jaee

1. BD: World Headquarters Phone: (801) 278-5552 Fax: (800) 775-7625 e-mail: climb@bdel.com (for USA) -OR- Black Diamond Mail Order 801) 278-5533, Fax: (800) 775-7625 from the website. Perhaps start w/ mail order or HQ and ask for customer service. *POLITELY* explain your position and accurately represent your investment in BD equipment. Maybe start with an email. 2. Explain the problem and the time frame, basically immediately after purchase (and one extended 3-day 3-way that req'd a helo, but conveniently skip that detail). 3. Find out what they'll do. I bet it's favorable. Regarding Bibler/BD Tent Repair: They will do warranty repair. If it's not warranty repair, their preferred vendor is Rainy Pass. I have had Rainy Pass do *BEAUTIFUL*, *INEXPENSIVE* work. That was in '98, tho, so YMMV. In fact the Rainy Pass work made the BD repairs look like a joke. The key with Rainy Pass is getting an accurate quote and requiring them to use original material (unless you upgrade to a real zipper). When I got back from Denali I had 2 good holes from a crazed shoveler, a hole in the top from a picket, and some of the pole straps had blown off the walls from a huge snow load. Bibler replaced all of the pole straps they could get removed. They shipped it to Rainy pass when they were done. I believe 3-4 small patches to cover the rips were about $25, with no charge for return shipping. All materials were original, perfectly matched, immaculately seam taped. Here's my experience w/ Bibler, BD: 1. Fitzroy, all beat up after 30-40 days training and Denali expedition: Fixed blown out pole straps for free. 2. Snapped a carbon fiber back country pole. Replaced for free. 3. Megamid pole snapped under "moderate" snow load on St. Helens winter trip. Replaced for free. Oh yeah, they're out to screw you, obviously.

Call BD. Get a return authorization #. Ship it back, insured. They will fix it and return it, typically paying the shipping back. I've got a lot of time (got to be 70+ days) on a Bibler Fitzroy. Zippers are YKK and in fine shape, but I've had a few repairs made over the years, mostly caused by folks w/ shovels or pickets (yes, flying pickets) getting careless. I wouldn't hesitate to whine about this happening on a tent the second time you used it. Either the store you bought it from or BD should make it right. I also have a ground sheet. The bottom layer in my Bibler seems super tough, but I'm religious about taking my boots off and trying to be careful inside it, just for that reason.

Mark Twight: Alpine Climbing and the Czech Direct Mark Twight is one of American’s leading alpinists. He was the first and fastest to solo the “Czech Route” on Peak Communism (10,000 feet up and down in 26 hours). He made the first ascent of “Deprivation” on Alaska’s Mount Hunter (72 hours round trip), climbed five extreme difficult new routes in the French Alps, and made a non-stop 60 hour ascent of Mount McKinley’s “Czech Direct”. This show is sponsored in part by Climb Max and the Mazamas . Please support your local climbing shop! Climb Max . This show is a fundraiser for Portland Mountain Rescue . When: Monday, August 26, 2002, 7:30 PM (doors open 7 PM) Where: Madison’s Auditorium, 1109 SE Madison, PDX, OR (cross street is 12th) Price: advance tickets $5.00, at door $7.00

quote: Originally posted by Jarred Jackman: Hey this is for the three that went in to do the North Ridge car to car on friday, I passed you on the approach and was heading for the West Ridge. Just wondering how the trip went and how long it took you. take care They summitted at 2:30 and were out by 8:30 pm.

Great job Jarred. We were the group of 3 leaving the parking lot behind you. It took us 18+ hrs, but we did belay the upper pitches. That was a sweet pack you had. What was it, < 10 pounds? Definitely looked more comfortable than our loads w/ rope and gear. When you come off of Cascadian, turn right when you hit the trail. After a few hundred yards there's a sign for Long's Pass to the left and a good creek crossing. There are a couple of trails that end up at the pass from that point. We did the variation that starts on the W. Ridge above Goat Pass. It climbs a 3rd class gully and traverses right to join w/ the standard gully. I'd recommend this route, as it really seems to shorten all of the scrambling down low on the route. We were below LJT by 8:00 am. We ended up soloing some 5th class stuff under Long John's Tower. I assume the proper route goes up the "broken ledges" on the left of the gully? We also found the tunnel mentioned in some earlier posts. This seems to be the optimal way to get the "rising traverse". From LJT there's a small gully w/ a cairn close by on the right. We went up that a bit and followed the obvious ramp right. It appeared to dead end, but a handy cairn pointed out a tunnel that dropped thru to the rising traverse. Again, there are many ways that go. If it's brutal, back up and try again. Overall, a fine route. We did the same cracks to the top. At the top of the second is a 5.6-5.7 crack w/ a fixed nut. This can be avoided by easier climbing to the left. This is above the first lieback crack at the end of the traverse. Both cracks are nice. Easy scrambling above leads to the summit block. We downclimbed the rocks to climbers right at the snow gully below the false summit and ended up rapping down to the rocks when we got sick of downclimbing. After that it was just a few hours of suffering to get down and up and out. Another character builder. There were also 3 guys that left the parking lot at 2:00 am for the N. Ridge. They topped out with us about 2:30 pm. They reported easy access to the ridge with very moderate climbing in the gully to access the upper N. Ridge. < This looks more like a squirrel/racoon hybrid than a snaffle, eh? >

quote: Originally posted by fishstick: it's a no-brainer on ice or alpine terrain. GB Sounds perfect for the Caveman. Where's the problem? [ 05-23-2002, 04:33 PM: Message edited by: jaee ]

Depends on where you camp. If you camp at 9'500 at at nice notch, descend A. Gulch to Lake Helen. Take a right. You'll end up right near camp, but you need to pick a way thru the ridge. Same if you camp higher. The highest campsites are a bit over 10k, maybe 10,300. So, you need to start your traverse a bit above Lake Helen. Then pick out a notch to clamber back onto the west side of the ridge thru and traverse back to camp. I'd stay at the 9'500 notch, as it's protected from the wind better and is easier to hit on the way down. Plus you can drop straight off the camp down to the cowpath to Bunny Flats without tromping down the ridge. Yeah, YOU had better take the gps.

It's been $25 the last few years. They call it a yearly (or annual) pass because it lasts a year from the date you purchase it.

quote: Originally posted by freeclimb9: quote:Originally posted by willstrickland: Earplugs...how the hell do your hear your alarm? They don't screen out all noise, nor do they screen all frequencies equally. I hear the alarm on my wristwatch, no problem. I know a guy that duct taped his watch to his head when he wore ear plugs. Now there's a system!

Get a copy of Oregon High. Those route descriptions are right on. Forget that Smoot book as his vague descriptions, inaccurate topos, and random rating scale are useless. The most frequently traveled route up Reid Glacier Headwall seems to traverse slightly downward below Castle Crags after leaving the saddle. There are a few nasty steps if you try to stay too high and you'll tree yourself on those. Drop down until you can see the 'schrund, then aim for the weaknesses there. Once over that, follow the path of least resistance, which is usually a route that leads slightly left, towards the Queen's chair. If you hit a spectacular snow arete leading into a narrow chute, you're right on target. Up thru these chutes are sometimes a few ice bands, but they're probably covered this year. Once in the chutes head straight up and catch the ridge or traverse left and hit the Queen's chair.

We did it in January and left one at the top, backing up a bollard. The second rappel was off of a better bollard. We backed that up for the first guy, then I pulled the screw and rapped off of just the bollard. As for whether as a stake or deadman, it depends on the conditions. If it takes some effort to drive, you're done. If you can plonk it in by hand, start digging a slot for the deadman, preferably after work hardening a couple of feet around the area. We chose to rap due to incoming weather and a 50+ breeze blowing up our skirts.

I did Devils Kitchen Headwall (variation 5d, in Oregon High) in Early January. As I finished leading the 2nd pitch and made it to the rim it started blowing hard. By the time my partner made it to the rim it was howling. The only good spot we found for a bollard had about 12 inches wide by 6 inches thick ice, with a crack in front of it. We also left a picket there to backup that bollard. Lower down the ice was a bit more consistent and the second rappel was off a bomber bollard. I confess, I left one of those.