Jens

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.

"You'll be going up all right, just a bit higher than planned". Or something like that Don Whillans to some Japanese climbers heading up the Eiger Nordwand in a storm.

I'm still going with the water being diverted or farmed on that pic. Even a small drip can make a phat falls.

Funny Pics! It has been my experience to steer clear of Korean, Austrailian, and Irish climbers. Many haven't a clue and are dangerous to those around them. As for the sweet pic with the falls, how did the water get to that notch? It looks farmed? Anyone agree? It ain't a natural watercourse but it looks like a sweet route!

Any thoughts on whether or not to try to keep your finger pads from pruning up in the water? One climber I know has a phobia of getting his fingers wet for more than a few minutes as he thinks he'll be toast on his routes. ---------------------------------------------- Any thought on fingernail length? Shape? My thoughts: Short nails are better for crimps and pockets whereas longer nails are better on slopers.

Sweet. No more going down to the village to link up mountains. 3 and a half golden gate bridges long is pretty wild! The environmental impact looks like it will be minimal also. ---------------- As a sidenote, Mt.Daniel here in WA would be the perfect ski resort. It has the perfect layout and a flat valley bottom for a village and would be world class. -------------- Blackcomb on a good day is as fun as any type of climbing.

I'll admit, 38 is a choss pile but it has routes just as hard as index's hardest (mid 13) and it has had way less chipped hold monkey business than index. 32 is way better.

Even before this thread, I've decided to move away from the ultra skinny slings (edelweiss, mammut, etc.) that I've been using for a while now. The weight is trivial in comparison to slightly wider sewn slings. I frequently hang a long sling to reduce rope drag on a sport project and the really skinny ones don't hang with the gate oriented the way you want. The slightly wider ones hang with the gate the way you want. It is way over my head but take a look at the fixed slings on routes like Rude Boys at smith if you want an example. I held 5 ultra skinnys in one hand and 5 slightly wider slings in the other and the weight difference seemed to be less than one 100 calorie packet of GU. Plus the ultra skinny ones cut over sharp edges way easy. just my two cents. And for ice and alpinism, the water absorbtion seems to be about the same.

Your crux will certainly be not having stuff stolen from your vehicle. Squamish is the worst for that sort of thing of any climbing area I've ever been to. When I come back from lift skiing at Whistler, I'm afraid to even stop for a few hours with all my ski stuff in my vehicle. The local law enforcement is pretty incompetent on this issue.

Thanks guys, just the info I was looking for. ----- Glue got me through the sharp pockets and edges on Latest Rage yesterday.

What do you like for finger pad treatments on multi day rock trips? Super glue seems slightly slicker to me than crazy glue. I've heard everything from they are both fine to they are super toxic. Anyone in the know? I've used both for quite a while.