ABC of Ice Climbing News Feed

Chinese Summit Puts Irish Team Back On Track

Climbers Graham Kinch (29) and Ian Taylor (29), the youngest Irish men to attempt Mt Everest and also the first Dubliner and Kildareman respectively, were woken on day 48 (May 8) of their Everest expedition to the sound of an aeroplane flying over the summit. "We all knew what it meant," said Taylor, "and the good news that the Chinese had summited at 5:20am Nepalese time (12:35am Irish time) followed with resounding cheers throughout base camp." The Chinese who are hosting the Olympics in June had imposed restrictions on the Nepalese side of the mountain until after they had summited with the Olympic torch. The 285 climbers at base camp, including the two Irishmen have spent over a week waiting for the Chinese to summit so that they can continue with their summit attempts.

The two Irishmen have only one more acclimatization trip up the mountain before their ascent proper. They will leave at 2am on Friday morning, going straight to Camp 2 at 22,000ft. for two nights before pushing on up to Camp 3 at 24,000ft. on the 11th. "Although we have effectively been idle at base camp for the last eight days," said Kinch, "donations for the Kitandwe School Project in Uganda have continued to flow in via our website www.everest2008.ie, for which we are very appreciative."

The two Irish climbers are in the final weeks of a yearlong journey that will see them climb four mountains on four continents in order to raise �85,000 for a school in the Ugandan village of Kitandwe in partnership with the Irish charity Fields of Life. If all goes according to plan, they will complete their journey by summiting Mt. Everest on the 23rd of May. (Team Geared Up)

Source:
blog.teamgearedup.com

SummitClimb Offers Guided Climbs in Nepal

SummitClimb offers fun, interesting, and challenging trips, starting with the Mustagata climb on July 1 - 24. Just a few places are left in this introductory climb of a very high mountain which is commonly a place for skiing, snowshoeing, and snowboarding.

You are invited to join their fun group of men and women from around the world for affordable, well-organized adventures. Most members participate as individuals and enjoy becoming part of the team. SummitClimb also encourages groups of friends, family, and colleagues (discounts for groups of two or more).

All prices below are for 'full-service'. 'Basic' pricing for the budget-minded is also offered.

Mustagata: July 1-24 - Introductory high-altitude snow climb on the world's easiest 7500m/24,000ft peak; Ski, snowboard, racquette, and snowshoe to/from the summit. Ideal high-altitude introduction, just 24 days. Climbing Mustagata qualifies you for Cho Oyu, Everest, and Lhotse. Leader: Jon Otto, fluent in Chinese and English, eight ascents prior to this climb. Full-Service: �2650, �2150, $4250.

Cho Oyu: September 2 - October 9 - Intermediate high-altitude snow climb of world's sixth highest and most accessible of the 8000m/26,000ft peaks. This is considered as the easiest '8000er'. Leader: Dan Mazur, previous Cho-Oyu mountaineer. Our 9th expedition. Climbing Cho qualifies you for Everest and Lhotse. Special: optional ski-snowboard descent. Full-Service: �5650, �4550, $8950.

Shishapangma: September 18 - October 24 - Intermediate high-altitude snow climb of one of the world's easiest 8000m/26,000ft peaks. The lowest of the world's fourteen '8000ers'. Combine with Cho Oyu and earn a 20% discount. Leader: Dan Mazur, previous Shisha mountaineer. Fourth expedition. Climbing Shisha qualifies you for Everest and Lhotse. Full-Service: �5650, �4550, $8950.

Ama Dablam: October 1 - November 1 - Intermediate, medium-altitude rock, ice, and snow. Technical - climbable. Asia's most famous, excellent granite, fixed ropes to summit. Leader: Arnold Coster, technical expert and senior leader. SummitClimb's 11th expedition. Climbing Ama Dablam could qualify you for Cho Oyu, Everest, and Lhotse. 6,812m/22,349ft. Full-Service: �3150, �2550, $4950.

Everest Basecamp Nepal: October 1-17 - Easy, beautiful walk in footsteps of Hillary and Tenzing. Hike wide trails through green valleys. Explore basecamp and easy Kala-Pattar (5545m/18,150ft), fabulous views of Everest. Full-Service: �1050, �850, $1650.

Island Peak: October 12-16 - Easy 'light climbing'. Five-day climb of the most famous 'trekking-peak' in all of the Himalaya. Massif views. Combine with our Everest base camp trek for perfect acclimatization. 6189m/20,300ft. Full-Service: �450, �350, $790.

Everest-View Glacier-School: October 1-22 - Introductory medium-altitude snow climb. Learn essential skills, ropes, ice climbing, anchor placement, glacier travel, climb a high peak, explore beautiful valleys on good trails. Leader: Raj Thapa; qualified NMA/British mountain leader, and skills trainer with 15 years of experience. 6119m/20,070ft. Full-Service: �1550, �1250, $2450.

For more information, send an email at info@SummitClimb.com or info@SummitTrek.com. Phone: ++44 (0) 7810 375 400.

British Climber Dies in the French Alps

Chamonix, France - The Foreign Office has confirmed the death of an unnamed 24-year old British woman during a climbing accident in the French Alps. The woman from Kent, as source relates, slipped on a patch of black ice while scaling the 13,000-foot Tour Rond peak near Chamonix, France.

According to the Chamonix mountain rescue service, the victim fell 1,000 feet and incurred multiple injuries which led to her death. Fellow climber, another unnamed 26-year old French male, also slipped and fell 600 feet. He was left with serious injuries on both legs.

For more details on this news, please visit www.dailymail.co.uk.

Volvo XC ICE CAMP Bids Goodbye to Winter

Four main igloos with a twelve-meter diameter, seven sleep igloos, the Volvo XC70 on an ice pod test, the newest mobile technology and features from Nokia for on-the-spot testing, adventure nights, sun, snow, sporting action, relaxing, cool drinks at the ice bar, and loads of events have brought some unforgettable highlights to this year's winter on the Kitzsteinhorn.

From January 12, overnight guests were able to leave the day's stress behind them with archery, walks under the stars, cheese fondue, and a jacuzzi. As well as the finest sounds and food, style sessions, avalanche safety training and ice climbing workshops were offered to more than 400,000 guests who flooded into the ICE CAMP and covered the sun terrace of the 2,000m� large area.

The Kitzhornstein also welcomes the summer glaciers. On June 21, the ICE ARENA begins on the glacier plateau. In the meantime, you can still check out the spring glaciers: perfect pistes, funicular railways, lifts and parks are available to all our guests.

An overnight adventure with the romance factor
A unique experience far away from the normal winter tourists' tramp through the snow made sure you came away with unforgettable moments - having the Kitzsteinhorn to "yourself� as an overnight guest. On clear nights, the world dropped away and the stars came close enough to touch. The silence 2,500m above sea level let the adventurers forget their concept of time and awoke a sense of eternity. Couples met each other, fell in love, and even proposed in the romantic sleep igloos in this magical environment.

Art meets design meets technology meets sport....
�refers to the week from February 16 - 23. Six ice sculptors from all over the world, inspired by the glacier, nature, the igloos, and the unusual materials left their ephemeral mark on the ICE CAMP. In the open-air studio around the main igloos, 60 tonnes of enormous blocks of ice from the glacier lake were turned into works of art to impress the visitors to the Kitzsteinhorn.

Volvo X OVER Ride 2008
Nor was the party mood in short supply. The Freestyle community came together at the Volvo X OVER Ride on Easter weekend to select the "Ruler of the Hill� in the annual challenge. The free skiers and boarders started in the Open Field Langwied on Saturday, March 22 on terrain that was up to 40� steep. Half a meter of new snow provided perfect conditions and extra excitement. On Sunday came the Slopestyle in the DC Park right next to the ICE CAMP. It was all about "Spin, Style and Airtime�. Roy Kittler (GER), king of the free skiers, dueled with Austria's number one Patrick Hollaus for the top spot, but this was taken by Roli Hofer in both categories and he was named "Ruler of the Hill�. Both riders and audience celebrated in high style in Kaprun Castle with DJs and live acts including Guadalajara.

The future
We look forward to welcoming our partner, friends, journalists, and adventurers back to the crystal clear atmosphere of the ICE CAMP next winter season. Whether your incentive is staying overnight, team building or pure enjoyment, the ICE CAMP team will continue to look after its guests professionally and with great pleasure. The projects for this perfect spot on the sunny plateau of the Kitzsteinhorn will be even bigger and better. Planning the events is already underway - so you can already start looking forward to next winter...

Life is better lived together!
Share good times together; celebrate your own lifestyle; experience nature; immerse yourself in your favorite sports. Far from the routine 9 to 5 and far from the daily grind, you and your friends can experience more together in an active and athletic way. Enjoy the breathtaking winter wonderland both outside and inside, thanks to the crystal clear design. Be a part of the freeride and freestyle action. All this and more can be found at the Volvo XC ICE CAMP.

Nokia � Music gets you talking!
Share music, films, pictures, and experiences live with your friends. With Nokia's mobile phones and multimedia computers, you can share essential moments in your lives and express your creative ideas. The Volvo XC ICE CAMP presented by Nokia connects people with each other and with things they care for: friendship, sports, music, and fun.

Information about the ICE CAMP, bookings, and images may be found at www.ice-camp.at.

La Sportiva Gears Up for 2008 REEL ROCK Film Tour

Boulder, Colo. - If you were ever wondering how to get hundreds of climbers to sit still in a dark room for hours, here's the answer - The REEL ROCK Film Tour. Now in its third season and with 100 or more screenings of the world's best climbing films, REEL Rock is becoming one of the most prominent social events for local climbing communities across the country.

This year, La Sportiva will be involved with the REEL ROCK Film Tour on many levels, ranging from marketing and sponsorship support to athlete involvement. Several La Sportiva athletes were featured in the films slated for viewing, including Jason Kehl, Alex Honnold, Micah Dash, and Daniel Woods.

Also, there will be a separate film on Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden rafting through The Grand Canyon, searching for adventurous first ascents in Grand Canyon Walls by Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer

"The Reel Rock Films are first class action footage and with La Sportiva so integrated into the climbing community, we didn't think twice about supporting the tour,� said Laura Fryer, marketing manager for La Sportiva North America. "We have so many athletes from Team La Sportiva featured in the films and so many loyal fans of La Sportiva in the audience, we knew we had to support the tour in a big way.�

While the REEL ROCK Film Tour was built around one feature length movie last year, this year, it will have more variety with clips from several movies, including Sender Films' new title, The Sharp End, and Big Up Productions' new volume in the Dosage series, Dosage 5.

In addition to the film tour, the first ever REEL ROCK Filmmaking Competition is underway and accepting submissions of short films (three minutes max) in two categories: Action/Adventure and Humor/Spoof, through July 15. The REEL ROCK tour will kick off on Sept. 10, 2008 at the Boulder Theatre in Boulder, Colo.

ABOUT LA SPORTIVA
Celebrating their 80th anniversary, La Sportiva brings a strong alpine mountaineering and climbing heritage to their line of performance mountain footwear. This core experience enables La Sportiva to offer the most versatile technical climbing, mountaineering, Mountain Running®, and hiking shoes on the market. For more information on La Sportiva, visit www.sportiva.com or check them out on Facebook.

Source:
www.climbing.com