TrogdortheBurninator

no fixed cam in OW. W/out #6 you will run out 40+' on secure 5.9 OW.

Matts website

Trip: Dragontail Peak - Backbone Ridge Date: 6/21/2008 Trip Report: Soft seasonal snow on approach traverse and glacier descent. Scramble is mostly snow free, with just a small (4') unavoidable patch at the start of the 5th class. Rest of route is snow free right to the summit. Bugs seemed to be starting to get worse at the lake. words and pictures: http://zclipped.com/?p=16 Gear Notes: Cams Blue TCU to #3 camalot, #5 C4, #5 old style camalot, two hand size DMMs, set of nuts, ice axe left crampons at lake. Approach Notes: Traverse to highest obvious ledge system. A few glide cracks showing, but easily navigated. Walk off is snow free to glacier saddle, soft snow from there down. Aasgard is mix of snow and scree.

you've got some awesome photos there Dave. nice work!

this seems like a positive thread.

there are no runouts on the lower slab. it is easily simul climbed if you are comfortable at the grade.

I've got meteor iii and ecrin rock too. Hardly ever touch the ecrin anymore, especially not while craggyn.

if you are looking for a well protected a sport climb, how about condorphamine addiction?

what an awesome day trip, with tons of great beta and a bit of excess excitement.

Given your apparent passion for the topic, perhaps there is some reason for concern, but why the absolute reluctance to provide any relevant information for readers? If you have facts or information, share it. If you want to speculate what you think is happening, share that. So far you have been very non-specific in your claims. Not sure how you expect people to get involved if you won't tell us why we should get involved.

http://www.gunks.com/index.php?pageid=67&pagenum=1&smGroup=2&smID=4

the climber is using half ropes in what is called double rope technique. Typically alternating pieces of gear are clipped so that if a rope is severed, you have a back up. There are lots of other advantages and disadvantages too that I'm sure a quick google search would bring up.

you went right after the short crack? Both CAG and Nelson say to go left.

The tracks were gone, but I can imagine it was a great ski run. What I cant imagine is how much it must have sucked to descend below the snow in ski boots.

full TR: http://zclipped.com/?p=15 This beta photo should be about as useful as the Selected Climbs II topo was for us. Colt45 and I climbed the South Face on Sunday. After the obvious short crack from Nelson's photo, we had a nearly impossible time reconciling any features from the topo or the description. In particular, we never saw the invisible flake with 50 of chimneying. We ultimately climbed what seemed to be an obvious easy weakness on the face, passing a well used rap anchor. Where does the correct line go? Our line:

i'd imagine the NW Face Couloir is definitely not in???

i had no hexes with me when i was there. The routes eat up nuts, but still take cams fine.

the line is a must do. Fairly sustained 5.9, but no harder. Haystack is a pretty straightforward 5.8.

Thanks Kat!

Is there still enough snow up there for decent skiing. Camping in the icicle this weekend, and was hoping to ski a bit. Looking for someplace the dog is allowed (i.e. no enchantments), with easy terrain. Any idea how high up one can drive right now?

that is awesome to be ice climbing in late may!!

Usually seems like descriptive adjectives allow for a letter or so of grade variance. For example: Pumpy 5.9 might feel like 5.10 Tricky 5.8 might feel like 5.9 Awkward 5.8 might feel like 5.10 last friday I climbed in Cheakamus canyon for the first time. Got on P1 Charlotte's Web. Dr Topo guide calls the pitch tricky 5.8, but it sure felt harder. Squamish Select calls it tricky 5.9, but it also felt a bit harder than that. I climbed it on lead and top rope, and it felt pretty tricky both ways, so I dont think protection was the issue. Routes without adjectives in their descriptions seem to feel more spot on.

This statement doesn't make sense to me. inward flaring

Washington pass and rainy pass would provide more than 10 days of fun for climbers of all ability. Mazama is right there as a bad weather backup.

according to comcast it is still on at 9PM here.