Rad

Good style and good judgement. Kudos.

Um, this is the noob forum. Supposed to be G-rated. No, not that G!

That's what Facebook is for, Gene.

5.7? 5.9? 5.12? 5.14? Who cares? Grades don't matter. It's about passion, perseverance, and personal growth. Those who set ambitious goals and dedicate themselves to trying to achieve them just might, against all odds, succeed. Those who don't surely won't. ............................................. We're just sharing the stoke here. I hope you find fulfillment in pursuing your own dreams, whatever they may be. Peace.

Awesome Sol. I hope we'll connect for some climbing somewhere - maybe Little Si. One route there on my list that's in your range is Bust the Rhythm (12c). I also hope you and others will climb Skullduggery at X38 (mid-12?). It's a fantastic route.

Still making the list, but it will include: 1 - Get/stay fit and avoid injury. 2 - Give my best shot on a dream project beyond my abilities. 3 - At least one crag route FA. 4 - At least one alpine route FA. 5 - Get the kids climbing a few times.

Viesturs? Someone to talk about the role of Mt Rainier providing a training ground for bigger mountains? I think we need to move fast while the public's attention is on the matter. OW, yes it's a bandaid, but part of what is provided is the idea that a lot of people care and are willing to dip into their own resources to help a little bit. Our world could use more of that.

I like the idea of a memorial fund. Ambivalent about a memorial climb, UNLESS it is used as a way for us all to raise more $ from sponsors to augment the memorial fund.

RIP Ranger Anderson. What a tragedy. Alex, a fund for her kids is an excellent idea. IMHO we should contribute it as "the climbing community". This would have the added benefit of sending a good message to the surviving rangers and others. Clearly, justice needs to be served, but I think there are two lives lost here. We don't have the full story, but this young man apparently served our country in Iraq, suffered PTSD and depression as a result, and probably was not given the medical care he needed to safely re-enter society. If our government fails thousands of vets in this way is it surprising that a number of them commit suicide and some snap and commit horrible crimes? I hope someone will take a hard look at the VA. There's much more to the other side of this story than we've been told.

I know someone (on this board) who had a disagreement with a ranger in the field regarding a lack of a back country permit, was issued a citation, contested it in court, and was handed an additional fine when the judge felt he not only committed the offense but did so willfully and indicated he would gladly do it again. Attitude in court is important. Being humble and earnest is more likely to yield a good outcome than being ornery. The angle to pitch, IMHO, is that there was no sign indicating the parking area in question was subject to the permit requirement and a reasonable person might think it was ok to park there. If you subpoena the ranger you may be headed down the path of my friend mentioned above. Good luck! If our states, cities, and counties could fund parks we wouldn't have this dumb pass in the first place.

Thanks for posting, Rainman. I know a number of next-generation route developers, including myself, whose philosophy is very close to what you've described: live and let live, and strive to develop great routes that others will follow and enjoy for ages to come. We are VERY fortunate to have so many wonderful FA adventures waiting our own backyards. If I ever feel sorry for myself I read the Orygun forum and feel much better right away

Well, it's probably safer than some of the fuzzy noodles I've seen you bring to the crag.

Don't forget your manly leather gloves!

Been waiting for someone to pull of a winter ascent - I guess yours counts as fall, but who cares. Nice work! Lots more lines to be had out there...

That's how many falls it will hold before it snaps with a loud TWANG! Seriously, though, I wouldn't lead on a rope that old no matter how it was stored.

Just to be clear, I don't object to a discussion/rant about history, ethics, or anything else. Debate is good. But don't do it in a Trip Report (TR). Trip Reports are undoubtedly the best part of this site and we want to encourage more, not dump on the ones people post. So please go to the Climber's board, click "New Topic", start whatever discussion you want, and continue it there. If you want, someone can even set it up for you and send you a link to go there directly. In fact, the best thing you can do, CM, is to write a Trip Report and photos of some of the routes and adventures you've had over the years. I'm sure lots of us would love to hear them.

Brandon, thanks for sharing the stoke and inspiring others. ................ I don't think I've met the illustrious CM, and he may be a delightful chap in person to whom we should all bow in grateful reverence, but in my view shitting on another man's dream in public is a completely inexcusable act far worse than placing a bolt on rappel or cutting a tree limb. Get over yourself and get back onto the rock we all love. I think of a passage from a Magic Treehouse story my kids listen to on long drives to magical places: Jack: What people own this land? Running Bull (laughs): People cannot own land. All land belongs to the Great Spirit. .................... Brandon, I can't wait to share the stoke on THIS route and your NEXT one. Let's send the pink route in the gym this winter Peace, Rad ps. If y'all think Alex H can't handle hard sketchy slab read his piece on free-soloing the NW Face of Half Dome, including the 5.12 slab at the end.

Put a handwarmer in your chalk bag. Wear a puffy. Off you go! No pain, no pain...

Wow. thanks Sol. I've been thinking about doing this and now have the extra push needed. Where does one find the rings? Will any old straps do? How far apart are they set?

starting to daydream a bit early, eh?

Awesome! Congrats.

I just pulled the 40 min out of thin air. Insert your own numbers.

Depends on the location and the availability of other options. For example, I could never see joining VW or Stone Gardens (15 minutes w/o traffic from my home and work) when I have free access to the UW gym 2 minutes from my work. But when the SBP opened up I signed up as a member. One of the main reasons is that it is really easy to get there from my house and it is open until 11pm most nights. So location and hours of operation played a big role in my decision. It sounds like SG Bellevue is a great gym and the new VW Seattle gym will also be great. But I doubt if I'll become a regular at either because I'd have to cross a bridge or the city to get to either. Again, location is key. In Seattle we have lots of choices, so people can be selective. Out by Wenatchee or other spots where there is nothing close at all, people might be willing to drive farther. Also, if they're used to driving 40 minutes to the Icicle to climb/boulder they might be willing to spend the same amount of time to get to your gym. If you're thinking of a gym, talk to founders of other gyms and find out where they make their money and what their customers want. As long as you're not competing they probably would be willing to share info. Another idea is to talk to VW and see whether they would consider opening another franchise/satellite. That might help you get things going faster. Good luck!!!

This must be the opposite of trad OW redpoints Always amazed at the ways that Czech kid can use his feet.

Probably. Trad lines, as you know, usually follow the path of least resistance. The first two check in around 5.10 (DITR) to 5.10+ (FITM) with lots of clean rock on either side of them. So there are lots of opportunities for harder routes, particularly if you're willing to run it out between gear placements and/or bolt by hand to protect the featured faces. Let's go next summer!