Alpinism 1

Hey guys! Here's some pics from my Alpinism 1 course with American Alpine Institute

Rock climbing basics at Mt. Erie

Rope work on Mt. Baker

Was a cloudy six days as you can see

Building a crevasse rescue pulley system

Prusik self rescue setup

More crevasse rescue

View or lack of from the tent at high camp

Getting ready to cross the glacier

Bringing up the rear on the glacier team

More rock climbing at Erie

Short Update

Hey guys!

Just a quick update:

         I'm starting my mountaineering course with the American Alpine Institute tomorrow the 15th of May! Just to clarify this is not the event that I am fundraising for. This is a course that I decided to pursue on my own with my own money in order to gain the necessary skills to do some mountaineering safely without a guide. My fundraising climb of Mt. Shasta is still coming up at the end of June. Only 40 days till that one! So with all that being said I feel like I don't need to say anymore, but stay tuned for my update on the course and hopefully our successful summit climb of Mt. Baker.

Thanks,

Jake

What are you doing again?

Hey Guys, For those of you just finding this blog, here is who I am and what I'm doing:

My name is Jake Lange. I’m a 27 year old outdoor lover. I was very fortunate to be introduced to the outdoors at a young age through the Boy Scouts of America where I earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Since then I have been very active in the outdoors most recently completing a 2,650 mile hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2015. I have now decided to push myself father mentally and physically by learning the sport of mountaineering. For one of my first climbs I have planned a June 2016 summit attempt of Mt. Shasta, a 14,179 foot peak in northern California.  Along with going for the summit I plan to raise money for an organization called Big City Mountaineers. Big City Mountaineers is an amazing group that takes inner city children who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance into the outdoors. I feel that raising money through this climb is a great way to give back for all the great opportunities I have had in the outdoors.

The climb will take place over three days from June 23^rd to the 25^th of 2016.  I plan to go up the West Face route of Shasta with Shasta Mountain Guides. The West Face route of Mt. Shasta is less traveled and more remote than some of the other routes to the summit. The climb will start at 6,800 feet from the trail head parking lot and take about three days. We will make base camp in Hidden Valley after traversing a few snowfields and talus. Base camp will be at 9,200 feet. From Base camp we will head straight up the west face chute which is covered in snowfields and has a 40-45 degree slope for about 300 feet. We will follow the gully to the right and continue up to Fang Rock at about 12,500 feet. We will then climb to the saddle at 13,300 feet. From there we will follow a ridge and cross Whitney Glacier. This will take us to the top of Misery Hill where we will head for the summit via the summit plateau. We will hopefully reach the summit at 14,179 feet and then begin the descent. 

If you feel the same as I do about this cause or if you just want to see me try to climb a mountain, then I would like to ask you to consider making a donation towards my goal of $3,600 to go to Big City Mountaineers. I am paying my own guide fee up the mountain as well as acquiring my own gear. This means that all the money raised goes directly to the Summit for Someone event and Big City Mountaineers. I currently am accepting donations online through a Crowdrise account under the name of Jake’s Shasta Climb. You can also click on the Donate Now widget on the right side of this blog. In addition to the blog I am documenting the climb through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Feel free to check it out:

Facebook: Jake's Summit for Someone

Instagram: Jake_lange (check it out on the right side of the blog)

Twitter: @jakelange1

Also check out Big City Mountaineers to see what an awesome organization they are.

Thanks and stayed tuned for more,
Jake

"The Wonderful things in life are the things you do, not the things you have."
-Reinhold Messner

What do I need to climb a mountain?

While my climb of Mt. Shasta in June isn’t the hardest climb out there, it will require some extra gear besides what you would take on a regular hike through the woods. Some of you reading this probably already know a bit about these main pieces of gear, but for those of you who don’t here’s the basics.

Ice axe: This is probably one of the most recognizable pieces of equipment used by mountaineers. Depending on what type of climbing you are doing the ice axe can take on many different shapes. For my Mt. Shasta climb I will be using an ice axe with a long handle that has a long pointed pick on one end and a flat adze on the other. It will also have a leash attached to it that will go around my wrist in case I was to drop it. I will use the axe mostly to stabilize myself like a sort of cane as a climb up and down the mountain. The ice axe is also used to perform a technique called a self-arrest, where if I was to fall I would be able to stop myself from sliding down the mountain. These are just a few of the many uses of an ice axe.

Boots: Mountaineering boots are designed differently than a hiking boot. They are made of leather or plastic and are much stiffer than a regular boot. This stiffness allows a climber to kick into the snow slope so you can get a solid step in as you climb up and down. The sole of the boot is also compatible with a crampon which I will describe below.

Crampons: These come in a pair, one for each boot. They attach to the bottom and have either 10 or 12 sharp points that grip the snow and ice as you climb. Again depending on what type of climbing you are doing crampons come in many different forms.

Helmet: This piece of equipment is one that you might not think of until you get out onto the mountain and look up, but it is one thing that you don’t want to forget. The helmet is designed to protect you from falling ice and rock that may be knocked down from climbers above you or just from the natural freezing and thawing that is occurring on the mountain. They are different from a bike or ski helmet in that they are designed to take impact from above.

These are just a few of the pieces of equipment required on a climb up a mountain. Depending on where you are climbing and what the conditions are there are countless other pieces of gear that you may need. Stay tuned for more info on my upcoming climb. Two months to the summit!

Jake

“Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”

-Ed Viesturs

Hey guys! Check out the update from Canyonlands National Park.

                                                Learn more here: Summit for Someone

Google Earth and Mountaineering

Hey Guys! 

So I've been doing a lot of research on the route that I will be taking up Mt. Shasta this June. I ended up using a description I found of the route online, and made a rough route of it on google earth. It turned out a little shaky, but it gives you a little bit of an idea of the climb. Enjoy!

Training run. Five months out.

Summit for Someone Mt. Shasta.

Hi everyone,

I've decided to start this blog to record the training for and climbing of Mt. Shasta this June 2016.

I'm climbing Mt. Shasta through an event called Summit for Someone. The money that I raise will then be donated to an organization called Big City Mountaineers. It's an awesome group that takes kids who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity into the outdoors. I'm thankful that I was introduced to nature when I was young, (thanks Mom and Dad!) but there are many kids who do not have people in their lives to take them into the outdoors. Big City Mountaineers does just that.

If you feel that the above cause is important I would like to ask you to consider donating to my June 24th climb up Mt. Shasta. I plan on raising at least $3,600. If you would like to know more about the climb or the organization feel free to check out their website at:Summit for Someone, Big City Mountaineers or if you want to donate to my climb visit Jake's SFS Fundraising Page and click on the donate button. Every little bit helps.

Thank you,

Jake