Gordonb

Unless you are wearing a water proof barrier between your skin and the straps, moisture will transfer between them. Sweat is a great medium for growing bacteria so you need to not only keep your sholder clean, but also your sholder straps.

You say that like it is a bad thing.

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, this is Newbies. So if that is the case it is time for a group hug. Everyone now!

check out www.kgw.com for video of the 'copter crash.

So where were the crowds at Smith this weekend? I was there on Friday and we had our pick of climbs. We had 3 ropes up on 5 gallon buckets, the outsiders, and light on the path. On Sunday we were back on the north point and were basically alone. We were working on trad leading and hit 4 or 5 routes. Besides parking we felt isolated. I was expecting to line up for routes and we never had to!

Ya, and because if it your are probably wet down to your knees.

Thanks Erik. We will be doing some trad stuff as my brother in law will be there and he has trad gear. The rest of us just have quickdraws for sport. We will be about 8 to 10 people with up to 4 ropes. So we will want to spread out if we can. I tried to pick up Ryan's suplement last time we were at Smith, but Redpoint was only open the weekend and we were there midweek. We are resigned to wait in line.

I will be at Smith with my wife and kids and my Sister and her family plus whatever stragelers decide to join us. We will be staying in Sunriver. Looks like it will be crowded this weekend. We are heading down Thursday night with the hope of getting some time in Friday before the big crowds hit. Where is a good sport section to hit when the main areas are too crowded?

- Most complaints about the grade. "How can they call this a 5.11a?"

I was at VW a few weeks ago and this guy (definite poser) had his girlfriend on one of his project routes. She was obiviously over her head and he was so involved in giving beta that he didn't take in any slack. She got to about the bouldering line and peeled. She expected to be on belay and wasn't ready to smack the ground hard. He just kind of stared at her and said "sorry". She laid there for a few minutes before she got her breath back. She was walking funny for the next couple hours we were at the gym.

mosquitos! I am usually fine with a lightweight longsleved shirt and a hat with a misting of bug repellent. My wife seems to get eaten no matter what she uses.

It shouldn't be too cold, but prepare for rain, and not east coast storm and clear type of rain. I have done summer climbs in the Olympics that started in a light rain and 4 days later it is still a light rain. The Hoh is rainforest if you get out of there dry count yourself lucky.

Not enough South Park to get the lines right! 1. Steal underwear. 2. ummm (shrug sholders) 3. Profit!

I climbed it about 25 years ago and remember some 4th class near the summit, and we did it with no gear. The scree was a pain in the butt on the way up, but made a fun decent.

We go one when were were up at 8 mile lake that we didn't pay. We got a nasty note about 6 months later saying they would issue a ticket if it wasn't paid soon. We paid instead of fighting.

I have always heard that a Gaston was where you face a vertical crack with your fingers in the crack and your elbows out, like you are trying to force open an elevator door.

quote: Originally posted by Country Jake: I just don't kiss my F@#% dogg man... I guess that cuts down on the foreplay.

42!! Am I good or what? The ultimate numbered page goes to a lurker. [ 04-10-2002: Message edited by: Gordonb ]

I didn't get up there. My Mother-in-law grabbed my wife for a shopping trip so I would have been without belay.

I might give the Renton Granite a try this weekend. I don't have any gear besides rope and quickdraws, I havn't been climbing that long and I can only acquire gear (and the knowledge to use it) so fast. So there are accessable anchors at the top where I could sling some webbing to run a TR?

So on that Renton Granite, how easy is it to thow a top rope on that? It sounds close enough to me that we should at least give it a try.

To answer the question you have to know what your goal for the climb is. If you are trying to get to the top of the face then anything goes. If your goal is to get up the pitch, then I would also have to say anything goes. If you are tying to climb sport route XXX that is a 5.11a, then you have to decide what makes up the route. If you have to mark a large number of obivious holds off route to make it tough then why are you climbing outside? You might as well be in the gym.

If you require 0% defects why in the hell are you buying from BD or any other manufacturer! For a mass producer to be competetive they have to keep costs down and that means some defective product. The good companies will step up and make good on their defects. Until you have talked to CS your whining is just whining.

Avalanche danger. It is not so much the road conditions but the masses of snow falling on the road that closes them. That is why White pass doesn't close as often as Snoqualmie or Stevens.

Damn, I am sorry I missed it. I lived in Switzerland for a year near Crans-Montana and hiked around the region a lot. It is awsome country. Does anyone have the route they followed!