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MAZAMAS WINTER DISCOUNTS PILE UP AT OMC

Skier

Between Friday January 4 and Sunday January 20, Mazamas should expect a heavy accumulation of exclusive deals at Oregon Mountain Community.  You’ll need a shovel for all the money you save — show your proof of membership and get up to 35% off on a long list of discounted items and brands.  Read on for a complete list of discounts and details about the sale.

Mazama Winter Deals
Discounts

Available from January 4th – 20th, 2013 
Deals are available in store only.  Stock on hand only, no special orders.
You will receive your discount or the sale price, whichever is greater.
Please show Mazama membership card to get the discounts. 

  • Snowshoes from Atlas, Tubbs and MSR 25% off retail 
  • All Sock Brands 30% off retail 
  • Patagonia clothing 30% off retail 
  • Mountain Hardwear clothing 30% off retail 
  • Mountain Hardwear tents (not 4 season) 30% off retail 
  • Marmot clothing 30% off retail 
  • The North Face clothing 30% off retail 
  • Madshus, Fischer, Voile ski products 25% off retail 
  • Mammut, BCA, Ortovox Avy Beacons 25% off retail 
  • G3, Black Diamond, BCA shovels & probes 25% off retail 
  • Black Diamond Gloves 30% off retail 
  • Outdoor Research Accessories 30% off retail 
  • All Icebreaker and Ibex 30% off retail 
  • All baselayers 30% off retail 
  • Steripen 30% off retail 
  • Optimus stoves 30% off retail 
  • All books 20% off retail 
  • Freeze dried food 35% off retail 
  • Shakes, energy bars 20% off retail
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CLIMBING AS AN OLYMPIC SPORT

Sport lead climbing is on the short list for the 2020 Olympics. According to Climbing Magazine, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) met in Switzerland with the International Olympic Committee Program Commission on December 19 to make its final pitch for inclusion.  Sport lead climbing is in competition with six other sports: baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, squash, wakeboarding, and wushu.  A decision on the matter is expected in September 2013.

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AVALANCHE BEACON RECALL

Ortovox is recalling its new 3+ avalanche transceiver because in recent testing, some of the devices from a group shipped to vendors after October 17, 2012 “switched to transmission mode unintentionally after 120 seconds in search mode.” If you own an Ortovox 3+, follow this link to check your device’s serial number. Recalled devices will be inspected and given any needed upgrades.

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WINTER CLIMBING!

[From the December 2011 Mazama Bulletin]

Welcome to our winter climb season! Here at the Mazamas, winter climbs run from December 1 to April 30. The good news is that, during the winter, the mountains have fewer climbers and more snow. The bad news is that the weather tends to be much less predictable and avalanche danger much greater. Therefore, the Mazamas conduct winter climbs a little differently from those that take place during the summer.
First of all, in order to accommodate the impromptu nature of Winter Climbs, as in “Hey, the weather looks good next Wednesday. Let’s go!” the Climb Application procedure is more flexible:

  • View the climbs that leaders intend to lead in the upcoming months under Winter Climb Schedule on the Web site at this link.
  • Choose the climb(s) you are interested in.
  • Contact the leader for each climb that you would like to apply for. You may want to e-mail the climb leader a copy of your climb resume, along with a personal note highlighting some of the reasons why you would be an exceptional candidate for a spot on this particular climb.
  • Wait for a call/e-mail from the leader letting you know when a climb is planned, or check out the schedule online.
  • If you think there is an opportunity to climb, dropping a friendly note asking if they have any plans for upcoming climbs may be a good way to keep yourself in the loop.
  • Dropping a friendly note every week is a good way to get yourself perceived as a little jumpy and not an exceptional candidate for a spot on this particular climb.
  • If you are available for the climb, let the climb leader know.
  • The climb leader should then send you a climb prospectus.
  • Arrive promptly at the appointed meeting place.
  • Bring a properly completed climb card with you to the climb (no stamp necessary).
  • Bring batteries for the transceiver. Unless told otherwise, bring both AA and AAA just to be safe, as different transceivers take different batteries.

Because of increased avalanche danger during the winter climbing season, climb leaders will provide shovels, avalanche probes and transceivers for the climb team. If you own these tools, please bring them and let the climb leader know that you have them. Climb leaders will NOT provide batteries. [Note that grading of climbs is increased for winter.]

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PORTLAND LOSES ITS CLIMBING FOOTWEAR RESOLER

Getting footwear resoled just got a little harder for local rock climbers and mountaineers.

As part of its recent business transformation, Portland’s Mountain Soles has stopped all resoling work, with the exception of resoling Patagonia footwear.

The company is going to continue doing outdoor equipment sewing and repair work, but those jobs will need to be dropped off at a local REI, or mailed to the non-retail space that Mountain Soles will soon be moving to.

Mountaineers are in luck: various shoe repair places around the Portland area can resole mountaineering boots with Vibram soles.  But if you’re a rock climber, it looks like you’ll be mailing your blown-out rock shoes out of town.

Here are a few places you can send your shoes:

Ramutas Resoles – Helena, MT
Cascade Cobbler – Winthrop, WA
Fly’n Brian’s Resole – Las Vegas, NV
ProDeal Resoles – Pueblo, CO

Or, maybe you can do it yourself.

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PUNKS IN THE GYM – FIRST FEMALE ASCENT

Check out this video of Mayan Smith- Gobat’s first female ascent of Punks in the Gym, at Australia’s Mt. Arapiles.  This route was first established by Wolfgang Güllich in April 1985 and was one of the hardest routes in the world at that time.  It is said to only have been climbed by about 30 male climbers thus far and it was one of the first routes that took sport climbing to the next level.  Smith-Gobat spent more than two years working the route before finally redpointing the line on October 28.  Really fun video to watch!