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Dane

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Everything posted by Dane

  1. Anyone got time to share a rope Thursday at Tieton before the show?
  2. Where to start? Carlos and I were climbing on Midnight Rock. Came down to find the car broken into and a bunch of gear gone. Couple of days later we spot the guys in Buhler's bright red Javelin pile jacket and my white framed Varnets up the Icicle. Hard to miss with the jacket and all. We call the cops which soon arrive and head up the hill to confront the guys. Pretty funny, hard to run away when you are top roping. I chopped their rope in several places when I pulled their anchors and then they went to jail. Cop wanted to know why we just didn't beat the shit out of them. Carlos was pissed but he's no meat eater. My excuse? Three on one!? That was almost 30 year ago... Last month a bag of ice screws went missing at the base of Louise Falls...and no, sadly not tourists. It was a group of 3 that walked off from the base of the pillar and rapped from the tree. End of the rap was where we had left our gear. Been several incidents of gear being stolen before and since...but none where you can point a finger at other climbers. But it is obvious that it isn't such a trust worthy community outside your own group of friends...and may be never really has been.
  3. Cool answer! Quark hammer modified and bolted on? Looks like a clean solution. Any more info on how it was done? By choking up on the Nomic into the taped grip the hand position it would be OK as a hammer. About the same angle as the Quark except the hammer doesn't stick out as far as the Quark for better clearence. I agree though a dedicated hammer which you could weld pins in with would be better. Just not lighter.
  4. I've bought a few things from them recently. Most obvious was two on-line price matches which they honored on the phone and went one better which ended up me saving another $100 total beyond the price match. (Nomic @$189 ea) Still not sure how that happened. Big ticket items are usually easy enough to get a discount on by 10 to 20% from my little experience. My only bitch is the web site is slow, as is their shipping. But from your experiences I have been warned. Going to look into another price match on Monday since shipping has been free to this point.
  5. The great photo from Raphael Slawinski's web site of the Grand Central Couloir was a joke on Robert's "cragging" comment. I had no idea what tools the four climbers used on their ascent. I should have pasted in the Kitchener picture above, "Just a couple of the climbs the Nomics has been on." to make it more clear. My apologies. "what purpose would an adze serve?" The point I was trying to make from the first post, is, things change. Everyone use to take an adze and a alpine hammer on hard alpine. Then a hammer, adze and an alpine hammer. Now we find getting clipped by a adze on road side mixed is generally a bigger mess than a hammer so many climb with two hammers and few have seen an alpine hammer. That set up gets taken back to the mountains. Some still debate a curved shaft for the mountains but most everyone (everyone?) doing hard alpine stuff is using them. The pics and links I posted here opened my eyes (and imagination) to what others are doing. Never found a adze in the way soloing anywhere and sometimes useful to cut a quick step to rest on. Which a pick will do as well just not as quickly. But then not having a hammer or an adze would not be that big of deal either in the right terrain, on the right route. Not something I would have thought up on my own.
  6. Anything new on this line?
  7. Spring came early this year The face looked cold and dry last week. Gotta give it to Raphael Slawinski and crew. Most are staisfied with one trip up Temple. Two winter trips in 2004 was impressive. Adding the third rock route must be the cream. Good on 'um!
  8. Robert the photo of Sea of Vapors is Jon Walsh's from March of '06. The pic on Shooting Gallery is his as well. Myths I once believed: you have to be stronger to climb leashless you'll climb harder with a leash you can't plunge a Quark (any tool) with a rest bolted on you need a spike on the end of that tool you don't need a third tool umbilicals are for inexperienced nobs Last week I was mentally counting up the number of different tools sets I have used on hard ice. There have been a few. I've willing adopted new tools that make climbing easier. When a bought Quarks several years ago I thought they were extreme waterfall tools. Having been on this face, the pic below actually shocked me. As did the pic on Shooting Gallery above. What no adze!? Both pics opened my mind to other possibilities.
  9. The list of hard mixed routes in the Rockies that the Nomic has been used on is too long to list. But easily more grade 6 ice and hard mixed that you and I have done I suspect. Some still argue for wrist loops. Old myths die hard. They still make and sell alpine hammers. Just a couple of the climbs the Nomics has been on. Some pretty good cragging here http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/riptide http://canadianalpinist.blogspot.com/
  10. Been on Quarks for awhile. Still my standby tool used leashless. But my new favorite is the Nomics which I use now when they are right for the route. (after seeing them on a moderate alpine route "right" gets pushed every trip) Reasons? Nice hand protection with the rests on the Quark. Easy to use leashless, tough as nails...amazingly so for the Nomics on mixed. All the picks are hard to over drive and stick even when gripped and beginning to freak. Balance is good on the Quark, even better on the Nomics.
  11. Many ways to define it...and more than one way to achieve it. This being the simpliest I have found. But feel free to pick you own training methods. Just to be clear..I endorse training hard enough to puke, not the Cross Fit program. And I like the image of Pukie the Clown.
  12. Dane

    Dog breeds

    We've had a number of rescue dogs over the years and have two currently. We've loved them all which has included a Chesapeake Retriever, German Shorthair, Doberman, Rottweiler and a Labor Doddle. But I would caution you about any rescue dog when you have kids and other pets. They are in a rescue because the dog was someone else's problem. Any dog that is protective/agressive enough to help with personal/home security will likely be a problem in other ways. Good protection and family dogs are a full time job. You'll want to prepare yourself for that. Big difference between males and females in every breed. Each breed has different shedding charateristics. Short haired dogs are the easiest to clean up after. But they all add to the fuss and mess in the house. Something to think about. Get the youngest dog you can past 12 weeks. They learn more about you and you them and they'll bond to the kids better. Our current "kids" were both 7 months old when we adopted them, thankfully 6 months a apart and for the most part house trained. Generally dogs (any dog) will not mature till they are 2 years old. They go through all the changes that kids do in 30 years in just 2 years. And are lifetime (generally 10 to 15 years) committments. I have some huge personal preferences for dogs, having lived with two protection trained dogs as an adult and our family dogs as a kid. But I would suggest making several trips to the local Human Society Shelter and look at lots and lots of dogs. Take a few minutes to play with them one on one and don't let your heart be swept away with the first good looking one The best dogs we have had have all been rescues. One of the most difficult dogs we have had was also a rescue and worth the effort until his death. But I couldn't have him around kids. I've spent time with some great Akita, Doberman, German Shepards and Rots. Of our past dogs the one I enjoyed the most was a big male Dobie that was a rescue. He was a handfull 24/7. As good of a dog as he was it would not be an experience I'd want to repeat. It was just too much work and too much worry. But if I had kids the only protective breed I would look at would be a female Rottweiler. I'd want her as a puppy that had been left with the mother till she was 12 to 16 weeks old for socialization. It will help with her training and life with your kids. Then be prepared for a lot of work 9 (and more fun than you can stand) for a year or so. After that it just gets better every day My family has had 4 outstanding female Rots over the years and all have been exceptional dogs. Good luck!
  13. Jeff Ormiston at Iss/Samamish PT...Issaquah. Jeff use to rock climb a lot and now is into Adventue racing and Tris. Jeff and crew did a great job for me. Their # 425 392 4025
  14. Your first rule is a guide, not a rule and imo not worth mentioning when you consider twin ropes have to be clipped into every piece. Twins are generally a bit smaller in dia. (my twins are 7.8mm) than dbls and have no documented failures of being cut by the second rope. Tips? Be patient when dealing with dbl or twins. They offer some real advantages if you take your time and flake them and stack them cleanly. Fastest way to have a birds nest is get pissed and try to violently shake out a tangle. One of the few good reasons to use a dbl rope system is the ability to do longer rappels. If I were going to suggest 30m ( who sets anchors at 100 feet these days? ) rappels I'd go to single 70m or 100m rope. Not that impressed with a single 70 because it is too short for anything but a 35m rappel. You'll end up using the 50M rope stances on anything fixed and come up short. 70m ropes are not a bunch better than a 50M rope on lead but they are heavier. Few climbs out there that don't have a natural stance inside 50m or 60m. Part of the problem I see is we still have many, many anchors set up for dbl 50 meter (or even 150ft) ropes. Now we have a lot of 70m ropes being used and even more 60m ropes out there. Both old and new anchors are not matching up well. How can they? I use twin 60s to get as much distance on each lead as possible compared to the weight I have to carry for a full length rappel. A super light single and a tag line might be a lighter system but there is no redundancy available with a tag line. Plus when you tie in all the ropes come out of the pack..which I also like weight wise.
  15. On a mountaineering axe I geneally have a wrist loop tied to the head of the axe. Never to the harness. But you are then forced to change hands on the leash depending on the uphill side. Not a big deal but you need to get used to it. The leash is there to support the wrist on any short bits of technical climbing. And if required support a self arrest. Leash works well on a short axe for that purpose. Just to confuse the answer. If there is anything over a just a tiny bit of technical climbing I'll also generally have a technical tool which will be leashless. Depending on the situation/length of the technical climb I'll also generally add umbilicals which are a mobil self belay as well as keeping the tools attached to me if dropped. They are clipped to the harness. With a mountaineering axe if you fall and are unable to get stopped by a self arrest at least the axe is less likely to put other holes in you if tied to your wrist (which is more likely to be lost) than tied to your harness which will go the distance. Trust me if you loose your axe in a fall and it is bouncing around tied to your body the axe will be the least of your worries. Add crampons to that mix and things can get really messy. Do what makes you comfortable and don't worry what the next guy thinks. I've seen axes lost by some really good climbers in some really henious situations and some really stupid situations. I'm not so proud as to think I can't drop an axe at a really inappropriate moment. My rule is if the climb is over 100 meters high I generally have something physically attaching the axe to me, my pack or my harness, be it a wrist loop, leash or and umbilical. The set up is defined by the terrain.
  16. I had a complete distal rupture of the right bicep a few months ago. Pain was intense but short lived. Typical bent arm shock load was the cause. Also injuried the left at the same time just not as severe but am rehabing it instead of surgery. Although I would have prefered surgery on it too at this point. Right arm was not an option and is now better than my left although it is not yet 100%. And may never be I am told. Fuck'um, what do they know? Bicep sucked up into my upper shoulder and was obviously disfigured with a loss of strength around 50%. Was able to claw my way up Davis/Holland on a top rope a day before surgery though....a stupid stunt I wouldn't recommend. I did not have a complete tear from the 1st incident but enough pain and weird looking arm to know I was screwed. Xrays won't tell you a thing. An MRI will if you can sit thorugh the pain and torment of the position they will put you in. I couldn't. My ortho guy called it the moment he saw it and ordered up space for surgery the next morning. The longer you wait on a tear the worse the rehab and putting you back together is. I was 5 days from the intial tear, road Hurricane ridge the day after with no issues, then Davis Hollad, each day out allowing the tendon the shrink up. I should have insisted on seeing my doc sooner and get cut asap. Doc said the tendon was a bitch to pull back down..."looked like it had been up there for weeks". Luckily they did not have to use cadaver tendon to hook me back up. But I did get a few extra cuts to get hold of the tendon and pull it back down. 6 months later I feel pretty good, not where i want to be but better than the alternative Got the Darts yesterday thanks. Talked to John Gill about his bicep injury as well. If you have specific questions send me a email or give me a call. Pretty much got this injury dialed.
  17. Then sack up and solo. Fuck'un bolters think they are saving the world. In reality they are trashing it for future generations. Old and still soloing, thanks.
  18. Yep, what he said. Scott has PMIs on sale for $100 normally $200 in the yard sale. For lots of TR I want them thick and fat.
  19. New Grivel Helix, black handle knob, 17cm.
  20. Trip: CND Ice - The typical trade routes Date: 1/25/2008 Trip Report: I was lucky enough to get a couple of trips in to Banff/Lake Lousie area this winter. Nothing earth shattereing climbed, just a couple of the local trade routes. Avi conditions have been terrible for the most part and kept us off some routes we wanted to do on boith trips. But isn't that part of ice? First trip up was with my long term (like almost 30 years now!) climbing partner. While he has kept up I haven't. This is the second time he has dragged me off the couch and back into the fray. The first time was years ago, to do the second ascent of some heinious, offwidth, 4 pitch 5.11. Fun, but another story. This time for such fun things as the pillar on Louise and Weeping Wall center. Never mind that I haven't been ice climbing in years and tore my right bicep off last spring. I owe you a big "thanks" Dave...I think The first week was defined by the typical -30C temps we had every day. Pleasant really and a nice "welcome back to Canada". Below the big boys and gun for the pillar on the 2nd pitch of Weeeping Wall. On my lead of course I bail to the left...and get a dirty look from Dave. A fun trip with some good climbing every day. We finishing with Gilbralter on the way home. Nice climb this time because it was cold enough to actually finish on top of the wall where the spring originates. No pics but a must do climb if you are in the area. (Canal Flats) Between the two trips I got in some local ice with Jeff from CClimbers. Interesting stuff, screws were useless but tied off brush seemed reasonable. At least as hard as anything we did in Canada this winter. Cold, wet fun right up till we got back to the truck and found the windows and gear missing. Coldest I have been all winter was driving home with no glass on the driver's side. Who is worse your insurance agent of the theives? BASTARDS! Jeff after the first steep section. and a second smaller step before the upper section... The second trip north I did with Eiji from CClimbers. If you saw his last trip report he had mentioned the fact that they didn't get as much mileage as they would have liked. We tried to remedy that on this trip. We figured about 1500m of climbing in 3 and 1/2 days so we did OK this trip. 60F in Calagary when we landed. 50F in Banfff and raining. Just barely freezing at Lake Lousie made conditions a bit trying. So we started doing what we could as the sun went down and temps dropped. Made it interesting and fun. Eiji on the sharp end right out of the car. And again 2 minutes later Starting late on Snivelling in what would be a good day....Sniveling and Weeping Wall. In the dark at the top of the wall, 120m of trail breaking in chest deep snow on steep terrain was a pain and a little scary until we got back into the trees. A mental crux... well done. A little time out to crank some mixed at Haffner And then back @ night climbing to finish up the trip. Gear Notes: I first did these climbs back in the '70s. They are all over rated today with modern gear Two links that give a more detailed commentary: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/774814?PHPSESSID=27626ac9b3ebf4ff477393992585c03d#Post774814 http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/775592?PHPSESSID=27626ac9b3ebf4ff477393992585c03d#Post775592 Approach Notes: You kidding me? I climb in Canada just so I don't have to walk.
  21. Anything that doesn't hurt too bad. Common injury in some circles. But not much you are going to do now that will slow healing. Just stay off the pain killers which should slow you down some. And don't risk any more trauma like hitting a tree or something. They do hurt though, don't they
  22. Man that was ripe for the picking! Post at top of forum with the description and location. Nice that you are giving them back
  23. I would like to make a comparison of the older “gold” standard of plastic mountaineering boots and three of the current generation of Sportiva boots. If you don’t get a decent fit in a Sportiva last the comparisons might not be a big help to you. I use a custom insole and professional boot fitting locally to dial in my own boots. No matter what brand fits you I highly recommend this service if you climb hard or put lots of miles on your boots. When the white Kolflachs showed up in Europe the summer of ‘79 and in the US at REI in 1980 snow/ice and winter climbing changed forever. We no longer had to suffer wet feet let alone the weight of a good pair of heavy leather dbl. boots. They weren’t the first plastic boots, just the most successful. Although San Marco offered leather topped plastic bottom boot that was really closer to the high tech offering we see today. For me at least with big feet (size 12) finally a rigid boot. I am not sure plastics actually got better form that boot. I still have a pair (after cracking several shells) and with a foam liner they are as light and as warm as anything out there with comparable volume. Sure Koflachs didn’t fit everyone’s feet and other manufactures were able to make distinct inroads in the market. Ankle flexibility was also an issue in all the plastic boots. Several manufacturing techniques were used to address this problem with different levels of success. The first Koflachs I saw were on the feet of my climbing partner Gary Silver. It was mid Jan '81 and we were on the second ascent of Slipstream. Gary had been in Europe during the fall of ’79 and soloed the Swiss Route on the Courtes and the Chere Coulior after buying the boots in Chamonix. Gary broke trail on the steep snow of Slipstream. I did the ice pitches. It was obvious as Gary steam rolled his was to the top that I was over weighted and under powered. I was wearing a dbl. layered pair of Chouinard Supergaters and custom Haderer single boots. The Haderers were dead rigid but heavy. In comparison my combination to the Koflachs, really heavy. A week later I had a pair of Koflachs myself….and regrettably now, sold the Haderers for pennies on the dollar. The first thing I noticed and enjoyed (with a liberal amount of moleskin) about the Kolflachs was the stiffer ankle in forward flex which I thought helped my ice climbing. The same added stiffness on the side flex wouldn’t help my ice climbing because it made resting in French technique much harder to accomplish. But much of that you just worked around. The Kolflach’s excellent fit, rigid sole and most importantly the lightweight waterproof shell couldn’t be ignored. The Kolflach was a big advancement in foot-ware. I was able to climb up to 5.9 and easy 5.10 in mine. Obviously thin cracks were a problem but they would excel on steep face climbing. The Kolflach was a much warmer and higher volume boot than the leather Haderer but for me at least the plastic climbed just as well. Sportive (and others) all the while were developing light weight, leather climbing boots. The best known today are likely the rigid soled Nepal and Trango Series. While I think they are important and more likely the bigger sellers I am going to ignore the more flexible Trango and non clip/on compatible boots in this discussion. The Nepal series was one of the first really successful rigid soled leather boots. The current version, the Nepal Evo is rigid slightly insulated and very warm. I have used mine at –30C with lightweight sox and only began to feel the cold at long belays. (the other 2 boots mentioned below are even warmer than the Nepal Evo) It is an all leather boot that is lightly insulated. As I mentioned I use a light sox combo which is a liner and a medium weight hiker. I have exceptional feel in this boot and it climbs ice and rock well. It is warm enough for anywhere in the CON/US and will do just fine for most day routes in Canada’s chilly winters. It has a high ankle cuff and is very supportive. It is all leather and very durable. It seems to breath well in comparison, to the Batura, so it stays drier inside (which means warmer) over a few days of climbing. The Evo is my pick for Sportiva’s best all around boot. Although I have recently become partial to the added comfort and flexibility a soft ankle boot. That new preference comes as a surprise after so many years in a pair of Kolflachs and their really stiff ankles and the added support. The Batura is a fairly new boot from Sportiva. I have been climbing in mine all winter. In essence it is a single boot with a fixed supergater. Pretty much the same system I was climbing in 30 years ago except this one is a lot lighter and a bit warmer. Sportiva ads say 6 layers of insulation. Not the bigger volume of a pair of Koflachs but getting close. Volume means warm feet in the cold and clunky boots on hard technical terrain. But this boot is warm, very warm actually from my experience but they lack the ability to breathe and you end up with wet boots internally after as couple of days out. A good deodorant rubbed on your feet and if used on anything long term a VBL sock would be a good supplement to this boot. I waded through hours of knee deep cascade cement and rain with this boot. Never got wet from the outside. This while using the tiny gaiter with my shoeller pants tucked in. The lacing system could use hooks on the ankle but other than that is it a great boot with only one limitation. Too bad though because getting wet on the inside will keep this boot from seeing some amazing climbs I suspect. This boot has the same sole lamination/ configuration as the Nepal Evo. The big difference in how they climb (and walk) is in the ankle support. Recently a climber pointed at me on Weeping Wall and exclaimed “fruit boots” in reference to the newest high-tech rock shoes with a gaiter and crampons bolted on. The Batura isn’t a fruit boot but it is getting close. Really it is a hybrid between a super light flexible Mt. boot and a stiff-soled rigid Mt. boot with the addition of an insulated supergaiter and breathable cuff for warmth. I think it is a good combo. My bet is we'll see more of this style of boot. Scarpa has been doing it longer than Sportive in this venue. Look for others to tag along. I can easily see a super warm “fruit boot” with a tiny volume in the future and still the boot of choice for M10 or a fast sprint up the Cassin. The newest boots are going to be even more fun. Till then we have the Spantik. If you have looked around at the most recent high and hard routes the Spantik is getting its fair share of exposure. Like all the new, most difficult climbs! Multiple layers of foam and plastic give you a boot that can’t get wet from inside or outside. Inside the tent just wipe out the condensation in the booty and it is good to go into the bag. The outer won’t freeze but they will get cold. Best to keep them stashed away someplace warm till it's time to put them on again. "These are the warmest dbl. I have ever used", is the general consensus. They have a big volume but no where close to the Asolo 9000. They climb well, very well for such a big boot if you get a good fit. (again get them fit by a professional if you want to climb hard or walk a long ways in them) I had three pair of Spantiks break the innner boot eyelets before the 4th pair fianlly showed up with a new style eyelet. Seems to have been a common problem with ’07 boots. If you break one it is easy to get all the eylets relaced with metal by your local shoe guy. But…you’d thank that was solved for a $650 boot. The futuristic outer lacing system hasn’t been a problem from any one I have quizzed. It is the first boot I would comfortably take to Denali with no overboot or supergaiter. Cold feet might stop you but I suspect if that happened in the Spantik you’d have other concerns as well. These guys are state of the art for high Mt. boots while they climb, fit and support much like the original Koflachs. Everyone else is playing catch up. All the boots discussed here, Koflach though Spantik will get you up most any mtn in the world. Some will do it more comfortably than others. Some models might last a good deal longer than another model. All are generally too much boot for the Cascades. Although I always error on the side of warm feet. $50 a toe is cheap compared to a nasty case of frost bite, so error on the side of safety and comfort The next generation of the Batura my yet be the best mtn boot produced for anything up to 7000 meters. There will soon be a new Sportive in the pipeline in the Trango series. By all reports is seems another small step closer to the “future boot”. Bottom line? Plastic boots aren't obsolete. Hopefully the Koflach brand isn't gone forever. Asolo still makes their boot. Either, while not the lightest thing out there can still climb well and is warm enough for any mtn. Better yet they stay dry on longer trips. Something that can be a serious problem on any of the leather/synthetic boots. Surprizingly so on an all synthetic boot like the Bataura. The slight advantage now goes to the light weight and the flexable ankles of the newest generation boots on technical terrain. Unless of course all you are doing is never ending steep ice with any weight in your pack. There are lots of good mtn boots available today. With a little work Sportivas fit me well which is why I own them. Scarpa, Kayland and Asolo come to mind as other quality boots. I own a pair of the first two and like them a lot. Kayland deserves more exposure imo because of the excellent fit. Decide what you want your boots for and then try everything on. It is easy to get a good fit by dealing with soem of the online shops like Zappo's. Fit is as important or more important than some features. Shop wisely and take your time. Good luck!
  24. Couple of PMs asked the same question so I thought I'd better explain. Leashes? If your tool isn't set up from the manufacture as a leashless tool nothing wrong with using leashes. It may well be the best solution. Guys are doing conversions but my thought is most will be better served to just buy leashless specific tools when they want to step up. FWIW having climbed on the Quark and Axtar I can say they they aren't "leashless" tools till you add the finger ledge to the Quark. Axtar is a leash tool for me. I think the Quark now comes with it "ledge". I had to buy mine. The bolt on ledge for the Quark made a big difference in performance and ease of use. With out it a leash was madatory for me. YMMV on any tool.
  25. Same block (behind Lucie and above Eric) in all three pictures. It is actually part of the the ridge crest. Although it isn't very easy to get off the ridge behind it. But it is an awesome traverse on the single horiziontal crack that goes right from the block and finally hits the ridge crest. Just read Eric's description of the Fin. I have done it a few times and never the way Eric describes it. I traverse on the 4th class ledges about half way across to a large block just above the ledge. I then climb the obvious cracks pretty much straight up to the right corner of the block under discussion on the ridge crest. It is a bit mossy but all on really fun 5.8/5.9 face cracks. It is easy in rock shoes. I generally change out of my sneakers and first rope up starting the Fin if I'n not short roping. The Fin is well protected with minimal gear. A range of TCUs and small Friends work well as would hexs and stoppers. I highly recommend the Fin finish to any of the N Face routes. Hard to beat 2000" of easy climbing in sneakers with a few pitches at the end left for a pair of Mythos and an early lunch on top
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