OlympicMtnBoy

I'd look into it more before risking my neck. If I recall the older rc.com discussions, Malcolm Daly of Trango strongly recommended against it not because of the usual liability issues (like the Gri-Gri) but because it actually did not handle some potential solo situations well with potentially fatal results. JH has lots of solo experience so I'd listen to him too.

I only see the #1. :-(

I'm with Billcoe on this one. I was a little sketched when I first saw these things too, but I've since used them a few times (although I don't own one). In the case of this failure, I don't think I would have placed this sort of piece in that spot as these seem more limited in the way they will safely rotate. I think you sacrifice some flexibility in the placement for the additional range. It's possible you could place another cam in that spot and have it hold (of course second guessing on a route I've only seen but never climbed). It's also probably possible that you could place a link cam there in an ever so slightly different orientation and have it hold. There is always an element of uncertainty given the complex forces involved. As far as I am concerned, the link cam is a limited design, with inherent weaknesses, as are ALL other cam designs. It's important to understand those limitations and that they differ for each piece of gear. If anyone has any post recall link cams they want to get rid of, I'd actually like to buy a couple still. Although I don't have any reason to put them on my free rack, they are awesome aid pieces and handle larger natural flares (not pin scars) really well, also good for crack jugging. Ok, I don't believe I joined this discussion, I guess I'm trying not to work too much this friday. Rant away.

I took a course they offered down in Leavenworth a couple years ago and learned a lot too. Good guys and fun times. We also got a single ride lift ticket at Stevens Pass for the field day and I ended up lift skiing all evening after class on it. It's probably time for a refresher though.

Just saw the news blurb on King 5, nothing on their website yet. Sounds like someone got swept away near Panorama Point while descending from Muir yesterday. Search going on now. Best wishes to the subject and family. Be careful out there folks.

I've been told that, and I occasionally update mine (I thought it was just *228 which seems to work), but I think it has more to do with billing than reception. I think it tells your phone to give greater priority to verizon towers, instead of just using the nearest tower. It will still use the nearest tower if a verizon one isn't available, either way. As for the billing, it turns out that if your phone uses another tower (even if you are on the nationwide no-roaming plan), it just uses your minutes as normal. However, the other company has 3 months to bill verizon, who has a month to process it, then they apply your minutes retroactively and bill you for overage accordingly. My girlfriend got hit hard when a couple hundred minutes suddenly appeared retroactively on her bill, since she tracked her usage online and was close to the max for that month without the mystery minutes. Thus verizon urges you to update, although you'd think they could figure out a more automatic method.

Here is a pair on ebay (not my auction) if anyone is interested: http://cgi.ebay.com/Kong-Grimper-Approach-Skis_W0QQitemZ180193525402QQihZ008QQcategoryZ1299QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

You looking for a partner Doug? We should get out some time, it's been a while since we were trekking through swamps in ESAR together. I was up on Cloudy Peak checking out Alphabet Ridge a couple springs ago, didn't have any gear though. I have some ideas for some 5.6+ route FAs too. To add to the debate, aren't there a couple pinnacles where the standard route involved aid (Snifter Tower?). I don't have my guide book near, but there are probably folks out there who would consider A3 harder than 5.6. Hehehehe, I'd love to go repeat those (although I'd bet most are freeable).

Bummer, I was hoping to get back up in there again too, guess I'll have to make it an overnight. Jport, it would be different in January, but certainly plenty climbable, maybe easier with good snow over the rocky bit, or at least more ice. Fairly sever avalanche danger on the approach though so keep that in mind.

Thanks for the invite Matt, it certainly made for a nice Friday morning to get on some ice! For anyone else looking to get out there, this was two fun full pitches worth and not so far from the car. I saw some really old tat (rainbow webbing and white cord) at about the 25 meter mark on the first pitch, so someone else had been there some time ago (we propose the name "Rumors of Ice #7" unless the FA has a better idea). The top 20 feet of the last pitch looked like it would be more fun with better ice, so I took the easy ramp to a convenient tree instead. I think you could get down with a 60 meter rope but it would take some shenanigans to get to a lower tree. Someone get out there and keep this thing out from under the snow for a while! :-)

You might try asking on NWhikers.net as well, there are some folks there who seem to have done some good Oly bushwhacking. I recall either reading something about this crossing either over there or in Robert Woods' book (excellent trail/route guide if you don't have it already). I've never been there myself though.

Does BD still have that "binary" system on some of their poles. Mine have the flicklock on the top section, and this wierd covered button thing on the bottom section. It sucks. It's never broken, but it is ALWAYS a pain to collapse with gloves on (sometimes even without). It's a dumb idea and not a new feature (I got mine on a warranty exchange for some other poles), two flicklock mechanisms are better.

The route wasn't really that amazing, more of a nice warmup for someone else after we cleaned it and bolted the anchors. It was a nice line, but likely only a new start as it met up with another route on the shoulder of the peak. I guess that it was in Kyrgyzstan helps. You can read the entry for "Everything is Normal" here . Chris said he submitted a write-up but they weren't interested, I guess it made it after all. I was just kind of surprised today to google myself and see the AAJ pop up. :-) Now I'm gonna have to go back and do something bigger there.

The supertopo thread had some good reading on this, including Malcolm Daly from Trango chiming in on his testing. link

I now expect women to worship me and throw themselves at my feet and men to buy me beer in the hopes I shall reveal some super alpinist secrets. If my head still fits through the door I might go climb something someday again too. :-)

Either the Association of Assorted Jerkoffs, or the American Alpine Journal. Thank Bill, I've been in the former every year since I was like 9 and learned how. It took me till 2005 to make the latter, and 2007 to find out about it.

What better thing to put in spray! It's funny what you find when you google yourself. I had no idea! Now I'm gonna have to find a copy. Ok, please continue spraying.

Yeah, I have the Montbell UL as well because it weighs less than some of my fleece jackets and is warmer. I don't view the down sweaters in the same league at all because of the moisture issue. It may weight less than the fleece it's replacing, but it doesn't replace the functionality if it gets wet and I've been wet in my Montbell many times. The down comes out when it's going to be cold enough to not rain, or super dry, and then often gets used as part of the sleep system anyways. Not that it has anything to do with anything. I'm jsut procrastinating at work.

I bought mine there. I missed them when I looked last night. It looks like the Hagans are the only ones that come with an heel locked/free binding (non releasable) (unless you want to pay $700 for something with a Fritschi AT binding). I wouldn't mind having an extra 20 or 30 cm on the ski but then I'd want a releasable binding.

That's awesome!

Yer just jealous cause you saw mine. ;-) I'm sure someone who can ski can make em look better. You saw how they worked in the powder, and like I said, they work great in spring corn too. They don't work great with a breakable crust to get down cause you bust through too often and catch the tips, they aren't long enough to deal with much in the way of inconsistent snow. Same thing if it alternates with icy spots since you don't have a whole lot of edge to deal with and flexy boots. Some spots are better with snowshoes or skis, but I like having them in my quiver and they have made for some good approaches and fun times like this weekend (plus one total suffer fest getting down from Colchuck with crusty/icy/soft in the sun snow where I had to just take them off and posthole). I've heard a lot of opinions about em, but very few from people who have actually used them. I've never actually seen anyone else with a pair in the US (aside from the non-backcountry variety with fixed bindings) and mine don't seem to be available here anymore.

Interesting to see Aerogel get to the market so quickly. I wonder if they are replacing the Ice 9000?

WHEEEEW WHEEEEW WHEEEEEW WHEEEEEEEW (the fashion police siren) THAT"S IT FOLKS, MOVE ALONG THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE HERE THERE IS NO DOWN SWEATER IF THERE WERE A PATAGUCCI DOWN SWEATER (which there isn't) NONE OF YOU WOULD BE COOL ENOUGH TO WEAR IT PLEASE MOVE ALONG NOW AND FORGET ANYTHING YOU IMAGINED YOU SAW --- end of fashion police public service announcement ---

I'd agree with Blake, in a warmth/weight analysis, this is no where near optimal. Just because they use ultralight fancy fabric, and ultralight insulation, does not mean the whole thing is functionally as light as you can get. You could add a few more oz of down and get a nice much loftier jacket. Actually, I just looked at the Western Mountaineering flite jacket. It's 10.5 oz and considerably loftier (http://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm?section=Products&page=Jackets%20%26%20Vests&viewpost=2&ContentId=55). Thus the main purpose for this particular item is fashion, not light weight warmth. This should have been obvious from the uselessly tiny and heavy down compartments in the first place.

I think it was in the Banff show too although not one of the one's shown in Seattle. There was a write-up in their glossy program. Who wants to go check out some WA mines this winter?