wfinley

I used the new Reverso on my last trip(s). I climb on double 8.5 ropes so the smaller size plus added ribbing made rapping a little smoother (I always felt I went a little fast in my older reverso). While rapping on fatter (10.1) ropes I noticed a bit of heat / friction buildup - but not anymore than normal. Also the ribbing on hand side is designed to aid in removing ice from ropes -- which should be good come winter. Belaying 2 people up simultaneously with the autoblock feature was simple -- but it didn't appear to function any differently from the old Reverso (the exception being the extra hole designing for easier lowering which I never used; I can see how it would be a good feature given that the old method of simultaneously pulling the biner up and feeding out rope was a pain). As for the sharpening - I can't say whether or not this is happening in my new Reverso. I didn't notice the sharpening until using my old Reverso for about 2 years so I can't say whether or not it will happen again.

Thanks for the clarification. I've had mine since early spring and have tested it in remote areas of AK as well as in the lower 48. The OK and Help messages worked fine... I just assumed the 911 feature would work as well. I guess I've always looked at them as a tool like anything else. I'm not going to blow $700 on a PLB that I'll probably lose or break in 2 years and for the most part I intend to use it as a "I'm OK but spending the night out" tool so my emergency contact doesn't wonder what's up in the event I opt to spend an unplanned night out. The 911 feature is nice - but it seems a no-brainer that, like any other technology (cell or sat phone), you should have a back up option as well.

They don't seem to be as useful as their proponents claim - primarily from the difficulties of getting local rescuers to respond (which I can understand - "need help at point XYZ" is rather vague) I have a spot, and it is a bit discouraging to see how they are being handled in rescues. Hopefully local rescuers/authorities will develop more effective protocols for answering spot requests. It would certainly be nice if the device had direct messaging capabilities, but it is what it is for now. I hadn't read any reports about authorities not wanting to respond. The argument that the technology is flawed (quote from linked article) doesn't make much sense to me... PLBs have been used successfully for emergencies with aircraft and boats for years now. Why should authorities view PLB use in the backcountry any differently then they would PLB use for aircraft and boats?

Thanks all! The final float out the Green River was a good ending and gave our sore feet a rest. If you're interested in more packraft / climbing combos post on the Alpackaraft.com forums and some of the guys there will gladly offer sugesstions. Buckler -- were you the party ahead of us on Pingora? Grenalds -- I'd say Guide's Wall isn't really that great for beginners due to the high traffic it gets. On any given late summer day there will be at least 1 guided group as well as a couple private groups. I think Disappointment's E. Ridge or Symmetry Spire's SW ridge are better climbs and chances are you'd be by yourself and able to take your time and enjoy the route. However -- you could go to Guide's Wall in early afternoon and get in a few pitches with beginners and not have to deal with the crowds (the rap route is left of the climbing route). Teewinot's E face is also a good beginner route; it's mostly hiking with a short step of 4th class at the top that you might want to haul a rope for. After your group is dialed in, go climb the CMC route on Moran; it's less crowded than the Grand and every bit as fun.

The guys at Daily Kos tore a hole in that accusation: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/12/1101/20327/19/566444

Trip: Gannett Peak / Lamoille Canyon / Cirque of Towers - Multiple routes Date: 8/11/2008 Trip Report: Winter lasted well into June in Anchorage. Snow patches lingered in the yard till June and we were still climbing snow couloirs like it was May in mid June. Then the July rains came early... rock climbing consisted of long drives to Hatcher only to turn around and drive home, mountain climbing was out of the question. Even the fishing sucked. So I made some calls, coordinated with friends and family, cashed in my Alaska Airlines miles and headed south. Any trip outside of Alaska usually attempts to coordinate as many visits with as many friend and family within (reasonably) close proximity so I took 2 1/2 week and planned to climb and drive all over the place. I began by flying into Helena MT where my old friend and climbing partner Brad Horning now lives. I hadn't climbed with him in 5 years and hadn't met his 3 year old son, Logan, yet (only a Canadian could get away with naming their child after the highest mountain). I spent a night and morning at his house visiting with his wife and son - then Brad and I were off to Wyoming. We drove 5 hours to Green River lakes where we shouldered ridiculously heavy packs and began the 17 mile trudge to the West Face of Gannet Peak. 2 days later, after 10 miles on a good trail and 7 miles of no trail, boulder hopping and tree crawling we crashed at the base of Gannett Peak. Heading up Tourist Creek Sunset on Gannett The next morning at 5 am we were up and moving by 6:30. The route began with 700' of boulder hopping, then a glacier crossing and then 500' of moderate snow topped by 500' of more boulder hopping till we reached a col. We dropped our crampons and ice axes and soloed up 200' of excellent 4th / easy 5th class rock to reach another 300' section of snow. Crampons and axe were below us so we dug out the rope and rack and belayed each other up the rock next the snow. After that we dropped the rope and strolled to the summit where we hung out for an hour in the sun with no signs of clouds or other people. High on the North Ridge 'Ze summit We then downclimbed the ridge, rapped the rock step and headed back to camp. After a brief rest we packed up and hiked a few miles back - and the next morning easily made it down to the Green River by 1pm where we inflated out packrafts and floated out the Green River. Headed Down Descending to the Minor Glacier - The map we had did not show the lake below - but instead showed a glacier. Packrafting out the Green River At the take out Brad then drove me to Idaho Falls, ID; we said goodbye and I rented a car and drove another 6 hours to Elko NV where I met my youngest brother, Charlie, and his fiancee, Liz. Charlie and Liz showed me the good Elko nightlife - and Charlie hooked us up with local hardman, James Welton for a day of cragging in Lamoille Canyon. James dragged my fat gut up his and other Lamiolle locals 3 pitch classic "Casino Queen". It began with a nice overhanging 5.8 pitch, then a pitch of wide 5.9 and finally a delicate 5.10 pitch complete with an intricate blatancy crux, 2 big roofs and a final off width to the anchors. The route was excellent but in my infinite wisdom I had neglected to put sun screen on my legs (I never wear shorts in Alaska so it didn't even register) and I scalded my legs and got a mild case of sun poisoning. The rock in Lamoille is excellent... and the hospitality of the locals makes it a great place to climb. Just be sure to get up early as it gets HOT! Pitch 1 of Casino Queen James rapping the route I left Elko a couple days later and drove to Boise ID where I picked up Yvonne. We drove an hour east and spent another day with Charlie and Liz at Liz's family home and then Yvonne and I once again headed East. We drove to Jackson, WY, picked up a friend from Anchorage (J.T.), then drove another few hours to Big Sandy Lake where we shouldered monster packs and headed into the Cirque of Towers. We spent 5 days climbing in the Cirque of Towers and made it up Pingora's South Butress, Overhanding Tower and the classic East Ridge of Wolf's Head - a 15 pitch climb consisting of a classic opening pitch where you have to climb a 40' "sidewalk" that is 2 feet wide. After that it's numerous pitches of intricate traversing, chimney squeezing and hand traverses. S. Buttress of Pingora JT on the famous sidewalk pitch The slot pitch on "Darth Vader Tower". It's easier if you go higher... but there's no pro up high! The "piton pitch" layback. 'ze summit On day 5 a storm rolled in so we left the Cirque early and drove to the Tetons where Yvonne and I climbed "Guide's Wall". It was my 3rd attempt of the route - the first attempt was in 1995 and we bailed at the top of pitch 3 due to a thunderstorm. The next attempt was in 2001 where I made the call to bail at the top of pitch 2 after hauling my 13 year old nephew up the route and didn't want to take him any higher. My 4th trip to the Tetons... and I don't think I'll ever get tired of the view. This time thunderstorms once again rolled in but we pushed up and soon were at the top of pitch 5 after climbing the stellar 5.8 flaring cracks. We bailed off just as the thunder started and were back at the car by 6pm. Y at the top of pitch 5. Storm's a comin' - let's get the #%#@% out of here We left Jackson the next morning to return once again to cloudy skies and rain. If you want more pix... they are here. Gear Notes: Glacier gear, mtn axe, crampons, packraft, standard rack, bug dope and sunscreen. Approach Notes: Lots of walking.

Thanks for sharing! My wife and I climbed this route a few years ago; it was her first Teton route and she loved it. Irene's is certainly a classic... you definitely have to go back to climb it.

Awesome! Your trip was exactly like ours! We did the exact same routes last week -- and even did 2 pitches of Sharks Nose before bailing due to rain! We avoided the Wolf's Head bivy though... I don't envy your night spent up there.

I too miss the beautiful sandstone at the New and have enjoyed going on vacation to scare myself silly in the Canadian Rockies. But if I had to pick a favorite climbing area I'd have to say my backyard. The rock sucks, for 6 months out of the year you can count on nasty windslab and there are hurricane-strength winds at least every 2 weeks... but the trailhead is 5 minutes from my front door, I go there every night after work and I'll never grow tired of it.

Can't offer you any real beta other than to say I've seen it from afar and it looks cool!

Two questions for people who have been to the Cirque: (1) How bad are the bears? Are you doing the whole grizzly / cook away from your tent / carry bear spray or will I be lucky to see a bear? I live in bear country so I'm familiar with all the things you should do... but do people really worry about it in WY? (2) The new guidebook recommends carrying out your shit. Is this a common practice - should I haul out my shit or should I just be responsible where I go and haul out TP?

Maybe Sobo still climbs because he had managed to forget this incident.

Comeon' what's the thread title? All the hacked threads can be found in archive.org.

A friend recently sent me this article written by a Denali Park Ranger. Basically the premise is that trip reports and Google maps may lead to overuse and impact in pristine areas. Full article below. Thoughts?

If your dates are flexible, time it with the fall foliage -- the first 3 weeks of October are the height. Fall in New England is beautiful.

Let me guess: Zoo view?

The biggest surprise I had on Westpole was when my partner handed me (a newbie) the sharp end and said "you lead it - it's only 5.7". I hung on but it scared the bejeezus out of me. It's cool you got to climb the Gendarme. What an iconic route.

New River: I know someone who grabbed a bat at Kaymore and got bitten. He actually had to get rabies shots!! I had a black snake crawl out of a crack while belaying at Junkyard wall -- it stuck it's head in my face and I froze solid for a full minute while it sniffed my face. It then slithered down the route (4 Sheets to the Wind) and the guy following me freaked! However... probably the biggest surprise was grizzly bear scat on a local peak. We didn't see the bear but it was in a place where you wouldn't think a bear could get to -- and had we actually encountered it we would have had to downclimb a nasty loose headwall to get out of the way.

There's an ice climbing spot up here notorious for always being cold - Caribou Creek. It's about 2 hours from Anchorage so one weekend we opted to camp up there in order to get an early start the next day. It was winter solstice weekend and despite having a -20 bag I spent the night curled in a fetal position shivering with my dog inside the sleeping bag shivering as well. The next morning it was so cold that when I put on my backpack and clipped my plastic buckle it exploded into about 10 pieces. Seconds later I tried to clip my chest buckle and it also exploded; we tried to climb that day but our tools bounced off the ice. I have no idea how cold it was... but cold enough to where I now only camp after March 1st.

Where on Andromeda is Photo Finish?

The second pitch of Solar at Seneca Rocks, WV. I was 18 -- it was my first multi-pitch climb. I followed the route; the last move puts you on the very top of Seneca and I blown away.

What an awesome trip Feck! My favorite trip was 2 1/2 months of bumming from AK to WY and back. We started with 30 days in the Alaska Range (15 days in the Ruth, 15 days on the West Butt), then a month in Canada (Edith Cavell, Andromeda, Columbia, Pigeon Spire, Bugagboo Spire and cragging on the rest days). We then went to the Tetons for 2 weeks where I hauled my 13 year old nephew up Teewinott, Guides Wall, the Cube and the Owen Spalding route. I had previously arranged to meet other friends from various places and with good friends climbed the Direct Exum, CMC route on Moran and Symmetry Spire. It was an awesome summer spent in amazing places with wonderful people.

I met a long time JT local at a crag near JT once and asked him if he stilled climbed at JT... all he said was, "JT: No dogs, no beer, no smiling."

Article & video on the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/sports/othersports/11jump.html The video is great!

This is just weird.... My condolences to the NPS staff and guides who are dealing with both of these situations.