Author Jim Davidson

By Kimberlee Frederick

When Jim Davidson emerged from an 80-foot glacial crevasse in 1992, it was not with the expectation that his harrowing experience would inspire him to write his gripping, recently released book, “The Ledge: An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier.”

But inspire it did, and the result is an emotional, intricate and ultimately uplifting story about the resilience of the human spirit.

Released on July 26 and co-authored by “Denver Post” journalist Kevin Vaughan, “The Ledge” (Ballantine Books/Random House, 2011) details the perilous journey to the summit of Mount Rainier (southeast of Seattle, Wash.) made by Davidson and his climbing partner, Mike Price in July 1992. Beginning the descent after reaching the summit of Rainier, Davidson and Price fell 80 feet into an unseen crevasse. Price attempted to halt the fall but was unable to, and the partners fell and were buried by snow. Having taken the full force of the 80-foot drop, Price did not survive.

What proceeded for Davidson was a treacherous fight to complete a climb beyond the experience of some of the most seasoned climbers in the world, weighed down by grief over the loss of his friend and hindered by inadequate tools.

Although Davidson’s specific experience is not one most people can directly relate to, the emotional barriers he fought through and described in “The Ledge” have struck a chord with a variety of audiences.

“It certainly is an invigorating survival tale,” Davidson said of his book, “but the real lessons are not about climbing. It’s more about

The Ledge Book Cover

realizing how resilient humans are. People can surpass what seem like insurmountable obstacles.”

With such a universal theme, “The Ledge” has been lauded as book that transcends the traditional climbing story elements and reaches a large scope of readers.

Davidson said, “We wanted to make it very accessible. We didn’t want it to be a book written just for climbers, per se. It’s for all people who can learn a lesson from their adventures.”

Since July, Davidson and Vaughan have been travelling and doing extensive interviews and readings of the book to publicize it, from Washington and Colorado to Utah and Oregon.

“It’s been a very exciting but extremely tiring ride,” said Davidson. And in terms of response to “The Ledge,” their travels have also been rewarding.

“We’ve been hearing back from folks after they’ve read it, which is the most exciting part,” Davidson said. “It’s been really uplifting, and such a great tribute to Mike Price.” And praise hasn’t just come from the general public; a variety of media have praised the book, and NPR put it on their list of “Summer’s Biggest, Juiciest Nonfiction Adventures.”

“NPR is highly revered, so that was exciting. It was very affirming,” said Davidson.

Though immersed in an ongoing schedule of publicity for “The Ledge,” the emotional aspects of sharing a deeply personal story have not gone unnoticed for Davidson.

“I was a bit nervous about releasing the book,” he said. “It’s a very personal story, so there was a bit of anxiety about what people would think. But we were really excited to roll it out and were happy with the response, which was very positive.”

The process of getting his story out to the public was an arduous one in many ways.

“In hindsight, several things needed to happen before I was ready to come forward publicly,” said Davidson.

This included coming to terms with the trauma on Mount Rainier, the loss of Price and reestablishing his relationship with climbing.

“Over the course of many years, I started to hike and climb again. In 1998 I was chosen to co-lead an expedition to Nepal. That was going to require a pretty serious commitment back to the climbing world,” Davidson said.

Jim's LOWA Civetta mountaineering boot from Mt. Rainier experience

From there, he started teaching young people to climb, and his involvement with the climbing world branched out again.

A long-time public keynote speaker, Davidson began using his climbing stories to reach his audiences as he spoke about learning resilience through struggles in life.

“Going through these experiences is about learning to find a meaningful life afterwards,” Davidson said.

And that’s what he still works to convey when speaking to audiences of all types. For him, waiting until this year to share his story through a book had its value. “These are lessons that I couldn’t have seen a year or so after the accident,” said Davidson.

By 2005, Davidson was speaking full time as a professional motivational keynote speaker, using his experience with climbing—which came to include working on rescues, going on expeditions and scaling some of the largest mountains in the world—to further impact people.

“I was driven to share the stories of my 29 years of climbing, he said. “Climbing is a crucible for human interactions. I made a conscious decision to share the lessons I had learned with as many people as possible.”

The transition from being an environmental geologist to a professional speaker was a big one for Davidson at the time, but the payoff has been significant; signs of Davidson’s impact on his audiences come consistently.

“It doesn’t come in a singular moment. It comes repeatedly, in unpredictable frequencies. I’d give a presentation, and someone would say ‘That’s exactly what I needed to hear today.’ The feedback is proof to me that I’m doing what I need to be doing,” said Davidson.

Working with Vaughan to get “The Ledge” published was the next natural step for Davidson in getting his story told. Vaughan, who

2011 LOWA Civetta mountaineering boot

had written about Davidson previously in “The Rocky Mountain News,” provided Davidson the push necessary to get the book out.

“I had written some chapters beforehand, but had a hard time finding time to work on it. I would make progress, then it would go back on the shelf for a time. I wasn’t making it a big enough priority,” he said. The solution was working with an experienced journalist who helped Davidson to create a compelling narrative.

Vaughan’s articles about Davidson’s Mount Rainier accident also piqued the interest of the Animal Planet show “I Shouldn’t Be Alive,” who interviewed Davidson for the episode “Killer Crevasse,” which aired Jan. 19 this year and continues to play in reruns.

Doing the interview for the show was unexpectedly difficult for Davidson.

“I had spoken about [the accident] publicly before, so I thought it would be straightforward. I was in a dark room with very bright lights, and the interview went on for about nine hours. It was a very tough experience, but that’s what brings out the story,” he said.

Currently, Davidson is touring for “The Ledge” and continues to speak professionally. He has plans to write more in the future, “looking at lessons and pulling out human stories to share,” he said.

Still an active climber, Davidson is also an ambassador for LOWA, whose climbing boots he wore while stuck in the crevasse. In 2005, he wrote to them explaining how their exemplary gear kept him alive. Since then, he’s remained in communication with them and actively promoted their boots.

“I’m a fan of top-quality gear, especially when someone’s life is on the line,” said Davidson.

Davidson’s message is one that continues to reach the myriad groups he speaks to, from universities to corporations and a wide variety of associations, and is one that equally accessible to all:

“In this fast moving world, you’re short on time, resources and people, but you still have to find a way to get it done, which is directly parallel to alpine climbing. There are always unexpected difficulties and setbacks. You have to find a way to get through them and do what needs to be done.”

“The Ledge” is available in stores and online. Visit Davidson’s website at www.speakingofadventure.com for information about his speaking engagements, book tour dates, a special look at the prologue and much more.

Yosemite spring.

Ominous cloud cover heavy-laden with moisture hung above the 761,266 acre Sierra Nevada National Park and dumped two feet of snow for our first night tent camping in Yosemite.  Yes, tent camping.  To some this may not sound brave or rugged, but to this native Southern Californian, it was. My husband Luke and I arrived on Easter Sunday to sunny skies, grassy meadows and some snow way up on the domes and cliffs.

Our campsite was perfectly dry, packed dirt.  We knew it was going to snow, so with the EZ-Up over the tent we waited for the inevitable. We were all bundled in sweats, long underwear, three shirts, one hoody, my winter fur-lined coat, and thick gloves.

As the day grew dark and with Pedro, my shivering, short-haired Chihuahua in tow, I crawled into my 0 degree mummy bag.  It was super cold.  I opened ten hand warmers throughout the night, sticking them in my socks, gloves, and undies to warm my bottom.

Before my husband came to bed, he hung out by the fire with our neighboring campers, who were the only other tent campers in the usually tent-infested campground.  There were plenty of motor homes with generators running until 10 p.m. (turn off time), but no other tents.  Our neighbors were an atypical father-and-son team from Santa Rosa.  The father was a neo-hippy who wore a huge, gorgeously polished stone around his neck – but you would wear one too if you had his astrological nightmare.

“My house is always in the Sun of Scorpio,” he said. “It is a real nightmare.  But like a blind man who gains hyper perceptions in touch and smell to accommodate his handicap, I have gained strengths where my astrological weaknesses are greatest.” Right buddy!

Aside from the superstition, the guy was massively intellectual to the point of paralysis. The moon-child dad micro-instructed every

Coyote yawns as he ponders his night.

move his teenage son made. Setting up their borrowed tent was a thousand-step verbal breakdown of every single movement.  Putting the poles together required a lengthy lecture into the physics of pole and rope mechanics.

Once all the poles were set up and the tent ready to clip to the poles in one of the simplest tent designs I have seen, poor dad almost fell to pieces with overthinking the next 15 steps required.  He could not visualize the requisite set-up and was telling his son to take it all down and that it would never work.  There were only five minutes of work left to finish setting up the tent, but the dad was having an intellectual meltdown.  So the son came up with a contraption to make up for the lack of one little piece at the top to hold it together.  It was a simple, thin knotted rope that he called “elegant.”

The word alone encouraged the dad to continue.  In the end it was set up gorgeously, and they were able to move on to cooking dinner, which was more of the same micro-managing – only worse because it was snowing and the beans were turning to mush and getting watered down from the snow falling into the pan.

Finally Luke came to bed after knocking six inches of snow off the EZ-Up that stood over our tent.  Breathing fat columns of foggy breath, Luke and I kissed each other good night and dreamt of bliss. We woke up in the night and each knocked another six inches off of the EZ-Up about every two hours. And still again in the morning we got up and knocked off another foot of cement-like snow.

Surely the EZ-Up and tent would have collapsed had we not been vigilant, because in the morning, our father and son neighbors’ beautiful, big tent had collapsed to the size of a very large turtle.  They were in good spirits though, and like the night before when huge snow clumps were falling on them and their fingers were so cold they couldn’t move them, they both kept reiterating, “But this is great!”  When they crawled out of the knee-high tent through the little remaining hole, they both said, “But this is great!”

All the next day people were hauling their collapsed EZ-Ups and awnings to the trash can.  There were eight awnings and EZ-Ups at the two nearby trash containers alone.  The snow all night was silent, and when we would peek out, it was the most magical scenery.  The white flakes descended like thousands of white fairies floating to the ground.  It made me understand some of the sappy personifications often given to nature.  Shoot, I just called the snow “thousands of white fairies in a magical wonderland.”

But the one thousand-soldier fairy army gathered in troops of millions and settled in the tree canopies above our tent and

Food lockers keep bears out. It's not a bear problem, it's a human one.

throughout the campground, forming rock-heavy, white slabs which, when massed and outweighing the tree branches, would fall like bombs on our EZ-Up, car, neighboring motor homes and the ground.  It sounded like a battlefield at times and at 3 a.m. required a Tylenol PM to settle the nerves.  In the morning two feet of snow covered absolutely every single thing.  Still snowing, it was divinity.  How many times must I thank Frank Lloyd Wright for saying, “I believe in God and I spell it N-A-T-U-R-E.”

When I saw the Yosemite Royal Arches (the gorgeous, two thousand-foot-high rock face behind the rugged Awahnee Inn) covered in snow, I did not see God’s creation; I saw God.  And I went on to find God repeatedly to the point of ridiculousness; in the face of Half Dome, in the luscious meadows, in the eyes of the tagged bear, among the herd of nine deer and at the marsh.

Camping in the snow was hard work, and surviving was a one-to-one ratio. For every movement there was a distinct survival purpose, and it was an all-day-and-night affair.  There was shoveling the snow off the sides of the tent and creating a perimeter in case of melting, and shoveling the area we wanted to call our living/cooking space. There was walking to and from the bathroom, which was an adventure in sinking and snow plowing.  There was cooking in the snow while huge ice chunks dumped on you, and most importantly, there was getting and keeping shoes dry.  This was more important than eating because icy cold feet feel like death.  But the activity was profoundly satisfying and necessary, making life make sense.

We hiked at least eight miles per day in the snow, which turned to slush, then mud in some places, by the end of the week.  But our campsite, beneath 100-year-old Ponderosa Pines and fir trees, stayed thick with snow until we left.

Mist Trail and Vernal Falls Hike

The hike on the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls was gorgeous, strenuous, uplifting and annoying.  There were huge, moss-covered boulders that dripped with delicate, melting snow.  The effect was a sparkling, drippy delight.  We stopped to take pictures of a grotto of dripping deliciousness, but there was a boy throwing snowballs at the very icicles we wanted to take a picture of.  His mother was enraptured with his athletic acumen and encouraged him by cheering.  Stupid boy.  Stupid mom.

The hike was so slippery. My hubby Luke had our Chihuahua Pedro in the backpack; Luke was in pain because of a pulled back muscle, and fell once with Pedro jumping out to save himself.  Pedro was lazy and loved the backpack, so we stuck the hot hand warmers in next to him.  He thought he was in heaven.

Wikipedia describes the Mist Trail perfectly: “Along the trail, the Merced River is a tumultuous mountain stream….. Enormous boulders, the size of a house, are dwarfed by the sheer faces of exfoliating granite, which rise 3,000 feet (914 m) from the river.”

We passed the amazing Illilouette Falls along the way.  The view was good, but the trail was skinny, and the crowds (which number 3.5 million people per year) were so annoying. Even though the people were cool Europeans, hippies and nature people that I’d normally love, en masse they may have well been rats.   The last bit of the trail is very steep rocks, but Vernal Falls is absolutely magnificent and the incredible amount of water at this time of year makes it worth dealing with the crowds and steepness.  Ten hikers in as many years have died while diving or swimming here, so I am fortunate to be a coward and will never have to face such a death.

We hiked/slid back down in the slush, and at bottom we discovered Happy Isles Fen, which is a two-acre wetland or marsh, and is

Falling water enchants and mocks us.

quite rare in the Sierra Nevadas.  Happy Isles was thankfully empty of people. We were pretty much blissfully alone.  And apparently the Fen didn’t catch much attention, because when we hiked that lovely area, there were no people at all: none on the Fen.  The Fen is a gorgeous marsh surrounded by trees and it was my favorite place. Go There.  It embodies e.e. Cummings musing, “The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.”  A boardwalk takes you right through the center of the marshes where even in the snow, birds and frogs abounded.

The following day we hiked to Mirror Lake and beyond.  The trail is paved and follows the gorgeous Merced River.  It is a nice, easy hike and was not too crowded because we were there early.  Mirror Lake is really a pond, and it mirrors Half Dome.  The pictures we took can be turned upside down and the mirror image of Half Dome is so perfect in the lake that you are hard-pressed to tell which end is up.  The pond is not grand, but it is beautiful.

There were many professional and unprofessional photographers, painters and sketchers sitting around creating their art: copying and re-creating the perfection of the lake.  And there were tourists: whiny kids and people with the wrong shoes and clothes amassed at the lake; people from all over the giant world sat and took up fat space.  But we hiked past the lake, past the hordes, and up a trail that follows the river, and we were utterly alone.  We may have passed a few people on the way down, but otherwise we were thankfully alone.

Black bear walking.

On the trail, we found a giant waterfall that started thousands of feet up on a rock face. It was mostly hidden by the forest that surrounded it, and it trickled down to a gorgeous creek that crossed our path. Someone must have poured bleach in it, because it was so clear and clean.  I heard tens of birds, but saw none, and Pedro sat contently in the backpack.

We finally arrived at a bridge and took 10 take-it-yourself portraits with the river in the background. However, our fat heads were so large in the picture that the river was blocked out except a few very large boulders that vied with our heads.

The river spun down fast over huge boulders and an American Dipper (cinclus Mexicanus) flitted and caught small aquatic creatures.  There were more of the moss boulders with trickling water on our hike down.  We hiked in silence, but our boots and the river and the trickling water kept a rhythm that moved us.  There was a lot of slush and slippery snow, but the trek wasn’t steep, so we didn’t fall or slip much. We had boot-dry duty that night, and our waterproof hiking boots were soaked through, but they dried well when placed before the camp heater or campfire.  We ate home-cooked beef stew, and bread and butter with wine, for dinner.  I love eating at camp.  We were so hungry from our hike that the food tasted marvelous, plus cooking and eating outdoors is celestial.

We got up the last morning and went to the cafeteria for breakfast.  The cafeteria in Curry Village was a wonderful treat, and I ate a

Clear sky afternoon in Yosemite.

huge plate of eggs and potatoes, then eight pieces of French toast – lightly powdered with sugar, no syrup, just butter.  Yes, I said eight pieces of French toast!  We hiked a flat, dry trail at the foot of El Capitan.  It was a sweet, easy, un-peopled trail that lacked the wow and pizzazz of Vernal or Yosemite Falls, but I loved it all the same.  I was stiff and sore from hiking and sleeping in the mummy bag, trying not to move so I wouldn’t lose my precious trapped heat.  So the mellow trail suited me just fine.  There were bugs and flowers, unlike our campground, which was socked in with snow and thick in trees.  A delightful creek crossed our path, and it was as clean and gorgeous as anything I have ever seen.  Then we came to the Merced River and sat on a huge boulder over looking huge rapids, spying two mergansers fluffing their feathers on a rock.

We drove the loop and saw a bear, our second one of the week.  It was huge and brown, with a cream-colored chest and chin, and a red-tagged left ear.  Most bears are tagged in Yosemite.  The bear elicited wonder from all.  When I see bears, I get all choked up and teary.  Crowds of people formed to stare, photograph and whisper in awe.  All the people were moved; our ugly faces were uplifted.  There was a silent communion and celebration amongst the people.

The exchanged glances and quiet comments gave a glimpse into the profundity of what E.O. Wilson calls “biophilia”: the necessity of humans to bond with other species and nature.  We were all in love for just that moment with something immediately necessary and fragile.  It was as if we all thought the same thing at once: Stay with me. I did not want to leave, ever.

Pedro is the most interesting dog in the world. He only drinks Dos Equis.

Rugged, yet tender, the American black bear (Ursus americanus), one of 300 to 500 estimated to live in Yosemite, lay on his tummy, sniffed around, slept, got up, and ate grubs, grass and acorns in the meadow.  He dug with his nose and claws in the grass, and looked over at the people occasionally when someone sneezed or coughed.  There have been zero human fatalities by bears in Yosemite ever!

Seeing the calm bear saunter about and be totally at ease with people (who kept their distance) was a wonderful counterbalance to the screaming fear of urban mythology.  However, once bears get the taste of sugar, marshmallows and candy from negligent campers, they turn into sugar crack heads and will sell their mothers to get more.  They will rip the doors off your car, and sneak into your campsite and take food from your table while you sit there with your mouth open.  (I’ve had this happen.)

Yosemite takes its bears seriously and wants them to remain a wild feature of the park.  There is a $5,000 fine for leaving food in your car.  There is a saying that goes: A fed bear is a dead bear.  There are bear lockers at every campsite so there is no reason for error.  Five bears last year became aggressive and were killed by park officials.  But the most important thing to remember is that bear attacks are rare.

Yosemite smashes into your soul and forces one to remember nature and the human requisite to be in it.  Without sounding too neo-hippy, communion with things such as wildlife, undeveloped nature and electronics-free outdoors is gut-level imperative to one’s soul.  Being in Yosemite packed me with a proper contentment and made me feel rugged and tender all at once.

Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way. ~John Muir

By Suzie Hemphill

Photography: Suzie and Luke Hemphill

Copy Editor: Katherine Sweet

Five-Ten (5-10) Exum Guide boots are multi-purpose, and built for comfort and friction-induced traction.  The Exum Guide Boots were designed by climbers and mountaineers with decades of experience and input to deliver a well built hiking boot. The Exum Guide uppers, mid-sole, and insole are the products of that long experience to keep feet comfortable in an all day trail hiking experience.  

When we took delivery of a couple pair of 5-10 shoes, we knew the company was best known amongst the rock-climbing elite for many years. But what we also realized was how the Exum Guide boots, that appear so straight forward, would prove to be such solid hiking boots. These Exum Guides are not clumsy or bulky. They were worn on long road trips where driving to the destination was part-and-parcel with getting to the trailhead, and they were comfortable.

Non-sealed waterproof leather uppers of the Exum Guide are mid-high, with rough-out leather running from the front and top of the ankle area and back to the heel. Additional smooth leather runs from the lower ankle area and forward to the toe. The entire lower foot area is encased with Five-Ten’s exclusive heel-cage that is essentially a rubber shield around the leather uppers to provide additinal ankle support and stability.

The heel cage on the Exum Guide boots encase soft leather upper from heel to toe for increased suppport.

There are a total of 21 eyelets on each boot that soak up the super long laces. At first, it didn’t mean much. But as the Exum was worn daily over many weeks on the street and on the trail, it became evident that the density of the boot laces secured the Exum around the feet all day, in comfort.  Lacing eyelets in the well padded boot tongue keep it in place, providing a nice cushion for the front and top of the foot.

As a result of this simple and straight forward lacing system, the Exum’s rarely needed retying or adjustment. Once they were laced up in the morning, they were good to go for hours. The small size of the actual metal eyelets did pose a challenge with re-lacing the shoes. Larger eyelets would make changing out a pair of boot laces much easier. Although the laces that come with the Exum Guides held up very well.

Used as approach shoes or for day hikes into the snow fields, the Exum Guides are compatible with crampons. These shoes are not insulated for warmth, but they are waterproof and built for day sessions practicing with the ice-ax,  and rope-work.

5-10 Exum Guide boots evaluated over several hikes, many miles, and lots of surfaces.

An illuminating coating on the raised logos on the outer sides of each Exum makes them stand out in a beam from a headlamp when you’re trying to find your boots in the dark. That’s a nice touch, but the illuminating material does tend to wear off. The wear does not eliminate the “Glow In the Dark” material altogether as the boots can still be easily seen in the headlights of vehicles if you’re wearing these boots on the street or riding your mountain bike at night.

Although the insole is generally comfortable, the Exum is very compatible with gel-inserts if your feet are flat or need the extra cushion. The Exum has the right amount of outsole firmness to support crampons, and provide a traction platform for push-offs on rock surfaces. They have good flexibility for long, swift, day hikes where you’ll appreciate the lightweight and snug fit.

Sizing of the Exum was exactly as ordered. Break in time, in our case, was not a factor. There were no issues with blisters or foot discomfort associated with the Exum’s design due to rubbing at the heel or top-rear of the uppers against the lower calf muscles.

The Exum Guide boots we reviewed weren’t put to extreme rock-clinging examinations, they were worn often and they were worn for many miles on trail hikes and running amok on city streets. The Stealth tread pattern design is continuous from heel to toe with a cross-pattern of oval cleats positioned in overlapping angles to provide traction points. Firm push-off pads at the toe and outer sides of the foot and inside of the heel provide a sturdy base.

Push-off zone at the toe with extended, slightly back-cut, edge to hold onto traction surface.

Push-off sections at the toe of the Stealth soles provide an extended, slightly back-cut, edge to grab and hold onto a surface. The rubber compound for the soles on the Exum Guide boots are designed to provide shock absorption and the friction needed to keep your boot bottoms in contact with the rock and trail surfaces you are likely to experience in climb approaches and on hiking trails. The Stealth rubber compound is a little more general purpose than a dedicated rock climbing shoe, but sound traction characteristics are evident in the Exum.

Exum Guides do great with an overnight backpack or day-long hike with enough gear and water to get you to your destination, and back. Exum Guide boots are not intended to be a multi-day, heavy pack-weight type of boot. Yet, since every person is different, this observation is subjective and definitely not a critique. If you plan on wearing a boot intended for day hikes on a long backpack trip, you will definitely draw your own conclusions. The 5-10 Exum Guide boots are priced at $129.95 MSRP.
 

ABOUT STEALTH RUBBER

5-10 Exum Guide outsole and lug pattern is continuous front to rear. Note push-off zone at the toe.

From its early beginning in the 1980’s, 5-10 footwear started with the outsole rubber compound, and built the uppers to compliment and offer long wearing durability. It is that fine line between the traction afforded by a climbing shoe or boot outsole and the physical weight of the climber that determines adhesion with the surface. And at what point would the rubber outsole compound give way to gravity and lose traction?

With an engineering degree, a passion for climbing new routes up sheer rock faces, and an incident that pushed the fulcrum point between friction induced traction, and a free fall, the driving force behind 5-10, Charles Cole, sought answers. Cole tested compounds. He worked at mathematical equations involving physics, current technologies and best practices for putting the rubber on the rock whilst keeping it there long enough for the climber to secure another foothold, another handhold.

Cole’s ultimate rubber compound formulas are used in all of 5-10’s shoe applications. And, with so many outdoor shoes that cannot be resoled, 5-10’s are resolable and resole kits are available. This capacity to design solid outdoor shoe and boots built to endure several years of hiking and climbing along with the ability to resole makes 5-10 Exum Guide boots well worth your consideration to own a pair.

 By Rick Shandley

With more than 90 years building mountaineering boots, Lowa understands how to create an all-weather mountain boot regardless of the terrain and the weight in your pack. Made in Italy, the Lowa Mt. Expert GTX mountain boots are top-tier gear for high alpine treks where rocky, muddy trails and stream crossings can be treacherous.

Rearview of the Mt. Expert GTX with grooved heel for crampon.

The first three qualities noticed in the Mt. Expert GTX was foot comfort, stability, and evident toughness. Perhaps the red and black colored split-leather uppers grab attention and seem a bit loud at first, but any misgivings where dashed simply by the design and quality of performance the Lowa Mt. Expert GTX delivered on the trail with a 40-plus pound backpack.

At slightly more than 3.5-pounds a pair, the Lowa Mt. Expert GTX boots lace up snug on the foot with a single pair of boot socks and rendered a sense of the needed stiffness on the bottom, firm ankle support, and flexibility throughout the heel-to- toe-contact cycle on the ground. Although these boots appear to be on the heavy side, they are rather light; no heavier than any purpose-built mountain boot made for backpacking and serious mountaineering use.

Mt.Expert GTX is Gortex-lined, but split-leather exterior uppers are almost impervious to water as seen submereged in Rock Creek, CA.

However, the Mt. Expert GTX is heavy-duty and not the type of hiking boots you wear with casual clothes as you stroll down the 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica, California. These boots are trail boots of the caliber you lace up just before you hoist up your backpack and lock the car at the trailhead.

Having worn the Mt. Experts on four separate excursions, with and without a backpack, I can tell you they required little to no break-in time. The construction and materials used to create a foot-hugging, comfortable platform to walk in yielded none of the blisters or soreness once expected from any new pair of boots. Even after a couple days of exclusively wearing these boots on the trail, the suspension, stability and traction they deliver make them a superior boot for the conditions they were worn in. Since winter is yet to arrive, these boots will be used for future trips where we will have cold, snow, and ice. However, there was lots of water crossings and muddy trail sections where I did wear these Gortex-lined boots and water intrusion, wet feet, or over-heated and sweaty feet, where not an issue with the Mt. Experts.

The Lace Up
Part of the comfort experienced with the Mt. Expert GTX can be attributed to the Lowa Flex Fit 3D approach that’s also new for 2009. Inherent in the Flex Fit is the LaceLoop where the lace-hook is not anchored to the boot upper, but rather suspended on tough fabric loops that allow the boot laces to be securely fastened over the top of the foot, yet able to flex with the motion of travel. Flex Fit 3D allows the ankle to flex naturally while maintaining the boot stability.

Notice LaceLoops used for top of foot to allow flexibility while maintaining stability.

Vibram Sole
An all-purpose mountain boot requires a rigid out sole for difficult, demanding terrain. The Mt. Expert GTX is shod with a Vibram Mulaz semi-rigid outsole with rigid toe push-off zones for accurate and stable foot placement. These Vibram soles are step-in crampon compatible, self-cleaning, and use an undercut heel front section to assure positive grip on any mountain surface you might find yourself working on. A more expensive Poly Urethane midsole absorbs shock and works with a full-length plastic stabilizer in each boot. The soles are cemented to the Mt. Expert GTX uppers and are fully replaceable; an uncommon feature amongst current manufacturing trends. 

Waterproof Comfort
Lowa uses patented Gor-Tex waterproof lining in the Mt. Expert GTX for a comfortable and smooth fit which lessens the likelihood for blisters and sore feet. Climate-control footbeds, a C4 comfort tongue, and Primaloft insulation combine to make the Mt. Expert GTX extremely comfortable for such an extreme boot. The Gor-Tex lining runs up to just below the second-from-the top lace hook, and almost the full-length of the tongue. Sure, there’s going to be trips where you’ll have to wear your knee-length gators for deep-snow and water-crossings. But the way the tongue, Gortex-lining, and tongue fold are designed, the Mt. Experts will keep your feet dry in most any conditions just like they come from Italy. Bear in mind, the split-leather uppers are fairly impervious to water all by themselves. Check out the photo of the GTX boots submerged in Rock Creek to note the uppers do a good job long before the Gor-tex comes into play; yet these boots can breathe.

Sierra Nevada Trail Test
Starting from the 10,300-foot elevation at the Mosquito Flats trailhead on the Morgan Pass trail, I hiked up the Little Lakes Valley to Mono Pass (12,000 ft. elevation) and spent a night at Chicken Foot Lake sitting at 11,100 feet.

Toe section is rigid to assure your foot stability as you push-off.

 Walking from the lower paved parking lot about a half-mile from the trailhead, the Mt. Expert GTX boots let you know you’re walking on an even surface as the soles are firm, like ski boots. As soon as I embarked on the rock-strewn trail, the Lowa’s hit their stride up Crank Case Hill, across several stream sections and stair-steps where logs and boulders are used to shore up the trail and offer pack horses a hoof-hold. Sections of the trail are fairly steep and sometimes lengthy. Small to large rocks are part of the dusty crushed granite soil where there’s more opportunities to twist an ankle between two-rocks than not. It’s a trail mountain bikers would have to walk up most, if not the entire way.

Arriving at Chicken Foot Lake (5.8 miles from trailhead) early in the afternoon, I had enough time to un-shoulder the Lowe-alpine FTX Cerro Torre backpack, pitch the Hilleberg Kaitum 3 tent, set up camp, and explore the granite slides cascading down from the peaks surrounding Chicken Foot Lake. Without the weight of the pack, the Mt. Expert GTX were every bit as comfortable and stable as they were under a full backpack. Although I was not fully acclimated to the altitude, and had to pay attention to my physical exertion levels, I did climb and tested traction in several steep rocky approaches to the peaks.

Note the undercut heel for bite and traction lugs throughout the foot arch.

Pacific Crest Trail Test
There are approach sections to the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Bernardino Mountains and the Angeles National Forest where the terrain is steep and rocky; approaches such as the Windy Gap Trail out of Crystal Lake, CA. But for the most part, the trail is smooth going. On this type of trail surface, the Mt. Expert simply allowed long-gated strides where the heel touches down and the toe-follows up. At a rather quick pace, with a full pack, the Lowa boots offered momentum and the ability to cover ground in comfort.

Overall Assessment
In general, the Lowa Mt. Expert GTX boots are, as they tested, highly capable mountaineering boots that are hard to beat where traction, rugged construction, quality, comfort, and longevity or desired characteristics. As has been stated above, these boots are not casual shoes you can wear around town or even drive your vehicle with these rockets on your feet. They are designed for severe use in severe conditions and wicked weather. One aspect most valued regarding the manufacturer is that they are Italian made shoes, crafted by alpine craftsmen in an alpine country, for alpine purposes. These are not “pretender” boots. They are the real deal.

It would have been great to see a broader size range made available for the Mt. Expert GTX, as it would to have a more neutral color scheme. Yet these objections are negligible and subjective to individual needs and taste.

When it comes to boots or running shoes of any size, I seek a size 14 U.S. fit so I can wear two-pair of socks and have room for foot swelling on long hikes. To my surprise and relief, these boots fit so well that my usual U.S. size 13 feet (size the boots came in) were never in jeopardy of being uncomfortable. Neither of the above less-than perfect observations would deter me from buying or recommending the Lowa Mt. Expert GTX as a next-generation mountain boot of the highest order.

By Rick Shandley

Specifications:
2100273099 Red/Black
Model Year 2009
US 7 – 12, 13
Weight Per Pair (Men’s 9): 3.50 lbs
Suggested retail price: $ 350.00

Gortex lining enhances boot-fit in addition to a waterproof barrier. Note the tongue folds that also prevents water from surging into the boot.Rearview of the Mt. Expert GTX with grooved heel for crampon.Note black waterproof bumper to protect boot upper against rock and trail abrasion.Note: LaceLoops from toe to ankle top. Crampon ready.

View of Mt. Everest from Kala Patthar in Nepal. Photo license: Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5.

At 29, 035-feet above sea level, Mt. Everest does not discriminate between a human life and its own inanimate will. That said, Team II with Dave Hahn and his Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. climbers have reached the summit at 6:45 a.m. in Nepal on May 23, 2009.

But the weather has turned icy and wicked. Ugly-swift winds and inclement conditions allowed no more than two minutes for the team to acknowledge their accomplishment then get off the top as safely and quickly as possible.

Without hesitation, Hahn’s team made their way back to the South Col camp for some rest and nourishment and adescended to Camp II at 21,200 feet elevation.

After more than 45-days of acclimatization, commuting between Base Camp (17,500 feet elevation) and Camp IV (26,200 feet elevation) and frequent training climbs, the team headed upwards in clear sky about 11:00 p.m. on May 22, 2009, Nepal time (Nepal is 12-hours ahead of us on the U.S. West Coast). 

Earlier, high winds at the South Col (Camp IV), blowing snow, and extremely cold wind-chill conditions threatened to temper an earlier-than-planned assault to the highest point on this planet. But right now, it’s a go. The team suited up for their late night departure.  

Regardless of superior physical conditioning, willpower, skill, and energy, any prolonged stay at almost five miles altitude can drain man or woman of their ability to survive another day. Weight loss alone will deplete the most robust human body from the ability to store enough calories to survive. This malaise goes even deeper. That’s when the calorie-starved body no long has an appetite. Retreat to lower altitude would be the only feasible option.

Peter Whittaker and Ed Viesturs make their way towards the summit of Mt. Everest.

In a radio conversation from Camp IV to Base Camp, Team leader, Dave Hahn updated base camp manager, Linden Mallory of the team’s plans. It was around 10:00 p.m. on May 22, in Nepal, and it was time to make a decision to fish or cut bait. “I think we are going to go ahead with the “walking at midnight” plan. We still got wind here but here at the South Col it’s maybe 15[mph] at the moment,” Hahn said as his team was preparing tea and food. There “doesn’t appear to be any cloud caps on the summit. No high clouds.”

At 10:55 p.m., they started walking towards the summit. The team consisted of four climbers and five Sherpa, each with their own thoughts and fears; each individual calling up the determination that would test them to the rev-limiter in the next few hours. Hahn and his two colleagues, guides Seth Waterfall and Melissa Arnot, along with climber/videographer, Kent Harvey, began their pilgrimage to the stars. Five experienced Sherpa, whose mountaineering wisdom and capabilities make climbing Mt. Everest a possibility, trudged upward with them.

If they were to wait, weather forecasts in the next few days could prohibit another attempt. Besides that, time, resources and dozens of climbers from around the world looking to conquer the summit, all weigh on the window of opportunity for any one team.

Each extra day a human spends in the rarified atmosphere between 23, 750 feet to 26,000 feet elevation and above is one more day on supplemental oxygen, one more day exposing limbs and soul to extreme conditions. The danger of high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE means shortage of oxygen). There’s also the chance of frostbite due to lack of oxygen to the feet and hands, not to leave out the piercing, wind-driven cold. Many variables compound the challenge each climber must contend with; including self-doubt.

But now it’s 2:45 a.m. Nepal time on May 23, 2009 as Dave Hahn’s team has just past the Balcony and they are on their way to the South Summit of Mt. Everest at 28,700 feet elevation. Hahn’s team is out of radio contact at this moment, but Base Camp was able to communicate with the team who said they were okay, and underway.

Updates from Base Camp confirmed that Hahn’s team had reached the summit of Mt. Everest. Last we heard, the team was tucked in at Advance Base Camp (21,300 feet elevation). Then they’ll make their way down-mountain with the Khumbu Icefall section between them and their friends who have monitored every second of the climb.

We trust all of Whittaker Mountaineering, Rainier Mountaineering, and Eddie Bauer’s new First Ascent teams will have a great Memorial Day once they get settled back at Base Camp.

You can read the entire account of the 2009 expedition to Mt. Everest by going to www.rmiguides.com and www.firstascent.com (go to Blog tab).

TEAM ONE SUMMITS ON MAY 19, 2009

Peter Whittaker climbs towards the summit of Mt. Everest as a new day greets Nepal.

On Tuesday, Peter Whittaker and Ed Viesturs of Rainier Mountaineering Inc. (RMI) topped out on Everest after waiting out an extra day at South Col due to harsh weather and wild winds.

Ed Viesturs, making his 7^th ascent of Mt. Everest had planned to make the summit without supplemental oxygen. But wisdom held the highest hand, and it was Ed’s hand that held the cards:

 “When I originally camed to the mountain here, hoping to make my seventh ascent, my plan and my desire was to try to climb again without the use of supplemental oxygen, simply for the challenge and purity of the ascent,” Viesturs said. “But to do that, conditions would need to be perfect.

“As we were at the South Col, and as conditions played out, we had to spend an additional day waiting at 26,000-feet at High Camp.

“I also started to look at the weather conditions, knowing that on our summit bid, on the day were going to go, it would be very cold, very windy. And there would be, probably, a lot of people on the route, meaning that I couldn’t climb as fast as I could simply to stay warm.

Ed Viesturs celebrates his 7th summit of Mt. Everest, May 19, 2009.

“So in the end, after a lot of deliberation, I made the decision for the sake of safety, for the sake of group dynamics, and for the sake of knowing that I couldn’t climb fast enough to stay warm enough, that I would then opt to use supplemental oxygen,” Viesturs said:

Well, it’s Memorial Day weekend in the U.S.A., and it appears both of the First Ascent/Whittaker Mountaineering teams, Sherpa, and photographers are safe and healthy.  At least for the moment, it looks like a successful 2009 expedition for American’s on Mt. Everest.

Story by: Rick Shandley

Photos by RMI and Whittaker Mountaineering — Note: Lead Photo Caption: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License

Big Tahoma is equal to the harshest punishment, with its fully adjustable suspension system. Simply, it is a expedition-quality, ultralight, high capacity (70 liters), backpack with a low profile.
The Big Tahoma pack’s suspension system uses adjustable hip belt and shoulder harness system for a customized fit.  The molded frame-sheet, with its twin V-shaped aluminum stays, offers the best combination of light weight, durability and stable support. Furthermore, the framesheet can be removed for the ultimate minimalist pack.

First Ascent’s Big Tahoma is the backpack Whittaker Mountaineering’s Guide Team wears on Mt. Rainier and all their other 2-3 day climbs.

Here’s what guide’s Peter Whittaker and Ed Viesturs says about the Big Tahoma:

“The Big Tahoma holds everything I need on a climb, from Rainier to Everest. You will not find any features on this pack that do not provide a needed function.” Peter Whittaker
“Guiding 70,000 clients up Rainier since 1968, you get a pretty good idea about the ideal pack. This is it.” Ed Viesturs

By the way, both Peter Whittaker and Ed Viesturs are on Mt. Everest right now (May 12, 2009) waiting for good weather and the chance to lead their respective teams to the summit of the highest mountain on earth (29,035.3 feet elevation).

Big Tahoma features:

• ULTRA-LIGHT 2-3 DAY PACK
• REMOVABLE HIP BELT
• FLOATING LID
• “V” STAY SYSTEM
• REINFORCED 1000D CORDURA NYLON CRAMPON PANEL
• REMOVABLE CRAMPON STRAPS
• SIDE ZIP OPENING TO ACCESS MAIN COMPARTMENT
• 210D NYLON N66 DOUBLE RIPSTOP
• 1000D NYLON CORDURA & DIMENSION-POLYANT
•  # WX20 SAILCLOTH
• CARGO CAPACITY: 70-LITERS
• WEIGHT: 3.84 lbs

Price point: $249.00

You can research and purchase most all your high-altitude and mountaineering gear at: www.whittakermountaineering.com

Sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing at all. That’s how mountaineer Dave Hahn looked at it while waiting out periodic snow showers and cloud encroachment. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t time to venture up to the newly established Camp 3 at 23, 400 feet elevation either. It was simply time to wait.

So Hahn and his team occupied themselves during the snowy stand-down at Camp 2 or Advanced Base Camp (ABC) on Mt. Everest May 3, 2009.  Sunday was scheduled as a rest day, so Hahn and his team whipped out their journals, I-pods, and picnic supplies to idle through the hours and recharge their human condition.

“I’ve long considered such skills to be the mark of a good expedition climber — the ability to do nothing, when nothing is what should be done,” Hahn said from the 21, 300 foot elevation of Camp 2. “For active (or hyperactive) Type-A climbers this requires an acceptance and a faith that there will be an abundance of physical abuse and over stimulated synapses, all in good time…like, say, tomorrow.”

The rest of the world following along on this climb, also wait to find out what Dave Hahn along with his team and Peter Whittaker are up to, as they reach for the summit of the Mt. Everest at its apex of 29,035 feet. Dave Hahn has summated Mt. Everest at least 10 times so far.  This could be his 11th?

You can follow along with Dave and his team by reading his posts from Mt. Everest by visiting www.firstascent.com and click on the Blog tab. First Ascent is a new line of mountaineering equipment from Eddie Bauer, a traditionally legendary expedition outfitter long before they got into winter and spring fashion wear. We’ll be following up with the new First Ascent line of gear, and hopefully a visit with Dave Hahn in the near future.

By Rick Shandley

Women's Big Tahoma backpack by First Ascent.

Women challenge the highest mountains on earth. The gear they choose must be built tough and designed right.
This new First Ascent Big Tahoma backpack offers the female mountaineer everything she requires to secure the gear she’ll depend on in any adventure she engages.

No frills, no fluff, the Big Tahoma backpack has the essential features and benefits to get the job done.

These essential features must be comfortable and have fully adjustable suspension system tailored for women. With a capacity of 70-liters, the Women’s Big Tahoma is the same as the men’s version.
First Ascent mountaineer and guide, Melisa Arnot uses the Big Tahoma on her climbs up Washington State’s, Mt. Rainier and all her two-to-three day ascents.

Big Tahoma is just as useful for low-altitude backpacking adventures as it is more crawls to advanced base camp on any mountain in the world.

“A women’s pack isn’t just a smaller men’s pack. Women have different dimensions. Considering the number of days I spend carrying a pack, it has to fit,” says Melissa Arnot.
�
First Ascent Big Tahoma Backpack: $249.00

You can see the full-line of First Ascent’s new mountaineering gear, and all the right equipment for your adventure by visiting: www.whittakermountaineering.com .
Specifications:

•  Ultra-light for two-three day trips
• Weighs 3.84 lbs.
• Removable hip belt
•  Floating lid
• Side-zip opening to get to main compartment
• Reinforced 1000D Cordura nylon crampon panel
• Removable crampon straps
• Carrying capacity: 70-Liters
• Materials: 210D double ripstop nylon, 1000D Cordura nylon and dimension-polyant, #WX20 sailcloth