carolyn

ha!ha! Thanks for making me laugh!

With the type of climbing you are thinking of doing quarks or cobras might be the best option.

I guess it depends on your comfort level, along with what and where you are climbing. Last year I dropped tools quite a bit. Ive been out a fair amount this year and havent been even close to dropping one. For me its a matter of being more confident and aware. If I carried a third tool with me I wouldnt have any problem going leashless on lead or a multipitch. I think nolse asked some good questions If you are looking at leashless tools. What type of climbing are you looking at doing? That would definately narrow down which kind of tool you would want...or if you even want them. For me, the pros of leashless include: The ability to swing less because I can reach higher on the shaft and step above the tool (less swings= less pump) The ability to manuever side to side easier for better placements by matching hands (more solid placements, less swinging = less pump,more confidence). Easily letting go of a tool to shake out is AWESOME! (less pump!!!!!!) I cant really think of any cons, other than dropping the tools. It takes some getting used to. Once you get comfortable, there is no turning back!

Sorry, didnt mean to make it sound like it did flip. I spun all over the lanes 4-5times. The car stopped and turned itself off just a few feet before it reached the ditch. I dont see how it wouldnt have flipped at least once if it had reached the ditch. I was going the speed limit at the time I hit the ladder - 70mph. Wuz in the middle of changing lanes to pass an suv. After looking to see that the lane was clear I looked forward and it was too late. I have a beater...89 chevy cavalier.

whoever left the extension ladder in the middle of the freeway this afternoon and all of the folks who DIDNT stop to help me after I hit it and lost control of my car,spinning 4-5 amongst the three lanes of traffic and stopping just before flipping over in the ditch. An extra special thanks to the state trooper who passed by mere seconds after the accident. Bless the "highway helper" who risked his life to run out in the middle of the road to grab the remaining pieces. And for his kindness toward me. I guess you might consider this a GOOD day seeing that I am not hurt and my car seems to be functioning the same as before!

dude was my neighbor!!!! Not really He was from St Paul Tragic situation all around. They can stop sensationalizing it on every damn news channel starting, um...NOW! Sounds like a 6th person might not make it.

worked Cleaned house BIG time! GWAR played at the 'reopening' of First Ave (I didnt work though, but DID find out today I got my job back, sorta!) DDD Drrrrry toolin - beautiful day here on Sunday!

Blake, Youre not implying my pronunciation of the word "goat" is inncorrect now are you? Its just different than yours! But...(I know you like when I add all those............have you ever heard me say it? dru- that was a tad confusing. Maybe I should have a beer and then try reading it again! haha! Stillcrankin- what six words?!?!?! JUST kidding. Asking the questions doesnt necessarily mean it is relevant or pertains to me. Just something I was curious about. Yes, I have read those six words (courtesy of captain caveman). I silently use them everytime I climb. Works wonders for me.

Serious question Guys, do you ever feel 'threatened' by the females you climb with? And I dont mean coming after you with an ice ax, swinging a set of cams at your head, or pushing you down a snowslope. Do you ever avoid climbing with women who climb at the same level or above you? I would really be interested in hearing some honest answers. I dont believe all men always feel threatened by female climbers. My experiences have shown guys to be very supportive, encouraging, and accepting for the msot part. But there HAS to be an occassion here or there where it does pop up. Or not? What do you do about it?

Looks like Dec 21st. thats a long time to wait!!!!

rhyang, agree with don serl. If you are concerned you can always put half of a tennis ball on the end of the adze or even a gob of duct tape. Wear glasses as well. They have fancy dancy types for buckoo bucks, or you can just go to a hardware store. Some of the stores have fairly stylish lookin' protective wear. Did I miss where you have an adze on the tool already? You could just get two hammers and an adze on the side. Switch em out when needed.

hahaha! Ligers REALLY do exist other than just in Napoleon Dynamites head!!!! Thats awesome! Did you see the movie yet? Dru? Snoboy?

Hey muffy. Forgive me for picking apart and/or analyzing what you just said here. SOmething in this statement struck me in a weird way, though. First of all, I agree with your statement about climbing for yourself and not wanting or trying to compete against men. I also believe its not necessary to compete against other women. Climbing is climbing. Get out there, climb with people you enjoy being around, set your own goals and challenge yourself to meet them. I think for most there is a small sense of "competition" (thats not really the word Im looking for, tho) amongst ourselves and between other people. Usually I see it as a healthy kind of competition. its a way to motivate and encourage each other to push harder/reach further. If I ever see it becoming unhealthy thats when I back away (male or female)and start climbing with other folks. The other part of your statement regarding being small and frail...well, it kind of sounded like an excuse for not ever having a chance to be 'as good' or 'kick a guys ass'. I mainly climb with guys who are WAY better than me. I used to say a similar thing..."I dont have the body composition to be as strong/good as them". Then I started climbing occassionally with women climbers who are better than me. Some who are even BETTER than the guys I climb with. What I learned is that women have different strengths. When you climb only with men you dont learn how to use those strengths...you learn how to try and use THEIR strengths. 9 times out of 10 if a woman tries to climb like a man, they are not going to have the same success. So muffy, I offer you two challenges. One, dont sell yourself short because you have always experienced guys to be better than you, or because your size, etc. Two, get yourself out there with other female climbers (whether alone or in a mixed group) who are better than you and/or better climbers than the guys you hang out with. Watch them intently, ask questions, and learn their techniques. Try those two things AND keep the attitude of climbing for yourself and I bet you will see great improvements in your climbing, not just physically, but mentally as well.

Hey thanks guys! I spent my day at work (blah). Set a new route in my friends garage where we drytool. My stomach muscles hurt SOOOO bad I thought I was going to puke all the way home. Now I might puke because of the BIG, but yummy dinner I had - or maybe it was the large glass of beer! Hippity Happity Bday to sobo and all you other scorpios out there! But before I go let me end with this... why was the tomato blushing? It saw the dressing! (ouch! That hurt my stomach to laugh so hard )

Ive heard they are a great all around tool. I guess if I had them I probly wouldnt invest in another set of tools quite yet, especially if this is one of your first years out. Sold a couple pairs this weekend, in fact.

oh my! bare skin and sharp objects!

These are especially dedicated to AlpineK, Uncle Tricky, Alpinfox, fern, Ken4ord, and anyone else who has ever been regularly subjected to my bad laffy taffy habit. What did the horse say when he tripped? . . . . . .Help Ive fallen and I cant giddy-up! Why did the singer cross the road when he got hot? . . . . . To get to his fans!!!! What is the smallest soda in the world? . . . .Minnesota!!! What is the difference between a train and a teacher? . . . . The train goes chew chew, the teach says, "spit it out" Why was the tomato blushing? . . . . Because it saw the salad dressing!!!!

We had a brilliant display of the northern lights on the way back from the crag today (only an hour outside of the city). Lots of white, green, purple, and pink. Even when I got home, in the city, we could see it (not as colorful) from my back yard. It was awesome!!!!

The new title of this post, "skiing with a broken hand ligament?" sounds way wacked!

This last summer I was out completely due to a bruised/hairline fracture of the tib/fib. It sucked. i did what I could when I could, tho it never felt like enough. I could have trained my upper body more. For some reason without being able to see the results (immediately) because I couldnt climb I had a hard time motivating. Definately one regret of my injury. So, use this time to work on your lower body strength and footwork. As you begin to heal maybe climbing TR with one hand. This would be a great way to improve your footwork and balance. I also took this as an opportunity to step back and reaquaint myself to life. Im pretty good at becoming hyperfocused on one activity and forgetting about everything else. I spent time with old friends (who dont climb), I read a lot, caught up on movies, played video games , took time to visit friends far away, and...taught myself to crochet! None of those chalk bags would have come about had I not injured myself. In some ways I think the extended time off made me a better climber - mentally. It seems when you allow yourself to become more well rounded as a person it reflects in all of the individual activities you participate in. Sorry to hear about your hand. Do what the dr says or pay for it later. Find a new hobby, reorient yourself to past hobbies. My guess is your house will be immaculate most of the time!

Was that place once called La Luna? 4 nights of modest mouse! Yowza!!!! And George Clinton...other than G.Love, Ive NEVER seen anyone play so long....5hrs I think at his last show.

Definately. Ive actually been looking into going back to school. Not having to work late nights, even a few times a week opens my schedule to look for more steady work if I wanted. And yes, the old managers, property owners, and the bankruptcy lawyer were meeting today to see what kind of deals they can strike up. Waiting to hear the results. Who knows, if we DO reopen people might realize how much it sucked to be without it even for a short period of time. Might help us out in the long run. The joke is to rename it, "formally known as First Avenue" to keep the spirit of Prince alive. Bah Hum bug! Blues Explosion was moved to the 400bar tonight Ireneo...18+...how sucky is that. On the other hand, at least they are sticking it out and didnt cancel.

Ive mentioned before that I work(ED) at a nightclub here in Mpls called First Avenue. It WAS the club where Purple Rain was filmed. It has a 30yr history of being an independant nightclub which helped bands such as The Time, Prince, Replacements, Soul Asylum, Jayhawks, Semisonic, Husker Du/Bob Mould/Sugar, and Bob Dylan get their start. You can see a full list of bands here Anyway, without getting into too many of the complex details, yesterday the business owner filed for bankruptcy. We were all given 45 minutes to pick up/cash our checks and take any of our personal belongings before the sheriff came. 150 employees lost their jobs yesterday. I have been there 10 1/2 yrs. At least half of those employees have worked at the club for 10-20+yrs. We all got wicked drunk last night. Woke up to the election results at 8am...crawled back in bed to nurse a horrific hangover for most of the day with blankets covering my head. So didnt want to face the day. If interested, you can get a bit more information here And hey alpinek...that means no el vez in a few weeks.

dude, minnesota might be flat and such, but it went kerry all the way!

rhyang- Very cold and brittle ice is not shatter proof. Typically dual points are more prone to shattering ice..but not always. Pay attention to where you are placing your feet. LOOK for spots which might shatter less, look for holes in the ice and place your front point in it. The less you actually kick, the less ice you shatter, the more stable you are, and the more energy you will conserve. I suppose you could switch the spacers so the smaller is on the left of the point. It would probly be right over your pinky toe then...kinda awakward. Suppose you could check with grivel. Maybe they have another spacer kit.