moonrover

Holy cow!! I've been there - AWESOME. Did you have any issues with the flies? Did you try the Rhino Horn? Or find the 3-mile zip line near Swakopmund? Looks like you had a blast. I want to go back there someday, thanks for posting and jogging the memory.

I've been gone for a few years and am back in town, suffering from a lack of reliable partners. Looking for gym partners (preferably VW but am willing to change) on weeknights (any night but Tues) and weekend trips to Index, Leavenworth, 32/38, Vantage, Smith, Squamish, whatever! Also enjoy mountaineering and ski touring. I lead sport up to about 5.10b/c (now at the beginning of the season, 5.9/10a lead). Have a full rack, but suck at leading trad. Want to do more, lots more, but would be around a 5.7 lead for now. Follow up to 11a. Have Subaru. Live in Ballard, work downtown. Gym climbing at lunch is an option. Don't take this the wrong way, am open to guys and girls, but would esp love to find a female partner. I am a chick with not enough climbing girlfriends. PM me for more info. Cheers!

I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to fill out the survey and pass it along to their friends. The feedback has been great. I'll be pestering people with a paper version this weekend. If you see me around, come say hi! If you see any in shops or cafes, take a few and get people around you to fill them out. The more numbers I have, the better! Cheers, m

Thanks everyone for the input!

woodchips, interesting that people are paying $33 at the Y b/c most so far are saying they'd only pay less than $25/mo, which is *totally* impossible. Even $35 would be tough. Looks like this may not work out, after all. I'll let the survey play out but not getting my hopes up. Hopefully some millionaire comes along to build one for free! m

[Cross-posted with North Cascades Forum] Calling all Bellinghammers! I'm putting together a plan for a new climbing gym in the Ham. To get the bank loan, however, I need to prove there is demand for one. (Yeah, I know, good luck to me in this 'economic climate'). This means solid numbers, which is where you come in. I have made a survey and am trying to get as many filled out as possible. I know, I hate surveys just as much as you do, but unfortunately I have to do this. If you are interested, either for or against, please partake and share the link with your friends. Only people actually living in, around, or about to move to Whatcom/Bellingham should respond. Be nice please! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=l5uSsVE4tFV1hMFEgd3YeQ_3d_3d Obviously I am only in the planning stages, and if I can't see that there is a strong enough demand to pay the bills, I won't be able to do it. Any helpful support, feedback, etc is appreciated. Thanks!! -moon

Thanks everyone Try this: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=l5uSsVE4tFV1hMFEgd3YeQ_3d_3d Appreciate your input!

Hello all Bellinghammers, I'm putting together a plan for a new climbing gym in the Ham. To get the bank loan, however, I need to prove there is demand for one. (Yeah, I know, good luck to me in this 'economic climate'). This means solid numbers, which is where you come in. I have made a survey and am trying to get as many filled out as possible. PM me your email address and I'll send you a copy in Word, which you can fill out and send back to me by email or by post, whichever you prefer. I am working on getting this online, as well, but so far the tools I am seeing are pretty shoddy. If you know of a good (cheap/free) online survey tool, do share. Obviously I am only in the planning stages, and if I can't see that there is a strong enough demand to pay the bills, I won't be able to do it. Any helpful support, feedback, etc is appreciated. Please, only people actually living in, around, or about to move to Bellingham to respond. Thanks!! -moon

That's the backup plan, of course. Better to get extras if anyone has them. Thanks though!

Does anyone have any extra Enchantments permits for this weekend Aug 1-3? I know it's a long shot...

Excellent! Who do you know on the truck? Duncan, Henry, et all? I'll say hi for ya.

Hey all, I just came off a three month stint in Africa with Hot Rock, a UK-based truck that goes all over the world with climbers. It's a ridiculous looking truck, which was always fun with the locals. It even has an overhanging bouldering wall off the back... Check it out! http://www.climbhotrock.com If you have a break coming up, think about it as it's reeeeally good fun. Just beware - it is a pretty cheap trip all things considered, and you kind of get what you pay for (but that's what I liked about it). I'm actually working a few months and then meeting up with the truck again. If you want to read my personal trip reports on it, can do so here: http://www.ontheglobeagain.com/menu.htm Enjoy!

we´re thinking more of a 65-80 size, but 95 could also work. Eric, I´ll PM u. tx!

Looking to buy for a friend in Argentina. New is just too expensive! Anyone seen any used packs for sale? Would appreciate the extra eyes on the lookout. Thanks!

In Kuala Lumpur and I just gave away my Thailand guidebook that had some info on it about the Batu Caves. I hear that if you hit the local climbing gym you can find people and info on getting there and climbing. If anyone knows where this gym is, the name and location, I would much appreciate the info! Thanks! =)

Hmm, last update was in October... http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_927.html Anyone else been there recently? Thanks all for the info!

Yo peeps. I've been thinking about trekking in Nepal in the coming months and can get a super cheap flight to any of the following cities: Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Singapore, or Peking. Have any of you flown to Kathmandu and gone through these cities? Anybody know which would be the cheaper connection, or be so fascinating that I MUST stop there if possible? Any help appreciated, as well as any tips for Nepal / SE Asia. Am planning to mainly trek (being a long trip I won't be able to carry all my climbing gear - hopefully I can find some cheap stuff there if I get the urge). Thanks!

oh oops, i'm behind the times! sorry - admins feel free to remove.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/187135_vcenter20.html Under 5 hours now - 4:59:01

Just thought I'd post a follow-up to this. We went to Shi-shi beach and it was awesome. Seems like there could be some good bouldering out there, except that I started to traverse a stack and promptly ripped off a hold... oops. Watch for that rock. I did scramble to the top of one of the stacks which was fun, and also ran through a huge flock of seagulls on the beach, which was probably even more entertaining. I'd like to haul a surfboard out there one of these days. Perfect waves. Unfortunately, people are really starting to discover that beach and it's getting quite a bit more use. We had a giant drunken group of army guys just a few spots away... and of course, being 2 women alone by a fire, we got a fair amt of uninvited attention from them. I got to see a nipple-piercing by firelight. Wonderful. Anyway, all in all a great trip and thanks for all the suggestions!

Also should note - don't want to drive more than about 4 hours from Seattle...

Mom isn't a climber, and I'm taking her for a walk this weekend. Any suggestions on easy hikes (no more than about 2K elevation gain / loss) with great scenery? These are hard to come by in the Cascades. I was thinking either somewhere on the coast (beach hike) or an easy (car-accessible) high traverse somewhere - lakes and flowers a plus. This will be an overnight deal (I'm doing most of the carrying), so info on camps out there is also relevant. Figured I'd get better info here than in spray. Thanks!

here's what my friend came back with (seems to jive): "The gravity experiment at the index town walls is a torsion pendulum like the one I used to work on when I was an undergrad. The pendulum is half aluminum, and half beryllium, and they are using the cliff as a source mass. Some theories have a fifth force called a yukawa force. It contradicts Einstein's equivalence principle, and has not been measured. The pendulum is designed to place an upper limit on the possible strength of a yukawa force by doing a very precise measurement, and not finding anything. Or if they find something, then they get a nobel prize."

so are you gonna give any hints as to where this might be?

damn, looks like I missed the window. Next year... Guess I'll just walk up at some point this summer. Now that there's no rush, that makes my weekend decision-making easy. Granite! thanks guys