Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic EvolutionSM
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"At its purest, rock climbing involves finding a weakness in an expanse of rock and exploiting that weakness to get to the top. There are many variations on this primary objective. If the rock face or cliff is long, then you need to puzzle it out in rope lengths, or pitches. When the climber puts several such sections together, the result is a multi-pitch climb. To keep oneself safe while climbing, one uses a complex array of gear, called protection, and a nylon rope tested and rated to withstand forces far greater than what a long plummet might generate.""The rock feature one climbs is most often a crack or fissure, ranging from pinky width to wider than your head. Cracks provide both a place to cram hands and feet to make upward progress and a place to put the protective gear that will keep you safe should you fall. All our team knew before coming to Ethiopia was that we might be climbing multi-pitch routes on sandstone towers and cliffs via cracks. We came to establish new climbs - our routes - and thus did not know where we would find them, what they would look or feel like, and if they would even 'go.' We came, in short, to do first ascents."
- Majka Burhardt
Vertical Ethiopia Climbing Toward Possibility in the Horn of Africa, p. 27
An opinion:
Technical climbing, and the occasional "free solo" (even across the First Flatiron sans clothing!), has always been one of my Colorado passions. There's nothing like the feel of a solid fist-jam while leading a climb up a hand crack 1,000 feet over some river or sandstone landscape. Although I never reached the 5.12 realm, I enjoyed many of the classic climbs Colorado is famous for (Lumpy Ridge, Bastille Crack, all of the Flatirons, etc.). Unfortunately I don't have a lot of photographs to share as carrying cameras (especially back in the 35 mm film days) was a bit difficult due to weight, expense, and the ever present crushing-falling-smashing hazard - Even on Aconcagua I saw a guy's camera fall over 400 feet as it "zinged" by all of our heads below. Okay, enough excuses - I didn't take many pictures over the years!Anyway, like all of my other web pages, I like to provide some cautionary notes as things can get dangerous out there. Back in the late 60s (when I was 14 and 15 years old) I had no money and actually used clothes-line and other dangerous/useless pieces of rope to anchor me and my fellows in as we scrambled over rock faces and cracks in the San Gabriel mountains of Southern California. Those days are long-gone and that kind of foolishness needs to be avoided at all costs! For proper, safe climbing you need the appropriate gear and training. Period!
Ethics:
Oh, and for a little note on climbing ethics: Always stop to help other climbers in need. In the early 2000s, at about the time I was putting this page together, there were way too many newspapers stories about climbers stepping over the bodies of others who were injured or freezing to death without offering a lick of assistance. We can all do better than this - the summit doesn't mean that much! Another climbing ethic, in the technical world, is to avoid any direct aid from your equipment or that of others. That means when you're on a roped 5th class climb you should never use the rope to pull yourself up nor should you ever step on a spring-loaded or piton (most pitons out there are decades old and shouldn't be trusted anyway) to gain additional purchase or security. Technical climbing, in effect, is "free-soloing" (climbing the rock without any gear) but with the added benefit of a rope, spring-"loadeds," stoppers, and tri-cams catching you should you fall. The idea of "free-soloing" is what sours me, to a great extent, on the practice of Via ferrata that I describe further, below.
Never say never!
When I say don't use your climbing gear for direct aid that doesn't mean to be stupid, either! If you and your climbing buddies are in trouble don't hesitate to use your gear in any way, shape or fashion to save your lives or prevent injury!! It's just that I've been on a few climbs where I've seen somebody receive a "high-five" for completing a five pitch route but know they stepped on that #3 Camalot to get them over the crux - which means they didn't really "free" the route - just my opinion (and that of a few hundred other climbers I've met over the years...)...
- Roger J. Wendell
North Table Mountain
Before returning to his job in Japan, Roger came home for a few days with a quick stop for some climbing immediately after leaving the airport!
Via ferrata
(Italian for "iron road")
[Plural vie ferrate. In German, klettersteig]Vie ferrate are climbing routes with fixed cables and an occasional ladder or bridge. At the time of my visit to the Dolomites of northern Italy (September '07) there were already well over 1,000 vie ferrate throughout Europe. The first vie ferrate were built in northern Italy throughout the Dolomites. These vie ferrate, when combined with tunnels and rock structures (see below), aided the movement of mountain infantry throughout the first war.Although vie ferrate can be a lot of fun they can also be strenuous as they easily span a few thousand vertical feet of climbing route. Apparently they're becoming popular because of their relative safety (even though the fall factor places more stress on the human body because there's no long length of rope to absorb the shock...) and limited gear requirements. That being said, I hope the idea doesn't catch on too much more in the U.S. as the real appeal to climbing and mountaineering is both an environmental and climbing ethic. We certainly don't want to pound any more bolts into Nature, than necessary, and we certainly don't want to be clinging to anything artificial to make our way up the rock... Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun on the Dolomite's vie ferrate and am glad to have experienced this alternative to traditional climbing!
Seven on top (of me...)
Dolomites
Dolomites
Dolomites
Specialty carabiners for via ferrata
Jill
Tracey
All 8 of us!
Signage
Jill and Robert
Valley
Dolomites
Tracey, Jill & Robert
World War I fortification
World War I fortification
World War I
Marianne
Marianne, Robert & Jill
Me
Rifugio Cavazza al Pisciadù Hütte
Harald, Marianne & Markus
Route 666
Dianne, Marianne & Robert
Jill, Tracey & Markus
Jill, Markus & Tracey
The word "Dolomites" is derived from the name of a famous French mineralogist, Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu. Dolomieu was the first to describe the rock, dolomite, as a type of carbonate rock which is responsible for the characteristic shapes and color of these mountains.Carbonate rocks are a class of sedimentary rocks composed primarily of carbonate minerals. The two major types are limestone dolomite, composed of calcite (CaCO3) and the mineral dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) respectively. Chalk and tufa are also minor sedimentary carbonates. It's believed that the presence of carbonates in rock is strong evidence for the past presence of liquid water.
Eldorado Springs Canyon State Park, Colorado 08-17-2001
Amber, Rog, Emma and Me (Photos by Tami):
Emma's arms are free!
Castlewood Canyon State Park, Colorado 04-29-2001
Amber, Jennifer, and Me (Photos by Tami):
We made it to the top!
I always loved climbing at Vedauwoo, located in south central Wyoming, and found Layne Kopischka's guide to be a great help. Of course I've used countless other guides for climbing areas all over the region but took delight in Kopischka's "Local Climb Rater" (an insect), "Agony of 'De Feet" (climbers usually wear shoe so tight they're feet hurt and turn colors...) and other drawings. I have Kopischka's autograph, and that of Royal Robbins and Tom Frost on my Autograph page if you're interested. By the way, Vedauwoo is a native American term for "Earth Born Spirit..."
Eldorado Springs Canyon State Park, Colorado 08-28-2005
Me and KC on the West Overhang (5.7 crux):
KC in the crack...
More to go!
KC near the top.
KC on rappel.
Roger still alive at 49...
Me on top Mt. Rainier - July 2nd, 2000
Photos and information on our 2003
CMC trip to Kilimanjaro are posted Here.
More Mountaineering Photos: Mountaineering Links:
- Tami on Simple Simon Slab (40k)
- Brian on Simple Simon Slab (45k)
- Roger on Simple Simon Slab (33k)
- Randy on Simple Simon Slab (38k)
- Roger on top of Devil's Tower (33k)
- Roger on the ice at Vail, Feb 2000 (4k)
- Bolt on top of Devil's Tower July 94 (69k)
- Devils Tower as photographed by RJW (36k)
- Roger's Peak 13,391 feet (near Mt. Evans) (25k)
- Roger going up Mt. Rainier in shorts July 00 (36k)
- Roger leading Eldo's West Overhang Aug 99 (28k)
- Karel & I only made it to the 15k level of Popo (22k)
- We drove a 20 year old VW from Denver to Popo... (42k)
- I climbed Mt. Rainier with the Colorado Mountain Club in July, 2000
- In early 2003 I found myself on top of Kilimanjaro
American Alpine Club
Boulder Climbing News
Colorado Avalanche center
CORSAR Hiking Certificate
CMC Colorado Mountain Club
All Things Everest News
The Fourteener Gallery
Oregon Mazamas
Seatle: The Mountaineers
UIAA - International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation
(Union Internationale Des Associations D'Alpinisme)
Other Related Links:
- 13ers
- 14ers
- Aconcagua
- Africa (Kilimanjaro and Point Lenana)
- Alpine Resuce Team - Evergreen, Colorado
- Amazonia
- Bear Safety
- BRCS - the CMC's Begginer Rock Climbing Seminar
- Camping
- Brian's climbing page
- CMC Colorado Mountain Club
- Colorado Avalanche Information Center (Your contributions help keep this vital service alive!)
- CORSAR - Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue Card
- Ecuador
- Gear - Stuff for the Backcountry...
- Grand Canyon
- High Altitude Medicine Guide
- Hiking
- Leave No Trace - Center for Outdoor Ethics
- Lightning Safety
- More climbing photos
- Mountain Project
- Pikes Peak and Barr Camp
- Skiing (Backcountry)
- Snow Caves
- Survival in the backcountry
- Sweet Syringe a climbing story in the CMC's "Tech Section News"
- Ten Essentials and then some!
- Travel
- Travel Two
- Waypoints, Grid Squares and Navigation
Spring Loaded Camming Devices
Warning! Climbing, mountaineering, and backcountry skiing are dangerous and can seriously injure or kill you. By further exploring this web site you acknowledge that the information presented here may be out of date or incorrect, and you agree not to hold the author responsible for any damages, injuries, or death arising from any use of this resource. Please thoroughly investigate any mountain before attempting to climb it, and do not substitute this web site for experience, training, and recognizing your limitations!
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