stinkyclimber

You will find the NF of Fay and Quadra of similar difficulty, altho shorter, than AthaB. Shooting Gallery is a definite step up, esp. in technical difficulty as referenced by trainwreck. I think there are some routes in the North Bowl of Andromeda that are moderate AI, and shorter than NF of AthaB too.

Offwhite, I think Trainwreck is still referring to committment grades the same way you understand them. He is just comparing nearby routes of the same length...but because they are harder, they of course take longer, thus earning a grade IV rather thana III. As Trainwreck points out, there are few IVs in the rockies that are as easy technically as NF of AthaB for the simple reason that the max. vertical gain available in the rockies precludes technically easier routes from getting a IV because it won't take more than a day for a reasonably competent party to do them. He isn't saying that there isn't a IV out there with such low technical difficulty, it is just that you would need more vertical gain to make a technically easier route take long enough for most parties to earn a IV.

Sure, sounds good. Never done it, just heard from people who have. i think some folks have missed some key route finding and ended up fucked up. but all the beta on the interwebs takes some of the challenge out of it nowadays. Point is, it does sound like NF AthaB is harder than originally graded...although you are still only talking about +/- 20 feet of actual rock climbing, with the rest moderate AI. Still a III.

Altho sandbagging is a tradition there (NR of Stephens!! among many others) in this case, the grade has changed because the north face ice has receded quite a bit in the last few years, making what was once an easy body-length rock step much longer and hence more difficult. Good work.

I am not familar with those particular models, but I have owned down bags from both companies, and in general, I think MEC is preferable to Taiga. Usually more recent and better implemented technology (fabrics, construction, design, etc) at MEC. Better, or at least easier to deal with, return policy. Havinf said that, Taiga make solid stuff - I just find them a little out of date and often a little over built, resulting in slightly heavier and bulkier down goods. Unless you are doing high end alpine climbing and need the latest and lightest, save your money and get MEC rather than FF or Western Mountaineering. The weight differences are minimal and loft/warmth differences non-existent. As Gord B once said, hey - it ins't a mensa test...the MEC bag is $200 cheaper and only a few grams heavier.

That is great beta. Take note especially about staying to the north side of the ridge on that one rap to avoid going over the overhanging bit and running out of rope. I did that once - fortunately I could see my ropes touched down on the west face slab and it was no probs. The summit bypass is also a much faster and easier descent alternative at the top(but don't cheat yourself by taking it on the way up - the last section of the ridge is the best). If you are competent enough to climb this route unroped, which isn't a stretch for most fairly experienced moderate climbers, then I would recommend against the rap route. Down climbing directly down to the col from the top fo the west face rap doesn't take long (although it is probably the toughest section of the route), where as the raps are full-sun, low angle, choss covered shit shows that dump you at the top of an annoyingly dusty, rubble covered scree slope. Much better to just downclimb to the col (where you cached your beer) and hike out the cushy trail. Having said all that, if you find yourself belaying a lot either on the way up or the way down, or you are getting tired, or it is raining (that quartzite gets SLICK when wet), then yes, the west face rap route is great. In either case, those photos give you alll the info you need. Almost cheating, really. It is a great route tho.

This is capitalism at its best then, eh? You are the market, and you are bearing the charge. Have fun. Once you get past the fleece, there is some lovely country, esp. for kids.

Treetoad, that is the best troll ever. Much better than Rick Mercer's Talking to Americans. Anyone can trick a southern state governor into signing a petition against the Saskatchewan seal hunt. But no-limit campfires, that is special! Anyway, those seals are like rats. You gotta thin them out or they will eat all the fish, and then the commecial Sasketchawan (fish) harvest is screwed. Southern state governors have no role interfering in internal affairs like this.

If you have a partner, I would go for Mt Louis over Brewers. It has more of a backcountry feel to it, and the trailhead is 10 mins from Banff. There are a bunch of routes from easy to sandbagged. The Kain route is a classic, and easy. Watch out if you do Homage to the Spider. It ain't 5.8! The Greenwood routes on the south face are probably the best. The rap off is superbly equipped. The hike in and out is awesome - do it as a loop, in via the main valley, and out via Edith. You could do this on Sunday, and then Ha Ling (Chinaman's) on Monday morning.

In addition to the ice routes on the NF of Atha'B, I have heard that the NE ridge is an interesting affair. You get a taste of the lower apron of the ice face, then some classic Rockies ridge climbing (read: somewhat loose). it looked fun from the NF route. Having said that, if you haven't done the NF or Hourglass on the NF, then do those before the NE ridge. Regardless, it would be tight doing these if you can't get on the road until Sunday morning, especially if it is warmer (the NF routes get a lot of rockfall, and the glacier will be a mess coming down later ibn the aft). If you want ice close to Calgary, head up to the Colgan Hut above the Valley of Ten Peaks to hit the ice routes on Quadra and Fay. Get up as early as your post-wedding hangover allows, hike up to the hut from the lake (an awesome little route in itself, perhaps hitting one of the Quadra NF routes on the way up if it is still cold enough. Monday morning get up fucking early and you will have time to do Fay NF, get back to the car and to Calgary. But it will be tight and rushed. Less hassle and logistics will be alpine rock, of which there is loads. Mt Louis - take your pick, some very good rock, and a lovely valley in there. Probably your best bet. Other options: - Take a look at Temple - east ridge is nice, but you'd want to leave for it by sun up on Sunday, and it is too long of a route to do starting on Monday morning. - Or catch the bus into Lake O'Hara. It is beautiful in there, but most of the bigger routes and all the snow and ice routes won't be possible unless you can get in there the night before. - K-Country. Don't know enough about stuff in there, but I know a lot of it is very day trip-able. Unless you can sleep at the base or trailhead or whatever, most snow and ice routes in the rockies are tough to do as day trips, esp. in Sept...and if you do them on Monday, you won't get back to Calgary in time to catch your flight. Good luck.

ACC Online store

Geez, Dru, I got mine last week! And all the way out here in the smelly, flat east. Nice article, btw.

Don't you mean "Freedom Running"?

For the maximum annoyance-factor, do this free-solo, with dreads, no shirt and a barking crag dog following you on the ground. Must act uber-nonchalant. And look a little shaky. If you use a rope, someone will clove hitch it off to one of the aforementioned trees or a draping top-rope.

This reminds me of that stupid stomach/superman-position snowboarding contraption that everyone was ridiculing a few months back. I can't find the link to the website anymore because I have excised all memory of it from my brain because it was just so fucking stupid.

Don't kid yourself with the new technology hopes. Oil sands extraction will continue to rely on open pit and other high impact techniques. More importantly, it takes a shitload of BTUs of natural gas to extract each barrel of oil. Although the efficiency is getting better every year, the ratio is still close to one. The cheapest option for safeguarding US energy supplies will continue to be lowering overall consumption.

Weather report? Weather forcast? What is there a difference - do you mean you are looking for historical coniditons or current conditions? The forecasts include a "current conditions" section if that is what you are getting at.

Alpine forecasts used to be available for free from Environment Canada, but they are now mainly a paid service. Leaving you at the mercy of Environment Canada's general forecast at linky. Whistler pays for an alpine forecast which you can view at linky. This would be good for the Squamish-Pemberton corrdior. For interior ranges, someone else likely knows where to pick up the equivalent free alpine forecasts - likely thru the ski resorts, or heli-/cat-skiing outfits. For the coast mtns north of the bridge river, good luck. The dry-side of the coast range can probably be interpolated fromt the Lilloet forecast.

Sounds like Dru is volunteering.

Those were my thoughts when I first heard about it too, Jordon: Yachts, helicopters, sleds, remote as shit - probably the most expensive heli-skiing per-vertical foot skied in NA...all to access an area renown for shitty weather (with limited tree-skiing potential to boot) with often wet snow. Hey, awesome, sign me up! BTW, Phil, I suspect that even a major heli-skiing operation would have limited impact on the climbing there, since the season doesn't usually start till late May, well after most heli-skiing is done (think Bugaboos). However, given that this is a major wilderness ski touring area, extensive heli-skiing (if it actually gets off the ground) would really suck.

I don't doubt that theo-con Bush appointees have pulled a lot of this kind of shit. But I always wonder who leaks these kinds of stories and how true they are. I checked out the NPS site on Grand Canyon. See the FAQs section of the website : Of course, it doesn't mean that Bush and the majority of Americans think the world is only 6000 years old. This billions of years thing is clearly a goddless, tax-and-spend liberal myth.

Clearly, Dru was NOT at home, in Chilliwackoff, on Monday. Must have gone in to town. Unless Walmart is selling pseudo-hipster stuff now, like they did those low-rider jeans with fake underwear sewn on to the top to stick out above.

Nice work. Looks like cc.commers have been hard at work at the site's feedback page (http://www.hangboard.ca/content/view/44/45/): Comment by GUEST on 2007-01-05 15:02:03 This is lame. Slightly more maneuverable toboggan - this makes Canada look lame. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment by GUEST on 2007-01-07 13:31:44 GAY!

There are no new rules proposed in terms of document requirements for entering Canada. As I said, passports are not 100% required, but they can ask for them. My observation is that some (but not all!) border guards are assholes no matter the nationality. That is what happens when you give people a lot of power with very few limits or accountabilities.

I agree. I know I carry one. But someone asked what the rules were. And passports are $100. Some people are cheap. I speculate that you won't have to have a passport. But you might need a few MREs, a P-38 can-opener...and a tauntaun. Believe me, with a tauntaun, they won't be asking for no fucking passport.