fenderfour

A quick FYI on cell phone coverage - Verizon picked up most of the older cell phone companies back in the day. These older companies built their towers higher in order to get more bang for the buck. That's why Verizon has better coverage in the hills.

I would avoid using hooks on established routes, but I'm sure you can find an undeveloped area that can be hooked without pissing anyone off. You don't need to buy an $85 Black Diamond hammer. Buy a 12-16 oz $12 ball-peen and drill a hole in the bottom of the handle for a keeper sling... or use a #11 hex.

FYI - Hooks are generally considered clean aid. They can scar the rock or pull off delicate flakes. I would bring a hammer to make cleaning a little easier. It can be a bitch to pull out nuts after weighting them on aid. A few taps with a hammer will get them out much quicker and with less frustration than yarding on a sling.

I posted this in the Newbies forum: In addition to this, I've noticed that the cam lobes on the Trangos are "floppy". They don't stay oriented properly along the stem. THis is a very minor annoyance, but it makes me wonder how long the springs will last. That all being said, I would definitely buy the C4's over the Trangos at list prices. If you were going to buy any of the Trangos, I would stick to the smaller splitter sizes. THere seems to be an advantage to the design, but I haven't been able to fully explore the possibilities. Unlike the original splitter cams, the trangos are made very well.

Verizon has coverage on the summit on a clear day.

City park - Cam hook popped and fell onto a #4 nut. I didn't have much gear, so I was protecting every third move and leapfrogging the rest. It was my second aid pitch.

Thanks, I hadn't noticed that feature.

A couple of newbies want to climb at Exit 38, but they aren't comfortable leading yet. Are there any areas with decent walk-offs for them to set toprope anchors? The only place that came to mind was Gritscone at The Far Side. What about some others? Thanks Y'all

I bought a set of the new Trango Flex Cams on the cheap - Here's my take: Pros: They are pretty lightweight and easy to control with the loop on the back. The stem is more flexible than most other single-stem cams. Aliens are still more flexible. The splitter design of the smaller sizes can hold with only 2 of the 4 lobes engaged. This could be very cool when aid climbing. I haven't dangled off half a cam before... Cons: The springs are soft allowing the cams to walk more than I would like them to. The springs are also a bit exposed, especially on the smaller sizes. I thought this would be a problem, but it hasn't been yet. I would pay about $30/cam for these, certainly not the $50 list price.

I'd like to point out that the evil empire has the old style DMM cams on sale right - $40 each. Normally $50 each. I've used them for the past year. They are very lightweight and have great action. I prefer U-stem cams because they are easier for me to control when placing. That being said, I haven't tried the C4's with the loop on the end.

Look everybody! I found a dick in the forum!

...Can't help it, must post... Story

The party of 12 was from the Boealps Basic Class. A couple of tents were destroyed by the wind, so they stumbled out with the help of a GPS. It was a great intro to "weather" for the budding climbers.

I could be wrong, but I doubt that the manufacturer (EADS) gives a damn about climbers. It's a publicity stunt to sell more belly-poppers. Nothing has changed. Please go back to work.

I'm in, but I wear flip-flops. Anything heavier will slow me down.

Awesome!! I had a toenail fall off once. I used it to make other things smell like cheese.

I did it last summer, so I don't know current conditions. Navigating (down) the White Salmon should be pretty easy. We went left low on the glacier and had to deal with a bunch of bullshit cliffs, just big enough to be dangerous. If you stay right you should be golden. Good luck navigating the brush in the dark. We did a rising traverse back to the clearcut and it was wretched. The hillside has a number of streams down it that make for interesting climbing. Some of them have very steep rock sides.

Bob's wall kicks butt. I took a friend up R&D last year and we saw a beautiful handcrack up the hill, so we went to investigate. The rest of the day was spent playing on Bob's Wall with NO CROWDS. Goodtimes.

"If it's going to be that kind of climb, I'm gonna stick my udder in the mashed potatoes."

An attack? No. A sensational, misinformed, inaccurate, misleading statement? Let the reader decide. There was no lambasting involved, and as Miller eloquently presented his account of the situation, no mention of ankle breaking, either. In the future before you go making bold statements that tarnish the reputation of a business I suggest you get your facts straight. People have been sued for slander and libel on far flimsier grounds. I, too, will continue to support Feathered Friends. I appreciate the kind of experience that their sales staff have and the friendliness of their manner. It's nice that you are backing up the store. I'd like to point out it's not my story that was told. I was relating someone else's. So, were you there, or are you simply another internet voice chiming in with the tired old "Me too!"?

Emmons or DC Keep your plan to climb The Kautz, just have a backup route in case the Kautz is out of shape. Think Emmons or DC for backup.

Wow, that's one of the best euphamisms I've ever heard. Like getting your truck stuck in the mud or a soggy sandwich?

Spray a sore ass WTF? This is high quality spray here. TJD is a dirty son of a snake-fucking whore. There, I've said it.

What's wrong with the North Cascades? I should stop spraying and get back to work. eh... fuck it.

The 10.5 will be just fine. If you want to buy more gear, then go ahead and buy a new rope. The Beal Joker is a bit lighter than the the Revelation. Kautz in August? You might want to have a backup plan. Disclaimer: I haven't taken any NOLS courses, nor have I at any time prostrated myself to the gods of retail sales. Based on this, I am probably underqualified to comment on gear selection.