Alpine

Showa TEMRES 282 glove review

Tuesday 19 October 2021, 9:50am -- alastair.mcdowell

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Showa TEM-RES 282-02 gloves

Creator: 
Showa

The Showa TEMRES 282 gloves have recently gained something of a cult following. Designed for commercial fishing in Japan, it turns out that many of the demands of mountaineering & fishing cross over – warmth, dexterity & waterproofness. I recently bought a pair and used them for a few alpine routes on 3000m peaks around the Fox Glacier and can confirm: the Showa TEMRES 282s deliver all three. Too good to be true?

Construction

Tips for Avalanche Transceiver Rescue

Thursday 12 August 2021, 12:16pm -- alastair.mcdowell

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Avalanche transceiver practice

Creator: 
A. McDowell

Avalanche training is very important for anyone who ventures into the snow. Below are some tips on avalanche transceiver rescue from Wanaka SAR ranger and NZAT veteran advisor, Lionel Clay.

1. Know your transceiver

Practice with your transceiver. Every transceiver works differently. Research your model of transceiver to understand its range, flagging modes and interference with other electronics. Know how long the battery will last and carry spare batteries if necessary.

2. Keep your phone away from your transceiver

How to make your own Energy Gels

Thursday 4 February 2021, 2:02pm -- alastair.mcdowell

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Ingredients for home made energy gels

Creator: 
A. McDowell

When exercising at a high intensity your body needs an easily digestible fuel source - carbohydrates. Even well fat-adapted athletes will still get a high proportion of their energy from carbohydrates during high intensity training. Runners, cyclists and other cardio-focused athletes use energy gels as an easily accessible source of carbohydrate fuel for their training and races. In other words, "carbs are legal dope". 

sooji.clarkson's picture

The war against the wobble: Fixing loose heads in Petzl Nomics

Friday 28 August 2020, 11:25pm -- sooji.clarkson

Disassembled Petzl Nomic

Disassembled Petzl Nomic

Disassembled Petzl Nomic

Creator: 
sooji.clarkson

An issue well known to Petzl Nomics (and some other models of ice axe) is the tendency for the heads to loosen and develop movement over time. This is mostly due to the design – the head of the axe is held in by a single rivet. Over time the press fit between the head and the shaft gets looser. As there is only a single rivet the head can rotate around this and the overall effect is a wobbly or moving head.

Packing Food for a Mountaineering Expedition

Thursday 30 July 2020, 5:32pm -- alastair.mcdowell

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Enjoying a meal at the Niponino base camp, Torre valley

Creator: 
D. Joll

Nutrition on a mountaineering expedition can make or break the trip. Without the correct type of fuel, you cannot perform your best. In the context of mountaineering, there are 5 main constraints to be consider: weight, convenience, nutrition, shelf-life and taste.

Trailpinism

Saturday 21 September 2019, 4:04am -- alastair.mcdowell

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Running shorts and running shorts on a mountain summit?

Creator: 
A. McDowell

Imagine yourself jogging up the Matukituki Valley with a 3kg pack, cresting Bevan Col, donning light crampons on your running shoes across the Bonar Glacier, taking a late morning snack at Colin Todd, scrambling the Northwest ridge of Aspiring, and ripping it all the way back to the car in time for dinner in Wanaka. Welcome to the exciting world of Trailpinism: combining trail running gear, tactics and efficiency with mountain craft for a new way of tackling higher peaks.

How to Simul Climb

Tuesday 7 May 2019, 4:38am -- daniel.joll

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Steve Fortune finishing a simul climbing block on the West Face of Cerro Torre

Creator: 
Daniel Joll

This is a technique that when used right will speed up many alpine and multi pitch ascents.  Why speed up your ascent? Personally I think speed is a key factor to moving safely in the mountains.  If you climb slowly you are more likely to have unplanned bivvies, get stuck in storms or get caught out by rock fall or serac fall. Moving quickly over technical terrain is also good fun!

Starting with the basics: "simul climbing" is when two climbers move at the same time with a rope between them, placing and removing protection as they go.

Les Drus North Face - Lesueur Topo and Beta

Saturday 21 April 2018, 3:24am -- daniel.joll

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Les Drus North Face

Les Drus North Face

Creator: 
Daniel Joll

This is a straight forward article with all the facts you need for climbing the Lesueur route on the North Face of Les Drus.  To follow this beta you will need two climbers who feel comfortable simul climbing up to M5.  Otherwise pitch it out and adjust your time expectation.   

Rack

Nuts 1 – 7

Cams Double set green C3 – 3.  Single #4 camalot and purple c3

Draws x 10

120cm slings x 2

2 x 4m cordalette

3 x tibloc's

2 x knife blades , 3 x ice screws, knife , v thread tool.  None of these needed on route, just for the descent. 

The Ice Hammock

Tuesday 5 December 2017, 12:01pm -- Anonymous (not verified)

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The ice hammock in use on an ascent of the North Face of Cholatse, Nepal

Creator: 
Matthew Scholes

The ice hammock is a relatively new invention and although it's a great idea and works well, it's unlikely that any outdoor company is going to start making them commercially anytime soon, so we thought its worth writing an article for anyone who has an interest in making and using them for alpine climbing.

Climbing Communications

Tuesday 18 April 2017, 11:55am -- steven.fortune

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Jonas leading on the North Buttress of Sabre

Creator: 
J. Morris

Within our team, we want to standardise the calls we use, so you always know what to expect when you climb with someone from the NZAT. It is good to reduce the calls you use to a bare minimum and not say unnecessary things as these can add more confusion than clarity. A belayer/climber does not need a running commentary and you don't want a shouting match at the end of a pitch. It is also a good principle to acknowledge any calls heard, as often the caller does not know if they are heard. This is normally a simple 'OK' or 'Thank You'. This article describes the standard climbing calls and procedures used when climbing. Sticking to these and only these, will help reduce misunderstandings when climbing.

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