Homebrew Energy Gel

During a long day in the mountains, I go through several 1oz “shots” of energy gel. Even when purchased in bulk, brand name energy gels are very expensive per ounce. When a friend of mine introduced me to a “homebrew” recipe for energy gel, I had to give it a try. Using his recipe as a start, I tweaked the ingredients and process, and added a few more options for flavors. In addition to the satisfaction of making my own energy gels, I’ve found that they work very well and are cheap to make. Also, my ability to alter ingredients in accordance with my own needs is a big plus.

How It’s Made

The equation for Homebrew Energy Gel can be written as follows:

Base Powder + Flavor Powder(s) + Base Liquid = Homebrew Energy Gel

The following recipe makes about 42oz of Homebrew Energy Gel. It is less viscous than other brand name energy gels. This allows it to flow better (especially in cold environments). If you find that it is not thick enough for your tastes, add more pectin. Like other energy gels, it will work best when consumed with water. Be sure to keep the energy gel refrigerated as there are no preservatives in it. 

STEP 1: Boil 51oz of Apple Juice until there is only 14oz of liquid left. While the Apple Juice is boiling, move onto STEP 2.

STEP 2: Mix the following base powder ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly (use a kitchen scale to measure and a whisk to mix):

• 500g Maltodextrin
• 93g Brown Sugar
• 2400 mg Caffeine
• 18g Sea Salt

STEP 3: Add one of the following flavor powders to the base powder and mix thoroughly

Orange: 60g Orange Gatorade Powder

Lemon Lime: 60g Lemon Lime Gatorade Powder

Fruit Punch: 60g Fruit Punch Gatorade Powder

Strawberry: Two 4oz packets of Strawberry KoolAid concentrate

Apple Cinnamon: 9g Cinnamon

STEP 4: Once the Apple Juice is done boiling, turn the heat down to simmer. Add 16oz Agave Nectar and 1tbsp lemon juice. Stir quickly for 20 seconds.

STEP 5: Add the powder mixture to the liquid mixture. Whisk thoroughly and then blend on a low setting for 15 seconds or until all clumps are gone.

STEP 6: Add 3 teaspoons pectin with citric acid and stir thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a large gel dispenser and let it sit for 24 hours before using.

Where to Purchase the Ingredients

Apple Juice: Grocery Store

Maltodextrin: NutritionGeeks.com

Brown Sugar: Grocery Store

Caffeine: NutritionGeeks.com

Sea Salt: Grocery Store

Flavor Powders: Grocery Store

Agave Nectar: Grocery Store or Health Foods Store

Lemon Juice: Grocery Store

Disclaimer: Make at your own risk. Pay attention to potential food allergies (if you have any).

Grandes Jorasses Speed Solo

This video has been making its rounds throughout the mountaineering community. If you haven't already seen it, you need to. What you are about to see is truly mind blowing. 

"On the 28th Dec 2008 Ueli Steck blasted his was up the north face of the Grandes Jorasses in another record time. Moving on from his 2.47hrs ascent of the Eiger north face in February earlier on this year he arrived in Chamonix on the 27th with his eyes on the north face classic- the Colton-Macintyre (VI,6)... Steck climbs up a 1200m face, with some very bare and tricky mixed at the top and sections of 95 degree ice in the middle, at an approximate ascent rate of 10m a minute."

-Summary from Alpine Exposures (Jonathan Griffith)

Ueli Steck speed soloing on the Grandes Jorasses from Jonathan Griffith on Vimeo.

New Wallpaper for May & June

I've released two more editions of my monthly desktop wallpaper:

May (#11): Eric Lee climbing Buffalo Mountain

June (#12): Fresh snow on Chasm Lake

Strength Training for the Backcountry Athlete

Throughout my athletic career, I’ve heard the “weights or no weights” debate too many times to count. I’ve heard many comments from fellow athletes along the lines of:

“You don’t need to do strength exercises if you’re a runner.” The best way to train for climbing is to climb.” “I’m already strong enough.”

Having experimented with lots of different exercises and weight training programs for a variety of activities, I’ve come to a few conclusions:

1. Core strength (abs, lower-mid back) is important for almost any athletic activity. Whether you’re trying to keep your form intact at the end of a long race, perform a powerful heel hook or swing a bat, you will benefit from solid core strength.

2. Flexibility is underrated and underutilized. It’s important for injury prevention and it allows you to build muscle without getting muscle-bound, a condition that limits range of motion and can lead to injury. Flexibility also improves performance and energy efficiency. If you’re a runner, an extra inch on your stride multiplied by thousands of steps equals a materially faster time. If you’re a climber, being able to raise your leg higher means reaching that foothold that was previously out of reach (without pulling your hammy).

3. For athletic activities that require lots of strength, you will reach a natural “plateau” without strength training. Your body will get used to performing the same movements over and over, and you won’t get any stronger. At some point, you need to mix up your training with strength specific exercises to reach the next level.

4. Context and balance are key. Everyone has seen the local gym rats that only lift upper body. It’s a wonder that their chicken legs can support their teetering massive upper bodies. It’s nonsensical and nontransferable to athletic activities. Match your training to your activity. If you’re a runner, focus on core strength, not your biceps. During my junior year in college, I started lifting too much upper body (I was an XC runner). I was 6’2, 160lbs and I could bench press 230 lbs. I got slow. As soon as I started doing only core strength exercises, I lost 10 lbs and dropped a minute off of my 8k time. Now that I’m a mountaineer, I would love to get back to 160lbs and 230lbs on the bench press.

5. Focus on building strength (not “getting ripped”) and keeping opposite muscles in balance. If you train your quads, be sure to train your hamstrings as well. Imbalances among opposite muscle groups can lead to injury. Good climbers, mountaineers and backcountry skiers should aim for solid overall strength and cardio conditioning.

While I realize that the debate is still open, I’m personally convinced (based on my own experiences) that supplementary strength training is very helpful for sports like climbing, mountaineering and backcountry skiing. Alex Lowe agreed and his climbing partners said that he was a “level above everyone else.” Perhaps he was on to something. In Jackson, WY and Boulder, CO, there is a gym called Mountain Athlete that subscribes to a training philosophy for climbers and mountaineers that is similar to mine. On their website, they have links to a variety of videos (36 to date) that feature strength exercises that are geared toward climbers. Below, you can see an exercise called “Alligator Pushups.” It’s not hard to see how this one would be useful for climbers.

Going Light(er)

Proper ultralight travel is part art (backcountry experience) and part science. It walks a fine line between “being prepared” and “light is right.” As gear technologies advance to create better designs, lighter materials and smaller/cheaper/more capable gadgets, what was once impossible suddenly becomes possible. After several years of constant gear testing, I recently sorted through all of my backcountry gear and scaled down to the “essentials.” The result of my efforts was a noticeably lighter pack and a huge gear sale that funded a few ultralight gear purchases. A few of the items that I picked up include the following:

CAMP Corsa Axe (Aluminum, 70cm, 205g)

CAMP XLC 390 Crampons (Aluminum, 390g)

GoLite Pursuit Pack (51L, 3lbs)

GoLite Shangri-La 2 4-Season Shelter (830g) + Floor (570g)

Black Diamond Whippet (400g)

Overall, I’m quite satisfied with the weight savings that I’ve achieved with a few strategic gear purchases. However, there are two material glitches in my setup that I’m working on solving:

1. Between my avy beacon, GPS, heImet cam, SPOT tracker, camera, headlamp, GMRS radio… I burn through lots of AA and AAA batteries (alkaline) on a regular basis and batteries are expensive and heavy for their size. Stay tuned for a solution that is cheaper, greener and lighter.

2. My DSLR camera and accompanying lenses (Canon 5D MkII full-frame body + 28-135 IS lens + occasional Canon 15mm fisheye lens) are obnoxiously heavy and hang like a loose millstone around my neck. If stashed in my pack, they are not accessible when I need them. If kept directly on my body, I run the risk of accidental damage from impact, dust and moisture (both precip and sweat). If kept in a chest holster, they are bulky, sweat inducing and obscure my vision. Given the excessively bulky and somewhat heavy “small SLR” chest holsters currently available on the market, it’s looking like I may have to build or mod my own solution. I have a few ideas up my sleeve that I think may work.

The seemingly obvious solution to my problem is to find the “ultimate” compact camera that has the portability of a point-and-shoot camera with the quality, RAW format and manual settings of a DSLR. Sadly, no such solution currently exists. The Canon PowerShot G10 (350g) comes close in terms of functionality and RAW format, but the ridiculous amount of noise (even at low ISO levels) produced by its overhyped “15MP” (lots of really small pixels on a small sensor) sub-DSLR quality sensor is a real deal killer for what I need. I have decided that my quasi-temporary solution for adventure photography will be the Olympus E-420 micoDSLR body (385g) + the high quality and moderately compact Olympus Zuiko Digital f/2.8-3.5 14-54mm lens (435g). With its 2x magnification factor, it will behave like a 28-108mm lens on a full-frame, which is similar to my Canon 28-135mm lens. It does not have image stabilization, but it does have f/2.8+ compared to the f/3.5+ of my Canon zoom lens. I’m also looking forward to the squarer 4:3 aspect ratio of the images.

Skiing Buffalo Mountain

Buffalo Mountain has been climbed, skied and helmet cammed. Eric Lee and I enjoyed a fantastic bluebird day and an excellent ski line down the Silver Couloir. The Arizona red dust was present, but not nearly as bad as in the San Juans. Despite our relatively early start, the snow was starting to get a bit soft toward the end of the couloir. Here are a few pictures and a video to tell the story...

Ultimate Touring Skis?

Sometime last winter, I decided that it would be ideal to have a lightweight ski touring setup that utilized a cable tele binding (for use with Garmont Excursion touring boots) and had a heel lock-down mechanism for more control on the downs. I also decided that if I could accomplish this for under $100, it would be a feat. Since there is nothing like this currently available on the market (at least to my knowledge), I knew that I would have to fabricate some custom parts.

Breakdown of Costs:
Karhu 10th Mountain XCD waxless skis (with "fishscale" bases): $69 at REI Garage Sale
Bucket 'o old school generic (?) AT binding parts: $10.99 on ebay (including shipping)
Riva cable tele bindings: Came free with a pair of $25 skis that I recently sold for $25.

Total Cost: about $80 + tax 

Fabrication and Mounting:

I began the project with a pair of skis, a pair of  cable tele bindings and an assortment of old AT binding parts. 

Next, I removed the toe bails (with baseplates) from a broken pair of AT bindings and cut off the toe bail with a hacksaw. The result was a pair of aluminum baseplates. 

After the baseplates were free of the toe bails, I figured out that I needed to remove the lip in order to mount the televators on top. The small weight savings was a nice bonus.

Once the lip was removed (with a hacksaw), I filed the edges of the baseplates.

After finishing the initial mods on the baseplates, I removed the heel bails from the broken AT bindings and stuck them into the holes on the baseplates that were left behind by the toe bails. 

At this point, I mounted the cable tele bindings and took some measurements for the baseplates/heel bails.

Since I would be mounting the televators on top of the baseplates, I needed to cut some small holes into the baseplates to accomodate the movement of the televators. I used one of the televator mounting plates as a guide.

The holes in the baseplates have been cut (using a rotary tool and a file)

Next, I mounted the baseplates and televators onto the skis. I'm done!

Tele touring mode.

Tele touring mode with televators up.

Alpine mode.

Finally, I had to weigh the skis. 3,199 grams, not too shabby. 

North Maroon Peak Ski Descent

 Click HERE to see a few pictures from a recent ski descent of North Maroon Peak.

Huge Gear Sale!

I'm selling a bunch of gear...

GEAR SALE HERE

I update this page regularly. If the item is still on there, it's available. If you want to buy any of the gear, contact me.

How to Make a V-thread Hooker

Given the miserable state of the global economy, it seemed appropriate to show you how to save some money. Here's a short video that I created to show you How to make a "homemade" V-thread hooker (while listening to Beethoven's 6th in F major). Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Ice climbing and using sharp objects and rotary tools are inherently dangerous. Make and use at your own risk. You assume all responsibility for any injuries that result from the making or using of a V-thread hooker as shown in this video. No animals or ice climbers were harmed in the making of this video.

New April Wallpaper

The '09 April wallpaper of the month is now available.

Everything You'd Want to Know About Snow Anchors

While reading Backcountry Magazine last night, I came across an ad for K2 skis that showed various types of ski anchors. This led to me spending some time studying up on snow anchors and ultimately finding THIS great resource. It's by no means a new resource (circa 2002), but it's a good one and the laws of physics haven't changed since it was written.

Greg Hill's Videos

Since watching his award winning film (The Unbearable Lightness of Skiing) at the Banff Film Festival this year, I've been following Greg Hill's many ski-mountaineering adventures from time to time. Here are a few of his videos:







(videos linked via YouTube)

Brief Update and Black Diamond Skins Video

Long time, no post. The last couple of weeks have been very busy. I recently joined Aurora Photos as a contributing photographer and it's taking longer than I expected to complete my first upload (since I have about 100 initial submissions that all require a long process of entering IPTC meta data and meeting other technical requirements). Additionally, I've been getting my financial statements and other paperwork ready for taxes.

In the midst of the madness, I've been able to sneak away from the desk for a few hours to solve my ski dilemma. I recently moved my Dynafit F12's to some '08 Black Diamond Kilowatts (175cm) and I picked up a 32L Black Diamond Covert pack that should carry skis much better than my floppy REI pack. Since the Kilowatts are significantly fatter than my previous skis, I had to get some new skins as well. I got some STS skins that should work much better than my ClipFix skins that never did stay on very well. I thought that I would share a video that I used to fit my skins flawlessly. It's much better and easier to understand that the directions that come folded up on a small paper in several languages.

JPG Compression Loss

I recently had a conversation with a photographer that insisted that shooting in RAW was a waste of time and disk space. I’m not going to spend any time refuting this point as it is well known that there are all kinds of advantages to shooting in RAW (from editability to data retention, etc). That said, I recently found a video that shows what .jpg compression does to an image over time. Watch closely as the image is compressed up to 600 times. Obviously there is no practical reason to compress an image up to 600 times, but it’s still interesting to see...

http://hadto.net/category/sketchbook/generation-loss

Trango Cam Cup

On Rockclimbing.com, the Trango Cam Cup results are in. In the main event of the contest, 10 homemade cams were pull-tested to see which one would hold the most force before failing. See the full results here.  

New GriGri Directions from Petzl

The Petzl GriGri is one of the (if not THE) most popular auto-locking belay devices on the market. It works great for sport climbing where weight isn’t an issue and falls are imminent. I don’t do much sport climbing, so I don’t use my GriGri all that much for belaying. However, I do use mine for the lower ascending device on static lines (works great for adventure photography). Some of the features that make the GriGri so popular also allow for some dangerous situations if not used correctly. Petzl recently relooked at how to avoid operator error and came up with a new set of instructions in the form of a video (see below). If you use a GriGri, it’s worth watching.


(video linked via YouTube tags)

Karhu XCD 10th Mountain + Dynafit F12

Omnitrack Bases

Full Length (175 cm)

Close Up

I just picked up my new set of ultralight skis (for ski mountaineering). Thanks to Matt at Edge Works, I brought my skis/boots/bindings into the shop at lunch time and was able to pick them up after work (same day). I can't wait to try them out this weekend. 

7.66 lbs (skis and bindings)

DIN 12 bindings

Omnitrack bases

The Perpetual Quest for a Quiver of One

Old SkisFor years, backcountry skiers have sought the holy grail of backcountry ski gear: Skis that are extremely lightweight and perform flawlessly in any terrain/condition. Boots that tour with the comfort, warmth and weight savings of a tele boot, and are stiff enough to drive any pair of skis. Bindings that are strong enough to survive cliff hucks and weigh next to nothing. Each year, through the introduction of new designs and materials, we get one step closer. After several years of testing multiple setups, I decided to take full advantage of the latest technological improvements in backcountry ski gear. In order to bank roll this project, I unloaded the following:

A. 159cm Sims Snowboard + Burton Boots + Ride LS bindings (really heavy)

B. 177cm Atomic Kongur skis + Fritchi Freeride bindings + Garmont Endorphin Mg boots (est combined weight: 21.4 lbs)

C. 178 cm Karhu Kondor skis + Riva tele bindings + Scarpa T3 tele boots (est combined weight: 13.2 lbs)

When putting together my new AT setup, the bindings were the easiest choice. Dynafit recently came out with a DIN 12 binding (the F12) that weighs around 500g per binding. Sold.

My choice of skis was a bit more difficult. As a ski mountaineer who is very focused on weight savings and uphill performance, I decided to go with Karhu’s XCD 10th Mountain Ski. It’s a very lightweight backcountry ski that has Karhu’s Omnitrack waxless base for superior touring performance on flat/rolling surfaces. The waxless “fishscale” bases allow the skis to glide much better than skins (which add both friction and weight). Skins will still be required for steeper ascents where better traction is needed.

Finally, after trying on a half dozen different Dynafit compatible AT boots, I chose Garmont’s Mega Ride as my boot of choice. Even with my thick Scarpa Intuition liners, all Scarpa and Dynafit boots were too wide for my skinny feet and therefore disqualified as potential contenders. If Scarpa had been an option, the F3 would have tempted me based on weight, comfort and touring performance. The final two contenders were the Garmont Mega Ride and the Garmont Mega Lite. The Mega Lite weighs 230 (or so) grams less, but lacks a 4th buckle (which could come in handy on more difficult descents). A great deal + the 4th buckle convinced me to choose the Mega Rides. I’m hoping that the Mega Rides + Scarpa Intuition liners + carbon fiber orthotics will meet my requirements for comfort and touring performance over time.

In summary, my new AT setup weighs around 14.9 lbs. That’s 6.5 lbs (or 30%) lighter than my previous AT setup and only 1.7 lbs heavier than my already bare bones tele setup.

Since weight is of no consequence at the resort, I decided to hang on to my very heavy/very sturdy double-edged 177 cm Volkl Super Speed Supersport skis for skiing the groomers in style at mach 2. My new setup is headed to the shop for mounting. I’ll post a review/pictures of the new setup after I’ve put it through a few tests.

Orthotics: Gear of the Most Valuable Kind

New OrthoticsOld Insoles

Yes, I’m writing a gear review on orthotics. No single piece of “gear” has ever had such a positive impact on my ability to train and perform without unnecessary pain and injury (knees, IT band, hip flexor, etc). Until two weeks ago, I had almost accepted the fact that my knees would always hurt after every workout. After using my orthotics, my 26 year-old knees no longer feel like they are 60!

Prior to getting orthotics, I had been using heat-moldable foam insoles (Sole brand). The foam insoles were better than nothing at all, but entirely inadequate for a person that has completely flat feet. Now that the honeymoon period is over for my orthotics, I feel that I can give an honest review:

Materials - Performance and Durability
I chose carbon fiber as the base material because it was one of the lightest options and it is relatively stiff with little flex (important for someone that needs maximum support). Based on 70 miles of running, I can say that the carbon fiber base is working well for me (160 lbs). I don’t feel any flex and it does appear to be quite durable.

For the top/finish material, my podiatrist recommended a soft rubber/sponge layer (very much like a thin mouse pad) to give my feet some relief from the stiff base layer. Since I had purchased all of my shoes and boots on the basis of how they fit with my Sole insoles, I needed to make sure that the resulting orthotic was of a similar thickness. After hearing that the rubber/sponge layer would yield a comparable thickness, I agreed to my podiatrist’s recommendation.

After only two weeks of use, the junction of the top layer and the base layer is not holding up. The sharp carbon fiber is slowly cutting through the rubber. Additionally, when sweat is added to the equation, the rubber sections tend to hold in moisture. This causes them to break down faster and become very floppy. The floppiness becomes a problem when you switch from one shoe/boot to another. When wet, trying to put my insoles into a hard shell ski boot or hard leather mountaineering boot is like trying to get a wet noodle to stand up straight.

Despite being unimportant to the overall function of my orthotics, a new top layer (which also makes up the front half of the orthotic) will cost me $50 to replace. I’m guessing that my current top layer won’t survive more than another month. When I replace the top layer/forefoot, I’ll probably get a thin high density foam that has a better use life, less moisture retention and more structural integrity and form.

James Peak Ski Descent

This past weekend, I climbed and skied James Peak (13,294 ft) . It was a windy day (at times) and snow was lacking. You can read more about it on my trip report:

http://www.scottborger.com/gallery.php?gallery=jamespeak

The MMO

You need a MMO, and you don’t need to switch over from a HMO or a PPO to get one. You just need to know how to tie one. The Munter-Mule-Overhand (MMO) is one self-rescue technique that enables a climber to lower/belay an injured party using a munter hitch combined with a mule hitch (for a hands free position) and an overhand knot (to back up the mule hitch). The MMO is a must have tool for climbers and it doesn’t weight a single ounce. If you want to learn how to make one (and many other self-rescue techniques), refer to page 43 and following of “Climbing Self Rescue: Improvising Solutions for Serious Situations” by Andy Tyson and Molly Loomis. You can see a preview of the book (including the section on the MMO) via the link below:

http://books.google.com/books?id=J5_sl0YR9eUC&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=MMO+rope+rescue&source=bl&ots=h_9W0Je-uF&sig=dvyW9B7QGBphUvteTPruUzGl500&hl=en&ei=65-uSejKGYS2nQf8v_TBBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA46,M1

Last night, I joined a large group of friends at the Erie Community Center to practice self-rescue and ascending techniques. A few of the guys even broke out the portaledge. Since it can be easy to forget techniques that you hope you never have to use, an annual practice session is a great idea. After all, if you can’t perform in a controlled environment, you’ll probably have little chance of success in a serious high-stress situation when you’re several pitches up your route.

New Wallpaper Image for March (#9)

I just added another wallpaper image for March. I will be introducing one new image every month. You can download this month's image here:

http://www.scottborger.com/photo.php?id=362&gallery=wallpaper

Chilling Footage of Aconcagua Failed Rescue

Recently, one of my friends and climbing partners made a self-guided attempt (in a party of 4) at climbing Aconcagua (6,962 meters/22,841 ft). Since he was carrying a SPOT satellite beacon with him, I was able to track his progress throughout the trek. Once he reached camp 2, his position did not change for several days. The next time that his position updated, he was back in Mendoza. Given that he was not going to descend the mountain via the same path that he used to reach camp 2, I knew that something must be up. Not long after I began to worry, I heard news that there had been several deaths on the mountain in the past few days. As the news gained details, I learned that three people (a guide and two climbers) had perished. Upon returning to Mendoza, my friend wrote the following on his blog:
------------------------------------------
Hello constant reader.
Bad weather, developing sickness, and death of friends above us led us to pull the plug. Lots of snow and viento blanco forced us down from our high point at camp 2 (5800m). I have a respirtory issue and Matt was getting mild HAPE (all of us are sick now). Crazy week on the mountain.
Back safe and sound in Mendoza now and we will be enjoying wine, steak and showers until we return next week. We love and miss you all, but thanks to smart decisions we will all be coming home to see you. More updates later.
Cheers and Namaste!
------------------------------------------
A few days ago, some footage of a failed rescue attempt was released to the media. It caused an uproar in the mountaineering community. The video shows a rescue team reaching the injured guide:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=924_1234614888&c=1

Man Buried for Over 2 Hours, Survives with Avalung

I've been skiing/climbing with an Avalung II for a couple of years now. In the back of my mind, I always questioned claims made about how long they might keep you alive. Today, I'm a believer. According to the Denver Post...

"When three men on a backcountry trip were buried under as much as 7 feet of snow for more than two hours without help, it was an increasingly popular device known as the AvaLung that at least one of them reported is a reason he is still alive."

Read the article here:
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20090203/NEWS/902039983/1001/NONE&parentprofile=1062&title=

A New York Times Article about Fred Beckey

I recently ran into an article that the New York Times published in December, 2008. It’s about the life of Fred Beckey. He’s 85, and still climbing. Some of my favorite quotes from the article are as follows:

“He was said to howl at tourists.”

“His past was the stuff of lore, his plans the stuff of mystery.”

“Defined by defiance, he ascended peaks termed unclimbable by the Mountaineers, a local outfit renowned for classes and publications promoting the sport. In return, the Mountaineers rejected his guidebook manuscripts.”

“By 1963, when he logged 26 first ascents in a single year, his legend was secure.”

“Far past retirement age, Beckey has kept hard to the road, recruiting younger companions to split the cost of travel.”

Read the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/sports/othersports/16beckey.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Free Adventure Wallpaper (for your desktop)

I’ve started a wallpaper gallery for some of my adventure photography. I will be adding one new photo each month. Rather than start from scratch, I added 6 pictures to get things started. You can visit the gallery via the link below:

http://www.scottborger.com/gallery.php?gallery=wallpaper

Gear Used on the Rupal Face

In 2005, Steve House and Vince Anderson (both IFMGA guides) completed their alpine-style first ascent of the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat. The significance of their “fast and light” climb earned them the distinguished Piolet d’Or Award. Following the climb, Steve House discussed the gear that he used on the climb. You can watch the discussion here:

http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=10348

I was particularly intrigued by the fact that they coupled a 55 meter 5mm static rope with a 50 meter 8mm dynamic rope for the rappels. Combined with lighter crampon centers, two axes (one ultra light) and a custom ultra light wind shield for their stove, these guys brought minimalism to a new level. If you’d like to see a discussion of the clothes that they wore on the climb, you can watch it here:

http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=10350

What's the Verdict? Let Pack Analyzer Decide

If you frequent the mountains in a variety of seasons, chances are you have a lot of gear. In my case, I have gear for a variety of activities and conditions. How do you decide what to pack and what to leave behind? As the saying goes, "ounces become pounds, and pounds become pain." On the other hand, leaving crucial gear behind is no better. Having found myself in this conundrum many times, I decided to build a solution that eventually became known as Pack Analyzer. Pack Analyzer is a relatively simple MS Excel application that keeps track of all of your gear options and their respective weights. After weighing your gear items and inputting their respective weights into Pack Analyzer, packing becomes a painless and efficient process. As you select/deselect gear items, the pack weight, on-body gear weight and pack list update in real time.

Since building Pack Analyzer, I've cut my packing time down substantially and I no longer leave for trips wondering if I forgot something. It was so useful to me that I decided to share this application with the public for free.

You can download the application here:

http://www.scottborger.com/gallery.php?gallery=packanalyzer

Day 1

If you just found this site for the first time, you’re probably asking yourself “What the heck is Mountainscribe?” Mountainscribe is the online artistic vent of Scott Borger. I (Scott) am a Colorado-based mountaineer, photographer, and now blogger. I will be using this blog to express my perspective on recent trips, photos, gear, events and other elements of outdoor life in Colorado and beyond. Barring my absence for trips, I’ll do my very best to keep the content on this blog frequent and relevant.