Dane
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Don't take my comments to Pope as a condemnation, it wasn't short of the potty mouth Almost everyone went through a Chouinard axe pretty quickly if you climbed technical ground with them. Broken picks and shafts were common. I did both on my original one and rewelded the tip several times before relagating it to guiding Mt. Rainier. Many guys went through several (Chouinard/Chalet/Grivel) wooden shafted axes in just one season. It got expensive @ $35 to $60 an axe depending on year. Even the later curved gear you didn't break...the Curver was pretty tough. You would quickly file through the first tooth after banging rocks. Replaceable picks were a big advantage. This is one you won't often see, an early Grivel (mid '70s) with a laminated Rexilon handle. Zero like...eh? Now it is obvious you can grind through several teeth and still make a tool usable. But dropped picks make that easier than curved picks. The numerious adventures of old guys with new tools should prove just how much easier and safer ice climbing is these days Hard to really appreciate till you get the chance to try it again. I could tell you stories Here is the direct linage of the state of the art in 40 years ice tool development, 1970 to 2009. If you don't see everything that came inbetween it all seems simple doesn't it?
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Off, I used both (all three?) but unlike others (many of them my partners) was never very impressed. MY collection is just stuff I actually used, (not the original tools though) except for one obvious set of tools. So nothing from Grivel, Stubia, Lowe or much of the early Charlet gear. Just my own history. I decided I needed to stop some where Hard to pony up $100 or more for a tool that cost $60 the first time around and you hated it then! The only real value of these tools today is the climbing memories behind them and the lost art of hand forging the heads and the careful fitting of the wooded shafts. Before anyone else gets their panties in a twist helps to realise the Chouinard wooden shafted Piolet was first available in '70 and ceased production by the spring of '78. That includes all the models, ash through bamboo and Rexilon. The reason? UIAA new rules about the strength of the shaft on all ice axes. A few hand forged heads were attached to California made carbon fiber shafts. But by that time the curved pick was already a dead animal for hard climbing. No doubt the wooden shafted axes kept being used though. Although Chacals and Forrest Lifetime tools were available in limited numbers in the US and Canada this is the gear used on the 2nd and first one day ascent of Slipstream winter of 1980/81. All of it out dated by then. For an idea just how fast things were changing..I used a Curver and a Zero hammer a few days before on Polar Circus...my partner used Lifetimes.
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FWIW I started climbing in high school...late '60s. Not every tool I have owned is represented and the late '70s early '80s went crazy with more than one new tools introduced every season. So here is what I rememebr which may or may not be totally accurate. Chouinard alpine hammers...top to bottom...'71 '75 and the last hickory version from 'early '80s. Ice tools? Chouinard piolet was available in bamboo by the winter of '70 '71. Ash and Hickory before that for the previous year maybe. We had Terros by '75, Forrest Veglass by '77 Life Time by '79. Chacal in Europe in '79 and here by '80. '80 to '85 was pretty crazy for tools. Chouinard Zeros, Simond Barracuda, others came out as well. Grivel was in there some where but didn't use it myself. Carbon fiber shafts are missing here as well as other designs. BIG gap in tools during the mid '80s through the '90s that are not pictured here. Also missing are all the great Charlet Moser tools, Ice Six, Pulsar, Quasars ect and most of the BD tools. Finally the Quark and Nomic are the last shown. And the obvious as to what is coming next from everyone. I tried to lay them out chronologically top to bottom and only one tool if there were hammer and adze unless one model proceeded the other like the Tero and the Simond. Crampons? Doesn't take much to see the lineage here. Chronologically from left to right top to bottom.
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That tells me four things Mr. Potty Mouth Pope...you don't climb very hard, you don't climb very much, you are old and obviously frugal
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Pair of lg, black, Arc'teryx Gamma AR pants in the yard sale.
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1976...not like there were many options 1981 Stumps and Aubrey N. Butt of Hunter. Stumps used a short Curver axe, a Roosterhead hammer, white Kolfach Ultras, SMC rigids and a Wild Things Andinista. Similar gear on the East face of Moose Tooth with Bridwell. But Bridwell used a pair of Forrest Serac Saber tools. Sort of like over grown Terros. And a key piece of gear for that climb by Bridwell's account. The first written account of ice tools being used to climb rock that I have seen. Serac Saber, SMC rigid with Lauchlan the winter before on Slipstream.
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Hey Bill, my pleasure Fun thing to do is pick a climb from the past that you think is important and figure out what gear they used. For example, Haston and Scott on McKinley in '76. Chouinard rigids, Galibier Makalu dbl boot, neopreme over boots and a pair of Chouinard bamboo axes for the leader.
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Here is the "first" from my gear. Mid '60s, McInnes metal shafted axe, (the first metal axe btw) Salewa adjustables, Galiber Havernal dbl boots. This is the stuff that the likes of Harlin, Robbins, Haston, Desmaison and others used in the Alps, Alaska, Canada and the Himalaya to make a lasting impression. Chronologically there was a point in the late '70s and early '80 that new ice gear was coming out every season. Some have made a big difference over time, Salewa hinged, Terrodactyls, Curvers, Ice Six, the Chacal, Forrest Life Times for example. Others while good were just a flash in the pan design wise, Chouinard Zeros, while beautiful, fall into that catagory as would Chouinard rigid crampons, Foot fangs and the Hummingbird. But it took all of those designs to get us where we are today. Rigid crampons...Chouinard or Lowe is what it took to get a modern rigid soled boot for example. And I am sure there are those who would take exception to that statement and argue their own points well.
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Jake had asked as a joke I suspect but here goes Guess I never realised I was always a "collector". Laid up in bed for a few weeks after a grounder I took to reminiscing. A lap top, a Pay Pal account and here I am some 50 tools richer. It started by saving some of my old tools...from the begining of the ice age....early '70s Chouinard curved gear. Then Twight gave me his tools from the CZD. A truely prized pair. Either had to sell them all or get more and make a "real" collection. Best part is the personal history to every piece. I may not have used one myself but knew the guys who did. More about the history of "technical mixed" in this one picture than in all the Chouinard catalogs. And of course you need the rest of the pieces to the puzzle. Boots and crampons. Right to left, Galiber Hivernal, Supoer Guide, Makalu and the first plastic, a Kolfach Ultra pictured here.
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For those that have asked. If I have to take pictures and post them of every tool pictured here, all twelve of them it's a lot more time involved. You can how ever click the photo properties link, delete ".sized" and see the photos blown up in my gallery. If I say new, you can believe they are just that, NEW....happy to answer any questions in greater detail.
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North face Dry Loft Goretex, like new $250 XL REI soft shell, super stretchy, $40 used XL REI stretch pile shirt, no thumb holes, like new, no smell, just never use it $30 large Patagonia Hooded Micro Puff, SOLD thanks! Wild Things, belay jacket, EPIC shell, SOLD thanks! Arcteryx, hard faced, wind resistant, water resistant pile...good garmet, little use as a town jacket. $150 XL Arc'teryx Gamma AR pant, heavy weight, unlined, stretchy and tough. Awesome ice/alpine pant. Elastic drawstring at cuff. SOLD Arcteryx LWT weight mix of Shoeller material and nylon. Greta lwt alpine shell pant. $60 Large Arcteryx Goretex bib, like new, used one weekend, small rip, repaired from a 'pon in cuff. $150 Large
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It is a good one Jake. Got a little carried away when I was laid up in bed after the grounder Vintage crampons? $40 either pair, plus shipping. The only Chouinard hinged The last Chouinard rigid
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Some of the duplicates in my tool collection I have decided to sell. A few are new, most are vintage if there are any collector's out there. Thought I'd give peeps here a chance before Ebay. Grivel AT Evo hammer, 50cm, $75, Quark Adze, new, $150, Petzl Racer, $60. BD axes, 50/ 55cm $60 ea. Curver $70, late model Zero, $70 Simond Chacel, virtually new, $150, Terro Hammer, new, $150 55cm Hickory Piolet, SOLD, 50 cm Camp Bamboo Zero, SOLD, Chouinard Alpine hammer, $100. shipping is actual USPS with tracking. Figure $10 min. per tool
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Spantik, like new, size 46, $450. Deal of the century... Mythos $60 each , 39 like new, edges still sharp, 43 SOLD, 43.5 like new Sycro, 44 new, $60 Kaukulators 44.5 $50 Boreal classic Fire $40 9.5 UK Flyers 12US $25.00 Scarpa Frenzy New 45s sold Rock shoes are $8 a pair to ship USPS MTN boots $16 DBLs are $20 PM is fine but direct email faster, rdburns@cnw.com Pay Pal is easy.
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[TR] Observation Rock - North Face 9/2/2009
Dane replied to lazyalpinist's topic in Mount Rainier NP
http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/845037/TR_Observation_Rock_North_Face#Post845037 It always looks like crap with rocks and gravel showing until it is buried in snow again. This is a picture Feck took August 3rd this year (origianlly posted in the skiing "stoke" thread) at the bottom of that thread. My pictures are from Oct of '08. The nice white snice we were climbing on was very recent snow on top of all that mud and running water which is why the snow stuck to the face. Just takes a tiny bit of new snow and a mildly cold front to hang around for a few days and the n face of OR is back in condition. Alpine climbing...even little dinky alpine climbs are all about the conditions that day. Don't despair yet Save that for when they lock the gate. temps 10am Sunday 9/6....looks like snow at OR Summit 5°F Camp Muir 23°F Paradise 41°F -
[TR] Observation Rock - North Face 9/2/2009
Dane replied to lazyalpinist's topic in Mount Rainier NP
With some luck it might get a little snow this weekend and smarten right up -
While you could do the approach from the west face of Chimney you might want to think about going over from the east face side of the Horton ridge-Roothan approach. You can start the Silver Dollar approach from the east side of Chimney Rock so you don't loose so much altitude from Roothan that you'd have to regain. Best way to get there is traverse Roothan and go through the notch on the ridge connecting Roothan to Chimney. Even easier to walk east a bit and around that ridge between it and Roothan to get on the east side. It is all 3rd class or less and easy in lwt hiking bbots or running shoes. Then it is an easy walk past the NE ridge on Chimney and stay on the crest for a ways until the easiest line to the west face of Silver Dollar becomes obvious. I would not take the longer and more complicated line Laird has drawn in his guide book as an approach over the entire Selkirk crest to Silver Dollar. The easiest acccess to the west side of Silver Dollar is to actually drop off close to his first "a" in the line diagram on the right hand of page 113 of his guide and then go under that cirque wall while staying on the slabs and a high traverse. The travel is easier than it looks and route finding easy. The West ridge looks to be an awesome but short alpine rock climb. If the west face is any example the rock will be stellar and "realitivly clean", Selkirk granite. If you pick your way I doubt you'll find any real difficulties or major features. I suspect a short rope would work fine. And there are some stunning views! Only been over there once, fall of '94 so not much help past that, sorry. Steve Jeffries and I did the 1st ascent of the west face proper by the most obvious line up the middle of the face. (2 good pitches 5.10+/5.11-, one a great corner crack the other a series of wild mantels) Time to spare coming down off Silver Dollar in day light and back to Chimney in late fall. (late Sept iirc) We did however walk back through the east face boulder field and over Roothann in the dark and a raging blizzard. I might suggest a earlier, predawn, start from Roothan to avoid that possibility again. The walk out in the blizzard turned into a minor, un-fun, epic. A few pics of that trip. Some are purely glory shots but maybe the others will help. Looking back at the N. and E face of Chimney on the walk in. Approach is down the slabs on the left and nice hiking. Also shows where you might go over the ridge from the west side and the talus field and elevation loss (more than it looks here) you'd be forced to deal with. The west face of Silver Dollar you'll walk under on the approach. The west ridge route is the left sky line in this picture. Steve leading the first and crux pitch. The summit shot.. Minute or two later Steve looking back at Roothan and Chimney as the weather starts to turn. This one shows both routes over from Chimney pretty well and a better perspective of the scale involved. The way we went you just stay on top of that cirque wall coming off Chimney's NE corner till it peters out and enables you to drop into the one of many small cirques that the west face of Silver Dollar is just one of. Route finding through there is easy. Good luck! Going to be fun to read your TR!
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Sturtevants in Bellevue....the boot fitter there is awesome. edited for spelling and added link for clarity.. thanks LG http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/791078/Re_Props_to_Martin_Sturtevants#Post791078
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"Glass of Merlo, sir?" "Next the ladies will be showing some rather nice pieces of the fall collection."
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An after thought. The MX is warm enough that I don't use it in summer. I will typically use a much lighter shell over the same lwt base layers I'd use with the MX in winter. Silly retail price though. Find them on sale or ebay. The MX is stretchy though and a good enough wind shell to use alone as the outer shell on the icefields in mid winter. Sounds like the Patagonia is a nice lwt piece worth checking out.
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Great work on the list..thanks!
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The Gamma MX is a great piece. It is my ( and a couple of my buddies) main upper piece for ice climbing in Canada all winter. Sheds lwt snow and rain well though you will get wet over time in the wrong conditions. But better yet it drys with body heat easily. Good fit, long arms and just long enough in the body to not be in the way with a harness and give good protection as well. Pockets are awesome. Makes it easy to carry the right stuff in the right places for easy access. The top pockets on the MX have made taking pictures while climbing really easy. The other side I carry untied 7mm rap tat in. Also easy access. Liked it enough to have bought a second one cheap on sale as a spare this summer. 1st one is 5 years old now. Seams are a little worn but no holes in the fabiric and still going strong. I did retreat it with Scotch guard last year. Pretty amazing to me it is still in one piece and usable after that amount of time. How's it feel? You'll never know you are wearing it. Which is pretty cool. Hard to believe a piece of clothing can be as effective as the MX is while being so light and flexible. Awesome hood btw. Easily fits over a helmet with no binding. Buy your normal size and you'll have pleanty of room. Not used the Patagonia but suspect it would be good as well. and in use on a cold snowy day..
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Don't ya just love when he pops his left foot mid route? Take a look at Colin's report from around the same time. http://colinhaley.blogspot.com/2009/03/les-grandes-jorasses.html
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Scarpa would be a good choice. I like these..Scarpa Charmoz GTX Mountaineering vailable at REI but a little pricey.
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Steck doing what he does best! Click it to fill the screen.