hemp22

I have a cilogear pack too. I recently got a 60L, and haven't really tested it out yet (all I've had in it so far is a rope & rack - used in the compressed mode). But it's light, the fit is great, and the versatility is hard to beat. they're a great deal for the price right now. I wish I could comment already on durability and travel under a heavy load, but I'll hopefully be getting more use out of it soon. But I can say that working with crackers was a good experience... good customer service, helpful and answered all my questions.

you can send them all to Yates to be reslung. Yates will do them regardless of manufacturer. I've heard they're good about doing things however you want too - different colors, lengths, etc. check out the following photo (found on RC.com) of cams slung w/ 18" slings so they can be extended or carried tripled like a runner.

I believe the one on the arete (the one on the left side of the SE "face") is an 11a or b. i think the crux of the climb would be better protected with a boulder pad than with the bolts that are there. after that part it eases up. The one to the right of it (middle route on SE face that jport called 5.9+), is supposed to be 10a. Or at least that's the 3rd hand information that I got when I was out there.

Normally this time of year can be great for Smith. But right now, the forecast does look a tad cold for the end of this week. Cold & Snowy on Friday/Saturday means you might be better off skiing at Bachelor those days, but it looks like sunny and 40+ on Sunday & Monday, so those days could be good. As long as the sun comes out to warm the rock up, then 40 degrees can be very comfortable when you're climbing. As for routes, you'll just want to stay in the sun all day - that usually means sticking to the south facing walls. Or, when it's cold in the morning, the hike up to Koala Rock / Marsupials can be a good way to warm up, and a lot of routes up there get plenty of sun.

there's a new recall FAQ on the CCH website: http://www.aliencamsbycch.com/recall/faq.html

corvallis, a summary of the developments on the other sites is something like this: - one guy sent his 4 dimpled aliens back in. CCH received them on 1/20/06, and he got all 4 replacement cams today (1/30/06). - if you do send yours in, note that there's a mistake in the CCH mailing address listed on their website - it's actually "115 East Lyons Street" instead of "115 Lyon Street" (This is information that another guy got from the post office) - The original guy who had the orange alien fail that started this whole thing back in december talked to Dave on the phone today (1/30/06), and according to that phone conversation, CCH has begun pull-testing every cam they produce. - another guy tested his 150-lb body weight on 2 of his dimpled aliens, and 1 of the 2 broke during his test. those are probably the only updates worth reporting so far.

From Beyond Fleece: Beyond's Semi Annual Sale is this weekend! Sat. & Sun - January 21st & 22nd 10:00-4:00 Address: 1025 Conger St. #8 Eugene, OR 97402 From downtown, go out West 11th and turn right at the Burger King. 40-60% off incredible cold weather clothing This weekend only - at Beyond's Production Facility At Beyond's Semi Annual sale, find incredible deals on top of the line fleece and soft shells. Custom made, these products have come back to us and are ready for you! Short, or tall, and petite or long; hundreds of jackets, pants, vests and pullovers that will fit you, and look great too! This sale is only at the facility and is not available online. Come on down! Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested in stocking up on perfect technical products for themselves or as gifts. 1025 Conger St. #8 in Eugene Cold Fusion Jackets - more than 50% off @ $95 - Usually $200

There are some additional sample pictures of the "dimple" at the following sites: http://www.aliencams.com/recall.html http://alpenglowgear.com/gear/index.php?main_page=alien_recall perhaps mattp or someone could add those pictures to the other one in the cc.news post. In other news, REI.com has WC zeros on sale for $40 right now.

from CCH, posted on RC.com: Colorado Custom Hardware, (CCH) has recently completed an investigation and extensive testing to identify and isolate safety issues concerning the brazing on CCH Alien cams. The safety of our customers is our number one priority. Testing has revealed that there was a brazing issue with specific cams made after November 2004. The units to be identified are marked with a small center punch dimple at the base of the round ball where the axle goes through the cable eye. Although few failures have been reported, CCH recommends immediately discontinuing the use of any Aliens with this mark. CCH is recalling the cams with the identifying punch mark. Please return them to CCH for a new replacement unit. You can mail your cams to: Colorado Custom Hardware, Inc ATTN: Brazing Recall 115 E. Lyon St Laramie, WY 82072 If you are not sure if your cams are included in the recall, please contact us at (307)721-9385. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and we are doing everything possible to correct it quickly. There will be a photograph on our web site to help to identify the cams that need to be returned. The Web site address: Aliencamsbycch.com Sincerely, Colorado Custom Hardware, Inc 115 E. Lyon St Laramie, WY 82072

this response from mountain gear shows the test results that they got: www.mountaingear.com/aliens it was also just posted on RC.com

Stick clip left today (11/19/05) by one of the many parties out at Broughton's bluff. We packed it out as it was after dark and no one was left climbing that we could find. Reply or PM me w/ description & where it was and I'll get it back to you. We left a note at the base of the trail too.

hey ajm - check your PM about smith next weekend

The weather should be fine at Smith over thanksgiving. it'll be cold at night and in the mornings, but no, there probably won't be snow on the ground. I'd imagine it'll be somewhat crowded because of the long weekend, but that'll depend somewhat on the forecast. Dogs are supposed be leashed and in the owner's control at all times (and this means the leash actually being held by a person, not tied to a tree or anchored in the rock). So as long as you keep control of them and they're not unfriendly dogs, then yes it is dog-friendly. for routes - just peruse the guidebook and see what jumps out at you, but here are some starter recommendations: Spiderman - 5.7 2p Sky Chimney or Sky Ridge - 5.7 3p each Lion's Jaw - 5.8 1p Monkey Face West Face Variaion - 5.8 3p Out of Harm's Way - 5.8 1p Moonshine Dihedral - 5.9 1p Whereever I May Roam - 5.9 5p (All Bolted) Zebra/Zion - 5.10a 4-5p Thin Air - 5.9 or 10a 3-4p (way the hell up on Koala Rock - starts trad but the last couple pitches are bolted I think) i'm sure other people will have some favorites too.

I think you're right - there's gonna be a lot of people there. So this may be imporant - I saw this on one of the flyers: "Seating is limited, so please bring your own chairs".

For approach shoes, there are quite a few out there that could probably fit your needs, but you're right, they can be kind of hard to find. Normal sports/outdoors stores don't usually carry them & REI has a very limited selection, so you're probably best off going to a local climbing gear store and trying on what they have. If you tell us what city you're in, I'm sure someone on here could tell you which local gear shops to try. For approach shoes, I currently have some La Sportiva Exum Ridges, which they market as a trail running shoe, but they have sticky rubber on them - so they're pretty good for something that's light enough to run in but also has good friction. for pants, I'd also say Schoeller is a good idea for flexibility & breathability. check out www.beyondfleece.com - they make custom-fit soft-shell jackets & pants, and they have a couple different versions of schoeller available. also, all the pants or whatever are totally customizable with options like extra pockets, leg zips, etc for an additional price. on some of their pants they offer the option of a Reinforced/Durable ankle area, so I think if you contact them, they could probably do something like give you reinforced/durable patches at the knees or wherever else you think you might need them. the Beyond Fleece gear is a little pricey and you'll have to wait a bit while they custom make your order, but it's well worth it.

Bump. just thought I'd throw out a reminder about this Madrone Wall event on Sunday for PDX'ers. as stated in the Access Issues thread - the county expects to make their final decision at the end of this year.

I have one of these and I really like it - but I think it's best suited for following multipitch trad, or for carrying stuff on a long easy climb. I find that the shoulder strap gear slings on the Manu don't work really well for keep things well-organized and easily accessible. Whatever gear you have racked on the upper sling ends up just sitting on top of the stuff on the lower sling on each side, so some of the stuff is harder to get to. so when leading near our limit, I like to have the leader use a normal over-the-shoulder gear sling, and have the follower wearing the Manu with the shoes, food, etc in it. The location of the gear slings on the shoulder straps is definitely nice and convenient for cleaning, and it's just the right size to carry some water, food, and approach shoes.

Just a reminder - Broughton Bluff Adopt-a-Crag this Sunday. Some more detailed info about what will be going on: 9:30 AM - 1:00-ish, with time to climb during and after the cleanup. Focus will be on erosion control at Hanging Gardens wall (getting in some posts & beams where the ground is falling away at the high-use area underneath Edges & Ledges and the Sickle.), and also at Nettle removal beyond Spring Rock. Access Fund will provide Nalgenes, Snacks, and Sunscreen. Bring clothes for the weather, and bring work gloves. Forecast looks like it'll be a beautiful day on Sunday.

Hey all, sorry for the delay, but I was up in leavenworth all week. Here's some info on the Broughton's cleanup: When: Sunday, September 25, 2005. starting at 9:00 AM (or maybe it was 9:30). and going until 2:30PM Where: Lewis & Clark State Park a.k.a. Broughton's Bluff What: Crag clean-up, trail maintenance, etc. Plan on wearing some work clothes, and bring some work gloves. check the weather and dress accordingly - the work will happen rain or shine. Last year we did a lot of erosion-prevention work on the main trail from the park up to the cliffs, plus some trail cleanup out by bat wall. There's also usually an effort to clean up any unsightly gear that is stuck on routes (i.e. the cam that was stuck on sheer stress for years - there are some mangled stuck cams on both Gandalf's & No Friction right now that could probably come out with some work with the right tools). This event is usually sponsored by REI, clif bar, etc - so volunteers can usually expect to get some free clif bars, coffee, etc while they're there working. And once the work is done, people usually string up a few climbs of varying difficulty for everyone to play on, so bring your harness, shoes, and gear too. hope to see lots of folks out there. http://www.accessfund.org/regions/aac/OR

Hey - yes the Rocky Butte adopt-a-crag was today - and I feel crappy because I totally forgot about it until it was too late (but i was stuck working anyway). But I heard that they hauled off like 25 hefty bags worth of garbage. Didn't have enough people to work on any real route or trail maintenance though. The Broughton's adopt-a-crag is in a couple weeks - Sept 25th I believe. i can get more info and post here if you'd like.

There's a crag down in Southern Oregon called Rattlesnake. He's not referring to Rattlesnake Rock in Leavenworth.

Hey, what about access to the other cheakamus crags - the forest road up to the parking by Conroy's castle, or the parking for rogue's gallery. Are either of those open right now? Thanks

I second the recommendation for City of Rocks. there's a ton of great climbing there. you can get guide books to City of Rocks & Castle Rock at the gear shop in Burley. I think it's worth the drive from boise if you have 1 long full day, or can stay there overnight. As an ex-NoPo'er, I'd be glad to recommend some good routes that are probably in your range there. You can also check out http://www.boiseclimbs.com/ for a pretty comprehensive list of the crags around boise

Hey all - note that as of a week or two ago there was a bit of poison oak at the ledge at the top of Emotional Rescue & those climbs. (bad day to forget the Tecnu - I'm still recovering). I think I'm on an opposite schedule from most of the folks here, but I'm sure that some day I'll see the big herd of climbers... I'm tempted to go today because I haven't been on Birds & White Rabbit in forever, but I have a previous engagement. what do you guys use for anchors for those climbs?

On Monday, it was amazingly empty. we didn't see any other climbers anywhere at the butte. there was only one truck parked there when we arrived, and even it was gone by the time we left at ~7:00pm (my partner had to bail early on Monday, and how he's completely flaked out on me for today). I guess everyone's on a Tues-Thurs schedule... Do you guys usually climb at silver bullet or toothpick?