Dr_Crash

They'll let you get equivalency if your EMT certification us current. You may need to go to a trip to show what you can do in a mountaineering environment. Check out their pages and look for equivalency (http://www.mountaineers.org/mofa for the first aid one). drC

Thanks Brianna. I have a question re: your climb with your father. Do the two of you have some two-person crevasse rescue practice, or did you just plan to hang in the "middle of the pack" with teams around you to help in case you had to? drC

What's up with canister stoves in snow? I've had issues twice trying to melt snow quickly, and don't know if it's because of the canister (last time we were at 10,000 ft, first time at whatever height Bullion basin is at---i.e. same as the base of the Crystal ski area, so I'm not sure cold was an issue then). I also had a pretty small diameter pot, which may have been the issue more than the canister fuel? On paper, my canister stove boils water as fast or nearly as fast as an MSR bottle stove. It's actually rated by MSR as nearly as good as the XGK for high-altitude climbing (it's the Superfly; the light version of it gets the same rating as the XGK), and MSR says it'll boil water faster. In the field, it looks totally different for melting snow. Is it just the smaller diameter pot? drC

I'm looking for feedback on it. I picked one up at REI outlet for $83. It's heavy (a bit over one pound) but burns everything, including canisters (though I could have a canister stove for simple camping I guess). I am trying to figure whether to keep it or not. drC

How do they size? I'm a EUR 42, US 8.5 or 9. They indicate that the US 8.5-9 is a 41.5, 42 is a 9. Somebody who bought them, did you get your street size or something different? YA

That's what I got for alpine. I was taught to set the carabiner the way it's in that article's picture (gate opens up towards me, not down as someone else suggested here). I haven't rappelled with it yet, but would like to make sure I do the Right Thing. How do you rig it yourself? drC

Climb: Mt Rainier-DC Date of Climb: 8/14/2004 Trip Report: First time was not the charm... Two of our team of 4 got sick, and after taking an eternity (5 hours!) to go from Camp Muir to about 3/4 of the DC on the second day, we turned back when half the team said they wouldn't make it any further. A few people PMed me for conditions... Snow starts at Pebble Creek. From Camp Muir to Cadaver Gap, it's smart to rope up as there are crevasses there. There are a few crevasses to traverse on the way to the cleaver, including a couple very small jumps (really, more like a stretched out bounce step). The cleaver is basically rock (loose) and it's a good idea to remove your crampons there for the scramble up. The route is well wanded though some wands are fallen, and we erred a bit too much on the right at some point and had to backtrack. Looking further up may have saved me that though (many wands have reflective tape on the flag). I haven't seen the conditions above the cleaver, obviously, but rangers say the crevasses are very obvious, and the only risk there is softening snow bridges, especially on the descent. They had a few people punch through, up to 7 feet down (scary enough, I've been told). On the cleaver, the main risk is rock fall, mostly climber inflicted. Watch that party above you! We also got a big boulder running at us above Ingraham flats. It went in between two of us, and was definitely big and fast enough to inflict real damage. I learned a lot during this trip. About timing, about the weakest link in a team, and about the importance of having a big pot on a hot stove to melt snow faster. Even though---or maybe because---we didn't reach the summit, it was enlightening. Oh, and it is gorgeous! The Emmons glacier is a big mess of huge crevasses, and the ice fall on the Ingraham doesn't look bad either I'll be back there in a couple weeks. drC Gear Notes: Standard glacier gear. Shoulda had a third big pot with a white gas stove.

As I said, I'm buying online. Are you recommending the Selected Climbs because the descritions are less terse / succinct than in Beckey's books? From what I've read about Mt Rainier in his book, I'm fine with the way he describes stuff. drC

Buying online, so can't look at the index, and yes, I don't have my passes etc. all down yet so I don't know if it's vol II or III (guess is II). I am buying vol I and whichever covers Baker / Shuksan. If that is vol II, is vol III worth getting for someone based in Redmond? What kind of cool climbs are in it that are doable over a week-end (preferrably a night and day) that I'd want to do? Thanks, drC

Thanks. And thanks for the good luck. Now if my cold and cough could only disappear in the next two days, that'd be awesome. drC

Hi, I'm going to climb the DC route this week-end, and am wondering if anybody has been there recently? There's a TR from 8/1 here, but I'm looking for beta as recent as possible. Thanks! drC

Or 8/14-16 if you want to stroll at high camp for a day and play, practice arrest, whatever. Or 8/13-8/14 or 15. We're flexible. We had a planned trip as a party of 3 and one of us cannot go (work getting in the way), so I'm looking for someone in shape and with crevasse rescue training / experience to join. PM or reply to the thread. drC

I'm 5'11" and have been using a 65 cm ice ax, and it's great. When buying my own, I'm considering going to 60 cm, though 65 cm is really nice as far as being the right length across my chess when self-arresting, and it works great for glissading. It's not too big for skiing, and anything longer than that would be way too long. If I need support on flats, I'll buy collapsible poles. drC

Hohm, I'm interested. Give me a shout when you're ready to leave. I PM'ed you my phone number. drC

Yes, it helps. My friend says thank you. It looks like the bergschrund and the bridge are in basically the same shape they were in 2 weeks ago. Should be an easy climb for them then. drC

Hi, I have a friend who's going there Thursday, thinking of skinning up and then climbing from the hogsback and up. Has anybody been recently, who could post some recent beta? Reports are that the bergschrund cannot be crossed, is that true? There was a snow bridge two weeks ago when I climbed it, but it's been warm! Thanks, drC

Yes. We moved it last week after getting tired of taking 8 hours to get there from Seattle, with all that damn traffic up to Olympia. It's much more convenient now. Check it out. I'll ask again in the right forum after I wake up. drC

[Please post here as this is not the right forum. ] Hi, I have a friend who's going there Thursday, thinking of skinning up and then climbing from the hogsback and up. Has anybody been recently, who could post some recent beta? Reports are that the bergschrund cannot be crossed, is that true? There was a snow bridge two weeks ago when I climbed it, but it's been warm! Thanks, drC

Sorry for the thread hijack, but I'm looking for conditions info on Easton glacier. Would you mind posting them in the thread I started? Thanks, and best of luck to recover you camera. drC

Hi, A friend and I are thinking of going to Mt Baker this week-end. Has anybody been there recently and can tell us what the conditions are? We'll get beta from the rangers too and I'll post it here. Thanks, drC

Thanks for the correction. I shouldn't have called it a "clear summit." And I didn't know it was a miner's hut, so I learned something today. Cool. drC

The peak was fine. I like that wooden structure that gives everybody a very clear summit to stand on We went in one day. The idea was to climb Mt St Helens the next day, but my buddy got acute mountain sickness (slowing down to about 450 ft/hr at a point, ugh) and wasn't keen on climbing the next day. RE: crampons while glissading, I had to tell somebody to remove them. I think the first of the (then 11) essentials should be "common sense." And it's useful outside mountaineering too drC

Adams, where my friends and I contributed to the crowding on the south side. drC

Very nice! Online magazines rock (skiers / riders, see http://www.aspectjournal.com/ for a different thing---fiction mostly). Congratulations on Issue 1, and here's to more issues! drC

Recently? I need to buy those and that's an awesome price. drC