Dane

Added a few more things...

It was fine yesterday. Be even better/colder today. Weekend should be decent as well. I'm at 800' on Tiger mtn and have had hard frosts a few mornings, including this morning. Go get some.

For those that asked. New Nomic picks will fit the old Nomic heads with a spacer...a simple washer will work there for a spacer. From the prototypes shown at OR this winter the Petzl hammer and adze will not work without cutting up your old head. They were prototypes but I suspect very close to what we will see as production. Hopefully these pictures will be more succinct on the newest head profiles. And why the Petzl hammer/adze will not fit the older tools. The incut into the head is to further support the hammer and adze in use. I used a similar technique to support the CT Nomic hammer without cutting the aluminum tool head and got a lower profile and better balance as advantages. Newest head profile on all the tools..this is an Ergo. Check out the milled slot in the aluminum head and the half thickness back of pick for hammer or adze interface and spacer washer. Petzl's add on hammer 58g (Petzl pick weights are 65g per tool) Close up of CT and Petzl interface CT's add on hammer 34g

Saw that as well...and don't trust my "hand" weights from the OR show. But I really didn't notice a lot of differenece weight wise between the two models of boots. In comparison to the Phantom Guide @ 900g, the Batura is suppose to be 980g or 34.67oz. The Baruntse 44.7 oz/ 1267g. The Sportiva weights are for a single boot and are close to my size 45s when weighted on a postal scale. I'd speculate the 2460g is for a pair of the 6000...or 1230g per boot. But it is only a guess. I hear the 1st part of April for the Guides to be available Bummer that there are no half sizes being imported though. From Scarpa earlier today. "The phantom 6000 should be here around June, the Phantom Guide beginning of April. The Phantom 6000 is only offered in whole sizes." Upper: Lorica® with a velveteen and EVA lining Liner: Thermo liner Midsole: Proflex XT Sole: Vibram® Dual PU Gsb Color: Orange, black Last: AC Sizes: 38-48 (whole sizes) Weight: 2460g (42) Product Code: 87405

Well not quite ;-) One of the new features Petzl has incorporated into the newest Nomic and other tools coming out the fall of 2010 is a way to add an umbilical attachment leash without it being under your hand while climbing. Basically what they did is drill a hole through the aluminum section the protrudes into the pommel and then mill some of the Delrin pommel away to fit sling material down both sides and out the pommel. What Petzl showed at the OR show was some pretty thin cord (2mm or something like it). Not enough for my liking, thanks. So I did the same with a thicker diameter cord that would take something more than body weight. I have been using 4mm cord that tests at 900# Easy mod to do to the old Nomic with a hand drill and a file if need be. I used a hand drill and a mill. Much cleaner answer than what I have been using. Original attachment Cut Pommel Additional 5mm hole drilled. both sides are then counter sunk new cord New cord slotted in the pommel "New" Nomic After looking at this more closely I find it hard to believe that the new Nomic pommels with a "spike" won't retro fit the old tools. While looking at the new tools (all prototypes) and taking them apart at the OR show my guess was the old Nomics will take both the new picks and the new Pommel. Although Petzl says no on both, my Nomic pick/hammer fit their newest Nomic (I actually fit it to their tool)...but like I said they were prototypes at the OR show. Be fun to see if what I suspect is really the case when they are available. Either way I think the newest leash attachment is a good improvement on the tools...and worth doing on the older ones if you are so inclined. It isn't much work and I don't see a down side.

Anything that works. Your idea sounds good to me. I like to use a system that will work for any of my tools and not be tool specific. Nomics and some of the newest tools can be an issue. This is a bigger custom Chaos Randy recently sewed up for me and Nomics or Fusions carry fine in it as would any traditional axe.

May be but not likely even in early May. The Lookout is around 6000'. Sweitzer and Silver still have 60+ inches at that elevation.

FWIW Mountain Hardware offers a life time guarantee and stands behind their gear with easy replacement from my experience (gloves). Getting yours replaced at no cost with a new one shouldn't be an issue. My Compressor Hoodie is 3 seasons old now and besides a few holes in the shell from climbing in it on mixed seems to be holding up well. I've used it on dozens of winter pitches to date. The MH Compressor Hoody was a best buy imo for a lwt belay jacket and a weight most will find more useful than the other jackets I listed. "Was" because it is now made of Primaloft Eco and not Primaloft 1. -18 a couple weeks ago in Canada.

I have used a Khazri 35 some. Nice pack but I really wanted to take a knife to all the straps. I decided the entire ice axe attachment thing was silly on a basic climbing pack that I might actually haul or have to climb in. So I had dbl rope straps added on top of the pack and lay my tools across the top and strap them down along with anything else that needs to go there, rope and crampons are common as I run out of room. But the helmet and crampons usually go inside the pack. Works with any 50cm tool easily. If you are using Nomics...they can go shaft first into the pack with the picks out the top and off to the side. Perfect size for me walking into long one day technical climbs and most importantly to climb in if I am not bringing bivy gear. Lids are removeable. Same packs different materials.

At $500 retail and $300 on a pro deal the Duelly should give you a shave and shower and come in something besides basic black. By far @ $100+...the most expensive jacket I looked at in this group. Both the DAS and the Tango can both be had for less than $300. I found the cuffs once wet hard to dry out and hard to get a gloved hand through. But Arcteryx's hydrophobic insulation (it is exceptional) and superb fit may be, almost, worth dbl the price. Compared to the best hoods available...the Duelly's comes up lacking.

The MEC Tango, the DAS, the Mammut, the Arcteryx and the MT Hardware all have dbl sliders on the zippers. The others did not. I found fit/design much more important than the zipper being dbl sided. Good design and fit eliminated the need for a dbl zipper for my own use with a harness. YMMV Both the EB and Narrona were cut trim in front specifically to use the simpler single zipper design.

My fourth and final consult in Seattle was Orthopedics International in Bellevue/Seattle. Dr. Neil Roberts is now my go to guy. Did an awesome job on my knee when others said I was done runnning let alone climbing. O-International is into "sports" medicine and have both Seahawks and Mariners as clients. Roberts also did one of my bicep. Happy with the consult, results and follow up both times

Some manufactures seem to think there are advantages of just a DWR finish and not using a laminate such as Event or Goretex. Breathability being one. While others use expensive laminates that have to be augmented by a DWR to provide the level of moisture protection they require at a loss of breathability. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durable_Water_Repellent DWR (Durable Water Repellent) is a coating added to fabrics at the factory to make them water-resistant (or hydrophobic). Nearly all factory-applied treatments are fluoropolymer based,[1] durable water repellents are commonly used in conjunction with waterproof breathable fabrics such as Gore-Tex fabric to prevent the outer layer of fabric from becoming saturated with water. This saturation, called 'wetting out,' can reduce the garment's breathability (moisture transport through the breathable membrane). As the DWR helps maintain the breathable nature of the outerwear, periodic DWR re-treatment is recommended during the garment's life. Many off-the-shelf spray-on and wash-in treatments may be purchased at backpacking and skiing stores. Some manufacturers of these sprays include Grangers, Nikwax, McNett or Trek7. The traditional methods for factory application of DWR treatments involve applying a chemical/solvent solution onto the surface of the fabric using either a spray process or a dipping process. Newer technologies have begun applying the chemistry in the vapor phase using Chemical Vapor Deposition machinery. The advantages to this process include: (1) It eliminates the use of hazardous solvents in the application process which are environmentally hazardous upon disposal. (2) The process requires less chemical and the resulting layer is "Nano-thin" which mitigates any impact the coating may have on the natural look or feel of the fabric. Additional advancements in the technology have eliminated the use of perflourinated acids (PFOA's) in the application process. PFOA's have been have been deemed as potentially hazardous to human health by the Environmental Protection Agency[2]. Retreating Garments Durable water repellent finishes tend to wear off over time and need to be re-applied. Washing the garment first will help any DWR that remains work better. A subsequent treatment with a 'spray-on' or 'soak-in' treatment will restore the water repellency. Re-treatment products are generally available at stores that supply backpacking and skiing equipment.

Not all DNRs are equal. http://eventfabrics.com/eVent_technology.php Could you add some source material to your comment?

fun stuff!

ccw info -sold-

That is some funny shit...good Scotsman torturing the English again

120m M10 WI6 Dave Macloed on on some hard mixed...Anubis E8 6c, which even he hasn't rated yet.

Thanks T. For those looking in the future: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/915392/Re_Sharpening_ice_gear#Post915392 A few guys have come up with personal pick profiles they really like. If so I can easily duplicate your personal profiles or do what I think best for your picks and their current condition. Either way I am easy to work with and can recut and resharpen your picks specifically for your own use. Any manufacturer's ice screws and 'pons are easy and will come back razor sharp and honed. For the guys using anyone but a climbing specific ice tool and screw sharpener (read someone who actually uses the stuff as intended) I can guarantee they will miss half of what is required to bring your screws back to 100%.

For no other reason than they seem to be making what I want, I own a Beal Joker 9.1 (2 seasons of little use and is close to replacement) and a set of Ice Twin 7.7 lines (3 seasons of decent use and need to be replaced). I have really liked both of these Beal rope systems. Although I wish they would last longer. I have a few other ropes Mammut, NEI, something from REI and a few others for cragging. Nothing to get excited about. I wanted a cheap rope for that use. But I really like a stiff rope so next time I'll look at what Petzl offers.

Thanks! Found this from your directions. Looks really condition dependant. http://www.mountainproject.com/v/utah/wasatch_range/santaquin_canyon/106458405 Rope gun at BD soloed this (Automatic)and Angel the other morning...

where is this thing exactly... and now I hear this one and another grade 6 was soloed last week I'm thinking I should start selling my ice gear and take up golf or better yet poker and whiskey.

Last week Mike...you snooze, or work for a living...you loose out on the sugar plumbs

up dated availability, prices and pictures...

Cleaner profile (less to snag on mixed than the Grivel "circle" bail and p.o.s. toe strap both of which I find annoying) and more importantly a better crampon to boot fit. FWIW the G12 with it's exceptionally long (in comparison to others available) first two sets of points make a good winter mixed and ice crampon for the typical soft ice in the Cascades imo.