As the Vail Valley ski areas await more snow, ice climbers are enjoying unseasonably thick ice falls right here in East Vail!

Ice climbing is a great way to get out and enjoy the spectacular mountains of Colorado on ice formations ranging from low angle beginner to steeper advanced routes.

If it’s mixed climbing that you are looking for, you’ll find that here too – this exciting sport is a great way to test your skills on rock and ice.

Check out this exhilarating and fun experience today. For more information or to register today, visit our Vail Ice Climbing page, register here, or call us at (888) 686-7685.

That’s right…Apex is ready for a new sticker, and we want your input!

Rules? None! Any shape or size is welcome. You can use our logo or not…just ask and we’ll send you a high resolution graphic by email – send a quick request through our contact us page. The deadline to submit a design is Thursday November 17, 2012. Please submit a high resolution graphic in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator format.

A winner will be selected and announced on Monday November 21, 2012.

You and your climbing partner “Randy” are having an excellent day of climbing near Moab Utah. After five hours of climbing Randy is preparing to lead his first 5.11 crack climb. Confident after climbing so well earlier in the day, Randy chooses not to place gear for the first relatively easy 25 feet. While placing his first piece, Randy’s grip loosens and he slips, falling 25 feet to the ground. He lands feet first and tumbles backwards, hitting his head with a loud “crack”. You rush towards Randy and quickly notice blood on the back of his head and his helmet split open. He has an obvious gash in the back of his head and his left leg is disfigured between his knee and ankle. He is sitting upright with his shoulders hunched forward, and he is not moving. As you approach closer, he says, “don’t move me, I don’t want to move”. What is your assessment of the patient? What is your first action? Do you have a treatment plan? Is this a life-threatening emergency?  Should you call for help or stay with your friend and try to address his injuries? Do you have the knowledge to properly stabilize Randy without causing further injury?

Backcountry enthusiasts, guides and travelers – Spending time in the backcountry gives you and the others in your group exposure to risks unlike any other environment. Miles away from professional medical treatment is a risk all its own. You may only have a small window of time to think and act before the patient’s vital signs drop significantly. Your wilderness medicine training may dictate the patient’s chance of survival.

Increase your knowledge and skills for response to medical and rescue scenarios in the backcountry by obtaining a Wilderness First Responder certification (“WFR”).  This certification is great for skiers, climbers, hikers, mountain bikers, whitewater enthusiasts, snowmobilers, and many others!

Wilderness First Responder courses are offered throughout the year by Apex, as well as the periodic WFR recertification (or WFR recert), required every three years to stay current. For more information on Apex’s wilderness medicine courses, visit our wilderness medicine page, call (970) 949-9111 or contact us by email.

Climbing gear holds the most important thing in the world, your life!

With so much riding on the protection of your gear, it’s essential to know the weak links in your system and to reduce the possibility of a failure.

Climbing gear that is made of cloth-like material such as ropes and slings are much more susceptible to the elements in comparison to metal gear such as carabineers and belay devices.  Materials such as webbing and slings are weakened by falls, UV radiation, dirt grinding on and possibly in the sling, and undesirable friction generated by bad orientation – basically, just good old wear and tear.

Gear that has both metal and cloth properties is not without exception to this wear and tear, and is sometimes neglected in being considered for replacement.  According to Black Diamond, cam slings should be replaced every 2-5 years with frequent use and 5-8 years with occasional use.

With any climbing gear, it is the responsibility of the climber to inspect and know the quality and condition of their gear.  If your brand new cam takes a whipper with the sling resting over a granite edge and the integrity of the sling is compromised, do not wait to replace it!  Common sense tells us the sling has been tested, and should be replaced.

It’s important to contact the manufacturer about re-slinging especially if it is being done through a company that is not the original manufacturer.  If the cam is not re-slung correctly and does not match the original design, the strength of the device may be compromised.  This is true for the new Black Diamond camalots and c3s.  The thumb loop of the cam has the capability to cut a single layer of webbing around 10kn (2,250lbs).  By clipping straight into the thumb loop the strength of the unit is also reduced by around 2kn (450lbs).

The bottom line is this: Don’t skimp – live to climb for many many years! Know your gear and its history, and replace it when it gets damaged or has just had enough aging and/or abuse.

Of course, this information is for entertainment purposes only. Climb and pursue mountaineering activities at your own risk. It is 100% your responsibility to verify the accuracy of this information, as well as to develop the ability to inspect and upgrade/replace your equipment accordingly.

Colorado is having a record year for snowfall – Vail’s snowpack is 137% above the yearly average. With plenty of snow to feed the icefalls, the ice is in equally impressive condition. In such a banner year we hope you join us to hit the Colorado backcountry slopes on skis, snowboard and snowshoes, or to get out for some awesome ice climbing!

As well, as outdoor enthusiasts you should take caution in preparing for your own back country and side country travel. Courses in avalanche education, winter survival and mountaineering skills, and wilderness medicine help prepare you if something doesn’t go as planned when you’re in the backcountry.

Our 2011 winter season is well under way and many of our Vail, Colorado –based season outings still have space available. You can find more info on these trips and courses in our new events list and events calendar. Take your pick of ice climbing, backcountry skiing and hut trips, mountaineering, avalanche education, wilderness medicine and survival skills.

As always, all of our trips are also offered privately on a daily basis.

Avalanche Education courses:

Colorado’s snowpack is full of variability and thus, inherently unstable. As more and more people venture deeper into the backcountry to find new powder runs, they must go with a heightened awareness or face potentially higher consequences. Avalanche courses combined with the proper safety equipment are an excellent way to manage that risk.

Apex is offering a 3 day hut trip on 2/25/11 (7am) – 2/27/11(5pm). The trip includes AAA (American Avalanche Association) compliant avalanche fundamentals curriculum with 24 hours of instruction, 16 of those will be field hours. Check out our Backcountry Hut Trip page for more information.

There is still space in the AIARE level 1 avalanche course on 2/11/11 (8am) – 2/13/11 (5pm). All Apex’s AIARE courses are full besides this one so check our AIARE level 1 page for more information.

Avalanche courses are available on a private daily basis also.

Vail, Colorado’s Beaver Creek Ski Patrol is offering their last free 2 hour introduction to avalanche safety class on February 3rd at the Edwards Ambulance District from 7-9 pm. Apex will be present at this event and we encourage all who are interested in increasing their risk management in the backcountry to attend this free class. Space is limited contact the Beaver Creek Ski Patrol for more information: 970-754-6610

Ice Climbing trips and courses:

Colorado’s ice has been growing at a record rate with warm days and cool nights. Our beginner ice climbing courses are scheduled for 1/31, 2/14, and 2/28. Our intermediate ice climbing courses are scheduled for 2/8, 2/22, 3/8, and 3/22. We can also arrange a private course at your convenience.

We also offer the following ice climbing courses and trips daily: group ice climbing, Vail Valley ice climbing, Breckenridge ice climbing, rappelling, leading ice 101, anchor building and gear placement for ice.

Indoor climbing at a simulated indoor rock facility is offered daily also.

Backcountry Skiing trips and courses:

With lots of fresh snow in the Colorado backcountry we hope you’ll come polish your turns in the backcountry with us. Our beginner backcountry skiing courses are scheduled for 2/2, 2/16, and 3/2. We can also arrange a private course at your convenience.

We also offer the following backcountry skiing courses and trips daily: intermediate backcountry skiing, Vail Valley backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering, and backcountry hut trips.

Mountaineering trips and courses:

Develop travel techniques to climb in your local backcountry or train for a trip to summit the world. Our mountaineering 101 courses are scheduled for 2/7, 2/21, 3/14, and 3/28. We can also arrange a private course at your convenience.

Wilderness Medicine courses:

Do you know what to do if something goes wrong? Does your partner or buddy know? Don’t wait to find out – wilderness medicine courses offer skills training in preparation for responding to an accident, stabilizing a patient in the backcountry, and evacuating to proper care.

Colorado Wilderness First Responder courses are scheduled for 4/10-17 and 5/22-29. If you have a certification and are looking to update, WFR recertification courses will take place on 4/9-10 and 5/21-22. Private courses are available for larger groups at your request.

AIARE: Level 1 Avalanche Course

As you know from our last blog, Apex Mountain School will be offering AIARE level 1 Avalanche Education Courses in Colorado’s Vail Valley. Apex has teamed up with AIARE (the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) to provide two, three day, level 1 avalanche education courses in the 2011 winter season. The course consists of one classroom day and two field days. Field days involve backcountry travel via ski touring, splitboarding, or snowshoeing.

Our curriculum is AIARE standard and adheres to the AAA (American Avalanche Association) suggested requirements for avalanche courses, and all instructors are AIARE-certified. The 3 day course offers an introduction to avalanche hazard management.

Course topics include:

• Planning and preparation for traveling into the backcountry: learn how to plan your route, backup plans, escape plans, and how to use the weather and avalanche forecast. What equipment and items to bring into the backcountry.
• Decision making and risk management in in avalanche terrain.
• Introduction to the snow science in avalanche prediction.
• Assessing terrain.
• Evaluating the snowpack: snow pits, snowpack tests, and quick tests to do while in motion.
• How to understand weather and its effect on the snow stability.
• The human factor: how to reduce associated subjective hazards.
• Observation techniques, including: field recordings, observation checklist, and red flags.
• Route finding: establishing pathways through the mountains.
• Companion rescue: effectively using your beacon, shovel and probe in the field.

This course has no prerequisites, and is highly recommended for outdoor professionals and recreationalists that travel in avalanche terrain.

Dates for the Vail, Colorado AIARE level 1 courses are January 28th-30th, and February 11th-13^th, 2011.  Visit our website’s AIARE level 1 page, call (888) 686-7685, or contact us to register today. For those interested or who have already signed up visit AIARE’s “preparing for an avalanche course” to gain more insight on how to get ready for the course.

If you love to backcountry ski, snowboard, and snowmobile, it’s likely you love to play in the deep, untracked, powder snow.   There is nothing better than the feeling of floating through the snow as you cut that perfect line.  Or maybe you ice climb in exposed avalanche terrain. If you’re looking for amazing lines in the backcountry of Colorado, an AIARE level 1 course from Apex is an excellent compliment to your preparedness skills.

In the backcountry you set your own boundaries; you’ll never have to wait in lift lines again and fresh tracks abound! But when venturing away from the ski area and into avalanche terrain the game becomes unpredictable and the consequences may be high. Since Colorado is notorious for one of the most complex snowpacks in the world, there’s even more reason for taking an AIARE level 1 avalanche course.

In association with AIARE (the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education), Apex Mountain School will be offering three, three day, level 1 avalanche education classes during the 2010/11 winter season.

This Colorado based course is an introduction into the snow science of avalanche assessment, route finding, field decision making and rescue techniques.  These classes are great for clients of 14 years or older and of any level that have an interest in developing a greater awareness and tools for use in avalanche country.  Whether you are an outdoor professional, regular outdoor enthusiast or weekend warrior, we welcome you.  There are no prerequisites to attend this course.

Dates for the Vail, Colorado AIARE level 1 courses are January 21st-23rd, January 28th-30th, and February 11th-13^th, 2011.  Visit our AIARE level 1 page on the site, call (888) 686-7685, or contact us to register today.

As well, we will provide three free intro courses in conjunction with Beaver Creek Ski Patrol. Watch our website for more info on these Vail, Colorado community outreach courses.

That’s right, we’re getting our first snow storm. Currently, it’s 30 degrees out with 2 inches of accumulated snow on the ground, and it’s still coming down!

Many of our resorts are blowing snow and it seems we’re off to a great start for the snow base, both at the resorts and in the backcountry.

The forecast is calling for more snow over the next 3 days, followed by a few days of Colorado sunshine and continued cold nights. You may know what that means – warming by day and freezing by night means rapid formation of ice in the high country. Do your ice and snow dance; this may shape up to be a trophy year for backcountry skiing and Vail ice climbing.

We are currently offering rock climbing in the front range, as well as in the desert, and will offer ice climbing and backcountry skiing as soon as conditions permit. If you want to learn more, select an itinerary from the navigation above, contact us, or call (888)686-7685.

We hope to get out into the Colorado backcountry with you soon!

From families enjoying day activities to weekend warriors to the seasoned backcountry enthusiast, most of us in the mountains explore the wilderness at some point. However infrequently it may be, accidents do happen. Being prepared to respond is a great way to increase your personal safety and the safety of those around you. Having a first aid kit can help, but the training and know-how that comes with a Wilderness First Responder, or WFR, course is an asset undisputed by wilderness medicine gurus everywhere.

That’s why Apex Mountain School of Vail, Colorado will again offer their renowned SOLO Colorado WFR full certification course from November 7 – November 14, 2010, in addition to a SOLO Colorado WFR recertification course from November 6 – 7, 2010.

The Apex Mountain School – SOLO Wilderness First Responder curriculum uses the principles of long-term care, improvised resources, and varying environmental conditions as the framework for learning. Now the most widely recognized and most oft-required outdoor leader certification, the WFR course was initially developed and taught by SOLO in the mid-1980′s. Created to provide outdoor leaders, guides, and rangers with the knowledge to deal with crises in remote settings, this 80-hour wilderness medicine certification course meets DOT National Standards for First Responder with additional protocols for extended-care situations. Like all of Apex’s Colorado wilderness medicine programs, the emphasis of the WFR is on prevention and decision-making.

The WFR curriculum addresses, among other matters, the issues of medico-legal concerns, blood-borne pathogens and infectious diseases. The Patient Assessment System, the foundation of the course, trains students on the fundamentals of determining and addressing the status and needs of wilderness patients. Sessions also provide instruction in traumatic situations and other medical emergencies response. Environmental issues such as hypothermia and heat injuries are dealt with in great detail, and practical simulations and labs provide practice in backcountry leadership and rescue skills.

A typical day in this Vail, Colorado course consists of a mixture of hands-on practical skills work and information-rich lecture sessions. To increase learning and comprehension of wilderness medicine, we complement our classroom sessions with indoor and outdoor mock scenarios and simulations. No matter your sport, if you are spending time in the backcountry, this certification is priceless. Hunters, hikers, mountain bikers, climbers, campers and professional guides, in addition to government employees, security personnel and ski patrol are among the many enthusiasts that benefit from WFR certification.

There are no prerequisites for the full course, and students who successfully complete the WFR course will receive a SOLO Wilderness First Responder card and an American Heart Association Adult Heart-Saver CPR card (or equivalent). Syllabus, First Aid Book, and Workbook are included in your course fee and will be provided on the first day of your course. Price for the full course is $675. The cost for the recertification course is $290, plus $35 for the CPR update.

To register for Apex’s up-coming Colorado Wilderness First Responder courses, visit our Wilderness Medicine section of the site, call 888-MTN-SOUL (686-7685) or 970-949-9111, or email us.