Stefan

This is what is happening in Europe. Banks are starting to refuse loans to skiing operations for enhanced lifts becuase of global warming. The banks believe they won't get their money back becuase they believe the ski area operaters will have less revenue from the lessened ski seasons.

Anybody seen any snow up high in the Enchantments this week or heard of people talking about snow? I know the freezing level is at 7500 feet today, but I was wondering if and how much the Enchantments received in snow way up high. I would like to climb on something high....just not on slippery wet rock this weekend. Thanks for the beta!

I love the Mildred Lakes signs in the Olympics at the trailhead. Top sign says: Trail Not Maintained. Bottom sign says: Trail Park Pass Required.

I am not up on my international climbing, but thanks for that bit of info guys!

Correct me if I am wrong. West face of Siula Grande. There was a great trip report on it.

where do you live Kioti? If you are resonably close then I might like to look at them.

And most of the time you will not.....for example, the FBI can now come into my house without a search warrant (if I was only suspected of terrorism), look around, and leave....all without telling me.

Yes I would--I would even ask "Death" for a lab test on STDs before engaging in the activity. I have already had one terrible climbing accident involving a rappel. I do not ever want to have another one.

Wow. My original thought was the rope might be lodged 50% of the time in the rocks by the hook. I still don't know if I want try this method though.....and if that makes me a sissy, then I am a sissy

is the word you are looking for "crack"? Get all specific on me. Yes. Or the fifi hook, skyhook could lodge on rock while coming down....I just don't see the hooks coming down the rock in a "smooth" motion like rope. Still waiting on an answer.....

Uh...sometimes I rap down stuff that I cannot climb back up...stuff like .12 or .14 or even overhangs. So, my original question, how often does a fifi hook or skyhook get dislodged in a rock crevasse requiring you to climb up to dislodge it?

Does Canada have the equivalent day of April Fools? This seems like a joke by the media....

I have never tried this but I have heard several people doing this to save weight. My question: Use of a skyhook or fifi hook, aren't you guys afraid of the "hook" dislodging into some type of rock crevasse when the rope comes down, thereby requiring you to climb back up and dislodge it???

From several of the pictures it definitely looks like a beginner has placed some bolts (next to a valid pro placement) and a sport hold. I have never seen sport hold on a natural rock--the person who did that must be quite uneducated. Then the graffiti.....if it was the same person doing this, then I would have to think it was a young teenager.

Ummmm. I thought the 9/11 Commission said the voice cockpit recordings could hear people banging on the cockpit door. The 9/11 Commission assumed the hijackers knew the door was going to be broken down soon and so directed the plane downward. Noone ever broke into the cockpit--but they tried. Black box recordings cannot show a contingent of people breaking into the cockpit. I guess the descrepancy shows the validity of this article.

Contact Dwayner. One time he was screwed over by a mountain climbing expedition somebody else was putting together. I am sure he would like to make that up by going to Cho Oyeah.

Here! Here! Me too. I ams sick of this hardman climbing too!

Good job. Looks like great fun. I enjoy the picture of the sleeping bag with a bowl? on the face. I have empathy. A bivy bag helps but does not stop the incessant whining noise they make!

My three year old is in the back of the car after 3 hours of driving and complaining quite vigoriously. Mom says, "if you don't stop complaining, we will never stop." 3 year old replies, quickly, and sarcastically, "I can complain louder if you would like."

Good job you two on some beautiful looking lines. Hope you and CJZ still remain good friends and for the future. Climbing is easy compared to personalities of climbing partners.

Good to hear that extraction worked. I had a friend who had a similar extraction. That airlift to Harborview is in the $13,000 range.

I enjoy reading through summit registers. I have a lot of friends who go mountain climbing and when I see their name in the register there is a strong feeling of kinship I have with that friend of mine. It means I have shared the same experience and views as they did.

Your plans sound solid to me 007. I like the trip to Denver too. My recommendation drive to Leadville (I think it is something like 10K feet) and just hang out and drink beer. You will get acclimatized in Leadville with no problem. Plan your trip on leaving from Denver and going straight to China/Nepal or whatever your choice of entry is. Just do what is natural to you. Don't listen to these other yahoos. They don't know anything about climbing 8000meter peaks....well I know Marek knows a little something. Follow your dreams, you can do it. BTW, do us a trip report too--we want to know how far you got.

Registers are not necessary. Climbing is not necessary. It all depends on your own personal opinion of how far you want to take a "necessary evil". I still do not believe you should destroy something other people value. Some people believe a fire ring is a necessary evil to enjoy a fire. Others will destroy the fire ring to stop people from building fires. Chances are, another person will come buy and build a new fire ring if the old one is destroyed. I wonder why Europe has so many crosses on top of mountains? Maybe the people value that symbol when they get to the summit. Maybe a register has a value of a symbol in the same manner. Alpinfox would go crazy in Europe with all those bolted crosses!

I have never seen a summit register chained to a boulder. I don't think I ever will either and I have never heard of such a thing. Every single summit register I have encountered and heard about is nonpermanent. So I still don't see the problem. I think I understand you see summit registers as trash because it is manmade, but you are trying to make the argument that being on top of a mountain should be "free" of all man stuff, which really does not work. I guess in your argument to be consistent then the road that got you to the base of the climb is trash too. As well as the gas you used but "left behind". The trails you used. But you seem to tolerate that level of trash probably becuase you could not control those levels of trash. I wonder how other mountaineers would feel if you removed their Tibetan prayer flags from the Chinese bolted frame on top of Mt. Everest?