texplorer

Where's the pic Craig?

Good thing noone fell on the dynamite. Did you see any cougars?

Maybe so, but at a closer inspection of the pic I detect a slight recurve on the pick. Busted!!!

So your saying the student has become the master.

Maybe that's why I agree with you DFA. I too learned the dark art of sport climbing from Martin.

I admit that the a 55-60 aluminum shafted job would probably be better for a short glacier crosssing (although I would rather have aluminum crampons and no ax) and any of those lamo slopes that people think are fun to ski down. My point, I guess was that once you advance past the slog routes and start getting into steeper rock/ice that an ice tool although a pound or so heavier would be immensely more useful and would save you from taking a mtneering ax AND a tool.

Does what DFA was saying sound familiar Jason. I also agree with him on the "staying calm" issue. That helped me alot. Col. Spanker, I agree with the use of ques to get yourself in "the zone" but I believe those should be performed before you actually get on a route. Chalking whilst clinging to a crimp or somesuch hold will only waste valuable seconds and strength. Chalking may be necessary but should be limited to when needed.

I have concluded that I can replace my traditional mountaineering ax for an ice tool. I feel the primary use of a traditional ax is for self arrest on lower angle terrain and I have yet to actually fall on a slope in which self arrest is possible. In any case if one were to fall on a slope, I would say an ice tool would work almost as well in most situations. In addition ice tools have many more situations in which they are clearly more useful. Besides perhaps an advantage of weight are there any other uses I have failed to consider.

You Leavitate

Yea, they should have been skiing last weekend.

Looks tasty, wish I was there.

We have found crack soothes creaky gates and leads to transcendence of the vile bolted routes such as the chossy multi-pitch routes on the backside at Smith. Hmmmmm.. . . .

You're a witty fella, aren't you? Careful coupling Pope's nom du screen with DFA's; you're liable to incur his Holy Traditional Wrath! Traditional wrath? I thought you were a sporto? Oh, and does Blue light special have a hold broken or something. That thing is NOT .11a!

When not working on the rock my gear spends most of its time relaxing on the floor of my quad or vacationing in the trunk of my car. Only a few pieces have tried to commit suicide by jumping from the rack while on the rock. Luckily, most were only banged up. We here at the Duncan Home for Gear have had the difficulty of dealing with a few carabiner runaways but overall our success rate is high with many pieces of pro leading active (and passive) lives. If you know any gear that could use a good home please contact us. We hate to see pieces of good pro go bad. Our facilities may seem meager but we promise excellent accomadations in which they will share a spot on a wonderful metolious gear loop. As an added bonus we take weekly field trips to mountains and crags around the world.

Enough of this talk about ovals, I want to hear more about CAPS vs. non-capitolization

Stilton, Ian is right on the mark for Beacon. It is a fantastic place. My biggest gripe is that it is only open for a limited time during the climbing season. Like Ian says, its not really a beginner friendly area but that is appealing for many that go there. I find the routes to have an alpine feel even though you are minutes from the car. In my personal opinion, Beacon has multi pitch routes in which all the pitches are quality lines in their own right. The portland rock is should be a good start to the numberous climbs there.

Damn, I'm jealous Crackman. We gotta go do something cool this spring.

Blah blah blah, why can't you guys be like the rest of us and just watch some golf on TV on weekends or something. Nice work gents, GREAT PICS

Quote: OK the Oval carabiner thread was allright, but let's build on that and produce more climbing-related diversion!!! we could.... ROUND II 1) spray about climbed lines THAT SHOULD BE CHOPPED(blah blah blah, Dan's DD should have been chopped because) 2) chestbeat about what we're gonna climb VIA NUDE ASCENT IN THE NEXT YEAR, 3) talk about Gear. DO YOU THINK 3 PLY HEMP OR GOLDLINE IS BETTER. What's better, PINK LYCRA OR NEON GREEN STRIPES (DFA?) 4) talk about ethics. WHEN IS IT "OK" TO PEE ON YOUR PARTNER AND/OR OTHER PARTIES ON YOUR ROUTE 5) make up gossip about DRU, BRIAN BOYTONO etc. 6) play Name that PORNO STAR ??????? 7) discuss which hand to use FOR HOLDING BEER WHILE BELAYING 8) everyone make an avatar and post a fake trip report ABOUT A GETTING STUCK ON A MOUNTAIN WITH TWO WOMEN IN A TWO-PERSON TENT. 9) HOW TO TELL IF ALPINE HOOKERS ARE UNDERCOVER CLIMBING CHICKS. discuss. 10) what is THE BEST ROUTE TO SOLO IN NW? BEACON ROCKS' SOUTHEAST CORNER, SMITH'S SUPERSLAB, OR LEAVENWORTHS GIVLERS DOME 11) TELL THE TRUTH about your climbing aility and resume 12) quickdrawws - ARE YOU FOR THE BLACK-CLAD VILLIAN OR THE WHITE-HAT GOOD GUY 13) discuss whether it would be possible to CLIMB 30 EXIT 38 ROUTES in a day, and if doing so puts you on the list of strongest climbers in washington. construct a list of 10 STUPIDIST climbers in washington and justify your choice ad nauseum. 14) what are the 5 best WOMEN/MEN you have ever done in your whole life. no spraying please. 15) what was the first route you SPRAYED THAT YOU CLIMBED ON CC.COM?

Although acknowledgement of "freshiez" would be a step down for the CC.com website perhaps we could hope to contain this epidemic plagueing the climbing community. For some time climbers, especially in the NW, have partaken in what is referred to as a variety of snow "sports" for a select few months of the year. Although these gravity driven sports may seem to bear merit they are in fact a danger to the ever-decreasing ranks of climbing hardmen. Not only is the "sport" dangerous but who knows what damage has already been done to the snafflehound population. Please join me in my campaign of F@#$ing the Freshiez. Lets open a new forum to the purveyors of evil, those clunky-booted heathen so they may foul only their own kind leaving the pure and noble rock climber to his virtuous pursuits. Snaffle-on

Mini-me takes up mountaineering

The church lady says, "CC.com is the Deaaaviilllll!"

I don't know what your talking about, down here in Oregon is where all the sick ice is right now.

catdude, I don't know if I would say the bergshrund is filled in as much as it is bridged over. Nonetheless, I was at Smith and had a great day. I am sure Hood was spectacular as well.

"Tuned guitars and firm feelin women are the only two things in life that make it worth livin-" Old Benny F. said -Visitors and fish stink after three days- but climbers seem to think they are exempt from this adage I wish I was smart instead of beautiful