mattp

Suggest a place without a TV, or a later start time. I'll watch the State of the Union and catch up with you there. If you don't like politics, how about show and tell? What is everybody bringing for show and tell?

Here's a link you might find interesting (exploration and climbing in the Monarch Icefield area): Bella Coola Symphony, by George Whitmore

Some place with a TV, and maybe an eary start like say 6:00 pm?

We could ask them, but I think we can assume that neither the author nor the publisher intended to suggest that climbers who buy the book cannot or will never climb a 5.10b.

Ron Cottman at Pearly Gates.

There is no arbitrary limit to 10 pitches. It just so happens that a couple of the longer crag climbs in the book are about 10 pitches, and there happen to be no crag climbs longer than that around here. The Grand Wall, last time I looked, is in BC not Washington.

The title is "Weekend Rock."

It is getting pretty wild out there! Mud slide dams up Stilliguamish River near Darrington

I just got a copy of David Whitelaw's new guidebook, "Weekend Rock" (Mountaineers Press). It looks excellent! The book presents climbs from 5.0 to 5.10 in a variety of settings, sport and trad, one to ten pitches, in western Washington and along the east slope, and includes Banks Lake and Vantage in central Washington. There are some completely new crags never before published, but mostly it repeats information previously available though in an easy-to-use and attractive format. Several cc.com regulars and a varietly of well known Washington climbers are featured in his excellent collection of photographs. Way to go, Dave!

There are some easier Banks Lake rock climbs in the (just out) Weekend Rock, but David Whitelaw. Mostly, these are the old Canoe-accessible climbs described in a magazine article many years ago.

Anymore news on the extent of the CCH problems?

We have discussed it on this site before, but I am not sure there are any trip reports in the TR forum. I've climbed and skied it a couple of times, and used it as descent route after climbing the N. Face. It is a relatively easy route, scenic, and a good early season option for sure (caveats noted in threads linked below). thread another one little bit more Here's a shot i took near the top of the White Salmon:

There is certainly a strong politically partisan gene that controls our thoughts. It appears to have been stronger among Bush voters than others, and Bush is doing his best to stimulate it among those who are prone to supporting him, but certainly we all share it. behind the topsy turvy turn in bushs iraq poll numbers

Fern is right: climbers began slinging their jumars from the top following stories of accidents with broken frames. I'm not sure it was ever tested how well it would solve the problem in the event of a broken frame, but with the webbing and tape and all I would expect the whole unit to remain upright and function more or less the same if it took a big smash and maybe the frame cracked 'cause I'd expect the tape and webbing to act like a splint.

I think Catbird is right. For mountaineering or sometimes on a slab, I've used a "half" rope as a single line whereas I'd be much more hesitant to do so with a "twin" (I use and Edelweiss Stratos or Sharp with a filament that makes it less prone to cuttingg over an edge). I often use my "half" ropes as if they were twins, not worrying much about the possibility of extra shock on a piece of gear even though I think Fox's recommendation above is in fact correct, because I think Trog is correct that the problem of producing extra shock load by doing so is probably rare and because the complexity of clipping two different draws is often something I don't want to deal with. On the other hand, I would be less comefortable using a "twin" rope for double rope technique. Note: there is lots of confusion in the language of twin vs, half ropes and twin vs double rope technique. You can find discussion of these concepts at Petzl and at MEC websites, among other places.

Twins are generally lighter, probably cheaper, and it is easier to belay someone with twin technique than double. However, I often use an Edelweiss rope rated for double (isn't that what they now call "half"?) as a single line on lower angled terrain.

Check it out. I bet they have some cool toys.

Skoog provides the cite:

Ahh. Wondering trail through briar may not still be good. I thought maybe somebody did some brushing or something.

Ghosts (Or is it )

New trail? Please elaborate.

I've never used one for anything but melting snow at a basecamp or burying as a deadman, but my impression is that virtually all of my friends who have sledded loads in Alaska or somewhere used a cheap sled like you'd get at Fred Meyer. Sometimes they put pvc pipes on the pull straps, and attach them to a hip belt taken from an old pack. For melting snow, get a dark color. I once saw a super-duper one manufactured by some ski outfit in Utah, and it had a fancy harness system as well as a top closure kind of like an extra huge and stubby rocket box, along with some fins to minimize side-slip. The guys pulling it said it was in fact better than a Fred Meyer model, but they also said they wouldn't have shelled out the $ for it if they were not sponsored.

I'd wager the most common trad rack you see at a crag around Washington probably consists of stoppers to approximatley 1", and cams from the smallest size or one up from the smallest size (about 1/2"?) up to maybe 3". In addition, many climbers carry some hex's or maybe some tricams, but the "standard rack" is built around the above. You'll get different opinions around here as to whether you should start out learning to place stoppers and hex's or go straight to the cams, and I tend toward thinking it is a good idea to master the passive pro first.

When it comes to making your own gear, saving money is not really the issue, or perhaps I should say that I agree with the above-post that you won't do it if you are going to pay retail prices for your materials so it will be a frustrating goal. The more important point is that if you really think in detail about what you want and you want gear that really fits your own needs, there is a great chance that nobody makes it for you.