dylan_taylor

Used Alphas with intuition liners on Denali last year and Aconcagua this year. I liked alphas because of their low weight, and comfortable, precise fit. Intuitions worked ok in them, but intuitions are a bit bulky at the cuff and make closing the boot all the way a bit tough. This sucked, as the tongue was not sealed onto the boot well, and snow or whatever could get in under the tongue quite easily. I fixed this on Denali by wearing supergaitors. No problems there. On aconcagua, i didn't take gaiters, and gravel and sand crept in under the tongue, wearing holes in my liners, ruining them. My boots stayed in basecamp when I returned home. I am not sure how the new heat moldable scarpa liners fit in the boots. I would assume that, since they are proprietary, they fit better. But those liners don't seem to be as warm, or last as long as intuitions.

Horton Creek is free, as is the pit. Both can get slammed by wind. Inquire at the ranger station for directions. Guidebooks for the hot springs are also in the ranger station and at wilsons. good hunting.

I second the suggestion to get rid of your rope if traveling together on the upper orient - either that or take a lot of pickets for running belays. Going up is one thing, but coming back down the OE to the rock ridge is exposed, and you will be tired. There is all kinds of fixed garbage in the couloir just above the most popular camps on the upper rib (the couloir terminates at the balcony and becomes very easy 3rd and 4th). The couloir can be climed relatively easily with one axe. In some years, it is full of snow and requires only kicking steps. It was bony and blue when we were there in 2002. A couple screws, a couple long slings for slinging horns, etc. can be helpfull. You could place cames if you bothered to take them, but I would leave them and make some mid to large nuts work. Maybe a pin or two. Depends on your comfort level I suppose. Some groups elect to avoid the upper rib descent by either a)carrying over and descending the buttress (heavy) b)going lite and descending the west buttress all the way down to 14k, where you would have to sleep in an extra tent, or bum tent space from someone you know. Then you would have to hike up to 16k and get your schwag back. DT

if you want to ship you can also ship on the airline too. It is 89 cents a pound, regardless of dimensions, and often comes out way cheaper than USPS, FEDEX, or UPS. Alaska cargo is easy and convienient, and if the city you are flying from isn't served by Alaska airlines, you can take your bag to the continental or American cargo facility, since they are both partners. After you drop it off at the cargo facility, you can go catch your flight, then pick up your extra bag in skankorage just down the street from the departure terminal, at Alaska Air Cargo.

My friend and I were trying to figure out the double bivy issue for a trip to India a year ago. We decided to settle on taking one sleeping bag, with a custom wedge of material sewn on so that it could be zipped in to allow the bag to fit over us. It was tight, and uncomfortable, and we had to spoon big time (both of us are over 6 ft). We named it the "snake pit". For weather protection we brought a bibler eldo tent. minus or plus poles, depending on how big of a ledge we bivied on. For 6.5 lbs we stayed warm and dry down to -20, just not comfortable.

Normally, it isn't tough. the skinny line will want to slip through your device faster than the fat one, so all you have to do is make sure the knot attaching your two ropes together is on the skinny rope side of the anchor, then do a normal double rope rappel. You have to pull the skinny line at the end, which takes more effort, but since the fat line comes down last, it is less likely to tangle around every flake and bush. Of course, you can always rappel a la the tech tips describing a fig 8 on a bight clipped to the other rope, and its great for rapping with gri-gris, but gets snagged easy when you pull.

If you want to save money on shipping, have your stuff air cargoed up there. If you are flying Alaska airlines, this is easy, as the air cargo pick up facility is just down the road from the terminal. If Alaska Airlines doesn't fly to your departure airport, and Continental or American does, call up their cargo offices and ask about rates. They are partners with Alaska. I paid 89 cents a pound, and it gets cheaper the more you ship. It saves significant money over checking a 3rd bag, or shipping UPS or FEDEX, and is often faster. When you fly up to AK, schedule a stop into the cargo facility at your airport, drop off your stuff, and you don't have to see it again til you arrive in AK. No lugging heavy stuff around airports.

Bring a rope gun and sick them on it to get your gear back. It is safe, you get your gear back, and you get to toprope it afterwards!

I would think it would also be difficult to prusik past such knots. Probably not a big deal if there is only one or two of them though. I like F8's tip about a knot close to the climber to quickly clip to an anchor. Its not very hard to prusik around a knot (especially if one is a tibloc). You just need a 3rd little piece of 6mil. You also need a third prusik as the rescuer if you plan to haul past butterfly knots. The knots usually shouldn't end up between the crevasse lip and the victim. If they do it means that a monster whipper was taken, the knot was tied to close to the victim ( tie the 1st at least 2m away from each person) and/or there was too much slack in the rope (a bad scene all around). If you can't haul the butterfly through the lip, use a different rope (your coils) and prep a new lip. Pre-tying a "clip in" knot in the rope can cause more problems than it solves. Good luck clipping your anchor to it while the rope is under tension and you are splayed out in self arrest. You are adding an unneccessary step to the whole process, and you probably won't be able to reach the knot anyway. You also can't use your prusik as a belay. Stick with the prusik systems. There are lots of them and they work well. Take a class, read a book, and go do practice (a lot). Another skill people rarely practice is prusiking up over a lip (serious pain in the ass) or using a second rope when the loaded rope is cut too deep into the lip (this is what carrying coils is for). Or rappeling in to the crevasse to perform 1st aid then climbing out. It could happen...

the climbing is great in ecuador but watch out for the pickpocketers. I lost $120 on new years eve. Oops. Quito can be a rough town. olyclimber, if you have any other specific beta questions feel free to ask. I don't have answers to everything but i have recent info on routes if it helps. Todd, I am jealous of bellingham. I would almost prefer drizzle to the 100 deg heat in Mendoza right now! -DT

Of course i don't want to sound too cynical, I do love it down here.

I'm done climbing here for the season. I've been here since the beginning of November and I need a break. Too many scammers and taxi drivers trying to rip off the gringo.

If you need beta, I am in quito now. The conditions on the peaks are still comparatively good (better than last year at the same time). All summits are possible on the glaciated peaks: Cayambe (quite mellow with a little nipple on top, snow extends almost to glacier -rock junction at 16,400'); Cotopaxi (direct route only, endless plodding up 37 degree slope, then tricky ladder crossing); Antisana (make up a route up the N face, then traverse E below summit 'schrund - get permission and driver from almost any climbing outfitter in Quito - $10 per person permission); Illiniza Sur - as of two weeks ago it was in great shape, but the route in the old Yossi Brain guidbook and the route today are quite different. The approach is way rockier, there is a 4th class rock band to get up to the normal route, the 'schrunds were all easy to cross (but they change quick). Chimborazo: The Whymper summit is currently doable but you need to get to the top of the Ventimilla summit in less than seven hours if you want to tag both and get below the Corredor befor the rocks start falling. There is no snow on this route untill almost 18,500'! Just rock, black ice, and kitty litter. Carihuairazo (2nd hand info). The hut is cheap and clean, the approach is straightforward, and the glacier ins 100% dry (no hidden crevasse hazard). Chunky choss moves for 20m up to the summit. Good luck. -DT

One of the easiest ways to get to Bariloche is via Puerto Mont, Chile. It is a 9 hour bus ride, pretty cheap. I thought frey was amazing, conidering that it is in "Patagonia" but the weather doesn't always suck. Its a lot like going to Washington pass, except that the rock doesn't grind off when you smear on it. The face routes are spicy and sandbag. I've never seen so many 3/8" buttonheads. The crack routes are awesome, and a little soft on the ratings. THere are classics from 5.6 to 5.12+. Most of the routes are short, the longest routes being on Cerro Catedral (4-8 pitches and 5.8 to 5.11 depending on route choice). Some of the best routes are the one and two pitch routes that ascend the micro-spires and gendarmes scattered about. And the cracks on the Campanilla are splitter. Camping is free, and since the economy in Argentina has been rock bottom since January 2002, eating in the hut is cheap. In early 2003 beers were 3 pesos (around a dollar) and pizzas were 14 pesos (about five bucks) and feed up to three people. I thought Bariloche was dirt cheap compared with what Argentina was like back when they were pegging the peso to the dollar. And the blue-eyed latinas with tight shirts are hard to beat...

http://www.fairvote.org/factshts/irv.htm If only we were mature enough to use this...

Have fun in the sierras, please stay away from any choss, or I will have to take out a life insurance policy on you...

I will miss you in the pacific northwet when I get back next week marc twig- I mean mike layton

Take two pair of sneakers! If there is deep mud (which there is sometimes) you are going to get soaked anyway! I encountered the most torrential rain I have ever seen there in 1998. It washed out bridges, drowned a couple of people, and put the hiking trail under knee deep water. Sometimes you just get wet...

If you can hit only one park, I think I would suggest heading straight into Argentina from Puerto Natales, and cruising around Los Glacieres for a few days (Cerro Torre, Fitz Roy, etc...). Not that I don't like the Torres, they are indeed spectacular, I just thought that the Chilean Style of over-developing every campsite, charging lots of $$ and putting refugios all over the place was kind of a turnoff. Argentina is a bit more low key, and you just can't beat the exchange rate. Don't take big boots unless you actually want to get out on glaciers. And even then, take sneakers. I made it up the Torre glacier to Polacos camp in my running shoes, the glaciers are dry low down anyway... I forgot to mention before. Even for just trekking you might want to take climbing shoes and a chalk bag. There is world class bouldering surrounding Chalten and up around campo bridwell. There is also bouldering in the Torres Del Paine, but it is more obscure and scrappy. Regarding fuel, you can get white gas (benzina blanca) in all of the main towns in both Chile and Arg. Or you can just burn unleaded in your whisperlight or XGK and expect to have a few more cleaning sessions. Or you can get gaz cylinders for a canister stove at lots of the trekking supply shops in either Puerto Natales or Calafate. I noticed that it is very hard to find threaded gas cylinders, but possible. Most of the cylinders are the un-threaded kind (e.g. won't work on MSR pocket rocket but will work on MSR superfly). Take lots of peanut butter if you like it. Its hard to find down there. Take your normal favorite snacks, like power bars or balance bars or whatever. Regular candy like snickers or milky ways can be found down there, but are subject to random acts of supply chain disruption... All the rest of your food, soups, pastas, grains, sauces, deserts, drinks, fruits, veggies, etc... are easy to find in the towns.

No Problem. Let me know if you need any other info as december approaches. As far as places to stay and eat in P.N., I can't really remember. There are a lot of little Hostels and Pensiones, like Casa Cecilia, for example. P.N. is a small town, and easy to look for accomodations. There are a lot of hotels on the waterfront if you have more of a budget, and I think the Indiglo serves food too, along with the standard pisco sours and the like. Cool slideshows too. When eating down there, you can't beat the salmon. Pizza and steak are good too, esp. in argentina. And don't forget to fill your extra baggage space with lots of wine when you fly back.

There aren't any flights to Chalten. There are, however, flights to Calafate, a three hour bus ride from Chalten, where you start hiking. To my knowledge, they don't operate international flights to Calafate, mainly just domestic flights on Aerolineas Argentinas out of Buenos Aires. Lambone, you can certainly hit both Torres Del Paine (Chile) and Los Glacieres (Arg) in two weeks from Punta Arenas. Try to get a bus to Puerto Natales as soon as you get off the plane in P.A., thus avoiding the need to spend an unneccessary night in "puta anus". Its about 4-5 hours to Puerto Natales via bus. In Puerto Natales, there is everything you need logistics-wise for some trekking. You can get maps, groceries, and beta. Go hang out at the cafe Indiglo. It used to be the Amarindia. And is or was owned by Hernan Joffre, who also runs Bigfoot expediciones. Bigfoot does sea kayaking and light mountaineering excursions in the torres and among the fiords near Bernard Ohiggins. You'd probably be more interested in the sea kayaking stuff that they have to offer. About half the people who do the TDP circuit love it, and about half hate it. THough beautiful,. some people find the "backside" 2-3 days of the circuit a bit bland. These type of people are more suited to hikin the "W". It is the circuit minus the long stretch from gardner pass stretching east and then south on the other side of Valle Ascencio. In 5 days, you can easily see a lot of the park by starting at Lago Grey/Refugio Grey (a couple hour boat ride from near the park admin center), and hiking/camping at Campo Italiano, day hiking to the french valley, and continuing to Refugio Paso Cuerno. You can day hike up into the Bader Valley - still sweet climbing options await, and few people go there- and return to Paso Cuerno. Then hike to Refugio Chileno, where you have two days of day hiking options, before heading to Hosteria Los Torres and catching a bus back to P.N., where you can get organized and get a bus ticket for Calafate. Enjoy.

9mm and smaller ropes are dangerous to use with a reverso. They can slip under suprisingly low loads. Use a reversino, or get bigger ropes. If one person is jugging, why use a reverso? Just fix the line. However, I would be scared shitless jugging 60m of skinny line, wondering about what kind of edges are sawing the sheath above... If one person is "sprinting" up the pitch, belay them ATC style, rather than a reverso. It is faster. This assumption may be way off base, but I figure most people climbing in a team of three and reading this post are not going to find themselves on terrain suitable for jugging anyway, unless they are on a big wall. For long cragging routes and alpine routes of moderate grade, freeclimbing is often faster. My $0.02 about whether to use one or two ropes for a team of three: They both work fine, but it depends on 1) the type of route, 2) descent (walk off vs rap) 3) The skill and experience level of the team, etc... Two followers tied 10-15 ft apart on the same rope should be fine on routes clear of loose rock and sharp edges. The route ought to fall within their ability as well. e.g: diedre. The force of two followers falling neccesitates a grigri, reverso, or other plaquette-style belay to handle the higher load. A climber leading on two ropes, with partners tied to the other end of each one, can belay efficiently with a reverso or some type of plaquette. In this situation, the leader will probably have to keep leading pitches, rather than swapping leads, because belaying two ropes/partners simutaneously can easily create clusterf%$cks at belays if you try to swap leaders.

Re: earlier in this thread: I don't see what helmets have to do with yuppies, or vice versa. A lot of friends of mine are total dirtbags, and helmets have still saved their lives. For a couple of them, maybe helmets would have saved them from brain damage, and a long, painful, recovery. Perhaps someday some statistician (sp?) will figure out your increased probability of survival when wearing a helmet. E.G., increased survival rate for a seatbelt, I heard during drivers ed 14 years ago that it was around 20%. I heard that the increase rate of survival for someone wearing an avalanche beacon is several percent (not that much) - please correct me if you know. I still wear my seatbelt, and I still wear my avy beacon. If a helmet increases my chance of survival by 2% I'll gladly take it. Many folks have pointed out that helmets aren't guaranteed to save you, so don't put all your faith in them. Well, no shit. I think most of us spend some time here and there trying to mitigate risk, not eliminate it all together. I will wear my helmet most of the time. I will not wear it sometimes. I will raise a to all of those who should have worn one but didn't.

About one year after one apeared in my left hand, one apeared on my right. In line with the tendon from my ring finger. That was three years ago. Most of the pain i feel is when mountain biking, long ski tours, etc. Or when trying to stretch my fingers. (like when doing a hand stand). How much mobility do you have with you fingers - i.e., how far back can you bend them? I am curious to hear what your doc says.

VS.