ken4ord

This sounds so typically PNW, let's sit in front of our computers and debate the PNW climbing issues with anonymous people who may have no climbing experince (except for climbing in a gym)......oh yeah and then ocassionally through in a little (or lot) of spray here and there to convolute the issues so that nothing is ever done and the issues are forgotten....

Well it not all fun and games, wish I got to go mountain biking every day, but alas gotta pay the bills, even all the way over here. The short of the long story, my gf moved out here and I came out, within two weeks I was working, I was actually thought it would take longer to find work and was looking forward to the time off. Oh well, still having a good time.

I'll let you all know how it goes with alluminum crampons on Mt. Kenya. It is the only type I brought and I hope to do one of the ice routes up on the mountain if they are in. My concern on Denali, would be the cold temps, aluminum is much more brittle than steel in colder temperature found on the mountain. As for climbing and purchase on icy slopes, as long as the points are sharp and they are fitted on the boot properly they are fine for climbing even techincal ice. Granted steel in my opinion is better, but if you wanted to shave some oz. it is a good option.

I always wanted to do that loop, just never got around to it. A bike ride back to the car all downhill is definitely the way to go so that it is a complete loop.

I had always wondered about that place, seemed like it would a scenic place to climb, to make up for the rock quality.

That is quite an approach to the climbing still.

It wasn't on a summit but I managed to talk my gf into going at in the middle of an rambly 5 pitch ice climb. I figured out the full crotch zips found on gortex pants are for relieving yourself in more ways than I had originally thought.

No lions Dru, just a shit load of people everywhere. I did get to see my first monkey out in the wild, that is the wild street of Kigali. Getting ready for a 100k ride, just a few people came out to see what was going on. This what we see normally out on the trails around here. We basically go mountain biking in neighborhoods. Rwanda is just one giant village there are people and houses everywhere, even where you least expect. In this picture you do not see all of the rice fields on both sides of the bridge with 20-30 people on each side working away. One of the quietest places and least populated areas that I have been to in the country is the tea plantations on the western side of the country.

Yeah I am working fulltime sometimes over time. It hard switching to working 5 days a weeks, it is the first time in over 8 years that I have had to work a five day work week, it sux. This weekend I had two great mountain bike rides. The first one was a 65k solo freeride. Solo cause I can't find anyone around here will ride the same shite I do. It was killer, this one local villager was totally freaking out when I came shooting down the hillside, he yelling to everyone in the valley, jumping around, and grabbing his head in disbelief, it was a funny scene. Sunday while everyone was at the Nigeria-Rwanda footbol match I was out on another recovery ride, no big hills just 30k of pedaling around at a moderate pace. Dave you would flip on the abundance of trails everywhere. There is a pretty good size group of us ex-pats that ride here, just nobody but me has a lighting system, so my night rides are solo.

Too much work to figure it all out. I just tell people I'm 100% mutt... GINA, your son is GINA.

I don't hate America, I just hate the dipshit who has been "leading" our country.

OUCH!

Doesn't sounds like it is as cheap as it is here Rwanda, usually a Coke or Fanta at one of the night clubs will buy you it for the night.............. Hmm, wait that is lovin' not love.

Wow, I can't believe that is the first time I have seen a picture of one of the "I love ewe" blow dolls. A friend of mine got one at his Bachelor party.

Damn what is up with this? This not the first time I have heard some chica talk about splitting from their bf (more than one meaning for bf, boy friend, but in this case I think butt fuck is more applicable, anyways sort of off the subjet) and having some or all of their gear kept by the bf. So what gives, why aren't you just going and getting your gear back? To me seems like it would be much easier go to his door when you know he is going to be there with your gear, knock on it and say, "Hey ass wipe, give me my gear back, no excuses, I want it back now!". Of course it helps to go with back-up and it help to stand firm and except no excuses. If you start hearing shit like, "uh, I don't have it here" or "I loaned it to so and so" ask to see his pack or where ever he keeps his gear or in this case your gear. If you were going out with him and climbed with him you know where he keeps the gear, it is not like he is going to start storing it in a different place. Do you realize if you let this happen to you this time, you'll probably let it happen another time, and he will probably try to do this shit to his next gf. And for you doods that do this shit, you wonder why women don't stay into climing or there aren't enough women who climb. Talk about climbing bum, man you are probably the same guys that steal people gear at the crags, lame. Wags, if you take the easy way out and just replace the gear for a smith sporto rack: *60m 9.# mm rope *rope bag is handy not necessary *Metolius qd sets are cheap and decent (15 draws you'll always have enough then) *Gri-gri *Two Lockers though normally just use one for belay device and never use the other unless on a multipitch route gear routes add: *Set of nuts, I like WC rocks *Set of cams 00 to fists, big ums if you like the wide grovel cracks (again there are a lot of multi cam pack, depends on what you like, I like camelots for larger size, WC for small sizes, and Metolius for tiny cams because that is what I climb with. If I was replacing I would stick with Camelots for larger sizes, though I am not sure what I would buy for smaller sizes maybe Metolius. Get what you like and comfortable with don't shop based on price, they'll last you a long time and if you break down the cost on use you are talking pennies in price difference.) *2 cordelettes or the cordelette sling things they make now-a-days. (I prefer cords they are so easy to use to set up a equalized multi-point anchor, cords can be cut down when need to bail, and they are cheap, on alpine climbs they offer a big loop to wrap around rocks for an anchor) *Reverso (such a slick device, my favorite belay device I have owned) *Small Tri-cams to pink to brown (these I hardly ever take with me only when I know the route has a pocket placement, so for the most part they take up space in the gear bag) *Buy hexs if you feel 5.9-11 is just not hard enough. (Blake, WC hex = shit = BD hex = shit = Metolius hex, basically a hex is a hex is a hex they all suck)

Well it was as expected, people looking at me like I was insane and couldn't begin to understand what a muzungo is doing riding the trails that run inbetween their houses and fields in the dark. There were childern running away and crying because they were frightened, others just curious. The teenagers would laugh at the crazy Muzungo riding around and then try to keep up, I would hear the, 'slap slap slap' sound of their flip-flops be hind me, then a thud because they tripped. When I started out I thought I knew the trail good enough to navigate my way back to the road. In the dark all the turns looked the same, ocassionly I would try and ask which way to Kiyovu (where I live), no replies ever. Eventually I started to systematically take each trail I saw, most were dead-ends, but the I would find the one that would take down the next level on the hillside, then I would repeat until I found the road. 2.5 hours later I was home with a . Ah that night was definitely going to be legend, I am just curious of what the story will be once it is refined and I am long gone here.

It should be interesting in Kigali, Rwanda tonight. Lately I am getting sick of only getting a 1.5 hours on the bike before it turns dark. As it is, it is quite a show that I put on riding the trails that the people are use for hiking up and down the hillsides. Tonight I am going with lighting, I am sure it is going to freak some people, we'll see.

The long answer: Hexes usually are for people who can't afford or are to cheap to buy cams. Cams are so easy to use why use passive pro like hexes and tricams (though I have to admit sometimes tricams place where nothing else will). What's funny is I hear alot about the virtues of the weight savings having hexes instead of cams, but the same people are out there with both. Rarely do I see someone with hexes instead of cams, (unless it is some old crusty that thinks cams are aid). So instead of saving weight by having hexes instead of cams most people I think add weight to there rack by having hexes. The wide placement seem to be the ones that people are more concerned about because big cams weigh a lot more than big hexes, but if you are in a long wide crack you'll have to bring a few to protect the crack or use a single big cam and walk it. I would rather bring cams than hexes any day. The short answer:

Well if you have only been leading a year, maybe bring aiders is the way to go. It will be your call, depend on your comfort level hanging on bolts. For that route I kept a draw on my harness so whenenver I wanted to rest just clip into a bolt or draw that I placed. If you bring the aid gear, add a fifi hook to your list, it makes life lot easier. As for pitches I recall 2 free, 1 aid/bolt ladder, 1 free (the glory pitch) Oh next time inhale, fewl!!!

Well the only thing I got to say is that now that there are able to fly that high there definitely is no excuse to continue turning that mountain into a trash heap. Maybe they will take this advancment in flying and use it for good causes instead of just ferrying rich people up for their 250k picnic.

Nice picture Dave. I went on a 100k mountain bike ride this last weekend on Saturday. No Fresheeez to report over here. Gisenyi to Kibuye 1 Gisenyi to Kibuye 2

Yeah you can do it that way if you like getting up early. The other way is to do is it to hit some other crags in the morning and cruise up there in the afternoon. Usually after noon people are well on their way. You show up at the base and there is no line just go up for a nice afternoon/evening climb.

Hey AF what about all the slower climbers to clogging up the routes?

awww squidly, knock it off. this is cc.com and we respect everyone's right to say the same thing 50 different ways over and over. come on embrace this charming cc.com trait. afterall nothing says fun like beating a dead horse It not just a cccommie thing, it is just being a climber. 'Hmm let's see how many different ways I can climb this piece of rock.' So any way some of your responses are so damn defensive, it is funny. Let's beat this horse a little more. Being slow isn't a bad thing, nor is pushing yourself, nor climbing an easier route if you are a hardman or hardwoman, nor climbing fast. Shit were not all going to climb the same way, this topic is just about having a little respect and courtesy when you are out there at the crag. Days when I am climbing slow I have no problem turning it over to the party below if they are riding my ass. I know what it can be like when you have a plan in your mind, like seeing how fast you can get up the route, or trying several routes in a day, or what ever the hair up the ass du jour is. I just let them go by, it sort of like driving really slow in the fast..........., oh shit, I forgot this web board is in Washington, any way in the rest of the country if you are driving slower than the rest of the traffic, you usually pull over to the right and let the faster drivers by. The same thing can work in climbing too. I swear I am not lying, it really does work. Likewise if you are riding someone ass, you can ask to pass or just go by when given the opportunity, hey just like in driving too. Oh Washintonian explanation, in the rest of the world if you come up on someone slower than you, you can give them a toot on the horn or flash the lights really quick (the equivalent to asking) nobody usually gets to bent, they pull over when they get a chance. Or you just pass when it is safe, again most people are fine with that. And you could pass whenever, even when it is not safe, this is if you are a dick or an African driver, but that is another story.