catbirdseat

Seeing as you'd likely top that list, of course you'd be stoked.

I can lead many 5.10b sport climbs outside, but cannot in the gym. This is because the climbs in the gym are overhanging and too pumpy. If you get strong enough, the difference goes away.

Anyone care to explain how that works? My guess is that the rope is tied to the fifi hook using a figure eight loop. The hook is made fast on the sling from which you are rapping. The bungee cord is hooked on the fifi so that it pulls it up towards the anchor, unless weighted. The bungee must have enough elasticity to lift the entire weight of the rope. When you go off rappel, the fifi unhooks and the slings fall away. Then you pull hard enough to break the bungee. Did I get it right?

Isn't that what they call Bungie Jumping?

I would agree with that. It's quite a bit harder than Jam Exam.

Do a Karl Fischer titration to find out how much water there is. Dry under mild condition to drive off adsorbed water and repeat your nickel analysis.

Of all the dumb luck! I have to work.

I recall a similar incident some time ago, in which a tanker burned underneath a concrete overpass. Firefighters kept water hoses trained on the bridge to keep it as cool as possible until the gasoline was consumed. The bridge not only survived, but was found to be structurally sound and safe to use.

One wonders whether absinthe in the nineteenth century took the blame for dementia from other causes, such as alcoholism and syphillis.

Potentiometric or colorimetric?

I guess everyone has their own point of view. The bolts were so obviously placed while on rappel, all in a nice neat line. Their locations often didn't make any sense. Hard moves frequently came just before the next bolt was reached. In the case of pitch five, while I would have preferred to see the first bolt come earlier, I felt that a reasonably careful climber could avoid loose rock getting up to it. There was one 5.8 move before it could be clipped. Three feet lower and it could have been reached to protect that move. I felt that the 5.9 crack on P5 was most definitely the crux and goes at 5.9, but it' a short crux and the rest of the pitch goes at 5.8. Be sure to double up, using a red and green Camalot before pulling the move, if it looks like it's going to be hard for you. The topo gives the first pitch as 5.8+ and the second as 5.8. It should be the other way around. Overall, I'd say the first pitch was the hardest of the route. Not sure Craig how you got by with 9 draws. You must have skipped some bolts. I used all 15 draws on the second pitch, and 14 on the fifth pitch.

Too late! The Heliums are gone.

I've got medium size hands and found fist jams the entire way on First Blood. You sometimes have to reach deep, or reach high, but they are there. You also have the option of teacupping your hands, if you like. I'd agree that it's pretty hard for 5.8. Remember that you can lead the much easier Mushmaker, 5.7 to the left and top rope First Blood, if you like.

One time we slept in the lot prior to a winter ascent of hood. The parking lot had patches of snow on it here and there up to an inch deep. The bastard running the snow plow decided that it was critically important to clear the area in the immediate vicinity of our truck at 2 AM. He spent about an hour blowing snow within 20 ft of us. The spin drift wafted over the truck. My friend jgowans slept through the whole thing, but I didn't. If I'd had a shot gun I would have let that fellow have it with both barrels.

This unilateral action has got to stop. It's total bullshit. It's time to do things by consensus.

It may well be the most common cause of RAPPELLING accidents.

I detect plagarism.

Man, oh man, you are dating yourself.

Graffiti in general.

People who like to pad their post counts.

I just regard the gym as a necessary evil. I try to make it as fun as I can and not get wrapped up in comparing it to outdoors. It is what it is.

I think it was Groucho Marx, actually. My father was fond of that quote. He'd trot it out whenever we started whining about, "I wish we had this or I wish we had that."

I saw that on TV last night. It was pretty graphic. It is remarkable how criminals have a way of attracting attention to themselves.

You could do it either way. It's probably easier to lower on one because you wouldn't have to worry about the two twisting about one another going into the belay device. If you were using a Munter Hitch, it definitely would be easier to lower on one strand, while dragging the other.