Don't You Forget About Me

• Ever since Chouinard and Frost revolutionized ice climbing with their tools, the level of difficulty keeps going up and up.

• The current level of mixed climbing is way beyond me. It's amazing.

• You see, I'm just an old fashion ice climber who loves motoring up moderate snow & ice gullies.

• So while all these mixed climbs are totally rad, don't you forget about the ice gullies.

• If you are a Northeastern, this means a road trip to Huntington Ravine on Mt. Washington, NH.

• Trust me on this one, Mt. Washington is the home to the worst weather (http://www.mountwashington.org/). The weather here is down right dangerous. Usually about 1 - 2 people die a year here due to falls and/or exposure.

• Bad weather + a long history of accidents + relative remoteness = a recipe for FUN. It's always an adventure on Mt. Washington.

• So put away your mono points and leashless tools. Grab your 12-point crampons and curved ice axe. Don't forget your bivy bag, map and compass.

• And head towards these historical gullies.

• Pinnacle Gully is the classic NEI 3 climb - enjoy it.

• There is only one bad thing about climbing in the Mt. Washington Valley. I can never find a decent slice of pizza anywhere. Oh well, you can't have everything in life.

• One last thing, if you have some spare time, hit the backside of Wildcat with your backcountry boards.