tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-181522232024-03-04T23:59:40.122-07:00Outdoor TechDiscussions of equipment, training, and science related to outdoor sports. Topics include: gear reviews, photography tips, nutrition advice, trend reports, myth busting, and suggested reading.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-80098121511585883552009-05-03T22:12:00.000-06:002009-05-03T22:13:43.832-06:00New LocationThis blog has now moved to:<br /><br /><a href="http://clydesoles.com/outdoortech/">http://clydesoles.com/outdoortech/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-64558694942475747152008-05-06T11:37:00.005-06:002008-05-07T14:26:15.256-06:00Study: Pack straps cut blood flow and performance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://clydesoles.com/PhotoGallery/AmaDablam/images/Cook%20and%20Ama.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://clydesoles.com/PhotoGallery/AmaDablam/images/Cook%20and%20Ama.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Unless I'm using poles for skiing or hiking, I often get tingling in my finger tips while carrying a heavy pack. It turns out I'm not alone and the problem may be more than a minor nuisance, loss of fine motor control and increased fatigue may also be problems. Last month, a <a href="http://www.the-aps.org/press/journal/08/12.htm">paper was presented at a meeting of the American Physiological Society</a> that demonstrated how much even a moderate pack affects blood flow. <div> </div><div>Using ultrasound and a pulse oximeter, the scientists measured brachial artery pressure as well as capillary flow in the finger tips. After 10 minutes, only a 26 pound load was sufficient to reduce blood flow in the arm by about 43% and in the finger tips by about 54%. They blame this on the straps compressing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axillary_vein">axillary vein</a>. It's particularly noteworthy for mountaineers since this reduction could make us more prone to frostbite.</div><div> </div><div>The study suggests that redesigning pack straps could improve blood flow. Unfortunately, the paper doesn't indicate which pack they tested on subjects but I'd guess it was a standard S-shape design. Nor does it mention whether a sternum strap was used, a common "feature" that tends to increase pressure on that axillary vein while impeding breathing efficiency. </div><div>This study reminds me of the tumpline that Yvon Chouinard was selling in the early 1980's (for $5.50). Based on the design used by porters in Nepal, this simple strap put nearly all the weight on the head. Of course it never caught on because Westerners generally lack strong neck muscles. </div><div>However, a <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v319/n6055/abs/319668a0.html">study published in Nature in 1986</a> found that we were too quick dismiss this low-tech load carrying device. Normally there is a straight line increase in energy cost of carrying extra weight; e.g. add 20% of body weight, consume 20% more energy. The researchers found that this did not apply when the weight is carried on the head. Measurements of African tribe women walking on a treadmill showed that the could carry 20% of their weight without any increase in energy consumption versus unweighted. Beyond that, the increase was proportional with 30% of body weight increasing energy cost by 10% and 40% of body weight requiring 20% more energy. Yet another reason those Sherpas kick our butts at high altitude.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-60264343063347202672008-05-03T10:08:00.005-06:002008-05-03T11:52:33.853-06:00CrossFit and ClimbingI've been asked a number of times about the value of <a href="http://www.crossfit.com/">CrossFit</a> style training for climbers. For those unaware, this is one of the latest fads to emerge in the fitness world (every few years, there is always something "new and improved" to entice the public and media). I address this subject in the second edition of my book <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Climbing: Training for Peak Performance</span>, which is now off to the printer. Here is the excerpt:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Training Cults</span><br />A recent trend in the past few years has been the emergence of training cults, with adherents that gush on and on about how their method is the “best” and anything else is garbage training. The best known of these is CrossFit, which is essentially a business franchise masquerading as new fitness program.<br /><br />That is not to say CrossFit is all bad. Indeed, there are some very good aspects that the individual trainers, gyms and the web sites offer. Perhaps the most valuable part of the CrossFit program is motivation that comes from the camaraderie. The underlying principle of high-intensity cross training is also reasonably sound, though hardly new or innovative, and can lead to solid fitness gains if used wisely.<br /><br />However, there is also a high risk of acute injury from many of the exercises, some of which are completely unnecessary. Due to the frequent high intensity of the workouts, there is a potential for chronic fatigue without a good athletic base. And no generic program will ever produce the results of a well-structured training program tailored to the needs and goals of the individual.<br /><br />The forums, newsletters, and certification materials contain good information scattered with unscientific nonsense about physiology and nutrition. This misinformation may not cause harm but it certainly doesn’t help. The trainers only take a 2-day class with no written exam for certification, which is very weak comparatively (see “Trainers” in Chapter 6 for more details).<br /><br />If you educate yourself about the pros and cons of CrossFit, or similar concepts, and need the motivation of that style of training, the workouts and gyms can be helpful. For those adopting a periodized training program, high-intensity cross training during the power endurance phase could lead to serious strength gains. However, drinking the Kool-Aid and joining a training cult on a year-round basis may not be in your best interests in the long run.<br /></blockquote>Note that although I mention CrossFit, I'm really talking about all of the heavily hyped training programs (kettlebells, Indian clubs, whatever comes out next year) that get discussed on the Net and in the general media. Elsewhere in my book I discuss how they all work, to some degree, if you keep with them. But the bigger question is what is the most time efficient training for you.<br /><br />And before you point at Mark Twight and his Gym Jones program, notice that he has <a href="http://www.gymjones.com/video.php?GymJonesSess=604bc51ab8d109258cd3fe6b2b22e2a1">pulled the videos from his site</a> and has <a href="http://www.gymjones.com/knowledge.php?id=42">come nearly full circle in his thinking on endurance training</a>. Gym Jones was always more sophisticated than generic CrossFit and Mark is refining the programs even more. Also notice that Rob Shaul at <a href="http://mtnathlete.com/id2.html">Mountain Athlete</a> goes far beyond basic CrossFit by addressing the needs of climbers, though I believe he is under-rating the value of endurance training. Both Mark and Rob realize that general physical preparedness can only get you part way to your goals.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-38047895939765278732008-05-01T17:08:00.003-06:002008-05-01T17:20:45.489-06:00Study: Birth Control for Brain InjuryEven though I've long been a helmet advocate for many outdoor sports (biking, climbing, skiing, etc.), I've also been vocal about how inadequate most helmet really are. For starters, most of the ones commonly worn do not prevent concussion, contrary to popular belief. Of course helmets can only withstand a certain amount of force too, often far less than many people realize. So the bottom line is, helmets or not, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are still going to happen.<div>This <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430134255.htm">new study</a> shows that injections of progestrone, an ingredient in birth control pills, can significantly reduce the effects of TBI. The randomized, double-blind trial found that 6 months after patients experience severe trauma, those who received the progesterone shots for five days after the accident were in much better shape.<br /></div><div>Having witnessed the results of a nasty TBI in more than one friend, I wish this research had been done years ago. But should any of you in the future have friends or family with a TBI, it would be well worth checking with their doctors about this protocol.<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-23921858341983143522008-04-09T08:19:00.004-06:002008-04-09T08:38:40.529-06:00Chinese on Everest - 1960Now that the Chinese are in Base Camp on the North side for their attempt to get an Olympic torch to the summit, I thought some of you would be interested in the story of their first climb. For decades, Westerners doubted the claim that the Chinese had summited Everest in 1960. Eventually, enough convincing evidence was provided that they were grudgingly given credit but there have been few good accounts of that expedition.<br /><br />The following is an excerpt from a book published in 1993 by Shu Ren, "Records of Exploration by the Chinese." The translation was provided by my friend Tuan Luong and I've cleaned it up a bit. If anything, it speaks to the determination of the Chinese...you can bet good money that they will get that torch to the top this season, no matter what it takes.<br /><br />-----<br /><br />BACKGROUND<br /><br />In 1958, 100 experienced mountaineers of the Soviet Union wrote letters to the head of the Soviet and PRC, proposing a joint assault on Mt Qomolungma (aka Everest). An agreement was made between the governments.<br /><br />PREPARATION<br />The Chinese assembled their team, which went to the Soviet Union to train in August 1958. 17 summitted Lenin Peak (7134 m) in Sept. At the end of 1958 a reconnaissance team reached 6,500 m.<br /><br />According to agreement the Soviet was to provide equipment. The Chinese constructed a 300 km road from Shigatse to Rongbuk Monastery.<br /><br />1959 March, uprising broke out Tibet. Climbing was postponed.<br /><br />End of 1959, the two countries became hostile due to ideological disagreement. The Soviet withdrew form the expedition. The Chinese decided to do it alone. Team leader Shi Zhanchun went to Switzerland to buy equipment.<br /><br />On March 19, 1960, the base camp was established at the end of the Rongbuk Glacier. Shi and vice leader Xu Jing had done five years of mountaineering and climbed quite a few peaks in China. The team members were from all walks of life — miners, forest workers, soldiers, peasants, scientists, and college students.<br /><br />The weather was bad. Logistics support was a feat. Meteorology and high altitude medical data were collected.<br /><br />A siege strategy was planned to carry out the climb in four acclimatizing climbs:<br />1) BC-> 6,400m ->BC<br />2) BC->7,600->BC<br />3) BC->8300->BC<br />4) BC-> 8,500 camp -> summit<br /><br />FIRST CLIMB<br />March 25<br />The entire team started from BC.<br /><br />March 26<br />Reached the 5,900m camp.<br /><br />March 27<br />Found a mummified unrecognizable body in English made green down suit. Buried it. They reached 6,400m. Back to BC.<br /><br />SECOND CLIMB<br />Xu, Liu Dayi, Peng Shuli, and other four reached the North Col (aka Bei’ao, 7,007 m) in a day. It was technically difficult. Xu later went up again with another team to fix ropes and ladders across crevasses.<br /><br />April 11<br />The bulk of the team started from 6,400 m to reach the North Col. Attempt to reach further was stopped by very bad weather. Wang Ji died of mountain sickness.<br /><br />THIRD CLIMB<br />April 29<br />The entire team started from the North Col. -37C. Soft snow. Frostbite. Zhao Ziqing died. Liu Lianman (a porter) chopped steps for the team with 30 kg pack on his back all the way. Reached 7,600 m.<br /><br />May 2<br />Shi, Xu, Laba, and Myma went up to 8,100 m. In order to acclimatize they didn’t use their O2. Reached camp after dark. No food left. (Support team didn’t follow up.) Laba and Myma went back to 7,600 camp. Food was sent to the high camp over-night.<br /><br />May 3<br />The team passed the First Step and the Yellow Band. Shi and Wang Fengtong went past the reconnaissance point and reached the Second Step. It was a 60 to 70 degree smooth rock face about 100 feet high, almost devoid of holds.<br /><br />Shi and Wang climbed to somewhere near the top of the second step when it was getting dark (13 hours UT). Decided to bivy so they could see what it looked like to go to the summit from there the next day. They dug out a snow hole in a crack between rocks. The temperature was -40 C. No food. They didn’t use oxygen, saving it for the next day (a first time at that altitude).<br /><br />May 4<br />Clear. The Summit was about 700 feet higher. They found a route and went down.<br /><br />LAST TRY<br />Many team members were sick or injured. Shi and Wang went back to Shigatse and Lhasa to recover. Time flew by. Spirit at the base camp was going down. Beijing sent instruction: Get the summit at any cost. Han Fudong, the head at the BC, talked to the team members and assembled a group, including Wang Fuzhou, Kongbu (with a sprained ankle), and Liu Lianman.<br /><br />May 14<br />During a good weather spell, equipment and food was sent to 7,600 camp.<br /><br />May 17<br />The team swore at the BC. Depart at 1 hour UT. With the national flag of China, they also carried a plaster statue of Mao Zhedong.<br /><br />May 18<br />Reached Camp 4.<br /><br />May 23<br />Porter Qu Yinhua carried oxygen and a movie camera to the 8,500 camp. He planned to go down after shooting some footage the next day. Food had run out that night.<br /><br />May 24.<br />Good weather. Vice leader Xu collapsed at the camp. Wang, Liu, Qu, and Kongbu started the last 1,200 feet, carrying oxygen, the flag, Mao’s statue, paper, pencil, and the movie camera.<br /><br />Two hours later they reached the Second Step exhausted. Tried to circumvent. Didn’t work. Zigzagged to the middle of it, where they found a crack. Decided to climb it.<br /><br />Liu climbed to about 10 feet from the top. The face became vertical and smooth. He hand jammed, with boot tips smearing on the face. Fell four times.<br /><br />Liu, who used to be fire fighter from the city of Harbin, proposed Qu to stand on his shoulder so that he can push Qu up. Qu took off his boots to get up, and nailed in a piton in the crack. He lost his toes and heel to frostbite during the feat. (The same piton was used 15 years later to hang a rope ladder.) Then Liu pushed Kongbu up and went up himself with Wang on rope.<br /><br />It had taken them 3 hours to do the last 10 feet of the Second Step. Not much oxygen was left. It was getting late. Liu fell down continuously, and stayed on the lee side of a rock, semi-conscious. The other three pushed on. Liu used some oxygen, savoring warmth, and became sober. Proceeded to turn off the oxygen and wrote a note for the three - “There is still some oxygen in the canister. You three can use it when you come back. It may be helpful.” And fell asleep.<br /><br />The other three went on 60° slopes in the dark, on all fours to avoid accident, navigating using starlight reflected on the snow.<br /><br />150 feet from the summit, all three had run out of oxygen. Ditched the canisters. Inched their way to the summit.<br /><br />At some place where rock bordered snow, Kongbu, who was in front, suddenly shouted, ``It’s downhill to go on.’’<br /><br />Quietly, in darkness and surrounded by silhouette of the mountains, they crawled to the top of the world. It was 4:20 am, May 25, Beijing time (UT+8), 19 hours after they had started. 15 minutes later, they left the flag, the status of Mao, and a note at the summit and went down with some rock samples (gift for Chairman Mao). Liu was waiting for them with his oxygen at 8,700 meters, saved their lives.<br /><br />May 30<br />They were back to BC. Wang and Qu were 176 lb and 170 lb before they had climbed. And 111 lb and 110 lb after.<br /><br />---<br /><br />After the PR China was founded in 1949, there have been two Extras from the official newspaper People’s Daily: one was the first Chinese ascent of Mt Qomolungma, the other was the successful A-bomb test made by China during the heydays of the Cold War.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-84447997055702300322008-03-27T13:30:00.006-06:002008-03-27T15:06:32.375-06:00Study: Rock climb for aerobic fitnessWhen they hear the term "aerobic conditioning," most people think of things like running and cycling. Indeed, rock climbing probably doesn't occur to many as a way to improve heart and lung function. But researchers in Italy <a href="http://www.nsca-jscr.org/pt/re/jscr/abstract.00124278-200803000-00006.htm;jsessionid=HrxTnPbLzdZLHJhzTXQjlhjjnrw2Wk1wgLtV8T6S8RTXq0LGBvfn%21923867264%21181195629%218091%21-1">put climbing to the test and found that it's actually very aerobic</a> according to a report just published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research.<br /><br />The scientists enlisted 13 recreational rock climbers (8 men and 5 women) and tested their aerobic fitness (VO2max, etc) in a lab. Then the subjects strapped on a portable system for measuring oxygen uptake and climbed easy routes on an 80-foot high wall. After the climb, blood lactate samples were taken.<br /><br />What they discovered was that climbers of both genders naturally choose a speed that puts us near our performance/anaerobic threshold (I don't use the term lactate threshold because it's obsolete) and maintain this level of exertion. Of course, this makes sense because we generally want to get up a route quickly without going so hard that we flame out.<br /><br />This level of exertion (about 73% of VO2max) is what the ACSM considers a good level for maintaining cardio fitness. Not surprisingly, they also found that rock climbers tend to have superior aerobic fitness (VO2 max around 40), roughly in the 85th percentile of the normal population.<br /><br />As many of us know, climbing in an indoor gym is a form of moderate- to high-intensity interval training (something that gets a lot of buzz in the fitness world these days). The typical length of each bout, including recovery, is 9 minutes and this is repeated 10 to 15 times per session, with two to three sessions per week. In this study, they found that climbing burned 1000 - 1500 calories per week.<br /><br />The bottom line is rock climbing is both good resistance training, which we already knew, and also decent aerobic training. Of course, if you have higher goals such as mountaineering, you still have to do endurance aerobic workouts and serious resistance training (read: lifting weights).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-23326621388852280132008-03-26T11:57:00.008-06:002008-03-26T12:18:20.769-06:00More Great Climbing Books<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2POYXyC9C2Mj0a7m44KBbInCMrHJLjzpjXJF4HQKI5Li1H8ZBhtKPwpobSu4RD7Cr1U8zKd85Xhj3U2yB7JNstBoQDWS2gc-a25EySiPgM-eh8RfBPgrBEYMnQMC2tBVRtd08/s1600-h/Books.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2POYXyC9C2Mj0a7m44KBbInCMrHJLjzpjXJF4HQKI5Li1H8ZBhtKPwpobSu4RD7Cr1U8zKd85Xhj3U2yB7JNstBoQDWS2gc-a25EySiPgM-eh8RfBPgrBEYMnQMC2tBVRtd08/s200/Books.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182116194214792898" border="0" /></a>Following up on my post <a href="http://outdoortech.blogspot.com/2008/02/top-ten-climbing-books-of-all-time.html">Top Ten Climbing Books of All Time</a>, here are 40 more titles that are well worth seeking out. These books offer good reading as well as historical perspectives. Some are out of print so it will take some effort to track them down. If you have more suggestions, please leave comments.<br /><br />Barker, Ralph. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Blue Mountain</span>. The 1957 Harmosh expedition.<br /><br />Bates, Robert G. <span style="font-style: italic;">Five Miles High</span>. First American K2 expedition in 1938.<br /><br />Bechtold, Fritz: <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanga Parbat Adventure</span>. Ten fatalities in 1934.<br /><br />Boardman, Peter. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Shining Mountain</span>. Two men on Changabang.<br /><br />Bonatti, Walter. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Great Days</span>. A more recent autobiography with more epic ascents.<br /><br />Bonington, Chris. <span style="font-style: italic;">Annapurna: South Face</span>. An epic ascent.<br /><br />Brown, Joe. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hard Years</span>. One of the hardest of the hard.<br /><br />Browne, Belmore. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Conquest of Mount McKinley</span>. Written in 1913.<br /><br />Burdsall, Richard. <span style="font-style: italic;">Men Against the Clouds</span>. Americans on Minya Konka in 1932.<br /><br />Clinch, Nicholas. <span style="font-style: italic;">A Walk in the Sky</span>. Only American first ascent of an 8000 m peak, in 1958.<br /><br />Davidson, Art. <span style="font-style: italic;">Minus 148º</span>. Denali in winter, say no more.<br /><br />Diemberger, Kurt. <span style="font-style: italic;">K2: The Endless Knot</span>. The tragic summer of 1986.<br /><br />Ferlet, René. <span style="font-style: italic;">Aconcagua: South Face</span>. Epic first ascent in 1955.<br /><br />Harding, Warren. <span style="font-style: italic;">Downward Bound</span>. A humorous perspective of Yosemite and climbing in the early 1970’s.<br /><br />Hargreaves, Alison. <span style="font-style: italic;">A Hard Day's Summer</span>. Six classic north faces, solo.<br /><br />Harrer, Heinrich. <span style="font-style: italic;">Seven Years in Tibet</span>. A fantastic true story.<br /><br />Heckmair, Anderl, <span style="font-style: italic;">My Life As a Mountaineer</span>. Much more than the Eiger.<br /><br />Herzog. Maurice. <span style="font-style: italic;">Annapurna</span>. First conquest of an 8000 m peak, in 1950.<br /><br />Hunt, John. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Ascent of Everest</span>. The official account of the 1954 first ascent.<br /><br />King, Clarence. <span style="font-style: italic;">Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada</span>. What they were doing in 1872 will surprise you.<br /><br />Krakauer, Jon. <span style="font-style: italic;">Into Thin Air</span>. One perspective of the 1996 Everest fiasco.<br /><br />Languepin, Jean-Jaques. <span style="font-style: italic;">To Kiss High Heaven</span>. Missing climbers on Nanda Devi in 1951.<br /><br />Maraini, Fosco. <span style="font-style: italic;">Karakoram: The Ascent of Gasherbrum IV</span>. Incredibly difficult climb in 1958.<br /><br />Messner, Reinhold. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Seventh Grade</span>. Postulations on the future of climbing from a 1973 perspective.<br /><br />Messner, Reinhold. <span style="font-style: italic;">Solo Nanga Parbat</span>. Probably the best from the best.<br /><br />Murray, William. <span style="font-style: italic;">Mountaineering In Scotland</span>. Hard routes in the 1930’s.<br /><br />Newby, Eric. <span style="font-style: italic;">A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush</span>. Afghanistan adventure in 1956.<br /><br />Patey, Tom. <span style="font-style: italic;">One Man's Mountains</span>. Wry Scottish humor and hardcore climbs.<br /><br />Rebufatt, Gaston. <span style="font-style: italic;">Starlight and Storm</span>. Six of the greatest north faces in the Alps.<br /><br />Ridgeway, Rick. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Step</span>. Americans on K2 in 1978.<br /><br />Robinson, Doug. <span style="font-style: italic;">A Night On the Ground</span>. Sierra Nevada climbing tales.<br /><br />Roper, Steve. <span style="font-style: italic;">Camp 4</span>. A controversial history of Yosemite’s Golden Age.<br /><br />Rowell, Galen. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Vertical World of Yosemite</span>. A classic about the Valley’s in the early 1970’s.<br /><br />Shipton, Eric. <span style="font-style: italic;">Blank On The Map</span>. One of the great explorers in the Karakoram.<br /><br />Smythe, Frank. <span style="font-style: italic;">Camp Six</span>. The 1933 Everest expedition.<br /><br />Tasker Joe. <span style="font-style: italic;">Savage Arena</span>. Hard climbs in the great ranges.<br /><br />Tichy, Herbert. <span style="font-style: italic;">Cho Oyu</span>. A successful small expedition in 1954.<br /><br />Tilman, Bill. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Ascent of Nanda Devi</span>. Brits and Americans join forces in 1936.<br /><br />Whillans, Don. <span style="font-style: italic;">Portrait of a Mountaineer</span>. The hardman’s hardman.<br /><br />Whymper, Edward. <span style="font-style: italic;">Scrambles Amongst the Alps in the Years 1860-69</span>. One of the most famous mountaineering books ever published.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-36235974851238313122008-03-26T09:41:00.002-06:002008-03-26T09:59:30.401-06:00Study: Bear spray really worksKind of reassuring for folks who travel in grizzly country. This <a href="http://www.wildlifejournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.2193%2F2006-452&ct=1">study was just published</a> in the Journal of Wildlife Management:<br /><blockquote>We present a comprehensive look at a sample of bear spray incidents that occurred in Alaska, USA, from 1985 to 2006. We analyzed 83 bear spray incidents involving brown bears (<em>Ursus arctos</em>; 61 cases, 74%), black bears (<em>Ursus americanus</em>; 20 cases, 24%), and polar bears (<em>Ursus maritimus</em>; 2 cases, 2%). Of the 72 cases where persons sprayed bears to defend themselves, 50 (69%) involved brown bears, 20 (28%) black bears, and 2 (3%) polar bears. Red pepper spray stopped bears' undesirable behavior 92% of the time when used on brown bears, 90% for black bears, and 100% for polar bears. Of all persons carrying sprays, 98% were uninjured by bears in close-range encounters. All bear-inflicted injuries (<em>n</em> = 3) associated with defensive spraying involved brown bears and were relatively minor (i.e., no hospitalization required). In 7% (5 of 71) of bear spray incidents, wind was reported to have interfered with spray accuracy, although it reached the bear in all cases. In 14% (10 of 71) of bear spray incidents, users reported the spray having had negative side effects upon themselves, ranging from minor irritation (11%, 8 of 71) to near incapacitation (3%, 2 of 71). Bear spray represents an effective alternative to lethal force and should be considered as an option for personal safety for those recreating and working in bear country.</blockquote>Bottomline: you are safer using pepper spray than a gun if attacked by a bear. Not convinced? Read <a href="http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/brownbears/pepperspray/pepperspray.htm">this report by one of the top bear researchers in Alaska</a>. He strongly advocates pepper spray as the primary defense.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-81543077622222857842008-03-25T13:49:00.016-06:002008-03-26T10:02:35.349-06:00Study: Geezers on Everest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4hOAZK4g0ixxRHwn_YDcyplwlb4iJRnB_f5lufei9xeFeV8AADwCrfTZGonZ_9pJi9Ch0vVBBUgvHkV30F_f2oPT8hU4E8-ck4ynYcRrPU8iusASIBoDG_qhZobb4HYinSrR/s1600-h/Khumbu+icefall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4hOAZK4g0ixxRHwn_YDcyplwlb4iJRnB_f5lufei9xeFeV8AADwCrfTZGonZ_9pJi9Ch0vVBBUgvHkV30F_f2oPT8hU4E8-ck4ynYcRrPU8iusASIBoDG_qhZobb4HYinSrR/s320/Khumbu+icefall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181787766655602338" border="0" /></a><div>Now that the <a href="http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?id=17151">mad dash to the South side of Everest has begun</a>, it looks to be a banner year for accidents and fatalities. With the North side closed because of the Chinese publicity stunt, the South Col route will be more crowded than ever. </div><div>What makes this the perfect storm for death is the new stipulation that nobody can go above Camp 2 until May 11. At only 21,500 feet, that is still a long ways from the top (29,028 feet). Then the sheep, er I mean climbers, will be corralled in base camp for 10 days from May 1st to the 10th so they lose even some of that acclimatization. </div><div>Assuming the fake Olympic flame actually reaches the summit on schedule for the evening news—a big IF—the climbers in Nepal then have 20 days to get to the top. By June 1st, the Khumbu icefall (photo) is so dangerous only those with a death wish will still be going through. So there will be lots of poorly acclimatized wealthy clients popping Diamox like candy and quietly shooting up dexamethasone all ready to rush up in the small window of opportunity.</div><div>As if that combination wasn't bad enough, a <a href="http://journals.royalsociety.org/content/kqt80140g07181q3/?p=c49fecd6c52e4949b7d092d24da154ba&pi=0">study published last Fall in the journal Biology Letters</a> makes the prognosis even grimmer for those over 60. Entitled "Effects of age and gender on success and death of mountaineers on Mount Everest," it presents a statistical analysis for 15 years (1990 - 2005) of people making their first attempt.</div><div>The results indicate that your odds of summitting diminish past the age of 40, which kinda sucks. From about age 25 to 40, the odds of reaching the top are about 1 in 3. After that, it's a linear drop off to about a 1 in 8 chance of success at age 60. </div><div>But the odds of dying also go up past the age of 60, which really sucks. Until that age, the odds of your becoming a corpse are about 1.5%. The newbie sexagenarians face a 5% chance of kicking the bucket while on the mountain (Everest veterans have better odds). If the geezers do make it to the top, there's roughly a 25% chance they won't make it home alive!</div><div>This research is brought to us by the same scientist, <a href="http://faculty.washington.edu/hueyrb/research.php">Raymond Huey</a> (who <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">really</span> knows his fruit flies and lizards), that showed <a href="http://faculty.washington.edu/hueyrb/pdfs/JEB2001.pdf">using oxygen on Everest and K2 greatly increases the chance of survival</a> and that <a href="http://faculty.washington.edu/hueyrb/pdfs/HueyWardJAMA05.pdf">Everest was only climbable less than one third of the past 570 million years</a> due to low oxygen levels on the planet.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-42644257876488154802008-03-20T11:19:00.007-06:002008-03-26T10:02:58.307-06:00New Frostbite ProcedureFile this one under: Good to know, hope I never need it. <div>I've never had frostbite though I've certainly had plenty of cases of "screaming meanies" (ask any ice climber if you don't know what that is). But as a mountaineer, frostbite is something that I need to be prepared for--quite a few of my friends have lost bits of fingers and toes.</div><div>This week, a paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology about a breakthrough treatment for frostbite that has the potential to prevent amputations. The technique involves using an IV to infuse the affected limb with a drug (Tenectaplase) through arteries upstream of the injured area so this likely isn't something that will be done in the field. The results appear to be a dramatic improvement over the standard protocols, which often resulted in small blood clots that wreak havoc on thawing tissue.</div><div>Since this research is so new, if you end up in the hospital with frostbite, it's likely that you may have to inform your doctor about the procedure. The <a href="http://www.sirweb.org/news/newsPDF/2008am/Mon/Frostbite_Final.pdf">press release</a> gives a nice summary of the research. Here is the <a href="http://www.sirweb.org/news/newsPDF/2008am/Mon/Edmonson_Frostbite.ppt">PowerPoint presentation</a> if you want full details and the typical gory photos.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-24338683668320639312008-03-20T10:34:00.006-06:002008-03-20T13:04:12.502-06:00Pedal the Ocean<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUQ6OyCM0TZf01JmXmtJ0cTu_4bWLzVUWu75K9bqlw0u6c4auiYs57LHQb1loGQKOlexw2YUlz3N-7tZtvrmBLbyQcAa7uoHAdgbD5fK2ZBqHLe45q7sKUdK3Dpf3epNHwf7j/s1600-h/GregAndMachinessmall.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUQ6OyCM0TZf01JmXmtJ0cTu_4bWLzVUWu75K9bqlw0u6c4auiYs57LHQb1loGQKOlexw2YUlz3N-7tZtvrmBLbyQcAa7uoHAdgbD5fK2ZBqHLe45q7sKUdK3Dpf3epNHwf7j/s320/GregAndMachinessmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179863397968694930" /></a>I want one. Not that I have anyplace to use it around here but a bike capable (hopefully) of <a href="http://www.pedaltheocean.com/">pedaling across the Atlantic</a> is just cool. Greg is still working on the design and the 43-day crossing isn't planned until December so there's still plenty of time to become a sponsor if you're so inclined.<div>Great concept and a worthy adventure!</div><div>Via <a href="http://www.straighttothebar.com/">Straight To The Bar</a>.<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-46556394703522717172008-03-20T08:57:00.007-06:002008-03-25T22:17:47.966-06:00Galley Time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8iGH7hvhV7IeKWT2y130-a8m5KBWVxzkhqPN60f7_8JQBcukcrBKqv1UCPv8cS5PVPFWNNe4xNaJZvOAMC9VAxkKtOCzrHD-KQcgLVBHwaUjWheJzRiX-Wh7D5fmpImrdhzP/s1600-h/Training+Cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8iGH7hvhV7IeKWT2y130-a8m5KBWVxzkhqPN60f7_8JQBcukcrBKqv1UCPv8cS5PVPFWNNe4xNaJZvOAMC9VAxkKtOCzrHD-KQcgLVBHwaUjWheJzRiX-Wh7D5fmpImrdhzP/s320/Training+Cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179840119245950594" /></a>Just shipped the galleys for my training book so getting that ready was I haven't posted lately. For those of you who haven't published books, there are several stages of editing after a manuscript is turned in. <div>First an editor goes through and fixes all the grammar mistakes you made (out of 100,000 words, you can bet there are a few) and they ask questions and make suggestions. All of this comes back to you as a hard copy printout and you get a week or two approve changes and add new content.</div><div>Then next step is called the galley. This is the first rough layout of the book, sans the photos. It is the authors last chance to make substantial changes. So when you ship the galleys back, your book is pretty much a done deal.</div><div>I'll get to look at it one more time in the form of proofs, which is my last chance to correct mistakes. But the catch is that no changes can affect layout. So if you add 5 words, you have to take out 5 from somewhere on the same page (usually). It's pretty much impossible to add a sentence or paragraph. </div><div>Then it's off to the printer. And I should see a new book around July.</div><div>This really is a new book, even though it's a second edition. It went from six chapters to nine. I don't know the final page count but I'm guessing it will go from 240 pages to near 300. I've added a lot of content, took out some exercises and included new ones, and recommended roughly 40 products for training or recovery. Hopefully it will help some people have more fun!</div><div>So now that the galley has shipped, I begin collecting information for the third edition that may appear in five years. That's part of the reason I started this blog.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-77387676557776231732008-03-12T09:40:00.005-06:002008-03-12T09:53:14.409-06:00Attention Deficit Disorder<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4wBb0vA2KNKyYIa-oiTmvuVHoQqX_Ivr5nqP9WJvb0FHPXi5DlsLmfq_I1uSg6zel702GhSGh2zzz7aRnv8roq5QVnW8a5J8JitpAPSEX-gwUyXnVwxxZd9cn-uhuC297TNn/s1600-h/Sprint+finish.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4wBb0vA2KNKyYIa-oiTmvuVHoQqX_Ivr5nqP9WJvb0FHPXi5DlsLmfq_I1uSg6zel702GhSGh2zzz7aRnv8roq5QVnW8a5J8JitpAPSEX-gwUyXnVwxxZd9cn-uhuC297TNn/s320/Sprint+finish.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176883745089641746" /></a>Cognitive science comes to the aid of the cycling world. Now that it's road bike season, this is a good one to pass around.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dothetest.co.uk/">Do The Test.</a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-20505031710680753602008-03-06T13:34:00.004-07:002008-03-26T10:02:18.318-06:00Study: Climbing hurts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4La5hFO9kpNwHGYXpTxaWe7gulCn-huWiwZZVdh6qhs89-Uc4p1VdPvjYm5bqrF8GullF2tLHlL0aPKltBpwnVy48qgNCd9nPs6EXebUkhDSY2DPhIi5-5mRhgdcRWf84mm0/s1600-h/_B244905.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4La5hFO9kpNwHGYXpTxaWe7gulCn-huWiwZZVdh6qhs89-Uc4p1VdPvjYm5bqrF8GullF2tLHlL0aPKltBpwnVy48qgNCd9nPs6EXebUkhDSY2DPhIi5-5mRhgdcRWf84mm0/s320/_B244905.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174690859843389458" border="0" /></a>Half of the climbers in gyms and at crags have been injured bad enough in the past year that they had to take at least one day off. One third have chronic overuse injuries such as elbow and shoulder tendonitis. Over a quarter suffer an acute injury, such as a torn A2 pulley in a middle or ring finger, from pulling harder than their body could handle. Yet only 10% of the waylaying injuries came from a fall.<div>That's the result of a survey of over two hundred climbers in Britain that was <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18065444">published last December in the British Journal of Sports Medicine</a>. Titled "The epidemiology of rock climbing injuries," the authors also found that climbers are a stubborn lot when it comes to seeking medical attention. Only 11% went to a doctor and 18% to a physical therapist for treatment while 14% asked the advice of other climbers.</div><div>While half of all climbers bashing themselves up isn't a good thing, at least we aren't as bad as dancers at abusing our bodies. Another <a href="http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7517/594-b">survey in Britain</a> found that 80% of professional dancers had suffered an injury in the previous 12 months. </div><div>The study of dancers also found that 25% have had eating problems (anorexia and/or bulemia) and 10% were underweight to the point that it threatened their health. This question wasn't tackled in the climber survey but it's quite likely that eating disorders are nearly as common in the sport climbing and bouldering communities.</div><div>This study reinforces the danger of overdoing it in any sport. Overuse injuries are the ones most likely to take you out of action. But they are also the most easily prevented by getting sufficient rest, training underdeveloped muscles, and eating properly.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-33016511712449813872008-03-04T16:21:00.007-07:002008-03-05T13:34:47.359-07:00Review: Mountain Hardwear Transition Jacket<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYRq0nxVo-AFhICtGD4MdhagW5d-qaCYjazu2Cu8DgPhX1qDmtC6xGbhlyXinFcRBYQi3W2TpBffpe7Pebiu_-FELspxPWGRoJRHbe4v0ezUcF47rCq9MJ9MTkAbEYBuGIlQy/s1600-h/Transition.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKYRq0nxVo-AFhICtGD4MdhagW5d-qaCYjazu2Cu8DgPhX1qDmtC6xGbhlyXinFcRBYQi3W2TpBffpe7Pebiu_-FELspxPWGRoJRHbe4v0ezUcF47rCq9MJ9MTkAbEYBuGIlQy/s320/Transition.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174031131391887362" /></a>My closet floweth over with wind shells, soft shells, hard shells, ultralight shells, burly shells, and shells that defy classification. My first mountaineering shells in the early 70s were a wind and water resistant 60/40 parka and a waterproof cagoule. Then along came the miracle GoreTex fabric in my Early Winters parka that was supposed to replace the others. It did for a while but the concept of the one-shell-for-everything never panned out in the real world.<div>Now, decades later, I have found the one-shell-that-does-damn-near-everything. I've used the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Hardwear-Transition-Softshell-Jacket/dp/B000VLECKC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1204748434&sr=8-2">Mountain Hardwear Transition Jacket</a> with great success for highly aerobic activities (road and mountain biking, skate skiing, running), interval activities (climbing, lift-served skiing, whitewater rafting, hiking), and inactivities (hanging around camp, around town, outdoor cafes). The only thing this shell doesn't excel at is keeping me dry in a heavy rainstorm but it isn't intended for that and it does great in light rain.</div><div>The Transition Jacket uses the latest generation of the Gore Windstopper SoftShell (formerly called Next2Skin). I've tried most of the previous versions of this fabric and was only mildly impressed; some were heavy, others uncomfortable. The interior laminate of this shell is brushed polyester, which is very soft and helps transfer moisture. The outer laminate is a jersey knit that disperses moisture for fast drying. The total fabric package is just warm enough for chilly days without being too thick for working hard.</div><div>If you are familiar with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marmot-Original-DriClime-Windshirt-Mens/dp/B0014D4ZQC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1204748587&sr=1-3">Marmot DriClime Windshirt</a>, a true classic piece of outdoor wear, this Transition Jacket is the modern replacement. Like many of you, I wore my DriClime for almost everything but now it hangs sullenly while the Transition is my go-to shell due to superior comfort.</div><div>The trim fit of the Transition keeps it from flapping in high winds and allows you to throw a fleece or hard shell over it when conditions warrant. The athletic cut gives plenty of arm reach when climbing and biking and allows excellent freedom of movement that is aided by the 3-way stretch of the body fabric and even greater stretch of the side panels. Seams are taped to minimize any chaffing and help reduce water leaks in light rain.</div><div>Amenities of the Transition Jacket include a nice hood that fits under helmets and lays unobtrusively when unused, reflective patches, and Lycra cuffs with thumb loops. The interior zippered chest pocket and exterior zippered rear pocket both have holes for earphones, plus there is an elastic routing loop to keep the cable in place. Total weight for a men's large is 15.0 ounces.</div><div>The slight downsides include limited abrasion resistance of the outer jersey knit (it tends to pick) so this isn't a great choice for bushwhacking but that is a necessary tradeoff. The only detail missing is the ability to use the rear pocket as a stuff sack.</div><div>With a suggested retail of $150, it does cost more than a DriClime ($85). But this is a shell that I wear so often now that it seems like a great value.<br /><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><div> </div><div> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGscNMsR11DhPh6oZa7Czd0-LtcEBGOTybYJaVeGgne2Uwf9-331tvFK0Ki51F6TAm_XOqu2Y1ugwyGRLl_VuteCL6XMt17gqUi7M_gsCPRxmAvKLn_NiyR4aZ9k9srtgpUOP/s1600-h/9+Stars.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGscNMsR11DhPh6oZa7Czd0-LtcEBGOTybYJaVeGgne2Uwf9-331tvFK0Ki51F6TAm_XOqu2Y1ugwyGRLl_VuteCL6XMt17gqUi7M_gsCPRxmAvKLn_NiyR4aZ9k9srtgpUOP/s320/9+Stars.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174030882283784178" /></a><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-45897393403388098112008-03-03T08:27:00.010-07:002008-03-26T10:01:59.222-06:00Study: Climber's High No Myth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yjzlMApuGpd5enP3HTq_p9Sly1M0SDpArO-LkG8NRyLTdUk6vuaIcN_We3wPcnPHsP-UoYWl2NmK5iUT2RaVSf8OEBT97CjnIb89h-DIpG8ZCSh6tcIkb1V3QUMP5copw6pK/s1600-h/IC+climbers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yjzlMApuGpd5enP3HTq_p9Sly1M0SDpArO-LkG8NRyLTdUk6vuaIcN_We3wPcnPHsP-UoYWl2NmK5iUT2RaVSf8OEBT97CjnIb89h-DIpG8ZCSh6tcIkb1V3QUMP5copw6pK/s320/IC+climbers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173540133372243810" border="0" /></a>No doubt you have heard of the "runner's high," which is the buzz achieved by an endurance workout. It has long been speculated that this blissful feeling results from the release of endorphin, a natural opiate produced by the body, but it had never been proven and some scientists considered this a myth.<div>Recently, scientists in Germany demonstrated that two hours of running does indeed cause the brain to release endorphins. In addition, the opiates preferentially bind to the prefrontal and limbic areas of the brain, which are involved with emotional processing and the suppression of pain. </div><div>As <a href="http://cercor.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/bhn013v1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=endorphin&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT">reported in the journal Cerebral Cortex</a>, ten runners worked out for two hours and then underwent a PET scan. This is similar to a CT scan that digitally dissects the body except a radioactive isotope is injected into the bloodstream and the PET detects where it is metabolically active. In the case of the runners, the scan showed that opiate receptors in the brain after exercise were occupied by far greater amounts of endorphin. This also corresponded to an increase of euphoria and happiness at the end of the runs; the more intense the feelings, the more endorphin was binding to receptors.</div><div>While this study was conducted on runners, it also applies to all athletes and you don't have to work for two hours to experience it. Runners, cyclists, and other endurance athletes can fairly easily get into the "zone" after a half hour of working out. </div><div>It's fair to say that most climbers feel a strong buzz when they get to the top of a long, strenuous pitch. We may get a similar feeling on easier terrain only after a lot of vertical gain. In the case of crack climbing, that endorphin blast helps us ignore the pain in our feet. Climbers are frequently accused of being adrenalin junkies but we may really just be addicted to endorphin.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-77828995183390804582008-02-29T10:20:00.012-07:002008-03-04T16:20:34.011-07:00Review: PAST Balance Trainer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzPr-ENoKJ3F9C81r2xeinOHAL89haS0qNmDwqJfmEGOKRZe_VMEqGJgDYjmb_Xhszn3ya2jGBcAApBKOiAwMKv_PBEnLIFiz5sOPbcJH-Gryr65d3Id7XV64G6sB5p6xYzTH/s1600-h/FI_product.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzPr-ENoKJ3F9C81r2xeinOHAL89haS0qNmDwqJfmEGOKRZe_VMEqGJgDYjmb_Xhszn3ya2jGBcAApBKOiAwMKv_PBEnLIFiz5sOPbcJH-Gryr65d3Id7XV64G6sB5p6xYzTH/s320/FI_product.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172473327920426834" /></a>A good sense of balance is vitally important for most outdoor activities but especially things like climbing and hiking through boulder fields. One of the major focuses of functional training is combining multi-plane resistance exercises with balance challenges. These routines require the use of less resistance but offset this decrease by invoking more stabilizing muscles, including those of the core, and integrating the whole body.<div>There are numerous training aids for balance such as wobble boards, BOSU trainers, and slacklines. While working on the new edition of my training book, I've tried a wide assortment of these products. Among the best that I've found are the <a href="http://www.balance2posture.com/index.html">PAST balance boards</a>.</div><div>Sold as a pair, these are unique compared to standard wobble boards and bongo boards because there is one for each foot. While a wobble board uses one half of a sphere attached to the bottom, the PASTs have a central rubber column. The difference is that you can't really balance on a wobble board but you can with the PAST, with practice. Also you start out of balance with a wobble or bongo board and must try to bring it to balance while you step onto the PASTs in a position of balance and work to maintain that position. Since the feet are independent and the platforms can rotate, you can perform a number of twisting motions not possible on other balance products.</div><div><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0Orl1jYSCWvCCopaq5E8shgNToouJugtJh8kDE4fI7XWUfQdkkPfsqVTafXKqerbY4yV87M-q_v0ibIlJbBbee9z7cAn46MCBqFtTSVJ6yO3NWUd_L5OnwdxIFhhFBllyaC1/s320/FI_pic-handles.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172470914148806450" /><div>The other unique aspect of the PAST system is that you can flip the platforms upside down and attach two handles for pushups. If you've seen the obnoxious commercials for the <a href="http://www.perfectpushup.com/">Perfect Pushup </a>gizmo, this is basically the same thing only better. The wide, padded handles rotate as you perform the pushups to allow a natural hand position at all times. What is better is that you can make the grips unstable to increase the challenge or you can turn a collar to make them stable like with the Perfect Pushup. The unstable PAST pushups are nearly as good as performing pushups with <a href="http://outdoortech.blogspot.com/2008/02/elite-rings.html">Elite Rings</a> and you don't have to worry about installation.</div><div>The PAST system also comes with elastic cords that attach to the platform for doing easy resistance exercises. This sounds good in theory but I found them to be essentially useless for any sort of workout. Also included is a cheap nylon gym bag and two rug adaptors. And you can view a selection of training <a href="http://www.balance2posture.com/videos.html">videos on the web site</a> (no DVD included).</div><div>All in all, I find the PAST system to be a superior balance training product to most of the alternatives. However, I have two major gripes: comfort and price. The platforms are very uncomfortable in bare feet, which discourages use around the house (pain is never a good enticement for training of any type). A smooth deck would be a huge improvement. The system sells for $120 (plus shipping), which seems pretty steep; if they sold for $80 (or $60 without handles) a lot more people would be interested.</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8klNCTTZLx4WM9BjpYqptrRA_5GfUKadLCv_pCywO83t0VOhoe3C3InX1-HQS-U0KEnpd1aTBYZOEUOHqE6ehQV1tsnFV9Vlw_grqyhJDYTMFUUHYLAcd-AoOR-gHaxKZzfa/s320/7+Stars.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172471249156255554" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-33161495905315491192008-02-27T08:41:00.008-07:002008-02-27T09:57:43.797-07:00Cramps and Myths<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUHngXbi4ftNNuqP6n0UumcCxadSaonj6XpfEG93J7h38NT-cd_pUyaUNTTUhFlZIa5t85GzaP5UOFqOd22e4XToMuppQMYYxMdB24ztnZbulFECVXp59WIVFukR5hhSQCpoP/s1600-h/Finish+pan.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUHngXbi4ftNNuqP6n0UumcCxadSaonj6XpfEG93J7h38NT-cd_pUyaUNTTUhFlZIa5t85GzaP5UOFqOd22e4XToMuppQMYYxMdB24ztnZbulFECVXp59WIVFukR5hhSQCpoP/s320/Finish+pan.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171686797881483410" /></a>The plague of many a runner, cyclist, climber, boater, and just about any other outdoor athlete, muscle cramps suck. But despite all the suffering, the cause of cramps remains poorly understood. Much of the early research, which was largely funded by Gatorade, has been debunked. Yet this weak science was the basis for a massive marketing campaign that resulted in myths that persist to this day.<div>It's quite likely that many of you believe that cramps are caused by dehydration. Or perhaps you've heard that they result from a shortage of electrolytes, specifically potassium. Maybe it's a lack of minerals (zinc and magnesium). Not enough stretching and massage is another theory.</div><div>Alas, all of these have been ruled out as primary causes by the limited independent research that we do have. That's right folks: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">N</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">one</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> of those expensive sport drinks and electrolyte replacement potions will prevent cramps.</span></div><div>Perhaps the most pervasive myth is that if your muscles cramp you weren't drinking enough (insert bottled brand of over-priced salty water). But as <a href="http://scienceofsport.blogspot.com/2007/11/muscle-cramps-part-1-theories-and.html">Ross at the Science of Sport </a>blog points out, if dehydration and electrolyte depletion were the cause of cramps, more than one or two muscles would seize up. </div><div>In their excellent five-part series on cramps, Ross and Jonathan explain that when we sweat from heavy exercise the concentration of electrolytes in the blood actually increases. In <a href="http://scienceofsport.blogspot.com/2007/11/sports-drinks-sweat-and-electrolytes.html">part 4</a>, they present examples of what happens to an athlete under different conditions of exercise and hydration. The short story is that low levels of electrolytes are the result of drinking too much water and there is no need for salt tablets or any similar product as long as you drink when you are thirsty.</div><div>As an <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E2D7173BF937A25751C0A96E9C8B63&scp=1&sq=cramps&st=nyt">article in the New York Times</a> sums all this up, the leading working theory for the cause of cramps is muscle fatigue combined with an imbalance of the nerve signals. These faulty signals can result from numerous causes including too little vitamin D (needed to control excess calcium, see <a href="http://outdoortech.blogspot.com/2008/02/tired-muscles.html">my post on fatigue</a>), inadequate carbohydrates (which you can get without fancy energy bars and drinks), and a host of other factors including genetics, age, menstrual cycles, and even psychology.</div><div>The bottom line is that the sport scientists know what doesn't work, and that includes bananas (Super Bowl notwithstanding), but they don't have clear answers yet on how to prevent cramps. The best advice is build up to an event with proper training (don't run a marathon if you've only been doing 10 Ks), stretch regularly especially if you have muscles that tend to cramp (helps relax the muscle cells), and ensure adequate carbs. Of course, if you like spending money on placebos, feel free to support your favorite snake oil purveyor too.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-86718432536669091602008-02-26T09:53:00.008-07:002008-02-26T12:42:46.750-07:00Avalanche Beacon Alert<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNWq1nzye3FYXcm5UY2t6lVGH6kV94_VYFW8Dfftlg8mPQjMLbvL46KJ_Wf6d2SksEb8Qg2RJvuz26ny83evdNVMgoDwDmqTYrx_CAJ8vfHOM4xWOlC09hLSdeeizFMqvSC2-/s1600-h/_2265285.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNWq1nzye3FYXcm5UY2t6lVGH6kV94_VYFW8Dfftlg8mPQjMLbvL46KJ_Wf6d2SksEb8Qg2RJvuz26ny83evdNVMgoDwDmqTYrx_CAJ8vfHOM4xWOlC09hLSdeeizFMqvSC2-/s320/_2265285.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171333627015700610" /></a>Last week, the French web site Pistehors.com posted an <a href="http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/0813-ortovox-informs-f1-and-standard-conformity-compatibility/">advisory that has been sent to owners of Ortovox F1 beacons</a>. It warns that these older analog beacons can search just fine but there's a chance that newer digital beacons (nearly all that have been sold in the past 5 years) may not find them when buried by an avalanche. Since many skiers wear a beacon like it's a cloak of invincibility, this should be a scary thought…immobilized under four feet of snow, slowly losing consciousness, and realizing that your friends can't find you because you're wearing an old beacon.<div>While this Ortovox alert may sound alarming, in truth it's old news and it applies to all older beacons. There are two major issues: signal drift and beacon fragility. And few skiers are aware of either problem.</div><div>Although all beacons sold in the past two decades broadcast and receive on the 457 kHz frequency, the newer beacons are much more intolerant of any variation. The ETSI standard requires all beacons to search in this range +/- 80 Hz. Unfortunately, with time and lots of small bumps, some beacons can end up broadcasting outside of this margin of error. The older analog beacons can still receive such errant signals. But many of the newer digital ones cannot.</div><div>The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pieps-Smart-Transmitter-Color-Size/dp/B000W1SLYO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1204051149&sr=1-1">Pieps DSP </a>has a unique feature that can measure the signal from other beacons and tells you how close they are to the ideal. But this test must be performed in advance--it does you no good at the trailhead. If your beacon is over or under by 50Hz, it must be sent in for repair. And for most older analog beacons, such as the F1, spare parts are no longer available. Hence the Ortovox advisory.</div><div>These analog beacons are not obsolete. In the hands of an experienced searcher, they can be just as fast as any of the fancy new digital beacons. But if you don't test them for drift, they can be a safety placebo.</div><div>And herein lies the second major problem with avalanche beacons: they are far more fragile than most people realize. The ETSI standard (ETS 300-718) only requires that a sample beacon operate properly after 6 drops from a height of 3 feet onto a wooden floor. For a piece of lifesaving equipment, that is a very low durability requirement. Skiers likely do not realize how easy it is to damage their beacons. It is quite possible to damage them internally so that they can pass a beacon check at the trailhead (you do one every time, right?!) but malfunction when the shit hits the fan.</div><div>That Ortovox France felt it necessary to send owners of their F1 beacons an advisory brings up a overarching problem with avalanche beacons. The outdoor industry as a whole is doing a poor job of educating consumers on what beacons can and cannot do. On his WildSnow blog, Lou Dawson recently discussed 3 myths of avalanche survival: <a href="http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1028">beacons ensure rescue</a>, <a href="http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1029">being buried by an avalanche is no big deal</a>, and you<a href="http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1030">'ll be fine once uncovered</a>.</div><div>Consumers are sold these $200 to $500 electronic miracle boxes without the knowledge to use them safely. Sure the CDs that come with most beacons now cover the basics adequately but they certainly don't discuss any of the above. Magazines just focus on the glitz without talking about real issues that their advertisers would prefer left unsaid. Movies show gonzo skiers and boarders on gnarly terrain but never, ever the consequences. Store employees seldom get cliniced on more than how to get the box to the cash register, along with add-on sales of a shovel, probe pole, and perhaps an AvaLung.</div><div>Even avalanche education courses have focused more on what to do after you've screwed up than how to avoid the problem in the first place. A <a href="http://www.healthline.com/blogs/outdoor_health/2008/01/avalanche-safety-practices-in-utah.html">recent study</a> showed that sidecountry skiers are entirely unprepared for what lays outside of ski area gates. And this same group is now targeted with price point beacons so they can have the illusion of being safer.</div><div>With this season shaping up to be the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8309475">worst in North American history</a> for avalanche fatalities, perhaps the outdoor industry will re-prioritize how to educate consumers about backcountry safety. But that could affect too many bottom lines so I'm not holding my breath.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-90976342760002500622008-02-25T16:20:00.007-07:002008-03-04T16:20:11.038-07:00Review: Arc'teryx Dually Belay Jacket<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8H3VyN3jcgPiNwrQVykF-maSyueUZ4Y5yHAbRcPoi3S3HRzXlwM9GQPV68-hdyrGisgPmdI4rQsziq_kMPZh4l3KH-spPjpQaUTtcWYsvVrmH4WvAuHixI-9TjHuoX1Fkxls/s1600-h/dually.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8H3VyN3jcgPiNwrQVykF-maSyueUZ4Y5yHAbRcPoi3S3HRzXlwM9GQPV68-hdyrGisgPmdI4rQsziq_kMPZh4l3KH-spPjpQaUTtcWYsvVrmH4WvAuHixI-9TjHuoX1Fkxls/s320/dually.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171018668473950322" /></a><div>After a particularly frigid climbing trip to Indian Creek over Thanksgiving (the infamous frozen sushi fest), my wife decided that my much beloved <a href="http://www.featheredfriends.com/garmentproductdetails.aspx?productId=34&CatId=2&ProductName=Volant%20Jacket">Feathered Friends Volant Jacket</a> was going to be hers. Fortunately for me, the new Dually Belay jacket from Arc'teryx arrived soon thereafter.</div><div> </div><div>Over the years, I've tried quite a few synthetic parkas from a number of manufacturers. The appeal was being able to toss it over wet clothing when belaying on ice climbs. But I always ended up going back to down-filled jackets with a WP/B shell because of their warmth, compactness, and longevity. Until now, it just hasn't been possible to get that combination from any of the synthetics in a well-designed parka.</div><div> </div><div>The <a href="http://www.arcteryx.com/product.aspx?Dually-Belay-Jacket">Dually Belay jacket</a> features a proprietary synthetic insulation that has a DWR coating on each fiber. Arc'teryx calls it ThermaTek, which is a hollow-core, continuous filament insulation--essentially Polarguard Delta with an extra water repellant treatment--that is glued to a 30 denier high-tenacity ripstop nylon face fabric. </div><div>If this insulation sounds familiar it's because <a href="http://wiggys.com/index.html">Wiggy's</a> has been using pretty much the same technology since 1986. Jerry Wigutow is a maverick in the outdoor industry who has been railing against the marketing hype of the synthetic sleeping bag companies for ages. While Wiggy sometimes sounds like a crackpot, there is also a lot of truth to his rants particularly what he says about laminating insulations. I'm not a fan of his product because the design and detailing is lacking (I've been spoiled by high-end gear for too long to compromise on the little things) and they tend to be heavy (a 3.5 pound sleeping bag does not deserve to be called Ultra Light).</div><div>A few years ago, Mountain Hardwear was the first mainstream outdoor company to knock-off Wiggy's insulation concept with their Lamina sleeping bags, which proved less than successful so they had to redesign. Arc'teryx also made an attempt by laminating Primaloft but the performance left a lot to be desired and it had a stiff hand. Now Arc'teryx is back with ThermaTech and it appears they've got it mostly right this time. </div><div>I've used the Dually Belay Jacket most of the winter and it is quite simply superb. The jacket maintains its loft and fluffs quickly after unstuffing so it provides a lot of warmth. Amazingly, at 22.2 ounces (men's large) it is 1.1 ounces lighter than the Volant down jacket and it fits into the same stuff sack. Let me repeat, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">the Dually is lighter and stuffs to the same size as a high-end down jacket of equal warmth</span>.</div><div>Other niceties include a good high collar with wind seal in the neck, Lycra wrist seals, two zippered handwarmer pockets, and two large internal mesh pockets. The cut is trim yet athletic to allow good freedom of movement. The face fabric, which is the same both inside and outside the jacket, is very wind resistant and acceptably durable.</div><div>That's the good news, the bad news is breathability of the jacket is not as good as the down parka. Not a deal breaker though since this is more for standing around than working in the cold. The material doesn't have the soft hand and drape of down either but it's adequate. One design oversight is the lack of a pocket that doubles as a stuff sack (should be a no-brainer). And one very irritating design error is unprotected top of the zipper that chaffs at your chin when zipped closed (somebody smack that production manager).</div><div>But the really bad news is the cost. The Feathered Friends Volant Jacket with eVent outer shell (arguably the best down jacket on the market) retails for $330 and an optional detachable hood costs $55. The Arc'teryx Dually Belay Jacket has a suggested retail of an astounding $425 or the Belay Parka, which is the same except it adds a non-detachable hood, is $475. Considering this synthetic jacket requires a lot less labor to assemble (fewer seams) and the premise for the technology is twenty years old, it's hard to see how they can justify the asking price.</div><div>No doubt, if you need the wet weather performance (or if you get pro deals), the price may not be a factor. Aside from the cost, the Dually truly is an exceptional piece of kit, no other synthetic jacket is even close, despite a few minor design issues. </div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sKGYIc2Y2GQThkfaQKnT4JFEnMvXNd4z2kuV2ZKdzkLugIEH3vHto0E6mqhPpcwXw5VQ-xRE1KuLAGhLatTnKqpVQJzNtgwOp6S66GsR8eyiCFAMYi0GNgk2EkmH5UXjWx9o/s320/7+Stars.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171017955509379170" /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Available from <a href="http://www.backcountry.com/store/ARC0524/Arcteryx-Dually-Belay-Jacket-Mens.html">Backcountry.com</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-31389759999378269412008-02-21T10:23:00.005-07:002008-02-21T10:52:15.894-07:00Mountain Weather<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQF_OrrCrtlfJdrWRXo8hSpNl-7dh9V5tBzr0uiQv3e9koe4pdjZng6rcxeI-Y6NWgoSSo6D8VD78jcM4HnpkW_vBoWigMx0LBoagS0QiH4gw5BG35fpi_l1ewJiEkXIMU7YjI/s1600-h/Everest+and+Khumbu.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQF_OrrCrtlfJdrWRXo8hSpNl-7dh9V5tBzr0uiQv3e9koe4pdjZng6rcxeI-Y6NWgoSSo6D8VD78jcM4HnpkW_vBoWigMx0LBoagS0QiH4gw5BG35fpi_l1ewJiEkXIMU7YjI/s320/Everest+and+Khumbu.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169487177625477202" /></a>Until not so long ago, expeditions to the Himalaya and Karakoram relied on intuition to predict the weather before making their summit bids. Anyone climbing in Patagonia simply expects the weather to be lousy most of the time while watching their barometer for the telltale rise indicating a brief good window of opportunity.<div>But in this age of satellite imagery and the internet, it's getting a lot easier to know what is about to happen. A <a href="http://www.meteoexploration.com/mountain/index.html">new web site</a> is now offering detailed weather forecasts and histories for Everest, K2, and Cerro Torre. For the Europeans, there is also weather information for the Tirol region (Italy/Austria border) and the Sierra Nevada of Spain (near the southern tip).</div><div>You can see the wind profiles for different elevations on the peaks, temperature, humidity, and satellite images of the regions. One of the coolest features is a moving color chart that illustrates the wind direction and speed during the previous two weeks. Watch those big red areas of brutal winds slam into the Patagonian peaks and be thankful you weren't there!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-36662504836043368812008-02-20T08:48:00.011-07:002008-03-26T12:21:23.027-06:00Top Ten Climbing Books of All Time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNfOIUiw3nVLSbOlquH165beTu2M6H4oFJAU7VOzQ5wOENV1J7g-5TYcapdlROw6A3RR3ds5kMxNpCQSgyffx_UD8mCrDztbDKwXfFnF4dovPcfjSN5gTx-5XkZP7gbtlGJah/s1600-h/books.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNfOIUiw3nVLSbOlquH165beTu2M6H4oFJAU7VOzQ5wOENV1J7g-5TYcapdlROw6A3RR3ds5kMxNpCQSgyffx_UD8mCrDztbDKwXfFnF4dovPcfjSN5gTx-5XkZP7gbtlGJah/s320/books.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169090253927850034" border="0" /></a>Among the many great things about climbing are a rich history and great literature. Unfortunately, many of today's climbers are unfamiliar with this legacy.<div>A while ago, I polled some friends with extensive book collections to see what they consider the best reads of all time. I gathered lists from Bob Ader, Fred Barth, Greg Crouch, Jim Moss, Gary Neptune, and myself. There were over 50 books suggested but many of the titles were recommended multiple times. </div><div>The following list is ordered by the number of recommendations. These are truly must-reads for any climber or armchair adventurer. Start with these books if you can find them (several are out of print). Later, I will post the list of 40 runner-ups.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Touching%20the%20Void">1. Joe Simpson. <span style="font-style: italic;">Touching the Void</span></a>. Epic survival in the Peruvian Alps.</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heights-Walter-Bonatti/dp/090637104X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203524861&sr=1-6">2. Walter Bonatti. <span style="font-style: italic;">On the Heights</span></a>. One of the alpine greats.</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/White-Spider-Heinrich-Harrer/dp/0874779405/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203524789&sr=1-1">3. Heinrich Harrer. <span style="font-style: italic;">The White Spider</span></a>. First ascent of the Eiger’s North Face.</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Picnic-Mt-Kenya-Adventure-Library/dp/1885283156/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203524748&sr=1-1">4. Felice Benuzzi. <span style="font-style: italic;">No Picnic On Mt. Kenya</span></a>. An incredible ascent in WW II.</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nanga-Parbat-Pilgrimage-Lonely-Challenge/dp/0898866103/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203524704&sr=1-1">5. Hermann Buhl. <span style="font-style: italic;">Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage</span></a>. Messner considers him one of the best.</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everest-Ridge-Thomas-F-Hornbein/dp/0898866162/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203524656&sr=1-1">6. Tom Hornbein. <span style="font-style: italic;">Everest: The West Ridge</span></a>. First traverse of Everest, in 1963.</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/K2-Savage-Mountain-Charles-Houston/dp/1585740136/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203524613&sr=1-1">7. Charles Houston. <span style="font-style: italic;">K2: The Savage Mountain</span></a>. Near disaster in 1953.</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Conquistadors-Useless-Annapurna-Lionel-Terray/dp/0898867789/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203524565&sr=1-1">8. Lionel Terray. <span style="font-style: italic;">Conquistadors of the Useless</span></a>. Best book title ever and a good read.</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summits-Secrets-Kurt-Diemberger/dp/0898863074/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203524495&sr=1-5">9. Kurt Diemberger. <span style="font-style: italic;">Summits and Secrets</span></a>. One of two men who made first ascents of two 8000 meter peaks (Buhl was the other).</div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Climbs-Alps-Caucasus-F-Mummery/dp/B00102JWYW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203524417&sr=1-1">10. Albert Mummery. <span style="font-style: italic;">My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus</span></a>. A mountaineering classic first published in 1895.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-27336730408630681802008-02-19T07:42:00.002-07:002008-03-26T10:01:31.212-06:00Study: Exercise and moderate drinking can be healthy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJv6Ci45JarK9fx5gCMB06bEh7wT7Mu2Wm7hnc8KWSEQbGqsDUg8wz8pel0bxX06qi9p9MZMD1uvTDHxB5MKg9o8OCQ9YYsx67Irugt0LoNbZvHLqtNCguzzH4LGQikwO6zeQP/s1600-h/2007-12-16+16-02-46.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJv6Ci45JarK9fx5gCMB06bEh7wT7Mu2Wm7hnc8KWSEQbGqsDUg8wz8pel0bxX06qi9p9MZMD1uvTDHxB5MKg9o8OCQ9YYsx67Irugt0LoNbZvHLqtNCguzzH4LGQikwO6zeQP/s320/2007-12-16+16-02-46.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168762676772184098" border="0" /></a><div>After a fun day of climbing, skiing, biking, or whatever, one of life's great pleasures is to relax with a good beer in hand. And there can be no denying that a great dinner is enhanced by a fine wine. </div><div>Yet practically every book on sports nutrition admonishes athletes against drinking alcohol, labeling it as empty calories. The mass media tells us booze is good one day and evil the next, pitching one doctor against another to stir the pot without taking a good look at the research. It is certainly confusing but new research is showing that moderate drinking plus exercise is indeed healthier than exercise without drinking or drinking without exercise. </div><div>Last month, a <a href="http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/29/2/204">study was published in the European Heart Journal</a> that looked at 20-years of data for nearly 12,000 people in Denmark. They found that those with the lowest risk of heart disease and the lowest risk of death from any cause were those who both worked out and drank a bit of alcohol (1 to 14 drinks per week). The people with the highest risks of an early demise were the non-drinkers who never exercise.</div><div>Of course, in Denmark they drink real beer instead of the mass-produced swill that is heavily consumed in the US. If you choose to imbibe, selecting a microbrew with lots of hops will give you the highest dose of antioxidants, vitamins, and flavonoids. Similarly, rich red wines are higher in the good stuff than whites.</div><div>On the other hand, drinking to excess is one of the surest ways to get fat and lose muscle. The extra calories don't help and the alcohol is converted in the liver to acetate which reduces fat burning. Heavy alcohol consumption also reduces testosterone and raises cortisol levels which lead to muscle wasting.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-75593113728415623012008-02-15T11:32:00.005-07:002008-03-26T10:03:44.961-06:00Study: Tired musclesIn my previous post on <a href="http://outdoortech.blogspot.com/2008/02/lactic-acid-is-your-friend.html">lactic acid</a>, I mentioned that it is no longer considered a factor in muscle fatigue. One of the leading theories holds that it is the hydrogen ion released during the conversion of lactic acid to lactate that causes fatigue. As the hydrogen ions accumulate, the pH of the muscle cells drops (from about 7.1 to 6.4) and the thinking held that this causes the fatigue. Other suggested causes of tiredness have been the accumulation of phosphate and the loss of potassium.<div>Now there is a <a href="http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/105/6/2198">new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> that indicates muscle fatigue is caused by calcium leaking into the cells. It's pretty heavy reading but the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/health/research/12musc.html?em&ex=1203051600&en=627f6a21952d029a&ei=5087%0A">New York Times</a> has a good article that explains the findings in lay terms. </div><div>It is the release of calcium in a muscle cell that actually makes it contract. When the calcium is reabsorbed, the muscle relaxes. But it's an imperfect process and some of the calcium leaks out, which keeps the muscle from contracting at full force. Worse, that calcium also helps an enzyme eat away at the muscle fibers.</div><div>The interesting part of all this is that it may lead to new ways for athletes to fight off fatigue. They've already developed a drug that plugs the calcium leaks and allows mice to exercise 20% longer. But we're still many years from having a magic pill that will give us the same benefit. And no, eating more calcium isn't the answer either.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18152223.post-47988886574306043252008-02-14T10:43:00.010-07:002008-03-04T16:19:39.104-07:00Review: Elite Rings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiovaoMTC5N54E-A1Zhtt_gqzWa0CB-GqVFavlLU-5wgo2SNLCdpZil1nqHEBaMrKfzaWD3yVVMu9MlHlhtLCbpvmjLY3J74IxlzqM4abs2qbM23Vdl4PLTNfiUkB8ToJug79/s1600-h/rings.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiovaoMTC5N54E-A1Zhtt_gqzWa0CB-GqVFavlLU-5wgo2SNLCdpZil1nqHEBaMrKfzaWD3yVVMu9MlHlhtLCbpvmjLY3J74IxlzqM4abs2qbM23Vdl4PLTNfiUkB8ToJug79/s320/rings.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166893747523133458" /></a>Climbers can certainly learn a thing or two from gymnasts when it comes to training. After all, theirs is also a sport where a high strength-to-weight ratio is important. One of the best additions that any outdoor athlete can make for their home gym is a pair of gymnastic rings. These simple tools are remarkably effective for developing muscles of the upper body and core.<div>While gymnastic rings may conjure up images of uber-athletes in the Olympics doing super-human feats like the Iron Cross, they are also valuable for us mere mortals. Because they can move freely, rings are excellent for performing push-ups to work the chest and triceps as well as the small stabilizer muscles of the shoulder. Similarly, they work better for pull-ups than a fixed bar or hangboard; you can even stagger them in height for extra challenge. Instead of crunches and ab rollers, you can use rings to work the abdominals and obliques by doing curl-ups and planks.</div><div>The rings used by gymnasts, however, are expensive ($350 per pair) because of the high stresses they must endure. Fortunately, <a href="http://ringtraining.com/store/eliterings.html">Elite Rings</a> are an affordable alternative ($80 shipped) that are designed for fitness training. The rings are constructed of molded plastic, reinforced with ribs so they don't flex. They have just enough texture to offer a good grip without chewing your hands up. One-inch flat webbing easily adjusts in length with heavy-duty Ancra cam buckles. Unlike the knock-off <a href="http://gymnasticbodies.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=30&osCsid=aekjibinplr8d45o0pm57vrv64">Xtreme Rings</a> (which already lose points for the name), the Elites have a slot that the webbing threads through to stabilize the rings; you don't have to use it but I found it helpful.</div><div>These rings are essentially perfect right out of the box--all you need is two sturdy anchor points in the ceiling about 18-inches apart. To hang them, I drilled two holes through a ceiling beam and installed eye bolts. Rather than threading the webbing through the bolts, I just use two carabiners so I can quickly take the rings down.</div><div>The Elite Rings come with printed training guide that shows the basic exercises. But you might consider getting the DVD ($20 extra), which shows a progression of exercises with proper technique and gives tips on how to change resistance. It also includes some extra footage of a professional gymnast making us all feel like weaklings. Good stuff.<div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMylufwgARvXFIfrnyUD46F5NTRL0croP-ndpaOtlbDQ0e8TK7Jn6oSzg8VClAu-E9iKfVfvg59tinTQbc_Di0b47E5J4_OyP4jkIFmrR89xjMZFLiOyAKPAz_D4l4G9Urh20/s320/10+Stars.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166893481235161090" /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0