Jedi

Ahhh... the XGK will finally have a flexible fuel line so it will be more packable. I just wish it had not gained 2oz. Jedi

Depends on the routes you wear them out on. On routes that are mixed that you rap off off or there is a lot of snow on the descent, you will only wear the front plate out faster. It doesn't seem like a big deal to make a few extra front plates to have available to customers (even if you have to special order them). But I don't know anything about their production either. My opinion is that the Sarken is a crampon you kinda save for those routes where weight is a big issue. But it is not an all around crampon because the front points do wear quickly (more so than on my G14's) and are not replacable. Being they are 14oz less than the G14 (with antibott plates), they are worth it, even though they are as Pabordon described, a "disposable crampon". They do climb rock well. Must be the "softer" metal. jedi

That's the place Ade, Panopticon. Bastards!

I talked to Petzl the other day. They do not. Last year, I heard they did but it is not true. If enough people complain, they might start making they available. I told them they need to re enforce the Sidelock pull thingy also. Just adding some heavy threading (like a car tire) to the rubber, might would make they more dependable. Jedi

The Univ is about the best you are gonna do. Boston Museum no longer has the neg's. They have been sent to the library above or that gallery in Boston that sells his prints for $$$$$$. I think the starting price for an 8x10 is $600 or $800. Then 11x16 are really priced high. Price go up to $8,000 for some prints (or something silly like that.) The owner said something like "It is no longer economical for us to sell the 8x10 prints to climbers for $25." Shit, I guess not if people will pay $600 for one.

ccharles & bogen: What you guys are describing is what is called a "diet", in the US. You are suppose to give it a catchy name and write a book. Watch the fad catch on and then die off after 12 months. In the meantime, you have profitted from your "incredible discovery". "A revolutionary, cutting edge way to burn fat". "The magic bullet." The rest of the world calls it "everyday life". Some scientist on the Discovery channel was saying, at the rate obesity is growing in the US, that 100% of the population in the US will be obese in 70 years. I find that hard to believe but something better change because there will never be that magic pill everyone is waiting on (as they stuff their faces). Not saying anyone here is obese and i wish no one was:(

That's what nice about being simple minded, I liked the book. Ah...the educated sound like a very tortured lot indeed. I tried a Stephen Hawkings book once but kept falling asleep and became weary of thumbing through my dictionary. Just grabbed The Dark Tower V, VI and VII (70 hrs on CD) and look forward to them on my next tent bound outting. More mindless fun.

You will need a headlamp in April & early May. The AAA led's work fine except for serious route finding. BD Zenix IQ uses 2 AA's which allows you to use Lithiums, which work better in the cold. In late April it's dark at 11pm or 11:30pm and still does not start to get light until 5am. Even the 1st week in May is dark around 4am. Jedi

Hey Griz, What happens when that warm water hits the snow under your feet? I would think it would be like making a giant pee hole. Then your partner would have to do a rescue to haul you out.

I saw his slide last weekend in Keene NY. It lasted a good 2 hours. We paid $10 to see his slide show. He has lived quite an interesting life. I find his dry humor amusing. Jedi

Bogen: I hear what you are saying but I'm not talking about an energy source while I'm climbing or on the move. I had mentioned I had picked up my cardio workouts. AND I am burning off what little fat I have, hense the weight loss (pretty ripped in a wirey way). My body must be burning my fat stores up, eh? I was saying it would be nice to have a little storage for my 3 week trip (hense the increase in cake & ice cream). I believe what Dru mentioned since I have shivered like a chiwawa(sp?) is temp's other more meaty might not shiver in. So I do go a little heavier in the clothing section. Now there might have been a little confusion. I know people who are 200lbs and all muscle. And I know more people (non climbing types) who are 200lbs who have a high body fat percentile. I would think the ones with the lower body fat percentiles would fair better carring large pack that someone with more fat. Hey...then would get into a tall vs short people. More specifically longer strides vs. shorter strides. The amount of caloires burned by a shorter person trying to keep up with someone with a longer stride and their caloric expenditure..........blabla bla... Of course it's a moot point unless the 6'4" guy is giving his 5'6" partner shit about keeping up. I gotta buddy who is 6'2 and has an ape index of 9". More efficent aid climber than I. Has a bigger rack at the end of a pitch than I do. Different body types has their advantages. I think there is an advantage to naturally being more bigger (not huge) than me as an alpine climber. More muscular to offset the weight of the average pack (28 to 40lbs) and more muscle/protein for you body to use if it needs it.

I would like to have some fat on longer trips. I've been working my cardio getting ready for my next trip and I've become leaner than usual. Even eating all I want. Dropped from a 147lbs to 142lbs. I've weighed between 145 & 148 for over 20 years so 5 pounds is a lot. Maybe I need to eat even more cake and ice cream before bed. Carring a pack 33% of my weight is really works my traps by the end of the day. That's a 59lb for someone 180lbs. Oooo..... or a 66lb pack for you 200 pounders. You know when it's a heavy pack when you have to sit down to put it on and have trouble getting up (flash backs of the West Buttress). Or that lovely haul bag that is half you size and weight.

When looking for a partner, people have tendancy to try to impress you so you will think they are experienced. It's maybe ego or just them not wanting to to be dismissed as inexperienced. Then they themselves, think that everything will go smoothly (and everything always does in the mountains:0. The problem is, the lie(s) will be revealed, sometimes at the worst possible time. Then the person looks more incompetent that if they were honest to begin with. The ego driven individual, in my experience, is the most dangerous as they seem to hold back the truth longer. Even after it is evident they are not what they claimed to be. Roadside, it is just disappointing. In the mountains, it is disappointing and kinda dangerous.

Rhyang: That annoying "bulge" is easily fixed with a grinder. Just spray the newly exposed metal with a little paint to keep the rust at bay.

I use a Whey protein drink that more easily digested to increase protein intake. After a long endurance workout or day of climbing, I usually try to consume a serving of Endurox R4 for recovery. As stated above, a healthy diet and a daily multi-vitamin. Remarkably what correctly hydrating yourself will do before, during and after physical efforts will do for you. Nutrient timing is important also. No magic bullet but many smaller things can make a significant difference. Also, what works for some does not always work for others.

hehehehe. I thought someone wanted to know about the condition of MY "tool shed". But since i don't have a gut (tool shed), I can say "Good!".............I think. Or is your tool shed in good shape, the bigger it is? The down side to a large tool shed, of course, is it can block the view of your tool. It can make your tool look smaller and get in the way when..........well you are using your too The upside is your tool is less likley to be sunburned on the beach, if you are at a nude beach. The down side would be the fact you are naked in public which is bad for everyone else. On the snow, with the sun reflecting off the snow, I would recommend a high spf and not to get too carried away with the application, especially on more popular routes. I have put too much thought into tool sheds at this point and don't feel well.......please keep your tool sheds covered by the correct attire. Good day. Jedi

At first, I figured it was french climber trying to beat someone up the pitch. Then I realized if the guy in red was french, he just would have clipped the other guys' screws for pro.

I can't run because of an ankle inpengment(sp?). The most important thing is having a heart rate monitor. Keeping you heart rate in the 60% to 70% of you max HR a good bit of the time with intervals worked in. I'm kinda wimpy so I don't have trouble getting my heart rate up, doing intervals, on the flat roads I have around here. You get out of it, what you put into it. I find off road riding is harder to control your heart rate (impossible for me). Off road, for me, is just a fun day of riding since my heart rate is so high most of the time. I believe Lance Armstrong entered a mountain bike race once and said it one of the hardest events he had been in. I think he won. Off road, legs don't get much recovery time since you are either blasting up a hill, out of the saddle on the way down (unless your full suspension) or cranking away on the flats to keep your speed up. I'm always full on when I'm off road. Running or cycling could be boring I guess. I like the amount of ground you can cover on a bike. 20-30 or 40 miles. I like the idea of cycling being a low impact type of training. A good seat with a "channeled center" will keep your.......manhood working. A good pair of cycling shorts is a good idea. I have a "loud" helmet & jersey to help the idiot drivers from mowing me over. I ride the back roads but still end up on major roads. When I hear a car coming I make sure to take up the right third of the road. It forces them to give me a little space to get around me. If a car is coming the same from the opposite direction at the same time, it forces the car behind me to wait until they can pass me. If i try to squeeze onto the white line, cars & trucks unually act like I am not there, missing me by inches at times. I love training so i don't mind 1:30 hour to 2:20 hour rides. In the warmer season, i just get my ride done before my wife goes to work at 8am. But it's a little cool outside now for those morning rides. Standing up out of the saddle is a little different than when your seated. I'm just a bumbly but I've seen a couple of Chris Carmicheal's (CTS) training video's. I give's you a basic idea how to get in shape. I don't think anyone here would easily leave Lance on the road or hiking up a hill. That said, you do use different muscles while hiking uphill while wearing a pack. "core" muscles to stabilize that pack, arm muscle unsing those poles & axes and stabilizer muscles in the legs that are not used (in that fasion on a bike). My choice is biking. Then if you can get in some hiking & climbing with a modest pack for a few weeks before a big climb. Jedi

I live on the east coast.

I agree. I wish you could see the time and altitide at the same time. wtf were they thinking? Yeah, I looked on ebay for a while before getting mine a backcountry.com for the $150. I still think it is a large profile watch. But I have wrists like a 12 year old girl. Already scuffed the face on a couple endo's on downhills. Need to get the bar mount.

Forrest: I'm guessing that erewhon is fishing for experienced climbers who could very well be organizing the same trip of the same magnitute. But maybe they don't have any partners interested in the South Buttress. Between now and then, they could get in some climbing and a great partnership could be born. I'm in the same boat looking for a someone for the Cassin in 06. Hell, you can't swing a stick in the PNW without hitting alpinist. He's probably got a chance of finding interested and competent individual. Most of the one's on the east coast are in New England, 800 miles to my north. ya lucky bastards!

This winter: Lake Willoughby The Daks Spring: Some aid at Looking Glass Alaska Summer/fall: some trad Just get out more than I did this year.

The one's like Petzl makes are basically a handle of an ice axe. There is a hole for to tieing or girth hitching webbing too. They are light for a picket at around 9.5oz. Not sure what the I.D. is. It is ovel. At the same weight, I think the Yates pickets would have more surface area. The MSR's seem to have even more surface area but are heavier. I wish someone would do some side by side comparisons to see how the 3 different designs compare in strength and sheering. Logically, in loose snow, it seems the picket with biggest suface area would hold the best and be more forgiving if not placed ideally. Jedi

Used on a couple ice climbing weekends, Rainier a couple times, Denali and one Canadain Rockies trip. 7 years old, I think. Shells, regular & high altitiude liners. Taking up room in my gear closet. You pay shipping. Email me for pictures j.fitzgerald@charter.net Jedi

crazybrit: I think the Volant & Kobuk are more comparable. The Patagonia Down Parka (since it has hood)at 22oz with 8oz of fill is more comparable to the Rab at 7.8oz of fill and a total wt of 19.5oz. The F.F's Volant (without a hood) is 22oz with 8.6oz of fill. The Nunatak Kobuk, without a hood is 22oz with 10oz of fill. The best, down to jacket material, ratio I've seen. The Kobuk is in Epic or Endurance. 20oz in Petex Microlight. I think I will be looking at the Kobuk, next time I have a bunch of loose hundreds laying around. I didn't see any recently, while digging through my couch cushions looking for gas money. For thoses worried about room in your pack: I have a buddy that has the Wild things parka and a DAS. Both weigh about the same. Same size (large I think). The WT's will not fit into the DAS stuff sack. Jedi