Video from the Alpine Exam by Martin Volken

Here is a link to a great video that Martin Volken shot during the Alpine Exam. He had a great little HD camera and I think the quality of the video is pretty good. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this video is worth a million. See for yourself!

Certified Alpine Guide

I'm glad to report that I've finally and officially passed the Alpine Guides Exam! I was certainly relieved to have passed the exam, and I'm also psyched for my other exam partners Pat Ormond and Justin Merle who also made it through on top. Making it through this whole process has been a culmination of a huge amount of effort, planning, and plain old hard work. I could not have done it without the support of my wife Keeton, my parents Tony and Nancy, and my sponsors---RAB, Osprey, and Petzl. Looking forward to the fall and winter seasons of climbing and guiding. Hopefull my ankle cooperates............

All Done!

Well I wasn't able to post anything during the exam, just too much to do in too little time. But I'm happy to report that it's the last day of the exam and I just finished my individual exam debrief with the examiners. The new AMGA policy states that they don't inform candidates whether they passed or failed until about a week after the exam is over, so I'll have to wait for the final word.

In general though, I feel pretty good about my performance which in the grand scheme of things means as much as anything. I'll post a full recount of the exam in a few days, but here are a few pictures from the exam to give you a good idea of what the last 10 days were like.



(Justin climbing in foul weather on Mt. Shuksan)










(Justin climbing on the NE Ridge of Shuksan)










(Pat on Mt. Shuksan with the Jagged Ridge and the Crystal Glacier in view behind)










(Nate coiling in on Shuksan)











(Rob on the Coleman Glacier, Mt. Baker)









(Rob on the summit of Sherman Peak, Mt. Baker)









(Pat scoping out the knife edge on Triumph. Justin and Martin are ahead)










(Rob traversing the knife edge on Mt. Triumph)










(Martin on belay on North Early Winter Spire)









(Martin cranking through some liebacking on N.E.W.S)











(Martin wide crackin' it on N.E.W.S)

North Side of Mt. Baker

Our final choice for pre-exam preparation was some recon. on the north side of Mt. Baker. Baker has a number of routes on the north side, including the North Ridge and the Coleman Headwall, and we wanted to have a good handle on glacier and route conditions prior to the start of the exam. We'd heard some discouraging reports prior to heading out but wanted to see for ourselves. Mt. Baker is a glaciated volcano similar to Mt. Rainier, but much lower in altitude with it's summit at just over 10,716 ft.

(View of the North side of Mt. Baker. The Coleman Headwall is the glaciated route in the center of the photo. The N. Ridge comes in on the left.)

After a day of rain on Wednesday we loaded up and left the parking lot early Thursday morning. A nice and relatively short approach took us to camp Mirkwood, a popular camp which affords great access to the ice on the lower Coleman Glacier. This is a popular area for ice cragging in the summer and will likely be the site for some of our exam.

(Checking out crevasses for our practice sessions)


We crossed the Coleman and after a some healthy slogging on a moraine between the Coleman and Roosevelt Glaciers, finally reached the point where we decided to rope up and head out on the glacier. Our goal on this day was to scope conditions on the glacier and practice our crevasse rescue scenarios. As we crested a roll on the Roosevelt we ran into fellow examinees Adam George and David Valet. We all decided to team up for the crack rescue practice.

(Pat ascending back out of the crevasse and getting ready to haul)

After a couple of scenarios, Justin, Pat, and I went for a walk up the Roosevelt with the intention of scoping access to Mt. Baker's North Ridge. We made it to about 8100' before we decided to turn around and head back to camp before we ran out of light. With our route to 8100' well kicked in we planned to return the following day and climb the North Ridge.

(On the Roosevelt looking for a way through the maze)

Waking early (4 am) we retraced our steps back to 8100' with Jusin in the lead. As we trudged upwards, it became increasingly clear that the route was not going to go. Large crevasses, moats, and bergschrunds guarded access to the ridge, making path both impassable and potentially dangerous. After a couple of hours of poking around looking for other, safer alternatives to access the N. Ridge, we tucked our tails and headed back.

As I've said before, safety is of the utmost importance on climbs like this, and we all felt that pushing it was not warranted in this situation. Other routes like the Coleman/Deming and the Coleman Headwall looked to be in better condition. We'll have to wait and see if we get this as an exam objective!

(Pat climbing up an ice wall to look for a way through, only to be stuffed by a large crevasse on the other side)

The exam starts in a few days and I'll be taking a few days off to rest and get all my gear ready. Thinking about doing a day of cragging at Index, a popular rock climbing area about an hour from Seattle. I will try to do a couple of posts in between days on the exam, but depending upon the schedule, it may be a tall order to do so. At the very least I'll post how things went at the end of the exam!

Paisano's Pillar

After a prolonged stretch of R & R, Justin Merle, Pat Ormond and I made the drive from Seattle back to the Washington Pass area for a day of climbing. We decided on a climb of Paisano's Pillar which is a sub-peak of Silver Star Mtn. and part of the popular wine spires just east of Washington Pass. The area is known for it's high quality rock and good selection of technical climbs to the various summits that make up Silver Star and the Vasilliki Ridge.

(View of the Liberty Bell Peaks from Silver Star Mtn.)

The approach to this area was, for lack of a better word, brutal. Pretty much straight uphill for approximately 3500'. It was a good way to get the heart rate up and test out my ankle. Over the weekend I gave the akle plenty of rest, ice, and ibuprofen. I also went out and purchased an ankle brace. I prefer the ankle brace over tape because it is easy to put on and take off, and is adjustable throughout the day. Overall, I felt OK with the ankle but I'm definitely favoring the injury a bit. I've opted to hike with 2 poles instead of 1 to facilitate travel on rough trails and surfaces.

(Climbing the 5.8 twin cracks on Paisano's Pillar)

We finally found the base of the route and began climbing. It was noticeably colder today, and we were all happy that only the first pitch of the climb was in the shade. All of us were blowing on our hands to try and keep the digits warm so that we could feel the rock. Most of the peaks in the range were dusted with snow from the previous weekend's storm. Fall has officially arrived in the North Cascades.

(High on the route. Check out the sweet crack in the corner!)



The climbing on Paisano's was very enjoyable, and generally clean rock typified the route. Some tricky route finding and guiding though kept things interesting on the climb, which was rated 5.8. I led the entire route, mock guiding both Justin and Pat to practice some specific guiding techniques and get in the right mindset for the exam. We summited the pillar and descended back to the car without incident.

(Topping out on Paisano's Pillar)

Our next objective is some reconnaissance on Mt. Baker, though the weather looks poor for wednesday. Thursday on looks much better so we're planning for a couple of days on the N. side of Baker. Only 1 week left until the start of the exam. Stay tuned!

Rest & Weather Days

Well the timing of the weather couldn't have been better, as it's predicted to rain Friday through Monday here in Cascades. My only objective during this time is to rest my body and more specifically my sprained ankle. The Cascades are well known for their stretches of poor weather and plenty of rain, so rest days become compulsory regardless. Planning on heading back out starting Tuesday of next week to test the ankle. Hopefully I'll have good news to report!

Mt. Shuksan

We were a little worked after the day on Black Peak, so we started slowly on this day, but eventually made our way to the Mt. Baker ski area and the Lake Ann trailhead for the approach to Mt. Shuksan. Our plan was to climb up the Fisher Chimneys route and squeeze in a climb of Shuksan prior to the start of a bad stretch of weather which was predicted to come in Thursday and last through the weekend.

(View of Shuksan and the Fisher Chimneys from Lake Ann)

Given our later start, however, we ended up only making it to the camps at Lake Ann. To make matters worse, I twisted my left ankle quite badly on the way in. My left ankle has been a problem since my college soccer days. I had a complete reconstruction of my right ankle during my freshman year at college, but never felt the left ankle was bad enough to justify the surgery. As if the alpine exam wasn't going to be hard enough already, now I've got a bum ankle to deal with. I still completed the trip on Shuksan with Pat and my good friend and Mountain Goat researcher Adam Wells, but I'm not happy with the badly sprained ankle as a result of the trip.
(Taped up the ankle right after the injury to prevent swelling)

The weather wasn't great in the morning so we opted for a later start and more of a reconnaissance day on Shuksan instead. We still climbed up the popular Fisher Chimneys approach route, and then accessed the upper Curtis Glacier via Winnie's Slide. Icy conditions pervade the mountain at this time, and all the warm weather has really melted things out on Shuksan.

(Guiding my friend Adam up the icy slopes of Winnie's Slide)

After a short tour on the Upper Curtis, we stopped at a crevasse and did a few run crevasse rescue practice runs. The exam has a crevasse rescue component that each candidate must successfully pass in order to pass the alpine exam. You want to make sure you're dialed in on this stuff prior to the stress of the exam so you can be on autopilot come exam time.

Poor weather is predicted for the weekend, which comes at a good time because I'm going to need an extended period of rest to try and heal this ankle.......

(Pat digging a t-slot during our crevasse rescue session)

NE Ridge of Black Peak

The day after our climb in the WA Pass area we headed back to Rainy Pass, a few miles west of WA Pass. There we began the hike into the NE Ridge of Black Peak via the Lake Ann Trailhead. Black Peak is a reasonable 1 day objective from Rainy Pass.

(Black Peak from Heather Pass. The NE Ridge follows the right hand skyline.)

We chose this route for it's accessibility and the opportunity to climb a long alpine ridge with moderate technical challenge. It's position in this part of the range affords excellent views of the peaks in Boston Basin and throughout the rest of the remote North Cascades.

(Justin leading low on the NE Ridge)

We started the day a little later than expected (7:30 am) due to everyone's need for a good night's sleep. One aspect of this preparation and the exam that cannot go overlooked is the need for an adequate amount of rest and relaxation between climbs. Days in the mountains are long and tough on the mind and body. Maintaining proper energy levels is essential for performance and safety in alpine terrain.

The 5 mile approach crosses over Heather Pass and we got our first view of the peak. Unfortunately, the trail then drops a few hundred feet and traverses alongside a few lakes before rising again steeply to the base of the NE Ridge. Plenty of talus walking along the way.

(Pat coiling in higher up on the NE Ridge)

The climb starts off quite loose, but the rock quality improves as you progress upwards. We climbed primarily on the left side of the crest of the ridge which narrows and poses a few "knife-edge" ridge traverse challenges. All in all a great climb.

We descended the South Ridge and headed back to the car. Tomorrow we head for a 2 day climb on Mt. Shuksan. We've had great weather so far but it looks like things might be deteriorating come Thursday........

(View from the top of Black Peak)

Washington Pass Climbing

After a day of rest and organization, I drove up to Washington Pass with fellow examinees Justin Merle and Pat Ormond for some more climbing/training. The Washington Pass area is on the east side of the range, so it generally experiences more stable weather than the west side of the range. If the weather forecast is marginal for the west side, there is a good chance that it's not raining on Washington Pass. Luckily, the weather forecast for the next few days was perfect though the temps were predicted to be in the mid 80's (hot!).

(Pat on the 5.8 layback crack)

On Sunday we planned to approach and climb the NW Corner route on North Early Winter Spire. The rock in this area is, for lack of a better word, perfect. Think multi-pitch rock climbing in an alpine setting with good friction on salt-and-pepper granite.

The NW Corner is a 5 pitch crack climb, with a few pitches of 5.8 and one wide (4") 5.9 corner providing the bulk of the difficulties. The climbing is solid and enjoyable the whole way with good belay ledges and adequate protection for the most part. The summit is a broad plateau providing excellent view of the entire Liberty group and other peaks in the North Cascades. The descent was recently rigged with two bolt rappell anchors at 30 meter intervals. Nice to rappell with only 1 rope!!

(Justin using good layback technique)

I continue to be impressed with the breadth of the Cascade Range. There is a reason that there are 3 volumes of the Beckey Guidebooks. There is literally a lifetime worth of climbing to do here. If only it never rained here.........

(View of Cutthroat Peak from the summit of N. Early Winter Spire)

Great day of climbing and we're looking forward to the NE Ridge of Black Peak tomorrow. Stay tuned......

Mt. Triumph via NE Ridge

My preparation started off quickly with an ascent of the NE Ridge of Mt. Triumph in the North Cascades National Park. Taking advantage of the good weather, my fellow examinees (Justin Merle and Anne Keller) headed out for a 2 day trip.

(Triumph is the peak in the back center of the picture.)

I try to limit my pack weights as much as possible on trips like this, and I found the Osprey Mutant 38 to be practically the perfect pack for an overnight mission such as this. It boasts plenty of room for a trip of this length, and it climbs very well when it is not loaded down. Simply the smartest pack design for alpine climbing I have seen yet from Osprey.

The hike to Thornton Col (bivy sites) is about 6 miles, some of which is on a nice, wide, easy-to-follow hiking trail. The last 2 miles, however, takes just as long as the first 4 to complete with some difficult trail finding and a steep climb to the sites at the col. The camps at the col allow for great views of other peaks in the range like Eldorado, and affords one a perfect view of the NE Ridge of Triumph.

(Anne getting after it on Triumph)

We woke up the following morning at 3:30 to begin the approach to the climb. From Thornton Col, we dropped down a few hundred feet below the E. Face of Triumph, and traversed granite slabs for quite a ways to the start of the real climbing on the ridge.


The climb itself is characterized by a series of 4th and low 5th class steps, with one perfect 5.7 pitch about 2/3 the way up the route, and plenty of airy knife edge ridge traversing. After the crux crack (which we climbed in mountain boots), it's a few more pitches of 4th and easy 5th class climbing to the top, with some heather bushes mixed in for spice. All in all a great route with perfect weather the whole day.

(Looking down the lower sections of the NE Ridge)

After the climb and descent we returned back to our camp and hiked back to the car. All in all about a 14 hour day from camp to summit to car. Great way to start the trip! I've always been totally impressed with the climbing in the N.Cascades and it felt good to get out in the mountains after the long drive from Durango. Hopefully the weather will hold and we'll have more days like this!!


(5.7 pitch high on the ridge takes the obvious wide crack in the center)

Heading to the North Cascades

I'm all packed up and ready to make the 2 day drive to the North Cascades in Washington to train for and take my Alpine Exam with the AMGA. Having already completed my Rock Guide Certification a few years ago, along with both Alpine Guides Courses, I have a good idea of what to expect. But as with most things in life there are no guarantees so I felt it was best to get myself to the North Cascades plenty early to have some time to re-familiarize myself with the range, get in great shape, and do some fun climbing in one of the country's best mountain ranges.

The North Cascades is situated approximately 2 hours east of Seattle and Bellingham Washington, and is a massive complex of interconnected peaks, ridges, glaciers, etc. Given the alpine nature, much of the rock is not of a high quality, but certainly more quality than say the San Juan Mountains in CO, my home range.

I'm both excited and nervous for the exam, which is as I think it should be. Performance on an exam or in any other stressful situation should elicit a healthy degree of the case of the butterflies. It's what helps to keep me sharp and focused on making sound decisions. It goes without saying that safety is of the utmost importance in the mountains, and I strive to control what I can control, but am realistic that control is largely a perception rather than reality, no matter what you are doing.

Learning how to control your actions to the degree that you are able to limit exposure on a given route and effectively increase team safety through the use of specific techniques is part of becoming a better mountain guide. I can say without reservation that my courses and exams with the AMGA have helped me to become a better guide.

It might seem weird to do this first, but I think it's appropriate given the fact that I wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for the many that have helped me in some way to get to the point where I'm able to take this exam.

I'd like to thank a few people for helping me out with gear, support, etc. Matt Gowar at RAB provides Southwest Adventure Guides with all their technical outerwear needs and I'll be sporting RAB outerwear during my time in the N. Cascades. Sam Mix at Osprey Packs makes sure I have all the right packs to carry my gear in. The Mutant 38 will be the perfect pack for this exam. Tom Adams at Petzl recently informed me that I'm the recipient of the Petzl Guide's Scholarship! This was fantastic news and thanks to Petzl for all their support of the AMGA as well. Petzl gear (headlamps, ice axes, ropes, belay devices, carabiner) are the best around and I'm glad to have plenty of Petzl gear on hand to use on the exam.

I'd like to also thank my folks for their unwavering support of everything I've ever done. Hopefully I can be as great a parent to my son as they were to my brother and I.

Lastly, I'd like to thank my wife Keeton for everything that she has done and is doing for me so that I can be here in Washington for almost 5 weeks! Taking care of our son Mason, running our business, and doing all the things that day-to-day life requires. It's more than a full time job and I simply could not be doing this without her love and support!

I will be posting regular updates on this blog about my whereabouts and climbs that I do with other exam participants over the next couple of weeks. I will also try to post between exam days, if there is time left in the day!