Posts Tagged ‘Randy Richards’
27/04/2009
Bob Boyce, Scot Bergeron: Matterhorn's Summit Image: R Richards
Three local guys from Sunapee, New Hampshire, USA summited the Matterhorn via the Hornli Ridge. Although it’s been a few years since the team summitted, a story that happened on the ascent bears worth mentioning here. It’s about boundaries, keeping your cool, and international relations.
Scot Bergeron, Bob Boyce, and I decided to do the standard route from the Hornli Ridge Hut. Scot and I were playing music just over the hill in Saas Fee for the summer and took a few days off. I’d done the Haute Route once with a group of Austrian young guns from Strolz Ski Boots in Lech, and another time with a couple of clients, but hadn’t done any climbs in the area, and thought the Matterhorn would be a good place to start.
We were the first out of the hut in the early darkness. We soon found ourselves overtaken by few of the local guides and their clients, not because of our slowness in climbing but the rather slow going in keeping on route which none of us had climbed before. We’d see headlamps off to our south and figured they were a bit more on route than us, so we’d veer in their direction. As the sun was coming up we came to a roped section just below the Solvay Hut at 4000 m. I was belaying Scot, who was just about half-way up the pitch, when a Swiss mountain guide came up to our belay (more…)
Tags:Alps, Austria, Climbing, Edward Whymper, Haute Route, Hornli Hutt, Hornli Ridge, Lech, Matterhorn, Mountain Spirit, Randy Richards, Sass Fee, Scrambles Amongst the Alps, Solvay Hut, Strolz, Summitting, Switzerland, Zermatt
Posted in Alps, Books, Climb/Ski/Mntneering, Mountain People | 1 Comment »
23/04/2009
Concord, NH, USA
“A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the state of New Hampshire by the owners of Mount Sunapee Resort, who had lobbied for years to expand and develop condominiums. Judge Diane Nicolosi made her ruling late Friday, several weeks after canceling a trial between Tim and Diane Mueller and the state.” Read more via Judge dismisses Mt. Sunapee lawsuit.
“This is a major victory in our efforts to protect Mount Sunapee State Park,” said conservationist and public land advocate Tom Elliott.
Elliott is also an organizer for Friends of Mount Sunapee, a watch-guard group that steadfastly opposed the Mueller’s leasehold expansion plan.
Article: Courtesy of Sunapeenews.com
Editor’s Note: I’m a founding board member of Friends of Mount Sunapee, and although not as active while abroad, am warmed, not only by this decision but by the thought of how far we’ve come with with a shift in land preservation awareness in Sullivan County, NH. When we first considered raising our hands in opposition to (more…)
Tags:adventure travel, Dexter R. Richards, Early Winters, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, FOMS, Friends of Mount Sunapee, Holistic Living, Land Conservation Successes, Mazama, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, Peru, Randy Richards, Spiritual, SPNHF, Sunapee, Sustainability, The Power of Place, Tim and Diane Mueller
Posted in Conservation, Environment, Leadership, Power of Place, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
18/04/2009
Governor's Bay, Picton, NZ
Early Bird Catches the Shot
We were to catch the ferry from New Zealand’s South Island to the North island. The Ferry first weaves its way from Picton Harbor, through a long sound, before opening out into the open water between north and south islands. The passage is seen in the image at right. The crossing takes about 3.5 hours, which departed at 8am. We encamped on the Queen Charlotte Drive just west of Picton, and this early morning sunrise of the sound started our day.
Tags:adventure travel, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, Governor's Bay, Holistic Living, Meditation, Mountain Spirit, mtnspirit.co.nz, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, New Zealand, Peru, Picton, Randy Richards, Solo, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability, USA, Utah, wilderness yoga
Posted in New Zealand, Power of Place, Traveling | Leave a Comment »
18/04/2009
Wanaka ReStart Store
A group of women in Wanaka, New Zealand saw a need for a better way to recycle perfectly good items that were going to the landfill. That’s when they decided to do something about it and started the “ReStore” a number of years ago. The store is a success story in that it serves a vital function in reducing the landfill flow, allows a source for people to purchase used items, and allows the community to re-think their priorities on what happens in the use-cycle of their stuff. The ReStore is actually called Wanaka Wastebusters (www.wanakawastebusters.co.nz) and their store is a feast for the eyes.
(Image: Dan Robertson, an employee of Wanaka Recycling, exits the ReStore to tend the recycle bins)
Wanaka Waste-busters Glass
There’s a cult following in Salt Lake City Utah of Deseret Industries stores, operated by the Mormons. Most of the author’s wardrobe comes from high quality used clothes from Deseret Industries. Talking to others who frequent the Deseret Industries stores is like sharing a rock-climbing or alpine adventure story. And all of my favorite clothes are those from “D.I.” as it’s affectionately called amongst Utah locals.
(Image: The glass recycle bin and containers for household items and building materials at Wanaka Wastebusters)
In Wanaka, the ReStore looks like any other thrift store but it’s part of an in the center of the town recycle center. They’ve got recycling down to a fine art. A huge percentage of New Zealanders recycle and it can be seen in the activities at Wanaka Wastebusters.
Wanaka's Angus Ho at "ReStore"
Project Team Member, Angus Ho is soft spoken but talks intensely about his project, Get Real.org.nz which aims at educating people and government in reducing and eventually eliminating plastic bag use at stores throughout the country. Ho has set up an info board and laptop where citizens can sign a petition for legislation on the subject. The following are a few Q&A from the Wastebusters newsletter, (Yes, they have a newsletter):
Angus, what do you do in your job?
Angus Ho: I promote and design projects and campaigns. I set up the green Christmas Presents Campaign and the Recycled Envelope Campaign. I’m also doing waste check-ups for households and businesses. (more…)
Tags:adventure travel, Angus Ho, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, getreal.org.nz, Holistic Living, Meditation, Mountain Spirit, mtnspirit.co.nz, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, New Zealand, Peru, Randy Richards, recycling, Solo, Spiritual, starting a recycle store, Sue Coutts, Sunapee, Sustainability, town dumps, USA, Utah, Wanaka ReStore, Wanaka Wastebusters, wilderness yoga
Posted in Climate Change, Leadership, New Zealand, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
18/04/2009
Lake Outlet Campground, Wanaka NZ
Lake Outlet Campground in Wanaka, New Zealand might look like your every-day campground in a stunning setting, tucked in amongst the low windswept trees alongside the shores of Lake Wanaka, but I assure this is no ordinary campground. Owners Glenn Tattersall and Tracy Addison happened to be at the right place at the right time a few years ago when they expressed interest in taking over the campground from landowner and operator Liam Urquhart. According to campground employee Joshua, Urquhart no longer was interested in running the campground, apparently the land developers caught word of his intentions and offered him millions for the lakefront property. ( Private lakefront property ownership doesn’t exist in New Zealand due to a national law called the Queen’s Chain that declares all land, starting from the high water line at the shore and going 40 meters (120 feet) back are public property and right of way. This also goes for rivers. The public is allowed to use this land for recreation and fishing access.)
About that time, enters Tattersall and Addison. The owner had no interest in selling to developers and with a lot of work was able to come up with a thirty-five year lease which not only provided Glenn and Tracy with a way in which to operate the campground, but put the land in protection during the next 35 year lease.
The author’s father once owned a lakefront campground near Fisher’s Bay in Sunapee New Hampshire, USA, in the mid 1960’s. The tents eventually gave way to million dollar homes in the form of a “funnel development “ called Oakledge. (The term “funnel development” is used for subdivisions which use a small amount of lake frontage to sell and support a large number of home lots away from the lakefront. This shared access allows many homeowners access to boat docks, beaches, launching ramps etc. Funnel developments were no longer allowed in the early 1970’s in New Hampshire, USA)
In the free market , it was an obvious course of events, as tents wouldn’t pay the bills as much as a subdivision. So I had personal experience of the value of what Mr. Urquhart and Tattersall and Ms. Addison had accomplished at Lake Outlet.
And Lakeside is no mere campground. Tattersall states his goals in running the operation – “We are making this operation as green as possible. Through our improvements and renovations we will be installing energy efficient appliances in the renovated green building of the main shower and kitchen complex.
Tentsite: Working with nature, not dominating it.
We are also working with the landscape rather than dominating it. Our tent and RV sites are interspersed around the existing trees and we intend to plant more trees.” He concluded, “This land is locked up in preservation for the next 35 years, and we’re proud to have had a part in that.” Of course none of this would have been possible without the stalwart vision and forward thinking of the landowner.
Tags:adventure travel, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, Glenn Tattersall, Holistic Living, Lake Outlet Holiday Park and Campground, Meditation, Mountain Spirit, mtnspirit.co.nz, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, New Zealand, Peru, Randy Richards, Solo, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability, Tracy Addison, USA, Utah, Wanaka, wilderness yoga
Posted in Conservation, Inspirational People, Leadership, New Zealand, Power of Place, Service, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
08/04/2009
Ice Bridge Collapse
By Alister Doyle, (Reuters) – An ice bridge which had held a vast Antarctic ice shelf in place for hundreds of years at least shattered on Saturday and may herald a wider collapse linked to global warming, a leading scientist said. “It’s amazing how the ice has ruptured. Two days ago it was intact,” David Vaughan, a glaciologist with the British Antarctic Survey, told Reuters of a satellite image of the Wilkins Ice Shelf. “We’ve waited a long time to see this.” The satellite picture, by the European Space Agency (ESA), showed that a 40-km (25 mile) long strip of ice believed to pin the Wilkins Ice Shelf in place had snapped at its narrowest point of about 500 meters wide off the Antarctic Peninsula.
(more…)
Tags:Climate Change, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Global warming, Ice Bridge Collapses, Mountain Spirit, mtnspirit.org, Peru, Randy Richards, Sunapee, Sustainability
Posted in Climate Change | Leave a Comment »
03/04/2009
MSI continues to coordinate Scholarship Program for High School Students
Student rappels, N. Cascades, WA
Now in its fourth year, Mountain Spirit has been coordinating scholarships for Sunapee High School (NH, USA) students to attend Outward Bound. R. Richards had worked for Outward Bound as a recruiter in colleges and high schools, and included his hometown school in his recruiting efforts. The program has sent a number of students on life-changing experiential wilderness programs designed to instill motivation, compassion, craftsmanship and a sense of community.
The Sunapee High School liaison Jeanne Circosta, has been coordinating the program at the student’s end, helping with applications and meetings and answering questions about Outward Bound. Says Richards, “Jeanne has been a huge help in finding qualified and motivated students for Outward Bound.”
©2009 Outward Bound
In the past students have gone sea kayaking in Maine, Rock climbing and backpacking in Colorado and Canoeing/Hiking in North Carolina. Two 16 year-old Junior students, Sean Reidy, and Linnea Circosta, will be applying and there may be a third interested student. Former Outward Bound and current Sunapee High School Student Brian Bailey has agreed to help with and fund raising efforts in Sunapee by speaking to such other organizations as the Sunapee Lyons Club or businesses that might be potential donors, allowing these students to go on this exciting program.
All funds received are dedicated to this particular program and are tax deductible as Mountain Spirit Institute is a 501-c-3 Non profit organization.
Brenda Dowst, MSI board member will also be helping in the fund raising effort by presenting the program highlights, selection criteria and goals to local organizations and businesses on an as needed basis.
Roped-Team Travel, N. Cascades
Mountain Spirit is proud to be presenting this program which is gaining traction in the community, and with Outward Bound’s scholarship administration as well. Because of MSI’s consistency in sending students to Outward Bound, and our reputation for building local partnerships for funding the scholarship, Outward Bound has committed to longer term, for future years, funding of a significant portion student’s tuition. This commitment from Outward Bound depends on continued local business and organization participation.
Hanna Baade, the first participant on this program showed pictures of her trip when giving an interview to the local paper. It made a huge impact on her life. Ben Bailey who was leaving for his program just as Baade had returned, listened with quiet anticipation, but after having completed his Outward Bound experience, said it was a huge and fantastic experience. He liked it so much his brother went the following year.
If you or your organization would like to donate to this worthwhile program, please contact R. Richards, Mountain Spirit’s Executive Director, at randy@mtnspirit.org/603-763-2668 for complete details. He will send you documents on the program description, search and selection criteria, and how you can help with a donation.
Tags:adventure travel, Brenda Dowst, Craig Cimmons, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, Holistic Living, Jeanne Circosta, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, Outward Bound, Randy Richards, Scholarships, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sunapee High School
Posted in Experiential Education, Leadership, MSI News, Service, Supporting MSI | 3 Comments »
19/03/2009
Extended Family's Mosaic & Feet
The Northfield Conference is the longest continuously running spiritual conference in the country. Started at the turn of the last century, it has developed into a strong network of devoted friends and colleagues and extended family. It’s one of the few instances where I saw whole families and people of of all ages being and acting like a true community. Many of the adults there now were children and then teens who grew up attending the annual conference held in Northfield, Mass every June or July. There is a morning meeting, then right after, small groups called families get together to debrief lives and share whatever is on the participants’ minds. At the end of our meeting we all felt like doing a goodbye group hug/”jelly roll” in which I was the lucky receipient of being in the middle. In the afternoon, after lunch there’s a plethora of workshops and activities, from painting and yoga to dance and informational lectures or discussions on everything from global warming to composting and family communication. After dinner, there is usually an non-denominational evening service in the Northfield Chapel. I got the play the 12-foot concert grand piano at one event there. That was fun. Around 7 PM, different activities may happen such as a talent show, or coffeehouse, or games, lots of games, in which children of all ages participate.
Getting stuck in the middle of a group hug
If you’d like to inquire about the Northfield Conference, check out their website. First time participants get a free ride, all expenses paid, if they give some sort of workshop in exchange. It’s a way of getting more people to check out the conference. If I weren’t in New Zealand, I’d be there this spring. If you decide to attend, you won’t be disappointed.
Tags:Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, Group Dynamics, Holistic Living, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, Randy Richards, Spiritual, Sustainability, Sustainable Communities, The Northfield Conference, True Community
Posted in Health, Holistic Living, Inner Work, Inspirational People, Leadership, Music, Service, Spiritual, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
18/03/2009
Animal-Guitar Lover
Another Study proves it, animals like music. Well, it’s not an official study, but an observation over the years. Watching birds come to the watering hole outside of Sedona Arizona years ago when I played my Native American Flute, and most recently-
Pied Kea Piper
I was playing my little Indian flute, which cost all of two dollars, and a Kea at French Ridge starting coming around, and singing on the off beat. He was perched on the roof for the longest time while I stood below, outside the hut looking up at him as I played.
I brought my “glacier guitar” up the crazy French Ridge Trail. (Maybe it was me that was crazy).
My Alpine Parrot Audience
So I put it to good use, and attracted three kea who stood and listened for about 15 minutes. Again they would caw on the off beats when I’d hold a measure or two for them. We all had a grand time.
Tags:adventure travel, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, Guitars in the mountains, Holistic Living, Kea, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, mtnspirit.org, Music Therapy, New Hampshire, New Zealand, Peru, Randy Richards, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability
Posted in Climb/Ski/Mntneering, Holistic Living, Music | 1 Comment »
18/03/2009
The View from French Ridge Hut
I recently had the opportunity to volunteer at French Ridge Hut last week. We had an unusual clear spell of almost cloudless blue skies, day after day. More times than not, the wind can howl on this ridge, making it difficult to make the journey to the privy, perched on the ridge, (so helicopters can more easily pick up the poop canisters).
Near Mt. Avalanche-Gloomy Gorge
I recently heard of one fellow who was sent to his death when the hut he was in, was blown off the mountain. I’m sure some of the readers have been on a fire lookout tower in high winds, having complete trust in the structure. Hmmm. Makes one think. Be sure to inquire or check to see if the hut you’re in has tie-down cables. French Ridge does not. I trust the architect, up to a point. It depends on how strong are the gale force winds. This is a bit tongue in cheek, or ice axe in ground.
Waterfall Rainbow, Gloomy Gorge
French Ridge and the environs is a magical place. It’s getting a lot of traffic from hikers as well as climbers. I was there later in the season, (just last week), when traffic to and from the Collin Todd Hut, and Mt. Aspiring had been halted due to the Quarterdeck section of glacier coming down from the Bonar Glacier was breaking up too badly to allow passage.
Monkeying around on the "Quarter Deck"
We decided to monkey around on the lower ramparts of the Quarterdeck anyway, for a day of walking, crevasse rescue and rope team travel practice, and a little bit of climbing in some dramatic scenery. While we were rather restricted in where we could actually go, we still had fun. The dry glacier provided some great ice climbing practice. I love glacier ice, which is a far cry from New
More playing around on some "safe" broken up bits.
Hampshire’s Frankenstein Cliff’s. I’ve just read a piece on climbing on the Fox Glacier that has me interested in doing some glacial ice there.
Kea in Flight
At the hut and just above, Keas, which are amazing Alpine parrots, seemed our constant companions. I figuring out when they would take off, and got some snaps of them in flight. One, at the hut, the other with Mt. Avalanche in the background just above the hut. They are very personable and curious creatures, if not troublesome. When we arrived at the hut on Day 1, the door to the was open, and the keas had made themselves at home, leaving the place a mess.
Kea, Amanda, Mt Avalanche
Just across from the Hut, on the ramparts of Rob Roy, is an impressive waterfall. It’s interesting and beautiful because the water comes piling down and hits a flat plateau, shooting the water out into space, like a jet stream. Then when the sun is hitting the wall just right, a rainbow is formed.
Tags:adventure travel, Alpine Parrot, Brenda Dowst, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, French Ridge, Glacier Travel, Gloomy Gorge, Holistic Living, Ice Climbing, Kea, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, Mt. Aspiring, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, New Zealand, Quarter Deck, Randy Richards, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability
Posted in Climb/Ski/Mntneering, Environment, Glaciology, MSI News, New Zealand, Power of Place, Traveling | Leave a Comment »
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