Jakub's summary of first meeting

Hello everyone:

I thought the first meeting went well and Bill gave us a lot of useful info regarding what to expect. We went through a gear list so that we can ask for the right stuff for the holidays and we set the agenda for training.

The RMI site is a good reference for everything, and if we decide to go guided we can consider them. Check out their individual gear lists and see what you want to own. A lot of stuff can be rented i.e. plastic boots, crampons, axes, avalanche transceivers, and even helmet, harness, gaiters, etc.

As far as training goes, we all agree that it is key to start now and train hard. Again, the RMI site offers a lot of helpful tips. Make a training schedule and stick to it. We'll figure out a way to share progress. Our plan at this time is that everyone trains on their own at least 3x/wk aerobic 30-45 min at 80% max heart rate and strength training. Rick and I will also start the stepmaster with a 50lb pack once a week and once a month we'll all go to a set of steps with 100ft elevation to do a few thousand feet with the 50lb pack. By Apr we plan to do 5,000 with the pack in the Shenandoah's.

We'll continue to meet once a month to cover 1) terminology 2) rope work 3) anchor placement 4) crevasse rescue 5) snow conditions 6) snow camping 7) GPS /navigation 8) First aid/wilderness medicine, etc.. When there is an opportunity we'll head out with ropes, axes, and crampons to practice on the snow. The chapter to review in Freedom of the Hills this month is Snow Travel and Climbing. If you haven't already, plan to read the whole thing - it's all relevant.

I think that those most likely to climb are divided into two groups - those that are here in Baltimore meeting regularly and those that are elsewhere. A few folks like Veru and Brad are planning to take courses. Some like Tim have (in my opinion) enough experience already. I think Rainier is a good mountain to do on our own with appropriate training, information, and teamwork.

Jakub