Friedrich

Never was a statement more true. I have socks older than some of these young climbers. Wisdom and treachery rule over youth until you get on the rock. LOL Yes keep telling them that. We can use their ego to trick them into leading the most gymnastic pitches, then at the summit, drink the beer we stashed in their packs.

Jah it really is all about the weather around here. More resources: The NW Avalanche Center site http://www.nwac.us/ Awesome and really unique resource, and fantastic to have in this area. Read it daily to get a feel for conditions in season. I've been using it since '96 but I think they've been around much longer. They get reports from all over and *really* know their stuff. Even reading their historical snowpack reports is educational, and a nice supplement to in-person avvy training. I don't know how experienced you are, but if you don't have any avvy training, I or others can point you to some good resources, some are even free. One caveat: unfortunately the "season" for NWAC detailed forecasts has completely arbitrary start and end dates, and winter conditions can often extend far beyond when they go dark on April 28. Last year was a good example. After they shut down for the season you are on your own. Don't believe them when they say "if conditions are REALLY bad we'll say something." Not always true. Be careful and as always use your own judgement. The potential for avvy danger surprises many people new to the area and conditions can change quickly. Re. general weather reports, long-range forecasts (2 days+) have improved considerably with last year's installation of coastal doppler radar, but local meteorologists are still getting a feel for how to incorporate the new data. Cliff Mass is a UW prof and his blog is another nice supplement for weather geeks. (which you will become after a while climbing around here) http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/ Welcome and good luck.

I look in my closet and wonder, why do I have two of these? There is no real reason. Life is a mystery. Petzl Meteor light scratches, otherwise good. Squeaky-clean foam. $45. Would prefer local pickup. I can meet you anywhere in N. Seattle or downtown.

What a pile of shit! Thanks for the TR and pics. Now I know where to go, next time I feel like climbing a large pile of stale granola.

Question: Did you also run out of water while writing this epic trip report? Were you benighted at your computer and forced to bivy? Kidding!! Actually I totally enjoyed that. Well done on the pics, TR, and climb. I love that kind of exploratory adventure climbing. Never know what you're gonna find, and somehow the perfect bivy always seems to appear at the right time. Or at least usually. But I think we all know the lesson here. Next time, if there's any doubt about the water supply, have your partner bring extra! [Reference: Eiger Sanction, Desert Tower Climb]

If Bill were here, (From Bill & Ted, OK?) he would definitely say "Woah." I did. Nice work!

Found Last weekend up the Alpental Valley: Black Diamond Avalanche Shovel HANDLE ONLY. PM me with the model name of your shovel, condition, and approximately where you lost it, and it's yours. Freidrich

Thanks for the Beta, Kurt. Love your site BTW. If anyone is jonesing for that route right now and has been up there before, PM me. I've done similar routes in the Alps and am a solid leader/partner on that type of terrain, but I'd prefer to go with someone who knows the way to speed up the routefinding, especially on the descent. Lets go have some fun. Cheers

Yes to Aliens. They are legendary for a reason. They f*ing fit, everywhere. And now that Fixe has brought them back on the market you can buy them new again. Which is cool. On trad or mixed climbs, I almost never leave the ground without them, winter or summer. The red, yellow and green sizes are what I have, and they seem to fit the gap between the smallest of the "normal" cams and "too damn small for a cam" but your mileage may vary depending on where you climb and what else you have on your rack.

Hi, Looking for a climbing/hiking partner to scout new route potential for the upcoming alpine season. Have an eye on a couple of specific potential objectives. Must be able to at least follow 5.9, as we'll do some technical climbing. The plan is to climb the route now, snow-free, then we go back in winter to knock off the winter FA. Ideal schedule: alpine start on sunday morning, long day, back late sunday PM. Could also do saturday but the weather is more iffy that day. Me: competent all-rounder, mid-40's, moderately in shape weekend warrior. Fun-loving explorer type. Good conversationalist. Have gear and car. Seattle based. You: Ready for anything, enthusiastic climber, can at least follow 5.9, likes to hike. Has personal gear. Moderately in shape. Objective: Alpental Valley. Please, ladies, no booty calls. I am taken. (that is supposed to be funny you trolls)

I enjoyed your TR. Triple points for using the word "Enfilade" in any situation. As a fellow ex-resident of Tennessee,(3 glorious childhood years) I salute any reference to civil war jargon, however oblique. So it sounds like you got out in the mountains, had your summit experience, and made it interesting by eschewing the trail in favor of random exploration. Lord knows we've all done it. However, just as a point of clarification to your TR: if you pointed your snowshoes at the mountain from Alpental, you climbed the NW side of the mountain, not the SW. But hey, research, right? Whatever. I'm sure Bob or some other loved one knew EXACTLY where you were going, EXACTLY when to consider you officially overdue, and you armed them with a good clear topo showing your route and alternates, or printed route description, GPS coordinates, or similar itinerary, so they were ready to hand that to the search and rescue guys in case you had a slip or followed someone's snowshoe tracks out over a cornice. Right? Well at least you got the name of the mountain correct. Good man. As I said, Lord knows we've all done it. When we were younger. Stay safe out there.

Nice film, enjoyed the humble vibe. Best part was the outtake at the end!

Sweet TR Vro! That looked pretty sustained, well done! Too bad about the ropes, hope you get them back.

Last minute thing, but if anybody wants to come along on a quick morning trip up Guye peak's easy gullies (easy alpine climb with a very short approach), PM me. This is for Friday AM, like 8 hours from now. No I'm not too proud to climb Guye, it's good exercise and beyond convenient for a quickie. Newbies OK, this is a good "intro" climb and I've taken total newbie friends up this several times before. Wasn't really planning on climbing this weekend but just got the Jones for it. Avvy signs are clear for Friday but not so much for Sat, so it's Fri AM for me. Have car, gear, and we'll be back in Seattle in the late afternoon assuming you're in halfway decent shape. PM me in the next couple hours if interested. Should be fun! PS: Start packing, we leave in about 8 hours. Cheers, Friedrich

Well, Steve House is a fan of the Metolius Safe-Tech, and it's hard to argue against him. But everything is a compromise, so it might be best to specialize a bit. Although I have a great all-around harness by Petzl (no longer made) I find that for Alpine I always end up taking my BD alpine Bod. The light weight and easy/on off dropseat design just wins. I don't have to sit down or balance awkwardly to insert my boot-clad feet like I would with the Petzl; it's just thread, double back, clip and go. Ask yourself how often you hang while doing the type of Alpine climbing you do, and for how long. So one harness for sport which is padded and comfy, and a $30 alpine bod for the snow, that's my rec. You can permanently attach your ice clippers with tape like many people do, or use a sling like Dane and some others recommend. just my 2 cents.

I'd assumed the climb would be another way to raise funds. Another round of publicity, another round of donations.

I'd love to stop needless wars and help the world avoid all the bad effects that war brings. But right now I want to focus my time on helping a couple of kids who just lost their mom. Lets do it. I completely agree. We'll get behind this. Let's brainstorm some ways to help her family out. I'm in for the memorial climb. I'm sure it will get a lot of support. It would be great if someone who can speak for the CC.com community would take point on this. If we act quickly and announce the climb to the local TV news media before the evening news, it would make a big difference in the amount of money we raise for the kids. It should only take a few minutes to update the front page and include a link to a paypal donation page. Just some ideas. I'm not someone who can speak for the climbing community, but if one of you who's reading this IS, I have some public relations experience and can help make some calls. PM me if you'd like my help.

Damn, this is NOT the kind of hazard one expects to face in the wilderness. This is so sad, and to be honest it's kind of freaky, since I had planned to go camping at Rainier this weekend with my 7-year old daughter. Instead we opted to camp in the Alpental Valley again. I guess we would have missed this situation by about 12 hours either way, but damn, this kinda rattles the cage a bit. And I thought Friday night's sleet storm was annoying! At least there was no one shooting at us! This is so sad. Ranger Margaret Anderson's two kids are ages 4 and 1. May she Rest in Peace. To the rangers and other brave law enforcement people tracking down this maniac: Good hunting, and be careful. From the latest reports, it sounds like the guy left a lot of his gear in the car, and he's been walking in streams in an effort to hide his tracks. Maybe the mountain will take care of this guy before he can kill more people.

Will Gadd had some good comments about V-threads without strings on his blog recently (See answer#2, here) He also referenced a study about study about ice anchor strength which looks at vertical vs horizontal V-threads, and re-boring existing holes. It's a long study but the conclusions section is only one page.

Looking for a pair of old beat up Cascade picks for the pre-2010 Petzl Quarks. If you have some that are too far gone to resharpen, let me give you a few bucks. I want to file down the teeth even more, so I can use them to do some laps on the local plastic ice wall after work. Visual aid: (just imagine them worn down) Please PM, Thanks.

Well done, mad respect for having the wisdom to stay within your limits. Do the same thing next time. I'm no Grand Master, but I hear the wise ones raise their limits for specific climbs by training in a safe environment.

That is some damn fine photography right there. Impressive!

Not sure if you're looking for irony, comedy, inspiration, or instruction, but among Hollywood "movies," here are some contrasting suggestions: "Touching the void" is based on the famous Joe Simpson book, and has great climbing footage, great performances, and a gripping story. I recommend you wear a puffy while watching it. Otherwise you'll get too cold. "Vertical limit" makes a great drinking game. If something explodes, drink. If someone is shot, drink. If someone dynos on ice tools, finish your drink. You will pass out, laughing. "The Eiger Sanction" is sort of a blend between the two. It combines old-school inappropriate jokes, Clint Eastwood tough guy awesomeness, and incongruously good climbing footage into one great guys-night package. "K2" is a conventional Hollywood movie, a bit cliched but has some great climbing footage and is generally inoffensive when it comes to accuracy. Enjoy

I'll second that. I've found the full-length pad to be worth the weight for me. I consider the energy saved by sleeping better outweighs the energy cost of hauling the extra 4-6 ounces. And if you go with one of the new fat ultralight pads the weight difference is even less. Just be careful with it and bring a couple repair patches in case of crampon invasion!

Yes, The third pitch was good too. We saw the screw hole you'd left the day before at the top of p2. I set up my anchor just a tiny bit higher. From there, traversing left onto the near-vertical curtain is the way to go. We were kinda bummed to see your tracks leading up to the base, but I suppose something this visible must have attracted others over the years as well. This is a great little route, 3 short pitches of good ice and very accessible. The foreshortening effect makes it look pretty low angled, but as you noted, it is not! Each pitch had an exciting near-vertical finish that was very sporting. A nice classic feel in a small package, recommended for anyone comfortable leading in the solid WI3 range. Thanks for a great trip, Spionin, and the Nice TR & pics! Kudos on your strong leads as well. Friedrich