Dane

Earliest commercially available Friends did not have a pre-sewn sling and came in 1/2/3 although 4s came quickly after the first release. They did had a machine nut on the end of the axles. It is a thinner nut than the next gen. which is a smaller, thicker nut and has the "made in England" and Pat stamp and # as well. Earlier cams have straight bottoms and no lightening holes in the #1 and #2. (my original ones from Jardin in Yosemite where not drilled 1/2/3) The early stamp is WILD COUNTRTY in two lines covering the full width of the stem very close to the axels, the "FRIEND" stamp is small and about 1/3 the width of the stem. And a very simple and very small "made in England" is on the reverse side of the stem. The # about 1/2 the width of the stem. So early gen is a big thin nut, two line WILD COUNTRY. The second gen is a smaller thicker nut and one line WILD COUNTRY. Next gen came with the hex head nut.

Don't beat yourself up. You are doing the stand up thing now. It is obvious to me that the "right" thing needed some definition. Booty or thief? No one was 100% right/wrong in this one. Good lesson (and a good public discussion imo) for everyone and hopefully an even better lesson for both climbers, leaver and taker. Good on ya, Micah for standing up in public.

we wondered who took that 300' off Pineapple in th middle of the street, windows down and keys in the ignition....

Until Kevino posted the link I guess I didn't realise just how common it was to have draws ripped off projects. Bad Karma. But I also wonder just how many people look at it as stealing? You leave your gear on the rock and for most I suspect it is fair game, booty. If you are not projecting stuff yourself and understand the need for fixed gear it is even easier to label it booty. Leave gear on a 5.7 and you know the result. I don't see any different result if you leave gear on a 5.11 or a 5.13 for that matter, if the gear is easy to get to. On a serious note and as a matter of record I want everyone to know the rope I left on Asguard this winter is a project rope and not booty. If you beat me to it I would expect it to be returned.

Just another "fossilized turd" with no dog in the fight but I do have an observation. Aborigine isn't that hard by even '80s standards at 5.11. Draws left there over night were up for grabs as booty by any standard. No disrespect intended ot either the botty hauler or Mr. Johnson. But we are talking 5 or 6 slings and the accompaning biners. (if they were mine I'd actually know the number missing) At least two of them were "sponsored draws". In the grand scheme of things not that much money even for a "non-working" climber. For someone that is at least particially sponsored and willing to freeely replace old gear on the wall not much of a ding in the pocket book. Our shit being ripped from the base of a climb or out of a car is one thing, leaving your gear hanging on MODERATE climbs by sport standards is another. Just an FYI but if I had seen a half dozen draws hanging on a moderate 5.11, mid week, I might have taken the time myself to hang my way up the thing just for the fun and the free booty. But I don't score booty these days. Bad Karma, IMO. I've had enough stuff ripped off over the years. Found a bunch as well. With the ability to communicate via the Internet these days everyone seems to think what they "leave" should be returned. I've picked up 3 sets of leashless tools this winter at rap stations. Gave them back when I could. But if someone started bitching about "loosing" them and DEMANDED them back I'd sooner give them away to a good home. You'd have to be kinda a dumb ass to leave them there in the first place. My guess is the poor bastard that did score your gear had no clue why you left it but I bet he didn't think it intentional. Bitching about it here might seem like an educational opportunity for some. The real lesson for me anyway is, don't be leaving your shit on "easy" climbs. Some climbers (looks like 50% from this thread) seem to think anything not locked up, nailed down and with a Rottweiler guarding it as free for the taking.

From a buddy of mine this morning. Gotta wonder just how true it is? "I was checking cruise lines because I heard the rates are very cheap right now. I found a Somali cruise package that departs from Sawakin (in the Sudan ) and docks at Bagamoya (in Tanzania ). The cost is a bit high @ 800 per person double occupancy but I didn't find that offensive. What I found encouraging and enlightened is that the cruise is encouraging people to bring their 'High powered weapons' along on the cruise. If you don't have weapons you can rent them right there on the boat. They claim to have a master blacksmith on board and will have reloading parties every afternoon. The cruise lasts from 4-8 days and nights and costs a maximum of $3200 per person double occupancy (4 days). All the boat does is sail up and down the coast of Somalia waiting to get hijacked by pirates. Here are some of the costs and claims associated with the package. $800.00 US/per day double occupancy (4 day max billing) M-16 full auto rental $ 25.00/day ammo at 100 rounds of 5.56 armor piercing ammo at 15.95 Ak-47 riffle @ No charge. ammo at 100 rounds of 7.62 Com block ball ammo at 14.95 Barrett M-107 .50 Cal sniper riffle rental 55.00/day ammo at 25 rounds 50 Cal armor piercing at 9.95 Crew members can double as spotters for 30.00 per hour ( spotting scope included). Jesus Christ---- they even offer RPG's at 75 bucks and 200 dollars for 3 standard loads "Everyone gets use of free complimentary night vision equipment and coffee and snacks on the top deck from 7pm-6am." Meals are not included but seem reasonable. Most cruises offer a mini-bar... these gung ho entrepreneurs offer......... get this..... "MOUNTED MINIGUN AVAILABLE @ 450.00 per 30 seconds of sustained fire" They advertise group rates and corporate discounts...... and even claim "FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY" They even offer a partial money back if not satisfied....here's some text from the ad. "We guarantee that you will experience at least two hijacking attempts by pirates or we will refund half your money back including gun rental charges and any unused ammo ( mini gun charges not included).. How can we guarantee you will experience a hijacking? We operate at 5 knots within 12 miles of the coast of Somalia . If an attempted Hijacking does not occur we will turn the boat around and cruise by at 4 knots. We will repeat this for up to 8 days making three passes a day along the entire length of Somalia . At night the boat is fully lit and bottle rockets are shot off at intervals and loud disco music beamed shore side to attract attention. Cabin space is limited so respond quickly. Reserve your package before Feb 29 and get 100 rounds of free tracer ammo in the caliber of your choice." As if all that isn't enough to whet your appetite, there were a few testimonials "I got three confirmed kills on my last trip. I'LL never hunt big game in Africa again!"---- Lars , Hamburg Germany "Six attacks in 4 days was more than I expected. I bagged three pirates and my 12yr old son sank two rowboats with the minigun. PIRATES 0 -PASSENGERS-32! Well worth the trip. Just make sure your spotter speaks English" Ned, Salt Lake city , Utah USA "I haven't had this much fun since flying choppers in NAM . Don't worry about getting shot by pirates as they never even got close to the ship with those weapons they use and their shitty aim--reminds me of a drunken 'juicer' door gunner we picked up from the motor pool back in Nam" --"chopper' Dan ----Toledo USA."

God's speed http://classic.mountainzone.com/climbing/99/misc/bullitt/

FYI We spent part a good part of the day at Peshastin yesterday. Rock was just drying out in the heat and wind from last week's rain. We climbed everything from 5.6 to 5.10 slabs. It is obvious just how much use Peshatin DOES NOT get these days. Slabs were dirty and lichen is starting to grow on some areas that climbers would normally keep cleaned off. It is most notable on the harder slabs. We pulled off pieces of rock on almost every climb through all the grades, 5.6 to 5.10. Some of them in fairly awkward moments Sadly with fewer and fewer climbers and some less than ideal over sight by the state parks service (who in general have done a awesome job with the budget issues) the use at Peshastin will continue to decline. With the lack of climbers on the routes many of the better climbs there will continue to degrade as well. Sad really, because it is such great place to climb.

DanO has it right IMO. http://www.zappos.com/product/7177119/color/764 I use Zappo. But only because I don't worry about wearing them out side to make sure I have a good fit. A few trips around inside the house generally tells me what I need to know. Returns are extremely easy with Zappo, free shipping on returns and a full year to do so. And they generally will have the Nepal on sale at some point....just went off I think but will be back on sale again. But clearly REI has them beat if you can find the boot you want from them. Use them, abuse them and if there is a problem take them back for a full refund. But the model choice? I own a lot of boots, both Sportiva and Scarpa. If the Sportiva's fit you, the Nepal Evo is one of the very best mtn boots available for any kind of mountaineering and some pretty cold temps. If not the Nepal, the Evo Ice and the Trango series are great super light, mtn boots as well. The Batura, the Ice and Prime are all on sell and all great boots...if Sportiva's fit you. They don't fit everyone so make sure you try them on...via mail order or in the store. http://www.zappos.com/search/brand/573/filter/categoryFacet/%22Boots%22/gender/%22Mens%22 All of these boots (Sportiva) are more boot than what you originally wanted but all are lighter and in many ways as good or better than the Nepal Evo for what you are asking for. Down side? The Nepal Evo will out last all of the fabric boots and give a slightly better fit from my experience. The fit gets better over time as the leather molds to your feet. Every model of Sportive fits slightly differently no matter what anyone tries to tell you. You may take the same size in each model but the fit will be a tiny bit different. Buy the boots that best fit you and will be enough boot for what you want to do in the future, not what you'll be doing this summer. If you ever want to ice climb and then buy a boot now with a flexible sole that hikes easily...you'll end up having two pairs of boots, hikers and climbers, not fun if money is an issue.

Way to get out and get it done! Let the couch potatoes worry about when and where to get out

CC.com is a great place to check local conditions...just by what is actually getting done. Marc, no worry on the jeans. Seems some pretty hard Canadian ice was done early on in jeans or cords an no one died.

Alveolite liners generally come with the boots so fit should be good. The Intuition is generally thicker than any Alveolite I have had in the past from several makers, seems better made and easier to get in and out of. Biggest advantage in prolonged cold weather (Alaska) of either is your liners stay dry. There has been a concern on how much space is available in the boot shell with the Intuition but the extra warmth and the totally custom fit to your feet has been worth the effort and expense for me on the Intuition. Best boot fitter I have seen in a long time is Martin @ Sturtevants in Bellevue. Some comments on the Intuitions here. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/791078/Re_Props_to_Martin_Sturtevants#Post791078

Whippers? Lots of them. I've done most of the harder cracks on Sunshine and Middle East....never had a piece blow in a leader fall. And I have taken a lot of them. I have no doubt that pieces do blow on trad routes if the piece is placed close to the "pockets" that keep appearing in the cracks over the years. The difference in the amount of new pockets showing in cracks (or the aretes) like Lingerie, Jihad, Stem's/Seeds, Red M&Ms and Sex Party from '85 to date is rather shocking when I compare pictures. Anyone with some trad leading experience would (should) avoid placing gear next to obviously weak rock (pockets). Although I have used the pockets to protect hard moves by seating nuts way back in the crack. I'd also suggest lacing up the crack fairly well so you aren't trusting a big fall to a lone piece of gear. I have used Friends and TCUs with only the occasional nut placement at Vantage and never had one blow. Had lots of rock failures while climbing though. In the cracks (making a new pocket) and on the face. People climb on some pretty shitty rock at Vantage today that we never dreamed worth our effort while we originally developing the place. We went there to climb cracks (some of the best in the NW imo) not the (still) chossy face climbs. But power drills made those choss climbs possible and "safe". Until "Super Dave" Morales showed up in the late '90s the level of difficulty at Vantage hadn't gone far from the guys climbing in the mid '80s. (12a/b) Russ Johnson, Glenn Cambron, Carl Birkencamp and Max Dufford come to mind among other early climbers developing lines at Vantage. Only one of them (Max) from the West side. Pulman, Priest River, ID and Spokane were the other residences. Lots of addtional developement by the "west siders" but you would be pressed to justify "hardest" until 1999 And Super Dave's climb through the grades. "Highest quality?" I guess that is left to the climber's opinion with the amount of choss developed in the last 20 years at Vantage. Helmets? I hate wearing a helmet rock climbing. But at Vantage with the amount of climbers of vastly varing skill and thoughtfulness and the quality of the rock you have to be insane not to. I'm surprised more people haven't been killed or seriously injured there.

I think as the body count has gone up the climbers willing to get on it has gone down. In the '80s it was done fairly often. But when I asked recently for photos or personal accounts I had responses on Temple, Cavell and Polar Circus. None on Deltaform and Slipstream if that tells you anything. By the Parks Canada records Deltaform and Slipstream are two of the most lethal mtns in the parks with Kitchener and Cavell a close second. There has been a lot of discussion on conditions and global warming being part of that cause. I would disagree. Today all these climbs are worthy objectives. I find that most aren't willing to wait for perfect or even good conditions. I suspect the seduction of "easy" classics close to the road more the problem for Deltaform and Slipstream. Last climb of Slipstream I heard of was in GRIPPED the last year or so. Pretty common climb on a ice climber's resume today. The GRIPPED climb was done in the fall before a big load of snow. Fall or late spring climbs seem perfectly reasonable with low snow and cold conditions. Grant (Trainwreck) would have a much better idea of how often it gets done though. But given the fact Polar Circus got done well over 50 times this season (not the best season either) by Tyler's estimates (the Rampart Hostel Host) I suspect Slipstream sees some traffic mid winter that most aren't going to be privy to.

The pictures posted above are climbs I either used a Sport ATC on this year or climbs I used a single link on in the past. But obviously all climbs where the BD Sport ATC could have been used. Might be someone on CC.com that would like to know that sort of info. The first objection seems to be the Sport ATC is only useful in a gym, which is incorrect. YMMV of course. The single link style belay devices were the first mechnical belay devices (simple chain links and the Sticht plate after the Munter hitch) used some 40 years ago and still useful to some. Obviously not "trendy" as it clearly isn't the latest style. Some how (could it be the bad reviews?) with the many misleading comments the fact that the Sport ATC works just fine as a belay device on a single rope gets ignored. FYI the BD Sport weights 60g, the BD XP 87g, BD ATC Guide 102g. If I wanted a super light alpine rig, I'd load up on lwt wire gates making sure a few BD Oval-wires (4 weigh in at 120g) were thrown in for raps and climb on a light weight 9+mm single or maybe even a single 8mm dbl with a 5mm tag line, using the Sport ATC to belay. Edit for weights and "slick" comment: Weights? Here is what I get on my digital scale, the BD Sport weights 60g, the BD ATC 60, the BD XP 87g, BD ATC Guide 102g. with the additional ability to auto lock. Petzl Reverso for small ropes, 57g. with auto lock and the Chouinard link with red cord, 15g. "Slicks" are simpliest belay devices that are direct decendants of the original chain links (MSR or the hardware store) we first used as mechnical belay devices. There are no "teeth" on the brake side of a "slick" to help manage the friction. Any slick should be lighter in a given model but as most will notice they feed and brake rather inconsistantly. The newer ATCs make the slicks pretty much obsolete unless you just want to cut down on weight.

Second worthless thread here at CC.com on the BT ATC Sport. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/856093/Re#Post856093 Thought it time someone who actually has used one (for years) piss on your little camp fire with some reality. I always get a attitude when people comment on climbs they haven't done and gear they haven't used. I'm funny that way, seems to come with the hard won experience. But feel free to post pictures of you not using a Sport ATC

Pardon me? OK, I just love it when some dumb ass makes a comment like this. The new single BD device looks a lot like the one on the left shown here. But made current with a few obvious improvements. "Trendy?"...ya, like 30 years old or so now. And good enough for dozens of climbs done on single ropes BITD that also required rappels to get off of like these: Liberty Crack Slipstream VI WI4+ Tsunami 5.11d R (3 pitches trad 11b, .11d, .11c R ) Clean Crack, Malmute, 5.11 Which made the new single BD ATC Sport good enough for me to use on Pineapple Express and Dragontail this winter among other things including one of the gazillion of TRs out at Vantage. Some how never needing a glove with it....which is better than either of my partners could say with what they were using. The two pitch WI4 M6 variation on Pineapple Express Mixed on Dragontail It works just as well as anything on the market....real trick is just to be smart enough to know when and where to use it. I own and climb with dbl ropes a lot, now and then. However they are not my first choice if I can do without them. Rappels? You guys ever heard of a biner brake system? When required it works wonders. Pitty the poor foul that drops his oh, so, freaking precious belay device!

Sandstone and Peshastin in particular gets much softer when it is wet...highly likely holds and pebbles will blow out after a good rain and before the rock has had a chance to completely dry out. With that in mind I would be careful on the harder slabs (or old bolts) if you are leading early season (like now for example). That said Peshastin has always been the go to place for climbing when it is raining elsewhere farther west until just recently when the Vantage gym opened in the early '90s. Often times you can spend a nice day climbing in the sun (and spring orchard over-spray) at Peshastin while watching the rain clouds and showers come and go up the canyons near Leavenworth.

Well done! Great pics too

Trip: Jasper National Park - Edith Cavell, North Face, Chouinard, Becky, Doody Date: 4/9/2009 Trip Report: From the Park Canada web site: "Climbers coming here for the first time may not be familiar with the type of climbing and the varying rock quality in particular. The Rockies are made up almost entirely of sedimentary rock including limestones and dolomites, shales, and silicas (including quartzite - metamorphic rock). The characteristics vary widely from the very worst to some fine rock, depending on the formations (the layers) encountered. The best rockclimbing is found on the some of the thickly bedded limestones (such as Roche Miette) and the beautiful quartzites located along the main continental divide ranges. The Columbia Icefields is a spectacular glaciated plateau, which boasts several of the highest peaks in the Canadian Rockies. Alpinists, from the novice to the extreme, will be challenged by routes such as the Normal Route on Mt. Athabasca (II) or the Grand Central Couloir on Mt. Kitchener (V 5.9 A2/W5). The quality of the routes combined with roadside access make the Icefields an excellent area in which to focus a climbing trip to the Canadian Rockies. The North Face Mt. Edith Cavell and the Japanese Route on Mt. Alberta are two additional alpine climbs that are among the 50 Classic Climbs in North America." The original North face line from "50 Classic Climbs of North America" in white. Not uncommon to use a variation of any line on the face. The line I climbed is in black. Mike Graham's photo and comments from a 1975 ascent with Rick Accomazzo, "here is of me just below the rock bands on EC. guess we were considering roping up at this point. I think that was a motorcycle helmet." Here is a picture looking down the rock band Mike is looking up at, mid face above the Angel glacier on Cavell. Photo by Monomaniac @ Mountain Project. And a view down the upper ice/snow slope. photographer unknown And another of Mike Graham's pictures. "Here's a shot of Rick Accomazzo on the summit of Edith Cavell after doing the Chouinard/Doody route. 1975, taking a break on our car to car push." Three different big, Canadian mountains here with TRs. Deltaform and Temple are limestone. Edith Cavell is quartzite. Deltaform has some of the worst rock imaginable (anywhere, except maybe Deborah) in the last rock band. Same reason most now try to avoid as much rock up high as possible by climbing the shorter variation on the left. Temple on the other hand has some of the best limestone in the Rockies on the central buttress before you break out into the bowl at mid height. If that ridge were anywhere besides under a few million tons of ice it would be a classic climb. Wonderful in boots, but something that would be a delight in shoes. Above that the rock quality goes to shit...but still not as bad as Deltaform's last bit. Edith Cavell? Amazing, solid quartzite the entire way, up the north face and down the east ridge, if you pay just a little attention and stay out of the choss. Beautiful incut holds on smooth rock the while climb. Stuff that would be fun in rock shoes was still enjoyable in dbl boots. Of course with the reputation of the final shale band on Cavell I just had to go see for myself. I intentionally climbed directly through it, after a little pre-inspection from below. Not bad in crampons, easy angled and well frozen while I was there and still way better than any thing on Deltaform. Classic look up the east ridge of Edith Cavell. It is a big file if you dbl click, so I left it a link. http://www.kolos.ca/andriy/Rockies2005/EdithCavell1.jpg But no question in anyone's mind, it isn't granite If it was granite it might well be boring! Edith Cavell North Face, 1st ascent , AAJ 1963 Day two…… It began to rain just as we started climbing. It was easy climbing on low angle rock and we moved at a steady deliberate pace. We were not going to let ourselves be forced to move fast by fear. A far cry from yesterday! It began to hail and we could hardly hear each other above the noise of the wind and thunder. Lightning was hitting the summit 800 feet above us. Clouds moved back and forth unveiling ghastly views of the ice-plastered wall to the right and left of us. In about three hours we reached the summit ice slope. It looked very steep but not long, possibly two pitches to the summit rocks, but it was to take 500 feet of step-cutting before we were to reach them! The ice was in terrible shape. Since it was granular and kept sliding, I had to chop steps all the way. The higher up we got the worse the ice became, while the slope continued to steepen. Through breaks in the clouds Doody and Beckey appeared below me, huddled against the slope trying to avoid the ice chips. Below them the wall dropped sheer and Eiger-like for 3500 feet. Lulls in the storm gave hopes that it would stop, but hail and snow kept us soaked through for the rest of the day. Freezing feet made me chop a little faster but I had to make bigger steps for my weaker legs. With only a few ice pitons, we had to keep the leads fairly short. My left foot had lost all feeling. After an interminable time we reached the summit rocks only a little way from the top, but the face was not going to give in so easily. The next 300 feet took everything I had to lead. On horizontal bands of the loosest shale, pitches had to be short because of the lack of piton cracks. Each move was a desperate effort to keep from sliding down the wet slabs. Doody belayed perfectly calmly, never complaining of countless rocks dislodged onto him. The last pitch took me to 80 feet above Doody on extreme rocks with no protection. I got above a small band of dirt and there I was with my hands on the summit! I tried to pull myself up but could not. My feet slid continually and my fingers dug deeper into the dirt, but I could not move. I looked across 50 feet to the summit pole and then down 4000 feet to the ground. 0 God, what a place to get it! I was afraid for the first time during that day. With frantic eyes I spotted a two-foot long patch of hard snow ten feet to my right. I very cautiously eased over. It felt solid, so I pulled up, mantled and was up. Never have I felt so happy as that day on the summit with my friends. Even though we encountered a great deal of objective danger I feel there are times when this wall is perfectly safe. When we climbed the wall, it was in very poor condition. Future parties should try to climb it in cool weather, perhaps the first week of July, when the summit ice slope would be in better shape as normally nearly all of the rockfall is caused by the summit ice fields avalanching and flushing rocks. Since retreat from high up the face would be next to impossible, enough gear should be taken along to last three days even though in good conditions a two-man party could climb the wall in one day. The summit rocks should be avoided by climbing the 60~ ice to the left. Speed is the biggest safety factor on nearly any great wall, so it is better to go unroped as much as possible. No more than 10 pitons need to be taken, two of which should be knife blades. Summary of Statistics AREA: Canadian Rockies. ASCENT: Mount Edith Cavcll, 11,033 feet, July 20-21, 1961-first ascent of north face. PERSONNEL: Fred Beckey, Yvon Chouinard, Daniel Doody. Edith Cavell, Second Ascent of the North Face, 1966. On July 30 Gray Thompson and I quickly climbed the first third of the 4000-foot face on firm quartzite, finding good holds all the way to the Angel Glacier. We roped below the glacier and after two steep ice leads, we trudged up the glacier, crossed a difficult bergshrund, and climbed continuously mixed snow and rock to the base of a 300-foot vertical buttress. I led the first pitch up wet rock on the right face of an inside corner; then Gray made an extremely difficult second lead, climbing F7 rock up a waterfall. We emerged at the top of the buttress soaked but happy that the hardest rock climbing was behind us. More mixed climbing, some of it after dark across steep ice, took us to a bivouac ledge 200 feet below the summit icefield. We had expected that the icefield would be an easy snow climb to the summit, but the next day we found that the snow was rotten and underlain by hard ice. We avoided the summit rocks climbed by the first-ascent party by traversing left and climbing ice to a rock outcrop directly below the giant cornices which festooned the summit ridge. The final lead began up snow which was at first underlain by rotten rock, and then by ice, and it ended in deep unstable snow, which let me know I would not fall only when I dug my ice-axe into the summit. When Beckey, Chouinard and Doody made the first ascent in 1961 the face was dry and they had heavy rockfall. We had no rockfall, probably because the face was still plastered with winter snow and the rocks were frozen in place. Under the right conditions, the objective dangers are not great, and it is certainly one of the great face climbs in North America. DENNIS EBERL Edith Cavell, 1967, 1st solo ascent To really comprehend what Robbins did in the fall of 1967 on Edith Cavell it helps to know what he was doing earlier in the year. It was early 1966 and John Harlin was still alive. Royal Robbins had come to the American school in Leysin Switzerland to teach with Harlin but in ‘66 became the sport director at the school taking Harlin’s place as Harlin began planning for the Eiger Direct. Among other climbs Robbins and Harlin had just done the 1st ascent of the American Direct on the Dru with Robbins leading the majority of it when Harlin was injured by rockfall. Climbing with Chouinard in the Dolomites they had done several hard climbs together including the north face of the Cima Grande. On a trip to England Robbins made some hard and impressive choices at the time about free climbing with “clean” pro. By April of ‘67 Robbins was back in the Valley. In May he and Liz Robbins did the classic Nut Cracker Suite with its obvious and futuristic statement on climbing ethics. Then in June the 1st ascent of the West Face of El Cap with T. M. Herbert.. Again in June the Grand Sentinel with Chouinard another grade VI wall climb. In July Half Dome again with Liz. April through July sounds a little like a vacation for Robbins from "hard climbing". For some it would be a good climbing resume. Two new grade VIs, a early ascent of a grade V and a new III free climb? Not bad for 4 months in 1967. And there was much more to come. As fall approached Robbins headed north. The first climb was the new route on the North face Geikie with Hudson. Another new grade V but this time in the Candian Rockies on crappy rock. 4000 feet. V, 5.9 , A3 (which still has a fearsome reputation) By any measure Robbins must have been in decent shape by the end of August 1967! Not much written on Robbin’s solo and the third ascent of the Chouinard/Becky/ Doddy route that I can find. Other than the fact Robbins wanted to teach himself “mountaineering”. Edith Cavell became his school room for the day. Robbins spent 4 hours on the last 600 feet of snow and rock. He later commented on his climb, “mountaineers aren’t made in a day“. Becky is said to have told Robbins after his climb, “That was a pretty good stunt.” Robbins took it as a compliment. Those that know Becky might have read that differently. Robbins obviously knew how to push the envelope mentally and physically in the Alps, Yosemite and now he was doing it again alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies. Some perspective on Robbin's climb? It was 14 years before the face was soloed again. A lot had changed in those 14 years. "A lot had changed in those 14 years" I am still convinced that the majority of what gets done in the alpine is mental....but modern gear certainly has lowered the mental stress over time. Edith Cavell was first climbed by two of America's best alpinists..Chouinard and Becky. Doddy was along to film and did almost no leading according ot the original account. The date was 1963. REI was selling chrome moly 12 point Eckenstein and every axe in inventory...any where in the world....had a straight pick. Chouinard was still climbing with ice daggers...even though he would say, "no more of this ice dagger bullshit for me" by 1965. And then went on to forge his first ice hammer in 1967. Salewa had just started selling the first lwt weight, and most importantly, the first adjustable crampon. And in 1964 the first Salewa tube ice screws cam out. Boots available? Slim pickens unless you actually made it to Europe to buy real climbing boots. By 1966/67 the Lowe Triplex (a triple boot) and the Galibier Super Guide ( a single boot) and Hivernal (a dbl boot) were available in Europe and with some difficulty in the USA. Robbins had access to the Galiber boots (he was working with Galibier as a designer and had visited the factory) but no idea what he used on Cavell...for crampons, boots or tools. No doubt Robbins had the best European gear available to him in 1967. Gear changed so much in the next few years and by 14 years later there was no real comparison. And no question, these climbs had gotten "easier". The second longest ice face in the Canadian Rockies (Robson having the longest) The east face of Stanley is first climbed in 1966. The first route on the north face of Temple, the Greenwood/Locke was done that August in '67 along with Robbin's solo on Cavell. With the reporter lamenting the "directisma" on Temple would have to wait on another generation. 3 years later (1970) the Lowe's arrive on Temple...the "directisma" is done with aid climbing through the ice cliff. The "new" generation has arrived back in the late '60s. By the time the picture of Jeff Lowe aiding through the ice cliff shows up on Mt 34 it is Oct of 1974. Jeff and Mike Weiss had climbed Bridalveil free on WI6 10 months previously. But that photo of Jeff Lowe on Mt 34's (1974) cover (even though it was then 4 years out of date) directly encouraged two more routes to be climbed on Mt. Temple. (1974 and 1976) Yes a lot had changed by the time the 2nd solo ascent of Cavell was done. Polar Circus was by then standard fare in an easy day instead of the original eight days. Slipstream which took 3 days on the first ascent, by two of Canada's most experienced, had been done in less than 9 hrs on the 2nd ascent. Some of the best gear available in 1968/69. McInnes metal shafted axe, Salewa adjustables, Galiber Havernal dbl boots. Gear from the 2nd solo of Cavell in August '81 1st generation Koflach Ultra db boots and Chouinard hinged crampons. Wild Things swami with a buckle, Snowdon Curver axe and a terro hammer. A Ultimate fiberglass helmet, Merino wool jersy, Eastern Euro wool gloves I bought in Nepal in '77, a Alpaca hat from Peru. Only things missing besides lunch and the water bottle are the GPIW Fish pack, knee high gaiters and my polyester XC knickers. There are several mentions of the time frames these climbs were done in. For instance one of the few details from Robbin's solo was the 4 hrs it took him to climb the last 600 feet of snow, ice and rock. 14 years later a "modern" climber bragged on his own solo ascent of Edith Cavell in a CLIMBING magazine. He had told of climbing, "from the Angel glacier to the summit in 4 hrs!" The top of the Angel glacier is close to half way up the face. You would be pressed to find anyone including the first ascent party who used a rope the entire way to get there. Fact was by the late '70s that kind of speed wasn't even worth mentioning since Robbins had already covered that same ground in similar time. Climbers were by then ('81) measuring the climbing time car to car or at the very least from the parking lot to the summit. Yes, things had changed. Royal Robbins was the climbing editor of SUMMIT before and long after his solo of Edith Cavell and never thought the "stunt" worth mentioning in the national climbing press or his biography past a few words. Things had indeed changed. The flip side? Nothing here (Temple, Deltaform or Cavell) even remotely as hard as the early European climbs done in the 1930's, like the Eiger north face for example or Bonatti's climbs in the '50s let alone Robbin's own European test pieces in the Alps. For that kind of climbing you'll need to step it up to the "modern" Canadian 5.9 A2 classics. Gear Notes: It is more about conditions than it is about gear. Rock and ice gear obviously. And freezing temps from top to bottom. A early start will help you get that in weather that can be fun to climb in. Done in good conditions the climbing is awesome the objective hazards almost zero. The 1000' mixed section between the lower buttress and the upper ice slope is as good as it gets...classic alpine nirvana. Approach Notes: 10 min from the parking lot view point. East ridge is highly recommended as a descent in good weather and conditions. Much of it can easily be down climbed and with only a few short rappels.

Trip: Columbia Ice Fields - Slipstream Date: 4/8/2009 Trip Report: Slipstream on the 2nd ascent walk in, Jan '81. A real treat for me...pictures from Jim Elzinga of John Lauchlan on the 1st ascent of Slipstream, Dec. '79. I think these are from the first waterfall section mid route. For those into such things. John and Jim used Forest Serac Sabers that they cut down and modified the picks on the 1st ascent. They had leather boots and SMC rigid crampons. All of us except Gary used umbilicals. I lead all the water ice with the Clogs shown below on the 2nd ascent. Gary used the curved tools. Gary had some of the first plastic Kolflachs in the country having bought his in Europe that fall while climbing in Chamonix. I had Haderer singles with super gaiters. Gary used Chouinard rigid crampons and I was on SMC rigids. Gear Notes: The upper slope provides the continued spindrift avis while on route. And the same slope loads and slabs off from the ice cap and sweeps the entire route clean many times each winter. The spindrift avis you'll likely live through. The powder snow slab avis are a toss up to live through depending where you are on the route when it happens. The nasty one will be part of the serac coming off. If you are in the waterfall pitches you may live through that..it has happened. Check out the condiiton of the serac barrier before you leave the highway. Past that, climb fast...take the gear you need to do that. Get off in the light so you can find your way down the descent gully and stay out of the crevassed nighmare (beware) on top of Snow Dome. Walking off the south side of Snow Dome (been done) and down the Athabasca is not recommended. Climb has up to 6 pitches of WI3/4+ ( depending again on rope length) and maybe a bit of old style WI5. Nothing really hard by today's standards. Climb has every bit as much ice as Polar Circus and can be just as hard technically but is much, much longer and adds the combinded effects of a big mountain with all the objective hazards to go along with that. So becareful and pick the right conditions. Approach Notes: Couple of hrs up the glacier from the highway. Most walk in as the snow gets blown off pretty fast. And you don't want to be on this route if there is a lot of new snow around.

Trip: Icefield's Parkway - Polar Circus Date: 4/8/2009 Trip Report: Polar Circus '81...the first WI4 pitch low in the gully. Polar Circus, when in safe avi conditions. these days is an easy (WI4/ 4+), classic day climb with an short approach and quick descent. One to go back to again and again. All of these photos but one of Polar Circus were found on Goggle images. Turning the Pencil just below and gaining the avi slope. A short bit of WI4 and a lot of mild ice and gully climbing are below this. Spectacular position! The avi slope goes up and out to the right and then back left into the upper bowl above on an almost level traverse. That final level traverse back into the basin and the upper tiers can be really scary because of the sun exposure. Get there early! The last four pitches of the climb (with a long rope) and generally the only thing people rope up for these days. In early Jan of '75 the first ascent party had climbed 14 roped pitches of ice and taken 8 days up and down. Water fall climbing was fairly new and nothing this long or this cold had been done before. Charlie Porter, the Burgess Twins and Bugs McKeith were some of the most accomplished climbers of their generation at the time. The Ribbon pitch below. You are looking at three of the last four pitches in this picture. The fourth pitch is just out of the picture covered by tree/shrub topped ridge. You go over this ridge as you zag back across the top of the avi slope above the Pencil. The first pitch you see here is the Ribbon pitch. Parts of the the last two pitches are shown here on the last tier. Gear Notes: These days all the rap anchors up high (above the Pencil) are fixed chains or pins and tat. You will rap straight over the Pencil so becareful there of you or your rope knocking anything down. 70m ropes are really much easier but 60m ropes will work as well. Take some tat for V threads for the Ribbon pitch and lower in the gully if you want to avoid any extra uphill walking at day's end. Be really careful on the avi slop above the Pencil...it has been fatal. Avi danger in particular on this route can be horrible with a huge slide coming out of the upper bowl at the top of the climb. Nothing would survive if you were any where below the final tier when that happens. A dozen screws should be pleanty for anyone capable of finishing the climb. Plan on anywhere from 5 to 3 roped pitches depending on the length of your rope and a lot of easy ice either soloed or climbed together. A early start will get you off before the south facing avi slopes heat up. Or better yet do it on a snowy, cloudy and cold day. You can avoid the avy danger and soft, rotten ice on the crux pitch if you do without the sun. Don't forget 3 or 4 long screws just for that rotten ice late in the day. 8 or 9 hrs round trip, car to car, these days is a reasonable time with good ice and snow conditions. A hook fest on hammered out ice will make it quicker. A lot of snow to break trail through or really cold, new ice will make it a slightly longer day. Approach Notes: On a good day 10 minutes up a boot packed trail from the road. Cowboy-up and start on the first easy ice available instead of walking up the snow slope to the left and beginning of the first WI4 pitch.

"The Forrest hammer you show? Maybe, as a third tool if they took it at all.... Also the WI6 finish on Slipstream that is often stated as "never repeated" might not have been WI6 after all and certainly wasn't for us. Gary and I did some vertical ice at the end of Slipstream but nothing remotely WI6. If John said it was WI6 I have no doubt it was. Just wasn't there the next winter and looking back I never heard John tell any one it was WI6. ...........JL's tools? Could well have been a hammer John took on Slipstream, only Elzinga knows today." Had a fairly lenghty conversation with Jim Elzinga today....he is still out climbing WI6 when he isn't working. Jim varified that they used Forrest Serac Sabers that they had cut down and modified the picks on for Slipstream. Also Jim was just as surprised as anyone on the description in Joe Josephson's ice guide of the unrepeated "ferocious pillar of water ice" on the "Lauchlan Direct Finish". John and Jim intentionally climbed the serac barrier but there was no water ice there when they were on the climb. Nor was there any water ice there (at the Serac barrier) on their return trips (Elzinga was the main cameraman on the Slipstream film made with helicopter support). In the interview (4/08/09) Jim said, "We intentionally decided to free climb directly over the Serac barrier from the very start. We ended up prolonging the end of the climb by bivying at the base of the ice cliff instead of easily finishing the climb the 2nd day. We added one more hard pitch the next morning and summited. The whole idea was to create a climb as classic and as memorable as Polar Circus". Carlos and Dick Renshaw did the 3rd ascent. Gary Silver and I did the 2nd. Gary and I weren't looking for Dragons at the end of our climb. We took the natural line at the end of the climb...and there was some steep ice involved. But nothing that resembled WI6. (remember seracs change season to season) My impression is that the 3rd ascent did the same as we did.....just a week later. "Unrepeated direct finish"? I've just recently seen the Slipstream film again and the "direct finish" that was done after rapping down from the summit of Snowdome. We (2nd ascent) did not make a effort to go far left of the natural line or climb any more the the serac than required. But I do believe after conversations with both Elzinga and Lauchlan we (2nd and 3rd ascents) followed the same line as the first ascent party. There was no water ice on the Serac in any of the first three ascents. Turns out while most of the filming was actually done by Elzinga and Albi Sole, editing was done by Windy Wacko Productions. The first version of the film the climbers involved saw, was the end product. Which is how Dave McNab got credited along with John Lauchlan on the 1st ascent of Slipstream, instead of the truth which was actually Lauchlan and Elzinga on the 1st ascent.

"Rogan's and Elzinga's ascent on Deltaform is just one example of the obvious confusion with the early history of these climbs. What did they really climb? 2nd ascent, new route or rescued while rapping off the route?" Had a great conversation with Jim Elzinga today. I'll post more later when I get all the details sorted out. But funny enough Elzinga and Rogan did do a significant variation of the Super Couloir by climbing straight up from the traverse between the upper and lower couloir in 1975. Rating? Typical Rockies 5.9 A2 all done in a 2 day storm over 3 days of climbing. They were pulled of the ridge by the Tim Auger and the Park's helicopter. This climb really started Elzinga's serious alpine career although he had done a bunch of "serious" things in most climber's minds back though '71/'72. Gerry Rogan had enough after Deltaform and while he continued to climb, Deltaform was the end of the serious stuff.

Trip: Mount Temple - North Face, Central Pillar Date: 4/6/2009 Trip Report: Mt. Temple. Greenwood/Locke in red and the Eastburn/Burns in black. Scott Nelson photo Another look at Temple's north face with our 1976 line marked. To better understand this huge face I drew in some of the other lines. This shot shows the complicated topography of the face and our line. Left to right...E-B 1976, Lowe/Lowe (North Ridge) 1970, Elzinga/Miller (Dolphin) 1974 and the horizontal "escape ledge" first used in a attempt on the north ridge in 1969 by Hank Abrons and David Roberts. It has since been used in bad conditions to traverse off all the way from the head of the Dolphin. For me at least the only line on this face has to start at that triangular patch of snow and go up! (left or right your option) Which is how our adventure began. Some of our gear used on Temple. Only climbs really protected from the ice cliffs are the Greenwood/Locke, Greenwood/Jones and the Robinson/Orvig all on the far sides of the face. Not a good place to hang out for long. You get the idea. Scott Nelson and "Travelin light" pictures from the Greenwood/ Locke. "Deltaform has some of the worst rock imaginable (anywhere, except maybe Deborah) in the last rock band. Same reason most now try to avoid as much rock up high as possible by climbing the shorter variation on the left. Temple on the other hand has some of the best limestone in the Rockies on the central buttress before you break out into the bowl at mid height. If that ridge were anywhere besides under a few million tons of ice it would be a classic climb. Wonderful in boots, but something that would be a delight in shoes. Above that the rock quality goes to sh#t...but still not as bad as Deltaform's last bit." Mount Temple from Lake Annette Been fun going back and trying to remember some of these climbs. Never expected to write this one up. If you were like me I kept a journal BITD but anything “easy” I didn’t make much of a fuss about. My journal from the dates shows little. Basic route description but not much else. Mike wrote up the climb inthe CAJ and I did for the AAJ. Some of the details come from those write ups. Temple turned out to be much more a problem of imagination than a climbing problem. If Fritz‘s memory is as clear as I might expect we made a effort to keep the theatrics down to a believable level, no matter how much the climb might have impressed me. July 1976. What I do remember was driving up the week before our Temple climb with my father and one of his older brothers. Neither had ever climbed, being good old Texas boys. Closest my father ever got to climbing was taking a bad spill down a water fall while fishing in the Sierras. That fall impressed him enough to keep me off anything that might resemble a climb until late in high school. As we drove through the parks I repeatedly pointed out peaks I had climbed. They had reason to question my integrity back then. By the time we drove into Lake Louise and Valley of the Ten Peaks, much to my disappointment , I was sure they had stopped believing me when I said, “I’d climbed that!” After our failure on Deborah in May I was aching for a good climbing season in Canada. My list was long as it often is for an aspiring 20 something alpinist. One of the things on my mind was a “free” ascent of the north face of Temple. A direct line up the middle of the face without the aid over the ice cliff. I’d (and no one I climbed with) had not been on such a big face but I was going. I needed a plan! Borrowing my Dad’s motorcycle off the Winnebago, I road up the Moraine Lake road several times with the intention of scoping the north face with glasses. Couldn’t really see much till I climbed up a tree beside the road and finally got a good look at the face. It had been a very wet summer. We were to find out just how wet several weeks later on Deltaform. Lots of ice in the gullies on Temple’s north face. The key to our ascent was a strip of water ice that ran down the right side of the vertical section of the serac barrier. (pretty obvious strip in one of the pictures posted) It was obvious from the road that if I could climb the rock barrier below the ice cliffs we could hop in that gully and weave our way through the upper seracs and on to the upper glacier. A week or so later I had talked Mike Eastburn into trying Temple with me. None of my other normal partners thought it a even remotely reasonable objective. (that turned out to be a good and bad thing in retrospect) I was convinced it was managable and stubborn enough to try. Mike had just done the NE Buttress on Johannesberg in the Cascades, a 3000+ foot “easy” grade 5 with some reputation locally. Mike was a Cat 1 bike racer, obviously in great shape and hung out with guys on a daily basis that had already done some big peaks in Canada. He was not one to be easily impressed with “rules” or reputations, either a climber’s or a mountain’s. The perfect partner for my little scheme. We left C’dA early one morning. After driving all day we , arrived in Lake Louise in a mutually generated emotionally and physically, super charged state. It was time to climb! Leaving Mike's VW bus at the trail head we sprinted past the lake and up to the base of the buttress. Hair on fire, of course we couldn’t be sensible, stop, get some sleep and wait for cooler temps and a alpine start. It was warm, clear and no rock fall! We did manage to cap the energy level for a few minutes with a short nap on the toe of the buttress, but how much better could it be? Instead of waiting we started up what we figured was the Lowe route at 3:30 PM. 1500 feet on some of the finest limestone climbing I have done came next. Any number of times wishing we had rock shoes instead of boots and no packs full of ice and bivy gear. The rock was that good. Most of it mid to low fifth class done unroped or climbed together. Just below where the ridge splits, one side going left and the Lowe route going right we found the only other evidence of someone on the route, a rap anchor consisting of two pins and some sun bleached tat. I lead a pitch here which we hauled both packs on, maybe 5.7. Three more easy roped pitches and we were in the bowl and under the full exposure of the seracs above. I headed directly for the only overhang in the upper bowl. Which just happened to be straight up. So far the "plan" was working. The overhang would offer some protection from anything but a big serac fall. We had a flat and spaciious bivy while watching a beautiful sunset with a high over cast building over head. A easy day out to that point. Only question in my mnd was would the next short rock band go free? Couldn't see why not. We slept in late the next morning. At some point we finally started climbing again as I lead out of our bivy and onto the crux rock pillar of the route. If we could climb the final rock band above the bivy the route would be free and surprisingly, fairly direct. I had three distinct grey pillars to choose from above me. I choose the biggest and central pillar for no other reason than to have a landmark for our new route. All looked equally rotten and vile. Three shitty pins for pro and I was up and on the left end of snow band that crosses the entire face. Mike was still a little unbelieving at what we would find next, as we donned crampons and pulled out the tools. I had to encourage him to take off left on easy ground looking for our hidden gully above. Sure enough the ice gully was still here. It was fun ice. Maybe 60 at the steepest for a short bit over another small rock band and then up the side of the serac barrier, which thankfully was a perfect path into the upper seracs. The majority of it just walking. An hour or so of casually weaving through the seracs and we were on top by 3PM. The most impressive thing on the climb was the quality of rock on the lower buttress and the boot tracks that lead out over the south face cornice and came back. It was an easy descent down the s. side trail and nice walk back over Sentinel Pass and Lake Annette in warm weather with a mildly over cast sky with the sun still doing its best to burn through. We were the kings of our universe that day. We had dinner and I drove the night through, still so jacked up from the experience. Not sure I slept again for another 48 hrs. Obviously a climb you could do very quickly (easily under 8hrs) with a early start. We had spent 12 hrs total climbing. Which might just justify the exposure to the ice cliff for some. No offense intended to the other climbs but having been on the face I think ours the more natural line. It certainly isn't any more dangerious than the Lowe's central rib. Our small provincial climbing community used the pictures of the huge avalanche down our route, published in the CAJ that month, to label Mike and I foolish and unsafe climbers. Not the first or last time climbs that were not easily understood, ended up alienating the climbers involved in our community. While later, more dangerious climbs like the Eiger, Slipstream and Deltaform went almost unnoticed. The summit glacier. Looking back at the summit on the descent The walk off descent down the south side of Temple and Sentinel Pass. View down the descent into Larch Valley Sentinel Pass from the south Gear Notes: BITD, a 55 cm bamboo piolet, Terro hammer, Galibier dbl boots, SMC rigids, a Lowe Expedition pack, wool knickers, dachstein mitts and a Polarguard sleeping bag. Today? I'd dress warm, go light and in winter Approach Notes: Just off the Lake Moraine road and above Lake Annette.