Pencil_Pusher

I'm not referring to any guide service in particular, but I did hear a story not too long ago from people who had hired a guide however many years ago to go up Olympus. There was something like five clients and the guide and guess who fell in the crevasse? I mean, it sucks for the guide because he hurt himself and had to be flown out of there (while the clients humped his gear out, in addition to their own! Two of the clients had gone down and out for help, if my memory is correct) but it is kinda funny in that the one guy that knew what he was doing was the one in the hole. Nothing against guides either. If I had more disposable income, I'd be a client too. I can see why folks would want guides, skip the learning curve and gruntwork and do lots of cool routes where routefinding and leading aren't issues. I mean, hell if I had the moola, why not just hire Fred (chick magnet) so I wouldn't have to guess at which "obvious" notch he wrote about? Maybe it's spoon fed, but I sure wouldn't mind! You know, hire a chopper to ferry us to/from the Pickets... green eggs and ham for breakfast... maybe hire a female guide for

Damn, I thought we were about to get slammed by that topic title! Cool reading though. There's lots I can remember from that trip, the scenery was excellent and we had great weather (not counting the shiverfest). Norman sent us some great digital photos to help remember. We did it for the challenge but the icing on the cake was getting to enjoy each other's company and the comraderie of enduring a little suffering together. If we missed out on any scenery, it was during the last stretch getting out of there but then, how much time do you exactly need to "enjoy the scenery"? Okay, time for me to stop, now my brain is thinking in Matrix-mode... "You have to let it all go, Neo. Fear, doubt and disbelief... Free Your Mind." Chestbeating? I guess it depends on perspective, it sure does make for a good story to tell (from a guy that can't even lead 5.8). Nah, swissman and mikebell did it two hours faster and Blight says someone did it in 15 hours... THAT is a trail run. Not for me this year, I'm too fat and lazy and school is royally kicking my ass. -DH

Yeah, ask for a raise "American Beauty" style! Where the dude basically tells his boss he'll file a sexual harassment charge because his boss told him to give him ( the boss) a blowjob! Hilarious!

I'm not usually prepared when I go climbing so the simple task of copying the text is way too complex for someone who can barely remember to bring the book (I've climbed Ingalls, Tooth, Marymoor and Exit 38 in Dockers [dress shoes for Exit 38 and Marymoor] and coveralls for Smith [with a case of Snickers I inadvertantly had in the car, which worked out well because I forgot to bring food]). Hell, I've even gone for a hike up to Muir in the then girlfriend's clothes (they were pretty tight) and my cross country ski shoes because I forgot my stuff... my friends said they'd never look at me the same. I'll tear out of Nelson, but not Fred... My bad, I thought the new green Fred was already out. And, I don't know anything about this new Nelson book because I didn't buy it, just thumbed through it. An annual student Mounties membership costs $45 and members get a 20% discount on all "The Mountaineers" books. There's tons of activities going on each month though I have yet to go on one. They'll let you bypass the basic class with their basic equivalency, but because they need instructors, there is no intermediate equivalency. Yeah, I asked and they said no... maybe it was just me.

Saw in the Sunday paper some hiking/camping deals for those of us that take pride in being cheapskates. Sorry, no REI dividend...

Clear the decks yourself, or hike the cable line on Tiger hard and fast to the point where you're about to pass out and you can swear you taste blood in your mouth. Then keep burning uphill. Go home, pass out for the count, wake up and go to work. If still pissed, repeat. Or buy a baseball bat and one of those heavy punching bags and whail on that thing till the cows come home. Putting a picture or sign on the bag might help, for inspiration. Just make sure you have plenty-o-room to swing without damaging things or yourself.

Wow, that's an impressive TR. Good job.

Damn. I'd heard this was coming out but figured the first edition was good enough. Well I was at the Mountaineers Bookstore yesterday and there it was. I thumbed through it and it's got some good photos in there as well as some more routes. Bastards , the damn thing makes me want to buy it... it's pretty inspirational. If Beckey can do it, others can too I guess. Besides, the 1st edition is in pieces due to tearing out the pages for each trip. BTW, the new green Beckey book is out so don't go buying the old one the bookstores are pushing.

Somebody (?) told me you can do something like two double rope raps from the false peak and then walk over to the notch at the base of the w ridge, versus downclimbing. It supposedly shaves the time back down to the notch in half. Beyond that, maybe you could parapente to the car.

Well, don't stray too far off the beaten path up top, there are crevasses. My leg personally knows of one up there close to the summit. Bring wands to help guide you back to the hellish N Ridge.

I'd guess this is like Microsoft and Linux. Both may be great in their own respect, but everyone uses Microsoft. Incidentally, I know of someone who'd tied in with a bowline and it came undone and fell to the ground, while that climber was on lead. Part of the problem was the follower did not know how to check the knot (I guess it was tied wrong). I don't know how to check the knot either. So if you're going to fall repeatedly and untie each time (?) why not just use a figure8 on a bite, clipped in to the harness? The climbing gyms don't particularly like that, but it sure saves time.

You can pre-purchase tickets for the movie at fandango.com and as an fyi, here's an e-mail I got: The Matrix Reloaded: The IMAX Experience will be released at IMAX® theatres in Canada and the United States shortly after its 35mm release on May 15. A listing of theatres that will show the film has not yet been finalized. Please check www.imax.com for updates. The Matrix Revolutions: The IMAX Experience will be released simultaneously in IMAX and 35mm theatres November 5. Best regards, IMAX Corporation That's sick and twisted... the show at the IMAX.

I can't remember which weekend it was, but we happened to climb this route before the permit season, in June 2001 too. That was my first attempt at going light and I froze my friggin ass off camping at Lake Vivianne. I agree with your gear assessment, we brought way too much as there were plenty of rocks to sling/girth. I had rock shoes the partner had boots, we both froze our asses off climbing that thing and it was the shoes that got us up both iffy sections you described. The little "unprotected" face above the piton wasn't much... For the last 20ft we went around to the right side and ascended a shove-yourself-in-a-big-crack to shimmy up. Thank god it warmed up. The descent had us guessing where the stupid slings were (both the descent off the top and the approach from camp were mostly snow). There wasn't snow on the route, just some ice in a crack or two including that bastard 10' crack that begins the final pitch (my first use of alpine aid). It's got a bomber fist jam for your left hand at the top of that crack. This is why I'd second the dude that said go there in the summer. Just do it as a long day trip to avoid the permit schpeel, you'll enjoy it more.

Dang, I kept forgetting to post this. Anyhow it's Coleman brand and a pretty darned good deal.

Has $38 heart rate monitor wristwatches, $60 altimeter watches, and $157 3.2mp digital camera (brand-spanking new).

Things haven't changed much here at cc.com I see. Well, check out Matrix Reloaded trailers for some kick-ass previews of what's in store for us come May 15th. Probably five times the action with even some skin.

No, no, no... not "in other words." Don't put words in my mouth. Just what I typed above. Or, from the Cost Accounting book, "In other industries, the pricing policy is based on excess capacity and differing elasticities of demand; a higher price is charged to the core market and lower prices to secondary markets. In order for this to work, there must be no arbitrage. Arbitrage occurs when the customers who purchase the goods at the lower price are able to resell it to other customers." (Cost Management 3rd Ed., Hansen & Mowen, pg. 790) I've been pretty happy with the learning this quarter, both in this and marketing. Beats the gobbly-goop, fluffy management terms.

I flew in with Geeting and Hudson took me out even though I'd paid Geeting. I got great service from them both and would recommend them. If I went again, I'd try for the two chicks and a bird solely because of how impressed I was by their flying/service. All the same, I'd go with Geeting or Hudson. I think most of the services there tend to work with each other when times get tough and they need help. For instance, I saw both Hudson and K2 help out Geeting under different, but similarly difficult, circumstances. And I'm sure Geeting did/would help them out as well.

Delayed studying by adding bakers cocoa with instant coffee mix (crushed coffee crystals to powder first) and then added this to the jar of brown rice syrup and blended throroughly. It was about a tablespoon and a half... I didn't really measure, just dumped some in. So now the syrup tastes like those Coffee Nips (candy). The cocoa because I didn't want to add sugar, the caffeine because it came to mind. Simple... making gu for dummies.

Looks pretty hokey... more along the lines of the ava-lung. Of course it could just be the pink trim that doesn't make me a believer.

I guess I was one of the ignorant ones. Then I got schooled. So I'm taking this marketing class and relate the little Barrabes/BD schpeel we have here in cyber-wonderland. Prof gave a good reasoning (in a nutshell, as I understood it): Company in business to make profit. Customer looking to maximize their own "profit". Both want the best price for themselves. If customer can take profit from company, they're happy for the good deal. Likewise for the company who is in business to earn a profit. Skip to the internet. So there's some sort of "grey" area where the manufacturer will sell to a different country at their market value provided there is little "cross-talk" between the two, meaning the two different markets (in this case, the US and Europe) won't interact much. So this was probably true for pre-Barrabes. Then the Spaniards got wise and alot of BD ice tool sales went to Barrabes instead of BD. The "cross-talk" became huge. Apparently (learning through the cost-accounting class) head sales and marketing people are more inclined to sell their product at a loss to obtain "market share" whereas the accountants are always looking at ways to maximize profits and are wary of such "sales with a net loss". From the marketing and sales point of view, BD (assuming they sold at cost/loss to Barrabes) may have been trying to establish or maintain a foothold in the European climbing market. This is pure speculation, but it's more meant to show a huge grey area rather than a $120Barrabes and $250Black Diamond USA black-and-white deal. I doubt any company would be so willing to lower their prices so willingly... again it's both sides (company/customer) wanting the maximum profit for themselves. By cutting off Barrabes, there is no more "cross-talk" and they get better contribution margins on their tools. So maybe BD was able to sell at loss/cost because of their profits from US sales? As arlen pointed out, the distribution model... heck, before last week I had never heard of such nor considered the true implications of "cutting out the middleman", as good as it sounds in the frequent sales pitches we hear.

Burning both ends of the candle here... at work. Umm... I remember a while back about Jon from this website, Chief Gaping Officer... Jon and Tim... Anyhow, check with this dude Jon, I think he mentioned a while back about training to do a triathlon in May. So maybe the dude is up for the Wonderland as well.

Or wind up crying if the store is closed/gone (or swiping unattended gear at airport). Take the rich and famous trip to Talkeetna sans a shitload of gear. Visit this shop and buy everything you'll need for the climb: Windy Corner Downtown Main Street Talkeetna, AK 907-733-1600 www.windycorner.com climb@windycorner.com Cartridges for such stoves as well.

Jerome hit the nail on the head with most of his recommendations. Ditto on Clif bars, everyone was trying to barter those off to some poor fool; toilet paper is a good barter, bring two rolls. Go light, avoid the sled if at all possible, only bring two weeks worth of food and fuel. Some people managed to avoid the sled... a bit heavier pack but holy hell you'd be a fat cat if you brought skis too. Tie the ice axe to your harness. I know there's a big reason why not to here, but lose your ice axe out there and you'll be in a world of hurt. Cell phones work at 14 and above (Verizon has best reception), FM radio comes in good from Anchorage. Turn GPS on from landing strip to 11k so you can use backtrack function on exit, if need be. Bring postcards with stamps and give them to climbers as they head down and out to Talkeetna to mail for you... the climbers "Pony Express". XGK's seemed to be the stove of choice, a group used a hanging cartridge stove to heat the tent in the morning up to 14 and then regular stove for higher. Hape sucks, avoid it. Also, Julie from Mckinley Air Service saved everyone's ass big time by skillfully dipping down into the valley under clouds to catch clear air and start picking folks up to get the hell out. Nobody had gotten out for a week due to the weather and the other air services said we couldn't get out that day due to conditions. This chick plucked people off in two trips before convincing the other companies to start flying in. We had Geeting who, along with the others, eventually picked us up. But she lead the way. Heard from an Iranian climbing dude that she pulled a similar stunt a couple of days later. Nothing against the other air services, but f-ing A, that was impressive. Here's my shameless plug for a pilot I've never met.

You'll get all of that in the basic class. They'll drop you into a crevasse, you'll get to yank others out... all the stuff you mentioned. Two months after graduating, six of us "classmates" went off and climbed the Emmons route together. We were happy enough that we pulled it off by ourselves, albeit an easy route. That's right on par with what most folks do upon completing the course... a Rainier ascent. On a separate note, when I mentioned the intermediate class has the student climbing at their ability level, that's in the true sense, whether it's 5.4 to (as far as I know and I climb nowhere near this so not sure) 5.11. I think a student and instructor went up Thin Red Line last year... because both were capable of such. Fuhrer Finger and N Face Shuksan were a couple of the snow routes they did last year too. The graduation climb is one planned and approved ( ) by the instructors. Goode, Triumph, N Ridge Stuart were some of their climbs.