TrogdortheBurninator

I think we will keep it to one pitch this weekend. I really hoped givlers would go in 1, but oh well.

I am not certain I set the first Belay of R&D in the best possible spot (exposure wise). I built it on a low angle slab with a nice flake and crack for pro. The ledge flattened about 5 feet below the anchor, but it was a realtively small, exposed flat spot. There was a better ledge to the side, but I saw less good protection opportunities. I understand that you can also start with the slabs on the right, but I dont know how that belay is. I am confident that the next few belays would have been comfortable for her given that they are large sandy ledges well protected by some of the surrounding rock.

We climbed mountaineers dome two weeks a go also, it went really good. We started on some garbage pitch on the lower section, then went and climbed left side crack all the way to the top. There was a nice ledge next to the tree at the top where she was actually ok hanging out for a long time. She then did a belayed scramble to the top of the dome. She liked the long climbing. She also liked that it was a dome and had the feeling that the ground was always close even though the climb was a full pitch. Maybe we will look at midway and saber. Is the ledge on midway big aside from the step across? As long as she can handle the belay, I have no doubts about her ability to climb the route. She has been showing more interest in multi-pitch stuff, but she is really scared of it. Thanks for all the good advice everbody (except lummox of course).

She is very comfortable climbing, and she has comfortably cleaned a few single pitches this spring. Her only problem is being comfortable (mentally, not physically) at belays. She generally likes to get off a route as soon as she reaches the top. We tried R&D two weeks ago with a group of 3. Our first belay was safe and comfortable, but a little exposed. Needless to say, things did not go well and I lowered her back off, then completed the climb with my other partner. How big is this flake to belay from? I kind of think she would be happier on something that kept her standing and facing the wall compared to something like we encountered on R&D. I think it would feel more like an extension of the climbing, rather than having to step out of her comfort zone and be on a ledge. If anyone can think of another 2 pitch route with a ridiculously unexposed belay, that would probably make a great warm up. Also, any other ideas on getting somebody comfortable with multipitch climbing when they are very afraid of heights/exposure?

I am hoping to climb Givlers crack this weekend, but my girlfriend is not ready to climb anything multipitch. It sounds like the crack can be lead as one long pitch. Is a 60m rope more than long enough for this? It looks in pictures like a fairly direct line so I cant imagine rope drag being to cumbersome, unless there is just a lot of friction against the rock. Basically are there any huge disadvantages to climbing it in one pitch? Anybody here done it as one and two pitches and care to comment on their preference? Thanks.

if I dont put something soft like a jacket or rope on the bottom, I kind of worry about the cams ripping through the bottom of the bag if it is rubbed on a hard surface.

No matter what I do, I cant seem to find an efficient way to pack my rack in my back pack (lots of rhyming). It seems that hardware, cams especially, are so bulky that getting them to pack nicely is a real pain. Does anyone have any tricks to packing a rack for alpine routes and longer crag approaches (aside from bringing less cams)?

i just bought a zenix two weeks ago, and so far have only used it on trails and around camp. I was also looking at the MYO 5, but the improved battery life of the 1 watt LED sealed the deal for me. I used to have a princeton-tec matrix, but using the halogen bulb, I was lucky to get 1 hour in cold weather. The low watt leds on the zenix are surprisingly bright as well. It gives off considerably more light than myh girlfriends old cheapo 5 led model. In high power mode, the light is noticably brighter than older leds. I can't imagine needing a brighter light for most climbing adventures that I plan to encounter. In terms of direct bulb comparison, the MYO 5 will appear brighter, but I don't beleive this small amount of extra brightness is worth all the other tradeoffs. Plus the zenix is a good deal.

looks like my plan was vetoed for leavenworth. Oh well, maybe next weekend.

Slothrop, Does Ingalls protect well with just a set of nuts, or will I be running it out long. I was thinking of bringing a set of nuts, a few larger hexes, and maybe 3 cams (.75-2). What do you think.

Thanks all. I think ingalls sounds like a fun effort, even if it is thwarted. Is there much avalanche hazard on the approach slopes to ingalls (will probably bring safety equip regardless).

how is the rock quality on the other pass climbs? The tooth seemed pretty decent, but it seems like the rest have worse reputations.

Making camp by 8:00 or earlier would be good.

tromping through snow is definitely OK. The only concern is steep snow that would require technical use of axe and crampons.

the ranger says an extra 4 miles on ingalls as of the last update. I figure that would add some time, but do you think we could still make the lake by saturday evening at a moderate pace. I climbed the tooth about a month ago, so that is lower on the prioity list. What do people think about the amount of snow on route for ingalls or SEWS? I would like to avoid/minimize the use of an axe/crampons because one of partners has a fair amount of rock (sport climbing) climbing experience, but very little experience on snow. Another plus for any route would be large belay ledges so the exposure while belaying isn't too sketchy.

I am trying to think of something fun to climb this weekend and am looking for suggestions. Looking for something to climb with a party of 3. Here are the catches/preferences: I would prefer an alpine rock route Climbing should be easy (~5.2 - ~5.6) A few pitches of climbing (up to 5 or 6) I cant leave seattle until 12:00 saturday. So either a one day climb that could be started early sunday, or a climb that could be approached in maybe 5-6 hours on saturday would be ideal. Nothing too strenuous. It will be one of the partners first alpine climb. Any gear suggestions are much appreciated. I was thinking of South Arete SEWS or Ingall's south ridge. Any other ideas? Thanks in advance.

Just got an email for a 20% off everything sale at EMS.com Not as good as TNF sale, but a lot to choose from.

How is the approach for Ingall's Peak this time of year? Are snowshoes/ice axe/crampons necessary? Was thinkning of heading out there if it is accessible. Thanks in advance.

the NF tags are still on the gear!!

let the profiters begin http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=socialcontract&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=50

We were there on saturday. I thought that kicking steps up the steep ice by the cornice was the one of the most fun parts of the route. When we got there, there was a boot path from snowboarders to just below the cornice. I had to borrow a second axe from a partner for the first move from the ledge because the snow was too soft to support full body weight on my feet. The ice definitely justified toting the axe along.

Thanks everybody. It sounds like the 3rd pitch can be pretty snowy, will there likely be a snow free line through it?

I am a relatively new trad leader and I was planning to climb to tooth tomorrow with two friends. I was wondering if anyone had any info on the route's condition, and any special gear to bring. Is there still substantial snow on route that would require an axe or ice tool(s) or crampons? Would others who have climbed the route this time of year recommend climbing in shoes or boots? I checked past reports, but the most recent photos of the route were over a month old, and I figure things have probably dried up a lot since then. Also, any special approach suggestions (snow shoes etc). It sounds like the approach to pineapple pass is pretty steep, and some sort of traction might be useful. Thanks in advance.