OVERLOAD

Sometimes there is just too much information available. This information overload tends to make some decisions more difficult not less. It is this way for me anyway. Before the Internet, I would have gone to a sporting goods store and purchased the best mountaineering boots I could find. Period! No reviews, no opinions and I most definitely would not have had to choose between dozens and dozens of types and styles. OVERLOAD!!!

The same is true of guide companies and what they offer. They all have the "Why should you choose us" pages on their websites but there are sooooo many of them.  None of these decisions are cheap either, we will dropping some big bucks on the guide company. How much is enough? How much is too much?  Am I really going to get what I am paying for? Summit Success rate vs Safety?  Guide certifications? Food choices? OVERLOAD!!! OVERLOAD!!!

-20F Degree sleeping bags. Dozens and dozens of them. How can they all be so much different. Heavy ones, light ones, down and synthetic fiber. Prices range from a modest $450 to well over $1100.  How to choose? Color..meh, I don't really care. Weight, well at 20,000ft I think I will probably care. I just want to be warm and if things head south, I may need it to keep me from freezing to death. Not a minor decision. OVERLOAD!!! OVERLOAD!!! OVERLOAD!!!

 One could argue that since my life depends on all three of these items, cost should not be an issue.  True statement...BUT I did not win the lottery this week!  There must be a balance between quality, utility, weight and cost. Jus sayin... I will continue to sift through the myriads of electronic swill to see if I am able to locate the magic site, page or store that caters to simple people who must still go to work on Monday morning. That is unless I find a sponsor before 4:30 AM. I am glad I started early!

DON'T DIE!

BOOT LORE

Mountaineering Boots....not your average footwear! Nor are they your average price at Payless shoes.  Why do we need special boots for mountaineering? Well, they are taller, stiffer and more insulated. More importantly, they are designed to be used with crampons.  The feet will like this, most especially as long as I am not sliding down the side of a mountain at breakneck speed! The other very important aspect of these types of boots is WARMTH! They come in "double" or "triple" layers. To prevent frostbite, the inner layers of insulation, when wet, may be removed and placed in a sleeping bag to dry.  The feet will REALLY like this!  

There are a multitude of choices and none of them are cheap. I need some assistance in making a decision and would greatly appreciate any input from individuals who have used any of this type of footwear. Please let me know what you used and why you decided on that specific boot. Muchas Gracias!

TURN ON THE LIGHT

Need more motivation?  Is there pain, fear and doubt in the way? Here is a very well done video by Mountain Hardwear.  Enjoy and remain MOTIVATED!

PRESSURE BREATHING AND REST STEP

Getting to the top of a mountain is never easy. If it were, then there would be a Starbucks on the top of every single one with no parking to be seen. It is all about the feets and seats. The feets get you to the seats! The best seats in the house are never cheap nor readily available to those who do not truly want to work for them. I have found the best seats on the tops of mountains. In the same place where the Last Rock lives. Hills are great but mountains are exceptional. As the mountain gets steeper and the altitude increases, the air cools, drys out and legs muscles begin to suffer from the reduced oxygen and increased carbon dioxide in the body. For me, this tends to lead to a reactive airway problem on almost every trip to altitude. I start to cough and hack like I live in a TB ward! The coughing and hacking then lead to other very undesirable issues like bronchitis and pneumonia. Even worse, it keeps other climbers up at night when a good nights sleep is imperative. If this goes on night after night, you probably shouldn't walk too close to the edge! Your team mates need their sleep.  As I was doing more research on the best way to get to the Last Rock, I found this small video and something I never thought about.  Cover Your Mouth...just like your Mom said!  I will give this a try in the future.

Breathing!!!  I never knew that I needed to be breathing in a special way!  Mostly it has just been gasping and panting like a dog every time I stop.  Hands on my knees or utilizing my trekking poles to prop me up until I am no longer purple again.  Who knew?  Well, I guess mountain climbers and bikers know.  Guess what? MOAR muscles to work on now.  

Actually, this sounds pretty annoying!  

And finally, the "Rest Step". I already use this technique but have never combined it with the Pressure Breathing. I am anxious to see how it works together as the air gets thinner. 

A very nice example of the Rest Step moving from Camp 1 to Camp 2 on Aconcagua. Hahaha...all I have to do is walk and breathe or, is it breathe and walk?

TWO DAYS BEFORE THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW

TODAY!

That "thinking" thing again!!!  It must have been my feet doing the thinking this time because if it had been my brain, things today would definitely be different. Today will be the second of three days in a row with my personal trainer. Three days in a row. Someone should call the Cops! He is trying to kill me...  I believe he is into "my" fitness challenge more than I am. He is absolutely fixated on the fact that this is the last week for this session and is determined to make sure that I end it swimming in the bottom of a Motrin bottle!  Last night after our workout, he said "eat a good breakfast tomorrow, you are going to need it".  Huh?!  What exactly does that mean???  Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow with the the Devil's Spawn. He has a Master's Degree in torture. Seriously, all those years of school just to inflict the maximum amount of pain in a multitude of different ways and using tools I had never even imagined.  

Those big huge yellow "beach balls" are for the beach, not for balancing, contorting and snorting on while I slam out one more crunch. Being an old Sailor, I had never imagined using big heavy line (Battle Ropes) to turn my arms into two pieces or worthless spaghetti.  

They are for tying up things, not turning my arms into two longs masses of quivering, sweaty useless pieces of meat! Who thinks these things up?  What sick and twisted minds are at work here?  It is almost entertaining to listen to the Snap, Crackle and Pop of my shoulder joints as I watch the waves the ropes make...ALMOST!  TODAY...two days before the day after tomorrow.  Time to go get beat up and abused.  Later!

MALBEC AND MOUNTAINS...OH MY!!!

What is Malbec Wine? 

It’s a full-bodied red wine that grows mostly in Argentina.

Known for its plump dark fruit flavors and smoky finish, Malbec wine offers a great alternative to higher priced Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. However, there’s more to Malbec than just value. Learn the secrets of Malbec wine, some great Malbec food pairing tips and 4 amazing facts that will change the way you think about this ‘lowly’ wine grape.

Malbec Wine Taste

ARGENTINA: The main fruit flavors in a glass of Argentine Malbec are blackberry, plum and black cherry. The nuanced flavors offer milk chocolate, cocoa powder, violet flowers, leather and, depending on the amount of oak aging, a sweet tobacco finish.

Malbec Wine Characteristics

• FRUIT FLAVORS: (berries, fruit, citrus) Blackcherry, Pomegranate, Plum, Raspberry, Blackberry, Blueberry
• OTHER AROMAS: (herb, spice, flower, mineral, earth, other) Cocoa, Milk Chocolate, Coffee, Mocha, Molasses, Leather, Black Pepper, Green Stem, Gravel, Tobacco.
• OAK AGING
• ACIDITY: Medium 
• TANNIN: Medium 
• SERVING TEMPERATURE: “Slightly Cool” 69 ºF (21 ºC) SIMILAR VARIETIES: Syrah, Merlot, Dolcetto, Touriga Nacional, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Lacrima, Nero d’Avola, Mourvedre (see other full-bodied red wines)
• BLENDING: Blended commonly in Right Bank Bordeaux with Merlot and Petit Verdot. In Argentina, Malbec is occasionally blended with Bonarda, a regional red grape originally from Italy

4 Awesome Facts About Malbec

Argentina ‘Saved’ Malbec. Today, Argentina leads with over 75% of all the acres of Malbec in the world. In a way, Argentina reinvigorated Malbec as one of the top 18 noble grapes. Now it grows in seven countries and continues to grow in popularity. 

Malbec’s Blind Tasting Tell: Look for a magenta-tinged rim. Malbec wine is a deep purple-red that is nearly opaque, similar to Syrah and Mourvedre. However, Malbec wines will often have a bright magenta rim. A tell!

Malbec loves high elevation. In lower elevations, Malbec grapes struggle to produce the acidity they need to create great tasting and long lasting wine. High elevation areas with a wide diurnal temperature shift (ie hot days, cold nights) make the grapes produce more acidity. Find out why acidity is so important. 

Not As Much Oak as You Might Think! Because of Malbec’s bold flavors and richness, many wine tasters believe that industrious use of oak is employed. Not true! In the $9-12 range you’ll find most Argentine Malbec to have only about 6 months of oak aging. 10-12 months of oaking Malbec will give it that classic ‘blueberry’ smell. Some Malbec wines are aged for a long time (18-20 months), but you have to pay to play. Expect to spend around $24+ for Reserva Argentine Malbec and more for US Malbec.

Malbec Food Pairing

Umami lover. Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec doesn’t have a super long finish. Because of this, Malbec is great with leaner red meats (ostrich anyone?). The wine does extremely well with funky flavors like blue cheese and rustic flavors like mushrooms and cumin spice.

Perfect Malbec Food Pairing
Black pepper buffalo burgers with blue cheese mushrooms and rosemary infused garlic kale chips.


When was the last time you had a blue cheese burger?

Meat Pairings
Dark meat poultry and lean red meat. Malbec also pairs well with earthy flavors too, such as beef brisket. Duck, Chicken Leg, Lamb, Beef, Ostrich, Buffalo, Pork Shoulder

Spices and Herbs
Look for spices that have earthy or smoky flavors such as: Parsley, Sumac, Thyme, Rosemary, Porcini Powder, Smoked Paprika, Black Pepper, Cumin, Coriander, Juniper Berry, Clove, Vanilla Bean, Garlic, Shallot, Green Onion, Barbecue Sauce

Cheese Pairings
Look for funky and rich soft to semi-firm cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses.

Vegetables & Vegetarian Fare
Mushroom, Roasted Vegetables, Green and Red Bell Pepper, Potato, Arugula, Kale, Chard, Grilled Endive, Onion, Beet, Tempeh, Lentils, Black Beans, Forbidden Rice