Leadership on the Rocks

Friends of Seneca Finish the Lower Slabs Project

2011-11-04T12:35:00.003-05:00

The Lower Slabs Project, for which planning began in August 2009, finally got finished on October 8, 2011. Volunteers, including ECPers Toni Price, Phil Sidel, Sam Taggart, Felipe Trevizan, and myself, were instrumental in doing the work, which involved re-constructing 600 feet of climber-access trail to the Lower Slabs, and building a steep switchback trail leading from “Scuttle” up to “Discrepancy” and a landing across from “Discrepancy.”

The project, which was slated to complete in 2010, was delayed due to personnel departures in the USFS. Both, the Director of the Discovery Center, and the Ranger helping us with the work, left Seneca Rocks for new assignments. The closure of the North Peak Hiking Trail further impacted the completion of the Lower Slabs work.

Friends of Seneca at work at the bottom of the "stairmaster," with, from left to right, Toni Price, the author, and "John Squared."

It is all the more pleasing to now report that the project is done! I personally worked all three volunteer weekends in 2010 after going through the crew-leader training in March 2010. With the final work day in 2011, I have eight days of manual labor invested in this trail. Not bad for an academic :-).

So please, when next you head over to the Lower Slabs, stay on the trail to avoid new erosion in this area. Or else!!!

Another set of stairs leading to “Seldom Seen” might be beneficial to manage the area, but that is a project for another year. Friends of Seneca used the final work day in 2011 to reinforce the setting of a large rock at the base of the “stairmaster” near the start of “Ecstasy” which basically holds the wooden stairs in place. We also slightly re-routed the approach to the turn. Check it out!

History

Details about the original Lower Slabs Project design can be found here.

Support Friends of Seneca!

Buy a Seneca Rocks 2012 Calendar.

The 4th of July Club Mixer

2011-08-30T11:41:00.000-05:00

Second Seneca Summit, A Leadership Skills Development and Networking Event for Women Trad Climbers, April 15-17, 2011

2011-04-20T16:37:00.007-05:00

We did it! We actually pulled of the 2^nd Seneca Summit. And the turnout was as good as for the First Seneca Summit. Over 20 women from WV, PA, VA, MD, and the Washington DC area came in spite of a weather forecast that called for 100% rain on Saturday. While the organizers went with the flow, or should I say flood, to provide an expanded lecture program under a rain-laden tent, the clinics-turned-talks became valuable learning experiences thanks to the active participation of the interesting and knowledgeable women present.

The goal of Seneca Summit is to develop the leadership skills of women trad climbers, and to serve as a networking event for women who lead, or want to begin to lead traditional rock climbs.

Seneca Summit is the brain child of Diane Kearns, mountaineer, rock climber and co-owner of “The Gendarme” and “Seneca Rocks Climbing School.” After being the lead organizer of the inaugural Seneca Summit, she hoped we could keep the event going and get different women to take over the organization in future years. And so it happened that Colleen Louw became the driving force behind the 2^nd Seneca Summit. She was helped by Jeanette Helfrich, who, like Colleen, is a member of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, and by Diane and myself.

All Friday I was wondering if anyone but us organizers would show up for the event. I mean when do the weather people ever commit to a 100% chance of anything? And for Saturday the 16^th of April 2011 they promised rain, thunderstorm, lightning, and gale-force winds.

Friday evening Judith Scanlon and I rolled into group campsite D and were excited to see a bunch of tents up. A group of women was sitting around a picnic table talking about climbing with a couple of climbing books out. While we were introducing ourselves, car after car pulled in! Colleen told every new arrival that the campground manager had put out extra stakes in front of his camper for people to borrow, in anticipation of a stormy night. And a stormy and rainy night it was, indeed. One tent fly took off and flew into a tree!

Saturday morning the group assembled for a free breakfast in front of The Gendarme under the cover of their gazebo tent. While the 1^st Seneca Summit had been free of charge, this time we asked for a registration fee of $25, and encouraged the participants to pay up inside of the store at some point during the weekend. Also for the first time, there was a reporter present. She was doing stories about girlfriend weekends in WV, and we were going to be featured in the series.

After Colleen took us through a round of introductions, we went straight to the main event, our guest speaker Jessa Goebel. Jessa owns her own company, “ClimbFit;” and she was going to improvise a lecture on training under the tent rather than the training clinic she was originally going to teach on real rock. The audience was captivated. Everyone shared their goals and aspirations for the 2011 climbing season, and from this, Jessa collected the topics on which she focused her discussion. After about an hour and a half, we took a brief break; then we returned for a second session. Jessa gave many general as well as very specific tips, in response to questions from the audience. I am sure that many of us will find her tips and insights helpful once we adapt them to and integrate them into our personal gym climbing routines. They are designed to help us improve our endurance, power endurance, and power.

After the lunch break, I was back in the program with a physics presentation. This time I spoke about “The Physics of Falling.” I had brought a flip chart with a bunch of notes and drawings. Owing to the humidity it had become slightly damp and heavy, yet still the wind tried to carry it away! Judith kindly assisted me by holding the poster board in place and flipping the charts. When I started talking I had to really speak up to be heard over the sounds of the rain pounding on the tent! We went though force, work, energy, momentum, and impulse, and how they act when climbers fall off a cliff or mountain. We then discussed what conclusions can be derived for surviving falls from the physics concepts. As part of my presentation I read the first chapter, “A Perfect Fall,” from Lynn Hill’s book “Climbing Free.” She vividly describes the circumstances of her fall and that jibed well with several of the physics points I was trying to drive home. I was kind of nervous since I don’t usually do readings and English is not my first language. I think it went well though; the audience applauded when I was finished.

Next up was Diane, who improvised giving her clinic on building gear anchors using a barbeque grill. The grill actually lend itself quite well to taking chocks and hexes. During Diane’s presentation, thunder and lightning arrived and it also began to pour in earnest. Thankfully, The Gendarmes let us move some of their displays to provide shelter for all of us in the store. And Diane resumed her lecture inside, with Linda Blakeley assisting.

After such a full day of listening to presentations and discussing details of personal goals, climbing training, falling physics, and anchor building, some of the group became noticeably exhausted in the late afternoon. We took a break for drinks and started cooking dinner.

The potluck dinner, held outside under the tent, was once again a highlight of the gathering! Good food and good conversation is simply the best way to spend a rainy evening. This time there was even a tablecloth on the table that became the designated buffet. Vivid discussion continued with the day’s presenters, and in groups that spontaneously formed and reformed.

After dinner, we returned to the inside of The Gendarme for a slideshow about the climbing history of female climbers by Jeanette Helfrich. Of course, Jan Conn, who, with husband Herb Conn, was one of the climbing pioneers of Seneca Rocks, featured prominently in the presentation. In the spirit of continuing to write our climbing history, Jeanette also included pictures from the 1^st Seneca Summit. Also, to prepare a site off of forest service lands where Seneca Rocks Climbing School would have held clinics had the weather cooperated, Diane, Colleen, Jeanette, and I had spent March 19 cleaning up a privately owned cliff on the site of the Harman’s North Fork Cottages. Jeanette's show had photo documentation of that outing as well. Maybe we even did some first ascents there! Jeanette also showed many pictures of the female members of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh climbing at Seneca Rocks, in the US, and around the world.

The party broke up after Diane arranged the climbing teams for Sunday. The weather forecast promised climbing weather, that is, no rain, hurray! However, we had to brace ourselves for wind with gusts up to 45 mph.

Sunday morning started with breakfast in front of The Gendarme. Due to the rainstorm of the previous day, which resulted in quite some flooding that included the low bridge over the North Fork, downtown Seneca Rocks, some of our tents, and because of the howling wind, some participants decided to depart and made their farewells.

Then the climbing teams headed out. My group went to the East Face, expecting sunshine and less wind. But we had some change of plans en route to Worrell’s Thicket, the intended climb for Erin, our new leader. Alas there was a waterfall at the bottom of the route, and a group of six occupied its start. A climber on the stairs told us a class was in progress. There were already teams on Skyline as well. And more parties were ahead of us and behind us on the trail. Also people with backpacks, hikers or climbers, were hanging out in the woods. In short, there was quite the crowd! And the wind was much stronger than we expected.

Erin and another member of our team split to pursue a different climb. Judith and I reconsidered what to do, and we felt given the situation, it might be preferable to join Diane's and Harini Ayer's groups who had gone to the Lower Slabs. We headed over there and met Colleen’s team who was just hiking up themselves. Surprisingly, there was much less wind on the West Face. We came up to the Lower Slabs just as Harini was leading Scuttle, 5.7. You go, Harini! Another team had set up a toprope on Discrepancy, a Seneca ultra classic 5.8. Diane walked along the slabs with us to help us find other climbs. I decided that I would give R2D2, a 5.5, a go. While be were climbing our first set of routes, Diane would head back down to The Gendarme because we needed more ropes to set up climbs.

I quite liked R2D2. It had trees and bushes en route, my kind of thing. It is reasonably long and varied and tops out not too far from the tree atop Scuttle, which I used as my anchor. But there was no good way to set this climb up as a toprope, at least that I could see. When I used the radio to call down to Judith – it was so windy that without radios we could not communicate – Judith told me that the others had left to assist in the rescue of a climber who had taken a fall on the East Face. I am so glad she waited telling me until after I finished leading.

What a scare! Memories of Amy’s death on the East Face rushed back into my mind. And then I heard the sirens, and saw the ambulance taking off to Petersburg. Next a yellow fire truck pulled into the parking area below the Discovery Center, sirens howling. What was that all about? I was unnerved, and so was Judith. Still, she found the inner strength to second the route and came up to me with the gear. Some kind fate had directed us away from climbing on the East Face that day, yet our friends were over there, and we did not know who had fallen, and how bad the fallen climber, whoever she or he might be, was injured. We were both quite shaken.

We walked off the cliff on the ramp near Scuttle. Unprepared to get on a rope again soon, we opted for lunch break. Then Judith started to build anchors for practice, and two other women who had remained at the Slabs joined us. We tried out and discussed some of the techniques we had learned from Diane the day before.

Finally, Diane returned, and gave us news of the accident. The team was climbing Wolery, 5.6, PG, on the North Peak. The leader’s first and only piece, a #1 cam placed about 20 ft up, blew, and he decked. Although he seemed fine, because he had fallen on his back, his team mates did not want to move him. After enough climbers arrived, they were able to carry the injured climber up to the summit in a litter. He was then transported off the North Peak using a four wheeler which the local rescue squad had brought in on the horse trail, and put in the waiting ambulance. Diane was looking quite exhausted as she came down from the adrenaline rush of the rescue. A few days later we learned the good news that the climber was doing well and had not broken his back.

Judith and I resumed climbing, but on toprope, only. The afternoon was sunny and had finally warmed up in spite of the high wind. But gravity was high as our hearts were heavy.

All teams returned safely to The Gendarme in the late afternoon; and we got a chance to say our good-byes to our many new friends before we headed home.

Reflections, thoughts, and food for thought:

The turnout was great in spite of the storm! There seems to be a real need for Seneca Summits, and we should feel encouraged to continue.

The $25 registration fee was OK with the participants.

PATC and ECP each sponsored the event with a $100 contribution to defer expenses. If any money is left after paying for expenses, as it seems there might be, it will go toward the next Seneca Summit.

The gazebo tent saved the day, although it had a hard time staying up with this amount of rain and wind. Is there another location we can use in heavy rain? The Discovery Center? Or a better outdoor location that is bigger than the cave?

We might consider renting a portapotty for future events. With the flooding in town, there were some sewer problems…

Once again, I wonder how many new leaders actually took the sharp end during the Seneca Summit, or did start leading after the event. New leaders – your feedback?

Who was there who also was at the 2010 event; and did you find yourself leading more last fall?

There was a sense that August was a better time than April to hold the event.

The weekend was definitely a success on the networking front!

Let’s hope there will be a 3^rd Seneca Summit in 2012!

Inaugural Seneca Summit, A Leadership Skills Development and Networking Event for Women Trad Climbers, August 13-15, 2010

2011-04-15T13:26:00.082-05:00

I can’t believe I never blogged about the first Seneca Summit! I was so convinced that I had. Yet when I looked for my notes and for lessons learned, nothing came up. I guess I posted my photos on facebook, and then left it at that. So now, with the 2^nd Seneca Summit almost upon us, it seems high time for me to jut down my reflections on last year’s event.

The 1^st Seneca Summit took place August 13-15, 2010. It was attended by 20+ women from areas with driving distance of Seneca Rocks: WV, PA, VA, MD, and the Washington DC area.

The goal of Seneca Summit is to develop the leadership skills of women trad climbers, and to serve as a networking event for women who lead, or want to begin to lead traditional rock climbs.

Seneca Summit is the brain child of Diane Kearns, rock climber and co-owner of “The Gendarme” and “Seneca Rocks Climbing School.” Seneca Rocks is a traditional climbing area, meaning the lead climber places removable protection such as chocks or cams which the second, the climber who follows the leader on the route, then removes from the rock. You quite rarely see all women climbing teams climbing trad, or female-male teams in which the woman leads. Diane wanted to do something about developing more women as trad leaders, and to get them to climb in all-women teams because the dynamics is different from mixed-sex teams. For the inaugural summit Diane simply picked a date and reserved a group campsite, then asked some other women who climb at Seneca Rocks for their thoughts and to help get the word out to other women climbers. She and I exchanged many emails and tossed around ideas for the program and schedule of events.

Here is what went on that first summit, to the best of my recollection:

FRIDAY:

Met in front of the Gendarme in the evening for a slide show about the history of climbing at Seneca by Diane Kearns.

SATURDAY:

Met in front of the Gendarme for breakfast.

Shoe demo by Elaina Arenz-Smith, owner of “New River Mountain Guides.”

“Climb with a Local.” This was something we copied from an AAC Craggin Classic. Seneca frequent climbers paired up with women who did not know Seneca or who did not feel ready to lead, and enjoyed a day of climbing.

A group led by Elaina practiced falling at the Slower Slabs.

Returned to the Gendarme in the evening for a potluck dinner.

Slide show by Diane Kearns about her trip to Greenland.

My story:

I was excited by the large turnout of women on Saturday morning, and about the professional feel that the shoe demo lend to the event.

The “Climb with a Local” was my suggestion. I was a little disappointed that most participants opted to toprope and practice falling as a group, rather than to go multi-pitch climbing together and trying to lead. As for my team…it started to rain while we were in the second pitch of the “Old Ladies” route, a 4-pitch climb I’ve done so many times that I thought I’d be OK climbing it in the rain. Still, it was “interesting” for me to, for the first time, lead the third pitch when it was wet. Melanie, the least smallest of my team members, started to get uncomfortably cold after we were rained on heavily for about 15 minutes in the second belay. Monica and I were concerned about keeping her warm; and we wrapped her up neck to toe during the rain. All went well! We got to summit and watched the clouds waft by below us; and we rapped down safely and in time for dinner.

At dinner, the toprope/falling crowd reported that they had had an awesome afternoon despite of some excitement. Tina, a climber from Pittsburgh, twisted her ankle during a practice fall. She remained in good spirits and hobbled about for the rest of the event.

The potluck happened to be an all vegetarian dinner! And even I, who am a carnivore, liked the food it was that flavorful. Luckily, I had brought leeks with capers, so my dish fit with the vegetarian theme. There were many men sniffing around that evening, attracted by the wonderful food smells coming from the tent in front of the Gendarme if not by the sounds of women laughing.

After dinner and Diane’s inspiring slide show, a bunch of us went across the street to dance to the music of a live band.

Too bad the stargazing I was prepared to offer that night, and for which I had brought two transportable telescope from Pitt’s department of physics and astronomy with me, was clouded out.

All in all, what a great and eventful day!

SUNDAY:

Met in front of the Gendarme for breakfast.

Lecture/clinic on “The Physics of Placing Pro” by me.

The program then called for multi-pitch climbing. But the weather forecast turned outright nasty. Rather than going climbing, we all went to the cave for some impromptu skills practices and to toprope. Diane and Elaina freely shared from their vast stores of knowledge on topics of climbing movement and self rescue.

The group slowly broke up in the afternoon as participants thought about their driving times back home.

My story:

Having the physics discussion in the relaxed atmosphere of Sunday breakfast seemed to work well. I had given some thought to how to make my physics presentation work without a blackboard or projector. To better explain some of the concepts, I held up paper sheets on which I had printed diagrams and the rope equation. And there was some show and tell with real gear.

I got a chance to learn more about flagging from the strong and elegant Elaina Arenz-Smith. She gave me valuable suggestions for practicing my movements in the gym. But I was bummed that the storm never hit Seneca Rocks and I kept thinking that I’d have loved for us to be multi-pitch climbing, instead.

On the way home, the car of one of the Pittsburgh groups broke down between Seneca Rocks and Elkins. We all pulled over to help move their gear into other cars and figured out new car pools. Luckily the tow truck did not take long to show up.

Reflections, thoughts, and food for thought:

We were noticed. Seneca Rocks had never before seen such a large number of women ascending the rocks and partying in town!

Everything at the 1^st Seneca Summit was offered free of charge! The women who came were merely asked to pitch in some money to defer the cost of the group campsite.

Many participants were interested in clinics. Perhaps this was in part due to the bad weather, although it seemed to me that some women had a penchant for taking classes rather than for experimenting and learning on their own.

Owing to the nature of the forest service’s permit for guiding at Seneca Rocks, it was not possible for Seneca Rocks Climbing School to offer clinics on the rock itself. A nearby cliff outside of forest service lands might be the way to go for group clinics.

While not asking for registration and a fee made things easy administratively, and while we did break even on the first Summit, it might nevertheless be appropriate in the future to ask the participants to pay a small fee to cover event expenses.

There was an overwhelming amount of positive feedback that we should have another Seneca Summit in 2011, and possibly turning this into an annual event.

Diane hoped that we would be able to keep the organization simple so we would not get burned out on this first event. This would keep us motivated to organize it again. And maybe we would start a grass roots effort, whereby different women would lead the programming and assume the organizational responsibilities every year.

As they say...and the rest is history. The Second Seneca Summit just went down last weekend!

End of Season at Seneca

2010-10-27T20:47:00.000-05:00

Shooting Star

Living without reason

Climbing every season

Adding knowledge to the tomes

Photons dancing on my screen

Galaxies from another time

On my mind

But then

Outside, sunlight, trees and rocks,

Leading, focus, inner peace,

Skills no higher purpose served,

Friendship and companionship

Climbing every season

Living is the reason

Physics for Climbers: Chapter 1

2010-08-20T21:27:00.000-05:00

Placing Pro Clinic Fundraiser

2010-07-14T16:20:00.000-05:00

Participants of our Escape the Belay Clinic Fundraiser for the Mike Brown Expedition Grant fund of the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh expressed a strong preference that we teach a clinic on placing pro. Sam Taggart and I had initially said this would not be possible since our weekly club outing’s climbing location, McConnells Mills State Park, is not a trad climbing crag. But after a bit of scouting around in the two weeks after our first clinic, we did discover some areas just upstream of Sunshine Wall with a couple of cracks that take a variety of pro.

The clinic we offered on July 13, 2010 had three parts. The first part was a lecture / discussion session about the physics of placing pro. I started it by asking the participants to take a close look at a couple of nuts and cams of various sizes and to tell us what their strength rating is in units of kilo Newton (kN).

This led us to the first talking point, “Will this piece of gear hold me?” I asked everyone to calculate their weight, due to their mass and the gravitational acceleration on Earth, in kN. The answers unanimously were numbers below 1kN, around ¾ of a kN or so. This was well below the rating of even the smallest nut we looked at (4kN). We inferred this means that you can clip directly to even the smallest piece and it will not break under the load of your weight. The next situation we considered was having a rope clipped to the piece, and the climber sitting on the piece with the belay on. This introduced the pulley effect, which doubles the force at the piece. The resulting force was still only between 1 and 2kN, well below the rating of the smallest piece of gear that I carry (but potentially above what someone else has on their rack). The conclusion we drew was that most of the pieces would be OK to hangdog on or be lowered off of with a rope. The third scenario involved falling on the piece. We first discussed why we lead climb on a dynamic rope, and how it is the stretching of the rope which cushions our impact. In response to a question I digressed a bit into of how hard it is to say whether a certain fall will kill you or not, since it depends very much on which part of your body is impacted, and on the properties of the object that you hit. To assess falling on a piece of gear, I next introduced the equation for impact force and read off some examples of the forces for varying fall factors. (I also assumed as given a UIAA standard rope that allows for a 12kN impact force for a climber weighting 80kg). This exercise demonstrated that even small fall factors can generate forces on a piece that exceed its strength rating. We discussed the implications of the fall factor on strategies for how to space out our gear after we leave the belay, and along a route.

The second talking point I had prepared was, “Will the gear hold in the rock?” I spoke a little bit about contact forces, friction, and how the load of a piece is distributed to the rock that it is sitting in. Most importantly, using a simple demonstration, we saw that when we insert a piece into rock and expect it to stay there, the rocks must have the ability to push back onto the piece without breaking. This has implications for the macro- and micro-structure of the rock that should be considered in making a gear placement.

Finally, to segue into the practical aspect of the clinic, I introduced the acronym ROCS for assessing gear placements, and what kind of gear is best placed in what kind of rock geometry (V-shaped constrictions, pods, horizontals, etc).

The second part of the clinic was “U place pro.” Everyone swarmed out with either their own racks, or mini-racks we had assembled from our gear. The cracks Sam and I had found were concentrated in two separate areas, so half the class went to the first and the other half to the second one. I asked everyone to place as many nuts and cams as possible, and to make sure to place both, nuts and cams. Some people worked alone, others worked in teams of two, and there was immediately a lot of discussion about rock quality, features, and what piece should be tried.

The last part of the clinic was the critique. For this, Sam walked around and looked at and tugged on each and every piece, told us if he would take a fall on that piece, and invited discussion about the placement and its potential
improvements from all the participants. After we had looked at all the placements, there was actually enough time to have a second round of placing pro. Participants swapped areas and we repeated the placing and critiquing steps. Sam ended up having to use a flashlight to evaluate the placements; it was quickly getting dark on this overcast summer evening.

The group decamped to the Log Cabin, where Sam and I fielded additional questions over dinner. With seven participants, this clinic raised $35 for the Mike Brown Expedition Grant fund. And it was a lot of fun, as always, to talk with a group of enthusiastic climbers about the topic we all love.

Escape the Belay Clinic Fundraiser

2010-06-30T17:09:00.002-05:00

The new Mike Brown Expedition Grant fund of the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh will enable a few explorers every year to have the adventure of their dreams. At the June general meeting of the club, it was hotly debated how additional monies should be raised to sustain the expedition grant in future years. One of the ideas that was mentioned was to teach clinics for donations.

At our next climbing outing to the Mills, Sam Taggart and I were discussing how much we both love teaching. That evening I just happened to be practicing to escape the belay, while Sam offered to play my injured climber. The idea was born: we thought that we could put together an "escape the belay" clinic as a fundraiser. If successful, we would come up with a few other topics throughout the summer, and with the money raised, we could help beef up our new expedition fund.

We finalized our lesson plan over the weekend, sent it out with an invitation and a suggested donation of $5 per person on the listserve on Monday, and stood ready to teach the clinic yesterday evening (6/29/10). We had no idea how many people would show... We ended up with a satisfyingly sizable crowd!

The scenario we adopted was the following: You and your climbing partner are top roping. You are belaying off of your harness, and you are anchored in. Imagine your climber’s foot gets stuck in a crack, and s/he can neither climb up, nor be lowered down. What do you do? You need to “escape the belay” to provide assistance or to call for help.

To start off the clinic, Sam and I partnered up for a demonstration of the entire procedure. In the interest of the limited amount of time available, I had suggested to do a simplified version which involved the Mule hitch with and Overhand tie off (MO) as the only new knot participants would have to master. Both the belay rope and the Prussik sling would be clipped back into the anchor with a locker. Sam preferred and demonstrated a more advanced scenario, in which the belay rope and the Prussik cord were attached to the lockers with the Munter-Mule-Overhand (MMO) knot. After the demonstration, participants used strands of rope to practice their MOs. Then it was time for everybody to partner up and run through the complete procedure. There was a buzz of excitement in the air when people were being tied off, even just a few feet off the deck. Some participants practiced my simple version, some moved on to work with Sam on the advanced version. The clinic only stopped when it became too dark to carry on.

The good news: 11 participants raised $55 for the Mike Brown Expedition Grant fund.

Thank you everybody for participating, for donating money, and for making this such a fun and educational evening. Suggestions for future clinics included: learning to lead, placing pro, more rescue material. We will give that some thought. Say tuned to your ECP listserve for the announcement of our next clinic.

I've Been Working on the Trailroad

2010-04-19T12:04:00.035-05:00

People have different reactions when I tell them about the project to improve the climber access trail to the Lower Slabs at Seneca Rocks in which I got involved last year as a crew leader. Most are very supportive and say this is a good thing. Some climbers feel that an improved trail will make the Lower Slabs more popular resulting in increased crowds of topropers who might get in the way of lead climbers, and they feel that is not a good thing.

The trail is designed specifically for climbers to access the Lower Slabs area in a safer and more environmentally friendly manner.

Environmentally friendly
* Climbers have made several trails to the Lower Slabs over time, cutting across from the hiking trail that leads to the observation deck over to the Lower Slabs crag in many different ways, regardless of the ground features and the vegetation. Water running down, rather than across these social trails causes erosion of the hill side. The new trail is designed to help manage erosion.
* The terrain below Scuttle and Discrepancy is extremely steep, with a hill slope of 80%, and has sparse vegetation. With every climber scrambling up to these climbs, the ground below the climbs is eroded away further. New switchbacks leading up from Scuttle to Discrepancy will help stabilize this area. A staging area across the base from Discrepancy will allow climbers not engaged in climbing to prepare gear and rest, out of the way of climbers currently on the face; this will further lessen the disturbance of the steep hill slope, and increase safety.

Safer
* The new trail has better footing than the old trails. Should we ever have to carry out an injured climber from the Lower Slabs area; the better footing on the trail will help us get our injured friend down more quickly.
* Part of the work on the new trail entails eliminating all the other social trails that have been established in this area over time. The discontinued trails are being camouflaged with brush cuttings, leaf litter, and other materials so that they blend in with the surrounding landscape. Having just one clearly identifiable access trail will help any emergency personnel to find the Lower Slabs area more quickly should we ever need to call them for help to evacuate an injured climber. These are just two important ways in which the new trail will improve climber safety.

How I got involved. I believe these efforts will ultimately benefit climbers at Seneca Rocks, and so I got involved in the project in October 2009, during the end-of-season Chili Cook-Off. Diane Kearns, co-owner of the Gendarme, and Ken Dzaack, of Canaan Valley Institute, a contractor hired by Friends of Seneca to design the new trail, presented the project to the climbing community. The idea is that while Friends of Seneca paid to have the trail design done, it is up to climber volunteers to implement the project and build the actual trail. To facilitate this process, Ken Dzaack briefed a small number of volunteer crew leaders early in the spring of 2010. The crew leaders will then explain the project and help an increasing number of volunteers during three trail work weekends to build the new trail and discontinue the social trails.

I signed up right away to be trained as a crew leader. I was excited by the prospect of becoming more involved with a climbing area that has given me so much pleasure and pain. I was also lured by the prospect of learning a new, manual skill. Being an academic, I do very little work with my hands other than typing on the computer keyboard; I thought it might be good for me to try my hand at trail construction instead.

The crew leader training took place on March 21, 2010. It was an amazingly beautiful early-season day at Seneca. Twelve of us, climbers and non-climbers, locals and people from hundreds of miles away, came together to learn about the project. The morning was very cold, and we crammed into the Gendarme with coffee and cinnamon rolls provided by Diane, for an about 2 hour briefing by Ken Dzaack on the fundamentals of trail building, which included a vocabulary sheet and the infamous “forest service typicals,” drawings of US Forest Service recommended trail profiles, as well as a good dose of “Ken’s rules.” After that, we followed Ken and Jeff “the Forest Service guy” to the parking lot at the start of the north face trail, to pick up the tools which the Forest Service is providing for the project. I thought a hammer is a hammer is a hammer…not. Who knew that there are at least six different types of hammer?! After picking out a tool, we had to practice our “tailgate talk.” This is the briefing that the crew leader gives to the crew about the goals and safety concerns of the day’s work, and includes such nifty terms as the “blood circle.” Ken and Jeff then led us up to the start of the climber access trail. We first walked it together, to gain an overview of the entire project and understand what kind of work we should do where.

After that, we broke into three teams, and went to work. It took me all day to build an about one foot high and one foot wide piece of a retaining wall, made out of stones I found along the trail, with Ken and Arthur Kearns supervising and correcting me on and off. I got so involved in my project that the day seemed to end all too soon. The crew leaders returned to the Gendarme for libations, and a Mexican dinner cooked by Diane. It had become clear that each of us has different experience and skill with manual labor. For my part, I could not see myself directing the work needed for building the switchbacks or the landing. But I thought I might be able to work with other volunteers on the more gentle slopes of the 500 feet of trail before you get to Scuttle.

Since we got our crew leader training done on Saturday we did not need to work on Sunday which had been set aside as a rain day. On Sunday then I actually got to climb! With no crowds, Mark “Indy” Kochte and I headed for Skyline Traverse. I had long since wanted to lead the “scary” pitch 2 of the route, but there is almost always a long line for this route on weekends. That Sunday, I finally got her done!

April 10 & 11 was the first trail work weekend with volunteers. My crew included two fellow ECPers, Toni Price and Phil Sidel, plus Phil Hodge, a climber friend from Baltimore. Once again we were blessed with a sunny weekend. But it was still very cold, especially over night.

Toni, Phil and I shared a ride to Seneca on Friday, and arrived early enough to have daylight left. Toni and I headed up to the Lower Slabs because I wanted to review the design document and figure out which stations we should work on, and which tools we would need to take for those jobs. Of course we also took a rope and some webbing, and set up a toprope on Scuttle. It had been 44F downtown Seneca when we headed up for the Lower Slabs. As the afternoon progressed, it seemed to grow steadily colder, and the wind picked up. Nevertheless, Toni and I got a couple of burns in on Scuttle, before we decamped for food and warmth, joining up with Phil for our first Front Porch pizza of the season. It was too frosty to sit on the porch itself; we actually grabbed the table next to the restaurant’s only heater.

Saturday started with hot coffee and banana bread at the Gendarme. Three crews of volunteers were formed, and we headed to the parking lot for the tailgate talks and to pick up our tools from the Forest Service. The day was very beautiful. Redbuds were bursting into bloom all around us, and our spirits were high. Toni Price carried a saw, to remove a small tree in the section of trail we were going to work on, and promptly went to work with it as soon as we arrived at our station. Phil Sidel spent three hours with the sledge hammer, turning big rocks into little rocks for filler material. This earned him a new nickname; we now call him “The Crusher.” Remember that when you next see him! Phil Hodge and I tried to build a step down, using rocks and the filler. I say tried because although we got it done on Saturday, Jeff the Forest Service guy tore it down on Sunday, showing us how we had ignored some important trail building fundamentals.

Trail work is not without danger. Toni and Phil Hodge were moving a large rock into place late that afternoon, when they slipped and got their fingers wedged in. Phil’s looked bad right away, like his thumb would turn into a balloon in no time. He headed down to town to ice it. Not far behind him, we spent Saturday evening in front of the Gendarme. The day had warmed up nicely and we were able to decompress and exchange trail stories over well-earned beers. Diane came through once again with a Cajun dinner for all.

Sunday morning, after loading up on coffee and coffee cake at the Gendarme, we headed up to the Lower Slabs once again. Phil’s finger, thankfully, was not too swollen or bruised to keep him from joining us. We continued to build a set of retaining walls, and consulted with Jeff on a difficult section of the trail for which Ken’s design calls for the addition of four steps. Once again the day flew by all too quickly. A sweaty, exhausted, and happy crew returned to the Front Porch for a final joint meal before heading off into different directions.

Reflections. Working on the trail has been a humbling experience for me. It turned out to be a lot harder to build a sustainable trail of all natural materials than I would have thought. I feel good though; I have learned a lot, and I get much joy from imagining that our retaining walls will still be there a hundred years from now. Well, at least I hope they’ll still be there when I return for more trail work in July. The camaraderie of the volunteers was so worth the sweat and aches and bruises, and the hard work felt really good for the soul.

Please, consider volunteering. There are two more trail work weekends coming up, set for July 10 & 11, and September 25 & 26. Please, come and join us. If you cannot do the trail work weekends, there will be opportunities to give to Friends of Seneca during the Cinco the Mayo Party in May and the end of season Chili Cook-Off in October. Another way to help is to purchase the Seneca Rocks 2011 calendar. I have made a wall calendar from my photographs of Seneca Rocks to help raise funds for Friends of Seneca. Calendars make great birthday presents and Holiday gifts. I will have some on hand at future ECP general meetings, and you can also purchase them on the internet.

Friends of Seneca Lower Slabs Trail Work Weekends

2010-03-22T21:46:00.055-05:00

Like tools? Love getting dirty? Enjoy giving back to the climbing community? Then consider volunteering for the Friends of Seneca Lower Slabs project. The goals of the project are:

Increase the safety of the climber trail
Correct erosion problems on the trail and in the areas below the routes, and prevent future problems
Develop one designated climber trail to the Lower Slabs
Limit the disturbance created by the project to preserve the experience.

Seneca Rocks is best known as a multi-pitch trad crag. The Lower Slabs area features several single-pitch trad routes which are also top-ropeable. It is a popular site for groups with a range of climbing experiences.

The Lower Slabs project began in August 2009, after the USDA Forest Service started planning trail construction and the development of a viewing area along the Lower Slabs access trail formerly used primarily by climbers. This trail is a branch off the popular hiking trail that leads to the observation deck on the North Peak. The Forest Service will develop this branch into a wider and more accessible trail that ends in a new viewing area of the rocks for the public. The end of this spur and the start of the new climber access trail to the Lower Slabs climbing area will be clearly marked by a “Climbers Only” sign, similar to the sign posted at the observation deck which warns hikers to not proceed to the climbs off the North Peak-East Face.

Friends of Seneca, an all volunteer organization, will reconstruct the 600 feet of climber trail, with a 100 feet elevation gain, leading from the far side of the new Forest Service observation area to the Lower Slabs climbing area. The climber trail will meet the slabs near “Scuttle.” A series of switchbacks will be put in place to facilitate the ascent of the 80% slope that leads from “Scuttle” to “Discrepancy.” Across from “Discrepancy,” the design, provided by Ken Dzaack of Canaan Valley Institute, calls for the construction of an 80-square-feet landing that can be used as a staging area for the climbs.

On March 20, Dzaack trained a dozen crew leader volunteers. Three crews, staffed by the crew leaders and a small number of volunteers, will be kicking off the work on April 10-11, and continue to work with a growing pool of volunteers on the weekends of July 10-11 and September 25-26.

Get involved! Volunteers are still needed for the trail work weekends. Please, stop by or contact Seneca Rocks Climbing School located in the Gendarme climbing shop. Ask or leave a message for Diane Kearns, co-owner of the Gendarme/SRCS, who is coordinating the project.

Resource documents
Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook (pdf file)
Lower Slabs Trail Design for Friends of Seneca (pdf file)

How to volunteer
Contact Diane Kearns at the Gendarme/SRCS.

What to bring for trail work weekends
Trail work is done using native materials, rocks and stones and trees. You need to wear appropriate clothing to protect yourself. Bring your own lunch and water. The Forest Service will provide the tools. Work will proceed in good weather conditions, only.

Necessities: Boots, helmet, heavy gloves, safety glasses.

Friends of Seneca will help defer the cost of camping and Diane Kearns will provide a breakfast for the volunteers. Please contact Diane Kearns at the Gendarme/SRCS; she will put you on the mailing list for the trail work weekends.

Who are the Friends of Seneca
Friends of Seneca is an all volunteer organization that maintains the climber access trails and rescue caches at Seneca Rocks. The Friends Seneca website is seneca-rocks.com/srcs_site/information/friendsofseneca.html .

Support Friends of Seneca

If you cannot participate in the trail work, you can help by buying the Seneca Rocks 2011 calendar.

One Tough Mixed Line

2010-02-01T16:28:00.005-06:00

After the warm spell the 3^rd week of January, temps were finally falling below freezing once again last week. In addition, two ultra cold nights held the promise of the ice’s return for the weekend.

Dr. Bob and I headed out on Saturday, not quite sure where to climb. We debated in the car heading down the turnpike. Tim was not going to join us, but he gave us some ideas about the shape the ice was in. Bob stubbornly rejected my plea to check on the easy gullies (if I’m ever leading ice again it will certainly be a gully) … SCII was not a good choice for a Saturday … Meadows might be too crowded … although much of the ECP would be at Kinzu. I suggested we should try Irishtown given that I hadn’t been there yet this season. Bob agreed, since he hadn’t been there in quite some time either.

Naturally, we stopped at the Valley Dairy, where, just like last ice season, the staff now recognizes us as regulars and we are able to order without looking at the menus. No answer from Rayman, whom we called to see if he was interested in breakfast. A heap of pancakes, French toast and oink oink later, we wracked our brains trying to remember just how to get to Irishtown (in view of life over 50 and the troubling memory losses we have both been experiencing of late). Triumph over aging…our combined memories served; and we recognized the pull off when we got there. We were surprised by a big, brand new house on Twin Oak Road, and we also noticed quite an amount of logging on the upper cliff.

There had clearly been a lot of ice at Irishtown earlier in the month, given the refrigerator-sized chunks lying around near the cave. The ice which was left/re-formed had a very pretty, blue color, but it was not attached and there wasn’t enough of it to climb. After debating whether to relocate to the Meadows, we headed to the upper section to at least take a look.

There was plenty of ice all along the upper section. But on any given possible line, there was either ice at the bottom but not at the top, or there was ice at the top and not at the bottom. We saw one line which had clearly been picked on this season. The ice was about shoulder wide at the top. The bottom half, however, only had a very narrow column of ice on the right, and what looked like some fairly easy rock to the left. We decided this was our best bet: do a mixed start, and then transfer into the true ice-climb for the top section. Only problem with the bottom … the rock was behind the ice of course, and with both tools in the ice and the crampons on the rock, you got into an overhanging situation. It was quite hard to pull yourself up and into the ice, but we were on toprope, so we kept at it.

We each did two runs on the line, then took a break to drink some tea and practiced placing ice screws. It was not worth moving the rope, and we’d just run up the same line for a third time. “You know,” Bob said, “I’m losing my memory so fast that after this cup of tea the line will seem like a whole new climb!” See. Just goes to show that aging can have a positive effect on your climbing enjoyment.

My second run was the best of the day. I really styled it, with a heel hook on the rock, a drop knee transfer onto the ice ledge. Cool! I got hit by some ice that cut my face, which I did not notice until that tell-tale iron taste in my mouth. Bob took my picture. Wounded on one tough mixed line … but styling it, yeah! My third run was not quite a strong; also, the ice in the top section had worn off considerably from our previous runs. After his third burn on the line, Bob topped out to break down the rigging. Inspection of our tools and crampons showed noticeable wear from the dry-tooling. We, too, were pretty beat. Overhanging ice has its moments…

On the way home, we stopped by Exkursion because Bob wanted to buy the new Sabretooth crampons. Lucky for me, Fred was there, giving me an opportunity to brag about my accomplishments and show off my bloody face to him.

Another good day on the ice! I’m still feeling sore two days later… This must have been a V-ish line.

Photo credit: Bob Coblentz

Goodbye tree, hello ice!

2010-01-13T18:25:00.035-06:00

December was the month of in between. Our fabulous rock season ended in November. December came, but ice did not. We swung our tools at the tree in Shenley park in anticipation. Then, on January 1st, the temperatures dropped below the freezing mark, where they stayed for 11 days. Finally, last weekend, we had lots of climbable ICE.

Saturday got very busy at the three ice flows at the Meadows which were in good. There was a lot of climbers from the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh, other Pittsburgh and Ohiopyle climbers, even a group from Maryland. Action at the Meadows included Sam's leader fall. This was the first time I experienced someone falling on an ice lead. All of his three screws held. Sam is fine!

Sunday up on the ridge the snow was hip deep, and, at 4F, the ice was very hard. Laura asked me if I ever wanted to lead on ice. I actually did one ice lead once, a 2+ at Thunder Bay. Before I got on the climb I made everyone there promise that if I did one ice lead they'd get forever off my back about leading ice. So there you have it, don't ask me again, I am just too scared! Toproing steep ice is just fine with me...

From the many pictures that I took last weekend, I assembled my first movie.

Check it out!

Another rewarding experience on the drive back home to Pittsburgh on Sunday night was that we saw a sun pillar. This is only the second time I've seen one. My first sighting of this phenomenon was on that ice climbing trip to Thunder Bay. Sun pillars occur when the sun is low in the sky and its light reflects off of ice crystals in the Earth's atmosphere. That gives you another visual of just how cold it was on Sunday! I did not have my camera handy in the car. The picture to the left is from the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, where you can read more about this photograph of a sun pillar.

Ohiopyle State Park: A Trip Report for the ECP Newsletter

2009-11-12T10:07:00.005-06:00

End of Season at Seneca

2009-10-22T18:59:00.010-05:00

Snowflakes

Falling
into the rock passing the spirits of the lost climbers.

On my mind
falling
snowflakes.

Leadership Lessons from the Death Zone

2009-10-01T14:30:00.005-05:00

A Review of Chris Warner and Don Schmincke’s High-Altitude Leadership: What the World’s Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success, Jossey-Bass, 2008

Climbing mountains is not a sport; it is a lifestyle. I am convinced of this because I am a rock climber myself. The peaks I have scaled are tiny compared to Mt. Everest. I have climbed no higher than a few thousand feet, never above the 26,000 feet mark that hails the beginning of the death zone. And lasting a few days at most, in such wild places as West Virginia, my climbing trips hardly merit being called expeditions. Yet I have had many epic and insightful adventures leading teams of students on these smaller-scale pursuits. They have provided me with a rich backdrop for reflection on leadership. When I saw the title “High-Altitude Leadership,” I knew I had to read it.

“An expedition is a journey of physical, emotional, and intellectual brutality that kicks the crap out of you and in which the opportunity for things going wrong is built into the formula. [] Seeking high altitude leadership also promises to kick the crap out of you,” the authors tell us in the introduction. This book is a collaboration between mountaineer, entrepreneur, and owner of Earth Treks, Chris Warner, and climber, author, and founder of The SAGA Leadership Institute, Don Schmincke. The two men share experiences in the areas of climbing and entrepreneurship, and after meeting on a climbing expedition, they discover that “the dynamics of mountaineering provide tailor-made metaphors for business challenges.” Warner and Schmincke team up to eventually deliver this transdisciplinary book about business leadership intensified by working in the death zone. They define high altitude leaders as “those who lead themselves and their teams to produce peak performance in the face of extreme challenges by overcoming the dangers not foreseen or addressed by current, pop leadership theory.”

The key lessons of this book derive from “the dangers.” There are eight; and they are each exposed in separate chapters that include case studies, survival tips and key learnings. Warner and Schmincke start from the obvious truth that “dangers threaten every leader at some point in their journey.” The significance of these eight dangers of leading is that they magnify as leaders climb higher, either up the mountain or up the corporate ladder. A leader who deals with these key dangers effectively practices high altitude leadership. The eight dangers which high altitude leaders must face are: fear of death, selfishness, tool seduction, arrogance, lone heroism, cowardice, comfort, and gravity.

Fear of death causes a leader’s mind to freeze up. When that happens, the leader is unable to take decisive action. Death is the ultimate danger to mountaineers. In the business world, death is not (usually) physical. Rather, it occurs with the demise of a great idea, a plan, a career. Or it means company bankruptcy. Fear of death can be conquered; the way to do so is by embracing it. The acceptance of death, as one possible outcome of a leadership action, frees and empowers a leader for innovation, decisiveness and action.

Selfishness is the egocentric leader behavior that can politically poison a team. Think withholding information, playing favorites, or protecting sacred cow projects. Warner and Schmincke discuss the dangerous, unproductive, dysfunctional (DUD) conditions that exist in companies as a result of selfish behavior. They tell leaders to purge selfishness from themselves and from their team. This is a tall order. The recommended strategy for filling it is by creating passion in followers through the telling a compelling saga. The saga unifies, because it provides the team with something worth fighting for, to “die” for. And thus it increases productivity.

Tool seduction addresses the question, “are you using your tools, or are they using you?” This chapter exposes the high failure rate of implementing management fads, usually when tools replace the deeper work of adaptation to change. Leaders who successfully avert tool seduction can put their energies into planning for the unknown, and continuously adapt to changing conditions.

Arrogance is apparent when leaders have so high an opinion of themselves that it will kill them. They fall into the metaphorical crevasse; or they get backstabbed by their followers. “Arrogant leaders ignore warnings on mountains and in boardrooms.” They endanger themselves and their teams. The cure for a leader that is infected by arrogance is humility. But can an arrogant leader truly learn to become humble? Warner and Schmincke think so, and provide some strategies. Humility makes it possible to admit to mistakes and failures, to learn from them, and to commit to a path of continuous improvement.

Lone heroism is in evidence when a leader uses the mantra: “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” Lone heroism causes weak teams, low accountability, misaligned direction, demoralization, and hostages; and the resulting damage can be extensive. The remedy for lone heroism is partnership. Warner and Schmincke assert, “There are no more messianic leaders. The few who came before aren’t interested in working for your corporation. You’ll have to settle for creating powerful partnerships.”

Cowardice encapsulates a leader’s risk-avoidance behavior. Cowardice propels leaders to seek safety instead of peak performance. The counterforce to cowardice is bravery. Warner and Schmincke believe bravery can be instilled by shame, but comment that shaming people is no longer politically correct. They deride current managerial practices because they coddle followers and do not get the job done. High latitude leaders tell the truth and walk the talk.

Comfort leads to stagnation, and vice versa. Yet “great achievements sometimes require enduring extreme discomfort.” Thus Warner and Schmincke caution, “Don’t lead if you lack the willingness to be uncomfortable.” Their high altitude leaders are not seduced by the status quo. Rather, they inspire their teams to move onward and upward even when that path is downright unpleasant. This requires perseverance, combined with a good sense for when to retreat, rethink, and return to face the challenge another day.

Gravity is the last of the dangers; it has the capacity to kill a leader who did everything right. Gravity simply exists. Just like bad luck. It is a metaphor for environmental variables a leader cannot control. The only countermeasure for gravity is good luck. While a leader can sometimes get lucky by chance, luck can also be created through several proven techniques. A leader can maximize chance opportunities by being open to new experiences, or by following a gut instinct. Another method is to visualize a positive outcome.

In the final chapter of their book, Warner and Schmincke dare any aspiring high altitude leaders to ask themselves: “When have I laid it all on the line to make my dream come true?” They encourage the reader to consider the final lesson, “that high altitude leaders don’t seek to conquer the great goals; these are the results of their conquering themselves.”

The strength of this book is in the combination of mountaineering sagas told by Warner, with observations of corporate America recounted by Schmincke. Death is the key to making the book such a seductively good read. The stories told by Warner are sensationally dramatic case studies of decision-making in high altitude climbing teams. They are compelling not only because they are educational, but because they are vivid, engrossing accounts of his personal experiences of leadership and followership under the highest of stakes. I gobbled them up with morbid fascination. The examples woven in by Schmincke are expositions of similarly extreme corporate environments that he encountered in his consulting practice. I am less familiar with his arena, and thought the business examples were less powerful than the mountaineering ones. Yet the lessons that the authors derive form this amalgamation resonate well with me, perhaps because many of them are familiar from the leadership literature. By examining them from the extreme perspective of high altitude leadership, the authors make such well-known leadership and management themes as passion, failure, adaptive change, continuous improvement, and perseverance, fresh and relevant once again. The taste of adventure they gave me, combined with their direct, tell-it-as-it-is writing style, had me finish this book in record time. I came away from it not as much with new knowledge or skill, but with a feeling – a sense of being invigorated and ready to take on new leadership challenges. After all, climbing is not a sport; it is a lifestyle, and so is leadership.

Credits: The image of Chris Warner and Don Schmincke’s book jacket was downloaded from http://highaltitudeleadership.com/.

Christine L. Dvonch edited the manuscript for English.

Note: This manuscript has been submitted to Integral Leadership Review. The article appeared here: Integral Leadership Review, Volume IX, No.5

Taking the AMGA's SPI Course

2009-09-26T13:47:00.039-05:00

What is the difference between a pizza and a professional guide? The pizza feeds a family of four.

This joke, told to us by Patrick Weaver, our instructor, briefly lightened the mood during our morning hike on day two of the American Mountain Guide Association’s Single-Pitch Instructor course. Mostly, the atmosphere of the course was very serious. Many of the scenarios in the course revolve around something going wrong, and a rescue. The guide’s job is to anticipate what could possibly go wrong, assess the risk, act responsibly and with the safety and enjoyment of the clients in mind, and be skilled in rescue techniques. I experienced the course as extremely intense—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Two weeks later, I am still digesting the mountain of information that was packed into the course.

The SPI Course

The SPI three-day training course is the first step to becoming a professional climbing guide. The second step is a two-day assessment, aka, the exam. The three-day course curriculum covers 19 sessions. They are listed in the AGMA SPI 2009 program manual, which was part of the course materials. For each session, the manual also provides the goals, required equipment, and a rationale. The session topics are:

Session 1: SPI and AMGA Program Overview
Session 2: Professionalism
Session 3: Equipment
Session 4: Knots and Hitches
Session 5: Belaying
Session 6: Protection and Anchoring
Session 7: Teaching Skills
Session 8: Selecting the Climbing Site
Session 9: Site Organization and Group Management
Session 10: Base-Managed Sites
Session 11: Assistance Skills— Base-Managed Sites
Session 12: Programming and Risk Management
Session 13: Instructor Demo Lead Climb
Session 14: Top-Managed Sites
Session 15: Lowering
Session 16: Assistance Skills—Top-Managed Sites
Session 17: Rappelling
Session 18: Climbing Movement
Session 19: Review Session

Experiencing the SPI Course

I had become interested in the course because I am increasingly taking students climbing. Taking students from the University of Pittsburgh and the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh climbing has been a good experience for me. I have learned so much every time I have led a rope team. However, I am also very aware of the mistakes I have made. Some of them are etched into my memory because of their great potential for disaster. It is true that field experience provides tremendous opportunity for learning. However, how should we structure our learning so that it does not occur at the expense of those who trust us as their guides and teachers?

After several years of learning from friends and from experience, it had become time for me to contrast my knowledge with some kind of standard. I was also curious about what it entails to be a professional climbing guide. Talking throughout the season with Diane Kearns of The Gendarme and Seneca Rocks Climbing School, and Tom Cecil of Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides, I decided the SPI course was what I needed. Luckily I had enough experience, in terms of years climbing and the number of traditional routes I have led, to fulfill the pre-requisites for taking the course. Before I’ll be able to proceed to the assessment, however, I will have to lead a lot more routes at 5.6 and above; and that has given me an incentive this season to try harder to break into that grade.

Patrick Weaver owns Appalachian Mountain Institute, and usually guides and teaches in North Carolina or Kentucky. Because several climbers from the east coast had expressed an interest in the SPI course, Diane Kearns had facilitated bringing Patrick to Seneca Rocks to teach the course. This was an advantage for us students because we would be able to learn in a familiar environment.

After several months of planning, I finally drove to Seneca on the evening of September 11, 2009.

Day One

I began my day with cappuccino and a delicious quiche and an impromptu lesson from Tom Cecil at the Ground Up. Tony Barnes was away for a trip, and I was surprised to be served breakfast by Tom, who was assisted by Gina. While brewing my coffee, Tom inquired what I was up to this weekend. A good question, since I was by myself, and trad climbers usually come in pairs. I told him that I was taking the SPI course. I also shared that I had spend the previous day in front of my computer practicing the Munter Mule knot, which I knew I would need but continued to have trouble with. While I was eating my breakfast, Tom disappeared into the climbing gym and returned with a short rope and a carabiner. He clipped the carabiner to the armrest of my chair and asked me to tie a Munter Mule. I did manage to get one done, but what the computer animation did not show were the variation and reasons Tom proceeded to demonstrate for me. Thus my learning experience got off to a good start.

After breakfast, I headed over to the Gendarme, where I had a chance to briefly catch up with Diane. Her big news was that Arthur had been injured in a motorcycle accident and was wheel-chair bound. What a shock this must be for couple who so enjoys being physically active. I also met the course instructor, Patrick, and the three other students, John, Jonathan, and Sean.

Every day of the course, we had lecture sessions outside of the Gendarme. Every day we hiked to the rocks for applied lessons, with increasing amounts of gear. Patrick did not teach the sessions strictly in the order they are listed above. Thus, on the first day, we learned about equipment, protection, selecting the climbing site, top-managed sites, and lowering.

My favorite lesson was the lesson on equipment. Patrick had brought a big bag full of old gear, and asked us to each grab five pieces and tell him what, if anything, was wrong with them. I will never again pocket a piece of booty without carefully looking for the signs of wear and tear I learned about during this session. I also successfully, meaning to AMGA standards, built a gear anchor with a cordelette in a location that Patrick chose for me.

The first day of the course was quite cold and windy. Temperatures on the Lowers Slabs probably only reached into the fifties. And while I usually like colder temperatures for climbing, the temperatures had still been in the eighties in Pittsburgh. This sudden change perhaps contributed to draining my energy as the day went on. And the overwhelming amount of information and my attempts to translate them into practice most definitely wore me down. I felt like a student again, rather than the master! At the end of the day, Patrick did start into the assistance skills for top-managed sites, but called it a day when he noticed how exhausted we had become after the ten hours we had been studying and practicing in the cold wind.

We retired to the front porch for some well deserved pizza and beer. And we enjoyed the companionship of other climbers who had been out on the rock climbing that day.

Day Two

On day two we started even earlier than on the first day to make up for not completing enough material on the first day. We met at 7:45 am in front of the Gendarme, and did not return until about 7 pm, making for an eleven-hour-long study day. We did our practical sessions on the Lower Slabs again, in slightly warmer temperatures and less wind. I did not feel quite the same amount of mental overload and fatigue than the day before. Many of the topics we covered were more familiar to me: knots and hitches, belaying, teaching skills, base-managed sites, including the required assistance skills. Patrick also got to do his instructor demo lead climb, on “Scuttle”. We watched him jealously, since this weekend did not include any climbing for us.

I did bugger up one of my assignments that day. I was to build a top-rope anchor with a static rope…but the rope we had picked up in the Gendarme was shorter than it should have been, the rock above the route was rotten and did not take pro, one tree was too close to the edge, and the other, off-center from the climb. With enough time and gear I would have been able to rig an anchor, but trying to use the techniques I had just learned in a situation that was not straightforward, I was so slow that Patrick eventually took over. On the third day, he did demonstrate to us that he can build an anchor with a 100 foot static in just three minutes. That was quite impressive and gives me the gold standard for efficient performance that I can now strive for.

In another exercise, I had to rescue Sean, who pretended to be stuck about 15 feet up a route. I had to take over the belay from his belayer, ascend the rope to Sean, than bring him down with me. I got it all done, which was satisfying. Yet I did not do it well enough. Sean descended by about 3 feet during my rescue. If he had had a foot stuck in a crack for instance, I would have broken it during my rescue. More practice is needed on this scenario as well…

The evening was fun and grew quite late because after class was over, we decided to head to Hellbender, a Mexican restaurant in Davis. Patrick volunteered to drive and loaded all of us into his van. We spent the ride decompressing by talking more climbing, and dinner stuffing ourselves with monster-sized, tasty burritos.

Day Three

On the third day, we hiked up to Luncheon Ledge. I rejoiced, because I had to build another top-rope anchor to make up for my failure from the day before, and the place Patrick chose for me was right at the bottom of Old Ladies, a route I am quite familiar with. My anchor, part traditional, part tree, went up quickly enough, and my gear placements were pronounced bomber. So far so good.

Next, Jonathan and I were assigned to set up a releasable rappel. Unfortunately, we had both forgotten the set-up that Patrick had shown us at the end of day one, and we rigged a regular rappel. Patrick quizzed us for a while to jog our memory about the releasable rappel, but quickly realized we were drawing a blank. It was quite frustrating to me that I couldn’t reproduce something I had just learned two days ago. But then again, I told myself, I’d only seen it done once. I found this set-up particularly confusing because it involves three ropes. Basically, there is rope everywhere you look, and it is critical to do steps in the right order and to keep the area around the master point well organized. Patrick showed us how to rig this scenario once again, and we accomplished to do it by ourselves shortly thereafter. Jonathan and I also both successfully practiced the releasable rappel scenario with back-up belay by the guide on a second rope, which assumed that our client had become stuck on rappel.

While working through our lessons on Luncheon Ledge, we saw Tom Cecil getting ready and then lead up “Crack of Dawn”. That was a treat and a diversion. (For the record, Patrick did not watch Tom climb so as not to spoil his opportunity for an onsight of this route.)

My favorite lesson of the day was the one on climbing movement. Patrick had clearly put a lot of thought into the lesson plan, and he had good demonstrations to make his points. At about 4 pm, we headed back to the Gendarme for final lessons on SPI and AMGA programs, and professionalism.

The ten-hour day ended with a private, personal skills assessment of each of us by the instructor. (If you are, or have ever been Catholic, think confessional….). I appreciated the opportunity to talk about what I had learned, and what I self-assessed I have yet to learn. Patrick provided me with valuable feedback. He also emailed me a few days after the course feedback in writing on an AMGA candidate evaluation form; I understand that it will become part of my AMGA record.

After we had sorted our gear, and exchanged email addresses, it was time to part ways.

Reflections

The course required more stamina and concentration than I had expected. I woke up on the second day thinking I must really love climbing if I am putting myself through this strenuous experience. The course felt more like a review course for the exam than a training course to me. The AMGA materials had been quite explicit that this was not going to be a belay course, not an anchor course, and not a knots course. Instead, proficiency in these areas was expected of the course participants. That was clear to me and I felt knowledgeable in these areas. But there is still so much more to learn, and the pre-existing knowledge and skill of us four course participants was quite different. Some of the lessons learned on the SPI course carry over into my life as a professor and educator. Now I appreciate once again the difference between a professor, who has had a lifetime to grapple with ideas and concepts, and a student learning about them for the very first time. And then we profs like to throw new combinations of problems at students on the exam…and act surprised when they can’t put it all together. I realized it is plain hard to repeat a new skill correctly on the first try, even harder to integrate a brand-new skill into a variation of the original scenario. I must have known this back in the day. How could I forget.

The course is no substitute for experience. There are many skills that I will begin to incorporate into my climbing repertoire. I hope that by practicing them and experiencing them in many different situations, I will become efficient at executing them even under pressure. An important lesson that I am now aware of is to always take in the big picture of a situation. I am usually good at that, but as pressure on me increases, my focus narrows and this is when I start to make mistakes. Better mastery of the technical skills will free up some of my brain power for the task of maintaining the big picture.

The course sets a high standard for professional certification. I came to understand why guiding is sometimes also referred to as rockcraft. I also learned that the difference between a climber and a professional guide is this: Climbers carry a guidebook, professional guides carry a notebook. If you are planning to take this course, be prepared to take plenty of notes and photos. This is especially important since the technical section of the SPI course manual is not very extensive or detailed.

The course emphasizes leadership and managerial skills. I enjoy contemplating these in great detail in my current role as instructor in an academic leadership seminar. The SPI course was a good fit to what I already know, and gave me new perspectives and insights on informed consent, group management, and risk management.

Will I take the exam? I don’t know. After a lifetime of taking exams in academia, you’d think I’d be used to taking exams. But on the contrary, I’ve sort of grown averse to them. On the other hand, if I truly master all of the material, the exam should be a breeze for me, and I should go for it on principal. I just haven’t been able to make up my mind about it. And then there is the issue of leading more 5.6s on gear. Perhaps next season…

Photo credit: The photo of the Munter Muler on my harness was taken by John; Jonathan took the one of me lowering.

Seneca Shadows Amphitheater Back in Use

2009-08-04T13:40:00.007-05:00

For more than five years, the amphitheater in Seneca Shadows campground had fallen into disrepair, left to migrating weeds, mold, and mouse droppings. That changed this summer, when Seneca Rocks Discovery Center director Steve Kickert, aided by local business leaders such as Diane Kearns, co-owner of The Gendarme Climbing Shop, and other activists, rolled up their sleeves, rehabbed the facility, and put on weekly programming free and open to the public.

I attended Diane Kearns’s talk titled “History and How To’s of Climbing Seneca” on Saturday, August 1. Diane took us through an engaging narrative of the climbing history at Seneca, starting with the legend of Princess Snowbird, continuing with the first climbers who made documented ascents of the north and south peaks, onwards to the story of the piton pegging climbing soldiers of the 1940s, and an account of the last climb of the fallen Gendarme. Along the way, she also explained the origins of traditional climbing, which is now the dominant form of climbing at Seneca, and how it was adopted by Seneca climbers. Diane finished with a brief memorial of Seneca climber Paul Geyer, who died in a car accident, and whose wife, Gigi, had donated the funds for the amphitheater to honor Paul.

Diane’s presentation was attended by about 30 people, most of them visiting Seneca Rocks for camping, with a few climbers sprinkled in. Her talk really came to life through the many, decades-old pictures that she had digitized. If you have any pictures of Seneca Rocks from decades past, please, stop by the Gendarme next time you’re at Seneca and share them with Diane.

There are a couple more events coming up throughout the rest of the summer:

8/15 Geology of the Seneca Rocks and Spruce Knob Areas (by Jim van Gundy)
8/22 Beyond the Trailhead, a program about the Monongahela National Forest
8/29 Climbing – From Seneca to Yosemite (by Seneca Rocks Mt. Guides climbers)
9/05 Keith and Joan Pitzer in concert

If you happen to be at Seneca on one of these weekends, check them out!

(For the 8/2009 Explorer, the newsletter of the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh)

Pilot Mountain: A Trip Report for the ECP Newsletter

2009-07-07T09:45:00.007-05:00

Another Rock Goddess in the Making

2009-06-18T16:52:00.000-05:00

There’s nothing like a good student! Karen Nenno turned in a stellar performance on her Rock Climbing School post-graduation trip with the Explorer’s Club of Pittsburgh. I was particularly pleased with her attention to the climb and her commitment to our team, because I think these qualities will serve her very well not only in her climbing career, but also as a future graduate student in Pitt’s School of Pharmacy.

Day 1

Our trip to Seneca Rocks began on June 12. Shane Shinn and I shared a pleasant drive together from Pittsburgh, full of conversation about the climbs to come, and the evening’s Penguin’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. T’was the night of the 7th and last game in the 2009 Stanley Cup finals…

We arrived just as the game was about to start. I dropped Shane in the camp ground and went to check on the TV channels in my room at Yokkum’s, only to discover that NBC wasn’t among them. Tom Cecil came to our rescue. Seneca Rocks Mountaineering Guides kindly stayed open late for the Pittsburgh crowd, and we were able to watch the Penguin’s win. What a perfect beginning to a phenomenal weekend!

With more leaders, experienced seconds, and students still arriving, or not, team assignments continued to change. I was happy to learn that Debbie Stango, who is an accomplished rock climber, had agreed to be my second. We heard that Karen was to be our student, and made plans to meet at 8 am to start climbing before the rain, forecast to arrive around noon, would possibly prevent us from summiting.

The women’s team left the parking lot at 9 am. Our plan was ambitious. Climb all four pitches of “Young Ladies”, summit, do a double rope rappel to “Broadway Ledge”, climb “East Face to Gunsight Notch” for another good view of the valley, rappel off “Banana” to reach the start of “Old Man’s”, then do three pitches and rappel off “Front C” and “Le Gourmet” back to “Luncheon Ledge”. This would give us 8 pitches, all easy, and a circumnavigation of the south peak. Plus, if Karen was to run out of stamina, or the weather was to turn on us, we had several options to discontinue the project and get back to the ground.

We made excellent time on the first two pitches of “Young Ladies”. Things were going well and the team was in excellent form. Karen climbed well, had no trouble with the exposure at the end of pitch 1, or with her “piggy-in-the-middle job” of swapping the orange rope, tied to me, for the purple rope, tied to Debbie. We contemplated if Debbie should take pitch 3 as her lead. She was hesitant because she had never climbed the route before, and instead, contemplated to lead the first pitch of “Old Man’s”, which she had seconded on a previous trip, later in the day. While we were discussing this, it started to sprinkle. So it was quickly decided that I should continue to lead the route before the rain would make it slippery. The rain stopped when we got up on the “Summit Ledge”. That was relief, because we could continue with our plan to summit and then climb some more. Our team made the summit around 12:30 pm.

It is often crowded at Seneca Rocks on weekends, and so it was no surprise that we ran into other climbers on the summit. Jennifer Nottage and Stas Edel, part of Indy’s CCC group, had come up on “Gunsight to South Peak”.
Our teams exchanged cameras to take respective group pictures on the summit. We also tried in vain to reach Phil, who was taking everyone’s picture with a telescope from the parking lot, on the walkie talkie – we figured he might have gone on lunch break. We were later told that while we were able to hear conversations on channel 5.8, the ECP’s channel for the day, our radios, set to channel 5, probably did not transmit on the subchannel. Oh well.
I belayed Debbie and Karen down from the summit. I must confess I still dread the downclimb from the summit without a rope above me, which was to be my job as the leader. But Stas shared that he has no problem with the downclimb and offered me and Jennifer a belay on his rope if he could use my anchor. That seemed like a good plan to me, and we put it in action.

Debbie, Karen, and I then set up the double-rope rappel off the “Young Ladies” rappel tree. All went very well on the rappel, and the team continued to be in good sprits, ready to push on for the Gunsight Notch.

The crowd we ran into there was unbelievable! Three teams of three were lined up to climb “Gunsight to South Peak”. My usual anchor spot was taken and I had to build an anchor somewhere else. Plus our team had to cross through the path of the other teams to reach the rappel tree. After some chatting and climbing over each other and sorting out crossed legs, arms and ropes, our team was on the tree ready to descend. Only to discover that another team of two was trying to climb up to the Notch right under our tree. Because their leader had already started up, we waited, and then Debbie and Karen descended. I waited again, to let the second of said team climb up, then rappelled to join our team.

We scrambled over to the start of “Old Man’s”, and Debbie geared up to do her first lead at Seneca. The wall above us was very crowded, with numerous teams rappelling on “West Pole”, “Conn’s West”, and “Old Man’s”. And there were other climbers at the start of “Old Man’s”; fortunately, they did not want to climb “our” route. We took our second serious delay here. Plus, it was late afternoon, we were in the sunshine now, and Karen and I both drank our last water. Debbie still had a half bottle of drink left, which we left with her pack at the bottom of the route to be consumed later.

Debbie led us up the first pitch with confidence and grace. Congratulations on your first Seneca lead, Deb! Once I joined her and Karen at the belay, I noticed how exhausted I was becoming. I requested of both my team mates to make extra sure that we were all going to double-check each other for the rest of our climb, impressing on them that I did not want any mistakes to happen because I was feeling tired. Since the ropes were stacked for me to take the next lead, I set off. As soon as I went up, there was a possible epic developing with another, rappelling team, and Debbie, who was belaying me, got involved helping them figure out as to where the end of their rope was – not on the ledge where it needed to be. Possibly owing to my tiredness, or because all of the rappelling conversations were getting to me – two teams were descending right next to me on “Conn’s West” now, I tried to place my large gold cam in a place where it didn’t belong. Strangely, two of the lobes engaged in what seemed like a split second, before I could draw it back out of the crack I’d inserted it in. The cam was seriously overcammed! I tried to remove it for a while, but, having to use my left hand, which I had injured just days before in the climbing gym, I couldn’t get it out. I told Debbie that I had parked the piece and was hoping she’d try to get it out when she was on the pitch. Indeed, Debbie, having just learned from Ron Edwards how to use her nut tool to get out a stuck cam, successfully got my piece out. Great job, cleaning lady extraordinaire!!!

We once again encountered other climbers on the “Old Man’s” ledge. Stas, whom we had met on the summit, had picked up a new partner and they were getting on a route off the ledge that looked quite difficult. Knowing about the potential for congestion in this area of the rock, our team had planned not to do the last pitches of “Old Man’s”, thus avoiding what is usually a traffic jam on the rappel that goes by that very name. We’d do the “Front C” rappel instead. Because I was feeling very tired now, Debbie decided she would take the sharp end and lead us over to the “Front C” rappel tree. I thought it was less than 90 feet to the tree, and suggested we pack up the second rope. After Debbie had reached the tree, she began to belay Karen over, but…Karen could not quite get to Debbie with the amount of rope she had. Given that this portion of the climb is a traverse on a big ledge, I proposed that I would start to simul-climb until Karen reached Debbie. I traversed for only a short distance when Karen reached the anchor. Debbie then belayed me over the rest of the way. Glad that worked out!

We rappelled from the “Front C” tree to the “Le Gourmet” anchors. Karen had continued to be very alert and made it a point to check me at every turn just as I had requested. She still had energy left, because when it was time to set up the rappel on the “Le Gourmet” anchors, she requested she be allowed to do it for practice. I asked that she talk out loud about what she was doing so that Debbie and I would know her thought processes. She set up the rappel like the confident and take charge kind of person I learned that day that she is!

Debbie went first, and gave a fireman’s belay to Karen. I suggested that Karen should give me a fireman’s on this last rappel, while Debbie would go to retrieve her backpack with the remaining drink in it. I was seriously thirsty… This also gave me another “teachable moment” with Karen, since I asked her to arrest me on the fireman’s close to the bottom of the rappel. See, it really does work! But Karen had probably already learned that in Rock School.

Karen and I were pulling the rope when a distraught Debbie came back with her backpack. She told us her pack had been open and all the contents strewn about. Could it have been an animal? The real mystery was that a biner and a cordelette that were not hers had been clipped to her pack… Thankfully whoever was in her stuff did not drink those precious last sips from her bottle. Newly refreshed, we started to head down the “stairmaster”. We arrived in the parking lot at 7 pm. This made it exactly 10 hours since we had started our Seneca expedition.

Another highlight was yet to come: a dip in the swimming hole! What a blast. We made it to the Front Porch restaurant just in time to get some pizza. Food tastes so good when you are really hungry!

After dinner I swung by the CCC, who was mostly already asleep. But Indy was still up and about and had the telescope trained on Saturn. I got to look, and to talk off his ear as I decompressed about my day’s adventures and talked about my options for Sunday’s climbs to him.

The ECP’s campsite was still very lively when I stopped there later that night. We talked about the Penguins and climbing, and smoked some victory cigarillos. What a super great day!

Day 2

Sunday got off to a slightly slower start. After another nice breakfast at the “Ground Up” with Cappuccino and climbing talk served up by Tony Barnes, I headed over to the ECP’s campsite to try and figure out the plan for the day. After lots of chatting, and swapping climbing partners around, our team for the day would consist of Shane Shinn, Debbie Stango, and I. We ended up climbing Rox Salt (Shane’s lead). Here, Debbie again showed us her superior ability to clean when I couldn’t get one of the nuts out as I followed Shane. We also did Really Flakey (Shane’s lead) and then toproped an unnamed climb in between the two. After my ascent of that climb, I traversed over to the “Unrelenting Verticality” anchors and put our rope on it. Debbie toproped it, and Shane toproped it also, as well as a variation to the right. I did not, since it seemed it was going to be too hard of a climb on my left hand. After that, we headed over to “Lichen or Leave It”. Our thought of toproping that climb if the team ahead of us would put our rope up on it was shut down when the second of that team was stung by a wasp and reported there were many wasps in the crack. Indeed, a wasp was buzzing around the bottom of the climb also and crawled into my rope coil. We ended up doing “Roux” (my very pleasant lead); and Shane also led “Bear’s Delight” as the second pitch.

A Technical Lesson Learned

My story would not be complete if I did not include that we had a long discussion with Tom Cecil about the anchor Shane set up on “Really Flakey”. This was an anchor that Shane and I discussed, and agreed on. Atop of “Really Flakey” are two bolts. When Shane got there, he whipped out his cordelette. I suggested that he could just use two quick draws, since he carries some on his rack. But Shane said he would build a normal trad anchor. That was fine with me, too.

Then Tom’s team arrived and they started to climb on “Rox Salt”. When Tom got up the climb and saw our anchor, he immediately requested our attention. Having had decades of climbing experience, and experience as a mountain guide and expert accident witness, Tom had this to say. He judged that Shane’s cordelette was not 7 mm thick. He explained 7 mm is the new industry standard for anchor cordelettes. Shane was quite surprised, having just bought said cordelette brand new from a well know climbing store in Fayetteville. There, he was told that the cordelette he had purchased was 6 mm thick and was good to use for a trad anchor. Tom disagreed, pointing to the need for a 7 mm, instead of a 6 mm, cordelette. He also thought the cordelette Shane was using looked not even 6 mm in thickness. He urged us to measure the cordelette’s thickness ourselves. Our team concluded that we should go to our Pittsburgh climbing store, Exkursion, for that, and to ask them to help identify what brand and make of cordelette Shane had acquired. This will hopefully settle issue number one.

The second issue Tom took with our anchor was that we had used only one locking carabiner. We ended up having a very long discussion about that with him. My thinking was yes, when we toprope we always use two lockers in the anchor. But when we trad lead, we always only use one locker. At least that is how I was taught, and what I have also read in the literature. How, then, does the difference come about? I had never really thought about it. Tom explained that the difference was in the supervision of the biner. When you belay someone off your trad anchor, you are right there and you can see what the biner is doing, hence one biner is OK in this situation. When you toprope, you cannot see the biner. It may be hitting the rocks in some funny way as the climber ascends the rope, thereby unscrewing itself, potentially placing the climber at great risk.

Live and learn – or better put, learn and live to climb another day. To sum up this conversation and the lesson learned here – unsupervised anchor, MUST use two biners.

Leadership Reflections

Before we can aspire to lead others, we must be able to manage ourselves. Peter Drucker wrote about this topic in his 1999 article for Harvard Business Review: “Success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves – their strengths, their values, and how they best perform”. I believe this to be true. I have worked through managing myself many times as a family member, a friend, an astrophysicist, professor, higher-education administrator, and as leader of climbing teams. Karen taught me the importance of self-management once again on this trip.

The risks involved in multi-pitch, traditional climbing put great responsibility on all members of a rope team. Many a novice climber approaches climbing quite casually, as a fun and thrilling recreational outdoor activity. And it is certainly all that. But there are risks. It is implicitly understood that the leader and the experienced second bear the responsibly for the climb; they manage the risk. Students get to enjoy and experience what it is like, the exposure of being high up on the rock, the physical and technical and emotional issues that come up on a project that is bigger and more committing than anything they have experienced in their previous climbing outings. Beyond acting exactly as instructed, they are not expected to share in the responsibility of the climb.

Karen not only carried on as instructed, she paid deliberate attention to what Debbie and I were doing. She was always alert and focused on the climb. She actively participated in the many decisions we had to make during the day, and was willing to articulate her understanding and viewpoints, despite the fact that she was the junior member of our team. This allowed us to have real team discussions of our decision processes. I very much enjoyed climbing with a student who is committed, courageous, caring, and most importantly to me, serious about and with the brain engaged in what she is doing.

Karen managed herself outstandingly. And in doing so, she helped our team complete the most pitches of all ECP teams climbing that day at Seneca Rocks!

And Phil got a summit shot of us after all!

Photo credit of Seneca pictures: Jennifer Nottage, Phil Breidenbach. Sid Crosby’s picture grabbed off the web.

Passion and Perseverance, or How I Led My First 5.10a

2009-06-18T16:48:00.000-05:00

“Perseverance is nine tenths of mastering any sport”, says Kim Catrall playing the skating coach of talented physics high-school senior and impassioned figure skater Michelle Trachtenberg in Disney’s 2005 movie “Ice Princess”. I like the movie… and the quote rings very true.

Eight and a half years into my climbing career I finally lead a 5.10a sport route. This is the kind of climbing level attainable by most “weekend warriors” who train over a period of more than a few years, less if you are talented and young. Up until the 1960s, the difficulty scale for rock climbs, which starts at 5.0, was closed, ending with 5.9. In the decades that followed grades went up to 5.10 and beyond (currently up to 5.16). This is attributed to advances in equipment, the advent of climbing gyms, and improvements in training methods.

Just last fall, I led my first 5.9 sport climb. I hung on every bolt, but I got it done. I had not expected to pinkpoint a 5.10a by Memorial Day weekend.

Leslie Evans, Greg Zamule and I had planned a climbing trip to “somewhere” for the weekend. It turned out that a group of climbers from the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh were headed for the Red River Gorge. This is one of my favorite places since it offers climbs in the lower grades side by side with very hard routes. Driving to the Red ahead of the ECP group, Leslie stayed in cell-phone contact with Ron Edwards, so that we would be able to meet up with them the next day. We agreed to climb in Muir Valley. Ron’s ECP group would leave the campground by 7 am. OK then. Coming from a motel in Campton, Leslie, Greg and I pulled in to the parking lot at Muir at 7:45 am. Surprisingly, ours was the only car there. Where was Ron?

We hiked in to the area we were planning to climb first, thinking Ron’s party would be close behind us. Greg led a pumpy 5.7, “Glory and Consequence”. Some warm up. While Leslie and I were toproping it, other people started to walk in. Every time we heard someone approaching the crag, Leslie, video camera in hand, was poised to film the arrival of Ron and the ECP crew. But, no such luck. People came and went, but where was Ron???!!!

Another lonesome climber walked up…not Ron, either, but a climber named Bram from Lexington. One climber doesn’t make a climbing team?! Bram said he was there to meet Judith Scanlion, another Pittsburgh climber with the ECP group. No Ron and no Judith either…so Bram paired up with me, and asked me what I wanted to climb.

There is a 5.10a on this wall, “Dynabolt Gold”, 70 feet, 7 bolts. It has always looked to me like I should be able to climb it. Yet, two years ago, when I had first attempted to toprope it, I couldn’t pull the crux move. At that time I had also tried to go around the crux on the left, but I couldn’t climb it that way, either. I remembered how frustrating that was, having a climb look so doable yet being so un-doable. Today seemed like the day to try it once again.

Bram led up quickly; clearly, a 5.10a lead was no problem for him. When it was my time to toprope it, and I got dumbfounded by the crux once again, he advised me not to break too far to the left in trying to avoid the crux, as I had done before. That worked! I got past that section climbing it just a little to the left of the crux, and made it almost all the way to the top before I had to take a hang because I got too pumped.

The cliff was getting more and more crowded. Bram wanted to do some harder stuff, and I belayed him on that, then I went back and did the 5.7 again. The ECPers finally arrived. Now many routes got taken. So, when it was my time to climb again, I decided to do “Dynabolt Gold” one more time. On this go, my goals were a) to pull straight through the crux without breaking left, and b) to finish the climb without hanging on the rope by finding enough rest positions on it. Bram was a super coach, talking to me along the climb and reminding me of possible rest spots as I made a clean ascent.

I was very pleased with myself and all smiles when I touched back down. Bram immediately said, “You get a half hour’s rest, and then you’re going to lead it”. I sort of immediately went into shock. I know the theory, if you can climb it, you can lead it. But 5.10a seemed to be so far above anything I had led before. All I could say was, “No, no, no, no, no way….”. Bram kept talking, and I started rationalizing. I had just toproped the climb twice, once without any hangs; I never fell. Maybe this was indeed the day for me to lead it. Bram suggested he’d put the draws back up, making it a tad easier for me because I wouldn’t need to muster the extra strength to clip the quickdraws to the bolts; all I’d have to do would be clip my rope in. As he did climb the route again, he kept talking, pointing out the moves, and where I had previously rested, so I would remember. Meanwhile I was actually getting more and more nervous.

When I had tied in to the sharp end of the rope, Bram asked if I liked talking or if I’d rather climb quietly. An excellent question, that. I rather like it quiet when I lead. Extra talk by my belayer sometimes breaks my concentration. But Bram meant something else entirely from what I thought. He immediately turned around and announced to the entire crag at the top of his voice, “Listen everyone, Regina is going to lead her first 5.10a. Could we have some quiet here for a minute, please?!” Arrgggh. Now everybody was looking at me! And Leslie came rushing over with the camera. Pressure was definitely on.

The start is overhanging and we had pre-clipped the first bolt. I got up on the ledge to my first rest. I was pretty excited, and tried to get my breathing under control. I also noticed that the smell of my sweat had changed. Maybe this is how animals can tell when you’re scared of them?! I took a very long rest, then told Bram I’d just step up to clip the next draw, which is in the crux section, step back down, and regroup before attempting the crux itself. He was with me. After I pulled the crux move and clipped the 3rd draw, I got into my groove. I “almost” forgot that I was on lead, and executed the climb as before on toprope. I made it to the shuts without falling! I cleaned the climb, came back down. I felt exhilarated! Many thanks yet again to Bram for his encouragement, attentive belay, and superior coaching. This was my first 5.10a!

Eight and a half years is a lot of training, you may think.

Serious climbing requires serious training which requires serious life-style adjustments. Thus, what ability I have, I gain from climbing twice a week in the gym. I also climb outside every weekend. I run twice a week to keep my weight down (climbing is a strength-to-weight ratio sport); I do weights to train the antagonist muscles; and I also do yoga for flexibility.

Expert level achievement in pretty much anything takes ten years of deliberate practice. Here are a few of my personal examples of the well-studied “ten year rule”. Astronomy…I knew I loved it when I was 9 years old. It took me another 18 years to achieve expert level, which is a doctorate. Piano…I started lessons when I was 4, and took them for 12 years, but after about the first 2 years my passion was gone, while my mother drove me on. She was right in making me continue, because that taught me another important lesson, discipline, but she was wrong in thinking I’d ever love playing the piano again.

It takes perseverance to achieve expert level in any pursuit. Discipline is definitely one ingredient to perseverance. But there is something else. Something needs to feed that drive to achieve and to maintain the discipline of a decade of deliberate practice.

Passion is the fuel that can motivate us to persevere.

Who knows what climbing is yet to come for me…or maybe I’ll take up figure-skating?

Photo credit: Leslie Evans.

80-50-20

2009-04-11T13:29:00.000-05:00

Regina, Alex, and Phil at the south end of the Summit Ledge

Preparations

The Pitt Outdoors Club had scheduled its spring-term graduation trip for the weekend of April 3-5. We have often been at Seneca Rocks the first weekend in April, and encountered everything from great climbing weather, to rain, and snow. For me this weekend was special. My guidebook indicated that it was the 5-year anniversary of my first ever lead at Seneca, the first pitch of “Old Ladies”. Indy had put me up to it then, and it was great to see him this weekend.

As usual, the week before the trip was filled with advance-planning emails and phone calls. With this being the first trad leading of the season for me, and considering the epic end of the past season, I thought it might be best if I did not take on too much, like lead two students. We concocted a plan by which I would climb with Indy. But Phil was concerned that this way, not enough students would experience a climb to the summit. So, although he had not planned to come on the trip at all, good sport that he is, he offered to join me as my experienced second. I thought this was a fantastic offer, since Phil is a fixture in the Pittsburgh climbing community and I had never had the opportunity to climb with him before. He is also a former colleague at Pitt. Having him on my team gave me enough confidence to lead with one student.

The day before the climb brought another big concern: winds were predicted to gust up to 44 mph on Saturday. I figured my main issues would be communication and the rappel. I am most familiar going down through the Traffic Jam and rappel with two ropes. It was clear that throwing the ropes would be an issue. Thankfully, my climbing sensei, Dr. Bob, was willing to give some phone advice, and we discussed possible solutions.

I drove down to Seneca Friday afternoon and met with Indy for dinner at the Front Porch. It rained heavily on and off on the ride from Pittsburgh; the rain stopped only just before I entered Seneca Valley. It was not yet windy, and as the evening progressed I was hoping that perhaps the weather system would pass us by. Indy and I had a pleasant dinner, going over more details of Saturday’s climbing plans. We also met up with a large and lively group of Baltimore climbers, and traded stories of past climbs and epics.

Indy had checked Princess Snowbird Campground earlier and reported no Pitt van sightings. This was odd since the first van, slated to leave the Pitt campus at around 2pm, should have been there. At around 9pm we returned to the campsite to check again. A few Pitt students were there; and we also learned that the University had changed its van policy for undergraduate students, no longer allowing them to use the larger passenger vans. Therefore, the large white vans we had been scouting for were not there! As we were chatting around the campfire, the other vehicles from Pitt pulled in, and we were able to find our team mates. I did a short briefing with my student, Alex Dale, an Engineering Physics major, and my second, Phil Sidel. From last term’s experience, Phil and I thought it was important that Alex check out all the gear that he needed from the club the night before our climb. So we mad sure he spoke to Garth Dellinger to get what he needed.

Ascending “Young Ladies”

When we got up Saturday morning there was frost on the cars, and it was clearly windy. The sky was blue and there was promise of a great day of climbing in the air. I was going to meet Indy for breakfast at the 4-U at 8am, but it turned out the restaurant was not yet open for the season. We swung by Tom Cecil’s, and while he was there and we had a nice chat, the chocolate muffins we hoped for were not. Since it was still quite cold, we decided to try the Valley View, which has good food but tends to be slow, oh well. Right after we had ordered, a good dozen of the Pitt students rolled in as well. Phil was with them and joined Indy and me for another discussion of the climbs ahead.

After breakfast, it was time to saddle up. Phil had brought his walkie-talkies; this would solve the communications issues. We put the rack together, loaded up Alex with as much weight as possible considering his youth and good physical condition, and made for the stairmaster. The first surprise was Roy Gap Run creek. It was gushing and the usual crossing stones were under water. We found a better place to cross, than scrambled back to the trail. The approach itself was dry; probably the high wind had dried things out.

Finally we reached the start of the first pitch and it was time to get serious. Phil and I decided to use the ropes in sequence – I would lead, Alex would follow me on the orange rope, unclip it from the pro, and clip in the purple rope for Phil. Phil would follow on purple and clean. After another short briefing on what I wanted to happen on our climb, I called the question “Do we want to do it?” On my mind was the high wind…and we did talk about that. My team felt we should give it a go, and off I went to lead the first pitch.

Getting up the first couple of feet was no problem, although it took me quite some time to place that first piece of the season. Then the climb plateaus and I always sling a little tree there. So far, so good. After that comes a steep section that goes up on the Cockscomb. This is when I became troubled. As I headed up, it was so windy that I had to hang on to the climb for dear life. I wondered how I could free a hand to place pro. I was also thinking that if something were to go wrong, people would probably blame it on very poor judgment on behalf of a crazy woman. I called down to Phil to let him know that it was REALLY WINDY on the pitch. Phil confirmed my call, but didn’t seem overly concerned. Given his vast experience, I felt maybe I was not crazy, just too timid… I decided to wait for a lull in the wind, than I climbed as fast and as far as I possibly could. I got a bomber piece in, and decided to press on. It worked. And as soon as I got onto the East Face, there was no wind at all.

Alex came up next. He climbed very quickly. He seemed delighted when he came to the belay, because he was finally out of the cold wind and basking in the warm sunlight. He also was surprised by the drop-off, realizing that we were already quite high up. Phil arrived next and we did the usual sorting of bodies and gear and re-stacking of ropes to get ready for the second pitch. Phil commented on how little gear I had place on the first pitch, and I told him I had climbed fast when there seemed to be a lull in the wind, also, given last season’s POC climb, that I was trying to wean myself off of too much gear in general to increase speed and safety. I did ensure him that I would protect the 2nd pitch, which entails a traverse, with enough pieces to make everyone comfortable.

I lead the second pitch. All went well. I did one cam placement that I wasn’t sure about. And indeed, when Alex started the pitch, then had to go back to sort something out, that piece was not good for the backward force it took, and it came out. There was still enough pro in the traverse, however. When Phil came over he said he had never before taken the “high” version of the traverse and that he really enjoyed it. I was pleased that he could find a new experience on a climb that he has done so many times before. Now we also began to hear and see other teams who had started their day on the East Face. We crossed path with Carlos’ team.

The 3rd pitch went like a charm. Now we really started to see other teams. Carlos and his two teammates; Mike and his partner. Carlos’ team pressed on for the summit, while we relaxed and Phil got comfy to take a little nap on the Summit Ledge. They returned reporting too much wind to summit. Alex was very curious, however, to scramble up the 4th pitch and to check on conditions at the summit. So off we went to have a look see. Alex got a very good view of the valley below from above the Conn’s West rappel station. I tried to climb up to the summit, but as soon as I came out from behind the west-facing fin, the wind was once again of hang-on-for-dear-life strength. Since the climb to the summit cannot be protected, I decided to abort, and downclimbed. Alex was sad, but I promised him there would be other days and he would summit some other time this season.

When we came back, we were going to rappel off a tree that Carlos had left a sling on. But in the meantime, Vance’s team of three had climbed up and had the tree in use and Mitch’s team of three was lined up behind him. So we put in a stake to be next team after them. Another four climbers had come up on Windy Corner, and decided to use the West Face rappel routes through the Traffic Jam Chimney. However, they pretty soon returned deeming that way too windy.

The guidebook warns of a tree on top of Old Ladies that is no longer safe to rappel off of. But since 9 people had gone off the tree Carlos had picked, and it looked pretty good, plus Carlos had also put a rap ring on the sling, I thought we give that a go. Normally, I like for my second to go first, so s/he can give the student a fireman’s belay, while I make sure that the student starts on rappl correctly. Phil was, however, not familiar with the rappel route, yet very comfortable to supervise Alex on his descent. So we decided that I should go first.

All went well, but instead of the Lower Broadway Ledge, which I had hoped to reach and which Carlos had also thought we would reach with two ropes (note to self, there are bolted anchors on Frosted Flake straight below this tree one can reach with a single rope rappel), we were on Upper Broadway. From Lower Broadway we could have easily hiked off going around the South End. But getting off the Upper Broadway Ledge would be more of a hike. Vance’s team had slung a tree, and offered us to rap down on their ropes. We were pleased with the offer. But the rappel itself, as it turned out, stink!, stank!!, stunk!!! We had to go around trees and through branches and got very scratched up. Working the rope out of some branches, I got a splinter in my hand. And Phil was bleeding quite a bit by the time he was on the ground.

We still had to hike off. It turned out the leaves were about hip high in places, and it was hard to get good footing. I thought I recognized the start of Worrell’s Thicket, where there is a trail, and Alex and I made off in that direction. On hiking over, I saw a plaque that I had not seen before, of a fellow climber who fell to his death off the East Face in 2003.

My team made it out onto the trail in good spirits. A group hug on Roy Gap road sealed our experience for the day.

While waiting for other climbers to show up for dinner, I relaxed in front of the Gendarme with a sixpack. I learned from Ack that the wind had actually reached 50mph! Phil showed up first, and then Indy, and we had a good dinner at the Front Porch trading stories about the day’s climbs.

Because 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, Indy had brought his telescope with him. The sky was dark and crisp. He set up a short distance from the campfire, and the students got a chance to see Saturn, and the open cluster h and chi Persei. Fatigue soon set in, and we decided it was time to call it a day.

Sunday on Totem

Last term, there were no POC students who wanted to climb on Sunday, so Indy and I had made plans to possible climb at the Narrows, closer to home for both of us. But our students were quite ready to head out again in the morning. Nick wanted to lead Candy Corner if Indy belayed him. Phil wanted to visit with Tom and hang out. I felt that Alex and I had had enough climbing time together that I was comfortable for him to belay me on lead. I decided to do the first pitch of Totem, so we could stay together with Indy’s team and see how the day would go.

When we caught up with Indy and Nick, Nick had just started his lead of Candy Corner, and they planned to toprope Ye Gods and Little Fishes when they were done, so Alex and I thought we could jump on that too after Totem. All went very well on our climb of Totem, and we both enjoyed watching Indy and Nick and the Southern Pillar from our vantage point. By the time we got down and done, another three Pitt students had shown up, however, and they were in line for Ye Gods.

I decided it would be fun for Alex to place some gear, and handed him the rack. We made our way over from Totem all the way to Ecstasy. There were 4 teams on Ecstasy, one at the first belay, one starting up, one in line, and one toproping it off to the east side. We had a pleasant chat and I got some beta on Ecstasy from them. By the time Alex and I made it back to Ye Gods, some complicated rope swapping with another team in the Candy Corner anchors was in progress. It did not seem likely that we could get on it.

Indy and I sent Nick and Alex on their way to meet another group that was toproping off the North Peak. We gathered our gear and hiked out. By then, it had grown much later than we had planned. Phil was in the parking lot, waiting for the first van to leave for Pittsburgh. Indy was ready to do some more geocaching, rather than climb at the Narrows. So I offered Phil a ride home to the ‘burgh. Since it was still early in the afternoon, we took a scenic road home that Phil knew very well, rather than take the highways, as I always do. We had a relaxing and very pretty spring drive home, with plenty of good conversation.

Reflections

As I think about this weekend, I cannot help but pit physical ability against experience. Alex, the youngest, was definitely physically the fittest member of our team. But he had no experience with multi-pitch trad climbing. Phil, on the other hand, brought his vast leadership experience to our venture, while the ascent of the stairmaster was clearly a physical strain for him. I was somewhere in the middle, huffing and puffing on the stairmaster to keep up with Alex, not as experienced in leading teams as Phil.
Leading our team from this position made me think of a bowtie, where the leader is the “knot”, the place where a good amount of physical ability connects with a good amount of experience. I do wish very much I had come to climbing earlier in life, so that I could be trad leading for a longer time. But, there is no time like the presence!

Photo credits: Phil Sidel and Mark “Indy” Kochte

Also see Phil's report.

My Second "First Ascent"

2009-03-31T12:52:00.000-05:00

R&R, 5.8
FA: Regina Schulte-Ladbeck and Ray Burnsworth
14 March 2009
Foley's Wall.

The climb is the first line in from the left corner of the wall.

It is always such a delight to image that I was the first person to see and then climb a new line.

Contentment

2009-03-30T19:34:00.001-05:00

Can you see just how content I am feeling with the spring sun on my skin?

The start of this year brought some awesome ice conditions to Western PA. I finally got up some of the local grade IV water ice and I managed to set up toprope on one of the secret cliffs (>100 feet high with big freaking fear factor). Thanks for another good ice season, Dr. Bob, Tim, Laura, and Rayman.

Yet it has been simply wonderful to get back on rock this month. And when do we ever get to rock climb outdoors in PA every weekend in March?! I have also already climbed at the Red, where the photo was taken. Good to climb with you once again, Indy and Michelle. I do so enjoy the easy leads in Muir Valley.

One of the most basic questions in leadership is how to lead ourselves.

A few years back the positive psychology movement has made its way into the leadership literature. A positive ratio of positive-to-negative interactions appears to be a good predictor of how successfully we are leading our public as well as our private lives. This can positively impact the organizations in which we lead. And at the end of the day, the “magic ratio” also determines how we self-rate our productivity and happiness.

One interestingly positive interaction I had this month was meeting an older rock bum at the Red. I have met young ones before, who take time off from school to climb, and, as teens and tweens, don’t seem to mind living out of a tent for a season. But this one was definitely in his thirties. A relaxed and friendly man with a patched up belay jacket who was easy going and fun to talk to, although he seemed to long for a room. This started to make me think: Could I be like that? Seriously, could I ever? Could this be me when I retire?

Astonishingly, I recently found out that while my needs and likes continue to be important in the second half of my life, my wants are starting to recede into being less important than they once were. This I also discovered while climbing. I have been bouldering this month. Did I ever want to go bouldering? I think not. But now that I have, bouldering with new friends has given me a wealth of new positive interactions. Bob R., aka Bunny Bob, you may have started out as the only game in town, but now I rather think you are the best!

Knowing ourselves, our needs and wants and likes, does help us to lead our lives. But sometimes all it takes to be content are tired muscles, a ray of sunshine, and the kindness of our friends.

Talking Leadership

2009-01-05T14:46:00.001-06:00

Trad Team Leadership in Two Dimensions

2008-11-02T13:17:00.000-06:00

As another trad climbing season comes to an end, I am reflecting on the experiences I had this summer leading teams of Pitt graduate and undergraduate students at Seneca Rocks. Even easy routes at Seneca hold much thrill for new climbers. They don't know if they can do the climb. They are dealing with the exposure of being high up on rock for the first time. And they don't know who I am; all they know is that I've volunteered to take them to the top. Well, maybe the fact that I am on the other side of young and that I am a professor grants me an advance of respect.

Traditional climbing, or trad climbing, requires the lead climber to advance by about one rope length, a pitch, while placing removable mechanical pieces and devices into the rock and securing the rope to it. The so-called second belays the lead climber by holding the other end of the rope and feeding it through a belay device with which s/he can break the leader's fall, should one occur. Once the leader completes the pitch, the second climbs and removes the pieces from the rock on the way up. After each pitch, climbing partners tend to swap roles; the second takes the lead on the second pitch of the climb, and the leader of the first pitch becomes the second. This goes on for as many pitches as there are until the summit is reached. Trad climbing partners are in a dyadic peer relationship which allows for role reversals.

Lead climbing on trad gear always has its challenges. While I have trad lead for a number of years, I am a quite recent trad team leader. Being the leader of the climbing team is an enormous challenge. Now there is a third or even fourth person involved in the climb. They have much less experience than the leader or the second. Leading a team is a formidable challenge because the leader is responsible for everything the team does or fails to do.

Teams are small groups composed of members who share the same goals, and who must coordinate their activities to accomplish these goals. I have two goals when I lead students on multi-pitch trad climbs.

First, I want everyone to make it to the summit, and back down to the ground safely.

Second, I want everyone to feel joy and gain a sense of accomplishment from the climb.

What behaviors might be helpful to assist the leader's goals for multi-pitch trad teams?

A useful model to consider in the context of leading rock climbs is Blake and Mouton's Managerial Grid*. The complex realm of possible leader behaviors is reduced to two dimension. The beauty of this two-dimensional approach lies in its simplicity. The leaders' two main concerns are for the task and for the people. Two factors are easy to memorize. And two things are easy enough to strive to improve on, and to remember even under duress.

Task orientation forms the first dimension of the managerial grid. This dimension of behavior involves the leader's concern for accomplishing the task. Task-oriented behaviors that are particularly relevant for effective leadership are planning, clarifying, and monitoring.

Planning begins with visualizing the entire climb beforehand, and deciding what to do, how to do it, who will do what, and when it will be done. This includes contingency planning, the development of procedures for avoiding or coping with potential problems or disasters. Planning is a cognitive ability that takes considerable time, and improves as the leader gains experience from having put plans into action. Planning includes:

> Decide which route to take to the summit.
> Visualize each pitch, its start, cruxes, and anchors.
> Determine how to put together the rope team.
> Identify the desired sequencing of climbers on each pitch, and on the rapel down.
> Estimate the time needed to complete the climb.
> Decide what kind and how much gear and clothing, food and drink supplies to take.
> Determine who will be accountable for each necessary task.
> Determine the timing and deadlines for each pitch, and possible escape plans.

Clarifying is the communication of the goals, the plan, and the roles of each member. The roles carry expectations and responsibilities for each team member. This communication, in the case of leading students for the ECP or POC, begins as the team forms the evening before the climb. It is in part a discussion of everyone's abilities, goals, aspirations, and fears. The leader takes this into account, and then plans for the day's activities with the objective to maximize each team member's potential while taking responsibility for the team's safety. On the day of the climb, I usually conduct an extensive briefing before I start up the fist pitch. I tell the team about the climb in some detail, so that each member can also begin to visualize it. Even a competent and motivated student might fail to perform on a particular climb if confused about the nature of the venture and what is required of each individual. It is important to give specific tasks to each team member, and to explain to each one what competencies and responsibilities are involved. This is the moment when the leader gives trust and confidence to the team. Clarifying involves:

> Talk about the entire climb, and what is involved in its individual pitches.
> Review the objectives for the climb (a) everyone will summit, (b) everybody is going to have a good time.
> Go over the sequencing of the climbers, and who will do what when.
> Delineate the power and responsibility arrangements for the climb.
> Tell each team member what their role is, why, and which tasks this role require.
> Explain how to execute each task, and how it fits the whole.
> Explain the consequences of failure at the task, and how to avoid it.
> Talk about the responsibilities of every team member, emphasizing how there is no turning back on their commitment once the climb starts.
> Go over the formal aspects of the communication on the climb.
> Check for comprehension.

Monitoring involves observing and assisting team members on the climb. It also entails checking the team's progress against the plan. The leader and other experienced team members must also monitor the environment of the climbing situation, such as changes in the weather, or other unexpected occurrences which might have the potential of affecting the climb as initially planned. Monitoring requires:

> Pay attention to the performance and the mental and emotional state of each individual team member.
> Intervene as needed.
> Monitor the team's progress on the climb against the plan.
> Review progress after each pitch, and explain adjustments to the original plan, as needed.
> Scan for environmental climbing hazards, review them with the team.

People orientation is the second dimension of the managerial grid. People-oriented behavior involves leader concern for people and interpersonal relationships. The leader acts in a responsible, confident, friendly, and supportive manner and shows trust in the ability, and concern for the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of team members. This behavior includes treating every member of the team as an equal human being, showing appreciation for their skills and fears, and helping them develop as climbers. In this way, the leader helps to maintain and grow the self efficacy of team members. People-oriented behaviors that are especially relevant for effective leadership are supporting, developing, and recognizing.

Supporting includes showing consideration, acceptance, and trust in each team member as an individual, and being responsive to their needs and feelings. Students who climb with supportive leaders will be more satisfied with their leader and their climb. Supporting behaviors are:

> Be polite and considerate, not superior, arrogant, or rude.
> Show acceptance and positive regard for each team members abilities.
> Treat each team member as an individual.
> Be patient and helpful when giving instruction.
> Provide sympathy and support when the team member is anxious, afraid, or frustrated.
> Express confidence in the team members when there is a difficult task such as a hard climbing move or a threatening situation.
> Provide assistance as needed.

Developing includes coaching to increase team members' skill and confidence. The leader gains a sense of satisfaction from developing less experienced team members. Developing behaviors include:

> Serve as a role model by demonstrating the appropriate behavior.
> Decide when to intervene, and when to allow team members to learn from experience.
> Provide opportunities to learn from experience.
> Help each team member learn how to solve a problem rather than just providing the answer.
> Assist each team member identify relevant strengths and weaknesses.
> Provide constructive feedback about effective and ineffective behaviors.
> Suggest specific things that could improve each climber's performance.
> Demonstrate a better way to complete a task.
> Express confidence the team members can learn to execute the task.
> At the end of the day, have a team debriefing (if the situation permits).

Recognizing the individual team member and the entire team for their accomplishment is a very important aspect in helping new climbers strive to reach their full potential. It is natural for people who successfully embark on a new experience, to want to be praised for it. Recognizing behaviors involve:

> Recognize a team member's successful task execution, or fear management.
> Recognize commendable efforts that failed.
> Provide recognition that is sincere and timely.
> Buy them some beer and pizza at the Front Porch.

Everybody feels a little happier when being recognized. Articulating praise for team members' individual, and for the entire team's collective achievements, is a source of joy and pride for the leader.

In summary, the effective leader of multi-pitch trad teams will strive to be high-high, or 9,9, on both dimensions of the Managerial Grid: task and people. Task orientation is my passion. I love a well thought-out and structured climbing venture. People orientation is my compassion. I feel deeply concerned about every aspect of the safety and well-being of my team members. I am proud when my team members gain self efficacy, the belief in their own ability, from a climb with me. I greatly enjoy when a sense of team spirit develops. I like to see happy faces and proud postures at the end of the day. And I love it best when I see my former students out there again on the rock.

*Much of the writing on leader behavior in this entry was taken, with only slight adaptation, from the following book: Gary Yukl, “Leadership in Organizations”, 2006, 6th edition, Pearson Prentice Hall.

End of Season at Seneca

2008-10-27T11:35:00.001-05:00

Bonfire

The stars
over my head as I breathe in
peace.

What Sustains a Leader When All is Going Wrong?

2008-10-25T14:46:00.000-05:00

With the death of Dr. Amy Stine on October 11, 2008, came the realization that one of us died climbing at Seneca Rocks. This realization is so different from book knowledge, or hearing about another deadly season at Mt. Everest on the news. It is knowledge gained through a lived experience. It's the difference between knowing on the surface, and knowing deep down. It is about how I now feel about leading after I have experienced its consequences through the death of someone I knew.

Last Saturday, a mere week after Amy's death, I returned to Seneca Rocks. I had signed up earlier in the term to lead a team of Pitt undergraduate students from the Pitt Outdoors Club. It was a very difficult experience, because everyone knew about Amy and was anxious, and because a lot went wrong on our climb. Joey, Thalia, Toni, and I, took ten hours and fifteen minutes “door-to-door” to climb “Young Ladies”. And although I learned a lot from this climb, I paid a high price for this new knowledge. I am grateful that we made it down the mountain safely and that all of us were in good spirits at the end of the day. The bonfire at the end-of-season celebration was spectacular under the Milky Way, and the company was vibrant.

Leadership becomes different once death is involved. My teachers Donna, Indy, and Bob, have had experiences of falling, injury, and death, on multi-pitch, trad climbs. They grappled with these difficult issues before me, and they shared their thoughts and feelings with me while I struggled these past weeks with my own thoughts about my short- and long-term future as a lead climber. In the wake of Amy's death, they helped me to return to trad leading. But on my first day out, so much went wrong. Will this experience dishearten me?

What sustains a leader when all is going wrong?

Leadership comes with responsibility. To paraphrase the U.S. Army: The leader is responsible for everything the team does or fails to do.

Sometimes the mountain allows us to see what we already knew with greater clarity. What sustains me as a leader when all goes wrong, is my passion to discharge my leadership responsibility to the best of my ability, and my compassion for the people on my team.

I once backed off from a leadership position when the responsibility for the people in my care became too much for me to bear. Yet as leaders in our professional environments, we are merely responsible for our subordinate's careers or livelihoods. Even that can be a heavy burden.

Leadership on the rocks feels much harder to me now than leading in my other arenas, science and academia. Leadership on the rocks can be the difference between life and death.

PS.

Last week, after the outing with POC, Dr. Peggy Heely, with whom I co-teach the Senior Leadership Seminar at Pitt, asked me to come up with a make-up assignment for students who missed a portion of seminar when the class interviews visiting leaders. After each of our leadership interviews, students are assigned to write a reflective paper to connect one question & answer from the interview to a leadership theory which we read and discussed in class as well as to a personal experience; and they must write about how their new insights from theory and experience will shape their own future as leaders. The internet is a rich resource – and I found that

Sir Chris Bonington has this to say on “What sustains a leader when all is going wrong?”

The Death of Dr. Amy Stine

2008-10-24T17:36:00.000-05:00

On October 11, 2008, my fellow Pittsburgh climber Dr. Amy Stine fell to her death while trad leading Streptococcus (rated 5.9 G) on the North Peak East Face of Seneca Rocks, WV.

The day Amy died was a beautiful fall day. She died doing what she loved, climbing, and she died from her fall instantly.

I had met Amy and her husband Bill, who belayed her on her last climb, through the sport we love. Amy was a joyful climber; and she climbed with much grace. Amy had Bill, who shared her love for climbing. Amy and Bill were out climbing together on many weekends. I remember vividly the pleasure of Bill and Amy's company around the camp fire at Princess Snowbird, where we tell the stories of our rock adventures.

It is almost two weeks later now, and still I struggle with my thoughts and feelings about the accident. Amy was the first climber I personally knew to perish on a climb. While knowing that trad leading has inherent dangers of injury and death, it is quite different experiencing the death of a fellow climber.

Climbing has risks, owing to environmental circumstance as well as human error, but l am quite aware of that at all times. I accept that risk. I manage that risk together with my climbing partners. I feel so alive when my body moves over the rock, when my mind is completely in the very moment, my motions are one with my mind.

When an accident happens, the ones close to us who do not climb raise their voices in concern. Why do you have to do this? Why do you climb?

My dad, an Olympic hopeful in rowing, understands and once articulated so well why I climb. He calls it the Koerpergefuehl, which the web tells me translates to coenesthesia. “Coenesthesia (according to dictionary.com) -- the aggregate of impressions arising from organic sensations that forms the basis of one's awareness of body or bodily state, as the feeling of health, vigor, or lethargy.” I climb because I love the bodily feeling of moving up on rock. But there is more. I love that climbing is complicated enough to completely absorb my thoughts and focus them in the moment and on task; because facing death helps me decide to continue to live. Once, while climbing, I experienced flow. This is something I have only felt climbing.

One of us was taken by the rock. What lessons have I learned from Amy's death?

To lead first and foremost requires that we lead ourselves.

The following options lay before me after Amy's death.
I could discontinue trad leading.
I could discontinue trad climbing.
I could stop to lead.
I could stop to climb.
Last Saturday I went back to Seneca to lead students from the University of Pittsburgh Outdoors Club. It was a very difficult experience. But I found that I had decided.

Knowing that I will continue to trad lead, the leadership questions in front of me now and for the future are different ones. How will I do even better to ensure the safety for all members of my team? How will I continue to bring to the outside the joy I feel on the inside when I climb? How will I do so in spite of all I know, and how will I share both, my knowledge and my joy, with others?

Lessons Learned from Amy:

Climb for life.
Climb for the love of it.
Climb with people you love, and people you want to come to love.
Climb to better understand yourself and others.
Climb safely.
Climb with joy.

Amy's death was sudden. I chose the lyrics below as my death poem for her.

does anybody really know the secret
or the combination for this life
and where they keep it
its kinda sad when u dont know the meanin
but everything happens for a reason (everything happens for a reason)
i dont even know what i should say
cause im an idiot
a loser, microphone abuser
i analyze every second i exist
beatin on my mind every second with my fists

and everybody wanna run (wanna run)
everybody wanna hide from the gun (hide from the gun)
you can take a ride through this life if you want
but you cant take the edge off the knife (no sir)
and now you want your money back (money back)
but your denied cause your brains fried from the sack
and there aint nothin i can do

cause life is a lesson
you learn it when your through

(Excerpt from Limp Bizkit – Take A Look Around. )

My First “First Ascent”

2008-07-15T21:45:00.000-05:00

Trip Report

I have experienced most of my outdoor “firsts” in the company of Dr. Bob, Rayman, and Tim. This year alone, while traipsing through the wilds of Western Pennsylvania with them, I dry-tooled my first rock climb, learned how to cross a raging creek by joining a human tripod, saw my first Hellgrammite, built my first trail, and got a first ascent.

On Sunday, July 6, I made my first ever first ascent. I'd been present for other first ascents, most notably, with Indy at Cumberland, but I never had done one myself. So here goes.

Tim and other local PA activists have recently been climbing on some cliffs off of the Ohiopyle Bike Trail. Rayman, and Tim and Laura, have done most of the development, and have generously shared the new cliffs with us big-city climbers from the 'burgh.

Well, eventually the Park Service noticed the activity. Not that climbing in a PA State Park is illegal. But, they were concerned about the environmental impact of too many climbers accessing the cliffs, in particular as regards erosion.

I understand Tim and Laura had the opportunity to meet with two park rangers. And it turned out that there was a solution with mutual benefit to all. Being a local attraction/vacation destination, with Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater house, ample opportunities for hiking, kayaking, rafting, swimming and biking, a well developed climbing area would have the potential of further positive economic impact on the region.

The Park Service, so I heard, had a geological study done of the cliffs near Bruner Run, where kayakers and rafters take out their boats. The cliffs were deemed pretty solid and devoid of much loose rock, in other words, they were thought good cliffs to climb on by the geologists. The park rangers then flagged a possible access trail to the cliffs which would minimize the erosion of the hillside once large parties of guided climbing parties would begin to climb there.

All the Park Service needed was some local climbers to set up routes, and some volunteers to prepare the trail. So... Tim offered he would get volunteers to put in the trail and the routes and in exchange, the Park Service gave him a key to access the road that leads to the cliff, access to their tool shack (drool), and promised to cover expenses for anchors and bolts. How sweet its that!

Tim, Laura, Dr. Bob, Toni and I headed there on Sunday, armed with tools I had never seen, like a McLoud. Unfortunately, Tiziana, Rupert, and Nick, who tried to join as later, were unable to get to the area.

Tim explained how to make a trail, and we started to play in the mud! We prepped about 75 yards of trail, and engineered a log bridge and several stone stairs. Fun, fun.

Then, finally, it was time to climb. I walked along the cliff and looked at possible routes. Then, Dr. Bob went up to the cliff top and was kind enough to drop a toprope on what was to my mind the easiest route I had seen. I got to climb the line first; Toni belayed. There was some amount of loose rock that I trundled. And so, when I found out that this was indeed a new route and that I would get to name it, the first name that popped into my mind was “Trundlequeen”.

I thought the route should be graded 5.7. It was definitely harder than 5.5 and easier than 5.8. I was not sure whether it should be 5.6 or 5.7. The cliff was quite wet and somewhat dirty, so it might have felt harder to me on that day than it would on a dry day or once the route was cleaned of dirt. On the other hand, the route wanders a bit, and, while all the holds are there, one does have to look around for feet and work things out. Considering also that this is supposed to become an area for teaching new climbers, I thought there was no point in sandbagging this route by calling it a 5.6. A 5.7 grade seemed merited.

Toni, Dr. Bob, and Tim climbed the route as well, to confirm my assessment. Toni and Dr. Bob agreed with my 5.7 rating. Tim thought it could be a 5.6, also, renewing my doubts. But, then Laura chimed in that Tim only climbs very hard grades; and she thought he did not remember what an easy grade ought to feel like. A consensus was finally reached to grade the climb 5.7.

So here it is:

Tundlequeen, 5.7
FA: Regina Schulte-Ladbeck and Toni Price
6 July 2008
Bruner Run Take Out.

Leadership Reflections

Legacy is a strong leadership motivator. We can decided to organize our lives toward the legacy we wish to leave, and act accordingly.

We need witnesses to leave a legacy. Most of the time accomplishing anything in concert with, and to the approval of, others, is hard work. Yet it can also be very rewarding. There are many leaders whose leadership acts have been recorded, and judged. Their names are part of history.

Most of us have the desire and the drive to leave something behind to immortalize our existence. For many of us, having children is our legacy. Our children will remember us, talk about us, and will enact our lessons (so we hope), long after we are gone. As teachers we have many opportunities to influence and guide lives. We are rewarded when we learn that our progeny succeeded to find purpose and happiness through our teachings, and possibly, eventually superseded us. A scientists legacy takes the form of the tomes of knowledge that we produce. Our reward is in the recognition afforded us when other scientists refer to our contributions and build on them. When we publish, we do not perish.

The rocks the Appalachians have been here for 300 Million years. Perhaps they were climbed by many others before us. Though there is no record of the deeds of our forefathers that we know of (other than one purple sling). And so, from now on, let it be known that, with help from Tim and Laura, Dr. Bob, and Toni, I saw and climbed a line at the Bruner Run Take Out cliffs, and that it shall be called “Trundlequeen”.

There is more than one way to leave a legacy.

To Grow List

1. “The legacy you leave is the life you lead”
(Kouzes & Posner, 2006, A Leader's Legacy, ISBN 0787092962)

2. You can realize good things with good planning and preparation;
you can accomplish exceptional things in the company of exceptional people

3. Remember humility.

How to Lead 5.9*

2008-07-14T23:08:00.000-05:00

Trip Report

I led my first 5.9 sports route on Friday, July 4th. It was “Souled Out” at Summersville. I had attempted 5.9 leads in the past, but had not finished an entire route before.

How did I do it? First, I spent much of the 3h drive from Pittsburgh envisioning that I'd lead a 5.9. I also told myself I was ready this season: I had good preparation climbing in the Baltimore gym in April and early May, and did well climbing outdoors and toproping harder grades in May and June. Then, after warming up on Hippie Dreams, where my performance was so-so, I did notice that Souled Out was open, and I decided I wanted to do it.

My main issue with leading above 5.7, really, is fear of falling. This is not an entirely irrational fear, since falling can result in injury. Now, Souled Out has several redeeming features. First off, after the first bolt, it is straight up, even has a small overhang, in the difficult sections. This meant that any potential fall would give me airtime but I wouldn't hit any ledges. Also, I had toproped this climb several times before. I never got it cleanly, but I trusted that I'd be focusing better on lead. So, I set out to do it.

I approached the climb from the ledge, which is about 12 feet off the ground and one can walk onto it from Hippie Dreams. The first bolt is another 12 feet or so above the ledge. Francesca came up to the ledge with me and insisted to stick-clip the first bolt for me. She did, but the when she pulled on the stick, it separated, leaving half of it hanging off the bolt. At this point, quite a few of the other climbers at Orange Oswald gave us doubtful looks... Nevertheless, and quite courageously, Francesca stepped up into the climb a few feet and pulled the stick off the bolt. Then it was time for me to climb.

Michelle put me on belay. I climbed up to the bolt, and sat on it. I sat on it for a very long time, because I just could not see how to get to the second bolt. The bolts at Summersville are quite far apart, 6-8 feet – see fear of falling above. I finally got a sequence worked out and went for it. I got the second bolt to Michelle and Francesca's cheers.

I sat again as soon as I clipped bolt #2. The next bolt was actually not too hard to get to, and I figured out the moves quickly. But then there was this mini overhang in the route. It was not a roof or anything like that, in other words, I thought it would not be hard to pull, and it wasn't. But it was enough of an overhang so that once I moved above it with my upper body, I could no longer see my feet. I spent a long time here, going up, and down, and assessing the possibilities. I finally used my friend Cindy H.'s advice, and put chalk marks on all the possible foot holds – makes them look bigger, she says. I also drew some lines downward from the three best feet so I would be able to find them once I stepped up. The feet I finally chose were to the left of the bolt, and the hand holds I found were to the right of the bolt. So, hands right, feet left, I stepped up. I found a handhold up and left and shifted my weight over my feet. Then I threw my right leg onto the lip of the overhang and cranked, hoping for the best. Well, it worked!

After that, the climb backed off to about a 5.8. Another 2 bolts, and I made the anchors.

Later in the day I also led That Eight, but felt pretty weak on it. I had rained lightly on and off, and water had collected in some of the holds. Or maybe I was just exhausted.

After climbing, Michelle, Francesca and I swam in the lake. It did start to rain in earnest finally, and it was fun to watch the shapes that the rain drops made hitting and dragging tear-shaped droplets back up from the lake surface.

And then Michelle and Francesca bought me some beer and pizza, to celebrate our excellent day together. Michelle and I exchanged our squids; and we are now squid sisters. (You have to ask her about Jose Jalapeño to understand, watching this clip might help you get an idea.) Thanks for your support, guys, and for a great 4^th of July, on a steeek!

* The title of this entry was adapted from the title of Eric Hörst's book “How to Climb 5.12”. His book “Training for Climbing” introduced me to two concepts which have been important to my climbing, sacrifice, and the Law of Practice. I now have to come to know the latter as the “10-year rule” (see “The Expert Mind” by Philip E. Ross in Scientific American, 2006, Vol. 295, No. 2, p. 64). It basically states that deliberate and prolonged practice is important in mastering any field. I also occasionally re-read Arno Ilgners' book “The Rock Warrior's Way”. Both, Eric and Arno, write about how to manage fear, and I continuously draw on their experiences to help me manage my fear of falling. Both point out how visualizing a performance helps achieve it. My successful attempt at leading Souled Out was definitely influenced by this advice. Arno talks about the importance of gathering information (cf. the chapter on Accepting Responsibility). I was able to open my mind to a lot more holds than I would have seen, had I not thought about Arno's insights. And perhaps two summers of trad climbing helped.

Leadership Reflections

Fear can result from taking risks, for ourselves, or with the lives or livelihoods of those whom we are trusted to lead.

Gathering and evaluating information is key in helping us manage risks. A technical risk has odds for which probabilities might be calculable. Many of the risks involved in climbing are technical in nature and can be managed with skill and experience. Yet in leadership, many risks are political. The relationships between people and their different cultures are often complex; the perceptions of an action, however well intentioned, not always predictable. Reading the politics of a situation is a leadership art much more than a leadership science.

All too often, accepting a greater risk holds promises of higher rewards. Risk for some of us, some of the time, can be a thrilling rush. Fear can be the warning sign that keeps us from trying to achieve our goals at a price we should not be willing to pay. This is when to back off may be the better choice.

But sometimes the situation requires us to act in the face of fear. Should we?

“Fear is the mind-killer.”^ In climbing and in leadership, when we fear, we loose clarity of thought. Knowing ourselves is instrumental in helping us to decide when fears are founded in reason, and when phantom fears obstruct our vision. Conquering the fears that stem for our inner dialog may be an ever-lasting battle. But, with deliberate and prolonged practice, we may yet best ourselves one day.

Choosing which action to take, in climbing and in leadership, requires skill, experience, and a calm and clear mind. Some call this wisdom.

To Grow List

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain. ^

^ Herbert, Frank (1965). Dune. ISBN 0-441-17271-7.

Leading Teams for the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh Rock School Graduation Climb 2008

2008-07-10T20:22:00.000-05:00

Trip Report

On June 7 & 8, 2008, I led two teams for the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh Rock School Graduation Climb.

Toni was my second/co-leader. We drove to Seneca together on Friday the 6^th to get ready. Toni had not done any trad climbing yet this season, and we both felt that we should practice multi-pitch trad climbing together before taking on a student.

Upon our arrival, the thermometer on the Front Porch read 98 degrees Fahrenheit. The bad news was that it would stay this hot all weekend. The good news was that it didn't rain for once on a Seneca weekend!!! I particularly liked that, since I am not a happy camper under the best of circumstances, and rain definitely puts a damper on sleeping in at tent for me. No rain was very good.

We decided to warm up (ha) on something on the East Face, since the Sun had come around to the West Face by the time we got going. A fave of ours, since it was the first trad climb we ever led together, is Worrell's Thicket. I led up; then we made our way across the Broadway Ledges together, roping up twice for small, harder sections. I led up East Face to Gunsight Notch, and then after Toni joined me, we belayed each other passed my anchor to the rappel tree on top of Banana for our descent.

On Saturday our student was Jess. I was sure Old Ladies would be the right climb for us. It is easy and not too exposed. After breakfast at the 4U, Toni and I picked up Jess in the campground and off we went. Jess had no trouble walking up the stairmaster and making the scrambles to the start of the first pitch. I took time talking to Jess and Toni before we started, going over what the climb entailed and what we would do, what I expected Jess to do, and how we all would communicate. I would lead the climb on two singles, with Jess tied in on the yellow rope and Toni on the orange rope. Toni would belay me up. Then Jess would come up and unclip her rope, yellow, while leaving orange in the pro for Toni. Toni would climb up last and clean the pitch. We would repeat this procedure on all three pitches of Old Ladies. Jess did a great job and made it to the somewhat exposed belay stance at the end of pitch #1 all smiles. She was telling us about her husband, Jeff, who was on another ECP team, and she hoped he was having a good time.

After copious rope management and switching gear, I headed into the second pitch. It is mostly a traverse, with one move at the start. I usually climb down from the belay station, then place a piece in a flake, and pull that one move into the traverse. This time, I was concerned about protecting the traverse well for Jess, and, after stepping up on the flake, I placed another piece, my green DMM cam, high above the flake. All went well for Jess; she came over to the second belay and continued to be all smiles. Toni, on the other hand, took a lot of time coming over. Since we couldn't see her, and the batteries on our radios had died Friday night, it was not clear what exactly was delaying her. When she finally joined us at the second belay, she told us that she had tried for a very long time, but she just could not get that green cam out. I thought that I might have placed the cam too high for her to reach comfortably, considering she is about a foot smaller than I am (see picture). We knew that there was another ECP team behind us that had queued up for Old Ladies, and we hoped they would see my cam and get it out.

Off we went into the last pitch. Jess got to be surprised when she topped out. Her husband Jeff, who had just made it up the final pitch of Old Man's with his team led by Bill, was waiting to greet her. Oh, romance on the rocks! After a bit of chit chat with the other team and some rest, our team carried on toward the summit, leaving one rope and most gear behind. Then our team happily summited.

This is when major delays started to set in. There were 5 other teams on the summit. Bill's team which included Jeff, and Bob's team which included Olga, were up there with us enjoying the view while writing in the summit register. That was 9 people. Then 2 teams passed through from the north, while yet another ECP team tried to come up from the south. It was a major congestion. I have no idea how long we sat on the summit, but I do know that I got serious sunburn on my shoulders and that I did run out of water there. Finally, it was our time to descend from the summit. Bob graciously offered to give us all a belay. I was grateful for that since the unroped downclimb from the summit continues to make me feel nervous. Thanks, Bob!

Then it was time for the double-rope rappel off Traffic Jam. Aptly named, we encountered more congestion. There was a team climbing the Traffic Jam climb also, and I waited to go through to the anchor, belayed by Toni, until they were well off the ground. Then, before I could belay Jess over to the anchors, yet another team decided they were in such a hurry to descend that they needed to pass our team, and use the tree instead of the anchor bolts to get down to the Neck Press anchors. Once they had cleared out of the way, I belayed Jess and Toni over to the Traffic Jam rappel anchors. We all looked at the setup and ingrained into our minds – pull orange! Toni was the first to rappel; her job was to clear the rope and to give a fireman's belay to Jess who would go second. With a 220 foot rappel to master, Jess once again showed the true spirit of a Rock School graduate and got it done in style. I was to go last, but it turned out another ECP team had patiently been waiting to do the final pitch of Old Man's while all the rappelling was going on, and they requested to come up next. I agreed, and waited for their team to make it passed me. Finally, it was my turn to get off the rock. When I touched down, I had been 3 hours without water (although I did get some sips from Toni who still had some), and I was ready to be done and get my team safely all the way to the parking lot.

Toni and I headed straight to Harper's General Store to purchase some ice cold beer. Being a German, I believe beer works best for serious re-hydration. Pack in hand, we transported ourselves over to the swimming hole, where we met up with Jess, Jeff, and a lot of other hot and sweaty happy climbers for a well deserved cool down.

While none of our other ECP teams retrieved my DMM cam on Saturday, I was lucky enough that it was still on Old Ladies on Sunday, when Jeff B. and his team climbed the climb. Jeff did get it out and returned it to me. Thank you so much, Jeff.

Sunday would be a shorter day for Toni and I, since we planned to drive back to Pittsburgh. Jess and Jeff decided to leave in the morning, foregoing climbing on Sunday, and for a while, we thought we would be without a student. But then, Olga decided to join us. She reasoned it would be a good experience for her to climb with a different team on day 2 of her graduation weekend. So we had another all women's team!

Considering departure times and temperature issues, I decided against a summit attempt (Olga had summited on Saturday and was happy with that). Instead, we would just do the first pitch of Totem, the Buttress. I led up, and, using just one rope, belayed Olga up tied in to the middle, and then Toni, tied to the end, all the while enjoying watching Sid leading Candy Corner and Jim and Erik leading Roy Gap Chimneys. We had a good time hanging out in the anchor and talking with Olga about setting up toprope (we agreed we had enough time to do the climb again).

By the time all three of us had rappelled back down, Erik and Rick had cruised on over, waiting for their turn on Candy Corner. They asked us if they could take a run on our toprope. We readily agreed, under the condition that they would allow Olga to belay them so she could get additional practice in. So they did, and Toni and I in turn backed up Olga's belay while they did the climb. Time was running out once all of that was done with, and we decided that Toni should just go up and clean Totem, while I belayed. To keep things interesting for Olga, I handed her my rack and sent her off to place some gear at the bottom left of Totem and towards the Cave. Toni and I would later come and critique the placement of the pieces. Think “Rock Idol”, or “Project Rock School”.

I believe Olga really got a kick out of that. She set to work with great determination and joy. Olga did a fine job placing several cams and nuts. She parked my purple DMM cam so well, that we all fiddled with it for the longest time before I managed to get it back out. All's well that ends well!

Note on Olga – not only is she a good climber, she is also VERY funny. And for a non-native English speaker, she does verbal humor beautifully! We were entertained a great deal by her various insightful and offbeat remarks.

On our way down to the parking lot, Toni and I introduced Olga and Erik to Dr. Bob's pagan ritual of thanking the Rock Goddess for letting us climb safely another day (Jess and Rick had been inducted earlier). It involves dipping a body part into the creek. Thanks, guys, for agreeing to giving thanks in this way. Another good day of climbing was had by all!

It was my pleasure to meet and climb with Jess and Olga. Thanks Toni, Jess, and Olga, for trusting in my leadership and for showing me such a good time. Thank you Phil, our long-time organizer, and Jeff B., for putting the teams together for this trip. You did a fine job.

Leadership Reflections

Trust is important, in climbing and in leadership. As leaders, we must have trust in ourselves. And we have to trust in each of our team members. As team members we have to have trust in our leader and also, in ourselves, and in our peers.

Trust takes time to develop. It builds incrementally and accumulates the more interactions we have with one another. We know from experience to which extend we trust a family member or a friend. But how, then, as in the trip described above, can we trust a complete stranger, and how can a stranger possibly trust us, especially under circumstances that involve physical danger?

The ability to develop trust quickly can be important in assuring a positive outcome of our joint ventures. It is therefore worthwhile to inquire how trusting may be expedited.

Interestingly, recent research on trust finds that it is a chemical reaction mediated by the molecule oxytocin (yep, our feelings are run by chemicals in the brain). Read in “The Neurobiology of Trust” by Paul J. Zahn in Scientific American (2008, Vol . 298, Issue 6) about research using the “trust game” that is beginning to uncover how the human brain determines when to trust someone.

The bottom line is this: give trust to someone, and that person will very likely reciprocate and be trustworthy (in 98 % of cases in lab studies, not bad!). This occurs thanks to an increase in oxytocin levels generate by the initial act of trust.

The implication of this research is that we can jumpstart trust among our team members, by simply “trusting forward”.

Giving our trust to others, versus making others earn our trust, is a strategy for team building worth exploring in the field. Stay tuned for updates!

To Grow List

Give trust to your team members
Explain the process, and your expectations of everyone's responsibility in it
Help your team visualize a positive experience
Engage in continuous and honest two-way communication with your team
Behave trustworthily.

The Leadership Certificate: Combining Liberal-Arts and Experiential Learning

2008-05-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

Leadership on the Rocks

2008-05-13T14:47:00.003-05:00

The Beginning

Most of what I've learned about leadership I've learned from climbing rocks. This is a sad comment on what I've learned about leadership in my #1 career, as a scientist.

I started rock climbing in winter 2000 in the Pittsburgh climbing gym, The Climbing Wall, Inc. Thanks, Donna, my climbing mommie!

The leadership lessons I learned rock climbing have affected many parts of my personal and professional life. For once, I could never have served as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies for the School of Arts and Sciences had I not been a rock climber. Being a rock climber was what got me the job!

As an academic, I am used to publish what I learn. But where do you publish your thoughts about leadership, on the rocks, and off?