2020年白山登山之旅
根据我的经验, there are few ways to facilitate meaningful relationships on planet earth as effective as time spent in the mountains. 当我们走出舒适区时, the vulnerable situations we find ourselves in challenge us to rely on our peers for support and foster emotional transparency, 不管我们平时有多戒备. To manufacture these situations in a controlled environment is precisely the goal of our annual fall climbing trip to the White Mountains. 虽然情况与过去几年的预防措施略有不同, we managed to squeeze out four days of climbing on some of the Northeast’s most impressive cliffs, 以及一次令人兴奋的夜间攀登东北最高峰之旅, 华盛顿山.
第一天, 这支队伍把货车装得散开,这样两个人就不用挨着坐了. 《大三巴网赌娱乐》的原声带包括凯莉·克拉克森、艾薇儿·拉维尼,当然还有菲姬. As we arrived at Cathedral Ledge, we were greeted by seemingly half of New England’s population. 我们很幸运, most of these were hikers and we were able to find some space on the Thin Air Face that was unoccupied where we reviewed the basics of belaying a partner.
当我们系上一根攀岩绳时,我们实际上是在把生命托付给保护我们的人. 这是一项严肃的任务,只能通过时间和实践来掌握. We manage this risk through an extended “ground school” and through the use of “backup belayers”. 在我们尝试真正的交易之前,团队让我们认真练习. Once we were comfortable with our proficiency, we rounded out the afternoon with a few climbs. 信任的桥梁正在建立. The next day, we would embark on an adventure up Whitehorse Ledge, Cathedral’s next door neighbor.
白马岩架是一块巨大的花岗岩,由于它的大小, 要求攀登者将他们的攀爬分段或分段. 这是顶部攀爬的另一个挑战. 因为多间距攀登需要我们分成更小的团队, 我们请来了东部登山运动学校的基思·穆恩. Keith is an AMGA 高山 Guide and Rock Instructor and has worked with our program extensively over the years. He spent the morning with us explaining the nuance of multi pitch climbing- and describing different rappel techniques and applications to winter ski mountaineering- before we blasted off around midday.
I would take a group of 3 up “standard route” and Keith would take a group of 3 up a combination of “Beginners Route” and “Slabs Direct” where we would converge at a large ledge aptly named “Lunch Ledge” and begin our descent. Whitehorse provides an incredible training ground for multi pitch climbing with plenty of moderate climbs to learn the ropes and get a feel for the systems required to tackle larger objectives. 当两组人都回到地面时, 整个团队都充满了活力, 与早晨的恐惧形成鲜明对比.
在第三天,我们能够以较慢的速度移动. 我们将在一个叫做“消失的地平线”的单一陡壁上攀爬。. 这并不需要像一天的多坡度攀岩那样的效率. 在这里,我们能够挑战我们的运动技能,攀爬高达5英尺.在困难中. This was the first day of our trip where we experienced the joy and frustration of unlocking a puzzling climbing sequence. Part of the day was also spent reviewing the basics of anchor building using traditional climbing gear. 下午4点左右,我们收拾行装,准备最后一天的攀登——爬上大教堂岩架.
基思和我们一起度过了第四天,他第二天一大早就来接我们. Cathedral is a steep and imposing cliff and with the “Thin Air Face” closed midweek for trail work, 中等路线的选择有限. We decided at the cars that the best option for both groups would be a link up of routes called “Funhouse” and “Upper Refuse”. 这些都是我个人最喜欢的路线,我很高兴与团队分享这些路线. Funhouse follows a steep corner system into a long hand crack that leads to a large ledge about halfway up the cliff. 最具挑战性的一段是前20英尺. Upper Refuse picks up from there following a ramp feature with great rest ledges high above the valley floor. The final pitch involves climbing over a fence that keeps tourists back from the edge where an audience is usually waiting. Both teams regrouped at the picnic tables by the van where Patrick was waiting with burgers and hot dogs. 我们分享了当天的故事,哀叹登山的结束. 第二天,我们将开始在华盛顿山过夜.
华盛顿山,或者 它以前被称为Agiocochook,是美国东北部最高的山峰 也是世界闻名的恶劣天气的发源地. 1934年,山顶天文台记录到的风速为每小时231英里. 第五天早上,我在整理装备和打包行李. 收拾好行李,可以走好几英里, 在恶劣的环境中生存几天是一门不可轻视的艺术. We stressed the ABCD’s of packing which stand for Accessibility, Balance, Compression, and Dry. 在结论, we drove to Pinkham Notch around midday and began our hike up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail shortly after.
The Tuckerman Ravine trail is a wide trail that gradually climbs about 1800’ in just over 2 miles to the Hermit Lake Shelters and “Hojo’s”, where thousands gather on spring weekends to engage in the merriment of Tuckerman Ravine corn skiing. 到达, we were met with a beautiful and daunting view of the many ski lines we have skied in the past and may ski in the future with the program. 夜幕降临时,我们吃了晚饭, 打牌, 然后在呼啸的狂风中睡着了. Our weather forecast for our hopeful summit day was a tossup between a range of conditions from stormy to cloudy with a clearing trend. 第二天,我想说我们经历了以上所有.
早晨,高山地带笼罩在云层中. We began up the boot spur trail with every intention of turning around if conditions dictated but with the hope of clearing weather. 当我们接近总统山脊线时, 我们仍然被困住了,只能看到前面的几个石堆. 尽管条件恶劣, spirits remained high and all members of the team voted to continue on from our established potential turnaround point. 我们徒步登上山顶,在那里我们遇到了从公路上开车过来的人群. We waited in line to take a picture and began our descent without dawdling due to the heavy winds and still no views beyond about 50 feet or so. 我们的庆祝活动将在我们下山时云散的时候开始. 这是我们自早上以来第一次看到周围的景色, 我们午休,享受着我们的成就. 从那以后一切都很顺利, and the relief of parted clouds and beautiful views helped us to forget about our tired legs.
不幸的是,第二天早上, 我们会回到文明世界, 但在塔克曼峡谷看日出之前. 凌晨5点左右,我们在黑暗中醒来,开始了通往巨石的短途徒步旅行. We each found our own comfortable perch and sat quietly for a short time before signs of light appeared over the horizon of the Carter Range across the highway miles below. Few words were spoken as the light gradually began to shine on browning leaves across the mountainside. 根据我的经验,这样的时刻永远不会失去魔力.
这次旅行是我们第一个月旱地训练的高潮, 是未来旅行的基础. 就我个人而言, I couldn’t have been happier with how the team evolved from a group of apprehensive but capable individuals to a finely tuned machine of parts whose potential is beginning to be realized. 我们在一个反乌托邦的covid世界中航行,未来的旅行不确定, one thing I am sure of is that this group will be able to overcome whatever challenges and appreciate whatever environments may await.
**欧文·麦克安德鲁写,野外教练**