Lambone

Thanks guys, this is really good info. Ghost is a possibilty, my buddy has a pick-up. What we do is kind of up to them as well, I just want to know some options. So near the icefields/Rampart Creek we've got Weeping Wall and Murchison, both classic. Polar might be sketchy, any other options that might be a good alternative for day three? How far is grotto canyon from that area? Would you be able to tell if the slopes on PC had slid from down low?

Whatever dude, that is bullshit. SG's problems are soft, and their setters don't no shit.

Ok, new question. Avy danger looks to be high now, forecast says "Ice climbs with snow above them are a bad idea." So if conditions continue to worsen later this week, what are some good routes that arn't prone to avy hazard?

Yeah, Vipers with Fangs...don't fit, bummer cause I like my Ice Sac. Won't consider North Face...not that they arn't good, just have personal issues with that company. And i won't make my own, because I are so suck

Whats the best ice pack that does not have tool tubes?

My partner (crazy German sport climber), ended up clipping the pack to a runner below his harness. You'd never fit with the pack on your back. He was so pissed, that was his first chimney!

Hey Scott, This route kicks ass! I led the 5.8 chimney pitch. It is not run out, there is gear in the back of the chimney. It starts with a handcrack in a corner, then you pull a roof which goes into the wide chimney to squeeze offwidth, then you bust out and lie back for a few feet to a bomber hand crack. It is a long pitch so use long runners and watch rope drag. I had heinous drag and ran out of gear, had to build the belay out of tiny nuts and my chalkbag biner. It was hard, but I think I remember this pitch better than any other I have ever led, and it was almost 10 years ago. Put the rack on the inside, so you can reach the gear. Seconding with the pack is way worse than leading it. I remember getting a couple of helmet jams in The only other wide section I can remember was the last pitch, but I think we were off route, in the dark. It was like a 50' 4 inch crack that I walked a number 4 the whole way up. We brought a set of nuts, set of cams up to #4, and set of hexes. Doubles on the small to mid size cams would be nice, hexs are good for builing your belays. The route is well protected the whole way, mostly hand cracks with a few finger cracks, the only face climbing I remember is the traverse in the middle, very exposed pitch! Great route, probably the best free climb I have ever done. Start super early this time of year, it is a long sustained day. Good luck!

Northern Lights trading Co. ussualy holds an Ice Fest in Bozeman as well...worth checking into.

Cool, yeah Hyalite is having a great early season. Go get it before the road is snowed in!

With 2 60 m ropes you can rap from the top-out of Green Drag-on in three rappels. 1 - From the top chains to the pitch 5 belay. 2- From pitch 5 belay to Pitch 3 belay (skip p4 under the roof) 3 - Pitch 3 belay (top of p2) to Ground - rope stretcher, go climbers left to the ledge at the base of DH. Takes about 20 minutes. 1 or 2 less rappels than Town Crier. I allways wondered about linking the two at the Tripple Roofs, souds cool. Pitch 4 on GD is real fun though...

There was a tragic accident on Lower Cathederal Rock in Yosem this summer involving this. The leader fell on a traversing pitch, sustained head trauma (no helmet), but was concious and alive for a while. His belayer (girlfriend) could not get him down with self-rescue techniques (for whatever reason), and it took rescuers several hours to reach the leader. He was pronounced DOA. Now, given he did have serious head trauma...but he also spent many hours just hanging in his harness. I remember reading something about this being the possible cause of death in the accident report...don't remember where...some web-site. I may be sketchy on some of the details, but I just thought this accident was related to the topic here.

Hey MisterE, You forgot one more thing, Shop for new Ice and Ski gear online...

Forked out for the plane ticket to Calgary today...pretty cheap, it's on! Got a week to train... Any one else going to be there?

Gear consolidation. I have G14's that I can use for multipule pairs of boots...don't need both. I was happy with them, used them maybe 5 times.

Forecast is for snow in Ashland tommorow

Did you sell that Arc'teryx coat?

Full report from Joe Jo, on http://montanaice.com, "Okay, It's been a great start to the season. I've been tromping around Hyalite a bit and asking around and here is what looks in or has been climbed or hasn't: The main route on the Sphinx has been climbed recently but the direct pillar is not in and overall the route is thinner than normal but still good. Cleo's has been climbed but rumor has it wasn't great. Dribbles and Silken Skein look good. Responsible Family Men is in. Dialectric Breakdown, Curtains, Alpine Like, and the multiple pitches leading to Winter Dance are all good. Not sure about Slot Corner. Mummy II and Septre are good. Mummy IV is a no show. Zack Attack is getting close. G1 could hold about 10 top-ropes right now. All the other Genesis Area ususal suspects are huge. Sleeping Giant is great shape but hasn't been getting much traffic. It should. Thrill is Gone has been good but depending on the temps it has been dripping wet. The Fat One is getting better. Good Looking One is not even close (a bit more and it will be a good mixed route). Fatty Access Ice (aka Jeff's Left and Right) are thin and mixed but doable. Elevator Shaft is awesome right now. There are at least four parallel pitches of WI 2-3 ice an hour above Elevator that are all in and good if you want a fitness day. Pallisade was great with good climbing on both sides. Don't know if the hole in the middle is frozen over yet. Alpha and Omega look narrow but doable. Champagne is thinnish but good. High Crimes is in. Seeds and Stems looks very worthy of a look but hard to tell what it's like. Killer Piller is trying hard but not touching yet. The Big Sleep has thick ice at the top but that's about it for now. The Comet is huge. Rock Pic and Hoar Show looks thin at the bottom. Horsetail is in fat, easy shape although the 1st pitch might get some open water if it warms up too much. In other words, lots to do so get after it. Have fun!"

Both Jackets are sold, thanks! Crampons still available, make an offer!

Gracias, Just found this source, it's pretty sweet... http://www.wickedgravity.com/

Yeah Nice, Rampart Creek Hostel sounds like a good base camp, and close to the Parkway routes. Do you need to make reservations there, or is it walk in? Is it too late allready? Murchison, Polar Circus, and Weeping would be fantastic. Is that a realistic tick list for three days in a row? Also, I'm meeting my bros from Bozeman, so we'll have a party of three. Kind of slower, but they are ropeguns...

off the couch...no problem

Pretend it was your first ice trip to the Can. Rockies...If you had just three full days to climb ice in the Banff/Canmore Area, what routes would you climb? I'm going the weekend before Thanksgiving. Anything up to WI 5 is ok. What is a good game plan? With only three days, I hope to avoid driving around and getting shut down.

There is no way that boot is 10 ounces lighter than this: I can belive that it is warmer though. Maybe it is 2 lbs per boot, that would make more sense.

we need a kill the cat icon!

Adrian posted the link to his web site in the ice conditions forum, check it out. It seems like a cool concept. I'm not sure I fully understand how it works... Personaly I like a simpler system. I use the flexible La Sportiva S with Grivel G14's on all kinds of ice routes and it works just fine for me. I think the crampons alone stiffen the boots up enough.