colt45

The MEC Alpinelite 30 is AWESOME! Weighs 1.5 pounds, can be trimmed down to about 1 pound if you trim off some extra features. Big enough for multiple days if you pack light, and carries a load surprisingly well if you put some thought into how you load it. And it only costs ~$50 (plus another ~$20 for shipping from canada if you can't stop by one of their stores, but it's still a really good deal). I used to have the black diamond speed 30 pack, which eventually fell apart. I think the alpinelite is a much better pack in terms of design, plus it's half the weight and half the price.

Yes, that is what I was talking about: no snow travel, and no significant detouring. I think it took an hour or so from goat pass to the base of the ridge. The goat pass approach is really nice and only a couple hours longer than mtnr creek; I would definitely recommend it.

I can't imagine you would need axe/pons for the approach or descent. Last year it was easy to stay on rock the whole way.

Sounds like some great climbing! I couldn't help but notice that your "photo assault" has some route overlap with the "photo onslaught" recently posted on another BB

I believe underworld is referring to the rap route down the Pigeon-Snowpatch col, not a rap route down snowpatch spire. This rappel is detailed in the guide, and would be a good option if you can't just walk down the bugaboo-snowpatch col for whatever reason and if there is a line on the bugaboo-snowpatch raps.

You're right, it primarily comes down to reduced weight. For a 60m rope, one gram per meter increases the weight by 60 grams = 2 ounces = 1/8 of a pound. weights from Mammut's website: single rope (infinity): 58 g/m double rope (Phoenix): 41 g/m twin rope (Twilight): 38 g/m So bringing a double instead of a "lightweight" single will make your pack 34 ounces lighter...that's more than two pounds. For easy ridge routes (e.g. stuart W ridge) I have even used a 30m twin (glacier) rope doubled over for simuling 15m apart, which was just as safe as using a 60m single rope (we fixed the belay for anything slightly difficult), but more than 5 pounds lighter! Whether reducing pack weight by several pounds is significant comes down to personal preference, but I'm a wimp when it comes to carrying a heavy pack.

If you plan on doing some falling, I like my Mammut Infinity. Reasonably light at 58 g/m, and reasonably burly (I have probably taken ~100 falls on mine and it's still going strong). For easier alpine routes where falls are unlikely, I think a double rope is the way to go because of the huge reduction in weight (double ropes are rated to hold falls individually, you can always replace it after a single fall, and for alpine routes it's often easier to double a rope over for simul-climbing anyway, in which case you would be using it in double-rope mode).

Any 60m double rope should do the trick (~8.5mm). I like Mammut ropes but specific brands come down to personal preference.

Checked this route out yesterday, thanks for the great gear beta in your trip report! I think the corner is the best crack I have ever climbed. We brought a double set to 3.5 camalot and while it was a haul to drag it all up there, the extra gear was handy to have (I like to have lots of pro; bolder climbers would probably be fine with 1x 3 and 3.5). I'd give the corner and traverse pitches 11a; fell while trying the "5.12" section and decided to do an aid move to save time and because upon closer inspection the fixed nut didn't look like it would be good for repeated falls. (The moves seemed easier than 5.12, maybe 11d--very positive jamming and liebacking--but since I didn't actually climb the whole sequence cleanly it would be tough to say). By the way, what's the deal with that "5.9" chimney?? Felt like burly 5.10 to me...

We were really surprised by the good weather, I thought the big afternoon thunderstorm on our first day would be repeated every day--but then I heard that this was the first daytime rain that had fallen in almost two weeks!

Climb: Bugaboos Date of Climb: 7/24/2006 Trip Report: Yuko and I spent four days in the Bugaboos recently. It was our first time in the area (and Yuko's first snow & glacier travel). The rock quality is awesome, the weather was stable and the hut is pure luxury! We climbed McTech Arete, West Ridge of Pigeon Spire, NE Ridge of Bugaboo Spire, and the NW Face of Hounds Tooth. A longer trip report with photos is here.

I have toproped it, seemed way harder than the 5.10 rating in the guidebook (more like mid 5.11). I don't remember any specific move, just some very thin, slabby, footwork intensive climbing.

There's plenty of extra chicken wire in the lot. Among the available wire there are two sizes of mesh, and it is probably best to use the kind with the smaller holes (1" I think). On our way out we were watching rodents run right through the 2" mesh to get under peoples' cars. Probably not the same rodents that would eat your brake lines, but just to be safe...

Awesome! Thanks for the photos. Did you take a look at the supposedly better-protected left option at the start?

Just got back from the bugs myself: there is no limit for Applebee and no reservation is required. The Kain hut however is limited to ~50 people, so you can get a reservation through the alpine club of canada or just show up and hope that space is available. There is also camping at Boulder Camp, but this is farther from the spires and fewer people stay there. The camping self-register station is in the hut.

I don't know about that: a light jog is probably 4-5 mph, and the west ridge is certainly less than 40-50 miles CTC...I bet 10 hours r/t would be doable for a fast roped team that knows the route.

Climbed the W Ridge today (7/8/06). The couloir is straightforward; 40-50 degree snow with a 10' icy step (aka the bergschrund) 2/3 of the way up, which is easily bypassed on the left via a couple of class 4 moves on juggy, solid rock. There is even a fixed rappel anchor here which can be used to protect this section. We exited to the right above the step, and scrambled (class 3/4) to the ridgecrest. Gear for couloir=axe+crampons; brought a picket but didn't use it. My guess is that the couloir will be "in" for a couple more weeks or so.

If you climb more than 5 minutes from the road this won't be an issue...not many "turons" are going to hike to Eagle Wall or Sherwood Forest. Plus the camping already sucks so I tend to stay at a hotel at the edge of town (cheap!!) I figure the more people who head out to experience some nature, the better, although this will inevitably lead to overcrowding in certain areas (eg Yos valley)

IIRC, from the summit traverse north until you can make two long rappels (presumably single rope) to the bottom of the snow creek glacier (descending the glacier is the only place you would need axe/pons) and then walk on flat ground to Aasgard Pass. The snow crossing to reach the start of the route is extremely short, so if the snow was frozen there you could belay the crossing and chop steps with a rock.

I have always used 17 feet of cord, can't remember how I came up with that number but it seems to work perfectly. I don't actually use a cordelette much any more (it's faster and easier to use the rope to equalize anchors, unless you're climbing in a party of 3 or block leading with complex anchors) but I usually carry it anyway for the occasional block or tree tie-off, and primarily to cut in case I need to leave rap anchors. Which is why I use nylon cord (much cheaper than spectra).

I think it's good to let people know about RR. Maybe that would lead to better protection for the area (every time I go there, the housing developments seem to be closer to the park...)

Good point, see the photo AFTER that one to get a more accurate representation of the angle!...

Climb: Dragontail-Backbone Ridge Date of Climb: 7/2/2006 Trip Report: This route is a lot of fun: 50% 4th class scrambling and 50% well-protected rock climbing on solid granite. The offwidth pitch in particular is spectacular!! One of the best cracks I have climbed in Washington. We brought a single #5 camalot (old sizing) which protected it perfectly (there is gear for the first 40 feet, then you slide the #5 for another 40 feet before reaching other placement options). The pitch is less than 100' long so the leader hauled the packs using the remaining rope. We then climbed 2 60m pitches, and simuled to the base of the fin. From here nice cracks led upwards, and an absolutely spectacular tip-toeing traverse to the right (easy and well protected) took us to the ridge crest. We traversed awesome cracks on the NW side of the ridge, with easy scrambling on solid rock leading to the summit. Much of the route is scrambling, so it goes by fairly quickly if you simul the class 4 sections (some low class 5 to gain the fin) We took 6.5 hours moraine to summit, and we weren't rushing. Gear Notes: nuts, doubles yellow alien to yellow camalot, 1x #3 & #5 old style camalots. This was more than adequate. Approach Notes: Snow free and dry to Colchuck Lake. Ice axe & running shoes worked great (it was a warm day). You could even do without an ice axe by avoiding the upper snow creek glacier via the descent mentioned in Kearney. (The top of the glacier is melting down to ice so this section may require crampons soon.)

You can get the Speed 30 on mgear.com for $65. This is what I have (mine is blue) and at 1 lb 15 oz it's actually lighter than the Speed 28.

5.7?? My guidebook says 5.9, and it felt harder than that to me...it's a 10-foot horizontal roof!!