Tuesday, May 26, 2009

First Trip of the Summer


Well the first trip of the year went off without a hitch. We had eight clients from all over the country. From the time we stepped in the van to go up the mountain to the time we arrived back at headquarters we were laughing. It seemed that the group bonded from the start. We slogged up the Muir snow-field under the beating sun. By dinner time the first night everyone was laughing and quoting movies such as Dumb and Dumber and Talladega Nights. It was so much fun getting to know each one of the clients through different experiences on the trip. One of the most interesting things about guiding is watching the way circumstances effect people in different ways. Some people were open and eccentric from the beginning. Others needed a bit more extreme environment to open up, such as getting lowered over a two hundred foot deep crevasse.
After a full dinner of burritos we all went to bed. The next morning started just like any other. Clients came over to our cook tent around 8am. The other guides and I were making breakfast and having coffee with some of the climbing rangers. Morning training began with a few lessons on glacier travel and crampon use. As I was walking over to the bunk house one of the climbing rangers called me over to inform me that a guide from another company was injured on the summit. At that moment our entire day changed. After many radio conversations with the in town staff and the National Park Service a fellow guide, a climbing ranger, and myself started off for the summit with rescue gear in hand. It was a beautiful blue bird day with no wind. The best option for the patient was to get a helicopter lift off the summit. Unfortunately there are only a small number of helicopters powerful enough to land and take off at 14,000 feet. Our rescue team was the contingency plan to the helicopter lift. It would take us at least 3 hours to reach the summit. We had found out the the patient had fallen into a steam vent and was in stable condition with possible rib fractures. By the time we had climbed to 11,900 feet the helicopter had safely evacuated the patient and flown her to a nearby hospital.
After the rescue scenario the climb went back to normal. Our team reached the summit at 7am the next day. We were able to get 7 out of 8 clients to the summit. One decided to stay at camp due to personal reasons. As we all stood on the summit, I was instantly reminded why I love this job. Each one of the clients was overjoyed to have such a tremendous experience. And no one was injured in the process.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Livin the dream...





The last two days were something of an adventure you could say. Myself and four other guides walked the 4.5 miles up to camp Muir to set up our summer amenities. When I say "summer" I use the term lightly. It was anything but summer on our way up. It was complete whiteout conditions, navigating with a little intuition and mostly G.P.S. As we slowly moved our way up the battling the wind and snow, we ask ourselves why in the world are we here. Working as a mountain guide is anything but normal. Most people work a 9 to 5 job with benefits and live a very nice life. Now, I am not about to debate or justify any of the work force. I am simply stating the job description of a mountain guide is quite variable.
After a hard night of sleep, listening to the unrelenting wind pound our shelter, we woke to a beautiful blue bird day, no wind, and warm temperatures. As we began our work day constructing our cook shelter our spirits began to rise. We were once again reminded that the sweet isn't as sweet without the sour. It is the storms that make us thankful for the good weather. The day was beautiful, we impressed the boss and got off the mountain and ate a delicious dinner. All said and done it was a success. Just another day in the office.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Reflections of Joshua Tree


Arriving in Joshua Tree was a bit anti climactic. I left Red Rocks, Nevada where the rock walls were thousands of feet tall. There were climbing routes everywhere you looked. When I got to Joshua tree all that I saw were piles of boulders scattered throughout a flat desert. However as I drove deeper into the Joshua Tree National Park the boulders began to build into bigger boulders. I began to notice cracks in the gigantic piles of boulders, cracks so good they appeared to be climbable. Finally I arrived at the Hidden Valley campground and discovered there was an immense amount of climbing around the campground.

After surviving a windstorm gusting at 60mph I found myself waking up to fresh coffee, sun, and a full day of the most difficult climbing I have ever experienced. The overall history of Joshua Tree is what initially attracted me to the site. There are more routes in the park than in Red Rocks or Smith Rocks combine. Everywhere you look there is a new route with new challenges. By the end of the week my fingertips were raw and about ready to bleed through the skin had been worn so thin.

My experience in Joshua Tree taught me that perspective and experience are imperative. Looking at Joshua Tree from the perspective of Red Rocks with no experience of the area my perceptions were biased and skewed. After gaining some experience my perspective of both Red Rocks and Joshua Tree changed greatly. I am now a better climber and guide for having experienced both places.

The Rock itself was not my only mentor on the trip. The people I met along the way taught me many things as well. A fellow IMG guide named Eric Remza stayed with us for a few nights. During Remza’s time with us I learned more about guide hospitality and what it means to create a wholesome experience for the client. He also taught me to keep my options open in the financial sector and always be looking for opportunities. More color was added to our trip when Mick Pearson showed up. Eric had met Mick last fall when he was in Red Rocks. Mick arrived on the tail end of our stay in Red Rocks and we would later meet up with him in Joshua Tree. Mick is the most energetic, centered, and encouraging guide I have met. He has a calming nature about him that ironically comes out through his techno beats and 11b overhanging trad routes. Mick taught me to push myself and that achieving greatness requires some failure. He also taught me to listen more intently to the things around me; and how to keep my head in the game when everyone else is loosing theirs.