Blue Mounds Gathering

It's June 6 and 7. All the cool kids will be there.

One Pitch at a Time

By Abby Watkins

Abby leading a mixed pitch in the Canadian Rockies

Ascending the Nose in a day was a big turning point in my conception of what was possible in my climbing. Moving over that much rock in such a short time opened the door of possibility as to what I could do in the mountains. Yet when I first conceived of the climb, it seemed like an impossible dream. In my mind, such ascents were the realm of supermen with grim, set jaws and strength as rugged as the mountains—and with these men I did not identify.

The media did nothing to quell my insecurities. On the page opposite the hard, scruffy, satisfied men portrayed in the popular climbing magazines were airbrushed beauties hanging delicately onto sunset-drenched rock. Though there are signs of change, it seems that the mainstream climbing media is not ready to showcase female climbers based on their merits rather than their appearances. I know that when I am three days into a big wall or two weeks into an expedition, I do not look anything close to a poster girl. I did not identify with the gorgeous, young faces staring blankly at me from the glossy magazine pages any more than I did with the mighty men of the mountain.

Luckily, however, I was born with stubborn confidence and an inclination toward athletics. Whether competing in gymnastics, playing tennis, or climbing, I have always felt strong and competent. This mind-set, combined with seeing real women going for it—tired, grimy, and happy after a full day of testing their limits—pushed me to pursue lofty goals. Meeting the perfect partner vaulted me to new heights.

More Women Climbing Stuff

Boy oh boy, do the women get special attention. I am going to start wearing a skirt. Oh, wait, I already do.

This website has lots of links to women-only climbing events and programs.

Free Solo El Cap?

Only a matter of time, according to this article.

10 Climbs for the rest of us

By Cameron M. Burns The standards in climbing are always rising, even for moderately experienced climbers. There are Everest summiteers who have a scant few years of climbing experience, and many of the hottest "rock stars" of our generation have gone straight from the climbing gym to the hardest pieces of rock on the planet. But most of us aren't like that. Most of us want to get some decent experience under our belts before we run off and tackle K2. This list of suggested climbs was not chosen just on the routes' grades (indeed, one route has the seemingly advanced grade of 5.9, C1). Rather, these climbs were picked for several reasons: their spectacular and remote settings, their stimulating climbing, their relative safety, and—despite that 5.9, C1 rating—their relative ease. These climbs are all genuine intermediate material, and—regardless of grade—they are all great routes. Mount Temple as seen from Lake Louise The climbs here also represent a wide variety of regions, from the canyon country of Utah to the exotic, volcanic peaks of eastern Mexico. And although there are no climbs from certain regions—such as the Himalaya and East Asia—these mountains and routes were chosen for ease of access both from the USA and Europe. Mount Kenya might seem like a long way away; however, it is such an easy mountain to get to (you can take a taxi from Nairobi), and it's a great mountain to learn mountaineering on if you hope to advance in your climbing career. I just had to include it. Good luck, wear your helmet, and good climbing!

	North America
1.	Nutcracker, CA
2.	Stolen Chimney, UT
3.	Ellingwood Arete, CO
4.	Disappointment Cleaver / Ingraham Glacier Route, WA
5.	Southwest Ridge, Canada
6.	Jamapa Glacier, Mexico

	The Rest of the World
7.	Normal Route, Kenya
8.	Frontier Ridge, France
9.	Cuillin Ridge, Scotland
10.	South Face, Italy

Black Hills Climbing Coalition May 2009

The next meeting of the BHCC will be 7 pm Wednesday, May 27, in Hill City. We are going to start the meeting at Granite Sports with free hors d’oeurvres and beverages, have a amiable social gathering and discuss plans for a few upcoming FUN events for the summer. At 8pm, we will move across the street to the Slate Creek Grill to finish up the rest of the meeting.

Our last meeting in Rapid City was rather contentious. A number of people, both for and against, were riled up by the Needles bolting issues that had been proposed for discussion during the March meeting. Although Mike Cronin withdrew his proposal way back in March, there were still plenty of people who wanted to nail the lid on the coffin of that bad boy (not Mike—the bolting proposal).

Even though the Needles bolting issue was hopefully laid to rest in a deep grave, the angst from that issue permeated every other thing that was brought up throughout the meeting. No one seemed to be able to agree on anything. Even the most innocent and innocuous suggestions were met with lengthy discussions and concerns.

By the end of the meeting, everything had been thoroughly argued. I think everyone left as comrades and friends, agreeing to disagree on a few subjects, and ready to leave those subjects far behind and move on to more pleasant discussions.

Hopefully, having a little social gathering at Granite Sports to start our next meeting will get us all off onto the right foot, and we can all FEEL THE LOVE—if not for each other, at least for climbing J

At long last the BHCC website is up and running again. That alone is cause for major celebration. If you have any photos of climbs or climbers in the Black Hills, dig them out and get them to our webmaster, Eric Hansen.

See you in Hill City!

Climb Hard and Climb Safe.

Bruce B. Junek — Newsletter Editor

2009 BHCC BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Bruce B. Junek, Chairperson 605-348-3432 iow@hills.net

Caleb Hansen, Vice Chairperson 605-431-7088

Becky Wood, Secretary

Jim Slichter, Treasurer

Eric Hansen, Publicist / Webmaster

Ron Yahne, Member @ Large

Mike Cronin, Member @ Large

Moose Are Inherently Dangerous

This one “fell from the sky” and almost killed a driver.

30 Best Places to Work?

These are the 30 best companies to work for according to Outside Magazine. You’ve bought products from several of them, I bet.

Rock Secrets

This article answers questions such as:

“How long should you rest before trying a hard redpoint, or going for that long sought-after onsight? What is the ideal length of a sport climbing trip?”

Yosemite Rescue

This happened in ‘05 so it’s not recent, but there are great photos of how they rescued climbers who were 1,400 feet up. They basically lowered rescuers from the summit to the ground about 3,000 feet below.  The photo above shows them cooling off the rope - so it’s not damaged from heat - as it is lowered about 3,000 feet.  The photo below shows 2 climbers 1,o00 feet below the summit. 

This Would Be Fun

This is designed for evacuating buildings but it’d be fun to use to slide down a cliff.

Bolts On Everest

Here’s a story about the recently added bolts near the summit of Everest. Cool photos at the link taken at about 25,000.

Inherently Dangerous

Toilets are inherently dangerous. This guy was bitten by a snake when he was engaged in toiletting. Be sure you look before you leap!

Parkour On A Bike

I’m sure his parents have trouble watching this rider, but for those of us who don’t have to worry about his injuries, this is quite something. (I especially like the part where he’s riding on the fence which has the sign “Danger of Death, Keep Off.”)

I’m Not Saying Nora Couldn’t Run This

But it’d be tough. Maybe it’d help if A2 spotted her down below.

 

 

 

 

Or this one: