genepires

So is it worth going out to the LTW unless it is above 50deg? Is a 40deg too damn cold to be sticking fingers and hands into cracks there? Anyone been out there recently? Was thinking of going out there later this week. Index in dec sounds sweet. Maybe not.....

likewise, use the old rope you got laying around that you no longer trust. Maybe some friends have such a rope also. Rock climbing and cayoneering ropes should never intermingle. canyoneering is a very good time. If we had more around here, I would climb lots less.

rilly? perhaps expertise in swiss balls is your domain:) but i doubt, no matter how fantastical, that they'll be short-listed for the next olympics (along with the stability board or the foam rollers). point being: to do specific ring protocols requires tremendous strength, strength that is highly specific to rock climbing. and no, i don't think this type of strength is developed nearly as effectively with swiss balls (unless you know something i don't!). it would take more than swiss balls to get me as sore as i am today, and i doubt the pain would be confined to my upper body. might be out of place to speak for Mike, but I think he was implying that rings may become the "hot" new tool to sweep over the fitness industry. The marketing tells us that we NEED a foam roller to loosen up the fascia, we need a bosu ball (balance boards too) to develop balance, swiss balls for core work, 5 different medicine balls, 6 stretch bands, and a shakeweight in a pear tree. (really you gotta check out the shake weight!)

has anything said on cc.com been important? I think not....

better yet, just sleep in and let thunder legs break the trail for you.

one can buy straps that are like rings that are on sale for just this week for about $60. http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=114&pid=916 you could also make your own similar setup by getting two section of 4ft long small chain, couple quick links and some clear tubing large enough to fit over the chain. Make a small loop by getting the chain through the tubing and complete with the quick link. You can adjust height by clipping in a various points in the chain to anchor. This chains one negative is if you are a hairy bastard and are doing pushups on it, you may get some hairs stuck in the links. Nothing a long sleeve shirt doesn't fix.

you will find that you need a quiver of gloves starting with simple liners for the approach in something like the BD drytool glove for actual ice climbing (maybe even 2 or 3 pairs during the day) something with a shell over for belaying or sloggin up mt washginton. and that mitten you got for times when you should be at home for ice climbing, I bring 3 pairs of gloves like the drytool glove. After a pitch, I drop the glove into the jacket to dry out. I have found that the lighter the glove (to a point), the warmer the hands are which is counter intuitive. But it has to do with hard hard I am gripping the tool. Thicker gloves = tighter gripping = less blood flow = colder hands So I look for a trim fit that does not cut off circulation. gauntlets are for skiing powder. I think the alibi is a good glove but it did not fit me very well. The fingers were cut too short when I tried them 8 years ago. Much like boots, you will need to try them on to see if they will work for you.

what pray tell are you gonna do up there? Go to a lookout?

Wait, it was their mistake, but they're unwilling to replace them? Who did you order them from, so I can avoid doing business? Sorry, man! Unless something was edited out, it doesn't look like plaidman said anything about them not replacing the cams. Also, he probably got the cams directly from totem. How many cams were stolen?

if they were to start forming cracks, you could easily replace them in town. If they break on lead, do you think you could get a screw in and lower off? My opinion is that you could easily climb with them and deal with it if something happens which is very unlikely.

did your 40th birthday go a little too far? ugh, maybe I am glad I didn't make it.

This kind of sleeping arrangement is best suited to someone who has considerable experience with sleeping in the extreme cold. It is one of those "if you gotta ask....." situations. Probably not a good way to go for high altitude ventures unless you are doing something like the cassin, but then it is assumed you would have considerable experience in climbing in the denali range. You will get opinions and tales of "when I was there we didn't need anything warmer than a 0 degree bag", but there situation and your possible situations may be completely different. You may find yourself struggling to stay alive while they had a pleasant spring stroll. What do you want to be prepared for? BTW, I didn't need a down jacket on summit day.

never been out there but from one of the photos, it looks like the wa dihedrals may be to the climbers left of the slot couloir. One photo has a large gully to the right and below. good luck. let us know what you find out please.

yeah, sauk and not squak. my bad. I got a copy of that kloke book somewhere around here. I should look into making it available online. Not sure how I would do it though. Maybe at least make a list of the peaks in the guide.

hey here is a novel idea, why not just let the occupiers just stay there? Why is it so important that protests disburse? Taking the protesters away only feeds the message that they are making. Maybe I am wrong, but it seems like the protesters are picking parks and public areas and are a problem to very few people. Not like they are sitting down on a highway.

OMG! Really f'in manly getting out. 3.5 hours for rappels and getting out 2 miles is a fast time. There was a video posted here maybe a couple years ago with a skier with a helmet cam on getting buried in a slide. Damn spookiest moments that I ever saw on the web.

I always thought that snoq pass is a great place to go for day trip winter climbing. You got the tooth, chair peak, guye and snoq mtn, all with different ways up to suite your skill level. Get a map and some guide books (beckey and select cascade) and find what works for you there. for up your way on hwy 20, squak mtn is a nice day trip. pick a line of your skill set and choosing. Dallas Kloke wrote a winter climbing guide to cascades of the real obscure things. It was based on the idea that small peaks that are ignored in the summer are rad in the winter. He had all kinds of decent climbs to do. Sadly, it is out of print a long time ago and he is no longer with us. Maybe kindly ask his family if they have any more copies or someone can make a photo copy for you. good luck and watch the avi conditions. It feels like a winter for NOT doing alpine climbing.

I made an imprint of elcap and working on freeing the nose. Also made a imprint of justin bieber and using it as a punching bag.

the best crampon is the one having the most fun? can't let it slide without the classic response

How are things going?

There hasn't been one "name dropping" on this thread. Not sure where all this hate is coming from. Looks like everything here is just personal opinions. Take a chill pill brother.

There is also the point that the pseudoscientific premise that it is based on (that evolution happens slowly enough that humans have not adapted to a modern diet and so should readopt and consume a diet similar to pre-agrarian hunter-gatherers) is completely wrong and has been invalidated by the last 10-15 years of genetic research. Tomato, tahmato. fleece hat, tuk aluminum, alumeenium

If those boys where in town, I would buy them some warm beer. That is some stunning looking climbing.

If you think xfit as GPP (general physical preparation) that goes along with SPP (sport specific physical preparation) then you have a good recipe for getting ready for the alpine. So a couple days a week of xfit with a couple days a week of hiking and rock climbing would be a good training program. I am too cheap and po to pay for xfit, but it seems like xfit would fit your needs of "lose weight, build strength, and build endurance".

and favorable exchange rate