catbirdseat

That's an excellent question.

Maybe this is an issue for the Washington Climber's Coalition?

I agree with you. Get the mechanics down first and then worry about trying to make it realistic.

My understanding from the televised reports is that it happened as decribed above, but that when Bridgewater climbed out of the crevasse, he climbed towards the other climbers, allowing slack in the rope. Then he slipped and fell. The slack allowed him to build up so much speed that the other climbers were unable to hold the fall. It's another example of how people forget their training when the adrenaline is flowing.

Having taught crevasse rescue, I'd have to say the hardest part is getting everybody to keep themselves safe during the entire proceedings. When you practice your Z-Pulley in your living room, you need to pretend that there are hidden crevasses all around you. Everyone must be either clipped into an anchor or attached to a rope using prusik cords with no slack between them and their anchor. All it takes is a momentary lapse of awareness that allows slack in the rope and tragedy can result, as in the following example:

hypocrite?

Dryad now lives in Boston. I don't know if she views this site anymore, but she said she was interested in a backpacking vacation, possibly the Wonderland Trail. She knows this area pretty well.

Check your PMs

I'll bet many would do a double take if they saw someone wearing that "bathing suit" while strolling the beach.

Capitol Hill?

I hear that Bush crashed his mountain bike into a bobby and took a header. He got a bit scraped up and the officer has an ankle injury.

I'll bet there isn't any information at all on the Internet. Hardly anyone every climbs this route, let alone writes about it.

No they don't. Could they have sold out in ten minutes?

Placing a redirect on the master point still multiplies the tension in the rope (although it does equalize the force among all the pieces comprising the anchor to the extent that is possible). If the angle is 180 degrees and assuming zero friction on the biner, the force is doubled. In reality friction reduces the force by about 35% so it would be about 1.3. The only way to avoid applying this force multiplier to your belay anchor is to either belay directly from your harness, or use a piece that is independent of your anchor system.

Of course he did. He must have been pretty confident that he could get away with it.

You are then probably familiar with the song Popsicle Toes.

On Wednesday, July 6, Michael Franks will present a slide show to the Everett Mountaineers on his successful climb of the North Ridge of Mt. Everest this spring. The show is free and refreshments will be served. Show starts at 7:30 pm at the First Congregational Church on Rockafeller St at Everett Avenue. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Common Practice. If the piece blows, the load goes directly onto your belay device. Better to have the rope lead to the directional on the opposite side of your body from your brake hand. This would make it easier to maintain the belay if it blows.

Seems to me that the use of stainless steel thimbles on the wire loop would be a good idea on the smallest wire sizes. Thimbles serve to increase the radius and reduce point loading.

Time to go on a diet. But seriously, it's possible one side got more stress than the other because of the position of the piece. Any number of factors could weaken it from it's rated strength.

Don't forget Michael Layton's favorite- MILF.

It's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another, whoops! Nevermind.

I sent him the info.

Q: What's worse than a male chauvinist? A: A woman who won't do as she is told.

Of course it is more complex than this, but China is the proverbial 800 lb gorilla.