2016 Awards

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2016 Awards

Each December the mountaineering committee hosts its annual holiday party. Aside from good food, drinks and raffle prizes, it's also the time when awards are handed out to celebrate different accomplishments throughout the year. While a few of the awards are more serious in nature, many of the others highlight some of the more humorous, painful, awkward and entertaining moments inherent to the sport of climbing. For those who could not attend the 2016 holiday event, continue reading to see some of the detailed descriptions.

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Life After The Rock Program: Crushing it in the High Sierra by Lisa Fernandez

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Life After The Rock Program: Crushing it in the High Sierra by Lisa Fernandez

Lisa Fernandez who took the Rock Program in the spring of 2016 tells her tale of how she went from learning knots at Quincy Quarries to summiting 14,000 footers in the High Sierra.

"So there I was on a wet Saturday at Quincy Quarries just outside Boston, in a mix of sleet, rain, and snow, trying to embrace a piece of vertical rock. It was brightly bedecked in enamel paint graffiti which, in the icky conditions, made the climbing that much harder. Not that it mattered in my case, because I had come clad to follow a leader in my new mountaineering boots, which I was trying to break in for the Palisades trip. My guide for the Palisades had insisted they were the right footgear for the technical climbing we would be doing: up to 5.7 or so, over multiple pitches on rock and potentially ice and snow, at 14,000 feet with lots of exposure.  I felt like Sisyphus at QQ..."

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Holidays in Frey Argentina by Alissa Doherty

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Holidays in Frey Argentina by Alissa Doherty

Our first foray to Patagonia was so rife with anticipation, my five compadres and I gave the trip its own hashtag: #teamfrey. Despite our skillful use of the hype-machine, make no mistake—we aren’t qualified in any way to climb in El Chalten (most of us anyway). Lacking the skill and vacation time for that, we concocted a Patagonia-lite adventure to Frey, Argentina.

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Mountains and Climate Change: From Understanding to Action by Paul Dale (Part 1)

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Mountains and Climate Change: From Understanding to Action by Paul Dale (Part 1)

I have been a climber, skier and mountaineer for over 40 years and active with the AMC for decades. In thinking about what is the most important way in which I can give back to other outdoor enthusiasts and to future generations, including my kids, addressing the problem of climate change is by far the most important.  I have dedicated myself to writing a series of articles that I hope will educate you about energy and climate change initiatives in Massachusetts and thus move you from agreeing that climate change is a problem to taking action to deal with it, both personal and political. I want to provide easy to follow guidance on how to be effective in the fight for a better future. The first article lists personal things you can do (other than the standard call to install low wattage light bulbs).

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2016 Rock Program in Pictures by Tony Ng

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2016 Rock Program in Pictures by Tony Ng

Tony is an aspiring climber and photographer. He participated in the 2016 Rock Program as a student but simultaneously pursued his passion for photography by taking pictures whenever an opportunity arose. In addition to climbing, he is also an AMC Four-Season Hiking and Backpacking Trip Leader. He hopes to continue pursuing his outdoor adventures while capturing as much as he can on camera. The pictures from this post were all taken at the Quincy Quarries during this past year's Program. Tony hopes that it will not only be a great way for the 2016 class to look back on fond memories, but that it will also serve as a good example of what future students can expect. 

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8 Days a Week by Eric Engberg

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8 Days a Week by Eric Engberg

Most parents that climb have thoughts – usually more fantasies than real hopes – of how great it would be to share climbing adventures with their kids.  The daydreams start out with thoughts of teaching the kids and sharing some nice times. You start imagining – “what if my kid got so good they could rope gun for me?  - wouldn’t that be great?” Well sometimes daydreams do come true and I’m here to warn you to be ready when they do.

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