chris

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/journal/climb/all/qc-lab-sling-strength-in-3-different-anchor-configurations While this study didn't look specifically at cordellettes, it did compare the sliding X to the anchor point method. KP determined that even though the sliding X was the strongest, the anchor point method was still strong enough. My consideration is what happens when one of those pieces does fail - would I rather the entire sling extend to shock load the remaining point(s)? Of course not. But putting in extension limiting knots is a pain in the arse. So for me, the anchor point system - with a cordellette or a sling - wins 95% of the time because it is strong enough and non-extending. Its the best compromise in my opinion.

FWIW, Fairhaven Books in Bellingham has an on-demand press downstairs. You can set up an account with them, and then they'll print the book as needed. I don't know what the split is - I'm sure its not as favorable as if the Mountaineers Press was publishing, but it may be worth saving you the time and effort.

Mine arrived this weekend!

I use a velcro too, the V-Mile from 5.10, with a loose enough fit that I can wear socks for cold days. They're 10.5, and I typically wear a 10.5-11 street shoe.

I agree with a lot of Cale's post. I don't even consider fit on anything 30L or less. I typically remove the waistbelt and its the features (or lack of them) that determines my purchasing decision. I'm happy with the Warthog 26L that I won in a drawing on Dane's blog, but my overnight ski-touring pack needs to have compression straps. What I have discovered is that I'm willing to take a weight penalty for features that I appreciate on a pack. Just a stuff sack with shoulder straps doesn't work for me 66% of the time, irregardless of how light-weight it is. So another brand to check out is Millet. I'm getting ready to order two of their packs, a 30L and 45L. It appears to have all of the features I want and none that I don't.

These days the only times I use running belays on snow slopes - typically with a picket in a vertical orientation - is to mitigate the consequences of someone pendulum-ing from a team-arrested slide, like into a crevasse, over an edge, etc. On truly steep, hard snow - where neither climber has a snowball's chance in hell to actually hold an arrest if their partner falls - it calls for pitching it out with deadman-ed pickets or agreeing to simul-solo. Most instances that pickets have failed - in my opinion - are the result of poor judgement of the snow and under-reliance on good technique.

That's what makes those Fixe fixed-cable draws so sweet - they use a quick link on the bolt-end, making it hard to remove, and pretty impractical to boot. http://www.fixehardware.com/quickdraws.htm In some areas, the team establishing the route is responsible for the initial installment, then the local climbing community (either officially or unofficially) raises funds to maintain. But really, your final comment is spot on. If you don't want to take the risk of relying on fixed hardware, but don't think you can onsite it, then take the time to get your own draws on the route, and take the redpoint. In the end, There Ain't No Such Thing As a Free Lunch (you out there?) and climbing isn't cheap. If you try to be cheap with your wallet, she'll just take payment by other means.

I think these accidents bring home the point that if we chose to tolerate fixed draws they should be steel and cable, not aluminium and quickdraws. And if you're going for the hard onsite on a popular route, pay more attention to those fixed draws and consider carrying one back QD or taking the fall rather than clipping.

Two questions, that I'm trying to answer for two separate clients, sharing Portland in common: 1. Where is the best ski bench for mounting and tuning? Not necessarily backcountry-focused, either. I'm looking for the best shop, period, to get a pair of boards worked on, within Portland. 2. I'm also looking for recommended independent down-hill ski shops that also sell side-country gear (Marker Dukes, etc). Thanks for your recommendations!

Matt- Talk to the outfit. Keep in mind that since most of the cool alpine lakes are buried under a thick blanket of snow and ice, not having ski-plane capabilities can be a show stopper. And in my experience, float-plane pilots are loath to attempt landing amongst floating ice.

In fact, you can add a whole bunch to the entire route and really dumb-it down! This is an adventure route. Please don't bolt it and make it open to the masses. Wetslide, I don't mean to suggest that we retro bolt the entire route in order to, as Raindawg and yourself suggests, "really rumb it down" and "make it open to the masses." I do believe that if fixed hardware is necessary, that it be such that requires the least amount of maintenance for the longest possible use before replacing. Using that criteria, bolts are the best option. Pins get used more often by FA teams, in my opinion, because they are quick and easy to place, and on that day - and for many days after - they are solid and adequate for lead protection. But give them a few seasons and they become untrustworthy, as the pins on this route certainly have been. No one deserves to climb on untrustworthy protection that may have been bomber when first placed but are suspect now. The FA team - or whomever placed those pins - had more security and safety on that traverse than anyone who did it this year. To repeat: I'm not suggesting that we add bolted anchors, or install bolts elsewhere to protect run-outs. I'm simply suggesting that bolts are equally secure to a well-placed pin, and last far longer with greater reliability. Therefore, I believe that bolts should be placed to replace the pin (now only a singular PIN), that once adequately protected that pitch.

For sale: Four towers, with SKS locks and keys, and two round 58" bars. This rack was previously mounted on a 2000 Subaru Forester. A new rack with these components would set you back $450.00. Make an offer - please include shipping if necessary. For Seattle-area locals, your welcome to come to my house and check for fit.

These are the original low-top version that became the Grandstaffs. Fully rubber toe to increase traction in those off-finger cracks. An awesome crack shoe. I originally ordered a pair for a trip to Indian Creek and Red Rocks, but they were the wrong size, and by the time these came back in the mail I was long gone. So they didn't get used as hoped for. I've climbed in them twice - and they work as advertised! But I find myself going back to my Hueco's, V-miles, or Anasazi's - these are just one extra pair. I'm a 10.5-11 street shoe, and these fit me perfect. Asking for $50.00 + shipping. I'll also deliver to anywhere inside Seattle city limits.

Ahhh. Makes sense now.

I've looked on KOMO without any luck. Anyone have a link? This may be related: http://www.king5.com/news/local/Search-for-overdue-hiker-on-Mt-Garfield-169161306.html

SOLD

The CAG and the Select call it 5.8 (I think). If you don't think its 5.8, that's cool with me - call it what you want.

My Jetboil has a fill line at about 1/3 of the pot - if you fill it up above this line, it will boil over. And it has two speeds - on and off. I don't cook in it except for pasta noodles, and when I have filled above that 1/3 mark, I watch it carefully to turn it off as soon as it boils. With pasta, you don't have to keep it simmering - you can bring to a boil, turn it off and give it a few minutes, fire it back up and repeat until the noodles are cooked. The MSR Reactor operates much the same way. Both are meant to boil water and melt snow - not really anything more. They're awesome alpine stoves. If you want it to be a backcountry gourmet cook switch back to a Whisperlite.

Hey, on a different note, I just read Klenke's description of the route over on Summit Post. I tried to log-in there but I'm having some difficulties resetting my password. I followed Nelson's description of the route from the Select Guides, which differs a little bit from Klenke's at the traverse. In my opinion, Nelson's is a better description. There's a great crack in the alcove (top of p5) that took two #1 and a #2 cam. When nearing the end of the traverse on p6, if you climb up and over on very solid, incut edges (instead of down 6-10' as Klenke proposes), you'll reach a vertical running crack on the high angle ramp. It's perfectly located for a three-piece anchor and will provide a great belay for the follower. Klenke description: Climb the whole traverse in one 150' pitch, down-climb the finish. Nelson description: Break the traverse into two pitches (50' and 100'), and climb up at the finish.

Ed, that's not an exact analogy. A well placed piton, on the day its hammered in, can be treated like any other piece of fixed gear, including a bolt. It just loosens and weakens much faster than any other piece of fixed gear. If we're going to leave fixed hardware in the mountains, I'm in favor of using fixed hardware with the longest lifespan, so the it lasts longer in the same condition as the FA team that got to use it. At least that's my opinion.

In fact, you can add a whole bunch to the entire route and really dumb-it down! That's a bit of hyperbole, but: When those pitons were placed, I'm confident they were bomber - the leader and the follower were confident that they had adequate pro. But now, after all these years? After all the freeze and thaws - and now that the second piton is unreliable (and likely unremovable)? So we can do one of two things - we can head up with a hammer and a few pitons, do our best to reset the bottomed out, metal-fatigued old one; and try to replace the broken new one. And in another five years another generation will be worried like the first team never was. Or we can replace the two pitons with bolts that would last 20 years, and still provide the same experience as the FA team (or the team that placed those pitons, since we don't know who did that). Obviously, I think the bolts are a better idea. I know that you disagree. But I don't think there's a difference between pitons, rivets, or bolts - at least not for the first ascent team.

Trip: Guye Peak, West Face - Improbable Traverse Date: 9/1/2012 Trip Report: I'll add some photos as soon as I'm able, but yesterday I climbed the Improbable Traverse with Dave. The route is surprisingly good, and it can be easily climbed with a 40m rope. The topo/photo description in the Select is pretty much spot on, and the photos of Kittleson and Nelson help identify exactly where the traverse is. Because of the plethora of loose rock sitting on random ledges, I don't recommend linking pitches (its possible to link 1-2, 2-3, and 6-7 with a 60m). Of the two pitons protecting the 5.8 crux, the first is a bottomed-out short KB hanging out enough to slip-hitch, not clip, and ignore the flexing. The second piton - a lost arrow copy - has visible stress-failed at the end of the blade and shouldn't be trusted. The third "off route" piton described by Nelson is 6 feet above it, so I used it for protection with a long sling and there was also a good spot for a 0.75 cam soon afterwards. At the end of the pitch, someone before us using a lot of chalk downclimbed a corner to access the ramp, but I found a good spot for a #3 stopper and followed Nelson's direction to climb up on good edges and incuts. These piton placements would be ideal bolt candidates. Topping out on the ramp is a great place to put away the shoes and the helmet, but I'd keep the harness, rope, and a slim rack out. There are a couple of 4th class steps where we were happy to have a quick belay and even a few pieces of pro near the top. We used the rope one last time to get over the north summit - you can go down and around, but up and over is more fun. Then followed the scrambler's trail back down to Alpental. Gear Notes: Cams to #4, consider bringing doubles .5-3. 1 set of stoppers 40m rope is adequate - keeping pitches to 30m minimizes incidental rockfall Approach Notes: There are two pullouts on Alpental Road, either side of the Ober Strasse intersection. Hike up the road to the obvious switchback nearest the talus, and head up.

What I'm curious about is how many trailheads, since this ruling, have been "improved" to include those six amenities, like the sign board and a picnic bench, even if its not necessary. I can think of a few. But the NW Forest Pass has persisted, even after the Fee Demo program supposedly expired. As for me, I spend enough time in North Cascades to justify getting the Inter-Agency Pass. It still annoys me, though, and I thought y'all may be interested.