Pencil_Pusher

How much does it cost nowadays to climb at VW or Stone Gardens? Day Month Year Student And, any such places down by Tacoma?

Holly, check out Herbert Kornfeld's column in The Onion. A little bean-counter humor. In the Shadow of Denali was pretty good. Eiger Dreams (with Twight taking a friggin cassette player and headphones over a sleeping bag)was good as well. I found out through my Alpine Climbs in the Canadian Rockies just how Tobin Sorrenson (the hilarious dude from John Long's Climbing Anchors)died. I find some of my instructors' names in Beckey's books. Of Beckey, yeah, I dream at night of finding that "obvious" bench/tree/rock/big-shiny-spot-that-says-THE-ROUTE-IS-HERE. Still, those books are THE bibles, they allow for so much dreaming and possibilities. And, it's fun to come here and read somebody's trip report. Like that guy recently, the 50's has-been/never-was... HILARIOUS!

I'm on the ice bandwagon too. It's scary shit, but fun (so far). I don't even want to think about setting pre-tensioned screws and all that expert shit, but I would like to get out there and do more of it. My dream is the North Face of Robson. Why? Because it looks harder than shit with all the exertion to get there, plus that mountain looks pretty awesome. Will it ever happen? I think I'd have to get in better shape, but I could pull it off with what I know now. Of course, this is all dependent upon the route actually coming in to shape. I'd also like to check out that Skyladder, or Skywalker...something like that.

robertm, that's some good info folks can use for the descent. of the accident, it sucks the dude died. such is the life of this sport. i don't keep up with the news, but isn't this the second climbing guy to die up there over the past few months (the other guy on Chair)?

I'd have to agree with Wotan's quote.

Hey, Fun Rocks is fun! It's bolted and the routes look harder than they are (or not, if you're doing the really hard stuff). There's quite a few routes up there, Burdo has a pamphlet/book on them, and they're in Smoot's Washington book as well. You can set up a top rope on a few of them and I think I recall a couple of the routes being two pitches(?). Our top roping routes were between 60 and 80 feet long each, maybe the book says different, I'm just going by how much rope was left on the ground... it was around the Boterg/heist. Have fun.

A friend and I heard about the fires on the south side, thankfully, before heading over there. We opted, me reluctantly (recalling the crappy descent after wasting myself on Givlers route), for the North Ridge. We left Seattle at 5pm Sat and entered in by headlamp. Crashed out at the 6900 camp and left in the morning at 6:30. It sucks that it takes so long for the light to come out now. We met three others who had the same idea to go up the N ridge. They had the unfortunate experience of driving to the south side to find this out. There's plenty of running water up there, bring a coffee filter if you're planning on drinking from the lake. Past the glacier over the lake, it's pretty dry. We did encounter some running water up high, but I remember the silt-strewn water from our Givler adventure and man, you really don't want to drink that water, even with a parched throat. Route finding can be a real bitch. I brought some wands which helped out a bit for the descent. Basically, if you get into hard crap, turn around and find another way around. We got up there in five and a half hours. Not fast by any means, a typical party could expect the same time, I suppose. Didn't see anyone else up there. We brought enough wands to wand the snow field. With no rope, I personally wouldn't care to get off course up there, on the big open snowfield. Brought instep (four-point) crampons and ice axe. Really didn't need either although neither the route nor the weight difference would make me suggest not carrying either. Bring 'em. You'll twist your ankles plenty so wear light hikers or equivalent. Have fun!

Headed up the north ridge on the 23rd. Good conditions all the way up to the top, "good" relative to the north ridge. Heard the south was closed due to fires. Someone left a big 40 of Bud up on top, nice style... leaving trash. Be careful, bring wands for the upper cap if conditions go bad. There are crevasses on either side of this big field as you ascend. Obvious in good visibility. Wanding on the route of the ridge, if you find it, makes for an easier descent as well.

With an Occupation listing of "Undecided", keep working hard, bro.

Anyone been up there recently? How's the Emmons or Ingraham Direct looking? Any others looking okay?

The North ridge could be fun, I guess. I shouldn't say the glass is half empty, I know, I know. But that descent sucked!! Aye carumba, I fell twice on that crap and banged myself up more there than Mr Givler's treat! Okay, enough with the negative vibes.

Yeah, I guess I pulled that idea right out of my ass. I'd still like to hear anything about those BASE jumpers, if anyone saw them on Saturday. As for this Gi-gi, anyone have any info on it? I've seen it (or similar) vaguely in different books. How do you like it, are the ropes easier managed with it than with the ATC or Reverso?

That totally sucks. My sympathies to the family and uncle.

Headed up there this past weekend, great day for climbing. Went up the Beckey Route and got passed by two guys in jeans, soloing the route, with PARACHUTES on their backs!!! HOLY SHIT!! Man, there's friggin EXTREME!! They must've gone too, because they weren't anywhere to be found once we got to the top. On a sidenote, I tried to have someone belay me and another leader with an ATC on the third pitch. HUGE mistake on my part, insane rope drag with the belayer having a hellacious time trying to manage ropes. Anyone know what that plate/device is that those Europeans have for belaying two climbers at once?

I guess I have enough friends already. Maybe that's my problem, I'm not kissing your ass. I think the real deal is what I saw here a while ago. Someone pointed out that we perceive what someone types as having a way-more asshole attitude than the way they typed it and meant to communicate it. Perception problems abound. That and some people's self-identity is lived through this website and their screen names. Jon and Tim providing, I'm not going to quit posting here, "Retro".

shoot straight, ride tall, and live to tell the truth

Good rock/bad rock? Cracks nearby? One on top of other or side by side? 3/8 versus 1/2. Buttonheads versus bolts? Glue? I can respect that some don't want to see any but since they're here to stay, folks might as well know the proper techniques involved. Admittedly, when I first thought of this post a devilish grin crossed my face. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought folks should know so people can place reliable (relative) anchors, or bolts, whatever. It ought to be more than voodoo science/OJT.

So with Retro's cool description of how to take out a bolt and the precautions/techniques necessary, I figured I'd throw this topic out there as well. How does one properly install a bolt? Through both hammer and chisel to the all-evil drill. Is there some way the driller maintains a constant angle for the hole, do they all require that glue, etc, etc?

The Antagonizer is a poser from Uganda.

Yeah, don't quit your day job. Either have a friend PRO DEAL for you or just pick up a part-time job at the local sporting goods store doing ANYTHING for them. I worked on the phones for Campmor, at night after my regular job, met all sorts of cool people there and became the all-time CAMPMOR PRO-DEAL KING. When they said I couldn't do that anymore, I quit. It's really good, you get a percentage off of wholesale. You really make out. Also, if the store you work at only sells socks made by Lowe Alpine, you can Pro Deal A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G Lowe Alpine sells. Same goes with other companies. TNF and Mtn Hrdwr are kinda picky about this stuff, but you can usually make friends that'll do this for you. Don't go asking around so quickly though, because all the employers let their employees know they'll get canned if they pro-deal for anyone other than themselves.

Holy hell... dungeons and dragons wasn't enough for you all? Okay, I'll attempt to shut up.

This is pathetic, why don't you two just phone each other, kiss, and get this over with. Keep this up and we'll be having frickin Insync trivia next, all courtesy of Donna Two Step. Oh... I mean Pope.

Philfort almost met Pencil Pusher and crew headed up a variation of the West Face, Sloan Peak. Great exposure, awesome weather.

Exit 38? You weren't chopping there were you?

Ooops, because of club liability, the instructors won't let me ask for partners not members of the club. Sorry. [This message has been edited by Pencil Pusher (edited 08-21-2001).]