genepires

I have used a winter ice boot (the blue freneys) for lots of summer stuff. (I don't think that the options for summer alpine boots were around like they are now) it is just not as forgiving on the trails. better than plastic though. But if you need the stiffness, there are many good options in the winter ice boot area, like the sportiva models. ( I don't know the names or are really familair with them anyway.)

if you want stiffer boots, you need to look at winter ice climbing boots. Try the nepal top or the like. but from your mentioned boots, I suspect you are looking for a summer alpine boot, which a little flex is good for the walking you will need to do with. My buddy used the charmoz on a n ridge of baker trip and didn't mention any problem with his boots. I use the garmont towers for summer alpine snow/ice and it works great. I have a widish foot too. I got it at feathered friends if you live in seattle area. That was a while ago so I am unsure if they still make that model. good luck and try on many models.

the price is right and it doesn't weight as much as a city building.

nice photos. cool looking alpine romp.

that doesn't sound very canadian. the first round of mec shipping restrictions came about from pressure from american retailers. Any ideas as to what the problem is now?

damn cool! I had a passing thought about going up ne buttress after the n face but i quickly realized I was tired and sore and lame. good job! without belays too!

I think the sarken are more of a alpine and alpine ice crampon. the points are too long for waterice. IMO.

we went to the hyak place today and the sledding hill was closed! mostly bare ice, twigs and dirt. Sucky. and it cost $20 to park there! and we paid it! we are dumb. but, the hill looks damn near perfect if the snow was there. next winter.

Once isn't enough? Some of us goofheads gotta work.

It is not too unreasonable to have never placed a picket. If the snow is strong enough to hold a picket, then it is strong enough to have solid steps, solid bridges, solid everything so that the running belays, and crevasse rescue needs for pickets would not be used. I bet he carries them for the usual reasons, just never had a need for them. I find myself using a picket and a ice axe for crevasse rescue. If we had 4 people on the trip, I would plan on using axes for all crevasse rescue anchors and not using any pickets for running pro if it wasn't needed, like the south side of baker. I admit I have never belayed across sketchy bridges. I usually crawl across the worst. Belaying would be a good idea but at least around here, the sketchy bridges are still pretty damn good. Also, if you climb with new climbers, running belays are a very good idea. If you climb with hardmen and hardwomen, you can have more confidence in there ability to not fall and hence the lack of running belays (pickets). so an equation could look like this (please excuse the geeky math dude stuff) solid partner + good cascade snow + good knowledge and/or experience + mellow route= null picket use or in danes or hard route case solid partner + good cascade snow + good knowledge and/or experience + gnar scary route = null picket use + rock and ice gear On a side note, I have rarely placed a picket as a deadman for running belays. If it is soft enough for trenching, I usually make big steps for myself and my partners hence the lack of need for running pro. Self arrest is easy also. If the snow is hard and the possibility of self arrest is small (therefore the need for running belay) the vertical placement is strong enough and quicker to place and remove. What is the sierra method of pickets? Never heard that term before.

they won't ship mec made products?

damn this thread gets spicy when i wasn't looking. When we were on it, I found a solid ice blob that was exactly 60m from the moat. (with others screws holes in it so others used it too) I found that pretty easy and much safer than any winter time picket. After that it was a couple OK screws to easy steep snow to tree belay. then tree pro to ice to tree belay. (with 10 feet of simu) We carried 2 pickets but never found a need for it. plus the snow wasn't too reassuring for strength. Now if I hadn't found that ice belay, I would have made something work but it would have been a backup to a seated stance hip belay for sure. I am used to placing pickets in summer rock solid snow that even a buried bic lighter or small rock would hold lots. I apologize if I came across all aggro. That was not my intention to diss anyone.

chances are you partner will have some stuff, so shooting for half of what Trog says for all of what Dane says seems right. I don't know where you would put a picket on chair right now. That thing is all sugary and wouldn't hold squat. There are good trees and ice to anchor to.

I am so lame for living in monroe and never getting up that route. it looks good!

uh huh huh...uh huh huh...he said "hard".

sweet!

you are shit out of luck. man up and use a ridgerest you american traitor! Doesn't everyone in utah use bouldering pads?

simple softshell pant with a thermal underneath for cold days. Cheap so you won't feel bad when you cut it up with crampons. Fit matters though. Don't buy cheap if it fits like a diaper. (which is how the rei pants) I bought a pair of OR pants that did me very well. the convertable pant doesn't do well for me either. Feels weird when the zipper rubs on the leg. Buy what works.

pm me if you lost a pair and a single glove.

I found a pair of glove liners below chair peak today. Shoot me a PM if you want them back. We were on chair N face today and had it all to ourselves. There was another team who got on while we were on the last pitch. We got up early. They got up late. It worked out well. Thanks for the boot trail! To the haters who claimed to be held up by the first party, chill out. It is only climbing. plus what others already said.

If you try on the boots in a store, you really should buy the boots there. If we as a community do that kind of thing (use their services but not support them with $$) then they will go out of business and we all will suffer when we need to buy boots. Luckily I already own too many boots so if you all screw it up..............

The different colors are different models of superfeet. I am not sure what the differences are but they tell me I need to have a pair for climbing boots, a pair for street shoes and a pair for my flip flops.

What is the metal made of? isn't it supposed to be a aermet kind of thing? Too bad I swing (and rarely) grivel and petzl tools. Maybe you could make some sweet grivel picks?

I suspect that you need a 1/2 size larger. It may seem fine while standing but after walking (especially downhill) for several miles, it will be worse. Plus feet tend to swell a little after walking around in the hills.

are you thinking of snow saw for snow pit avi eval or building snow walls in alaska?