ken4ord

f'n sux, I guess I gotta go someplace high.

All the people I have ever ridden with like the track that I set with my Split. I have no idea what you are talking about when you are saying Split riders can't set an up track. You been smoking too much crack. Yes boards suck on the section with flats. All it take is some foresight to the upcoming terrain. Punch it before the flat with a enough speed you can crusie through it. If the flat section is that long, why bother riding there, there is plenty of beautiful riding around without flats. Even then I have been on the ocassional flat section and have been able to pole through. Here is an example The turn around time has never been an issue with me or anybody I have gone out with, even when I do stop to smoke sumthing. Maybe they are all being polite and not saying anything, but with folks I hang with I doubt it. The skiers are probably halfway down the run before a boarder is ready, that is funny shit. skier always get first tracks, even funnier You were kidding in your post right???? It was joke right??? Just trying to get a real going right??? The way I look at it, it is all good, randonee, tele, alpine, boarding, even that new shit what was it called ???? it was some sled thing. It is about having fun. Everything out there is going to have some type of disadvantage at some point, hell that is why we came up with so many ways to get down a snow covered mountain. Just do what looks appealing and you'll have a good time.

I have read about Pan Dome, Banks, Da Rockies. Anyone go to Lillooet this weekend and wants to share?

Heels down, like Dave said don't need to drop them too far, just far enough so that your secondary points are against the ice. This will help you stabilize yourself standing on your toes, without burning out your calves. If you drop your heel to far, yes you can dissengage your front points. Also those climbs that Alex mention are good beginner climbs, on those you may want to practice flat footing (french technique) or mixed one flat on front point (when the ice is 60 degrees or less). It is a good way of resting your calves and it can be done on fairly steep terrain once you are accustom to it.

Billygoat you can crash at my place if you need. I owe you one for waiting for Dave and myself on Eldo.

Yo off-white how is the development down there. I have always heard of the PanAm, but nothing else, except for some alpine down farther on Pico de Diablo. It is another one of those places I haven't been too. Is there other routes down in Tajon or potential for more? Also what about theviery, heard its bad there, cars getting ripped off or stripped?

We are not as scary rag tag bunch as it may sound, thats just the board. Come on down, warning don't look for dirtbag climber, I was thrown off by that the first time I went to a PubClub. If I was in Cap Hill I'd say yes to a ride. Who knows there are a few of us up there, they might step up.

Oh yeah, the bus system down in Mexico rocks. It is the best way to get around the country.

I'll second Dru. Guadalajara has a great some great climbing around a beautiful European like city. There is some great places to eat, nice galleries, and fun clubs. It is also a college town that isn't near the boarder, so you might have more opportunities to teach English. Most palce near the boarder people can speak English and it there is more poverty. You have a better chance at squeeking out a living in central mexico. Another place to check out is the Copper Canyon, no good place to teach English there though. I might be able to hook you up with some folks that my parents know that have a ranch and I guess they have several routes set on there property by Skinner/Pinia crew. Also Basechiaci (sp?) has some great potential there. Some dudes from CO set up a bolted 12 line next to the falls, I think it is around 10 or pitches, it is the only one there. Done the canyon is El Gigiante, the euros have known about it ofr years and have established several Yos. style wall routes there. I have yet to check that out. Have fun.

It is still a good cycling type workout, lot's of fun with the right instructor.

For climbing and boarding combo, I agree that plastice boots with the plate binding sucks. What I have used in the past is plastic boots in my soft boot bindings and that works pretty well, even using my leather boots. If you go the randonee boot route, I'll be curious to hear how it is. Any of you have experience with that setup. I also remember seeing some K2 hard snowbarding boot that looked like they would work well, and they would take a crampon. As for the skins I need to get a new set, and was just going to repace the Voile ones they seem to work well, never had any problem with them not sticking to the board, if any thing, I think they are too sticky. I have had problems with snow balling on the skin, but I haven't tried gobstopper, I am sure it is the solution to that problem.

Hey JayB or anyone else for that matter, see what is happening with Drury? Is it starting to form? Or is it non-existent?

Now that is more like it. That looks like ice.

On the back cover is that Janis on that pencil that was in last year, on the way back to Lilloett down the road from Syncronicity?

If you are flailing on a one pitch route then I would say your safest bet is lowering with gear and/or draws left in place if there is enough rope. Back up your top piece if you can or if you want. If your top piece fails then you have the others in place to catch ya, but remember the closer you get to the ground being lowered, and the top piece fails, the more likely you are to deck. Just like with rappeling you want to check your top anchor to make sure it is bomber before commiting. Then hike around the crag and rap from the top to retreive your gear. On bolted climbs I have never worried about lowering off a single bolt (as long as it is flush with the rock and not a spinner and there is a nut holding the hanger in place and it doesn't cross load the biners and/or force them open). With multi-pitch or no access to the top of the crag then start employing other techniques that others have mentioned here. As for getting off trad route I have used knotted slings wedged like chocks, rocks with a sling placed like a chock, slung horns, snow or ice bollards, whatever is on the rack usually I'll go with single bomber piece. When rapping off a single piece I always back it up loosely (so only the single piece is weighted) with a back up anchor and send the heaviest person first. There job is to test it and make sure it will hold the others, that includes rapping, bounce testing, anything it takes to assure the other people that it is good (sometimes it just your self you are assuring). Last person to go pulls the backup anchor. On bolted routes I usually have a single biner on my harness that is my leaver biner (an older biner that I keep for those occasions), clip the rope into it and lower removing my draws. Again only if the bolt looks solid and only if the lowering or rappeling won't cross load the biner and/or force the gate open. Another option that I employ on both sport and trad routes is down climbing back to the anchor. At times that includes falling my way down the route. More than one way to skin the cat.

Your right, that doesn't look like ice to me. Looks more like low angle neve.

Sweet, I hope I get to make it up there before I take off.

Sweet, thanks for posting that link.

Sweet pictures!!! Man Sea of Vapors looks so cool. I want to go back already, this working shit sucks. Two days rest and I am already to hit it again.

Well dude, I was NH climber, and like others have said you are not going to find the same accessible ice that you find in New England. There is no place that I have been too that even begins to rival Frankenstein for ice cragging. And the better areas like Marble Canyon are sort of like heading to Texaco. The season out here start a lot later unless you make the drive to Hylite or the Rockies (btw, the rockies are awesome right now, just got back from a 10 day trip there). Just pray for cold, last winter was suppose to be a good year here, I got out 7 times maybe, not much compared to the 20-30 times a New England season that I was used to. Good luck. Man I miss the Kangamangus highway, my favorite on that road was Way in the Wilderness, what an awesome climb.

Damn didn't have computer or did I get any of the messages on my phone until we were back. That would have been fun to hook up for beers. God knows I didn't need anymore than I already had, at one point I woke up on the trip at 3 am said "hmmm I still have I my shorts on", surprised that they were dry. Found out later that some nice Calgarians found me at the bottom of the stairs unable to make it back on my own. Moral of the story sauna, hot tub, and black russians don't mix well.

Yeah and while we are at it, it doesn't look like that moss is full strength either.

Cheers now get out the ice will ya. It's in.

Have fun Bug, damn your a machine if your ready to do that approach and descent again. Man my legs are just starting to feel normal again.

Agreed