Jens

Thanks for link. By my math from the link, I'm OK to keep doing what I've been doing safely.

I know we have a lot of baseball fans on this board. It seems like every time I go to a Mariner game at the Safe, I have some sort of negative interaction with the ushers (the ones that wear the turquoise coats). Many of them are retired from other jobs, but it seems like 90 percent of them have a chip on their shoulder. It has been my experience pretty steady for quite awhile now. I know these guys have to put up with a lot of B.S. (drunken Red Sox fans) and the like, but they seem to have some of the worst customer service in the whole city. Anyone else agree?

Good discussion. I've had mt. tools double spectra wraps on my cams for at least 10 years now and taken some monster falls on them. It would be curious to hear from some of the BD folks. Extending all cams by using a quickdraw (2 biners) is far to much weight for harder routes.

Great question. I started doing something similar a few years ago on some of my cams and have wondered the same question. I've taken some falls on them in the configuration and everything looks ok. Perhaps someone who works in the industry will have some insight?

Have I got a route or two for you.

I will be working on a very steep slope very soon doing some landscaping work for my buddy and wish to use my grigri on a fixed line as a method to self belay myself as I work. I also want to use the grigri to rappel down the slope. I will be using static line as my fixed rope. *Can I use a grigri on static line? *The grigris are made for 10mm-11mm ropes (although many of us use them down to 9.7mm) What would be the static line eqivalents? *What are the most commonly sold widths of static line at gear shops? How will I know if they work (width-wise) with the gri-gri? *Does anyone do any rigging or the like for a living and have any advice for me? Are their any better devices for such a task? How would you rig up a rope system for working on a steep slope?

I wonder if the "fixed shoes" for the crossing are still intact or have been chewed by snaffles. It is nice to hear that the road is open, perhaps a newish trail could be blazed. I haven't been to the place in many years. --------------- Lance, I'd be curious which 5.12b Many people call "The Goods" (5.12c) the best for the grade in the state however if my memory serves me correctly it had two hangers positioned around edges so that if you fell at a certain point higher on the route you'd certainly cut through one of the newish skinny ropes we are all using.

Wow- They've raised the citation from $55 to $75 this summer. --------- I love that link to the scanned pass where you check the applicable box. I bet it would work everywhere except for anywhere Leavenworth Rangers and F.Service personnel go. Those Leavenworth/enchantment guys are dolts.

I'd say get into the gym and learn to take leader falls. Take lots of them at all angles and exposures. A lot of well experienced climbers don't know how to fall or manage the rope around moves. If you are well schooled in falling and rope management, you will never ever need a helmet on an overhanging sport route.

Don't forget to do the balanced rock! It is the highest point, if only by 18 inches.

It has been my experience that Wild Country and DMM biners (all the U.K. brands) don't open under some body weight loads- that's bad!

If you're ever gonna climb in Scotland in winter keep em'. If not, toss em'.

It will be fun!

I'm not interested in becoming ordained, I'm trying to find someone to marry us.

You are right. Anyone done it and want to perform the ceremony? I was told the internet process has a 30 day waiting period to go through.

If anyone knows a climber who is any of the following; ordained, a minister, magistrate, judge, or the like, can you pass along this post to them- ------------- My girlfriend and I are planning to get married on top of Mt. Baker this summer. Our marriage license that we have from City Hall requires us to have two witnesses and a person who is any of the following; ordained, a minister, magistrate, judge, or justice of the peace to perform the ceremony and sign off. We had my brother-in-law (who is a clergyman of a church) all lined up to perform the ceremony. We just found out yesterday that he has to bail due to a small emergency, so we are under the gun to find a replacement before our license expires. If anyone is interested, we are in need of someone willing to climb Mt. Baker with us and perform a short ceremony on the summit. I will pay them whatever fee they feel is appropriate and reasonable. I am a competent climber who has climbed many different routes on Mt. Baker. I would be willing to "guide" the one performing the ceremony to the top if they are lacking in mountaineering skills. They would get paid to climb a beautiful mountain! We are looking for any of the following weekends (Saturday-Sunday) August 2-3 (first choice) July 27-28, or August 9-10. Please private message me if you are interested or know of someone who might be interested. They can bring a friend if they like. Thanks Jens Seattle, WA

Great post. I have been asked many "trick questions". Sometimes if am taking a gym rat rock jock partner into the hills who hasn't spent much time in the alpine, they view a ranger as a bit of celebrity. Rangers rarely have valuable beta as far as climbing conditions. Remember... this site is frequently checked on by rangers and the like.

Classic Seattle, Tacoma, or Everett Branch Mounties!

Great pics and TR! _________________________ The "Ted's wall" (purposefully left out of guidebooks) and had bolts pulled is or was one of the finest sport cliffs in WA and featured some of Washington's very early 5.13 climbing. Ted Otto's "ottoman empire" cave with bolt on holds will challenge to next generation someday (they won't be using the bolt-ons). I'll say that the ottoman empire will be at the forefront of Washington climbing in 20 years. Fossil has lots of really small features that are needed for extreme routes. I miss the place (I haven't been in 15 years), but want to bring a whole crew of my Seattle Vertical World friends down some Saturday. Their are a lot of massively overhanging soaring faces way back in the deep woods (most are secret)- The battle of the Bulge area was probably my least favorite venue, but it seems to be the most popular.

I agree but I wore out my 1989 vintage Chouinard Locking Pearabiner years ago.

Sweet. Where can I find a topo?

Petzl Meteor I will buy the new Meteor 3 when mine wears out. I only wear a helmet on ice climbs, couloirs in the mountains, rockfall strewn alpine faces, and run out slab leads (flipping upside down while backpeddaling is a real possibility). At sport crags like smith, you can pretty much correlate leading grade by helmet/ no helmet.

I personally don't get much inspiration from reading about this guy's ascents over the last few years. --------------- The Monkey Face climb from the 80's, the lake Louise bolt use and choppage, and more.

Counterfeit: I have caught someone leader falling with a cross loaded biner, but she weighed less than 100 pounds so it may not be valid and the biner was a huge burly rig. Thanks for the tidbits, I meant to say that I've pretty much used every type of locking caribiner since the switch and I mangae the biner and belay great. I'll try the DMM thing.. does anywhere no where it might be sold in the Seattle area.

All my life I've belayed with the UIAA recommended method of clipping the locking carabiner to the swami and legloops. About seven or so years ago, the UIAA reccommended a new method: clipping the bleay biner into the belay loop only on the harness. Every single biner I've purchased, borrowed, or tried, manages to freqently hang up or snag sideways often on the belay loop. To compound matters, my 8oz petzl sporto harness has a spectra belay loop that seems to snag at least once a belayed pitch. If the leader falls when the biner is sideways, the biner could easily bust. What biners are completely smooth and no edges to hang up? Was it DMM that made a black plastic snap on keeper? Is it any good? Does it weigh a ton? As a sport climber, big falls are a daily occurance, and I'm tired of the biner hanging up when my buddies are hang dogging and then I have to yank the rope to unsnag the biners. It has nothing to do with how I belay as I see it happening to virtually everyone. I suspect that the original belay method is just as safe as the newer belay loop method and that the cross loading on the biner caused by the old method is far less then we think. What locking belay biner should I buy? I've tried, trango, BD, mammut, camp,and petzl.