texplorer

So I was wondering how many mountains and crags have a "beckey route" on them. It's got to be alot.

The beckey route is at every crag and on every mountain in the cascades.

When can you reliably start climbing dry rock at the Menagerie?

Is flagstone dry yet. Just wondering if there was still snow up there?

Both Ian and Alex gave great beta. I think you can cross the Yokum via a narrow traverse at about 8600ft or descend 500-600ft lower and traverse a much easier ledge system. You will also probably deal with descending crevasses on the Reid when heading down next to the Yokum ridge. Once you cross over be aware, as Ian said, of the shrund and other large crevasses on the lower Sandy and don't be lured into going up too soon. Basically keeping traversing until you cant and then head up the obvious wide shoot. It's more of an endurance effort that technical however. Good luck and have fun. It makes for a long day of climbing.

The 11th essential - jar of vaseline Now all Mountaineer packs will be .5lb heavier (except Trask's, he always has vaseline)

yes, the lifestyle is killer being poor, seeing your friends go on trips to denali while you have tons of free time to read the climbing porn mags, but you do get alot more sex so I guess it all works out ok

If your feeling truly burly there's always -Separate Reality .11d I agree with the Spec. Ed. and the others here. Steck Salathe is my favorite climb ever but you really can't go wrong in the valley. Have fun and post a TR.

Ok rbw I was climbing with a sport climbing friend of mine who has done a handful of trad pitches in his whole life so I thought, "why do something easy like outerspace when I can make him lieback much harder stuff that will be fun for me." I had him lead the first shitty pitch of galaxy. From there I took over, which was fine with me since I would rather lead every pitch anyway. I took a good 15ft fall just above one tree ledge on some crack that started easy and closed up to nothing. I found the dihedrals up higher to exciting and spicy. I really wanted to continue up hyperspace but thought my tiring friend would do better on the bolted routes above library ledge. The pitch coming out of the dihedrals and onto the shield headwall has some spice to it too with some 40ft+ runnouts on the chickenheads. I was fully expecting him to lead the bolted pitches up high but he told me he wasn't up for it. So I pictured myself as the sharp witted DFA in pink/black striped lycra tights and lead out on the frictiony face. I was doing pretty good until I reached the crux of Edge of Space where I fell 4-5 times. Defeated by the strange ways of the boltclipping route I lowered to the belay. Another party came up from below and although they too fell at the crux, informed me that you basically lieback the arete. Leading the pitch for the second time I was able to lunge and grab a runner I had them put on the bolt. It was not the style I usually like to take but at that point I was getting pissed at the climb and I knew my partner wasn't going to try if I backed off. We topped out and had an uneventful hike out except for meeting the lovely Mrs. GregW and several other notable CC.comers. I topped off the weekend with Brass Balls over a castle rock. Nothing too spectacular about my ascent of the route. It is one of the best pitches of the grade I have ever done but I thought it was easier than other castle rock routes of the same rating. Overall a great time in the mountains.

. .. . and I got schooled on edge of space!

I did Iconoclast to Edge of Space that same day. We watched you top out a little before nightfall and I pulled two ticks off of me the next day. Oh, and Brass balls at castle rock is a bad-ass climb!! I felt like sly stallone doin the one arm hang from the first roof.

E-rock, maybe that's cause you climb stuff that is boring to talk about. But I guess that is what I would expect from someone who's occupation is: Lover, naturalist, healer, and TOP YAWN, probably one of those backpacker-type climbers.

It's springtime! Time to climb dry rock again and head into the mountains every weekend. That leaves no excuse for why the "climber's board" still has stupid posts about orange flags and converting to euro metric scales. Post us your chestbeats, your epics, your lycra dreams! Including a few bolting debates and bong ripping muir hut stories will get extra stars for your post. So the gauntlet has smacked your face, respond or continue posting your usual crap.

I am not worthy to post my pathetic falls on here. I am impressed that there are any CC.comer's left. Everyone seems to have a "big one" story. All the same I'd just assume keep my personal record whipper's under 30fters. Entertaining to hear the stories though.

Ask the guys at redpoint but Ian's advice is good too.

I agree totally JoshK.

DFA and Trask Caught together!!! http://www.andyelycra.co.uk/galleries/uklb/two/uklb0204.jpg

No, its a 5.7 by Jete.

I think he's more sheepish

Yes, my city gf. She's going to be on YOSAR this summer backpackin it up while I'm doing the Orbit-OuterSpace-Hyperspace--car-to-car linkup.

you are only as old as your last sex partner.

Some see climbing like a backpacking trip (PLC, JoshK), except that you add pulling your body upward on steep ground into the mix. I don't think there is anything wrong with this type and style of climbing. When I think about heading to the mountains, however, I always think of the goal. Whether that is summiting a specific peak or climbing a certain line on a wall its more about the climb than lolly-gagging through the forest. I do enjoy the beauty of the outdoors too but I figure I'll have plenty of time for that when I'm Fred B's age. Whether you like it or not, climbing is somewhat related to sports and thus takes on many of the traditional competitive and self-discovery aspects of sports. Seeing how fast you can do a route by comparing your time, style, or difficulty on the route are measures by which to distinguish yourself from the masses. Afterall, would you like to all be in the same category as the Mountaineers, or the Mazamas? I know I don't and thus one way is to do harder routes, do routes faster, or do them in the ultimate style of the day(which is always being reestablished). I think many climbers I meet today use the "I like to take my time" excuse to hide the fact that they are out of shape, scared, or just plain don't want to push their bodies hard. Those 3 factors and jealousy of those who do push the limits are most of the anti-speed-car-to-car contingent. My point will prove itself most likely when a couple of you respond strongly with a predictable "that's not what climbing's about for me" lame-ass response. No, I don't always go out trying to push my limits on every climb but I am not so naive as to say I can't see the enjoyment and value of such climbing. To those of you who do like a more relaxed sort of climbing, I hope you have fun. For me though, life starts when you push the edges of your own limits and comfort zone. "A life without risk is no life at all." (not a quote by me)

Anyone headed to Smith this weekend?

I wonder if you could fit a helcopter into the shrund yet? Ian, I'm putting you in charge of the schrund-cam.

Me too Lumox. Another great one I had forgot about.