tlinn

Climbed Springbok on Thursday. TR to follow. Route is in good condition but there is some snow blocking the first pitch so you have to be prepared to run it out on the face. This isn't much worse then the pitches to follow so it should be no sweat. The road is in 2wd high clearance to the end at 25km. The gates were all open but I would pick up a key from Cattermole just in case. From the parking, the approach on the road is slide alder hell. The switchbacks should be no problem to see, you just have to keep your eyes peeled and remember to add a bit more time because the road has aldered in so much since Alpine Select was published. TY

But where are all the trip reports...lame! Is Dru the only one who writes around here???? I do miss a good trip report. OK, I guess I should put my foot in my mouth and start writing too!

Just a heads up to anyone thinking of heading into the Old Settler. We drove up there on Sunday hoping to get up to Daiphy Lake and do the approach as suggested in Alpine Select but found that Talc Creek road was blocked by a log that had been placed by a faller buncher. We talked to the caretaker and he was not at all helpful in letting us get in there. He was not very friendly or helpful and only suggested that we speak to someone at the head office to get a key. I'm not sure why he suggested getting a key because that still won't help you much if they continue to place the log to block the road. The crews are working in there between 6am and 4pm so you can drive in then, but who knows where they are working on the road and if the crews would even let you get by...he didn't say if they were logging right on the main road or if they were logging on some other cuts. Kind of a bummer. Instead we did Yak Check. It was dry, but the weather the last couple of days probably didn't help much. good luck, Ty

you don't need much for the NE arete. maybe some snow stakes if you are feeling a little nervous but you can probably kick some nice big steps up it right now. crampons, axe, rope, glacier gear.

Trip: Cathedral Park, BC - Macabre to Grimface Traverse + possible F.A. Date: 7/1/2007 Trip Report: Quick photo TR of a trip to Cathedral Park over the weekend. I had heard great things about the Matriarch to Grimface Traverse and with the weekend forecast looking soggy for Canada Day on the coast we decided that we would head to the dry side of the Cascades and hope for better weather. First day we hiked in via Wall Creek. The Wall Creek approach is highly recommended. It's a cruisy 4 hour affair to the meadows with excellent camping and bouldering! There are a lot of blowdowns but it's still a great approach. The next day we went up to look for things to climb on Matriarch, Macabre, or Grimface. We were looking for a nice line to climb, and preferably something that might be unclimbed. We didn't have the beckey guide so we were going by what we had seen on bivouac and the pages I had cut out of the Fairley Guide. The description in Fairley is vague at best and didn't help much. The buttress just to the right of the South Buttress looked quite nice and we thought it might be unclimbed so we decided to give it a go. The climb was 8 pitches long and mostly easy except for a very short but difficult roof we rated at 5.11a. Most of the climbing was pretty easy 5.6, 5.7, 5.8 type of stuff. We finished the climb just below the bolt ladder on Macabre. From the summit of Macabre we continued on the traverse to Grimface. With the exception of two rappels we kept the rope in the pack the rest of the day. We were back in camp a few hours later. Gear Notes: set of nuts, full rack of cams from #0 tcu to #3 camalot. Approach Notes: Wall Creek Trail from the Ashnola River Road

We were learning about this in class last week and you are exactly right. I don't have the notes in front of me but basically if you have an x-ray done you can check the alignment of the carpals and you can see if this is what is causing the problem. Basically, something that you should see an orthopedic surgeon about if it is causing you a great deal of pain.

Sorry pup, I think Layton has mentioned the most likely things. If you don't have pain on the radial (thumb) side then it's not De Quervain's. If the pain is only with extension of the wrist I was thinking possibly tennis elbow (a problem that originates in the wrist but the pain occurs on the outside side of the elbow). You don't have any pain there so that sounds unlikely. It is most likely an injury to the articular disc or a sprained ligament on the ulnar side (pinkie side). Layton is 3 years ahead of me in school though so listen to him. Or better yet, go see him in Seattle!

Not to sound like an anatomy snob but just to clarify, the distal radius articulates with the carpal bones, not the ulna. It forms a synovial joint so it would have synovial fluid but I don't think a lack of fluid is the problem.

Do you have any numbness or weakness? hold your arms out in front of you and press the back of your wrists together. Hold it for 1 minute. Does the same pain come back?

No after a few months your friends will be wandering around going where the fuck is Tlinn..man he is pussy whipped. LOL...I hope that doesn't happen. But at least I'll be getting some.

Exactly!!! The trick is to find the hot "non-climbing" girl and then convert them!!!! It's not as hard as it sounds. After a few months all your friends will be wondering how you found such a hot "climbing chick." I am currently in the second phase of operation on such a "non-climbing" chick. Wish me luck.

Bring an extra #1 and #2 Are the chickenheads really big enough to tie off? I don't remember them being that big... Best advice is to use really, really long runners on the pitch after the crux...I guess this is like pitch 4? I don't remember specifics but just remember to bring long runners for this pitch or the rope drag will kill you.

brutal! Not sure the point of this lift at all...other then for bragging rights.

Yeah, let this trip report be a warning to everyone not to do this approach. Especially with your girlfriend or significant other. I will not be held responsible for subsequent break-up and legal fees incurred due to the brutal nature of this approach. If you are going to do this approach at least be smart and: A) don't do it during a heat wave B) don't carry the whole rack yourself, especailly if break-up is eminent Happy climbing!

Changed it.

I wanted to get a head start on the summer climbing season and bag the first time travel ascent of Slesse by the North Buttress. Sorry, for posting an old TR with a future date. Just getting excited for next summer and wanted to procrastinate by writing and looking at some old pictures. Is there some way to post this as the proper date, July 23, 2006????

Trip: Slesse - West Side - North Buttress Date: 7/23/2006 Trip Report: "Friends don't let friends do the west side of Slesse" July 23, 2006 This was the trip of death. It was July 23rd weekend and I was somehow convinced by Krystil that the North Buttress of Slesse would be a good idea in a 40 degree heat wave!!! Tim B and Bram V also wanted to come so we could all suffer together. Worse yet, I managed to convince my girlfriend at the time, Kristin, to come along. After all, we needed to spend some quality time together before I moved to Toronto. Needless to say we were not together that much longer! To add insult to injury I managed to drop my camera down the gully on the approach to the bivy. This approach is ruthless!!!! It's like 45 degrees straight through the trees. It's so steep I dropped my camera down the trail and I thought it was long gone! Remarkably, after half-an-hour of searching I found it slotted under a root 30 meters or so down the gully. SWEET! On the descent our ropes got stuck. I led back up to try and free them but I dislodged a baseball sized rock that completely severed our rope about 10 meters from one end! This was one crazy trip. The climbing was nice, but I will never do this approach again! Bram, Tim, and Krystil did the standard route and had a nice time...maybe we should have done this as well to cut down on the suffering. At least the N Buttress was in the shade! The following weekend Gary S, Adrian B, and I went to do the Northeast Buttress of Slesse. Half of the glacier calved away just before we got onto it. I don't think Slesse likes me! Some pics: I am getting stoked for this summer. I am not going to work so starting June 12th I will be climbing full time! There will be lots of work going on at Nicolum Knob as well! Gear Notes: set of tcus, #0.75 to #2 camalot, set of nuts, pink and red tcus (always!) Approach Notes: the trail up the west side from Slesse Creek

just go to the campground and look for people...Jtree is a pretty social place.

I used Scarpa Alphas for a month camping between 5000 and 5500 meters and I was fine. The Alphas aren't very warm so you're probably better off with the Nepal Extremes.

POD is awesome! Would definetely recommend it! You can also continue above POD and do pitch 7, 8, 9, and 10 of Dream of Wild Turkeys which are also quite good quality. Bring 15 (or 16?) draws and a few tcu's, #0.75, #1 camalot for POD. For Dream of Wild Turkeys you will need a full rack with double TCU's through #3 camalot. Dark Shadows is awesome as well. If you look carefully in the photo you will see the small pond at the bottom of the climb. Good luck keeping your ropes dry! We tried using a stick with little success. If you don't mind downclimbing 5.6 you can also clip the first bolt on rappel to save them from getting wet but you have to climb back up afterwards to retrieve your draw. have fun!

Trip: Red Rocks - Various Date: 3/11/2007 Trip Report: Here's a quick photo trip report of my spring break trip to Red Rocks. I climbed the first half of the trip with a good friend of mine and former roommate from Vancouver, Pete. Pete had only climbed a few times before but he caught on really quickly. The second half of the trip I climbed with Krystil and Chris from Vancouver (friends from UBC). It was a well deserved vacation after the months of cold and snow in Ontario. Not to mention the two weeks of solid exams leading up to my break. Memorable moments included nights at the campfire with Pirate Ted and Captain Dan, our new friends from the bay area. Trashing the rental car on the road into Black Velvet. $1.99 breakfasts at the Red Rock Casino. Getting stuck behind the slowest party imaginable on Frogland and then deciding to retreat to the Black Corridor for drinking silliness. Great times around the campfire. If you were at our fires you probably loved us and if you were trying to sleep you probably hated us. Met Kevino and co. one night passing around a bottle of JD. Best routes were Prince of Darkness, Dark Shadows, and Dream of Wild Turkeys. Will be back again next year! avast ye scurvy sea dog! yes that is a beer bottle in that chalk bag! Olive Oil Ted on the second pitch of Prince of Darkness Line ups on Crimson Chrysalis...thank goodness for walkie talkie entertainment! rapping from POD Dirtbagging the $1.99 breakfasts at the Red Rock Casino! Pitch 2 - Dream of Wild Turkeys Pitch 3 - Krystil on Dream of Wild Turkeys Pitch 4 - Krystil at the crux slab moves on Dream of Turkeys Krystil and Chris Chris on pitch 7 of Dream of... Did you know that bolt hangers are designed to open bottles? Dark Shadows...FUN!!!!

Hey Kevino!!! Good times at Red Rocks... I will post my photos soon! You will have to make it up to Squamish this summer. Ted will be there too. AAAARRRGH MATEY!

I will be at Red Rocks from the 11th to the 19th (possibly a few days at Jtree in the middle). We may have odd numbers some days. I'll be sure to come by and say hi either way. Friendly Canadians.

I found some good prices with LAN Found a flight for 1140 US out of Toronto to La Paz July 10th return August 28th which is a steal. I've been looking at flights down there too. But leaning towards climbing in the Blanca again this year. Which will mean I will probably fly into Lima. If you do decide to fly into Lima be aware that you are in for one hell of a bus ride. Expect it take you at least 40 hours to La Paz, if not more.

Tell us more about the free hot springs near the dam? Are you refering to the Hoover?