Gilles

All prices in CAN$ Books: Exploring the Coast Mountains on skis, John Baldwin: $10 Teton Trails: $3 Maps: Manning Park topo with trails: $5 Olympic National Park 1:100,000 waterproof: $5 Backcountry Whistler 25,000 waterproof: $10 Whistler 92/J2 50,000: $5 Selected climbing routes on Mt Robson: $3

Bintapavumabeta? We did Cockscomb Ridge last WE (beta on cc.com), and NR looked pretty straight forward. Snow bridges collapsing on the lower glacier though. Fromage... plutot cancoillotte ou roblac? Gilles

Mt Baker was sunny and warm last weekend. We did the Cockscomb ridge route from Heliotrope (+/- 1h ski up to reach the parking lot, but it's melting fast). The winter approach is in great shape, although there is slab avi in the afternoon. Skis recommended over snowshoes. It is best to rope up for the long traverse below the north face to the pass below the Cockscomb, as the crevasses are opening up in that area. The route itself is in good shape; the cramponning, even early in the morning, is not the best. Skiing down from the summit is great, the Coleman glacier has much more snow coverage than below the north face (no crevasses). All the other routes looked in great shape (Headwall, north ridge, Colfax). Deryk, Marcus, Paul & Gilles

The horseshoe traverse is in good shape, we could skin up right at the car (North Joffre Creek rd). There is no threatening cornices on the traverse if you follow the recommended route from the book. Saxifrage was fun on Sunday, good cramponing early morning and good ski down. No cornices either (on the south side), although there is a big one right on the summit and all over the north aspects. Beautiful views and light the 2 days! Deryk, Pierre & Gilles

It was blue sky started the summit slopes. We could see all high peaks (Castle T, Wedge, Mamquam, and Atwell of course), but didn't see a soul, although it looked like somebody built an igloo on Dalton Dome (?).

Good conditions for Mt Garibaldi, with white-outs coming and going and light snow falling mid-Sunday. We approached from the north; the 3 lakes are still frozen, although you'll have to ski around part of the 2nd one. The snow is good on the summit slope, the bergschrund is not opened yet. The snow is crusty at lower elevation below 2000m, and there is no good skiing to be found in the trees. Quite a few parties on the neve. Gilles & Pierre

Prices in $CAN. Books Yosemite National Park : Trail Guide + map - $20 Grand Teton Trails $3 Yellowstone Trails $5 Maps Yellowstone NP waterproof, $5 Selected Climbing Routes Mt Robson - $5 Zion NP $5 San Rafael Swell (Utah) $5 US Interstates Road Atlas $5 Climbing gear 1 DMM deadman $25 1 snow probe Ortovox 200 $40 1 ATC BD belay device $10 1 Trango ATC belay device $15 Black Diamond stoppers (curved nuts) #10 and #11, $5each Carabiners Straight $4ea: 4lucky,1climb high,1chouinard,1BD,1omega bended $4ea: 2lucky,1simond,2BD locking $6ea: 1britain,1omega big locking $9 ea:1BD,1DMM,1HB,1omega Camping 1 Millet Backpack 55l $30 Aluminum pot 1.5l $5 2 Tarps $5each

Prices are $CAN. 2 MSR snow pickets 60 cm, $15each2 DMM deadman $25 each1 snow probe Ortovox 200 $401 Charlet Moser Ice Hammer Goulotte, 50cm, $301 Millet Backpack 55l, $301 pair of gaiters Lafuma $51 Simond figure 8 belay device $101 ATC BD belay device $101 Trango ATC belay device $152 Charlet Moser Laser Ice screw 18cm, $40 eachWild Country Forged friends : #2 and #3, $30each2 Petzl Expedition Ascender $40eachBlack Diamond stoppers (curved nuts) #10 and #11, $5eachAluminum pot 1.5l, $52 Tarps $5each

I used to own 2 Beal 8.1 ice-line bought in France. They are good, you can clip 1 or both ropes, they wear out fast - not to be used on rock. The waterproof coating degrades in no time. I now own 2 PMI verglas 8.1. Same thing, either clip 1 or 2 ropes. They seem to resist more than the Beal (although if I'm not mistaken, PMI is a joint-venture of Beal and a US company). They're a bit more water-resistant, but I avoid the rock. They all make nice spaghettis very easily.Gilles

ALL PRICES ARE CAN$. Travel books / Guide books Climber’s Guide to Yosemite Valley – Steve Roper – Sierra Club – $10Summits & Icefields – Alpine Ski Tours in the Rockies – Chic Scott - $15Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies – Alan Kane - $10Advanced Rockcraft – Royal Robins - $5The Sierra Club Guide to US Rocky Mountains & GreatPlains National Parks - $15Selected Climbs in the Cascades – Jim Nelson – The Mountaineers - $15Leavenworth Rock – Viktor Kramar - $15Frenchman Coulee : a rock Climber’s Guide - $20Yosemite National Park : Trail Guide + map - $20Climbing & Hiking in SW BC – The Fairley - $15103 Hikes in SW BC – M&D. Macaree - $10How to Rock Climb – John Long – Falcon - $10Cascade Alpine Guide n3 (the northen one- red cover) - The Beckey - $20Teton Classic Climbs – Richard Rossiter - $10 MAPSBackroad mapbook SW BC - $7Zion National Park – Utah, US - $5San Rafael Swell – Utah, US - $5Green Trail – Snoqualmie Pass, Wa - $5Green Trail – Mont Stuart, Wa - $5Mont Adams Wilderness, Wa - $3Green Trail, Mont St Helens, Wa - $51 :24K Mont Baker North - $31 :24K Mont Baker South - $31 :30K Centennial Edition Mont Rainier - $151 :24K Mont Rainier East - $5Mont Rainier National Park - $71 :24K Mont Shuksan - $5Mont Hood Wilderness Map - $5Yosemite National Park - $5Banff, Kootenay & Yohoo Notional Parks, 200K - $5Banff & Mont Assiniboine, 100K - $5Selected Climbing Routes of Mont Robson - $5Ski Touring at Rogers Pass, 50K - $5Columbia Icefield, 50K - $5Jasper National Park, 200K - $5Vancouver + North Shore, 50K - $550K : Skagit River, 92H/3 - $550K : Chilliwak, 92 H/4 - $550K : Brandywine Falls, 92 J/3 - $550K : Pemberton, 92 J/7 - $550K : Squamish, 92 G/11 - $5250K : Queen Charlotte Islands - $5 [ 03-25-2002: Message edited by: Gilles ]

The climbs is the sun will unlikely sustain warm temp much longer; Synchro was melting in the sun despite of the low temp yesterday.Stuff like Marble, Rambles and RWW, sheltered as they are, will probably still host good climbing. I don't know for Bridge River area, but if there is any new snow, NightnG may not be the choice.As for Carlsberg, somebody soloed the first 20m on Saturday, so I guess it's in , but I don't know about the higher stuff.Take long screws (for rotten ice) and stubbies. [ 03-18-2002: Message edited by: Gilles ]

Still quite cold in Lillooet!We climbed:- Rambles: in- Synchronicity: in, really pleasant in a sunny Sunday, last pitch tricky to protect (rotten ice) We saw:- Carlsberg: in- Red Wall Wanderer: from the road, the pillar looks fat and blue- Tube: in- Loose Lady: a car parked, first pitch in- Serendipity: not inThanks to the good soul who installed a rope on the log jam on the Synchro approach!Gilles & Deryk

Lots of ice in Lillooet! We climbed:- Red Wall Wanderer: in, excellent to the top of the pillar, more marginal (rotten/sun baked) higher up- Oregon Jack: in, probably WI4. Thin sections with water views , very brittle ice. We saw:- Shannon Falls: lots of white ice - Soo Bluffs: at least one line of white ice- Carlsberg: in, reasonably fat- Tres Brule: first pitch in, top gone- Honeyman: completely in!- Marble: everything looked very good from the road- Crucibles: looks in from the road- lots of ice in the Fraser canyon... on the wrong side of the river- 2 lines beside Bridal Veil falls We didn't see:- too many other climbers, 1 car at Rambles, nobody at Oregon, no cars at Marble or Carlsberg. What's wrong?Gilles & John

TUBBS Mountain 30 snowshoes for sale. Excellent condition, fits all boots.Check them out at: http://www.tubbssnowshoes.com/htm/mountain_series.shtml CAN $250 (Vancouver,BC based). Reply through email. "Designed for hiking and backpacking in alpine environments, the Mountain Series delivers optimal performance in all weather conditions. Engineered with the most technical components available: secure RCS Binding, aggressive Viper™ Crampon, durable ArcTec™ Decking and Rotating Toe Cord assure maximum control and stability. The Mountain Series frame has been tapered at the tip and tail, for enhanced maneuverability, which is especially important in the wooded environments alpine backpackers often trek through."

Ice-climbing report for the week of Feb17-23 We climbed:-Weeping Wall right-hand: in and fat; upper not there, except the Weeping Tear on the left.-Kitty Hawk: very thin first pitch (only some 9cm screws, rock pros and pitons, and runout), 2nd pitch in-Two O’clock falls: in and fat-Murchison Falls: in, exit pitch rotten with hollow pillars-Johnston canyon: few lines left, big ice chunks have fallen; the main falls on the left are thin, central pillar melting away but fun TR, “easy” lines on the right in-Essondale right: in, dinner plating a lot. We saw:-Beer climbs: Pilsner, Carlsberg & Kronenbourg not in, upper Guiness in (lower don’t know). Road closed as of Feb22 (probably re-open since)-Mixed Master: not in-Polar Circus: in, no pencil-570 and SAR: in and fat-climbs in gullies left of Kitty Hawk: in-Nothing but the breast: not there-Lady Wilson’s Cleavage: in-Top pitch of Professor in (lowers unknown)-Virtual Reality: pillar not there-Pretty Nuts, Riverview: in Gilles & Merran

No, regular screws.

All right, my mistake, I haven't been clear enough. CAN$30 each, CAN$60 both. Lots of replies though... Gilles

For sale 2 Smiley medium size (18cm) ice-screws.Good shape, CAN$30Based in Vancouver, BC. [ 02-07-2002: Message edited by: Gilles ]

- Seton Lake climbs: only Fishin' Musician in, but wet and melting fast. P1 WI4 good ice, P2 WI4 rotten ice, P3 WI2+ showery with hole at the top, P4 WI5 short pillar good ice although a bit chandeliered.The other climbs are in for their upper halves, but the lower halves are verglas at most.Beautiful green lake, astonishing setting, better than Louise Falls!- Deep Throat: not in, the first 2 pillars forming the first pitch are hollow and barely bound to the rock. Wading is cold.- Tres Brule: First pitch not in. We climbed to the base of the pillar, it is half a foot wide and chandeliered. Lots of ice falling down. Red Wall Wanderers, on the other side of the canyon, looked blue and fat from there though... We saw:- Carlsberg: people were on it, far from being fat though.- Rambles: 10 cars parked on Sunday ;-) Gilles

TUBBS Mountain 30 snowshoes for sale. Excellent condition, fits all boots.Check them out at: http://www.tubbssnowshoes.com/htm/mountain_series.shtml CAN $250 (Vancouver,BC based). Reply through email. "Designed for hiking and backpacking in alpine environments, the Mountain Series delivers optimal performance in all weather conditions. Engineered with the most technical components available: secure RCS Binding, aggressive Viper™ Crampon, durable ArcTec™ Decking and Rotating Toe Cord assure maximum control and stability. The Mountain Series frame has been tapered at the tip and tail, for enhanced maneuverability, which is especially important in the wooded environments alpine backpackers often trek through." [ 03-05-2002: Message edited by: Gilles ]

I am looking for a climbing partner for a 1-week trip in the Rockies late February. I have gear and lead up to WI5, but I don't have a vehicule. I have been there twice already.

Thanks Dale for picking up my visor. This demonstrate that the visor locking mechanism is not the best around... ...and that we were rushing down. SoS is a great route, and the fording is much easier than Drury Falls! (no boat required).