EC Joe: Rites of Passage – The Legacy of Adventure Climbing in the Sierra Nevada

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

Rock climbing throughout the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California has been going about quietly for well over a century. The exploits of its pioneers into this beautiful mountain range have been infrequently documented in a few books, alpine journals, and magazines. The tales of these climbers in this area remain elusive in comparison to more mainstream places like Yosemite. Rites of Passage is a collection of those experiences written by a few aficionados of the Southern Sierra who have graciously shared their adventures for this book. Come join the campfire, kick back and indulge in the legacy of exploration, discovery, and adventure.

Eddie, “E.C.” Joe, a native of Bakersfield started climbing in the Southern Sierra in 1974, and spent most of his free time exploring new climbing opportunities in the scattered locations in and around the Kern Canyon and beyond. He has established many first ascents and authored the Stonemasher Rock Climbing Guide to Kern Slabs (1981-82), and co-authored the Stonemasher Rock Climbing Guide to the Kern River Canyon and Environs (1983) with Richard Leversee. Back in the day, Eddie was generally regarded as the single most person for climbing information in the area. In the ’90s, he assisted in the research of Southern Sierra peregrine falcons and was a founding member of the Southern Sierra Climbers’ Association. Randy Powers, who is a contributor to the book, will be there to share his story as well.

Conner Jeffress – The Pursuit of Vertigo

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

Conner Jeffress is a local climber who, for the last several years with a crew of climbers, have been extensively searching the north San Francisco Bay Area for new boulders and routes to develop. This presentation will be an inside look at the process of boulder and route development from the new climbers on the bloc, and the massive amount of time exploring new areas and establishing new routes and highball boulder problems. He will also discuss how his job as a rope access technician compliments his rock climbing development.

There will be no general meeting on January 2, 2024 as it is the day after New Years Day. We hope you enjoy the holidays and will see you on February 6, 2024.

Kimbrough Moore – Sandbagged: Climbing Grades, Gender and the Myth of Consensus

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

Most people are told that climbing grades are the result of a community consensus around difficulty, and although they aren’t perfect, grades are a decent measure of the effort or skill required by a climb. Kimbrough Moore’s presentation will explore the process that leads to climbing grades, and as we will see, consensus is never reached and seldom even attempted. Original research on the authorship of climbing guides and first ascents in California shows that men are responsible for the overwhelming majority of grading. This leads to a gender bias in climbing grades, making grades more accurate for men than women. There are no villains in this story, but there are simple things that climbers, first ascensionists, and guidebook authors can do to make climbing grades more accurate for everyone. These changes will be incorporated into the next edition of Yosemite Bouldering and Golden State Bouldering, which Kimbrough has authored.

Kimbrough Moore has been climbing for 30 years and is the author of three climbing guides, including Yosemite Bouldering and Golden State Bouldering. He has made many contributions to the climbing community, including hundreds of first ascents in California, China, and Colombia. In addition to climbing 5.14 routes and double-digit boulder problems, he is equally capable of falling on 5.9. Kimbrough has a PhD in Philosophy, and when not at the rocks, he teaches at San Francisco State University.

photo credit: Ryan Moon

The Rock Ice & Mountain Club is once again teaming up with the Bay Area Climbers Coalition for an Adopt-A-Crag event at Mount Saint Helena on November 5, 2023. To volunteer, go to the link below to sign up or use the QR code on the flyer below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mount-saint-helena-adopt-a-crag-on-november-5th-tickets-722273829467?aff=oddtdtcreator

Lucho Rivera – First Ascents from the Bay Area to the Sierra

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, November 7, 2023 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

Lucho Rivera shares his collection of photos from twenty years of first ascents in Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy, Tuolumne Meadows, High Sierra, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Lucho is a San Francisco native who started climbing around the Bay Area and Yosemite. He spent his early years climbing primarily in Yosemite honing his crack skills and building a love for first ascents. He has free climbed El Capitan and made first free ascents of Liberty Cap and Wapama Rock. Lucho works closely with the Yosemite Climbing Association to preserve the history of climbing and to educate our communities on better practices for climbers.

Marty Isom: Tanzania From Top to Bottom

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, October 3, 2023 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

Come explore the richness of Tanzania from the top of Africa’s highest peak, Kilimanjaro, to the depths of the Indian Ocean off the coast of the Spice Islands. In between is a rich tapestry of cultures and wildlife. Marty Isom, a long time Rock Ice & Mountain Club member, world traveler and photographer will share his incredible trip to Tanzania.

Armin Fisher: Traversing the Alps on Skis During Covid

Location: Victory House, Club 300 Room at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, September 5, 2023 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

Armin Fisher is a mountain and ski guide based in Northern Italy. Armin was the first non-Italian to be certified through Italy’s UIAGM guiding program and has been guiding all over the world for over 30 years. As a child Armin grew up in Napa County and has now returned and is living here full time.

This presentation covers the European alpine chain ski traverse from the Mediterranean Sea near Nice to Eastern Austria. Armin completed this with three clients over two years in 2020/2021. It is rarely done, and during the Covid pandemic, it had its special challenges!

Evan Wisheropp: Redwood Burl – A New Guide to Unknown Climbing in Northwest California

Location: Victory House, Room 200 at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date & Time: Tuesday, August 1, 2023 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour at 6:30)

The vast rock climbing in the far northwest corner of California has been largely under wraps. Few knew about it, so few went (except for the lucky locals!). Meet the author of the new climbing guidebook to the area and find out what new adventures await on your next road trip. From inland limestone, quartzite, granite, and marble to pocketed coastal sandstone, the region is packed with enough volume to keep you busy for decades to come… if you know where to find it! The Redwood Burl Climber’s Guide To Northwest California gives detailed directions to each crag and detailed route and gear beta for over 1300+ routes. In this presentation, Evan will go through the book and show photos from many of the must-see spots.