gyselinck

Regardless of what you guys think, we do get really cold weather here. Frost nip on the end of my pinky toe from last weekend proves this. And waking up to wet frozen boots in the morning for 2 days, taking 20 min or more to get them on just sucks. (even when I put them next to my chest to try to keep them warm durning the night), thats my reason for wanting plastics. Also, when I was ice climbing at banks and it was 3 degrees out, not including wind chill, ect...My synthetic boots didn't seem to do the trick. I don't just sit and wait for good weather like a lot of people and I don't have the money to travel to the good weather, in fact, I don't even have a car, yet I still manage to climb 4 - 5 days a week. I climb in all conditions, I just need something nice and warm for my feet. But, I'll admit, maybe you guys are all badasses and I am just a wimp.

Can anyone recomend a good plastic climbing boot for alpine stuff?

Yeah, I am cool aren't I?!

Climb: Mount Stuart-Ice Cliff Glacier attempt Date of Climb: 2/11/2005 Trip Report: First sights of Stuart and the Ice Cliff Glacier's massive wall. My first impressions. Our route up the wall. An icy pitch. Red arrow shows the hidden shrund, blue arrow shows the upper route. We bailed right here. North Ridge, Ice Cliff Glacier, Sherpa Glacier.

Climbed the Ice Cliff Glacier to the shrund, right before the upper gulley before a storm came in and massive amounts of spin drift forced us back down.

You can thank me for the broken trail.

Why? Was I crying like a baby? In the future you can bum a belay anytime, I do it all the time! Let me know next time you come without a partner, chances are that I'll be there.

I go to vantage about 4 times a week...I was there today...Where were you?...We only had three and would have liked to have had another person...Were you the guy who walked by as I was going up Stems and Seeds? Yeah, I am a fat ass and a little out of shape at the moment and that thing whooped me. Nice day, wasent it! Can I ask you a somewhat personal question? Lucky, why do you sign all your bolts with the name LUCKY? Silly you.

Don't buy used tools, its just a waste of money. You will spend a couple hundred on used tools only to findout you want new ones, so it costs more in the long run. Plus there is a good chance you will get some pretty crappy picks with your used tools, which is 90 something dollars right there to replace them. Someone once told me "your tools are like your arm, there a part of you." You will want nice ones. If you get bent or straight tools, it wont make a difference because you will learn to use them the way they are. I just started ice climbing this year and use the BD Rage. They are very, very, nice and not to spendy eaither.

There sure ain't any face features on Blue Autumn, its one fatty crack with one blank face. I think I was staying outside of the crack cause im used to haning by my hands. Arm bars just get me pumped, but I can see how sticking a leg in the crack thing could be good.

All this offwidth talk has got me thinking. Every offwidth that I have climbed has turned me into one pumped out little kid. I am ok with leading 5.11+ cracks as long as they are no wider then a fist jam. You can just lock in and feel totaly secure. But I flail and ultimatly fail on 5.10 offwidths. Whats the deal? Whats the technique?

Point well taken. I am an idiot. Thats why I climb. (note: Went back 2 days later to get cam, cam gone. It probably floated off to hell, where all metoluis cams belong.) Maybe I will see you at Vantage sometime and we can discuss the finer points of climbing.

I did it yesterday,...well at least half of it before I ran out of big gear and lowered. The smallest pieces it takes is around 3 inches. I found it surprisingly hard. Much harder then Bob's Your Uncle, Shrinking Ball Disease, and Stems and Seeds on lead. Hell, it even seemed harder then Red M&M...but maybe I am not an offwidth kind of guy.

I assume the mobs came last weekend to Vantage...Whoever left the number 6 (green) Met. cam half way up a popular climb on Sunshine is an idiot. I was soloing, worked on it for about a minute, then decided I had more important things to worry about. That sucker could easily come out with a little nut tool action. I don't need any more cams, but if you want it back I will trade you for a number 1 or 2 nut, which I lost. Or should I say broke...

Is the punch bowl still in, I was wondering if all the icicles fell down during the heat wave? Just checked the weather and its about 30 degrees in Banks right now, 32 here in E-burg.

Has anyone seen Arctic Grail at Vantage, wondering if it was in, what about Running Gear Death Wall? Any pictures?

Post deleted by gyselinck

My friend who got these tools contacted CAMP directly and they said: CAMP will continue to produce those picks for quite a few years to meet demand. The best place to order spares right now is directly through CAMP USA by calling 1.877.421.CAMP. There a good deal on REI, get em!

Does this warm weather mean Banks is done for the year? Or could it be a sign of good things to come if it gets cold again the following week?

Alpental parking lot, where the bridge fell down.

A couple weeks ago it was 20 when we went there, we were surprised to see another group as well. Just bring lots of clothes, bundle up, and have fun. For the past three weeks its risen above 32 degrees just once. Don't boulders say theres good friction when its cold?

I've been going there all winter. It is good anytime of the year, that means now too. Watch out for loose rock though.

There is a micro climate back there. It seems to be the first ice in and the last ice out. I am predicting it will be good for another month, even if the weather is in the 40's here. Right now its 28, were on the edge.

One to many ice junks bounced off my head last week, your right. Umptanum is a good place to do some laps, get stronger, maybe do a first lead, first solo, mess up your picks, mess up your friends picks, or whatever..It's just fun. Let me know if there is anyone else. It's in major good condition.

If your a local and want to go bang up your picks sometime this week at Umtanuem, send me a PM. (Just kidding about the picks, it's big, fatty, leadable, soloable, and top ropeable.)