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Fine TR K. Did you add another aid bolt on the Grand Wall to take the place of the aid tree limb THAT YOU CUT DOWN(!!! ) ?

That Greenie Camalot JR is still waiting for a lucky suitor up on the Tooth too.

That pisses me off !!! Sisu oughta go up there and hack it out!!

Probably one of those ever aesthetic root balls, still good for a handhold. For a year or two. But no worry, in a couple of years once it's rotting it'll give the GNS that Squamish feel. Marauding youths or not, Squamish is sooooo nice. I have almost no desire to revisit Index now that I've spent a long weekend up there.

Stick with the East Ridge of Thompson if you wanna bag a cool mountain. But I guess you could do worse than the West Ridge. Just a lot of work (long trail, ugly long choss gully) to get to a few mediocre pitches. I looked up my Little Si submission: "Human Foot" (5.8 ) I thought the first pitch of The Back Road at Index was kinda cool. A sandbagged boulder problem, followed by a wafer-thin flake followed by a lightning bolt roofs feature . Someone ought put an anchor right at the top of that part so you don't have to scrunge left through the bushes afterwards. Hey Alex, did you go right under the big roof on BBB then turn the roof as per Newest Industry? That way is fun.

Many routes here are getting panned because of choss, but how can we say "worst" for choss. There are literally hundreds of horrible, identical, worthless piles of death at Vantage alone. Aries chimney at Index? How can you say that Alex? That pitchlet is great fun and challenge. I really would be interested in hearing why you think it is so terrible. Have you done Beak Beak Beak? Here's a couple of worthless ones that plenty of people seem to do: The West Ridge of Thompson, That dumb climb on the right corner of the Blackstone at Little Si.

It's easier to inch upwards if you don't have half your body wedged in the crack. It's easier to not have half your body wedged in the crack if you have the security of the big greenie.

Well at least a broken bolt probably won't chop your ropes or RIP ONE OF YOUR LIMBS CLEAN OFF!!!!

So was this recent quote with reference to your NEAR DEATH TR? If so, HOLY SH*T!! Better start listening to that little nag more carefully. I guess Iain was right. Glad you guys made down relatively unscathed. Though Jamn's lead head may not be the same .

thank you Fern!

I can't decipher this... So is the Grand Wall and/or Bellygood Ledge closed or not?

thirst is a dangerous thing

Yeah, I was thinking about the West ridge too. I think I've got that pretty well scoped. That might be the ticket. No, I don't wanna do a carryover. Climbing with a pack sux. . I'll try the marathon from the car in a day before I carry bivy gear over the mountain. Probably bivy anyway but at least I won't be carryin' all that gear .

I'll be there with the family and two other families. Hope to get out climbing all day one of the days at least, plus some cragging with the kids.

Looks like somebody visited Index today

Thank you all for this interesting beta. I am lapping it up . Yum Yum. Yes Matt. I was hoping to climb the N Ridge without a bivy pack. Josh, I fear car to car in a day might be just too brutal for me. Plus, I sometimes do enjoy just rotting in the mountains. One problem with the Mountaineer Creek approach is that I am planning on getting up there ~July 15 +/- a day, at which time I believe the Eight Mile Road will be off limits. I fear this would greatly complicate the Mountie Creek approach.

Hello there, I am seeking information on the NW buttress of Stuart. Planning on climbing the North Ridge of Stuart from a bivy at Goat Pass and would like to descend down the NW buttress to our camp. Any confirmations out there that this is an excellent idea? Anybody spent an extra three unplanned nights out attempting this? Fill me in. I am a beta sink.

Just remember... Epics are fun!

From Wemple RD, Lamb DR, McKeever KH, (1997)"Caffeine vs caffeine-free sports drinks: effects on urine production at rest and during prolonged exercise." Int J Sports Med. 1997 Jan;18(1):40-6 "Thus, CAFF[eine] consumed in CE [sports drink (carbohydrate electrolyte)] during moderate endurance exercise apparently does not compromise bodily hydration status."

Climbing Godzilla the other day and tried what Smoot calls the "Bambi" version. It's way cool ! When you're climbing the RFC just above the "lieback" flake and are standing on that thank-god pointy projection, exit the corner left onto a little stance and mantle up to a little ledge. From there you get dueling finger cracks to another mantle onto the usual finger crack ledge. Cool. Of course that would bypass MVS's favorite part . Finally figured out that bolt-ladder start too.

Why? Are you talking about the raptor closure? If so, it is my understanding that you can climb legally all the way to the top of the Sword pitch; i.e. two pitches above the top of Cruel Shoes. Or will I get arrested for something else?

Anyone done it here? Is it good? Will I get scared? How sucky would it be to do it as a party of three? (the one at Squamish, not City o' Rocks)

Beats the shit out your lame haikus!!

I just read in Runner's World an article that quoted a (scholarly?) study that concluded that caffeine is no more a diuretic than water. Apparently the reason coffee, tea and soda make you pee more is because they contain... liquid!

It's too wet. It's too hot. I'm not really into this stuff today. I forgot my chalkbag. I have pneumonia. I'm hungry....