Big Wet Season and Tropical Storms Means Great Climbing on Volcanoes in Mexico and South America
As the flooding from a late-season tropical storm receded in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, a Mt. Link team enjoyed some of the finest climbing conditions on Iztaccihuatl and Pico de Orizaba in recent memory. Heavy rains in the lowland east coast translated into ample snow fall on top of an already abundant snow pack on North America's 7th and 3rd highest peaks. The new snows had a couple of weeks to consolidate into ideal "styrofoam" conditions coveted for moderate angle cramponing. "The best climbing conditions I've seen in the 8 years that have gone by since I began climbing Mexico's big volcanoes," shared Mt. Link guide Matt Millar. "This promises to be a great climbing season for these easily accessible high altitude peaks."
With the much reported glacial recession occurring on many of the world's lower latitude peaks, routes in many instances are becoming more challenging as the physical demands, rock scrambling and route finding components are increased. This is due to the exposure of talus fields and rock bands that, in years past, had been covered by snow and the lower reaches of these receding glaciers When we experience abundant snowfall like we've seen this last year in Mexico, conditions allowing for more efficient ascents remind us of years past . . . . yeah man! These conditions have been echoed on other Latin American climbs as guides Brooke Barnes and Jeff Justman said they experienced "the best climbing conditions in years".
If you have been thinking about getting
away this winter for some big international peaks, this
promises to be a great season. Visit our calendar
for upcoming dates and for more details. Climb hard,
climb safe.
In Other News:
Jeff Justman has reported from Argentina that the word on the street is much improved climbing conditions over last year. Expeditions last year suffered form El Nino and the high winds that can affect Aconcagua. History indicates that the year following El Nino has much less temperature differentiation between the coast and the inland Pampas Region. Therefore the winds are not as high which can yield high numbers of summits on the mountain.
Jeff is helping us coordinate our upcoming expeditions led by John Lucia. We still have openings on these trips:
Good News to Confirm:
You heard it here first...we have yet to publish these dates on our website! For those of you climbers wanting to climb Denali with Robert Link, long time Denali veteran looking forward to his twentieth expedition on the mountain. We have confirmed dates for May 2-23, 2008. Call our office to reserve your spot, the team will be limited to 9 climbers.
Tech Tip - Traveling with Goggles
Goggles for mountaineering are both fragile and extremely valuable. When the weather goes bad and the wheels start to fall off the wagon because of poor visibility goggles are the key to escaping disaster. In order to keep them safe when I am traveling, cramming everything into my duffle bag, I insert them inside my climbing boots. The hard shell of the boot keeps them form being crushed while being slapped around on the conveyors at the airport. When I am climbing I keep them in the top lid of my pack for quick easy access. I also stuff the inside of the goggles with paper towel or tissue, this ensures that condensation won't collect. It also gives me something handy to clean and maintain them with.
The quality of goggle is also important. the lenses should block 100% UV and IR rays form the sun. The brand that has always worked well for us worldwide has been Smith.
