chris

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.

Anasazi Lace Ups, Size 10 US-Mens, or 11 1/2 US-Womens / 9 UK / 43 Euro. I've worn these three times - and they simply didn't fit like I had hoped. Selling for $75.00 + shipping. PM me before Close of Business on Friday, 10 February, and you can avoid shipping and pick them up at Feathered Friends this weekend.

FS: Mountain Hardware Alchemy Pants, 2004 ed. Size Medium. Gore Windstopper Fabric - the current model sells for $179.95 at Mountain Gear. http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/516/3411Alchemy_Pant_Front-med.JPG More photos and details are in the Gallery. I was given these pants for a Denali trip two years ago, and they were never used - too small for me. These pants have not been worn. So they're for sale. Asking price: $100 + shipping. If you PM me before Close of Business on Friday, 10 February, then you can pick them up at Feathered Friends this weekend and not pay shipping.

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?

Just my $0.02, but falling ice is a given on an ice climb. It should be an assumed risk, which is why belay stances are attempted to be made out of the fall-line. I don't even bother to yell "ice" anymore - if you go climbing with me, it should be assumed. This is not rock climbing. So for that team to start below you, they took on a risk. You're right, it wasn't cool for them to do so, but they did. And when you chose to rap beneath them, you took that risk on for yourselves. You could have walked off, waited, or talked to them on the way down. But you didn't. So suck it up, quite making excuses, accept responsibility for putting yourself in harm's way, and move on already. Again, this is just my $0.02. I hope your partner is healing fast and cooling off.

Thanks DFA and Ryland. And I have access to a good climbing wall, which I use regularly. Steve McClure advocates using an aluminium, round rung ladder in the same fashion as a bachar ladder for building strength, and I'd like to try it out. Supposedly, its lack of dynamic "bounce" helps minimize strained elbows. Thanks for your helpful advice.

Tried that, but nope. Lowe doesn't carry single ladders either. Both Home Depot and Lowes have step ladders and extension ladders, but no single ladders. I know that Werner builds single ladders. But I thought some members here may also be in construction, and may have a used ladder that they wanted to get rid of.

I'm looking for a aluminium ladder, round rungs, single (as opposed to extending), 16-20 feet long. It only needs to be rated to 200-225 lbs as well. Its for a rock climbing training exercise that I'd like to try out, and I thought that one of you may have one that's been beat up and time to retire. I could also use half of an extension ladder if the half-length is appropriate. Can anyone help me out? Merry Christmas!

OK, so I'm heading to five weeks of rock climbing bliss at El Potrero Chico. I know the place is renowned for its sport climbing, but I also know that some trad exists. So...

Gracias