tanstaafl

If I played that would be a tempting offer, but I don't and my dad is running up big medical bills right now, so I'm sticking with cash, sorry. I'm willing to be flexible on the price though.

that's because there's no point in reporting those routes that goes at 5.6 moss, 5.4 trees, and 5.scary shitty licheny rock. which you bailed from in the end anyway.

Still available.

Anyone been in there recently? How broken up is it? How's the schrund?

I find it interesting that topropers are such a problem. I must not crag enough or not at the right places. I've definitely skipped more routes I hoped to lead because a leader was taking for-freaking-ever to get up them than I have because people were toproping them.

Sweet. I'll email you next week.

Rob, buddy, you know you NEED this van. I'll even deliver it to Portland for you; I gotta be down there the week of the 15th. We should have a drink then regardless.

FOR SALE: 1993 GMC Safari AWD van 164,486 miles Exterior color green, interior color gray. Van has a 4.3L V6 CPI engine and a 3-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. It includes Hankook all-weather tires with lots of tread left, power windows, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, tinted glass, interval wipers, rear defroster, front bucket seats, power mirrors, rear wiper, cup holders, and power door locks. Comes with brand new battery. Extras include Yakima ski and bike racks, Pioneer stereo with cd player, four studded snow tires, jumper cables, curtains, Chilton’s manual. Great for road trips: Bed platform built into the back with drawers for storage. Owner since 1998 was a contractor and climber who did most of his own maintenance. He left it with me when he moved to Thailand and has now decided not to return. $1800.

It's pretty presumptuous of you to assume that anyone who is top roping something you happen to feel like leading doesn't aspire to be a leader, or isn't *already* a leader, and just happens to be following their friend up a climb, or out for an easy day. Just because someone is seconding, or even thirding, Penny Lane doesn't mean they can't lead, and they could very well lead a hell of a lot harder than 5.9. How is it not selfish behaviour to expect everyone to leap off climbs that they got to first and bow and scrape out of your way because "I'M A LEADER!"?? Finally, how is following not toproping? And how is it that you can't learn anything about climbing except by leading? Does your brain shut off when you're not leading or what?

If you want to climb popular moderates that are less than ten minutes' walk from the parking lot on a holiday weekend you're likely going to have to wait. I find it hard to believe that is so very different from back in the day. And by the way, when you follow, you're on top rope, whether it is something you would lead or not.

You guys are way core and badass. And so handsome and fashionable! Although I must admit the half man/half monkey thing is news to me. Nice work; looks fun.

Nice job, Pete. You missed a good night at the Twisp brewpub though.

When I went in there the first time there was a mini Cooper in the parking lot, completely engulfed in chicken wire. You'll be fine.

I have a pentax Optio M20; don't know how that compares to the w60 but it stopped working on a bus ride from Chile to Argentina just a month after the one-year warranty expired. It turns on but then makes an unpleasant noise a couple of times and turns itself back off. I took it to a camera shop and they said it would cost more to repair than to buy a new one. Don't know if it's a general Pentax issue or not but that's been my experience.

sweet TR Will; thanks.

Well, as long as we're all being total language geeks, Mr. Rad, the instance of "it's" in your first example: "Its my lead, you wanker!" is a contraction of "it is" and thus should be "it's." Its as a possessive would be, say: "West McMillan is pretty but its summit is unsuitable for a bivy, according to some douchebags."

The word I got was they traversed from Little Mac to Terror-Rake col and then tagged Chopping Block on the way out. Someone had to be at the airport by 9 pm sunday so there wasn't time for any more. Damn, I wish I was that fast.

I had the Reid and Falkenstein book when I was there and I liked it a lot. If you like lots of beta though you might not be all that happy with it. Eric what's on your hit list?

We did four 30m raps down the west ridge and then down the south face from there. We added two slings for the last raps to get back to the toe of the buttress so that we didn't have to downclimb steepish snow above gaping crevasses in rock shoes. I didn't take my pointy stick up the route with me so I was chicken. I'll be happy to make you a good deal on a pointy stick anytime, GB.

Trip: Inspiration - South Face Date: 7/19/2008 Trip Report: Rat and I climbed the South Face of Inspiration this weekend. Beautiful setting and a fun route. We realized after doing the entire approach that the SCA volunteer at the Marblemount Ranger Station had given us a permit for Torment Basin instead of Terror Basin. Oopsy. I guess that explains why she was asking if we were going to park at the Eldorado trailhead. Fortunately we were never accosted by anyone asking for our permit. I forgot my ice ax but the glacier is mellow enough right now that a pointy stick worked just fine. We started from the very toe of the buttress which adds a pitch or so to the route as described in Beckey. The gash pitches are just way cool. We took only one rope and had no problem rapping right back to our packs. Ran into tough guys Dylan and Chad on the summit doing the traverse. They were moving fast, no surprise. No photos; my camera broke in Chile this winter but Rat took some pics on a disposable grocery store camera. Maybe he’ll scan them in and post them. Yeah, right. Gear Notes: aluminum crampons pointy stick one 60m rope rack to 2.5 inches Approach Notes: steep

I'm always impressed at how the old school guys were simultaneously carefully mentored and yet completely self taught. Talk about a scary claim -- anyone who has managed to climb for years without ever learning a thing from anybody else is not someone I want to tie in with. Mark, thanks for some interesting observations. In response to your question why not go directly to the mountains: I learned to climb in a gym, because although I knew exactly what I wanted to do -- alpine trad climbing -- I knew no one who actually did it. I did, however, know one guy who knew how to belay and would go to the gym with me. Since it seemed obvious that the mountains were far more likely than the gym to kill someone who didn't know how to lead, follow, place or clean gear, I started with the safer option. Perhaps this makes me a big pansy. I don't really care. It was a starting point and I met people that I could get out with. Now I only wish I could get to the gym more often since if I did I know I'd be climbing harder.

feliz cumpleanos!

Nice one, Davide. Reminds me I need to get back in there. Thanks for the pretty pictures.

Nice Rockettes action from the guy bringing up the rear!

The view from Formidable this weekend was of a lot of very soft snow. We went in via the Middle Fork rather than Cache Col so I can't give you specifics on skiing down to Kool Aid Lake or anything but there is definitely still a load of snow back there.