matt_warfield

I am also impressed and inspired. What stands out to me is Edge of Space. Doesn't get done much. Did it need scrubbing first? Plus the big cam for Backbone brings back fond memories. Walk it up there and then walk it up the crack and walk all the way to the top and back down. These experiences are priceless.

I have replaced anchors in just the way you describe but not draws on bolts so I understand what you are saying. I also agree that climbers should have a community that takes care of itself and the cost in gas for a trip to Smith would replace all the draws on Go Dog Go or Chain Reaction which have both suffered from aging draws. But asking climbers to do the right thing is sometimes like herding cats. Many are willing to drive or fly thousands of miles, park, sleep, drink, eat, crap, bitch, moan, and of course climb but not help take care of their sport.

I have to admire Bob for predicting that this thread would drift to something like garbage and salmon other than fixed draws. It is the joy of the internet.

I agree 100% unless it is layton.

I will agree with kevbone and ivan except you have to check the temps cuz even in the sunshine, if it is cool you are in the alpine zone. I have climbed Smith many times, not as much as kevbone, but as I said, you are rarely rained out but there are temperatures lower and higher than the comfort zone that just take the fun out of climbing. On the other hand it is peak season still and you never know when you will witness a world class climber do something amazing that will inspire you. For me it was Ethan Pringle on Just Do It and chatting with Brittany Griffith about gin and tonics at the base of Heinous Cling. And seeing a dog who was a mix of Bassett Hound and St. Bernard. Smith is a lightning rod for experience. Go get it.

The problem is who is going to pay for permanent fixed draws. Climbers do routes and send on crappy fixed draws all the time. Climbers also equip a route and send on their own good draws over some period of time. Climbers also steal fixed draws because they have no respect or ethics. It is a problem with no good solution. Well I guess there is a solution: take your own draws and never let them age and never let them out of your eyesite.

Nobody does. No matter what your level, you ought to be able to succeed on projects at least two letters harder than your best onsight. The fun and crazy thing is that your "limit" is just your "current limit", and this is mostly in your mind. Break on through to the other side.... While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I disagree. The harder your level makes it even harder to get even one letter grade. And climbing is not only in your mind. Your body has to be up to the task. I have known climbers that have hit their "current limit" of 5.13a and are unwilling and unable to advance to 5.13b. And etc. Now that Adam Ondra has done 5.15c do you think he should be able to do 5.16a by just thinking about it? It takes months or years or so break on through sometimes.

Little Si is great in the rain if you are happy with 5.12 and up. Otherwise anything on the eastside. Otherwise, you can live the life of the climbing dirtbag which has happened for decades. Work for a while, quit your job, go to J-Tree and Hueco Tanks in the winter, migrate to Granite Mountain and Yosemite in the spring, take a side trip to Colorado, then when summer comes climb in Washington or at Squamish. The key is to chase the weather, not have a job, know plenty of people where you can flop on their couch, be dedicated to Ramen and cheap beer. But seriously, rock climbing in the PNW is a challenge in the off season.

First of all there is no way that anyone could fly "plains" into any building. Second of all I watched it happen on CNBC. Third of all Al Qaida's best (other than bin Laden) had years to come and train in America to attack America. Fourth of all our government has a lot of really smart and dedicated people with the only goal of protecting our country and its people.

I can do V9 with my tongue. And I grew up in Montana where the sheep are always nervous. But I will agree that regular life provides crossfit. My recent experience was loading 700 tires into a semi for disposal. Total crossfit.

Hardware needs to be of high quality and properly installed and maintained. And fixed draws age and need to be replaced regularly. But everybody wants somebody else to do it. We should all take responsibility for maintaining climbs and if not at least respect those that do.

I thought Oprah was the most powerful.

When I first saw this thread I thought it might have to do with doing a route like Chronic at Little Si, aka E32. But kidding aside, the experience and credentials of your providers are really important.

PLUS, it keeps my forearms really strong. As long as you are dedicated to being ambidextrous. The real deal can deliver fatigue to your tongue which doesn't help climbing that much unless the effort is returned.

Don't forget skykilo, who has done a lot of hard hard skiing and probably has a big bunch of knowledge about gear.

Really appreciate all those pictures. Lots of no pro on Snake Dike and I have never seen so few people on the cables on Half Dome. Last time I was on it it had hundreds and looked like a train of ants similar to Everest this last season.

I appreciate crossfit and think it is a great innovation over general weight lifting. But climbing was the original crossfit. Doing 20 miles, climbing slab, cracks, scrambling, snow and ice is a good workout. I'll bet Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell and Sonnie Trotter don't do crossfit. They just do huge climbing days and then rest a bit.

You sound like an engineer. Physicists and engineers bring too much reality to climbing.

I am always in favor of a new screw.

Haven't done those but I swear Kor's Flake has runout offwidth rated 5.7 that would make many shit their pants. But the Split Pillar challenges many because it is sustained with few rests. It is surprising to climbers who may be used to V4 or 5.11 bursts.

Bongeater was my introduction to rock climbing in college. After my mountain bike got stolen, a couple buddies took me up to bongeater butress and put me on toprope. What a beating! I never bought a mountain bike again. The Green A was my first 5.9 lead. I had an experienced belayer who kept telling me to keep moving and stop trying to place gear. As i remember it, there's only three good stances on the whole thing. Though I don't think I'd call the fall potential deadly. No, I live in New York now and the closest rock is the Adirondacks. Dwayner would jiszz his pantsby how much they hate bolts around here. If it's 5.7 slab or below, full rope-length runouts are de rigeur. Or however you spell it. Dawg should meet Ken Nichols who doesn't draw cheeseburgers on bolts and post on the internet but has chopped bolts in person on many routes in the NE. Unfortunately he is now banned from many of those areas because he has denied many climbers from having fun. And whenever you think Squamish grades are soft, try Unfinished Symphony.

Yes, beer, bourbon, meth, crack, dope laced with fentanyl, crack, heroin, shrooms, LSD, PCP can all alter your brain. None have helped climbers perform better, except for rare examples like Warren Harding who unfortunately is dead but lived a rich life.

I agree with Tvash. Fatigue can be an issue with aluminum (check out airplane failures) but your ice axe should be fine. Gear failures are rarely due to hardware but software, and I'm not talking about your computer. Nuts thrown off El Cap I would use but not cams. Personally, I am allergic to snow and ice but like to snuggle with rock.

Someone named them. Good one.

Which one? I may have done it also. Does Mainliner ring a bell?