Chad_A

Hey, Porter, get well soon. The place ain't the same without ya!

About three or four years ago, I encountered some of the same. Any kind of exercise was addictive. I started trail running, and couldn't get enough. Before I knew it, I was doing some pretty good mileage, and just about all of it involved some sort of uphill. Then I started bike commuting to work; the place I worked at, at the time, was a pretty good hillclimb...so that was added on top of the trail running. On top of that, I'd do two or three days a week at the rock gym. It took a while, but it all caught up with me. After a year or so, I'd dropped from a paltry 145 lbs, to a downright sickly 129-130 (I'm 6 feet tall). I'm guessing I probably had some variation of the same endocrine issues that you had, but my Doctor never did find it. I ended up with general malaise, and swollen ankles. Compounding everything was the fact that the trail running overtraining ruined my achilles tendons, and I ended up with plantar fascitis, as well. I ran too far, too fast, too soon, and without consulting someone who could fit me with a running shoe that fit my running gait. This, in turn, led to months of general rest, and I was the most depressed I'd ever been. My mind was telling me to "train! train! train!", but I knew I couldn't. I felt lazy, floppy, and out of shape. Slowly things morphed, and I regained confidence and a respect for rest. I ended up back at 155-160 lbs, eventually, and now I feel very good, and even I notice I don't look so damn gaunt. I may not be as hardcore as I once was, but I strongly feel like my longevity will benefit from it. Now, I have a workout schedule that works for me; but mainly, if I'm tired, starving, or just worn out, I LISTEN, answer the call, and I'm just fine. Hang in there, and thanks for sharing the issue on the board, here.

Thanks guys. Not sure if the horn would work on the Axar, but it's an interesting thought.

Awesome! How are the conditions doing there? Probably too warm like everyone else. Dammitall, I want one more ice trip! Nice pics, by the way

That's all the information I needed

Thanks for that info. Maybe I'll give them a shout and see if it's indeed out.

VW, are they not waterproof? I have not seen these, so looked at BD site and it says "BDry insert". How "dry" are they? I am looking for a thin dry glove and BD's look to be better than OR's. Thank you. No, no, relatively speaking, they're fine. The leather on the palm does seem to soak up some moisture, though, and I was thinking at the time that wax and/or SnoSeal might do a dual purpose thing and decrease the wear as well as increase the longevity of the leather. I've thought about it though, and really just wish that BD had thought to use a tougher leather on the palm/fingers, that's all. I think I might take the advice, though, and use a tad of Seam Grip on the rappel-areas of the gloves, and Nikwax the palms.

You can down climb it if you like, but when we were there last year, there were multiple anchors you could rap off of and just be done with it. It drops you right where you need to be, and then you're off and running again up to the second ice section.

Ouch! Well, thanks for that. The forecast for Canmore doesn't look atrocious, but it's the damage that's already been done that alarms me. The forecast for the Icefields is this: http://www.theweathernetwork.com/features/parks/pages/CAAB0617.htm I'd guess that things out there are going to hold on just fine, for a while.

After posting on here for the same issue (softshells), I picked up a Ready Mix Patagonia. Really nice. They run ~15oz, so they're an ounce or three heavier than a Paclite Goretex item, but they breath oh-so-much better. The price point is reasonable, as well.

Any new reports? I took a look at the weather; looks to be getting mighty warm down there. Or, maybe it's colder/higher where the ice is...not familiar with the area. Any latest information? Looking to get in one last ice trip on the weekend of the 18th. Thanks in advance for any info.

Well, shit. Maybe I'll turn them into REI for a new pair, and start looking for better options, glove-wise.

After a trip to Ouray with my pal, Andy, I decided to try a set of Grivel Triggers on my Quarks. He'd fitted a set of the yellow (smaller diameter) version to his. Along the way, he said that the smaller version cut into his grip, causing some damage, so I picked up a pair of the larger version, that uses a rubber spacer underneath. Here's what I ended up using (forgot to include the phillips screwdriver in the picture, for use with the machine screw). Knowing that the outer plastic pieces would interfere with the grip, I went to good 'ole Home Depot and picked out a couple machine screws that work with the locknut included with the Grivel Trigger kit. Used with the needle nose vise grips to bring the brackets close together, the 5mm x 16mm size was perfect. As it turns out, the wrench included with my G14s fit the nut perfectly (not surprisingly). It's an 8mm wrench. I used blue Loctite on the threads, and screwed it together. Worked very nice. I wrapped some electical tape (some big-diameter shrink tubing would probably work well, too) around the sharp bits, and now it's pretty glove-friendly, and the bracket-area isn't really big enough to impede the ergonomics. Next week should test that theory, though.

So, I really enjoy the Punisher gloves that BD came out with. The problem is, I don't like the pricetag (though it's par for the course) and they seem to be wearing a bit faster than I'd like. (Yes, I do need to buy a set of rappel gloves admittedly, but given the marks on the leather, it looks like the hangers of the screws are doing the most of the damage.) I'd like to treat the palm with something to make them a bit more durable. Will wax, or SnoSeal, help? If nothing else it might make them more waterproof. I'm concerned about these making the palms more slippery, though, since I really enjoy climbing leashless with my Ergos these days. Any input? I really wish the bargain bin leftovers at the local gear shops had any sensitivity, but they don't.

Awright, Dale! Thanks for the update. Hope it holds together for the weekend of the 18th.

I think that this is what you're looking for. This may not be a great, upclose picture of it, but you'll get the idea if you look at the belay biner, and ATC, and how the rope is running through them. The brake hand side of the rope(s) are coming out of the ATC toward the ground, on the bottom side of it.

Very cool...might have to make a trip there, yet. Nice TR and pics!

That's okay, Rog. You had, um, brain freeze from today, right?

Nice try, Brian! Glad you had a shitty (I mean killer) time up there.

Do not! Given the opportunity, the ice tools will ALWAYS come out before the snowboard

Looks to be mighty white up there on Hood this next week. Tonight: Snow showers. Snow level 2500 feet. Additional snow accumulation 2 to 5 inches. Pass winds southwest 10 to 20 mph. Presidents day: Snow and rain. Windy. Snow level 3500 feet rising to 4000 feet in the afternoon. Snow accumulation up to 4 inches. Pass winds southwest 15 to 30 mph. Monday night: Rain and snow...windy. Snow level 5000 feet. Snow accumulation 5 to 10 inches. Pass winds southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph. Tuesday: Snow and rain in the morning...then snow showers in the afternoon. Windy. Snow level 3500 feet lowering to 3000 feet in the afternoon. Pass winds southwest 15 to 30 mph. Gusts to 55 mph in the morning decreasing to 40 mph in the afternoon. Tuesday night: Snow showers likely. Breezy. Snow level 2000 feet. Pass winds southwest 15 to 25 mph. Wednesday: Snow showers likely. Snow level 1500 feet. Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Snow level 2000 feet. Thursday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Snow level 1500 feet. Thursday night: Snow showers likely. Snow level 3000 feet. Friday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Snow level 3000 feet. Friday night: Snow likely. Snow level 3000 feet. Saturday: Snow likely. Snow level 3000 feet. Saturday night: Snow likely. Snow level 3000 feet. Sunday: Snow likely. Snow level 3000 feet. I guess I don't have an excuse to get out the snowboard, now. (Edit: yes I do, now that I think of it. Going to Ouray/Telluride next weekend! )

Was up there in January. Ended up with high avalance conditions everywhere. Cragged at Haffner one day, did Louise Falls the next, and then headed out to the Weeping Wall. No, nothing got lopped off the tick list that time, but beats getting buried by a wall of white. Might want to check out Johnston Canyon? Never been there, but I'm told it's an alternative to Haffner if you've already been there. Have fun up there!

I had them on my Axars; shortly thereafter, I got my Quarks, so I didn't get a chance to do much ice with them. I do remember that they climbed somewhat better than the standard picks that come with them. They're a pretty thin pick, so you might want to avoid bevelling the teeth/removing metal too much, due to strength issues. (I did quite a bit of research, and this is what I was told; take it or leave it.) I will offer this, though; the picks will shift on you, since the clamping mechanism of the bolts isn't enough to keep the thinner Upgrade pick from moving around a tad. If you get the bolt-on headweight that the Quasar had, and snug that on, it will fix the pick shift issue. You could probably just go to Home Depot and find a bolt to go through the head weight hole to help snug it down tighter. I asked around for the head weights particularly, because I wanted a heavier-headed ice tool. The fact that the pick shifts is not dangerous; the bolts are just a little smaller than the holes in the pick that they go through, so the pick is allowed to move around a little. Just feels a little unsettling, that's all.

Very cool, thanks for the TR and the pics. Cheers!

I've been a Moonstone fan for quite a while; they make good stuff. Even though their website sucks, and they seem constantly on the brink of bankruptcy, I'd still buy their stuff. The DAS deal per Mr. Phil sounds great. Personally I have a Wild Things Belay Jacket, and LOVE IT.