matt_m

+1000 I grew up in NY and Lyme Disease is no joke (not sure if it's in WA) but I've been "DEETING" since a young lad and have no ill effects that I know of. My sister picked up Lyme and STILL has joint issues a decade after..

Rack: 1 set BD C4s .75-3 or 4 with 2x #2 and #3 1 set Totem cams Blue - Red (#1 BD size) This will get you doubles in all the mid sizes 1 set Totem Basic Cams (Aliens) Green to Red (.5 BD Size ish) Couple of C3s if you want more in the smaller sizes

MY biggest issue with Master Cams and all Metolius cams are their sizing choices. Since they use the smaller 13.25 cam angle they have a smaller range. Given that you'd expect them to have MORE sizes for more overlap and better "Coverage". Instead, Metolius Cams always seem to have gaps. I HATE the spacing between BLUE and Yellow. There's a reason many love the Green Alien. It's the size you WANT between Blue and Yellow. I've actually emailed the guys in Bend about making half sizes. Same goes for the jump from Orange to Red. It's a bit too much.

The CCH/Fixe rating being higher is due to a different testing regime. Totem posted on this at some point on ST. Basically, the Totem rating is with less cam closure vs the Fixe. I'm with RyanB. Below a Green Alien the Master Cams and other designs are better. Green-Red Alien are their sweet spot. The Totem Basics are a near spot on version of the CCH Alien with some tweaks and improvements that make it better overall. I did an initial review here - read down a few posts, I saw I posted on the Strength ratings as well. Totem Basic Review @ MtnProj

Beal has an outdoor specific UniCore rope now called the Diablo 10.2mm.

Making their own. Two different companies. Totem has made some tweaks to the design so they're not exact clones

"Easy Target" as in easy to complain about. It's a whole different level of low to TARGET an area to take draws! I chopped and took the really bleached stuff, left behind one new sling since it was early in the season. The truly low impact solution to that TAT mess (and many others in the alpine) is to put in a SS Double Ring Rap Anchor. Even staunchly tradition and anti-bolt areas like the Gunks recognized that in some circumstances, two bolt rap stations were WAY lower impact that slings, tat, trees etc. To leave gear hanging on harder routes at a well established sport crag is SOP. To claim other wise is to make an attempt to justify ones dislike of "project gear" and excuse climbers taking others gear as "expected". Any even remotely experienced climber worth a damn can pretty easily tell booty (in a crack or what have you) or a bail biner/draw vs project draws. While there may be some grey areas they're few and far between. Single Biner at the crux bolt? Bail. Cam in crack with no one to be seen - booty. 5 draws on a hard route - Project. See here for reference chart. I'm not naive though. I wouldn't leave draws hanging @ L-worth, Index or Vantage and expect to see them again. They're NOT established SPORT areas but a mix of many styles. Exit 32 and Smith - different story.

Fixed/Project Draws are ALWAYS an easy target for those pre-disposed to hating all things sport climbing. There's never any mention of: - Fixed Rap Slings, Rusty Pins, Pin Scars etc etc. The MESS of TAT and Webbing at the top of Prusik Peak (or was it Box Top?) the last time I was up there was ugly and much more in line with what "trash" is than some temporarily left QDs that WILL be picked up by their owner. When it comes down to it, project draws etc are just the easiest target for those that don't like sport climbing and it's emphasis on athleticism in lieu of "adventure and risk". Don't get me wrong, I dislike scenes like the fixed-draw bonanza Joseph posted up thread and would complain about that mess as well but, I have no qualms with project draws or the OCCASIONAL Perma-Draw at areas where it fits with the local "Style".

Once you get rope management figured out, Half Ropes for long trad routes can be the cat's meow. I've used them extensively in Squamish, Darrington, Red Rocks, the Gunks etc etc. One of the BEST tips I've read to minimize the Fluster Cluck is to carry a Metolius Rope Hook. You flake the rope back and forth into it and then just lift out the loops and drop them when feeding out rope on the next pitch. This is FAR FAR better than making loops around your leg etc. That NEVER seems to work. EVER. Rich Goldstone of Gunks fame swears by it. For the Valley, half ropes can be GREAT for the longer climbs. Royal Arches to Crest Jewel for example. On climbs with "simple" walk offs like Manure Pile, a single cord is better. I've always believed with the rare exception, that if you need to drag along a rap line, you should just climb on half ropes. For your Valley Trip, bring your doubles and a single 70/80m if you can. The Doubles are great for all the long rap descents. The single cord can be your cragging rope AND is great for linking pitches on routes with walk offs and short "old length" pitches.

Kalymnos is amazing. Springtime was fantastic when I went. The food is fresh in a way I've never had in the States. Serious to die for Greek Salads and Lamb. And the climbing is every bit as good as looks.

Awesome place. It's so close to town that I'm always surprised it doesn't see more traffic. I think a bit more weed and plant cleanup at the bottom would help make it more attractive. I too did NOT have a small TCU on Sub-Aqueous Tractor Retrieval and wished I did. Made it "sporting" for sure. A great place to get a weekday slab run in before Darrington or Squamish.

I'll still be lurking here! I need to check in now and then to be reminded of what good granite is like! That's what I thought - The PNW doesn't hand hold as much as they do down here.

Not needed if your kids are SOLID with an XP etc. I found with my Smart (regular one) that 1) Ropes need to be sub 10mm for it to be really smooth. 2) Feed slack for lead belaying: Hook your belay hand thumb on the "hook" and pull STRAIGHT OUT from your harness. It's in the directions or online video somewhere but UP doesn't work, you want STRAIGHT OUT. That makes is work well. 3) Lowering is funky. Takes practice. 4) I like it BUT I haven't found it's "niche" yet. GriGri for sport, Guide XP for Trad... Not sure where to USE it yet.

Anyone have a picture of the sign posted by WW1 warning "hikers" of the "dangers" of climbing? Anyone have info on what the "arrangement" is with the Parks Dept re: climbing access? I'm in a new locale now (TX) that's pretty clueless about climbing on parks property. Trying to get access setup down here for a local wall and any info one has to aid my cause would be greatly appreciated! MM

Well worth it. Ramuta is THE MAN. It's no joke that your shoes come back BETTER than factory fresh, especially the edges. I have a beater pair of gym MOCS that are now on their 5th or 6th resole. Still good! Frankly, 9 out of 10 climbers and DUMB when it comes to resoling. They wait to damn long and kill their rand or the shoe. WHY? Seriously. Do you let any other shoe you own get so beat that you can see your TOES? As SOON as the sole gets CLOSE to not protecting the upper rand, they go in.

I found a 70m BiPattern to be the cats meow for PNW cragging. Index LOVES the 70m Bi. Thin Fingers, P1 JGs, You can rap down the Upper Wall with a 70m on several routes. I also found it to be awesome while at Skaha. Lots of stuff there liked the 70m Bi as well. There's little point in one when your raps will be over 35m though. In those situations (or where you'll be walking off) double ropes or a "regular" rope are fine. I used to color black marks at about the 10m mark on each end as well. That way I could give the leader a heads up that it was about anchor time.

This +1. Dark BiColor ropes are VERY hard to spot pattern changes on. See Joseph's picture of the Maxim above for a great example of what DOESN'T work. Same goes for a black mark on dark ropes. Again, very hard to spot. While the bright ropes might look dirty faster and be obnoxious to some, they're FAR better to work with when trying to find a middle mark. I do find that a PROPERLY color contrasted Bi-Color is a bit easier to use than a black mark AND can make pulling raps a bit easier if one side is the MUST PULL side for various reasons.

I use this one on my helmet. Salamander Visor Nice for the really sunny days on the granite slabs

Limestone Eh? Totem Cam baby. I know some don't like them but they were pretty much MADE by guys who climb limestone. They now ship from OR via UPS so no month long wait anymore. I like them. The Largest Red one is nearly the same size as the Red C4 and has a more narrow head width. Totem Cams

100% Correct. With my GG1 (proud owner since '93) I learned and used the old technique. This is where you grip the grigri palm up and hold the cam down with your thumb. I never could get used to the "new technique" where you go palm down and pinch the cam lever down with your thumb and index finger. With the GG2, the cam lever profile is MUCH smaller and in a different spot. That combined with the smaller size makes the new technique much easier for me. the old technique feels quite awkward and difficult on the GG2. I've read Petzl designed it this way to encourage the new technique.

I agree. Whatever they did with the cam shape seems to have alleviated the on/off nature of the old device. Hopefully this will translate to less frequent reports of partners being dropped by panicked belayers. Chad It's actually not the cam shape but how the handle interfaces with the body of the GG2. There's a PIN on the inside of the handle that "levers" on the GG2 body moving the cam more slowly at first. There's a notch that's visible on the body. The pin is a bit harder to see. Simple and clever.

RE: Maxim Glider - HOLY IMPACT FORCE BATMAN! 9.5+kN! Jeebus. I thought Mammuts were bad. LOVE my GriGri 2. It's 100% correct that 10mm+ ropes will be a bit tough to feed. That said, I can now use the "new" technique with the GG2. Something I never could quite get comfortable with with the GG1. No a huge deal but I like it. The Lowering in my experience is VASTLY improved with the GG2. I never had an issue with the GG1 but it was quite an on or off kind lower. My wife hated the old GG1 because of this. She felt she had less control with it. The new GG2 does have a 2 stage lower where the release of the rope "eases in". It's noticeable and awesome.

No, not everyone is aware of the alternative perspectives and not everyone reads cc.com. Obviously Matt-m wasn't fully aware, so speak for yourself. Got a problem with other viewpoints other than your own and would like to stifle them? Who's the child?? I'd venture to say that most sport-climbers have little clue that there is an opposition until The Man gets tired of their bolts and restricts them or shuts them down which they are increasingly doing. And certainly most folks coming from a gym aren't exposed to much in the way of ethics. So if you find my posts "super f*%king annoying" [really grown-up language, dude ], then scroll on by when you see the name "Raindawg". And by the way, I HAVE changed more than a few people's minds and they usually thank me for it. So enjoy your "convenience" and "fun" while it lasts. Well aware of the environmental issues. Been doing this a long time. Also been on here a long time reading you say the same thing again and again. While environmental impact may be one of your issues, history on here shows that you take STRONG issue with bolts and sport climbing for it's stylistic differences from "trad"- Which is what I was referring too in my post. Things like fixed draws are best addressed in a case by case basis. Again, Little Si is not pristine wilderness where leave no trace is foremost. It's got a WELL WORN trail to it's top with BENCHES along the way. That sure as hell is fixed gear that's more visible than some hangers and draws. There are certainly places in the US (MANY, MANY PLACES) where preserving a "pristine" wilderness should be top priority. However, there are also many outdoor areas that would VASTLY benefit from a more European Style of Mtn Adventure. Added "connivence" in it's many forms will help to direct human traffic into specific zones where it can best be managed.

You'll never reach people who hate the idea of sport climbing period. So a "useful discourse" is a farce. I support all types of climbing, trad in particular. Those that cling to the idea that ALL CLIMBING has to have risk, adventure and danger in it to be "legitimate" do it for, imo, ego based reasons. I completely agree that there should be climbing that involves risk "(trad, natural gear, ice what ever...) HOWEVER, dismissing sport climbing because it "lacks" adventure is myopic at best. Again, you're never going to win over the fringes on either side... Little Si is an IDEAL spot for fixed draws. High end sport climbing with some access and cleaning issues (ledge, over hung, no top access) make it a perfect place for it. Add to that the fact that the cliff is somewhat hidden amongst the trees and DOES NOT have some sort of scenic view quality to it again makes fixed draws more than fine. I'd also argue that MOST if not all hikers on that trail find the climbing to be an added visual bonus along the hike. How many people stop and watch ala El Cap meadow? We're not talking pristine back country trails here. We're talking a great suburban trail that gets A LOT of use. There ARE areas where visual impact of fixed gear can be a concern. I was at a river side climbing venue where the climbs started 5 feet from a meandering stream. Pretty scenic. As you looked down steam along the cliffs the fixed gear hung in the air like numerous nesting bats. MUCH MORE visually intrusive.

Justropes.com has Tendon Ropes in stock again. A good selection of their line. I just ordered the 10mm ambition after having BAD wear issue with another rope. We'll see how this does. What little I've read all points to quality ropes.