chris

Another vote for Lifewise (which is a division or some-such of Blue Cross/Blue Shield).

Scott- I'd strongly recommend taking the fan approach. I've witnessed numerous serac collapses from the upper Kautz scour the Turtle snowfield, from about centerline and right. Anyone taking the direct approach to the Turtle would be in the potential line of fire for hours.

I think a 32 degree bag would be more than enough. I spend June - September using a 40 degree bag and use a schoeller jacket, microfill sweater, or belay parka to add warmth. Right now I'm using the schoeller at 11,300 (Upper Boy Scout Lake). How cold does it get? Well, it can and probably will dip below freezing at night. Daytime highs right now are in the upper 70's and 80's, depending on the elevation.

I give a second vote for the Belay Jacket. I've used it in cold conditions in the Cascades, BC, Alaska, South America and China. If that's too cold for you, then take a step down and go with the EP Jacket. Both are synthetic filled and use epic fabric for wate repellency.

You can also check out Mount Rainier Alpine Guides, owned by Eric Simonson, and also based out of Ashford.

Nice G - I liked your definitions!

I so wish we had a yawning graemlin...

the f*&%ing ten essentials

Sorry slothrop - and thank you trogdor for the new avatar so my three brain cells aren't quite so confused. Its not all about height. If I get the Grivel shoulder straps comfortable, the waist belt is too high, and if I lower the straps, the bag hangs a couple of inches from my shoulders. I think I my back length and chest width just don't suit this pack, or vice versa. I'm now on my second Speed 28 - its awesome! I really like how if rides, even fully loaded. The first one lasted three years before I retired it this summer. One recommendation: don't haul this pack if you can help it. The occasional pitch is fine, but we've been using my old pack to haul a drill around - ouch! The new BD Speed also comes in a 32 or 33L size if you want a bit more space.

I bought a 70m Beal Joker this summer. Its awesome. Weighs as much as a 60m, passes the tests for all three standards, which means I can use it as a lightweight single on the easy stuff, a double on the loose stuff, and a twin on the hard stuff...

I agree with Trogdor about the Grivel Pack. Except I find the little waist belt zippers always in my way - the zipper pulls are these little cable swages, so they can be a pain in the hip. My biggest complain is the size of the straps - Trogdor is a little smaller than I, so perhaps this is truly a pack built for French and Italian men. I have only a few inches of strap left on the shoulders, without wearing extra layers. It just doesn't fit my back/chest well. I'm going to put it up for sale at the end of the season when I head back north. Meanwhile I'm ordering a BD Sphinx 42L, which fits me a lot better.

We have similar alpine grades in New Zealand - Blake can tell you all about them, since he's been there more recently than I.

Again, I don't think alpine grades apply to Blake's question. Blake, you're asking about the "traditional" grade system, right?

Olivine Corp won't give out keys for the north gate because of concerns of dumping and vehicle traffic during mining operations. The private timber land once owned by Crown Pacific is now owned by three companies: Hamilton Tree Farms, Sierra Pacific, and a third I don't know. The SP forester told me this past winter that the three companies had agreed to keep private vehicle access to a minimum in order to keep the companies from interfering with each other's operations. The old "geonerd" trick doesn't work anymore either. But if you look at a map, you shouldn't need to access Cinderella from the west side at all...

I think it depends on the access to the pitch. I'm working on a route down here that has 5 pitches bolted on lead. Then the sixth pitch was gained by climbing a trad pitch off-route, tension traversing back into the intended line, and placing the anchor. The protection bolts were placed on rappel after we TR'ed the pitch several times, marking where we wanted the bolts to be with chalk. We're hoping to be done with next week before I head north - tell you more about it then.

Not exactly, Pete. The distinction between a Grade VI and a Grade VII wall is not its length, but its access. That's why an El Cap size wall in Baffin is a VII. So I believe that commitment does get factored into traditional grades, but is only a factored in when distinguishing between V, VI, and VII. Any Alpine Grade, be it Alaskan, Kiwi, or French, give commitment a much higher value. Commitment may be defined as the time/distance from definitive aid or assistance. This could be a road, technical rescue arriving, etc. I always though that it went something like: I - less than 2 hours II - 2-4 hours III - 4-8 hours IV - 8-12 hours V - 12-18 hours, probably overnight VI - at least one night, probably more VII - multiple nights on route, definitive assistance greater than 24 hours away These grades only factor in 1) the speed of a competent, traditional party unless otherwise described, and 2) the route of ascent, not descent. And I agree - I like the Select Cascade practice of adding a grade to the hike. It helps me when I'm considering how much time I have to get out.

This is too cool - trip report in installments! Hats off to you Wayne!

I also recommend this method - it enables a team of three to climb as fast as a team of two. It also means on climbs that require 60m rappels you don't have to carry an extra cord, making a team of three sometimes more desirable than two. I still use single cords more often than not, but I use skinny singles (9.2mm or so). Making sure both cords are the same length helps with management. When using a pair of singles, have the leader clip both cords into protection in order to protect the second and triple, but only be belayed on one cord to minimize forces on the protection.

I just got into a heated debate with a client from Colorado over whether I should have placed gear on a 4th class pitch. The pitch features 30 solid meters of 4th class over a 60m+ drop. I normally climb it in boots and unprotected, and the only reason I would personally carry a rope is to get down faster via the rappels. She claimed that California grades were routinely sandbagged, and that this was a solid 5th class pitch. I disagree. A 4th class move 2 meters off the ground is still a 4th class move 200m off the ground. Like wise, elevation off the ground doesn't effect whether a move or pitch is 5.6 or 5.15a, does it?

20 people isn't considered a statistical viable population, but maybe it will open the door to more research with larger study groups.

Not necessarily, G. Roper does describe 2nd, 3rd, and 4th class in terms of difficulty. 2nd class - like walking up an open stairwell on the outside of a building with a railing. 3rd class - like walking up that same stairwell without the railing. 4th class - like climbing an off-vertical ladder up that same building. If you fell, it would kill you, but it would be damn hard to fall unintentionally. 5th class - having to climb the building without the stairwell of the ladder. I remember that NOLS taught it as the consequences of an unprotected fall: 1st class - you might get some bruises and cuts. 2nd class - you will get some bruises and cuts. 3rd class - you will get some bruises and cuts, you might break something. 4th class - you will break something, you might get dead. 5th class - will kill you. I think that part of the problem was that prior to WWII there were many talented climbers making first ascents at a high technical level but with little protection and serious consequences. Because of the system of the day, things were graded then in a fashion that would be considered "sandbag" today.

Nope: "This past weekend I ran into a large group of Tacoma Mountaineers and Seattle Mountaineers at Camp Harris/Murkwood camp on the Northside of Mt Baker. There was a large amount of trash left hanging in a tree below were this group was camped. Being a climber and enviromentalist I would like to remind people to make sure this doesn't happen again." Sounds like his complaint is 100% with the Mountaineers to me. I think you're being touchy...

We'd like to think that this forum is the place to spread information. I agree that this dude should contact the Mountaineers directly, but to come down on him for assuming that a Mountaineer member might read this - you out there Gary? - and bashing him for admitting to be an environmentalist (if an environmentalist is someone who cares about the environent, is there anyone here who isn't? Tell him to pass it on to the Mountaineers and be done with it. Wow...

My complaints are that (1)Dallas insisted on an "old school" guidebook, hand typed and printed, and (2) the maps suck. The final product would have looked so much better with digital photos and Publisher software. In this day and age, printing such a thick book in the same style as a stapleback is just lame. Trails that are marked in the map are sometime full-on 4th class. Every time I go to a new area there, I give myself a full day to figure out the best way to reach the wall from the best parking area, I don't count on climbing much, and I don't go exploring with my dog - there have been just too many dead ends! Yes, this is a great improvement over the old guidebook, but if someone wanted to take the time to print a new version in the style of the Exit 32, 38, or Vantage books, I'd buy a copy.

Four possible ratings...my head is hurting...