freeclimb9

Since your answers need to be "closed ended", at least add options to cover all unforeseen circumstances. For example, add 6f) other, or for 12 have a) never b) sometimes c) frequently etc I don't understand 18; it's nonsensical (Are you asking if people test fixed pro, or some other question? just my unsolicited advice cheers

johnny, some mind massage will help. Climb with joy in your heart for the climbing, and the fear will be controllable. Avoid being overwhelmed with a fear of falling (failure) --easier said than done, but it can be done. Smiling helps a lot. Some aid-climbing will also let you better evaluate your gear placements.

quote: Originally posted by nlunstrum: What do you think makes a good pad? Anyplace I'm welcome. And if there's a fine looking woman there who's got affection for me, so much the better. So, how do you get a climber off your front porch? Pay him for the pizza. What's the difference between the climber and the pizza? The pizza can feed a family of four.

reasonable price: http://www.bdel.com/alpinism/icetools_blackprophet.html

quote: Originally posted by al: I just use ovals, gate down and out on my rack, each size screw on a different oval. When an oval's empty at least I've got something I can still use. I use bent gate carabiners in the same way with a mximum of 3-4 screws on each. I, too, can't see using a "clipper" that takes up space on my harness and has only one use.

I've tried the Mixed Master, and the fit was fine. But I suppose the framesheet with aluminum stays may have played a factor. I'd have to go down to the big city (SLC) to find a dealer carrying the Ice Pack.

Does anyone know what the differences are between the Mixed Master pack (not made anymore) and the current Ice Pack? Is the Ice Pack's waist-belt removable? Does it have a removable bivy pad? Is the fit the same? Thanks for any info you've got.

Every now and then you can find surplus Army Gore-tex pants at a surplus outlet. Usually in black, but sometimes reversable to white.

Yashica T4

warm soapy water and a little brush can do wonders. If you do use a lubricant, use minimal amounts. I sometimes use a keylock lubricant that is basically just graphite with a liquid carrier that evaporates away.

got photos of your future goals?

colin, A book I read awhile ago (and subsequently can't remember details from) that covers your question is "Life at the Extremes- The Science of Survival". A short interview with author is at http://www.salon.com/health/books/2000/10/13/extremes/index.html Basically, you won't grow new capillaries, but can train your body to avoid vasoconstriction.

http://www.utahbikiniteam.com/

I climb with Sabretooths exclusively now. If you got the bucks to spend, go for the trendy stuff, but what you've got works extremely well.

quote: Originally posted by Peter Baer: the rule of thumb seems to be that you retire all the gear involved in a big whipper: the rope, the harness, the pro that held the fall, etc. I've never heard of that rule of thumb, and it makes little sense to me. The fall factor and rope dynamics (mostly affected by its diameter and manufacturer) are the relevant concerns, but I still wouldn't retire a harness, or hardware after most huge falls (recall that many gear manufacturers test their gear to half its falure rating. The stuff is quite capable of handling repeated stresses especially ones so gently applied as a fall --the elasticity of the rope eliminates many problems that would occur otherwise).Dropping hardware onto the ground is a whole other story. That kind of abuse can introduce microcracks which initiate fracture failure.With regard to your old webbing and cord, years ago DMM collected a bunch of "tat" from local cliffs in Wales and checked the tensile strength. Even the most faded piece of crap held several hundred pounds. Having said that, a friend of mine got the chop when an otherwise-sound-looking old piece of webbing failed. That stuff is cheap to replace.

Repeated exposure to cold does enhance your ability to endure it. For example, Inuit hunters and Norwegian fisherman work without gloves in sub-freezing temperatures without getting cold hands. What happens is their bodies are trained to forego vascular constriction upon exposure to cold. You can train your whole body; one of the members of Scott's antarctic expedition took "snow baths" daily, and he fared much better than his fellow expeditioners. There's a whole set of studies to verify this anectdotal data.

Valdez is just a short flight away.

cold, cold world also makes a decent pack.

quote: Originally posted by hakioawa: I've got a pair of dynafit TLT4s and Scarpa Denali XTs. The dynafits climb great, but are too soft for serious skiing, the Denail's ski great but are not too good for walking. hakioawa, if you had to buy your boots all over again, would you go for the same one, or buy another like the Dynafit TLT All Terrain or Scarpa Laser?

TEST just a test 1 2 3 . . .

quote: Originally posted by gearbot: Why can’t they put a real engine in those snowmobiles? You hear them for 1 minute and smell them for the next 15 ! The two-stroke engines don't completely burn fuel (typically, 15% is unburned and emitted in the exhaust). It's very possible to make a less noisy and more fuel efficient engine. Outboard engines have historically had the same complaints as snow-machines, but in recent years Honda came out with a line of powerful and quiet four-stroke outboards. Their reliability, fuel economy, and quietness are giving them greater market share. So far, no company is doing the same with the sleds. But, then again, the target consumer may not want a quiet, smoke-free snow-machine. Personally, I'd rather hear from a long way off that something is hurtling my way at 50-70mph. Outside of market pressure, the only way to affect change is with regulation --not going to happen since it would be misconstrued as being lefty. Just make it cool to have a clean and quiet sled, and you're set.

I get the upturned-nose bullshit from my freeheeling friends because I ride a board. They diss me because boarding is "easy". No shit, I say. And it's also a lot of fun. The deal with snowmobilers is that they spend money --lots of it. And having them around helps out snow-machine dealers, restaurants, hotels, gas-stations and the whole county tax-base. They're not going away without a fight. So why not join them with the goal of having some trails groomed to accomodate skate-skiers too. my rant's over.

I live in an area with over 350 miles of groomed snow-machine trails. There's also a large population of "backcountry" skiers who use the groomed trails for access and exercise. I overheard some snowmobilers talking a few seasons ago, and their comments were enlightening. With regard to skiers, they said that "they always seem to be right in the middle of the trail when you come up to them." And skiers always complain about the noise and oil smoke. But both groups are out to enjoy the scenery and snow. Irony. These groups would be an even more powerful lobby to the relevant Goverment agencies if they combined forces.

quote: Originally posted by brody0: thanks for everyones input. it's still too warm to form, but i'll be lookin out for ice up 542. i hear banks lake isn't rockin rock, that's a bummer. anyone have info on iceclimb.com? they seem to have a nice setup for looking at 30 day temps for different ice spots. I have all the info on iceclimb.com What's your question?

max, I like the picture of the top of the fourth pitch of Warpaint. That's a great route, too. Chuck, the Sheepshead has routes up to ten pitches in length. Absinthe of Mallet is the best, IMO, and is nine pitches long. I lived in Tucson for six years, and have lots of ideas for routes to climb there. email me for beta. Red Rocks is frustratingly crowded in the spring, but there's much more socializing potential. March can be good for J-tree, but it's often very windy during that month.