chris

Did you forget to pack your climbing shoes on Sunday, 20 October? Tell me what they were and where you think you left them, and they're yours. This offer is good for two weeks from today - after that I'll likely sell them because they're good shoes in good condition but too small for my feet. I'll be in Portland today to Wednesday noon too. Otherwise they're in Seattle and we'll need to sort out how to get them back to you. Sorry for the late post, but I'm finally unpacking from last week.

I posted the same message in TAY's Weak Layers forum.

The original post is over in the Gear forum - for simplicity's sake, please post any questions/comments over there too. Thanks. LINK

Full disclosure: I'm the local Special Projects and Tech Rep for Backcountry Access, and I've been given permission from BCA to start this post and answer questions. Last winter, we had nine Float packs (out of +11,000 worldwide), fail to operate when the trigger was pulled. All nine packs belonged to reps, and all had been deployed multiple times (one rep estimated more than 50) without trouble. BCA discovered that the E-clip, which holds the trigger assembly together, can become dislodged when cylinders are attached or removed roughly. Without the E-clip, the trigger assembly can't operate. BCA decided to do a voluntary recall because our mission is to save lives, and your safety is our first priority. Because the trigger assembly is designed to be easily removed (on the Float 32, lefties can switch shoulders), this is something that a Float owner can easily replace themselves with a philips head screwdriver and 15 minutes. Follow this link to read more about this, including directions on ordering a Trigger Upgrade Kit.

Matt, this might be a mistranslation of Italian and the Italian legal code - since I think its more appropriate, I wondered if "manslaughter" should have been translated as "negligent homicide", or if "manslaughter" in Italy is the equivalence. Anyone know someone fluent in Italian who can read the original news story, since all the English versions appear to be a Google translated, edited for grammar version of the same release?

Give Mike or Martin a call at Pro Ski and Mountain Service in North Bend. Or stop by with a dozen - I'll grab a copy first chance I get.

Is it possible to go to Village Books and have a copy made? Or do they only print in runs?

But that's what happened. A lone bolted station already existed (the last rappel out of the gully, if memory serves), when someone added three more bolted rappel stations by hand, a fourth station using cord because they had run out of time in the day, and removed over 10 lbs of tat. Yet the NOCA NPS argued that these anchors set a dangerous precedent that could lead to sport climbing on Forbidden, and sent up a ranger team less than a week later to remove all the stations - including the one that already existed. Everyone I climb Forbidden with comments on how prolific tat is on the mountain - it seems like every descending rib feature on the west and east ridges has a sling every 30m. The descent from the West Notch is even worse - in my mind, there are three obvious ribs, and each has cord every 15-30 meters down. I've now done the rap descent 3 times in the last two months, and I've noticed new slings and cord added each time. If the point of a wilderness area is to leave a minimal trace, what creates less impact: 1) a known bolted rap descent or 2) an unknown rap descent utilizing terrain features slung by multiple parties being followed by climbers who have moderate experience and feel safer adding intermediate rappel stations, getting off route and adding more rappel stations, and creating potential scenarios in which someone might find themselves off route, unanchored and exposed to rockfall?

If I understand Lucky right, this mank chain is linked to these: LINK Lucky, why not just remove it - unless it was attached with cold-shut links?

Steph this is fantastic. Its not the end-all, but its a great launching point to answer the question, "Where do I want to go this weekend?" It addresses my weather bookmarks organized in exactly this fashion, and is so much easier to visually sort through. I'm definetely going to be sharing it on my FB pages. I would like to see the "Today" "Tomorrow" be replaced with the actual days of the week, and the day/month included. And I think the dropdown menu needs to be more prominently indicated - I almost missed it until you mentioned it in an earlier answer. Thanks again - I'd be stoked to test out a beta app.

Has anyone experimented with completely removing the waist belt and swivel from the BD Epic 35 and 45? And how difficult would it be to sew on a different hip belt instead? Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks

I've been climbing ice and 12-18k mountaineering in a pair of La Sportiva Nepal Extreme's since 2001. I just got a pair of Scarpa Phantom Guide's for the future. I'll disagree with JMK about size - my shoe size changes only by 1/2 euro size because I'm wearing heavier socks.

In my house, we have a "panic rule" that could be applied to this example. If I'm out on a cragging or a "short-day" alpine climb, like Snoqualmie Pass, than I have until midnight to call home. On an all-day climb (i.e., Dragontail), I have until noon the next day to call home before SAR is called. If its a bigger, overnight trip I have until dark the day after I'm supposed to be exiting. We have a dry erase board in the gear room that I list the route I'm climbing. I write the "panic time" at the bottom. Lately I've taken to adding the park/forest/wilderness area and county the climb is located in - since SAR ops outside of National Parks are managed by the Sheriff, its useful to be able to tell 911 which county SAR lieutenant you need to speak to. I've lost count of how many times I've finished climbs in the dark, and hiked out much, much later than we ever planned for. Twice in 15 years I've had an unplanned bivy. And I'd rather get home, late, tired, and with a great story about why I'm late than to have a helicopter flying around my head prematurely. Yes, this could delay life-saving assistance. But I value being self-reliant, enough that I'll accept that small increased risk to climb in the mountains on my own terms. If I want an increased margin of safety I carry some means of electronics (SPOT, radio, sat-phone, etc) to call for help for myself. I agree with Coldfinger - the lesson here seems to be "have a plan." If you're climbing as two rope teams, talk about what the plan is if someone get's hurt, or if a team doesn't make it back to camp. If you've told someone back home that you're going to be out be 6pm or else - let your partners know! This is an easy conversation to have in the car on the drive up, or in camp the night before.

Curious why you need different bindings for those three? Inserts would still be advantageous if your bindings all have the same mounting pattern, then you can still swap the bindings between skis. My ski-mo boards are mounted with Speed's, and I wouldn't want a plate because it adds weight. I am a big fan of brakes, though, so my go-to boards have Vertical FT's. My new powder boards (coming soon!!) will be mounted with Vertical FT's too. If I still skied side country as much as I did in Jackson and Tahoe, I would have them mounted with a pair of Marker Duke's for the step in/out convenience, and I'd also be using a beefier pair of boots to drive them. I agree that plate can save $$, but only if you have plates on all your skis. And having plates on only two pairs isn't enough in my thinking - I think you'd need three pairs or more all sharing the same binding to make this truly cost effective. In my experience, most people have only one pair of skis, some have two pairs, and few have three or more pairs.

I'm unconvinced, since i prefer a different binding for my lightweight ski mountaineering, go-to BC boards, fat BC boards, and resort/side country skis.

And that was exactly the case for us! It was certainly good climbing - we continued another two pitches, then rapped down the left side of the headwall (Gastro? I forget the name) with a single 70m.

Why not just use the skinniest single you can find? There are singles on the market now that are <9mm. Or take a twin (in the 7mm) range and double that - You can get the full advantage of a 60m rope for rappels and have the edge protection you want. Personally, I decided after climbing a 4th class route earlier this summer with a double that I wasn't ok doing so again. There were just two many opportunities for edge abrasions, even with me carefully managing the rope. And we didn't identify that hazard until we were on top of it, and rationalized it away so that we didn't have to stop and reorganize the rope. Not the best management practice, so I don't think I'll be doing that again.

If you were visiting me in Seattle I'd probably take you to do the East Ridge of Forbidden. Long, alpine, and a reasonable two day trip. Down in Portland, I think it would be Mt Jefferson - don't know much about the route, just that its alpine and involves some rock climbing.

FWIW, I've had no problems using 5mm cord and dyneema slings as autoblocks and kleimheists on 7.8mm ropes.

Thanks everyone - we did Matt's suggested mash-up of Till Broad Daylight and the Kone. Very worthwhile, except I'd say to do the first two pitches of TBD and then switch right over to the Kone. Equally run out, but better bolts.

The same year tibloc came out, I heard of a guiding fatality in the alps attempting exactly what you describe here, and remember a notice coming out from Petzl to specifically NOT use a tibloc in this manner. Like it's been mentioned before, no ascender is intended to catch dynamic loads of any sort, and toothed ascenders will threaten to tear the sheath and possibly cause the rope to fail.

Anyone we know up on Mt Stuart this weekend? Because it looks like someone needs a rescue today: http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/07/climber-seriously-injured-on-mount-stuart/

Is there a possible rap descent from the West Ridge notch, allowing for a faster access than traversing across the Boston Glacier?

I'm looking to get in touch with Darryl Cramer, preferably by phone. If anyone has his email/phone number, could you please PM me? Thanks.

I worked with Marty for three seasons in Antarctica. Wayne, Marty was American, but had settled down in Christchurch, New Zealand, and guided on the South Island when he wasn't traveling. I'm still holding out hope that they'll be found, but I find myself tearing up even as I write this. Light candles, folks - two good climbers are missing. EDIT: Ah f#ck. Just read this - crushed. http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/news.php?url=marty-and-denali-schmidt-reported-missin_137506126