John Frieh

You do climb 5.11 d00d! Which is good as you aid climb slow

I have smashed 2 petzl elios either on the approach or on route in the past year... didn't take a lot of force to do it either. With that said I still climb in them as I too find them comfortable. With that said I think Twight said it best in his how to book... he argues that though lighter those style helmets (elios, half dome, etc) absorb the energy by deforming/exploding where as the Ecrin/older style helmets will keep its shape after most hits. I believe he recommends a Ecrin or something similar.

I would think that unless the leader weighs a ton they are not going to generate enough force to pull you the belayer up so high that you put force on the the directional piece... unless of course you placed it so that the sling attaching you to it was already super tight (no slack). Even then it is almost physically impossible to generate enough force for the directional piece to fail... the rope, the pieces and slings in the system, the rope slippage through your device (no device stops the rope immediatly)... all absorb some of the force generated in the fall so that the forces put on that piece are fairly small... if anything you need to worry about the piece failing from shitty rock/shitty placement... not the cable/whatever it is failing... make sense?

Personally, I think she looks better with her hair her natural color rather than dyed black. You're just trying to find out if the drapes match the curtains Not in a million years my friend

Hell no! I'd quit before I move to "hell on earth". I've been coming down here or San Diego during the week for work... should last into March or so... Hello frequent flier miles

I traded them in for witty retorts and quick one liners in an attempt to save some face around this place. You can tell I got screwed in the deal I still have them... and *if* people don't mind older TRs I have some classic stories from my college days, my early climbing years, the boy scout years , and maybe a few NOLS stories. I sense the second I post one it will turn into another NOLS witch hunt... and if anything I don't want to draw attention away from Griz and Gary Yngve who have been so kind to fill the cc.com webbitch role for me

Hey is anybody in Phoenix that is looking to climb midweek for the next few months? Shoot me a PM...

Sale officially starts tomorrow (Feb 23rd) but they just put the shit up on the webpage... get it before it gets picked over (and it does). Patagonia Semi Annual Clearance Sale Sale also officially starts tomorrow in stores... I have found generally that often items and/or sizes they are out of stock/sold out of on the website or just plain aren't listed as on sale are in stock and on sale in the store usually. Worth a lunch time trip to your local store...

Where the individuals who commented using the bolts at the top of the columns?

Add to that a quark ergo, some more nuts, a pair of SMC crampons, and 2 old SMC pickets up there too and you've got a good starter rack up for grabs Leaving pickets or any gear for that matter is a no brainer... you guys are wise

Good work guys!

StevenSeagal = RuMR

Has he ever owned leather boots? Plastics don't help...

As you are from Wyoming no amount of M named gear will help you until you start devoting at least half the amount of time you kids already spend "sheep herding" to training Unless of course you can find a way to put a sheep at the chains

Have you worn La Sportiva previously? What brands fit you best?

Great work guys Pete's lead sounds badass

It sounds like you guys followed Beckey's East Face of the false summit route line for at least the first portion. That is some awesome terrain in winter Good effort guys! Hopefully someone returns you that gear

I was in the same area last weekend I've had a pair of M11s since Fall05... my observations in this short span: Fit: fits me well... I also have the flat/wide foot. For reference I fit well into Scarpa and Trango but La Sportiva kills me. If you fit well into this description consider checking out a pair next time you are boot shopping. Warmth: I hate offering warmth commentary as everyone is so different... I tend to be warmer then average but not a heat engine like some people I know... With that said I have climbed comfortable down to -15 F +/- 5 degrees wearing a thin liner and climbing sock combo and had no issues of cold feet. I did have on more torso layers though... All in all the primaloft insulation seems to do well. Waterproofing: very little on the boot is actually leather... most of it is kevlar/shark handler material that doesn't seem to absorb Nikwax (I use this: link) that well however the boot overall is very waterproof... the gaiter is a nice add on. Drying them out: seem to dry out overnight about as fast as any other brand... aren't faster or slower than any other brand... Long-term durability: yes I haven't own the boots that long but to date I have noticed the following... - the kevlar gets super fuzzy over time. I found after applying a coat of nikwax and then lighting it on fire for a second scorches all the fuzzies off. Make sure to blow it out quickly - the material in the ankle seems to be holding up well to lots of flexing/rotating... kinda depends on your perception but I've been told I drytool a lot. Drytooling footwork seems to flex the boot in ways approaching and ice climbing don't and cause the boot to get soft in the ankle. Basically the fabric seems to do well. - Rubber Rand: my biggest concern to date... the rubber slowly peeled back at each toe on top... I can't tell if it was a poor application or the rand was stretched too tight that caused this... my suspicion is the kevlar is hard to get a good bond too. I sent the boots to Dave Page and he glued them back on well (with a quick turn around ). I can post pics if anyone is interested. - etc: someone who shall remain nameless dropped a tool that managed to bounce and pierce my boot in the heel. The pick penetrated approximately 4 inches and lodged itself perfectly between my foot and the inside of the boot. The only resulting damage was a thin slit from the pick cutting in. I plan to seal the hole with goop and call it good. All in all a good boot... I think if Kayland more aggressively pursued the US market they would hold a larger share... perhaps that will change in the coming years.

How about climb a route because you want to? If someone climbs one of those because they want to... awesome! More power to them! If someone climbs one of those (or any other route) to be a "hero" or impress others that's their choice but I think in the end their climbing career will be largely unfulfilling. Climb something because you want to... not because you need self validation

Not sure... haven't been in recently... Worth an email... he normally has Fri/Sat off. Where is the green giant this w/end?

If it fits your noggin well pick it up... What negative about it have you heard?

Did you check with Gavin?

tallest woodie in town