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telemarker

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Posts posted by telemarker

  1. On 4/15/2019 at 12:25 PM, Woodcutter said:

    Brexit, my fine friend, is the resurrected zombie corpse of Thatcher-era anti-Europe nationalism. Brought back to life by the lackbeard Cameron (who then resigned to become a fucking shepard, for real), and fueled by viscous Trumpian down-economy jobs shortage, and kneaded by the bitch May into a great big mess, the kind of mess that when you make one, you apologize to all concerned and ask forgiveness and can everything please go back to how it was before. 'I'm really sorry', that kind of thing. 

    Unfortunately no one over there has the political chops to execute a climb-down, so that's the end of the UK for a few more years. Oh Woe is me...………………...

     

    You bring the cabbage and I'll supply the hammers next time you're over.

  2. I climbed this once and was entirely uninspired compared to all the other offerings nearby.  I wouldn't climb it again. But oh well. It's there, and an alternate way to access the second/third pitch of Midway etc. if Midway and/or South Crack are bottlenecked. 

    But then again if that's the case, you can always climb Rainshadow. 

    Again, I don't want to be critical of those people out there expanding our Leavenworth climbing options on their own time and money. I'm just not sure it was necessary to forge a line up in that exact spot. Lord knows I've spent a lot  of time at Castle, and to me this route just seems sandwiched and out of place. 

    Just my stupid opinion. 

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  3. I love discussions like this. Maybe I'm missing it but It seems that everyone is assuming death as a result of high risk acceptance. 

    Of course that isn't always the case, and in fact in the majority of accidents, injury due to high risk is the more likely result. The more important question is whether you can live with the results of your decisions if you don't die but instead have lifelong debilitating injury?

    Quinn Brett

    I don't know Quinn, but she seems like an amazing athlete and even more amazing person.  But she took big risks and it went wrong. 

    In my own personal risk assessment when climbing and skiing I worry more about not dieing than dieing. 

    • Like 1
  4. Ivan nailed it. I do this approach about once a year, and each year the trail gets easier and easier to follow. This year I found it as easy as ever to follow. More Cairns are popping up, and the trail is more trodden. My rule is if at any point you lose the trail, head towards the creek.

  5. Canary - an ultra-classic on this "last traditional crag", has always, as far as i know, been a bolted route. even though it too can be protected without the bolts (yes, I have), I heard no complaints when it was retrobolted a few years back... context!?

     

    It's interesting how some of the routes on upper Castle get upgraded bolts and others don't. Like P2 of Canary, or the bolt on Old Grey Mare, or the bolt just over the roof on Satanic Verses. But on the south face of jello tower still has an ancient bolt.

     

    I'm also curious about the two different bolts on the start of Rainbow Connection. The right one is only about 3 years old. The right bolt start is fun climbing if somewhat easier than the left start.

  6. I wrote this on the Sherpa thread:

     

    friend and I climbed Full N. Ridge yesterday approaching from the North and descending the Sherpa. The glacier is in excellent condition still. A super easy end run around the bergschrund-skier's right- is still possible. No rappel shenanigans needed! Gorgeous day in perfect weather with no one around!

     

    Also, almost all the snow on the ridge is melted, though there are patches lingering g that can be easily avoided. The same patches are very convenient for refilling your water, however. There was one patch on the upper ridge just past the notch that you have to post hole through, but it's minimal and should be gone in a couple days.

     

     

  7. I respect the ratings more at Castle Rock as a general rule as well.

     

    Absolutely. If you consider ratings are based on an onsight lead, then almost all the routes at Castle are sandbagged big time. Launch into an onsight lead of Rainbow Connection and see if it feels 5.11a. I think that what the book rates it. Or Hangdog. Brass Balls.

     

    As for SCW, Mary Jane dihedral's 5.9 rating does not feel soft at all. And Orbit also feels pretty true to grade.

     

    The flake that broke off on OS is at the end of the traverse, where you have to start to make the face moves above the traversing crack.

  8. A new bolted route has gone up between Midway pitch one chimney and Winter Solstice pitch one. I'm not being judgmental here, as I have not climbed it yet. It may be a fantastic pitch of climbing. I don't know. But it does seem to be in an odd location, so close to Winter Solstice, you can use the first few bolts of this new route if you climb WS. I'm just a little ambivalent about this new addition, and it does look out of place with the rest of the upper Castle routes.

     

    I'm curious who did this one.

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