fishstick

Wizard's Lair. Rumoured to be 2 pitch grade 5 on the road to Libby Montana. I've seen a picture and it looked quite fun. Copper Creek. First drainage to the east, on the south side of the Canadian border crossing (kingsgate)(road to Cranbrook BC). 1/2 mile south of border. Drive to end of plowed road (maybe a 1/2 mile (it's been 20 years since I was there)) and follow common sense (15 minutes) to find where Copper Creek pours out of a canyon. Obvious. One pitch. Good quality and good asthetics. Maybe 3+? If it was on the Duffey you'd need to get up at 4:00am. Zero crowds:) GB

Re: Orion I haven't used the Orion, but have quite a bit of mileage in their Sirius. The attention to detail and quality of construction of the latter is nothing short of superb. Re: Polaris. I'm unsure if they are available in the US due to fire retardancy issues. The last I heard they were not going to be legal in Canada. Try contacting Outdoor Research (the North American distributer) in Seattle. The Polaris is certainly the most interesting single-wall I've ever seen. Cheers, GB

Do you have the forged Vautour pick in the right stick? If so, it's a better pick, but it provides too-shallow a hooking angle when used with your tools (I now use Vautour tools). If your friend is interested, MEC still has Piranha picks. Re: Price. The leashes are worth nothing:) Same for the classic picks. Spare hammer is cool. The self-vulcanizing tape works perfectly on those shafts. Cheers, GB

To an extent, it depends upon which generation and what condition they're in. Are they bent or straight shafts? If bent, are they the orginals which have a very sharp bend in the bottom 1/3 of the shaft, or the more effective later generation where the bend is near the upper 1/3 mark? It sounds like they aren't the newest generation with rubber dampers in the shafts. Note though, the rubber on your tools can be replaced with self-vulcanizing rubber tape (the silicon variant is very poor). This tape is better than the factory stock rubber. What condition are the picks in? Are the bolts holding the picks in fused together, or were they lubricated? If fused, the small bolts with the number 1 on the end are going to snap. Do they have wrist leashes? If so, which ones? Are the tools green or silver? Or are they so old that they were pink or yellow? Do they have the weight kits? If they are the bent shafts with the bend in the upper third with picks in pretty good shape, I'd say 100 USD. If they are the more radical shafts, 65.00. They might convert to superb leashless tools however. Straight shafts, 80.00USD (Guy Lacelle did win the pure ice event at Ouray in 2000 using these tools)(Sorry Dru). Cheers, GB (former owner of every generation of Piranhas)

It's time for a new pack. Packs have improved a great deal in the last 25 years, and there is no way you can easily attach a modern hipbelt to your old unit. New hipbelts tend to be much more supportive, comfortable and require less tension to support a given load. They also would retail at 50.00 to 100.00, plus the fee to modify it/sew it on. Finally, packs can really improve or destroy the quality of your trip. Try looking for a swap-meet or similar type event. I saw a gregory denali pro in mint condition go for 60.00USD just a few months ago. There are lots of deals out there - you just have to look for them. Cheers, GB

See PM

Get to Glacier Washington. Perhaps a mile east (beyond) Glacier, turn right onto glacier creek road (marked). After perhaps 7 (guess) miles, there is a VERY visibile trailhead (big parking-lot with a log-house outhouse) on your left. Park. The (that) trailhead is "Heliotrope ridge". When walking up the trail, there is a subtle fork at treeline (after 40 minutes). Stay LEFT. Do not take the fork marked "climber's route". Two options exist for getting on the glacier. One is easy to find and the other works better. The easy to find one is follow the trail to the obvious moraine. On that moraine (just above trees) is an apartment-building sized rock. A trail drops from near its lower left edge onto sub-moraines, and eventually to ice. Watch for falling rock as you get to the ice. The problem with this access is that you are above much of the climbing, and have little idea what you're missing or which areas may be free of people. The better access, is through a hidden campsite several hundred meters down the moraine from the big rock. The easiest way to get to that site, is somewhat before crossing the final (fourth) creek, a small trail turns exits the main at 90 degrees to the left, as the main trail does an 80 degree turn to the right. It's on top of a small ridge (sub-moraine). Follow that trail down, across the creek and down the side of the primary moraine (super easy to follow if you nail the trail in the first place). Cut through the campsite, and locate a trail following near the moraine's CREST down the hill (not over the edge) at the campsite's lower edge. Follow. The trail will spill-out over the moraine part way down the hill and double back up towards the glacier. Head towards the mtn and remain on the moraine until it's obvious to jump on the ice. Enjoy the view. And the climbing.

Beta: Approach: 55-65 minutes to ice. Season: Aug to late Oct or Nov depending upon snow. Where: Lower Coleman glacier. Early season or intense sun, look for areas in the shade, and if the ice is soft, look for ice that is dirty (it will be better). Generally stay relatively low. Late season, if cold, the ice in the sun will be a higher quality. When Baker gets really brittle late season, it's unlike any waterfall problem you'll ever encounter. Often go high. Explore. Note: When climbing, think about what could fall over and sweep your area. It's not just what you're climbing that's a concern. Also note: If an area has numerous cracks and signs of stress on the ice, shit is happening. Go elsewhere. There are hundreds of safe problems down there. Final note: most toprope for the duration of their visit. Boulder! You will get vastly more mileage and have more fun. It's easily the most fun "bouldering park" I've ever encountered. Go there open-minded and explore possibilities. The area is super day-trip friendly. I've left Vancouver at 3:00 pm several times for a few hours of soloing before dark. GB

Alpinelite 30 std = 664g Alpinelite 30 std sans foam = 634g Alpinelite 30 std sans foam and compression straps = 586g As weighed on a postal scale. GB

Alpinelite 30 std = 664g Alpinelite 30 std sans foam = 634g Alpinelite 30 std sans foam and compression straps = 586g As weighed on a postal scale. GB

I think the weights on the web/in catalogue may be wrong (I work for MEC). I have requested that the pack be weighed as follows: With foam pad. Without foam pad. Without foam pad, and compression straps removed. I will confirm when I get my reply. Cheers, GB

I think the weights on the web/in catalogue may be wrong (I work for MEC). I have requested that the pack be weighed as follows: With foam pad. Without foam pad. Without foam pad, and compression straps removed. I will confirm when I get my reply. Cheers, GB

I've used the original, the upgrades and 4X4s in axars. There were actually several "originals" with I believe the early units (pre-drytooling popularity) having less volume and higher performance than the final offerings. Regardless, the upgrades work GREAT without touching them with a file. I intially thought they'd be too fragile and lack confidence inspiring bite, so went with 4X4s instead. Several routes in the CDN rockies with picks bouncing all over the place got me pondering upgrades. Upgrades were a huge improvement over not only the 4X4s, but the originals as well. I agree that there isn't enough volume there to tune them with a file. There also isn't a need. Generally on firm to hard serac ice (especially in Sept) I'd expect single to perhaps double swing placements. 95% singles with upgrades. On really hard, really steep late season ice it might take 5 or 10 swings to get a good stick. It might be worth checking REI for more upgrade picks. They were dumping them in CO for $10.00 each earlier this year. For bullet hard ice, I would also recommend adding Charlet weight kits. They do three things: add punch, provide a placement that offers better feedback, and finally - they hold the pick in tighter. Some axar/quasars have a pick shift problem (the blade moves up and down about 5mm under a load); the weight kits tighten up the head in manner that eliminates this. As for tools blowing out, it could be picks that were over-filed, or it could be technique. Problems on sub 90 degree serac ice is odd. Apply power:) GB

My gut impression is as follows: Z-rests work GREAT for summer sans snow. Pro-lite 4 is more compact, but less warm than their standard 38mm pads. Cold butt and shoulders on compact snow (winter) when used in conjunction with a bivi pad. Agnes is less warm than Exped, but much more compact. Slippery. Exped is worth the weight and bulk when skiing. Very, very warm. Worth the expense. Allows use of a lighter bag. Awesome for winter or those in search of comfort. For me, it's the first system I've ever used that absolutely gets rid of cold butt and shoulders on dense snow/ice. GB

I really like my G-14s. They're strong and versatile. I found filing down the hoods on the front-points improved perfomance quite a bit. I would strongly recomened the New matic variation (plastic lanier) because they'll probably fit every stiff boot you'd ever consider owning. Overall, I'd give them 5 stars. GB

I've been thinking about ice seasons on the coast and such, and I suspect there is an over-looked pre-season most years. If you have a dry mid to late October and early November, the conditions in the alpine (6000 ft plus) are really cold. All of those frozen creeks near Baker are just a hint of the possibilities. The keys though are everything will be high, and snow makes the approaches hugely problematic and the climbs invisible. So, look for very steep drainages still running (lightly) in early October - and wait - and pray for zero precip. Otherwise, I give a mini-outflow prior to Dec 15 (3 days of climbing) a 15% probability. Climbing should begin around Dec 20th (thin). As for needing to drive to Cody (from boulder), try the higher areas of RMP (78ks from town to trailhead). I'm hoping to do water stuff there by October. The season goes until May. The Couloirs are getting close, with night temps in the alpine very close to freezing. GB

Dru, Totally. The key thing is though, that if you know who it belongs to, and if it's still in good condition... There's also a difference between stumbling upon something and going after it following word of an epic. Bummer about your nuts. Did that cause a bit of stress? GB

Hey Dru, Remember how upset you were when your Android failed and your Quark went sliding down that slope (but stopped JUST in time)? Remember how happy you were to get the stick back? Never forget that feeling:) GB

Giving credit where credit is due, the route is very popular and it's peak season. The individual posting is likely assuming that someone is getting on the route (the next day) before they can get up there. They may also feel somewhat nervous going up the route sans camming units. I was in that area on that day. The weather did a bit of a twist and went from very windy but dry, to full electrical with very heavy hail and rain in a VERY short period. Unlike the Coast range or the Cascades, electrical activity is the defining weather characteristic of this range. They lost a lot of gear, but at least the lads got out of there fast enough to not get fried. From a booty perspective: you know their names, they belong to the same community (climbers) and it could easily happen to you. GB

What about Yellow Aster Butte? It has a great trail, good campsites, fantastic views, good wandering for the non-outdoorsy types, multiple tarns, is open enough to keep the bugs down if there's a breeze... It's one of those settings that your guests will remember for the rest of their lives. GB

The MEC Alpinelite 30 is the replacement. It's padded, but the pad is removeable and it then stuffs into its pocket as before. See W05 catalogue. GB

There is a strong possibility I could make this one. I have a couple of evening meetings, but I'm unsure how long they'll go... GB

I suspect the lower Coleman on Baker would be the gold standard. The later in the month the better, but the area offers a variety of aspects that allows one to find optimal conditions (except in early season). If warm, try to find lines that are out of the sun (obvious) and dirty. Those lines will have much harder ice than the softer clean stuff. GB

If I understand the problem correctly, you're having trouble pulling the bail out of the slot? The easiest method, but it requires 2 people, is to get one person to stand on the crampon behind the bail (near the centre - ideally on a piece of wood), while you pull it out using a quickdraw girth-hitched around the base of the bail. Otherwise, still use the girth-hitched QD, but either hold the crampon in the opposite hand or pin it to the floor with your knee. Cheers, GB

There will be no direct replacement for the Icefall coming out under the MEC name. The closest option would likley be the new Alpine 60, due later this summer. The A60 will be quite a bit lighter than offerings such as the Brio series, but I don't think it's as light as the Icefall. Cheers, GB