Juneriver

I used to not worry too much about wearing a helmet when climbing alpine stuff. But, a coupla years ago on Mt Formidible a fist-sized rock came tumblin' down from somewhere above and smacked me full on the noggin. I still stutter sometimes but I always wear the helmet when in the alpine world. [ 01-24-2002: Message edited by: Juneriver ]

Winter shot of the Matterhorn, Mr Veisters on Lhotse with Everest in the background. And a group shot of my first climb, four guys tackling the ever difficult and dangerous Magic Mtn.

Icegirl, Check your PM's. It might save you some extra work. Jamie

yeah... it was probably them porters... those things make me fat and lazy....

Yeah, I'm feeling a bit against a wall right now.Fear is one that seems to be getting in my way. And it varys from day to day. I absolutely hate being so inconsistant that I can solo up steep icy gullys one day, and the next day get all panicky inside looking at a ten foot fall at Little Si(like what I did this last weekend).Sometimes that screaming in my head gets a little too loud. If anyone has the cure-all for that, I'd sure like to know. Oh yeah... lack o' dough. That's the other biggie.

No worries... it's all only 3rd or 4th class, anyway. Right? [ 12-13-2001: Message edited by: Juneriver ]

I gots a question for y'all. When checking out a route that is described by Beckey, Nelson or whoever as having steep snow and ice, say 45-55 degrees, what do you pack for gear? I've only been on a few of these routes and I've learned a)when on steep snow w/o a rope I'm worried about a fall and already thinking about the tough downclimb, and b)when I'm roped, I'm worried that my partner is going to fall and yank my ass down the hill. In my experiences, the conditions are always dictating the style of climb, but I always wonder how much stuff to bring to be prepared. So with a generic route description, what do you plan for? What do you bring? Rope? Pickets? Ice Screws? Second tool?

Just can't let 'er die..can ya Hey...TG...don't forget to send a taste testin'6-pack with those fleece. Dan Larson Sux.

Are you nuts? The only reason I thought it was a good deal was because they hadn't been over 19000.Pants wearers (as oppposed to those who go without)start to make bad hypoxic decisions at high altitude. Suddenly warm pee seems like a good option. A good pair of pants may never recover from an altitude like that.

TG-I'll buy 'em. Send me a PM. Jamie

I use the v-dry for an all-purpose cragging rope. It was definitely slippery at first and had to watch it when using a gri-gri, but has broken in nicely. It's my second Sterling rope and they have both handled really well.I use a different rope for alpine stuff, at 10.2 x 60m I think it's too heavy. And I'm not convinced the v-dry is as waterproof as a good coated rope. Jamie

ican'tbelieveireadthiswholethread. DanLarsonSucks. Shouldn'twebeclimbing?

That is sooooo freakin' cool...

Thanks again for all the great advice.I think I'll give it a go with the skis I have now. David Parker, the skis I'll be using are K2 TNC comp. The length is pretty long (I was riding 200's and I'm 5'10"), so they might be a little harder to gain control of. I was an advanced skier but haven't been on the boards for about 5 years or so. I'm sure I'll be beginner/intermediate but will hopefully have a short relearning curve. I'm going to keep my eyes open for a set of AT or Tele bindings that will be compatible w/ plastics climbing boots. Hopefully I won't fall off anything that will kill me. Thanks again. [ 10-30-2001: Message edited by: Juneriver ]

Right on! Thanks for the help.One more question.Since I'm already invested into climbing, mountain biking and adventure racing... and hopefully an entry into ice climbing this year, I don't even dare to talk to the wife about new skis. I'm not rich, or so I'm reminded when ever I bring up my ice tool wish list. So my question is, for a rank beginner trying to make do, can I use my old downhill skis to start out? This is mostly utilitarian and for approaches. I have some late 80's higher-end K2's that I could slap some Randonee or Tele bindings and skins on. Or is that just a dumb idea? Thanks again. [ 10-29-2001: Message edited by: Juneriver ]

Ok, I'm going to show my ignorance of skiing now. I have alpine skied alot in the past but not in the last few years. Now I'm reallly getting tired of trudging on an approach or in the backcountry on my snowshoes while guys are flying by on their skis. So, I, too, have been considering trying to learn. My stupid question is this... What are all the differences in the ski gear? What do I need for simple approaches and backcountry skiing?What is the difference if any between cross-country, AT, Touring, Randonee, and Backcountry ski gear? Excuse my ignorance... If there is a web resource, just point me there. Thanks. [ 10-29-2001: Message edited by: Juneriver ]

quote: Originally posted by Pencil Pusher: I found some of my PM's accessible, others were inaccessible. Very funny. I think these graemlins are a pain in the ass. The rating thing is bogus too. I admire your efforts into this website, but my opinion is I prefer the old. Well... we all know what opinions are like. Keep up the good work Jon. Still got a few bugs though....

Aside from the usual climbing books and guides, 1984- Orwell, kinda cliche, but still my favorite 100 Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquis (sp?) On the Road - Kerouac Anything by Mark Twain, not Twight Sorry, Holly, I liked parts of Atlas Shrugged, hated parts of it, and in the end, still couldn't make up my mind. One thing is for sure... she's nuts.

I'm with ya, Matt. The one thing I want to do, but haven't is ice. No tools, or experienced partners to show the way. Four regular rock and alpine partners, and not one of them has climbed ice. I figure this year, I'm just going to jump into it and try not to kill myself. If anyone is looking for belay slave for ice climbing, you know where to find me.

This is all I could find. www.strippernet.com/moondancer/

I, too, am curious about the Moondance. not even Yahoo search came up with an answer... So, what is it?

Didn't you guys see Vertical Limit?.... Every good climber would know to cut the rope.

Yeah I've got a friend whose setup is footfangs w/ his makalus. He has trucked up Rainer and a couple of other volcanos with those things. The worst part is he's still faster than me. His calves are disproportionate to the rest of his body though....

I did the traverse last August. It definitely can be done fairly late in the season. The biggest issues would be possible crevasse negotiation (although none of the glaciers on the route are too broken) and moat/bergschrund difficulties. I think that it can be done in a long 3 days w/o climbing any peaks. I have considered doing it in 4 days incl. climbing Dome and I'm just not all that fast. I've heard that when the entire route is snowed in it's been done in some incredible time on skis (less than 24 hours???). If you want any direct info, feel free to e-mail.

Actually, if you follow Cavey's link up top, they have a tutorial to use these in Hotmail.