matt_warfield

McLane had a photo of the Split Pillar on the cover of Mountain Magazine back in the day and I decided one of my life goals was to climb it. And I did. And he does an excellent job with a guidebook, rivaling Chris McNamara. It takes so much effort in climbing and writing to do a guidebook, we should take our hats or helmets off and salute.

The Gunks will school you. And go do Kor's Flake at Lumpy Ridge CO sometime to find out how hard 5.7 is. But again the goal is to move upward, sideward, downward, stay alive, and have fun.

Tvash, I agree with you on almost every front. Especially ego. But as I have elbow tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, have bone growths on every single finger but also have many memories of being in my youth, which extended to the age of 50, it is somewhat difficult to absorb. My body feels like it has been through three lifetimes. But last year I did very well from the waist down and the neck up.

Denial is always one way to go. And sometimes reality gets in the way. Youth is wasted on the young.

Trailheads and parking lots and driveways are all at risk as Gene said. I went the way of having a crappy car, no stereo, nothing of value in the car. But the perps still want to check the glovebox, under the seat, and the trunk and break your window to check the above. Life would be so much better if knowledgable thieves wouldn't or couldn't break into your car or house and steal you blind but they can and will in 2 minutes. Be as invisible as you can.

Wayne and Cale speak truth. This thread has changed from the Nw disconnect to the age disconnect. As we age we get injured more easily and heal more slowly and our perception of our abilites is more about memory and ego than realitity.

Try Whores of Babylon. It took a CO climber to complete the hardest climb in WA. We need to be better perfomers and less whiners and complainers.

Also check out Snake, Cruel Shoes going to Grand Wall, and many very good climbers consider the last pitch of Sunblessed as hard. Squamish deserves a break. Don't bitch unless you have done some of the harder grades. Squamish is so much more than Diedre. And I am American. But I will cherish Squamish forever.

You forgot to mention that the midget should have a flat head so you have a place to put your beer while the action takes place. I also really regret visiting places that are disappointing. My formula is if I drive more than I climb there is something wrong.

Go to Lumpy Ridge, Yosemite, Index, J-Tree and Granite Mountain (AZ). Harsh. Then go to Squamish, E38 and places that may be a little soft. It is all rock climbing and not politics. As far as Squamish, go do the left side of the Split Pillar or free solo Pipeline or do the Grand Wall all free or do University Wall with shoes on opposite feet, which has been done, and please don't whine on the Sword or Perry's lieback on the Grand Wall. Or Freeway. Please just complain about moderates. And of all the guidebooks I have read Mclane's have been the best. He doesn't make up the grades but he does write thorough and entertaining route descriptions.

I remember sitting in a parking lot waiting for my partner and looking at the 1972 Chouinard catalog that looked a lot like your picture. Then came cams just a few years later. I decided to plug and go rather than fiddle and suffer.

Except at Smith. Where there is not much overhanging but vertical can be challenging on tuff.

I would absolutely have sex with her to find out what the fuss is about.

Unless there is direct contact there should be little risk. The bigger issues are aging, wear and tear, dirt and grime because it causes extra friction, and sun exposure. You could ask Dan Osman or Todd Skinner but they are both dead due to those issues. You are alive but paranoid.

Don't forget that pigs ate all those murdered prostitutes in BC a few years back. Omnivore is an important word.

I agree with your comments but I was trying to cover trad, sport, and bouldering in one shot. At Bishop CA Buttermilks, the Mandala is sit start, straight up, and the holds are thin and greasy. The Buttermilker involves intense body position and is mostly horizontal. Ironman involves hand traversing and then a heel hook and slapping the top for mortals. The goal is is to complete the route rather than count a "move" as a hand movement, heel hook, bump, etc. And I guanantee there are boulder problems that require stemming and slabs.

I congratulate you. I have taken every wife on a big outdoor adventure. Some of my mistakes were to assume a 2 week climbing vacation or a 20 mile one day round trip in the mountains would be great. I am currently single because climbing is always a second lover unless you really understand your partner. And it is not poaching but lurking that you have been doing. This site appreciates people that participate. Thanks for the TR and pics.

Thanks, we didn't need Raindawg. The point is that most of us just want a common moniker for areas instead of exact geography and geology and history. How did Index and Leavenworth and Erie and Squamish and Smith and Yosemite get their names? Most climbers just want to know where to go and go climbing.

I did that for a long time before I acquiesced to the guidebook. Actually it has had many names over the years including I believe Washington Desert in the early years. But how many people including locals know that the whole area was created by a massive flood millions of years ago. Probably Raindawg but he has a conflict of interest with bolts versus science. And I agree with Drederek, "Boulder" can mean Eldo, Flatirons, or Boulder Canyon or any number of areas near, "Bishop" can mean Buttermilks or Owen's Gorge, etc. etc. Perhaps instead of a nickname we should provide GPS coordinates and take even more creativity out of the climbing experience.

Hmm. I was at Vantage Saturday and we were at Riverview Park, Corn Wall, and Hen House. We saw a total of, at most 15 people there. We never waited for a route, walked up to every one we wanted to climb and set off. I've spent over 400 days at Vantage over the past 17 years. I've never waited for routes. Also, you don't have to move far for the next route--it's like an outdoor gym. Often you can climb there in mid-winter when everyone everywhere else is wet/cold. There are classics there, but you have to know the area because there are some crappy routes too. Wear a helmet, use a grigri, ask around and just climb the great routes, of which there are plenty. Or stay home and leave the place to me. I couldn't have said it better myself. Vantage has wonderful weather, lots of routes, and all you have to do is avoid the most popular areas, be careful placing gear as the rock is soft, and have as much fun as your body will allow. And doing the manly granite alpine thing on N. Ridge of Stuart, I nearly pulled a 200 boulder down on myself. Don't make Vantage the whipping boy of climbing.

I own more pairs of rock shoes than most women have high heels. Face shoes, thin crack shoes, wide crack shoes, aid shoes, all day shoes for moderates, approach shoes, shoes with history like Royal Robbins, EBs, and Fires. For long moderate routes I use Mythos but the key is to make sure they are a little oversized and comfy because technical shoes will punish you on long routes.

J-Tree is an awesome place as long as your tips survive a multiday trip. Thanks for the photos and congrats for getting the kid in the outdoors instead of in front of the TV doing video games. Is anybody sore from all that stemming?

I never focus on your response, only the avatar.

I don't want everybody to get the wrong idea. I appreciate different strokes for different folks, but I will reiterate that the focus of the Mounties is on low end rock, snow, and moderate alpine. Good for them and you if that's what you like. For those aspiring for more, climbing with someone who climbs 5.13 or V12 or M whatever is inspiring and probably will not happen through the Mounties. And occasionally or let's just say often something will happen that overwhelms your training or experience. It depends on your goal. Your teachers and mentors and partners should be selected accordingly. And I will reiterate that fitness, knowledge, and judgment will trump the 10 essentials most of the time.

Nice work extending the rock season. It is an essential skill in the PNW. Losing gear on routes comes with the territory. But still hope you get your gear back.