Buckaroo

I guess it depends on the time of year and the conditions for any particular year, more or less snow etc. We did the traverse from N to S in July and the Chikamin was the crux of the traverse, lots of zigzag and suspect bridges. But we went left around the Sinister schrund and through Gunsite pass. Magic and Hurry Up were short and fun Spider was choss LeConte and Formidable seemed long Dome was the easiest.

Depends which route you take. If you want to climb Dome you might have to cross the Chickamin which is large and pretty crevassed. Self rescue on a glacier is problematic with a team of two. If you can avoid the Chickamin there's not really a lot of other big slots to cross.

Soloist with a chest harness. Works for TR and lead. For just TR a GriGri? There's a mod you can do to it but I think it's only for the older style.

Big thanks for the awesome accident report. You are so lucky the PLB was within sight, bet that was when you knew you had a chance of survival. Good info, now going to carry the PLB in a more secure location than the top of the pack. That cornice is a stinger in the tail. The one time I climbed this route it was about 30' tall and overhanging, I went on rock to the right that was very sketch. If I ever do it again it would be by tunneling through the base. I wonder if a body belay in a big pit would work, sort of like the lowering belays on Touching the Void. But then the lead protection would pull and you'd have a factor 1 on the belay. Whatever you do you probably have to spend at least an hour to get something that only might hold a fall. Probably should just be climbed in a "leader must not fall" fashion.

You sig says it. Get high (up) adrenaline physical mental challenge nature

Smith was hella crowded last weekend (14-15). The lots were full and cars parked on the roadsides for over a mile. All the routes in the 5.7 to 5.10 range had at least one party on them, many had two. We waited in line more than we climbed. I think it's the gym's that are causing the increase, that and no skiing. The only routes that were open part of the time was the gear routes.

Wintum on Shasta will probably be rock the whole way anytime after spring.

Awesome, sounds like it's in best shape. You mention rock pro, how much rock did you have to climb?

Watched all 3 hours of the finals (because it's too wet to be outside). Woods looked like a poor loser on the podium, not smiling and never raised his trophy for the camera. He wasn't dethroned because it was a national comp and Mohammed was a foreigner. So Woods was champion but 2nd place in the comp. Mohammed won because one of the problems he sent was rated higher (V15?) than all the others and he was the only one to send it. Woods would have won last year because the rules were based on how high you got on each problem regardless of rating, and he got higher on the ones he didn't send. The camera work was amateur, they didn't even show Mohammed's winning send, a sick thin climb with multiple mono-digit holds which Woods got nowhere on. Instead some close up of some chick who wasn't even climbing at the time and didn't make the podium. The funniest part of the whole event was the last men's problem had a crack and not even half the guys knew how to jam. And the ones that did had no calluses and ended up with their hands all scraped up. That Alex Puccio is fun to watch, she sent all 4 problems and they were hard. She dominated unlike the mens which was very close.

Maybe not more than other routes, but worse in winter as opposed to summer. Three out of four times the snow was not consolidated and the one time it was there were ice chunks coming down the face before the ridge. The one time I did get pretty high there was a 60mph wind at the ridge and what looked like 100mph at the summit. Nice, how did that go? Years ago I accidentally free soloed Orbit, onsite. Shook me up pretty good! The crux for me was the chimmney, didn't feel secure and couldn't really figure it out to do it smoothly, ended up just scruffing up it. After that the rest was positive and a mind game more than physical, but had done it about a month before with the intent to eventually solo. No way I could have onsited it, especially "accidently", that's burly. Mt Alberta didn't get a winter ascent (by any route) until 2003 and that was by the easiest route (The Japanese). Probably because the snow rarely consolidates, or gets to non-avi conditions. You almost have to live up there to wait it out and be ready to climb on a moments notice. Sort of like Eve Dearborn here. That said the late winter (just out of calender winter?) ascents of N Twin and N face of Alberta are sort of visionary, making it a mixed climb with no rockfall cuz it's frozen.

Excellent addition! "50 Most Unclimbed Climbs of North America" I'll go 4)Climbs you have epic'd, failed on one or more times, and/or don't recommend. Sunset Ridge on Rainier in Winter (4x DNS), longest approach on Rainier and rarely in condition Japanese Route, Alberta. (4x DNS)(choss fest, bad weather) Even Colin says it's bad.

Yeah, maybe should have made it 10 in each category. Okay, will go again also, after reading all these it tripped some memories. 1)Have climbed Whitney, East Buttress El Cap, East Buttress Serenity Crack--Sons of Yesterday Weeping Wall, Rt side Edith Cavell, E Ridge solo Shuksan, N Face winter solo (epic bivy) Drury Falls Outer Space, Orbit link up Orbit, free solo. Snow Creek Wall ice climb 2)Want to Climb N Pickets Traverse Mongo Ridge Temple Crag, Dark Star Liberty Ridge, Rainier Steck Salathe, Sentinel East Ridge, Temple S Howser, Becky-Chounaird NE Buttress of Slesse in winter Eve Dearborn, N Peak Index 3)Will never climb Lhotse, South Face K2, The Polish Line Nanga Parbat, Rupal Face, Anderson/House (4100m--13,450ft) Cerro Torre Traverse El Cap, Salathe, all free

You guys aren't doing this right, name CLIMBS in the 3rd category. Not grades, types, or descriptions of climbs. For some hard to fathom reason the 3rd category personally seems the most interesting. And also for some reason it seems the one category that many people aren't answering specifically.

South Face, The Tooth, 5.4 alpine rock, snow gully approach in early season. South Early Winter Spire, South Arete, 5.4 alpine rock, South Early Winter Spire, Southwest Couloir, snow gulley, (may not be in shape with this low snow year) Ingalls Peak (North), South Ridge, 5.4 alpine rock.

I think the strategy is to camp at the base of the descent and just shiver bivy if you don't make it or can't find the way in the dark.

The East Buttress of El Cap has one move of 5.10, the rest is 5.9 or less. If you can do these others you can do that one. Plus it's right next to the descent and for me it was 5 stars.

It's all relative, couple of those are big in my book and I haven't done them. I think we get thrown off by the pro climbers. I think you can get just as "out there" on your own level.

Torment Forbidden, Becky Chouinard, and Polar Circus are all on my list. The N face on Alberta is probably going to be in shape this year (it rarely is) because of the low snow, that is if Canada has been the same as here. It will go for like 5 year runs without being climbed. Colin Haley just did the NE Buttress (facebook) there might be some beta there. I talked to Andy DeKlerk after he climbed it to try to get some beta. About all he said was, "the headwall is 12 pitches of 5.10".

Looks like you've got ice on your mind. Wish I could join you, just got a knee replacement so maybe next year. Infinite Bliss? Why is that on "never climb"?

The cloud filled valleys always add an extra element. What was the setup to take this?

Another nail biter game. The half time show is really lame. Perry is an over produced one hit wonder. Why bring Lenny Kravitz if he's not going to jam guitar?

Only because it's a low snow year. Normal winters the summer trail is a lot of avalanche hazard.

I've sort of noticed what you are talking about but I don't let it bother me. There are people as you describe in climbing but there are just as many if not more who came from the other side of the tracks. I left home at 17 and never had one thin dime from my parents. No formal education beyond high school. I've worked for everything I have and while I'm semi comfortable now I still almost always car camp when I'm climbing out of town. Climbing is not that expensive if you just start out peak bagging. Then if you want to climb roped you can start at UW rock or Spire and hook up here on CC and find people with all the gear. You need to spend some time in camp 4 or something. Climbing is just like everywhere else in life, the people are from all spectrums of society. ""I know I'm making a sweeping generalization here"" You said it.

Axe choice is totally climb dependent. Petzl Nomics don't work where you need to plunge a lot in snow. Sometimes a sharpened stick is called for on a short to medium snow approach where you are going to do a long rock climb and carry over. Likewise some pointed rocks will work on a similar snow descent.

Name 3 to 5 climbs (or more) in each category that are your favorite or that you think are the best. Can be any discipline from cragging to 8000m peaks. 1) Name 3 to 10 (or more) climbs that you have climbed. 2) Name 3 to 10 (or more) climbs that you could potentially climb but have not yet done so. Or that you could climb if you improved your skills. 3) Name 3 to 10 climbs that you admire but will probably never climb for whatever reason. (This category may not apply to the strongest climbers) Please list specific climbs and not just descriptions like "anything over 5.12" Optional Category (Per Sepultura) 4)Climbs you have epic'd, failed on one or more times, and/or don't recommend. I'll start. 1) Have climbed, NE Buttress of Slesse Salathe on ElCap Index Traverse solo Complete North Ridge of Stuart Davis Holland- Lovin Arms 2) Capable of but have not climbed. Japanese Route on Alberta (or N.E. Ridge) The Cassin on Denali (If I win the Lotto) The Liongrat on the Matterhorn Sunset Ridge on Rainier in winter. Lotus Flower Tower, SE face. 3) Admire but will never climb. North Face of North Twin Baintha Brakk (The Ogre) by any route. Latok 1, North Ridge Hummingbird Ridge, Mt. Logan Moonflower Buttress, Mt. Hunter. 4)Climbs you have epic'd, failed on one or more times, and/or don't recommend. Sunset Ridge on Rainier in Winter (4x DNS), longest approach on Rainier and rarely in condition, bad weather Japanese Route, Alberta. (4x DNS)(choss fest, bad weather) copy and paste 1) Have climbed. 2) Capable of, or could if skills were improved, but have not climbed. 3) Admire but will never climb.