Dane

Easy..Boa leash will girth hitch to most any tool. You just need to make sure the attachment point is strong enough when required to take the tool weight or body weight. The original Ergo has a aluminum piece that runs through the handle and is riveted so girth hitching the pommel will work fine on that tool. http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2011/03/boa-leash-by-blue-ice.html

Thanks Grant, even Vancouver is closer than me. Appreciate the help as always.

and the I-tent much more durable. I have used both a lot. The Intergal Designs versions even better for durability imo. But each gains weight along with the added durability. Sit through a good storm at 14 on Denali though and you'll want the durability and the extra weight won't mean a thing. Summer in the Cascades or Rockies it is not such a big deal.

Hey Train Are the alpine conditions really as bad as they sound in the Icefields? AA area anyway?

always better to look here I suspect: http://www.gravsports-ice.com/icethreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=4&page=1

Anything is possible, but you are likely too late....for anything that gets direct sunshine like WW or PC. Professors, Lake Louise and Field would be better options I suspect. April is getting long in tooth for Canadian water ice. There are some exceptions, Curtain Call and Nemesis might be a couple because of their locations.

Easier said than done. Winter or summer? Chere and Cosmic are above 12K feet to start with. Granite is vertically factured and exceptional. Forbidden and DT a bit of a walk. Cosmic/Chere a tram ride and 10 minutes or 45.

Kool video, easy subject matter.

agreed

Avi work closed the pass early again this morning. Had the time so thought others might enjoy: http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2012/03/dps-138-and-dynafits-carbon-green.html

Skip the hard shells. Might as well have the best: http://nwalpine.com/fastlight-pant http://nwalpine.com/nwalpinist-salopette

Trango SuperFly or the OZ. Great winter biners and even better on rock.

Actually very few manufacture's numbers are accurate in the 100s I have measured. Reason is they may measure a small or a med in garments or a 42 in boots sizes for example to lower their numbers. Since GRAMS actually do count in climbing gear some just plain cheat to make themselves look better than they actually are. Cool idea and a nice start but if 90% of your data is more than likely flawed some more work to do I suspect.

Simple question...did you happen to weigh all 6000 items yourself or did you use the manufacture's published weights?

I always plan on using this bag with a jacket unless it is mid summer. How cold it is defines how big of jacket. -18F was a huge surprise and BIG mistake on my part. Pretty miserable night becasue of it. Thank Gawd for a hot water bottle. Would have brought a different bag if I had known. But those kind of temps told me what I needed to make the bag warmer for my own use. A better seal on top was one and as much loft as the bag would support. I was happy with the bag previous. Thrilled with it now.

I've have one in Event for 6 or 7 years. Decent bag in stock form. After a night shivering @ -18F I had the max over fill added (4 or 5 oz can't remember but FFs knows) last year (torso mostly) and a simple collar (a first I was told for this bag). Now the bag really rocks for me Still don't want to use it at -18F again though. There are no side baffles so you can more the down around ifthe bag is not over stuffed. Cool idea that never really worked for me using it as a climbing bag. Bag is narrow and tight. I am neither so if I rolled over the bag did as well which made for cold spots.

You'll need to do this and more You don't use traditional gaiters with these boots so that they can breath. But a good pant gaiter is required. Do NOT tuck your pants into the boots. The boots will get wet if you do. Antiperspirant on you feet might be a good idea as well on multiday climbs.

I suspect you have found the Ultra a little hard and expensive to obtain. Very little sole insulation in this boot. It is most comparable to the Trango Extreme GTX with a full gaiter than any other boot available currently. Or the Scarpa Pro Jorasses. They are a lot lighter than the Nepal Evo or the Mt Blanc. But it is only a few ounces per boot. And they are much much easier to walk in as well than either leather boot. If they fit the Trango is a lighter option. But the Trango is a pure biotch once fully wet internally. In the mtns you'll never get it dried out. The Ultra is not how ever any warmer than the Nepal Evo which I have also climbed in. No clue on the Mt Blanc from actual use but my take was the Mt Blanc wasn't going to be as warm as the Nepal. What is missing from the conversation is the Ultra will be much more comfortable than any of the leather boots or the Trango as the Ultra breathes much better even with the gaiter. They are also much easier to dry out than the Trango and easier to keep dry as well. Thank Outdry technology for that. I've been using the Ultra for a couple of years now and love them every where. But I generally climb the most in winter conditions. I've also use the Trango Extreme and the Nepal Evo in the same conditions. Ultra is a nice boot but I wouldn't spend almost $600 plus shipping and order them from Europe when a Phantom Guide or the new Batura 2 will do everything almost as well with little penalty except a tiny bit of weight and more warmth. The Trango Extreme and Ultra are very specialised boots. You'll want to have your skills DIALED to keep either of the LWT boots dry and usable for Rainier. Because if you don't life will be miserable on the mtn. Here are some real weights from a size 45 La Sportiva Batura 1st gen. 2#7oz / 1106g La Sportiva Batura Evo 2nd gen. 2#9oz / 1170g Batura 2 (gen 3) is not listed but available next month La Sportiva Nepal Evo 2#10.5oz / 1205g La Sportiva Trango Evo Extreme GTX 2#3oz (35oz) / 992g Scarpa Phantom Ultra new 2010 model 2#3.5oz (35.5oz) / 1006g Scarpa Phantom Guide new 2010 model 2#7.5oz / 1120g Scarpa Phantom 6000 new 2010 model 2#10oz (a full dbl boot with intergal gaiter) / 1190g The Guide splits the difference on weight and is still easier to walk in than any full leather boots...but not as easy as the Ultra. The bonus is you can get the Guide on sale locally if you look around and guarantee the fit which is not the same as the Ultra. The other good option I think is the Mt Blanc or the Pro Jorasses which is similar to the Trango Extreme. The Pro Jorasses gets used a lot in Canada during winter so it is easily warm enough for your objectives.

Zebra/Zion, Sunshine die, Lion's Chair, Karate crack...not all 5.10 but some you can easily TR..others not. Fun stuff either way and must dos at Smith.

Get an XL in a hard shell if you are between sizes. Hard shells don't generally stretch. Although there are a few high tech ones now that do a tiny bit. As DPS implies better too big than too small as the hard shell will need to go over everything but your last layer of cold weather insulation.

Keenwash it is impossible to get overzealous hooking I can only atest to what I saw, which was this: Nastia...our ice princess with her magic Nomic!

You'd better do a little research then

Ben was several centuries late to that party Dru. The legend of Corvids being loss Alpinists is literally as old as the sport.

Right on, and a mug of good coffee thrown in

In my world and in the Alps the Corvids are the reincarnated souls of our dead mountain partners. I see Gary, John, Kim, Jack or a host of others known or not known to me....sitting back having a cig while watching us mortals getting lost as we snicker snack the opaque oblivion with our vorbal blades. (that would be a Nomic on water ice to you unwashed heathens Much as we would now in the corporal form after a good battle, meal or wild sex with a cigarette, fine glass of wine or horn of mead in hand! Best to leave an offering first and hope for what ever remaining luck the Corvids might pass on to us! I prefer to ditch the virgins first thing myself, in hope for the best results on any snicker snack mission what do ya think, a little over the top? Yep, I am feeling better!