Lambone

90% sure they are the same as the Cobras...call up Featherd Friends, they will know.

dude, we didn't need to see a picture of them lying in the talus....come on man.

ooops, yeah gotcha. welll, I have a pair of those too, and they work just as well. I really enjoy ice climbing and general mountaineering in them. Did Shasta with them this summer and didn't have any problems with blisters. Just make sure they fit good.

Ah yes, I believe Alaska does belong on the list, but I don't know much about the water ice climbing up there, so I wouldn't know where to put it. My friend who lived there for a while said everything was very big. Alex, Not sure if you have spent much time at Hylite Canyon, but in my opinion, when Lilooet is in good shape it has more and better routes then Hylite does, by far. Of course you wouldn't fly to Lee Vining from New England, I was just illustaring that I'd rather go ice climbing at Lee Vining then Washington...unless Drury was in that is.

dude you are such an ego trippin maniac... "only 1.5 hours..." "via ferrata..." "car to car is the only..." STFU already, jeeze.

no

it's also available at your favorite corporate video store....Blockbuster! Freakin intense movie, awsome cinematography...

there should be a law agains newbies guiding newbies...but I hope he makes a descent living at it...I'm kinda jealous...

they are light and cheap...like I said. They place fine with a little bit of technique. My wife likes them because she can swing them with better precision and gets less pumped (yeah, she has wimpy arms...like me). I like them for alpine stuff because they don't add much to the pack weight and do their job just fine. Maybe if you were doing some burly mixed alpine route, placing pins on every picth and doing 20 rappels off bollards...then they might not be the right tool. plus the grips are way more ergonomic the the Shriek...which i like....and yes I owned Shrieks for a while....Willstrickland has them now. I'm not one of those people who whines about the ice being too brittle or hard to get good sticks...

It depends on what you want to do with them. For what you descibed above, like Cascade Alpine Colouirs and such, I'd want more of an all around tool, like the Shriek or Aztar. Straight shaft is nice for plunging on steep snow, and makes hammering pin easier. The Viper and Fusion are both pretty specific to vertical waterfall ice, so if that's what you want to do and you can afford them, go for it. But check the price...a pair of Fusions is almost twice as much as a pair of Shrieks...plush being a 'leashless tool" I wouldn't call it either a begginer tool, or an alpine tool. In fact, they got pretty mediocre reviews on straight water ice also, best suited for overhanging rock. I own a pair of Vipers and can say that i like them alot for Waterfall climbing. I'd use them in the alpine in a pinch, but it wouldn't be my first choice. If you want the ultamite all arounders, that will always outperform you on everything....just get a pair of Cobras and call it good. They have good grips for big handed guys as well.

yeah, but ever try to drive a single picket straight down into hard snow, with one hand, while lying on your belly? Can't use your axe to drive it cause your arresting with your axe... And if the snow is soft enough to just push it in with one arm in that weird position, will it really hold your partner? Much easier said then done.

no worries. I would go up to Tuolumne Meadows and hit a bunch of climbs every day. Rather then spend 4 days hiking in and out from 1 climb. But the High Sierras rock, plenty to do. Have you seen the High Sierra Supertopo book on Supertopo.com? It has some Ultra Classics in it. It is another good web site to post this question, because alot of Sierra climbers hang out there...

Shrikes are good... I bought a pair of CM Aztars or Atzars (whatever) for my wife (and me) and find them to be a nice light weight, cheap set of tools. the hammer and adze kind of suck, and their swing weight doesn't allow them to penatrate hard ice with 1 swing, but they are still good.

Whats the best anchor to set up to get the initial load off the arest/rescuer? Ryland-what do you mean by the "T" anchor? I've practiced this and found it very difficult to get a picket in if the glacier is solid at all....but not solid ice for screws... I don't know, seems like getting that anchor in is the crux.

I have the Trango Extreme S (the red ones)... And I think they are the Shiznit! I've done a lot of water fall ice climbing with them, mostly roadside single pitch stuff. With the right crampon they are awsome...so light weight (I use the G14). They aren't waterproof though, so if you are climbing drippy water ice all day (Lilooet)...they start to soak through. I've climbed a few mountains with them, from the N Ridge of Stuart to Mt Shasta...and think they are an awesome all arounder. they have laot of rocker so they are comfortable to hike in, yet still stiff. I also use them for an aid climbing boot sometimes. But they it's hard on them...so I try not too. Never had a problem with tounge slippage or blisters. The toung has a slit in it that you can thread the laces through... They wear quickly. I'd say that is the main disadvantage....yet I still haven't wore mine out, far from it. Relatively cheap too.

I think you guys are being a little hard on 007....even if he is just trolling. He does have a good point. That signing up with a big guiding service is not the only way to go climb a big peak in Nepal or otherwise....it is just the easiest way. In reality these big companies are really just middle men between the clients and the Nepalese. The rake in a huge profit off it that doesn't allways carry over to those who do the most physical work and take the most risk...the Sherpas. However, 007's view is clearly overly simplistic and idealistic. Once you have been to Nepal once and been a part of organizing the logistics for a big expedition, you realize that pretty quickly. Sure...a "few good climbers" can do it, but it takes alot more then just being a good climber, you also have to be a good negotiator, good managing small details, very patient, and that nack for making things happen. Not all good climbers posses this skill (myself included). Anyway....nothing wrong with dreaming that you can make it happen, although it is kind of silly to post a thread about it here.... My free advice to 007 is (if you haven't yet) to go try a treking peak over there first and see how it goes....then start dreaming about something bigger....when you have a better idea what is all involved.

advice: post Trip Reports AFTER the trip!

BUG, that was my dental floss...we wer "going light" and opted for the floss instead of a rope...but when we reached the base we decided it was uneccesary and pitched it in order to go flossless...thanks for cleaning up after us!

ditto

What is your address? Uh...Hogsback... I know...it is not a laughing matter...but you gotta admit that part is kinda funny.

I'd meet you at Castle Crags.

do a search... of course, our situation was totaly different, because no one was injured.

I speak from experiance when I say, DON'T bring your cell phone when climbing WITH your girlfriend. Bad idea...

shitty

nice TR Goatboy! that's next on my list, sounds like I'll want a dry weekend! pics?