View allAll Photos Tagged logisitics
U.S. Marines with Landing Support Company, 1st Transport Support Battalion, 1st Combat Logistics Regiment, stand by for a CH-53E Super Stallion during an assault support tactics exercise at Landing Zone Bull, Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range, Calif., Oct. 12, 2015. This exercise was part of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) 1-16, a seven week training event, hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) cadre, which emphasizes operational integration of the six functions of Marine Corps aviation in support of a Marine Corps Air Ground Task Force. MAWTS-1 provides standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine Aviation Training and Readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Roderick L. Jacquote MAWTS-1 COMCAM/Released)
SINGAPORE (Dec. 18, 2014) Adm. Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, addresses Sailors and Department of Defense personnel assigned to Commander Logisitics Group Western Pacific, Navy Region Singapore and various tenant commands during an all hands call. Harris is in Singapore on a routine visit to strengthen relationships between the two nations and navies in support of the U.S. military's rebalance to the Asia-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jay C. Pugh)
The Polish Navy's multitask logisitical support vessel "Czernicki" leaving Portsmouth after a three day courtesy visit.
Southsea, 12 January 2016
Indiana Railroad CF7 # 2543 is seen in transit at TRRA Madison yard in Venice,IL on the morning of July 24th unit has been purchased by Foster Townsend Rail Logisitics and is enroute to Metro East Industries for evaluation pending assignment on FTRL. Taken on TRRA property with permission
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
3F Logisitics 741518 arrives at Nymburk Hlavni Nadrazi for a brief paperwork exchange, the sound of this coming round the corner sounded immense!
July 28, 2011, Australian Army soldiers fire M16 A4 service rifles while being coached by U.S. Marines with Combat Logisitics Battalion 31 (BLT-31), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), during a live fire exercise at Shoal Water Training Area in Queensland, Australia, in support of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011. TS11 demonstrates the United States and Australian commitment to their military alliance, and enhances stability and security throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The 31st MEU is the only continually forward-deployed MEU, and remains the nation's force-in-readiness in the Asia-Pacific region.
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
The man knows a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff, but he also knows when to tell people to go find out themselves.
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
Europe Europa
France Frankrijk França Francia
Région Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Département du Pas-de-Calais
Terlincthun British War Cemetery
Rue de l'Aiglon
62126 Wimille, France
www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2027534/TERLINCTHUN...
www.remembrancetrails-northernfrance.com/visit-the-sites/...
www.ww1cemeteries.com/ww1frenchextension/terlincthun.htm
www.webmatters.net/cwgc/terlincthun.htm
www.cheminsdememoire-nordpasdecalais.fr/visiter-les-sites...
"Aerial View of bulk fuel area in front of Logistics Support Group in DaNang - September 1965."
From the Frank Harris Collection (COLL/3731) at the Marine Corps History Division
OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
Spc. Danielle Taylor, a flight engineer and a fuel handler instructor with 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, 1st Armored Division Aviation Brigade, from Fort Bliss, Texas, teaches a fuel handler’s class to Soldiers from the 101st Sustainment Brigade, Task Force Lifeliners, Joint Forces Command - United Assistance, deployed in support of Operation United Assistance at Roberts International Airport outside of Monrovia, Liberia, Jan. 15, 2015. The training teaches Soldier how to implement the versatile Cargo Helicopter 47 (CH-47) Chinook extended range fuel system, known as the “Fat Cow,” which is used in environments where there is an urgent need for fuel distribution. Operation United Assistance is a Department of Defense operation in Liberia to provide logistics, training and engineering support to U.S. Agency for International Development-led efforts to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in western Africa. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mary Rose Mittlesteadt, 101st Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs/Released)
JAXPORT 2013 Intermodal Conference
BREAKOUT SESSION #1: THE ECONOMIC FUTURE OF PUERTO RICO AND THE ROLE OF THE MARITIME INDUSTRY (Amelia Ballroom #4)
Puerto Rico has faced many economic challenges. What opportunities exist for increased economic stimulation through growth in the maritime sector? Panelists also will explore what steps are being taken – or could be taken both on the mainland and on the island – to benefit the broader Puerto Rican economy.
PANEL:
- Waleska Rivera; President, Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association (moderator)
- Robert Midgett; Walmart, Export Transportation Operations Manager
- Reade Kidd; Director of International Logistics, The Home Depot
- Peter Keller; President, Sea Star Line
- John Hourihan; Senior VP and General Manager, Puerto Rico & Caribbean; Crowley Maritime
Photo Credit: JAXPORT, Meredith Fordham
Breakout Session #2: The Mandate to Grow U.S. Exports
JAXPORT 2013 Logistics and Intermodal Conference
Panelists:
Steve Rand; President & CEO, AMPORTS (moderator)
Christine Krathwohl; Executive Director, Global Logistics & Supplier Diversity, General Motors
Mike Andaloro; Global Chief Operating Officer, BDP International
Chris Swartz; Director Global Transportation and Logistics Services, AJC International
Jim Burrell; Assistant Vice President; American Honda Motor Co.
Denny Carpenter; Vice President, Ford Trading Company, and Global Vehicle Logistics Department Manager, Ford Motor Co.
Photo Credit: JAXPORT, Meredith Fordham Hughes
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
Pre-57th Presidential Inauguration 2013: Penn Quarter on 7th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC on Sunday afternoon, 20 January 2013 by Elvert Barnes Photography
FIRST AID TENT at Pennsylvania Avenue and 7th Street
Learn more about the logisitics, designs and locations of the 2013 Inaugural Parade First AID tents at www.army.mil/article/94158/
SETTING UP for 57th PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION 2013 PARADE
Visit Elvert Barnes 57th PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION 2013 docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/2013Inauguration.html
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, welcomes property and fiscal officers and logistics professionals from 12 states and territories for a joint meeting of Region 2 U.S. Property and Fiscal Offices and G4 Logistics Directorates Aug. 23, 2022, at the Virginia National Guard Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Maj. Gen. Michelle M. Rose, Assistant Deputy Commanding General for National Guard Affairs, U.S. Army Materiel Command, also gave remarks on the first day of the conference. The Virginia National Guard’s Col. Jeff Cree, the Virginia USPFO, and Col. Dennis Rohler, the Virginia Army National Guard G4 logistics officer, hosted the three-day workshop to help facilitate the sharing of ideas and lessons learned in Army logistics. (U.S. National Guard photo by Mike Vrabel)
ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 30, 2018) An F-35B Lightning II assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), is staged aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Dec. 30, 2018. Essex is the flagship for the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 13th MEU, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. A. J. Van Fredenberg/Released)
ARABIAN SEA (Jan. 5, 2019) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Jake Bonet, assigned to the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), guides a Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 166 (Reinforced), 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Jan. 5, 2019. Essex is the flagship for the Essex ARG and, with the embarked 13th MEU, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Francisco J. Diaz Jr./Released)
LT Minghe Zhang validates CEREC logisitics and utilization onboard USS PORTLAND, LPD 27, while on 5th and 7th Fleet MEU deployment. (Photo courtesy of LT Minghe Zhang, 24 December 2021)
Published in Weekly Dental Update, January 7, 2022.
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
On some Sunday mornings, an unofficial gathering of Anzacs took place in an unsuspecting persons room. This was my turn to have my room destroyed. From left F/O Gerry Carter (pilot) Sgt Mike Ryan (Helo Crewman) Sgt Ken Stanley (Logisitics). Photo taken probably August 1982 at North Camp, El Gorah.
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
New York Army National Guard Sgt. Wilson Cuevaquiraga, assigned to the 133rd Quartermaster Company of the 53rd Troop Command, directs the bulk loading of hand sanitizer for local government agencies near New Rochelle, N.Y. March 13, 2020. Cuevaquiraga and more than 250 other Soldiers and Airmen of the New York National Guard are providing assistance to a New York State Department of Health task force to contain and mitigate the COVID 19 virus cluster outbreak in Westchester County, N.Y. U.S. National Guard photo by Col. Richard Goldenberg.
A C-9B "Skytrain II" from the 'Conquistadors' of Fleet Logisitics Squadron FIVE SEVEN (VR 57) climbs above the clouds during a routine training flight. VR-57 is a Naval Reserve squadron comprised of active duty and selected reserve personnel that provide around-the-clock, world-wide logistics support for the Navy and Marine Corps regular and reserve forces-edited-Not part of my personal collection
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
Wedgie photo of a one-off, GML10 was originally constructed for Goldsworthy Mining. It was based on the design of the V/Line N Class and ended up being an orphan on BHP's system after their purchase of Goldsworthy Mining. It was sold in 1994 to Comalco for use on a short mine railway in Queensland where it became R1004. In 2009, she was sold to Australian Locolease who, in turn, sold it to Qube Logistics. It was refurbished by CFCLA at Goulburn 2011, and returned to service in August 2011 as GML10. GML10 was used as the baisis of the NSW 82 Class, with some slight changes.
ARABIAN GULF - A U.S. Marine CH-53E Super Stallion with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 166 Reinforced, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), is staged aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Dec. 30, 2018. The Essex is the flagship for the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 13th MEU, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. A. J. Van Fredenberg/Released)
Maidenhead, Berkshire, 24th March 2007
My cousin Sarah and her husband Abdul, fighting over a suitcase on the front drive. These 2 spend so much time at airports that this was too obvious an approach to miss. I'd toyed with the idea of having them playing golf, with one begrudgingly caddying for the other, but it proved logisitically impossible, plus they don't really play golf all that much. Being family I've known Sarah for my entire life, and Abdul for the past 12 years or so. Back at college I used to be treated to dinner from time to time by Sarah, as she had to work down the road from me every month or so in Lytham. Besides the simple pleasure of being fed posh nosh instead of cooking my cheap student fare at home, there was always the amusement of being mistaken for a couple and setting her colleague tongues wagging the next day.
I was ably assisted on the shoot by my mate Simon who was down in London for the weekend, and then we were treated to a very posh lunch by Abdul (who always beats me to the bill in restaurants, I really should try harder.) The shot is lit by one softbox on a boom over their heads, and a 2nd light through a grid raking the back of the car to pick out the suitcase in the boot. I wish I'd been able to mask the softbox down a bit more, as there's still too much light knocking around for my tastes - must buy one of those collapsible grid things you fit onto the front of softboxes.
For behind the scenes shots and an alternate shot look here, here, and here.
SINGAPORE (Dec. 18, 2014) Adm. Harry Harris, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, addresses Sailors and Department of Defense personnel assigned to Commander Logisitics Group Western Pacific, Navy Region Singapore and various tenant commands during an all hands call. Harris' visit to Singapore was part of a routine visit to strengthen relationships and enhance the interoperability of regional navies in support of the U.S. military's rebalance to the Asia-Pacific. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jay C. Pugh. (RELEASED)
Members of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), and various other elements of NATO forces came together for Exercise Steadfast Juncture to certify that the ARRC is capable and ready to assume command of the NATO Response Force (NRF) mission throughout 2013. Taking command of the NRF means that the ARRC will be rapidly deployable and could deploy worldwide is support of combat or humanitarian relief efforts.
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
Long before Jaffa became basically a part of Tel Aviv, it used to be a very important city for Palestine. Next to Akko, only Jaffa had a harbour which got connected to Jerusalem in 1891 by a French company. In 1891 when the station was opened, it was the first train station in the Middle East. At that time, Tel Aviv was a small Jewish colony. Tel Aviv had to wait until 1920 when it got its own train station (Tel Aviv South, which was in use until 1993).
During World War I, the railway was taken over by the Turkish and German armies, which adapted it to serve their needs. While the Jaffa Railway Station served as a military headquarters, the Ottomans did not want to expose the railway itself to British naval bombardment. In early 1915, most of the heavy machinery and equipment was moved to Jerusalem, and later in the same year he Jaffa–Lydda section was completely dismantled. Its rails and sleepers were used in the construction of the Railway to Be'er Sheva. The station was in service during British mandate until 1948. The service moved then to Tel Aviv South.
After being neglected for decades, the station was renovated and reopened as an entertainment centre in 2009.
For further information see:
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K
Spc. Raven Attaway, a fuel handler with the 101st Sustainment Brigade, Task Force Lifeliners, Joint Forces Command - United Assistance, deployed in support of Operation United Assistance, leads the way with fuel hoses onto the tailgate of a Cargo Helicopter 47 (CH-47) Chinook during a fuel handler’s class at Roberts International Airport outside of Monrovia, Liberia, Jan. 15, 2015. The training teaches Soldier how to implement the versatile Cargo Helicopter 47 (CH-47) Chinook extended range fuel system, known as the “Fat Cow,” which is used in environments where there is an urgent need for fuel distribution. Operation United Assistance is a Department of Defense operation in Liberia to provide logistics, training and engineering support to U.S. Agency for International Development-led efforts to contain the Ebola virus outbreak in western Africa. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mary Rose Mittlesteadt, 101st Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs/Released)
Nicole and I closed up the shop at 6:00pm. Quickly sorted the rack and gathered provisions for the coming adventure, then ventured forth towards a pending adventure.
The goal: Climb The Angel’s Crest, a glorious adventure up the northern arete of the second peak of the Stawamus Chief. I had climbed this route a couple months back, but I was keen to get a chance to lead some of the pitches Dan led last time.
After catching the last ferry out of Victoria, and stopping briefly in Vancouver, we arrived at the trailhead on the logging road sometime beyond midnight. We were eager. We wanted to be early, and neither of us wanted to wait in lines. We wanted to be first on route, so we slept in the car, awoke before dawn, and an amazing day ensued.
What followed was one of the best days of rock climbing I have ever experienced! The weather was perfect, the rock was impeccable. It was one of those days when our cheeks hurt from the perma-grins we wore all day. If there was one word to describe it, it would have to be this: Elation.
After quickly sorting the rack, and opting to leave behind a second rope in favour of a bigger rack (we decided there was no WAY we were going to bail today, we were going to top out), we began the hike up the trail at about 6:30am. It took us about 15 minutes of walking through the forest floor to get to the base of the first pitch, a low 5th bushy, rooty, scramble. This brought us to a ledge and the beginning of the climb proper. Nicole took the sharp end and led this 5.7 groove which involves tree climbing and offers big gear and a piton. This brought us to the lower cruxes. A glorious 5.10b finger crack (the famed Angel Crack), which I led with much glee, and a short but solid 10c pitch. Some 5.7 climbing takes us up to the base of another steep 5.10a that begins with face climbing and leads into a glorious small finger crack high above the forest floor. The exposure really began in earnest at this point!
After giving Nicole back the rack on this gloriously small ledge-with-a-view, she led the next pitch. The guidebook says 5.5, but I'd give it 5.7. This took us to the halfway point: A narrow shelf between the expanse of Squamish and the north gully. The next pitch, pitch 8, ran at about 5.10a. It offered a good mix of face climbing and involved a committing step up onto a slabby arete and a narrow crack up to a lovely groove which I giddily climbed with a huge grin on my face. At this point this day is getting too good to be true.
This brought us to the Sasquatch Ledge. A narrow, vegetated ledge that runs across the top of the Sheriff's Badge. As we still had not been caught up to by other parties, and had some time, we belayed each other out onto it... The exposure here is massive, but dampened by the massive amount of bushes. Onward we went...
The next pitch ran at 5.9 and was another nice little corner finger crack into some face climbing to deposit us in the hanging forest. Here we coiled the rope and gathered our stuff for a five minute walk/scramble up to the base of the aptly named Acrophobes Towers. Halfway up this forest, there is a totem pole. The story of how it got here is really neat to read, and it can be found *HERE*. We snapped some photos, marveled at the sight, and the logisitics of hauling this thing up here, and carried on...
When we saw the Acrophobes, we were in awe. These gigantic teeth-like spires shoot up out of the ridge like knife blades, and the exposure is immense! On the left, a huge drop into the gully. On the right, an even bigger drop way down to the valley below.
We ate lunch here, talked for a while, smiled and laughed, and eventually decided that I should grab the rack and lead the pitch. While the protection is sparse, the climbing is easy. And the position is nothing short of incredible! I think both Nicole and I took far longer than we needed to to climb this, and both of us laughed, grinned, and smiled our way through the traverse. A short rappell of the high tower, followed by a scamper through a notch, brought us to the base of pitch 11, a loose and exposed 5.8 that offeres both good and bad protection is a very airy setting. Rope drag was a big issue here, and in retrospect I will bring some massive slings net time to mitigate this. After bringing up Nicole, we looked back along the route, we could see a party down below on the top of the acrophobes. It looks far more exposed from above. Wow!
Next was a 5.7 that starts with another couple moves up a tree and in to a very large (BD #3) crack, that leads up to a hyper-exposed slabby arete that tops out at the most exposed belay ledge of the climb, a 30cm wide ledge on a vertical wall high above the valley floor. Fun!
Next came the crux. a 10b that feels move like a 10d the first time leading it. It was glorious! It involved pulling a bulge to start, then either a wide hand crack or shallow finger cracks that take you up to a roof. Pulling this move through the roof is spectacular! I looked at my feet mid move, and could see nothing but the treetops 700m below! After this move its a solid mix of laybacks and jams to the top of the pitch.
After this, we enjoyed the view for a bit from our last belay ledge, then crawled (!!!) the narrow and exposed ledge to the final chimney pitch. This was so fun to lead! Super easy but mega awkward. I laughed my way up the whole thing, as I used a variety of both graceful and grace-less techniques. But I did eventually top out, and let out a massive yell of glee upon doing so, then quickly set up belay to bring up Nicole. She arrived 10 minutes later, and a celebration ensued. We just climbed Angel's Crest! What a day!
All in all, we took our time, all 12 hours of it. Despite this, we still felt like we had the route to ourselves; the other parties always a ways behind. It was a spectacularly enjoyable day! We waled the last little bit to the main second summit, then down to a nice viewpoint. Here we smiled and laughed and talked of the greatness of the day. Sipped some summit whiskey, and made our way down, vowing we will return to climb more... and soon. :)
K