chucK

MAN you guys sure are scary!

Cavey Cavey Cavey, Didn't you see this was supposed to be thread of peace and love? A heartfelt attempt by Dr. Dwayner to bring some positive vibe to this site? Could you please, like, mellow out. What's with all this rage? The impending move got you stressed? Perhaps the funny cig/cancer cig ratio is dipping? Wassa matter puddles? Can we help? Chuck p.s. Mattp's cool is so effortless he don't even needsunglasses.

Mattp is so effortlessly cool he needs to keep his car defroster permanently on, even in August, in Arizona. Mattp is so effortlessly cool he needs a gloves to keep his beer from freezing. Mattp is so effortlessly cool he leaves a trail of microscopic ice particles in his wake. Mattp is so effortlessly cool that even if he tries to be a dick he just comes off as being standoffish. Mattp is so effortlessly cool he he will only do uncredited voiceovers for commericials. Mattp is so effortlessly cool that he has been asked by the Hawaiian Bureau of Tourism not to return.

In slide alder and such I find it easier to head straight for the middle of the bush, walk between the branches and out the other side. Slide alder might usually suck but them's pretty trusty vegetablebelays on steep terrain. Cap'n must really like pain thrashing in Devil's Club. Everytime I brush that stuff it implants a bunch of almost microscopically thin spines straight into knuckles and such. Usually not too bad until you have to put some pressure on it, like a hand jam! Yow! Cap'n's right about shit hanging off of your pack. Big no no. When crashing through anything that might be spiny or hide spinies, never push the bush out of the way with your hands, but use your body or pack. A brimmed hat is good for protecting your face in this kind handless thrashing. Ice-axe like ice tool is great for steep slopes and slimey logs. You can also hook trees and such with it. The most cush bush thrashing is downhill over that Cascades spongeground through blueberries. The blueberries don't impede one bit but grabbing 'em can let you brake a little with your arms and give your legs a rest. Talus hopping: size up each rock before committing and have a plan in mind for if/when it shifts; i.e. you usually have an idea which way it's gonna shift and if it does so just count on going for the ride and how you're gonna exit. This gets pretty autopilot after a little while.Take off your sunglasses on talus. Being able to see down in the shadows between the boulders can help you size them up more easily. I think what really slows people down on steep scree and talus is the need to be in complete control at all times. Anytime they start to slide it's gotta be arrested before the next step. Get past that. Let the mountain take you for a ride. Instead of stopping each slide completely just try to stay a controllable speed. Figure out where it's gonna take you, and adjust accordingly. Chuck

Hey Icegirl, Looks like probably Norm 'n Panther have some gear that their X's don't use anymore which they'd probably love for you to take outa their hands.

Hey!Check out my new sig!!!!! Anarchy rules. Death to stuff. [ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: chucK ]

Yeah, OK, sorry guys. I guess with all this terrorisism stuff I've unwittingly jumped on the bandwagon of the hoardes clamoring to give away our personal liberties. What a dope. Thanks for setting me straight guys. Spray on. Anarchy rules!!! Trash the place. All religions suck. Free Static Point. Erik, could you at least change your sig once in a while?

Hey Heinous, Maybe if you'd a put out more, your partner wouldn't have had to get married. Go read some Steinbeck. Chuck

This site often has great information. This site has great humor. I lovethis site Ditto on what all those preceeding wrote about a great site that has potential to be even better. Here are my suggestions:1) Before you post something, think seriously to yourself if more than one other person will actually find value in your post. If not, use email or PM's. Don't use this board as your own personal chat room. Use the damn chat room. 2) I am shit! 3) A lot of people have expressed disappointment over the insults and threats of violence. I am shit! Chuck [ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: chucK ]

No erik you rule.Dru, you have shown me the error of my ways. I am editing my previous whiny bitch post because I am so humbled. You rule too. Anarchy rules. Death to stuff.

There is a climb at Hag Crag [that I haven't been able to do] that seems to be an extreme reach problem, but it's already got a way cool name: Please, speak now, the anticipation of tapping in rhythm makes me feel oh so light. That is SO kewl. There's also a climb called Gorilla my dreams. Where you thinking of that one Dru? Anybody reading this successfully done PSNTAOTIRMMFOSL? I want the beta. Chuck [ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: chucK ]

So after I made my recommendation sending this guy off to practice leading on lead, I tried to think of a good place to send him. I came up empty. I had the GNS in mind when I wrote my post but then thought about how difficult it is to get to the beginning of the easy stuff. The traverse in from the left is usually wet isn't it [i haven't done it but once many years ago] and is a traverse to boot, not a good thing to be recommending to a newbie leader and follower. The little chimney to the right is pretty hard if you don't know how to handjam, a skill that most newbie leaders probably have not mastered. Plus, the little ladder is not even there anymore. I learned by doing in the Gunks, home of the steep exciting 5.2. Where could you send someone around here? Somewhere in the Icicle perhaps? Chuck [ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: chucK ]

quote: Originally posted by AlpineK: I think one of the main problems with the mounties basic course is their use of instructers that were basic students the year beforeI wholeheartedly agree. It might not be so bad if they were very up front about this. The mountie experience might not be so dangerous if students were very clued in how much a responsibility they have for their own survival. I think a lot of the "basics" think they are paying for a hold-your-hand guiding service. I was very complacent as a basic student. Ignorance is bliss (unless you get killed). Then when I went along for the trips the next year, I'd see rope-leaders who had been in the basic class with me. That jogged my feeble brain into some critical thinking and I realized that many of the "leaders" were at least as incompetent as myself. Chuck

I think Dru's right. While placing gear on toprope certainly won't kill you, I don't think it's a very efficient way to learn much either.You can hack away at some pieces near the ground (place test, place test). Then you can really lead a 5.(way lower than your toprope/bolted leading level) to get a feel for the mental challenge involved in setting gear while exposed to a fall. After you're done that, you can probably toprope of 5.(your bolted lead level) and just imagining what it would be like to be placing gear at certain spots will be instructive. Actually placing the gear is probably a bit superfluous. Placing gear and falling on it on toprope (with enough slack to hit the piece but not the ground) can be instructive and (if the gear holds) will ease a skeptical mind. Caveman's suggestion to do some following is a great idea. There is a lot more to learn about leading and getting back down than placing gear correctly. Most of it seems obvious in hindsight but figuring it out on the fly in a tense situation can be somewhat rough. I'm not so sure picking up someone at the Slab is the best idea though. Could be blind leading the blind, could be a very good situation. If you're brand new to the sport, you might not be able to tell the difference. John Long's books (something like "basic rock climbing" and "Climbing Anchors") are both good for getting the basics for placing gear and what to buy, and are fairly entertaining as well. If you think you're gonna stay in the trad climbing game (I guess it's sorta impossible for you to know right now, but IF)Don't get cheap cams, and don't buy those stupid sporto (dogbone) draws. You'll be sorry. One more thing, make sure you know HOW TO GET BACK DOWN , before you do your trad leading practice. You probably know this from bolted leads but I thought it was an important thing to add in here just in case. And I would also suggest getting helmets for you and your son if you don't have them already.

I climbed at Index with this dude said he climbed 5.10. He didn't lead anything. Not even the GNS. He never fell though, and we did climb some 5.10. He had probably heard of this Index reputation and thought I was sandbagging him. "Wanna lead this? It's 5.6." Yeah Dru c'mon down. GM route. If the easy slab way is too wet then just do the boulder move direct start. It's easy dude.

Euro Death Knot and Belay Knife are two terms that get a pretty good response with the correct audience. I like clusterf**k too. Is that originally a military (some Clint movie) or climbing term? Chuck

Bronco, Aren't you supposed to be at Index today? Hey! I've heard "Spindex" a lot, but how come nobody calls it the 'Dex? You know sorta like they call the Adirondaks the 'Daks. Wouldn't that be cute? Sorta a double meaning, youknow, like "decking" as in "to crater". Here's a Mountie story. I was on this Mountie trip with this crusty old leader, real smartass. Also on the trip was this airhead chick that just needed to spout continuously. No need convey any thought or communication, primary motivation appeared to be just to fill the void. You know the type? Anyway, this crusty old guy was not taking any of it. At the top we were eating our lunch and he's telling us a tale of some past epic and said "I wasn't sure we were going to get down". The airhead chick blurts out, "did you get down?", to which the old crusty guy responded, "No, we're still up there". He was a good guy. Had good advice (don't glissade ahead of the group any further than you'd be willing to walk back up), and didn't seem to be a jerk (to normal people anyway). He had this sign he hung in his car. It said "Home, Sweet Home". That way he could have a beer when he got back to the car (Mountie rules say no alcohol until you're back home I guess). The airhead chick later ended up getting rescued via helicopter after she snowboarded down the wrong side of Pilchuck. Chuck

quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: Chuck bite me. I was trying to climb at Castle where I had never seen them before. Come on over dickneck and I'll drop some shit on your head and we'll see how you like it. Like I said before I dont own the mtns but I also did not volunteer to get injured by them. Fuck off Chuck. NO, bite ME! Dude, newbies drop shit. Castle Rock 5.5 is newbieland. Some newbie almost creaming you from a Castle Rock 5.5 is no reason to be railing against the Mounties in particular. It coulda been anyone? You ever dropped anything? Chuck

Alright, I enjoy the occasional dumbass mounty story as much as the next guy but some of this is getting a little ridiculous. The mounties have as much right as any of you on any route out there. If they get there first, I say tough shit for you. The Mounties post their itineraries on the net. You're on the net right now genius, check it out. Phil Fortier's site has it linked. With that info you can avoid 'em if you really hate 'em so much or beat them to theclimb. It's not hard. One time I called up the leader of a climb posing as a member interested in signing up for the climb, just so I could get the exact details of where they'd be and when. I know some of you whiny sportos out there probably get a little bent out of shape because you don't wanna get out of bed early enough to beat theMounties to the Tooth. Then you bitch about the clusterf*k of newbies up there. Well, tell ya what. All the people soloing the Tooth, think YOU are a newbie too for using ropes. Follow Dharmabum's example. He encountered the Mounties out there, he adapted, he turned the situation to his advantage. Captain, Bitchin' about the mounties on a 5.5 Castle Rock route? What do you expect? Ninety percent of the people on a 5.5 Castle Rock route are gumbies, likely to drop stuff. Deal with it. What were YOU doing on a 5.5 Castle route? you f'n gumby. Do you bitch about looserock at Vantage too? And what a f'n hypocrite you are! "I dont like the large numbers being pumped into the mtns". How long have you been climbing? I'd bet less than 5 years. Maybe 3? If trendiness of climbing is a problem, then YOU are part of the problem. And Erik, "chill out bro!! and you gotta see both sides of the story here dawg."??? WTF's up with that? Let's see, 13 mountie-bashing posts, 1 mountie-supporting. The one supporting was payaso and you shouted him down. You're the one who should chill out and listen to both sides of the story. And Will, a spelling flame??? How originel. Disclaimer: I took the Mountie basic course. I think I got some good, cheap instruction, and I also understand how some of them are a'holes. But at least they're a non-profit group, a club. I think they deserve their share of the mountains as much as any of you other key-whackin' punters. I get much more p'd off by guides making money by doing shit like comfortizing Outer Space with rapbolts. There! Put that in yer pipe and smoke it in the Muir Hut!!! Chuck

How about this? Simp and Wick are down on their luck. Their respective baggage is not helping to enlist partners or sponsorship for their climbing aspirations. Enter shadowy government figures who enlist the unlikely pair to co-lead a crack multinational team into the mountains of Pakistan in search of fugitive number one. The wacky black comedy lurches through malfunctioning attack helicopters, booby trapped cases of beer, and nuclear-weapons-toting camels with bowel disfunction in a non-stop hilarious ride toward total nuclear annihilation! [ 12-20-2001: Message edited by: chucK ]

Not as good as some of these others, but a buddy jammed a roll of tape under undercling on Dreamer [pictured above] to keep the rope from getting caught in the constriction. It worked too!On my first trip up to Squamish, I found a bag of weed lying on the ground just across the street from the McDonald's. Later that day at the Smoke Bluffs we found a pack of licorice-flavored rolling papers abandoned below Flying Circus. Climbed the Smoke Bluffs Connection hoping to complete the trifecta and find an implement of fire somewhere up there. No such luck. Then when we returned to the base, all three of our packs were stolen That really sucked.

Something tells me the 1000+ post guys never let that bother them.

Yeah! Why IS spray moderated? Wasn't this whole forum initially created exactly to be the place where all the worthless shit was supposed to be posted. Thus leaving the other boards somewhat more, ahem, pristine? I mean, for a while before you moderator guys started just hacking stuff out of existence the punishment for utter stoopidity was banishing the thread to SPRAY!! Now it's.Sheesh. Make up yer mind. If this board gets moderated then it's gonna drive the most abnoxious spray to the other unmoderated boards. I say moderate the crap out of all the other forums, especially the conditions reports ones, but at least leave this one be. That'll furnish some outlet for some of the more needy individuals here. Thasss all I gotta say oh yeah, yeah, yeah...yeah except... Is there a hack that could be installed where we could set some cookie to filter out anybody we wanted in our own views? That would rule!

my lighter with a picture of a guy with googlie eyes holding a keg spout that says "One man keg party!" oh and a yellow ALIEN (kicks butt on the yellow TCU) [ 12-14-2001: Message edited by: chucK ]

I generally agree about the suckiness of hexes. Some here are implying they are good for "going light". That's incorrect for the big sizes according to the weight data from the respective companies (see http://home.attbi.com/~cspieker/misc/sizerang.htm ). Friends cover more ground and are essentially the same weight in #10-11 hex size. Once you get to smaller sizes the tri-cams kick but in the weight category, but of course tri-cams have their own problems. Chuck