It’s almost time for our next challenge. We’ll be meeting Alan Arnette and his buddies Patrick and Robert in Colorado at the end of April for an attempt at three 14ers over four days. We’ll be updating this post as the pre-climb preparations progress. Check back for updates.

April 19, 2009
Avalanche picture seems to be looking better. The CAIC has reduced the threat level from “high” to “moderate”. It doesn’t look like the Sawatch range got as much snow as some other areas on Saturday.

April 19, 2009
More shopping today with some of the additions, mostly minor stuff, added to John’s gear page.

April 18, 2009
Leaving in less than a week. Avalanche danger is significant thanks to recent storms and it’s sparking some discussion in the group about alternative routes - even alternative mountains. So far the consensus seems to be that warmer temps will melt or consolidate recent snowfall but we’re all keeping a close eye on conditions and possible alternatives.

April 8, 2009
Communication between all the climbers is increasing as we nail down the final details of the trip. We’re still sorting out details about plans about food and tents but it’s all coming together nicely. Jermaine’s gear shipments have arrived. More detail about his gear will be posted soon. We leave for Colorado in less than two weeks.

April 1, 2009
Gear shipments continue to arrive for both of us. All of the major purchases are in - or will be within a few days. The trip is about three weeks out and everything seems to be coming together.

March 22, 2009
A short list of some of the gear John will likely be taking on the Colorado trip has been added to the site.

March 19, 2009
John here, I’m completing most of my new gear purchases for April’s climb this weekend. This morning I picked up a Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero Jacket, Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampons, REI Switchback gloves, Julbo Dolgan glasses, REI Merino Wool Expedition socks, a JetBoil Personal Cooking System, and Outdoor Research Expedition Crocodile gaiters. This round completes most of the big purchases. I need to buy new base layers and small miscellaneous stuff and I’ll be done - for now.

March 19, 2009
Considered buying snowshoes ahead of the climb but REI rents them to members for next to nothing. Rental should cost us about $30 per pair for 4 days while buying a decent pair would run $150-$250 dollars.

March 13, 2009
We’re launching the TeamNSC Stimulus Package next weekend. Companies like Mountain Hardwear, MSR, The North Face, REI, Outdoor Research, Action Wipes, Clif Bar, Asolo, and Jetboil are all going to get a little TeamNSC love as we continue to gear up for the Colorado 14ers and beyond. It’s the least we can do.

March 7, 2009
Phone meeting with Alan Arnette to discuss gear requirements. Discussed the possibility of taking sturdy three season tents and agreed that they may be viable but will re-assess as the climb nears. Wind chill is hitting -15 to -25 currently and that’s a bit on the chilly side. However, there’s still some concern that we may see warmer than usual weather, which could trigger some instability, as the climb nears - especially on Missouri. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

March 4, 2009
We both ordered the Mountain Hardwear Exposure II Bibs. There’s more info on those at REI’s site.

March 1, 2009
We found Mountain Hardwear Exposure II Parkas on sale at REI and each grabbed one. Along with REI Power Stretch Fleece shirts for the middle layer.

This is probably worth an entire post in it’s own right but I’m not really qualified to dispense diet advice to people. What I did though was focus on healthy natural foods. Processed foods, white flour, sugar, and high-carb foods were mostly replaced by vegetables, lean meats (lots of tuna, turkey, and chicken), fruit, and fat-free yogurt. I didn’t restrict calories as I made the switch to new eating habits and I think that’s key to making the transition somewhat bearable. I did cut calories down to about 1,500 a day about a month into the transition.

These days If I do want to deviate from the diet for a burger, or similar meal,  I won’t get it from a fast-food restaurant. Real foods, even if relatively unhealthy, are infinitely better for you than the fast-food alternatives. I’m nine months into this transition and my diet isn’t perfect but it’s perfect 90-95% of the time and that’s enough, when paired with training, to generate results. I’ve lost 95 pounds, and added quite a bit of muscle, since June 2008.

A typical day’s intake for might include:

Breakfast - Fat free yogurt with fresh fruit and a healthy cereal.

Lunch - Turkey sandwich on wheat with mustard and veggies, a salad, or chicken breast.

Dinner - Baked chicken, chicken fajitas on whole wheat tortillas (lettuce & tomatoes - no cheese, guacamole, or sour cream), or Tuna with black pepper and dill relish on wheat (no mayo)

Snacks - Fruit, fat free yogurt, or a cup of healthy soup.

Exercise

The vast majority of serious climbers will spend far more time training than climbing. If you’re starting from zero, which is where I started, you’d better be willing to turn over thousands of hours in your schedule to training. To be honest it requires a level of commitment that most of your friends and family will find a bit insane - especially if you live in a climbing-clueless town like Houston.

I started with walking - 15 minutes worth. 15 minutes of walking seems laughable now but the first few days it was enough. By the end of the week I was up to 45 minutes a day. I upped the time to two hours a day by the second week and started walking 3-4 hours a day on the weekends - sometimes twice a day. My only real goal at this point was weight loss and getting my cardio up to what I’d consider a base level.

Three months into this daily routine I’d lost probably 50 pounds and was at a point where hours of walking no longer even felt remotely like a workout. My asthma had responded well to daily low-level cardio and It seemed like a good time to up the intensity of my workouts. I started climbing stairs.

Stair Climbing

Stair climbing is one of the best training tools, possibly the best, a aspiring alpine climber located in the flatland can employ. It’s a great training method for anyone actually. It works the lungs and the legs hard - just like climbing. It’s also relatively accessible since almost anyone can find a few flights of stairs to climb anywhere and at any time - at no cost. I live in downtown Houston so I’m literally surrounded by stairs.

I started by working in a few flights in public areas along my walking route. I’d cover six miles or so and work in ten stories worth of stairs. After a couple weeks of this I blocked out a few minutes and I’d climb a two-story section of stairs ten times. It was hard. I plodded along taking one step at a time and had to focus on my asthma-impaired breathing but I did this each night for month. It took me almost 30 minutes to knock out 20 stories because I had to pause between flights to catch my breath. It sucked, but I noticed significant increases in my performance every few days.

About a month into this routine I doubled the number to 40 stories. Two days later I went for 50 stories, a week later 70. That cardio foundation I’d been searching for seemed to be there. At that point I was really on a roll and started climbing 70 stories every other day and walking 2 hours on my off days. I was still sort of plodding upward but I was making it and making progress. I continued this routine for about a month before going for 100 stories in less than an hour - and making it.

100 stories, about 3 times per week, became the new routine. I focused on my time and continued to shave minutes off. I wasn’t setting records but I was getting the 100 in consistently between 40-50 minutes. I continued this for a few weeks before deciding to move to stair sprints.

My current stair sprint involves a two mile loop downtown, which has 14 different 2-3 story sections of stairs along the way. I walk quickly between the sections and sprint, two steps at a time, up the stairs. I do the circuit once, sprinting up each section of stairs once, then do it again but sprint up each set of stairs twice before moving on. I usually also pick one section and do 3 sets of 5 sprints along the way. It adds up to over 70 stories of sprints over 3-4 miles. I do this in just over an hour with an average heart rate of about 146 bpm and a lot of spikes to 165-175 bpm.

What Next?

I’m continuing with the stair sprints for now. I’ll probably add an extra lap around the circuit on Saturday’s through March. I’m also starting to focus on my core and upper body more. I’ll be adding lots of daily crunches and similar exercises this month as I up my workouts to twice a day. I still consider myself to be at the initial phase of my fitness plan and expect it to move into a more intense phase later this summer. At that point I’ll probably seek professional training help and get much more deliberate about training and diet.

Disclaimer

This writeup makes my progress sound a bit less painful than it actually was. There was a lot, continues to be a lot, of trial and error involved in this progression - not to mention minor injuries, failed attempts, etc. I’ve learned a lot about listening to my body and monitoring my performance/heart rate along the way. The bottom line is be your own guide and, whatever training program you choose, progress at a pace that makes sense for you.

Update
Check out the awesome Steph Davis’ post on weight training for climbers and NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski’s post on training for Everest in Houston.

The park is pleasant enough but these hikes are really just endurance workouts. We load up the packs, I carry about 30 pounds, and knock out some miles and about 600′ of elevation gain. It’s not real challenging but challenging terrain isn’t easy to find near Houston.

This was also our first test of the awesome new Flip MinoHD which we’ll probably be taking with us on future climbs.

Most know Washington state attorney Sara Lingafelter as “TheClimberGirl” or “Rock Climber Girl” - a prolific climbing blogger and key member of the Twitter climbing community. Her launch of the Twitter Climbers Wiki introduced dozens of Twitter climbers to each other and inspired at least one developer to start work on a very sophisticated Twitter climbing community site. Thankfully, she had enough time in her busy schedule to answer a few questions about climbing, technology, and her professional life. - John

Give us a brief overview of your climbing history. How long have you been at it?

I’m celebrating my fourth anniversary as a climber. I first set foot in the gym just after Christmas, 2004. Before that, I was a non-athlete. I sucked at competitive sports in high school, but always liked dancing, so resumed ballet classes when I was in college. Between college and climbing I had a brief stint as a distance road cyclist, but otherwise was relatively sedentary.

Do you remember what first sparked your interest in climbing?

The true credit goes to my bad-ass girlfriend Amy Moorhead. She took up climbing about a year and a half before I did. I’d never seen her so passionate and enthusiastic about anything, in the many years I’d known her. She is, truly, bad ass. I was terrified of heights, and swore I’d never set foot in that gym, despite her fun stories. That resolve held until my then-husband took up indoor climbing to rehabilitate a knee injury — he kept coming back from climbing so happy, enthusiastic, and energized. He got me a gift certificate for an introductory class for Christmas that year, and I was pissed! My response was “I’ll show you — I’m going to take the class, and I’ll HATE it the whole time!”

Famous last words. I was hooked from the moment I touched that first hold, despite my sometimes paralyzing fear of heights.

Once you decided to climb how did you turn it into reality? Did you take formal classes, sign up at gym, or have climbing friends who gave you the initial lessons?

I started out by taking the intro class at my local climbing gym. I fell instantly in love with the movement involved with working my way up the wall — it was like dancing, but better. I milked my two-week post-class membership, took my belay test, and then started climbing regularly.

I have done some training since — a lead climbing class at my gym; a two-day traditional gear and crack climbing clinic by the gym’s outdoor program; and we used to have an awesome women’s’ program at our gym — and I read a lot about climbing. But aside from those basics, the vast majority of my learning has come from the people I’m blessed to spend my climbing time with. I have a great core group of climbing partners who I’ve been privileged to travel the Western United States with over the last four years, climbing with, and learning from.

You’ve written that at times you “envy people for whom climbing can be an occasional activity… folks who can harness up a few times a year, and have fun climbing, without having climbing take over the rest of their lives… without making career and other sacrifices in order to indulge the climbing life.” Is this still true or have you embraced the fact that climbing is such a large part of your life?

It’s true, and not true. It’s hard to really describe. Either climbing has changed me, at a cellular level - or, climbing has brought me out in a way that I didn’t see coming - I don’t know which. Friends who haven’t seen me for a few years are a bit baffled by “the new Sara,” but most people who spend any time with me are enthusiastic about and supportive of this evolution. The part I envy is the relative ease of conventional living… existence is relatively calm and straightforward when you live in a house, work a regular day job, and spend your free time watching movies. There’s nothing easy or conventional about how I live now, but for me, my life now is much more full and happy than it has been in the past.

Steph Davis talks about making “fundamental life decisions impetuously, based on what feels right inside, and … never look[ing] back.” Before climbing, I was on the moving sidewalk. My life and decisions looked very “normal.” I spent all of my time and energy in a socially-acceptable caretaker mode, very much tuned to the needs and happiness of the people around me, with very little attention paid to myself. Since becoming a climber, I’ve become acutely tuned to myself - and although that’s made life much more complicated than it used to be, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I feel now like I make decisions at a cellular level - I don’t second guess myself, because I now have an unflappable trust of my own instincts. I definitely credit the strength, toughness, and experience I’ve gained from climbing with those changes.

So, yes - I’ve embraced the fact that climbing is a huge part of my life, and it’s one of the currents that moves me along. But, life would be a lot simpler, with a lot fewer difficult decisions, if I could crawl back into the “old Sara” sometimes!

How do you define climbing success?

I am firmly in the camp that the best climber is the one having the most fun. My first few years of climbing had some high points, but they weren’t my happiest years. I got frustrated and scared (terrified, really - sometimes to the point of hyperventilating on route) easily, I was still figuring out what it meant to be a climbing partner, and not all of my companions were happy, positive, encouraging partners.

The last year has definitely been the highlight so far… I’ve really come into my own as a climber, and have refined what to look for in climbing partners. I have had some tough and/or frustrating days in the last year, but I bounce back quickly (after ten minutes of deep breathing or a snack, instead of after days or weeks like it used to be). When I think about the 2008 climbing season, all I think of are funny stories, successes, laughter, beautiful places and routes, and fun. That’s unlike years past, where I remember a lot of scary and/or unhappy times.

Do you have any major climbing goals for 2009 or beyond?

My major climbing goals for 2009 are to do my best to remain uninjured, to surround myself with positive, fun climbing partners, and to climb every chance I get. Specific goals are to spend more time in Squamish, BC and really get my gear mojo on - I’ve done a bit of gear climbing elsewhere, but Squamish is the place I’ve had the most fun gear climbing. I’d like 2009 to be the year of getting competent at gear leading since my last two seasons of gear leading have definitely left something to be desired. I’d also like to get more solid leading sport 5.10s - 10s should be no problem for me given my fitness, strength and skill at this point, but mentally I still have work to do. It would be a real accomplishment for me if I got to a point of feeling confident and having fun leading 5.10 sport routes this year.

Do you have any interest in branching out into other climbing styles?

Yes. I still have yet to develop the power and strength to get off the ground bouldering, although I’m anticipating really hitting the boulders in 2009 after this winter’s training. I also got a baby taste of the alpine existence doing Eichorns Pinnacle in Tuolumne this summer - my overall fitness is finally where it needs to be for me to do the longer approaches necessary for some of the real classic technical routes. Finally - I still haven’t tried ice climbing. Despite much encouragement and many invitations, I’m not going to make it to Ourey this year - perhaps that’s a possibility for 2010.

Let’s move on to technology. I know that we share a common interest in building the online climbing community. You’ve been very active on Twitter and created the Twitter Climbers Wiki. How has this impacted your connection to the climbing community?

To set the stage for my answer… earlier this year, I found myself leaving work on a Friday with everything I needed for a weekend of climbing and camping in my car, and one by one my planned partners became unavailable. I changed plans, picked a new destination where I knew I’d be able to “happen upon” other climbers, and set out by myself. It was a real turning point for me. Until then, I’d always had trusted, known, more experienced climbing partners to guide me. It didn’t dawn on me that it may not always be like that. My desire to climb outweighed my shyness, and I very quickly got used to the idea of making new climbing friends everywhere I go.

My climbing partners all tease me about the fact that I introduce myself to every climber I meet…But, talking to other climbers, hearing their stories, sharing what I’ve learned and learning from others, has been a blessing. I love the idea that now I have friends, or friends of friends, in just about any climbing area in the U.S. (and some, abroad).

Where do you see the technology and related community heading in the next year or two?

That’s a tough one. I think we’re a small enough demographic as techie climbers, that I don’t see any huge commercial investment in climbing community technology. I think that we’ll see an evolution of the ideas we’re all talking about now — Tom’s (Tom Markiewicz) on the right track with his ThinkClimbing project.

I’d have to give some thought to why I lean toward and see more potential in the Twitter climbing community over other sites (like rockclimbing.com) — I don’t have an instant answer for that. I do occasionally read and participate in the rockclimbing.com forums, summitpost.org forums, and more regularly participate at cascadeclimbers.com — but I’ve met more folks who have turned into real life friends through Twitter, so far.

Have you considered using some of these tools to document your climbs in real-time or would you find it all too obtrusive and complicated? Will we see you tweeting from a wall or summit one of these days?

I work a part time job, I own a small business, I operate a number of side projects that are technology-dependent, and I also have a bunch of volunteer projects that involve technology. My Blackberry generally gets turned off when I arrive at a climbing destination, then turned back on when I get about half-way home. Climbing trips are the one time I really try to get away from work, and part of that, is having the Blackberry off. I really love writing reflective trip reports after the fact. A phone/camera company sent me a wireless device to participate in a couple-month “document your adventures” program and the thing never left the top of my pack. Real-time tool use isn’t complicated, but it’s a distraction I rarely engage in.

That’s not to say it never happens… you’ll see an occasional tweet or cell phone pic from me on some climbing days!

Photo © Shawn Campbell

You’ve done some pro bono work as a lawyer for the climbing community. Do you see your career further merging with your interest in climbing at some point?

Part of my chatting up climbers is talking to them about what they do for a living, since I’m still working on building a career that allows me to live the life I want to live. I took a step in that direction in 2008 by going to work for the Puget Sound Partnership - even though I’m doing work related to Puget Sound, I’ve learned a ton about issues that are also related to climbing (public lands, parks issues, etc.).

I’m actively working on transitioning to a work life more connected with the outdoor industry and/or climbing policy. I don’t have the patience anymore to do work that I don’t love, so 2009 is shaping up to be the year where I build a career based on work I love, and that means the environment and the outdoors.

Mount Oxford is one of three 14ers will be attempting in April. The plan, as it stands now, is to move across the saddle from Mount Belford before descending and attempting Missouri Mountain the following day.

Weather
NWS Forecast

Trip Reports
Summit Post | 14ers.com

Photos
Summit Post | 14ers.com | Google Images

Maps
GeoHack - Satellite, Topo, etc.

Routes
Summit Post | 14ers.com | Trails.com

Discussion
Twitter

Photo Credit: Jokermanj - License