fishstick

Well done! A great description of a great day in the hills. GB

I haven't used them but suspect that the Asolo Nanga GV might work very well. I own the non-welted Sherpa GV and found them to be exceptionally comfortable out of the box and very durable. GB

Answering your question in detail would require a reply the length of a small novel. There's a number of different ways of approaching the problem, most of which have gotten more confusing with clothing advancements introduced in 2011. You're asking for lots of air permeability AND water resistance; these two characteristics are generally considered to be going in opposite directions on the performance continuum. My short answer, also being a person who generates a bunch of heat while touring, is to supplement your layers with a light-weight, unlined stretch-woven jacket like the MEC kinetic. It won't work in prolonged rain but it looks like you're carrying a hard-shell anyways. Think of the stretch woven as being a softSHELL. It isn't warm on its own but you can dial in your thermal needs by layering underneath. A second option worth considering is the Patagonia Knifeblade. It's a very different solution. It's an unlined soft-shell constructed like a hard-shell. It breathes much, much better than hard-shells but still offers enough water and wind resistance to replace the hard-shell on most trips. Seams are not taped so in theory it can leak when conditions go monsoon. Breathability rates are about 1/10 of the Kinetic but 12 to 20 X greater than the best of last year's hard-shells. The problem is going to be smoothly transitioning from multiple layers sans shell to wearing the shell. You might have to remove a layer for up-tracking... All of this said there's no correct answer but I will say that the new (2011) fabrics are a paradigm shift.

It's pretty simple really. You get to climb in notoriously condition-dependent areas while enjoying the rare benefit of the very best of local knowledge. More importantly you get to share ideas with, learn from and drink with some of the very best winter climbers on the planet. It's about opening up your mind. GB

The Petzls fit other BD harnesses so I assume that they'd work on the Couloir. It's a tight fit and they're awkward to remove (a rib of plastic tends to hook the fabric keeper) but they're more stable and hold an extra screw due to their larger size. I tried one and then replaced all of my BDs.

The screws will self-thread into the hollow rivets. This should take some effort but if the screw absolutely stalls before bottoming out then the inside of the rivet may need to be very carefully cleaned up with a drill of the same dimension (or slightly smaller) of the hole. Once complete the system has proven to be surprising bombproof if not liberating over several years of use. Good luck! GB

Drive about 1 kilometer east beyond the hamlet of Glacier. Turn RIGHT on Glacier creek road. Follow the road for about 10 or 15 minutes until you get to the one and only obvious parking lot 300m beyond a sign advising the need for forest passes at trailheads. The trail takes a bit over an hour to get to the campsite on the moraine. Take ski poles for the last two creek crossings. Cheers, GB

Dane, You're really going to smile when you see the new Nomic... GB

Ah, you might want to check where your BD and Osprey packs are made...

Climb-wise, are you looking for a summit, ice or rock? How hard? With the realization that I'm 2450ks away, I suspect rock routes on sunny aspects of the Flatirons and Boulder canyon should be very climbable after mid-morning. In the winter Boulder tends to be cool at night, but surprisingly warm during the day. In terms of ice, drive north to Estes Park (maybe 60ks) and continue into RMNP to the parking lot for glacier gorge. Follow well-beaten snowshoe paths to either Loch Vale or Glacier Gorge. The latter would likely be less crowded. More info here: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/colorado/co_ice__mixed/rmnp__mixedice/105744515 Also look here: http://climbinglife.com/ An easy walk-up summit with a view might be something like Lady Washington, also in RMNP. Park at the Long's peak trail head. The area above treeline gets incredibly wind blown. Re: Skiing in the Front Range. Compared to the Coast or Cascades, skiing around Boulder is brutal. It's too windy and has far too little snow. I hope that helps! Cheers, GB

Sat phones may have problems as well. There was a case in the West Kootenays (BC) last winter where a Sat phone was used to request assistance following a serious injury in an avalanche. From what I gather, provincial authorities refused to take the call because their call display indicated an 011 (overseas) area code. Local RCMP thought the call was a hoax for similar reasons. Eventually the Sat user called their employer, who then called the RCMP and had to convince them that the previous call was real. A helicopter picked the victim up just before dark; it was questionable if they would have survived the night. GB

The three partners deserve an incredibly swift kick in the nuts. GB

Thanks for the information and sharing your thoughts on the east face, SE ridge and block tower area; it's all very much appreciated. I agree the approach is a bit long, but it's just a case of walking (or riding) rather than battling bush, bugs and rivers. That said, the winter approach via the same has a pretty high suck factor. Cheers, GB

Nice TR and images. I've been wondering about that East side of North Twin Sister for a bunch of years, but have tended to lack the ambition to poke my nose around the corner after doing other lines. Do you think it might be fun after an initial fall/early winter storm or two? Cheers, GB

I've gotta ask... Why not Baker? It's an easier and shorter drive, shorter and easier approach, has much higher quality ice and most importantly, it has 500X more boulder problems than any other local (Vancouver) option. If you look beyond the limits of top roping, the place is like a frozen Fontainebleau. Not all the routes are in shape at any given time, but unless it's unseasonably hot, you can always find quality terrain between August and the beginning of November. Cheers, GB