South Mountain Pass

One of the most important components on your mountain bike is your tires. They grip the ground and provide the traction you need on different surfaces. Most mountain bike riders look for light weight, strength and traction in a tire and many advanced riders even have multiple sets of tires for different riding conditions.

So what tire is right for your mountain bike and riding style? With so many different manufactures and models to choose from which one is right for you? These are not easy questions to answer so hopefully we can provide some insight to get you moving in the right direction. Mountain bike parts are not cheap and you want to make the right decision.

Tire Construction:

Consider a Kevlar bead or folding tire – A Kevlar tire weighs an estimated 60-80 grams less then a conventional none folding tire. It does not sound like much of a weight savings but multiple that number by two and then consider the rotating weight. For an extra couple of dollar, in my opinion, it is worth spending the extra money.

Terrain and Tread patterns:

Determine where you are going to ride and how you are going to use the bike. As an example will you be riding on the local trails that are hard packed dirt or on slick rock?





For hard packed terrain consider a narrower and smooth tire. As an example a tire that is 1.8 to 2.0 wide.





For hard packed terrain with a good mix of rocks you might want to consider a wider and smooth tire. As an example a tire that is wider then 2.0.





For loosely packed terrain consider a knobby tire. Choose a tire with a really aggressive pattern as this will help you gain maximum traction in the dirt. You might also want to consider tires that are designed for the front and rear of the bike.





For muddy terrain consider a narrow tire. Narrow tires will reach the bottom of the mud and create less resistance when turning making it easier for you to move forward.





For all terrain tires there are so many choices to consider. Many of the major tire manufacturers make very good tires that are great for all conditions.





Riders Body Size:

Consider your body size. If you are heavier you might want to consider a wider tire.

Where to buy:

You can buy your tires at a bike store, order them from an online website or from an individual sell tires posted on a mountain bike classifieds website.

The information above is a rough guide on what to consider when buying new mountain bike tires. Many bikes stores that have bikes for sale and bike parts can also give you their opinion. Talk to your friends and read online forums to see what other riders like and don’t like. The more information you have the better.

See you on the trail.

Any person who willingly engages in an activity where the ground you stand on could disappear beneath your feet, where the earth around you could bury you alive or where the weather alone could blow you right off a mountain, well. Mountain Climbers are just insane. They engage in one of the most extreme, most dangerous nature sports in the world. And they do it willingly!

There are such extreme dangers in mountain climbing. The top three are things falling on you, yourself falling and bad weather. Things that may fall on you include rocks, ice and snow (avalanches).

◦ Rocks could come loose on mountains at any moment. Furrows on the slopes and conspicuous collections of rock and debris in patches are good signs to look for.

◦ Areas prone to falling ice are overhanging cornices (molding below a ceiling) that you find on the peaks of narrow ridges.

◦ Broken sections of glaciers, called seracs, are potentially dangerous. Ice sections could fall during, and after, the hottest part of the day.

◦ Hanging glaciers on steep slopes will periodically drop ice. Ice piles in patches are excellent indicators.

◦ Be weary of large icicles that form on steep rock faces. They could break loose at any moment, especially after inclement weather.

◦ Before all of that, however, you are advised to remember that a falling climber is a very real danger. Even just his gear coming your way could knock you loose.

Either way, stay sharp at all times. It may not be the mountain that takes you down.

Tons and tons of snow, ice and debris streaking down a mountainside as an avalanche is most terrifying. If you find yourself caught in one, survival is slim, at best. Hundreds of people die every year in avalanches. Many of them were athletically skilled individuals, even skilled climbers. Many of them were caught out in the open snow.

It isn’t very easy to turn back from a snow crossing once you’ve begun. So much time will be lost. When in doubt, don’t do it and save your life. A large percentage of avalanche fatalities were expert skiers with avalanche training. Think on that for a bit. Sometimes knowing is not enough to save you. Oftentimes, it is the knowing that makes a person unnecessarily reckless.

Alpine (high mountain) climbers are advised to always carry an avalanche beacon, a probe and a shovel to help in your own rescue should you, or your party, become trapped in an avalanche.

Just as there are many ways that an object may fall on you while climbing, there are so many ways for you, yourself, to fall.

◦ As a climber, you could loose your hold and drop into the air. It could be the last sensation you know.

◦ You may go careening down a mountainside. If you survive the brutal fall, hopefully you won’t land in a deep hole or a crevasse. (Good grief!)

◦ Be extremely cautious on slick ice slopes. Crampons, an ice axe and ice screws (pickets) become necessary here. One slip could mean no return for you.

There are snow slopes for which a potential avalanche must always be considered. At the base of these snow slopes lies the danger of a hidden crevasse. Meticulous use of a snow bridge often becomes necessary. You’ll want to have an experienced climber with you for those instances when advancing over snow, especially snow on ice, is a difficult decision. If you must go, a straight ascent is preferred over a horizontal one. Less can be done to encourage snow movement (avalanche) this way.

Crevasses are deep chasms found in glaciers. They may be easily seen or they may be hidden from sight. It takes experience and caution to detect them. Your best protection is to rope your climbing party together. Don’t ever cross a crevasse without being tied to at least one person.

Weather is an awesome force high in the mountains. You can never escape it so don’t think that you can ignore it. You may experience a whiteout where you’d be lucky to see a few feet in front of you. In the summer, you may experience thunderstorms or lightning, even lightning all by itself. All climbers are advised to have an alpine start, that is, a climb that starts before or at first light. It gives you the chance to return to base during daylight should the weather become threatening.

High in the mountains there is less oxygen to breathe. The body needs to acclimatize, to become accustomed to the thin air. If you don’t give yourself enough time, you’ll probably develop altitude sickness. If you do not descend immediately when this happens, your condition could progress to one of two forms of edema. Both conditions could be fatal within 24 hours. I repeat, fatal within a day. If this happens, get yourself off that mountain right now!

Mountain climbing is absurdly dangerous. You really will risk your life, over and over. But, oh, to stand on the summit. To be so high, to see for many miles, possibly over many miles of mountains, to know that you stand where few have gone before. What a feeling! Very few things come close. Be careful up there!

The Caucasian Mountain Dog also known as the Caucasian Ovtcharka is an ancient breed that for centuries was little known outside the remote regions from which it hails, namely the Caucasus which incorporate: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Dagestan, Iran and Turkey. The Caucasian Mountain Dog or Ovtcharka (in Russian Ovtcharka means shepherd or sheepdog) is a member of the working group of dog breed and despite its appellation of sheepdog/shepherd this dog was never a livestock herder but rather a guardian or protector which goes a long way in explaining its not inconsiderable size! The Caucasian Mountain dog was bred to protect livestock against wolves, bears and other predators; in fact the Caucasian Ovtcharka has an uncanny resemblance to a bear!

Considered until fairly recently by many to be a descendent of the Tibetan Mastiff, updated archeological evidence suggests that its ancestry originated from ancient dogs that lived in the woody hills of Iraq and Mesopotamia. It is believed that assorted dog types that accompanied nomadic tribes that settled in the Caucasus regions, with little intervention and interference from outside influences, eventually evolved into the Caucasian Mountain Dog.

Up until the 1930s, the Caucasian Ovtcharka was little known outside its home range until it started appearing in European dog shows in Germany. Around 1952 the Caucasian Mountain Dog was sub-divided into two distinct breeds: the Transcaucasian Ovtcharka which is typically the heavier-boned, massive dog that hails from the mountainous regions; and the Caucasian Ovtcharka, the less heavily built type that originates from the steppe regions.

In 1976 the two sub-breeds were consolidated and reclassified as one breed, and these days the Caucasian Mountain Dog is expected to conform to a single standard. Be that as it may however, the various sub-breeds can still be differentiated regionally from the various territories of the former USSR and nowadays one of the most coveted type of Caucasian Mountain Dog is the so-called Georgia sub-breed which is characteristically a thick-coated, heavy-boned, massive dog that most closely resembles a bear.

The potential of the Caucasian Mountain Dog as much more than a Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) was quickly realized by the now defunct Soviet Army and soon enough this dog breed was employed both during peace and war time as auxiliary military “personnel” within the expanse of the Soviet Union. In the late 1960s the Caucasian Ovcharka was widely introduced to East Germany specifically for border patrol duty, fore mostly to patrol the infamous Berlin Wall. When the Berlin Wall came toppling down in 1989, the by-then, at least 7000-strong unit of Caucasian Mountain Dogs employed to patrol the Wall’s perimeter was disbanded and many of those dogs found new homes within the newly emancipated civilian population!

Temperament

This dog breed was developed to guard flocks and livestock and hence has a strong inherent guardian/protector trait. Much as a Border Collie family dog will tend to herd its family as a substitute flock of sheep, the Caucasian Mountain Dog will have the tendency to be somewhat protective of its immediate family, a characteristic that has obvious benefits but perhaps less obvious consequences. The Caucasian Ovcharka is a strong-willed (some might say stubborn) breed of dog that requires a firmer hand for proper socialization and training. The so-called stubborn nature of this dog type is not surprising when one considers that it was bred over hundreds of years for these exact qualities.

This dog was bred to largely exist independent of humans (except for its shepherd) and was bred to co-exist with the livestock it was guarding; thus the Caucasian Mountain dog breed is inherently wary of strangers be they people or animals. Unsurprisingly, the Caucasian Ovtcharka is most active at night (livestock predators tend to hunt under the cover of night) and though it may give the impression that it’s a big lazy dozing dog, at the slightest hint of intruders the Caucasian Mountain Dog will nimbly get to its feet, sound the alarm (barking) and immediately go to confront the threat!

The Caucasian Ovcharka takes the protection of its territory (these days consider that the family yard) very seriously and will consider any encroachment by a stranger as a threat. Despite its formidable size this dog is characterized by the use of minimal force to dissuade any threat. Such minimal force may likely take the form of confronting the predator and barking and growling aggressively; usually that is enough to change the minds of most intruders because much like its wild Canid counterparts, this old dog breed still retains the mindset that physical (or deadly) force should be a last resort since it tends to be counter productive (i.e., injury to either party).

Any Good With Kids?

As previously noted this dog breed tends to substitute its immediate family for the livestock it was selectively bred to protect; in other words this dog is strongly protective of members of its family. Hence it is important to understand that this dog could perceive rambunctious or rough child’s play between a family member and a friend (as is the tendency with boys) to be a threat and its hardwired protect-the-flock genetics will immediately kick in!

Thus it is vitally imperative to properly socialize this dog breed and also explain to your kids that just because they know that “Shaggy” would never hurt them, they should understand that the same may not go for their friends unless the dog knows them well (i.e., has accepted them as an extension of its flock). Obviously with a dog this size all activity around small children should be supervised, because though the family pet may not intend harm, it’s a big dog that during the heat of play may easily forget its formidable strength and size and could accidentally hurt a young child!

The Question Of Apartment Dwelling?

By and large the Caucasian Mountain Dog does not make the ideal apartment dweller. Although like most big dogs its energy level is somewhat low this dog breed is inherently nocturnal and was bred to alert and warn of, and off intruders. In other words your love for your Caucasian Mountain Dog could well translate into hatred from your neighbors because your Caucasian Ovcharka is driving them crazy with its nightly cacophony (barking…which is especially true if your neighbors are creatures of the night aka party animals).

Interactivity With Other Dogs

From a genetic view point the Caucasian Mountain Dog was never bred to be overly friendly with other canids be they dogs or wolves, because as a flock guardian it would have been expected to ward off all potential predators which naturally would have included feral dogs. However as with most any breed of dog timely and proper socialization usually overcomes any unfriendliness towards other dogs or animals in this breed!

Caucasian Mountain Dog Breed Standard

Currently there appear to be conflicting breed standards which could be in part explained by the different sub-breeds and the late acceptance of this breed into the AKC; as of now this dog breed has no AKC ranking. Only recently has the AKC moved to officially recognize this dog breed (May 2007) even though the Caucasian Ovcharka has been on record with the FSS (Foundation Stock Services) since 1996. From January of 2008 the Caucasian Mountain Dog will be allowed to formally compete in the AKC Companion Events.

Size Requirements:

The following height measurements are for the mature dog and are measured up to the shoulder bone.

Height of Males: 25.5 – 30 inches (64cm – 70cm)

Height Females: 24.5 and upwards

Weight of Males: 100lbs + (45kg – 70 kg)

Weight Females: 80lbs + (37kg – upwards)

It should be noted however that for the Kavkazskaya Ovcharka Breed (the Georgian Caucasian Mountain Dog sub-breed that most closely resembles a bear)
the requisite dimensions differ considerably:

Height of Male: 28.3 – 29.5 inches (72cm – 75cm; minimum is 68cm or 26.8 inches)

Female Height: 26.0 – 27.2 inches (66cm – 69cm; minimum is 64 cm or 25.2 inches)

Naturally the weight of the Kavkazskaya Ovcharka Breed will tend to be somewhat heavier and it is not unusual for males to top 180lbs!

The Caucasian Mountain Dog falls under the category of Working Dogs as a Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD).

Caucasian Mountain Dog