PaulB

Did the North Ridge as a day trip yesterday, 10.5 hours round trip from the Slesse parking area. Pretty much as described in Alpine Select, mostly 3rd class, some 4th and a few moves of low 5th towards the top. Didn't do anything as hard as the 5.8 that other sources have mentioned, but there is certainly potential to make the route harder if you wanted. From the summit we had spectacular views of Slesse, Baker, Shuksan, the Cheam Range and countless other peaks. Highly recommended.

Anyone have a good technique for cutting accessory cord that doesn't result in a big lump of melted nylon on the end? Has anyone built a home version of the little electric device they have in the shops?

Fireworks

The Dragontail is the low version of the Ferrata, and is newmatic crampon compatible. The Vetta doesn't have the heel welt, and I suspect it is a bit softer than the Dragontail 5.10 has also brought back the Tennies, which everyone seemed to have a few years ago.

I'll second the vote for the Ferratas. Just bought a pair, and used them this weekend. Felt great while hiking and scrambled/climbed well on rock. I tend to think that most of the boots in this category are similar, its just a matter of finding something that fits your feet comfortably. I tried on Trangos, Freney Lites and Ferratas before going with the Ferratas.

Go to the Gunks..... it's very possible!

Here's my version for yesterday: 06:30 Get out of bed 07:45 Arrive at work 16:00 Leave work early (worked until 18:00 the day before) 16:30 Meet climbing partner and leave North Van 17:30 Arrive in Squamish 18:00 Leave Apron parking lot to climb Calculus Crack. We have to wait for party ahead of us at the bottom of first approach pitch, as well as the bottom and top of first real pitch. They are waiting for the group ahead of them. 21:30 Arrive on Broadway Ledge, descend trail in near darkness 22:00 Arrive at parking lot 23:15 Arrive at home 23:30 Eat supper 00:30 Go to bed.

Check out the latest in Big Wall Flip-Flops from A5. I hear John Middendorf loves 'em. Also available in pink for the ladies.

I have both Cobra and Alaska picks for my Black Prophets. I tend to use the Alaska picks for lower angle alpine stuff, where the reverse curve of the Cobra can be a bit annoying.

A friend of mine just got back from Logan. His team flew in the same day that Josephson was flying out, and they had a chance to talk to him. Apparently, the weather up there has been crap this year. JoJo and crew barely got out of their tents, let alone onto the South Face, before they called it off.

What crampons do you folks prefer to use with boots like the Trango S or the Tower GTX, which don't have a toe welt? My main concern is how secure the crampons will be when doing the occaisonal bit of frointpointing. Thanks.

As they say on the east coast when things are getting out of control..... "Damn, we're heading into the rhubarb now!"

They are designed for steep ice and mixed climbing. Since they have horizontal rails, they are also suitable for glacier slogging, but are stiffer than something like the Sabretooths. I have a pair of each, and the only real reason I got the Bionics is so that I can change the front points when they wear out. Otherwise, I'd use Sabretooths for just about everything.

I tried this, and found that the Intuition liners didn't fit very well in the Alpha's. The Alpha shells are very low volume, and the Intuition liners are much thicker (even after heating) than the standard liners. In the end, I didn't like way the combination felt.

Has anyone taken a look at Salomon's new leather double boots? Who'd a thought they'd ever come back?

This is how things looked on May 11.

As of last Sunday, the 'schrund was covered and you could go right up the middle of the NE face. Lots of snow, so it should be good for awhile. I'll have some pics back in the next few days, and will post one.

I've read they eat up AAA batteries pretty quick. The 12 hour battery life they quote is for when you're in some kind of "battery saver" mode. Otherwise, they sound like the cat's ass for a simple GPS.

I crossed the Neve this weekend, it was excellent!!!! Travelling conditions were fantastic, except for the lake, which has a good layer of slush at the north end. We were crossing late in the afternoon, and ended up punching through the slop in a few spots and getting wet feet. It's probably OK early in the day, but I suspect that in a couple of weeks it'll be impassable. Travelling along the western shore would be possible, but very inconvenient.

Does anyone have a guess at how far up road 1152 you could drive these days? I've never been into Shuksan from the south, but I'm thinking of going next weekend.

I called the Glacier ranger station this weekend, and they said the road is clear to mile 7. The Heliotrope trailhead is at mile 8.

I'm heading towards making this decision as well. Check out the Lasik Centre in Vancouver. They have lots of good info on there.

I've had my Super Mountain 9 Guides for 4 years and use them for everything.... general mountaineering, alpine and steep ice. My only complaint is that the Contagrip rubber they use for the sole is quite soft, and wears quickly. That being said, I took them to a dealer last fall, and got them resoled by Salomon for only CDN$50.

I seem to recall reading a story once about Joe Josephson rope soloing on ice, and taking multiple whippers while doing it.

This guy's luck obviously ran out.... From Canada.com: CROWSNEST PASS, Alta. -- Three weeks after out-running a massive Fernie avalanche, a snowmobiler misjudged where the mountain ended and plunged more than 400 metres to his death. Barry Strandquist died after his snowmobile broke off a cornice, and triggered a snowslide near the Crowsnest Pass. Snowmobilers in the group of seven on the Good Friday outing say Strandquist, a 42-year-old father of two, simply misjudged where the mountain ended and the outcropping of snow started. Just three weeks ago, Strandquist survived a fatal avalanche that killed three of his friends in Fernie, B.C. On March 26, Strandquist was sledding in the Fairy Creek Meadows, near Fernie, when an avalanche slammed into his group, killing three people, including Darren Drake of Crowsnest Pass. Stranquist managed to survive the accident with only minor injuries by outrunning the avalanche on his snowmobile. On Friday, all members of Strandquist's group were equipped with avalanche transceivers. They split up before making a final ascent to a ridge with a breathtaking view of a valley in the Andy Good Peak hiking area, near Crowsnest Pass. As many of the riders reached the peak, Strandquist approached from the opposite side, likely intending to rejoin the group at the top. No one saw the fall, but Dale Linderman, who was part of the group and one of Strandquist's best friends, said they knew right away what had happened. "They could see where his tracks went and we doubled back to where he fell," said Linderman, who had stayed behind to fix his machine but remained in constant radio contact. "I guess he thought it was still the mountain but it was an overhang (of snow) and it just broke loose and fell." Buried under about half a metre of snow -- the sledding group disputes reports that Strandquist triggered an avalanche. They say the conditions were safe before the outing. "Ninety per cent of the snow that fell was from the cornice," said Linderman. "We were 10 times more careful than we usually are because of what happened three weeks ago. We stayed out of every area that was bad." However, RCMP say two separate avalanches were triggered by the group. One was set off by Strandquist after a cornice broke off underneath his sled. The other was triggered by a sledder in the group who went up the slope to investigate after Strandquist disappeared, said Const. Kim Stone of the Crowsnest Pass RCMP. Friday's accident marks the 28th avalanche-related death this year, matching a 1965 record high for the Canadian Rockies.