Drederek

Squamish is the place to go if its not too wet. If you go for a week you will get rained on. It dries out fast. The granite is very clean and very solid. The amenities are great. It is not a wilderness experience. There is an aquatic centre and lots of good food and cheap camping very close by. Leavenworth (icicle canyon) is more spread out and drier with fewer long moderates. Smith is a Zoo but fun for a few days at a time. Almost always dry there. Mostly vertical. Lots of sportclimbing in all grades. City of rocks is 12 hour drive and is remote with lots of moderate granite routes. If you get the guide dbb mentioned you can tour the state-not a bad way to go as all the areas have some good climbs. D

Lots of info om fingers in climbing rags. My personal experience is that you can't tell when you've done damage for a few hrs/days afterward unless you really reamed it. After the damage is done taping helps. I tape 24/7 till after the pain goes away. If you keep cranking it will not get better. Might be time to work on cardio. I would not tape for prevention unless I knew I had to hang my 185 off of one finger. D

Thanks Chuck, I didn't think it could be that easy. I'll check before I drive to spire rock next time or anywhere else. D

Be sure to lock your bike if you ride in. I lost one to thieves a few years back. Its not all bad, kind of an outdoor gym.

Does anyone know if the Mtnrs have a site that says where they'll be? I have not had the greatest luck in avoiding them at times and have not always handled it very well.

Viktor, Thanks for the work done and to be done. Will you include further off the road stuff Like Bridge Creek Wall and Jupiter Rock? The stuff thats easily accessible can get a bit crowded as our sport has become more popular. Maybe you could come up with a symbol for "girlfriend" routes?!? I've only been climbing for a dozen years and have just about been to all the areas in the last one. Please more new areas. D

"Can't we all just get along" Rodney King (or was that his mother?)

Resolution Arete in a day. One Long Day. One Very Long Day. What a route. Big hike and scramble, instant exposure on pitch one as you traverse out over a deep chimney to an easy to protect ,bizarrely featured OW. And it just keeps getting better and more surprises all the time. Two bolts on the whole route. All gear belays except one. We left the tropicana at 4;30, started climbing at 6:30, Got to the crux pitches as the sun went off them about 1, really started moving after pitch 10, its 3:30 and it gets dark about 7:45, 8 pitches later its 7:45 and its dark, the moon is just over half and smiling down on us, I lead out with my headlamp looking for the 5.2 gully with some 5.8 moves so we don't have to bivy, can't go too far as the wind came up as the sun went down, one pitch to a tree (mostly 4th) and another ending up a short chimney with loose rubble in the topout, we can see the summit, its 9:30 and 65 degrees with a brisk wind that eases as we descend, beautiful moonlit slabs (no headlamp) sw towards first creek drainage, cross the saddle and down more slabs to the wash, Boulder hopping reminiscent of JT for hours, finally to the desert by 1 AM, onto fatbugers and the hotel at 3:30. If you think you can do this route you should. The PG and R pitches were not as bad as you would think. The crux roof is very doable. D

The trail from upper lot was clear for awhile then icy then 2-4 feet of snow where the routes diverge. We didn't look at the chute but there was still a lot of snow on the ridge leading that way. The little rock bands at the bottom of the talus slope were covered. The top 3 inches of snow on the upper slopes was sloughing off in the sun where the angle was right but the stuff underneath felt pretty stable. Hope this helps. We saw some tracks going up Washington from Ellinor's summit. D

I think that climb has a tricky 5-10 start then eases off as you go up. TCU's helpful. Hope this helps

Just got back from Mt Ellinor. It was GREAT! We drove to just past the lower trailhead (should be able to drive the rest in a week or two) and hiked/postholed to the summit. We took the "summer" route. Snow too soft to glissade so we buttslid (glad I brought ski pants!) down the talus slope. Go for it!

Led P4 Regular route on Careno crag last wednesday. Saw a 1/8 inch rust-colored slot about an inch long right where I remembered seeing a piton a few years back. With 2 TCU's in the horizontal 3 feet below and a bomber RP about a foot above I went for it. I was a bit pumped after fiddling in the RP and was happy to move up and plug in another cam. I don't think this one needs to be replaced.

Led P4 Regular route on Careno crag last wednesday. Saw a 1/8 inch rust-colored slot about an inch long right where I remembered seeing a piton a few years back. With 2 TCU's in the horizontal 3 feet below and a bomber RP about a foot above I went for it. I was a bit pumped after fiddling in the RP and was happy to move up and plug in another cam. I don't think this one needs to be replaced.

I know it ain't in the cascades, But I am looking at Resolution Arete at Red Rocks next week. Other than Swain's route description (which I heard wasn't that great) I know nothing. I've climbed some of the area classics and my limit is PG-13 (Fiddler on the Roof). Any info would be valuable.