Blake

It might be a combination of hot days and sloppy shoes, but I find the slab crux on Thin Fingers to be harder than any move on Iron Horse or Japanese Gardens. Other than that one move, I don't think any part of Thin Fingers is harder than mid 5.10 And I'm a shorter climber with smaller hands But given that nobody else finds the slab move to be that hard, I credit the difficulty to sloppy technique, rather than epic sandbaggery.

For rock routes from the Torre Valley (Media Luna, El Mocho, Chiaro De Luna on Exupery...) you just need sneakers and maybe some aluminum crampons. Ditto for rock climbs on Guillamet and Mermoz, accessed from the North. For other approaches (Paso Superior, the icecap) or mixed snow/ice climbs, anything similar to the Scarpa Freney, Sportiva Trango Extreme EVO, Mammut Mamook, etc is popular. Basically, lightweight boots that have front and back crampon compatibility.

blake, i think the saying goes "the proof of the pudding is in the tasting" -- unless they've got some other, upside-down way of saying it down in n.z. To quote my favorite Yogi "I never said most of the things I said." All I mean is, go climb the East Face of Gunsight, The Scoop on CBR, The North Face on Castle, or the Thread of Ice on Twin Needles and then see what you think about complementary descriptions of these new routes. And as far as "classic" status... I think the word has come to mean excellent or memorable, not just a tried-and-true favorite. But for reference, both of the Cascades Selected Classics books (Nelson and Kearney) include routes put up by the authors, and by others, which had not seen a second ascent at the time of their inclusion. So describing an unrepeated route as a classic is neither unusual or new.

I thought this one was pretty funny - http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5720187/ Regarding new routes in the Cascades being of good quality or not, I think that proof is in the pudding. Go climb some of the new routes and then spray away, or dismiss them out of hand and miss out... There's certainly still room for excellent new routes being put up, from Acid Baby at Aasgard Pass, to the Scoop at CBR, and Roan Wall or Salish Peak. Heck, look at Darin's NW Arayete route on Mt. Shuksan. It's been repeated at least a half-dozen times already and is a great route. Alpinist ran a story about it, because that's what alpinist publishes... Alpinism. If the FA party of any of these routes hadn't used the internet to spread word and spray about these climbs, I and others would have missed out on some unforgettable days in the mountains on the CLASSIC new routes! I'm kinda curious what new routes are being alluded to as "soft" grade IV climbs to warrant an AAJ blurb. The few grade IV and V routes I've done in the USA outside of Washington have all taken less time than the grade IV routes around the Cascades. And I'm not talking about aid routes that now go free (and faster) I mean routes originally done as free climbs. Vague generalizations are easy, specifics a little harder...

Woops! Sorry Kim... I still think it's a cool bit of trivia.

At the time, according to the AAJ Thin Red Line and Lib Crack were considered grade V. I just was intrigued to read this in the 1968 AAJ: Liberty Bell, Direct East Face. The first ascent of this marvelous granite face was made in July 1965 (NCCS V, F7, A4). Since then two more V’s have been done, one being a variation of the original route, and the other a hard V on the opposite side of the face. There was still another line that could be done, however, that would go directly up the center of the blankest part of the face. This Kim Schmitz and I climbed in two full days, July 20 and 21, the first grade VI to be done in Washington. The first grade VI in WA, climbed the same season as the first grade VI in the region (Zodiac wall in Squamish) and a mixed-gender FA team... pretty cool story! Has this route fallen into obscurity? Anyone done it?

Do you know specific dates in June? Obviously it's splitting hairs at this point. The climb I was hoping someone would guess was the "Direct East Face" of Liberty Bell, done by Madsen and Schmitz, fresh off a trip from Yos where they set the new speed record (2.5 day!) for The Nose. Their writeup in the 1968 AAJ is a good read, as are a bunch of others from that year in the Cascades. Kukuzka, I think the doorish route on the NNB has been repeated, and a few years ago, Blair williams and some other folks climbed a parallel route on the same feature, and off to the right, with joins up after 8 pitches. For whatever it's worth, this newer route is grade VI as well.

Anyone have their Squamish guide handy that could post the dates of the Zodiac wall ascent? The route I'm thinking of might have been even before this, meaning we could consider BC as well. If not, it was the first VI in Washington and the second in the vaguely-defined "NW". In any case, people are getting pretty close to the answer. (Or at least the answer I gleaned from reading the AAJ)

I was thinking local canadian routes to be "SW", but when was the zodiac done? Nobody has guessed it.

Which Route?

No Doorish route on Bear or Index? Not E. Face of Slesse?

I'd second this sentiment. Isn't this a bit like a restaurant "reviewer" who publishes an article after buying dinner at five places, taking a photo of the dishes after they arrive, and never tasting the food? I think the most interesting piece of information is the disparity between published weight and actual weight, but even that seems generally based on the various fabric and sizing options within a given model. Perhaps a better idea would be for companies to publish the weight of a men's small and a men's large for each item, and one could extrapolate other sizes from there. All this gear talk seems to take away from the focus on climbing. It's great to have good gear, but luckily we live in a time when you can get good gear from all sorts of different places, and even the "bad" stuff is still probably better than the "best" stuff from 10 or 15 years ago. If one were to go back in time, take all of the 2009 AAJ-published alpinists, and make them randomly trade clothes and gear with someone else before their climbs, do you really think their trips wouldn't have been successful? It's a far-flung comparison, but good climbers will succeed not because their synthetic belay jacket has a dead-bird skeleton or an eddie bauer logo on it, but because they were good climbers who picked the right climb at the right time, with the right style of gear. (IE down vs synthetic coats, single-wall tent vs bivy bag, double ropes vs single, etc) Sterling is the 'Right rope for Chris' but I think that's got more to do with them offering him the biggest trip budget than his inability to climb equally hard routes on (XXX BRAND'S) ropes.

I think for "done in a day" alpine rock climbs that an .11a leader would enjoy, especially if they aren't super keen on less-than-perfect stone, you might suggest either the West Face of Colchuck Balanced Rock (With a move of AO at the crux) or else Rebel Yell on Chianti Spire. Both approaches would have snow until Mid-July at least, but nothing too steep. Probably wont require any crampons or ice axe.

I think everyone there prefers blow-up dolls. Mike, sometimes you can get those things are military surplus or general outdoor stores for just a few bucks.

For routes in squamish where you'll top out, I think the best approach/descent shoe is the lightest pair of flip-flops you can find. The backside trail is a stair-stepping highway with hand rails!

Pilgrimage to Mecca - North Face of Amphitheater Mountain - Eastern North Cascades Julie's Roof at Index Even Steven @ the Pet Wall in Squamish

Yah, but I bet Dallas could climb it in the dark with no moon or headlamp.

Hey Gene, For two bodyweight exercises that you can do anywhere either to warm up (base of the crag on a cold morning), or get a workout, I really like one-legged squats and King Deadlifts. One Legged Squat -> King Deadlift -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOyqz1Tzils Too often when I am trying to do bodyweight-only workouts, I focus on stuff like pushups, situps, pullups, and ignore my legs. These are both good ways to counter that tendency. The one-legged squats, in particular, seem to translate very well to one's ability to high-step onto a small hold in climbing, and smoothly stand up on it. It teaches balance in addition to strength. Obviously you can use a wall or beam as support if it's hard to do one with full range at first.

Probably so, probably back when we had a thing called Napster!

Hey Bob, This is an interesting topic. I wonder if a lawyer who specializes in copyright cases or internet/tech related issues would shed some definitive light on it. I'd be curious to hear your take on the following scenario. Last fall I showed some photos and video clips on an evening down at Backcountry Essentials in Bellingham as a fundraiser for saving Index. A couple hundred folks showed up, and while video and pictures showed, I played some (copyrighted) music in the background off my computer's iTunes, never thinking twice about it, which may have been a mistake on my part. Although all the donations went to preserve Index, and there was no entry price, I'm sure that Backcountry Essentials, Cilogear, and Outdoor Research were mentioned or thanked for supporting the event (with free raffle prizes that night) or those climbing trips (with gear). I think if Toyota or General Motors were using a band's copyrighted song in their car commercial, that would clearly be wrong. Likewise, I think that if I made a song-and-picture slideshow and played it for some friends who came over for dinner, that would be clearly ok. It's interesting where the line is drawn somewhere in between the two.

Sol, cool idea for a thread. I think Darin is correct in mentioning that places like Colo, Calif, etc, with lots of accessible alpine granite and good weather still don't have heaps of 5.12 and 5.13 climbs on every other peak. It takes a certain rare combo of things to fall into place for that type of setting. Heck, all of the walls and peaks in Red Rocks only have a few trad pitches harder than 5.12- W, You should ask Forest about Pangaea... anyone climb it or know where it even is on the spire? Oh yeah, and Hyperspace is not Alpine but it is a great route! I can't believe all these people don't like it. I didn't do the original start, just the RPM to the base of the psychopath, but thought it was fun, physical, and safe. The South Face of Cathedral Peak has been free climbed, not sure if it is in the 5.11 range or what...

The top one has been climbed multiple times, but probably not in winter. Mostly 4th/low 5th and extremely loose/not-so-fun. I climbed a couple different (summer) route on the bottom one, and watched it spontaneously shed rocks 2,000' down the north face when standing at the base. Wayne, I started climbing when living in Stehekin and some of the most obvious-looking routes i'd see on a daily basis had not been climbed. (SE Ridge of Buckner, E ridge of Tupshin, Dark->Bonanza traverse, Megalodon Ridge on Goode) So I think doing new routes began as just a way to climb to the top of a cool-looking mountain via an interesting and logical line. Since then I have definitely grown in my appreciation for the unknown/exploration element to new routes. I like the feeling of starting up a wall and thinking that it's just me, my partner, our gear, and our resourcefullness to make it to the top. No topo, no guide, and maybe it wont be within our abilities. But there's only one way to find out... My favorite new routes have been ones that featured good teamwork and maybe a moment or two of doubt. IE doubting if the next pitch/headwall/moat crossing would "go" or not. I love it when there is just enough gear to be safe and just enough cracks or features to make an impossible/improbable looking section turn out to be doable. I contributed an article to the NorthWest Mountaineering Journal #5 about this general topic Link What were your thoughts after climbing Buck Mtn and reading that the north ridge had been climbed?

Faster_Than_You and others... Repairs to the Stehekin Road would not come with a decrease in the repair budget to area Forest Service Roads, which I agree would be used by more people. This is not a case of either/or, where we have to choose between roads This argument was raised 2 years ago on the Washington Climber Coalition Website and at a WCC Meeting during which I presented information on this topic. I had a very long and informative exchange with Daniel DeSantis, who is the the "Transportation Program manager" for the federal government overseeing the Western USA, and learned that this phantom competition of repair funds would not occur. Email Exchange with the guy in charge of federal roads Matt_P, the NPS estimates a repair would be $1.3million. That might have been when fuel prices were at their peak (the transport cost is a disproportionately high % of construction expenses in Stehekin). The bill currently in congress would allow the road to be re-routed along it's original course, which is currently a very wide trail that was once driveable. This course sits on a bench of land up from the Stehekin River and is not in flood danger. The road was first constructed and used along this road bed, and only later moved as part of a CCC project in the late 1930s to make this stretch of road more scenic/riparian. MountainSloth: The upper Stehekin Valley was far "less wild" 100 or even 80 years ago, than it is today or was eairlier this decade when the road was functioning. For much of the 20th century, a year-round community of several hundred people existed at Bridge Creek, vehicles were being driven into HorseShoe Basin, and miners and trappers used (now extinct) marked trails to places like Trapper Lake, Junction Mountain, the W. Fork of Agnes Creek and several other now-unvisited spots in the upper valley. One-lane dirt road does not make the upper valley "un wild". As an example, I was coming off Mt. Goode with a friend 2 years ago, and after 2 days of climbing, we came across the Stehekin Road/Park Creek Trail junction. My friend was amazed that a road existed, as he couldn't see it from the surrounding peaks, and he couldn't tell it was there until he literally stepped onto it.

I had an amazing year and was fortunate to climb with many great friends. Too much exciting stuff to remember... - First trip to South America, met great folks from across the globe, reached the "cumbre" of a couple Patagonian Spires - Had fun on classics of the Southwest/Rockies, like Cloud Tower, Levitation 29, Fine Jade, Naked Edge and Scenic Cruise - Won two grants from the American Alpine Club, couldn't ask for anything better! -Got a soltice tour of Rocky Mountain Park from a local, climbing Hallett Peak and Notchtop Peak, and made a new friend. - Completed a new route up Mt. Stuart with a great friend, and made one more in the intense bonding experience that ensued. - Hit Alaska (first visit there) during a freak heat-wave, and got to climb 4 routes in the Mendenhall Towers. Built some character on the return to civilization. - Explored more of the Cascades, backpacked into Stehekin with the wife, accompanied a friend on his first new alpine climb as he sent the crux pitches in good style, ticked off some local classics: The Passenger, Dragons of Eden, Acid Baby, The Scoop, The Tempest (but failed on the triple-scoop linkup), belayed co-worker on his first trad lead, on Prusik Peak. - Watched friend narrowly avoid death on Inspiration Peak as we did half of the Southern Pickett Traverse. - Led the first pitch of Japanese Gardens, maybe the best pitch anywhere -Local ice & Thailand Limestone ended the year, can't wait for the next one.

Salish Peak - Flight of the Falcon Long enough to feel like you climbed something, short enough to not require climbing with packs or boots. Beautiful area, shortish approach, and a peak you wouldn't otherwise bother with. And a cunning line up a steep aspect on the peak's stellar granite. Salish Peak above the Roan Wall Starting the route, 20' up pitch #1 due to snow. Darin having fun! Cant believe we left our beds in Bellingham this morning and are on pitch #14 already... Higher on the route: