tomtom

Technique. The goal is to get your hips up against the wall and keep as much weight on your feet as possible. If you haven't yet, consider taking a personal lesson or two so that someone can critique your technique and give you a few pointers and drills to improve your skills. Also realize that a woman shaped like a woman (or a guy inflating his spare tire) is going to have to have better technique and isn't going to progress as fast on overhanging terrain as a skinny teenager. Here's a link to Eric Horst's online training: http://www.nicros.com/training.cfm http://www.nicros.com/training.cfm

I think we all agree with this. For example: Gingko does nothing for me. Diamox does a little, but not enough to warrant its use. Dex does more, but I'll still not be doing one day ascents of Rainier. The only thing that does work for me is gradual adaptation to altitude. After spending 5 days in Ouray then 4 days in Telluride one winter, I was motoring around on Rainier the next weekend like it was flat ground. I wish I could afford to do that more often.

Mac is to PC as Sport Climbing is to Trad.

Taping your rack is aid.

And you think the companies selling you herbs is doing it for *your* best interest?

Looks like you have enough gear to get started. A BD Cliffhanger will soon be useful, depending on route. One important note: Don't use a toothed rope grab like a mini-traxion to support your body weight in a fall. They have been known to strip the sheath and cut the core. They are used with backup for top rope soloing (but don't let any slack develop in the system), but use a Grigri or similar device (or clove hitches) for solo aid. Chris McNamara of Supertopo fame is putting together a how-to book on aid climbing. Here are some of the chapters: http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=692927

That's because it was. It was intended for teaching beginning climbers.

This is an interesting question. Helmets are designed based on idealizations of a given activity, and then tested to standards for that activity. Here's a brochure by the gov't on this topic: http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/349.pdf Note that cycling and rock climbing are tested to the same standard (Snell N-94), but skiing is different (Snell S-98). http://www.smf.org/standards/n94/n94.html http://www.smf.org/s98.html I don't know enough about the standards to guess if a ski helmet would pass the mountaineering standard, but my personal opinion is that it would be better than going bare headed.

1) The GED is not available online. 2) The GED doesn't cover the Bible.

I have a pair of Venoms (64cm adze and 50cm hammer) that I use as my alpine set. They work great for me. You're not going to want to hang around on the standard leashes, but normal alpine routes rarely have long stretches of steep ice. Also the adze tool comes with the classic curve pick. The reverse curve pick does stick and clean easier, but the classic pick does work.

1) Don't drop down the first obvious gully, keep traversing at the top 2) Look for all the cairns 3) If you find yourself actually bushwacking, you've dropped too low.

A group of Mounties climbed the route this past weekend (8/2), so it's doable.

Although getting old sucks, the alternative *really* blows.

Throw away the climbing shoes as well. You're never going to learn anything that way either.

I like the recommendation that you drug yourself to sleep to compensate for the uncomfortable pad. http://www.gossamergear.com/gossamergear/images/user_manuals/User_Manual_NightLight.pdf Tylenol PM is aid.

MEC packs are built to the highest standards by Communist Vietnamese workers.

nwhikers.net ?

Used Dental Floss. Anything more is just a waste.

Really good article on Ed Farrar, father of Tyler Farrar. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/090721

Arguing about grades is like running in the Special Olympics ...

I prefer clipping my approach shoes to the haul loop. Keeps them out of the way.

My average crew went sport climbing on Gorilla My Dreams last night. Good stuff! Gorilla My Dreams

Dude really should have a doctor check out his hemorrhoid. Looks like gangrene has set in.

FF jackets are not seam sealed or seam taped, so water can seep through the stitching.