mattp

In another thread, somebody postulated that the discussion was "cut" because it degenerated into some threats of violence. If that is the case, I might agree with you about cutting the offending post rather than the entire thread, but I won't criticize the decision to terminate the thread. By the way, I note that I don't recall you resorting to threats or obscenity -- even though it is a hotly charged topic and one that is very personal to you. Thumbs up.

That must have been what caused it. Oh well. I have work to do, anyway.

On the questionnable piece, of course. I don't remember the last time I fell and pulled a piece that I thought was "bomber" and I may never have done so.

quote: Originally posted by ehmmic: I've been thinking Not to be snide, but maybe you're thinking too much. You propose an interesting calculation, perhaps, but your rope is fine. Take a look at the last twenty years' worth of "Accidents in North American Mountaineering" and you will not find many (or any?) incidents where something like your 9.6 failed and a 10 would have held - or even an 11. Ropes almost always break because they are cut by something and pieces fail in normal free-climbing situations because the rock broke or the placement was poor.

Have you seen his "presentation" on this topic?

quote: Originally posted by fern: ropes may be hard to break, but biners are not. Yes, I have broken a 'biner. But here again, Mr. Haireball is right here: if you are taking those kinds of falls (falls that generate forces sufficient to break carabiners), you are probably doing something wrong. It is true that serious aid climbs require one to risk big falls with complex rope and protection scenarios where weird things can happen, but most accidents where equipment fails are accidents where it was somehow used incorrectly. Focus not on the dimension of your rope or the strength of your 'biners, but on placing good protection and avoiding leader falls on anything less than unquestionnable pro with a fall-zone free of things that might hurt you.

quote: Originally posted by sexual chocolate: If everyone just carried bazookas, things like this wouldn't happen, IMO. Unless there was a drug-crazed ax weilder. They are not afraid of bazookas.

quote: Originally posted by SEF: Observation Rock, it would seem, is ice climbing's answer to the Tooth. Good one. That would make the Nisqually Glacier ice climbing's answer to Mountaineers' dome.

Lammy - Don't glissade with the alumi poons. Sitting or standing -- take them off first.

It involves more than that. Chris is awesome -- twisted, but awesome.

quote: Originally posted by Gordonb: I don't think it was the breaking strength tha ehmmic was worried about. It was the streach/recovery time of a thin rope vs a thick rope... I still think you guys are getting too technical. Interesting question, perhaps, but even though there is some question about how the characteristics of the rope may have contributed to one recent accident, I read the "Accidents" journal just about every year and it seems to me that the modern ropes are well tested and pretty damn amazing and that the dymanic characteristics of the rope are not much of an issue. If you are worried about stretch/recovery time, go for double ropes. But the stretch/recovery thing is way down my list of reasons for liking that system. I think about sharp edges or the possibility of an ice tool cutting the rope (I believe it never has or almost never has happened with double ropes), I like the reduction in rope drag with double ropes, and I like being able to reach up with one rope and clip a piece over my head while I have a tight belay on the piece below. I like having two ropes for rapelling. It is a good system and it just happens to eliminate your concern about the stretch/recovery time issue as well (at least as far as being caught on the second piece in your chain is concerned). [ 10-24-2002, 02:17 PM: Message edited by: mattp ]

If we can get him to show up at a pubclub I promise great entertainment if somebody asks him about what he thinks of the Forest Service!

Cavey, Please forgive my ignorance, and the fact that I am too lazy to go back to the old threads on this topic. But I am wondering: is the leashless thing based on some practicality or a safety-related concern or is it more a matter of style?

I agree with dbb - you probably could scratch your way accross the ice without crampons, but they don't weigh all that much and I'd be inclined to bring them.

quote: Originally posted by Billygoat: BTW MattP, if I wanted to go up the White Salmon Creek drainage, what, do you think, is the best way to access this? Are you talking about coming in from down valley? I used to take that "skid road" which is not immediately below the day lodge but a mile or two down the road, I think. Park on the Mount Baker highway and just follow the old road around the ridge and stay on it to the end, where you drop into the bush and start crawling through the jungle. I would not recommend this approach.

Here is the "glacier of death," viewed from Icicle Creek last saturday, October 19:

Here is the "glacier of death," viewed from Icicle Creek last saturday, October 19:

Before they built the new White Salmon day lodge I used to go up White Salmon Creek, but the approach from the ski area is much easier. It has been described on this board at least twice, and you can probably find it in the North Cascades forum, but basically you just head uphill from the lodge about 100 yards, follow the cat track leftward - all the way to the end - and continue straight ahead, traverssing into the basin near the head of White Salmon Creek. The avalanche danger can be EXTREME in there and in addition to frequent smaller slides, the whole north slope of Shuksan Arm seems to go all at once at least a couple times a year, but there is good skiing on a variety of aspects.

Don't mess with him.

quote: Originally posted by Figger Eight: Or you bring 1 tool with the pinky fuckthing and 1 straight shaft Rage, Black Prophet or whatever. You don't need two completely different sets of tools. Shit...regular ice axes don't climb mellow alpine ice that bad either. I think Eddie's got a good system here. I have a straight shafted SMC axe, one that most hot shot ice climbers would turn their noses up at, but one that actually penetrates real well and that removes OK on waterfalls or alpine applications. When I pair it with a curved pinkyfuckthing axe, I may have to make an extra placement when faced with a bulge or a mantle on a fully inserted shaft, but I can usually get the job done.

quote: Originally posted by North by Northwest: They're all good, even Schmidt Ice ???????????

quote: Originally posted by David Parker: if you make it to Pemberton in 5, you must have some kind of sports car and guaranteed clear roads! I've made the trip many times. If you drive at night, it is 4 1/2 hours from Seattle to Pemberton -- driving 5 miles over the speed limit (yes, that assumes decent road conditions, but the Canadians seem to be pretty good at keeping their roads in order). If you go during the daytime, it will take 6. My usual approach is to leave on Friday night and, depending on who is in the party and what the weather is like, sleep out or get a hotel room. On Sunday night, all you have to do is to eat dinner up there, so you are behind the Whistler ski traffic and too late for line-ups at the border, and it is 4 1/2 hours back to Seattle. But I say 5 hours, because the places where I usually ski are 15 or 20 miles up the road from Pemberton. I'm telling you -- it IS the promised land. [ 10-23-2002, 05:25 PM: Message edited by: mattp ]

Terminal Gravity Stout.

DP is right. Mazama is best for a Spring trip. I've been there in the winter, and if you don't have a snowmobile, it is a long way to anywhere from there. The highway usually opens sometime late April or early May, and this is supposed to be a low snow year. At that time of year, revellers would have their choice between skiing and rock climbing. Hey Dave - How's come you're ready to drive 6 hours to Mazama, but 5 hours to Pemberton is too far? You got something against Canada?

Another option would be to have a party at someone's house. A let's-get-excited kind of event with slides and such. Dave could show some pictures of his real cool hideaway in Smith Brook.