genepires

I have heard that webbing is less likely to cut over edges, like the edges that may be present around horns or pinched blocks common to alpine rappel stations.

so I am looking into replacing my old slings and was wondering what people's opinions where about the different kinds of sling materials. Maybe between nylon, dynex (BD), dynema (mammut ones), titan/spectra. pros for nylon- lasts longer and more resistant to cutting? dynex and dyneema are obviously skinnier and lighter. titan/spectra seems like a average of the previous two. what about the cons for the different materials? What is the suggested life span of the dyneema stuff? I have heard some scary stuff about the short life span of these slings.

looks good. any chance of a seattle showing? (keeping all the goods in portland?)

agreed with the great article. Not sure if I like the recommendation about just rotating the used rappel cords some to spread out the rope burning damage. (instead of using rappel rings) I mean it makes sense but to recommend something like this (vs. just stating that one needs to place new every time) leaves me a bit nervous about liability. (both legally and morally)

that is probably because the second guy fell onto the first killing him or like on baker years ago, the first guy was "lowered down" due to the second guy trying to self arrest but still fell into the crevasse and dying in the fall. Either scenerio does not apply to a soloist. I have looked into many crevasses and not seen many that had ledge to land on and climb out. 99% of them squeeze down gradually or I couldn't see the bottom due to crazy depths. These are bad odds for anyone to fall into. You are posting this question in the newbie section which implies that you are new to this climbing game. Heed the words of advice when someone tells you that you are doing something unsafe. Now it is not a bad idea to carry one ice screw even for a roped climber. I knew a very experienced mtn guide who had to place a ice screw to take the weight off the surface members who was unable to build a anchor where they self arrested. If you really want to be able to aid out a crevasse, you will need some slings to be able to stand in (probabaly 4 shoulder length) about 4 carabiners, and some gear to get through the snowy parts. For that you will need a couple pickets to aid on and a small shovel to dig through the snow with. Really much easier to find a partner.

Good folks are trying to help and you get snarky. You'll fit right in with the spray folks. You are also asking a question in the newbie section. This implies you are new to the climbing (and long distance hiking) game. Expect advice that does not fit your original question if there are obvious ways for improvement. Really, these guys are way more experienced than you. Listen to what they are saying. If you are not a newbie, then this should be posted in the gear forum.

there is no amount a self delusion can convince oneself about being "right" or "important" (maybe "cool") while hucking a tv off a cliff. Throwing tires, appliances and paint cans is just plain littering and illegal. Pure chemically altered dumbasses.

if metolious, send to metolious and they will do a very good overhaul/cleaning/inspection in addition to resling for a reasonable price. If BD, send it to them but do it as a large lot. they charged $5 for return shipping regardless of amount of cams. Plus they do it the fancy way when it is new, not just a loop. those are the only ones I have used. I know yates does reslings of any cam that is newer than 10 years or so.

I have usually operated under the 3 strikes rule which is that when I have 3 (or sometimes less) reasons to not be in a situation, I bail. Reading this article shows that the greatest frequency for avi occur when 3 obvious indicators where present. Something to think about.

I saw a video that had the survivor using the same kind of airbag system. It was theorized that another benefit of this system is that the victim tends to stay in one orientation while going downhill (head up) vs the usual tumbling which causes trauma. Seems like this airbag would work better in thick cascade concrete than lighter fluffy powder. Won't it be more buoyant in thick snow?

condolences to friends and family just saw a video on another avi event that turned out ok but shows the hazard to even experienced folks. http://espn.go.com/action/snowboarding/story/_/id/7554605/part-two-further-unplugged-jeremy-jones-xavier-de-le-rue-jimmy-chin

Having been in construction now for about 6 years, I have met many different guys doing stuff like the fire sprinkler you are hanging from. I wouldn't give that much trust to anything any construction monkey does. Phffft a half inch bolt can be crappy.

second the opinion that doing pullups off a fire sprinkler is a very very bad idea. Not only would you break the pipe causing a flooding situation on the floor but it would automatically initiate a call to the fire department and set off the fire alarm which would make your floormates unhappy. no clue on your injury though. Hope it gets better soon.

Like most of america, you have a incorrect view and understanding of probability probably because it is a really hard thing to understand. I used to understand parts of it and still struggle with the most basic today. Been thinking of the probability of event of a 1%/day taken out for 500 days as a binomial probability. I think it is 34% or so. That means that if one thinks they will experience a 1% chance of having a serious accident on a given climbing day, then take it out for 500 days, the chance that there will be at least one serious accident is 34% for that 500 day period. The probability per day stays the same at 1%.

I had two events within 3 months that fit your "climbing unroped and exceeding abilities". Shame it took two lessons but those two did change how I did things in the mountains.

I may be wrong, but I think Tyson was off of hwy 2.

when I got mine a long time ago, the glacier boots were blue. Maybe you have a 8 year old model?

I am not even fond of using the axe as padding for the lip. Anything sharp is undesirable, like the adze. Anything near the lip must be anchored somehow in case the snow breaks free and the padding falls in and onto the victim. This is usually done with a vertically placed ice axe using the leash to connect to the padding. Teams of two are usually doing technical climbing and therefore usually have two axes per person. I like packs more than foam sleeping pads because the rope slides over packs easier than foam. Ski poles could work. Skiis are bad idea. Anything not sharp and slick and with enough surface area to resist getting pushed into the snow. While it sounds hard, it is really easy to slide something under the loaded rope (about 4 feet from lip) and push it toward the lip as far as possible. Then do the before mentioned sit on pack and use feet to clear out the snow around rope trick. One can usually push the pack farther still after clearing. Preparing a fresh lip is a very good idea, especially if the rope really cuts into the snow. To really do it, you need a shovel. I sometimes carry a old black diamond shovel blade that attaches to a axe shaft. Kinda works and better than nothing. But given the amount of times that one actually needs to do this stuff, a shovel might not be worth carrying. (unless you expected to build a snow cave)

2 pickets per person is not overkill. regular ascenders are overkill. Under no means do you use the axe to clear the snow away from the rope. never. never. never. Write this 10 times on your bedroom wall and never ever forget this. The rope is loaded with weight namely a person. Loaded lines do not like anything sharp. I prefer to sit straddling the rope and use my feet to cut away at the snow around the rope. (no crampons of course) Self preservation dictates that this be done safely by having your waist prussik slid to a appropriate place on the rope which is anchored. (not necessarily the loaded line) your question about typical setup. I would usually carry one picket cause I am lazy. (I use the axe for the second piece) My picket would have a double runner girth hitched to the top hole on the picket. I slide the picket into the side compression straps with the runner not going into the straps. I tie a overhand knot in the end of the runner away from the girth hitch with a locker on the knot. This locker is clipped to a accessible place like a shoulder strap. You have to be able to get the picket without taking the pack off. Unclip the biner and pull upwards on the sling to take the picket out. Voila!

self belay aid climbing. that means you, Darin!

or go to the newbie forum and find the common theme of request for info.

maybe a "what to do if there is an avi" lesson? How to utilize a small group in a beacon retrieval? Most of us are lucky enough to have zero real life practice. Advice from someone with real experience would be priceless.

While there are good resources out there for crevasse rescue, I seem to remember that the 2 person rope team rescue portions were not very comprehensive. It seems that single person rescue should be even more detailed than 2 person rescue. ditto for beginners guide to waddington climbing photography for people with the point and shoot cameras

Each person needs to be able to build a anchor and this typically means 2 pieces. What that anchor consists of depends upon the snow conditions. Not every snow condition is good for a fluke but they typically work well in mid spring to mid summer. Other than that, you should have either 2 pickets or be prepared to use a picket and a buried axe for the anchor. If you are carrying 2 tools, then this leaves you one extra for various things. My first piece wouldn't be a vertical picket for two reasons. 1) If the snow is good for vertical picket, you need to hammer it in. If if goes in by hand, it is not good. Try to hammer in a picket while laying down, it is hard. Easier to dig a t slot. 2) If the snow is good enough for a vertical picket, then the snow is still frozen and very strong. The bridges are still strong and the chance of anybody going in is very slim. IMO, I would place the first piece as a t slot picket even though it is a bear to do. I want that first piece to hold when I get up so I would choose the strongest option available even if it is hard to do. I connect this picket to the rope with my leg loop prussik in a way as to not lower the victim in any farther than they already are. Get up and add the other piece for a standard serene anchor. You will need to retie into the rope to give you the room to do work but you must stay tied in. My preference is another t slot directly behind the first one by about 4 or 5 feet. This is often my axe if I don't have another picket. Equalize with double runner or cordellete and locker on power point and short prussik to loaded climbing rope. Grab the wraps on the leg loop prussik and pull to release this prussik and load the equalized anchor prussik. Voila! you are free but now the real work starts.

cascade crags in everett used to have a roof hand crack. But if I remember right, it went away when VW bought the property.