ryland_moore

Climbing the classic Great Arch (5.5) at Stone Mountain State Park, North Cakalakie with a family friend and climbing idol when I was 14. It was my first rock climb and I was hooked from that point forward!

Damn. I have a dinner for work. Post party?

Another good thing is to make a move and lock off and count to five before moving again. On a small wall it will allow you to get a good pump, increase lock-off power, and increase body tension. Focus on breathing which will help you focus more on that crux when you are pumped!

Vegas/Red Rocks!!!!!! Warm weather and clear skies!!!!!

John, not too cold if your bag is warm enough! I would recommend the opposite. If you can stay at 17k, do so, as you will feel better on summit day, safer, and overall will have your supplies a lot closer to you if you need some type of emergency assistance.

I am also a transplant from the South and had to adjust. There is no steep sandstone sport crags around, but excellent opportunities for granite alpine in the N. Cascades, quick jaunts out to the Gorge for single and multi-pitch trad, and glacier and ice bouldering on Hood. Every now and then, we get some ice within 20 mins. of PDX (like two weeks ago!) and it is awesome, although short-lived. You also have Leavenworth for alpine in WA about 4 hrs away, Smith Rock (the origination of sport climbing in the U.S.) for sport only 2.5 hrs away, and plenty of climbing gyms and locals' garages to get strong during the rainy season , or just learn to tele ski and do a lot of backcountry.....I will not move back and climbing is the main reason I live out here. Plus the beer rocks compared to the South. Also, the city is the perfect size. There is nowhere in the South that is this size, beautiful, confined, has all of the amenities, with recreation so readily accessible. And the coast is not too far away, and we have huge salmon, steelhead, and trout out here that would make any fish out of the White River seem worthless......FWIW....

Buttermilk Pie!

Also, a buddy from college owns the Magic Bean hostel and restaurant in New Town QUito. Check it out. Pretty cool. If you want to do some fishing, he is an awesome flyfisherman and can point you in the right direction, whether fishing streams or on the coast (but being from Charleston, SC he prefers salt water flyfishing).....Summers are less reliable for weather and conditions on the glacier, but if you are down there long enough, I am sure you will find a weather window....

Screw bouldering and go ice climbing in Lee Vining!!!!! It is only a little ways up the road from Bishop. We used to use Lee Vining as a "rest day" during Spring Break when climbing in the canyon and bouldering. It is an easy day trip from Bishop.

I commented on the previous discussion on ADD, mainly becasue I have been diagnosed with it, and it in no way affects my ability to climb. Damn, wish I had had parents that made me feel like I had a dibilitating ailment that I needed to get over and climb the 7 summits! Next thing you know, we will have a climber with "Restless Legs Syndrome" (yes, it is real and one can get medication for treatment) who completes the 7 summits with a list of sponsors in tow.....

What DPS said. I usually climb it earlier, but I live out here. I climbed it in August this year via Emmons and practically had the route all to ourselves. A little icier and many more crevasses were open, but still an outstanding time to be on the mountain and the fewest people I've ever seen on this route.

Plark, why not take her up the cat track on the right at T-Line to the top of the Palmer and then ski back down? That is what it is there for......

With global warming, it is getting even more difficult to climb the easier volcanoes. Illiniza Norte has a serious Grade V up to 60 degrees that used to be the standard route! I would rec. heading up the big three and can knock them all off in about 10-14 days with acclimation. You can hike one of the 15k foot volcanoes near Quito to help acclimate. Hang in Quito for a few days to get used to flying to 9k and head up. No need for a guide, but if you feel comfortable, then do so. I would start with El Cayembe, then Cotopaxi, and finally hit up Chimborazo. Then, when finished head to the hotsprings town of Banos. A guide for AAI put up a bunch of sport climbs down in the gorge upstream of town near the zoo. You pay a farmer to access his property and can hike down into the Gorge and sport climb. Fun way to end a high altitude trip and you feel like superman once down in the lower environs. Don't forget to hit up the town of Otovalo for their awesome markets and bartering options!

Also, I'd check out Ben Moon's site: www.moonfoto.com Cool site from a nice guy and talented photographer. Here's your competition!

Make sure you go counter-clockwise! Oh, and don't forget to go to El Chalten while there and take the Navimag ship back up to Puerto Montt!

If you are traininf for lock-off power, screw using a metal ladder and build one out of rope and PVC pipe. Much cheaper and easier to move/adjust

Like I said, "To the right just below has let go..."

The guy who was hit does not use this board. Plus, he is back home on the East Coast now for Christmas. I talked to him on the phone the other day and he is still on pain killers and stated that he was still pissed off. I don't think his comments of I will kick his ass if I ever see this guy again were meant to be "passive agressive." My partner has had this happen to him before, and although it was not caused by another climber, he was hit by Icefall while leading The Yellow Wall on the Diamond and smashed his face in. So, he is pretty sensitive about icefall. Furthermore. We knew there was a decent by walking off, but did not know where it was and figured we could rap before they started the second pitch. Again, we did choose to rap inadvertantly below another party, but the fact remains that they should never have started up it in the first place. How my buddy and Jonathan deal with it is out of my control.

Yup. To my knowledge, PG have never let go. To the right just below has let go and to the left, S. Side alt. route has let go, but staying right on the psuedo ridge, no, not to my knoweldge. Anyone else have better beta?

Rarely does it ever slide on S. Side of Hood. It has happened, but is extremely rare. Still, you should know how to read snowpack whenever venturing off in the snow, so take it for what it's worth....

TreeToad, I would have to disagree. I lived in Costa Rica for a year and was in Guatamala and Nicaragua for 6 months. Yes, maybe it is more western in the popular areas, but if you get off the beaten path, there are BriBri Indians that are almost as old as the Mayans. I would say visit the Guanacaste Peninsula and stay in remote areas. One cool place is a Biological Reserve that doesn't even have any signs. A college dorm matron told me about it as she lives part time in TN on a college campus and part-time in MonteVerde Cloud Reserve where she founded and runs Escuala de Creativa. To get there, tale the ferry from Puntarenas over to the peninsula and head to Paquera. From there is a biological station by bus about 20 minutes SW of Paquera. You can stay in ocean front cabins, hike the beaches (all to yourself) shower outdoors (romantic) and take sea kayaks to three beaches. Monkeys all around! SUper remote. We were the only ones staying there when I was there and it is 3,000 acres. Also check out the dry lowland forest around Tamarindo and North. Big surf spot and Playa Naranja and Negra. Skip Papagayo as it is very resorty and nothing to do. Tortugero National Park is amazing on the N. Carib coast and very remote. Most places you will need a water taxi to get to. You can also volunteer to go out on patrol for sea turtle nesting and count turtle eggs as they are laying them to protect them from poachers. You go out at night and it is amazing. The most amazing place in the country is by far the Osa Peninsula. It has the most biological diversity where the scarlet maccaws live, two species of sloth, and the largest raptor in the world, the Harpy Eagle, which is 4 feet in height. From a climber's perspective you should not miss hiking Mt. Chirripo, the highest peak in Costa Rica at 12,500', you can see both the Pacific and the Carribbean. Also, going to Arenal volcano and watching it erupt in pretty cool. You can go to the cheesy and fake Tabacon hotsprings in the late afternoon, bring headlamps, play in the hot springs, and then in the evening, hike outside and uphill from the resort area into the lava fields. Don't obey the signs about it being dangerous and hike up about 20 minutes. You will soon be alone, and if it is clear and you can see the mountain, you will soon see lava blast out of the top and hot molten rock rolling down the flanks. You can also head up to MonteVerde, the cloud forest. Settled by Quakers in the 60s, they started a dairy and the ice cream is awesome. Very english, but will remind you of the Pacific Northwest except for the poison arrow frogs, scorpions, and crazy birds like the resplendant quetzal. Hire a guide at the entrance of the Park to look for one of these rare birds. You will never have a chance of seeing them. A friend of mine owns the El Sapo Dorado hotel, but I think they are on the higher end. Stay down the hill outside of the town of MonteVerde where it is cheaper. Finally, head to the Southern Carribbean tip town of Puerto Viejo. An afro carribbean culture that did not have electricity until 1987 due to prejudice of blacks in Costa Rica, it is a huge surf spot and you can either watch good surfers surf at Salsa Brava over a reef break and 20 ft. swells from the Reggae Bar, or rent a board and head down to Beach Break which is fun. You can also rent beach bungalows for as low as $100/month (roughing it!) right on the black sand beach north of town. Check out www.fincachica.com for rental houses. There is not a single paved road in this town! This was my second favorite place only surpassed by the Osa but the afro carribbean people were really cool! If you can find transportation, have someone take you south to Punto Mono or Monkey Point. Truly breathtaking and no one lives there. You can also ask one of the local fishermen to take you out in their dug out canoes with cheap motors and handline fish. We caught all types of craqzy fish. Much more cultural then heading out on a 50 ft. Hatteras (which don't even exist down there). My final rec. is to buy a Costa Rican bird guidebook. You will probably be able to get it down there cheaper, but although I was never into birds, and don't pursue it in the States, every time you see a bright colored bird or hear a weird sound, you will want to find out what it is. So pick up the book by Gary Stiles and Alex Skutch called A guide to the Birds of Costa Rica and find the elusive three wattled bell bird or the squeaky gate bird. Have fun! Oh, and be careful in the Coca Cola bus station in San Jose. That is the only place I ever had trouble with pick pockets. Once outside of San Jose, you should be fine!

Hey Blake, looking at that pic, did your calves hurt after ice climbing? If so, lower your heels, let the crampons do all of the work. I am still guilty of this, but it will improve your technique as well as save energy when you start getting on steeper lines. Way to get after it! You are hooked (no pun intended) now!

Dru, pic of the route is in another tread under ice in the Gorge. It is called Crown Jewel, 90m WI3.

Dru, the route is fairly wide and they could have chosen a line to the right, but did not do this I assume becasue the right side is more difficult and there are no fixed anchors like on the left side for the top of the first pitch at 30 meters. Also, catbird, I put a prussik on my rap line below my breakhand, but was having trouble with it jamming as the twin ropes were really iced up....

Good points all around. Kepp 'em coming.