Alpinfox

While I wouldn't call it a "death route", Liberty Ridge has a LOT of objective danger. I came closer to death (about 12" away) than on any other route I've ever been on. An excerpt from my TR (late June, 03): "The left (east) side of the toe of the ridge, which is the side you are supposed to gain the ridge from the Carbon Glacier, is mostly snow-free. We gainied the ridge on the right (west) side without too much technical difficulty and connected snow patches while traversing right until we could head up to thumb rock. LOTS OF ROCK FALL HERE! In the middle of the night at thumb rock, a 12X3X8 inch rock ripped through our vestibule and the corner of our tent about 12 inches from my head. Simultaneously, a round, baseball-sized rock glanced off the tent pole directly above my partners head and ripped the fly in several spots. Had either of these rocks hit us in the head, we most certainly would have been killed. And this was AT THUMB ROCK! a supposedly safe place. We slept the rest of the night with our helmets on and put our packs and such on the uphill side of the tent and said a few prayers. The next day, we encountered COPIOUS ROCK FALL in several spots, and were never really out of it until we traversed left from under the black pyramid." I know it's tired and cliche, and probably doesn't mean much coming from an anonymous person on an internet chat board, but I feel for the surviving climber and for the family of the lost climber. I'm really sorry. RIP.

check the dates oh alpinfox, i was absent from spray because i was working in the mountains and I complimented you on your work. this climbing bidniz you wrote about in this TR is pretty nice too...

If you are doing a desert river trip, "The Monkey Wrench Gang" would be perfect! I think "Desert Solitaire" is better though. Ed Abbey Maybe try to find a book about the natural history of the area you are going to be in. I love reading about the grand canyon (or whatever) while actually BEING there.

Nice work Droooooo! I figured you were up to something since you were conspicuously absent from your spraylord chair for a while there...

Escape belay using Munter+Mule knot (releasable under tension) <--- Clickity Clickity

Driving back to Portland from Smith Rock one really cloudy night in the summer of 1999, I was in the Warm Springs area when a meteor streaked through the clouds right above me. I watched it breakup into 4 pieces and disappear over the horizon. It left a glowing tail that lasted 3-4 seconds and stretched across about one-quarter of the visible sky. I wonder if I could have heard anything if I wasn't in a car. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I woke my girlfriend (now ex) up, but not in time for her to see it, so she thinks I'm crazy. She might have other reasons besides the meteor story for thinking that.

Hey Elizabeth, Having to register (with a fake name) to view your website is lame. I don't want to register, I just want to look at your articles. I hope you pass that message on to your folks.

Use the links above. They are updating their story as they get new facts. Liberty Ridge isn't 12,000ft tall anymore.

Cool! According to Komo, Lib Ridge is 12,000ft tall now! I gotta get on that thing again! It disturbs me that the media is so incompetent when it comes to reporting simple facts about climbing/mountains/nature. It makes me very suspicious of all the other "facts" they relate.

I thought the 20% off coupon was only good on non-sale items?

i'm sorry mr. fox, i just would never be able to climb w/you. you're downright dangerous...you forgot at least one of the 382 essentials in your list. how can you possibly go anywhere w/o your portable blender????? good grief! how do you expect to have frapped beverages w/o it??? Do portable blenders go beep?

you can also check the cc.com FAQ

true true. Maybe I should hock a couple camalots and buy a pad?

but you are unemployed and have a ton of free time!!! bum

wow, now I wish I had money to travel

"Thank you" "Thank you" "Thank you" "Thank you" "Thank you" "Thank you" "Thank you" Yeah, it's pretty easy to pick out the NOLSy people at the crag. However, we are talking about NON-VERBAL communication systems here.

Welcome back Dryad!

Goddamnit Mr.E, you ain't supposed to post pictures of the secret crag!!! But to answer your question, yes, I too, "feel the stoke"

What is your favorite picture that you have taken. Doesn't necessarily have to be climbing related. Please post it here.

It's comforting that the title of the magazine in which the winning articles are to be published is not mentioned in the ad. "I had sex in a snow cave once". <---- A climbing partner

Perhaps the good doctor, expert sendbot that he is, will chime in and let us know his estimation of the utility of downclimbing to a rest as an onsighting tool?

Yeah, If you climb up to the crux and find that you're out of position or you need to switch your hands, just DYNO dude! Whatever you do, don't downclimb and reposition yourself. That's a sign of FEAR!!!

There is a pair of sz38 Anasazi lace-ups in really good shape at Second Ascent right now for $35. Good price! Wish they fit me.

That's a lot of driving!

Climbing Lizard: