January 9, 2019
Up on Top! (Craig John)
The new year brought in excellent conditions for our programs in North Conway, NH. IMG Senior Guide, Craig John, reports that “the ice is thick and conditions on Mt. Washington have been excellent”. With short approaches and legendary climbs minutes from town, it’s easy to find winter fun with IMG in New Hampshire!
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- Andrea and Elana (foreground) ice climbing in New Hampshire (Heather Garland)
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- Learning to ice climb (Heather Garland)
Waterfall ice that is accessible from the roadside offers the perfect training opportunity for beginners, which is exactly what Craig had in mind for Andrea and Elena this past weekend. The two friends flew in from the west coast (California and Washington, respectively) for a taste of New England winter. Their adventures included a summit of Mt. Washington in perfect conditions and a day of roadside waterfall ice climbing. They couldn’t have planned it more perfectly!
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- Looking up the technical section of the Lion Head Tr on Mt. Washington, NH (Heather Garland)
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- Heading to the Summit (Craig John)
If you’re looking for something more committing, a winter traverse of the Presidential Range is one of the most challenging and demanding mountaineering adventures on the east coast, and also one of the most coveted. The traverse begins on Mt. Madison in the north and moves south to Mt. Pierce along the 20+ mile ridgeline that connects the “Presidentials”. We hit the summit of seven peaks along the way. Average nightly temperatures are below 0° Fahrenheit and winds are often 40mph or more. (Today’s Mt. Washington Observatory Summit Forecast calls for temps of 10°F, 78mph winds, and a windchill of -22°F!)
Sunset over the Presidential Range in NH (Heather Garland)
Come on out, the weather is cold and the climbing is spectacular – oh, and those sunsets!
Heather Garland