Dane

No worries Curt.....should have seen what I went through to have the design explained to me. Just so happy Gene inabled me to share My only dissappointment with Dartwins was wanting the pairs I gave away, back!

Congrats to the new mom and dad!

Naw, I might have, but I keep giving them away.

Anyone catch Andrew Bisharat's review of the XV in the newest issue of R&I? I never fail to be unimpressed by some of the stupid shit people write who should obviously know better. And EB gave him the jacket to review!!! "complaints: no big pouch pockets...I use those to store climbing shoes...and a thermos. "Doesn't have a dual zipper...that helps us climbers when we don hardness, tie knots..." Having Andrew write a review on sport climbing in the XV is like having a 14 year old with a learner's permit write a driver's review of a Formula One car.

Send them to me and I'll try my hardest....just not sure they can ever be fixed or put back together now

I'd sure like too! Rab may happen now that they have a US warehose.

Good observation. I would assume that the newest helmet designs are more concerned with head impacts while falling than they are about impact protection from falling objects. I too have realised the lack of protection on the back of the head and exposed neck area. FWIW between my Grivel Salamander hard shell and my Petzl Meteor II foamed shell the coverage is virually the same. And little coverage for the neck if you bend your head forward and down. Better to keep your head up I guess and see it coming

My apologies to Julian and no disrespect to Will but a 45m WI4 no matter how many laps were done now or 10 years ago has nothing to do with the changes in ice climbing standards. It does how ever point to the changes in Will's physical abilities over that 10 year period. And he has added much to the sport. This stunt wasn't a big addition. Compare the comments with Guy Lacelle's 5hr solo of all three Trophy wall WI6 routes almost 10 years ago now. Or the enchainments many have been involved in that were changes made possible by tools and new mind sets. Frank Jordan's solo enchainment in 1994 comes to mind. That one still amazes and inspires me to what might be possible. Read more here: http://www.gravsports.com/Aerobic%20Pages/frankjourdan.htm

Good question! First might help to know that their really are some smart people in the design department at Petzl. They don't leave anything on the table. Which is why most everyone has been copying them. Just don't get me started on the freak'in side-locks! Yes, there is a right and a left And no they were never made to be reversable. While possible, if you did choose to use them that way I would worry about breaking them as the design of the forfoot was never intended to be stressed that way. The idea with the Dart and Dartwin from the get go was the lightest weight and most technical crampon possible. Light weight by design generally means a certain lack of durability. I have found that true in both Petzl Dart designs but a worthwhile trade off for me. The longer outside point is made that way because we all climb with splayed feet. If you are looking for the best stability with a vertical point crampon (not the best on stability in all around mtn conditions) and not a compromised monopoint what Petzl did makes perfect sense. They already had the Dart so way would they compromise on a second design? When it comes to climbing hard mixed in Dartwins, the shorter inside front point has some distinct advantages over two long front points that you would want on neve' or even water ice. It is a very technical crampon designed specifically for hard, modern mixed on big mtn routes. What many didn't realise originally (myself included) was the Dartwin was supposed to be as technically specific as the Nomic obviously is. Awesome 'pons if used in the right place imo. Front points might look a little weird but they will climb great. Seriously, I'd be happy to buy them from you Gene if they are in decent shape and the price is right. Some good climbers using them on hard routes. Dartwins on n. Butt of Hunter from Colin Haley's web site (Colin's photo) Bjørn-Eivind's left foot in Dartwins while leading leading "The Vision" should clarifiy what I couldn't. Dartwin again with Ueli Steck the Grand Jorasses..Jon Griffith photo The Petzl police and your buddies will only laugh at you for having your 'pons on backwards I use to have that happen a lot in kindergarden

You mean to say pissing down the route is now unethical? Ya, they need to come to NA. Some nice lines they are doing though.

I ended up with jackets for 2 in depth reviews. Basically bivy jackets and lighter belay jackets.

My XLs won't make 1.5 Nalgene XV on the left in a 6x12 with room to spare. Mtn Hardware Compressor Hoody on the right, tight, in a # 3 FF stuff sack, 8x5?. Both jackets are XLs. If you wear a "Small", things would go into much, much smaller sacks I'm finding the best sythetic belay jackets (DAS, WT BJ and Dually) and the best down belay jackets will go into a smaller sacks than they are shipped with and all my XLs will go into the 12x6 with different levels of effort and generally with room to spare.

These days smart climbers use the lightest, high tech helmets on anything from El Cap to 5.14 or while on both. Wasn't long ago that wearing a helmet rock climbing signaled you out as a GEEK No more thankfully with everyone from the Huber Brothers to Ueli Steck trust up and pulling hard on rock or ice. We've all had the discussion before about the two basic styles of helmets, hard shell plastic and the lighter (and more impact protection) foam cored shelled helemts. There are places for both imo. I like the hard shell plastic helmets in the mountains and on routes I don't baby my gear. But they offer less over all impact protection. The foam cord helmets offer a big jump in impact protection....once... so we have disposable helmets. One big hit and you need a new one. The bike industry offers the same foam cored technology, expects their cutomers to break helmets on a regular basis (generally preventing serious tramatic injuries and saving a life) because of that, so all the better bike helmet companies offers a helmet trade in discount to replace a broken helmet. (Giro and Bell) They have recognized a healthy customer will buy even more helmets My generation generally only used helmets in the alpine and on water ice. But it wasn't a quick adoption. Even with a helmet head, eye and facial injuries are not uncommon now. This chuckle head's life was spared yesterday by a foam cored Giro snow board helmet. Helmet a total loss of course. But without one he'd be DEAD. Water ice can be partically vicious. I've been knocked out on lead and had several facial cuts that were serious enough it took stiches to put me back together. After catching a piece of ice in my right eye on a pillar last winter I am now using a visor on water ice. Not being able to see for longer than I wanted and wondering just how bad the injury really was is something I'd like to avoid in the future. Common stuff but you get the idea. Let's see your helmet or injury? Might remind a few of us to be careful out there! Jack and his geeky visor that I really wanted after a piece of ice popped me directly in the eye on this trip. I finally bought a visor yesterday! Same trip and a typical ice climbing "scratch". That can just as easily be really serious. With a visor I would have easily have avoided this. ZuZu wants to know if you are wearing a helmet?

Thanks Mike. But good question and it deserved an answer. Truth is I was never that good of climber on my best days so I have always searched out any edge in gear I could fine and take advantage of. Serious injuries in the last few years (tore off both biceps at one point among others) have really made me pay heed to any minute improvement I can identify these days and quickly adopt it

No industry connections. The reviews posted here at CC.com have simply come from my own purchases and the search for product knowledge that I try to pass along. Those purchases are the majority of time, but not always, done at full retail for those that have wondered.

XV is about the same as the WT...but I'll have more detailed info in a few days. No question the XV is worth the sale price and retail price for that matter imo. If you are looking for a jacket that is tiny in the pack this aint it. But it is also one of the warmest ( a step up over the WT BJ and most everything else) when it comes to real climbing jackets available....just no free lunch.

It is usually half hanger and half base. Top half falls off first every year sometimes more than once.

Ya cool Curt...not that they are bad tools but DMM also pays him a shite load of money to do so If "you" (not Curt 'cus I know he knows better) are judging tools by who chooses to climb on them you have missed a few things inbetween. Take a good look around Jon's web site (worth your time if you like alpine) and you'll see BD, Petzl and Grivel are well represented on some good climbing....and even a picture or two of Nick and his mate here and there on DMM.

Dave actually turned me on the photo of Ueli Steck from last week.. Thanks Dave! Then I did a little snooping around with a few buddies and got this Remember you saw it first on Alpineexposures.com. OR show in SLC next week should be fun. "new Quark Ergos... ridiculously aggressive though" Similar first impression that a Nomic makes. I'm way stoked to see them in person and get them out on some ice! http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions

Dave actually turned me on the photo of Ueli Steck from last week.. Thanks Dave! Then I did a little snooping around with a few buddies and got this Remember you saw it first on Alpineexposures.com OR show in SLC next week should be fun. "new Quark Ergos... ridiculously aggressive though" I'm way stoked to see them in person and get them out! http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions

In every major Chinese city there is a open market area where you can buy North Face, Patagonia or any legit western brand name with world wide brand name recognition out of open air stalls. All rip offs and all pennies on the dollar. Easy to "rip off" as most of the brand names they are selling are also manufactured in China. Local population loves the stuff and its generally worth what you pay for it. In person we bought some great designer clothing really cheap but no way I would do it over the Internet. Stuff is generally made only in sizes for the locals. That often means a XXL is a medium or worse. My wife's ankle length leather coat, while beautiful, is a XXXL which is just barely big enough. And she wears a 6!

Bronco's newest EB sale deserves a BIG bump....get it while it lasts....$188 for the XV is silly money.

Dave's coldthistle.com Nomic adze Dane's stock Quark grip Julian's modified Aztar grip Doug's chopped Fusion pommel

yes re: aermet, more production delays (back order on steel this time)...but they are coming and worth the wait if the field testing we did yesterday is any indication.

And I was only thinking about getting up real early to go do a little easy finshing