Congratulations to Ed Viesturs! In 1989 Ed made his first 8000 meter summit with Robert Link on Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. On May 12, 2005 Ed made the summit of Annapurna putting himself in the history books as the First American to summit all fourteen 8000 meter peaks. Congratulations Ed!
Robert Link Leads Team to the Top of North
America 
On May 19, 2005 Robert Link along with Garrett Madison and JJ Justman led another successful expedition on Mount McKinley. On summit day the team enjoyed calm (and yes, very cool) weather. Overall the expedition lasted 22 days with a week long stint of bad weather at 14,000 feet. But if you are going to get stuck in storms, 14 is the place to be.
Congratulations to Robert on his 17th McKinley Expedition and a Big Congrats to all the Climbers. To check out some of the stories and photos, click here.
Success in Bolivia
John Lucia and Michael Horst led a successful Expedition Seminar on Bolivia's Huayna Potosi. Hopefully they put in a good route for Jeff Hansen and Cathy Cannapeel. They will be leading another Huayna Potosi Expedition for Rick Noble and his fund-raising climbs for diabetes, "Kiss The Sky To Conquer Diabetes."
Final Segment: Avalanche Awareness
It is time to discuss the last item that makes up the Avalanche Triangle…Snowpack. We definitely saved the best for last. Really, we saved the most complicated for last. Nevertheless, let's take a beginner's look at understanding Snowpack.
Over the course of time or snow season the snowpack develops layers. Some of these layers grow stronger. And some layers may grow weaker. Every layer of snow develops under different weather conditions.
If weather remains relatively cold, snow crystals have sharp, definitive edges that bond very well together. Deeper in the snowpack there is a continuous melt/freeze process that also strengthens the bonds of layers. However, there are a few complex phenomenon's that cause weak layers.
In between snow events, the temperature may rise melting the snow surface and then re-freeze causing a slick surface. The next snowfall happens and the new snow cannot bond to such a hard, slick surface potentially causing failure. This happens on the surface of the snow. However, deep within the snowpack there may exist weak layers.
A type of snow, depth hoar (course, grainy snow crystal) is a dangerous threat for avalanche potential. Because depth hoar is granular, similar to dry sand, it bonds very poorly and creates a weak layer in the snowpack. An easy way to understand snow layers is to think in terms of the "peanut butter and jelly" analogy.
When you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich you put the peanut butter on first because it's a strong layer. When you add the jelly it adheres to the peanut butter. But if you reverse that and put the jelly on first and then try adding the peanut butter it will not work. The jelly is not a strong layer.
When studying the snowpack you are looking for those potentially weak layers that could fail. Together, snowpack, terrain and weather make up the Avalanche Triangle. Having a beginning understanding of the Triangle will help you get off to a right start in continuing your education in avalanches and staying safe in the mountains.
Got Adventure!
The summer climbing season is under way and Mountain Link will once again be visiting Russia's Mount Elbrus, Ecuador's Volcanoes, Peru's Huascaran and France's Mount Blanc. We do have a few spots left on these adventures. Because many of our adventures book up months in advance we would like you to know what is shaping up for this up-coming fall and winter season. Remember, if you are entertaining the thought of getting out and doing a little adventuring, give us a call at 800-408-8949. We are the only international guide service that actually has Professional Guides available to help you decide where to go next.
October 3 - 17 Africa:Kilimanjaro & Safari
October 4 - November 2 Nepal:Everest B.C. Trek/Island Peak Climb
November 2 - 13 Ecuador Mountaineering Seminar
November 12 - 18 Mexico:Orizaba Express
November 21 - 30 Mexico:Ixta & Orizaba
December 1 - 11 Ecuador:Cayambe & Cotopaxi
Dec/Jan/Feb Argentina:Aconcagua
And The Winner is...
Congratulations to Kirk Beckendorf who answered last month's
trivia question thus clothing him in a very fashionable
Mountain Link Logo T-shirt. 78% of the Earth's atmosphere is
made up of Nitrogen.
Trivia: Alright, let's see if you folks have been doing your Avalanche homework. In regards to Terrain and Slope Angle, what is the magic number in degrees of slope angle that causes slopes to slide?
A. 27 B. 42 C. 54 D. 38
Once again, we will take all those who answered correctly, put your name in the pot and choose one lucky winner of a Mountain Link Logo Baseball Cap. E-mail your answer to info@mountain-link.com
Mountain Link "Tie In" brings the world of mountaineering to you with the latest tips and techniques, entertaining stories and beautiful mountain photos. Help us become the Number One source for aspiring adventurers. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends.
