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| Messages 1 - 19 of total 19 in this topic |
donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 16, 2015 - 08:55am PT
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In September I will be a part of an American Alpine Club contingent of eight men and seven women going to the Caucasus Mountains.
We will be meeting climbers from Iran, Armenia and Georgia for a three week cross cultural climbing meet. Climbers will be doing everything from sport, trad cragging, alpine rock and alpine.
The climbing should be great but, to me, the best part will be meeting people from diverse cultures who share a similar passion. If my other experiences hold true, we will all discover that, though we come from vastly different cultures, we are all members of the same tribe.
The trip is, in many respects, a continuation of the AAC/Iranian Alpine Club exchanges held in both America and Iran in the last couple of years.
I am hopeful that these exchanges are just the beginning and that future events will help bring climbers together from very divirgent countries to mountain venues they all share a love for.
I'll post a tr of the event next Fall.
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WBraun
climber
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Apr 16, 2015 - 09:07am PT
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When Donini's car breaks down over there Majid will appear to fix it ...... :-)
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2015 - 09:13am PT
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Majid is not with the group but he was very helpful when the Iranians came over to the Tetons.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Apr 16, 2015 - 11:09am PT
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Interesting. Would love to see photos of their local crags.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Apr 16, 2015 - 11:14am PT
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Iran has high quality granite peaks with some soaring over 5,000m.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Apr 16, 2015 - 11:20am PT
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Outstanding news, Jim! I've never visited the Caucuses. The closest I came was in 1970, when my familiy visited my mother's family in Beirut. The only climbing gear I took with me were my PA's, and quickly got in trouble bouldering too near a military base.
The rest of the family spent five weeks there, with another week in Yerevan, where one of my mother's first cousins lived, but I left for California after three weeks. I'd led my first A4 pitches right before we left the States, and I was hot to get back on the rocks before I lost my nerve. Big mistake in retrospect. All the climbers I know that have visited Armenia say the rock climbing is superb.
John
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son of stan
Boulder climber
San Jose CA
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Apr 16, 2015 - 01:51pm PT
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Sounds exciting! Have a great time. Besides its been 7 years since they
were playing the ethnic cleansing game with real machine guns on the
Georgian side of the Caucases.
Could be wrong but forgive and forget is their national moto? And Chechnya
is way the heck over the passes to the north where
Speedbump and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev came from.
They may be a little ambivalent about US citizens just now so avoid dropping down for a cup of tea on the wrong side of the crest.
Take lots of pictures and notes. Never know where a book deal will be in
order.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2015 - 02:17pm PT
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We fly to Terevan, climb a bit in Armenia and then on to Georgia and the higher Caucasus. I'm mainly interested in the Chaukhi Mountains known locally as the Dolomites of the Caucasus. Alpine rock climbs on peaks in the 13,500 foot range. There is also a 16,500 ft. Peak in the area that people will be climbing....more of a snow climb I am told.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Apr 16, 2015 - 06:33pm PT
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Very very cool Jim.
You are one of the best ambassadors I can think of.
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Apr 16, 2015 - 09:49pm PT
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This is a great program. Promotes world peace and cooperation way more than millions of dollars worth of bullets and bombs.
Some day soon I hope to not be working so much and have the time to take part in these.
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PhilG
Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
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Apr 17, 2015 - 08:49am PT
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Stellar, Jim.
Very positive use of your time and talents.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Apr 17, 2015 - 09:37am PT
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We need more one-on-one interactions with other cultures, sans the politicians
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 17, 2015 - 10:24am PT
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You're right there....in all of my travels I've found the people to be better than their politicians.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Apr 17, 2015 - 10:29am PT
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Jim,
Glad to hear your having so much fun! I wouldn't mind seeing that part of the world, and can understand why your going back.
I heard somewhere that Iran is becoming a tourist destination.
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nopantsben
climber
europe
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Apr 17, 2015 - 11:25am PT
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Awesome.
Any layover plans in Europe?
Have fun!
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Majid_S
Mountain climber
Karkoekstan
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Apr 26, 2015 - 12:14pm PT
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I just returned from Iran and I been asked by ACI to participate in the AAC/ACI exchange however, trying to fit the time in to my schedule .
Jim, is David coming too ?
Majid
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Apr 26, 2015 - 02:15pm PT
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Looking forward to the TR and thanks for being such a great ambassador.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 28, 2015 - 01:00pm PT
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Majid....David is coming.
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| Messages 1 - 19 of total 19 in this topic |
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