randygoat

I know Ecuador is a little bit far from the Cascades , but I have posted a question awhile ago on the South American Explorers Club website without any answers yet. Thought maybe someone here might know . I am thinking about trying a trip to Ecuador, in the western range and my partner is available in June or July. I know Dec. and Januray to be the best time to go, but how are the snow/glaciers conditions to be expected in the summer? It is a dry piriod as far as precipitation that follows a wet piriod in the spring, and august is supposed to have horrendous winds.Of course this is all rule of thumb. Anyone got any feed back on this?

So BD and Metolius must not trust devices like gri-gris and reverso's since they don't make anything that performs the same function....Metolius must think all ice screws are bunk because they don't make any. It seems to me that i see alot more recalls from BD than I have from petzl/charlet moser. I wonder who has better testing? I am a huge fan of BD but if Charlet moser is still making them they are ok with me. I have used screamers and fallin on them and never have the the pieces pulled. I would really like to see some test results though. But saying they are unsafe because of company doesn't manufacture them isn't a great argument. just cuz BD dosn't make them dosn't mean they think there is a reason not to use them. Just means they don't see giving the market another version of the same thing everyone else could have.

I have all Yates screamers on my rack,not any actual reason for the preference. I guess they were out on the market first and I am just stuck with what I know.Besides I like the snazzy array of colors. On technical ice routes I'll carry one for every screw, and maybe use one at anchors if there is any doubt. On Alpine ice I'll carry a few , and alot of those Mammut shoe lace slings. I've caught a few lead falls on ice, each time with a screamer deployed on a screw,and the screw held. Never caught anyone on a fall without a screamer, so don't know fer sure if they made a diference or not.

Buy from somebody with good feedback. If you aren't an idiot, you wont get ripped off on ebay. I've only gotten a few things off Ebay, but have had no problems. I have a friend who bought what was suposed to be a hand crafted Digiri do[sp?] and got pretty much a modified length of PVC tube.

Jedi? Surprised to see a southerner like you here Guess there are a few of us Neicers here ,eh? Anyway, I had been having some seriuos elbow/arm/shoulder pain that got real bad by the end[well for me atleast] of last ice season. My elbow pain was not on the inside of the elbow but near the outside, either side of the joint extending into the fore arm. Also the outside of the Bicep and inside of the tricep[got it?]. I had an MRI done and they found a bone spur on the shoulder, which I am currently recovering from surgery on. Thing I am worried about is that ,my shoulder feels better in a way allready, but the elbow/fore arm pain has actually gotten worse. I don't rock climb a whole lot, so taking off the rock season is no big deal, but I do Mt.bike fairly hard. I guess the point of my babble is just that i am concerned about the shoulder not being the only injury that I had and that maybe I had also injured the arm and/or elbow as well.MRI was looking for a shoulder injury ,not an elbow. Does any of this ring a bell for anyone else?

I visited the Olympics a couple years ago, and have yet to find any photos or articles anywhere that can do any justice. The Geographic seams like they drop the ball alot on articles on spectacular areas, but maybe that's a good thing.Of course I'll have to get the issue just to check it out.

Has anyone ever tried a pair of Lhotses on technical ice? How well do they perform on grade 4+- 5? Mixed? Alpine?My local shop has a pair on clearence that happens to fit me well, just havn't heard much feed back about how these work from anyone other than the salesman. He says they are great

a couple of the 'behind the scenes 'extra features are almost more interesting than the film itself.

Yeah Thinker, sorry, being a little sanctimonious about the phone use.It isn't the presence of the phone but the general lack of self control and responsibility that goes along with sooooo many users is whatI'm yapping about.If the users could really only call for a rescue when it is truely needed[ broken leg far from the trail head or on serious technical ground,yes. Even in a case when you are rescuing your self, they can be useful to notify someone that you are coming out and may need help to expediate things. I've just heard of too many jokers who either call for help at the first sign of danger/discomfort , or will push on until really in the shit because they think they have a quick way out/off if they just make a call.

I don't know how many times I've listened to my 'little gremlin' and just backed off of a route just for a feeling.Sometimes I have to wrestle with the little bastard, and push myself to finish a lead or to commit to a move on a solo, but when he really screams, I head for the ground.No questions.

Pope, I think the answer to that is probably yes. Not al visiting climbers will push on dangerously, but they may be more willing to raise the bar a bit. Push in less than ideal conditions. I know for myself , I climbed Forbidden Peak last August. On the way in the ranger we met told us that the snow coloir was" out" and couldn't recomend the climb. We came from the East coast we were going to atleast go up and check it out for ourselves, We did summit, but the descent was a wee hairy. The Rap anchors were quite away up in the air from the snow, with a big fat open 'scrund underneath. Maybe if we were more local we would have just gone and climbed something else.

Chirp, respectfully, i think that is an assanine statement. I really don't believe that climbers are more casual in their route selection or judgement of a situation b/c they're carrying cell phones. i would assume that nearly every climber who undertakes a route like lib ridge would assume that they would have no cell phone service and if they do it's just good fortune. i can't imagine that climbers are counting on cell phones to save their asses. most areas in the mountains i have no cell service. i still throw that phone in my pack just in case but by no means am i relying in any way on that phone if i need a rescue. Minx , maybe you are responsible enough not to depend on your cell phone, but fact is alot of climbers think it is an umbilical cord to the outside world and 911 is at their finger tips. Rangers in the Adirondaks[NY] complain of the numerous calls they get from people who really don't need a rescue[ they are cold and tired, their boots got wet and their feet are cold, or even cases of twisted ankles/knees that if the hiker/climber took there time they could get out on theire own, not needing a litter], but call anyway, and they have to respond .I have heard this debate rage on for along time nowand hold my opposition to them. They do have a use for weather forcasts I guess, if you can trut those .

Crushing them on someone elses forehead is another fun party trick

In the North East, Mt. Washington[NH] the Forest service posts avy conditions on a board out side of two of the more popular ravines . When the conditions posted are High or Considerable very few climbers/skiers would think about getting on the slopes/gulleys. This is a good thing.The postings probably save many lives for the victims and the rescuers at risk. The kicker comes in two other ways. When they post Moderate slide conditions ,many climbers/skiers will go in,this is when mostof the fatalities have occured. Moderate conditions it is still possible for human triggered avalanches to happen, and they do. The less severe warning luls the avy victems in to a false sense of security,as does carrying avalanch beacons[ and not knowing how to use them] . The other issue is when the rangers post conditions in Huntingtons and Tuckermans Ravines , it can not allways be assumed thatother ravines will be just as safe/dangerous.What is true for an east facing slope in the middle of a range can be different than a north or west facing slope a few mile away.

Whats's so weird about that? When I used to work construction , ALOT of the guys would have Budwiza' fer lunch I have a friend got a DWI fer walking his motorcycle down the road while being liquored up. Guess he dropped the damn thing into traffic or something.

Just sent that out to everyone on my email list. Cambells soup sucks, but it's better than starvin'

more like double cheese burgers You sure he's not taking hormones for that rack??? Beef hormones

What? I take that as a solid ,YES

Hey I checked out that thread,Thanks. In May. does it rain much lower down? Up higher?

Catbirdseat, my 'Newbie" status is only for the Cascades. I've been climbing for 17-18 years, and 15 or so years on ice. Lead pretty solid grade WI4, and have done some altitude stuff in Ecuador [ reached 19'800 ft before bailing out].I have made 2 trips to Washington state, one to Mt. Olympus, and climbed the West Ridge of Forbidden and the Quien Sabe route on Sahale I guess my questions are directed towards the generalities of yer area. I know the whats/hows / and whens in New England. Trying to get dialed in for the North West. I know it is impossible to know exactly what to expect, just trying to get a feel for the norm.Like I said my'newbie' status is relative.

I might be trying the Liberty Ridge this coming May. I have a couple questions. One in May is the Bergscrund usually open and over hanging, or is it some what covered by snow? The other is what to bring for a belay/insulated jacket. Is it too wet for down in May?Is the wet insulation propertys of synthetic worth the extra weight?

Ever hear Ozzy and Dweizle Zappa do " Staying Alive" ? I was laughin' my ass off when I heard that. Every one get on the disco train

Probably somewhere between rancid butter and that shit in the bottom of the sink after cooking a greasy chicken meal and forgetting to wash the dishes for a few days. Not that I'VE ever been THAT much of a slob