Jens

Vantage is getting all the rainout traffic that Peshastin used to get 15 years ago.

I'm thinking of going to smith several times very soon. I heard a rumor that Seattle folk (like myself) that like to go east and down through Goldendale and then across the Columbia to Biggs can't go that way until summer due to construction. Do I have to go through Portland? Does anyone have any exact details? How long is the detour? With the detour would Portland be the sane choice?

Let's keep this thread an ongoing thing. Because I frequently project sport routes, I buy a new rope about every 7 months and the prices on ropes are all over the board (perhaps more so than any other gear we buy). For example, a few years ago I bought a 60m dry 9.6mm for 79 bucks from a company that is now out of the rope business. Whereas the same rope at REI would have have been nearly 200.

Get the north bags. they are bomber and expedition proven, plus all the nf stuff is guaranteed for life.

Pressure breathing will do that to some folks even if the altitude isn't affecting them at all. I had an old climbing partner that had pretty much the same thing that you describe but he was pretty strong up high. I'm pretty clueless but would guess it isn't HAPE.

I remember as a kid hiking up to camp muir behind two stoner types in flannel shirts. They had boots on but no packs and only hand carried water bottles going up the muir snow field. My brother and I chatted with them a bit. Later in the afternoon, we ran into them heading down on the snowfield. They had each lifted an ice axe at the muir hut. My brother and I would have confronted them but I was only 13 or so years old at the time. Imagine the two poor souls who woke up at 2am for their summit bid and couldn't find their axes. Someone once wrote about rescuing a Korean climber that was in over his head on Everest. During the rescue, the rescuer noticed that the Korean was using the rescuer's axe that had been stolen a few days earlier from base camp. Rock climbers always have seemed slightly more "shifty" in the theft area, although climbers seem to be less "shifty" in regards to theft than they were when I started climbing. A lot more climbers seem to have higher paying jobs, lattes, and nice SUV's these days. Especailly the types that can afford computers to post on climbing websites like cc.com.

Wow! I wonder how they keep that thing under control? Neuter it? muzzle it? sleep with one eye open?

Anyone know were I can order a sticky rubber knee pad for knee barring? I've seen guys using the adjustable ones. I seemed to remember that a small company out of CO was making them as they are hugely popular with Rifle climbers. I've tried making my on with slabs of rock shoe rubber but they didn't turn out well. When I search the net, all I get is knee pads for ultimate fighting.

The new Komperdell poles have a really cool stick on adhesive section below the main grips for choking up on traverses or when used in anm axe-pole combo. Does anyone know where I can buy these. Any ideas how to make them? Duct tape rolls suck.

Can I bolt at Newhalem now? The Park service has had a "wait and see" stance for how many years now?

Hurray- the mounties are going to clear out of my gym in six months!

135 degree wall for most of your space and 90% of your time and holds. I also liked throwing up one small vertical wall (admitedly boring) though for tech training for smith and index sport routes to go with your 135.

Nice climbing guys! Cool pics.

I watched the "Metolius Team" do some rehearsal on the Prussik route and was neither impressed by the level of skill/fitness and the style the route was done. (although it is a mute point as I am fat right now)

No need for the parking pass then! Hurray! The bikers are almost as bad as snowmobilers on the Stuart Glacier, baker summit area, and st. helens summit.

Partly cloudy

This does sound like a pretty posh gig. You could probably get a shitload of climbing in. ----------------- You could never pay me enough money to be an all the time guide though! It sucks!

Great post. How about what is left of the broken off stem of a friend way deep in the crack on the traverse pitch of outer space? Who is "up" the highest on bootied cam to lost cam ratio? I'm at about +8 right now.

For mountaineering, it seems that some folks like the tether for high altitude stuff, but not for stuff down low. Some great arguments have been made for both already. ------------------- As for waterfall ice and mixed, quite simply leashes are aid. Any European climber (expect those from the UK) will immediately relegate you to the status of "lame" if you are climbing with leashes, no matter how hard the route is that you are leading. It doesn't matter if you are 12 years old or 80 years old.

I like carrying about three or so on every ice lead. The only reason I don't use all screamers as they are heavier, bulkier, harder to clip, less, sleak and expensive. I've taken two lead falls on pure ice. The fall that had a shitty screw in only had a regular QD on it and it held. Screamers are definitely nice to have though.

Has that bolting moratorium been lifted yet? I have my eye on at least two lines.

As has been pointed out by blake Dru and others, their are heaps of unrepeated routes. -------------------------- I tried never never crack 12 years ago when I was a skinny big number chasing sport climber and got spanked bad. --------------------------- I beleive Yoder and Kevin Busselmeier climbed the N.Nor. Butt on index in the 90's? ---------------------------- Vanishing point has been climbed several times. ---------------------------- The south face of Nooksack is big but not that hard. It just has funky glacier travel and lots of steep chossy climbing. It certainly makes anything on the other aspects look like a cakewalk though. --------------------- The Jberg route takes more well balanced skills than Girth Pillar and the technical portions take way longer. -------------------------------- Wayne and many others on this site have a whole bunch of sick unrepeated routes. As do a number of the BC folks. -------------------------------- You have to be a frequent waterfall climber and regularlly train on plastic or rock to climb hard alpine in my humble opinion. -Flame away and spray away! I'm done reading this thread.

Tony, your enthusiasm makes me want to climb with you sometime later this spring! I might be their on Monday with my girlfriend. I have a red chalkbag and will be sporting a beard and a pair of black manpris. I'll look for you. Enthusiasm will get you up a lot of sick routes in the alpine!

Inspriring! Great Pictures. Hopefully it won't warm up to much, I'm headed up for 3 or 4 days mid week next week now that most of our WA ice is getting toasted.

South Face of Nooksack Tower (mine and the late B. Manfredi) Never Never Crack ------ Loren & I's Jberg route