mneagle

Still looking...

Screwed up the TR address w/ the parenthesis, here it is: http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000642

My fiancee and I are planning a trip to Bolivia for the month of May. We'd like to find 1 or 2 more people to tie in with. I'd anticipate mostly trade routes, but I'll probably bring some tools along, just in case conditions are good and I can convince Jill she is as good a climber as she actually is. I've climbed there twice before, spending a lot of time around Condoriri (my last trip-report: http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000642). I'd like to get up Illimani and then go up to Sorata and check out Illampu and Ancohuma. If access is feasable I'd think about venturing into some of the more remote places as well. If anyone is interested in joining us for some or all of the month, send me an e-mail at: mneagle@u.washington.edu

You can bring as much as you want back to the US. Canada has set up an incentive to encourage this which allows you to get your federal (non provincial) tax back. There are some restrictions that you can find out about at the border crossing, but most goods you buy are included as well as lodging. Each individual receipt must be for greater than $50 Canadian. You must either stop at the refund center at the border that will give you money back cash in hand or at the actual crossing show them the receipt and goods and they will certify the receipt which you then send back from the US. MEC is the best place to shop. The last time I was up there they were loaded with ice and rock gear, arcteryx packs and Bibler & Moss tents. Most of the clothing is MEC brand but seems to be well made.

It is a little sketchy, but if you take your time it's not too bad to get down that 30 feet with a little skill with an axe. I've done it twice in winter and never excountered any verglas. I think it's a way better route than the south chute, so if the only thing that keeps you from doing it is the down-climb, then bring a short rope and rap it.

I had a crack in my windshield for a few months when I got a call from American Auto-Glass saying they had a special going on of $100 off the replacement. What it came down to was that they would take a look at what your comprehensive deductable was and if it was $100 or less, the glass would be paid for in full by the insurance coverage. Without the special you would have gotten a bill for the first $100 from AAG. They did all the paperwork and came out to my apt and put in on in 1/2 an hour. It's probably worth giving them a call and see if the same deal is going on.

It seems like there are 2 different interpretations of the question: "What limits you from climbing as often as you would like to?" or "what limits you from climbing harder?" I could climb more often and I would probably climb better, but to do that would mean spending less time with my other passions, some physical, some intellectual and the #1 which is the woman I am madly in love with. Climbing holds an important position in my life, but it's a big world out there and spending one's life on a cliff seems too limiting. In regards to the second question, I suspect I am not unlike many others in that as long as I enjoy myself I don't really care what the route is rated. Having goals is OK but only if you take a healthy approach to it. Getting stomach cramps from anxiety on the way to the crag would not seem healthy. Here's the question I'd ask: What keeps you from making your life more fulfilling?

Just a heads up. REI has a clearance rack with some great deals on it. Cloudveil Serendipity Jackets for $175 ($75 off) and Snaz Jackets for $185 ($80 off), as well as a few of those Ibex Schoeller/wool blend jackets. There were 1 or 2 in each size of the Cloudveil stuff as of yesterday at 6 PM.

Being at a relatively low altitude and in the right orientation, when the sun is out Avalanche Canyon turns into an oven, consolidating the snow quickly. I've always gone up there after a few days of sunshine and been rewarded with low avalanche conditions. Also, while you're up there don't forget to look to the left. Although you can't see Inner Constance from Seattle, it's almost as big as Constance (I think 75 feet lower) and equally challening depending on the route chosen. I've only climbed it in the summer, but I think it would be fine in the winter. The 4th class finish to the summit would likely be sporting. If you take one of the first couple routes, once onto the ridge you can tag a few of the ridge peaks along the way (Stasis et al). A 2 day trip up both Constance and Inner Constance with a bivy would be an awesome weekend trip.

The trail starts low enough that I've never seen snow on the road, but sometimes they close the gate that is about 1/2 mile before the trailhead. Winter conditions really do make for a true alpine experience. The scree is eliminated making the gullies and ramps (including the "terrible traverse") much less painful but adds some challenges near the summit which is sometimes covered in verglas w/ some awesome exposure.

Has anyone given soft shells (Schoeller et al) a try? I'm wondering how they perform under PNW conditions, how tough they are and what sort of care they require to keep them water-repellent. Or are they just another scam to leach every last penny out of gear-heads?

Do you mean Thorson? It's is a pretty quick/easy climb in the winter but the road is an issue. It's really narrow and last year had several large boulders that my Jeep barely negotiated. A cool route I was thinking of doing was a traverse from Thorson to Mt. Pershing. From the summit of Thorson it looked pretty straight forward.

The north chute on Constance is great when avalanche danger is low. I've done it twice round trip from the road in a day. The approach required shoeshoes but the chute itself was well consolidated. The South Summit of the Brothers is another nice winter climb that is best done in 2 days with a bivy a safe distance from the avalanche chute. I had to bail on a solo attempt of the Brothers traverse due to a necessary rapel and no rope but it looked like it would go in the winter, conditions permitting.

For ice-climbing, OR Fall Line gloves are Gore-Tex with excellent dexterity due to no bulky padding on the fingers. You can put different thickness liners in them depending on how cold it is. For mountaineering I prefer the OR Ice Mitts. They are superwarm with the single liners, so unless you're going to the South Pole don't get the double liners.

I worked in Livingston Montana for a month a few years ago and had a few weeksends of late season ice. Hyalite Canyon gets snowed in unlesss you have a snowmobile but there are still plenty of good places to climb. For the beginner, in the Pine Creek drainage the Blue gully would be an easy lead and the Green Gully would be a good first foray into WI 4. The Park Gate area near Yellowstone is accessible year round and very moderate. Once you climb the WI 3 you can then top-rope a thin WI V on the right. There is a guide to Montana ice climbing that you might find at Feathered Friends. You could also call Dale at Timbertrails (the only outdoor store in Livingston) and ask him to send you one.

Mark Twight and Ayn Rand are cut from the same cloth. Twight's "Justification for an Elite Atitude" article in Climbing magazine a few months ago sums up in the title what it takes John Galt 50 pages in Atlas Shrugged to explain. Both would have you believe that an enormous ego is completely justified and healthy, provided you are as good as you think you are. Both climbing and objectivism glorify overcoming great obstacles due to talent and strength of character. The people who seem to like Rand are those who see themselves as being John Galt and those that hate her are those that see themselves as the minor characters in John Galt's world or who find the idea that you can line everyone in the world up in a row from best person to wort as distasteful. My own opinion: provacative, but she's nuts.

If you're looking for rarely climbed routes, Darrington is a great place to go. The new Rock Climbing Washington guide has many routes that haven't seen print in a while but neglects a few gems and topos for the more obscure routes. It makes reference to the mysterious Brooks/Whitelaw guide that has been out of print for 10 years, but not out of reach. Go to the Darrington Trading Post (can't miss it) and ask for the photocopied rock climbing guide. They have a copy of the Darrington section of the Brooks/Whitelaw guide that they will sell for the cost of the copying, about $2.50 It has decent topos of the rarely climbed Witch Doctor wall and Blueberry Hill. In the 3 o'clock Rock section, check out Shot in the Dark, just left of Magic Bus. It's a great climb that was probably left out for liability reasons from the new guide. It starts out as a well protected arch to a 30 year old bolt about 25 feet off the ground then run it out on beautiful 5.8 knobs for 30 feet to another ancient bolt. (25 - 30 = don't fall at the clip) Then it' another 15 feet to a small alien and a TCU or 2 before the leaf encrusted, moldy slings at the 2 rust 1/4 inch bolts. After that it's some better protected 5.10 face/slab and a roof. We ran out of light and couldn't do the last pitch of 5.10+ but it looked pretty cool. The route is a tribute to the lunatic on lead bolting practices of old. As it is, it's a pretty dangerous lead, but a bolt kit to replace the old 1/4inchers and new anchors could markedly improve this, but of course don't touch the runout.

I left a long trip report a few months ago at: http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000642.html Hope it helps. If anybody has any other questions feel free to e-mail me at mneagle@u.washington.edu

Thanks for the input. I went with the M-10's after your advice and finding them on sale at Barrabes for $118. It came with bi and mono points in 3 days. Ole!

Another alternateive is the Esbit solid fuel stove. I got one down at the army surplus store on 1st Av. for $6. It weighs just a few ounces and takes up no space at all. It takes 1 cube to get 2 cups of water to boil, with each one costing 50 cents. I wouldn't try to melt snow with it. You could also just skip the stove and carry the cubes, but it would stain the rocks you burn it on. It does leave a sticky black film on the pans but it washes off pretty easily.

If you're looking for a partner, I'm definitely interested. My e-mail is mneagle@u.washington.edu

The SE buttress of Cathedral Peak is awesome. It's a long hike in but the Pesatin Wilderness is incredible scenery. It's stiff for its grade with pitch after pitch of 5.7 to 5.9 climbing on steep cracks. North face of Baring is a great grade V. The East Ridge of Inspiration is a stellar alpine experince. Don't bother with the West Ridge choss-fest.

We climbed Cathedral Peak a few weeks ago and I couldn't help staring at the imposing black face of Teapot Dome on the way. Becky writes that there are a number of worthy routes put up by Pete Doorish but doesn't give any of the beta. There are 2 domes on the mountain and the eastern one has an awesome looking south face with an obvious crack/dihedral right up the middle. Does anyone have any beta on these routes? Also, the SE Buttress of Cathedral Peak rocks! But before heading in, be sure to call the ranger station and see if the Chewuch Trail is open. That way was closed when we showed up, so we had to hike 50 miles round-trip rather than 36. It was a beautiful hike though and no fire damage was visible at all.

Anyone ever try Stuart's Ice Cliff Glacier this time of year?

I've climbed Constance twice in the winter and once in the late summer. The winter trips were far superior experiences. I've climbed both the North and South Gullys and the North is definitely much better. It's steep and strenuous but both times I've been up it the snow was firm neve. The time I climbed it in the late summer we went up the South Gully and ended up in the ER after I knocked a rock down that hit my buddy in the leg. Think scree nightmare. The approach up Avalanche Gulch is also much better in the winter as you can just snowshoe across the lake and up the gulch rather than scramble over a mile of loose talus and boulders. I would definitely do it as a day trip. It took me 6 hours car to car solo w/ a light pack. For Cruiser, the best approach is the standard one in the climber's guide. It's about 10 miles on good trail. I climbed it last september and made the mistake of not bringing crampons. Even with ice axes we had to find a very precarious route through the moat and 'shrund to get past the steep ice gully. The rock climbing is easy but exposed enough that I wouldn't do it without a rope. Just bring a few small stoppers for pro and you'll probably feel fine. We climbed it in one long day after bivying at the trailhead. I think the Olympics are an immensely overlooked opportunity for winter mountaineering. I'm sorry to see the cracks in the North Cascades turning into waterfalls, but I'm excited about the coming opportunities on the other side of the Sound. [This message has been edited by mneagle (edited 09-27-2001).]