Prince George, British Columbia

The worldwide climbing community was shocked earlier this month to learn that acclaimed Canadian ice climber Guy Lacelle was swept to his death (while momentarily un-roped) during an ice climb in Hyalite Canyon (when a team climbing above him triggered a spindrift avalanche into the gully) in a competition at the Bozeman Ice Festival in Montana. Our collective hearts go out to Guy’s widow Marge, and to the many, many friends and climbing colleagues whose lives this master touched…

A 2008 Alpinist interview with Guy worth reading is here.

Taipei, Taiwan

I’m currently spending the better part of a week in Taiwan, lecturing in three cities as part of the 2009 Conference of International Design Competitions (a truly innovative program that encourages and rewards Taiwanese design students for entering international design competitions). This is my third visit to Isla Formosa in recent years, and unlike the rushed and jam-packed previous visits, I’m happily able to engage in some cultural and touristic discovery this time around.

Accompanied by two beautiful and knowledgeable young interpreters (Julia and Tree), my Taipei tour started with a visit to the towering postmodern Taipei 101 (the world’s tallest skyscraper when it was completed five years ago), some upscale window-shopping (you’d almost think Christmas was an ancient Chinese holiday), a delicious Dim Sum lunch (best dumplings ever), followed by a half-day visit to the incredible National Palace Museum (with its collection of 650,000 ancient artifacts encompassing 8000 years of Chinese history). The day ended with a fancy dinner of traditional foods and fine fellowship with Taiwanese design colleagues.

Following the formal presentations and conference proceedings at the Red House Theatre the next day, I had the chance to take in the impromptu street-sights and sounds of the Ximending district. Next stop, Taiching…

Which seems like a perfectly fine reason… if you think about it.

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Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!

The above is an admittedly ‘loose’ translation of the Leitmotif of Goethe’s Faust, which was first performed at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland back in 1938 [practically my home stomping grounds as a kid].

Kleine Scheidegg, Switzerland

Tammy and bro-Phil have done it! Under perfect weather conditions (the dusting of snow from the night before had melted by the time they reached the 2000 meter plateau) all seven in their running group successfully finished the grueling Jungfrau Marathon. I had posted about the challenges of this spectacular race a week ago…

I guess maybe it’s time for me to start running again too… the last of the seven Marathons I have completed was in Melbourne, ten years ago this week. Is a decade long enough to rid the body of painful memories?  :-|

Interlaken, Switzerland

My brother Phil and his sprightly wife Tammy are preparing for the scenic but grueling Jungfrau Marathon this weekend. Billed as “the most beautiful marathon in the world,” the 42-km race starts to the blare of alpenhorns in the lakeside city of Interlaken with a relatively flat first half before gaining a total of 1800(!) vertical meters and an alpine finish on the Kleine Scheidegg across from the famous north faces of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.

Best wishes… and congratulations (in advance)!

Banff National Park, Alberta

I’ve (once again) spent the last wonderful week of August in the Canadian Rockies, a well-established pattern over the past decades. This time around things played themselves out somewhat more low-key (and lower-altitude) than in recent years, as simply “being” trumped “doing”—I was quite worn in body, soul, and spirit and in need of over-due rest and hiatus, so schemes of summits gave way to valley respite. As in past years, I drove out west and back with Bettie (a considerable pilgrimage of nearly 4000 km, return), and the old Dame proved largely reliable once again (I did end up jury-rigging an exhaust repair in Medicine Hat when her “throaty” tone turned downright rude and intrusive).

My week started with a fine visit in the new/old Calgary home of long-time climber friends Gregor and Janice, replete with a tour of the town the following day (the organic farmers’ market was both a surprise and a highlight). Then it was on to Canmore (a visit to the ACC’s clubhouse/head office) and then Tunnel Mountain campground in Banff, with touristic day-tripping to the Cascade Ponds, the Lake Minnewanka loop, Johnson Lake, and the original Hot Springs on Sulphur Mountain. Later in the week, I moved further west to Lake Louise, with a pleasant day at Moraine Lake (I had never hiked the entire lake-shore trail to the glacial water-source before) and a reconnoitre with Gregor and Janice for a Friday trek up to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House.

A somewhat grueling 17-hour return trip across the wind-swept prairies brought me back to Ev’s in Winnipeg Beach at 03:00 this morning… both tired and quite rested at the same time. :-)

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
—Psalm 121: 1, King James Bible

Images above: Retro signage at Banff Hot Springs on Sulphur Mountain; the surreal azure beauty of Moraine Lake; the Tower of Babel above Moraine Lake (I climbed the 10-pitch trad route along the left-edge skyline profile with Simon Statkewitch a few years back); my good mates Gregor Brandt and Janice Liwanag at a rest-stop; a view of the lower cliffs of Mount Lefroy and the exhilarating Fuhrmann Ledges by which we descended from Abbot Hut a year ago (this photo should help make sense of the bird’s-eye topo of the route I posted last year here).

Banff National Park, Alberta

Well… there’s a good chance I’ll make it out to the Rockies this summer after all. Stan the Van-Man is currently massaging Bettie a little (old Dames do like that so, don’t they), and with any luck I’ll find myself out in my favorite vertical playground within the week…

Photo: Castle Mountain (aka Eisenhower Tower) as photographed on 24 June 1884 by geologist and explorer A. P. Coleman. His ascent of Castle was one of the first significant climbs in Canada.

Resinelli, Italy

Mountaineering legend Ricardo Cassin reached his ultimate earthly summit a week ago today… read a fitting tribute here. (I had posted on the occasion of his hundredth birthday earlier this year, here).

Climb on…

Mammoth Lakes, California

Sad news today from my long-time climbing buddy (and client) Gregor Brandt… John Bachar, a leading light among free solo climbers of our age passed on two days ago while climbing (solo) on the Dike Wall above Mammoth Lakes where he lived with his son Tyrus… ; a tribute here; an interview here; and more here, and here.

RIP… or climb on, John!