foraker

Happens all the time in Yosemite. Some selfish yob decides to take 2-3 of his buddies on a climb....typically a classic like Nutcracker, and bungs up the whole day for everyone else behind him by having to do all the leading and then hand-holding everyone else up.

Evan, I've been thinking about a SA trip for awhile. Which peaks are on your list? See www.enable.org/~gallery/subpages/cordery/cordery.html for some pics of some alpine stuff I've done in the past. What's your time-table?

Questions: 1) Why is it I only see Hummers in the city? I've never seen any of these things outside of the city limits, let alone on the interstate, to say nothing of off-road. 2) What's with the pick-up truck drivers in BC? My wife and I went up to Kelowna to go skiing a couple of weeks back and we were *constantly* having our doors blown off by enormous pickup trucks (you know, the ones with the jet intakes up front) going 20-30 mph past the speed limit. It almost got to be a joke.

I've used Provia in the mountains which isn't too bad. In overcast conditions, or at altitude, use a warming filter to get rid of that blue cast, unless that's what you like. Also remember that slide film has a latitude of only about 5 stops so if you find yourself in a situation with more than that, you need to expose for the brightest part of the scene rather than the darkest (like you would with black and white or negative color film). You may know this, but what the heck. :-)

id-jit

I think I may have seen one of the fools. He was sitting at the base of the trail opposite the parking area. I was there with my wife and when we passed him on the way up he said he was 'waiting for someone'. We felt he was being rather creepy but, not knowing the trouble people have had with thieves, we kept on going. On our way back down, we ran into him again! As we approached, he got up and left and then got into a van on the passengers side. Too bad I didn't think to grab my digicam from my pack and snap a pic of his face.

Somewhat new to the area. Moved here last October and now the whole work/life this is together enough to think about getting out climbing. Would love to get out this weekend and do a bit of trad climbing, multi-pitch if possible, maybe start at 5.7 go to 5.8 or maybe 5.9 if you lead that pitch until I get my head back into it. Have my own well-used rack. Am 40 and have experience climbing in Yosemite, Australia, and alpine work in New Zealand (that solo jaunt up Shasta didn't really count)

Amongst the scariest things I"ve heard while climbing is the following: Several years ago, some friends and I were meandering up Shasta. About halfway up, we noticed large black clouds rapidly advancing from the west. Numerous lightning bolts were quite apparent. Beating a hasty retreat, we passed by what turned out to be a Sierra Club outing. I asked them what they were doing and they said "We're going up!".....Oh, man. As we continued to descend, I noticed one of their troupe attempting to put on crampons....the wrong way. His question, I assume to the leader, was "Which way do the pointy bits go?"

Actually, I'd really love to go to the Canadian Rockies, too. I have the guide book and have been drooling over it for two years. I grew up in Alaska and my parents still live there. Thus, eventually,I'd like to drag someone or some group up there for a try at something interesting.

Just moved to Seattle with my wife, Elena. Have experience climbing granite in Australia and California. Actually climbed out at Leavenworth once a few years ago. Can't remember the route but it was a scary 5.9 I think. Also experienced with mixed rock/ice routes and glacier travel (see climbing pics from NZ on my site). Spent the last two years doing nothing but climbing inside due to the lack of partners with trad experience!!! Will not do that again. Was pushing the 5.11 barrier indoors and am hoping to get to be comfortable in the trad 5.10 range this summer. Have all the gear that I seem to need. I'm not a gear head. I just turned a ripe 40, have a PhD in geophysics (though I seem to be a computer monkey now) and have lived in Sweden and Australia. I'm trying to learn to speak French and am hoping that a business trip to France materializes this September so I can finally go to Chamonix on someone else's ticket. So, I'm drug free, don't really drink, and am not some nut who feels the need to discuss his uncomfortable opinions with whomever he is climbing (e.g. religion, politics, etc). Don't worry about my PhD. I'll climb with anyone who is fun, interesting, and intelligent and doesn't take stupid risks (but is willing to take some risks in order to do more interesting things).

Odd. The link to the Canuck site still works for me. :-) Maybe it's because I grew up in Alaska. The answer one question, the pics were from 1996.

Me too! I loved it there... A co-worker of mine just moved to Auckland.

Hi. I'm new to the site and new to living in WA. Just thought I'd share some of my climbing pics here as a way of introduction. Obviously, I'm in need of some local climbers who wouldn't mind doing a bit of mixed alpine climbing. :-) http://www.taiga.ca/~gallery/subpages/cordery/cordery.html