Dane

No actually you don't. If you did we would all know who you are. Who are you anyway Lazy? You don't really believe that, because if it was lazy, everyone would do it. Give Twight his due...you either love his shit or hate it and hate him. Likely few inbetween. For fun name the three most influencial contributors to the NA alpine climbing community over the last 40 years. I have a short list. What is yours?

He also admitted to leaving the stove and gear on the Solvak and how shattered they all were just getting back to 14. Not letting the fact that 13 years later no one has come close to accomplishing the same thing on the route mind you. Love the rumors. Facts are little more specific. Typical recommended dose of Diamox is now a "tanked on a bag full of drugs" somehow?

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2013/01/what-cheaters-have-done-to-us.html Add to that list Diamox for clients, guides and the idoits on Rainier. Did it myself on occasion bitd but agreed with Twight on this and would take the label of cheater even further now obviously.

Springs can degrade over time. But that will become obvious right off skiing them if it is a problem. Ski'um and enjoy!

The skiing in sunshine today was better.

"This is not the gear you are looking for" Move along now Good story on the Goatee above that is more interesting and a shorter drive.

No, even cooler! The DyNA boots are lighter THAN ANY current ice boot on the market buy a good bit. Batura 2.0 is the current record holder just under the Trango Extreme Evo. Newest Scarpa Rebel Ultra will beat everything listed to date for a fabric traditional styled ice/mtn boot. Going to be darn close to the DyNA for weight. May be even better it at 700+gs in a 45. I'll know more on that shortly. It is all very exciting. Weights posted are actual in my size 45s. La Sportiva Batura 2.o. 2#2oz / 970g 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 La Sportiva Batura 2nd gen. 2#9oz / 1170g La Sportiva Nepal Evo 2#10.5oz / 1205g The DyNA is 870g per boot or 1.9 POUNDS....1 # 14oz or 30oz! Dropping a full 10oz per pair off my size 45 from the lightest FABRIC ice climbing boot! They have been freakin amazing to climb ice in if you like a stiff boot. I always have. Like climbing in a old Kolfach pretty much. Pluses and minus to that. Fit is and warmth is better on the DyNA. And a true double with a heat moldable and removable liner.

Just pants Jason. There is a once piece but I aint that fast or Euro enough even in my feeble mind Cale, all the TLT/DyNA series will easily climb Grade 5/6 ice. The boots just keep getting lighter.

870g per boot in my size 45/29. Big drop on weight again. The DyNA versions are a lighter ski-mo race boot. I just got a new pair specifically for climbing. Stripped version of the yellow TLT Ps but basically the same boot minus any weight they could shave and still have the boot ski well.

Brian, packing up today. Gotta decide what all to bring! Cale? What no style points for matching sun glasses,helmet and top? New boots are blue and white. They'll match better. Just not here yet. It all makes me laugh! Tough crowd

Come on Gene, ya got more to say I know ya do! Matt this look more familiar? Jan. 1973, Canada. A full 40 years ago now! More the fashion of the late '80s in Bozeman! Things have gone full circle in many ways here.

That is correct! If you haven't used lycra on rock or even better the newest Euro stuff in the alpine or ice you have no clue on what you are missing. Troglodytes that don't yet climb leashless need not apply! Yep, those are Nomics on moderate alpine terrain, soloing in ski boots and risking life and limb with a another BD stainless horizontal failure. Ya gotta dig the matching shirt and glasses though, right Discuss? Or disgusted

Pretty sure this dude was giving me the finger today

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-north-face-climbing-boot-verto.html http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2012/11/light-weight-mtn-boots.html I had a size 12. Fit was true to size and more LS than Scarpa for width. Easy replacemnt for the Triolet.

Petzl sponsored climbers typically run the Hirundos. Black Diamond sponsored climbers the Xenos. I'll leave it to your imagination who has the bigger budget and how those $s are spent at Ice festivals.

Jeff Lowe and Slipstream's first ascent party commented in print that they considered Slipstream the longest "waterfall" climb in NA and one of the longest in the world with the added objective dangers of an alpine climb bitd. It has been done on water ice bottom to top early season. 900m of elevation gain. Polarity, around the corner from Slipstream on Snow Dome should put the "longest" notion to rest by a KO. No snow slogging on that one. http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web07f/wfeature-canadian-rockies-ueli-steck Riptide, Gimme Shelter, Reality Bath come to mind. Even lowly Polar Circus has 500m of ice tucked in with the slogging and even more elevation gain. Central Pillar and Weeping Pillar offer 160m @ WI5+ & 180m @ WI6. 7 pitches of steep ice ( almost like a 7 pitch vertical pillar in fact) with a nice belay ledge in between My understanding is all the Canadian guide book numbers are elevation gain not the amount of climbing. STH in Provo is easy and short and not very serious by comparison to the others listed here.

Petzl Hirundos. May be not the "best" But seems good enough. Never been on a climb that I needed more screws than you can rack on two Petzl clippers. If that ever happens I'll need a rest anyway. So I'll rig a belay with the last two screws I have available and start over. YMMV

Mike. sent you a PM. Bottom line? I dropped down on the inner a full size (matched shell to stated liner size) and then intentionally over cooked them a bit to make the bootie really tight in the boot shell while fitting. Result was a a very tight and supportive boot. Much more so than the original Baruntse liner I fit. Makes a pretty good endurnace ice boot now I think. Kinda suprised on the signifigant change in support. More to come on that change over and how it worked out in the blog later in the month.

ADK is right on. Spantik has a stiffer ankle, not so good for climbing on really technical ground for the unwashed masses, good for endurance ice, front pointing, skiing and likely snow boardiung

45 and 44.5 shells are the same. There are no true half sizes in the La Sportiva dbl boots. A 45.5 and the 46 are the same. 43.5 and 44 are the same size shell. Doesn't matter if it is the Oly Mons, Spantik or Baruntse. No half sizes. Baruntse's fit a bit bigger in the toe area than the Spantik. You have several options. You can get a boot guy to punch out the toe a little on the Spantik. And trim your toes nail often. Just use the much bigger 46 shell and a bigger inner boot. Or switch inner boots and put a Baruntse inner in the boot you have and then have it heat formed to your feet with enough room for you bigger foot. I've done all of them and settled on the Baruntse inner in the smaller shell. Having climbed a lot in the 46 and 45 shells the bonus is for a warmer and lighter boot when you are done. All the details to those comments and more than you'll likely ever want to know about the Spantik here: http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/search?q=spantik

Why no email Nate? May be all those comments as why the hammer is better is why you bought them On your version, from last season, cut the picks. 5 min job. DO NOT cut the hammer. FWIW I am just now starting to ship the last batch of hammers for this season. I have 20 pairs left. So they won't last long. These you don't cut, and they drop into old or new Nomics and the newest Quark or Ergo with the current picks. http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/2012/11/petzl-hammers-one-last-time.html

For what? Your "action suit" climbing? Or just cold weather, like sitting on a chair lift? "Layering" is an interesting term. Not really very descriptive any more. What you have described would work fine in a cold dry environment with a couple of definative caveats. It will work best with a very breathable shell. Hopefully your shell offers some moisture protection for the down, so it doesn't fail from moisture on the outside. And the shell breathes well enough that your sweat doesn't soak the down on the inside first. Best to match your use to the shell's abilities. The shell will define how consistantly warm your down will be. What you have suggested is a fairly common system. Just not a very effective one. Down is great if you can protect it. And know how and where to use it. Once wet it is not very useful.

"The Petzl rear bails are too wide for the small sized boots, period." Agreed. Neither Petzl or BD heel up rights fit my 45s like they should. Grivel has that part figured out. I use the BD rear levers on my gear because the bottom of the lever offers a better platform and more surface area than does Petzl's imo. Switching rear bales doesn't change the fit any, just makes the crampon more secure by the leverage and retainer strap position BD uses. Having a pair of boots that the soles are in good shape will help that as well. But I am rethinkiing the BD levers at the moment. They were just easier to get than the Grivels. But either will work on Petzl crampons and offer the similar benefits other than the adjusting nut on BD's version is aluminum and Grivel's is plastic. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1092529/gonew/1/BD_heel_bails_inspect_for_wear#UNREAD

Petzls might work. I fit a pair of Lynx to Yokum's (mens) 39 Trangos. Not the best fit in the heel. Her boots was very worn, but she was able to climb well enough with the Lynx. Petzl heel is likely going to be way too wide though on an even smaller women's size 38 boot. Looks to me to be a market the hardware companies are simply missing. But then they have a hard time getting it right for an average mens 44/45 as well. I often wonder how any industry that is so specialised, have so much liability at risk, and still be so clueless.

What size Woman's Nepal Evo are you using? Likely the crampon combo that will fit very small boots the best will be a Grivel (G22/20) (they have the smallest/narrowest heel retainers) with a Petzl front bail. Typically Nepal Evos are easy to fit with most any crampons, despite the fact you have read other wise. Small boots on the other hand and/or inexperience knowing what a decent crampon fit should be are two totally different issues. I can't speak from experience on small boots, having only fitted a few. But I have fit just about every combo (literally) of modern ice boots and modern crampons in a 45. From that experience I think you have done well. I would never pick a specific crampon to climb in. I'd pick the boot that best fits my feet first and then find/fix a crampon that will climb well on your choice in boots. Let us know what you come up with and good luck!