Off_White

Haha, that so totally supports your rant, because you like, called him a girl. What an insult, cuz girls are so... I dunno, you finish the sentence for me Dave, I'm sort of curious where you were going with that bit.

That is so incredibly stupid. They should have gotten Van Damme.

Yeah, it seems to affect a fair number of climbers, given its supposed to be present in only 3% of the population. I was pleased to read that only one in 20 experience a significant contracture, I can live with some weird bumps in my hand.

I'll take one, can I specify who's address gets the delivery?

Doing a little reading today, I find that they currently think stretching the affected DC area actually accelerates the contracture and does nothing to help. Bummer. link

Dane, your initial question only mentioned NA alpine climbing, so I don't thing Chouinard makes the cut. If you're talking ice climbing, he certainly does, especially for folks of our generation, Climbing Ice was a hugely influential book that educated a lot of people, myself included. However, in terms of alpine stuff, not so much. Twight has a gift for shameless self promotion and a love of language, as well as the ability to write in his own voice, that has made him influential. Controversial maybe, but I think that's been by design, and he certainly sparks conversation. He hasn't lacked for skill either, but that alone doesn't make one influential, its the ability to project yourself and your ideas into the world that provide the influential part. I doubt anyone on your blog will spark a response from him if they're talking about climbing, but I found that questioning his taste in music can summon him from his lair. By "NA alpine climbing community" do you mean with regards to alpine climbing in North America, or North American climbers who might be climbing abroad? If the former, I think a case could be made for the influence of this site, if not in the top three then certainly in the top 10. Anyone who was climbing in the Cascades in the late 70's or early 80's ever had much of an idea what was going on outside their own small circle of partners. There were years and years that all I knew was the Beckey guides, what showed up in the AAJ or CAJ, and the things I did myself. I never ran into other climbers, whether it was Boston Basin, Mt Stuart, or Washington Pass, and Colchuck Lake was just about the only place I can recall running into others and discussing routes. This site with the social connection and vast array of TR's has completely changed climbing in the North Cascades. For that matter, if we're talking Cascades, I throw John Scurlock in as a game changer too.

I guess if Fox News doesn't provide an insulated enough bubble, the solution is to build another bubble, anything to keep that wretched reality at bay. We need to start a movement which declares a good Tea Party follower is so anti-government that they don't even vote.

Sounds like a good schtick, someone should come up with a three song set to pay at the next Smiffy Fest assuming one ever happens again

I found myself thinking about this today, sure sign of an interesting thread, and came to the conclusion that its not cheating if you disclose what you did. Cheating is about the lie, not the action. If I tell you I climbed Chain Reaction, then say I dogged it bolt to bolt and stick clipped my way up, I've qualified the nature of my ascent, and there is no cheating. Same diff with 02 or Diamox in the mountains. A more pure style always gets more respect, but that doesn't mean you're forbidden to try anything less.

Fixed it for you. Years ago, in Belltown around bar time, this guy across the street from me and my girlfriend loudly declaimed, "YOU SEE THAT?" while pointing at a newspaper machine. He then proceeded to shout, "THAT'S THE FUCKING REPUBLICANS" as he kicked the shit out of the poor non-partisan dispenser. We looked at each other and said at the same time, "what a great name for a band!"

You could try Supertopo, they tend to be pretty Californiacentric.

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We'll miss the volume of his posts here, that's for sure.

An armed society is the antithesis of a civil society. When you carry a gun, the solution to every problem looks like a shooting (or perhaps merely the threat of one). Your possession of an assault weapon in a movie theater makes me feel less safe, not more.

You mean Dragontailish descent, they started from the shoulder above Asgard Pass, not the summit. Still, really nice aerial shots of the NE Buttress area, thanks for posting that up. Hey, thanks to the OP for posting this TR, great stuff.

I have a bridge to sell you. Kev, the mark can't resell the con. Maybe you could list it on ebay?

Meh, its just a rehash of his 1985 column, and what you're quoting is a massaged 1995 version that was widely cited in 2008. Since he retired in 2001, one could only wish this had been the last gasp from this conservative lackwit. Note that since he retired in 2001, the little bits about Iraq and Afghanistan have been grafted in by the folks who trolled you Kevbone. Yeah, its only 545 people, with no other input or direction, that run the US economy. Oh, and my farts smell like strawberries too.

Thanks for the retro TR, I've always been curious about this route.

Yeah, what Ross said. Also consider: >bouldering at Boomer Beach in La Jolla during low tide - grainy crappy sandstone but a nice place to chill out. >Mission Gorge - unusual metamorphosed rock, good low key cragging, lots in the 5.7 to 5.11 range with some outliers on the scale >bouldering at Rainbow if someone local like Ross can hook you up with a key, really splendid stuff with an excellent view >Woodson has some of the best short cracks anywhere, but most aren't low key girlfriend routes if that's what you're looking for >Santee is great face climbing bouldering, but if your tips aren't calloused you might be limited Jtree is three hours, a bit much for a day trip, Tahquitz & Suicide may be really cold, & Canon Tajo in Baja would require a little local knowledge to get to and find the routes. Big Rock near Lake Perris is entertaining for a day, there should be a thread floating around Supertopo on that crag.

DFA is just fine, textbook domestic life, and since he started power lifting he doesn't look like a skate rat anymore.

I've got a rack of OZ draws thanks to a discount connection and I like them just fine. I really notice the weight difference with a whole rack compared to the motley assortment of old draws I used to use. Between the light biners and the skinny draws though, they seem a little more wear prone, so I usually reserve them for trips and use some older draws for the workaday climbing here in Tenino. Still, the most effective five pounds I could lose is not on my rack of gear.

A big thumbs up to Max's cautionary note, that's some advice you should pay attention to. Rainier in winter is nothing like that mountain in the summer. Yes, we've had years when its been a fairly easy and reasonable winter objective, but I don't think this is one of those years. Conditions are everything, and the dates you are available mean nothing, unless you'll be happy with below timberline stormy camping if that's what conditions allow. Best of luck, be wary.

Thanks Ivan, that's a more reasoned response than the snark I decided not to post.

She's more interested in the Taiga than the camps, but thanks for the tip.