The Fresh Air Traverse
→ info & HD instructions:
Mount Whitney’s East Face is perhaps the classic Alpine climbing route in the Sierra, featuring an otherworldly mix of moderate climbing and breathtaking exposure. I had wanted to climb the East Face from the moment I first summited Whitney—but at the time it seemed like a dream that would permanently remain unfulfilled. Last weekend, I got the chance to give it a try with help from Kurt Wedberg of Sierra Mountaineering International. The experience was extraordinary. For the full report see: climbing Whitney’s East Face.
This also happens to be the first trip where I carried an HD video camera (actually two), so I’m working on a bottom-to-top video of the climb. While you’re waiting for that, here’s a taste of one of the climb’s most famous segments…the ‘Fresh Air’ Traverse.
Some notes on HD: unless your connection speed is very speedy, you’ll likely want to let the video buffer fully before watching. Click the play arrow on the player toolbar, then the “HD” button (which then appears), then immediately hit the pause button. Go have a cup of coffee and let the video load (10-15 mins), then hit play and finally click the rectangle button to expand the view to full-screen. The video should now play smoothly from start to finish.
As you may be guessing, switching from SD to HD video has proven to be a total trip down the rabbit hole. Basically every downstream software/device/system I owned had to be replaced to cope with the file size, plus there’s literally a graduate degree’s worth of standards and compatibility info to learn. So, I’m beat and my operating budget for the rest of the year has been annihilated. But it’s hard to argue with the end result. 
Kaibab-Bright Angel Loop
The Bridge to Nowhere
Mt. Whitney: The East Face
PCT: Onion Valley to Cottonwood Pass
North Palisade: the U-Notch
Mt. Russell: East Ridge
Sandstone Peak: Mishe Mokwa Loop
Mt. San Jacinto: Round Valley Trail
August 16th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
NICE!!! Love it. Can’t wait to see the rest of the trip. Congrats on a great route…
August 17th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Kurt’s Dad, John, attends my folk’s church in Bishop, CA. When I end up doing the Palisades I plan on hiring Kurt to guide me. Looking forward to the full trip report.
August 17th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Very cool Andy. Next time if you are wearing the helmet cam, we all would have liked for you to look off to your right and left more for a reference point. Very nice. I used to live in Bishop – Kurt Wedburg is a cool guy. Todd Vogel is another very cool guy to do a guided trip with.
August 21st, 2009 at 11:36 am
No problem, Mike. Would you also like it if I take a nice big pendulum fall next time? That should make for great helmet cam footage!
Seriously, the reason the camera tends to aim directly into the rock is because I was totally freaked out. I was trying to avoid looking down. Higher up, I realized I could close my eyes, and then aim the camera down, so I’d get good shots of exposure without overwhelming myself.
There’s lots I’d do different next time regarding photography/videography, but overall using the HD helmet cam was awesome. I got shots you’d otherwise never see. And yeah, climbing with Kurt was great!
August 22nd, 2009 at 8:31 am
Lol…yeah it is easy for me to casually hand out advice whilst sitting on my ass with cup of tea in hand. I would be freaked on that traverse too while trying to get enough air at almost 14k… Hiring a guide seems like such a great way to go. Instant ultimately safe partner. What’s next for you andy?
September 1st, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Nice climb and excellent video! I loved the use of the helmet cam for rock climbing.
If you could take a big whipper of a lead fall next time, that would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew
September 1st, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Anything for you, Andrew! I’ll see to it that the top piece fails, too, just to add to the photographic impact.
Thanks for stopping by!
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
[...] the ContourHD’s various quirks has driven me batty these past weeks, but the end result is pov climbing footage that I otherwise never would have [...]
February 6th, 2010 at 1:46 am
hope my palms don’t sweat as much when i do the traverse as it did when i was watching it. thanks for sharing.