Murrman

I have a pair of '05 Shuksans in great shape. They have been mounted once with a pair of Dynafit bindings. Bases and topsheets have only minor, superficial scratches. $190, obo. Email or call: 206-227-4352. murrayandrewkahn@yahoo.com

Well, I happen to know a few members of the Washington Alpine Club that you ran into and the redhead was not pulling your leg, there are only 8 students in that class. (I gotta say......that redhead has one hot body though, huh?) As for monopolizing climbing walls, I don't see your point. As long as there are climbing classes, these classes will need walls and areas to teach. When you climb as a pair, you almost always have to wait for the previous climbers to finish with the route. If its easier for you to swallow, why don't you picture the class as 8 seperate climbing pairs that all got up earlier than you did. Better luck next time.

We met the accident party at about 9'200 just after the climber had taken a 60' fall around noon. The chopper wanted to drop SAR at the false summit but it was a white-out and SAR said it was gusting up to 75 mph. My party (4 of us) helped haul/carry the lady across the summit for an hour or so and then we descended to our bivy site at 7'400 to get a sleeping bag, bivy bag and make hot drinks for the injured climber. We met the accident party again around 8'200 and built a rope litter to help carry her. We carried her down to our bivy site at 7'400 where the copper landed and picked her up. She was blacking-out at the top but, once we got her bundled-up in the bag and some hot chocolate in her, she was lucid. It would have taken SAR almost 8 hours to just get to where she fell and who knows how long to then get her out. We had 9 strong people to carry a 115 lb person and the process still took 6 hours. Lesson Learned: 1) Even under near ideal conditions, this was a very, very difficult evacuation. With just one or more variables against us IE: rain or three less people available...this could have resulted in a much worse outcome. 2) SAR are studs. 3) Your climbing partner's character is what's going to save you in an emergency.