fishstick

Hi Neri, Agreed with a longer rope suggestion. My suggestion would be buy a 60 now and save buying it later. You'll eventually own a shorter rope serendipitously after knocking holes in one of your's or your friend's 60s. Even with a 60 meter rope, your tie in points are only roughly 4 "big arm lengths" per person off center to allow for a drop loop system of crevasse rescue, which is about the only method one person can aid another individual out of a slot. GB [This message has been edited by fishstick (edited 08-02-2001).]

On softer or more aerated ice the Fly works surprisingly well. It actually reminds me of a quasar sans weight kit. On really hard ice I found it took quite a few swings to get a placement that still felt less secure than many other tools. Less eloquent users suggested it sucked. It makes sense in my mind to get something that works in all conditions. Granted alpine ice is generally low angled, but when you're 30 or 40 metes out from your last screw, fighting for your life to get a good stick, saving a few dollars might not seem to have been the best or safest idea. I'm also not convinced that the head will take the abuse that other tools will. Mixed climbing in a mountain environment is probably much harder on a tool than M style dry tooling. At 170 odd dollars the Fly is a great price, one of about 3 at that price level.

I'm in a bit of a shit disturbing mood here so I've got to ask a question: Have any of you Fly fans actually swung one on HARD (texture wise) alpine ice? Bet not. GB

Re: Evolution picks. Although I haven't tried them in the mountains, I think I'd use Evolutions over Goulottes for Alpine ice routes. The increased confidence they inspire, not to mention the increased speed and efficiency, would seem to make the risk of pick damage acceptable. I'd carry a spare pick until getting a number of alpine routes under them, or until getting a "feel" for their durability in the mountains. I'd also carry a third tool if soloing anything biggish with evolutions. Note however I said "ice routes". From what I gather they don't hold up to well on mixed terrain where you're placing them in iced cracks, or unexpectedly thin ice covered in snow where you've got the power still dialed up. A friend tried them in Scotland and snapped his evolution on the first swing. He's worn out 80 (eighty!) goulottes without breakage. Re: Legs in Vancouver. Whistler's leg selection is too watered down with unfit tourists. Cheers

Try Stone Hill Montana. Go South on highway 93 from Radium BC (on the way home from Banff) to Eureka Montana (5 miles South of the border). Turn right at the intersection at the North end of town. Drive for 25 minutes or so until you see a very large bridge crossing lake Kocanusa. Stay left at the intersection leading to the bridge and continue South for about three miles. If in doubt, you're not there. Climbing is similar to Skaha, but with few crowds, free camping, lots of swimming in the lakes and an overall laid back attitude about the place. Pure fun. Vast amounts of potential in the area. Heard there's bolts there now, but we found RP's very useful. The weather is usually much better there than Banff.

Without a doubt my number one choice would be the Simond Piranha. For some strange reason they get some poor magazine reviews, but having talked to a reviewer or two, I've found the requirements for that job don't exactly include intelligence or integrity. I like the Piranha because it's got a brilliant pick, a plungeable bent shaft, a comfortable head for canne position, it's easily field maintainable and has a huge adze for climbing snow. The latter is a big benefit on the West Coast It also has a natural swing and enough heft to deal with super hard ice. The problem is that I'm unsure of where to find them in North America. Given that you've already got Quasars, I'd strongly consider Axars as a second choice. Axars take the same picks, bolts and wrenches which keeps your spares kit smaller and cheaper. Axars don't have the snappy punch of the Quasar however. They also have a medium sized adze. Bummer. The Pulasar's pick angle is very steep for alpine ice. The snap required at the end of each swing costs reach, which may seem minor until you're on a 1000 meter ice face. As said in another posting, the head (like the Axar/Quasar) isn't comfortable in canne. The hammers of all three models are so small they fall through the gear loops of almost all harnesses. If you're used to the performance of a Quasar, you'll find the Fly disheartening. The BIG bulge on the top of the pick is also going to remind you of it's presence each time you plunge the thing as your heels go out from under you. The BD tools with replaceable adze (bigger adze than the shrike) all work. You might have to lob the knuckle protector off the spike of the rage. Rages have great heft for long ice routes (keep in mind that on alpine ice, being lower angled, the acceleration phase of the swing is downward. Heft is good). I've never figured out why people get a woody over the Grivel tools with Goulotte picks. The picks are incredibly strong, but they just don't seem to stick in hard steep ice. I'd give them a 7.0 on the scary scale. Overall I'd recommend looking for tools with the following: A big adze, a head with a clipping point that can be unclipped with one hand, clipable spike, a shaft without a massive spike or bulge on the end that would limit plunging, a shaft that's curved in a manner that it plunged in snow easily (avoid shafts with radical curves near the bottom), and a design that allows you to use the hammer without destroying the shaft or leash attachment point. Pretty biased I realize… [This message has been edited by fishstick (edited 07-24-2001).] [This message has been edited by fishstick (edited 07-24-2001).]

For the most part the climbing down there is pretty brutal this time of year. The glacier has opened up enough to navigate relatively easy if coming in from below, but the conventional upper approach to the lower Coleman is problematic (two weeks ago). The big issue however is ice quality. Early in the season (now) most of the ice on the lower Coleman is very flaky and aerated. Even Twiggy could slam a tool in right to the weight kits on her first try. The flaky stuff is too deep to clean for placements so shearing tools is a big concern on steep stuff and blowing crampon placements is a concern everywhere else. The exception (sometimes) to the bad ice rule is very overhung, permanently shaded seracs or slots. The climbing begins to improve (especially in the morning on shaded problems) in mid August, gets quiet good on cool September days and is exceptional in early October. Late October and November (if snow allows the latter) the ice becomes brittle (far more so than almost any waterfall on the planet). On a side note, beware of the ravens in the area. In some twisted form of evolution, the local birds (or at least two of them) can and will, open zippers on abandoned packs and spill their contents across the glacier. GB

Related food for thought http://www.xmission.com/~tmoyer/testing/High_Strength_Cord.pdf

Having thought about it some more, I would not use 6mm to rap except with the system I described in an earlier posting (using the clove hitch/biner). I'd be too scared of cutting it with rock or destroying it with high impact dinner plates. If you chose to go with 6mm, just buy it off the spool at your local shop. Mammut should be fine. Another system I've used a bit is a small single/small ½ rope combo. It weighs more than two 1/2 ropes or your small single/ 6mm combo, but it has some practical benefits. First and foremost I'm on somewhat of a budget. I can go out and buy a pair 60 or 70 meter ½ ropes, but I still want to own a 60 or 70 meter single. Buying only one ½ rope and the single saves perhaps 140.00 CDN (guess). Tie into both strands when climbing, but clip primarily the single (clipping both strands gives a high impact force in this case unless using beal ropes)(they also have very different stretch characteristics) as long as rope drag isn't a huge issue. Clip the half rope strand (only) on bad pieces to lower impact force, or cut rope drag, or protect your second on traverses. In a sense this blend of ropes offers the benefits of both double and single rope systems. Remember that when using uneven sized ropes, the second individual to rappel should always check that the ropes haven't "migrated" to uneven lengths due to uneven friction on the initial climber's rappel device. The total amount of rope movement may not prove troublesome for the first climber, but the cumulative effects after two or three climbers rap from a station could prove fatal. I hope this helps!

Using conventional rap methods, I'd be very concerned about cutting a 6 on rock edges or with rock fall. Having sliced both strands of a pair of 8.5s in the former manner, I think a 6 would have proved fatal in my case. If you're rapping purely on ice, it might work. I do use a 5/8.5mm rap combo for soloing waterfalls. Tie a clove hitch about a meter from the end of the 8.5 and put a small locking biner through it. The idea is to feed the opposite end through the anchor until the clovehitch/biner jams against it, then clip that strand with the biner (and lock it). Tie the 5mm cord to the short end of the 8.5, but toss it via a throw bag or carry it in a fanny pack, feeding as you rap, otherwise the 5mm will tangle instantly. Rap strictly on the 8.5 single, but pull it down using the 5mm. Do not weight the 5 except for pulling the single. Note that the system is prone to snagging in trees and blocks. It works OK on pure ice raps or as a very light weight and inexpensive (737 grams for 50 meters)"just in case system" when climbing on a single rope. It can be time consuming re-loading the throw bag on long routes. Be very careful to test it before weighting it in the real world. Caveat emptor!

Don't mix step-in crampons with boots that flex. It's frenching on low angle stuff that knocks crampons off, not front pointing. To my knowledge, the moraines are too soft. The Grivel lanier system works brilliantly with everything except big boots with thick toes. At that point the front plastic bit starts to get very close to the impact zone (ie. they're going to get the crap kicked out of them).

Would anyone out there know the snow volumes or conditions on Sahale arm at the moment?

Keeping in mind that Schoeller comes in various weights (and that Powershield might about to), they excel at slightly different things. Schoeller might be considered better for all round use as it can be worn in warmer weather which makes it suitable for summer alpine climbing and buggy approaches. It's tough enough for bushwacking, but still won't last too many seasons for hard industrial use. Combined with medium weight underwear they work well for three season alpine climbing and winter ice climbing in friendly weather (without a Gore shell). If you can only afford one pair of pants and climb in the summer, go with Schoeller. Powershield is too warm for summer use. I've heard it described as industrial strength lycra with a light fleece laminated to the inside, which isn't that far off. Its quite bulky, so Powershield works on trips where it's on your body rather than in your pack. Powershield alone isn't as warm as stretch 200 under a Gore shell when standing around. Add medium weight long johns to Powershield and it's warm enough for most ice climbing on the coast. For quite cold or very stormy conditions, a Gore shell will still make life much more pleasant. The outer fabric of Powershield dries pretty quickly, but if you get the pants really wet on a long ski trip, they can be a bit uncomfortable for a while. A funny thing about Powershield is that it seems to form to your body. An initial firm fit seems to relax the appropriate amount in all of the appropriate areas and stay that way even after washing. Powershield tends not to bag out after getting it wet. Schoeller does. Both fabrics in my opinion work better for pants than tops. A fleece jacket and a wind shirt seems to be the combo on the top half. Powershield is too bulky and Schoeller doesn't provide enough warmth. Malden's new shelled regulator (whatever they're going to call it) works brilliantly in tops. Not as stretchy as Powershield, but warmer. It also has superior DWR. Overall, Scholler is my preference until the average temperature drops to about 3C, at which point Powershield becomes my strong favorite. One other product worth considering if you're looking at these two, is the Sporthill Koch XC pant sold in running stores. A bit warmer than Shoeller, more compactable (but not as warm) as Powershield. They dry very quickly and like the other two options, offer enough weather resistance to keep the Gore shell in your pack the vast majority of the time. The only downfall of the XC pant is that they're a bit warm to wear purely as bug protection.

I noticed a couple of postings mentioning recent trips into the Twin Sisters range (near B'ham). I was wondering if anyone could fill me in as to any snow problems on the approach road (northern end). Normally I wouldn't be at all concerned, but melting rates in the Southern coast range seem pretty slow. Thanks in advance for any info.

I agree that Bellingham is a great place. Have spent a bunch of time in the town and expect to spend more. Excuse the wordiness, but I've got this approach for the sisters on file. I'll add a bit to the end for the north face. North Twin Sister Here's the verbal (textual) version of the directions beginning in Sumas Wash. Watch your speed limit (25 MPH on main street). TURN left at the South end of town as for Baker (speed limit now 30 MPH) (radar on these two streets 98% of the time). No more radar beyond this point. Drive to Kendall (perhaps 15-20 k). Kendall is the place with the large NEW school on the right, fire station on the left. Impossible to miss the school. TURN right at Kendall beyond the school and drive towards Bellingham. Drive for perhaps 10k. You'll pass the "North Fork" aka "The Beer Shrine" on your right after about 6 k or so (recommended beer. Pizza OK but expensive). While driving up a slight hill with a long gradual right turn, you can see the Twin Sisters to the left for a short period if the weather is very clear. A couple of K's after the hill, you'll see a small store on the left (might be called "the welcome store") with a white community hall or church beyond (next) to it. TURN left on to the paved road between the two. Drive the paved road for maybe 10 minutes (might be a bit less). After crossing what seems like a small bridge, (several K's beyond the farms with the 90 degree right then 90 degree left turns) a gravel road branches to the left at a 45 degree angle. TURN left here onto the gavel road. If you miss this turn and come to a big bridge across a river, turn around and find your road 1/4 mile or so back up the road. Follow the main logging road following instinct! The only doubtful turn is when driving along a side hill where the road forks, offering a lower downhill option to the right TURN right onto the lower (and more traveled option). You'll cross a curved concrete bridge and 5 minutes later come to a yellow metal bridge that is probably gated. PARK here. Ride up the road following the most obvious forks. The main option is a fork after only 5 minutes or so (gated), stay left on the main road. After 35minutes of walking (maybe 26-28 minutes on a bike) you'll cross a creek that has visibly yellow coloured water. 6-8 minutes above that you'll see a side road branching to the right. Next to the side road on its left side is a pile of gravel. TURN right onto the side road. After 5-8 minutes you'll come to an area where the road is blocked by large boulders (shortly after a great campsite on the right). No boulders = wrong road! Follow the road beyond the boulders. Eventually cross a creek and continue to follow the main road (stay left at any options). North Twin will be clearly visible as you ride through the clear cuts. When almost directly below North Twin, the road in the clearcut hits a high point and begin to drop. 100 meters beyond the high point a rather bushy skid road (with cairn) branches to the left. Rather hard to notice. TURN left up the skid road and follow main road. If memory serves correct you'll switch back to the left, then eventually to the right. Several minutes above the second (right) switchback a rather unexpected switchback/fork appears to the left. TURN left and follow this branch, eventually doing a switchback to the right and going into a logging landing (open level spot) several hundred meters later. The trail to the West Ridge begins here on the ridge crest. Walking times are generally 2-2 1/2 hours to this point from the car, so around 10K. **For the North face you have two options. From the final switchback prior to the logging landing, go straight towards the trees, ease right and maintain (or build) a bit of altitude until it's very obvious that you should ease left and cross a small creek. Slopes open up and that point and route is very obvious. Note that small slides from the North slope of the lower West ridge can tag this area. I've also wondered if it would be quicker to do the north face approach by following the West ridge train from the landing until it breaks out of the trees above (15 minutes). This requires a bit of elevation loss but might be more fun to ski. Both options would work. Enjoy your trip!

Thanks for the feedback. Re: Crazy carpets. Frisbees are better from a multifuctional point of view. Re: Bouldering. Agreed, but try the stuff in the basin between the main peaks. Big grin factor. Re: The area. Everyone seems to head for North Twin's west ridge. I strongly recomend the West ridge of South as well. If you gain the ridge very low, it offers at least double the scrambling mileage of North Twin, at a similar grade. Once again, thanks.

I've used a soloist and found the rope drag and inability to traverse exceptionally frustrating. The knowledge that it will only catch certain falls also tends to limit your confidence when really pushing. Don't buy one. I also used a soloaid until somebody decided to break into my home and rid me of my entire rack. Although it must be hand fed, I could actually free climb harder because you can traverse and deep down know it's going to catch a head first screamer. My primary criticism of the soloaid is the outcome of a fall while hand feeding. Your fingers would just get shredded. I used a loop of 4mm cord (NOT larger) around the rope just above the cam on the load side. If you needed slack in a panic, pull the cord. Larger cord will compromise its ability to hold falls. Finally, I also adjusted a GriGri by drilling the hole and filing off the v shaped flap as mentioned in a posting above. Quite frankly, a French guy very closely associated with a French manufacturer of caving and climbing equipment suggested the modification. Total death on a stick. When the GriGri is used in that configuration (with a chest harness), a fall with the rope feeding to the climbers right will cause the rope to load across the knife edge like piece of metal leading up to the handle. My fall was relatively small, but I walked away cursing myself for being so stupid as to not realize that possibility in the first place. I haven't used the silent partner (due to cost), but it would be my first choice. Note however that the SP is said not to work below freezing. I'm unsure if the clutch fails or it hates frozen ropes. Guess you'd have to ask Wren or Mark Blanchard.

Unsure if you've gone out and bought the snow pants yet, but I thought it might be useful to consider a basic paradigm shift in outdoor layering systems. In the past layering was considered the norm with the outer shell (snow pants) worn the majority of the time because the fleece lacked wind and moisture resistance. With the increasing availability of fabrics like Shoeller, Malden Power Shield (not to be confused with power stretch) and shelled Regulator, conventional outer shell pants spend 95% of their time in your pack where they belong. These new fabrics offer enough wind and moisture resistance to hike, climb, backcountry ski, and downhill ski without an outer shell as long as it's not super cold, super windy or puking wet snow. What I'm getting at is that you should ponder your other layers prior to buying the pants. Pants made out of the fabrics above are expensive, but if you already own or are pondering purchasing such, then the actual use you'll get out of your outershell is vastly diminished. Given that your "Gore" pants are going to spend most of their time in your pack, weight and bulk become a bigger factor, not to mention cost. The real benefit of getting away from the conventional fleece/gore layering system is increased performance. Each layer added to your legs increases weight to be lifted with each high step, and creates a friction interface between layers. Unless the cut of the outershell is brilliant, it contributes the highest amount of friction. You'd never ponder wearing gore pants or bibs in a marathon, but you can trail run and climb ice in a pair of Shoeller tights. Spend 12 hours moving continuously while wearing powershield in the winter and you'll never want to wear a shell again (unless of course the weather is REALLY burly). If you're really after snow pants, three layer Gore Tex XCR is brilliant. It's very breathable in relative terms and and worth the cost if you're wearing them a lot. Regarding the pants vs bibs question, I'd say pants with a fly for summer, bibs with a drop seat or 1 piece suit for winter. Get side zips, but make sure that the pulls don't interfere with your harness or hipbelt. Internal gaitors work for skiing, but add weight To the system if you're wearing conventional 30.00 gaitors in an effort to stop your rambos from shredding your 300.00 pants. Waterproof zippers save weight and increase ventilation by eliminating velcro flaps. In theory they're easier to fumble around with mitts on, but in reality they can be a total bitch to operate due to friction. Ponder what you're really using the pants for as well. Wet approaches on trails or general snow travel isn't too hard on things and lightweight is the way to go. Scottish mixed or going 12 rounds with Devil's club demands stronger materials (and weight). Look for brilliant knee articulation. Fabric bunching at the knee above a gaitor is also worth avoiding as it tends to catch crampons on steep sketchy terrain. Hope this helps.

I met a guy 3 or 4 years ago who claimed to have ridden Shuksan. Unsure of his name, but at the time I guess he was about 26 or 27 years old and lived in Glacier. My gut impression was that he knew what he was talking about.

I'd describe my Nozone as a good climbing pack, but it lacks in terms of approach comfort and ski carrying ability. Granted, mine's an old prototype, but I find the shoulder straps too narrow for the loads expected with a heavy rack and three tools. I'd also prefer a bit more room to tilt my head back. As Dru points out accessories can be added to carry skis, but who wants to fool around with such when it's just barfing slush out of the NW sky. On a positive note however, balance and construction are brilliant. I think it's worth mentioning that I know several folks who own/use both Nozones and Bora 40s (similar background to Dru). The 40 is their pack of choice despite its weight simply because it's more comfortable.