The adventures and exploration in China are currently on hold as I finish up school back here in the States. In the meantime, I suppose I want to keep things going here Stateside, especially since I haven't put up anything significant since China days.
(©Rajko Radavanovic, from our winter ascent of Mt. Washington)
Of course, the production quality will not change here at ICC, just the setting--and hopefully the setting will change back to high adventure in China in the near future.
These shots come from my recent winter ascent of Mt. Washington, which I have made multiple times. But this climb was particularly special because it was the first time I took a family member up into the alpine environment. My dad agreed to go with me during the short high pressure ridge/good weather window in mid-March between a brutal, wind chill-filled low trough and a late-winter storm that immediately followed. Despite the short weather window, we had beautiful conditions throughout the morning. Visibility was 100+ miles, and the Atlantic Ocean was clearly visible on the horizon out over NH and Maine!
Despite his fatigue and his calling it "the hardest thing he's ever done," my dad made it to the summit!
To be honest, I was a bit nervous about taking a family member into an environment that can be potentially quite dangerous. Of course, it should not matter whom one is traveling with in the alpine environment; every climbing partner on any adventure is a life worth protecting, regardless of their relation to you off the mountain or crag. That being said, I had this excess fear that bringing a family member into the equation somehow entailed something more (that atop the problem that, after meticulous planning and prep, I forgot to bring a second headlamp). However, the fear proved unfounded, as the day went flawlessly. I was even surprised by how much my stamina had improved in gaining vertical ground quickly. Anyways, here are a few shots from the trip!
(Also posted on the "Adventures in America" page)
