Looks like I'm headed to Kenya! My girlfriend and I got jobs working for the One Acre Fund in Bungoma, Kenya. She is keeping a blog -- check it out.

The climbing wall on Penn Ave.  Every tuesday and thursday I'll be there at 4:00.  I got a membership now.  I'll probably be in the bouldering area but I will have my harness with me too.  My rock leading/top-rope level has remained fairly static for the past 2 years.  This year I plan to raise it to the next level.

So this year I want to start leading on ice.  I have a couple routes in mind already.  Kinzua ice, it's easy, closeby ice I am very familiar with.  Chapel Pond slabs is supposed to be fun.  Willey's slide up in NH is low angle ice.  I am eagerly checking weather reports.  Turns out this won't be an early season ice year in PA, I doubt there will be anything significan't til the later part of January.  People are climbing all kinds of stuff up north however...

 I decided to get a small ice rack.   No, you cannot borrow anything (at least not yet).  I chose the new BD Express screws.  I think they start much quicker than the rest.  I am fully aware of the benefits of Grivel vs. BD, but for now I'm going with BD.  I also found a killer deal on them (cosmetic blems).  I got a 13, 2x16, 2x19, and a 22.  I also got 2 screamers and a Grivel Candela.  This should be good for awhile til I get more experience.  If I do any climbs that need more I'll probably be climbing with somebody that has more.

This jacket is frickin awesome.  Ever had to wear a shell cause it was windy/snow was falling/very cold etc. but you didn't want to because you knew you would sweat?  This thing breathes like a shirt does, cuts the wind, and snow falls right off.  Anything short of pouring rain I would bring this.  It weighs 4oz and fits in your pocket.  If I had this in Canada on the silverhorn I would have brought this only, nothing else.  If I had this on the Presidential traverse I would have brought this with a paclite in my pack as a backup.  I would have worn this 90% of the time on presi instead of sweating it up in my 3-layer shell.  It is a very supple thin fabric, not stiff like a shell, it's more like a shirt than anything else.

 Paclite shell 11oz + Houdini 4 oz = 15oz

Gore-Tex XCR shell = 22oz

Today I went and hiked 20 miles on the Laurel Highlands Trail in double plastic boots.  I did mile 0-10 and back, its about 5000 feet of elevation gain total.  My average time per mile including breaks was about 25min/mile.  Not the fastest speed but not bad for going solo.  It's hard to maintain a pace by yourself.  And 20 miles in plastics is not bad either.  My feet didn't get really chewed up until about mile 15 or so.

 I want to do speed work now.  I'll do 5min reps on the Cathedral stairs.  Try to do as many floors in 5 min as possible as fast as I can.  Get a full recovery, then repeat about 10 times.  Hopefully the number of floors I do will increase over time.