Plast members hone winter mountaineering skills at ZMT 4 (01/14/01)

Plast members hone winter mountaineering skills at ZMT 4

by Deanna T. Yurchuk

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. - When asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, renowned mountaineer George Leigh Mallory's reply was: "Because it's there." When asked why he wanted to climb Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York state, Andrew Olesnycky simply answered, "Why not?"

Mr. Olesnycky, 18, of Maplewood, N.J., was a part of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization's fourth annual "Zymovyi Mandrivnyi Tabir" (ZMT), a winter mountaineering camp in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack State Park on December 26-31, 2000. Organized by the Lisovy Chorty Plast fraternity, the camp aimed to expose adolescents to a variety of winter sports, such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice climbing and mountaineering.

Under the leadership of Taras Ferencevych, 26, of Branchville, N.J., and six of his Plast colleagues, the seven camp participants hiked to Avalanche Lake, climbed 90 feet of vertical ice, built snow shelters called "quinzees," slept outdoors overnight and ultimately took part in a winter ascent of Mount Marcy.

Mr. Ferencevych hoped to give the young adventurers an out-of-the-ordinary experience. "The purpose of ZMT is to overcome the challenges of a winter environment and to teach safe and thoughtful use of nature," he said. In addition to hands-on activities, the camp also included presentations by the instructors on topics like wilderness first-aid, outdoor cooking, ice climbing technique and gear demonstration.

Mr. Ferencevych is a professional scout of sorts; when not at Plast camp, he is the program director for the Rutgers 4-H Youth Center for Outdoor Education. He incorporates his work experience to create innovative camp programs and develop risk management tactics. "I try to pass on to the participants some of my outdoor skills, but more importantly I want to stress the importance of safety in all circumstances," he said. From the safety and logistics standpoints, the small size of the camp was fortuitous and fostered positive group dynamics, according to Mr. Ferencevych.

The six-day camp took place in two locations. The first three nights were spent in a heated cabin at the Adirondack Mountain Club grounds and the other two in an alpine-style hut with no running water, where the only commodities were propane lanterns and a stove.

"Living with a small group of people in crowded and tough conditions allowed us to connect with each other on an extremely personal level; it created meaningful relationships over a short period of time," Mr. Olesnycky added.

For the majority of camp participants, the highlight of the week was the ascent of Mount Marcy on December 30. Emulating what old-school mountaineers call an "alpine start," the 14 members of this small expedition awoke at 4:30 a.m., ate a quick breakfast, then, clad in several layers of clothing and head lamps, set out for the summit before dawn.

The team maintained a slow, yet steady pace and reached the tree line five hours later. At that point, with the mountain's peak looming overhead, the instructors huddled in a circle to discuss further action. After assessing weather conditions and the physical stamina of all group members, they decided that it was safe to attempt the final approach. A mere hour-and-a-half later, the team successfully summited the 5,344-foot peak.

The elated campers scaled the mountain top, taking photographs, hugging each other and marveling at their own achievement. "When at last I stood on top of Mount Marcy along with the rest of the group, the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming," said Christina Jarymowycz, 16, of Short Hills, N.J., a first-time ZMT participant.

The long-ensuing descent gave the aspiring mountaineers an opportunity to reflect upon their many emotions. "There's a certain beauty in every step when climbing a mountain. Each challenge along the way - a bridge to cross or a crevasse to traverse - represents a step towards the summit, and these smaller challenges are the essence of the hike," Mr. Olesnycky said. "The summit is not the reason for climbing the mountain; it is the celebration of the smaller battles won along the way."

Another alpine enthusiast, Andriy Kolos, 20, of Toronto, said, "I really enjoy the freedom one experiences while climbing. There are no distractions and no outside pressures to impair your judgment. Your own will, knowledge, courage, skill and strength determine the outcome - no one can climb for you; it is up to you every step of the way."

Mr. Kolos, who led the camp's ice-climbing activities, is also a skilled rock climber and mountaineer. Having traveled around the world and climbed in many pristine regions of the United States and Canada, the avid Mr. Kolos always comes back to ZMT to hike with his friends from Plast. "ZMT gives me a chance to experience the mountains with others who feel the same way about the alpine environment as I do," Mr. Kolos said, "And there's nothing better than sharing the mountains with good friends."

In the future, Mr. Ferencevych wants to develop a group of trained experts to continue the tradition of winter mountaineering camps. He also hopes to eventually change the location of ZMT to New Hampshire, Vermont, or perhaps out west. "On a personal note," Mr. Ferencevych added, "I would like to get enough people hooked so that I never run out of partners for my future adventures."

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