marcus

Rime Dog Spring TR

Esprit AER functions as an excellent rap line: small diameter and lightweight, yet with a stiffness that handles like a much thicker line. Reportedly could even hold a leader fall in a pinch. http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Tag-Line-Reviews/Esprit-Alpine-Personal-Escape-Rope

As of 3/13 Gerber-Sink is still in excellent condition: solid neve and plentiful alpine ice. Good bootpack all the way to Colchuck Lake and a casual walk down Asgard Pass.

Thanks Keenwash! Post this over on montanaice.com as well for folks seeking condition reports there...

Thx Robbio!

Has anyone driven up to Cold Springs TH this weekend? Wondering how close one can get to the trailhead right now...thx!

Nice work John, Brad & Jason - way to get after it!

Nice work, guys...not too bad for backyard scraps!

Lots of great ice to be had in the Gorge Snowpocalypse 2.0...hope y'all got to get out and enjoy some of it!

Plenty of stuff got climbed on both sides of the river today, Ryland. With the snow accumulation and cooler temps, south-facing lines were easier to manage for some. Winds were blustery, gusting +30mph today in places which made conditions interesting and sometimes feeling colder than the high teens reported. I wouldn't hazard to say what's 'in': gorge ice can be often thin, brittle, wet and unstable - all at once. Use your best judgement and buyer beware - but several parties were out climbing successfully all day today.

Lowell, thanks for linking to the great NWMJ article. Through your writing I enjoyed getting to know more about the Fireys and their place in the pantheon of NW climbing history. Condolences to the Firey family and cheers to a life well lived.

Thanks for the pics, Daniel. Looks good!

Try this: UP-CLIMBING: ice-climbing in Iceland Kaldakinn is on the NE coast, pretty much as far from Reykjavik as you can get, but is supposed to have the highest concentration of accessible water ice...good luck!

Daniel, here's a link on how to post up pictures: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/602568/How_to_post_pictures_in_a_trip Love to see some of those pics of current conditions at BRC!

"Starvin' Marvin" at Starvation Creek, photo taken yesterday(Bill A). This is a 45m WI4- flow that forms regularly on the cliffs west of Starvation Creek. Belay off tree above, mostly 13cm & 10cm screws plus a bonus shrub to sling off.

Nice work fellas...way to raise the bar up!

Mike, is this why you sold off your tight jeans on eBay?

Sorry to hear about that, Kurt. Lemme know if you need some loaner gear to keep working til things get sorted out.

Solid work guys on a proud line...way to commit in spicy conditions!

Anecdotally, my Darts with Sidelocks have had repeated issues with the plastic pull tab handle breaking off. Petzl has been great in helping me replace the bail each time - but I see it as a flawed design for sure. A Heel Lock replacement kit would be great!

Interestingly, Diamox is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency solely because it can mask the detection of performance-enhancing drugs. From the WADA website: Pros: prevent detection of banned substances produce urine excretion to reduce concentration of banned substances weight loss Cons: blood pressure drop cramps death dehydration dizziness electrolyte imbalance headaches heart failure kidney failure muscle cramps nausea potassium depletion volume depletion Anecdotally, I once took Diamox as a prophylactic measure at altitude but found the side effects were insurmountable. One week later with sufficient acclimatization time, I felt and performed much better without it.

Supplemental oxygen is a powerful drug with distinct and undeniable performance-enhancing properties. Offering such substances up to clients on high-altitude expeditions only allows and encourages them to climb even further past the envelope of their limited skills sets. This to me seems less than responsible. As for climbers claiming first or notable ascents using supplemental oxygen: it certainly is cheating by today's standards and should be viewed as such. The fact that most people beyond our community do not and never will understand this fact doesn't negate it. While early ascensionists in the embryonic days of high-altitude mountaineering used supplemental oxygen as a matter of course, to continue to do so into the 21st century only degrades the accomplishments of those who followed in their footsteps, raising the bar and moving our sport into the modern age. Recreational climbers using supplemental oxygen? The mountains provide an opportunity for each of us to explore parts of ourselves we might not easily access in everyday circumstances. 'Good Style' means different things to different people. But please clean up after yourselves! MFT can be a real lightning rod with his polemical manner of speaking. But this controversy didn't start with him - so focusing solely on his own actions or spicy choice of words only delays your facing up to the truth. Deal with it.

Benjio- Deepest condolences to all of Nate's family, friends and his brothers & sisters out at TVFR. This is indeed a sad and heavy reminder for everyone to remain always vigilant with their safety systems - at the crags or on the fireground - and to savour each day as a gift to be lived to the fullest.

Gotta love the Goose!

'Gato Negro' on the Whine Spire of Silver Star is in fine condition right now. The rock is dry and currently the descent gully is snow filled for easy travel back to the base. Note: We linked and combined some pitches with a 70m cord, which also proved a useful length on the 2nd rappel. Enjoy!