CharlesEvans

Sorry to be a pedant, but it's cool-whar. NOT coo lee or. I know, I know, but I once worked at MEC when the Couloir Jacket was a good deal and the number of southerners unable to grasp this simple idea was astonishing. But thanks for the beta on Rideout.

I was in Bolivia in mid-June through mid-July. We climbed in the same areas as you mentioned. A down jacket was pretty much essential at night and early mornings. I don't remember what the other three in our party were using for bags, but we used a combo unit of a Western Mountaineering Apache (-7C) and an MEC Emperor Penguin overbag. Never had any complaints, and she sleeps cold. We bivvied at the nido de condorres (sp?) on Huyana Potosi 18K(?) with that combo and a bivy bag and it worked ok. Too much wind to sleep properly, but warm enough. PS As of 1997 don't ask for white gas. Apparently it's used to separate the cocaine from coca leaves and asking for it can win you a chat with the federales. Things may have changed. Prepare for the omni-present scent of shit with traces of diesel.

It's been really hot in Whistler and Pemberton for the last few days. We had fresh snow below mid station last Friday, and then someone turned on summer full blast. So maybe it's clear, maybe it's a post-holing nightmare.

Ok, we're going to AK on a road trip, just to look around, no expeditioning or anything bulky and heavy. Are there areas anyone would reccomend for easy climbs/scrambles? Sort of a Joffre/Matier or Mt Baker area? I don't want to take the rack for a ride, but there would be room for an axe and crampons. Ideas suggestions or vitriol?C

I have a size long FF Ptarmigan sleeping bag for sale. It has never been used, it was a warranty replacement for a GTX version that delam'd. This is a great bag for denial, I mean, Denali. I'm asking $750 Canadian. Yeah it's expensive, but it's 200 cheaper than buying from the store. cheva@look.ca

You get to define your own style, but the rest of us get to judge it.

Just a casual aside to the person who was careful enough to leave a couple of butts on Rambles centre. You suck. The world is not your ashtray.

Hey that sounds like my idea of having a "full bore biathlon" .308 / tele or at gear / in a snowmobiling area Just greet all snowmob-idiots with a warm smile, a nod of the head, and a simple "Wire's up, have fun!"

Anti-gonner-izer, perhaps before you start flailing around in a self-righteous misogynistic fit, perhaps you should read it again. I think the lawsuit is being brought against her, not by her. But if it makes you feel good, wind it up. Keeping in mind you look a little like the guy dancing by himself. Or talking to Elvis.

Dan, I have a Fetid Fiends jacket, the one up from the helios, done in Dryloft. It's an XL, but has no hood. It's in decent condition. Make me an offer.

Accept the metric. How many furlongs to you get per hogshead of gas? (M.Burns?)

SC - As usual there is a ton of commentary from the southern cousins, (I just wanna say this, and let me tell you) but my post was intended to inform northerners that it was possible and cost effective. And we have MEC. I used a credit card, and the gear was a little slow, but I ordered it on Sept 10. so the fact that it arrived at all is pretty amazing.

Barrabes saved me $70 on local prices for a pair of 2F's, partly I think, because they shipped them under the "book" category. Yay Barrabes.

I'd be really careful with the first run of any BD crap-on, remembering the first switchblades etc. Maybe hold off until next year...

Has any of this happened since the 2001 Ice Fest? Because while I was there, we had nothing but good experiences, and we were in a truck with Oregon plates. I overheard a couple of loggers in one restaurant checking that everything was going ok for a table of uhmurcun climbers nearby, and they seemed ready to bust heads if the climbing folk had been ill treated. Has anyone heard about the Ice Fest for this year? C