On The Verge:

Experience an MLI Himalayan expedition as they mount a successful attempt of 20,305′ Island Peak. The film documents the dire need for health care in Nepal and the point is driven home when one of their own teammates becomes critically ill at 20,000′. A swift and efficient rescue must be launched to save her life. The film benefits the medical and educational work in the village of Kumari, the home of head Nepali guide, Jagat Lama.

Thursday, June 7 6:30 Social Hour, 7:30 On The Verge film and presentation by Les Zollbrecht

You are invited to join our 2013 Everest Trek and climb of Lobuche East. Meet expedition members from years past and see pictures of the beautiful Himalayas. 50% of all food purchased for the evening goes to benefit the expedition and help with our humanitarian work in Kumari (pick up a certificate from us  before you purchase your meal). PS there is a great children’s play area at Papa’s!

Monday, February 13 at 6:00
Papa’s Pizza on Stark Street

Tickets: Free ($5-10 suggested donation)

Monday, March 12, 2012, Time: TBA, ClubSport, Tigard, OR

Wednesday, April 4, 2012, 7:00pm, REI Clackamas, OR

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Big wall climber, Mark Smith, presents a slideshow of  his route, Wings of Steel, the most controversial climb on El Cap. Journey back to 1982 and experience sabotage, starvation and slander as they put up arguably the hardest aid route on El Cap. The climb, trashed by locals as being a “bolt ladder” proved to be harder then their critics tough language and egos. Countless attempts by some of the best aid climbers in the world ultimately vindicated Smith and his climbing partner, Richard Jensen. It wasn’t until 2011, 29 years later, that Ammon McNeely and his partner, Kait Barber spent 13 frightful days on Wings of Steel and finally made the second ascent (see the current issue of Rock and Ice Magazine for their harrowing account.)

This event benefits Mountain Leadership Institute, a local non-profit organization.

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More Information:

There is currently a film being produced about McNeely’s second ascent. You can view the trailer for the film here.

The following is from RockandIce.com:

Wings of Steel—likely El Cap’s hardest aid route and unrepeated since its first ascent 29 years ago was repeated this year.  After repulsing accomplished big-wall veterans including Rob Slater and Kevin Thaw, Wings of Steel has been climbed by the “El Cap Pirate” Ammon McNeely and his partner/girlfriend Kait Barber. At this writing the duo have completed Wings proper and are exiting via the Aquarian Wall.

Wings of Steel is El Cap’s most controversial route. Mark Smith and Richard Jensen—two unknown Valley “outsiders”—arrived in 1982 to climb the apparently blank Great Slab to the left of the Salathe Wall. They found compact granite on a low-angle face that could be climbed—barely—using tiny Leeper pointed hooks on nearly invisible rugosities. So impossible did the climbing appear that numerous Yosemite locals assumed that Smith and Jensen were drilling and chipping their way up the face.

Disgusted by the perceived desecration, the team’s snail-like pace and the fact that Smith and Jensen hadn’t paid their proper dues by repeating El Cap’s hard big walls of the day, local climbers threatened Smith and Jensen, verbally abused them and in a night-time raid, pulled their fixed rope on the first pitch and defecated on it. Rather than bailing, however, an angered Smith and Jensen reclimbed the start and completed the route in a month-long continuous push requiring horrendous whippers and a dislocated ankle.

What followed may be the greatest character assassination campaign in climbing history, with Jensen and Smith purported to be villains, scoundrels and liars. In spite of Jensen and Smith’s reporting in excruciating detail of the route’s hook and hole count, Wings of Steel was dismissed as a bolt and hook ladder. Since their ascent, Jensen and Smith have been bashed in guidebooks, texts and magazines, and relentlessly slandered through word of mouth and in internet forums.

Preliminary reports now suggest Smith and Jensen told the truth about everything, including the 15 or so “micro-enhancements” they made to avoid drilling rivets. The hooking is reportedly “sick” and insanely hard above long and dangerous runouts. Master speed climber McNeely required six hours and took three 30-foot falls on the first pitch alone. Higher up he also took many falls including at least one 50-footer to work out the hooking sequences. In one fall, McNeely dislocated his shoulder and reset it himself to persevere on what may be the most difficult big-wall route ever established.

—Pete Zabrok

From: http://rockandice.com/news/1513-el-cap-slanderfest-finally-put-to-bed

The first pitch of Meanderthal, 5.6 ascends the column to arrive at the anchors on the shelf above.

Amy cleaning pitch 2 of Meanderthal

Another line running up eastern flank of this rock was a crack system that ended in a ten-foot low-angled roof. Kristin Thurnhofer cleaned the top  of this 50 foot climb. Though unnamed, it will probably go in the 5.7-5.9 range.

The other new route climbs a vertical face up the eastern wall. Garrett Gladden was the housecleaner that dusted the furniture of this more challenging route. Pushing 40 feet, this route will probably go in 5.8-9 range.

MLI volunteers cleaning routes

Many thanks to the volunteers that braved the 70 degree sunshine and blue skies and helped us get these new climbs ready for the exciting MLI courses ahead. The “reserve” now holds two rappel lines dropping 60 feet in an overhang and were debuted in September with the Portland Adventist Academy Junior Retreat. One other climbing route currently exists here that has climbing anchors placed by Mark Smith.

Our family was just evacuation from Big Lake Youth Camp due to the Shadow Lake Fire burning just a few miles away near Mt. Washington. MLI has often partnered with BLYC and this weekend Les was helping out with a family camp. All told, nearly 500 people were evacuated from the Big Lake area on Saturday morning. The fire had burned to within about 2 miles of the camp. Helicopters were pulling water out of the lake and flying over the camp to dump water on the fire. The Forest Service is optimistic that the natural burn breaks such as roads and previous older burns will help slow the fire and keep structures safe. At this point, BLYC is not in imminent danger, however your prayers and support of the leadership and staff team is very important. We have posted a link for those of you that might be interested to stay current on the fire and its progress.

Check out the following link for an updated map and current information of the fire:

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2550

Enrollment is now Closed.

Escape the city and come embrace the snow and ice of the mountain. Enjoy this one day skills class covering the basics of ice axe and crampon usage, roped travel and crevasse rescue.

The most poignant element of the expedition was connecting with the people of Kumari. The team spent a week at this remote village providing medical care and beginning the building of a toilet system for the future Kumari Clinic. In the evenings local community groups would present cultural dances and presentations about what life is like in this remote region of Nepal.