minx

would somebody please explain to me why you have to pass a lead climbing test in order to belay a leader in the gym? shouldn't you just have to pass a lead belay check or something? i've belayed plenty of people leading stuff i'd never lead. haven't killed any of them yet

Mammut Matrix needs only 2 and doesn't come with a disclaimer saying it will suck on a wet 8.4 mm rope (which is too big for the Reversino, duh!). Anybody has used it? drC yes, used it liked it. nice for the thin rope. feeds smoothly. doesn't feel quite as smooth on rap as my ATC but that could've been the route, my skills, or the rope.

ken wins! i want to have his w/e.

we climbed at LaClede this summer. Had a blast. Not too far from Sandpoint ID. Good rock, not crowded, plenty of routes, no approach. check Marty Bland's book.

it is only a first step but hopefully it is a first step in a good direction.

perhaps, a more positive way to look at this from a naysayer point of view would be this: at least something good can come out of this. a silver lining in a dark cloud. no matter how the adminstration wants to spin it, we went in looking WMD and didn't find them. then it became about freeing the Iraqi people--there's lots of other countries whose people need to be "freed" so why iraq? and of course it was NEVER about oil, money, or power now was it. i remain cynical about the underlying reasons, the true value in our choice to be there but choose to be optimistic that something good will come from this.

Like anyone wants to know where you pick up your ten dollar crack whores. we all know you do

yep! and that's why it was the wrong size for you.

it doesn't matter what he was going to do with it at home. it shouldn't have been out behind the counter. it was on hold for me!

I think 'chelle is referring to "Glide" TM. It is dental floss produced by Gore (of -tex, not Al- ) It's the greatest for flossing of teeth. You won't go back to regular floss once you've tride Glide. So is "Glide" dental floss the stuff you were talkign about? yes glide is gore-floss. chelle has demonstrated it's effectiveness in many repair applications. it's not just good for marking your rope

shite! i can't believe i missed this fun and frivolity yesterday. cripes NOLSe can take a beating and seems to like it. NOLSe, your appetite for abuse never ceases to amaze me

we take our son over to vantage regularly. if he doesn't feel like climbing or gets bored with it, he just plays happily in the dirt and rocks. we bring lots of snacks and he brings a few toys in his pack and we're good to go for several hours of climbing. even if the kids don't like climbing there's no reason they shouldn't go along. nothing like dirt and the outdoors for good healthy fun.

oops! i think that's my suPconscience speaking

ChrisT-i think mine's safer with a rope and a harness compared to some of the dumbe stuff he does at home! sadly, he prefers to boulder. That whole business of lowering off the climb is just too damn scary. he's a helluva boulderer though. thinking about getting him a crash pad for his birthday

Dru clearly misses distel

i'm sooooo proud to be an american right now.

Wow. I can't believe this hasn't happened yet. I'm such an idiot. If I would have bought a house when I lived in Bend I'd have made a killing. But nooo, I'm an idiot. Okay, I'm finished with my pity party. it's not "in" the REI per se, but i found that there is a starbucks drive thru conveniently located right across the parking lot from the b'ham REI.

might as well be wearing flaming pink spandex

oh shite! THAT's comedy. who cares how they make a few bucks. i don't buy into the feminist bent on this but crickies boys don't go if it rubs you the wrong way. i know i'm not going.

saw this movie not stoned last night sorry guys kept waiting for it to get funny. decided it could only be funny if i was. dodgeball was surprisingly good dumb funny though.

could be a while here, also glad you had an uneventful journey

as usual mr. parker is right on point

i know you're all crushed but i won't be there. have fun y'all

i just want to ask any of the women/girls/females in the audience this: how many of you personally have felt that a guy wouldn't climb with you b/c you were female? this assumes you were going to be climbing that you had the physical skills to climb. If some guy says "hey i'm looking for a 5.11 partner today and you don't climb 5.11 you can't claim discimination you can only claim lack of skill.

i'm sorry i missed it! good luck Ken!