tasmith513

Isn't "5.9 A2" in the Canadian Rockies just Canuck speak for "Stupid-hard"?

Isn't "5.9 A2" in the Canadian Rockies just Canuck speak for "Stupid-hard"?

You can also probably pick up the "Quick and Dirty" guide to the area at Hyperspud Sports on 1st street in Yakima. Last time I was there he had a few copies left. Its the most comprehensive guide to the whole area that I know of. Have fun, the Tieton is definately one of my favorite places to climb in Washington. But keep quiet about it cause right now there are zero crowds and it would be nice if it stayed that way.

hakiowa, Easy man, I wasn't looking for a fight. I'm not suggesting for a complete boycott of sites like barrabes or sportextreme. In all honesty, if I was in the market for a really expensive piece of gear, like say, ice tools, I'd probably shop barrabas too, because I certainly don't have a very heavy wallet. Technical climbing goods don't have a huge margin anyway for retailers, so they wouldn't make that much money off my purchase in this case anyway. All I was doing with my post was to raise the point that these sites DO have a negative impact on retailers. From what I understand (I'm sure someone out there knows more about this than me--Fat Kid?), sellers in Europe can get away with smaller margins because the market is just so much larger there than it is here. That is why you can buy a pair of La Sportiva boots direct from these sites often for LESS than shops in the US can buy them wholesale. The reasons I advocate supporting small gear shops are similar to why I try to avoid buying guidebooks published by Falcon or any other large publisher whenever I can. I'd rather buy from the local guy, and have my money go back into the local climbing community to help with crag upkeep and the like. I know I'm not exactly the biggest advocate for cut-throat capitalism in the world (in fact, if you called me a communist I'd probably be flattered), but I just believe it is worth it to sometimes go out of the way to support the little guy--in any market, not just climbing. It isn't charity, it just helps keep the playing field level, and also gives poor, lazy college kids like myself a cool place to work in the summer!

I know its very tempting to shop these sort of sites because the deals are so great. But just understand that the more popular they become, the more the small local gear shop suffers. Small shops simply cannot compete with these sites, especially when you can get certain items off the site for less than the retailer can get them at wholesale!! So, since many of the "little guys" are owned and run by fellow climbers, do them a favor by not shopping through these web sites. PS: But I would have no problem if REI went out of business

"Don't be a mountaineer, be a mountain, and shrug off a few with avalanches." Gary Syder "Montani Semper Liberi" : Mountaineers will always be free. (Slogan on W. Virginia state seal)

Hey Jenny, I noticed on your profile that you are from Moscow, ID. I live in Pullman and work at Hyperspud Sports. I'll be around till the end of Aug. and I'm always looking for people to get out with, especially on weekdays. Stop by and we can chat or whatever, just ask for Tom.

You gotta go with just about any brew that is affiliated with the now extinct (at least in its original form) Olympia Brewery. I admit I'm biased because my old high school was so close to it we knew what time it was by when we could smell the hopps. I admit I actually drink shit like Oly, PBR, Lucky Lager, Hamms, etc. a lot more now that I climb--it leaves more money for gear. PBR me ASAP.