olyclimber

Wow. So awesome! Thank you for sharing here!

And yes, a Wallmart Pup Tent would be cheaper!

Just a quick review of this Portal 2 tent I got from Slingfin. I was looking for the lightest 2 person tent I could use a variety of conditions including in the rain and snow. I read a bunch of other "reviews" or feedback on the tents available on the market and I ended up choosing a Slingfin Portal 2 just based on the design and the specs (its around 2 lbs, 14oz min weight). It is not a cheap tent, but I'm super impressed with the thought and detailed design that went into it. I think one of the guys involved (a super small operation of like 3 people) worked at Mountain Hardwear for a while. What I mean by this is all the storage pockets in the tent. Or the fact that the zippers on the inner tent have a completely redundant set of zipper pulls in case the first pair go out. All the materials used seem to have been thought out with durability in mind. Using the tent after watching the set up videos I came to appreciate that they really tested this thing in the worst conditions. I was just up in the Olympics last weekend and it was a really good forcast, but this warm wind really started blowing and gusting hard. With a tent this light I was surprised it stayed upright, though I did have it guyed out to the max as I was testing the setup. I thought it was overkill till that wind kicked up. You can provide extra support for the lightweight poles with your trekking poles and I did that...and it was necessary. I did order some thicker poles for it for use in the winter. For me the size is perfect for me and my dog and all my crap I bring with me into the mountains. I know this probably sounds like some sort of puff piece, but I paid for this tent out my own pocket and I have nothing to do with this company other than I'm a customer. I'm just stokked to have such a nice tent, and that they are making them. I guess perhaps maybe this is just exactly what I wanted in a tent. I've been using a BD First Light where I'd probably use this one, and though I have made some great memories in the Ol Yellow Taco, this thing is a spacious castle in comparison and also I can tell will be way better in the rain. I guess the only thing to add is that I've only used the tent once so I can't speak anything that long term use would reveal, nor have I had to deal with the. company for any issues so I can't speak to their service. But maybe worth putting this company on your list of ones to check out when you get your next tent. They do make a couple that are more "mountaineering" and "climbing" focused, but my criteria was lightweight as possible and space with a small vestibule, so those didn't meet it. Word from this gear whore.

They must have done the North Ridge, which is 5.6. As a Cascade Hardman who has soloed Das Toof <insert deafening chest thumping noises>, I am not so brave as to solo fifth class with a small child on my back.

maybe they should focus on reintroducing glaciers.

🥲

And pics from as early as 2014...when the glacier still existed down on the lake: https://www.sulzenauhuette.at/en/things-to-do/sulzenau-lake/#! Pretty crazy. Better go see them quick, they'll be totally gone in 10 years at this rate.

Woah...i think i found one...from the 1920s:

Wow awesome TR! There is a an app I've found on the iphone called "Heic to Jpg" that has worked for me. When I downloaded it was free, not sure if it still is.... Anyway, thanks for sticking with it and fixing the TRs. Lani has the coolest pants out of all you . I created an event for the slideshow. This Wednesday! Thats tomorrow.

This is same glacier/lake. Would be really interesting to see a picture from this perspective from the 1950s. But it starts to help you put the amount that melted into perspective. See the massive moraine at the bottom? Super dramatic, a huge wall.

the volume of glacial ice that has disappeared in the past 70 years isn't conveyed well in these two photos. you'd have to go stand at the spot higher up and see how much melted. it was a massive volume.

just updated the site to the latest.

Yes, actually logistically adding Mt Townsend in is a great call as you have less road to hike at the end...the trail is almost across the road from the Tubal Cain trailhead. Only reason I haven't done that is I like watching the sunrise from Welsh peaks, so I would have to start even earlier to make it to that point. As far as variations, the first time I tried to stay on the ridge as much as possible and this last time I just went where ever it seemed interesting to explore. Probably staying on the ridge is better from a views perspective, but can't go wrong either way. I would like to find a way to add in Worthington and go out via Buckhorn Lake as I've experienced the plane wreck enough, but not sure if some of that territory would be good for me to take my dog on.

Dang that 🔥 pic

excuse the grammar, sentence structure, and spelling issues. i'm lagged af, and still recovering from just one night in Munich. there was this carnival there with big tents and lots of beer.

Trip: Austrian Alps - Stubai High Trail Trip Date: 09/05/2023 Trip Report: Over 20 years ago I had personal blog with custom domain name, and posted pictures of what I had going (hiking, climbing, having a kid, etc) and one day I got an email from some Austrian who was looking for a part for his company from a US business that had a domain name similar to my blogs domain name. We had a ton in common, including to him just having a kid as well. Anyway, we chatted a bit and then just stayed in touch over the years, till last year. My son was doing a quarter in Rome, and so I suggested they might meet if it worked out. Turns out his daughter was working and an au pair in Milan, and so they ended up hanging out and then after his quarter was over my son travelled around Europe for a while, ending his trip with a visit to my Austrian friend's home in a little village in the Austrian Alps. I figured it was high time I pay him a visit myself, and so I bought the plane tickets. We weren't sure how to spend my time there, but I suggested hut hiking as I'd never done that. He suggested the Stubai High Trail. So well after 20 years of our first contact a I showed up in Munich and he picked me up. He had to work the first day I was there, so while he worked, I walked from his house over to a trail and climbed the mountain you could see from his kitchen window. I was a great warm up and introduction to hiking the alps, a trail up into the alpine, with a little scrambling, a cable to two, and then a cross at the top....and an insanely beautiful view below. On the hike back down I tore the crap of my feet, getting blisters all over my feet from my climbing boots. After this we went and bought a part of Scarpa approach shoes which I used instead, as we figured out that we wouldn't actually need mountaineering boots for the peaks we would try. We drove to Innsbruck and bought ourselves some jaunty Tirolian hats, and then headed up to Neustift im Stubaital. We parked the car and headed up to the first hut, which gave me an opportunity to get into shape. Was redlining behind my Austrian Machine. Thom is pretty fit, for his 45th birthday he ran in the mountains, doing 26 miles a day for 10 days in row, running from his parent's old village to his own. Our hike that day was only 5k, but gain 4000ft in elevation. The first hut is the Starkenburger Hütte, and as became our custom we celebrated with a couple cold beers. The views from the hut were awesome. The next day, as we tried to do every day, we beat all the rest of our hut-mates to the trail. We climbed some peaks: Gamskogel 2659m, Steinkogel 2589m, Marchsaule 2598m, and Schwarzhorn 2818. These were gained with hiking or minor scrambling. We then dropped back down to the main trail, stopping for a beer and lunch at a sheep herders hut. Then we continue up the valley, which had impressively steep slopes at parts. At one point I was going through a steep gulley which obviously rockfall and heard crack! and saw a grapefruiit sized rock just graze my foot...I was lucky. We continued to Franz-Senn Hutte, which was one of my favorite. The next day we went Franz-Senn Hutte to Neue Regensburger Hutte, which seems out a movie set with a big waterfall just below it. That day we also climbed Östliche Knotenspitze, which is 3101m. It seemed improbable with no gear, but with a few strategic cables and then lots of narrow ledges and some scrambling it went fine. The next day we went from Neue Regensburger to Dresdner Hutte. The Dresdner is located right on a ski run right below the glaciers above. From the Dresdner to the Sulzenauhütte (where we had lunch) to Nürnberger Hütte was the best day for me, though there was not a bad day at all...they were all special and awesome. On this day we went over yet another pass, going by a huge amount big cairns or "hippy stacks" an incredible view of a canyon below that used to house a glaceir as late at the 1950s, but now there is a just a lake....the glaciers had retreated to well above the lake. There was a massive wall of a moraine below. Then down to the Sulzenauhütte and up by the beautiful blue lake....named "Blue Lake". Over a pass we headed down to the Nürnberger Hütte which was another favorite. The next day we went from the Nürnberger to the Bremer Huttle and climbed Innere Wetterspitze at 3053m, which was great fun. The views up there were amazing. The day after that we headed to Innsbrucker Hutte. Our intention was to climb Habicht, another 3000+m peak, but it there was thunder and rain in the morning so the next day we headed up. I can't begin to convey how fun this trip was. My friend Thomas is the nicest guy you could meet. I might as well have been climbing a with a guide (he actually was guide for a while), but what was the best was having a local who pointed out all the local flora and fuana, history, and translate German for me, and basically arranged everything. We saw plenty of herd of goats and sheep high in the alpine trying to escape the heat. This is the time of year they normally bring them down, but it was still so warm they didn't want to come down yet. We saw a pair of Stienbock, which as very cool, and then smell and eventually saw another one that was dead along the trail. We ran into a lot of other Europeans, and shared some of our time on the trail with a couple from Portland. The company and food in the huts was great save the vegetarian fare they served at the Regensburger Hutte, which came out of me in a 3 second burst just below the steep pass you go through to get out of there. I felt immediately better after. The scenery is quite amazing. It is alarming to see how much the glaciers there have receded, they could be gone in 10 years. I took so many photos and videos. Here a few photos. Gear Notes: silk sleeping bag liner. approach shoes. no tent, stove, etc... Approach Notes: south of Innsbruck

Yeah we need these pics! I want to see Hansel climbing!

Jeff Hansel mention! I gotta give him a call.

Big Ballers!

Ah yes...for the old lookout:

Man, its been since college when i was up on Church mountain! I seem to remember some old outhouse or something on the way up.

Trip: mt ellinor - summer trail Trip Date: 08/27/2023 Trip Report: Kiba and I hiked up the summer trail Sunday morning, joining the other million of visitors this peak has every summer. I've always avoided Ellinor and Washington because of the crowds, so I've never been up either before, but due to the fact that I had never been plus that I could bring Kiba....well we had nothing better going so we went up Sunday morning. Its just a less than two mile hike, but still a cool position to view the rest of the Olympics. The trail is unreal, especially up higher. The Mt Rose Trail Crew really put in an insane amount of work to make this accessible to the masses that go up in every year. How many bolts did they drill to put in the wood steps? Also just some innovative trail building methods in use. Also...the first via ferratta I've even seen the Olympics! Webbing hanging on bolts right by their trail tool box or whatever it is. Anyway, while it was smokey, we watched the sunise from near the summit and saw all my old mountain friends. The Sawtooths and Cruiser, Mt Olympus holding court in the distance. Mt Skokomish, Stone, Lena, Bretherton, Constance, the Bros, etc. I think it would be fun to climb Ellinor with a guide as recommended at the bottom of the comment section here: https://www.summitpost.org/mt-ellinor/151552 What do you think Bob would charge to guide you up Ellinor? What do you think Bob looks like? I'm going to guess he will be wearing a hickory shirt, arms cut off at 3/4 length. Wearing Romeos, and Carhartts with holes in them. Or at least that is how hope he would look like. Maybe a can of Copenhagen. Due to inflation I could see Bob charging you $200 plus a 6 pack of Hamms. Gear Notes: wear shoes Approach Notes: fine European trail

dang. not a lot, but some moisture in the near forecast.