Ryan

I can understand his side, but that doesn't mean I'll agree with it. And I'll quote Alex Lowe all I want!

I have recently been offered a chance to travel to Europe for three weeks later in the summer for a bumming and climbing trip. I'm psyched about this, but I am having trouble finding reliable information in regards to the crags over there, specifically in France, Switzerland, and Italy. Does anyone have any info about crags, etc, in these countries? Any information is appreciated, thanks!

Not sure if it's still there, but to the northeast of the Muir hut, there was a pretty big bank of snow that had formed. It drops in a pretty steep pitch for about 7 or 8 feet and then mellows out down low. This is where we practiced, and it worked wonderfully.

No good...RIP, and best wishes to family and friends. And I'll reiterate what everyone else is saying- be careful out there!

I bought a dry 8.1 double line for glacier and easy alpine routes. I got a good deal on it, which was the primary reason for buying it, but it is nice to have. I don't think that using your dry rope rock climbing will affect it's dry capabilities, but you have to have the right rope. Sterling and Beal are the only two manufacturers that dry treat each individual strand of the core and sheath, which makes their dry ropes a bit better than the rest (IMHO). It's worth it to have a dry rope, though. The extra money is well worth it when you find yourself in a downpour with a rope that is up to the task. If you want to get a rope that will be good on everything, you might want to go a little lower than 10.2. The Sterling Marathon is a super nice rope that you can get in a 10.0, which would fit the bill it seems. Good luck!

Matt M- thanks for the heads up, I had thought of that, and all I ever pack up in the helmet are smaller items that take up very little room (gauze, bandages, etc). That'd be pretty ironic if my first aid kit ended up being the cause of my injury, huh? One helmet that I will warn you against is the Petzl Meteor. I used this helmet for a few months when I started climbing, and I never got used to it. The fit was bad, and it didn't feel like it offered much protection up front or on the sides. As everyone has stated, though, make sure you buy a helmet that fits you well. My Ecrin fits me like a glove, and becuase of this, it's not hard to convince myself to wear it should the need arise.

Nice work! Any more pictures?

I have the Petzl Ecrin Roc. Its an awesome helmet, with good adjustment range and comfort. Plus you can store first aid supplies, etc, in the upper part of the helmet so you don't have to carry them on your harness.

There is good climbing southwest of Bozeman, in Gallatin Canyon- multipitch trad close to the road. If you're looking for some more adventurous climbing, go check out Blodgett Canyon, about 40 miles south of Missoula. There are some pretty wild routes up there. Have fun!

When we visited Rainier a few weeks ago, we were told that the ranger station would be staffed periodically up until June I believe it was- so it's probably hit or miss. There was a ranger there on one of the days we were there. Don't take my word for it though- why don't you just call and find out?

I use the Raven Pro. I've used the Air Tech in the past, and while both axes compared similarly in arresting capability, the Raven Pro is far more comfortable to hold onto, which was the deciding factor in my purchase. It has performed superbly in every aspect of its intended use.

Awesome, good job!

I really enjoy Alpinist. I find the articles to be top notch, along with the photography and every other aspect of the magazine. It lacks bullshit, which is nice to see. The title is a bit misleading, though- they should almost consider changing the title to "The Climbing Life" (or something of that nature) seeing as how that's what the magazine encompasses. For those of you who don't enjoy Alpinist, don't buy it. I do enjoy and appreciate it, and will continue to buy it for as long as it's around.

I've got two of these biners that I put on my cam slings and they work very well for keeping the biner stable for when I'm going for a desperate clip. I only use these biners when I'm climbing a clean trad line and I don't need to use slings to alleviate rope drag- they work very well in this application.

Robert- there's an article in Alpinist 3 written by Kelly Cordes (titled "Painted Blue") and he does a very good job of examining why being afraid when it comes to climbing is not worth it. Granted, he is climbign some pretty incredible shit, but it applies regardless. Check it out if you've got that issue. For me, I find that doubt and fear are what makes climbing so intriguing. Channeling my fear into a positive energy source that I can use to make my way up a route is a big accomplishment and leads to much personal satisfaction. Keep with it- just be sure to stay rational.

I have been on routes in the past that are not climbed often, and have found old slings that looked suspect- in this case I chose to back them up. On more popular routes, there are usually a cluster of slings that are availiable for the rap. Using a new sling every time is not practical- carrying one with you should the need for it arise is practical.

Best of luck to all involved!

I rap off of slings all the time in the winter. The key is to only RAP off of the slings and not to be LOWERED...lowering off of a sling will cause the sling to become frayed and in most cases it will break. Whenever the possibility of rapping off of slings is present, I always carry my own webbing with me that I can leave. Rapping off of existing slings is a gamble- inspect and use as you see fit. As for the ropes, double ropes have a diamater of somewhere between 8 and 9 mils, and are designed to be used in conjunction with another double rope, with each rope clipped into an alternate piece of protection. Each rope is capable of holding a fall by itself. This system excels in ice climbing where you can have a backup rope in case something happens where one of your ropes gets cut by ice, crampons, axes, etc. In trad climbing this system is useful on routes that wander...rope drag won't be an issue becuase you can clip ropes to pieces on alternate sides of the route. A 10.5 mm rope is a single line. This type of line can hold more falls than a double rope and is commonly used in sport climbing and clean trad lines. I'm not too familiar with the impact forces of double ropes vs. single ropes- anyone else know what the advantages/disadvantages are in regards to this issue?

No joke...this really causes me to lose faith in humanity.

Those hanging curtains are wild! I shouldn't have watched that, though, with summer being right around the corner. Drytooling sport routes though? Hmmm....

I used my Koflach Actis Expes all winter long for ice climbing (everything from long, short, steep, moderate), and they worked well on the whole. Having warm and dry feet was well worth the loss in dexterity and, at times, precison. I also have a pair of Garmont Pinnacles that I use for shorter trips at lower elevations and for long summer backpacking trips- these boots are crampon compatible and work well for everything- ice, snow, and rock. I think that next year I will invest in a pair of Freneys (or something similar) and save my Koflachs for full on expedition climbing. I find it works well to have a few different boots and, as someone above said, use whatever is applicable in any given situation.

I pack the same as Dru, with all the cams and stoppers on the bottom of my pack. I never really have much of a problem with it being too bulky, the gear seems to settle in rather nicely once I get everything packed.

Thanks for all the advice. I leave for Rainier on Friday, but the weather is looking pretty shitty so who knows what we'll get accomplished. Might have to settle for the Ingraham. At any rate, it will be fun, maybe I'll see some of you guys out there. Thanks again!

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I use a Petzl Fixe pulley, works well enough and is fairly light- pair it with a wiregate oval and you're set!