mattp

That is pretty much "ideal conditions" for most Cascade winter climbs. But I would add that a WARM storm cycle should ideally be follow by a week of cold.

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No disagreement there, Klar. But there are plenty of relatively stable periods where I would have no qualms about heading up Anderson Creek. I am more afraid of the legendary brush that is said to make this route a poor choice most of the time.

Avvy paths are the least of your worries on that route. Indeed, any time that I would want to try it there would have recently been a major avalanche cycle just as there had been shortly prior to Forrests' and Dan's climb.

Be sure to take the digital camera and post a trip report.

Now we're getting somewhere. This appears to be reasonably current info. If so, it might be a good idea to wait for the snow to pile up at low elevations and then try the climb via Anderson Creek.

Ah. Joke's on me.

"uuuuuummmmmm whats a half rope?" Cavey is joking about the short pitches at exit 38. You only need 80 feet of rope, he says. If I am not mistaken, in the context of the rest of this thread a half rope is a thin diameter rope that is rated to be used for double rope technque where as a twin rope is rated for use in twin rope but not double rope techniue (I think I have the terms correct). The "half" rope is intended to catch a fall in the deadly "non-redundant" scenario described herein whereas the "twin" is not. These ropes are most commonly in the 8.8 to 9mm range, but some of the twins get smaller.

But assuming that Hiromi lives in Olympia or thereabouts, I'd head for Mount Washington (harder but still only barely technical) or Ellinor (easier) for an enjoyable summit climb. In this kind of weather, you will often find them sticking out above a sea of clouds covering Hood Canal.

I believe the "Zipper" is the "main" gully that I described. Last year, we were told on this very board that the one to the left is "Lover's Lane."

Ross - We're beating a dead horse here but the "classic" situation you describe occurs over at Vantage not infrequently. If you are like me, however, you won't be placing your gear only once every 15 feet. And you will be doubling it up immediately prior to some climbing that looks as if it is going to get hard. To do otherwise would, in my opinion, be a poor idea.

"Jugging on a thin rope wouldn't be my preference" No kidding! For fixed ropes on expedition climbs, I have seen 3/8" nylon boat rope and I've even used it upon occasion. But I don't see the advantage of the thin ropes when you're on a big wall. Hanging on, swinging on, and jugging on those things just doesn't instill confidence.

Simple, Greg. When I lead a rock pitch, I place more pro near the crux's and less pro when I do not feel that a fall is likely. If I want redundancy -- like when I am facing a scary move with crater potential below -- I place more gear. And I prefer to have both ropes connected to an anchor that is high enough on the pitch to prevent a crater when I believe a crater is a reasonable likelihood. This is easily possible over 95% of the time (either by clipping both ropes to the highest secure piece or by placing two pieces of pro and using runners to reduce drag where neessary) so there is rarely a need for me to expose myself to that situation which has repeatedly been described here as the reason that double ropes do not add redundancy.

Sorry Ross, but we've been going round and round about this all day. If you lead on double ropes, and place a piece of gear every fifteen feet, alternating clips, without regard for where the crux climbing lies, you are not properly using double rope technique in my opinion.

The main couloir, which rises from right diagonally up and left, is pretty much a walk-up that barely gets steeper than 35 degrees, though it is in an interesting location, and empties out a couple hundred feet below the summit. More step kicking then leads to the summit rocks, where there is a short bit of semi-technical climbing (like 30 to 50 feet max). To the left of the main couloir is another, that is much narrower and a little steeper and often has one or two icy steps, followed by an interesting traverse back into the main one. Near the top of the main one is a chimney system heading up and right that is more technical - mixed and rather steep though probably not more than a ropelength of hard climbing. The problem I have had with the Tatoosh Range is that they don't open the gate early enough in the morning. These routes on Lane Peak are short enough that a late start is OK, but the late gate openings are still a pain in the neck and anything more complex becomes pretty difficult if you can't leave the car before 10:00 a.m. So you may have to drive up the night before and I don't think you are supposed to spend the night in the parking lot.

The kinko's near my office used to have a slide adapter for their scanner, but they no longer do. I have recently bought a flat-bed scanner that came with a slide adapter, but I have yet to get it to work. I'll have to go home during business hours to call the help line when there is somebody to answer.

Smoker - I believe you are correct about the testing routines. However, I also think the underlying question is fair: if my 9mm stratos is strong enough to lead on, why don't I just use it as a single rope? Notwithstanding Ross' conclusion to the contrary, I actually think we HAVE addressed that question in this thread. I do use it as a single rope, but when I really want an unquestionnable rope (or as close to that as is generally thought practical), I use a rope that is made for that purpose.

There are at least three Mount Washington's in Washington and Oregon. All three are day climbs.

Are you talking about the W. Ridge? Last time I was there, you drove as far as you could, and then just walked up the road extension heading up and left toward the ridgeline (I think there may have been a switchback in the road, but it was fairly obvious which way to go). The flagged trail took off straight uphill something like 100 yards short of the timber, and perhaps 100 yards right of the crest of the ridge. The route goes more or less straight up that ridge the entire way, with only some slight deviation to the right fairly high up.

In my opinion, Forrest has it right. Get some board-lasted shoes that are comfortable for all-day wear. I never thought of using the insoles, but that sounds like the way to go!

Darin has it right. This is a GREAT forecast for the weekend warrior who wants to climb something snowy. Cross your fingers.

"what is this shit? pick on trask day?" No. If credit card fraud is not your thing, leave the card at home, shed that bracelet and lets see you in Seattle. I'll buy you a round or three.

I don't know about that one, Greg. Does it take the glaciated trough that is W of the rib W of the NE Buttress? It may be less technical than descending the NE Buttress would be, but if it is where I am imagining it to be, I believe it is exposed to lots of falling seracs. I believe that the W. descent is not terribly difficult in the Summer, when there is not snow along the crest, but I am not surprised that Colin and Marko found it rather challenging last week! When I climbed the route, in late season, I descended the south face. I scrambled all the way down it and although I ended up bivyying before I got off of it, I had started down from the summit around sunset and the descent took less than two hours total time to reach the alp slope below the S. Face (a long where from anywhere but at least it was terra relatively firma). I think the moral of the story is that there is no easy way off JoBerg.

And there is more than that. With two ropes, you can reduce rope drag, you have less fear of the ropes being cut over an edge, you can rappel a full ropelength, you can belay two seconds, and you can also have a tight belay on the last piece you placed while you are reaching up and clipping the other rope over your head. This is very comforting if you are shakey at the stance from where you are trying to clip. Personally, I find the redundancy and the flexibility of climbing with double ropes very helpful although the extra complexity is not always warranted and I have some partners (belayers) who just plain can't get the hang of watching two ropes.

Trask: why don't you bring that magic credit card of yours? You can let Dave sign your name all night and then, the next morning, call in and report your card stolen. Everybody wins.