Teaching Wilderness Navigation is challenging because learning it is a challenge. Furthermore, once it is learned, it is easily forgotten. After our classes we provide homework whose main purpose is to help our students identify their own weaknesses and to gain a greater retention of the material. We even offer resources and lend our personal support to the cause. We don’t want our students to forget […]
We could say it’s all about… Finding North It’s 8:09AM, class. Let’s head over to the bar at Stonehurst Manor for one of their powerful espresso martinis. What? No, you say, it’s too early to drink? They’re not even open at this time? Are you going to let time control your life?! Those numbers, they seem to have a lot of meaning to you, don’t they? […]
A little while ago the Appalachian Mountain Club published the 31st Edition of the AMC’s White Mountain Guide Book. There was talk of modifying the list now that GPS technology continually improves and LIDAR allows us to “see” like never before, but thankfully for peakbaggers, it did stay the same. Well, mostly. The 48 mountains listed remains the same, even though one of them, Tecumseh (grandfathered), […]
Leave No Trace (LNT) is a detailed subject with certain nuances, some of which we go over in an article we wrote some time ago. As a lighter introduction, however, we decided to put together this little educational video (below). This was done with the help of Redline Guides Mike Cherim (host, script, direction), Mike Maciel (videographer and consultant), and Pat Ferland (consultant). Pat is an […]
She was taking a full day navigation course with us in preparation for a solo thru-hike of the 100-Mile Wilderness in Maine. In that class, even though it is not an orienteering course, per se, we do discuss what to do if you find yourself lost on a hike. We always suggest looking behind you for starters. People are turned and misdirected by water bars and […]
It’s getting to be that time of year: Spring, a whole new season of hazards to contend with. A time of year when staying dry is a real challenge thanks to all the various forms of water out there. And crossings… oh, my. That ice cold and sometimes turbid spring snow melt rushing toward the sea — standing between us and our next 4000-footer or 52 […]
Nowadays there are undoubtedly thousands of how-to resources about hiking, maybe even hundreds of thousands. Or more! There are blog posts, articles, books, videos, documentaries, podcasts, as well as clubs, groups, and organizations all vying to teach their readers, viewers, listeners, or members a thing or two about hiking. We’re guilty of it ourselves on this blog, and on our Resources page. And we bet that […]
The question: “Should hikers wear mountaineering boots in NH’s White Mountains? Well, the short answer is yes if they will be using crampons. The performance of mountaineering boots with crampons greatly exceeds the performance of hiking boots with the same crampons. The main reason is the unyielding stiffness of mountaineering boots offering the wearer superior support. This is critical to effective climbing (or hiking on trails […]
Most officiants will offer scripts for the couple to use as a wedding ceremony so as to provide some structure, clarity, and flow (short/longer). Many couples will opt for this route simplifying their lives and their day. Others, however, will choose to incorporate their own touches, apply special traditions, and add/subtract/modify the basic scripts offered, etc. While others still will want to start from scratch and […]
If you want to get married, New Hampshire is a great state to choose for your venue. From high mountain ridges to pristine shores, from clean mountain streams to tranquil ponds, and a landscape in between that inspires romance as much as it does adventure. The romance part, of course, is on you to figure out. But we can certainly help guide you on an adventure […]
A thoroughly enjoyable piece penned by Redline Guide Mike Maciel. In 2019 I stepped away from a successful sixteen year career in the corporate world of insurance to pursue things that were more meaningful to me. For most of my tenure, the money I earned in exchange for my time had helped me to achieve my goals and build a great life. Eventually though, the ends […]
They would come up to us guides, trying to stay composed, but their eyes would be wild with mild terror edging toward panic. “My hands/feet/whatever are so effing cold… please help me.” Experience with this sort of thing as guides meant we understood precisely what was going on and how to solve it. But it was never done in the way our guests would think we […]
