Jens

Damn, this thread is getting good! I will say this, If you weigh over 200lbs, you're gonna get royally schooled going leashless on steep enduro ice.

There are lotta people in that region and a lot of big empty buildings. Whoever goes in down their certainly won't go out of business.

I'll take Canada over Montana any day of the week.

I just about jumped outta my socks when I saw on the news that Toyota Motors may pass General Motors as the number one automaker in the world in a year or two. God help us. We need the US government to step in and stop this travesty. We are all DOOMED if this actually happens. We gotta keep bragging rights on this one. --- GM makes some great cars! Not the car you had in the 80's.

Ice climbing and mixed is not aid. (the world has heard all the arguments on this already). I would agree that the climbing world has certainly seen it's fair share of fads, but I can assure you that the world stage will not return to leashes. -------------- Just a gentle reminder to see above on who should respectfully sit this thread out.

I didn't mean to stir up a friggin' can a worms. --- no offense to anyone but.... If you are a rock climber or mountain climber who climbs waterfall ice about once every three years, you should probably be a spectator in this thread. --- Let's all chill.

I'm looking to tag along with anyone or group planning on heading to hit some ice at Strobach mountain on the upcoming holiday (Monday, Jan. 15th- Dr. Martin Luther King Day). I'm looking for a partner with a snowmobile. We can tag some of the plum first ascents that have yet to see a successful ascent. Anyone with a snowmobile interested?

Amen eastwood!

Why not just do what works best for YOU and leave it be? via ferrata!

Buddies of mine say it is WAY lame.

I knew the whole "ice climbing is aid" lame arguement would spring up. (rock climbers, have I got a ptich for you)- I don't care if you are in 5.14 fitness. I'm not talking trash or anything, I'll I'm saying is this....in 8 years, every single one of us will be climbing waterfall ice and mixed leashless. Why not do what the rest of the world is doing now?

This year more than ever, I am hearing more and more folks from across the pond and our brethren to our north say "leashes are cheating" or "leashes are aid". We Americans seem to be a few years behind on this trend. While climbing in Europe, some of the climbers told me that newbies even start leashless even if toproping a WI2- pitch. The above statments are also applied to long big rig ice climbs, not just the mixed crag. America seems to be the last bastion of the leash and I predict in a few more years, they will be considered taboo here (even on the big rigs). The last couple of trips to the rockies, the only folks with leashed tools have been seen jumping out of cars with American license plates. I stopped using them about a year and half ago and must say it sure adds a great extra dose of excitement to ice climbing! Give it a try!

I've never had any luck sharpening screws to my satisfaction. I've tried every file to.

I've never climbed ice at Strobach and am considering going. I'm seeking some beta. Here is what I am getting from a lot of folks: Many say Strobach is totally lame (even in a good year) and perhaps the most overhyped lameness in WA. And many others say it is the best thing since sliced bread! I never hear anybody in the middle on this area. I know, I know, I should just check it out for myself- but kinda weird reports! I guess I've resisted going for all these years because if you count minutes from your front door to swinging tools, Lillooet is quicker to be climbing at. Flame away! This ain't no troll. One of my old climbing buddies discovered the ice at strobach.

Eric is da man on the ice! One of Washington's strongest.

At the start of the second pitch. (Or halfway through the first pitch if you run 1 and 2 together with a 70m). --- Man, chris that must be the insurance adjuster's photo.

Trip: Rockies - bombs, beer, blood,& brutes Date: 1/1/2007 Trip Report: Chris Stephenson & I decided to head up to the Canadian Rockies for some follies on whatever we could find. Day 1 started at Field with some fun. Carlsberg: We decided to close out the day at Louise falls. The appeal of a nice horse drawn sleigh ride,a blanket, and a cappucino while being delivered to the base of our climb was to great a temptation for us. No sooner had we jumped in a vacant seat at the the Chateau Lake Louise when the tour queen scrambled to ensure that dirtbag climber types like us were not to board the sleigh. Despite having to walk over dried horse poo on the approach, we enjoyed the ice. Day 2 was filled with more excitement as I was part way up the 1st pitch of Bourgeau-Left Hand when a chopper buzzed over us and dropped a huge bomb right on the slope above us and about 200 yards to our right. Shit! Chris- let's get out of here! The whole mountain shook! Mockingly enough the chopper cicled around over us again (he could have read the labels on our clothing) and dropped 2 more charges on top of us! We bailed and went ass over teakettle down the slope as fast as we could. The avy report said "moderate" for our zone, no snow had fallen for a few days, wind depostion was not huge, and the ski area lot was full of cars. Since we started way late in the day, we figured no one would be stupid enough to bomb directly above a full parking lot. All other bombing in the world is done before the crowds show up. After all the comotion, we eventually found our way to the junkyards and eventually some beer. The next day we climbed mixed master and found about a 20 foot long streak of blood set into the ice! Maybe the chopper pilot had decided to hunt some more climbers up the parkway? The last pitch was awesome. The next day sported some Haffner fun with lots of hangdogging and other assorted monkey business. On the way home we hit an elk directly head on at about 45mph. The car was nearly toast but we managed to limp it home by stopping every 25 minutes and filling up the radiator. We got pulled over four times because chris' vehicle looked so mangled! One cop in north Idaho had a shoulder length mullet. All in all, it was a circus of a trip but lots of fun! Gear notes: beer I know TR's of ice trips not in the cascades are lame but I'm really bored.

Whatta you like? (I've never tried this icebreaker stuff but want to get some) weight? stretch? smell? dry time? warmth? breathability? stop go activties? bivies? high areobic activities?

My plan is to grow a beard and lay low.

I'll bite. Just to play devil's advocate: It was said that "Rheinhold Messner was the best rock climber on the continent of Europe at one time. Rheinhold learned to ice climb and became the best technical ice climber on the continent of europe at on time. Rheinhold then turned his sights to the highest peaks in the world." you know the rest. Many of the ascents of the 8000m peak no one else was on the mountain an he postholed the whole way. Also to play Devil's advocate, I'll agree with many of the nominees on your list but some of those on the list are out of their league.

You will probably get a nicer response for sure, but the knowledge base here is much greater. The approaches to the cascade peaks are so rugged that climbers hike everywhere hikers go plus a whole lot more places than even the "Michael Jordans" of off trail hiking.

About 10 years ago, some dude told me about climbing it free in winter. He rated it (M5).

Be careful, even Bachar says they are to hard on the joints!

Thanks for the update tazman. Now this wouldn't be a typical Friday night post to keep the hoards of 206'ers off the ice for the weekend post like we've seen on cascadeclimbers.com a lot since the site was created? Since cc was created, I'd wager that 85 percent of the ice reports are real and 15 percent are put out to keep the delicate ice intact.--Just joking. Happy Holidays to all.