Gripped

WhoooHoo! I'm 1/32nd Irish! It's all Orangeman though. <---- Look, it's green! Keep lookin, you catholics, there's no leprechauns out there: leprechaun watch!

Max, To you and your "good old boys", I would like to say, 1. Ninja. 2. Actually, that's a good idea 3. another good idea 4. Max, 5. Doo, Being loud isn't anti-social. How old are you doo? You ever heard of Kent State? Anti-social behavior?

They birth the children of men like this: Clearly, this guy leads 5.8-trad alpine routes... Definitely not a sport climber.

Old-school is best. Wool. Canvas. Flannel. Hob-nailed boots and alpenstocks. Mountain Men don't wear tights. Mountain Men aren't Vegans. Mountain Men Eat Snaffles for breakfast.

It's so good to see some photos of schmidt. I was pulling plastic all weekend, C'mon y'all, let's see some More Pics!

Wha??? Dude, go wash your hands!

Hey all you criminals! I'm going to sabotage a bunch of my old, retired gear and leave it in the back of my car at the trailheads. Go ahead and take it! and think of Minxy as you take a lead fall and the 1st biner snaps, then the next sling rips, then you crator like wild E and break your low life neck... you, you,you choss climbing, gear stealing maggot! PS. I want my damned altimeter back! PPSS. For all you worms who scream, "But I might be buying used/stolen gear! You shouldn't sabotage it! You might injure the wrong person" ... Guess what kids! You're the biggest part of the problem! PPPSSS> Of, course I would never do any of this, but this kind of sh*t really pisses me off! Sorry Minx, that really sucks.

I wish they had snow cone dispensers in the stalls. There's nothing like being in the mountains, digging a hole next to the old snowfield, and whiping clean with the freshiez.

What can I say? I'm whipped.... My woman says, and I say more alpine ! True- for about half the year I'm pulling plastic. When there is enough light, I like to head up to Index or Little Si after work for some outdoor cragging. In the summer&fall, I tend to do more all-weekend outings. At that point I'm sure I'll settle into a Monday&Friday rest schedule as most weekend warriors do.

You're right about schedules not sticking... but I like to keep it up for a few weeks in winter/spring so I can be ready for some nice weather and some long approaches. I'm reading Twight's book right now... that's what prompted the question. I was thinking of changing my routine this year.

Do you have a liberty ridge story/epic? I'd be interested in hearing it.

We talked about the Best Climbs, what about the worst??? Anyone have stories about getting in over their heads in their first year or two of climbing??? How about taking a newbie out, and realizing they were in over thier head? Coming over from lots of cragging at E38 and trying to lead Godzilla at index was a pretty horrible idea...

Training Cardio, Weight Lifting and Rockclimbing can be tough to juggle. How important are "rest days"? Do you take one a week? Three days on, one off? When you take a "rest day" does that involve some light cardio? What about this schedule? Day One: Rock Climbing or Bouldering (2-4 hours) Day Two: Weights (muscles not used in rock climbing) & Cardio (30-60 min, very strenuous, and 30-60 min, very light) Day Three: Light Cardio (90-120 min) Day Four: Rock Climbing or Bouldering (2-4 hours) Day Five: Light Cardio (30-60 min) Day Six: Alpine Climb Day Seven: Rest Day Repeat.

Oh! My Turn! Let me Try! Here I go... The three point cube of the diallectic trivialities is merging with the essence of being, and the oneness of seeing, hearing, feeling. Let the head swivel on it's lowest corner - Living in four part harmony with the Judas and his Priest screaming like one third of six banshees in the great halls of metalithica. WTF??

I would have hauled around a 30 pound pack instead of a 60 pounder ... What was I thinking???

Dru - You're right. CBS - You're right too. Mostly Newbies just want to climb Rainier, Baker, Adams and Hood, because they've seen them. Hm. Prussik Peak? I haven't done it, though I've seen it. It's mostly class 4/5 with one 5.7 move, right?

My Gortex jacket bites. It doesn't really breathe, and it isn't waterproof. It used to do both... I guess it's just old and worn out. What would you all suggest? What's the easiest way to make it waterproof? I'm not as worried about breathability... it's so thick, I almost never wear it when I'm moving anyways. Should I just burn it and get a soft shell?

I definitely agree with you about Rainier being WAAAAY more serious. Without a doubt. More strenuous? Glacier: 8200' elevation. 22 miles round trip Rainier(Emmons) 10,000' elevation. 15 miles round trip mileage = foot pounding (which hurts me a lot more than elevation)

Dazed and Confused? George was put on this green earth to "kick some ass and drink some beers" "Looks like I'm all out of beer".

Serious: becuase of weather. If the weather is good, Emmons/DC is fairly moderate. Strenuous: Depends on Altitude and how you adjust to it. Glacier has a lot more foot pounding, so I'd rate higher than Rainier too. Really though, a given climb, on a given day ... Rainier in a white-out, with 50 mph winds, and slopes of solid ice in September... That mountain is going to get your attention.

Stonehead, Climbing analogy: If you're out there climbing, and you go up the wrong "obvious gully" You might bust your butt, but you won't be getting anywhere really. Don't just keep "working hard". Keep your head up, and look around. As soon as you realize you're off route, back off, and start again. C'mon man. It's pretty straight forward.

Well, you're right. Life is a lot of suffering, and we're a slave to the machine USA. I like to watch the feel-good-movies, because they make me feel good. I like to have a couple beers on the weekend, because then it "takes the edge off". I like to climb, because I can feel like I have no boundaries (and any setback is caused by myself, my climbing partner, or by the indifference of mother nature). Keep in mind, that the "Man" is also pretty indifferent to your plight... and if you attack your life like you attack a tough pitch, or a desirable summit, then you'll find some success in this world. SOME success... and some setbacks too. In the end, what it comes down to, is that I'm pretty damn happy to be alive. It's all about the struggle, and I'm really enjoying it. Cheers

Stonehead, Have you been watching "Fight Club" again???

Ah... the mounties say Good Newbie Climbs