Some photos

PanShiBo

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

Mountains that can be seen from Spindle Peak.

Mount Judge Howay


Mamquam


The Lions




The Camel, with Mt. Baker at the back and Mt. Shuksan on its left.

PanShiBo

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

My memory pops-up episodes in the way is chooses to, and that's how I post these records. Eventually I will (hopefully) compile all of them into a coherent report and post it on a well-known local mountaineering site - the route that we climbed could be the FRWA (First recorded winter ascent).

So, how was it?
We loved it, route finding problems are non-existent - drop to Hanes Valley, hike to the base passing Crown Couloir, to the the other (north) side of Widowmaker and then "just aim it". It becomes steeper to the end, with a moat to overcome. Good clean alpine line. 600 meters up.  We simulclimbed it, even though I radioed Vera just before she reached the moat, making sure she won't need to rope up. She replied back that she was fine, and she was. For downclimbing the upper third we selected rappel and we did. What followed, read above.

PHOTO: Crown N1 as seen from the summit of Spindle Peak. Climbed 4 years ago, on Mar-23 2014

PanShiBo

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

PHOTO: The only surviving trip's group picture of the two of us, with YinG whom we accidentally met on Grouse. 8)

PanShiBo

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

Gear performance - emergency foam pad (a must have)
Habits die hard. Bad habits die even harder. If you have acquired a (bad) habit not to carry a small emergency insulation foam pad, it will be difficult to change. Although we already proved it to be a critical piece in emergency (in Grand Canyon trip), we still carried only one pad with us. When I pulled it out of my pack and asked Vera where I should place it, she said without a moment of hesitation : under the knees. The rest of her body was in direct contract with snow. I knew that we had to stay here until at least 07:30 next morning, sunrise that is. If you have ever experienced sitting directly on the snow for longer than 10 minutes you know that it is NOT fun. Imagine lying on the -6C snow for 12 hours without insulation.

PHOTO: 20:16 PM. Blood seen on the snow. Long night ahead.

vera

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

Gear performance - SOL EMERGENCY BIVVY (a must have)

自从在Assiniboine的Naiset Hut阴差阳错地用了一回SOL（Survive Outdoors Longer）后，就爱上了这个非常非常轻的户外必备。在那个Lodge都停业的冰天雪地，我们没有过夜的装备，就靠着SOL这么个大“袋子”，竟安然地过了一夜，当时的我真被它的效果大大地惊呆了，此后是逢人必夸。

12号在松鸡山的停车场，阳光灿烂，关上车门前看到放在后座上的SOL，心里还犹豫了一下要不要带，但这个短暂的念头马上就打消了，还暗暗地对自己的举棋不定很不满。这样的gear，必备，任何情况下，想都别想，带！

当我在Spindle的Couloir停住后，等意识到必须在山上过夜时，多么庆幸包里有SOL。（否则不被冻死、骂死，也会自责死了）在等着博士到来的一个多小时里（其实我不知道等了这么久），我只是关心了我的头和受伤的手，而没有拿出SOL，因为即便拿出来，我自己也轻易套不进去，或者说，当时的priority不是这个，而是安全地呆在原地、不再下滑。虽然我挂在两个ice-axe上，但只是镐尖插在雪里，而不是平时的self-belay的状态，不能给我100%的安心，所以我尽量保持静止的状态，免得再发生意外。

当我等到博士时，顿时就心定了，我知道有救了。果然，博士将坐垫插到我的膝盖下后，就拿出了我们各自的SOL，从脚往上套住我。SOL不能给你温暖，但是它可以保住你身体的热量（可以反射回90% 的Body heat），很快我就抖得不是那么厉害了。（出院后，赶快又订了一个）套上SOL后，博士觉得还要给容易frostbite的我加toe warmers，于是他割开了SOL的底部，“你怎么没有base-layer？”博士吃惊地问我。“换裤子时才发现车里没有备用的。”我自知理亏。我只穿了一条Goretex-shell，它防风，但是贴着皮肤是冷冷的，就觉得自己的右侧都贴在冰上。博士一定感受到了严重性，连忙在我身体下面垫上背包。虽然我建议博士也套上一个SOL，但是他还是坚持把两个都给了我，还外加了tarp。漫长的寒冷的一夜，博士把所有的保暖的装备都给了我，我很难想象他是怎么熬过来的，我有时会问自己：如果换做是我，面对这么大的压力和无尽的黑暗、未卜的救援，我会崩溃吗？能像博士那么镇定吗？我能坚持下来吗? 这些没有答案的问题有时让我害怕，也让我思考。

SOL，它在你的背包里吗？

PanShiBo

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

In Hospital
Before Vera was finally taken off the Spindle Couloir, the NSR passed her message to me on their radio "Don't go to hospital, go home and eat something".

This was my second time riding a helicopter from Crown area. Suspended in free air by steel cable attached to the overhead yellow rescue Talon Helicopter, over Hanes valley, passing Spindle Couloir, Widowmaker, Crown Couloir, landing. Taking off crampons still strapped on my alpine boots followed by a short interview with NSR head, then media, questions "How was it so spend a night over there?", "Are you two related - are you  boyfriend/girlfriend?", "Didn't you know the area was closed for the winter?", "After all this, will you still climb Denali?". Then a reporter gave me a ride back to the Grouse parking lot, where our car was left.

Arrived in the VGH still wearing what was on me that night, and was directed to the wait area. Vera was still in the ER. The place is busy but everybody seems to be doing exactly what they are there for. Everybody, doctors, nurses, staff move fast, some run. Nobody is wasting time. Clean. Patients are being brought in and taken out. Soon Vera was brought in, and doctors, one by one (including a neurologist) came over for inspection, this was interrupted by several X-rays and a CT scan. Simply amazing.

The plastic surgery on the right injured hand was performed soon after. Then it was over and we were told that her room was being prepared for the night. It was already 18:00 and we thought it would be great to have something to eat. Great idea was it indeed. I went to the nearby cafeteria just in time when they were about to close the doors - and came back with 6 slices of pizza, some Mexican salad, two falafels and a drink. Imagine how well tasted that pizza - last time that we ate something was a shared 230ml of Ensure energy drink on the top of Spindle Peak, 26 hours ago. 8)

PanShiBo

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

Gear performance Two-way radios (must have)

We have this habit of carrying two-way radios all the time - even on our alpine practices. A must-have alpine climbing gear: the partners usually are far apart and often can't hear each other. This proved to be critical on Grand Wall. On a glacier, should a partner fall in a crevasse, it will help quickly determine the situation down there.

Our old radios had one annoying defect - they would turn on accidentally inside backpacks and drain the batteries. Since we lost one piece in the fall, here is our new pair - longer distance, with weather channels.

PanShiBo

2018.03.06 * Denali 2018 * 60 days before departure *

PanShiBo

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

Gear Performance - BLACK DIAMOND VAPOR HELMET (5/5)

This one is the rare example of perfect gear: it does what it is meant to do - saves your life. Nothing more nothing less. I remember a tourist on Angel's Landing trail laughed at Vera who was wearing helmet: "Do you really believe it will save you if you fall 30 feet?"

After a 200 meters fall this helmet was destroyed but never cracked:


As opposed to this one that cracked after a single short fall (a fellow climber sent photo of his helmet after he fell into a crevasse on Mt. Rainier in 2013, a long recovery with memory loss problems followed )

This Petzl Sirocco Helmet cracked from a short fall into a crevasse.

PanShiBo

2018.03.10 Six peaks of Hanes Valley Group

This project took us four years. Except "The Camel", all were winter climbs (steep snow).
---------------------------------------------------
Crown Mountain 2014-03-01 (Crown Couloir)
Goat Mountain 2014-03-17 (summit camping)
Crown N1 2014-03-24 ("just aim it")
The Camel  2015-06-21 (standard route YDS 5.2)
Forks Peak 2017-01-12 ("just aim it")
Spindle Peak 2018-02-12 (Spindle Couloir - FRWA)

People often ask us "why climb dangerous peaks"? There is no answer "why" - and will never be - for us it is "first principle".

A first principle is a basic, foundational, self-evident proposition or assumption that cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_principle

Everyone has her/his own set of first principles - and that's what defines one's identity. And that's how one will be remembered after he is no more. It's impossible to select or unselect own first principles - they "are just there". Not having any first principles is already a first principle - as one person accurately put it "a flat (and long) life" - nothing is wrong with it.

PHOTO: Six peaks of Hanes Valley, taken from Mt. Seymour on MAR 10, 2018, a month after we summited the last one in this group (Spindle Peak).

PanShiBo

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

"Celebrating 1 month since.." 8)

PHOTO: Unidentified mountain, seen from the summit of Spindle Peak.

PanShiBo

2018.03.14

In five years of climbing together we took thousands of photos, and now, it seems is the right time to flip through our huge archive, reflect on the past, make future plans, and decorate apartment walls with (framed) pictures.  

This photo of Assiniboine was taken Apr-28 2015, from entirely(!) empty Lake Magog area. Framed 18x24 :)

Entire standard route (North Ridge YDS 5.5) is seen from the very bottom to the very top.

PanShiBo

2018.03.17 Sky Pilot (2,031 m) as seen from Dam (looking straight north, 27km). Ledge Mtn on its right.

PanShiBo

2018.03.17 Brunswick (1,788m) as seen from Dam Mtn., looking north-west 13km.

lulululu

Dim Sum with Vera, she looks great. Dada's little Max is so cute! 枫导 from Seattle joined us, so happy to see old friends. :lol:

PanShiBo

2018.03.18 BCMC Trail

Photo by Emily

PanShiBo

May-14 2016 From our archives.

PHOTO: Gaining the summit ridge of Mt. Athabasca (Canadian Rockies). Mt. Andromeda at the back. Perfect objective(s) - approach is minimal, and it is inside the National Park system. 8)

PanShiBo

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

Despite having asked quite a few times, I never got an answer to the question "How does a nurse feel being a (disabled) patient in a hospital?", except a modest "Not what I thought". Well, supposedly, it will make even better nurse (out of already a very good nurse).. 8)

PHOTO: 2018.03.21 Thanking that someone who picked up our desperate satellite phone call and called 911 for us. Thank you, Stephanie!!!

PanShiBo

Mar-16 2017 From our archives.

Bryce Canyon. Framed digital print, 36x24.

PanShiBo

2018.02.12 Spindle Peak via Spindle Couloir (contd.)

To avoid probable confusion, it  has to be explained why I never called those people who certainly would answer my sat phone call, but instead kept calling "wrong" people who were hanging up on me. Sat phone was borrowed and as such had clean address book. As I never remember phone numbers, I had to fish out my "regular" smart phone from my backpack and get the numbers from the contacts. Yet, every time I tried to do so (after being hung up upon once more), Vera would produce, in the clear and confident voice, yet another number of someone she knew, from memory! Given the fact, she was in concussion-induced semi-coma and actually sleeping - she doesn't remember a lot of things of that night in the Spindle Couloir - e.g. how she finally came to a stop (and getting the finger tissue cut to the bone), or the fact that I talked to her through the entire night, and what it was about. Even more, a month after being safely home, when she phoned Stephanie to thank her for being the only one who didn't hang - Vera had to confirm Stephanie's number, not sure if it was correct!