Fromage

Don, thanks for the lesson on finance and business management. It is always refreshing to read a rational, well-reasoned, and well-written position on these boards. And the Merrycans frequently learn new things, so thanks for sharing the wisdom.

Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious. I was merely suggesting that a set of doubles would be a superior choice to an all around rope. Having owned a pair of 8.1 Beals for several years I find them to be versatile and durable performers, not to mention light. With a little care my set of doubles and my single have lasted longer than three "all around" ropes would have.

Hey Husbands, shouldn't you be doing some "science" right now?

For the Stinger... 57g/m * 80m = 4.56kg = 10 pounds = 10 pounds of rope in one climber's pack... Beal Ice Line 8.1mm, PAIR of 60m doubles... 42g/m * 120m = 5kg = 11.1 pounds = 5.55 pounds of rope in one climber's pack Further compelling evidence to stick with the doubles. Plus you can do 60m raps and benefit from the other advantages of doubles. A one-pound weight savings does not justify climbing on a single rope in the mountains. Not for me, at any rate. Plus, if you spend the additional money up front to buy 3 ropes (a pair of doubles and a single) then your long term costs will decrease because each rope will last longer. And who wants to go cragging on an 80m rope?

With new routes up and new ropes soon to be in place, this gym will become the most powerful force in the galaxy! The longest lead wall in town! Hopefully El Director will get out of the house a bit more next quarter.

I still climb in my 1997 Koflachs. The liners are beat to hell, but despite the sustained abuse I have subjected them to, the shells are still in excellent condition. These are non the stylish neon models, they are the clunker Viva Softs, and they have kept my toes warm in sub-zero temps in the Alps. I have done a fair bit of rock climbing in them, too, and while there is no comparison with leathers, they are certainly passable. And ice climbing? They work just fine. I have been able to climb somewhat difficult mixed and ice routes in these babies without any complaints about performance. Perhaps my opinion on my boots is shaped by the fact that they are the ONLY cold weather climbing boots I can fit into... I have some Norweigan welt stout leather mountaineering boots, and while those things kick ass on rock, they are not so great in the snow or on ice. If I could fit into any of the newer insulated leathers I would probably buy a pair, but I will be picking up a NEW pair of Koflachs this spring. They are coming out with all new models, and the Vertical looks to be a good choice- it uses an Arctis Expe shell, slightly scaled down to fit closer to the foot with a thinner liner. If I can get seven years out of those, too, I will consider it money well spent.

Another problem I had once rapping on ropes with ends tied together was that of the rope kinking. Since my tubby ass tips the scales at >200 pounds with gear on, my weight on the rope causes the coils in the core to unwind. If the ends of the rope are not free two twist and untwist (i.e. tied together), it creates a clusterfuck. You end up with a pile of spaghetti in your lap. Putting a double fisherman's in the end of each rope allows the ends of the rope to twist when the core strands uncoil, and good luck trying to get those knots through a tube-style rap device. You might be able to do it with a figure-8 style device, but if you have some sort of rappel backup in your system then you stay in the gene pool for the time being.

And suffer you will.

Hey Winter, I am writing my thesis right now on traffic safety. You claim from your one observation (wife's accident) that SUVs are safer. Sorry to break it to you, but there is a compelling body of statistical evidence that shows SUVs are, on the whole, less safe than 4-door sedans. My own research findings support this conclusion as well. Consider this: your Toyota 4Runner weighs at least 4,000 pounds. Since p = mv and E = mv2, in most collisions your truck wins. Lo and behold, your wife emerges unscathed. I am happy to hear it. However, my research findings show that while car vs. car accidents constitute the vast majority (about 70%) of all accidents on the road, most of those accidents (about 67%) result in no injury. Hence your wife's good fortune. It is generally true that in car vs. car accidents the SUV will win. The real danger to the SUV is non-collision accidents. These constitute about 19% of all accidents in the USA. Non-collision accidents are rollovers, explosions, fires, etc. The injury and fatality rates for people involved in non-collision accidents is WAY higher than for people involved in car vs. car accidents. And what kind of vehicles roll over? Yup, you guessed it. So what does all this mean? Well, in the grand scheme of things, you are more likely to be involved in a car vs. car accident than you are in a rollover, but the consequences of rolling over are far more deadly than the consequences of colliding with another car. How should this influence your car-buying decision? Well, in a perfect world we would all drive Mercedes Benz E-Class sedans. For your wife I would buy a Volvo all-wheel drive wagon. Then you get better gas mileage, have a turbocharged engine, and can feel cool about driving a Euro car. Maybe I will publish my thesis on this site once I am finished.

Yes, and the value doubles when you fill the gas tank.

Lambone, you should realize that cops are not usually cool, ESPECIALLY the French ones. flic = cop in francais

I just picked up a new Gore Tex drysuit for rafting that I am planning on trying out this weekend. I can wade across any river no problem and then climb any route regardless of humidity. I think this is the gear revolution of the future. Yeah, latex gaskets!

I used to run a guiding service in Washington and I applied for lots of commercial operating permits on various types of public land. As part of all permit applications you need to provide proof of liability insurance naming the land management agency that is responsible for the area you want to operate in. Liability insurance is not all that expensive. My company had a large policy, I won't say how much, but I am pleased to say we never had to use it. We also had an attorney who handled our other legal matters, like writing our liability waivers and so on.

More diverging opinions... I climbed the north face of Gannett in WY last summer, a route which included about 800 feet of 60 degree bare alpine ice. My pair of tools was a Grivel Air Tech Racing and a Rambo 2. The Air Tech worked surprisingly well in the ice. I needed to adapt my swing a little to get good sticks, but once I figured it out that axe climbed like a champ. For steeper routes I recommend you buy an axe with a shorter shaft. My Air Tech is 58cm and works great for "piolet traction" technique on steeper terrain. I agree with the comment about BD axes. Even their technical tools bounce off the ice.

Climb: Lillo: Marble, Rambles, Terzaghi-A bunch Date of Climb: 2/16/2004 Trip Report: Marble: Best shape I have seen all year. Everything is fat. First 2 pitches Icy BC are plastic and solid, third has three possible lines, the far right was fun and less chandeliered than the middle. Rambles: Center line is fat and lovely. Upper tier is fat and lovely, slightly drippy in spots. Terzaghi: Styrofoam on top of rotten and hollow detached ice. I led a pitch, had some fun, did not top out on account of pro possibilities. A stronger climber than myself (i.e. 97% of the people reading this) would be able to finish no problem. Gear Notes: nothing unusual. Horizontal front point crampons might be advantageous on Terzaghi right now, monos would be a bit slicey in the styrofoam. Approach Notes: Do not descend slippery snow-covered scree and frozon durt with ice screws still on your harness.

Jim, I must say that mixing Revivex with a little gin makes it go down pretty easy. Plus after a couple G+Rs you don't need to put yourself in the dryer.

Reconsider your VW aversion. I hear they are coming out with a 5-cylinder diesel AWD Eurovan. That would be the ultimate climbing vehicle. A big investment up front, but close to free after that.

Looks like I might have to transfer. Maybe then I can get some beaver.

I climbed a bunch last year on the DMMs. I liked them. Good spring action and easy to handle and place except for the really little ones, but I have huge hands so most people can probably fit their fingers into the trigger easier than me. Their weight is pretty darn good. Also check out the Wild Country Tech Friends, they are only slightly heavier and offer a single stem design if that is your scene. I have a Coleman canister stove that sucks. Try something else.

And I will bring some tools for people to demo. This year's hot new tool is the Charlet Moser Pulsar. It features a radical reverse-curve pick, a bent shaft at the grip, and removable headweights. This is the tool that will usher in a new generation of WI 3 routes. Take a number and get in line to swing these babies.

I just call REI something else: LCD, for lowest common denominator, to whom they now cater. People who like to shop more than they like to do stuff.

Jon, you were not alone out there. Ryan, Marcie, Jed and I were up on Michaelmoon, but we parked 10m off the road on a little offshoot so you probably didn't see our trucks. There was a lot of ice up there. We all got wet, but the routes were in fairly good shape and took great pro. The only dodgy bit was rapping off the 3" diameter shrubs. Saturday I led Cherry Ice after watching you guys get doused on Honeyman, it felt like I was in the desert after standing under that misty spray for 20 minutes. I got a couple 22cm screws in, but I definitely recommend shorties for the first step. I also placed a 17 about 2/3 up the first step, and my worthless opinion is that the route in its current state is decent for protection. Two ropes is definitely the way to go. On the way out of town in the evening (Sunday) we chatted with the woman working at the Esso. She had been listening to her police radio scanner (what else is there to do Sunday afternoon when the curling match is over?) and told us that there had been a fall at Marble and emergency vehicles had been sent to the scene. Since one of the hallmarks of this site is wild speculation and dissemination of misinformation, I will continue the tradition: anyone hear about this? The woman asked if we were climbers and if we had been in Marble, but between her rudimentary understanding of climbing and what she overheard on the scanner, we weren't able to glean much more than that. So there is my 5th-hand information. Discuss.

I protest. Clearly you have not tried Ye Extra Olde Stocke, gets ye drunke quicke.

I have a raft. And it ain't no kiddie pool toy, either. Expedition outfitted Aire E140, we could row six people and a week's worth of gear across the river. Siege style first ascent bonanza!

Clearly you have not yet tried Ye Extra Olde Stocke. My friends and I drink a case of it on every trip to Lillooet. We are also considering seeking sponsorship. Thanks for posting the excerpt from the ice map. I can't tell what the scale is or what the contour interval is, but the Twilight Tiers you guys have described doesn't seem like it matches up with the route we found way up in the gully. Once back at the car we looked uphill and noticed a thin, tiered wall of ice forming almost directly uphill of the bridge, which may correspond to the dot on the map, but the thing up in the gully took us three hours to reach. I would have to put the ice map next to a 7.5 topo to compare, but it kind of seems to me that they are different things. Perhaps we can sort this out by the end of the season. Ye Extra Olde Stocke Gets Ye Drunke Quicke