haireball

ignorance, once enlightened, readily surrenders to wisdom. stupidity clings to itself, scorning facts and proofs.

thanks for all the suggestions, guys! an old dead banjo-string worked like a charm. I'm considering putting a dab of aqua-seal (neoprene) on the knot to secure it, but so far, it seems not to need it. Mitch, - got your pm. I'll call you.

answers to Caveman's challenges: on and off glaciers, I use collapsible ski-trekking poles, and have many a time pitched my tarp between them. the poles have many other uses as well, and I almost never hike without them. however, for those who eschew poles, I've also pitched a tarp between piles of snow or rocks, which piles I have constructed for that purpose. A featureless rock slab would be more of a challenge, but I wouldn't be able to anchor a free-standing tent on a featureless rock slab to withstand a 60mph+ wind unless I also carried a drill and bolts. in 60mph+ winds, I have used snow trenches, snow-block walls, rock walls, and vegetation to shelter tarps from the windblast.(most sensible tenters also use these resources to protect their tents) on the Peters Glacier on Denali, I know of tents that have been picked up and carried away by the wind with people in them!!! under such conditions, my tarp has made a perfect groundsheet in my igloo or snowcave. sheltering a tarp-rig from sideways rain is no more complicated than sheltering it from wind. a wall of snow-blocks, rocks, or the lee of some trees or brush (better yet, an opening surrounded by trees or brush) does the trick. tents have their place: they are convenient-in most cases they are easier than tarps- and they keep out bugs. I own several tents, and use them all on different styles of trips. But when I want to go ultralight, I always choose the tarp. [ 09-05-2002, 10:11 AM: Message edited by: haireball ]

if I hadn't spent MONTHS in the mountains in bad weather under tarps, I wouldn't have recommended it. I'd have to agree with MattP that if you're getting soaked under a tarp, it's due to operator error. the most common error is poor location, and I've seen at least as many boneheads soaked in poorly located multi-hundred $$$ tents as under poorly pitched or poorly located tarps. I will grant that ya don't always have the most ideal site available for choice - but when that's the case, then the choice is to be cheap wet or expensive wet...

Mitch, Why didn't I think of that - thirty years of old dead banjo-strings going to landfills, and I coulda been puttin' 'em to good use! I'll go re-string that sucker right now, and let you know how it goes!!! BTW - school is back in session, and I'm back driving, but I have a cragging window from about 8:30-2:30 weekdays - I'll give ya a call. -Curt

anybody know where I can get trigger-wires replaced on some old (1980's vintage) Friends? I was gonna do it myself, but can't find small-enough diameter cable at my local hardware dealers...

an 8x10 vinyl tarp from your local hardware store is light, cheap, and you can vary your pitching options from wide-open-airy to water-tight-like-a-frog's-ass. won't keep bugs out, though...

I climbed it in August of 1990, found the slightly overhung upper wall of the schrund to be more than I could handle (so I aided it), and got both ropes of my double-rope belay system chopped by spontaneous rockfall (completed the route anyway...) The rock-climbing is not too difficult, and it does protect adequately, but you definitely want to choose sheltered belays. Good luck!

Aidan, have you tried hydro-loading and/or carbo-loading? Reinhold Messner, back in the 60's and 70's was an early proponent of these practices. the idea is to restrict your intake of fluids and or carbs for about a week before a big endurance event, then overload during the 48 hours immediately preceding the push. theoretically, your body overcompensates after having been denied, and "superhydrates" and/or "super-carbs". Messner would complete this cycle going into a major alpine endeavor, and then simply not carry food or water (or bivouac gear). He credited climbing without the heavy pack as a major factor in his astonishing speed records. I've had modest results with these practices, and have also noticed some benefit from taking supplementary glutamine: 5-10 mg per day of strenuous exercise. And listen closely to all the water/electrolyte talk. Gaining altitude at a rate of 1k'/hr, most of us will find it nearly impossible to consume enough fluids to maintain optimum hydration for more than a couple of hours. This makes hydro-loading almost imperative if you're attempting an 8k' day (like Paradise-to-summit). For training, you might try "running laps" on a lower hill of say 1k' or 2k' gain. Try making your 8k' day without going to 14k before adding the challenge of the higher altitude. good luck!

over a 35-year climbing career, I've found that: hardware (with the exception of pitons & carabiners) becomes obsolete in a few seasons, and it's relatively easy to find partners who've got the latest goodies if I don't... alpine boots are the most difficult item to buy and replace - a good pair lasts long enough that the same model will be unavailable by the time they wear out (I occasionally find myself wishing I'd had the foresight to buy about four pairs of Galibier Super Guides) top-quality down clothing & sleeping bags last forever-I'm still using a down parka and pants that I bought in 1972! The sleeping bag that I bought the same season was stolen in South America in 1990, or I'd still be using it, too.

I climbed the North Face of Robson in September of 1979. Did not approach via the Berg Glacier, but walked from Berg Lake up the Robson River to the Robson Glacier, then climbed over the helmet to get to the North Face. This approach is much longer than the Berg Glacier approach (a full extra day's walk) but very scenic, and non-technical. Good luck!

another vote for your goforit approach: I've done very well fabricating from scratch, and also modifying stuff that I've bought. Simple stuff, like gators, I never buy. However, I've also fabricated tents, packs, sleeping bags, fleece and shell clothing, and seat-harnesses. I found it worthwhile to invest in a commercial upholsterer's sewing machine after burning up a few lesser machines in my college days (late 70's). there's something to be said for having exactly the fit and features you want/need on a given item - no more, and no less. best of luck!

the bare bones answer: it's an addiction - there's no such thing as "enough", and any at all is a hazardous tease.

up north face down Kain face made a nice combination when I did it. the two routes are about the same technical difficulty, but the north face is twice as long... weather is a crapshoot--just leave yourself plenty of time if you can... another advantage to the Kain face /north face is the opportunity to approach through the "Valley of 1000 Falls" - a stunning walk worth doing even if you never get on the mountain proper...

interesting topic: I rack 100% on my harness loops except on walls, when I carry more than will fit on the harness. the reason - physics! lower center of gravity improves balance. I rack cams and nuts on one side, draws on the other-never a question what's where. Several nuts/cams to each racking biner - means if I misjudge placement, I don't have to reach back to the rack to get the correct piece - it will be attached to the biner that I already have off the rack. cordelletes live on the back of the harness. A note on draws - I carry only one length of runner - a closed loop about 18", which I fold triple between two carabiners to form a 6" quickdraw. Thus, I never have to look for the correct length runner; if the short draw needs to be longer, I just drop one or two loops from one of the carabiners to lengthen it. If I need a "double" (longer than the 18") I can hitch two (or more) together. Since I rack all the draws on one side of my harness, I can grab the "right" draw every time, without even looking...

Dru - I have a closet full of old rock shoes of various sizes, in various states of resole. Actually, I spent a couple of weeks last fall gluing stealth c4 on everything that didn't already have it. My current favorite for summer alpine climbing is an ancient pair of Asolo Diamonds (originally marketed as a wall shoe), which I have resoled in c4. Before gluing the rubber on, I drilled holes in it to create a tread pattern, for better performance on snow & dirt. These shoes accept socks, work with strap-on crampons (marginal), and will tolerate approaches if the pack's not too heavy. I also have an "oversized" pair of Merrel Edge shoes that I have used on walls. (I even modified these to function as in innerboot under plastic shells for a South American trip, once; it wasn't worth the effort) Although I climb to a slightly higher standard in the Merrels, I prefer the Asolos for alpine climbs because they save me having to carry an extra pair of shoes for the approach/descent. Neither shoe offers the sensitivity or precision I like for cragging/sport, which is fine with me - I don't push my standard so hard on big/remote climbs. For those with a "do-it-yourself" inventive streak, I suggest taking an old pair of favorite too-stretched-out rock shoes and resurrecting them by gluing on a heel of the thicker (1/4") c4, then a half-sole toe, with a tread pattern cut into it before gluing it on. Add a Dr.Sholls or similar heel insert to make walking a bit more tolerable, and PRESTO, the ultimate summer alpine shoe!

Dru, my experience with catching falls while short-roping leads me to conclude that keeping the rope SNUG is critical - so that when a follower slips, he or she has no opportunity to accelerate (and increase the effective load on the leader). I've found this easier to manage with less rope out; thus I rarely short-rope with more than ten meters of rope. of course that means a more severe fall-factor if the leader peels - so don't! if the lead climber can't accurately judge when to ask for a brief belay, he or she shouldn't be leading the short-rope. I cannot stress enough that short-roping is an "experts only" technique, and requires PRACTICE to be safe. For what it's worth, I have short-roped clients in my guiding days, and I have led shortroping with expert amateur partners, however, I have only followed shortrope with professionally trained guides. among my many "expert" amateur climbing partners, I have yet to come across a climber without professional guide-training (UIAGM/AMGA)whose rope-handling skills and judgment were up to the task of safely/competently leading shortrope technique.

answering questions: yes, phototropics are the same thing as "photogreys"; at 6000m they are virtually black. Mattp, I've worn them for so many years I wouldn't be able to compare them with anything else - they are part of me-after this long, any "problem" with them I probably wouldn't recognize as a problem...in some ways, it's easier than being 20/20 and using sunglasses, because I just put them on when I wake up in the morning and take them off when I bed down at night, and forget about them in between.

while many of these responses have been great, notably Dru's and Jason Martin's, others have been misleading, and some clarification is in order. short-roping does elilminate rope-drag & hangups, and promotes contact/sensitivity between leader and follower. when I learned the technique (in my guiding days), I was taught "the shorter the better", with just enough rope between leader & follower to keep a piece or two, or a terrain-belay between you. the rope must remain snug for optimal safety. (the leader should have just enough freedom to move, but be almost pulling the second climber). For the occasional scary move, either climber (at the request of partner) can simply stop at a piece and take a formal belay which can be disassembled after the scare is passed. that bit about not being able to arrest a fall while "simulclimbing" on snow/ice is horseshit. yes, it takes practice, but I've done it numerous times. In 1979 I arrested a team of six (6) falling climbers on the North Sister in Oregon. Last July, on the Adams Glacier, my partner fell while short-roping (I was leading), and I caught him "piolet-manche" (standing). find a steep, firm slope of neve with a good runout, practice catching a falling-sliding partner, and you'll see. I practiced a LOT when I was getting started, and it has paid off handsomely...

Expanding on Freeman's note, CCMR uses Rigging For Rescue because R4R is widely acknowledged to be the premiere rope-rescue trainer on the North American continent. They do not, however, address self-rescue in any sustantive way. Outside of the AMGA, I'm not aware of anyone who does... CCMR is currently discussing offering a self-rescue seminar later this summer, using facilitators who have taught the AMGA programs. We will post date and contact information when/if the plan bears fruit.

for nearly 30 years I have used nothing more than prescription glasses with phototropic lenses. at altitude, I make side-shields out of duct-tape or first-aid tape. this has proven adequate for me on Orizaba, two Denali trips, and Aconcagua. I love the phototropics, because they eliminate the hassle of having to carry different eyewear for different light conditions. although initially expensive, a single pair of phototropics is substantially cheaper than two pair of prescription lenses... I do add generic ski-goggles for extreme-wind days...

Liberty Crack has gone hammerless since the late 70's. I'm not aware that it has gone free. YDS-V,5.8,C2

new-age sport-route = bolt ladder = why bother?

Dennis, Mac would be closer to 50 than 40 - he was two years behind me at CC, and I turn 50 this year. I ran into Mac at Smith Rock a few years back and he told me he was teaching in Seattle at that time. Good luck... -Curt

Thinker - if you're using a single carabiner to join the two lobes of a chest harness, and simply passing the rope through that biner to your seat harness, that carabiner would likely fail under the three-way load generated by a hard fall. Many experienced chest-harness users prefer to make this connection with a tri-link (designed to sustain a three-way load), or use two carabiners-one from each lobe of the chest-harness to the rope. The risk of folding your spine can be eliminated by clove-hitching the chest-harness linkage. I've found this rig comfortable for lengthy hangs in rescue applications. I've also caught crevasse falls on the kiwi coil, and on my "backpack-rigged-as-a-chest-harness", and I've taken one significant crevasse fall wearing the "backpack-rigged-as-chest-harness". It was cush having my pack support me while I hung free in the crevasse, rather than vice-versa! Perhaps more critical for safety on glaciers is keeping sufficient rope, and NO SLACK between rope team members. By thus minimizing the fall-factor, the forces transmitted to the rope-partner(s) will be slight - I've caught a number of crevasse falls without even being pulled off my feet... and in the one fall I took, the force transmitted to my partner (who was out of sight over a bulge) was so slight that she thought I had just begun walking faster, so she kept walking, and lowered me forty feet into the crevasse before she figured out what had happened! Paul Detrick - I eliminate the risk of inversion for middle-partners by hitching both of their strands to the chest-harness linkage... [ 06-12-2002, 07:00 PM: Message edited by: haireball ]