"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." -Henry David Thoreau
US ARMY
Denise Rubin, who joins us occasionally here, and who has a son who is an Army Ranger, sent this along to me. I think it's very interesting, how our military trains the American warrior. Part of the fun of being in this group is vicariously living the adventures we each bring to the table every day. Thanks, Denise, for sharing this! I cannot even imagine it. Our prayers are with Keith! xox, Sharon
Other Readers, these updates are sequenetial from the beginning. Latest updates are at the bottom of this page.
Mt. McKinley, Denali, Alaska
Hi Sweetie Pie,
Here is the latest update (in Red) and estimated track (Blue).
They are traveling on a glaciar. It is slow going with many crevases. The rangers will be on ski's. The preferred mode mode of snow travel for the modern Ranger (at least when going down) is snow board. The Rangers are not skilled with ski's. The Rangers and will adapt. The ski's should be easy to learn while traveling up hill. The skis are outfitted with "skins". Not really skins, but more like a cloth to prevent them from slipping backwards down hill. The Rangers are toting sleds (Like the kind kids use while sledding (No Joke, they are toy sleds for real)). They are roped up (i.e. connected to each other with rope), and separated by say 20 to 70 ft. The idea is, that if the leader should fall into a crevass there is time for the others to stop the fall using thier ice axes. Glacier travel alone is very dangerus.
I have provided a map below. The red lines represents where they have been. The blue is where I expect them to go. To give you an idea of distance, the red line shown on this update is about 4 miles distance.
Love u,
David
David W. Pierce General Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp. Principal Engineer, D702 Simulation & Support Systems
Newport Engineering Office (NEO) 2 Corporate Place Middletown, RI 02842
Army Rangers Training on Mt. McKinley
From: Denise Rubin [mailto:rubind@ride.ri.net] Sent: Saturday, May 14, 2011 10:10 PM To: Recipient list suppressed: Subject: Fwd: Team Ranger Progress/Mt. McKinley
update on Keith........
Sweetie Pie,
Great news. They have moved another 2 miles in 3.5 hours, and gained another 1450 feet. Their current altitude is 9550 feet. I'm not sure if I could even breath that high up, and that's only halfway.
Starting tomorrow, it starts to get steeper. I am wondering if they will make it to Advanced Base Camp (ABC) tomorrow. That would be a very long day, with an altitude change of about 7000 feet. It would be unlikely that the boys would make it to ABC by tomorrow.
There will be some serious steep tomorrow.
I have attached two maps. One is an update of the old one, and the other is a higher resolution map which only shows the upper part of the mountain.
Love u,
David
information and updates re: position provided by Keith via satellite....translated and plotted on map by David..........wuuuuuu huuuuuuuu!
Denise,
They are about 3000 feet below Advanced Base Camp (ABC) and just over 2 miles away (Horizontally).
Remember it stays light all night where they are. Theoretically they could make it to ABC today, but if I know Keith he will be pacing himself. I expect them to make ABC tomorrow.
I have modified the projected route based on Keith telling me about a 3000 foot climb out of ABC on near vertical ice. The new expected route is shown in pink. Keith told me that there would be two fixed ropes going up and two fixed ropes coming down. I will provide more detail on fixed ropes, when they get there.
Our lovey Keith is training in Danali, Alaski...climing Mt. McKinley......here is the info FYI!!! (We are just a little proud!....in Hebrew, this is called, 'Kvelling!' aka 'bragging'
Keith wa at the 7,200' marked in red last midnight. The route shown is the West Buttress route.
I think that is the route they are going to take. It is the most popular.
The following is a picture of the upper part of the route (in more detail):
David W. Pierce
General Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp.
Principal Engineer, D702
Simulation & Support Systems
Office Phone: 401-848-8870
Fax: 401-848-8517
Email: dpierce2@gdeb.com
Newport Engineering Office (NEO)
2 Corporate Place
Middletown, RI 02842
5/17/11
Sweetie Pie,
Sorry I have not provided an update in a couple of days.
Two days ago there was no progress made. I had to assume they were taking a rest day. The fact that they did not move at all, means to me that they did not try to move. As opposed to moving a little bit and being stopped due to a mishap. If they only moved a little bit and then stopped, I might have thought that something went wrong. Maybe they took a rest day to acclimatize, or maybe they were just tired.
Now last night is a different story. There position is so far from any place that makes any sense, that I must assume a GPS "Fix" error. It is possible for a GPS to produce a position with gross error. If its not a GPS error, then it was a planned move to a place completely un-associated with the climbing of mount Dinali, but to a place that would also NOT be associated with a mishap. I will not speculate in an email. I feel the GPS has given an incorrect position.
Hopefully tonight will yield a more sensible position.
It is possible that they are at ABC, and the GPS is not seeing enough of the sky to get an accurate fix. Remember ABC camp is in a basin. Part of the sky is out of view
If they are at ABC, then, theoretically, we may not be sure of where they are until they are at the top. I do not know how long they were planning on staying at ABC. I do not know if they needed to acclimatize there or just wait for a brake in the weather or both. ABC is at 14000 feet. I'm sure that they do need to spend some time there to acclimatize.
Its hard, not knowing what is really going on.
If tonight yields another wild position, then I will be thinking that they really are at ABC.
Love u,
David
David W. Pierce General Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp. Principal Engineer, D702 Simulation & Support Systems
They made it to Advanced Base Camp at 14,000 feet! The GPS was screwy yesterday as David thought. Keith was able to get a call through to us today. He said everything is going good. He sounded hyped and happy and safe and filled with life! He was also able to post on facebook......don't ask how..I have no idea. I know they are charging their satellite phone with solar panels...and heating snow for water. They will be acclimating and organizing and setting up tents and hope to reach the summit in 4 or 5 days. They are hanging out at ABC a couple days and then set up camp at 17,000 feet......... Thank you lovey for your prayers........from the beginning! xo me
PS........re: gardening....I'm working at a residential school for children who have been removed from their families for all sorts of reasons........doing speech/language therapy. I'm also doing gardening activities with them! We have 8 raised beds and some of your zinnias are growing under grow lights just so the kids can see and get excited before we plant the rest outside. We'll be planting tomatoes and a few other veggies...in the summer I will help them run a flower stand and teach them how to arrange bouquets, make change, communicate appropriately with customers...etc...etc.....and then in the fall...we will be using harvested produce to learn how to prepare and cook simple/healthy recipes...................retired?????? who? Me?????? huh???????
Here is the page. I would be so anxious, they'd have to drug me. :O I hope your son is Ok and returns well! And trained! :) You are a brave Mother. xox, Sharon
The Rangers made it to Advanced Base Camp (ABC) Tuesday night (05/17/11).
The GPS provided me an incorrect position, some 8 miles to the south.
The guys are fine. Tomorrow they are planning on going down to retrieve some supplies that were left a couple of thousand feet below. They have been making two trips on every advance to move all of their supplies.
They plan to rest the day after tomorrow, and then move up to 17000 feet, and set up a camp (marked on my map as "Rest/Bivy"). The 17000 camp will be the staging point for the final assault on the summit..
After setting up the 17000 ft camp, they plan on coming back down to ABC for more supplies, then go back up to the 17000 ft camp. Then they will wait until the weather is right, and make their move for the summit.
The 3000 feet from ABC to the "Rest/Bivy" camp entails very steep climbing. In fact, Keith estimates the final 1000 FT, to be 80 degrees. That's almost hanging! Fixed ropes are used for this 1000 foot section.
Fixed ropes, are ropes which have been set in place for the duration of the climbing season. They are typically used by all climbers that use that particular route.
A person utilizes a rope gripper referred to as an ascender. Many times referred to as a Jumar, which is a particular make of ascender. The climber uses two ascenders to climb the fixed rope by gripping it with the ascenders. The ascenders have webbing loops to put your feet in. This makes it possible to climb using your legs and arms bearing all your weight on the fixed rope.
The ascenders and fixed ropes are also used in combination with crampons, and ice axe (see attached map).
Envision climbing near vertical ice and snow, with spikes (crampons) on your feet, an ascender attaching you to a fixed rope, ice axe(s) in hand(s), pulling a load behind you, or on your back, in zero degrees temperatures, and 70 mph winds, for 1000 feet. Yahoo!!!
I talked to Keith on his satellite phone. He sounded very well. They are using solar panels to keep the battery's charged.
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