dryad

In an ordinary shoe store in Prague I saw some street shoes styled to look like rock shoes. I don't want to be mainstream, dammit!!!! I always thought that the great thing about being a climber is that everyone else thinks you're a maladjusted freak.

The Khumbu is not wilderness by any stretch of the imagination. But the Sherpas are the nicest people in the world that I've ever met, and experiencing their hospitality is part of what makes trekking there so great. Plus the trekking lodge infrastucture makes it a lot cheaper and easier logistically. No need for camping or an entourage of servants. Patagonia is definitely on my list, though. But it's a very long list. It's a big, big world out there.

Hell yeah! That's where I got the Everest and Nuptse money shots. I scrambled to the tippy top and it was so windy I had to nestle in the prayer flags and hold on for deal life to not get blown off! Yes, but I saw others that I though were even more drool-worthy. Did you head up the Gokyo valley too when you were up there? I gave myself an extra acclimatization day in Machermo and wandered up that side valley. So worth it. Got to drool over Kyajori, and about a dozen huge waterfalls like the one in the picture. That little valley alone can easily keep any climber entertained for a week. I can't wait to get back to Nepal. I adored the place.

Finally got a decent computer to post these pics with... Kyajori, my favorite mountain in the Khumbu Big frozen waterfall Sunrise over Nuptse Everest money shot

Sign seen outside of Namche, Khumbu, Nepal

Hey folks, sorry to resuscitate a recently deceased thread, but I just got back to the USA and cc.com after a long absence. Here are my $0.02. For the person going to France: The Cobras I got in France I got at a Decathlon sporting goods store out in the burbs outside Brive. I was visiting a guy I had met in Nepal who lives in the boonies in the Dordogne region, and he took me there on the way to the train station. They were on sale with only a couple pairs left and the original price was something like 65 euros (still cheaper than in USA but not by half). Decathlon stores are all over France. Their outdoor gear house brand is "Quechua". Also there are little outdoor shops in a lot of towns. One was having a half-off sale and I could have scored some nice shoes for 35 euros, but they fit funny. Elsewhere in Europe: If you find yourself in the Czech republic, Slovakia, or thereabouts, you will have a wide variety of Czech-made shoes to choose from with prices starting around $40 US. The most familiar brand is Rock Empire, but there are others too. All looked like good stuff, but sizes ran large, selection was limited, and I could not find any that fit my puny feet. Plus I wanted to actually see some of Bratislava and Prague and not spend all my time in climbing shops on an extended shoe quest. For all the Mythos fans: I'm one too. They were my first shoes (and until just now, my only shoes) and I love them dearly, but you must know that they stretch A LOT! I bought them 2.5 sizes below my hiking boot size, which was just short of excruciatingly painful. AFter 2 times out, they were snug but comfortable. After 1 full season, they were bunny-slipper soft for all day trad comfort. I am now tempted to blame my suckiness on harder routes on shoe sloppiness, but honestly, it's just that I suck. Once in a while one of the local rock gyms would have a big shoe expo where you can try on lots and lots and lots of shoes and actually test them out on the wall. That is a great opportunity to pick out the ones you like best and that fit the best, then look for them on sale elsewhere. Happy shopping!

The Rum Doodle is the place for KTH Pub Club! I thought of another piece of advice: Don't let anybody tell you that Everest Base Camp is not worth the effort to visit. They're full of crap. Sure, it's just a bunch of tents, sure you can't see Everest, but who cares?! You get to wander through this weird insane otherworldly glacial landscape and poke around the ice falls, little ice lakes, and giant icicles. It's really cool. BTW, posting pix is a going to be hard for a while. I can't seem to find a place that has both a card reader and an internet connection on the same computer.

The one piece of advice I have is go independently. Go solo, or take a friend or a guide or a porter if you want, but whatever you decide to do, DO NOT GO WITH A BIG TOUR GROUP. Not only will you save a lot of money, but more importantly, everybody has a different walking pace, everybody adjusts to altitude differently, and illness of one kind or another is the rule rather than the exception. I met a number of people who got sick and had to abandon their whole trip because they could not keep up with their group. Statistically, 80% of the trekkers who die from AMS are with tour groups (only 40% of total trekkers are with tour groups). Going independently, I was able to wait out my cold, walk at my own pace, and ascend as slowly as I wanted. Happy trails!

Hey everyone! I just got back from a nice slow mosey all over the Khumbu. Summary: 23 days, more or less solo, no problems other than a bad cold at the beginning, no AMS, no porter, no guide, no horse or yak rental (tempting though it was at times). Saw Everest from a number of different angles, plus many other more interesting mountains. Damn, the place is spectacular!

Yup, all sport climbs here, which is weird because there are tons of pockets for gear and stalactites to hitch to. It looks like almost everything can in theory be done trad, but it's all bolted. Blame the French for this. BTW, if anybody knows anybody who happens to be here now, have them come find me in #B-8 at the Banyan Tree Bungalows on Ton Sai.

I'm running a few errands in town before heading to Railay / Tonsai beach to hang out with the climbers and spend the next 2 weeks showing off how pathetically suck and out of shape I am since I haven't climbed in about 6 months and were pretty suck to begin with. Well, I can always use the excuse that I'm an alpine / trad girl.

The food The beer is cheap And it's about 90 degrees and sunny!

I'm flying this weekend. Greetings from Tokyo Narita airport where it's already tomorrow afternoon!

What's needed here...

My modest goal: to survive the next few months without losing anything important, getting robbed, or contracting any strange tropical diseases.

Only about 2" in Redmond, but enough to ski across town to the library. Anyone interested in a ski-in Pub Club at the Workshop Tavern tonight?

That sounds like a pretty damn good idea.

I just saw a preview for it. It looks interesting. And since it's a documentary and made with the participation of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, it will probably be a lot better that most mountaineering movies.

If anyone will happen to be in the Railay area the last couple weeks of February and wants to meet up for some beachside bolt clippin', drop me a line.

All you naysayers suck! I just saw the movie yesterday and I think anybody who didn't like it is a soulless sarcastic pseudo-hipster poser incapable of being impressed by anything, with icewater in his veins and a heart of coal.

Anyone want to head out tomorrow? I'll happily do (in order of preference) easy BC tele, XC touring, or lifts. Leaving work soon, so call me at 206-409-6267.

Klenke, your picture can't be right. CBS's pack is WAY bigger than that!

"Our first recipe: broiled Yeti Penis!"

Gallery of Regrettable Food

You go boy!!! Woo hoo!