Buckaroo

Hope this is sarcasm cuz if it's not you're un-educated. Wind doesn't knock blocks off unless they are hanging by a thread. The block was frost wedged 1" to 2" from the pik in this thread but it still had about 18" to go before it reached the tipping point. the ledge is flat, the block is square, a lifetime background in engineering tells me this block was pushed off.

That's a crap reason if that's the reason. That's like putting bolts every 5 feet. If someone is too much of a gutless wimp to handle the risk or they don't have the skills then don't get on it in the first place. If you're going to trundle blocks until Index is safe you'll have to make it flat as a parking lot.

Long time Index route setters. and that's besides the point. The physical evidence points to vandalism Someone needs to call Pope and friends onto this thread. Let them weigh in on this bullsh*t.

Just across the valley on the new Lake Serene trail near dusk a few years ago. I was coming down from a summit of Main and decided to stop and eat the last of my food before taking the trail down. A section the size of a VW bug came down and smashed across the trail. It didn't stop until it got to the valley floor. There was sparks where it hit the trail and you could hear it the whole way down. I wasn't even really hungry it was just a reflex to stop and eat. If I hadn't done so I probably would have got the chop.

It is a rumor that I heard straight from reliable sources. And I know that block very well, it could not come off by itself. The only way it could happen naturally would be if it was struck from above by larger rocks. I looked at it yesterday, there wasn't enough fresh debris at the base to indicate that. Your photo is not even close to a flat ledge. The ledge this block was on is totally flat.

It's a little bigger than your stated preference but if I only had one rope without a doubt it would be the Edelweiss Sharp 10.5. This is a second generation edge rope, the first was the Stratos. all ropes are not created equal just because they meet UIAA. This Edelweiss has edge protection, it's more resistant to getting cut on a sharp edge. Most rope failures are due to getting cut on sharp edges. UIAA doesn't do edge tests anymore because they were having consistency problems but Edelweiss does their own tests and their cut resistance technology is the most advanced. Whatever you get make sure it's dry also, in addition to the water resistance it makes it slide through the beaners better for less rope drag. you don't need a bi-colored rope if you're on a budget, just get a special rope marking pen and mark the middle yourself.

sNowKats on hOOd R aid Y U need aid on a walk up?

Why the heck would someone do that? It's de-facing the rock in a major way, leaving an ugly scar. It's changing an established route in a major established area. People get a major load of flack for chipping holds and now some idiot has thrown off a 10 ton block? For what? Trundling jollies? Doesn't make any sense.

Looked at the ledge and debris today. Looks like vandalism. There's not enough rock at the base to indicate something came from above and knocked it off. The ledge it came off is flat and wide and the face at the back of the ledge is flat. There's no way that block could have come off there without some help. Has to be climbers too because it's one pitch up. That really sucks, climbers shouldn't do sh*t like that. Hope this place becomes a park and if people get caught doing sh*t like that they get put in jail. It messed up the base area too, damaged the trees, busted one of the flat rocks people sit on and left sharp debris everywhere. Someone is going to have to clean up after the pukes that did this.

Glad no-one was below when it happened. I was there one time when a watermelon size rock came down and that was scary, can't imagine this. It must have been a huge rockfall from above. That block was really solid and like you say on a flat ledge. That should up the grade to the 2nd pitch cuz the crux was taking off from the ledge. Depends on the footholds but guessing it's going to be harder.

How would you know, you've never been to Index have you? Not sure but the last time we discussed this you hadn't been there. The only place that's blasted is part of the LTW, and that's a minority fraction of the total routes, just like Squamish. route for route Index is just as good as Squamish, it's just smaller that's all.

""They produce a fair bit of stupidity, but that seems to be about it."" You should move there Fairweather, you'd fit right in.

For once I agree with JB, imagine that. This "law" is so they can scare the Latinos away from the polls, whites can't win otherwise since the Latino population is increasing It's a last gasp effort though and it's going to backfire for the idiot repugs, alienating (haha pun) the soon to be new majority.

Swwwhhheeeeettt. did he do the normal start or the direct? I'd like to do this solo but it would only be a redpoint since I've climbed it roped several times. I've heard the only scary part is the flake at the 5.9 crux on the 3rd pitch. Like you have to pull on it and it looks sort of detached.

2nd the Chouinard

This has some really good rock climbing in it but it's about all kinds of climbing, really good footage of Robson and the House, Blanchard, Josephson attempt. http://www.hulu.com/watch/129837/beyond-gravity

Hey hey hey hey hey!! NO skeerrrs on climerrzz rootz!!! (jOkE!) gud job, at leest Yu gav the rope gunnr kredit!

mid march is the best for Banff, warmer and longer daylight, and you know there's very little ice left in the lower 48. awesome TR, Too Cold and Moonlight look thin compared to when we did them. Betting Steve is the top understated alpinist in the US, he gets it done without the hoopla.

SHHWWWEEETTTT!!!!

I'm going to find one of these cameras and sneak up behind it with a cardboard cut-out of Osama.

Well I haven't climbed Chair in a few years but if I was going to here's what I would look at. First I would go to the 10-day past weather data on NWAC for Snoqualmie pass here http://www.nwac.us/weatherdata/snoqualmiepass/10day/ the temps for 3800 ft, considering Chair's base is about 5,700 ft, show a warm trend a couple days ago and a cooling trend today. Which is just what you want. You want like a max 32F for a high at 3800'. Then I would look at the avalanche forecast on the same NWAC site here http://www.nwac.us/forecast/avalanche/current/zone/3/ which shows moderate to low avalanche danger, so that's good and the approach and route may be well consolidated which is what you want. I would read the text also cuz it may hold clues about snow climbing conditions. then I would look at the mountain weather forecast on the same site to see if the weekend is favorable, here http://www.nwac.us/forecast/weather/current/ after that I might confirm the forecast with NOAA or weatherunderground. Then I would post to Cascade Climbers and see if anyone climbed it yesterday or today.

Yeah the lens on my first digital got crunched, a Pentax Optio back when they were $600 for 2 megpix, so now I become hyperaware when the lens is deployed.

I was looking at that Canon but decided on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. Ordered it 2 days ago, can't wait to use the 12x optic zoom, my present camera is nice but only 4x optic zoom. I hang my camera around my neck inside my base layer to keep the batteries warm, never had a problem.

train with 65 and the get it down to 40 on the actual climb, you will kick as*.

""What advice would you give to a newbie from Louisiana climbing Rainier this July? The highest spot here is the roof of my house"" go find the nearest high school or college football stadium after hours/weekends and climb up and down the bleachers with the heavy pack. The stairmaster doesn't quite duplicate the proper motion. I've done this when stuck in the flatlands.