Jake_Gano

I'm going to be in Peru for the first three weeks of July and my partner had to bail. I've already bought tickets so I am trying to salvage trip however I can. Although we had plans to try Yanapaccha and Artesanraju I am open to about anything. About me: I'm 38 and I've been climbing for 20 years or so. I'm not a badass but I've lead WI4 and 5.8 trad in the last year. I've done a couple of longer expeditions and I've done a few classic alpine ice routes in Washington (NR of Baker, Kautz on Rainier) as well as dozens of little big mountains in Alaska. Please get in touch if you are going to be in the area and could do with another climber on your party. Cheers, Jake jakegano@gmail.com

Rad

I've been very happy with my Olympus EM5 mk ii. It hits a sweet spot between size and image quality. Plus its weatherproof and very durable. I've amassed a bucketload of lenses but most of my favorite images come from the 12-40 F2.8. I also own a pocket camera, a Canon G7x, but I haven't taken many pics I've been wild about. The corners are just too soft, especially on the wide-angle end of the zoom range. Talkeetna Mountains AK: Just some no-name, locals only crag you've probably never heard of: Skier and avalanche on Hunter. This was heavily cropped, maybe 100% or close, and I'm still happy.

This thread is awesome. Thanks JasonG. And yeah, to hell with instagram.

Thanks Otto and Off_White. We climbed a day at Royal Columns, a day at Vantage, a day an Mazama. Royal Columns were really cool, the perfect spot for sub-5.10 crack climbing. We ended up flying to WA with a double rack since the weather forecast for Rainier was dismal and glad we carried the gear. Then two weeks later we got the Rainier forecast we needed and flew back for a successful Kautz trip.

I'm going to be in the 'neighborhood' for a Rainier trip and since we have a little wiggle room in our agenda I'm considering a side trip to Tieton. It's a hard to get the lay of the land from Mountain Project. The first time I went to Vantage I burnt most of a day figuring out what's what using an black-and-white photocopy of the old guidebook and I'm not eager to have a similar experience at Tieton. Is there one spot that is the "go-to" for first time Tieton climbers? Since I'm traveling from out-of-state I would prefer not to carry much extra gear. Can I get around most of the crags with a single 60 meter rope? Is there enough high-quality bolted climbs at any of the crags to get by with just draws and keep myself entertained for a day? If not I could probably be talked into tossing a single rack into my luggage but a double rack to 4 is out of the questions. What else do I need to know that I'm not smart enough to ask? Thanks in advance!

Cobra's retail price has drifted up to $400+ per tool. For that price you can nearly buy a pair of Tech Machines or North Machines. Cobras were pretty sweet when they came out 10 years ago or so but I would not buy them again today.

Anyone tried to mate up a big "heat exchanger" type pot with an XGK or other white gas stove? How did it go? Did you save fuel? Considering this for trips with lots of water melting.

Even in a world with Facebook and Instagram, mtnproject and (to a lesser extent) supertopo still have active forums. Albeit with pretty low quality content. I'm not sure why so many users jumped ship from CC.com, but I'm sure that there's more to in than the rise of social media.

At that price you won't find much if any round trip options. But, as Gene said, there are fly-in hike-out (or ski-out) options. People fly in to the south end of the Eklutna Traverse and ski out to the north (although that is usually earlier in the year). Other options include the Scandinavian Peaks/Mat Glacier or, if the weather cooperates, peaks in the Knik Area.

I'd buy 0, 2, 3, and 10 off you if the price is reasonable.

You will have fun. It's a great chance to hang on some pitches steeper than you can lead to work technique. Dress warm and pack whiskey - there is a lot of standing around waiting your turn to climb.

Sorry for a troll-ey non-answer to your questions, but instead of spending time and energy and money on a sleeping bag, you'd be better spending it dialing in better clothing systems. Also - I assume you live in the northwest - manage your expectations. "Damp" is dry enough and "not hypothermic" is warm enough. Smile. Warm and dry is for Californians. How are you getting so wet that you can wring water from a pile jacket? If it's warm enough to be raining and you're don't need much beneath your shell. Speaking of shells - are you wearing a modern Goretex or eVent or similar hardshell? Other types of shells have their time and place, which are times and places where it's not raining in the mountains. Shit's expensive but there is a reason everyone carries one. Don't overthink it. Are you popping a synthetic poofy coat over your base layers as soon as you are out of the rain? If not, the sleeping bag you are looking for might actually be a jacket.

I'm looking for something to cover my skin while crossing snowfields in warm to hot conditions to protect from sunburn but not for insulation. Patagonia used to make one but it's no longer available. Looking for light fabric, light color, hood, cut for climbing. Basically a white Capaline 1 with a hood. I have other hoodies (R1, merino, stretch synthetic, etc.) but they are warmer than what I am looking for.

What's your email?

Here are a few of my pics. I've climbed a lot in the cascades and this was by far the hottest trip I've taken there. For Shuksan we carried a light rock rack for the summit gully, and used it for 3 pitches of steep (45-70? deg) snow. The climbing was pretty easy but the snow conditions sucked. We talked to two parties that had failed to summit the day before. OTOH, in good conditions you may or may not need to rope up for the summit gully. For the NR of Baker, we belayed ~100meters of ice in 3 pitches. You could string some of it together and probably do it in two pitches but that would mean carrying more screws. Billy (wfinley) coming up the first pitch: Billy following the third pitch, steep and roudy. Approaching the ice cap. Even with trashed bodies and a light hangover we were able to drag ourselves up R&D in the morning before our flight out.

Because a double length runner isn't long enough. A triple or quad length sling works just fine too. Well, you can do that, but you won't achieve redundancy in the materials. I wasn't considering using the quad for more than two point anchors, but now that it has been pointed out I can see where the longer cordellette material would have an advantage. As for the lack of redundancy in the materials, wouldn't that also be the case with a "sliding X" anchor? Are there still many people using a "sliding X"? It is pretty spooky betting the farm on one strand of 10mm spectra, but like you said " Anchors aren't failing due to the choice in materials in real world applications"... Have these type of anchors largely fallen out of favor?

So then why do you need a cordellette to build a quad? Couldn't you take a tied, 48-inch runner, tie an overhand knot on each end of the runner, clip each knotted bight to a bolt, then clip yourself into one strand and belay off the other? (If that isn't clear let me know and I'll draw a pic). I have been using the "quad" on ice anchors lately and I like it.

Propane is strictly prohibited on all passenger aircraft. Dot rules, or maybe IATA, but not TAT policy. None of the carriers should allow you to take it on. That said, I know a guy who knows a guy, if you catch my drift, who enjoyed fresher grilled brauts over a propane Coleman stove in the range a few years ago. That said, the same guy would probably bring a white gas Coleman stove next time and stay legal.

I would love to know how much money goes into advertising and pro deals for a Chinese-made Patagonia down jacket vs. a comparably- priced, premium quality, American-made Western Mountainering jacket Or an Osprey vs. CCW or Cilogear pack.

Redbull sponsors accomplished climbers like Will Gadd. Now that I've cooled down a bit, let me try to articulate what I was trying to say in the original post in a way that is less incisive. I think that the act of self promotion, building a "brand of me," through social media is tacky and lacks humility, especially if it's not backed up by real accomplishment. Gear companies condone this self promotion by giving gear deals to climbers, and if I buy their products then I am indirectly condoning this as well. OTOH there are plenty of climbers who crank on their own dime, without self promotion, and these guys are admirable. (I doubt Fred Beckey ever had to create a cult-of-personality on social media). I'm not being stingy when I say that I wish companies wouldn't be so loose with the money I spend on their products; I just don't like the idea of spending my on tacky self-promotion.

I see people hashtaging gear companies on Facebook/Instagram, and I know ya'll ain't getting paid. Why advertise for someone for free?

(Preface: Nothing stokes my already ample cynicism like surfing internet climbing media, which I've been doing way too much of lately.) It seems like every blog post I've seen for Alaskan trips has ended with the writer thanking the trip sponsors. These are not trips to exotic, expensive, and logistically complex trips. I pay retail for all my climbing gear, and it chaps my ass to see companies charge me way too much for their gear, only to turn around and give it way to other climbers. To be fair, I'm ok with guides and a hand full of top climbers to get free gear. These guys log enough time to wear out get, provide feedback, and develop better products. But if you're just an ok or above-average climber, then you should show a little pride and not ask that others (i.e. me) to subsidize your trip. The companies that make gear tighten down their belts, tell most of these guys to fuck off, and pass the savings back to me.

I bought a Petzl Hirundos last year so I would have a second harness for ice/alpine. That way I don't have to look like some kinda tool rolling into the gym with ice clippers and tethers still attached to me. It's a great harness for that purpose, but I need a little more beef for cragging/gym climbing. I'll probably end up just buying an Aquila and bitching about the price.

Dan, I think you'll find that these new insulated garments are much warmer than a Driclime. I run all the time when it's really cold out in a Driclime. I'd roast doing the same thing in my Alpha insulated jacket.