“Not Without Peril”

Subtitled “150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire.” Nicholas Howe documents the misfortunes and tragedies befalling twenty-two hikers and climbers over the past century and a half. There are lessons to be learned here about safety and trip preparation.

Not Without Peril: 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire
by Nicholas Howe
Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 2001

Spring Skiing at Tuckerman’s Ravine

Summer is a mere month away, but the ski season is just starting at New Hampshire’s storied Tuckerman's Ravine. Today’s New York Times runs an article about the ravine’s action and history, including safety issues and mentioning the Mount Washington Volunteer Ski Patrol. Read For Daredevil Skiing, The Season Is Now.

Alive

Thirty-five years ago, a Uruguyan Air Force plane, carrying a rugby team, crashed in the Andes. Thirty-two players and supporters survived. After ten weeks in the snow-covered mountains, only sixteen remained.

Survival is said to be an attitude, a state of mind. Piers Paul Read investigates the mentality of those who made it and of those who did not.

Skiing in Massachusetts

Like Arcadia Publishing’s 4000 other titles picturing the history of localities across the country, Skiing in Massachusetts documents a century of our sport with little text and lavish illustrations. Drawing on vintage photographs, posters, and advertising, authors Cal Conniff and John B. Allen let the pictures speak for themselves. The Paul Bousquet archive and the New England Ski Museum were the sources of many images.

Mount Marcy in Winter

This New York Times article describes a late March ascent of the highest summit in the Adirondacks. The party climbed via Lake Tear of the Clouds and returned on the van Hoevenberg Trail, 18 miles in all.

Read the story, “En Route to a Mountain Peak, a Stop at the Hudson’s Source“ here.

Jim Whittaker: Relying on Rescue Technology

Jim Whittaker, the first American to climb Mount Everest and former president of REI, sounds off on dependence on rescue technology.

Commenting on recent rescues and efforts to legislate emergency beacons, Whittaker writes that reliance on technology often creates new dangers for both climbers and rescuers. He emphasizes the need for expedition planning and personal responsibility:

“The technology has made it easier to rely more on search-and-rescue personnel, and less on skill and knowledge.”

“A climber should begin every expedition assuming that that he could be trapped in a blizzard”

Read the full op-ed piece:

A Summit Technology Can’t Reach
By Jim Whittaker
New York Times
March 9, 2007, Friday

The Cross Country Experience: Bill Koch

30 years ago, Rossignol and Kodak produced this 14-minute film, following Bill Koch as he skis through the Vermont countryside and enjoys the ambience of Putney. The historic film has now been transferred to DVD.

Is it worth a dollar a minute to watch a scratchy old film with a noisy sound track? You bet it is! This classic is priceless.

The cost is a mere $15, postage included, and all proceeds support the New England Nordic Ski Association’s youth programming and the New England Bill Koch League Festival.

Visit the NENSA web site for details and a free 38-second preview:

White Risk Interactive Avalanche Training

White Risk, a highly-interactive learning CD-ROM, engages the user in exploring the factors leading to avalanche accidents. This is not a sit back and watch video; it requires a considerable degree of involvement in navigation, options, and self-tests. Its effectiveness is enhanced through animation, videos, 3-D terrain models, and exercises.

The web page is written in German; click the ‘E’ in the upper-left corner of the screen for English. For content detail, click the “White Risk” button.