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Toast

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Posts posted by Toast

  1. Does anyone else feel guilty for being so amused by these pics?

     

    I feel like I need to go do something to massage my karma; maybe go play belay slave at the gym for a bunch of n00bs.

     

    kneel and repent yoda.gif

  2. You should be able to get someone who knows there stuff if you shop at any of the 3 Vertical World pro-shops (Bremerton, Seattle, & Redmond). they might not have the largest selection but they'll probably know what they're talking about.

     

    So there I was at Bremerton Vertical World belaying my daughter & listening to the VW employee explain the use of a grigri to some newcomers.

     

     

    "So the grigri will automatically catch a fall? You don't have to do anything?" asked one of the newbies.

     

    "That's right," replied the VW employee.

     

     

    hellno3d.gif See article on common errors in using the GriGri here.

  3. In this thread are good hints on starting your rack, especially CBS's links to two other threads on the topic. One quick way to pick up some biners is to buy a six pack of quick draws. You'll use those cragging, but if you go alpine, you can take the biners off and add those to some shoulder length tied slings of 9/16" climb spec webbing for more versatility.

     

    Other good advice, start off slow. You don't need a full Yosemite rack, just a set of nuts, the larger half of a hex set, some racking biners, and maybe an abbreviated set of cams from 0.5 - 2.0 if you have the spare cash, but I'd hold off on those till you need them.

     

    If you're cragging, you won't need to worry about water purification. You'll be able to carry the water you need. Aqua Mira (chlorine dioxide) is a lot lighter than a filter. A filter, stove and tent are group gear, and you can probably get by with one of the three and partner up for the rest.

     

    Despite the online personalities, most of the folks here are good people. Have fun.

  4. True, REI's flavor has a Walmart aftertaste. But to be fair, something doesn't sound quite right about your story. I used to work for REI along with a couple dozen other folks on this board. I even worked a stint in CS handling returns, and I know most of the folks there. In general, the satisfaction guarantee is honored with no questions asked as long as you have proof of purchase, have a purchase history in the member database, or there isn't a smell of abuse or mal intent. MisterMo kind of sums up the counterpoints... However, once a customer starts in with a little attitude all bets are off, and they're going to treat you just the way they did. Consider yourself lucky for having got a refund. Now STFU.

     

    P/S nice job on Three Fingers thumbs_up.gif

  5. A friend pointed out that my room smelled kinda funky, and I thought gee, I should look into it. Pushing back my bed revealed a 7 or 8 by 3 foot tall patch of mold growing on the wall (oops).

     

    Dude, that's some nasty shit. I'd be worried about some health considerations... and more importantly this as an inhibiting factor to getting smileysex5.gif

  6. I picked up a Kmart special from Second Bounce ten years ago for under $100, and it's worked fine for me. The design is a rip off of a TNF two man, but for a three pole front entry it weighs in at under 5 lbs. It's been up Rainier and a dozen other peaks. Don't feel like you need to blow $500 on a four season tent if you don't need one. They're heavy and overkill for most things in Washington. REI does a good job at ripping off functional designs and offering them for sale at a reasonable price. Aor an all around general purpose tent, the REI Half Dome 2 is a pretty good two person two pole tent that weighs in at 5 lbs and sells for under $200. You can go nicer and lighter if you have the cash to burn.

  7. Didnt the guy from Spiritualized use to be in Spacemen 3? I used to have the album with all the 3's on the cover but it got left in Josh one New Years.

     

    I have that one fruit.gif

  8. In addition to beating the crowds, you'll want to leave early to beat the softening of the snow when the sun comes out 1.) to make your approach quicker and 2.) to minimize avalanche potential. Consider a 6 AM start somewhere in the range of average to late.

     

    In low avalanche conditions you can go up the left hand side of the creek all the way to Source Lake and cut a good half hour off your approach time. The cat track actually crosses over the creek midway, so look for a trail off to your left. That trail actually takes you directly to the avy slope, so use your discretion there.

     

    Time to the base of the climb is about 2.5 hours at a brisk pace. We climbed the NE Buttress route with three and two on two ropes in about 10 hours car to car, not particularly fast.

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