Marcus_Engley

quote: Originally posted by Lambone:[QB]I forget the name, but it might of been the Sheet Bend (I'll investigate that.) It is used for shortening a length of rope without cutting it by folding it and wrapping it around itself./QB] That doesn't sound like the sheet bend-- ... Well there we go... [ 01-22-2002: Message edited by: Marcus Engley ]

quote: Originally posted by glacier: Favorite scary knot - sheepshank - originally used in sailing to shorten a line - basically a clove hitch around a double bight of rope. In a retreat emergency - double-rope-length rappel on a single rope - tie one end of the rope to the anchor, tie a sheepshank directly below, cut the bights of the rope (it is held intact by the hitch), rappel gently, shake the rope to loosen the hitch and drop the rope. No, I have never had to use it, nor have heard first-hand of anyone using it. Just something to give me shivers. Have fun. Yaar Atkins! You'll have to show me that one next time I see you. You rap first... m

quote: Originally posted by danielpatricksmith: Jhamaker,If a load large enough to make the knot slip comes on the anchor, then having some dyanamics in the system can only help. Dan Just to add to that: The clove hitch slips at something like 600 pounds (could be way off here), and catches again a few hundred pounds after that. m

quote: Originally posted by JayB: Anyone care to explain the nuances of the bomb-coil? Sounds cool, I've just never heard of it until now. JayB, Let's see if I can explain this well: First off, set the rope up for rap/TR, and secure it so it won't feed through the anchor. Then, starting from the end of the rope to be tossed, make a whole bunch of small coils, either butterfly or circular, in your hand. By small I mean about a foot to a foot and a half, from your hand to the bottom of the coil. Once you have a nice big handful, take a bight of rope and pass it through the center of the coils, then bring another bight THROUGH that bight and cinch it down over the top of the handful. The idea here is that you've got a compact wad of rope, and when you pitch it the extra weight at the end will carry it more where you want it to go. When the rest of the rope comes taut on the anchor, the weight of the "bomb" pulls the second bight out of the first, and whole thing falls apart, as neat as you please-- if you did it right. It takes some practice, but if you like rope tricks it's pretty cool. And it definitely makes tossing the cord in wind a lot easier... m

I like the bomb coil, for pitching the rap lines in windy conditions. Plus, I just like the name, and the rope looks cool when you toss it... m

quote: Originally posted by wdietsch: Thanks guys, good stuff. Anyone else got $0.02? I'll back both TCU's and Aliens. The red TCU always seems to fit when I need something, and one of the small-mid size Aliens held a 20 footer with only 2 cams in good contact. Munched the metal, but kept my ass off the ground... m

quote: Originally posted by Winter: An avalung ain't going to do you no good unless your wearing a beacon so your buddy can find you and dig you out. Gotta' wear a beacon if you're going to be out there. Yup, that's why I said I play in the backcountry often enough to warrant the purchase and use of them. Freeman: Given the amount of spray some threads get, I think this one has been tame. Anyway, good points all, and I totally agree with your approach. m

A good point. I suppose it's all about acceptable risk. I don't spend enough time in serious avalanche terrain to warrant (in my mind) a vest, but I spend enough to warrant the beacons. Don't really know why I draw the line there, but I do. For what it's worth, I've read reports that the Avalung doesn't do nearly as well in a maritime snowpack as it does in a drier continental one. That said, it would probably still allow you to breathe that much longer... m

[ 01-15-2002: Message edited by: Marcus Engley ]

quote: Originally posted by slaphappy: After triggering a slide this past Saturday that could easily have buried a large group, in a very unlikely area, it is clear to me that I may need to reconsider my opinion of avalanche beacons. I have always considered them a false sense of security and have tried to use knowledge and good judgement as my "tool." (arguable whether not carrying one is good judgement) I've neither been buried nor dug someone out, but the stats on survival with and without beacons are pretty clear. In my opinion, beacons are only a false sense of security if you let them be-- for me, they're an absolute last chance, in case all the snow analysis and good judgement I can muster fail. I can't see how carrying a beacon could be "bad judgement", so long as it doesn't make you feel invincible. Where was the slide you triggered? m

slothrop... i talked to the guy who set that little foot course up. your use for it sounds good, but i think he intended it (for the junior team) as a leg lift thing, not a foot traverse. i.e. hang from the arms, lift left leg to one, lower, lift right leg to two, so on, and switch legs when you get back to six. whatever though-- something to try, if you want to change it up a bit... i haven't gotten a chance to try it myself, but those leg lifters are a killer... m [ 12-18-2001: Message edited by: Marcus Engley ]

Freakie... It may be more than you want to get into, but yoga is an incredible way to build core strength. Everyone I know who does it on a regular basis sees some pretty incredible improvements in their climbing, both in core strength and in flexibility.

epb, What about routes with lots of open handed, sloping crap to hold onto? Larger hand = more friction to hold on with. Of course, if you've got the larger hands you've probably also got more weight to hang off them, but... That's the only face climbing situation I can think of where it'd be better to have big meat hooks...

FE, It's not that releasing the tension is bad, but rather that keeping the muscles constantly under tension works them more, so over the course of the activity you get more muscle recruitment to help you through the movements. More recruitment means more work, and more work means more gain from the exercise. That's my take. It's not a matter of pain-- if there's pain, you shouldn't be doing the exercise.

True epb... More bang for the buck that way.

Courtenay, First off, I totally agree with your "time under tension" theory for pull-ups (push-ups, crunches, whatever). Much easier to isolate the muscles that way, and helps to avoid injury, I think. Anyway, I'm curious why most people can do more chins with palms facing the chest-- any ideas? My best theory is that it allows a more complete contraction of the bicep, since it brings the origin/insertion points a little closer together. More muscle recruitment... What do you think? As for dead hangs-- I start my sets from a dead hang, but when I return down I don't go quite that far. I've always felt it protected the shoulder joint to keep the muscles active. Though if I'm really trying to pull out another one, I'll usually rest all the way down before trying...

dbb, My girlfriend and I both have the Tracker, and I've used the M2 quite a bit. They're both good beacons, but I found the Tracker much easier to use "off the couch", and I think it's a better beacon to loan out as well, since it takes almost no time to figure out the basics. As for it's range v. the Ortovox, I haven't found that it's a real problem. The Ortovox definitely has a greater range (one of it's prime selling points), but I don't think that outweighs the ease of use of the Tracker. The majority of avvie accidents are in pretty small slides, so I don't think you'll run into that problem often... My 2... m

EV, yes! I forgot about that. Much, much quicker with the Tracker, and it makes its own adjustments as you get closer....

OW - Nice! Post some pics if you get a chance. I always need new ideas to fill in the rest of the garage... m

Wopper... I've got a garage that's about the same size. I put in a wall about 2 months ago, and it's great fun. Here's my advice, for what it's worth: Make the effort to put in some good steep walls. You'll get more out of the 8 foot ceiling that way, and vertical gets real dull fast. If you've got 12 feet, split it in half and put in a 45 and a 20, or a small roof/cave. Get as creative as your framing ability allows you to, and it'll pay off big. We built a strong brace across the top of the garage, and hung a 45 and a 20 off of that, with a small, angled transition panel in between. Buy a little extra plywood and cover up the studs on the side, to give some extra vertical warm-up space. You can add a lot of length to your problems and it's pre-framed. The last thing we did was throw up a big extension of the top of the brace, reaching up and out to the roof peak at about 65 overhung. A nice cap to the wall... Put in lots of T-Nuts per sheet, and get some crappy mattresses-- you're all set. Good luck! Drop me an email if you want any other info-- I had a fantastic time putting up my wall. mengley@martenbrown.com Check out this site too - http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9640/index.html

Don't know about Cabo, but there's definitely some good stuff to be had in Baja. About halfway down the peninsula, in the "high" country between Loreto and Guerrero Negro (I think), you'll find a place called Catavina. It's a wonderland of granite boulders, mixed with Joshua trees, for miles in all directions. Go play. I think there's also some pretty good seaside climbing, on the west side of the peninsula, but I don't know much about it. Hope that helps! Baja is gooorgeous. Be sure to do some kayaking/sailing/diving while you're there... m

Scott... If you like that one, you should check out "White Wolves: A Cry In The Wild II"... Picked it up for 99 cents, and that's about what it's worth. It's entertaining, at the very least, and the climbing scenes (and much of the hiking/extreme canyon crossing) is done in the Smith/Mt. Hood area. Baaad... m

Snoqualmie to 97 is better if you'll be going anywhere near traffic time for Oly or Portland...

quote: Originally posted by David Parker: Hey, what size are your T-2's? I'm gay so would be interested in buying them if they are 9 or 9.5. I posted the ? for a friend of mine, but I think he's got size 8 or 8.5, maybe 9. I'll ask him if he wants to sell, but I doubt it. He likes to tele, but is better with a fixed heel and likes the fit of his T2s / doesn't want to buy another pair of boots. I'll let you know if he wants to unload them though...

Is CSAC part of NWAC, or vice versa? Either way, if you want to spread the word about CSAC, you can get them to send you some bookmarks to distribute at www.csac.org..., or better, just send a request here snow@csac.org. [ 11-09-2001: Message edited by: Marcus Engley ]