Dane

You live in the perfect place. Some stuff an easy day trip for you. Cascades and Banff are close. Learn to ice climb and do some mixed in and around Banff/Lake Louise and the Icefields Parkway. Weather and conditions are typically better north of Spokane.

you need these .....

Mtn Hardware Compressor? It would work well on Rainier in winter. I use the Compressor all winter in Canada. I like a little more insulation (DAS or NF) for Alaska simply because you know you'll be out longer and it can get a lot colder up high. I don't normally use a belay jacket in summer even on things like Rainier. There are so many good synthetic belay style jackets out. Patagonia's offerings, Wild Things, some of the older North Face gear, Mtn HW, Arcteryx, to name just a few. I've owned many of them. Best thing to do is try a bunch of them on. What I found important was fit. How they hang around the harness and how they fit with arms extended while climbing were important to me. A belay jacket that isn't comfortable and easy to climb in is a jacket you'll be taking off more often than not. Or worse yet not putting yours on early enough. I climbed a lot in a Compressor Hoody and a Patagonia Puff Hoody last couple of winters. More than I ever have in a belay jacket. Best part of that experience was with the Compressor Hoody I was seldom reminded I was climbing in a belay jacket. Great picture from Collin's web site. http://colinhaley.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html Down Norrona and a DAS on the summit of Hunter. John's photo of one of our local heros last Nov in a DAS

Same reason I went to the MTN Hardware Compressor jacket. Sold everything else I owned. Never liked the DAS but lots here do. Used the Compressor Hoody all last winter and loved it. Mtn Gear had a bunch of them last winter. Worth checking them out. More here: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/914251/Re_Synthetic_Insulation_Jacket#Post914251

If you are going to use it for climbing....it needs to do a couple of things down really can't. If you are climbing hard or out in nasty weather you'll get wet from sweat or environmental perciptation. When you need the jacket you want it to warm you as well as help dry out your climbing outfit. Best bet to accomplish that is a synthetic. For anything in the Cascades in winter and most everything in Canada you don't need a very heavy jacket. Patagonia Micro Hoody or the MTN Hardware Compressor hoody are lwts and both work well. Patagonia also offers the DAS or the RAB jacket which are both a step up but really popular as well. My belay jacket goes on and comes off many times during a day of alpine climbing and is usually soaked through by day's end. A synthetic will keep on working and dry out if I am wearing it. A down jacket would be useless in similar conditions. Rapping off things like Upper Weeping Wall, Polar Circus or walking down from Libery Cap would be a lot less enjoyable because of it.

Getting ripped by PayPal because we can't track a shipment out of the US and prove delivery is unfair. Lying to customs is unfair. Cheating on the VAT is unfair. Asking someone to lie for you so you save a $ is unfair. Admitting you do such things on the Internet? Stupid.........

Jon's says he is in training for something similar this spring. The way they have been ripping up the Alps I suggested the Slovak I spending the winter ( my 3 days off) in Cham instead of Canada this winter.

Glad you guys are enjoying the link. Some awesome climbs documented on Jon's web site. It is worth looking around there if like alpine ice. If you have kept track Jon and his various partners have done an amazing number of hard classic ascents in the Alps in recent years. They typically put more milage in on Chamonix alpine ice in ONE season than most of us in North America do in several years. For those interested in their thoughts on gear, got this from Jon earlier this morning. Thought it worth passing along. "Will has been testing the Baturas out and likes them alot. They arent very hard wearing though (unlike the Phantoms which i use). The Rambos are just phenomenal for mixed climbing but if you're going to be hitting a mainly ice route you're always better off on dual points i think (we use the Rambos on monos and have a super lightweight pair of duals for ice faces). I think for long ice lines you are much better of with a light pair of dual point crampons such as the G14s. Tool wise I use the Nomics which are just awesome- it takes a little while to get used to how aggressive they are and they feel shit at first! I hear amazing things about the new Fusions though with the great advantage that they have a spike at the bottom for alpine snow ridges etc."

Check out this picture on the Croz Spur from early Oct. http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0008/2132/files/MG_7768.jpg?1254847009 Does it get any better? Baturas, Grivel Rambos and BD Cobras with umbilicals and the tiniest of climbing rucks, it is a full selection of great kit! Video is awesome.... http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions

MEC is closer but Whittaker's on the south side of Rainier has a good line up of Sportiva if you want to stay in the USA.

Over 20K feet "where" is the question....

I think he means councelor as in "court ordered mental health councelor". I suspect there is more than one in need on this thread Charge? He already stated "Class 1 trespassing ". I think he means Class A...easy enough mistake. They have been calling them "railroad dicks" for a couple hundred years now and for good reason. more: Oregon RV group warns...Trespassing on the railroad tracks (use the legal crossing on Hauser Road) can result in a minimum $240 fine or your arrest for criminal trespassing. http://wweek.com/editorial/3243/7942/ August 30th, 2006] Company cops with badges slapping a hefty ticket on a working man? Rogue, thy name is the Union Pacific Railroad Police. According to records in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Union Pacific railroad officer P.T. Bender stopped 54-year-old Harry Wise from carrying his bicycle across the Brooklyn rail yard in Southeast Portland on June 19. Ignoring Wise's protest that the signs around the yard were illegible, Bender handed the warehouse laborer a citation for trespassing, according to the police report. When Wise showed up at court on Aug. 4—without a lawyer—he found himself on the docket for first-degree criminal trespass, a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of $6,250. .......... more on the link more.... For your safety the Port of Tillamook Bay railroad is closed to all unauthorized traffic. Violators will be prosecuted per ORS 164.255 Criminal trespass in the first degree. (1) A person commits the crime of criminal trespass in the first degree if the person: © Enters or remains unlawfully upon railroad yards, tracks, bridges or rights of way; or (d) Enters or remains unlawfully in or upon premises that have been determined to be not fit for use under ORS 453.855 to 453.912. (3) Criminal trespass in the first degree is a Class A misdemeanor. [1971 c.743 §140; 1993 c.680 §23; 1999 c.837 §1; 2001 c.386 §1; 2003 c.527 §1] STAY AWAY FROM THOSE TRACKS! Editorial by Scott Morrell Reprinted with permission from the Jefferson State Insulator Club newsletter Are you considering a little insulator hunt along the railroad tracks anytime soon? Think again. On October 23, 1999, the penalty for trespassing on railroad property in Oregon was increased from a Class C misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor. Formerly, trespassing was punishable by a fine up to $1000 fine and 30 days in jail. Now one risks a $5000 fine and one year in jail. This is vital knowledge for insulator hunters who might try their luck along Oregon's railroad tracks. This draconian legislation was spearheaded by Rep. Kevin Mannix ® from Oregon's 32nd district. His website states: "We have toughened sentences for violent crimes, but we need to toughen sentences for 'property' crimes." "Why?" one might ask, would such a strict punishment be imposed for railroad trespassing? I contacted Mr. Mannix via e-mail, and was told the following: "Enhancing the penalty from a Class C to a Class A misdemeanor gives the law "needed muscle." The Oregon Railroad Association submitted "In recent years, the number of fatalities and injuries to trespassers on railroad property has been climbing to unheard of levels..." ; "it will also make a stronger case for local law enforcement and judges to want to enforce laws governing a growing, serious problem. It will add weight, particularly among youth, to the threat of citation or arrest rather than repeated warnings for railroad trespass." And further, "...people seem not to realize that railroad property is private property, and put themselves at risk illegally trespassing." I found it hard to imagine anyone risking a walk along the tracks under the old rules ($1000 fine & 30 days in jail). So I asked Mr. Mannix why trespassing was further criminalized. I asked if a Class C misdemeanor wasn't sufficient deterrent. Mr. Mannix replied: "Prosecutors and police are more likely to use their scarce resources for a hearing-penalty crime." It is unfortunate that we as a society must impose ever harsher punishments in order to make it "worthwhile" to enforce the law. Undoubtedly, the railroad has very legitimate reasons to keep trespassers away... theft, vandalism, liability lawsuits, etc. But Oregon's railroad trespassing law is among the strictest in the nation... and an unfortunate turn of events for insulator collectors and railroad enthusiasts. In practice, judges will be reasonable in such cases. A collector in the Willamette Valley was recently arrested while hunting insulators along the Union Pacific line. He was fined a little over $100... and the judge knew about the insulator hobby. He "got off easy." More than likely the $5000 fine & jail time is reserved for folks who do real damage and thievery. It is too bad that this collector had to pay a dime for his harmless activity. In a more perfect world, the law could distinguish real criminals from everyone else. If only we lived in such a world. There are still parts of the country where train crews wave & smile as they pass by insulator collectors along the tracks. It is worthwhile to learn the laws in a particular area before beginning a hunt. It is best to ask permission when possible, or if all else fails, stay out of sight... especially in Oregon! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For further information, contact: Everett Cutter (Oregon Railroad Association): oraoli@worldnet.att.net Oregon Railroad Association Sylvan Park Office Campus 6441 SW Canyon Court, Suite 260 Portland, OR 97221-1458

Everyone's feet sweat. They seemed to be designed that way Trick is to limit their sweating. A VBL will do that by trapping the moisture and once the humitiy/moisture level is high enough inside the VBL your feet are suppose to stop sweating. Scared Silly called it right on...gotta really manage your feet and system if you use a vbl. I had tried thicker neopreme sox. I'd bet the really thin ones would work better and not expand as much. I don't have a big issue with foot sweat but mine do sweat as well. FWIW the Batura is the only Sportive winter boot I have problems with in cold weather because you can't dry them out easily over night. If I am going to use a single boot the Nepal Evo gets used more often climbing in Alberta in winter. Combo of lace system and goretex makes them every bit an equaly imo to the Batura for warmth. I use the Batura here in the Cascades fro winter stuff. If it is a big issue...moisture in your boots... I'd be looking at lwt dbl boots. Not that any of them are really light weight. Sortiva Baruntse seems pretty good. Many of the more modern boots and most of the newest dbl boots are VBL inners in one manner or another. I ended up using Intuition inners in my Spantics which are foam and can't asorb moisture. The Baruntse liners are similar but seem to breath. With those combos I use two pair of liner sox to cut the friction and no added insulation sox. Works well for me. Batura and Nepal Evo I use a medium wool boot sox and a liner. If it is really cold I try to use the antiperspirant if I remember it. Helps keep the boot dry. Haven't used a VBL in either becausethe VBL (Patagonia or BD) I have seem slick. Used them other dbl boots though with good success. Couple of morning applications during a week of climbing usually takes care of it.

This may sound dumb but from my own experience I would be suspect of your boot/gaiter combo if your boots are getting so wet you are worried about them freezing. Most modern boots get wet from moisture getting into them not your feet sweating. That means it is snow or water coming in from the top. Kinda suprised myself at how little resistance to moisture some of the modern fabric boots really are. Same reason they invented Super Gaitors. Best bet is a better boot...something lined with goretex or another liner keeping moisture out. But if you are out and frozen boots are a worry you sleep with them in your bag. Only way to avoid that is sleeping with just the innners in the bag from your dbl boots. Note I said in the bag not on your feet in the bag.

Don't see anyone mentioning it... If you use a vbl on your feet I'd also highly suggest using a really strong antiperspirant like Mitchums rubbed on your feet. I'd try just the antiperspirant first before using a vbl. Cayenne pepper is another option worth trying in a controlled test environment. Capsaicin (cayenne pepper )is a chemical compound that stimulates the chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin. VBL is an OK system for short term day/over night trips. But unless you are going some place really cold and are really careful it is a good way to get immersion/trench foot if you are using them long term. Changing liner sox and getting your feet warm and dried out every night becomes critical in long term use. VBL bags are always better than neopreme because neopreme swells as you gain height and is a good way to cut off circulation. As others have already mentioned, synthetic liner sox, then VBL, then what ever you are using for insulation. Having your feet damp all day is an acquired taste as is the slick vbl in your boot. But after the moisture content reaches a certain point in the VBL your feet should stop sweating.

CHAMONIX.................. Brilliant routes for any ability. Awesome hut system if you require their use...better to tram up, climb and then ski back down to town. Or tram up and down If the weather is bad just go skiing or go south to the Med and rock climbing. Down side is it will be a little crowded around the holidays.

So who broke picks during the '08/09 season? If so what kind? http://www.gravsports-ice.com/icethreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2934&page=1

"This is off the subject a bit, however you may want to think about this image when considering ANY product" for ice climbing! Just thought we should make the statement a bit more fair when it comes to manufactures. Want to guess who has the most failures in ice gear and has for YEARS?

A pair of well used Quark Cascade picks. Same picks with a little TLC applied and now good for the next hook fest.

OK, but how many here will admit to having toked some of that weed BITD?

Cyborg doesn't have stainless front points where most of the serious abuse will happen. Stainless in the frame is a good idea imo and it lowers production costs with not needing to add a finish to the chromoly as in the past. Stainless in this case did indeed make the product more user friendly and I don't think will hurt service life. Would I poney up for stainless? Not ntil I had to.

I agree, never, pay retail. Internet makes that much eaiser thankfully. My comments weren't directed at anyone in particular as the $15 might well be a decent piece for the right climber. I'm pretty spoiled and like the detailing to be perfect. And willing to pay for it...always have been...even when Ramen and PB&J was a staple of my diet at home so I could afford to climb. "Johndavid" gets some shit for coming up with some silly ideas for mtn gear. But worth looking at them anyway never know what he might come up with. I got a good laugh out of his tent suggestion. Only takes once being in a tent as the seams come apart in a storm to know that is a bad idea. Think Bibler tent and 17K'. and 100 mph winds. But also have spent some time on alpine bivys in harsh conditions survived with just lwt coated nylon tarp or a home made bivy bag. Can think of one night in particular that the night before the tarp seemed useless high up on a narrow ledge and the next night it was a true luxury on an unplanned night out in the rain, bivied again in a high alpine meadow another full day's walk from the road. Cheap funky tent that would have worked as both bivy bag on the climb and rain shelter down low would have been just the ticket. Cheap because any long bivy on a ledge is going to trash most goretex bivy sacks...bad enough that the holes are not going to keep out a rain storm. So cheap, as in disposable, is a nice option if what ever gear will get you through the climb. A few very good climbers are using sacks that are made specifically to just hold up for one climb. Might not make sense to some but I get the reasoning if it saves some weight and will still work for your needs.

Might not be anything wrong with the $15. Walmart jacket. I've climbed some decent routes in clothes and boots that many here would laugh at. Take a look at the Cassin thread and see what the 1st ascent part used for gear before you scoff at other options. I'm a die hard gear whore. The difference in what will work and what works the best for you can be staggering. At one time I had a Patagonia DAS, a Micro Puff Hoodie, a MH Compressor Hoodie, a Wild Things Belay Jacket, A NF and may a couple I have forgotten about in the closet. I choose one out of that bunch that I liked a lot and now own two of them. The reason I own two? If you use them they wear out. Climbing is tough on gear. If you depend on that gear for your survival best to keep it in good shape. On hard climbs I use the jacket in the best shape. The extra expense is worth it to me to have a "beater" jacket and one I use for the special project. The wrong/right gear has never kept from suceeding on a climb. Typically only my brain failed. That said, the difference for all those jackets are the details. The best fit (for me) the best hood (for me and my helmet), cuffs, zippers, pulls, and pockets is all I am interested in. If a $15. jacket was the best for my own use a Walmart tag wouldn't slow me down a bit. One of the best climbing soft shells I own was well under $100 from REI and it is a woman's style and size! My favorite mixed boots you can buy on sell at 1/2 Sportiva's retail...just rip off the lace system and add eyelets. Next time I am close to a Walmart it will be worth checking out a $15.00 "climbing" jacket.

Micro puff is a nice piece as is the Mountain Hardware Hooded Compessor....lwt weight, nicely detailed. Worth looking at as well.

Man, that is some harsh shit! I like Grivel and understand the reasoning behind the trimmed down, lwt copy of the "Dart". Pretty specialised crampon design. Hard to believe just how specialised crampons have obviously become.