Mtguide

I spent 5 years living in Logan,Utah attending Utah State. Not really a very long time, but enough to gather a few basics. To begin with, most of the Mormons I knew were very nice folks, some were terrific. The Mormons I didn't care much for tended to be church and civic leaders, politicians, etc. Pretty much the same as everywhere. People who were convinced that they had the right to tell everybody else how to live. For the sake of trying to understand my Mormon friends better, I actually read the Book of Mormon twice. I found it to be very imitative of the Bible, especially Old Testament, but much more poorly written, and extremely boring. Both times I came away mystified as to how apparently reasonable, sane and intelligent people could believe this stuff. Renowned author Mark Twain, describing his own month-long stay with Brigham Young and his 30-some wives during his journey west to Virgina City and San Francisco, had much the same impression, in his great book "Roughing It". Twain in particular lampooned the two letters from Mormon elders prefacing the BoM, in which 6 older and 6 younger elders testify to their firm conviction, based on literally nothing concrete or factual whatsoever, other than Joseph Smith telling them so, that the Book, tablets, appearance of Angel Moroni, etc. were the real thing. Twain found such credulity beyond pathetic, which is to say, hilarious. More germain to the present day is some of the theology that continues to drive Mormon social and political actions in the real world, and in general not for the better. The teachings essentially have women over a barrel: in the Mormon cosmology, there are 11 levels of heaven. Any Mormon elder can ascend to the highest heaven whether he is married or not, over his lifetime. But no Mormon woman may enter even the lowest heaven unless she marries a Mormon man and bears him children, the more the better. This of course raises hell with any idea of family planning, overpopulation and it's corresponding effects on the environment, urban sprawl, pollution, etc. And of course Mormonism is currently the fastest growing "religion" in the world. So these ideas are not just dawdling around idly. But the Mormons, at least those in the hierarchy, don't fret much about this, because they have a belief that's very similar, in it's effect, to the conservative/evangelical Christians of the "Rapture" persuasion, that it doesn't really matter, but with a little different twist. Unlike the Revelations/Rapture folks, Mormons aren't so concerned with the end of the world, because their belief is that there are an infinite number of habitable earth-like planets in the cosmos, and that when they die, each Mormon couple that have been married for eternity in the tabernacle, will be sent to their very own brand-new, untouched planet, there to be fruitful and multiply, ad infinitum. So, why worry about what happens to this planet, there's always a zillion more out there, right? Rrrriiight. Also, many of the more intelligent and awakened Mormon women I met had a huge and intense streak of passive/aggressive bitterness regarding men and the overwhelmingly male domination of the church, the banks, education, you name it. Many Mormon women are really a mess, and I don't blame them. Finally, many Mormons in positions of corporate and governmental power have no problem with less-than ethical behavior, being utterly convinced of the rightness of their faith, so that whatever promotes the growth and power of the church is OK. This can be extremely subtle and not readily apparent; but if you live in Utah long enough, it is, well, "interesting" to witness how thoroughly Mormon nepotism and influence control everything from access to employment and upward mobility, to education, the press, the police, really every facet of life. The Mormons actually come by this trait honestly enough, because it goes way back in their history to the very beginnings of the founding of Salt Lake City. When the Mormons were on their way west, the main group had made it to Fort Bridger,Wyoming, owned and run by none other than the great mountain man Jim Bridger. And the Mormons were pretty much on their last legs by the time they got there. Their wagons and carts were falling apart, their horses, mules and oxen emaciated, sick, sorefooted and lame, harness worn down to nothing, their clothing tattered rags, starving and weak, and it was very late in the season, with winter full upon them. To try to make it to the Salt Lake basin would have been suicidal. Bridger, a skilled blacksmith and trader as well as one of the greatest of the mountain men, had done extremely well with his fort and trading post. He magnanimously put the Mormons up for the winter at no charge, several hundred of them; he clothed and fed them, doctored them and their livestock with skill and generosity, repaired, rebuilt, and even replaced their worn-out wagons and harness, put new shoes on all the animals (this was when each shoe, and all the nails, had to be made in forge and anvil, by hand, from scratch, out of bar stock- no"keg" shoes or nails were available.)And he taught his skills to them while he was doing it. He taught them customs and ways of negotiating with the local Indians, the Utes, and helped them form important alliances and understandings which would benefit them immensely in years ahead. He drew maps and informed them of suitable areas for farming, orchards and raising livestock, the patterns of the weather, the best water, availability of timber, on and on.Suffice it to say, that without the kindness and largess of Jim Bridger, it's very likely that the Mormon church, and Salt Lake City, would have died a-borning. So, in the spring, renewed, restored, and with a fresh conviction in the heavenly ordained certainty of their future success, the Mormons departed Fort Bridger, and the rest is history. But, not quite. Not so fast. Yes, the Mormons made it, settled down in the Salt Lake valley and in a remarkably short two or three years had a thriving small city, a Tabernacle, abundant crops and farms, and the future looked rosy. It was then that they came up with an even bolder plan. Since Fort Bridger was a major stop on the Oregon Trail for all commerce and a big money maker, why, it only made sense that the Mormons should control that, too. So, in the spring of 1850 or thereabouts, an army of several hundred well-mounted and heavily armed men, complete with cannon and plenty of powder and shot, journeyed to Fort Bridger and attacked the post. Bridger fought off the initial assault with the help of fellow fur traders and a number of Utes and other Indians who were staying at the fort while trading. The Mormons, well prepared, settled in for a siege of several months and finally were chased off by the combined forces of the Northern Utes and the US Cavalry, after causing damage to the outer walls and structures in the fort that took over a year to repair, what with having to cut and haul fresh timber from the Uintas.Truly one of the great examples in all of human history of "biting that hand that fed you". Just amazing. But, hey, it was all for the church, to the glory of Our Savior and the Kingdom of Heaven, right? What could possibly be wrong with that???? Yeah, you tell 'em, there, Jim Bob(or should I say "Reed" or "Lamar" or Lavar", or "J. Bob", etc.)...an' tell 'em ole' Joe Smith sent ya...an' ya better believe it, too, lest the Angel Moroni smite thine ass with a flaming 2 x 4... While living in Utah I was offered what would have been a very good long-term job as a climbing, river and backcountry guide for Canyonlands and pretty the entire desert southwest. But it would have required me to be based in Monticello. It only took one season for me to see that, while I could certainly live there and work as a guide, if I really wanted to settle there and raise a family, I would never, in my lifetime, have any say whatsoever in the community, whether it was the schools, the local government, the county, etc. I was a "Gentile", once and for all, and nothing would ever change that. And my family, my children, would have to face that each and every day. So I turned it down. It would never have worked. These are at least the impressions I gathered during my time there in the late 80's. I left Utah for good in 1989, and have only returned to go climbing, hiking, etc on my own or with friends. Perhaps things have changed since then. The relocation of Black Diamond and Patagonia to Salt Lake City certainly indicates that SLC is changing, but I wonder really how much. There are many good things going on in SLC, the arts are very strong, it's become much more open and diverse, although I don't know if you can really call it cosmopolitan yet. Hundreds of young Mormons work in service positions and casinos in Las Vegas and Reno, in areas that,theologically the church frowns on, but it's OK because it helps the church make money. There's that old joke about the statue of Joseph Smith(or is it Brigham Young?--can't remember) in front of the Tabernacle, with his back to the church, and his hand, palm up, outstretched to the Zion's Bank across the street. "Gimme some green, there, fellas...". Further topics include the huge and ongoing efforts to "prove" the truth of the Book of Mormon with piles of research by armies of archaeologists, geologists,forensic anthropologists,paleontologists, biologists,botanists, dendrologists, you name it, heavily funded and trained at Brigham Young University and sent all over the world trying to knit together airtight evidence of the origins of all Native american tribes as descended from the Twelve Lost Tribes of Israel, all the while pounding all this nonsense into whatever indigenous people are handy wherever they roam.But, as you say, and I totally agree, they are just some of the nicest people around... Now then, Texas, and haters; now that's something I know a little about, a lot more than what I might know about Utah. My family moved to Fort worth , from Portland, OR, in 1952, and I grew up there and graduated from high school. 15 years. All I will say is just a few short things, all true: I shook John F. Kennedy's hand the morning he was shot, after a speech he gave in front of the Hotel Texas, before he went to Dallas. When I got back to school,(I was a senior in High school)I was given 10 demerits for skipping the morning classes to go see the President. When it was announced over the PA system that the President had been shot, the guy sitting next to me at the table in Art class, (a kid I'd gone to school with since the first grade), jumped up out his chair, pumped his fist and yelled, "They GOT 'im!! They GOT that sonavubitch!!", And when it was announced that the President had died, the rebel yell thundered throughout the three stories of the largest high school in Fort Worth, 2500 students. It was loud and chilling. School was dismissed, and many students, mostly male , were running down the halls cheering. I was aghast. The next spring,just a couple months short of graduation, I was jumped on my way home from school and severely beaten by 6 guys whom I'd gone to school with since the first and second grade, for making friends with several black high school students, whom I'd met while lifting weights at the downtown YMCA, the only integrated gym in the city. When I got home and told my parents what happened, my mother wanted to call the police, but my Dad said, "We can't. If we do, it'll just get worse. They'll come after the whole family; they'll burn us out, and no body will ever be arrested or charged for it." He went on to say that I was going away to college in Washington anyway,but my four younger sisters still had to stay there and be able to go to school safely. Even so, my family wound up moving back to Portland three years later, because the threats had continued and gotten more serious. Finally, when that poor black man was dragged to death behind a pickup near San Antonio about 7 years ago, my first thought was shock and disgust. But my very next thought was, " Of course." Because I wasn't one bit surprised. "Yeah, you bet",I said to myself, "after all these years, that could sure as hell still happen in Texas, and anywhere else in the Deep South.No damned surprise there...". In Texas, and throughout the Deep south, they are still fighting the Civil War, very, very seriously. There are still all kinds of subtle and mean, vicious little ways white Texans and other white southerners have of daily seeing to it that blacks and Hispanics are denied their civil rights, made to feel inferior, and are continually needled and harassed in a never-ending attempt to maintain Jim Crow and return to the Confederacy and the enforcement of slavery. I didn't find Utah Mormons to be haters, as such. They might be prejudiced,closed-minded, conservative, or ignorant, but they do not hate the way Texans or Mississippians or Alabamans do. The depth, coldness, cruelty, and implacable brutality of the hatred in Texas, and in particular Mississippi, is very very scary indeed. When they say, "Don't Mess with Texas", they really, really mean it in no uncertain terms, and you take it lightly at your very great peril. My father began his career in life insurance in Fort Worth in 1955. He went through a period of training, and when he was assigned to an agency and was about to leave on his first solo client appointment, his manager called him into his office before he left. "Now, son" the man told him, "in this bidness, ya'll are dealin' with people's very most private and personal information and affairs. And it can sometimes be a little, well, touchy, and folks can get a little worked up, ya know? So what I just wanta tell you is, Never, and I mean, NEVER get into a heated argument with a Texan, because, he'll SHOOT you." And he added, "Now other than that, theyah great folks." When Dad came home that day and told Mom about it, she was astounded. "What kind of place IS this?!" she said, "Dear God in heaven....". Both of my folks had grown up in very tough circumstances in the Chicago of the Roaring Twenties, the era of Al Capone, Bugsy, Frank Nitti, The Untouchables, etc. But they used to say all the time, that until we moved to Fort Worth, they had never seen anything to compare to the shootings, knifings, bludgeonings, assaults and general mayhem and daily violence that filled the papers and TV news all the time. In the years since I've worked all over 9 western states in logging, heavy construction, as a working cowboy, equipment operator, welder, etc. on dams amd power plants, on ranches, the waterfront, etc. around all kinds of some of the roughest and most colorful characters you could hope to meet, and yet the only place I have EVER felt physically threatened, at almost any time, was while growing up in Texas. It's just another WORLD down there, not just another state. Chuck Norris thinks Texas should secede from the Union, and appoint him the president of Texas. It really is just one HELL of a place. As a kid I had summer jobs haying on ranches and farms out around Fort Worth, Mineral Wells,Weatherford, etc., and one summer on my uncle's farm near Green Forest, Arkansas. And I found that I really liked the country people. They weren't anywhere near as bigoted as the city folks. They worked shoulder to shoulder with their black hired hands and Mexican braceros, and those were also some very fine people, albeit very poor and uneducated. It was a place and time where these men were respected for the way they worked, for who and what they were, no matter the color of their skin. And this from Texas hill and grasslands ranchers and farm people. The hired help sat to table with the owners in their kitchens or dining rooms. There were bunkhouses for the hands, but they were always welcome on the porch or in the kitchen or dining room for meals. Such things would never happen in the city. And of course even if you were white, if you were poor, in the city, you were "poor white trash".No one in the country would ever say anything like that.It was a great lesson for me as a boy, and it's the part of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, to some extent, that I still love and remember fondly. Mississippi and Alabama, I'm sorry but they're still just MEAN.

Very sorry to hear that; will definitely stop by to bid farewell. Any prospects for a later reincarnation?

There are challenging routes on Illumination Rock and the Steel Cliffs, IF the conditions are right. I-Rock offers both winter and early spring ice, and/or mixed. Steel Cliffs can still be climbed by a variety of routes at this time of year provided it's cold enough. Look on this site for a TR posted by Jack Andrew (don't remember his site handle)in June of 2010 or 2009, re Steel cliffs. There are posts by "Wayne 1112" on routes for I-rock, and on his personal website as well. Best of luck.

In general, soft boots or shoes are a poor match with crampons. Nor, to my knowledge, is there really any such thing as a "flexible" crampon, certainly not as intended by any manufacturer. If you have bendy boots, you`re defeating the whole purpose of crampons, which is to offer a firm platform for the foot, and the body, to stand on, on a hard, sloped surface. Its one thing to have a lower cut boot to facilitate the proper use of the French technique in cramponing, where you might need ankle flexibility on steeper slopes. But, in that technique, if the sole of the boot is too soft and flexible, or wants to roll to one side or the other, it wont work, and could even be a real hazard. For my money, anytime youre going up a peak the size and height of Adams, youre going to want to be prepared for a full range of snow and ice conditions, because you can see anything, at any season. There are lightweight climbing boots that serve the purpose, but a soft hiking shoe isnt one of them. Maybe in other years, as when theres not much snow, you can get away with it. But this has been a BIG snow year, and Ill bet, unless things really warm way up in a big hurry, well see full-on conditions until well into the summer, and youre going to feel, and be, a hell of a lot more secure with a good match of boots to your crampons.

Nice drytooling on the Cranium Route there.

Were you stomping the snow down hard as you buried the deadman? Seems to me that in heavy wet snow, anything like a picket or ice axe laid horizontally across the slope should hold really well, even with a heavy climber falling onto it. I've held very large people with just a boot-axe belay, so a well-placed and well-packed-down deadman ought to be pretty damn solid.

Go to Bivouac.com for great TRs, route descrips on climbs in BC.

Usually a factor of significant remoteness is at least one requirement before you can justifiably call something "epic". Other factors can be severe conditions, injury, extreme technical difficulty, running out of food and water, etc. and, several of these factors combined. Thus, Joe Simpson's ordeal on Siula Grande=Certified Gold Standard Class A Epic; stuck rope on Guye Peak, pleasant weather, a bit late getting back to the car= prrrob-ab-lee not. First ascent of E. Face of the Moose's Tooth, Alaska Range, by Jim Bridwell and Mugs Stump, 37 pitches, 16 days on the route, serious conditions, front-pointing on paper-thin verglas, sparse protection, the last four days of strenuous, extremely difficult climbing and final descent on little else but coffee and cigarettes, one # 1 small wire the only anchor for the final 300' rappel, ( AND they nonetheless managed to document the climb by beautifully photographing every last pitch)= Certified Gold Standard Class A-/B+ Epic; back to the car by 1:30-2AM from Guye Peak = Hmmm... Dunder-headedness may also be a contributing factor, but climbing within sight and sound of a major highway, and within cell phone or walkie-talkie range, would require far more than route-finding problems, a rating of "scramble", getting caught by darkness, and a stuck rope to qualify as "epic". There have to be some standards, some respect for the term. However, I wasn't there, was I; so, will wait to see the trip report...

It's a ways down the road yet, but watch for another big round of wrongful death lawsuits and recalls of Chinese-made BD climbing gear in years to come. After all, they have to find somewhere to use up all those warehouses full of lead, mercury, and melamine. Not that prices will decline or remain anywhere close to what they are now. Expect to pay $3000-$4000.00 for a set of crappy cams, $25.00 wiregate biners, etc. Sign up for the friendly gear leasing plan; just don't leave any of that stuff behind on rappel anchors or you'll have to go back up and get it...

Forest entomologists have begun having some success with aromatic packets of pheremones which tell the beetles that the tree is already at its limit for the number of beetles, and to go elsewhere. That's right, the pine beetles themselves produce a pheremone that does this. Evidently when so many beetles have infested a particular tree, their population limit,( based on how much area of a tree each beetle needs to provide sufficient food for it's larvae) kicks in, and all the beetles on the tree begin to emit this pheremone, telling any more beetles "Sorry, the place is full, go to the next tree." Just one packet per tree seems to be enough,they're being placed on miliions of trees throughout the West. A packet can last an entire season. They're now working on developing a spray that could be applied like cropdusting to entire stands, wouldn't weather off, and also a sterile beetle with a genetic code that interferes with the reproductive cycle, much as was done with the Medfly infestation about 15 years ago in California.

Keep us updated on how it's going from time to time; I'd be interested to know how your recovery progresses. Best of luck.

If they haven't named that route yet, maybe something like "Rapist's Delight", etc. would be a good one. Amazing.

The personal account of the medic/rescuer clarifies my earlier questions. I can fully understand the difficulty of sustaining a safe, stable hover, especially in proximity to a 70 degree slope. It only takes one very slight rotor strike to upset a chopper. Sounds like there was absolutely zero margin for error, with a very high likelihood of disaster due to the turbulent wind conditions. It's also the first time we're informed of no discernible reaction or sign of life from the climber, even in the rotor wash. Sounds to me like they gave it their very best under the circumstances; my hat's off to them all. Very sad indeed; yet somehow fitting that his final resting place was one that he so deeply loved. May his spirit, now unbound, soar free in the silence and beauty of the mountains.

I would have no doubts about any physician at OHSU. It's one of the most highly regarded medical schools and hospitals in the entire country, and their staff is absolutely first rate. This would also include anesthesiologists. It sounds to me like you do have a more than ordinary fracture there; I would have absolutely no reservations about Dr. Mirarchi's recommendation. Regarding trust of modern medicine and doctors, it's true that they don't know everything, but that tends to be an area more related to disease and pathology,( a vast and difficult area of medicine, filled with controversy and many mysteries yet to be solved) than surgery for broken bones. At orthopedics, modern Western medicine, particularly in the US and Canada, is unexcelled, without parallel anywhere else in the world. What they can do with the most horrific trauma is nothing short of miraculous. In your case, it's pretty simple and straightforward, but it nonetheless requires someone who knows what he's doing. Were it me, I'd agree to this surgery in a heartbeat. I think you'd find Dr. Weintraub in complete agreement as well. Not only do you have multiple breaks, but the shortening of the clavicle by as much as a centimeter could be fairly serious in terms of affecting the mobility, range of motion, stress kinetics and weight-bearing integrity of your shoulder in the future, unless it's corrected. So it sounds to me like your doctor is doing exactly the right thing. You want that bone to heal up as close to what it was before, as possible. An OHSU surgeon is just the man to do it.

If it's a simple break surgery won't likely be necessary; for a multiple or more complex fracture your orthopedist will be the best judge of where to take it. For this particular injury, it can be helpful if your doctor is a shoulder specialist or sports medicine-oriented practitioner. One of the best orthopedists in Portland is Dr.Ira Weintraub, a climber and skier himself, who has long and solid experience, and is one of the few who will take the time to talk and fully understand and explain. If he's not the doctor you're currently seeing, you can always go to him to get a second opinion, if you're unsure of your current physician's recommendations. NEVER be at all hesitant about seeking a second opinion in any instance where you have uncertainty, or feel you need a different perspective. Although good physicians are constantly studying, upgrading and expanding their knowledge as medical research progresses, no one person can hope to know everything, so it sometimes makes good sense to get a second, or even a third, opinion, for a different perspective, especially with the type of injury which can be problematic in the future if not treated properly at the outset. Dr.Weintraub is listed in the Portland phone directory. He also has excellent connections and relationships to first-rate physical therapists, which can be make-or-break for recovery. As I said earlier, an injury such as this may not require surgery or PT. And you can expect Dr. Weintraub to be absolutely honest in that regard; he's not a physician who would ever recommend an unnecessary procedure. If the nature of the injury is such that there are options, he'll make it all very clear as to pros and cons. All in all a terrific practitioner, and a great guy.

Stellar!!!

I still think the best description/explanation of the current political and fiscal situation in the country, and over the entire planet, for that matter, was stated about 10 years ago by Ralph Nader. I can't remember the quote verbatim, but in essence, he said that what the corporate powers and the wealthy really want, and are doing everything they can to ensure, is that they have ALL the money, ALL the power, influence, and control, ALL the resources, ALL the manpower, ALL the perks, privileges, pleasures, and protection of their personal safety, security, and assets, AND they don't want to have to pay ANYone, anyTHING, for ANY of it. And, they also feel that if they can't have 100% of it all, that it's NOT FAIR. There are are few things, though, that they DON'T want; they want NONE of the responsibility or liability for pollution or any other environmental damage and destruction, or the degradation and destruction of human lives, cultures, social infrastructure, community integrity,or political/governmental structures, that may result from their heedless, callous, and grasping behavior. Very nice bunch of people.

In spite of the conditions, the rescue chopper was evidently able to locate him and they actually did send a man down to him. However the decision was made to pull the rescuer out due to rockfall and avalanche danger. I'm a little mystified as to why they couldn't have brought the climber up with the rescuer, but perhaps he was injured and it would have taken more time to get him ready to bring him up than they felt was prudent, given the conditions. But what we're not told is if they dropped any survival gear to the climber, any sort of shelter/space blanket, food, snow shovel, etc. Seems they could have at least done that, or sent it down with the rescuer. But, I wasn't there. At least they they have a fix on his location for in the morning. Hope to hell he makes it. If he still has his ice axe he might, if he's physically able, be able to anchor himself securely and even dig out a trench, snow cave, or some kind of rudimentary shelter. This again is something it seems to me the rescue personnel could have facilitated. The way they've handled this so far seems questionable at the least, but I'll have to reserve judgement till we know the full story.

From the local news tonight: the deceased athlete had previously had an accident at almost the same spot on the course, a day or two prior, and there have been numerous other accidents as well, all in the lower part of the course where this fatal accident occurred. It was reported that several training runs had set unofficial world records because of the great speed of the course; by the time sledders reached the area where the majority of accidents have occurred, speeds have been consistently well over 100 mph. The deceased athlete was clocked at 144.3 mph just before the crash. Luge and bobsled contestants have been remarking all week on the extreme danger of the course. One curve in particular has become known as a "50/50" curve; half the time you make it, half the time you don't. While the luge is certainly known and accepted to be dangerous, on this course so far, no contestant or team has yet avoided at least one crash, and most have had several, and that's considered unusual for Olympic level competition. There have been a lot of complaints before this tragic crash, and one athlete had commented just the day before, after crashing in practice,"Someone's going to get themselves killed running this course."

Intelligent hip belaying is never 'cross body' and a belaying with munter is so lousy and hard on ropes I'd never consider it except in an emergency scenario. There are a few ways to employ both hands to belay such that one is never off the brake side of the device, the one in that video is patently ridiculous. I'm not getting near a rock with anyone doing that. Again, that's about as lowest common denominator excuse for belaying as I can imagine - kind of a sad indicator of a general 'lowering of the bar' in climbing. How is hip belay NOT cross-body? If, say, in doing an actual hip belay, I have the rope around my hips, rope in left hand going to the leader, the rope in my right hand is coming from around my back. If the leader falls, I move my right hand (with the rope in it) ACROSS MY BODY, in front of me, from right to left, to lock off the belay and catch the climber. Done it thousands of times. Using the same SSS method with an ATC, it's true, the motion is NOT cross body. I'll usually orient the rope the same way, with the rope going to the leader in my left hand (above the ATC) and the rope coming out of the ATC, in my right. If the climber falls, I move the right hand hand down and back to lock off the rope in the ATC, which usually means I'm moving right hand to my right, as I face the wall and climber. And, I'll usually orient the rope, and hands, the same way for rappelling. Simplicity, uniformity, always doing the same thing, less chance for mistakes. Since I learned years ago using the hip belay, it seemed a simple matter to adapt the SSS technique of handling the rope to the various devices as they began to come out in the late 60's/ early 70's,( Sticht plate, fig.8, tubes, etc.) In every case the SSS works just fine. I find it's main advantage to be speed and simplicity in taking in or paying out the rope, and instant ability to catch a fall. We were taught that the belay hand must NEVER leave or lose contact with the rope, and so the old hip belay technique,(with the ATC in place of the hips) does this beautifully. This BUS method looks to me like a good way to get fucked up in a big hurry. I've seen people doing it for years, I just thought they'd never learned to belay properly; never realized that it was a formalized technique. Amazing. Definitely something I don't want done on a real climb.

Strong second to the advice to go see a good Physical therapist, preferably one specializing in sports medicine/shoulder rehab, as soon as possible. The only physician I know in Olympia is Dr. John Brottem, who is head of Cardiology at the hospital there. However, John is a longtime climber, and may be able to give you a referral to a good PT up there. For that matter, your attending physician who saw you after the initial injury may have a good recommendation. Was he an orthopedist or shoulder specialist? If so, he'd almost certainly know of someone who's first rate. AND, absolutely NO climbing until you get in to see the PT and see what they have to say. Trying to rehab yourself without proper knowledge is a good way to mess that shoulder up for good. You don't give your age, but beyond your 20's, things begin to take a lot longer to mend. In any event, although it's true that one of the best ways to get in shape for climbing, is to go climbing, that's assuming you're NOT injured. And even if you're sound as a dollar (well, don't know if we can use THAT metaphor nowdays) there are plenty of ways to train for climbing that don't involve climbing. If you're in recovery and rehab for an injury, your primary emphasis and focus has to be on that, until you're 100%. THEN you can climb. DON'T FUCKING RUSH IT.

Your original assertion was that orthodox Buddhists are atheists. I disagreed and provided my simple definition of an atheist as a materialist with no belief in the supernatural. Then I stated that Buddhism has a large quantity of supernatural beliefs incorporated within its doctrine. As far as theism, I don't believe I'd equate Buddhism with Theism, that is, theism with the element of a belief in God or gods. So again, I'm refuting that Buddhists are atheists regardless of whether some Buddhists are also theists. Further, take a look at the notions of karma and rebirth that figure prominently in Siddharta Buddha's teachings. Karma is not attributed to God or gods but it is seen as a cosmic force, a sort of cosmic justice. So here, you have something relatively omnipresent but impersonal, godlike in quality but not god. Do you get what I'm getting at? As far as the pure, uncorrupted sayings of the Buddha concerning the way, recall that he said something along the lines of, "It cannot be taught, only realized." Since it might also even be beyond formal logic, that's another indicator that it's a religion and not simply ethics or philosophy. Strictly speaking, although Buddhism would say that enlightenment is indeed beyond any formal logic or intellectual understanding, any "faith" that might be spoken of in Buddhist teachings is less a matter of any sense or idea of a deity or presence, than it is, as one Zen master put it, trusting oneself, believing in oneself, as both being, and already existing in, a state of highest perfect enlightenment. And that this "Buddha nature" IS everything both within us and outside of us. The Zen folks call it, thus "No inside and no outside", because it's all the same thing. Zen teachers call this "dying of thirst while standing in the middle of the river", and one teacher has said, "Big Mind,(Buddha mind or enlightened mind) is something you already HAVE, not something to go seeking for." So the teachers will often speak of it as your "original nature", or "true nature." And it definitely is NOT theistic, because Buddhist texts and sutras (literally, "teachings") speak of everything as being essentially "empty", without form, color, taste, smell, sound or touch. And this "emptiness" is referred to as "No Mind", or "Big, Mind", "Buddha Mind","Bodhi Mind", etc., simply for the inability of any language or rational thought, to correctly convey what it is, or what it's like. This "true nature" of reality, in the Buddhist understanding, has absolutely nothing to do with anything that might be conceived of as a god or gods, supernatural powers, etc. There's one little tale of the Buddha traveling and coming upon an old man meditating by the river. Buddha stopped to chat, and asked, "So, how's it going?", and the old man said, "Oh,you know, pretty good, I've gotten to where I can walk across the river on the water, now." And the Buddha said, "Oh, man! What a waste of time; the ferry's just a hundred yards up the river!". Zen masters and Hindu Yogis know all about making teacups fly across the room, etc., but that's just cheap tricks, way off the point. It is true that Buddhism, as did early Christianity, appropriated and incorporated imagery and iconography from ancient religions it was contemporary with, such as Nepalese and Tibetan Bon dieties and spirits, Hindu and Jain gods and goddesses, Chinese folk magic, Thai Shamanism, Shinto ghosts and demons, etc., in order to facilitate teaching of Buddhist precepts and meditation training. So, in Japan, for instance, the diety known as Fudo Myo,a fierce-looking little guy with a fanged, snarling visage, packing a flaming sword,( and looking very much like a Tibetan or Chinese Demon or Devil Dog, swirling clouds, necklace of human skulls, the whole nine yards) is the same as the Hindu Achala, and both of these embody the spirit or quality of Accomplished Wrath, what a Christian might call Righteous Indignation or Justice. But it's all just for effect. In Buddhism itself, even the BUDDHA himself, and especially images or any concept of the Buddha as a god, or deity, or even as a human being possessed of supernatural powers, is roundly condemned and denied any practical relevance or value. As they say, "if you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him",because that's NOT IT, that has nothing to do with real understanding, it's just an illusion and an obstacle. The teachers will tell you, "A wooden Buddha cannot get you through fire, a stone Buddha will not carry you across the river, a bronze Buddha will not survive the furnace..". It might be true that some Buddhists worship Buddha, but the strict understanding is that, if anything, images of Buddha are mainly just to serve as a reminder to get your ass planted on that meditation cushion, just like Buddha himself did, and look into things yourself, instead of expecting some ethereal power, god, or magical "energy" to do it for you. Buddha was no god, but just a human being like anyone else, and what he discovered, by looking into himself, was not "God", but that everything is, as stated above, "empty". Literally, "nothing" to it. It may be that you have somewhat confused Buddhism, or some cultural FORMS of Buddhism, with these other religions. But that would be a misinterpretation of basic Buddhist understanding at it's simplest and most direct. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, in his little book "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" says that if you want to, you may call Buddhism a religion, but it really doesn't matter, that actually, Buddhism is beyond religion, or maybe "religion before religion". So it might not be religion in it's usual sense." Because it's mainly just a practice, not even a worship or way of prayer. And he continues that the main point of Buddhist practice is simply "to appreciate our original nature," and then to live our daily lives, moment to moment, out of that understanding Elsewhere, Suzuki Roshi ("Roshi" just means "teacher".) says, regarding this "original nature", that some people may call it "God", and that if you want to call it "God" or "reality", that's OK, it doesn't really matter. But he does say that what we might think of as God or reality or existence, and "what I mean by that, may not be what you mean." It is not some objective "thing". And even though it is characterized or described as being "empty", this "emptiness" is not just void, but it has some rules or structure to it, so that what we may call 'empty' is actually, in a sense "full", that moment after moment, everything comes out of this "nothingness." Not easy to explain. I'm doing a very poor job of it, probably just making matters worse. Regarding the whole issue and concept of "karma", to de-mystify that for you in just three words: Cause. And. Effect. Cause and Effect. In modern physics we understand the whole idea of interconnectedness, or as the Buddhists call it, interdependence, and interpenetration of all things; expressed by the New Age phrase, "Pick a flower, and touch the farthest star". But it's not some magical, supernatural cosmic justice system, rather a pretty ordinary, practical understanding that it matters what we do. Almost Newtonian-"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." Anything we do is like throwing a pebble into a pond; the ripples spread outward, they move the grasses at the edge of the water, those motions affect the movements of air, temperature, insects, etc. So. Dump your waste oil into the ocean, kill marine life and eventually wind up with hydrocarbons and PCBs in your bloodstream. Do something evil, and you set in motion a whole chain of circumstances which may eventually come around to harm you as well. The Chinese have a folk proverb, "The hatred you bear your enemy burns you more than it does him." And the opposite is equally true. Act with kindness and generosity, and it will move through the fabric of society and life and contribute to make things better for all. We may not benefit directly, but there is plenty of research to indicate that, if you're unhappy, a good way to feel better right away is to do something for someone else. Finally, this brings us all the way back to the original question that started this thread, praying to Jesus to be a better climber, Buddhism, etc. One Zen teacher, when asked about the relation of Buddhism to Christianity, said, "I think Jesus and Buddha are very good friends." A story to explain: Years ago, while living on the Blood Indian reserve in SW Alberta, Canada, I went to visit an old Blackfoot medicine man. I was working at the tribal Youth Ranch, and the man who ran it refused to spend money on veterinary care and medicine for the horses, who were riddled with a whole variety of ailments and injuries, many easily treatable. Someone told me to go see old Jim White Calf, maybe he could do a sweatlodge ceremony. White Calf, (or 'Onistipokah' in Blackfoot,meaning "Sacred White Buffalo Calf") was 106 years old at the time. He listened to my troubles, and then said, "Well, since the white man came, everything has changed. We used to have people who could actually cure bullet wounds using sweetgrass smoke and an eagle wing fan. If it was done the right way, often the wounds would heal almost immediately. Now, we believe that the white man came for a reason; they have many things to show us; and we have many things to show them. It is all, in spite of the tragedies and killings, a Great Teaching. But nowdays, when people come to me to heal them of this or that, I tell them, 'if you're sick, go see the doctor'. Oh sure, I'll be glad to do a sweatlodge, but we do the sweatlodge AND go to the doctor. You need to do BOTH." So, if you want to pray to Jesus, I think it's perfectly appropriate to ask for guidance and help in becoming a better climber, but not in the sense that Jesus will, by some supernatural powers, make you a better climber if you just pray enough. If you want to ask for the inner strength and discipline necessary to train hard, to overcome fear or laziness or procrastination, fine. If you want to pray for guidance in learning the best way to train, fine. But the actual face-to-the-rock, nose-to-the-grindstone hard work of laps, weights, conditioning, reading and study, budgeting your time and money to get from where you are, to where you want to go,YOU are the one who has to do that, and if I understand Jesus at all, he didn't let anyone off that easy, even if he did change water into wine. After all, he and Joseph were carpenters, just regular old guys who knew what hard work was all about. He'd tell you that the only way that beam is gonna get cut, is you pick up that saw and get to it. And make sure you checked your measurements first. I think Jesus was probably a pretty rough ol' boy; he didn't kick those moneylenders out of the temple for nothing. And just like Buddha said, "Folks, I can't really tell you what it is, but I CAN tell you how to experience it for yourself, and that means you gotta plant your butt on the cushion and meditate, and this is how"; well, I don't Jesus is gonna do your climbing for you, either. A real honest-to-goodness Zen master is about as tough a teacher as you'll find anywhere; and the essential understanding has been passed, person to person, all the way from the Buddha himself to the teacher who sits in front of you and whacks your noggin with his stick and bellows "Show me your original self!". It's all based on actual personal experience and self-realization. Just a couple more: Harry Roberts, an old Yurok Indian teacher, once said, "One who does not make his own way, can never approach creation." And my own Mother used to say, " I wouldn't give a fig for anyone's religion, whose very cat and dog are not the better for it." All right. Way too many words. Starts with you. Now just go do it.

First Rule of Climbing is, Hang On To The Axe! Second Rule of Climbing is, Hang On To The Axe! Third Rule of Climbing is, HANG ON TO THE AXE! (also expressed as "HANG ON TO THE F***ING AXE!!) Having said that, if expecting the occasional moderately steep, short ice pitch on an otherwise straightforward alpine climb, where ice tools aren't really justified, a leash can be helpful when temporarily using the axe as an ice tool, in the position known as "piolet ancre",("ice axe, anchor") as Wyvon Coonyard introduced it to American climbers back in the early 70's. Using a short axe or the old North Wall hammer, a leash of 1/2" webbing with a wrist loop, should be long enough to enable you to have a firm, comfortable grip just above the spike on the lower shaft of the axe, after turning the axe in the hand a couple of times to tightly wrap the leash around the shaft. In his book "Climbing Ice", Chouinard also shows a way of taking a simple half-hitch around the shaft of the axe to effect the same secure grip. Of course, further on in the book are photos of Chouinard demonstrating piolet ancre with no leash whatsoever, nor for that matter, roped up. In which case the above Three Rules of Climbing are to be observed. Plus the Fourth Rule, DO NOT FALL. Or, you can just bring alpine-compatible 'hybrid' ice tools such as the BD Venom, with regular leashes, and switch off from the axe when you reach your ice pitch. Not as classic, but it might be practical in the case of routes that are becoming a bit more technical than before, due to the effects of climate change on what used to be steep snow, or loss of snow cover in late season. Finally, under no circumstances would I climb with the axe attached to the waist by a leash, EXCEPT when clipping into the leash while using the axe as a belay anchor at the top of a pitch, as you would with ice tools. But never while moving over terrain.

Very similar to a statement of Ghandi's; "Impure means result in impure ends.", and "immoral means will contaminate the ends." ( in "Ghandi On Non-Violence", by Thomas Merton) --Not that we can expect to see things done according to Ghandi anytime soon; but well worth reading nonetheless.