Adventures by Alan and Melanie
The Eastern Sierra Nevada is perhaps the most beautiful and inspiring mountain range in the whole world. The views from US-395 anywhere between Lone Pine and Mammoth Lakes are second to none. When deciding where to go for a week-long adventure in September, this was an easy choice.
Continue reading “Sierra week part 1: Eastern Sierras”
In the light of the moon, we strapped on our crampons and stepped onto the snow. Despite the fact that it was 2:30 AM, we were wide awake. Our path up the mountain was glowing in the night – a steep gully cutting steeply up the black, rocky slopes of the volcano.
Continue reading “Trip Report: Mt. Shasta West Face Gully”
Our friends Julie and Marty traveled across the world to join us in Tonsai for a few days of magical Thai adventures. We ate, laughed, kayaked, caved, practiced yoga, and of course climbed!
Legend tells of a climber’s paradise hidden in the karst mountains of Laos. They say that any climber willing to endure a confusing and fairly uncomfortable bus ride from Vietnam will be rewarded with amazing limestone faces, tufas, caves, and roofs. In Thakhek Laos, we found climber heaven, where the approaches are done in flip flops, the food is delicious, the company is friendly, and the climbing is legendary.
Stepping off of the bus in Cat Ba town, we were relieved to be taking a break from big cities, and beyond excited to rock climb!
After getting citied-out in Tokyo, we were eager to get into the mountains. The skies were grey on our train ride out of the city, but we were optimistic about adventures! Climbing and hiking in “the Yosemite of Japan” were on the agenda, but mother nature had other ideas.
Continue reading “The Japanese Alps: still on our bucket list”
We found ourselves newly carless after selling our van in Chamonix. Without Bleu Lightning, our plan of driving and climbing our way back across France was no longer possible. Luckily this gave us the chance to visit our friend Sebastian in Asturias, Spain and another day with Michelle and Zach, who gave us a ride to Zurich on their way home.
Continue reading “Climbing in Spain, and saying goodbye to Europe”
As we approached Chamonix, a mountain town at the base of Mont Blanc, my excitement was twinged with nerves. In a few kilometers we would exit the long tunnel through the mountains from Italy, and finally set foot in a place that had only existed in dreams and photographs. Chamonix was filled with tourists, and most restaurants required a reservation – two big strikes in our book. But when the clouds cleared and the sun-lit peak of Mont Blanc appeared towering over the town, I knew the magic was real. We settled into a campground near town, allowing us to explore the mountains and town on foot. Our fellow campers were also climbers, and conversations were highly reminiscent of those in El Chalten. Weather windows, gear, and the most epic climbs.
Our day started before the sun lit the valley, and we excitedly finished off oatmeal and coffee before lacing up boots and beginning the walk to the Aiguille du Midi chairlift. Our goal was Rebuffat-Baquet (6a/5.10-), a beautiful and sustained eleven pitch alpine granite route that finishes with a rappel onto the tourist viewing platforms.
Our drive into the Dolomites took us through picturesque mountain towns where “danke schoen” worked just as well as “gratzie” and restaurants served pizza and pasta alongside pretzels and schnitzel. The views opened up suddenly and the towering dolomites took our breath away. While in this Italian mountain range, we hiked, climbed, and “via ferrata’d”, all offering incredible adventure and scenery.