bobinc

The Canterbury is a great place to catch up on your second-hand smoking.

This looks like a good weekend NOT to go to RR...

Funny how different this thread would appear if it were titled, "Fred Beckey and My Wife".... Jim IS the ultimate anti-salesman. Or perhaps he is a guy's ultimate shopping assistant because he is attuned to how men buy things-- get in, get out, etc etc. BTW, give Jim business -- avoid the temptation to head to the WalMarts of the climbing world...

Yes, in general you must exaggerate the turn (and make sure you finish it, too) and weight both skis evenly. It also helps to go as much toward parallel position as you can...

It sounds like Santa did really deliver these, given the air of mystery... The basics of skiing, as long as your skis have metal edges, are simple, whether you have modern alpine bindings, tele bindings, or duct tape bindings. If you apply weight to the edge of the ski, it carves a turn. Take the weight off, and the ski (and skiier) fall downhill under gravity's influence in the direction of the most gradient. The tele aspect will make things more difficult, as you will have to work harder to transmit your intention through the binding to the ski. However, if you do well on a tele setup, you will tend to be a better skiier overall because you can't cheat as much if you want to get down the hill gracefully. Simple, right? Well..... It may be you would have to throw yourself on the mercy of some benevolent friends to get started. After that, depending on how you feel about your progress and your overall goals, lessons are indeed a good idea.

What kind of skis? Have you skiied before? What is your objective in use of said skis (lift-served only, backcountry, ski mtnrg, etc)?

As recently as last weekend, he was spotted eating a somewhat historic chocolate donut en route to skiing; it had been harvested from a book signing earlier in the weekend...

A hearing aid would last longer...

If you just want a month, it's $67. If you want to sign up for a year and pay every month automatically, it is $49/mo. If you prepay for a year, you get a month free, so it's about $45/mo. I don't think they offer quarterly or 6 mo breaks. The gym I was referring to in Seattle is Vertical World. Unless they have raised rates recently, the cost is $40/mo (+tax) for the annual contract with monthly electronic withdrawal. The gym is bigger and has more amenities than PRG; it doesn't have a dedicated yoga room and the shower area is smaller and unheated.

Also, to clarify, the monthly rate I am using is based on an annual contract where you pay by electronic transfer every month. If you pay up front, you get a month free. If you just walk in and pay by the month, the new rate is $67 vs $59 from before (based on Will's info).

I have no complaints with the way they did the walls (textured*, nice and high, they actually have cracks, etc); it's just that the place isn't really full service vs what I am used to. There is really nowhere to put the other training equipment. It apparently was never intended to be installed. True, it would add to the amount to be financed, and equipment in a rock gym gets dusty faster but that's what you have staff for. I do think the rates are high. This is based on living in the Puget Sound for 15+ years with its overheated real estate market yet paying less for the rock gym there (even though it also moved and added floor space during that time). It's too late now to change anything at PRG and I will probably spend the money to join, given the realities of PNW climbing, but I just thought I'd try to understand the decision-making process over there. *Although the staff made a peculiar comment when I asked about texture: something along the lines of texture being undesirable because your shoes wear out faster. Hmmm.... I like the texture because it enables stemming and edging on the harder climbs. I don't mind paying my local resoler and extra few bucks per year for the privilege, either.

Welcome to the Arctic, eh? At least with advance warning, you could have brought in a tent and all of your down clothing.

Just moved to Portland and heard PRG was moving to a new spot. And couldn't believe my good luck... it's only 1/2 mile from where I now live. But... not a slam dunk. Apparently the old gym was overcrowded and overchalked. The new one appears spacious on the outside, and it looks like the TR and lead walls are adequate. Don't care so much about bouldering, but it looked cramped enough in there that you might want to keep an eye out. But... very thin free weight selection and absolutely no aerobic equipment. The very friendly guy at the front said they were bringing over more weights but had no plans for aerobic equipment. I know this is a climbing gym and not the Y, but I think it's a bit much to charge $49/mo (if you use electronic withdrawal) or more for the service. I base this in part on comparing PRG to Vertical World in Seattle, where I paid membership for a few years. The current monthly rate there is about $40 if you pay by the month and there is at least an adequate set up of aerobic machines, free weights, and specialty training items for spot training. PRG has put aside space for a yoga studio, which is great, but they seem to have given up other valuable space for showers that could have been used for training. True, VW kinda dares you to take a shower (one stall, unheated), but if I'm paying for a membership, I'd like to be able to get a lot accomplished in one visit rather than have to buy a second gym membership. I am particularly sensitive to this right now because I am trying to rehabilitate a knee injury and therefore can't just go out and run in the rain like in past years. Still, to pay 25% more than a better equipped gym in the bigger city seems out of whack. Is it just that they have to amortize the cost of a new building there? I don't know the history (whether they did a gut remodel on an existing space or demoed and built new. It looks new). It seems odd to have built something new given they are right along Sandy, which appears to have many 000,000s of square feet of warehouse space going begging. Some history from the PDX locals would help me to understand some of the decision-making. Thanks.

His hearing improves greatly when adjacent the chicas. But don't worry about the beer -- it's all caffeine drinks, now.

Fred will also be in Hood River that week; he will give a similar presentation at the Middle School Aud (on May Street by the park) on Thursday night at 7:30. Tix are $5 at Waucoma Books or at the door.

Loose Lady (Houser Buttress) Heart and Sole (Echo) Lost Horse Wall (a few good ones and more than one pitch!) Hall of Horrors (Exorcist, Diamond Dogs)

I CHEATED DEATH once again by using a double loop bowline instead of a lemming knot (i.e. 2x figure 8) on a REAL CLIMB today even though I knew it wasn't as strong and would almost certainly try to untie itself. I monitored it closely but there was little evidence of its stealth during the day. Just in case, I left it tied to my harness in the back of my truck and will check it first thing in the morning. PS I must admit it is backed up w/ the Yosemite finish. PPS I saw someone today who rappelled over 100' using the old Yosemite system (carabiner brake). I tried to stop him but it was too late. I was shocked that he didn't end up in several pieces at the bottom of the cliff.

You're right, Winter. There is a lot of inconsistency at areas; I was talking about the general feeling of a place, the experience and prestige of first ascentionists, and the bizarre local customs (for example, how a 5.6 at Joshua Tree doesn't mention the first 15 feet of unprotected bouldering, etc). Smith is a tough to generalize on, too, since there were a limited number of routes that had been climbed before the late 70s and they had a bimodal distribution of Class 4/easy Class 5 scrambles done by mtnrs and very hard routes (many mostly aid) done on the bigger walls.

In part it has to do with the time in which the bulk of the routes were put up and the standard at that time. zB many Index (and Smith) routes were put up in the 60s/70s by climbers either training for or returning from Yosemite; the whole notion of 5.10 didn't gain much currency until the late 60s so many climbs that were perhaps that hard (by today's general consensus) had been graded only 5.8 or 5.9 (since 5.9 was for quite awhile the hardest thing anyone had climbed). Red Rocks and Squamish were both developed somewhat later and the transfer of consistent grading didn't happen as it had at Index or Smith. That's at least part of the reason why you can get on a Red Rocks 5.10 and feel as though it isn't challenging you nearly as much as a Yosemite 5.10.

Pretty good -- more than 10 posts before the ranting started. I guess I agree somewhat on the guide approach, especially if you have very specific goals (for example, building anchors). You could climb some cool stuff in the bargain, too, and the guide would probably be more psyched than usual that you actually wanted to learn something (rather than just get hauled up some trade route). You could then apply the learning on a climb you thought to be well within your abilities and go from there. That's kind of how it works climbing with more experienced folks, but it is more likely they will have gaps in their knowledge than a guide and, in the extreme case, make bad decisions that could prove dangerous (depending on the route, the weather, etc.) BTW, it's Migraine Boy.

I think Erik's right on the intermediate/basic issue. The basic class won't teach you how to lead or build anchors, etc. Perhaps you could get into the intermediate class without taking the basic (but you might need a note from a higher power) but probably you would have to put up with the BS to be found in basic. These days, with all the liability issues loaded on top of the problems associated with lowest common denominator training, stamina is a major requirement of learning climbing techniques from any club.

When I've got a bit more time, I'll post a TR of recent trip to Wyoming: 2 summits, a good crag, snow, rain, lightning, etc etc. There will be pictures, too...

John, there was some smoke in BBasin last weekend but not too bad once you climbed out of the valley. Sharkfin would be fun. Call the NPS and see what they say. We only saw a few people up there all weekend. BTW, belated congrats. I haven't been in contact much lately but will do better.

Got one whilst on the road for a route we didn't have time to do and now it's definitely extra (already had 2 back here). The shop in Moose was having a great sale; your cost is $55 + shipping. E-mail now while brain cells last.