freeclimb9

rule #3: cinder blocks can be used for both car-jack stands AND furniture.

Other National Parks than Rainier offer world class high angle rescue capabilities without additional user fees. The $15 is slow, but hard, ass-rape. It's been implemented and continued by the Park management. If you feel inclined to believe that it helps cover toilet maintenance, consider that the shitter on the lower saddle between the Grand and Middle Teton is paid for by the guide services who operate on the mountain. So your $15, by comparison, subsidizes RMI among others. Here's what the park Super, Jon Jarvis, says the fees are spent on: Projects. Not Rescue. "Recently, Mount Rainier has used fee money to: - rehabilitate miles of degraded areas on the Wonderland and other cross park trails, - repair individual campsites in Cougar Rock and Ohanapecosh campgrounds, - construct group campsites and accessible sites in campgrounds, - provide new interpretive signs in visitor centers and along roadside interpretive areas, and - provide accessible toilet facilities with baby changing stations in developed areas of the park."

In wind, you can also use a pack like a rope bag, or have the rope lap-coiled in a sling clipped to your waist, and rappel. Lowering increases the risk of cutting your rope.

In case you were wondering, they're dark meat. Supposed to be an aphrodisiac. The Koreans like it in stew.

b-rock: some ropes are prone to sheath slippage. I wouldn't call it normal though. The vast majority of the rope's strength is due to the core, so strength diminishment isn't an issue. But, if you ever jumar on a rope whose sheath slips, it's terrifying. Also, your cutting of the slipped sheath will result in a rope with compromised ability to stretch. The rope's quality in terms of catching a leader fall is lower afterwards, IMO. Point that out to Maxim, and ask for a replacement rope that isn't "normal". joekania: If your friend rapped with a figure eight, or used an ATC (or similar device) that wasn't centered on his/her locking biner, the rope will twist, new or old. Rapping a rope with a well-centered sticht plate, or ATC, will straighten it out.

allison, are you associating a frame with padding? There are several commercial packs (Cold, Cold World, WildThings and some offerings from BD, TNF, etc. Even the go-Lite packs have a sleeve for a pad, I believe) that use a removable pad alone instead of in conjunction with stays or a plastic sheet. I've used packs of this type for a long time, and they can be very comfortable depending on how you pack them. Making them pig-tight helps a lot. BTW, 25 lbs of stuff not counting climbing gear seems like much. Is this winter gear? My ultra-light packing friends get as low as 8 lbs for spring, summer, and fall jaunts. Go old-skool like John Muir, and carry only a coat with your pockets filled with snacks.

quote: Originally posted by IceIceBaby: How strong is the catch in the rappel mode if used as a belay method? Insanely strong. A "light" 8 can support a ton and a half. A regular one (like Clog) can support twice that, or more. quote: If use in the rappel mode as a belay device how effective is the catch of a leader [?] Binary answer: yes. It is effective for single ropes (you risk friction sintering if you use for double, or twin, rope technique). It's kinda hard to feed out rope quickly, though. It's easier to use the smaller eye like a sticht plate.

Thanks for the explanations. I think I'll remove them, and if I need to lock the strap I'll tie a mule.

I got a BD Icepack, and it's got these metal double-slotted buckles on the ends of several of the straps. In the picture, they're visible on the dangling compression straps. I thought they might be used to secure the strap ends so you don't get whipped by them in high winds. But I can't feed the triply layered webbing back through the fastex buckle to position them nearer to where they're sewn into the seam so they can be used that way. What are these doubly slotted buckles for?

Cool. I liked Climbing mag when Duane Raleigh was the editor. Maybe I'll get a subscription now.

Yea. I rode with in a "critical mass" this morning which ended at City Hall. I then continued up the canyon for a 30 mile ride. Spring is a great time to ride.

The Go-Lite packs were designed in part by Ray Jardine. They're really basic packs with high-tech materials intended --mostly-- for use by the ultra-light backpacking set. Like any lightweight gear, you have to be protective of them lest they get damaged (even though the spectra gridstop fabric is durable, its denier count is pretty low. It gets holes fast.). Note: they don't have many compression straps either. Another vendor of ultra-light gear is http://www.ula-equipment.com/pages/products/packs/packs.htm

I've known of climbers being outright hostile when team-mates make a summit and they don't. It's a sign of class in Ed Viesturs that he is gracious in reporting of JC's and Alberto's success. If you read the reports, the conditions at Roc Noir went from marginal to poor while they deliberated. JC and Alberto had been hours ahead, and climbed the slope before solar warming.

quote: Originally posted by danielpatricksmith: Have you noticed that people who haven't climbed shit resort to spouting their many years of climbing[?] No. And I've been climbing for over twenty years. But during these years --what I remember of them (remembering to take Gingko is the hardest part)-- I've noticed a tradition of believing people's claims. Though there's been some notable exceptions with claims of first ascents: Refiner's Fire, South Face of Lhotse, McKinley. Why would someone lie? It's nonsensical. And perhaps more so to call bullshit on someone.

Alberto Inurrategui and JC Lafaille summitted Annapurna today to make the second ascent of the technical east ridge. Expedition partners Ed Viesturs and Veikka Gustafsson turned around yesterday at about 7300m due to avalanche danger beyond their comfort zone (Ed turned away from Nanga Parbat last year for similar reasons). The fift expedition member, Jon Beloki, had turned around before camp 3 due to fatigue and doubt about being able to traverse so long at such a high elevation (above 7000m). It was JC Lafaille's fourth attempt on Annapurna (his partner was killed on his first attempt and a Sherpa was killed on another). Alberto Inurrategui has completed his quest for climbing the world's 14 peaks over 8000m with the Annpurna summit. Maybe next year, Ed. information gathered from www.desnivel.com and www.mountainzone.com

I got a heart rate monitor for kicks yesterday. What I've learned so far is that a couple lattes will boost my heart rate by 30-50 BPM. I imagine I can get amped enough to reach my target aerobic training zone. So why run, or ride, when I can just twitch at a low vibrational level? Better living through Chemistry! "My daily research has found that high doses of caffeine create the illusion of an exciting, productive morning." Stephen J Lyons

It worked. Someone's offended.

S'truth. In other threads there's been some off-color pedophilia jokes, but no one said anything. So here's one to offend a couple groups at a time: What do you call a middle-aged gay man? Father O'Malley.

thanks for the site tip. Nice rack. Now I'm about to waste an hour.

regarding hexes: I got some metolius curved hexes to cover large sized cracks (loose fingers to fist. #s 6, 7, 8, and 9) and have found them easier to place than old school hexes. They nicely supplement the few camalots on an alpine rack (camalots .5, .75, 1, and 2) which is completed with a set of BD stoppers, a few RockNrollers (akin to aliens in use), fifteen shoulder slings and 20-25 Quicksilver carabiners. This rack has served well on several Wind River climbs. Your own climbing destinations and preferences will determine what rack you'll want to carry. BTW, ask three climbers about what rack to carry and you'll get four different answers.

Stan's story: http://mulletsgalore.com/html/picturebooks/StanleyMarlowe/

If you're gonna plot a Day of Action, you'll get more mileage if you invite some journalists along. And invite your Congressman. Having a media kit to join your invitations would be prudent too (just something with talking points like the disparity in how fees are charged, or that the 3 year Recreation Fee Demo project has gone on for close to seven years, etc.). email your congressman: www.house.gov, www.senate.gov

Sayjay, actually, after reading the original post, I was confused. I responded about another event in New Zealand, not in the truly deep south. Neither event has been linked to global warming. The antarctic shelf calving has not been linked to climate change ( http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020511/wl_india_nm/india_72188_30 ). And I know the difference between a glaciar and an ice shelf (it's like land versus sea. whoa.) But I don't discount legitimate global warming observations. The arctic sea is suffering and may very well lack year-round sea-ice within our lifetimes.

jkrueger, make your vacation to the City. It's a wonderful place, and after it warms up a little more and the snows melt, many will climb in other places. The City can actually be pretty grim on some summer days (90+ degrees). Gotta chase the shade. Autumn is also a great time of year weatherwise. The popularity of the City of Rocks has waxed and waned over the years. I don't think it'll ever be like Smith. And if you're climbing at a high level (5.11 and higher), there usually is no waiting for routes.