fenderfour

eh... who cares?

I was with a basic class taking up a fixed line. I set some pro in the rocks to my right. A snow whipper might be fun...

steaksauce!

It is that chute, but I don't know about a nice ski descent. I'm a pedestrian.

Thanks, but there are no shorts, there is no polypro. Just REI Mistral pants. Hell the legs don't even zip off.

A nice picture from a jaunt up Guye Peak a few weeks ago. Gallery

I have heard from a little bird that the Mounties will also be doing some easy multipitch. Routes mentioned were: Chicken Gulley/The Cave, R&D, Midway, Saber, etc. Just an FYI

How about a link to your photos? I like seeig some of the hard stuff.

Do you ever wonder if the people in these pictures stumble upon them on the net? Do you think they get pissed?

Another suggestion is to make a clean fall on the routes. If you know you are going to drop, don't keep clinging on in the hopes that your one battered finger will heroically keep you on a problem. I did this for a while and it destroyed my hands.

I was planning on taking some semi-climbing friends to Barney's Rubble and Bruce's Boulder this weekend, but it looks like the Mounties will be gapin up the scene. Any other suggestions for good TR routes for beginners? I was thinking about Domestic Dome. It has a few easier (or is it moderate?) 5.6 to 5.9 routes. -spanks y'all. BTW - if you are out there this weekend look for me. I'm the tall (6'3") gaper with a red beard and piercings. You can find me at the Eightmile campground. Just look for the Green Subaru Outback with an obnoxious amount of climbing stickers on it.

Second Ascent has some boots in the size 13 range. Lowa Civettas and the like. Almost all manufacturers make boots to size 13, about half of them make size 14. I'm equipped with the size 15 big dogs, so I had even fewer options (only Lowa and Scarpa). Crampons are a minor issue. Buy some Sabretooths. If they don't fit, e-mail BD customer service and ask for a M/L Contact extender bar. They are longer than the Sabretooth bar. I have a pair of Contacts that fit on my size 16 leathers just fine.

I use what Second Ascent had (cheap) after all my gear was stolen last year. Petzl Oscilante

I've used a prusik in practice. If you use your ATC like Braumeister suggested, it's pretty quick and easy. No extra gear, no extra weight. I suppose a Tibloc would be a good compromise for weight. Plus prusiks can grip icy ropes of any diameter and can be used for other things (v-threads, slings, etc).

I noticed that my callouses were always peeling off when I climbed. Especially if I slid off a hold. A friend told me to use a file to keep them cut back. I never tried it, but it seemed like it might do the trick.

It sounds like people don't carry the ATC as standard gear anymore. I would imagine that any tube or plate belay device would work for this purpose. Then you aren't carrying a specialized second piece of gear.

I climb rocks in order to climb mountains. That's just my perspective. If someone wants to push themselves to the limit to redpoint 5.13, good for them, just don't be a dick to the rest of us that aren't at your level.

My bad. Thanks Snoboy

I'm not trolling here, just trying to understand. I don't think that the screamer would be quite so effective on me as it would be on the top piece of pro, but the tearing of the screamer would definitely absorb some of the shockload on the top piece. After all, it is my mass that is generating the force on the system.

Last month's issue of Popular Science was talking about this idea. Apparently some crazy Norwegians have been working with the idea of neutrally bouyant tunnels across some of their fjords. The tunnel sections are anchored 40-50 feet off the sea floor. The train that popsci describes would be a maglev capable of 4,000 mph. The only problem would be the sonic boom that would destroy the tunnel sections. Solution? make the tunnel a vacuum.

Now that I have had time to mull it over, my idea isn't really to use the VF lanyard, but something like it or a screamer to reduce the shock load on pro. There would be no need to carry 4 or 5 screamers when ice climbing, you would just have one "screameresque" device between you and the rope to reduce the impact force. I just thought that the friction device on a VF lanyard would be nice as it is reusable. From what Tim said, the personal screamer would have to activate at roughly half the kN of a normal screamer to be effective. Does anybody know someone to talk to at Yates?

I will be at the Nickerson tonight around 9:00pm or so, sporting my sexy sunburn and racoon eyes. I will look for the climbers. I think I can recognize MattP from the past photos. Yell at me if you see me. 6'3" red beard and piercings.

Maybe I just think it's a little misleading to put a price on a link to an Ebay listing. If I wanted to look at Ebay auctions i would go to Ebay, if i want to see items for sale from at least somewhat responsible sources I will look in the Yard Sale.

E Bay is a turgid sausage. Yyyyyyooooooouuuuu Suck! FYI - some people have to "work" in order to climb. I post while I "work".

My nomination for best photoshop image is Distel on the HC