Mtguide

I recently saw a video of Chris Sharma making multiple attempts, soloing an arch somewhere in the Mediterranean or Adriatic. They showed him falling from the crux over 70 times (in rapid replay) over two days, until he finally nailed it, which was shown at normal speed. Each time he fell it was about a 35 or 40 foot drop into the sea, a pretty good smack from that height, though of course nothing like decking on solid ground. But you had to be impressed by his patience and persistence, and it is a pretty remarkable route, long and pretty much completely overhanging from beginning to end, on rough marine limestone. I think it was rated a 5.14/something. In the late 60's Fred Beckey became a standing joke among Seattle climbers for his fanatical obsession with his project route over several years on the N.face of Bear Mountain in the Chilliwacks near the Canadian border. He would call people in the middle of the night trying to round up climbing partners, pester the hell out of the guys at the National Weather Service office in Seattle (I've heard they eventually quit taking his calls, hanging up on him the minute they recognized his voice). Some of this is no doubt part of legend rather than fact. I have no idea how many different people worked on that route with him, but it was a lot, and of course, in the end, the fact remains that he finally did complete it. He just never quit, determined to finish the route. By today's sport climbing standards, the rating difficulty isn't that high, but it is a huge wall, and it holds up still as a very respectable trad climb by anyone's standards, with extremely complex route finding, immense exposure, plenty of solid hard free climbing to satisy anyone, a North Cascades classic. It's one hell of a big, tough, remote wilderness wall. Anyone who's ever even tried to do the approach has come away with plenty of respect for Fred's effort. And, in the true spirit of never giving up, Fred is still climbing at the age of 86, or is it 87 now? Most folks who succeed at whatever they do, are usually the ones whose greatest talent is to just outwork, out-gut, out last everyone and everything else.

The 2nd amendment is very brief, yet not exactly clear: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." The interpretation of this is endlessly debated-- whether the authors of this amendment were referring specifically to the "militia",as the "well regulated" body authorized "to keep and bear arms", or "the people"(meaning the population at large), or both. And does "the State" refer to the individual states, or to the nation as a whole? Whereas a militia is usually thought of a a local or regional, therefore small 'state' level organization, the relatively small size of the entire nation in colonial times might mean that the founding fathers were referring to the entire country. So is this a local, "state" militia' like the colonial Minutemen, or a national military, like the present-day National Guard? We don't really know. One thing is for certain, and that is that an armed populace is a very strong deterrent to any government that might try to subjugate its citizens. In spite of the vast and overwhelming firepower of the U.S. Armed Forces, just imagine the bloodbath that would ensue if the federal government for some reason tried to put down an insurrection in, say, Montana, Idaho, Texas, Tennessee or Oklahoma, etc., where a very high percentage of the populace are conservative gun owners. Whereas a local "militia" would be hopelessly outmatched by tanks, warplanes, and disciplined troops, just the negative press such a conflict would engender, would make any administration think twice before entering into an action against it's own citizens which could potentially become inflamed into a large-scale revolt, even another civil war. You may remember the "Militia" group in central Montana a few years back, and the tragic ATF action against the David Koresh religious cult compound in Waco, Texas. These are people who have no trust in the government of any administration or party. Regardless of whether one thinks the federal government acted properly in those incidents (and many do not), the overall effect was to heighten the fear among gun owners that the government wants to take away your guns. And currently, Obama's election has triggered a huge spike in gun sales nationwide, as many fear that a more liberal administration will enact much stricter laws on gun purchasing, ownership and registration, particularly of semi-automatic and assault-type weapons, automatic pistols such as police-style Glocks,etc. (Personally, I think that with the economic crisis, global warming, the resurgence of Russia in Eastern Europe,etc., gun control is going to be a far lesser priority for the Obama administration. There are a thousand items to adress at the moment with far more immediate impact and seriousness.) Anyway, everyone knows that these are not guns for game hunting. So there is, I think, a very evident and demonstrable belief among the general public that there is indeed a personal, individual "right" to "keep and bear arms", that this "right is actually guaranteed in the Constitution, and that this "right" is a major part of what stands between individual freedom and potential dictatorship. I lived in Wyoming for over ten years, and while most people owned guns for hunting, you could talk to any number of people who were life-long NRA members, and who felt that firearms served a multi-faceted purpose: as hunting weapons, as personal security against home invasion and property theft, and if need be, as defense against their own regional, state, or national government. Many of the people I knew did support some sort of reasonable regulations--they didn't want to see nuts being able to get guns--, and the school shootings that began during the 80's made many hard-line gun owners rethink their ideas about regulation. My own position is that non-violence must be the starting point in all situations, whether local, regional, national, or international, and I have read and studied the teachings of Ghandi since the early 60's. As a kid, I saw on TV the appalling brutality of the clubbings, lynchings and shootings of black protesters and white civil rights workers in the South in the late 50's and early 60's. I was a junior in high school during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, and we went to bed that night wondering if we would be incinerated before the next morning. I shook John F. Kennedy's hand in Fort Worth, Texas, the day he was assassinated in 1963 ( an anniversary which is coming up soon this month), and the later killings of his brother Robert, and of Martin Luther King, and the loss of my boyhood friends in the Vietnam War, all of these things convinced me that violence and killing are never the answer. However, we all do have an inalienable right to defend ourselves from violence. And Ghandi himself is quoted by Thomas Merton as saying, in his book,"Ghandi On Non-Violence", that while you should use non-violent means to achieve your aims or to stand up for your rights and freedoms, as far as they will go, but if they are still not sufficient, and you are facing injury and death, that then, the man who hesitates to defend his home and family by the use of violence, is a coward. So even Ghandi, the originator of the principles of non-violence, recognized that there are times when you do have to fight. There is no reason to let anyone walk over you. I always liked Teddy Roosevelt's phrase, "Speak softly, and carry a big stick." And in a famous cartoon strip from the 60's, "Rick O'Shay" (modeled after the old "Gunsmoke" TV series), the character of the gunslinger, "Hipshot Percussion", has a discussion, during his target practice, on firearms with the preacher, Jubal Lation, who tells Hipshot that he places too much trust in his weapons. The preacher says that in II Corinthians, we're told to "face hardship and affliction with patience, purity, and love, as well as by the word of Truth and the power of God." And Hipshot says "That's a fact, Jubal... but it ALSO says, "by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. ", as he emphasizes his point by twirling his revolvers Roy Rogers style and then sending them home in their holsters with a crisp "whack! whack!". In another strip, Hipshot's version of "A soft answer turneth away wrath.", becomes "A soft wrath turneth away answers.", when an aspiring, but young and foolish challenger calls Hipshot out for a gunfight by threatening to gun him into "dollrags". Hipshot, not wanting to needlessly gun down a hotheaded kid, says, "OK, now did you have anything else you want to say, Bub, or are you content for those to be your last words?".The youngster wisely backs down in the face of certain death. The creator of this cartoon strip was, by the way, a former cowboy from Red Lodge, Montana, named Stan Lynde, and about as peaceful, generous, and mild-mannered a fellow as you could hope to find. But Stan Lynde was also a WW II veteran who had a real steel in his character. So be peaceful, gentle, non-violent, and kind... and also be vigilant, strong, and prepared. Like the writer Ken Kesey used to say, "Kiss no ass...".

Any idea where this is? Goats are frequently seen on fifth class climbing routes in Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks. They've also been known to suffer fatal falls. Pretty amazing. A good caption for this one might be, "Hmm...".

Your post is really interesting. A week prior to the election, Obama was endorsed by Hamas,(this from truthout.org) evidently because they felt he might be more proactive in restarting the Mideast peace process, and that he'd deal more fairly with the Palestinians.They may be having some second thoughts about just where Obama stands now. In an interview this afternoon on PBS, Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi said that while the choice of Emanuel was "less than ideal"(!), they remain for the time being,"cautiously optimistic". The immense amount of money raised by Obama during the campaign didn't come out of nowhere, though the campaign tried to give the general impression that millions of small online donors were driving the effort. He is most certainly beholden to some extremely powerful players at the corporate and international level, and the lobby in congress for the Jewish Defense League and Israel is a major gatekeeper for any serious contender to the Presidency. This is not anti-Semitic sentiment, this is just fact, the status quo. Obama was known in Chicago as a nice guy who could nontheless throw his grandmother under a bus if that's what it took to win, yet look very gracious, measured and thoughtful in the process, just as he did during the debates. Rahm Emanuel is very well known on Capitol Hill as an enforcer, capable of ruthlessness when necessary. On PBS this afternoon, he was referred to as Obama's choice for "bad cop". It's a rough game, and I doubt that's going to change anytime soon. It would be great if Carter, Brzezinski, etc. could somehow exert a leavening influence, but I'm not holding my breath.

While it might seem like a good idea to find a friend/mentor to teach you skiing, there are a number of excellent reasons why this is NOT such a great idea. While you may find a friend who's a truly fantastic skier, they may or may not be any good as an instructor. Too often issues of ego, lack of training, and an inability to properly evaluate and adjust instruction to the level you're at in your skills, may result in little or no progress, or even in teaching you exactly the wrong things for what you need to be doing for your own improvement. Certified professional ski instructors have been rigorously trained and tested, and have the people skills and technical skills to understand the myriad of difficulties and challenges facing students of all ages and physical abilities, and although they may seem expensive, for my money they are well worth every last nickel in saving you unnecessary time, effort, and even potential injury, spent in your re-inventing the wheel just because you wanted to save a few bucks. Also, it's not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars. Most instructors prefer to have you take a lesson for a morning or afternoon, and then go skiing 3 or 4 times (by YOURSELF, I might add-to avoid so-called "friends" and well-intentioned but misguided "mentors" from undoing everything your professional instructor has so carefully and patiently shown you) in order to digest and really get the "feel" of what you've covered in your lesson. It doesn't all happen right there in the lesson. You don't ski with an instructor for two hours and then go out conquer the mountain. A good way to do it is to take a lesson at the beginning of the season,then go skiing by yourself several times, take another lesson a couple of weeks later, go skiing several times by yourself again, take another lesson, etc. right on throught the whole season. Sure, you'll be spending most of your season skiing by yourself, but you'll be able to really focus on the technique and feel of evrything you're learning, without the unnecessary chatter and distraction- it's really like a meditation, a practice, and as you gain and progress in skill, technique, strength, balance, timing, and rythm, and really begin to flow, you'll discover an inner quiet and freedom in motion unlike anything else you've ever experienced. This is what skiing is really all about, and it is far,far, beyond price. And there are many really fine skiers who continue, even after many years of skiing, to take a lesson or two every season, because there are always new things being developed and discovered, it never ends. The best skiers are those who are always growing. And the best instructors are living examples of that. It's said that, along the way to really becoming proficient at any one of the three main types of skiing (alpine, telemark, or x-c) you'll fall about a thousand times. You have a lot of face-plants and "yard sales" ahead of you, and a ton of fun and good times with great friends in great mountains, if you do it right, from the beginning. As the old Chinese proverb goes, "It is easier to repair the beginning, than the end." Just as the best quality climbing harness is truly cheap at the price, compared to the value of your life, so too is the money spent on the very best instruction you can afford, for what can be a long and fulfilling lifetime of "freedom of the steeps". After all, you've already spent hundreds of dollars on skis, boots poles, clothing, lift tickets, gas, etc.,--and, after all that investment, now you want to skimp on instruction, the very thing that will help you to make real the true value of that investment? That's just crazy, because without the ability to use all that stuff, that's all you have-just a pile of ski gear-stuff. You can actually do fine by skimping on the gear-I've never seen a pair of skis that wouldn't slide downhill in you point 'em that way- (you should have seen the short film some years ago at the Banff Mountain Film Festival about the kids at an orphanage in northern India, skiing on a rope tow with skis made of old wooden planks with scraps of sheet metal and tin cans nailed to the bottom-they were having the time of their lives, and some of them were really pretty good skiers)-and you sure as hell don't need fancy clothing or the latest boots.etc.--but you really DO need the best instruction you can find. And you know what? Even though you're paying them for it, your instructor can often become one of your finest friends, because they once stood right where you are standing now, with everything to learn, and nowhwere to go but up--They Have Been There- and they also had to put in the time and effort and take the thousands of falls, to do what they do now. And they admire and respect you for being there, standing in front of them on that slope, ready to learn, ready to go, and being willing to pay them for their hard-won knowledge and experience, in a honorable exchange, to enter the fellowship of skiers, because they know what it takes. Maybe some people find that a racket or a scam, but I can't think of any money I've spent that was more worth it. Most of the instructors I've met are just great, great people, and they can open the door for you time and time again, to a whole new world. You would be doing yourself a great disservice to let a few bucks come between you and that expansion of your life, believe me. Finally, a couple of really good, essential books: Ski The Whole Mountain-by Eric and Rob Deslauriers, and, Breakthrough On Skis-by Lito Tejada-Flores. Best of luck, and great skiing!

Regarding Bridwell, he's actually not a bad writer himself, ("Tour de Force", about climbing Shiprock,in his book "Climbing Adventures", is a classic.) If you want climbers to buy your book, he'd be a great endorsement.

Any TR's, photos, on N. Face of Mt. Monarch,(Coast Range); Sikes' Slab (Powell River, B.C.), and Mt. Denman (also perhaps near Powell R.) would be much appreciated.

If you're going to Vantage be prepared for heavy wind at times. Also be sure you've read up on the climbs and have the recommended pro for the routes you plan to do. Many of the climbs take larger size cams(4 or 5) or even Big Bros the closer you get to the top, as the stacked columnar basalt pillars tend to spread as you go up. And Vantage has its share or pretty crappy choss.

Rockfall is often worse on days of high wind at Beacon. We've decided several times to go elsewhere because of heavy wind. Take care.

Just saw a news report of an accident in vicinity of Forbidden Pk/Boston.A Mountaineers trip,3 fatalities,1 critical injury,total party of 6.No peak name or route was specified,nor were any climbers named.Accident was attributed to rockfall.

I have a great pair of Lowe Ice Climbing gloves which have removable fleece liners;they've been down to 20 or 30 below with no problem.Some of the newer gloves for ice climbing by Black Diamond,Lowe,and Mt. Hardware are almost too hot. Here's another approach. Depending on your age(younger is better) it may be possible to somewhat recondition your hands to the cold by practicing progressive exposure as the season turns.It may also depend on just how severe the original frostbite was. I badly frostbit my ears one winter in Wyoming while moving cattle.The rest of that winter,and for several years,the ears were very sensitive,but I didn't want to have to wear earmuffs year round,(it's always cold in Wyomimg)so I just put up with it,and eventually normal circulation and resistance to cold was re established. Hermann Buhl,the famous Eiger hardman,was know to ski without gloves,and to walk around carrying iceballs to condition himself to the cold.There are many other examples of this. You might begin by simply refusing to wear gloves in cooler weather,when not in any critical climbing situation,as long as you can possibly take it.This can also go for clothing in general.Don't bundle up all the time, especially not for mild cold.Take it one step at a time,going with less and less as you build tolerance.Don't worry,the body knows how to do it.You just have to get your mind around it.In town I wear shorts and thongs year round unless I will be outdoors exposed to wind and not moving much,or no thongs if it's extremely wet,snowy or icy.Even then I'll push it.It can be very intersting to notice the body's reaction as it begins to get the idea.When I go out to the bus stop on the first really cold mornings,you feel really cold at first,and almost think you won't make it,when all of a sudden you can feel the heat starting to come from within.I've been doing this for over 30 years now,never get cold hands or feet until after long exposure in very severe conditions,or when I haven't been taking enough food or water in serious cold. I used to feed cattle in Wyoming with a team and sled in the winter,and we would often be out there in our shirtsleeves in 40,50,60 below zero.A Blackfoot medicine man in Alberta once told me that the proper mental attitude regarding the cold was not to get all tensed up and scared,(hunching up his shoulders to demonstrate),but to relax,"like this" he said,and he let his shoulders fall,shook his arms,and stood up straight,chest out,head up.Take it easy. Go to the library and see if you can find the biography of Willie Wiley(or Wylie),a rather famous and eccentric character from the 20's and 30's around Spokane.The son of a prominent banker,from a sickly youth,he became a very rugged,hale and hearty outdoorsman who wore little else year round but khaki shorts and sandals,and sometimes a cap.There's a photo of him in the book taken the day of his first plane ride on his birthday in about 1930.He's sitting on the wing of a biplane in his shorts and sandals,with one of the old leather flying helmets,no shirt or coat,with a huge grin on his face.There's snow on the ground,and everyone else in the photo is all bundled up in fur coats,thick gloves,scarves,earmuffs,etc.Only the pilot is smiling besides Willie. This is definitely possible for you to at least some degree of improvement,it's simply a physiological adaptation your body WILL make if you discipline yourself.And of course you will also want to find good gloves and other proper clothing for climbing,because there are certain physiological limits.Just what these limits are,is a little vague,because the climber who first told me about this,(including the book about Willie Wylie), back in the late 60's was a cardiologist who had just returned from a Himalayan expedition where he'd seen porters carrying loads barefoot across the glaciers,very lightly dressed in thin cotton pants,unlined coats,or,if they did have shoes,without any socks.He later returned to do research on these people and became convinced that it was possible to push the limits far beyond what we think of as normal.Think of how Beck Weathers survived on Everest next time you feel a little chilly,and just keep going.And turn down the thermostat,too.Absolutely no need to keep it so tropical in our houses all winter long.You might save enough money right there,over time, to pay for some good gear.Give it a try.

Inexcusable behavior;the only explanation has to be total ignorance(unlikely) or cheapskate/scrounge/thieves.Seems there's yet another "objective" danger showing up in climbing.Here's hoping their karma/justice catches up with them before they do this to anyone else.

I think she's saying that,(as Paul Pritchard himself stated when he spoke here in Portland a couple of years ago)if he'd been wearing a helmet,the force of impact from the TV-sized rock which struck him,would have been tranferred directly to his cervical vertebrae,resulting in massive injury which would have rendered him either hemi- or quadriplegic. As it was,he suffered traumatic brain injury ( the impact was absorbed by the relatively softer skull and brain) and as a result he walks,albeit with a limp,and has limited use of his right arm,both of these disabilities due to damage to control centers in the brain,not spinal cord trauma.Pritchard's physicians theorized that his lack of a helmet may actually have saved his life,as well as sparing him paralysis.

Hi Andy; One the best is the NW Avalanche Center website at: NW Avalanche Center You might also check out links at the Oregon or Washington section of the American Alpine Club OR AAC, CascadesAAC,also the Cyberspace Avalanche Center CSAC.There are also pretty good links on the NPS sites and USFS sites.One really cool site is a Satellite over view of the entire NE Pacific;you can get a big-picture long term idea of what's out there,on it's way in to your locale: Satellite Services Div.GOES NE Pacific.Fascinating when you turn on the loop.Have fun.

Log on to Scott Silver's website ,www.wildwilderness.org,or email him at:< ssilver@wildwilderness.org >.He's the longtime originator,spearhead,clearinghouse and incarnate driving force of the anti-fee-demo(NW Forest Pass) campaign.He will have all the info you'll need to make a clear decision on how to handle it if you want to fight it.And I definitely encourage you not to just lay down and roll over to these bastards.The motto among my friends and I has been for years,that the only fees we'll pay would be fines,and we don't intend to pay those either. Scott can tell you all about the origins of the abusive and greedy Fee-Demo program,which is actually the result of many years of effort by the American Recreation Coalition(a consortium of motorized recreation,commercial development-oriented corporations--including RV,ATV,snowmobile and dirtbike makers,Exxon,Disney,Westin Hotels,KOA-you get the picture)to gain more access for motorized,amusement theme-park type industrialized outdoor rec destinations,and to privatize (in other words,make you pay)access to our public lands.They've been highly organized and pushing hard on this since 1978!! With the aid of both conservative Republicans and Democrats from eastern and midwest states with minimal public lands compared to what we have out here,they've conspired to starve the USFS trails and recreation programs of funding by cutting funds,creating artificial shortages and funding crises,which the ARC is only too happy to step in to remedy with their various and sundry privatization schemes,applicable to a wide variety of sites and local situations.If we don't beat these bastards back now,there will eventually be No place and Nothing you will be able to access without paying,and once fees are in place,they will only rise,as they get things more securely locked up and monopolized. And yes,though I may sound harsh, these people are indeed bastards,greedy pricks and selfish assholes who will stop at nothing to get it all.These are NOT nice people. They have utterly corrupted the USFS,BLM and Park Service,and have many bought-and-paid-for Senators and Congressmen in their pockets.Fee-Demo might seem like a minor,back-burner issue,but nothing less than the integrity of our democracy is at stake.It is but one piece of a larger puzzle in which the corporations are moving toward total control of our government. If this sounds far-fetched,if you don't believe me,talk to Scott Silver.There's also been a fairly regular commentator about this on this website;do a search.This isn't the first time this stuff has come up on this site.So buck up,get informed,and GIVE 'EM HELL!I mean really GIVE 'EM HELL! Oh,and did I mention,GIVE 'EM HELL!!

That's a possibility for me;I have to go to Redmond to see friends sometime this coming week.Check your PM's.

Camalots and other BD gear is first rate;you get what you pay for.And I never try to save money on pro.

Ach,no lederhosen?!Nichts!!

"A ship in port is safe,but that is not what ships are made for." --John Masefield(author of "I Must Go Down to the Sea"

Al Givler,Chris Chandler,Jim Langdon,Jim Madsen,Mike Heath and Ron Burgner,hands down.All hot during the late 60's-early 70's.I think only Langdon and Heath are still alive.

In climbing and in life,a man has to learn to tie his own knots.Usually much easier,more simple to stay on the up and up with the laws.If the laws are unjust,work to have them changed.Insurance,as crooked,discriminatory, and outrageously expensive as it is,protects you from the other driver as much as it covers you for liability.If you can't afford to drive,you may have to take the bus,or walk.Many thousands of people do,quite well. Use the whole experience as an opportunity to look at what you need to do take responsibility for your situation and change it if you're not satisfied with it.Don't give in to blaming,it doesn't change a thing. -------------------------------------------- "Though the law may be unjust,without the law,there is no place for an honest man to hide." -Thomas More "Great difficulty is great opportunity." -Lao Tzu,Tao Te Ching "No Whining!"

This story comes from Ray Lum,who was a well-known and highly respected horse and mule trader for over 50 years throughout the deep South,Texas,and the Southwest.He was famous for his honesty,fairness,and robust wit. Ray was at a livestock sale north of New Orleans one day in 1934 with another horsetrader friend who was Irish.There was another fellow there who had a very unusual looking dog with him.The Irishman went up to him and said,"An' whay koind iv a dog is it ye have there,me good man?".This fellow,who just happened to hate the Irish,gave him a sour look,spat, and said,"Well,he's haif(half) Arrish an' haif sonvabitch."And the Irishman,eyes dancing with glee,flashed him a huge smile and replied,"Well,bejaysus; fait' n' begorra,that makes 'im kin to both of us,then!!".

Man,sharp observation.Wonder if our vaunted Dept.of Homeland Security is thinking as clearly.So what do you make of the claim from the latest Al Quaeda communique that preparations for the next attack on the US are "90% complete? Any projections? Al Quaeda seems to have a sort of sick,savage,"wit" with numbers.Maybe some of the smart guys at the CIA oughta look at this kind of thing.

It's like Warren(Batso)Harding used to say: "DON'T be good."

I'm pretty sure I have it,if so it's in a box in my storage.Can you tell me which pictures or what the article or subject is?If I'm not mistaken that was the issue that had,among other things,a climb of Huandoy Sur in the Andes.If you can jog my memory I'll know for sure if I have it.Got a scanner,too.