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What happened?

I was going to post to the Best anchor thread but figured this might be fun on its own - What do you guys figure is the quintessential set of knots to know and use when climbing? Isn't there some big name climber who (proclaimed he) only knew 4 knots and that was enough for anything he needed to do? Was it Jim Donini? Maybe not, I don't remember at all and it doesn't really matter, but it's kind of a cool idea. I can't really reduce anywhere close to four, but here is the set of knots I use - it's sufficient to solve the best anchor problem in many different ways. Water knot - make a loop out of webbing Fisherman knot - make a loop out of accessory cord, or connect two ropes Euro death knot - connect two ropes for rappelling Girth hitch - anchor a loop to tree/horn/pro Slip knot - anchor tied webbing/cord tightly to tree/horn Clove hitch - anchor rope to a biner Figure 8 - tie in, equalize anchor with cordelette Muenter hitch - belay/rap without device Mule knot - tie off belay Prusik knot - ascend rope, backup rappel Did I miss something? Is something redundant?

Friggin sweet.

At least you have a good pair of crampons Do you think your ice climbing would improve significantly if you got the perfect boot? I have never worn the boots you have but I could believe they would be hard to improve on for alpine ice routes in WA. If you're going to do extensive frontpointing, i.e. steep, sustained ice, then a full shank boot is going to work better but it's going to be a lot less comfortable to hike in. If you want to do alpine rock routes in winter then I would imagine a lighter boot, with a small toe and only newmatics-compatible, would work best. Oh, and then there are some boots out there that have no insulation and are just a full shank with crampon grooves and enough leather to attach the whole thing to your foot. You might want to move to Canmore first though, heh. Hey Lambone, isn't the flex kind of irritating? Wouldn't you rather have a lightweight full shank boot? Curious...

The Palmer is great in December, the bergschrund was pretty much filled both times. But there is a thread somewhere else on the board about avy danger on Hood (and elsewhere).

A related question is why do we have single ropes ranging from 9.low mm to 10.5 or 11 mm? I always thought it's a durability and cut resistance vs. weight tradeoff. And, what's the difference between a 9 mm half rope and a thin single rope? What if the half rope has monofilament and the single doesn't? How thin do half ropes get, anyway?

We were so concerned even the spray was clean and on topic Please post the TR, will be a good read!

Ah yes, the classic you-should-stop-climbing-so-there-will-be-more-solitude-for-me argument

LOL What exactly are the characteristics of a dishonorable profession as described by a climber? Methinks you're in a quandary here, unless you were just thinking of all the prostitutes and dealers of hard drugs that post on the board...

Alright, but I'm not too keen if you're going to divvy the iron with the group gear, or bring a big laundry bag

This will be a fine story for pub club

Damn fine

Since he disappeared for a month I figure somebody had to give him a warm welcome back Since when are you the one to ask people not to start shit anyway?

Dan Larson sucks!

The weather hasn't been so great, let's cross our fingers and hope they're just hunkered down.

Actually it's just one of my stoppers.

Just bring whatever you find to Pub Club, we'll figure it out.

I'll join this competition for most impossible recovery: Lost one Petzl locker on a loop of green (or was it orange?) 6mm accessory cord, girth-hitched around a shrub above the overhang at the top of the small gulley just east of the Imperfect Impasse, below Whatcom Peak. It's the gulley that's the wrong way to get up to Perfect Pass if you find yourself at the headwaters of the Baker River... Also lost one picket, somewhere in the Pickets.

I use kiddie goggles They're $20-25, unbreakable (fold in two), small so they pack well - they don't come out of the pack that often anyway - and do the job just fine. I think mine are Bolle but any of the big brands is going to be making decent goggles. If you don't like the kiddie ones, just get the cheapest version of something nice. Should not set you back more than $30.

I think it took me a couple of trips to realize that my thermarest had a puncture. I would inflate it and go to sleep and be kind of cold but try not to mind to bad, then I'd be in such a hurry in the morning that I didn't notice it was flat by then. There were two punctures but they were so small that it took quite awhile for the air to leak out.

I have 3/4 length and full length self-inflatables and closed foam mattresses. The shorter ones are the thinnest Thermarest and Ridgerest, the longer ones are a thin Karrimat that I use under the short Thermarest, and a regular Thermarest. If I had to own only two I'd pick the Karrimat and the 3/4-length Thermarest. BTW my short Thermarest is 5 years old and got two punctures in it last summer. I took it to Cascade Designs and they fixed it for free. I'm going to be using the short Ridgerest on most summer trips but it isn't as warm as the Thermarest.

From the avalanche forecast (emphasis added): I keep reading about ski patrol setting off this avalanche and the other avalanche, is it possible to call and ask? Maybe not at a listed number, but then again maybe the avy control ski patrol people wouldn't mind sharing what they know?

Has anyone been able to successfully download the "issue 0" from the website? I've tried over and over again but it always fails.

Yeah, and use their car keys for self-belays.

Yeah, or maybe just wear a parka if you get cold.