Jens

Some random stuff that you may not get from a guidebook as you learn the sport. *Quickdraws clipped to bolts on a route are meant to be left in place. *A red piece of string or cloth tied to a bolt means that the route is in progress and may be dangerous due to uncleaned bolts and temporary bolts. You might get hurt if you get on it. *Whenever you hear the term "mounties" used, the speaker is referring to the "Mountaineers Organization" (it could be any of the branches- Seattle, Everett, Tacoma etc.) It blows me away how many new folks I talk to don't know this. *"Falling!" on a sport route doesn't mean take in or bear down on the rope to hold the fall. * If you want to be cool, avoid; leashes on ice tools, shorts over polypro, helmets on sport routes, snowshoes, daisy chain thongs, and overloaded packs. Spray away!

Man, those Leavenworth U.S. Forest Service Rangers are like no others in the country!

Bring a carton of cigarettes to trade and barter with all the European climbers. You won't need to carry hardly any food or fuel as a result. I've seen some crazy stuff on that mountain.

Well spoken Mr.Noggin.

Anyone? I'd like to hear some other opinions.

One of the most badass climbers of the 80's told me that years ago he got insane blisters on his thumbs because he had to descend from the top of SCW with only a cigarette lighter as a light source. Strike, light, step, repeat. -------------------- They'll be fine as the freezing level is pretty high at night right now. Their is a bivy cave at the top with lots of fir boughs if they need to sleep.

The old packs rode really high. I had a Millet from the 60's that was my dads that didn't even touch the hips. It couldn't carry heavy loads well but high stepping on steep terrain was nice. Try some of the summit day packs like the Lowe alpine attack or the serratus version. All the black diamond packs suck for anyone under 6'2 in my opinion because they only fit people with reeeaaaallly long torsos. And they don't climb well for anyone really. ----------- All in all, the new Millet packs fit people under 6 foot great and climb better than any of the other brands.

OK yes. This is THE WORST PICTURE EVARRR! You look like a squid thats been tossed onto a dry backyard lawn... I dig it! I think we have our winner!!!! Their are at least 18 things wrong with that pic!

I wonder if it is the WTA? I'll bet so.

some random junk. *Given the mean age of rock climbers in this state........ their is a high likelyhood that the intermediate bolts station on the 1st pitch of Japanes Gardens is older than the person that pulled em'! (not the hardware- but the station's location) *There is abosultely no way that the lack of an intermediate station is deter a slow aid climber from getting on the route. *Pulling the station again is a mute point. I have talked to at least 4 folks that will donate hardware to continue replacing the station if it gets chopped again. They will overwhelm and outlast a solo bolt chopper. * The station is historical and it makes the pitch more fun. I clip a long sling on the bolt and punch it through the layback. It sucks to have to lug big stuff up their. * The station will allow people to climb the pitch faster instead of worming around behind the lieback and fiddling with big gear.

troll

--------- agreed --------- The BD pick steel is to soft for my likes

The ratings at my gym also tend to be harder for me than outside. Many of the lead routes in the "cool kid area" at my gym don't have any easy moves but don't have any hard moves either. Just a 3 minute anaerobic pump thing-a-majigs. At my gym, many plastic roped routes that nicely climb like outside are considered "poor" by many of the local gym junkies and gym rats- (smearing a lot on texture, distinct cruxes, slightly overhanging or vertical in angle). Although I do love my gym and they do a wonderful job! I've also noticed that at my gym many folks only climb on the steep 4 clip anareobic routes inside all year long and then don't do well on vertical tech fests like at smith and the like. ------------------ As for ratings, you can't use Index in any conversation that involves ratings or comparisions because they aren't like the rest of the country (except for some areas back east).

I'm never one to yank bolts but if the guy that yanked these wanted to be firm in their convictions, I can think of several thousand other bolts that warrant pulling before the Japanese gardens bolts. (Condomorphine addiction and ininite bliss come to mind just to name a few). As a result of this action, J.Gardens will moss up a little more (less traffic) and longer lines will show up on Godzilla, p.ambitions, and thin fingers, and a statement isn't really made.

Subaru drivers sitting in the fast lane ------------------ People who can't send a climb and then proceed say (while they are hanging off a bolt or piece) that the climb is way overrated or that it would merely be 5.11b at index. -------------------- Rock climbers who think that granite is the only worthy type of rock and all else is worthless. ------------------- Beer snobs. (come on guys it isn't like you are drinking a good shiraz) ------- soccer ------

Millet,Lafuma, Deuter, or North Face all make some sweet ones in what you describe. Steer clear of mountainsmith, dana, or black diamond.

I use tape in cracks about 20% of the time. Jim Bridwell uses tape. He's tougher than anyone on this board. ----- As for the technique arguement, try a roof crack that has deadpoints between off hand jams on quartz crystals. Your hands are gonna get royally trashed without tape no matter how good your technique is.

Craig, only because you are asking for a time... I soloed the above route to the summit after work this afternoon. I left the car at 3:30pm and got back to the car at 6:08pm. Some of the holds on the rock finish have some new snow on them. Gear: alumiunm axe, 1 GU. -------------------------- As a sidenote, I was saddened for nature up their today. The people making the new trail up on McClellan's are hurting the land. The old trail is in super shape and is going to be right next to the new one (more trees and folliage ripped out). Why does every time a trail organization go in, they always make a new trail that is way slower and flatter when the original trail is in perfect shape? And the erosion or run-off argument isn't often a legitimate argument in many of the cases i've seen. Then they wonder why so many people cut switchbacks on these new trails that switchback like 45 times to gain 200 vertical feet.

Watch for ticccckkkkks! They are really bad right now over in 11worth.

When I was climbing in the Alps last summer, it was so stormy that the route actually looked like it came in as a water ice route. Jeff Lowe called the route M5 WI5.

I just got an email from one of my climbing partners and local boy Eric Gratz who is staying over in Chamonix. He just soloed supercouloir. Way to go cc poster Eric8! (is Jeff Lowe the only other American to have soloed this route?)

I have to respectfully disagree with many of you. As a crag rat, I think O.S. is one of the best 5.9 and under routes in North America and I 've climbed in almost every state and province west of the Missisippi. Sure their are a couple of BS pitches but man it sure is nice.

If I were Allen or Gates, I'd bankroll Daniel. Wayne I'll draw it out on a napkin at a pubclub. Daniel and the valley bottom that leads to it would be one of the sweetest resorts in the western hemisphere.

Check out the Fisher Chimneys route on Mt. Shuksan. It is one of the finest moderate routes in the range and is like a grand tour of the Bernese Oberland. As for rock climbing, smith rock is probably the best rock climbing within 700 miles of Seattle.