bellemontagne

It's Pub Club time again - this Wednesday at 6:30. Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it. If anyone is interested, there's going to be a bunch of us having a potluck dinner at Oregon River Sports at 7:30 then paddling out at Fern Ridge - under the full moon. Have fun!

Well, I would probably advise you to stay away from the Mazamas. If you're interested in "group trips" you're better off with the OMA or better yet, the Obsidians in Eugene (they're a pretty good crew). Or even better yet, maybe you could hook up with some cc.com'ers. You might try heading to a PDX Pub Club and see if you can hook up with any of the guys or gals there to do some climbing. Well, as for rock climbing (and not peak bagging) some of us Eugene folk could probably hook you up. Some of us head to Smith every now and then, plus there is Flagstone for some kick ass sport. And, you're more than welcome to head down I-5 and meet us for Pub Club at the columns. Best of luck!!! Me thinks you will have NO PROBLEM finding people to climb with around here.

I moved to Eugene, Oregon from Oak Ridge, Tennessee four years ago. However, God did not bless Western Oregon with a lot of solid climbable rock. (When I lived in the Oak Ridge/Knoxville area there was a BUTTLOAD of climbable rock (sandstone and limestone) nearby-Obed/Clear Creek, Black Mountain, Devil's Race Track, Look Rock, Big South Fork, etc, etc) However, God was much kinder to Washington state and California. Even though I am in Eugene away from all the cool granite, I don't regret the move one bit - it was one of the best things I ever did. However if you do decide to move, you might want to relocate to Washingto state closer to granite and those crazy cannucks that are across the border.

From the Access Fund's website: Oregon Oregon- West Ian Caldwell 1615 Filbert St. Forest Grove, OR 97116 W 503/359-7463 F 503/357-4548 H 503/357-6856 iancaldwell@hotmail.com Oregon-East Jim Angell P.O. Box 1656 Bend, OR 97709 W/F/H 541/383-3409 jimangell@prodigy.com Additional Contacts Oregon Climbers Coalition (Bend issues) Larry Brumwell Inclimb Gym 550 SW Industrial Way Bend, OR 97701 W 541/388-6764 F 541/388-6764 larry@inclimb.com

quote: in redmond (not far from smith rock) there's a steak place with peanut shells all over the floor. it looks redneck (and maybe it is), but the steak and potatoes rock! Sounds like the Roadhouse Grill. They also make KICKASS yeast rolls! Best breakfast in Central Oregon: The Ski Inn in Sisters. Best Breakfast in the FRIGGIN WORLD: Gramma Stewart's in Cleveland, Tennessee Best Brew Pub to go to when the Deschutes Brewery is FRIGGIN PACKED: Bend Brewery (if you know of any place better, let me know) Best place to eat in Portland when you don't want to have to drive around trying to find a parking place: the Chili's in Wilsonville Best place to eat after a day of climbing (or hiking in the rain) at the Callahan's: Pedotti's Italian restaurant in Sutherlin, Oregon Best Buffalo burgers: The Buffalo Grill on Warehouse road in Oak Ridge, Tennessee Best Donuts: Cal's Donuts in Eugene

There's a small crag called Black Mountain near the Crab Orchard exit in Tennessee. One of the walls was named Graceland, and some of the routes had a cheezee Elvis theme... Elvis never wore Lycra Elvis' Luv Child Elvis is the Messiah

[ 07-12-2002, 11:33 AM: Message edited by: bellemontagne ]

I won't be at the fair, but I will be in town. So, if you want to get a climb in at the columns and need a belay slave, let me know. I'm sure we could drag some others along too!

I've always wanted to go to the Outdoor Retailer Summer and Winter shows. Now, how can you get in if you're not employeed in the outdoor gear manufacturing/retailing industry? I'd love to find out how I could get in... quote: i [almost] ALWAYS wear a thong when i climb! Law Goddess - I will be your *belay slave* ANYTIME!!

quote: of course one post can piss someone off, but it does take 800 posts in a short period of time to ensure complete annoyance. Hear, hear! Completely annoying. Meeeooowww... The only time other than on this site I see such catty behavior is from my cat Beatrice... Remember kids, make love not war...

quote: Journal of the American Motorcyclist Association? Help! I can't find that article anywhere in that publication. Dennis Check out the recent episode of South Park for the beta...

Yeah, keep it to yourself... Oh,and lets hope you clean off your tool before taking it up the dirt road... [ 07-10-2002, 11:48 PM: Message edited by: bellemontagne ]

Very interesting... The study makes a lot of sense. However, surgery can be very important and very effective for those people suffering from cartilage damage due to a physical injury to the knee (NOT cartilage degradation due to arthritis). Unless the loose cartilage is removed and/or the cartilage surface resurfaced, there can be a lot of pain and some disability in the knee (I am speaking from experience on this one).

There was a recent story on TV and a journal article in the JAMA. Apparently, if you shove food up your butt, you will defecateout your mouth. So, it should be pretty easy to defecate into the plastic bag if you hold it in front of your mouth. Should be pretty simple!!!

I will say that the person who spent lots of time with the salesperson only to buy online made a bad call. The individual salesperson invested some time with the customer. That time is worth paying a little bit extra for your gear. I can't believe the guy told the salesperson he was going to go buy online. What a dumbass...

Competition by European online retailers is a pretty hot issue these days. Personally, I am concerned by Black Diamond's decision NOT to supply Barrabes and Climbing Magazine's policy of not publishing ads for Euro online retailers. Sure, prices for gear in Europe are cheaper because of the larger market for climbing gear in Europe and thus greater sales and revenue. I haven't seen figures on the size of the climbing market in Europe, but I think I believe the claim. Now, when my pair of Boreal Aces sell for $150 here in the US and ~ $65 on Barrabes, I have to ask if the differences between the US and the Euro market truly dictate a $150 price tag here in the US! So, the question has to be asked, where does this difference in price go? Marketing, shipping, duties, distributors, etc, etc??? Now, I believe some gear manufacturers do not rely on distributors, so there goes the middle man in some cases... So, I ask again, just where does the ~ $75 difference in price go? It's gotta be going into someone's pocket somewhere. The world's economy is changing, and companies are having to compete on a global scale. Companies with a viable product and an efficient and successful business plan will continue to be able to compete globally without bullying or twisting the arms of its retailers. Barrabes and Telemark Pyrenees found a way to compete with shops in the US. Is this unfair? I dunno. However, it is wrong to deal with the problem by bullying or twisting the arm of your foreign retailers. A better solution would be for companies to become more efficient so they can offer consumers a more competitive price for gear at local US shops. Companies should resort to being efficient and innovative in order to be more competitive. Companies like Black Diamond need to be thinking (which I am sure they already are) about how they can streamline their distribution and business costs to offer equipment at a more competitive price here in the US. They have lowered prices on some equipment, but there is much to be done. WC Tech Friends in the US are about $10 cheaper the camalots (and much better in my opinion). Running a more efficient business is a much better way of staying competitive (and keeping its US retailers happy) than bullying its oversees retailers. Some people may have heard of Osprey packs. Interestingly, they DO NOT advertise. Now, that's a way of cutting back on expenses. They simply rely on word of mouth and their network of retailers to sell their packs. Interestingly, I heard a rumor that Vortex packs moved production offshore not to long ago. Interestingly, I do not believe there was a price drop!!! (Correct me if I am wrong). Now as far as mom and pop retailers go, I do what I can to support local retailers that I believe in like BackcountryGear.com in Eugene (and the Internet) as well as Redpoint in Terrebonne/Bend. However, I cannot justify paying an extra $75 for my pair of Boreal Aces just to support my local climbing retailer. That's CRAZY! When it comes to cams and some items, the savings from buying from Barrabes wasn't necessarily enough to justify buying online. But when it comes to climbing shoes, boots, Grivel, and Charlet Moser, the savings are VERY significant. Now as far as supporting local retailers, many local gear shops SUCK. That is why people go to buy elsewhere. The shops that do suck do not deserve to be around anymore. Just because a shop is local does not mean you should buy there. Additionally, not all climbing shops carry what you want when you need it. That is another reason to buy online. Hell, REI claims to be a "Co-op", but for specific reasons I choose to shop at BackcountryGear when I can. A Co-op??? Give me a friggin break! That's a whole other story... How can someone honestly say that people should support their local retailer when in some cases there are such significant price differences between Euro and US retailers. That's easy for them to say - they probably get friggin pro deals!!!! What's interesting to me is that Climbing Magazine gave into US retailers by removing ads for the online Euro shops. Why didn't they write an editorial encouraging manufacturers to streamline their operations (and not by moving production oversees) so they can offer US consumers gear at their local shops at a more competitive price? That seems like that would have been a better way to approach the problem. So, buy from your favorite local shop when you can. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying from a Euro online shop when there are significant savings to be made. And if manufacturers do not like it, they simply need to become more competitive instead of resorting to bullying its retailers. Werd to your motha...

We're going to have Pub Club at the Columns this Wednesday, July 10, at 6:30 PM. PM SK, JK, or myself if you need directions or other info.

quote: I would need to bring my dog. Is it a dog friendly crag? SURE!!! Just so long as your dog doesn't pee on my rope... (just kidding) Right on Sketchfest! We'll be glad to have you climb with us. See ya Wednesday. [ 07-08-2002, 09:01 PM: Message edited by: bellemontagne ]

One thing to remember kids... Vote with your dollar!!! Also, don't forget to write your congressional representatives. I've heard from Washington "insiders" that significant constituent feedback on certain issues can sway representatives, or give the "progressive" representatives the backing they need to back or sponser legislation.

And speaking of being in a jam... Don't forget to bring your self-rescue gear. I usually rack mine on one of my rear gear loops.

Me thinks it's time for another Eugene Pub Club this Wednesday. See ya at the Columns at 6:30.

quote: just don't forget your nutz... Good advice SK. I use mine all the time...

quote: Bottom line: Stopping burning fossil fuels will not stop global warming. Period. The main question is wether the rate at which global warming occurs and if it will happen faster than ecosystems can adapt sans mass extinctions. VERY TRUE. Hey Sayjay, why don't you add your two cents worth (I bet you get tired of commenting on this subject). You're probably one of the best people on this board to comment on the atmospheric aspects of this discussion. IMHO, the biggest part of the problem is economics. Pollution = inefficiency. We have an economic externality in the market for natural resources. Simply put, the true costs of the exploitation of natural resources (be it coal, natural gas, petroleum, timber, etc) is not included in the price we pay at the market. This is a failure in the free market. When we pay $1.47 for Plus Unleaded gas, the environmental costs are not included in the price. Some costs can be computed, but some costs cannot. Just think about how much environmental damage was caused by the Exxon Valdez spill... And oil spills are just a drop in the bucket compared to all of the health costs, habitat loss, loss of biodiversity, etc, etc, etc, caused by the exploitation of some natural resources. So, if the market price for natural resources equaled their true environmental cost, they would EXCEED the cost of more environmentally friendly and sustainable sources of energy. Then, people would choose these less costly forms of energy over those that have a much higher environmental cost. So, why is their a market failure in the market for natural resources? Ask GW and his buddy Dick Cheney... It's all about the few profiting off of the backs of the many.

You know, we have this immense source of energy in the sky... I think it's called the sun. Plus it will last billions of years; unfortunately, it will eventually burn out though. It is estimated that ALL the fossil fuel reserves on earth are equal to about two weeks worth of the incoming solar radiation. The sun's energy drives not only our air temperature but our ocean currents and our weather fronts. There are a gazillion ways of harnessing this energy that are very environmentally friendly. Hydrogen power also rocks. Lurk around on the Internet, and you will see various engine and tank designs. You will find that some of the concerns regarding auto accidents and tank safety have been resolved.

quote: NO ONE MANUFACTURER MAKE THE BEST OF EVERYTHING!!! I second that. I love Metolius TCU's, but I don't like their four cam units. Black Diamond Camalots >.5 are great. However, I do not like the action of their micro camalots. (I LOVE Wild Country TECH Friends though). Arc Teryx makes great harnesses and clothes, but I do not like their Bora series of backpacks. On the other hand, I love Gregory's packs. I also think Mountain Hardwear makes great Gore-Tex shells; however, I do not necessarily like the fit or design of their Chill Factor fleece. I will say that some companies have a better philosophy and better business practices than others (such as Patagonia versus The North Face). It just so happens that what fits my body may not be what fit someone elses. And, features I value or need may not be features that others value or need. However, good companies will tend to have higher quality in all of their products across the board. They will also have ethical and consistent business practices.