Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Alpinist Kurt Diemberger + Philip Liberman, Brainwave: Rubin Museum of Art, February 29

RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART
presents BRAINWAVE

Mind the Altitude
Kurt Diemberger + Philip Lieberman


Wednesday, February 29
7:00 PM
$20/18 for Rubin Museum Members/5 Student Rush
Ticket includes:
6:15 Mnemonic Art Tour in the galleries
6:45 Karma Chain on the spiral staircase
7:00 Program in the theater
8:30 Book signing

Alpinist Kurt Diemberger sits down with mountaineer and neuroscientist Dr. Philip Lieberman to explore how memories are shaped by extreme environments and how the brain copes with the effects of altitude.

The accomplished alpinist Kurt Diemberger, born in Austria in 1932, is one of the world's most influential climbers. He is the only living person to have the distinction of two first ascents on the world's 8,000-meter peaks, both climbed without supplemental oxygen. He is the author of two fascinating autobiographical works, Summits & Secrets and Spirits of the Air. His portrayal of K2 The Endless Knot is especially powerful given that he was one of only two climbers to have survived the 1986 disaster on the world’s second-highest mountain in 1986.

Presented in association with the American Alpine Club (NY Chapter).

For tickets and full details visit: www.rmanyc.orc/brainwave

RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

150 WEST 17TH STREET, NEW YORK CITY 1 www.rmanyc.org 212.620.5000 x344

Now in its fifth year, Brainwave brings people from diverse walks of life together to engage with neuroscientists in one-on-one conversations in order to better understand the workings of our minds.

Starting February 2012 we will focus on how memory is processed in the brain. “Central Asia is home to some of world culture’s greatest feats of memory. The 12th century epic poem of King Gesar, the early mythic king of early Tibet, is assessed at a million verses long, for example. Tibetan Buddhist culture in particular makes use of ‘artificial memory’ in retaining sacred teachings through the form of elaborate iconography in painted and sculptural form. In this year’s series we will look at the role of memory has played in the past, and the debatable role it plays in our contemporary cut-and-paste culture.” - Tim McHenry

Presenting Sponsor: METLIFE FOUNDATION

Brainwave 2012 is made possible, in part, by support from the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Alpine Club Winter Outing, More Pics

At the Alpine Club outing on Saturday, January 21st, 2012, Wayne Wilson, Joe DiSaverio, Mark Fedow, Dan Hughes, and I hiked/climbed up Ampersand Mountain on the west edge of the Adirondacks past Saranac.

Driving in light snowfall we were lucky to have mistakenly gotten offroute early on so that we only got to the trailhead at 11 am, because then the snowfall was diminishing. A group of seven left the parking turnout when we arrived, and we passed it shortly thereafter, and we broke trail on only a few inches of snow on black ice, but within a half hour or so we put on crampons to cope with steepening icy terrain, then proceeded at a nice pace, getting to the summit in just over two hours in bright sunshine with surprisingly still air.

The top is bare rock with good views to the south and west, and we had it all to ourselves--unlike warm weather when hikers swarm it. The photos don't do it justice.

Coming down was tougher because of the ice, but our only casualty was a broken ski pole on a slide over an iced boulder, and we were back at Rock and River in daylight (wondering about when that group of seven would get down).

--John Tiernan

Fedow, Wilson, Disaverio

Lake Southeast of Ampersand

Wilson, Fedow, Hughes

Monday, January 23, 2012

AAC Weekend in the Adirondacks

Thanks to everyone that made it up to the Keene and Lake Placid, NY area for a great winter outing. Special thanks to Sarah Garlick and Kaji Sherpa for being our esteemed guests. Climbers enjoyed ice climbing, skiing, winter mountaineering, cross country skiing, and relaxing with each others company around the fireplace in the Climbers Lodge.

Here is Kaji ice climbing on Saturday. The Waterfall Poke-o-Moonshine

Vic Benes belaying Joe Yanuzzi To the right Ron Bixby observing
Waterfall, Poke-O-Moonshine

Michael Schelenker and Martin Torresquintero

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

AAC Winter Outing Now Open to Members

New York Section Winter Outing
Adirondack Rock & River, Keene, New York
January 20-22, 2012

One of our most popular seasonal events, always a sell-out, is our Annual Winter Outing at Rock and River, now in its second decade.
All sort of winter sports are at our doorstep: xc skiing on the Jack Rabbit Trail or at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, ice Climbing at Chapel Pond and elsewhere,
Snowshoeing and Hiking in the High Peaks, Downhill at Whiteface, among other activities too numerous to mention.

As in past years, we have booked the entire facility for the exclusive use of NY Section members and guests. There will be an optional clinic and instruction for beginning ice climbers on Saturday, with all equipment provided, at R&R's private ice climbing park. More advanced instruction or guide services are
also available.

A highlight of the weekend is our Saturday Happy Hour by a roaring fire followed by a buffet dinner and a slide show or two. This year we will feature a
presentation by AAC NE Regional Coordinator and a professional guide, Sarah Garlick, who recently returned from exploratory rock climbing and a first ascent
in Northern Mozambique with Majka Burhardt. Also joining us as a special guest is Kaji Sherpa, who once held the speed record on Everest( 21 hours)

We have very limited accommodations still available at R&R; more is available at local inns or motels. We also welcome members and guests for Saturday
cocktails , dinner and the show only, up to the seating capacity of the dining room.

For more specific details and charges, including availability of rides from Manhattan, please contact Phil Erard at philiperard@nysalpineclub.org
or call 917-617-5891