Feature Article:
AAI guide completes two first ascents in Himalaya
AAI guide Seth Hobby recently made two first ascents in the Himalaya of Nepal. To read the full story on Seth's climbs of Kyazo Ri (6120m) and Cholatse (6440m), and to learn more about his work with the Khumbu Climbing School (a training school for the Sherpas who guide and serve as high altitude porters on the world's tallest mountains), click here.

Why do they call it "Water Ice?"
Water ice is quite different from alpine ice. It has a higher density because it is formed from water rather than the metamorphosed snow that forms glaciers. It is frequently colder and more brittle, and it tends to be consistently steep in contrast to the variety of angles found on alpine ice. Those venturing onto water ice use different tools and integrate specialized techniques into their repertoire of skills.

Mount Rainier News
AAI is now accepting applications for 2006 Mt. Rainier climbs and prep courses. As you may know, slots on Rainier climbs fill up fast (there are only 23 positions left), so pull out the calendar!
Mt. Rainier Ascent and Skills Review

Climb in Ecuador, Patagonia, or Aconcagua: A few spaces remain for early 2006!
Ecuador's Antisana and Illiniza Expedition: 2 summits in 10 days
Eucador's Cayambe, Cotopaxi, and Chimborazo: One trip, three summits
Patagonia Ice Cap Expedition
Patagonia Trekking and Climbing - Fitzroy and Cerro Torre area
Aconcagua: Climb the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere

More Alaska photos!
Coley Gentzel, Alaska Programs Coordinator and dedicated Alaska Range climber, has been hard at work updating our Denali and Alaska Range Alpine Mountaineering Web pages. Check out the new photos and slide shows to learn more about these programs.

And in case you're still wondering how to spend your time this winter, consider winter mountaineering, ice climbing, and backcountry skiing with us in Ouray, the eastern Sierra, or Banff. Or join us for some rock climbing in the winter sun at Red Rock, NV, or Joshua Tree, CA. We also offer Level 1 and Level 2 avalanche programs in the backcountry around Mt. Baker, Washington, location of the world's highest recorded annual snowfall, as well as a special Level 2 course held at a beautiful, remote lodge in Canada's Selkirk Mountains.

E-newsletter special offer: Gather your friends for a climb!
As a thank you for your interest in the American Alpine Institute's E-newsletter, each issue contains a special offer available only to subscribers like you. In this issue, we're focusing on introducing your friends, colleagues, or family to the benefits of exploring rock, snow, and ice climbing.

EXPERT TIPS

Avalanches: How to avoid being caught

Snow avalanches occur tens of thousands of times each year throughout the mountains of the world. They happen as a result of snow on an incline adjusting to the pull of gravity. There are many different types of avalanches, but the slab avalanche causes the most concern for backcountry travelers. In slab avalanches, a mass of cohesive snow releases as a unit. Read more.

Bonus tip: The Principle of the Three Red Flags. This principle is all about making good decisions and knowing when to back off. It states that an outcome can be traced back to a series of related events. If you can recognize the meaning or significance of the events, you have a chance to control the outcome. A red flag is a warning such as an event, an observation, or an intuition that we often dismiss as temporary or unimportant when in fact it is a sign that may be leading to a serious problem. To apply the Principle of the Three Red Flags when you are in the mountains, always be alert and observant and recognize when events (or red flags) are beginning to stack up against you. Take special note of details that your intellect or your intuition recognizes as small setbacks or problems. Consider that these events may be the ingredients for bigger, more serious danger ahead. Likewise, recognize when things are going well and notice how this feels. By acknowledging your observations and intuition, you'll become better and better at making sound decisions. Reference for this month's Expert Tips: http://www.avalanche.org/~nac/basics/sled_index.html

CAUTION: Mountain travel of any kind carries significant risks to the participants, and travel on rock, snow, and ice carries inherent dangers that can lead to injury or death. Every situation is unique and calls for use of different techniques. The choice of techniques must be made in the context and location where they will be applied, and that choice requires a subjective assessment by the person on the scene. Therefore, AAI assumes no responsibility or liability for your use of the suggestions offered in this article or by guides and staff. AAI offers tips to assist climbers to expand their skills, but makes no assertion regarding the appropriateness of choosing a particular technique in any given circumstance. You must make your own assessments and decisions, and you assume all risks in applying these techniques, whether those risks are from subjective or objective dangers.

GUIDES CHOICE

Guides Choice is an independent, international gear evaluation program started by the American Alpine Institute in 1989. Our professional mountain guides are continually field-testing equipment and clothing in a variety of mountain environments and conditions. Guides Choice awards are given to the top item of gear in each product category based on excellence in design, perfor-
mance, and durability. Each year new Guides Choice awards are presented to manufacturers at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show in Salt Lake City. View the list of 2005 award recipients.

This month's featured Item: Snowshoes!

-New- MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes $249.95 10% off through 12/31/05 for newsletters subscribers only! MSR's new Lightning Ascent represents a revolution in snowshoe design. They feature a patent-pending Total-Traction™ frame-made from one vertical blade of aerospace-grade aluminum that delivers tremendously helpful 360 degree traction. They're also the lightest snowshoes in their class-about 15% lighter than the comparable models we have tested. So far, their performance and versatility surpass everything that's come before. Lightning Ascent snowshoes are a strong contender for a Guides Choice award in 2006!

MSR Denali Ascent Evo Snowshoe $199 10% off through 12/31/05 for newsletters subscribers only! 2005 Guide's Choice Award Winner Training for Denali 2006? Denali Evo Ascent snowshoes are high-tech tools for winter backcountry adventures and for expeditions in Alaska. Evo Ascents feature superior purchase in steep snow through steel traction blades with saber teeth, crampons, and molded braking bars in the deck. A redesigned binding also improves backcountry performance and usability.

For advice on other gear, browse the Guides Choice web site. We feature weekly specials on a handful of items at substantial discounts. The clothing and equipment on sale changes every Tuesday so check back each week. You'll find great items on clearance, and we are regularly adding products, photos, and testing notes.

ASK A GUIDE

The Ask A Guide column was created to answer your most pressing climbing related questions. Michael Powers, AAI Senior Guide and our Assistant Director for Staff Development, answers all questions. Michael oversees field staff hiring, training, and continuing education, and serves as an instructor in mountaineering, ice, rock, and skiing. He is IFMGA certified, serves as an instructor and examiner for the AMGA's National Guide Certification Program, and is a former Technical Director of the AMGA.

Question:
My partner and I seem to waste a lot of time at each belay station. The ropes get twisted and we spend half the time just untangling the rope. Any tricks to make the transition faster?

John Belmont, Chicago, IL

Dear John:
I try to keep the rope organized as I go. If I'm using one rope I'll either stack it at my feet in one small pile, or, if there is no ledge, say, at a hanging belay, I drape coils of rope over my tie in strand. If I have a sizable ledge at the belay station I'll stack the rope into a small tight package and make sure the rope stays within the belayer's reach. This way, the belayer can easily reach the rope and remove the tangles while the leader is climbing. Another trick is to build an anchor, using a cordelette, with both a shelf and a power point. Clip yourself (the leader) into the shelf and leave the powerpoint open until your partner arrives at the belay stance. Note: When using a cordelette and connecting two or more pieces of protection and then tying the cordelette together with a figure eight knot on a bight, this point is called the powerpoint. Just a few inches above this figure 8 knot is a series of strands that come down and form individual loops. Clipping yourself into these loops is called using the shelf.

Michael Powers

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Question:
On a technically oriented alpine climb involving a good amount of snow and ice climbing, do you bring two technical ice axes or just one technical axe and one long mountaineers axe? Can you self arrest just as well with an ice climbing axe with a reverse curve? And can you recommend an ice axe that will perform well on water ice as well as in an alpine situation? Thanks for your input. I'm buying new axes for this season that will be used mostly for waterfall ice, but I want a versatile tool and there are many to choose from.

Gary Buontempo, Franklin Square, NY

Dear Gary:
That is a great age-old question. If there is a significant amount of steepish ice (say 200 feet or more) of something over 50° then I'll often bring two short technical tools. These tools are too short for glacier travel so I'll use a ski pole for the moderate glacier travel and keep a technical tool handy for crevasse rescue. If there is only a moderate amount of steep ice, or if the ice is neve (and not brittle) then I'll use one technical tool and a longer ice axe. It is more difficult to self-arrest with a technical tool. I think the Grivel Air Tech Evolution performs great as a light ice axe and can still climb some alpine ice. It's my favorite tool.

Michael Powers

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Click here to see a list of additional Ask A Guide questions.

Thank you for your submissions! To submit questions for Ask A Guide, please email us at askaguide@aai.cc (electronic submissions only).

CAUTION: Mountain travel of any kind carries significant risks to the participants, and travel on rock, snow, and ice carries inherent dangers that can lead to injury or death. Every situation is unique and calls for use of different techniques. The choice of techniques must be made in the context and location where they will be applied, and that choice requires a subjective assessment by the person on the scene. Therefore, AAI assumes no responsibility or liability for your use of the suggestions offered in this article or by guides and staff. AAI offers tips to assist climbers to expand their skills, but makes no assertion regarding the appropriateness of choosing a particular technique in any given circumstance. You must make your own assessments and decisions, and you assume all risks in applying these techniques, whether those risks are from subjective or objective dangers.

THE CLIMBERS PATH PHOTO CONTEST

Last month we introduced a new column called The Climber's Path. The column is a forum for you to share your climbing stories and photos. We received a number of excellent photos and a few stories, and have decided to put it to our E-newsletter readers to decide the winner of our photo contests. This issue's winner will receive a $25 gift certificate that can be used in our online gear shop at www.guideschoice.com. Each winner will be announced in the next E-newsletter.

To view and vote on the photo entries, click here.

To e-mail photos, trip reports, short stories, or climbing articles of interest to share with the thousands of readers in our E-newsletter community and with visitors to our web site, send your materials to climberspath@aai.cc. Submissions will be published in our E-newsletter or on our Web site and will be credited with name, hometown, and state of the photographer/author.