Tennessee

I felt like my knees started going bad when I was in my early to mid twenties. I also remember that exact feeling you are talking about when you are post holing and you feel like you almost hyper extend your knee. I did that several times. My knees got worse after a couple of seasons of very frequent long days in the alpine with big packs. I started to worry that I would not be able to continue alpine climbing. Then I started biking to work and around town, on an almost daily basis. Not hard core mountain biking or road biking, just daily commuting. It wasn't that I was trying to fix my knees, I was just cheap and wanted to save gas money. It seemed to "fix" my knees as they just eventually stopped hurting all together. I'm now 38 and have absolutely no problems with my knees. No long term damage, and no pain when descending. It's not scientific, but I really believe that daily bike riding did something to strengthen my knees in a way for them to stop hurting when hiking/climbing even with a big pack.

I've worked in the guiding industry for 12 years and I've never heard a single guide say that they didn't accept cash tips. Contrary to what you said, I believe that tipping a mountain guide is absolutely a long established tradition. Not that you get a tip on every trip, but certainly the majority of trips. It isn't expected, but definitely appreciated. Someone serving you food for an hour compared to someone showing you a good time in the mountains, possibly for several days or weeks, keeping you safe and maybe getting to a summit definitely seems like a tipping situation to me. Fishing guides and raft guides certainly receive tips. Working as a guide and not accepting tips is fine, but I'd say you were out of touch with your fellow guides if you weren't aware of them accepting cash tips. Unless maybe it was a really long time ago (?). Oh and on the boots and tent, Mr. Pires has good advice. I'd use plastics and bomber tent for rainy/stormy/early season trips and leather boots and lightweight tent for good weather and firm snow. I use a bibler awahnee tent and la sportiva Nuptses for bad weather/soft snow. And I have a first light tent and kayland super rocks for good weather and/or climbs that entail rock and snow. I like the Awahnee better than the I-tent because the vestibule and door are much bigger and easier to get into and out of, and vents better in hot weather.

Stehekin.

Sometimes I plunge my 85cm shaft into other people's axe holes.

Thank you Ed for bringing this issue to light. I thought it was finished years ago. I personally don't mind some development in the mountains, ie. trails, well placed huts, signage, markers, logging road access or even trams in the right places, like ski areas. But this is not a ski area. It's a hiking/climbing/biking/nature area. What purpose is this project fulfilling? Just so you don't have to hike 2000 ft? Is it about money and jobs? Just build a really really really nice trail up the same swath of land and let local climbers carry tourists up on their backs or on litters or those old school chinese two person carriers. Charge $30 and give some young, strong, homeless climbers a job.

I second that. Go skiing dude.

Main thing for a beginner to the Cascades to know is that this year the normal summer trails are still covered in snow. Even seasoned Cascadians get lost in the woods trying to find even a trail they've been on before. Your biggest dangers are not always high on the mountain as the two recent fatalities have shown. One of my favorite solo climbs is Needle Peak in BC right off the Coquihalla Hwy across from Yak Peak. Super fun 3rd class scramble with cool views. About 2.5 hour drive from Bellingham.

Spot Messenger - $100 AK expedition gear - $5,000 Getting heli-picked off the mountain AND getting your gear back - Priceless All joking aside, it's good these guys got home safe. No one will deny that. Like Gene said, we've all made mistakes and this could just as easily been anyone reading this thread. I can think of a time I might have pressed the button if I'd had one. Judge not lest ye be judged. This is now the reality in backcountry travel. People are going to use the technology that is available. As long as an emergency device exists which limits one's communication to "I'm OK" or "I need rescue", people will push the emergency button when they are "in trouble". I'm sure when you are sitting in a storm in a snow cave after a forced bivy on a summit attempt in a remote part of Alaska, you aren't thinking super clearly. Don't blame the people. People are going to do what people are going to do. Maybe it's the technology that needs tweaking so more detail can be given to rescuers, who can then make a more informed decision on whether to risk resources on a rescue.

Anyone climbed in Sardinia or Corsica? I'm looking for advice on where to go, cheap/good camping, and used guidebooks. We're starting in Cala Gonone for sure, but trying to decide where to spend the rest of our time. Thanks.

That's great to hear. I reported a possible sighting of a wolverine in 2005 when I was skiing alone around Welcome Pass off Mount Baker Hwy.

S1W hit the nail on the head. Talking about guiding as a job is one thing. Talking about guiding as a career is another. Guiding as a job is probably universally agreed to be a great experience. I don't know anyone who has regretted being a guide. But as a career, only 1% of guides make it into a legitimate career. Those who do have determination, patience, love of mountains and willingness to live a somewhat oddball lifestyle. I'd bet those who have made a lifelong career out of it would say that being away from home/friends/spouse is the hardest part (or sitting in the rain for days at a time). There's also those who have carved out a perfect little niche and they sometimes seem to have life pretty dialed in.

In Canada they use small orange reflective squares mounted high off the ground on large trees. In the dark they reflect your headlamp. It's kept me on trail (in deep snow or not) many times. I've often wondered why we don't use these also. Leavenworth is a great example of a place that has trails cris-crossing in all directions to get to the same destination. I'll also throw in my 2 cents on huts. I used to be adamantly against them, thinking that they brought the wilderness experience down to a lower level. But after seeing and using many mountain huts in Canada, they really seem to keep the impact concentrated in a small area that's literally made for human impact. Not to mention they are just plain cool, especially in winter. I've seen very little negative impact from these establishments.

Another idea is to go somewhere else in the Himalaya or Asia other than Nepal. Nepal is very set up for climbers/tourists so things are laid out really well, but you'll pay for it also. If you are feeling adventurous and want to save a lot of money, there's places in Tibet, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, India that aren't set up as well, but also don't cost very much. It's more along the lines of what you should be paying while traveling in a developing country. You'll have to be OK without things such as doing business in English, having proper maps, marked trails, decent places to stay, western food, or any possibility of a rescue. But you'll pay a fraction of the cost, you'll see only locals, and you could probably climb something that hasn't been climbed if you are creative and motivated. With two months, you could do a lot. The AAJ is a good place to start if you want ideas.

I met Joe at Siguniang basecamp when he was trying to climb a huge route on the north side. We traded a few emails about Sichuan. He was a true modern day explorer. Not many people on this earth going places he did. It's a tragic but noble way to pass to the other side. He will obviously leave a big void. Condolences to his family.

I've climbed in both places. Both places you could get away with very warm single boots if: 1. you have warm feet (ie. everyone else complains about their feet before you do) 2. you are going in the warmest part of the season, Dec-Jan 3. the weather is mild, rather than unseasonably cold Most people would want to have double boots because you can't count on the above. But others have done it and got away with it, so they will tell you that you can too. Long way of saying that you should probably get double boots.