| Steve Dougherty ~ Apr 16, 2007 |
| Thirty-six students participated in the 2007 version of the Chemeketan Climb School. An equal number of leaders, assistants and helpers contributed to the training effort. Vincent Dunn organized the first annual Rock Pro and Anchor Building Day at Horsethief Butte on the Friday before. The training was much appreciated by the participants. Windshield wipers cleared the drizzling rain from windshields as the students made their way from the valley to the arid tree less desert of Horsethief Butte on the Washington side of the Columbia River just north of The Dalles. The Early Birds, led by Mike Rudy, had all of the morning stations ready to go as students arrived. All five pods were able to start their station on time and participants were able to practice skills multiple times. The five pods rotated easily through the afternoon stations with time to spare. The optional, but popular, double rope rappel proved to be the only bottleneck. Participants enjoyed an all you can eat buffet at Spookys Pizza in The Dalles. Most participants chose to camp at nearby Spearfish Campground while others took refuge in area motels. The group joined together at the McDonalds/Starbucks in Hood River at 7 a.m. before driving to the Government Camp Rest Area. All vehicles easily negotiated the well sanded and snow covered Timberline Road. The snow skill practice was done in White River Canyon. Participants practiced self-arrest techniques, snow travel, team arrest and snow belay techniques. Demonstrations of a Z-Pulley and Snow Cave were also provided. Sunny skies and cooler than normal temperatures made for outstanding conditions. Students completing both days were: Debbie Baker, Ronda Barrow, Aura Beatty, Joseph Bernert, Matt Betts, Dale Blackburn, Joel Bruhn, Susie Callahan, Timothy Donovan, Jeanette Ewald, Andrea Fitterer, Amy Foster, Philip Gray, Paul Guthrie, Jay Howe, Brian Kier, Mike Kirkpatrick, Mike Koyama, Bill Langdon, Roger Monette, Jane Morris, Brian Pranghofer, Rick Retzman, Dan Sewell, Ben Sigloh, Bob Sigloh, Rick Slezak, Jeremy Sloan, Bryon Snapp, David Thorsett, Sarah Thorsett, Matthew Tryon, Rebecca Tryon. Climb Leaders were: S. Dougherty, K. Kraschel, H. Fecker, J. Petrie, J. Rudy, M. Rudy, R. Barry, V. Dunn, K. Hill, S.Phillips, M. VanCampen, B. Saur, K. Garlinghouse, J. Avery, and K. Richardson. Assistant Leaders and Helpers were: R. Good, R. Smith, G. Petrie, T. Smith, A. Palacios, S. Clark, L. Bedard, D. Marsh, J. Croft, S. Nelson, M. Niemeyer, J. Ellis, C. Siler, C. Stuart, T. Jolly, G. Phillips, J. Truax, E. Marley, M. McHugh, J. Coyier, and B. Franklin. |
| Timothy Donovan ~ Apr 17, 2007 |
| The 2007 Chemeketan Climb School completely exceeded my expectations. I was initially somewhat skeptical about the prospects of about 40 people learning techniques and methods in such a short span of time. Thanks to the overwhelming support of the helpers and assistants - all Climb School Alumni - there was nearly a 1:1 match of instructors to students. If a single instructor couldn't answer a given question, there was always someone nearby to provide an answer or opportunity for further exploration. The most remarkable thing about the event was the sense of community. I had always been very hesitent to "get into climbing," as I had been very turned off by the prohibitive costs of the gear and the hyper-consumptive attitude that can go hand in hand with such fancy items. Through the gear swap, discounts for the climbs school, and networking, I was able to put together gear on an Americorps Volunteers (minimal) stipend. A pair of double plastic mountaineering boots at the gear swap: $15, but I got to try them out on the snow skills day before paying. At the actual climb school, I was able to borrow gear that I could not afford at the moment, with no sense of inconveniencing the instructors. These folks (the instructors) were interested in climbing, not consuming. Truly an amazing program. For anyone interested in getting a sense of rock and snow climbing for a very reasonable price, and with an incredibly kind and knowledgable community, this is a must. |
| Bryon Snapp ~ Apr 17, 2007 |
| The Chemeketan Climb School provides fundamentals to the person that is uninitiated to the wonderful world of climbing. The fundamentals are provided in an interesting, exciting and hands-on approach in the span of a couple weeknights and an intense but completely enjoyable weekend. From the classroom setting in the historic den to the full day of climbing skills provided on rock and the final day on the snows of Mt. Hood, every aspect of the Chemeketan Climb School is well thought out and well worth the modest price attached to the class. What is even better is for those of us that have spent time climbing in a variety of different disciplines (sport, trad, aid, bigwall, mountaineering and ice), the Chemeketan Climb School offers a wonderful atmosphere to rediscover the basic fundamentals of climbing in a tradition of safety. The excellent instructors, assistants and helpers go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome while at the same time successfully passing the needed knowledge to each and every student in an easily digestible manner. This school is a must for anyone wanting to discover what the world of climbing has to offer and for those that want to revisit the essentials of safe travel in the vertical world. |