tanstaafl

three day ski clinic -- maybe if I'm lucky Feck will take me out next weekend and put my new skillz to the test.

The best alpine "sports bra" I have ever used is actually a swimsuit top, because unlike "real" sports bras, it's actually made of quick-drying material and isn't lined with cotton, but it's about to give up the ghost. Not sure what I'm going to do when that happens. When ice climbing I try if at all possible to strip down to skin and change once the approach is over; it makes all the difference in warmth/comfort for the rest of the day. For alpine climbing in general, if you're not too big you could try just going without, in general when alpine climbing I'm wearing a couple of layers and a jacket and you'd have to be a hell of a lot bigger in the chest than me for anyone to notice whether you're wearing a bra or not under all that.

I just got 'em for Christmas and I love them. My hands are always cold and they are so warm -- and for all of $25. oh, and I forgot to post the best pic from the Chair Peak circumnavigation:

Here are a few more pics. Thanks Feck and Dave for a great day out.

Strong work you two and nice pics. I love that one with the pink glow on the mtns. Way to take advantage of a gorgeous day. Nice having beers with you.

I go to Goodwill and find something for $5. They generally don't last more than six months, but for $5 they don't have to. At times I've found actual gusseted climbing pants there for ~$8.

Hah, when Feck says "not much experience" he means "none." Thanks all for a killer three days. When can we do it again??

Rad. Way to rip it up. Sorry I didn't make it back from AZ in time to head out with you!

You can road trip for a couple of years without being wealthy! In that sort of time you can hit Tuolumne and the eastern Sierra, Tetons, Boulder Canyon, Wind Rivers, City of Rocks, South Platte/Turkey Rocks, Devil's Tower, Vedauwoo, Eldorado Canyon, Lumpy Ridge, the Valley, Red Rocks, JTree, Indian Creek and desert towers in southern Utah, Zion, the North Cascades, Squamish, Oak Creek Canyon and Cochise Stronghold in Arizona, Hueco Tanks, the Organ Mtns in New Mexico, etc etc.

The Chandelier also is in, but the climbs up Mountaineer Creek are not.

I am an average weekend climber and I absolutely disagree that routes I can't climb off the couch are a waste of rock. I like the fact that there are easy routes, ones that I have to be on my game to climb, ones that give me something to train for, and ones that are (at least currently, and some probably forever) out of my reach. If climbing were so easy I didn't have to put any effort into it, what would be the point of bothering with it at all?

Flavor of the week for sure -- Rat and I climbed it this past weekend as well. It took us 2.5 hours from the top of the couloir to the summit and about the same amount of time back down. We soloed most of it but roped up for the last three pitches to the summit, which turned out not to be really necessary. We downclimbed all of it except one very short rap and two ~30 m raps.

kick ass.

Any glove recommendations for someone who runs cold and has a bit of Reynaud's to boot?

Wow, Carl looks about 12 years old in that last picture. Nice report Gaucho and thanks for the historical perspective, Lowell.

I'm neither a small nor a ripping skier, but I'm quite happy with my DAS, take it everywhere in winter, and have even worn it when skinning at times. Warmest jacket I've ever had, which admittedly isn't saying much, as the runner up is one of those old NF two-tone down jackets from the late 90s with no hood.

There were at least three other helmet-wearers at the LTW on Saturday. We were stealthy though.

Bonnie Springs Ranch Motel is very close to the climbing and a pretty entertaining place. I only stayed there once but it was pretty cheap as I recall. Phone 702-875-4400 for current rates and reservations.

Stupendous. Thanks for posting your Cascades adventures Mikey.

Cool; Paisano got some action this weekend. Susan and I climbed the standard route on Sunday. Thanks Blake for the beta overload. I got a camera for Christmas so here are a few pics: Paisano Pinnacle and Burgundy Spire Susan following the second pitch mmm crack Pretty lichen Summit views

Burgundy Col is essentially snow free (although there is snow for melting if you bivy there), but you may not really think that's a good thing.

That was a little to close for comfort I thought. Awesome; thanks for posting this. And congrats to Kate on Freerider too. Please tell her I really enjoyed her blog post (and your pics) on that -- very inspiring.

Kick ass. Casey you're tearing it up now that you're not spending your summers in AK!

Relief has a number of different meanings, two of which are: 1) sharpness of outline due to contrast or the state of being distinguished by contrast ("a roof in relief against the sky"); 2) the elevations or inequalities of a land surface (from Merriam Webster) Tom and Wayne, nice job and thanks for the pictures. Looks like there's plenty of water on the route now.

We climbed our way from the road up to Giveler's weekend before last and there are definitely a number of pitches between Alphabet Rock and Givler's that are 5.8ish, but I have no idea what they are named.