Lulek’s students are getting ready for Mt. Washington.

As the loud crash followed by debris falling down the mountain echoed throughout the woods, and students of professor Steve Lulek’s mountaineering course laughed out of shock. 

Due to the sudden warm weather, the ice sheets covering the rockface of Birdseye Mountain have started to melt and break away. 

“I guess that’s why we’re not ice climbing today,” one student said. 

Lulek has taught Winter Mountaineering and other outdoor recreation courses at VTSU Castleton for many years. His students benefit from his insights on his very active lifestyle; guiding expeditions and running the Green Mountain Rock Wall in Rutland with his wife. 

According to one of his students, “we have to try to keep up with him.” 

The current Winter Mountaineering class is conditioning for their trip to Mt. Washington, where they intend to summit – if the conditions suffice. 

“We have around a 40% chance of summiting,” Lulek said. 

Lulek emphases that a big part of mountaineering is preparing for harsh conditions. Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States, has an average wind velocity of 35 miles per hour, according to New Hampshire State Parks. 

The highest wind speed recorded on Mt. Washington was 231 miles per hour. It’s record for the highest recorded wind speed has stood for 60 years. For reference, hurricane-force winds are defined as sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or more. Overall, Mt. Washington is notorious for unpredictable and severe weather conditions. Despite all of this, Lulek’s class seems somewhat unfazed.

“I’m super excited for Mt. Washington. It’ll be a good thing to mark off the bucket list,” Sally Zuk, physical education student said. 

This past weekend, the class was split into two groups for an overnight at Birdseye Mountain. After hiking into the woods with 40-liter backpacks and climbing gear, the team set up camp. After rigging up safety lines and a final gear check, one by one, students repealed down a 100-foot rockface. 

During the following summit, Lulek took students off trail through a boulder field to get more comfortable maneuvering in difficult terrain. As the terrain grew steeper and unsteady, students attached themselves to a team line and proceeded using ice axes. 

In mountaineering, a team line or rope team refers to climbers that are connected to a single rope when traversing. This helps to prevent any falls from being fatal. At the top of the summit, students stayed just long enough to appreciate the view overlooking the Castleton campus before making the trek back to camp. 

There are many things that can go wrong. For Luca Mele, gear malfunction left him with blisters, restraining him from being able to summit. Despite this, Mele looks back at the trip fondly. 

“I appreciate any time I can be immersed in nature,” Mele said. 

Zuk agreed. 

“It’s always nice to take a break from my phone. I love camping so much,” she said. 

Students also practiced using whisper light stoves and took time to learn knots vital to mountaineering. Whisper light stoves are durable and dependable, making them a favorite among outdoor adventurers. 

“Practicing in the field with the whisper light stoves felt incredibly helpful for becoming accustomed to using them,” Zenon Stevenson said. 

Like his fellow classmates, Stevenson agrees that Mt. Washington is daunting but seems more achievable as the class continues to prepare. Lulek emphasizes that a big part of the trips prior to Washington is to find what students need to prioritize working on. 

“I thought it was a great new experience. It gave me an introduction to mountaineering and will prepare me for the upcoming trips,” Liam Cramer said. 

Overall, the winter mountaineering course has had a significantly positive impact on students. The effort Lulek puts into his courses and his lifestyle is inspiring.   

Mele speaks for the class when he said, “Steve is in fact the goat.”