Elmendorf Military Ice Climbing Day

Great day out ice climbing with a group from Elmendorf. Some had just gotten back from Iraq and others were getting ready to deploy. This was a teambuilding and life readjustment type trip. Ascending Path was super excited to teach climbing to these active military. They were super strong as a result of what they called "muscle failure" training; which was where they would work out lifting weights and run until they could not move any more. Then they would repeat the next day for 5 days or 6 days straight!!! Fun folks and we hope to continue working with this program. Climbing is a great mind and body sport and it reduces a ton of stress!

Fitness Magazine Published AP twice!

Two publications in Fitness Magazine this winter. One on beauty skin care products that I use while Ice Climbing and the other a 3 page article with a full page photo of Rachel the travel writer The Ascending Path took out Ice Climbing and on a yoga Rock Climbing trip. Great PR as we couldn't pay for a full page logo photo in Fitness and article!! Yahooo
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/beauty/skin-care/advice/8-steps-to-flawless-winter-skin/?page=2

Snowshoeing Day Trip from Anchorage

Nice ladies traveling from Wisconsin up for the Iditarod. We Snowshoed up in the Willawaw Lake drainage for a few miles roundtrip. We found sights of recent moose in the area with fresh chew marks on the bark of Alder trees & moose scat. Saw lots of snowshoe hare tracks and even a little fast one that passed through the brush in front of us. The sastrugi was very large in the creek drainage. We even found areas of wind scoured snow that had inches of moose fur in a region where I know they like to den down in the winter. I was wishing I knew some anglers who tied flies for fishing so I could tell them about the moose fur find. Despite the cold we had awesome hoar frost on the trees that made them look as if they were coated with powdered sugar crystals. The sun came out and I feverishly tried to take in every ray as we hiked back to the car. My guests were laughing at me as I was taking tons of photos of them in DIRECT sunlight. They realized that I and many others in Alaska were just receiving some of the first direct and warming sun rays for the first time in months (unless you traveled to southern latitudes, of course). I was ecstatic :) :) Another great day out-----Heather Szundy

First Annual Ice Climbing Festival in Anchorage area

First Annual Ice Climbing Festival in the Anchorage area. Jayme Dixon, The Ascending Path, AMH, Alaska Ice Climbing, MCA, 210th PJ's, Alaska Rock Gym, AAC, Access Fund and many others worked continuously for half a year trying to get together the first large scale Ice Festival and Competition in Hunter Creek. The 3 day event provided beginner to advanced climbers the opportunity to learn skills in many clinics. This was a momentous occasion as it brought together a lot of talent and different groups of climbers in Alaska. People flew in from Juneau, Kodiak, Fairbanks and many were present from Southcentral Alaska. AMH, The Ascending Path, Petzl & BD provided demo gear. While instructors ranged from some of Alaska's best: Harry Hunt, Joe Stock, Ralph Tingey, Ascending Path Guides, 210th PJ's etc. It was a lot of work as most figured out by the end of the weekend. I would say the attendance was around 200 or so climbers, outdoorsy folks, and family for the 3 day event. All in all it was a great weekend with a killer mixed comp route complete with moss and choss, Chris Lindsey DJing, kegs from Moose's Tooth, a slide show, wrap up dinner at Organic Oasis with live auction and direct sunlight!!! Waaahoooo :) Can't wait for next year's event! I will not be off the sofa next year for the comp though, Harry!!! ------Heather Szundy

How many people can fit inside an Ice Climb?