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Retailing is such a cool way to make money. I only buy North Face-branded stuff. But I'm incompetent. Heck, I don't think AAI even SELLs NF any more.

in general, terribly high prices before markdowns. Oh, but real climbers, the rich ones, don't mind getting fleeced. Branding = competence.

No rainfly (coated canopy; like tarp). Throw away poles & use sticks or other subs. Pack weight = 2.5 pounds. Not (obviously) a replacement for mountaineering tent. Supplements & saves wear on expensive gear in appropriate conditions. Yes indeed, get real, suck it, etc. for $20.....crack whore prices....

Am 6'1" and slim. My experience with a 2.5 pound super-cheap puptent is mainly solo use. Similarly with a NF "Starfire." Both worked for me perfectly fine on slight diagonal. With two people, both a bit short, causing untold suffering and misery. But I'm such a really, really tough guy...

Clif Maloney, the 71-year-old husband of Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) died yesterday while on a mountain climbing expedition in Tibet, the congresswoman's office has confirmed. UPDATED: The Navy veteran apparently died after reaching the summit of Cho Oyu, the world's sixth-highest mountain at 27,000 feet, about 10 miles away from Mt. Everest. He had previously tried and failed to summit the mountain, whose name means "Green Goddess" but succeeded on Thursday, with the help of a sherpa and a trained mountain guide, according to a report circulated to Maloney's family and friends, obtained by POLITICO. http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0909/Rep_Maloneys_husband_dies_in_Tibet_.html

I see lots of people using $700 mountaineering tents while camped in utterly benign conditions. The right "bottom of the line" backpacking tents -- are utterly simple things and cost less than some "floor protecters" for a mountaineering tent. The big deal is, they have insect netting and in that limited way, are "better" than tarps. Like any tent, their floors, however, can trap condensation, and given coated canopy, in warm wintry conditions, be highly impractical. Most people who use (and review) extremely cheap tents are uninformed about sealing seams, and thus get skunked in rain. They'd have same experience with many other "much better" tents.

Far be it from me to dispute Messner's views of my fellow college alumni Mr. House. Am personally, after years of reading, burned out on the "we went up & down" genre of literature. Would pay for lecture; maybe I'll take a peek in the library.

No I don't. Therefore, perhaps I shouldn't comment. I like titanium pots, but think that light aluminum, stick or nonstick, is significantly more efficient when economics and athletics are analyzed together.

Labor Day is over. Obious loop is whaddya call it? Lunch Lakes? Other possibilities for relatively short loops are on Eastern side of Olympics. I think there is a trip between Quinalt and Lake Cushman area that might be a fairly ambitious version of what you're asking. "Trailless traverse" via notch by Mt. Stone is pretty good and not really a terrible challenge. I'm a wimp and soloed this a few years ago.

Thanks for wonderful TR and photos. Nothing in the way of photos probably, can do justice to Sir Sanford. This peak is of awesome proportions and remoteness. Apparently its routes aren't particularly fine, but views of it from Gothics are unforgettable.

Mattp understands the Munter. Advise about the hip belay sounds fluggy. I've done a belay test with hip belay. Results were very unpleasant. That said, hip belays should be well understood and sometimes used. I've used Munter a fair bit. It works pretty good. Very good if you understand about how not to kink rope. (I remain a bit confused about this, but it has to do with right and left, basically).

I've used knotted set-ups remotely like you illustrate, but realized they were a bit weird and backed off somewhat. You mention the Grigi. I've never really learned to use them. They seem weird, heavy and expensive, to say nothing of a bit complex. Have used Munter hitch a fair bit. Virtue is simplicity and effectiveness vs many other devices. Mostly I've been on 2-3 pitch routes, where potential rope tangles aren't a terribly major issue. There IS means of dealing with Munter that minimizes problem, though I've got only a 50-50 chance of getting it right.

You already know that your height/length is a problem. At this point I don't quite remember the number of tarps/tarp tents and tents I own/have owned. To a fair exTENT (heh-heh), maybe you should disregard the question and concentrate on getting out in the boondocks. I've been called various names for recommending a Wal-Mart US$20 puptent. Yet I'd suggest you DO spend the total of $1,075 for your new lifetime tent expenditures to date; then kick in another US $20 for the puptent, to spare the floors on your various other tents.... for those few-and-far between trips when expedition-style quality and weight isn't required.

Yeah but with boot fitting, nowadays the thing to include are various modern insoles. They definitely add like 15% to the price, but the fitting improvements (for my feet anyway) are entirely worth the cost.

I've used a munter hitch a fair bit off an anchor. It's nice and simple. People complain about twisting but I haven't had too much of a problem. I must say, however, I don't have vast experience.

I too am saddened and fully appreciate Luebben's climbing ability, experience and knowledge. As one who failed to climb Torment some years ago, and was nearly involved at the time in a serious and foolish accident due to moat issues on SE face, I find this very interesting. My partner was quite accomplished, and yet nearly went in due to whatever........his mistake. I purchased Luebben's book six or seven years ago, and I wouldn't go crazy praising its writing clarity...... I'd blame "slick" editors at Mountaineers Books as much as author for my dissatisfaction with the book. Still, I admire his authority.

Yeah, Feathered Freinds don't want no customers from the East Coast!!!! They prefer people from Spokane............

How much did Matt charge you for the climb?

Totally unlike myself, "Off_White" does seem to be a highly experienced and reliable source of information. I'd pay attention to what he says. That said, I passed by Triumph's northeast ridge seven or eight years ago, and don't recall any nice ledges above the 5.whatever crux area that is fairly high on route. It's quite likely I passed a nice ledge or two without it registering in the now rather distant memory, due to summit fever...All I remember was the slightly extensive and slightly spooky but somewhat low-angle heather slopes. Still, if you're looking for something totally obvious, like those tiny spots above snow gully on Forbidden's West Ridge route (like with rock bivy walls) you might be disappointed (or not) on Triumph. It's not all that extremely far down from summit to the lower part of ridge, where I dimly do remember some rather quite lousy bivy sites. But it's pretty far, and at that point you might just simply make it back across to the "normal" base camp.

I've had an MEC Braggadocio or...no....think it's a "Brio" pack for a number of years, and no real complaints. Very cheap price and entirely reasonable quality for a very simple pack. I have the larger... but do wish I'd purchased smaller size...Choices are 45 and 55 liters I think.....

Yeah it's all alpine. Your answer is fair and isolates a few other reasonable responses from the flames and whatever else one might call drivel and nonesense........ But question was what YOU think, since what I think isn't relevant... Sounds like you're saying trim the grades a bit, at least relative to Gunks.......BUT I DON'T KNOW......

Yeah, I do find climbing is scary. And having only climbed a couple of dozen routes in Washington, will not really know answer to question. OBVIOUSLY never from you guys. One can but guess why not..........

Sure is like you say. An adventure assuredly. What's with that little BS pinnacle?

I've never laundered a tent. Our Jersey City mayor, though, was spared arrest. Had a Eureka four-pole dome for long time. Floor indeed started to die of abrasion, but t'was mold actually killed the beast. More of a nasty weather tent; therefore less useful to me. Tent floors are vulnerable. Floorless tent floors normally have lifetime guaranty. The Spitfire is heavier, smaller, much more expensive than a Wal-Mart tent. I briefly owned a 1990s Mt Hardwear version of this, and used in multi-day downpour. Worked good, but I gave it away to the same guy who abandoned my mostly wrecked K-Mart puptent in Costa Rica. BTW, here in Jersey, unlike Washington, it's kinda tough to get to a Wal-Mart. We don't let'em in so easy.....gotta pay...kinda like "zoning," y'know? Also, people from Great State of Washington may encounter a tiny degree of negative prejudice in some circles here, I am very ashamed to say... while a minority of Jerseyites will experience minor frustration in much of Washington, due to the s-l-o-w.........pace of average inhabitants.....

I'm certain there is.........somewhere......"aid has been used" Becky says......This is a compelling objective (to little-old me). Is camping without permit okay?