round trip hike was a fun day out in the backcounty with good views of the Colden Slides and Angel Slides on Wright peak.

Yesterday Ryan and I got some dawn patrol ice in the canyon and climb Positive Reinforcement.  This climb is a WI 3 but it gave me a bit of thinky moves to lead to the top.  We left the line up and climb the more direct line that I wish I was warmed up for but was glad I went around it.

Our new arrivals Mike and Jess got into town and suited up for a quick jaunt to the summit of Owl's Head and a nice sunset.


Today we are off to x-c ski at the olympic venue Mt. Van Hovenburg in Lake Placid and then hit up Baxter Mountain Tavern for a NYE's dinner.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Aloha Guides would like to wish all of our friends and future friends a Merry Christmas and a fun wave filled, good SUPin weather, and blue bird sky climbing days in the new year.  Be good, be safe and get out and have fun

Adirondacks bound

9am on the 26th we'll be Dacks bound for a week of fun and friends.  Our basecamp for the week will be the Mountain Retreat house which is walking distance from the Baxter Mountain Tavern.

We have some dacks newbies coming up and these friends will be experiencing the beauty of the Dacks for the first time on the drive in and the view from our deck.

Some of our fun for the week will include x-c skiing, ice climbing, mountaineering and in Lake Placid ice skating on the Olympic oval and hitting the toboggan run.

The tobaggan run is the best 5 bucks you'll ever spend. They took a old ski jump and set it so you slide right out onto Mirror Lake. The record for slides 1/4 mile across the ice and the speed record is 28 miles an hour.  In February they have a competition sponsored by Genessee Ale.

So you and your friends slap down 5 bucks, grab your sled and climb the 3 stories of stairs while watching other groups fly down.  They have lights and plow the ice for night time fun.

After the fun you can cruise over to the ADK brewery for some Ubu or Frostbite ale to warm up.

http://www.ubuale.com/

Ice is Nice

Brrrrrrrr

Ice climbing is the ticket to staying sane through the cold winter months.  We got out last week for great season opener of 12 degrees.  Chewtoy got a rude wake up as we exited the Matrix and stepped into the howling wind.

 This is the team that showed up as we finished on Little Black Dike.  Two nice guys from Oneonta, NY.  They were glad everything was freezing up well after climbing in the rain the Sunday before.

Stony Clove is coming into shape very nicely but the approach up the talus was all rock and the descent was horrible.  Powder covered rocks with a dash of ice lead to a 20 minute slow plod which lead to a couple of tree grabbing slips and a good rip in Jeff's belay jacket.  A good dumping of snow will do the entire area some good from helping to fuel the forming of ice to making the descent the fun glissade it should be .