Rock Ice and Mountain Club

2010-04-02T19:16:00.001-07:00

April 6 RIM Club Meeting: Kurt Jensen's slideshow will be about limestone climbing in El Portrero Chico, Mexico and Southern Thailand. He'll cover the sport climbing,both single and multipitch of El Portrero and Thailand, and deep water solo of Thailand, and give an overview for climbers of what to expect and compare and contrast the two destinations which are both popular fun climbing winter crags.

Kurt is a prolific Northern California adventurer currently living near Santa Cruz. He is part of the R.I.M. Club's extended family, having been on many climbing expeditions with our regular members in the Sierra, Alaska, Argentina, and more. A well rounded athlete, Kurt is a fine mountaineer, avid mountain biker, and is a diver at Monterey Bay Acquarium, when he is not hard at work in the medical field.

2010-02-27T10:24:00.001-08:00

March 2, 2010

Paula Padou: The Other Afghanistan--Images of a Land and People

The pictures concern ordinary Afghans going about their daily lives (not the war/embed view); the diverse cultural and ethnic range, and finally, the great natural beauty among some of the world's highest mountains.

Paula Padou was born and raised in the Bay Area and developed a love of the mountains from an early age, along with a deep interest in other peoples and cultures long before "adventure travel" became a term. As a youngster, she enjoyed ski racing until that pursuit was replaced in later years with hiking, trekking and photography. After studying political science and foreign languages at Berkeley, she lived in Japan for several years working for a law firm and escaping whenever possible to discover the world. She has trekked in Nepal multiple times and counts a mid-winter adventure among the best experiences of all her travels.
Other destinations include Africa, South America, Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and a recent visit to Yemen. At home, the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness around Highway 4 is one of her favorite romping areas. She works at a law firm as a paralegal and still tries to escape whenever possible. For the last several years, Paula has continued her commitment to the Himalayan region by vounteering at the American Himalayan Foundation and sponsored a Sherpa friend, who successfully sought and recieved permission to live and work in the U.S.

2010-02-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

Received this email describing what sounds like a really cool opportunity to learn winter mountain travel and camping skills, check it out:

Hi, folks!

I just wanted to let you know about a great resource we have here in Northern California. Mtn Ned teaches a snow course at Echo Lake, which I took this past weekend. It’s mostly aimed at PCT thru-hikers, but it does teach the basics of camping in the snow, route finding in winter and self-arrest skills. There may be folks new to your club who could benefit from a course like this. Ned is a great teacher who loves what he does. He has extensive hiking (PCT & CDT) and ski-touring experience in the Sierras. There is no charge for the class – only donations accepted. Ned and his wife are actually from Sonoma, so you’d be supporting a local, too!

More info can be found here:
http://postholer.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=25&sid=206fa14d8c74853ea04f58a353f28527

I posted some photos from the class here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alfrescosf/sets/72157623210148399/show/

I’d love to get the word out about the course, so please share this info. (I have no affiliation, just a happy graduate!)

Happy Trails –
Lisa

Happiness is a choice!

2010-01-26T22:12:00.001-08:00

February 2, 2010 meeting of the Rock Ice & Mountain Club

Arlene Blum
Breaking Trail: Molecules and Mountains

From leading expeditions to some of the world’s highest and most challenging mountains to spearheading scientific research to protect human health and the global environment, Arlene Blum has led an extraordinary life. In this dramatic slide lecture Blum shares the best photos and stories from her memoir, Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life, illustrating both her scientific research and her mountaineering expeditions to the world's highest and most dangerous mountains.

Arlene Blum, biophysical chemist, author, and mountaineer is the founder and executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute and a Visiting Scholar in Chemistry at UC Berkeley. Beginning with removing cancer-causing chemicals from children's sleepwear in the 1970s, Blum’s work to bring science into regulatory decisions has stopped the use of hundreds of millions of pounds of toxic chemicals. Blum’s current interest is to bridge the gap between scientific research and policy to help create a healthier safer environment. Blum holds a doctorate in biophysical chemistry, and has taught at Stanford University, Wellesley College, and U. C. Berkeley.

Blum led the first American and all-women’s ascent of Annapurna I, among the world’s most dangerous and difficult mountains. She also led the first women’s team up Mt. McKinley; was the first American woman to attempt Mt. Everest; made the first traverse of the Great Himalaya Range of Bhutan, Nepal and India; and hiked the length of the European Alps with her baby daughter on her back.

Her first book, Annapurna: A Woman’s Place was included in Fortune magazine's 2005 list of “The 75 Smartest Business Books We Know” and chosen by National Geographic Adventure Magazine as one of the 100 top adventure books of all time. Her new memoir, Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life tells the story of how Blum realized improbable dreams among the worlds’ highest mountains, in the chemistry laboratory, and public policy arena.

The National Women’s History Project recently selected Blum as one of 100
“Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet.” Her other awards include a Purpose Prize to those over are 60 who are solving society’s greatest problems, and a Gold Medal from the Society of Women Geographers, an honor previously given to only eight other women including Amelia Earhart and Margaret Mead.

Is America Ready for the Mountain Hut?

2009-12-31T01:15:00.000-08:00

The Rock Ice & Mountain Club welcomes Dan and Janine Patitucci for a revealing evening presentation and discussion with friends: Dan and Janine Patitucci are professional mountain sport photographers (http://www.PatitucciPhoto.com) who also manage an online mountain sports resource (DolomiteSport : http://www.dolomitesport.com). The couple have relocated to the Italian Dolomites where they enjoy and fully utilize the vast European hut system.

Mountain huts allow for convenient travel, light packs, socializing, and easy access to the backcountry. The system is used throughout Europe and bonds the culture of mountain athletes. But is America ready? Would the huts work in America? Where would they work? Is it too commercial for wilderness? Who would use them and would the groups be compatible? Would they help nurture a mountain culture?

Recently, the Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Huts Association asked the Patituccis to host a presentation to detail how the huts are used in Europe. The reason? Alaska wants a European hut system and the momentum is growing. With it, a debate surrounding the question of how and will they work.

Dan will present a brief slideshow explaining the system then opening up the discussion to hear your thoughts.

Meetings are the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30 PM. Social Hour starts at 6:30. Free Beer for members. http://www.rockicemountain.org

Marmot Sale

2009-12-03T14:33:00.001-08:00

Hey wasn't that Honnold show awesome!

OK, click on the following link for the beta on the Marmot sale ... and don't spread it around too much!

http://rockicemountain.org/images/marmot.pdf

AAC SNS Holiday Dinner: Jack Tackle!

2009-11-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

Jack Tackle will present "Alaska Alpine Style" at 7:30 on Sunday December 6 at Spenger's Fish Grotto in Bekeley. The show is part of the American Alpine Club's Sierra Nevada Section Holiday Dinner. Everyone is welcome to attend, and you can join us for the dinner and show or just the show. Dinner requires an RSVP and prepayment. For the show only option, you can pay at the door. For the dinner, cocktail hour will begin at 5 PM followed by a buffet dinner. Jack's presentation will begin at 7:30, and for those attending the show only, doors will open at 7:15. Jack's show will be followed by a raffle with some cool prizes.

Over 30 years of all types of climbing around the world. 28 expeditions to Alaska, and maybe his best earlier this year. 15 FAs - Denali's Isis Face, Hunter's Diamond Arete, Barille's Cobra Pillar, it goes on. Jack Tackle is the Man. In case you've been asleep, you can learn a bit about him in "Down to the Wire," Alpinist 1, Winter 2002. You don't want to miss this show!

Show only:
$10 at the door
Price includes admission to show only. Cash bar available. Tickets for raffle may be purchased separately.

Full package admission:
$35 for all attendees under 29 years old, whether or not AAC members
$45 for AAC members 29 or older; $55 for non-members 29 or older
Price includes drink, buffet dinner, and entry in prize drawings
RSVP for the dinner by email to tcburch@msn.com

Hope to see you there!

2009-10-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

Once again, the Rock, Ice, & Mountain Club presents a great speaker at its monthly meeting.Ed DrummondBetween a Rock and a Soft Place....A note from Ed about the presentation:"As an aging climber fledging from the egg of the ego into the dust cloud of consciousness that I take to be the breath of death, I see that a major theme for me has been attempting to balance a life on the ground with one on the heights, the masculine with the feminine, tenderness and vulnerability, the hard realism of the rock face with the soft touch of the divine imagination. Between a Rock and a Soft Place is an autobiographical account of my searches in the labyrinth for the monster, Answer, as to why on Earth we're here and what in heaven we're supposed to do before we're not.I shall attempt to give birth to these and other personal quandra in story and poem, accompanied by the choir when necessary.Here's to a good night on Tuesday! And thanks for making this effort to put (climbing) bums on seats, and, if it's a really good night, on happy laps."------------------------Ed Drummond, writer, poet, climber. Here's a review and description of his book "Dreams of White Horses" from Amazon.com:Review"The most challenging, disturbing and provocative piece of climbing literature I've ever read - the consistent brilliance of the writing is astounding." Stuart Pregnall, Climbing magazine; "An intoxicating mixturea Drummond takes risks as big as he did on his climbs and has the courage to use climbing as a metaphor for wider truths." Dave Cook, Mountain magazine; "The best climbing book I've ever read." Lito Tejada Flores High magazine.Product DescriptionEd Drummond's climbing essays initially gained prominence in the prestigious American Journal Ascent. First published in a book in 1987 they formed a loose autobiography covering an eventful private life from school and college days in the sixties, a long sojourn in the United States and a return to Europe in the mid-eighties. Yet it is principally a climbing book so the main chapters concern big climbs: first ascents on St. John's Head and the Troll wall, a solo ascent of El Capitan's Nose and an audacious solo attempt on the North America Wall on which the author nearly froze to death. Political and social concerns also figure prominently as Drummond has used his climbing skills to draw attention to a variety of causes - an anti-apartheid protest on Trafalgar Column and building climbs in the US in support of civil-rights activists. More recently he organised the 'Climb for the World' extravaganza. This attention-gaining Ed Drummond roadshow is tempered by a more private, darker side of his character. Adolescent sexual pre-occupations curdled into a sequence of failed marriages and relationships, bringing him to the edge of despair. This too is reflected in his writing, as is his tenacious struggle away from the brink, and his scorn for attempts to romanticise such pressures which emerges in one particularly trenchant essay. Indeed, this collection, though rooted in climbing, uses danger, elation, toil and intense relationships to allow a thorough literary examination of the psyche that leaves the reader both enlightened and exhausted in its wake.

2009-07-07T09:45:00.001-07:00

CHRIS SUMMIT.....good times guaranteed July 7, 2009 Chris Summit: Northern California Bouldering Forever local North Bay climber/boulderer/author/photographer Chris Summit will talk about and show photos of some of the best unknown new bouldering areas in his brand new guidebook Northern California Bouldering by Supertopo. Chris is also the author of Supertopo's Bay Area Bouldering and the now out-of-print Wine Country Rocks guidebook, the first and essential guide to climbing our local rock. He is also the author of many of the North Bay's climbs and boulder problems. We are pleased to welcome Chris back to the RIM club to share his secrets. WHERE AND WHEN Meetings are the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30 PM at the Round Table Pizza at 2065 Occidental Road. For members only! Social hour and set-up begins at 6:30 with free beer for members only. If you haven't signed up yet, join up when you get here. Directions: From Highway 101 at Santa Rosa go west on Highway 12 to Stony Point Road Exit. Go straight from the middle lane at the light onto Occidental Road. The Round Table Pizza is on the right just down the road.

Upcoming Adopt a Crag June 27 (click poster to enlarge for details)

2009-06-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Upcoming aerial photography exhibition, click below to enlarge

2009-06-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

2009-05-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since this has been updated, but we've had a couple of great meetings in the last few months. The Webmistress has been traveling - the sweet limestone ridge above overlooks the town of Buis les Barronies in southern France, had a great few days climbing there in March. Looking forward to a great summer climbing, get psyched y'all!

2009-03-13T23:00:00.001-07:00

Can't make it to the Red Rock Rendezvous this year? Try the Rockpile Rendezvous! See the calendar for more information.

Next meeting - Frank Sanders (click to enlarge)

2009-02-23T18:12:00.000-08:00

2009-02-16T02:58:00.000-08:00

A new year, a new look for the Rock Ice & Mountain Club website! Also adding new functions, including an improved calendar, this blog, and hopefully soon will add things like PayPal buttons (hey, we've got some cool T-shirts to sell) and a place to sign up for email alerts. Maybe even some more multimedia stuff like video. Too bad this isn't my real job ...