Mountaineering Clinic at Midwest Mountaineering

Mel and I went to Midwest Mountaineering last night for 30 minutes of power shopping followed by a talk on Mountaineering. What did I take away from this experience?

• Social network is key. The American Alpine Club looks like a sweet deal. $75 per year and you get a journal of important ascents for each year as well as a much smaller book of failures (I was glad it was small.) Guy was another person who told me lately that humans learn mostly from our failures. There are many benefits including reciprocity with The Canadian Alpinist Club that maintains a network of huts in the Canadian Rockies that are available for member use. (I’ve been in one of them in the Bugaboos and it’s fabulous.) American Alpine Club also owns their own huts including the “Climbers’ Ranch” in Grand Teton Park as well as other huts near climbing areas such as the Heuco Tanks. Huts are listed here. By joining, you belong to their “Global Rescue Service” which will pay for you to evacuated anywhere in the world. (Details here.) They have a library of climbing books from which you can borrow. For example, John borrowed the out-of-print 1st climbing guide book to the Needles of South Dakota. And, if you are researching any first ascents, you can search the American Alpine Journal all the way back to 1929 right here.
• Physical Stamina will bolster mental endurance. Train, Train, Train! He suggested a heartrate monitor to reach optimum training parameters. I think it just might tell me when I am about to keel over... Is the useful? Anyway I am about to hit training mode, if anyone would like to join me. My plan goes like this Do Something, everyday! Sometimes twice. (Just Like Nora) Seriously, I have the climbing thing down, time to hit the cardio.
• Read! There are many mountaineering books out there chock full of Detail information. You are familiar with many of them. Mike Ferris's Altitude Experience, Mountaineering Freedom of the Hills (The Bible) Training for Climbing. Other overall instructional books are The Mountaineering Handbook and The Complete Guide To Climbing & Mountaineering. These last two books are probably better than Freedom of the Hills as far as mulit-pitch rock.
• Glad I am not going anywhere with the guy that was sitting behind me. Wow, almost told his girlfriend to take a running start too. Oh that bring us to an important point. Train for yourself, but also train so you can save your partner. Don't worry Mel, I'll save you!