Jedi

Payaso, Since I had already worn the skin off my shins, I knew I had to bandage them and where. I shaved a ring around my legs knowing it would be ripped off anyway when i took the tape off. The small piece of gause went on the raw spot (shin bash area) and I put 2 wraps with athletic tape around each leg to hold the gause in place. The roll of tape was 2" wide. The key is, too not wrap you leg too tight. Or have the wrap loose where you will end up wth folds in the tape. No problems the rest of the trip. The Intuition custom liners rule! I still can't believe how light and warm they are. I had AMH in Anchorage fit them for me. Their boot guy (Grahm) was great and worked on the liners and Alpha's for 9 hours to get them right. Really had to bump the toe area out for my Fred Flinstone feet. No charge for that. Great shop! The liners are flat as a pair of socks. He puts them in the oven at 250 degrees. then puts them on your feet and you stick your foot in the shell. When they cool, the come out Shaped like the inside of the shell and the inside of the liner is contoured to the shape of my foot with 1 pair of Bridgedale's on. No lacing, just pop them on. No insole for me either which is unusal but the Alpha shell has an arch. No heal lift. Feel like a mid weight hiker I will never put those big clunky Inverno's on again. Jedi

JayB, see me post above. Yhe guys I talked to tried the copper wire, insulating the fuel canister among other things. The water in a bowl works the best. Worked for them on peaks in the Himilayas, South America, Europe, Moonflower Buttress on Hunter, many routes on Denali among many other mountains. I figure they had a little experience. I saw their 3500cu packs they had for the Infinite Spur of Foraker weighed all of 30 to 32 pounds. Jedi

My Scarpa Inverno's gave me some pretty bad shin bash for years. Shins usually scabbed up and tenden after a trip. I had custom liners made for my Alpha's before my trip to the Ruth. Hoping this would eliminate the shin bash. It did not. My boney, narrow shins are just not made for walking in boots. Bleeding and tender in 2 days. I took a small piece of cotton gause and athletic tape and taped both shins. Day three, I had no problems. I did wrap the tape around my leg. The hair has still not fully grown back but it got me through the trip. I guess what I am saying is that if you can find something to stick to your sweaty feet and distribute the friction, you should be good to go. Jedi

Superfly crap? Do tell! Why is the bibler better? Thanks Jedi

I talked to a couple guys who had been climbing hardcore in AK for 20 years now. They only use a Iso/Butane stove on the routes they do. No flare ups in the tent. I asked them what they did when it got cold as I tried my MSR Rapid Fire in cold conditions and the performance was not there. They said they had tried it all. The best was what Allison recommended with the water. Their variation was the bottom of a soda bottle that fits on the bottom of the fuel canister. They said to add just enough water so the bottom of the canister has water touching it. The soda bottle bottom weighes nothing and takes up no room. These guys only use 11oz of fuel a day for both of them so they have to be efficent. I have to admit, I do like the Whisperlight more than my XKG because it does fit in the pot. But the XGK is great for basecamp. Anyone have the Superfly Ascent hanging system? Jedi

Sugar is sucrose(sp?). A simple sugar that your body burns. Your body processes this sugar rapidly. That causes you body to produce insulin, to counteract the high level of sugar in you sysytem. Problem is, your body produces too much and then later you feel a little tired. In GU (and others I assume), they use Fructose which is a sugar that comes from fruit & the like. It is a "better" sugar. Does not cause as much insulin to be produced or something like that. I find on a 12 hour climb, one GU an hours works. I would like to have more but I do not want to carry any more weight than that. I use Cytomax to help retain H20 levels. One liter of Cytomax & one liter of H20 keeps me better hydrated than 2 liters of of H20. It takes 1/2 liter of H20 to digest a energy bar and only a swallow to digest the GU. Energy bars are around 250 cals or 2 1/2 GU's. Less H20 to digest the GU's. I have to have some fat at dinner after a day of GUing. "Just Plain" GU sucks but I like the rest. The "black tip" GU's are good too. Pants pocket are usually gooey after a trip with all the emtpy packets. Jedi

Man, you think it is tough to find a female climber out west? Try the southeast where it is hot and hummid. Also no great mountains to hike around on like out west. When I head out west, I always notice that a lot more people get out and cycle, run, climb, etc... This includes the number of women I see out and about. Think about it, how many guys that play basketball, soccer, football, golf, cycling, kayaking, etc... say that it is hard to find a woman that digs their sport and plays it. Maybe even plays it as well as them. A partner that you can experience your true love (climbing) with and have a relationship with. I have heard about this but have never seen it. Sounds pretty awesome. My buddy's wife, mountain bikes and has a sport bike for carving in the mountains. They get to do a lot of cool stuff together Lucky guy. Also know a guy who motorcycle road races. His girlfriend does to and she is pretty good. One perk to that is the tight leather suit she wears. Trust me, you do not want to be behind her because those tight leathers can be very distracting and you will find yourself running off the tract at 120mph. Women who enjoy hardcore sport like activities are hard to come by because it is genetics. That is fact. There are just not a great deal of them. I respect the ones here on the board. Women that are not into things as such do not really want to hear much abouth them. They want to be your main focus and knowing that climbing is......causng friction. Most of the time (not always) when you see beautiful woman hanging off the arm of a guy that is hardcore anything......is because of the fame or fortune. Just like rock stars. Granted some women like too hear about that NASCAR drivers day at the track going around in circles for 500 miles or that touchdown but most of the time I bet you could see the glaze in their eye after 5 minutes. Anyway, it's the far away look I get from my wife when she makes the mistake of asking how my latest adventure went. She just wanted to hear "it was great or it sucked". She has climbed a little but does not really care for it. My daughter is 21 months and I think it is great when i see her heal hooking her way into a tall chair or mantling up onto the dining room table. I plan on taking her climbing as soon as she is old enough. I hope that she is interested in alpine climbing. I will support anything she wants to do. Jedi

Roger, did you guys attempt the South Ridge? Beautiful peak from the south! Jedi

I am interested in hearing more about their trip Rodchester. Thanks for sharing. Jedi

If any of you guys see any BD Alpine Pants on sale anywhere anytime this summer, post it. I have been looking for a pair and can't really afford $210. Jedi

quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: ... I am sure they work fine in alpine or waterfall ice. Yeah, Mark did do they would not climb waterfall and alpine well. These crampons are made to climb all chilly mediums well. I think he was saying, that the Rambos & Rambocomps will climb steep & overhanging ice & a smiggen better. But the Rambos and Rambocomps would not work as well as the G-14's in other places. He said the ball up less than the Rambo's & Comp's also with their lower profile. Then again, I would not want to be climbing Alaskan bulletproof, 75 degree ice on a 1200' ice couloir in my Charlet Moser Black Ice crampons. I would rather have something like the G-14's. But if I am roadside cragging and planning on groveling my way small up some WI4+. I think I would rather have something like the Rambocomp's or M-10's. Either way, it should be an improvement over the Swithblades. Jedi

I talked to a fella at Grivel and asked him about the G-14. I'll try to remember some of the things he said (We got side tracked talking about the Ruth Gorge). Anyway, he said they will have a North American website up and running in a couple months with a little more detail descriptions of the crampons (and other things) than present world wide website. The G-14 should tackle 85% of what you will run into. Great all-around crampon for steep terrain and alpine conditions. But it is not going to preform as well as the Rambo's or Rambocomps on steep waterfall ice. Sounds honest to me as no crampon is going to cover all terrain and be the optimum performer in every catagory. From the description given to me, it just sounds like it is an improvement over some other all around performers. The front points: The mono is offset and and the points are interchangable. I mean that it is not like my Switchblades where you have a set of dual points and a mono point. But 2 points will cover both set ups. The fella still recommended the Rambo & Rambocomp for vertical waterfall & more difficlt mixed and the G12 for things that have more snow as the horizontal points on the G12's do better at not shearing in snow. Hope I got all the info right but I am not making any promises that I did not understand something Jedi [ 06-21-2002, 01:24 PM: Message edited by: Jedi ]

Anyone got the number for Grivel in Salt Lake? Jedi

I have a pair of Mega's that i bought too tight. Size 41. worn one day. great shape. $90 to your door in the lower 48. Unless anyone out there knows how to stretch these things. They hurt my big toe. Jedi [ 06-19-2002, 01:47 PM: Message edited by: Jedi ]

Do keep us up to date on the axes and leashes. I am pondering a new set of crampons. Switchblades have to go. Need something to help me compensate for my lack of ability and strength . I have been eyeballing a set of M10's on sale right now. I have to admit that I do not like CM's crampon straps as they do loosen throughout the day. Have not tried the one's on the M 10's Unsure about the Bionics because BD has not recalled them, yet. Robocomps look nice and I have heard great things about their "stickyness" ice. But their long secondary points sound like they make mixed/rock climbing not as enjoyable as it could be. Any experiences with these crampons guys. Jedi

Yeah, I have climbed a little ice and my post was a goof on the issue. Sarcasim comes off poorly on a computer.

Gee-wiz, I hope a new rating is not created. "This mixed route is WI 4 in January thru Febuary with leashes. BUT! It is AI 3+, M4, In March. BUT wait! It is WI3, 5.5LL,GL ( stands for LeashLess & GloveLess) with no gloves and no leashes. Then it is considered 5.10DI,LL,WLWUILBO (Dry Ice, LeashLess, WithLightWeightUnInsulatedLeatherBootsOn) in November during a low precip year when the sun was out and that wet spot was dryed up but a hold was broke where there is typical ice but if you reach 3 feet over to your right there is a side pull that some consider to be off route and down grades the whole thing to 5.2 unless the damp spot is there which changes everything. Then, if the sun is in your eye............don't EVEN get me started." What were we talking about? o-yeah, the choice is yours because you are free to do what makes you happy in this country. I am curious, about one thing. Are the tools that the leashless, non aiding, non cheating guys using straight shaft, no hook thing for fingers, velcro and or rubber grip free? Jedi

M, I would go with the Bibler Winter sack at 9oz if you are talking an altitude that rain is not a factor.

Orovox (sp?) is rumored to be making a ultra light weight bivy sack. It would be made out parachute type material ("just in case" type of bivy sack for cold conditions). Probably pack as small as a baseball and weight just a couple oz. Probably not very durable (guessing). But it would be nice to have to help keep the bag dry in the snow and keep the spin drift out. I imagine they would not be popular in the damp NW. Jedi

Yes, that was Jeff, Maddy, and Robin (father of one of the 2). Robin was running base camp. Yeah, the Canadains were there to try Reality Ridge, Alaskan grade 4+. It has only been done 4 times. The 1st carry up a 2000' couloir kinda hurt their drive (would have hurt mine, too much work). The loads were heavy (15 days of gear,food and fuel). The snow warmed quickly (mashed potatoes) and made travel tough. They then decided to try to only go to 13,200, where the technical terrain ends. Then come back down to camp. That was the plan when we last saw them. I gave them my topo for PK 11,300 so maybe they would have better luck. I bet the warm weather made traveling on double corniced & knife edged ridges "fun". It was their 1st time to AK. Rangers tried to talk them out of the attempt. Glad to hear they are safe. Super nice guys. Jedi

Ahhh, that must have been the 3 guys from Salt Lake. If it was, they made an attempt and got up above the Grey Rock bivy (upper bivy) and then came back down. Conditions were not good but it was still "doable". I talked to a guide who did it (he met Salt Lake guys on the way down) and he said they seemed a little intimidated by the route (possible reason for coming down). It took the giude 3 days to get to the summit and a day and a half to get down. This guide climbing it 15 years ago. Our 2nd attempt had us punching though crusty/rotten snow at 4am. Just not a good season but I am sure next year will be butt cold and not one good day (just the opposite) which will thwart my efforts. Just have to bring more beer. a 12 pack does not last 3 guys long on rest days while laying in the sun. Nice of Paul to fly a case in and Doritos. If you go next year, ask me about the squeeze chimney. Jedi

DRU, I thought I was the only one that knew that. If going down is not bad enough, throw in being roped up into the mix and a crevasse in here or there for some spice. Drill: -Ski a little bit. -Fall. -Ski a little bit. -flip rope out of way as not to run over. -miss turn. -rope tightens. -pull guy in front down when you fall. -Ski a little bit. -crevasse coming up. -snow plow in wet snow. -cross skis. -fall. -Ski a little bit. -fall because you actually make turn and didn't fall. Excited you look up, lose concentration. I need to practice.........bad. Jedi

Sometimes the indians don't have the consitution for the route you've chosen and you have to go back the next year with another indian. Knee deep and thigh deep snow we encountered was the rotten snow. Crust on top, rotten sugary crap underneath. You need a mask and fins to swim in that stuff. My first time on AT skis in the mountains. They rule for glacier travel. I don't think I'll ever go back to shoes if I can help it. Now If I can only learn how to go down hill.

Write your congressman about global warming. We ended up bailing early because it was too hot in the Ruth Gorge and I did not bring my rock shoes and chaulk bag. Would have been a great season for rock climbing. In the area for 14 days. Never saw it dip below 15 at night. 35 at night was the norm the 2nd week there. 2 cloudy days and the rest of the time it was blue bird skies. Hot during the days. 118 in my tent one day. We had to shovel snow INTO the area around our tents because the snow was melting so much. I have never seen so many avalanches in my life. The Ruth really puts on a show. French team put 2 rock routes on Mt Dickie. one was 30 pitches, the other was 40 pitches. I heard Moonflower was REALLY lacking ice and people were not bothering. Talked to 2 guys that went in to do the Infinite Spur on Foraker and chest deep rotten snow turned them away. Rumor was rotten/melting snow on the Kahiltna made things tough for teams without skies and snowshoes. I heard stories of people with snowshoes being knee deep. Probably using MSR's without the adaptors. Heard there was a knee deep and deeper, trough leaving the airstrip heading down to the Kahiltna Good weather probably made for good summit days for those up higher. Flight Service ditched a plane on the landing strip on the 24th durning take off. Downdraft probably pushed the back of the plane down. Rear hit 1st, then a wing and it flip over on its top and slid a ways. No one was hurt luckly. The Ruth area is awesome place. Looking for partner for next year. SW Ridge of Peak 11,300, SW Ridge of Dan Beard, South Face of Huntington and Ham & Eggs are on the "to do" list for sure (not all in the same trip of course). Jedi

Always sad to read about a tragedy. We make our choices and sometimes things do not workout. I am always glad to hear that no rescuer is injured in the rescue. Jedi