Don’t Duck the ‘Dacks - Manitoba Section€¦ · One pitch to seven pitches. This area has it...

Alpine Club of Canada—Manitoba Section Newsletter 1

Upcoming Events

Simon Says... 2

The Climb That Was, Wasn’t 3

National AGM Report 4

Photo Contest 5

National ACC Bulletin Board 6

Manitoba Section AGM Details 8

And much more!

Inside this issue:

Visit our ACC Manitoba Section Web Site:

www.alpine-club.mb.ca

Alpine Club of Canada Manitoba Sect ion

Newslet ter

October 2001

By Gregor Brandt and Janice Liwanag The Adirondacks. Affectionately called “the ‘Dacks” by the French climbers we met during our summer in Montreal, the climbing areas of Adirondack State Park in upstate New York are unlike anything we have ever experienced. Only one-and-a-half hours drive south of Montreal, the 500-ft granite gneiss cliffs of Poke-O-Moonshine loom impressively over Interstate 87. Add another half an hour to the drive, and you enter a climbing wonderland called Chapel Pond. You can approach 19 cliffs within 5 to 50 minutes from parking areas along Highway 73. Here, the rock is anorthosite, which has the texture and solidity of coarse granite. Slabs, face climbs, crack climbs, traverses. Trad or mixed. One pitch to seven pitches. This area has it all.

We were told that the grades in the ‘Dacks were “stout”. “Stout! Ha, ha!” we laughed, thinking that the grades at Gooseneck, our favourite local crag, were “stout”. However, 5 hard moves in a single pitch are different from 15 hard moves in a row on each pitch of a 5-pitch climb.

We are not going to tell you the gory details of how we got our butts kicked on our first few weekends out. However, we will give one piece of advice – start a grade lower than you normally lead on trad to get a feel for the rock.

Some of the cliffs that we climbed:

Chapel Pond Slab: multi-pitch, 700-foot, easy and fun slabs with some scary run-outs.

Creature Wall: single-pitch, 90-foot, sun-scorched cliff with diagonal, sustained crack climbs.

Washbowl Cliff: multi-pitch, 350-foot, varied, fun, and challenging climbs.

Poke-O-Moonshine: single-pitch to multi-pitch, easy to stout, loose to solid, cheesy to stellar routes. (Note: If you find a #10 Smiley on that wickedly stupid inside corner that Gregor tried to on-site, please return it to us.)

If you are ever out east, add the ‘Dacks to your adventure. You won’t be disappointed.

Don’t Duck the ‘Dacks

Above: Gregor smiling at a comfy belay stance on Wiessner Route (5.5), Washbowl Cliff. To the right of Gregor are Chapel Pond Slab (foreground) and Emperor Slab (background). Left: Janice climbing Empress (5.5) on the hummocky Chapel Pond Slab.

November 21

Manitoba Section Fall Annual

General Meeting

October 31

Deadline for ACC Manitoba Section

Photo Contest


Through the wonders of technology, I have managed to put together this issue of Cliff Notes from my temporary summer quarters in Montreal. Thanks, everyone, for waiting so patiently for this issue to appear at your doorstep.

Now that summer is over, I’m sure many of you have exciting alpine adventures to tell…Where did your rubber soles take you this summer? When did you decide that you were off-route? What went through your mind during that long, hard slog? How did you feel when you got to the top? You can write about it or ask me to interview you. Either way, I encourage you to dig up those summer photos and share the blisters, belay stances, anxiety, and exhilaration that they capture. Janice

Alpine Club of Canada Manitoba Section Executive

President Simon Statkewich (204) 237-0798 [email protected]

Secretary

Len Chackowsky (204) 284-9034 [email protected]

Treasurer

Brian Gilchrist (204) 269-1587 [email protected]

Climbing Committee

Darcy Beer (204) 775-5811 [email protected]

Kenton Frith (204) 832-8653 [email protected]

Education Committee

Cindy Klassen (204) 632-1756 [email protected]

Librarian

Hana Weingartl (204) 885-0327 [email protected]

Newsletter

Janice Liwanag (204) 453-2262 [email protected]

Website

Gregor Brandt (204) 453-2262 [email protected]

Send all submissions and advertisements to:

Alpine Club of Canada

c/o Janice Liwanag 100 Lipton Street

Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2G7 (204) 453-2262

[email protected]

The deadline for the December issue is November 17, 2001.

The Newsletter is published four times a year and is posted on our web site. All submissions are welcome. If possible, please send articles as PC formatted attachments to e-mails or as HTML text. Otherwise, please send legibly written or typed submissions with any photos or drawings. If sending digital photos, please send us the highest resolution possible. Our advertising options are as follows:

a) $25.00 / quarter page or less b) $50.00 / half page c) $100.00 / full page d) one free advertisement per year (up to a half-page) in exchange for a discount to club members who present their Alpine Club of Canada Membership Card; this discount can be a limited or unlimited time offer

With any of these options, we can create a link to your company web site in our local Alpine Club web site (www.alpine-club.mb.ca) at no extra charge. Note: Personal classified ads are available free of charge to club members.

From the Editor...

Simon Says…

(Message from the President)

Our executive meetings are typically held in the first week of each month. If you would like to attend a meeting or have an issue you would like to have discussed at a meeting, please contact our secretary, Len Chackowsky. He’ll be happy to give you details on where and when the next meeting will be held.

Ahh! The cool fall air. A simple reminder that summer doesn’t last forever and that winter is on the way. I hope that everyone had an enjoyable summer and partook in some of the club activities. If not, let’s hope that the weather cooperates for some great fall climbing.

The Manitoba Section Annual General Meeting is just around the corner, November 21 to be exact. This year we decided to have a gear swap. Here is your chance to get rid of some of your gear (camping, climbing, skiing, etc.) that has been cluttering up your basement. We will also have slide presentations for your enjoyment. The photo contest winners will also be announced and the grand prize awarded.

Thanks to Brian Gilchrist for hosting our trip leaders workshop and BBQ in June. It was a success, with 10 participants in total.

I have written a summary of the last executive meeting that I attended in Canmore, so please read on. I am the Manitoba Section representative, so if you have any concerns that need to be discussed on the national level, contact me and I will do my best to find answers to your questions. The board meets in the spring and fall; our next meeting is on October 20 & 21, 2001. Cheers, Simon


The Climb That Wasn’t, Was

ALPINE HIKING AT THE DURRAND GLACIER CHALET

• Swiss-style mountain chalet (1950 m. elevation)

in the Selkirk Mountains • Helicopter access from Revelstoke, B.C. • Guided hiking or mountaineering from July

through September • Alpine meadows, mountain lakes, waterfalls,

glaciers and peak ascents • Your hosts: Ruedi Beglinger (Mountain Guide)

and Nicoline Beglinger Please call or write for our full colour brochures: Selkirk Mountain Experience – Durrand Glacier P.O. Box 2998, Revelstoke, B.C. V0E 2S0

(250) 837-2381 [email protected] www.selkirkexperience.com

Selkirk Mountain Experience Ltd. Durrand Glacier Chalet

Ruedi Beglinger Mountaineering By Kathy Stockwood The phone rang. One club climb reservation couldn’t make it. Ten minutes later, it rang again, canceling a second person. Considerately, they called, and I thought about the subliminal meaning of “Repel”, the new insect spray I bought. Maybe I’ll enroll in charm school this summer and drop climbing for a season.

Enthusiasm, dedication, and hope arrived with Cindy, my newbie boulderer-in-training. We wait 20 minutes grace, and nobody else who booked shows.

It was sinfully cold and windy as we loaded the boat to cross the white caps. Five minutes later we turned around, soaked in the wet-ass Zodiac. Returning to shore, I changed into dry clothes, drenched, frozen. I repacked, reducing the gear for bouldering: shoes, repellant, water.

Off we go to a secret bouldering place, well I won’t take just anybody there anyway. This is Cindy’s second time out. She has potential and drive. We do problem after problem, out came the sun, we’re down to t-shirts, and we traversed the rock in our glory. Both learning. We both came out of the session stronger, fulfilled, and exhilarated. She peeled off higher than I’d want to, but assured me she’s not discouraged. She refers to bouldering as an “intense pastime”.

Just call me “Crash”! Now I wonder, because she disengaged our preplan to go top-roping the following weekend. “My knee is still sore”. Injurious boulder peels do affect your confidence. Rock is rock, The holds are dust, The ground is staked with iron spears. Never fall, unless you must. Top is top, The way is rust, Corrosive is the blood of smears. The taste of cakes, are in the crust. Blood is blood, The scab we trust, Will fall off in our world of mirrors. To feel our ache, and feed our lust. Cindy left and I headed to Nutimik to do some scrambling, a few bouldering problems, including the Bat Traverse. It’s a V0- problem, and the day I solved it I reached around the crux to grab a squeaking hold. It didn’t move, it only squeaked. As I got my head around the corner, I found a hanging bat squeaking in the crack! Hence, the Bat Traverse!

Suddenly, up drives Val! We head off to the S-Curve to boulder for an hour before dinner. After showing Val easy face and crack problems, we headed to the cottage for a

delicious meal of swamp lasagna. This special recipe has the consistency of bog matter, and once you get into it, you do your best to gracefully get out without injury.

Back at the S-Curve, Val and I spent the evening doing a magnitude of traverses and other problems. I have developed a continuous traversing route that takes more than an hour to complete, from 5.4 to 5.10, but you never get off the rock. It’s a great endurance problem, a great workout, but you need more than an evening to memorize the moves.

Val changed history on a one-hold arête. It broke. Val hit the deck and landed on a rock with her glute. Good bruise. I trusted that hold for years, now it’s thin, weak, and I think it’s time to change it to a no-hold arête.

The climb that wasn’t…was.

Bruise is bruise, You fall you must. Get up and pass on passing tears You lose, you doubt, you lose, you trust.

The Bat Traverse.


assembly meeting, building a centennial hut, holding a significant international camp, and producing coins and stamps. Your ideas are also welcome and can be directed to the centennial committee.

Volunteers are needed for several areas of the club, from the web site to facilities. If you have some spare time and talent this is your chance to make a difference.

greater saving will be on the workloads of volunteers and staff.

Facilities

The clubhouse in Canmore has undergone re-construction. The renovated clubhouse contains new administration offices, a drying room (for gear), and a high tech map room (approximately 2000 square feet in total). The renovation will make the office run more efficiently and add some much-needed common space.

As of last year the ACC has been managing the Conrad Cain hut in the Bugaboos. Now reservations can be made through the clubhouse, the same as other ACC facilities.

Awards

Mike Mortimer was the recipient of the A.O. Weeler Award, the highest honour of the ACC. The award was presented at a BBQ Saturday night. Local award recipients were Peter Muir and Cindy Klassen who both received the Distinguished Service Award (good work guys).

Other Info

Next year, 2002, is the International Year of Mountain (IMY). The club is looking at increasing awareness about IMY. Everyone is encouraged to visit www.mountains2002.org and get familiar with the aims of this special international year. This year is the year of the great bear. Visit www.yearofthegreatbear.com for more information.

Trip leaders are encouraged to apply for ACC leadership programs available. For more information please see the national web site at www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca.

Next year’s AGM will be held in Vancouver rather than Canmore. The hope is to get more enthusiasm among the sections. Applications are available to all sections that wish to host an AGM in the future.

The centennial committee is working on the ACC 2006 centennial. As you should all know, the ACC held its first meeting right here in Winnipeg in 1906. The idea of holding a meeting in Winnipeg in 2006 was brought up. Other ideas included hosting a UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme) general

By Simon Statkewich On the weekend of May 5-6, 2001, I attended the spring ACC Annual General Meeting and board meetings as a representative of the Manitoba Section. I have summarized the highlights of the meetings for the newsletter. You can get the full version on the national web site at www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca.

Executive

Our new national president is David Toole, formerly secretary/treasurer. David has taken over from Mike Mortimer who served as president since 1994. Mike has taken on the new role of Director of External Relations.

Membership

There has been a 7% increase in ACC memberships in the past year. However membership does not pay for itself. The average revenue is $19.17 per member with an average cost of $42.14 per member; that’s a deficit of $22.97. Currently the difference is subsidized by facilities revenue. However money is needed to maintain the facilities, so this fall an increase in membership dues will likely take place. The exact increase is yet to be determined (probably around $10.00).

Publications

This fall an Alpine Club-sponsored “Canadian Wilderness Accidents” journal will be available. The current publication “Accidents is North American Mountaineering” only includes climbing accidents. This new journal will include a broader scope of incidents involving areas such as hiking, scrambling, and skiing. Copies will be available on line, downloadable in PDF format (printed copies will also be available).

A new huts guidebook for Western Canada will be published, and will include ACC huts as well as other facilities. It is expected to be available later this fall.

The Gazette will now be published three times per year at 24 pages instead of the current four times at 16 pages. The cost will be slightly less and the

ACC Annual General Meeting Report 2001

Muir and Klassen Receive Distinguished Service Awards

The Alpine Club of Canada Awards Committee gave Distinguished Service Awards to Manitoba Section members Cindy Klassen and Peter Muir, to recognize them for their contributions to the Club. Here’s what the committee had to say about these fine individuals... Cindy Klassen Cindy has been Secretary and Chair of the Manitoba Section’s Education Committee. In her capacity as chair she has implemented the Section Trip Leaders Handbook and the leaders' courses. She has also developed the course syllabuses for beginning and intermediate climbers. Cindy has been the Manitoba Section's most enthusiastic and dedicated proponent for many years. Peter Muir A multi-talented member, Peter has been Vice President of Activities, Vice President of Environment/Access, is the chair of the legal committee and has been both the Vice-Chair and the Chair of the Manitoba Section.

Cindy Klassen, Chair of the Education Committee, receiving her award from our Section Chair, Simon Statkewich.


ACC Manitoba Section PHOTO CONTEST 2001

Rules:

1. Open to any current paid member of The Alpine Club of Canada - Manitoba Section.

2. Maximum 3 photos per member per category.

3. Each print must be marked with photographer’s name, phone number, and the entry category. If available, note the aperture, shutter speed, film type, filters, and other accessories or techniques used to produce the photo. Use a separate sheet if required.

4. Photos from anywhere in the world may be entered.

5. Acceptable format: colour prints, maximum size 4x6 inches (unmatted and unframed). No digital photos please. Prints reproduced from slides to a 4x6 inch maximum size are acceptable (an inexpensive cost from most photo labs).

6. The Alpine Club of Canada - Manitoba Section may reproduce, publish, and/or display photographs entered in the contest.

7. Entries will be judged for composition, technique, difficulty of access, and originality.

8. There will be one winner selected per category; a prize will be awarded to the best overall photograph, regardless of category. Winning entries will be announced at the fall AGM and published in Cliff Notes.

9. Entries will be returned when accompanied with a self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage. Entries can also be picked up at the fall AGM.

10. While care will be taken, The Alpine Club of Canada – Manitoba Section is not responsible for any loss or damage to entries. We suggest not submitting originals.

11. An entry form must accompany all entries.

12. Entries must be submitted by October 31, 2001 (see entry form for address).

Categories:

1. Rock Climbing

2. Mountain Landscape

3. Mountain Climbing

4. Ice Climbing

5. Skiing (cross country or backcountry - no downhill resort photos)

Alpine Club of Canada - Manitoba Section PHOTO CONTEST 2001 Entry Form

Name (please print): Address: Phone Number: ACC Member Number: Please indicate number of prints entered in each category:

1. Rock Climbing Number of prints 2. Mountain Landscape Number of prints 3. Mountain Climbing Number of prints 4. Ice Climbing Number of prints 5. Skiing Number of prints Total number of prints

Entering the contest constitutes participant’s acceptance of the contest rules. Signature Date

Entries must be submitted by October 31, 2001 Mail to: ACC Photo Contest c/o Simon Statkewich 139 Lawndale Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba R2H 1T2 Questions may be directed to: Simon Statkewich (204) 237-0798 [email protected]

You could win a $50 gift certificate

from Tamarack!


National Alpine Club Bulletin Board

ACC National Office: Alpine Club of Canada, P.O. Box 8040, Canmore, Alberta, Canada, T1W 2T8, Phone: (403) 678-3200, Fax: (403) 678-3224

New Backcountry Food Prep Manual

Bev Bendell's new and improved Fearless Food Preparation Manual is hot off the press. She has generously devoted her time to produce this useful manual which will help all those who prepare meals for groups in the backcountry.

Bev sends her thanks to those who contributed knowledge and information to the contents of the manual.

A copy of the manual can be purchased for $6.00 + postage from the ACC national office.

If you would like to share any comments about the manual with Bev, e-mail her at [email protected].

Download full details and application forms from www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca

For a hard copy of the same details and forms, contact the ACC national office or e-mail [email protected].

longer, 14 days are required for bookings three days or less.

Sections will be allowed to book any empty spaces in the hut on a first come, first serve basis after December 15.

All Section trips must be endorsed by the Section, and must appear in the Section's published trip schedule.

The Alpine Club of Canada $$ Grant Funds Available $$

The ACC has permanent funds in place to support a variety of mountaineering-related projects and initiatives.

• The ACC Endowment Fund provides grants to projects consistent with the Club's constitution, goals, and objectives (alpine research, mountain culture, and leadership development).

• The ACC Environment Fund provides grants supporting projects aimed at preserving and protecting mountain and climbing areas.

• The Jen Higgins Fund provides grants that promote creative and energetic alpine-related outdoor pursuits by young women (25 and younger).

• The Helly Hansen Mountain Adventure Award is designed to celebrate human passion for alpine areas. That passion is expressed in many forms - mountain exploration, recreation, culture, education, research, and alpine access preservation.

Annual application deadline is December 31st.

Changes to Elizabeth Parker summer booking policies

for ACC Sections The ACC is allowing a maximum of 400 member night bookings (equivalent to 16 nights exclusive) per summer season (June 19 to October 7) at the Elizabeth Parker Hut. In addition, Section bookings will not use more than a total of four Saturday nights during the 16-week summer season. Any one section is allowed a maximum of 165 member nights or seven exclusive nights.

Sections must submit their request in writing to the ACC by October 1 each year. Requests should include the following information: • Member name and membership

number • Requested dates (including first,

second, and third choices) • Number of people in the party

(including the number of children and their ages)

• Bus time requested (including first, second, and third choices)

If there are more than 400 member nights requested by Sections, preference will be given to Sections and/or leaders who have not hosted a Section trip to Elizabeth Parker during the previous two summers. For other requests, a lottery will be held. All who request dates at the hut will be contacted by October 15. Members have until October 31 to confirm their booking with us. If we do not hear from the member who requested nights at the hut by October 31, the spaces will be released.

Thirty days cancellation notice is required for bookings four days or

Alpine Accidents in Canada The Alpine Club of Canada will be releasing a new safety based publication called Alpine Accidents In Canada.

It will be an expanded version of Accidents In North American Mountaineering which we jointly produce with the American Alpine Club. We will continue our involvement with Accidents In North American Mountaineering while producing this new publication.

Alpine Accidents in Canada will have its scope expanded to include more than the present mountaineering accidents we report on. The Alpine Club of Canada is actively involved in other activities like ski touring, ski mountaineering, hiking, and scrambling. None of these activities are presently covered in Accidents In North American Mountaineering. The new publication will include incidents from these activities, as well as self-propelled avalanche incidents. Our members can learn from these incidents and avoid a similar fate.

We will be departing from the traditional method of distribution for this publication. The goal is to put it on our website in the Adobe PDF format (software to read this can be downloaded for free on both the PC and Macintosh platforms). For those who do not have Internet access, we will also do one-off printing which members can purchase.


Alpine Club of Canada - Manitoba Section Membership Application Form

Name: ________________________________________________

Partner:

________________________________________________

Dependents:

________________________________________________

Address:

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

Postal Code:

________________________________________________

Phone #

(H) __________________

(W) __________________

Paid By: Cheque Cash Visa MasterCard

Card # ______________________ Expiry Date _________

Signature : ________________________________________________

A.C.C.-Manitoba Section Membership Fees Calculation (GST Included in all Fees)

Adult ( 18 years and older) 26.00 _______

Junior (Under 18 years) 16.00 _______

Family (2 adults and their Children) 42.00 _______

Optional:

Canadian Alpine Journal 23.00 _______

Facilities-Adult 22.00 _______

Facilities-Junior 22.00 _______

Facilities-Family 44.00 _______

Combined CAJ & Facili-ties-Adult

39.00

_______

Combined CAJ& Facilities-Junior

39.00

_______

Combined CAJ & Facili-ties - Family

59.00

_______

_______

TOTAL

Return To: The Alpine Club of Canada P.O. Box 8040 Canmore, AB, T1W 2T8 Or Call: (403) 678-3200

We all do our best to make sure our group stays safe when on an outdoor trip or

course. We understand that help isn’t just a phone call away out there. Prevention

and knowledge is key.

You have spent hundreds of hours training for what goes right. Have you considered what you’ll do if something

goes wrong?

Think about it.

Join us for what has been considered the most comprehensive professional “Basic Wilderness First Aid” course

in the province.

• Oct 25-28 • Dec 7-16

204-775-2462

Please call or check out our web site for

more information, or contact us online at

www.aeminfo.mb.ca

$30 OFF!

Present this coupon to

Adventure Education Manitoba

with your

Alpine Club Membership Card

and get $30 off the

Wilderness First Aid Course

(Offer expires Dec. 31, 2001)


Come to the Manitoba Section’s Annual General Meeting!

Tell them about it.

Show them pictures.

You’ll entertain them.

Go Ahead...

Send your article.

I won’t embellish it.

I promise.

THE EDITOR

November 17 Are you ready to deliver?

CLIFF NOTES PICTURES PRESENTS AN ACC MANITOBA SECTION PRODUCTION “THE EDITOR”STARRING MANITOBA SECTION MEMBERS WITH THE GUY ON

RAPPEL IN THE CLIFF NOTES LOGO AND THE ACC MOUNTAIN SHEEP EXECUTIVE

PRODUCER JANICE LIWANAG DIRECTED BY THE ACC MANITOBA SECTION BASED ON A TRUE STORY

www.alpine-club.mb.ca

Praise for The Editor

“It made me want to submit a

newsletter article.” Simon Statkewich, Winnipeg

“Is that the one with Stallone in it?”

“Vinnie”, Brandon

“This is the best movie I’ve seen since the last one I’ve seen.”

Somebody’s Grandma, Gimli

“Well, it was pretty good, I guess.” Some Guy on Portage and Main, Winnipeg

“This movie inspired me to join the

Alpine Club Manitoba Section. Did I say that right? Can I have

my five bucks now?” Ms. Scrupulous, Trans Canada Hwy.

“Two thumbs up!”

Binky the Gorilla, Assiniboine Zoo

“People everywhere will discover their inner editor and chant ’Let there be no grammatical errors or distracting font styles!’ after revelling in this poignant,

cinematographically disturbing masterpiece .”

Chartered Accountant, Churchill

Len, the friendly Manitoba Section Secretary

Hey Guys!

Why? - See slide shows - Discuss the Section’s hottest issues - Find out who won the Photo Contest

When? November 21, 2001 7:00 pm schmoozing & cocktails 7:30 pm meeting starts

Where? River City Brewing Co. 437 Stradbrook Ave.

Don’t forget to bring your unwanted gear for the GEAR SWAP!

Don’t Duck the ‘Dacks - Manitoba Section€¦ · One pitch to seven pitches. This area has it...

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