Jens

I love the beer pic! Camelbacks, hyrdration bladders, and the like have no place on serious alpine routes.

Walter Bonatti gets my vote for the greatest climber of all time.

Would anyone have any objections to me fixing the perverse traverse that leads to the cheeks at index? We have been climbing up there a bunch and opening some new routes. Even though the traverse isn't bad or hard, a lot of people are turned off by it and go elsewhere. If it were fixed, the cheeks would deservedly see more traffic -(after all it does have the whitest rock at index). Would anyone object to a fixed line?

Anyone ever get savagedly pumped soloing! Also what are some easy local rock classics that have never been soloed? What are some stories of classic relationship breakup solos?

No. Anyone have 2 weeks off in August? -Jens Klubberud

I climbed Willis Wall on Saturday with Loren Campbell. Last weekend while climbing Liberty ridge with Kelly M., I made the plan in my head. I noticed that a large bergschrund ran across the base of the face. I also observed a Hiroshima-mushroom cloud-sized avalanche roar down the face, so the prospect of biving high on the Carbon glacier was not appealing. As a result of those observations, Loren and I opted to climb lower Curtis Ridge and bivy. When the alarm went off, the temp. was a balmy 36 degrees. I had doubts about a July ascent and especially on such a warm night. (We heard constant rockfall throughout the night). From the bivy, we traversed down and out onto Willis Wall above the schrund. There was little moon and the night was completely dark. We were lost on the face! We thought we had traversed to far right as we though we could make out liberty ridge immediatley to our right so we began traversing back left. We traversed left a long ways and when the sun rose, we realized we had traversed all the way back to Curtis Ridge! We had gained little vertical but instead were going back and forth over ribs. We climbed a short rock step on Curtis Ridge and then traversed all the way right again untill we were near the central rib of willis wall (We were stupid traversing back and forth on Willis). We looked up to see the seracs towering straight above us sevaral thousand feet up. We were scared. As the sun hit the face, the face came alive. Every few seconds, rocks would whistle through the air. We climbed endless mixed and ice sections straight up the gully toward the seracs. Loren's many seasons of waterfall ice climbing really came through as we quickly raced through several thousand feet of AI2ish black ice and mixed rock. The rockfall was insane. Loren got hit on the helmet,one tagged the top of my backpack, and really small one bounced and hit me on the thigh. A July ascent in above freezing conditions was clearly a time to climb as fast as possible. We finally reached the "traverse of angels" that is described in Beckey's book. A portion of the traverse had either collapsed or melted out. We climbed a rock step to the right and joined the snow ramp that the "traverse of angels" becomes. We were able to get on top of the middle serrac. (For you ice world cup types- the central serrac could be climbed at AI6 whereas the left serrac would shut anyone down). Above the serracs, a short steep pitch took us through one more overhanging band. Loren's amazing fitness was evident as he blazed for the top out in a near sprint. We flattened out at 13,600 and then traversed over and slogged up to columbia crest and register rock. It was most definitely the most hazardous situation I have ever been in. The descnet down the Emmons was gloppy.

We are getting gouged on rope prices. Anybody seen any killer deals on the net? I'm looking for something 9.6mm or less that is at least 60m but 70m is even better. (oh and no blue water ropes)

Anyone looking for a carpool partner to the party? I gotta take my car in to the shop today.

The break-in situation is out of control up there. The local authorities need to fix this.

I'm always the biggest sucker for a troll but.... When I climbed the ice route mickey's gully (which is across the bridge and go left) I saw a bunch of overhanging stone that is on par with the vantage entablature and would be fun if cleaned. If I lived in ashfod I certainly would rock climb there after work.

Any personal favorites? the highlander? copper creek? alexanders? Any mini-mart favs? In the park: Longmire? Paradise?

All climbs in the cascade pass region favor 1" or less pieces because of the compact rock. How far can a guy drive up the cascade river road right now? Do the rangers have the gate locked?

Need to add: No parking at exit 38 Do you pull your registration and take it with you? should I? A dude told me that 38 is starting to see a rash of break-ins again. -sad

.....every newish subaru with an "Olympic Athletic Club" bumper sticker pasted on the back window around Seattle is driven poorly? If I see another one I'm gonna hurl. --not that I'm claiming to be the best driver

Is it just me or are they getting more aggressive? I'm not talking about aggressive panhandling because that is nothing new. I'm seeing a lot of the homeless folks instigating stuff with cars at intersections and yelling at people out of the blue elsewhere. I've had two seperate incidents in the last two weeks. A police officer once told me that a lot of homeless folks migrate north to seattle during our summer months. I'm not complaining. I thin we need to help these folks. I saw a homeless man recently try to pick a fight with a 13ish year old boy minding his business walking home from school. The event was completely out of the blue.

Looking for partners who have a lot of time this summer(starting June 23rdish)for climbing. I'm lookin to do a whole bunch of "mini-road trips" 5 days here 5 days there etc. (never being gone from Seattle for long due to other committments but going every other week. smith, squamish, bugaboos, tetons, canadian rockies alpine, etc. All I ask that you give soft catches when we are at sport crags and don't mind 3rd classing moderate alpine rock & ice routes.

I'd rather watch little kids play soccer than world cup. At least the kids all attack the ball at once. Nothing is as boring as a one to nil world cup soccer match.

How about the Lock and Keel on Ballard Ave? Lota space and food and beer.

Anybody try it? I think I got the name right. The verdict is that the trango cinch sucks and the grigri's don't work on the modern skinny sport cords.

I messed around quite a bit trying to make something for the tools you describe and really had no luck.

I'm looking for a partner for a 2 week trip to the swiss alps and chamonix this August. All my partners have other commitments or are to scared to do the routes I want to do. Anyone interested? (Alpine routes)

Peshastin is going begging for climbers these days. It's kinda sad that everyone goes to Vantage instead as the rainout default area.

I'm a slow hiker and I easily did from Seattle to Seattle in a day. A perk is that their is plenty of drinking water to be had on he way in and way out.

My partner and I were in the mood for some skiing so we climbed the north butress couloir the same day you guys were up there on colchuck. We went up the couloir and then skied the glacier. Man it was a circus up there with so many people! We got a late start leaving seattle and found soft condtitions low but firmer up high.

Nice job Mike! I heard celebration yells last thursday from a long ways away and figured somebody ticked something they'd been working on.