fishstick

I'm also old and fat... I've used a rock exotica microscender for TRing for years. No rope damage thanks to a very smooth cam. It'll slip if something huge happens. I guess they're now made by Petzl? GB

Sorry. Went in low where views of it are limited. Also no camera... GB

Boulder by far. An overlooked aspect of Boulder is the length the ice season. From mid October until the end of April, there's always something to scratch in RMNP (30 miles away). Boulder is also usually warm during daytime hours in the winter. We cragged Christmas day 2005 at 24C. It does lack alpine terrain, but the quality and nature of the rock makes up for it. And you can jump on something in the park during winter and experience that wind... Although not climbing, it also has the best road cycling (terrain and length of season) I know of. It isn't perfect, but damn I miss that place... GB

Trailhead is free of snow. 2cm of fresh snow at glacier. Recent cold temperatures on the glacier have significantly increased the hardness of the ice in areas in areas shaded all day. Features getting any amount sun are in good condition. Snow has drifted into many slots with coverage of several feet in tight ones - watch what you're walking on. All creek crossing very slick, as are sections of the upper trail. Ski poles are recommended. Anti-bottes too is you're exploring. Overall it's fantastic. Travel in the icefall is still pretty easy, just more serious than a couple of weeks ago. The snow makes everything feel real. Expect a few chunks in the face on the steep stuff.

They're expensive, but I find Gore-Tex socks worn over light wool socks to work quite well. They keep your feet much drier than neoprene booties, and unlike booties, provide easy access to velcro straps and buckles. Good luck! GB

I have used the summit gtx, but for primarily in summer and fall. Think of them as a jack-of-all-trades climbing boot. They don't stand out as unusually good on any particular terrain, but they don't suck on anything either. I day-tripped something like 6800ft out of the box and didn't even need to adust the laces. Fit is reasonably roomy but not excessively wide. Very, very durable (possibly the best I've encountered). Killer sole material is very durable yet grippy. Also very, very comfortable (cushioning) to walk long distances in. Huge welts will keep crampons in place even after much wear. Very good DWR. Somewhat flexible - the boots suit granite more than limestone. I've used them on ice but with M10s to stiffen the package and add punch. Bulky for precision rock work (Charmoz or Triolet nicer), but they still work well. I haven't used Alphas, but I don't think the Summit would be as warm. In fall I could feel cold through the soles on ice. Not as warm as Nepal Extremes. They might be a nice March option in the CDN rockies, but I'd want more thermo for colder stuff. Overall, the Summit is a boot I would recomend strongly to someone doing serious all-round mountaineering, guiding etc. Unusually high quality. Personally I don't personally see it as a good waterfall or ruth gorge option. GB

Great effort! In my limited experience, the morning view of Queen Bess from the Niut range is one of the best sights in the entire range. GB

The bigger the boot, the bigger the problem. Subtle work with a disc grinder on the side of the front welts might work, but there may be a secondary issue to consider. Sabretooth crampons are quite asymmetric (curved inwards) while Koflach shells are quite straight. The result is that the front points might stick wierdly inwards, which makes it hard to transmit power when you really need it. The only solution would seem to be non-asymm connector bars, but I don't know if BD makes them. That said, I think welt grinding is necessary from about size 9 and up. Cheers, GB

Scarpa Charmoz or Triolet. GB

I think threaten is the wrong way to go about it. Start by being reasonable (but firm) and ask for an explanation including if the work done was normal procedure on all 60,000k checks. Get that in writing. If they are unresponsive to your concerns (blow you off) and you you're certain you're being dicked around (get a second and possibly third opinion within the industry), write the Squamish Chamber of commerce and explain your position. They're all going to know one another and it's going to be a matter of embarrassment for the dealer. The line you want to take is you supported local business but they're failing to support you. Cc three of four members. If going to Ford of Canada, explain (politely) that you believe in supporting the North American industry, but you're questioning why. The most lethal weapon you have (to be used later) is the one you're already using - the net. By arranging your syntax on a site that links any web search for the dealer with your issue, you become a very large pain in the ass. It might not get you money, but it'll make them pretty unhappy. But I stress, make ABSOLUTELY SURE you are in fact being dicked around. I've seen a bunch of strange shit that most wouldn't believe.

From what I gather, the bridge crossing the Hurley (immediately after pulling off the main road) is out. Mtn bikes or walking is necessary. I'm unsure what the water level is like at that crossing... Given high levels of snow pack and temps of 36C in Pemberton, the Hurley might be running high. Check Matt Gunn's site and/or his scramble guide to SW BC. Cheers, GB

Could it be that you got some funky sunscreen in your eye? I had snow blindness in the past. Sticky, painful, open blisters formed on my eyeballs that stuck to my eyelids when my eyes were closed. With eyes open, even very slight amounts of light were like staring at the sun. It's incredibly painful and in my case, lasts a number of days. I hope your eye feels better soon. GB

MEC does medium and expedition weight underwear in zip crotch, plus the slipstream powerstretch pant (fleece with some of the qualities of softshell + warmth) and the Synergy (formerly Shield) gore bib. Zip crotch softshell bibs (composites and pamirs) were disc'ed due to lack of demand. The former was just killer for real conditions. That said, having owned 3 one piece suits, 3 sets of gore bibs and 2 softshell bibs with zip crothches, I avoid using the feature unless conditions are horrendous. Make sure your footing and aim are perfect; it's a very small gap and shit happens. GB

You're looking for self-vulcanizing rubber tape. You can buy it in various hardware stores, but it varies in quality quite a bit. I think this is exactly what is used on Nomics. In Canada, Canadian Tire sells a brand in yellow packaging that is good. Like almost all self-vulcanizing tapes, it has an obvious white backer that must be peeled off before applying. The tape itself is not sticky, but it bonds to shafts (and especially to itself) when stretched. I had trouble getting quality stuff in the US (at least in Boulder). Several people suggested Silicone "Fusion Tape", but the stuff begins to shred after a day of use. Perhaps it might be better suited for upper shaft use... Just don't get it near crampons. Regardless, look for RUBBER tape. Add a rap of electrical tape at the top and bottom of the covered area to keep things from trying to unwind. The directions may claim this isn't necessary, but they're wrong for this application. The tape will begin to break down after a season or two (it becomes very sticky and soft). Simply replace. Avoid hockey tape. GB

I haven't seen it this year, but to me Gibralter just isn't a March route. We "tried" the thing in the first week of March once and as we unloaded the truck, most of the right hand route fell off. It wasn't oddly warm or anything; we climbed everywhere else for another month. GB

I haven't used the explore, but own pure's and quite like them. Pros are light weight, compact size, compact brakes (they fold inwards) and ease of use. Cons are they're a bit hard to step into thanks to stiff brakes and they might take a bit less abuse (theory) crashing hard while in tour mode. Keep in mind when comparing weights and costs that Pures come with brakes. Also keep in mind the optional crampon is only 78mm wide. The pures took a little bit of getting used to, but now fritchi options seem HUGE (like un-aesthetic), as do 555s. When purchasing my pures, explores were my other option. If I had to do it again tomorrow, pures would win again. The thought regarding the binding "shrinking" in tour mode makes no sense. Cheers, GB

Look under product news at the site below. There are carbon versions of both Matrix tools, plus a carbon-esque competition tool based on the X monster. http://www.grivel.com/ GB

It would be interesting to know when the quote was made. In the old days (pre-able to hand place BD screws) the statement would seem bang-on. Twisting screws in with a tool just took way too much effort. To roughly quote a friend (who posts here) after I asked him how many screws he put into Carlsberg: "two, cuz I didn't have the guns to place three." Personally, I think the most I've ever placed would be 10, but several of those were equalized due to concern about ice quality. GB

See Mountain project link below. Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder has pretty good beta. RMNP stuff in Loch Vale and Glacier gorge will be in, with exceptions of necro (early season) and womb with a view (late season). Routes below Broadway (diamond) will likely not be in (early season). Vail should be in but expect crowds. All of this is a guess based on two seasons in the area. http://www.mountainproject.com/scripts/W...amp;filter=COND Cheers, GB

I'm unsure who you spoke with at MEC, but it might be worth phoning them and asking to speak to Bryan about it. He knows the technology exceptionally well and has used it (heavily) in the BC since it appeared in North America. Expect a detailed, no shit, tell it like it is version of performance expectation and limitation. He knows binding technology better than most of us know our spouses. GB

The season ends when the snow gets too deep to be practical. At around that time the ice becomes very hard and brittle and quality becomes an issue anyway. Usually the end of the serac season is roughly the first day of the BC ski season (not counting skiing super-high or on old snow). So climbing is a go until the first big storm of the fall. I think of each weekend of climbing in November as a bonus. Climbing beyond the 15th is very rare. Getting to the parking lot late in the season will often require a 4X4 or at least chains. The road got snow below 2000 feet Sunday, so in the least I would expect some sections to be icy. The parking lot is something like 3400 feet. Note that one of the joys of the Baker thing is that the seracs in question are below the firn (snow) line. Travel in late summer and early fall is dead easy - slots are open and hazards are easily assessed. Add a bit of fresh snow and the situation changes remarkably. Some of the best areas are accessed through areas of micro-slots and long stemming sessions over slots and features. Fresh snow covers small slots and accumulates in the bottom of features hiding what may in fact be a very serious hole. Another somewhat unique problem is frozen puddles. Rain last week combined with frozen drainage systems produced a number of big puddles on the glacier. Some are over 6 feet deep and at least one must be close to 15 feet across. They started to freeze over Sunday, so any blowing or fresh snow will hide their relatively thin shell of ice. Beware of unusually flat spots on the glacier, especially in slots. GB

Re: Conditions. Saturday and Sunday were very different. Saturday was warm and sunny with rather plastic ice. Some dinner plates, but not the monsters that seem to show up late in the fall. Essentially zero snow on the glacier. Sunday was quite a bit cooler (-5C). Ice firmed up noticably overnight to the point that it often required a firm kick to get a bomber platform with M10s. The ice was dinner plating, but still nothing huge. Perhaps 4 inches of snow fell during the day then got moved around by wind. Navigation through complex areas got problematic by mid-afternoon. Stable weather condition now should improve the latter. Rain would help. Snow of course will make things more awkward. If the snow remains it will tend to draw moisture out of the ice increasing dinner plates. Minor amounts of rain will add heat to the ice and make conditions easier. The big slots below Mirkwood haven't really materialized in a manner like 2001. That year, it was possible to drop a rope 40m over a vertical to overhanging wall. Such slots might be there, but access to them is blocked by smaller, less steep units. At least that was the case in mid-August. While there is talk that there is less to choose from this year, some quality terrain exists. I've been swinging sticks down there for over 10 years and one of my favorite routes of the whole period is just sitting in front of people's eyes as they walk past. As mentioned above, terrain in the sun will be in better shape under this weather. All summer long the key is to pursue the shade, but as temps crash and the plates get really big, go higher. GB

There is certainly alpine ice within a day or a day and a half of Vancouver. Much of the info on such is by word of mouth or acquired through mileage in the hills. Alpine Select, while a great book, tends to be somewhat rock-centric. The photos in the book however offer hints as to what's out there. Fairly's book in my mind is no longer a good investment. Your money would be better spent on Gunn's scrambling guide to SW BC. The latter is vastly more up to date on approach info (critical on the Coast as it changes with logging plans) and has photos (beta). Travel super-light, hammer up some of his high points and look around. There's a world of white out there that can't be seen from the roads below. Gunn's scrambles also cover some intriguing areas off the common climbing radar. Another book investment that I'd recommend is the "Backroad Mapbook" published by Mussio Ventures. It's painfully expensive at 40.00, but it provides a clear understanding of where stuff is in our complex landscape. Overall, the alpine ice here is harder to see and somewhat harder to get to than the CDN Rockies or the Sierras, but it isn’t nearly as bad as some suggest. I’d recommend figuring stuff out by starting with routes that have reasonable trail access. The normal season is rather short. September and October seem to offer prime alpine ice conditions. November rains quickly dump a meter of snow in the mtns and serve as a reminder that it’s time to go skiing. GB

The alpine ice in SW BC is just coming in now. Many options, but often you have to cross glaciers. Check out "Alpine Select , climbs in Southwest British Columbia and Northern Washington", by Kevin McLane. Don Serl (don_serl) on this site is VERY knowledgeable about conditions in BC and will likely know options closer to your neck of the woods. Try PMing him. Conditions will seem very different from the Sierras, but at the same time the PNW will likely offer more of a feeling of wilderness. Don't give up if the situation initially seems problematic. The stuff is out there, but local knowledge will help greatly. Must run. GB

Maybe get the harness that works with your primary alpine pack... For years I used a harness with gear racks that faced downward from the bottom. It worked great with hipbelts that seat above or well below the harness. Right now I have two packs that have hipbelts that cover the bottom third of a harness. Those racks don't work. An Alpine bod with its centrally placed racks cured the problem. Don't just think of comfort or weight, but rather the interrelationship between your harness and the rest of your gear. That said, a belay loop is a nice to have when harness visibility is an issue. GB