Lambone

exactly

"You, in your ultimate knowledge of all things climbing, are probably qualified to tell me where the idea comes from." Easy there buddy... "It has also been argued that it is more important to learn to build an anchor than to learn to place gear -- flat out. " Which comes to my "duh" point of how can you build aan anchor if you don't know how to place gear, and vise versa... I think that the importance of building good anchors is taught in instructional settings because... most instructors, as far as I am aware of, don't like to teach their students that it is ok to be "half ass" about anything in climbing. Saying, oh...one good peice with a back up is good enough...just goes against good teaching ethics. In my opinion... Also, cams work best in parrallel cracks, a cam in a nut constriction is a marginal piece....in my opinion. Every ancho I build I try to visualize the worst possible scenario, whether it be a factor 2 fall onto the belay, or needing to build a complex self-rescue rig. Simple is better, but bomber in any circumstance is the minimum if you can get it. This is the attitude I believe should be taken regarding anchors... Then again, you are allways going to run into situations like Paco's on Shucksan this weekend, where you are threading a chunk of moss....

I take that blank as "none"

matt, I am wondering what "recent climbing instructional settings" you have been involved with? "a single bomber camelot placed in a construction where a nut would fit is more than sufficient for a belay anchor in my book ..." whoa shocking

Mt. Ashland this morning! 17" of freshiez...cheers suckaz

well then whats the point of arguing one is more important than another or should be taught first or second... duh

I don't see why anyone couldn't learn both at the same time. They are not mutualy exclusive skills...

Loren, also... I just noticed that the New Fusion tool uses a head atatchment that does no have a hammer or adze on it. Probly to save weight and allow funky camming manuvers on mixed stuff. I bet you can buy this piece seperately if you want to use your Vipers without the hammers. But then they would have even less headweight...which you complained was too light allready...

I didn't know Ben, but I really enjoyed reading about his adventures in ski mountaineering. Whenever I climbed on volcanos, and felt tired and whopped by altitude, I allways thought about how he would have his skiis on his back, and carve turns the whole way down, usualy unroped. Truly impressive. Watersports scare me much more than climbing. Some of the kayak photos on his web site blow my mind. My best wishes to his friends and family.

Nice climb guys, looks awsome!

My buddy had climbed the Dribbles and some stuff in Flanders. It's looking like it may be a great year.

Hey Patrick, I'm in Ashland and also looking for partners. i'm willing to drive North, but would really like to hit Castle Crags if we get some more sunny days this fall. Let me know.

Loren, It is the same, and I have 2 inches of adjustment left on the leash... But I have allways liked my leashes long. Caveman, I agree that simple is ussualy better. I liked the lockdown leashes forever. But the Android is pretty slick once you are used to it. I thinl BD, CM, and Griv are all pretty much equal in quality these days, it is just a personal preferance thing...

Exactly, cams are can be just as bomber as nuts. I think they are better for achors because they are more multi directional. While a cam may swivel up and down, a nut will likely get plucked out, although it is good to know how to place nuts in opposition to avoid this. Although I ussualy try to save the cams for the leader and use nut's for the anchor. But if I have the chance to plug a good multi-directional Camolot into the anchor you bet I will. Sounds top me like this unfortunate accident happened because the two were simo-climbing on easy terrain with no pro in, and one fell...pulling the other off. Sad

I think the Android attatchment is fine, and I still have about 2 more inches that I could shorten the leash. I don't like to be choked up on a tool, you get a better swing if you hold down low. Just my opinion. Also Loren, you can take the hammer or adze off for drytooling. Just find a nut that fits the bolt that joins the head/pick/hammer. I have seen it done, it works fine. There is a beveled notch in the pick that keeps it from swiveling. Try it.

I think the laser pick would be fine for most "roadside" ice and mixed climbing. In these circumstances it is no big deal to carry an extra pick, should you break one. The vipers are geared towards this type of climbing. You don't want to carry the weight of extra picks on an alpine route, so you may want a burlier pick. People that do alot of mixed climbing burn through picks pretty quickly, so in that case it doesn't really matter what your tools come stock with, you'll be on your second or third set by the end of the season. And everyone filed down the Cobra picks anyway, so whynot have them come filed down from the factory. I do mostly water ice, and for that I want the thinnest profile I can get, less dinnerplates, less swings, less work. If you are breaking picks on a waterfall climb then you have technique issues to deal with. Wann hear something sad? Last spring I sold my Cobras, and when the guy was on his way over to pick them up I was trying to take the Armet picks off, but I couldn't find the little tool. The guy showed up and I still couldn't get them off...so he got some Armets...I hope he appreciates them. I never had to sharpen those picks, they were awsome.

Yeah, tarp and bivi is a good combo. Still lighter than a tent because of no poles. Jim at Pro Mountain Sports has some sweet lightweight tarps. My buddy used one for a bivi on the summit of Mt Suart and it looked nice, I was jealous. It set up with his extendable treking pole. As for the bivi, I think ID makes good ones, or Bibler.

quit whinning and go climb something Layton, I'm not buying the "I moved to Portland and now my life sucks gig..."

Check out the Pika cam hooks that are curved to fit Angle pin scars perfectly. They work great. You can see them on the Pika Web site, and I got mine at Marmot in Bellvue. Peckers are for when the shit gets real thin! They work better than Rurps because they sort of act like a hook, and you can get the tip into tiny placements. People also use them for hooking on top of blown out copperheads. Never used Tucans...

They have bailed me out of some shit while aid climbing. Essential if you want to do C3 or harder pitches clean.

"LAMBONE is a membrane-like sheet of demineralized freeze dried human laminar cortical bone. Lambone is prepared in the same manner as Dembone. The demineralization process makes these cortical sheets flexible."

The Android for the Viper might be a little cheaper. It will work fine with your top half. check www.bdel.com

I'm tempted to climb with my android leashes tucked into the sleves of my coat, and just pull it out and clip it if shit starts to get wild mid-pitch. Or I realize that I'm a weak wanna-be and chicken out.

Used one on Ama Dablam. Worked great, I think the tube vents in the wall help. It is alittle narrower I think. The only thing I don't like is how the screen door is on the outside. Snow and stuff sticks to it... Also i think the floors are a bit thinner, so use a ground cover if you are pitching it on rocks. You can get a burlier floor material for extra $ and lbs. cool tents, I'd like to own one.