While everybody else is busy recapping the top posts of 2008 on their blogs, I’ve been thinking about what a stellar year it was for us and climbing. Despite an extended winter (and epic ski season), we got to visit and climb at many excellent places over the course of the year. Penitente, Maple Canyon, Yosemite Valley, The Tetons, Slick Rock, Black Canyon, Indian Creek, Zion, Colorado National Monument, Independence Pass, Wall Street, Mill Creek, The Black Cliffs, Coal Creek, The Narrows, The F-Pan, Hagerman Pass, Glenwood Canyon, Maroon Bells, Cathedral Peak, Grizzly Peak, La Plata…

There are so many things I don’t understand in this world, like why I was born into a land of so many opportunities while others merely struggle to survive, but I do know that I am thankful for the gift of every new day, and especially thankful for the time I get to spend in so many beautiful places.

Here’s to an exciting and adventurous 2009!

I got an email from a friend the other day who mentioned he tried to go climb Avocado Gully, but couldn’t even get near it because of all the new snow. Given the tender snowpack we are currently experiencing and all the recent deaths at ski resorts across the West, I thought it’d be appropriate to visit a topic that a lot of winter climbers aren’t all that familiar with: avalanche saftey. Most of us tend to think that avalanches are something only skiers have to deal with, but as someone who has been caught in two small slides while climbing, I can assure you that is not the case. Getting caught in a slide which you are unprepared for usually ends poorly, but there are a few simple steps you can take to maximize both your knowledge and chances of survival when traveling in avalanche terrain.

1. Get Educated
The easiest way to avoid an avalanche is to know what kind of terrain and conditions can produce a slide. From simply reading a good book on the topic, to taking a class, there are many ways to increase your knowledge of the threat and your ability to safely travel through avalanche terrain. Simply knowing what to avoid could make the difference between a good or bad day.
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We want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We’re celebrating the holidays in Idaho, where we had hoped to escape the endless storm that has been hitting Colorado since mid December, but no such luck. It’s been snowier than usual up here as well, and the forecast calls for more of the same. So for now we’re content to watch some movies, drink some egg nogg, pull on some plastic and make some turns in the plentiful snow. Things will be light on the blog front until after the new year, but when we return you can expect some more product reviews along with some local ice reports and the usual rantings and ravings. Be safe out there and we’ll see you in 2009.

Pretty mellow holiday week coming up. There should be some ice to climb any day now. If you’re stuck in front of a computer today, here’s a series of two short videos about bouldering in Baja by Chuck Fryberger, courtesy of Cloudveil’s new videos page. Enjoy!

I’ve often wondered how much a road trip to our favorite climbing areas costs. You’ve got gas and food, and usually it’s more than you would think. I recently came across a cool site that helps you calculate how much you’ll pay for gas (round trip) based on your car and the cost of fuel where you’ll be traveling. It also shows what your estimated carbon footprint will be for the trip, for all those enviro types out there.

You can check out the calculator here. Below are some sample costs from Carbondale to popular weekend destinations.

Boulder -$23.81

Estes Park - $25.75

Telluride - $25.26

Crested Butte - $10.51

Durango - $31.41

Grand Junction - $12.82

Rifle - $5.46

Jackson, WY - $61.55

Moab, UT - $24.73

Indian Creek, UT - $30.93

Now that gas is cheap again it sure doesn’t cost much to head out for a weekend, but it would have been interesting to see what these numbers would have been when gas was up at $4/gallon.