chris

Immediately to the east of Mendel is Thompson (in fact they share the same bivy), with four couloirs splitting its broad north face and go at AI3 and AI4. The North Couloir on North Peak up by Lee Vining is AI3/4. Then of course there is the U-Notch and V-Notch couloirs down in the Palisades, which were in decent shape last year - and as long as the snowpack is average or above average this winter they should be again this year. And these are just the half-dozen that are do-able in a long day or a day-and-a-half that immediately come to mind. I'm sure if I sit down with Secor's book I can find another half-dozen that require a full day's approach. There are also a couple more - Checkered Demon and Clyde Couloir come to mind - that come into condition and then melt out each summer. For route conditions when you arrive, you can check in with three resources: Mammoth Mountaineering Supply on Main in Mammoth; Wilson's Eastside Sports on Main Bishop, and Sierra Mountain Center on West Line in Bishop (www.sierramountaincenter.com). Have fun!

www.nwac.noaa.gov - for current avie and mountain weather forcasts www.turns-all-year.com - direct links to telemetry stations

Last year the alpine ice routes in the Sierra's were incredible in August and September. You could always change plans and head south instead.

Advanced backcountry skiers wanted for a spring Bellingham Dawn Patrol. Weekdays, back in town by noon. Must already have avalanche rescue and forcasting skills. PM your e-mail address to me if you're interested.

Klenke is famous on this site for ascents exactly like what you're looking for. Checking out his trip reports might help...

I have to agree with Mr. E. I can appreciate Dallas' desire to create an "old school" guidebook, with hand drawn maps and topos, but some of the "trails" he describes cross 4th class terrain. My first few trips I took the dog along - I don't make that mistake anymore, unless I'm positive he can negotiate the terrain (he's good, but he's no Biscuit). The guidebook is great - I appreciate all that Dallas has done in developing the crag and all the time spent writing the guidebook, but with a digital camera and microsoft publisher it could have been a lot better.

Mos- Are you talking about the boulders near the Bachar area?

Helps a great bit - trying to decide to go ski-touring or go climbing.

Can anyone tell me about what the elevation of the snowline is around Ross Lake Damn?

Excellent. Thanks.

Exactly where is the gate on the west side of Hwy 20?

If you weren't going to approach the Slot from Phantom, how would you get to the summit? From Commonwealth Basin, up and over?

I got to use a pair earlier this season and I'm sold on them - their my next purchase for next winter.

Yep, sounds familiar to me as well. Both the leap-frogging daisy approach has also been written about. In the end, the final judgement is "how much risk are YOU willing to accept".

Probably a little easier than to effect a self-body recovery after falling 1000m while soloing without a rope. Steve House admitted at a Feathered Friends slide show that if he falls while rope-soloing in the Karakoram, he is very likely to be injurred, and has only given himself the thinest margin of survival over ropeless soloing. Two methods I know of. Both are pretty simple, effective in theory, and provide the climber at least with the psychological boost to continue on. The first method uses two daisies, leap-frogging protection. Advantage: light, no rope necessary. Disadvantage: Reliant on rock quality, proximity of placements. I've actually only heard of this system being used on sections of aid. Second method - self-belayed rope. I've only used a clove-hitch - taking a Gri-Gri on a light alpine climb seems a little, well, silly. You can use the skinniest ropes you're comfortable with. I would not, however, recommend static lines, as the force of a fall would be transfered to the gear and to your body, making the potential for injuries or gear failure much more likely. I'd rather use one strand of a 7mm double system instead of just 7mm line. That recommendation made, I'll admit to have rope-soloed with a 7mm cord. Would it have worked? Just the thought of it right now is making my hands sweaty - I'd much rather just solo ropeless. In the end, alpine roped-soloing takes the accepted level of risk to a whole different (not necessarily higher or better) level. At least while soloing I do so believing I won't fall. But if I start rope-soloing, than I have admitted that I might fall, that I might not have control over myself or my environment to a level I normally seek when soloing ropeless. spam.

Does anyone have pictures of their set-up? For all the countless times I've read about this, I've never seen a photo of it. I'd like to see if what I've rigged is similar...

Josh, Check out Martin Volken's Snoqualmie Pass guidebook - several of the tours have low avie hazards.

It confuses me, and I'm already a climber!

I refuse to be a crotchety, pessimistic asshole like CrazyJZ. And beginners need their runs too. Though Josh is likely to be right. But any addition to the pass ski areas to me is an improvement. And the ski area agreed to purchase 400 nearby acres of private timber and donate it to the Forest Service. So cheers all around.

YYYEEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!

The Rando rope is stricty for glacier travel and short rappels. If you're looking for a jack of all trade, master of none rope to be used on alpine rock and glacier travel, then I'd go for the lightest 60m rope I could find.

Did anyone visit Lillooet this holiday weekend? Can some give an observation of ice conditions?

Hey Faster- When are you planning on heading down? I'll be camping at Posada from 4 January - 8 February.

How is it? I've been following the telemetry at Stevens Pass, which actually gives a measure of hope. NWS calls for a 3000' freezing level, which may be optimistic. Any actual observations?