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November 7, 2024
Hi Folks,
I know everyone is just hanging on the edge of their seats for ice season to start. Unfortunately it's just not happening so far. Personally I've had to just make-do with climbing rock, riding the mountain bike and playing music. And of course working around the house, which has rapidly become un-fun. But since I've had all the ice gear ready to do for weeks, what else can I do?
Thanks to all for the kind birthday wishes. 77 was a big one in many ways, not the least of which was a fantastic evening at Ledge Brewing with all my musical friends. Hey - as long as I can do a majority of the things I love to do, I'm a happy dude.
Thanks to Todd Swain for sending me these two articles. Considering the proliferation of bolts on all climbing areas and our continued reliance on their reliability, I proffer that looking closely at their status is not a bad idea. Here is a quote from the first article:
"It is difficult to quantify exactly how many bolts are in place in a given region, but reasonable estimates for specific climbing areas are possible. For example, Shelf Road, a popular climbing area near Canon City, Colorado, has over 1200 different climbing routes that have been established since the 1980’s. Assuming an average of ten bolts per route (8 on the actual climb and the usual 2-bolt anchor that has become standard in US climbing practice), there are well over 10,000 bolts in place at this single location."
WHEW... Well you can similarly imagine the number of bolted routes and thus bolts there are just in the Mount Washington Valley. BITD I replaced many bolts on routes that my then wife Alyssa and I personally liked to do. I think the first was a rusted 1/4" on Wavelength that Rick Wilcox asked me to do. He gave me 2 bolts & hangers, in case I dropped one, and loaned me a hammer and hand drill. Over the years I did many others such as the first pitch of Inferno, pitch 1 of Children's Crusade, Lady Slipper, P1 of Rapid Transit and others. Some were done by hand [UGH] and some with the borrowed MRS drill! Today the Friends Of The Ledges has done yeoman's work replacing tons of bolts on our cliffs. Considering our areas long history and weather, it's not surprising that many bolts need replacing. That's why I think it's worth pointing out that the reliability of these devices we rely so heavily on are well worth considering.
Below are a quote from each article and its link. I think that the first is overall more accessible
* On the failure and replacement of weathered rock climbing bolts - The placement of fixed anchor bolts has been, with some exceptions, largely unregulated. This is at least partially because of their safety record. Recorded bolt failures have been rare and this is not because of lack of use. Popular climbing areas see dozens, if not hundreds, of falls onto bolts. every weekend, some of them generating significant levels of force. Failures are exceedingly rare. However, as more time passes between modern use and the original dates of placement, concerns can arise related to the question of deterioration of bolt strength because of exposure to rain, snow, ice, and temperature changes [3]. This study is an attempt to quantify existing strength levels that may help to better understand the effects of weathering for these critical structural components.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1350630723006957
* STRESS CORROSION CRACKING FAILURE OF INLAND 303 STAINLESS STEEL ANCHOR BOLT - A serious climbing accident in the Brazilian city of Itatim - BA was caused by the rupture of four anchor bolts after the athlete stopped at an anchor point to rest. Bolt fracture characteristics suggest failure by stress corrosion cracking (SCC), however the great distance from major sources of aggressive agents and the low age of the anchor bolt are concerning.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383527542_STRESS_CORROSION_CRACKING_FAILURE_OF_INLAND_303_STAINLESS_STEEL_ANCHOR_BOLT_BOLT_AND_ROCK_CHARACTERISTICS_INFLUENCE
I'd sure like to have something winter-like to actually report on, but unfortunately not yet. That said, based on the weekend predictions for Mt Washington there may be climbable ice on Pinnacle very soon. See below -
On Friday, an area of low pressure will sweep across Quebec and drive a cold front southeastward across our region. This front will bring increasing cloud cover across the area on Friday, likely sending the summits back into the fog early in the day. The northern part of the region and the White Mountains may see shower activity by Friday afternoon, but most locations across the region should remain dry. Winds will likely increase further on Friday in response to the front, with winds possibly gusting above the century mark at the higher summits during the day. Temperatures will start to plummet late on Friday as colder air filters in behind the front, with summit temperatures falling to the upper single digits overnight. Precipitation chances should diminish overnight Friday as high pressure builds in from the west, with fog finally clearing from the summits by Saturday morning. However, the higher summits will continue to experience elevated winds through Friday night and into Saturday. The high winds and colder temperatures will lower wind chills on Friday, with wind chill values dropping to as low as 30 below zero by sunrise Saturday morning. The cold temperatures and elevated winds will make the air feel significantly colder on exposed skin, leading to exposure risks if not adequately covered or prepared.
Thanks to all who came out to Ledge Brewing for my birthday. The place was packed and the band was amazing. It was really exciting to play with all my friends, and let me tell you that having 2 keyboard players (one being a Hammond B3) and a fantastic sax player was really special! Here's a taste for you of our guitarist Jarrod Taylor's solo on the Hendrix classic Little Wing. Check it out...
http://www.alhospers.com/music/various/LittleWing_GuitarSolo.mp4
If you're interested you can always see my schedule here:
http://www.alhospers.com/?PageName=2
The trails continue to be dry and are riding well. Several of the downhill trails in the Hurricane Zone like Charlie have been leaf blown and are in excellent shape. The Marshall area is in amazing conditions for early November...who woulda thunk?
Up on one of the Mount Washington Valley's finest crags and want to know what that climb you're looking at is? Or maybe you're on your way up from Boston and want to check out the Ice Report for your upcoming weekend plans. Or more likely, you're at work just want to daydream about your next adventure. Well if you have a smart phone handy, you can get to NEClimbs from anywhere you have cell service. While it doesn't offer every single feature of the site and it's not an "app", in mobile form, it does do a whole lot and is very useful. Here is the live link to the mobile version of NEClimbs:
http://www.neclimbs.com/mobile
Check it out and if you have issues on your specific phone, please feel free to let me know.
Join us and LIKE us on Facebook. I'll try and post interesting pix every Thursday and the latest Ice Report in the season, tho certainly not the whole Report. Here's where you can check it out:
http://www.facebook.com/NEClimbs/
Remember - climb hard, ride the steep stuff, stay safe and above all BE NICE,
Al Hospers
The White Mountain Report
North Conway, New Hampshire
| Bivouac /n./ French for 'mistake'. |
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