Lambone

Yes and No Soloing El Cap is challanging enough for most people, for me at least. I believe the increased chance of getting injured is not worth the chest beating points of saying you did the route clean. These days if I am injured on El Cap, one of two things will likely go down the tiolet...my solo-aiding future, or my marrige. For experienced aid climbers, I don't think it is a matter of the route being "too hard." I could have done the route clean, infact I have....I led the two pitches clean previously. For me it was a matter of risk. You can place a tiny hb brassy, ball-nut, cam-hookor two cam black alien as good as it could possibly be placed...but the simple fact is that it is more likely to blow on you then a pin. Bounce tests prove this over and over again. For me falling on to a ledge half way up El Cap alone (literaly, I was the only one on the whole east face) was not worth the risk. A sawed of pin with one or two firm taps (not-blows) isn't going to affect the route that much. I'm not talking about the Nose/Salathe, or Lurking Fear hear. As far as I'm concerned pitches that are rated C3+F are treading a fine line between what can regularly go clean by most aid climbers standards. Lots of you may look up some of the previous stuff I have posted about clean climbing would probably call me a hypocrite. That is fine, I admit I have become more conservative, I'm a little older...I have a family, and my closest friends have died pushing it for style points. I just don't think it is worth it. Regardless, I still strive to do as much clean aid as possible, and hope to do Mescalito clean this summer. But I'll see you in hell before I leave at least one hammer, some heads, small pins, and a bolt kit in the haul bag. The whole "if it is too hard just rapple" card is just un-realistic bullshit when you are talking about a grade VI route. Being forced to rapple 3/4 of the way up El Cap because you cannot replace some heads or broken dowels is just plain lunicy. Now don't forget, we are talking about BIG walls here folks, not some practice route at index....don't confuse the two.

Will, Glassgowkiss...etc. I have done the Zodiac clean with partners, and this summer I nailed on it while soloing. I nailed a hand full of pins on the Black Tower and Nipple Pitch. There was less fixed gear on it this summer, Ammon and Friends and the Hubers had cleaned alot of it. But mostly I nailed because I was alone, and afraid that if I fell on the tower and got hurt, someone else (SAR) would have to come save my ass. On the Nipple Pitch I did fall, and also to nailed because backcleaning would mean not being able to clean my cams. All I can say is, everything changes when you are solo. You don't have a partner to encourage you to finagle that clean micro nut, and should you fall and get hurt...you don't have a partner to help you self-rescue. Both of these reasons made up for why I hammered on the Zodiac. And I should also say that I hammered lightly and the pins were very easy to clean. Untill you have been up on El Cap alone, I think it isn't fair to criticize others. And as far as the gear you left behind. Sounds like you need to work on technique. You should consider it lost and be thankfull if you got any of it back. Just my opinions, I have also criticized newbies for nailing on clean routes, so feel free to slam away. I think alot of it is circumstantial. I think the best you can do is climb as clean as possible within a certain margin of saftey.

ditto, I thumbed through it at FF. Very Impressive guide, best Ice guide I've seen. Although I didn't buy it because I no longer live in Washington and the day you see me travel to WA to climb ice is the day hell freezes over...

oh, well than sorry...no shops carry size 14 boots. Good luck!

Cracked, What don't they have? Do you need size 14's or something, or is your foot super narrow or wide? In otherwords, is it because they don't have your size, or they don't have a boot that fits the shape of your foot? Then maybe someone can help. And post this shite in the gear critic next time...

I have the Cloudveil. It is very warm. I like the cut/fit better than the DAS parka I tried on. No complaints.

"ICE!!!"

I use a rubber Columbia coat from REI on walls. I don't trust GTX on a wall, and if you are getting hammered by weather on a wall you are usualy not moving anyway. It has some vents, but not pit zips.

Sweet, it's about time...hope it goes well.

"wait...you're the hand..." damn...forrest beat me to it... "hey dude, how 'bout you carry the rack?" "oh, shit..." as partner franticaly digs through his pack at the base... "Honey, did you remember to_____?"

I dropped the pully while trying to set up the haul on El Cap, and my partner hanging below me caught it....man we were lucky.

Have you guys ever heard the story about Charlie Porters solo first ascent of the New Dawn Wall on El Cap, it's one of my favorites...he is my hero. I guess his pack roled off the edge of Lay Lady Ledge, be cause he didn't clip anything in. It had his sleeping bag and most of his food in it. He was only 7 pitches up, but instead of bailing...he kept going! And he spent like another week and a half on the wall, sleeping with his foam pad like a tunic, and eating basically nothing. Also, it was either late or early season and he endured some cold, bad weather. What a bad ass.

Yeah, well they wern't wives. Maybe he broke the rules alittle sometimes.

Go to Stuart if you are seeking ice. There is lots of very visable ice on the North Face. Unfortunately I didn't have my digi cammera, only a disposable one, that needs to be developed. It'd be worth the hike in for a look, and if you are ready for it, there is climbing to be had, just don't swing too hard.

Thanks everyone, for the kind words. Let me tell you abit about my history with Ryan... I moved to Lake Tahoe with my folks when I was in 8th grade. I came from New York, and had a hard time adjusting to the mountain culture there...I loved Tahoe, but the middle school kids were very judgemental and territorial. To them I was just another flatlander tourist moving in on their turf. Or...at least this was my perception of the situation. For the first few months I hated the change. My parents tried to get me involved in something so I joined the Boy Scout Troup and the Buddy Werner Ski League. It turned out that Ryan's father Mike was both the Scout Leader and the Ski Team coach. He is an awsome guy, I can't say enough about him, my biggest adult role model asoide from my own parents. Anyway, so just by chance it ended up that Ryan and I were together alot. Ryan was the first kid in Tahoe to really accept me as a friend and treat me like an equal. I was a joke on a pair of skis, but Ryan was allways willing to wait for me, allways encourageing, and allways pushing my limits. His dad taught me the text book race techniques, but it was by following Ryan around the treelines and back bowls of Sierra Ski Ranch that I really learned how to handle a pair of skis. Although...I never did get as good as Ryan. You see those were the days of "Blizzard of Ahs" and "Liscense to thrill"...when we all tried to be like Scott and Glen, all tried to be rad...and whoevers parents could afford the newest daglo North Face Coat was the coolest kid out there. Ryan was the guy with the garage sale duck taped columbia coat, and he still ripped over everyone else. Ryan and I first really bonded on my first winter camping trip with Scouts. We made each other swear to take this story to the grave...so laugh if you want, but be prepared to get an ass kicking from Ryan someday. It was out in Carson Vally, with 3-4 feet of freshies and cold as hell, sometime in mid winter. Ryan and I were tent buddies, 'cause we were the two dorks of the troop. We both had these peice of s--- sleeping bags from campmore or something. Well in the middle of the night I was reaching hypothermia, and so was Ryan...so yeah you guessed it...we spooned. It was the only damn thing that could keep us warm. But we never told anybody for fear of ridicule...we got enough crap from the bigger guys as it was... I had my first rock climbing experience with Ryan and Mike. Well...actually all we did was rappel...but hell if it wasn't mountaineering to me. It was at Winnimuca Lake up at Carson Pass, on a Scouting trip. I thought it was the coolest thing since s--- on a stick..and was instantly enamoured by hights, ropes and all that went with them. Ryan was facinated by El Capitan. His bedroom was plastered from floor to celling of pictures of bigwall climbing. I forget exactly but I remember he had something like 200 pictures of El Cap on his walls. Keep in mind that I was 13 and he was only 11. We started climbing together and eventually his dad Mike allowed us to go climbing on our own. We'd ride our bikles to the Pie Shop in Meyers, where Ryan belayed me on my first lead, with his dads old hexs and nuts. Crepes Corner, a 5.7 crack in a corner. Man it was the best, I'll never forget. Once I got my drivers liscens every thing changed and we ventured out to Lovers Leap, 90ft wall and Cave Rock. Those were the days, we were free, pushing it and learning about eachother and ourselves. I'd say those experiences shaped who I am today more than any thing else in life. I ended up moving to Chicago during High school, and Ryan went on with his dream to climb Big Walls. He did The Prow and Leaning Tower with our buddy Mitch. Then Ryan and Mitch climbed the Tripple Direct on El CAp as their high school senior project. They did a big research project on the History of climbing in Yosemite and on El Cap, then did the route and made a video documentary. They were about 16 or so...I was so proud of him. He went on to climb lots of walls: The Shield, Zodiac, Tangeine Trip, Lurking Fear, Mescalito, South Seas, and Zenith on Half Dome. But the funny thing is that he allways insisted he hated aid climbing and that big walls sucked...yet he kept going back. Ryan was like that...he'd do harcore s--- and paly it off like it was nothing. Unfortunately I never got to climb El Cap with my big wall mentor, allthough I had allways bugged him to go up with me. He kept saying "get all the trade routes under your belt and we'll go do something hard." I didn't care about hard, I just wanted to climb the wall with the person who introduced me to it. Ryan also climbed hard sport routes including one 5.13c at Cave Rock. But a few years ago he sort of gave up on climbing, said he was bored with it. He started Wakeboarding alot, and like erything else he did, he became very good at it. Ryan hated the word, but he was an extreme person. He wasn't content with just skiing, he had to do double backflips over road gaps...and it was the same with wakeboarding. He pushed it as hard as he could, bought a boat and moved down closer to Folsom Lake. I never got to see him wakeboard, but I heard he made some movies, competed, and was sponsored and all that. Still I think Ryan's greatest success was what he did wit his proffesional life. Ryan was not a great student...he barely made it through high school, but I guess his teachers liked his El Cap video. He didn't want to go to college...he just wanted to climb. But his dad convinced him to volounteer for the Fire department in Tahoe. Then he went on to graduate from Paramedic school and get a full time position at Eldorado hills Fire department, near Sac. He was doing pretty damn well for himself, just boaught a house/boat/and new truck. I talked to him a week before the accident, and when I asked him if there was a girl...he said "oh, there are a few..." This is from a kid who never even went on a date in high school. I guess those fire guys turned him into a pimp of sorts... Ryan never liked to talk about his work. I allways pried him to tell me about some of the people he's saved, or some of the fires he has run into...but it was not his thing to talk about that. I can only imagine what kind of heroics Ryan performed in the line of duty, and I look forward to meeting some of his co-workers to hear about it. Any description of Ryan would not be complete without mentioning his faith in Jesus. He was a devout Christian, and although he did not preach or push his faith on others, his morales came straight from the church. I'm not very religious, and don't feel that I can really do justice explaining his beliefs...all I know is that much of his compassion, generosity, selflessness, and strength came through his faith. I wish I could think of some more funny stories...but none are coming to me right now. Ryan was the guy in my life that I stayed up all night and talked about chicks and climbs with the night before ski races, he is the guy who I first roped up with, and he is the guy who opened the door to the many great experiences been lucky enough to have. I think we are all greatly shaped by the people around us, and I'm thankfull that I got to hang around the Shrever...for a little while at least. Thanks for listening...oh, and by the way...he'd think all this was a bunch of crap and kick my ass if he could...probly will someday.

Yeah, I'm not going to say if it was in or not in...all I'm saying is there's ice all over the face. I'll see if I have any good pics before this weekend.

I did... there is Ice on the North Face of Mt. Stuart ...lots of ice. Thin smears up miles of granite that look climbable. Looks like a BD ad from Alaska. Bring some pitons and stubbys and go for it. We would have, but we were wearing apporach shoes, carrying featherweight alpine axes and had one stubby. And we are not hard... By the time I get my pics developed it will probably be gone, or buried in snow...but trust me, it is there...definately there after this last moisture front.

North Face of Mt. Stuart

Here is to the life of the most amazing person I have ever had the privilage of roping up with. He will be missed dearly by his friends and family. My condolences to Mike, Dawn, and Jennifer. Ryan, if you are listening up there, be sure to Heaven as much as you 'ed Earth! Wear your helmets folks.

I think that either form of climbing, light and fast - or heavy and slow, have their place. The important thing is to recognize which approach you are taking and what the risks are, plan your trip accordingly, and once you are out there - stick with the plan. It is when you deviate from the plan mid trrip that you get yourself in trouble, for instance...going slow and light, or heavy and fast...just doesn't work. Let me elaborate on some of my experiences/mistakes... Most of you who have been here for at least a year are aware of my Glacier Peak episode. On that trip we packed light (light shells, wimpy down bags, little food and fuel, etc.) because we were planning to carry our gear over the summit and descend the standard route. We knew we couldn't do this with anymore gear/heavier packs. The problem came when we were slower than we expected, with lightweight gear. We bivied on the summit rather than descend in the late afternoon, worried about snow conditions and fatigue. Essentialy we got hammered by an unexpected storm with inadequate gear. We misjudged the risks and it kicked us in the ass. Light and slow is a bad combo, it could kill you. Morale: dont go light unless you are sure you are fast. Ok, one more story, with a better ending. This past weekend we went for the N Ridge of Stuart. We knew that with the short days, and us being "off the couch" climbers, light and fast would be a mistake. So we planned for two bivis, sleeping bags, bivi sacs, belay jackets, a stove, and food...added up to more weight than we were expecting, or would like to admit. But our plan worked, things went as we expected and we stayed warm. The extra risk we accepted was that of our "pigs" pulling us off the damn ridge...which almost happened more than once, not to mention the nightmare of hauling the Gendarme... Anyway, I gues my point is that a good alpinist knows their limitations, accepts them and plans accordingly. I'm still learning, and of course...the rest is all luck

I would just take photos, and some important papers. Everything else is covered buy insurance, and I wouln't mind a fresh new gear set up. Oh, and I'd make sure my not-so-bright cat isn't hiding under the bed, the rest of the pets would be outro.

Yesterday one of my best friends passed into the afterlife as a result of a wakeboarding injury. He once was a hardcore climber, until he took a small fall and hit his head. That fall scared him, and he sort of moved away from climbing and toward wakeboarding. He died as a result of a severe concusion from hitting the water, which caused swelling of the brain, the treatment of which resulted in pneumonia like symtoms, which eventually took his life. The kicker is that at the time of the injury he was riding with an ongoing concusion, and he knew it. Yet he still pushed himself to go bigger and faster and better than he had ever been, in the face of the risks. And as a paramedic, I'm sure he was aware of the risks he was taking. So how do his friends resist the temptation to cast blame on Ryan for this tragedy. Why didn't he stop? I've thought alot aout this over the last few weeks while Ryan has been in a coma. I have come to the conclusion that to blame him for the risk he took is like trying to ignore the person he was. He was a man of extremes, a person who took things to the limit, allways. It was part of who he was, it was in his blood, and to blame him for that is just unfair. Because take that away from him and he wouldn't have been the same person we loved. I think a similar theme carries on with alot of climbers, myself included. We live to face risks, we thrive on it, we yearn for it, we sit on the internet and bullshit all day about those risks counting down the minutes until we can take them again. When a climber or friend triumphs in the face of risk, we like to share in the success with praise, props, beers, whatever. When they fail in the face of risk it is our nature to cast blame upon them. To say it was their fault for this reason or that. This is the easiest way to ignore the fact that sometimes...shit happens. It's the easiest way to ignore our own fears, that shit can happen to you, me, or anyone just as easily as it happened to my friend Ryan. Sorry to get all heady here, it's been a rough day.

It seems to me that the people complaining about Tori Allen, are really just upset about the popularization of rock climbing. What is so hypocritical about the whole argument is that these climbing web sites that the complainers frequent probably increase the popularity of climbing alot more than some girl on a magazine cover with a dumb doll.

So if you think I am going to discourage them from fawning over Tori, I have to doubt that you have any idea what it's like to raise girls today. But you are still entitled to your opinion regardless of what it is based on. Uh...maybe you missed my point, but I think anything that encourages kids to climb is cool, even if it's dumb little plastic dolls...

Hell yes! I couldn't send a 10b last week because of these opportunities. And I suspect it was these opportunities that made me sleep late and have to wait for a route that other time. These opportunities are ruining my climbing, and I think I speak for the whole cc.com community when I say, these oportunities are ruining my climbing! whatever...you don't like crowds, don't go to crowded cliffs...the rock doesn't have your name on it...I bet these kids know alot more about sharing than you. And don't ever speak for me again please...thanks. Good luck on that 10b project