Happy Holidays from the Austral Plane!

On December 13-15 Marcus and I took advantage of some nice weather to climb Gorra Blanca.  We approached via Paso Marconi and spent two nights at Refugio Gorra Blanca, Chile.

Paso Marconi (1500m)

Rime ridge climbing on Gorra Blanca

Fitz, Marcus, and Joel

Marcus and Sun Dog

Looking West toward Passo Mariano Moraino

Refugio Gorra Blanca with

Gorra Blanca (above and right of portal)

Thank you friends and family for making this possible.  Specifically, a huge thanks to you Marcus for making this a real fun time in the hills!  For anyone planning on heading into the mountains or specifically to El Chalten to climb, please read Rolando Garibotti and Dörte Pietron's recent post on pataclimb.com;  

http://www.pataclimb.com/knowledge/articles/pdf/risk_managment_pataclimb.pdf

Thank you to the Comisión Auxilio and to all those that have volunteered their time and risked their lives on the various rescues in and around the Chalten Massif.

Octoberfest in Cali

Autumn in Pine Creek, the first snowfall

Calaveras Dome

 Joel on Sands of Time

Mokelumne Reservoir

A splendid splitter to start The Wall of the Worlds

Joel leading the 2nd pitch of Wall of the Worlds

Joel on the 4th

Happy Birthday Neil!!

Some crazy fungi out there!

Joel and Tad feasting after a big push on Aguille Extra

Jim Toman running around on top of Mt Watkins

Jim and Joel at the start of A New Golden Dawn, Mt Watkins

Jim on the 1st pitch

Joel slabbing above Tenaya Canyon and Clouds Rest

Jim leading a cruxy slab

Jim leads off near the top

 Jim and Joel following up high

That's Half Dome

Valley Uprising, Monkey Up!

 Leading the wideness on The Good Book

 Jason Pavilanis booting up in JTREE

Hasta la próxima hermano!

Springing into USA

 Scott Bennett, amped as always

The Naked Edge

Eldo Colorado

Tim and Josh starting The Bastille

Eldo

The Six Shooter Peaks

Canyonlands Utah

The Bridger Jack Towers

 Felix on Sunflower Tower

Rapping off Easter Island

A fine place to be

Pamela and Patrick working on a new, wide route

Pregnant Woman Wall, Indian Creek

Patrick showing off the plaque for our new route on Pregnant Woman Wall

Thanks to Pam for helping get this one done!

Stillborn

(Pat Kingsbury Photo)

Pitch 1

(PK)

Feeling pumped after finishing the 1st pitch

(PK)

Looking down the 2nd Pitch, amazing!

(PK)

Psyched to send it!

(PK)

Juliet learning to climb rocks, age 3

The Pit, Flagstaff Arizona

Everyone loves Belay Specs!

Neil on top of Alladin's Lamp

Sedona Arizona

Trevor leading on Tomahawk Tower

Yeah, no big deal, really.

Trevor raps off Tomahawk Tower

Felix well below the top of Damfino Spire

Psyching up for the amazing OW corner on Damfino

Felix on the long OW corner

Weird tin can rock formation near the top

Shadow people on the summit

Felix the Cat celebrates on top

Paradise Forks Arizona