Jens

I would have to respectfully disagree with you. Mt.Hardware stuff blows.

Ivan is one of the best posters. --- Priapism's "mounite pics" thread was the funniest all time cc thread.

I just bought a campmor goose down climbing jacket. They have many colors and sizes. They are only 59 bucks and seem very well made and technical. The are also very light and have a high fill (600?) goose down rating. They are probably not as good as the north face down jackets but certainly as good as some of the mountain hardware ones. I just put mine in a stuff sack and it compressed really small. 59 bucks ain't bad. They look cool to. www.campmor.com Item #58425

Perfect partner Part 2 If you're a noob and want to have your town's Twark Twight take you ice climbing you: *Drive and have a full tank of gas and extra coffee when you show up *Have 4wd, snow tires,and chains (must be a high clearance rig-no subarus) *Don't need to stop for anything else after showing up. *break trail in * Break out a brand new dry treated rope or ropes *lead the first warm up pitch *Carry a file, multitool, and spare pick *Provide the v-thread cordage (and know how to V-thread) *Never bottom out Twark's screws on thin ice *Produce a thermos of boling cider or tea at a belay *Produce the "mother ship" of belay jackets *bring extra hand warmers packets for Twark *Move quickly on each pitch *Don't swing and plant lead sticks when you are following. *Produce extra food. *Offer to rap off last after pulling the unweighted backup *Let Twark have the virgin fall line ski run on the way out in the champagne powder. *Produce a cooler full of good beer at the car *Drive home and gossip about other cc'ers all the way home! Repeat

Shuksan's Fisher Chimneys should be in any future select guides. ------ Let's see who can get em' all with no bivys or high camps.

Is the most impressive single piece of water ice that is one day from a plowed road in North America Lillooet B.C.'s "The Theft"? (When fully formed). I personally think it is more impressive looking (visually as I've never climbed it) than the trophy wall on Mt. Rundle, The stuff on the Stanley Headwall, or winter dance in Montana. Who's gonna climb this thing this season?

I'll race you Wayne. give me 2 years

I know tick lists are dumb and my buddies like to tease me about it but I've done 52 of the 77 in the first Nelson Selected Climbs Guide. And 4 more that were added to the reprint for a grand total of 56. I' have to check but I beleive I've done every single cragging route in volume 2 and many of the alpine routes.

Any takers? How about 40 bucks? I'll drop em' off and pick em' up. Jens

Dude- ice visors are far from geeky. I want one. ---- After I bailed off an ice climb once, a Frenchman strolled up flipped down his visor and proceeded to dance with elegance up the one inch thick vertical flow.

We all suck on ice here in Wasington and Oregon but it sure is fun! I like "A Fish Called Wanda" Nice job guys!

Does any shop in King County remove old glue and apply new glue to skins?

Anyone that is good a regluing skins want to remove the old glue off my skins and apply new glue? I'll pay you $35. I've never been able to do this well. I've even tried the BD kit. I'm in Seattle Jens

Climbed at Alpental 1-4ish areas yesterday with Mizuki. Alpental 1 featured rotten "snice" on the slab. The short steep step at the top took a screw but was very hollow. The other "Alpental" flows to the left all were nearly non existent or buried with snow. We found some ice bouldering at the far left end of the meadow. I was surpirsed at how little ice had formed in comparison to other years that have had the same amount of cold for the same duration. The flows seemed to have fallen vicitm to much higher volumes of water flow than normal. safety: Snowpack was very stable at our aspect and elevation. ------------------- Now for my soapbox.... Any chosing to climb "Turkey Line" or "Stellar Falls" at Alpental: It will only take one asshole to end access to these climbs. It was opening weekend at Alpental and the ski area was a zoo. I highly recommend you climb these routes on Mondays when Alpental is closed. These climbs are right in the thick of the action unlike Pan Dome at the Mt. baker ski area. If you absolutley insist on climbing these routes during ski operating hours, please pick a foggy tuesday afternoon or something (don't go on weekends- Some patrollers or OK with us climbing here and strangely, others are not. If one of them asks you to leave, just pull your rope and bail. If this climb raises some eyebrows, the USFS will just simply close the climbs. I observed one ice climber once who was ready to fist fight a a beginning skiier that had slipped and fallen on his gear. He cussed out the skiier at the top of his lungs with clenched fists. We could lose this resource in a heatbeat. Be nice, dont' argue, and be an ambassador for the sport.

Of just about anything on the website cascadeclimbers.com, when it gets cold, the ice conditions forum brings a lot of new lurkers to the site. Many of my climbing partners that don't ever post or read this site do check the cc.com ice forum regularly during December, January, and February. It's kind cool to see "climber' bilboard"- 2 viewing, "spray"-1 viewing, "Ice climbing forum" -17 veiwing. I guess ice climbing isn't the fringe activity it was when I started.

I wonder how the water is feeding the climbs? The last two years some routes weren't getting the water they usually get (farmers?) and some cliffs were getting way more water.

Sweet pic and TR. Ice stoke is on!

Do any of the online retailers sell pieces of lead rope off the spool? Like 60 foot pieces? Or I'm thinking like remnants of rope? Anyone see a place that sells these cheap?

Cool. Thanks for the info Dru. I'm predicitng Lillooet is going to have a monster year! I hope to go more than ever. --------------- Anyone want to climb one of the big trees at the marble canyon ice and set up a web cam!

Cold temps but game is on. Parkway: Weeping wall right and left in. Center, and sniviling gully still forming. Weeping pillar forming fast. Polar circus: In, lots of new snow covering lower angle ice down low. Anchors buired. Haffner: In. Go easy on the icicles though to give em a chance. Ghost: Numerous in. Big Hill snowy though Gibraltar wall: In. No chains needed on road in. Somebody bring their power drill back to that place- their are some huge roofs. ________ Safety: The cold temps are causing some pillars and daggers to snap off. Stay off the free hangers for a few more days until it warms up. We saw some pretty big snaps. Took a picture of the thermometer in canmore at -14F with a stout wind and no sun. Climbs at higher elevations gave us -20F temps with gale winds and no sun. Avy: Significant wind deposition accompanied with new dry snow which will need to be watched. Terrain anchoring still good due to early season shallow snow depths.

They are very nice signs indeed thankyou whoever made them!

Please post some pics when you are done. I'm curious to see how and if the new snowpack adheres to the black ice in the gully that time of year on that route. --- I wouldn't call a 7 day ascent a "run up". Have fun and be safe

Anyone know if I can use MSR fuel bottle lids in my sigg water bottles? Some stores sell the MSR lids for 30 cents. Also where does one buy replacement lids for sigg bottles here in the greater Seattle area? ________________ Also are brunton lids interchangeable with sigg? Why does my brunton lid never seem to tighten?

Not many and even less sport mixed routes. Not enough to warrant buying fruit boots or the like unless you are driving to Banff a lot.

I think shorter rock climbers have an edge? rumr is correct about what th average joe should be able to climb without the above listed limiations. The big guys always seemed good right off the bat at waterfall ice but now with leashes being considered taboo, that game is going to the short man to.