Now I’m trying to theorize why this topic has all of a sudden jumped in popularity. About 1 month ago, I started weekly posts on how the Climbing Experience applies to all of life. Then articles started appearing all over the place. Of course I’d like to think that people saw me as the trend setter! But, for a more realistic theory, I’d say that it’s because we’re in the middle of this recession and people are making big life decisions, people are feeling stressed out, and also because we’re halfway through the summer and people are really wishing they were outdoors on some adventure.

I’d love to hear people’s comments on why you think this topic has gained such momentum as of late. Comment below!

The video helps us to see the impact that global warming is having on this mountain and how it directly presents a danger to the people that depend on the springs and glacial runoff from this mountain to survive.

VIEW THE VIDEO ON HULU.COM: Mount Kilimanjaro Earth Day Report
If you want to see these glaciers before they dissapear forever, come with us next February on the Mount Kilimanjaro Expedition!

Chris, Danel, and Derek, the class participants first practiced building top rope anchors using cliff top and cliff face bolts.  Being

quick learners they soon moved on to doing their first outside rappels from the of  the 90ft’ cliff.  The rappel was done using an anchor they made using natural features.  The group had fun playing on the “Parking Lot” routes of “Thin to Win,” “Chicken Bone,” and the unnamed route called “Chicken Wing” by some.

Next the group moved to the Three Bears area for practice with setting up cliff top safety lines.  After some more anchors building the threesome climbed three more routes.  The day was finished off with some belay escape practice.  It had been a day of successful day of “firsts” for everyone as all headed home with confidence in their skills to climb outside.

Apex, North Carolina- June 16, 2009- Ascent Adventure Consultants, a North Carolina Rock Climbing guide company, is offering  a weekend trad climbing course at Table Rock Linville Gorge North Carolina. The focus is to give students the tools to make the transition from top rope climbing outdoors to leading traditional rock climbs, to handle the risks while on a trad climbing route, and to become comfortable with falling on their own trad gear placements, in a controlled environment. The weekend course will be held August 15-16, 2009. Trad Climbing 101 will be held on Saturday, and Trad Climbing 102 on Sunday. Students have the option of taking one, or both classes. If you decide to take both classes, you will receive $10 off of each class. The itinerary for the course can be found on the Trad Climbing Classes section of our North Carolina Rock Climbing Webpage.

“Helping others learn the skills necessary to being lead climbing, and specifically trad climbing, outdooors is a great privilege and honor,” says Brandon Hensinger, owner of Ascent Adventure Consultants. “We are offering this course to people who are intrigued by trad climbing and desire to learn how to do it, but don’t necessarily know where to start. I am proud of all the ability that all of our guides have to patiently work with people and help them hone in on their skills to become proficient climbers. Combined with a weekend of camping in a wilderness setting such as Linville Gorge, this course is sure to be one that impacts people for the rest of their lives.”

Topics covered include: Selecting the route, Choosing the gear for the route, Placing the protection on route, Setting a belay with a multi-point anchor, Protecting the second, Evaluating risk as you climb, Keeping your focus on a trad climb, and Gaining experience by learning to feel comfortable with falling on your own trad gear placements.

Ascent Adventure Consultants is a professional North Carolina rock climbing and ice climbing guide company as well as a business team building and training company, headquartered in Apex NC.

For more information, please contact Brandon Hensinger, at bhensinger@ascentadventure.com, or 877-254-4617. More information can be learned about Ascent Adventure Consultants by visiting their North Carolina Rock Climbing and Team Building website at www.ascentadventure.com.

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When people do then decide to give climbing a try, they are always overwhelmed with excitement when they get to the top of their first climb. The feeling of accomplishing something that had previously seemed out of reach or unattainable is unmatched by anything they had experienced before.

This is such an important lesson to learn in all areas of life. Here are a few bullet points that show how the experience translates into life:

• Never think that something is impossible. Left to ourselves, a task may be impossible, but by seeking help from others more knowledgeable and/or wise than us, we can learn what we need and gain the tools necessary to accomplish the task.
• Taking risk is necessary. Without taking risk, we will never grow and never move past the obstacles that seem to get in our way.
• Take on step at a time. Only careful, controlled movement gets a climber to the top of a cliff. In life, we need to learn to take things one step at a time, so that we can accomplish the tasks that are before us.

Applying these principles will help us to accomplish things that previously seemed impossible.

Over the next several days/weeks, I’m going to post short (one paragraph, or even less) blurbs on how climbing translates into all of life.

Ascent Adventure Consultants, Raleigh North Carolina’s professional rock climbing guides, offer s a multi day alpine climbing package,  July 21-August 2nd 2009, to introduce people to the sport of mountain climbing and to give them the opportunity to summit some of the most beautiful mountains the country has to offer.

Apex, NC USA May 18, 2009 — Standing atop a snow capped, glaciated mountain peak is something that appeals to many outdoor adventure lovers and athletes. However, it is often a lack of knowledge, skill, and experience that keeps people from believing that they can accomplish these goals. This summer, July 21- August 2, 2009 , Ascent Adventure Consultants is offering a climbing trip and package that begins with the basics of alpine climbing, and ultimately leads to the successful summit of the mountains that participants have only dreamed of in the past.

Participants will be able to choose from four course lengths: 4, 7, 10, or 13 days, starting with a four-day basic course set on beautiful Mt. Baker in the North Cascades of Washington State. The first three days will be spent learning the skills to climb in a large alpine mountain environment, such as snow and glacier travel, ice climbing, roped travel, crevasse rescue, and more. This portion of the course will culminate with a summit attempt of Mt. Baker on the fourth day.
At the conclusion of the 4-day section of your trip, those who choose to add on extra days will be ready to head into the heart of the North Cascades and put their new skills to use on some of the most stunning peaks in the lower 48 states.  Each 3-day course section will find us attempting a new summit and learning new skills and techniques. More information can be found by visiting their alpine climbing trips and classes website.

“We love to teach people the climbing skills and techniques that they need to accomplish their dreams, and then provide them with the context to do it” says Brandon Hensinger, owner and professional climbing guide of Ascent Adventure Consultants. “To know that we can be a part of such a significant moment in someone’s life is amazing. The climbing experience that they have will impact them for the rest of their lives.”

If participants are unable to do the entire 13-day course in one climbing season, they can do part of the course then complete it the following year. At the completion of our 13-day course participants will have the skill to begin to get out into the mountains on their own.

Ascent Adventure Consultants is a professional rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountaineering company, as well as a professional team building and training company, headquartered in Apex NC. They conduct climbing courses and team building courses locally, nationally, and internationally.

For more information, please contact Brandon Hensinger, owner of Ascent Adventure Consultants of Apex NC, at bhensinger@ascentadventure.com, or 877-254-4617. More information can be learned about Ascent Adventure Consultants by visiting their website at http://www.ascentadventure.com.

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The objective of the day was to teach Brentley and Michael the basics of belaying, rappelling, and most importantly…climbing! They both had experience climbing in gyms in the past, and were excited to be climbing outdoors.

We began the day with an ascent of Sentinel Buttress (5.5, 2 Pitches). Since the climbing was on easier terrain, they were able to learn about trad gear placement and properly protecting a route, as they observed my actions while climbing. Standing at the Hawk’s Nest ledge provided a beautiful view for them, and a chance to analyze the final pitch of the climb. The 2nd pitch contained some great sections of stemming, and one small roof in a corner, which gave them just the right amount of challenge they were looking for. We met up with several other parties at the top of the climb, who were finishing neighboring climbs that all shared the same rappell anchors. Brentely and Michael enjoyed talking with the other climbers, amazed at the unity and friendship that climbers can instantly form with one another.

Rappelling was definitely a highlight of the trip for them, as the anchors were over the lip of the cliff and required some belayed downclimbing to get to them.

The rest of the day was spent ascending neighboring climbs, such as Washboard, before the storms came in!

Make sure to watch the video from the trip, and check out the photo galleries of the trip as well!

Apex, NC USA May 1, 2009 — Ascent Adventure Consultants is about impacting people’s lives and setting them out on the journey and adventure of a lifetime: when people experience climbing a cliff face, they are instantly aware of the existence of a whole new world; when people engage their fellow teammates or employees in a team building activity, they realize the greater degree of unity and success their team could be experiencing.

Out of a desire to increase their ability to do that very thing, Ascent Adventure Consultants has re-branded the company, and has launched a new website, aimed at communicating their core message: “Bringing Adventure to Life.” Their new identity communicates that they are not simply a climbing guiding company or team building facilitation company, but rather they are a company that helps people escape from the normal routine of life and experience something new and invigorating, and accomplish something that previously may have seemed out of reach. They do this through their  climbing trips and team building programs.

“Our new image will increase our ability to guide individuals on climbing trips and help business succeed through team building, which brings us great joy,” expresses Brandon Hensinger, owner of Ascent Adventure Consultants. “We look forward to seeing how our re-branding helps us impact our community through our courses in an even greater way, and to seeing how we can increase our ability to introduce people to a whole other world that exists.”

To support the re-branding of the company, Ascent Adventure Consultants has many climbing events coming up this summer and fall, along with new classes and new trips being launched. Make sure to visit their new North Carolina rock climbing and team building website at www.ascentadventure.com.

Ascent Adventure Consultants is a professional rock climbing guiding and team building facilitation company headquartered in Apex NC. They guide trips and facilitate training courses throughout NC, the USA, and the world.

For more information, please contact Brandon Hensinger, owner of Ascent Adventure Consultants of Apex NC, at bhensinger@ascentadventure.com, or 877-254-4617. More information can be learned about Ascent Adventure Consultants by visiting their website at http://www.ascentadventure.com.