... we looked back into some old content and subsequently uploaded the 2001
'Western Pennsylvania Ice' video to the website for no particular reason - maybe because it's ice season...
... not one of our better efforts, but fun none-the-less... photographed on 'Hi8' video tape (state-of-the-art at the time) - the upload is at the least a fifth generation transfer, so don't expect high resolution/HD/1080/4K, or whatever the current fascination... it was produced at the time to promote Tim Anderson's old climbing shop, 'The Mountaineer', located in Donegal, PA - a good excuse to hold a fun Saturday night premiere with a pizza and beer party at the shop... it wasn't to be a commercial endeavor (i.e: not for sale), so we subsequently took a bit of liberty (i.e: unauthorized clearance) when editing the music track, so if it suddenly disappears from view just assume that we were ordered to "cease and desist" by some low rent lawyer who definitely will be working for a cheap buck (or at the least free pizza and beer)...
... the video itself is a short tour of a few SWPA ice climbing locales - Tunnel Cliffs, Stewarton, Irishtown, Layton Falls, Meadow Run (Ohiopyle SP), Secret Cliffs I, Krahlak (aka: Kraylick/Buzzard Falls), Gun Club and, while not a local SWPA area, Kinzau (we happened to visit there and had some footage)... all Grade III-IV stuff...
... as mentioned, not a brilliant effort (corny dialog, some obvious optical errors) and includes a bit too much top rope footage to our liking... as was, it was difficult to introduce any requisite element of risk or drama so we kept it pretty much light hearted (we grew up in an era, prior 2000, when climbing was foremost a bold activity - "real climbing" was done on lead with gear protection - style first, difficulty second*) - but was OK for it's time... served it's purpose, and we always learn something... and the beer and pizza was excellent... besides, we rectified whatever qualms we held a few years later with
'Westen Pennsylvania Ice II'...
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... some period still photography... might have posted a few of these before... might have not...
... Montana climber Matt McCune (climbing) and local Tim Anderson at the Gun Club in good conditions...
... Gun Club - Matt McCune...
... Gun Club - the two reliable ice flows in good conditions - Tim and Matt...
... Tim rapping the Gun Club wall in super conditions...
... which was during the big 2003-2004 "50 year storm" season - Tom Koppler belaying Tim here...
... Columbus, OH climbers Dan Downes (belaying) and Dave Hammond(? - sorry if we're wrong) at Tunnel Cliffs... some great moderate routes and a few very fine "farmed" routes thanks to the efforts of Anderson and Koppler...
... Tunnel Cliffs - Dave and Dan - great full winter conditions... this area no longer exists as pictured - was then an old abandoned quarry but since that time the quarry company has resumed mining operations and the place is now off limits (we have heard that the mine expansion has resulted in some bigger routes)...
... Tim topping out Layton Falls...
... some fun bouldering the easy Slides at Stewarton... your loyal scribe on the flow, Kentucky climber Matt Johns lower right... Johns is a very fine climber and has the most effortless ice technique we've witnessed (see the Irishtown and Slides segment of the video) - you can learn a lot watching that guy climb... very laid back personality - one of the finest guys we've ever had the pleasure of spending a day in the woods with...
... Tim (climbing) and Johns on some fun and easy tiered flows near Stewarton... there's a bit more significantly steeper to vertical flows if ya' continue north for a distance following the Yough river...
... late afternoon at Irishtown...
... another angle at Irishtown...
... a young Strongman Matt topping out at a washed out Kraylick (a bit earlier in time - 1990)...
... Tim (climbing) and Tom Koppler workin' an early steep mixed line at Secret Cliffs I (Thanksgiving day, 2001)...
... a young Strongman Matt again - workin' Layton Falls (1990)... note the old plastic ski boots (used $10 boots are a good deal when your feet are still growin'), swami harness (w/ attachable leg loops), Lowe Foot Fangs and Forrest Sabre tools... those old 70' thru 90's era picks sure did break easy - snapped a few just levering them out of the ice (once at a very inopportune moment) - the first time we witnessed a guy really cranking on a crack-wedged newer tool was like fingernails on a chalkboard...
... Glenn Thomas workin' Layton Falls (1990)... note the old school strap-on style crampons...
... steep angle of a chopped-up Irishtown main flow...
... Dave Lynn and thin conditions at Meadow Run...
... mixed conditions at Kraylick - Tim on the rock portion...
... and later on the ice top out which works out that rock roof...
... Tim (climbing) and Koppler on one of the roadside flows at Kinzau...
... we happened to be riding around one Sunday afternoon checking out the local ice conditions when we spotted this wall - imagine that this is what the climbing is like on the planet Mars... Koppler (climbing) and Tim...
... your scribe again - another Gun Club angle... ceased being a "real climber" around this time (2000) to concentrate more on the photography aspect (and give relief to some sore shoulders)... note that we (unofficially) retired the motion picture equipment a few years back (for those who asked) - gettin' older and too much hard work - but we're still around should something really interesting come along... we continue to maintain the website now'days, albeit relic, for "duty and humanity"...
... since the development of the huge Secret Cliffs II and a shift toward more difficult mixed climbing the years following this video most all of these areas have pretty much fallen into obscurity - but they're still there for those interested...
*... check out the old video, 'The Beast' - a total work of art by Rob 'Griz' Ginieczki - available on the website
