Life Time Fitness : Resource List - Rock Climbing

Open Climbing Hours

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:15:55 GMT

Click on the links below for your club's open climbing hours.

Arizona	Maryland	Tennessee
Gilbert	Columbia	Collierville
Goodyear-Palm Valley	Michigan	Texas
Scottsdale	Canton Township	Allen-McKinney
Tempe	Commerce Township	Austin North
Colorado	Novi	Austin South
Parker-Aurora	Rochester Hills	Champions
Westminster	Shelby Township	Cinco Ranch
Georgia	Troy	CityCentre
Alpharetta	Minnesota	Colleyville
Johns Creek	Chanhassen	Flower Mound
Mountain Brook	Eagan	Garland
Sugarloaf	Lakeville	Lake Houston
Illinois	Plymouth	Mansfield
Algonquin	Missouri	Plano
Bloomingdale	West County	San Antonio
Burr Ridge	Nebraska	San Antonio at the Rim
Old Orchard	Omaha	Sugar Land
Orland Park	New Jersey	Utah
Romeoville	Berkeley Heights	South Valley
Schaumburg	Florham Park	Virginia
Vernon Hills	North Carolina	Centreville
Indiana	Cary
Indianapolis	Ohio
Kansas	Columbus
Overland Park	Deerfield Township
	Dublin

Climbing Term of the Week: Edging

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:11:22 GMT

Edging: v.

A foot technique where either the inside or outside edge of a rock shoe stands on a sharp edge of a foothold.

Summit of the Week: Mount Shasta

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:28:06 GMT

Mount Shasta is located in Siskiyou County in northern California and is the fifth highest mountain peak in the state.

One of the largest stratovolcanoes in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, Mount Shasta rises to 14,179 feet above sea level and has a prominence of 9,822 feet.

The United States Geological Survey considers Mount Shasta as a dormant volcano as it hasn’t erupted since 1786, but it is the second highest volcano in the U.S.

Peter Skene Ogden, a fur trader and Canadian explorer who trekked through many parts of the American West during the 1820s, was the first to view Mount Shasta in 1826.

However, Mount Shasta wasn’t summited until Elias Pearce recorded the first ascent of the mountain in 1854 after several earlier failed attempts. Nearby the mountain is U.S. Interstate 5, which used to be an ancient trade and travel route in the 1800s that also brought the California Gold Rush into the area.

For climbing, Mount Shasta has 17 established routes with a variety of them geared toward technical and non-technical climbers. The two most popular routes are the Avalanche Gulch and the Clear Creek.

The optimal climbing season is from April until October, but many attempts are made in the winter. During the winter months, the Sargents Ridge and Casaval Ridge routes are most traveled by climbers to avoid avalanche danger.

In 1976, the National Park Service deemed Mount Shasta as a National Natural Landmark.

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Sources:

"Mount Shasta". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=MX1016.http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3062/

Orr, Elizabeth L.; William N. Orr (1996). Geology of the Pacific Northwest. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies. pp. 115.

"Shasta". Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution. http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1203-01-.http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=566

Selters, Andy; Michael Zanger (2006). The Mt. Shasta Book (3rd ed.). Wilderness Press.

"Avalanche Gulch". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:256378.

"Mount Shasta". NPS: Nature & Science » National Natural Landmarks. National Park Service. http://www.nature.nps.gov/nnl/Registry/USA_Map/States/California/NNL/MS/index.cfm.

"Mt. Shasta Climber's Guide." Climbingmtshasta.org. http://www.climbingmtshasta.org/.

Climbing Term of the Week: Dead Hang

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:08:21 GMT

Dead Hang: v.

To hang from a hold with the arms straightened, allowing a climber's weight to be held by the climber's skeleton rather than his or her arm muscles.

A dead hang is a technique normally used to relax the arm muscles.

Summit of the Week: Mount Fairweather

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:46:13 GMT

Mount Fairweather is located about 14 miles east of the Pacific Ocean on the border of Alaska and British Columbia, Canada.

Located in Glacier Bay National Park of the U.S. by the Gulf of Alaska, the mountain rises to 15,325 ft. above sea level and has a prominence of 12,979 ft, making it the third most prominent peak in the U.S.

Captain James Cook named the mountain on May 3, 1778, because of the good weather his crew endured while navigating the gulf. However, in spite of its name, the location receives up to 100 inches of precipitation annually and incurs temperatures lower than -50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Summiting the peak is considered quite an accomplishment because of the peak’s remoteness and the location’s weather conditions. Because of these conditions and most expeditions taking a few weeks to complete, only a handful of people try summiting Mount Fairweather each year.

Allen Carpe and Terris Moore were the first to summit the glacier-covered Mount Fairweather in June 1931.

Since, then only a few summits have been recorded as most attempts on Mount Fairweather are terminated in mid-ascent due to weather conditions.

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Sources:

"Fairweather Mountain". Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia. Bivouac.com. http://www.bivouac.com/MtnPg.asp?MtnId=10.http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3062/

Terris Moore, "Mount Fairweather, Correction", American Alpine Journal 1982, p. 139.

"Mount Fairweather." Peakbagger.com http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=566

"Mount Fairweather." USGS Geographic Name Information System. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:1614502884020741::NO::P3_FID:1421838

Climbing Term of the Week: Clipping

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:08:42 GMT

Clipping: v.

The act of putting a carabiner onto a bolt, the rope, or a piece of climbing protection while climbing. "Clipping" is a common call to indicate to a belayer that you are about to pull up rope to make a clip.

Summit of the Week: Gannett Peak

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:46:54 GMT

Gannett Peak is the highest mountain peak in Wyoming and straddles over Fremont and Sublette counties near the Continental Divide.

Part of the Wind River Range, Gannett Peak has an elevation of 13,809 feet above sea level and a prominence of 7,076 feet.

The mountain is known as the highest peak in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Gannett Peak also has the 896-acre Gannett Glacier on its north slope, which is considered one of the largest single glaciers in the American portion of the Rocky Mountains.

The peak was named in 1906 for American geographer Henry Gannett, who is considered the founder of government mapmaking. Gannett was a member of the Hayden Survey that was the first group to discover the peak in 1878.

Gannett Peak wasn’t summited until Arthur Tate and Floyd Stahlnaker reached the top in 1922.

Climbing to the top of Gannett Peak usually takes between four to six days. Many climbers have claimed the peak is only second to Mount McKinley of Alaska in terms of difficult state high points, especially when it comes to alpine mountaineering.

Most climbers try to climb the peak between June and September; July and August are usually the optimal months for weather. From the nearby trailhead to the summit, the climb is about a 40-mile round trip.

Gannett Peak is one of the most remote peaks in the U.S. so many climbers suggest that anyone climbing should know basic first aid.

Emergency help isn’t easy to contact from the location and cellular phone reception near the mountain isn’t guaranteed.

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Sources:

"Gannett Peak Cairn". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=OW0356.http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3062/

"Gannett Peak, Wyoming". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=5352.

"America's 57 - The Ultras". Peaklist.org. http://www.peaklist.org/USlists/USP5000.html.

Penry, Jerry. "The Father of Government Mapmaking: Henry Gannett". American Surveyor. http://www.amerisurv.com/content/view/4519/.

"Gannett Peak." Pindaleonline.com. http://www.pinedaleonline.com/Gannett.HTM http://www.nps.gov/archive/mora/notes/vol7-14e.htm

"Gannett Peak." Summitpost.org. http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150362/gannett-peak.html

"Gannett Peak-Highest Peak in Wyoming at 13,804." Mountainmancountry.com. http://www.mountainmancountry.com/attractions/destinations/gannett-peak.html

Ed Cooper. Soul of the Rockies: Portraits of America's Largest Mountain Range. Globe Pequot, 2008. pp. 76-78.

Groundwork: Don't Forget Your Chest, Climbers

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:58:10 GMT

When spending a lot of time climbing indoors or outdoors, it’s easy to become enamored with the new strength you’re gaining.

Looking in the mirror, you might see the changing shapes of your back or the new muscle definition in your legs. But what about your chest?

Chances are you might not be gaining as much strength in your chest as other parts of your body, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect your pectorals when exercising outside a rock wall.

Merit West, regional training specialist and rock wall supervisor for Life Time Fitness in Chanhassen, MN, said climbers probably don’t use their chest muscles as much as other muscles groups when enjoying the sport. However, he said, climbers should continue to strengthen their chest to balance out the rest of the muscles in their bodies.

“Your main chest exercise is the push-up,” West said. “It’s good for everything.”

The beauty of the push-up, West said, is that the relatively routine exercise can be done with so many different variations.

Whether it be changing hand positions, using cable machines or benches, West said, push-ups come in numerous styles that work the various muscles in a climber’s chest.

“One of the best things to do is to use a Swiss ball,” West said.

With a Swiss ball, West said, you can elevate your upper body to perform one kind of push-up with your hands on the ball. You can also use the ball to elevate your legs to perform an inclined style of push-up.

“So you can see how you can get different kinds of angles that way,” West said.

Once you get really developed, West said, you could start adding claps in-between each push-up after you extend your arms.

By itself, West said, the push-up will develop the definition and endurance you need in your chest for climbing. He said a lot of muscle mass in the chest isn’t necessary for climbing, but you need the proper chest strength to balance out the rest of your body.

“I’ve seen body builders who were not able to get their bodies close enough to the wall because their own chest is pushing them off the wall,” West said.

“You want to build a balance. If your back is gigantic, you don’t want tiny, little pectorals. But you don’t want your chest so gigantic that you can hold yourself close to the wall.”

Climbing Term of the Week: Bouldering

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:20:21 GMT

Bouldering: n.

A style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs. Bouldering is usually practiced on large boulders or artificial, man-made boulders and demands more lateral climbing than vertical.

Summit of the Week: Mount Rainier

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:12:01 GMT

Mount Rainier in Pierce County, WA, is an active stratovolcano about 54 miles southeast of Seattle.

The mountain reaches about 14,411 ft. in elevation and is considered the most prominent mountain in the contiguous U.S.

Mount Rainier is also the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S. with 26 major glaciers and home to the highest lake in North America as a 130 ft. by 30 ft. crater lake is at the location with an elevation of 14,203 ft.

As first European to view the peak, Captain George Vancouver named the mountain in honor of his friend, Rear Admiral Peter Rainier, in 1792. Prior to his discovery, Native American tribes referred to the mountain as Tacoma.

In 1870, Hazard Stevens and P.B. Van Trump completed the first successful summit. John Muir, who climbed the mountain 18 years later, claimed the mountain was best appreciated from below than from the summit.

To preserve the mountain in its natural state, President William McKinley established the area as Mount Rainier National Park, the country’s fifth national park.

The mountain has three major summits (in order of highest to lowest elevation): Columbia Crest, Point Success and Liberty Cap. The most recent recorded volcanic eruption was sometime between 1820 and 1854. As of this year, there are no signs of an imminent eruption.

Climbing Mount Rainier is considered very difficult because it involves climbing the largest glaciers in the U.S. south of Alaska and requires experience in glacial travel, self-rescue and wilderness travel.

Mount Rainier attracts between 8,000 to 13,000 climbers each year and about half are successful due to weather and conditioning. For most climbers, the ascent takes two to three days to reach the summit. About 90 percent of climbers follow routes from the mountain’s Camp Muir on the southeast side.

Mount Rainier is also featured on Washington’s state quarter released by the U.S. Treasury in 2007.

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Sources:

Driedger, C.L.; K.M. Scott . "Mount Rainier – Learning to Live with Volcanic Risk". Fact Sheet 034-02. U.S. Geological Survey. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3062/.

Signani, PLS, Larry. "The Height of Accuracy". Point of Beginning. http://www.pobonline.com/Articles/Features/1fc6f0b5ba0f6010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0.

Zimbelman, D. R.; Rye, R. O., Landis, G. P. "Fumaroles in ice caves on the summit of Mount Rainier; preliminary stable isotope, gas, and geochemical studies". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 97 (1-4): 457–473.

"Harris, Stephen L. "Mount Rainier: America's Most Dangerous Volcano". Fire Mountains of the West (3rd edition ed.). Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company. p. 299–334.

"Historical Notes: Vancouver's Voyage". Mount Rainier Nature Notes Vol. 7 (no. 14). 1929. http://www.nps.gov/archive/mora/notes/vol7-14e.htm.

Haines, Aubrey L. Mountain Fever: Historic Conquests of Rainier. Oregon Historical Society.

"Camp Muir, Mount Rainier, Washington". University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections. University of Washington. http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgi-bin/viewer.exe?CISOROOT=/wastate&CISOPTR=561&CISORESTMP=&CISOVIEWTMP=&CISOMODE=grid.

Groundwork: Row Yourself to a Stronger Back for Climbing

gfelder@lifetimefitness.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:29:03 GMT

The next time you visit a Life Time Fitness rock wall, take a good look at the people climbing.

If you see someone who looks pretty advanced, chances are they also have a strong, defined back to prove it.

Climbing is obviously an activity that builds a strong back, said Merit West, regional training specialist and rock wall supervisor for Life Time Fitness in Chanhassen, MN.

“Your back muscles are major muscles used for climbing,” West said. “If you’re ever in an overhanging situation, if you can hang on with your hands, then you can hang on with your back.”

However, there are ways to double that back strength outside of the numerous hours you may be logging at the rock wall, West said.

The best type of exercises for a climber’s back is the row, West said. And the more variations of the exercise, the better.

West said it doesn’t matter whether you use an Icarian machine, free-motion machine or dumbbells for the exercise. Each variation will focus on the numerous muscles in the back that will aid your climbing, he said.

“The key is not to extend your elbows all the way to straight,” West said about performing the exercise. “Keep your elbows bent and that will isolate your back.”

Each variation of a row will most likely strengthen different muscles in your back, West said, so it good to try a couple different styles.

West said the row is an ideal exercise because in many climbing situations, a climber will be pulling themselves upward in a near-identical movement to the different rowing exercises.

West suggests that climbers perform the row exercises with high reps and low weight in mind. Climbers want strong backs, West said, but they need to be defined and the muscles need endurance since climbers spend a long time climbing a rock wall.

With that in mind, West suggests performing a pyramid weight/repetition structure of four sets, starting with low weight for the first set and performing between 10 to 12 repetitions for each set.

Gradually increase the weight during the next two sets, West said, before dropping the weight back down to the beginning weight in the final set.