Ovr40

Does anyone have contact information, or other recent information, about Phursumba Sherpa. He is a wonderful man I have lost contact with him. Is he well? Is he still doing the RMI gig?

I keep a Gregory Shasta for the one or two times a year I end up carrying that kind of load. It doesn't have the bells and whistles, but is rugged and carries (at least for me) very well. You can usually find past year models online for about 50% off list.

Thanks, John for setting up the drytool sessions this fall. Hope to join you again soon. Jim Roberts and I put the practice to good use last week in the gorge. First WI climbing (and leading) for both of us. We checked out several places before finding a spot that looked both fun and safe, settling on Post Nasal Drip. We didn't top out but made good progress.

Jim and I are planning to ditch work tomorrow and check out gorge ice. Drop a post or PM if you are interested in joining the expedition.

If you plan to do a lot of climbing in them, take a look at shoes by TSL. The are plastics, like the MSRs, and they are set up pretty well for steeper slopes. With good frontpoints, replaceable spikes, and a bale to raise the heel, I've kept them on after my companions have switched to crampons (which proved handy as conditions varied between snow and ice). They are available in a variety of binding styles. I've used mine for several years and been very pleased. Negatives? Here are a few: 1. Being plastic, they make plastic squeeky noises (acceptable in a blowup doll, but annoying in a snowshoe), 2. They don't float well on soft snow. (But they are great for the kinds of snow we see most of the time in the Cascades), 3. Finding them may be difficult. The are big in Europe (number one or two selling brand) but distribution in the U.S. has been inconsistent. I think one of the larger shoe manufacturers or distributors now owns the U.S. distribution rights. Next Adventure in Portland had some last year (I don't know which models.)

I don't know the answer to the "percentage of bodyweight" question, but it seems easy to calculate. Try putting your feet on a bathroom scale while you do a pushup, and have someone read the result. Or, if you want to save your mom a trip down to the basement (sorry, couldn't resist the poke), put your hands on the scale and read the result yourself. Throwing on a backpack would be a good way to add weight, if desired, since letting the neighbor kids sit on your shoulders and straddle you neck might be considered a parole violation (oh god, there I go again).

I have been thinking about using an ice axe as the handle for the snow shovel for awhile, and have not seen anything available off-the-shelf. It looks like a pretty simple bit of fabrication would make it work, though, at least with the equipment I have. The lingam of my Grivel Nepal Light axe fits into the yoni of my Viole Telepak shovel without a lot of slop. I am planning to add a couple of semi-fixed shims to the shovel head, and one or two pins to hold the head on the axe. I think the fabrication can be done in a way the won't destroy the strength of either piece, and allow use of the regular shovel handle if the shims are removed. This would make a setup suitable for avalanche rescue and emergency snow cave digging. If a snow cave was planned, I think it would be worth carrying the extra weight of the regular shovel handle to have the ability to extend the handle. Has anyone else tried a similar approach? I have access to a small milling machine at work and some scrap aluminum if anyone wants to experiment some day. Should this thread be moved to the Gear Critic forum?

We were climbing yesterday evening (Wednesday, Sept 21). Regarding expense, it was my partner's gear; so as long as I choose partners carefully my costs should be manageable.

My semi-newbie partner and I finally tried a trad route. Cruisemaster (5.7 ya gotta start somewhere). We left a couple of pieces on the route when we bailed. Good luck to you if you claim them- they have taken no falls and will be safe. Or, if you retrieve the gear and want to exchange it for beer, drop me a PM.

We had a party of three on the Emmons Glacier ready to attempt the summit Sunday morning. We got a later start than planned (we were ready to climb at about 2:30 AM). Not long after beginning our ascent we ran into a stream of teams descending. They had turned in the face of a threatening weather pattern on the south and east of the mountain. One of our group was nursing some health issues, so this was all the incentive we needed to bail out. it was a shame, though, because snow conditions were perfect for climbing, wind was light, and the moon was out. Everything seemed in place for a perfect climb. I am curious now about the threatening weather. If you were on that mountain that morning, can you explain what you saw, whether you retreated or continued on, and how it worked out?

I won a 10-visit pass to ClubSport at a club fundraiser (Ptarmigan's annual banquet), and it doesn't look like I will have a chance to use it before it expires at the end of June. I have never been to the facility, but their literature claims that they are the largest rock gym in Oregon. The web site is www.clubsports.com/oregon/ I understand that the usual price for this pass is $125. I'll take $60, which would give someone a sweet deal if they have time to take advantage of it. The latest forecast shows we could be looking at another week of rain showers.

The Ptarmigans are kicking off the club's annual beginning rock climbing course May 11. Visit www.ptarmigans.org for details. It is a lot of fun, and at $100 is a sweet deal. There are a few spaces remaining.

At higher elevations I always carry the hard shell, even if I don't plan to use it. But for just hiking I use a silicone nylon poncho. It is long enough to cover me and the pack, and it vents very well. I tried a plastic poncho first; it worked well but only lasted one trip.

With the dollar's slide against the euro, I would expect to see price increases in gear made in europe (or a shift in manufacturing to asia).

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I recently purchased a Black Diamond Mega Light and have a couple of questions for those who have used these shelters: (1) Do you consider the shelter to be reasonably "storm proof" or just a good when high winds are not expected. I am particularly interested in your experience with winter storms. (2) Is the light version as tough as the original?

This is a useful thread. I have done all of my winter camping in the Cascades, and will be making my first trip to Denali (and to Alaska). Here are a couple of questions for those with cold weather experience: 1. I have a pair of Scarpa Alpha plastic boots and some Mt Hardware overboots (with thin closed cell foam insulation). Will this be sufficient? I climb hot and have not had any problems with cold feet in the past. 2. At what elevation will a Jetboil become a poor stove option? Does it make sense to use it at lower elevations, assuming the group has sufficient liquid fuel stove capacity for the highest elevations (and a backup)?

The ptarmigans mountaineering club in Vancouver (Washington) still has some openings for thier basic mountaineering class. This is a five week class consisting of both classroom and field work, and is a reasonable $140. It also provides a good place for new climbers to find climbing partners. The class starts March 30. Check out www.ptarmigans.org

The ptarmigans mountaineering club in Vancouver (Washington)still has some openings for thier basic mountaineering class. This is a five week class consisting of both classroom and field work, and is a reasonable $140. It also provides a good place for new climbers to find climbing partners. The class starts March 30. Check out www.ptarmigans.org

Just across the river to the North is a very good yoga center. It is located in the old Academy building, about 2 minutes past the interstate bridge. The center is run by Yvonne, and she sometimes tailors the emphasis in her classes to work on climbing flexibility and balance. Several climbers (rock and alpine) are members and she takes care of us. www.shantiforeveryone.com

Cool. I will send a private message to continue this conversation.

I'm interested. Here is a little summary of my experience so you can see if it fits with what you have in mind. I have been climbing for about three years, and have summitted via the basic snow routes on Rainier, Hood, St Helens, Adams and Shasta. I am very comfortable navigating, staying warm, snow camping, etc, and am respectful, but not intimidated by, winter weather. My goals this winter are to attempt some routes on Hood and Rainier that present greater steepness and difficulty, but I currently don't have much experience on such routes. I have done some rock climbing (top rope 5.8) but have never lead. I recently purchased ice tools and now have some limited experience top roping crevasses. What else? I am active in the Ptarmigans mountaineering club out of Vancouver (Wa) and have taken, and later helped with, the club's mountain school. I am 45 years old, but not too slow for an old guy. I can hike Timberline to Hood summit in about 4 hours, Paradise to camp Muir in about 3 hours, and Camp Muir to Summit in about 6 hours. If it seems like we might match up, maybe we could do something with a little exposure on Mt Hood prior to the Rainier trip. I would definitely feel better practicing crevasse rescue before a Rainier trip, especially if it looked like it would be a two person team. Lon

Young Master Chris: I would encourage you and your friend to think about what you want. If your goals are simply to summit Rainier, then a guided climb (either professional or some other arrangement) will get you there. A lot of people do this. The photos look good on their desks when there are interviewing their next Personal Injury case or Psoriasis patient, and then these people move on to something else (maybe a marathon, maybe a trip to Costa Rica- “its all good”). Be warned, however, that this path comes from the dark side. If you choose it, most people on this board will probably treat you like a used blue bag. If, on the other hand, your goals are to become climbers, you will probably find many people willing to share their experience and knowledge. If this is what you want, I suggest these steps to get started. 1. Knowledge. You are going to need some basic knowledge in a variety of disciplines; weather, avalanche, glacier formation, hypothermia, etc. If you haven’t already done so, read Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, cover-to-cover. Some of the stuff you will already know from rock climbing, some will be obvious, but some of it will be useful, and you won’t find a better general introduction. Lots of places to go for more knowledge after that, but start with this book. If you really learn it you will know more than most people who buy climbing helmets. 2. Skills. You will need practice to translate the book knowledge into useable skills, as well as to start picking up a lot of the little things that books can’t teach. Many of the skills you will want to practice can be figured out by the two of you without assistance. Map reading, compass work, freezing your ass in a bivy sack in howling wind (but surviving), etc., you can do on your own. Posting on this board, requesting assistance with specific skills, will probably be fruitful. (e.g.: “want help with ice axe arrest and setting running belays”, or “can someone show us how to dig a snow cave?”) 3. Partners. A lot of climbing, and skills practice, can be done solo. But much of it takes a team of two or three. Finding a group of people with similar interests and abilities, and who you want to hang out with, can be one of the hardest parts of climbing. Finding people with more experience, who will take the time to teach you instead of actually having fun climbing, can be even harder. Local mountaineering clubs can help you in all three of areas. Look for one at your, or a nearby, university, or community. (You may find the smaller clubs easier to take, unless your current status as a college student has built up your tolerance level for bureaucracy.) Most clubs offer mountaineering classes in addition to opportunities to meet other people with varied experience levels. Let me know if you are interested in doing some skills practice sessions on Mt Hood.

Hey, that first little dot was me! Glad to have met you, iain. My ride down in the death sled was interesting. Surprisingly, only a few more climbers came up that morning, may a dozen total. Wave next time you blast past (going up or down). Lon