kurthicks

I saw a bunch of helicopters flying up the Icicle today. Lots of searchers seem to be in the field. Best wishes.

The article mentions that the fibers are not fused and therefore do not show evidence of a shockload. I don't know if that is the final word, but that is what the initial examination showed. just sharing another perspective from someone whom I believe.

madsen's chimney in leavenworth?

recovered from climbing Slesse by cragging in leavenworth. fall is here!

some use the "ring string" -- a small loop of 3mm cord tied with a double fishermans a la your prussik cord. girth hitch the piece of spendy metal to the cord and voila!

It might be by the fixed pin just below the roof, above the 5.8ish cracks? I belayed under the roof at a semihanging stance and Chris lead through, finding no challenges. perhaps we belayed at the hardest move. hmmm...

I have some photocopies from an old "summit" magazine or something that describes this area. there is at least one topo of the cragging area in with the text. perhaps I'll dig it out some day and post it here.

duh. look at the descent information.

yea, but the 'fang' is still too small to use comfortably with gloves on. come on BD.

read the recent trip reports for the NE buttress... take LOTS of water as there is none once you leave the old logging road.

here's a classic "my friend said" to add to the rumor mill. She heard it from her friend in YOSAR. Supposedly, the route he was rapping overhung, so he had the end of the rope anchored to the next station, forming a "J" in the rope. he rapped to the bottom of the "J" and was batman-ing up the (static) rope, when he fell before clipping in with the sling to the anchor. the resulting shockload blew his belay loop apart. let's see if that's what ANAM publishes.

it was a fun route and a good time climbing with Chris. Not a bad first route together! with all the beta from this post and steph's tr, everyone should have no troubles at least getting to the trailheads!

Nice work. Chris (512dude) and I climbed it a couple days before and found it similar in nature. the 5.10 climbing is nowhere to be found on the lower headwall. wierd.

Eric, is this a catastrophic failure or are there obvious signs (cracking, deformation, etc) before they fail? Thanks.

go ice cragging on the Eliot glacier.

eldorado was bare rock 2 weeks ago.

the easton

PM sent.

mmmm... Old Town, a great 5.7!

Found an older SMC picket in the lower boulder field on the Eldorado approach the other day. PM me if it's yours. kurt

Jamin (hanging) in the blue jacket. not a troll, very excited about climbing...but in need of more experience and judgement...

Black Diamond performed that test, but currently Kolin can't find the test results. he did confirm with me that if the biner looks good and the gate still works that it is fine to continue using, regarless of how far it was dropped. steel, not aluminum, generates microfractures since it is a more brittle metal than ductile/deforming aluminum.

jamin -- you don't have the knowledge and climbing experience to place bolts. period. I am glad to hear that you got down safely again though... often it is better to stop mid-rap and use natural features (or leave gear) to do a second rappel off of than to end up on a "featureless ledge" and not be able to continue your descent (short of prussiking back to a decent anchor). consider carrying two ropes so you can double the length of your rappel. just be safe out there.

excellent upgrades Graham. looking forward to V3!!