slothrop

I know I've stopped regularly checking the NWAC site for avy conditions, so I thought I'd pass this on: http://www.seawfo.noaa.gov/products/SABSEA If you can do this on the snowpack, you're probably safe: Have a great weekend!

Great photos!

Despite a recent rumor to the contrary, the new green Beckey is not out yet. I asked about it at REI yesterday and the clerk called Mounties Press, who said it hasn't been printed. That is all, resume spraying.

Was the rope running to the same side as the gate of the hanger-end biner? That's the only way I can imagine the gate ending up facing up. I think lummox is suggesting that the bolt end could have opened the biner as it rotated upward. I orient the biners on my draws the same direction so that the gate won't turn upwards when I climb past it (clip away from your body, move away from the bolt). I just saw a Petzl pamphlet that shows a draw unclipping itself from the bolt end. The scenario in this case is that the draw was backclipped, then the rope moved to the other side, bringing the sling against the gate of the bolt biner.

Another vote for Givler's Crack. Fun, fun, fun. 200 feet of easy jamming after the face-climbing crux. Belay on top of the flake (short 1st pitch). There's another 5.8 nearby, at Alphabet Wall or whatever, but it's one pitch, right off the road, and hard for 5.8.

I've only used a directional for belaying a second, in which case any falls are like on top-rope: low forces. Your anchor should be safe enough to take such forces (doubled, as they are, by the pulley action of the directional), so you could just run it through the anchor for convenience. But why not throw in another piece for the directional, anyway? That's what you expect the leader to do ("protect the belay").

It seems to me that you can have a no-extension anchor or an automatically-equalizing anchor, but not both. Only a compromise between the two is possible. I'd prefer a method that gives you the flexibility to easily rig according to which the more important feature of your anchor at the time. For sketchy gear, I'd say you want to minimize extension. I don't really see how an automatically-equalizing system (sliding X, unknotted cordelette, the Trango thingy) is that useful if you have a belay stance you can hang out at and not move around a lot. The anchor is for the belayer, anyway, so the load shouldn't be on the anchor if the leader falls, sideways or not. If you know the leader's gear is going to cause you to be pulled sideways, arrange your anchor appropriately. A cordelette is nice because you can statically equalize the pieces very easily, then eliminate extension with a figure 8. The webbing used in a sliding X is just like a cordelette, anyway, just shorter and usually without a knot. Tie a knot in the X and you eliminate extension, too.

Colchuck NBC's in there, for one. Not that you'd need any more beta than a search on cc.com for the 17 TRs from last month. The photos are excellent.

I guess you missed AlpineK's slides of the Cassin Ridge.

Somewhere in your backyard. No fair.

Didja climb the west ridge, Jantz?

Yeah, seriously, if you can't afford a harness, you need to smoke less weed. You can get a fine harness for about $35 bucks most anywhere.

Fuck the magistrate. It's his job to administer the law, not drive revenue generation by punishing those who exercise their right to dispute baseless tickets. This is a matter of principle, man.

That sounds like bogus session management. Shouldn't there be a session key associated with each session, sent on every request in a cookie or as part of the URL? I know PHP does this automatically if you enable the session.use_trans_sid option. It sounds like Alasdair is getting someone's session ID... maybe it's embedded in the URL he's using to get to the site? Does logging out properly destroy the session and all the session variables? Maybe you could set sessions to expire more often, though that would force people to log in more often.

Nice job, erik. Matt: So it sounds like you can "forget the pass at home", photocopy one that someone's paid for, and avoid the fine? I like the idea of sending a check for zero dollars. Forgetting to fill out the ticket correctly sounds like the kind of technicality that would get the ticket thrown out in court.

Saturday: Wandered around to all the crags in the Mt. Washington area at Exit 38 for the first time, looking for a friend. There's a ton of random overbolted choss out there! It looks like there are some cracks to be climbed at the Valley View West wall. A couple hikers I passed on the way up around 4pm asked me, "You're getting a late start, aren't ya? Planning on spending the night up there?" I just kept walking. Fun times exploring a bit further west. Sunday: Sent a pile of BBQ ribs at my girlfriend's family's house near Olympia. I used the sit-start, which actually makes it easier.

How much do tickets cost? Do the proceeds benefit a charity of some sort?

I got my Barryvox at PMS. It's pretty snazzy.

Ah, one more thing: any good moderate crack climbing? With miller's description of the rock and the proliferation of bolts in the area, I'm wondering if I should just leave my cams at home.

Thanks for the replies! A few general questions about climbing in Europe: Knowing about barrabes.com, t-p.com, et al., I assume that gear is cheaper than in the US. Any particular kinds of goods that are more expensive? Are hut reservations necessary in June? How does the weather work in the Berner Oberland? What kind of weather patterns and temps should I expect in June? Re: the Moench -- this summit cornice? Looks like an awesome view! I found Vertical Sport's website, that looks like the place to go for sure. They appear to have route topos to copy and all the rentals my brother needs.

Sure, DFA, cams are great, and as American as apple pie. But it's not a good idea to rely solely on cams and their seductive ways. Cams are so "easy" to place that you can forget to check the subtleties of the placements. A cam may seem solid in that backward-flaring crack -- you yard on it and it holds nicely. You make a few more moves, flip the rope around your leg, and all of a sudden your bomber #3 Friend has walked back into the crack. If you fall on it, it might hold, but it might explode and you'll hit that ledge. Oops. If you place a nut wrong, you can see it when you place it. The reason cams weren't invented until later is because they're a more complex piece of technology. More complexity means more difficulty in evaluating whether the technology is working correctly. The KISS rule holds some truth. Nuts are cheap, get them first before you decide whether you really like leading. You can always borrow cams from your more experienced friend, anyway (the one who's checking your placements for you as you practice). You won't need a whole rack until you're competent at leading.

Photo Annual issue or somesuch of Climbing, the one with the chick bouldering on the cover.

I've got an Alpine Light pack, it's decent. Having no easy way to attach a shovel is a pain in the ass, though. I haven't carried huge loads in it, but after a long day, it does ride rough on my shoulders. Maybe if I stuff another pair of socks in the hipbelt straps (this is a cool feature), it'll sit more on my hips. I thought the price was right (about $110), especially compared to the Arc'teryx Khamsin 38.

I'm a newbie and have more confidence in the nuts I place than in my cams. With a well-placed nut, the only way the placement will fail is if the cable breaks or the rock disintegrates. Cams are a bit tricksy, especially the larger sizes, *especially* in places like Vantage where cracks flare towards the back a lot. Didn't Kropp have almost exclusively cams in when he fell and ripped almost every piece? There are several excellent, easy climbs that you can lead without a single cam. The Tooth and Ingalls' south ridge, to name a few. I agree that starting with passive pro is a good idea for a newcomer. Having to carefully select climbs to lead based on what kind of rack you have is a good exercise in judging the rock, too.

Nice job, Stebbi!