PaulB

Get a copy of "Extreme Alpinism" by Mark Twight. Lots of good training info in there. "Ice and Mixed Climbing" by Will Gadd also has some good tips. Note that both authors are genetic mutants and training fiends. You'll probably get more responses by asking in the Body Results Fitness Forum.

These would be best accessed with a sled, but could be easily reached on skis if the snowline wasn't too low and/or you were willing to make a weekend of it.

If you just want to get to and from the base of climbs in the winter, get a short (160-170cm) pair of skis, a set of Silvretta 404 or 500 bindings (which are compatible with virtually all welted climbing boots) and a pair of climbing skins. Buy the skis used and as cheap as you can find. You won't be cranking any real turns while wearing climbing boots, so the skis don't need to have much "life" left in them. It may be worthwhile to pay more if you can get something that is lighter than the average alpine ski.

I don't think many peeps under 40 are going to get that one E on the traverse. Very cool.

There's lots of pictures here that should make you feel better about flying.

There's a reason some folks call it the Tower of Gravel. Be careful.... a girl on TelemarkTips was helping people post pictures, and she ended up getting engaged!

From Live The Vision's message board: Full details here.

The lower tier of Marble Canyon near Lillooet is usually the location of choice for TRing ice. Unfortunately, on most weekends every ice climber from SWBC and the PNW who wants to get an ice fix without having to lead anything will be there along with the occaisonal guided group. Get yourself a copy of Don's guide for more info.

Probably true for a well built anchor, but in the case of a single cam, I'd say it's possible. I seem to recall reading that Jean-Christophe Lafaille watched his partner fall to his death on the South Face of Annapurna when their single cam rappel anchor failed.

Hi Gary -- Could you elaborate on what point you're trying to make here? Gary may be thinking of something else, but I believe that the biggest danger when rappelling from cams is that if you unweight the anchor (briefly pausing on a ledge, for example) and then continue rapelling, cams may walk into a less secure position.

The Mayor of London appears to have given it here.

The Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park is good entertainment for kids. Major attractions are the belugas, a massive sea lion, seals, a dolphin, sea otters, sharks, an octopus and all kinds of smaller fish. Grouse Mountain has great views of Vancouver, some hiking and a couple of grizzly bears to watch. They used to have wolves too, but one tried to steal some food from the bears and got itself killed while tourists watched. The Capilano Suspension Bridge is a bit of a tourist trap (you can go to Lynn Valley and get on a higher, but shorter, suspension bridge for free), but with the new elevated walkway through the forest, it's better than it used to be. These are the big three summer attractions in Vancouver. The Aquarium is the best dollar value, especially if you can spend at least half the day there to see the different shows and demonstrations that go on. If you're thinking about the Horne Lake that has sport climbing nearby, it's on Vancouver Island. If you did make the trip over you could check out the caves.

This story has been out for almost a week, but I haven't seen it mentioned here and thought some folks might be interested. Some info here and more here.

I have Cumbres, which I've found to be warm and comfortable. I haven't done any major slogs in them yet, just a few days of ice and alpine climbing, for which I found them to be great. The major reasons for buying them were that they fit me well, and I was able to get them for about half of the regular retail price when a distributor here in Vancouver decided to drop Scarpa and cleared out their inventory.

I bought into the hype once. Custom orthotics and insoles made my feet hurt like crazy. I have Superfeet for my ski & climbing boots (~$30). They work magnificently at providing comfort. Go with whatever works for you.

I was also thinking of doing this traverse while in the Bugs this summer (we're hiking in on the 31st). I've climbed Brenta from a camp below Northpost, near the toe of the Vowell glacier. Others in the group did the traverse, which was quite convenient from our camp, as opposed to coming from Applebee or the Kain Hut. Some details here.

This technique is nicely shown in the photo on the back cover of this year's CAJ.

If you're a member of the ACC, you can rent one from the Vancouver Section. Deakin Equipment also rents sat phones. I'm sure there are others as well.

Check out the trail conditions for Glacier National Park here. You could try calling the rangers at Rogers Pass for more detailed climbing info.

The topo is attached to this post as well.

You can read about my experience with Mr. Bicknell and his ferry service here. YMMV

Three of us did it on Sunday, and felt that going down the gully was faster than rapping would have been. It only took us about 45 minutes to get back to the base of the route. for sure on the effort that went into making the approach and route user friendly.

WA Pass was fine!

Not sure what you were looking at, as both the 101 & 201 use 2 AAA batteries. The 201 can store more trackpoints, waypoints and routes (the 101 cannot store any routes). The 201 can be connected to a computer for use with mapping software, the 101 cannot. Get the 201, it's great value.

We stayed at Klipchuck, which was great. Thanks for the recommendations. Is this only required for trailheads? Do you need one if you're just parked at a pullout like at MP 165?