rhyang

Dumb question - how do you find such routes ? Is it a word-of-mouth kind of thing ?

dunno. that's why I asked.

From an engineering point of view - would it make sense to have a replaceable pick ? Once the pick is worn out, is the shaft / handle / whatever still likely to be "good" (whatever that means precisely), or is it more likely to be fatigued enough that it should be retired ? Granted, I am not expecting that a corporation will report engineering data that isn't in line with its economic goals. But as a consumer I would be more inclined to buy a technical tool that would last a while and has a potentially decent resale value.

At the risk of hijacking the thread (sorry), I have to admit that I've been reading the dry-tooling notes with more than a little interest (and wish I still lived in pdx). However, I have to ask - what is it about dry-tooling that makes it more attractive than free-climbing ? Is it just that sometimes in winter it's just too wet / cold / slimy for 'regular' climbing ? (sorry for the complete newbie questions - I have only just started to get into technical rock or ice) In any case, it sounds like just my kind of "fun" - thanks in advance...

the shaft is also only B-rated.

http://www.northernmountain.com/NMSmain.asp?Option=Detail&ID=CHAMOSAztarexIceHammer (oh dear god no I don't need another ice tool )

Dumb question - I have been wondering if it's possible to fit one of these on a petzl ecrin roc.

I just got a pair, undid the bolts and pulled gradually until the griprest came off. btw ordered from sportextreme.com - ups charged me $22 import duty / tax / whatever in addition to what sportextreme had already charged.

I like the aztar for alpine stuff, and tried them out on some waterfall ice in lee vining - they worked decently in plastic conditions. Just as an experiment I screwed 2-3 ounces of extra metal on the heads (bolts, washers, etc) as weights in cold brittle conditions. This basically helped me pump out really fast, so I don't recommend that. Going to try quarks next ...

Size 9.5 scarpa alphas w/intuition liner + superfeet insoles: 5 pounds per pair. Cooked at home in the oven, duct-taped the insoles to my feet w/thin liners and toe caps. Toasty !

If the petzl sarken heel pieces fit the same way as the M10 then I'd guess it is at least possible. Tried it with some of the older, black sabretooths (not the new gray serrated ones) - the BD bar fits into the sarken heel piece and the adjustment peg fits into the holes in the BD bar. However, the petzl bar is a bit wider than the slot in the sabres, so the contraption seems a little flimsy.

I believe the Laser is ice-specific (thinner, b-rated) and the Titan is similar to the Cobra (thicker, suitable for mixed/alpine, t-rated), except that it doesn't have that annoying bulge in the top that cuts into your hand when trying to use the tool in cane position. No idea about the Stinger.

Don, hope you don't mind if I ask - are the sarkens you are using of the spirlock variety ? btw I was looking at the sarken frontpoints the other day and thinking, 'do I really want to use these huge t-sections for cold brittle vertical ice ?' But the secondary points look like they would offer a lot of support.

Nice ! Those crampons look like Darts. What did you think of them ? Was the ice fairly brittle ? (probably a dumb question, since I have never climbed ice back east)

Your calves must be humongous.

I've been using these for 3 seasons so far : http://www.orssnowshoesdirect.com/msr_denali_ascent_snowshoes.htm

Cool. Were they covered with a thick gray paint / finish when you got them ? I've seen pics of a more silver-colored finish on the web, and wonder if they changed them recently.

I agree about the cut of the Coal, but only the 2002 model - the 2003 model's hood is cut better, and the jacket as a whole is a bit larger. I use the 2002 w/o hood for 3-season backpacking in wetter climates (coastal) and the 2003 for milder winter conditions, since more layers fit under it. Definitely like the fact that they were both on sale ! (I think the 2002 was like $30) Anyhow, I haven't used either for belaying - actually decided to spring for a closeout Golite belay jacket, which I like, but so far have only used for milder conditions. My plan is to use an FF Volant w/hood for standing around when it's really cold. Should have more feedback on that by mid-Jan ...

Just curious to know if anyone who uses DMM terminator crampons has experimented with filing / shaping the frontpoints differently. I've read that they need some work out of the box ...

No idea about ace shoes, but I did look for a pair of their boots recently. Don't know if any of this info is current : http://dpclimb.netfirms.com/1/ace.htm http://www.mtntools.com/cat/rclimb/rshoes/BorealAce.htm A guide told me that he thought Boreal USA was essentially killed by internet sales. Dunno how true that is, but apparently he had their sponsorship at one point.

They supply toe caps, too ? Details ?

Thanks for the info !

Nolse, how did you buy the dart fronts ? When I called up Petzl USA the guy on the other end rather snottily informed me that I should talk to my local REI or sporting goods store first. I was amazed - big contrast from the excellent customer service I've come to expect from Black Diamond (too bad bionics are way heavy).

I picked up a MH phantom last march on closeout. Nice jacket for dry climates (spring & summer in the sierras).