Fromage

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.

So if I bought this pack and asked you to send it to me, would that be a New World order? Al Jourgenson

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 would give you one Canuck rupee for it but those things are too heavy. Plus my last one broke when I rapped off it, so I don't have much faith in those things.

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!

Sweet! I'll take it!

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

Jon, I haven't seen the ice map, and I haven't tried to match the route we found to the guidebook yet, but maybe with some of my info you can help figure it out. Our plan was to go climb Synchronicity, but we started heading uphill way too soon. We reckon we gained 1,500 feet or so. Crossed an old logging/mining road and wandered up a broad gully. We finally came to a wall on our right that had a few icicles hanging down, but nothing that a good swing wouldn't snap off. There was sort of a little alcove/amphitheater type area, to the right of which was a multipitch, thin, stepped flow. I do not believe it is visible from the road, but I could be wrong. We ended up hiking south a little ways, peeking into a couple gullies in hopes of finding ice, and finally bailed in two raps and some downclimbing. The point at which we descended was at the notch on the rightmost edge of the huge chossy rock face just downstream of Cayoosh from Synchronicity. Basically we were on the wrong side of that big rock face (too far north?), and the potential climb we spotted was way back in the gully. We noticed some blue tape tied to trees for a little ways. Given more precip and cold I think that route will form, but if you can't see it from the road it is kind of a gamble to bushwhack up there only to discover there isn't worth climbing. Mark had a camera and tried taking photos of it, but they were useless. Does this compare to anything on your map?

I climbed in Lillooet From Sunday 12/14 through Wednesday 12/17. Saw Jon at marble on Sunday with his buds, there is plenty of thin, wet, steep stuff to climb there. Monday I climbed at the Rambles with Mark Husbands. The center gully is in fine form, although the last step on the first pitch is a bit thin to protect. At the upper tiers the central column has not touched down, but there are at least 5 other distinct lines that are in. We climbed the squeeze to the left of the column and the long, grade 3 face a bit further left. Ice was soft, damp, but took decent pro. Tuesday we hiked around in the woods above Cayoosh Creek and found a route that we couldn't identify, but it wasn't in climbing condition. Synchronicity has not touched down yet, but it's close. Wednesday was more steep fun at Marble. Ryan has some info from his outings to other locales, but I can't speak for him. I'll post some photos of ice conditions if I can get them from Mark. It rained a lot on Tuesday.

Hopefully there will be no repeat of that epic by anyone.

Midweek ice, no crowds, should be good since things are cooling off. I can drive, I have room for 3, I have ropes, some screws, and am nearly out of Scotch so need to stop at dooty free on the way back. Return to Seattle by Dec 20 at the latest, although could come back earlier. PM me if you want to join me. Share gas and Mile-0.

I am thinking of going for a few days between the 16th - 20th. It is midweek. Does that timeframe work for you?

That must be it. There was a large dead tree leaning up against the wall on the right side. I find it difficult to keep Weeping Wall, Deeping Wall, Seeping Wall, Keeping Wall, Sleeping Wall, Beeping Wall, Leaping Wall, Heaping Wall, Jeeping Wall, Peeping Wall, and Reaping Wall straight. Thanks for the pointer.

I don't ski, but some friends of mine are trying to drag me up to Whistler anyway at some point this season. I have heard stories of water ice routes forming on Blackcomb Mountain. I would go to Whistler if I could spend a couple days ice climbing while my buds ski. Apparently you take a lift up and then ski over to the climbs. I think I could accomplish this, even if it means falling down the whole way. Anyway, I have seen photos of these climbs, and some look decent. References to ice climbing on guiding sites provide further circumstantial evidence. The problem is that I can't find a map for them. Basically I need to know which lift to take, where to get off, and where to go. Anyone know of such map? Does one exist? I have climbed at Weeping Wall south of Whistler, and I have done the approach to a climb that is north of Whistler near some lake, so I suppose those would be cheaper alternatives to the mountain, but since they are much lower in elevation they might not form as well.

Cautionary note for Bibler I-tent and TNF Mtn-25: they do not hold tall people. I lay down in an I-tent and my legs stuck out the door from mid-calf down. Even diagonally I do not fit in that thing (I am 196cm), so I bought a Garuda Kusala, which has three meters of interior length on one side, and still weighs under 5 pounds! No matter what tent you buy, lie down in it first if you can to see if you really fit.

Already tried. They offered me something called a "snaplink" that one of the employees' dads found hanging from a soft iron piton in Yosemite in 1974, so if nothing else pans out I think I'll take it. Any time you need a belay, let me know.

Well Jon, there is always hope for Timmy's show next week. And lookout world, there may be a new route put up before the show. Just look for me hanging out near the Bibler at base camp. This is going to be a siege style ascent.