matt_m

Yep - the 5.9 R is runout but if you've gotten there you shouldn't have an issue with it. Bolts are all good now. The lower crux is technique dependent and tricky (where the route goes vs what the bolts "tell you") The upper one is stout and reach dependent IMO. I watched my buddy who's a 13 climber fall off because he couldn't reach the hold - I did it after a little work. GREAT route I've dine twice now. Favorite pitch is hands down the TRAVERSE pitch - Have fun. CS in GW is a nice high milage day...

C'mmon road trip people - What's the best way to set a land speed record to skaha? I5 through Chilliwack north or 90/2 east to 97 north?

Looked at it - looks hard as hell Glad I'm not the only one who winces when they see Greg Collum's name. Not that FAist Greg Child wasn't a hard man too Is it wet right now? I seem to recall that climbing being in a drip zone - Side note - any new info on the routes on the left side of the Drip Wall? I assume they're wet now too....

Bolt spacing is proud up there - Not necessarily run-out mind you bout certainly not vantage tight (which I think is fine given the rock quality of vantage) No chopping seen and frankly, why would there be? No grid bolting and from what I could tell, not a whole lot in the way of protection available - A great cliff...

Quickie Here - very short day was had monday, it stayed dry though so no complaints (other than RIDICULOUS traffic returning - 1:15 to get from index to monroe!) Took a jaunt up to Blues cliff for the first time - pretty damn cool looking - got on rhythm and bolts but had to leave before I tried anything else (true to form as with any other Greg Collum route - it was damn hard for 11a) The cliff was a little damp and dirty but the climbing looks ridiculous - just needs a good scrub here or there. New route spotted between Accidental Discharge and 12 Gauge IQ - any ideas? looks awesome from the ground...

Somewhere on Lower Castle in the Catapult area - No idea where it went - Didn't see it fall, 99% sure partner didn't leave it behind - It just went poof! into thin air! My guess is it unclipped and partner (first time outside) just didnt notice - happen to the best of us - Good carma to anyone who fids it... and PMs me

The book indicates old and weary rap stations to the left of centerfold. Any idea if these are up to snuff now? How about just rapping centerfold? Want to try these this weekend if it's not BLAZING out. Any idea if the Blues Cliff is cooler?

What other harder offwidths are there in L-worth? Need to start the training if I'm going to get the skeleton known as Pipeline out of my closet

anyone got info on this place? lead climbing? etc?

morons don't know what flash and on sight is. maybe if they visited a crag from time to time they would notice a big difference. ignorace of this publication is horrible Hmm - no I remember that article and thought their statement was pretty valid. OnSight - Climber first try with NO prior knowledge of route - like Dru said a picture of a person on the route can give you beta and screw the onsight. OR On-sight : Leading a climb with no falls and no "dogging" (hanging on the rope) on the first attempt without any prior knowledge (beta) of its features or difficulties. Flash - Climbing a route first try WITH beta - either Dru telling us about the Dyno move on Toxic or yelling it etc etc. OR Flash: To successfully lead a climb you've never previously attempted - with no falls or "dogging," (ie. hanging on the rope), but with prior knowledge (beta) of its features or difficulties. WHAT climbing mag was trying to say was that with all the chalked holds etc you can more than likely get route beta from said chalk. Hmm I wonder if that hold is good? Well from all the chalk I'd guess yes. (This is different from looking at a clean, un-chalked route and trying to figure out if the rock is in-cut or sloping or hell, if it's even a hold) What makes climbing stupid is when people get really bent out of shape about a magazine article that has no effect on their climbing what-so-ever. I put this in the same lame category as people who make stuff "artificially dangerous" because it makes them more "hard core" as a climber. EDIT to include real glossary def.

WC Rock then DMM Walnuts Hate BD = they're too short and don't wedge well in granite IMO Squamish and Index locally Micros I like the BDs and DMM peanuts

I'll always send my shoes to him - he does better soles then the manufacturers.

Cleaning out stuff I have too much of or don't use anymore... Will load pics when I get a chance. 1) Beal Ice Lines - 70m Double Dry - Brand New:STILL IN BANDS - Yellow and Blue Colors. SOLD 2) Sportiva Megas a) Sz 45 - Almost new, good condition - used a few times $45 b) Sz 44.5 - Not new - made a rand mod so the heel is no longer sling shot - fits like the 45s $20

I finally got to second that pitch (I was never stupid enough to want to lead it) a few years after the Foweraker episode. Dave Lepard lead and I thought the 10d move was casual in Fire's. Never got to try it with E.B.'s. Dave and Carla Bortoletto did Dream on last summer with a tiny bit of aid on the 5.12 section apparantly. But be mentally prepared for an 80 foot unprotected traverse on 5.10/11 slab. On my climb with Dave he fell off on this part (thank God so I didn't have to follow it) and we rapped off. You mean after you pull the roof (bulge) with the manky fixed pin and head straight left into Unfinished? Yep - that was terrifying! For both leader and follower!

Nothing's changed on that 10d move - I did it a year and a half ago and was jsut as terrified - made the move first try but right before the bolt (1/4 in too!) my feet started to go! Slid about 3 inches before I was able to grab onto "something" not sure what it was but I made the pitch onsight and swore I'd never do it again - FWIW my partner reported the old 1/4in are now healthy 3/8" SS so I may have to wander up there again to do the full Dream Symphony (or Dream On - anyone here done Dream On?)

Saw that pic as well! Got me inspired! Is he wearing Sportiva CLIFFS?!? That would be pretty cool. Yep - Only done local boys over there but looked at Carpet Ride too. Dancing in the Light is Tops on my list.

hmm - that doesn't seem like too bad an idea...

I was wondering the same exact thing NUMEROUS times this past weekend at Squamish. Lets see how many times I scared the bejeezus out of my self... Friday - Warmup day - Whoops - Traversed in on the wrong start - Guess the first pitch of the year at Squam will be 10d slab p3 of the Crossing - moved over to Whirlwind after that! Day two - Not wanting to need more therapy I asked my buddy if Sparrow was a good cruise? "Oh yeah" he says, not bad. Riiight... Nothing like a funky mantle move 25' out from the belay BEFORE the first bolt. Did fine though - At the top I'm feeling more spunky so I look at the upper apron - Hmmm A Question Of Balence doesn't look ALL THAT BAD - from the ground. Needless to say I didn't get on A Question of Balance and , quivering mightily, clipped the first and only bolt on Bran Flakes as I soon discovered there WERE NO MORE BOLTS. Bailed right onto Balance (25' up and right) to clip its LAST BOLT then ran the remaining 40 feet or so to the chains SCARED OUT OF MY GOURD. Brought my partner up who hiked it smiling stating "Hey, this is FUN!" FU man Strangely - I still want to get my hard man slab status confirmed with these ticks (adding to Local Boys, Dream on To Unfinished but I bailed on the 11b because it hit 85 degrees when I got to it!) White Lightning Dancing in the Light Magic Carpet Ride How does one go about not looking like a motercycle crash victim on said routes?

doubles to #2 camalot, one #3 if you really want a lot Lots of small nuts for the first "pitch" part up to the ledge a #2 ball nut is a trick piece you might use at the 11a part.... but you can do without as well

Metolius gear loops sling - keeps all the gear from sliding together which very quickly becomes a pain.

I've gotten 4 packs at Rite-Aid and Tincture of Benzoin is a right of passage for me all the time - great stuff

this news is getting old - does it still need to be a sticky?

Are you talking about REPLACING old, crappy bolts or ADDING ADDITIONAL bolts? Upgrading old, death trap hardware is a good service to the climbing community, adding bolts to established climbs is essentially one of the top 5 things to get you in a load of sh_t climbing ethics wise. FAist approval is really the only blessing that might (big might) make it ok unless DRASTIC REASONS dictate otherwise (flake breaks off making once protect-able move unprotected above death ledge or something like that) If you don't like the runouts, find something else... (Side note: I do seriously frown on 5.12 climbers putting up FAs in the easy range with death runouts just because they can. Contrived danger is lame as well) This post has troll and/or serious flame potential - respond at your own risk...

Ok - I probably went a little overboard on the bolt thing (much better for the humor segment though) No worries there. Since this route is obviously controversial I'm not under any illusion that one person is right and the other wrong - so the following comments are just that - my personal observations - think of this as good lively pub talk over a pint. 1) The rap bolting thing seems out of place here - it's one thing to argue about rap grid bolting at 38 (to which I've never been- only told about) it's another thing on a monstrous wall where often times it's hard to even SPOT the next bolt. I've hand drilled on scary slab on lead and have all the respect in the world for those sick routes in Yose done on lead (Bob Kamps is a GOD in my opinion) but the holier than thou drilling thing in this case is a little silly. It's like the NIAD - doing it in 12 hrs is very impressive (hand drill on lead) but doing it in 23 (power drill) isn't something I'm going to look down on either. Remember "poor style" is in the eye of the beholder - a shirt that is stylish to someone is often hideous to another. I consider intentionally dangerous routes put up because someone wanted to "be bold" in poor style. 2) There are only 2 pitches I'd even consider discussing as over bolted and in both cases I thought they were just right. Neither had bolts nearly as closely spaced as stuff in Vantage. I'd guess a bolt every 9-10 feet. On the other pitches I sometimes had to do the "Tuolumne-stop-and-look-for -the-next-bolt" routine. 3) Contrived? How so? I usually consider contrived to be things like "Climb the crack but the left wall is out" or " climb the face staying out of the crack on you left" I though the route took a somewhat natural line. It's tough to say on a route that goes up such a large face because in reality, there are numerous "ways" to go. Heck, if we stick with the "line of natural weakness" idea one could argue that Crest Jewel on North Dome in Yos is contrived because the route heads straight up in places instead of following the natural dikes that angle up and to the side in several places yet that route is considered a classic (actually, it's one of the best I've ever done) There you go, not saying I'm right, just giving reasons behind my thoughts. Bartender - another Black Butte please...

An awkward moment occurs as cc.comers decide weather or not they are going to stop and listen to the rantings of a man on his soapbox with the "Jesus Saves!" and "Bolts are the Devil" pamphlets or just walk by. Having done the route and made up my own mind about it, I choose to walk by...