Kevin_Matlock

Combination of lack of experience with v-theads and, well, I'm just bored at work so my mind was wandering... what are your thoughts/experiences with Abalakovs? Please consider this a one-stop-shopping area to dump your knowledge about them (mods: pls make this a sticky if it amounts to anything) Some random questions to discuss: ( This link from way back when discusses some other questions.) -I've read in some places that this is a "new" technique. Wondering how long this has been around and what the hell people did before.... leaver screws? -is a 22 cm screw mandatory when making one? I get the whole point that you want the most depth into the ice as possible, but what happens if you only have a 17cm? Has anybody heard of someone ballsy enough to make one from a stubby?!?!? -if you run cord through it, how do you tie the ends: double fishermans? Some other mysterious "v-thread knot"? -for that matter, do you prefer cord or webbing? (assume a water knot if webbing is used) -these used only for pro -OR- for rapping? What about used for a top rope? Too sketchy to trust in an abusive TR scenario? -do you "always" prepare 2 of them for redundancy or is this only for less-than-perfect ice; in other words if the ice allows, is it sometimes OK to rap off a single v-thread? Anything else you wish to toss in feel free.

Paper! Snow! A ghost! nah.... didn't think so

Won't somebody think of the children!

Shit, if the first guy nailed just one more car and he woulda won the little toy dog! That almost looked intentional. Did he hit the first car and think "fuck it, my insurance rates are going up because of these assholes, I'm taking them ALL out!!!!"

Yeah, probably me. I was the lone gumby bouldering around at the base. Were you the man/woman team? Looked like a lot of fun. I was drooling to get on your rope but didn't want to horn in. What was your issues... couldn't run the v-thread? On that side I was on I ran some screws in to see if a thread would be an option.... it wasn't. Got maybe 10 or 12cm of a 17cm screw in before it bottomed out. Figured it would be a safer time just to stay low since I couldn't solo up and rap off. Oh well, still learning ice skillz anyway. Also noticed both my tool tips took a pretty bad beating even in that relatively short time I was on the ice. Musta been bashing rock that was much closer to the surface than I thought. If you ever need a 3rd, pm me!

Mine aren't persciption, but I think you oughta factor in all experiences. I had/have plant. faci. but instead of paying hundreds of bucks, I was told I could try some over the counter alternatives. There are hard, 3/4 lenth inserts. Think I paid in the $70 neighborhood at the special shoe store the doc suggested. It's been over 5 years and I still use them (if I don't I usually have heel pain return). I find that a combo of these inserts AND stretching before/after a run, with icing helps a lot! Also found that running the heel of my hand on the arch helps stretch this tendon and relieves the pain on the heel of my foot (for obvious reasons...). So, I can't say with 100% certainty that my orthos "fixed" my problem, but I feel in combination with the steps mentioned above, helps me keep this condition in check.

Just got back from Mist. It was reasonable! I'd hit it early... even though it was freaking chilly, in spots the ice was really soft and wet (climber's right). The rest of the area, specifically the "main" line headed up slightly left, looked pretty fun. Saw a couple on it and nothing looked to be crumbling under them. Not sure how long this will last though. Oh yeah... and there are more gorge lines to be had. Certainly not going to go down in history as great conditions, but there were several spots that looked like they'd go. It's out there, you just gotta look!

No, mine are Ural-Alp (Uralsport... see ebay). Also have an older Ti-Top screw which is a little less robust looking, IMO.

I have some ruski screws that are a couple years old (so maybe they are a newer style?). They have cofee grinders and seem to place reasonably well. I would (and have) trusted them on lead. Much better than my crapy $10 REI leaver screws. Can they compete with something like a BD screw? No. But for they are light weight and pretty inexpensive. With that being said, if I were doing some shit were a long fall was a pretty decent possibilty, I'd probably go with a nice strong, KNOWN screw.

squeek, squeek, squeek nice where was that?

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULFqnZEMLVg Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nlBBClK5hk

where are you located?

Portions of the outback @ skibowl were no better. SUPER hard ice mogul spears. yippee

ok, so spill it! directions, beta, approach notes, etc etc etc. never been, but like to at least scope it. thanx!!!

I was up there on Tuesday. Not a chance! There hasn't been enough melt/freeze cycles to allow water to freeze up on rock surface. If you want ice at skibowl, might I suggest the outback ski runs.... they were a bucket of crap the night I was up there.

I suspect I'll get shit for this, but I've sewn some of my own. I have an industrial machine and for reslinging my aid cams (and some hooks) this works fine. No, I don't bar tack them. No, I don't do the fancy little X pattern. I usually just run 5 to 7 stitches of several passes each and it's held my big butt. I just wonder why a fella couldn't use just any sewing machine... can't say I've done it so you'd have to experiment on your own. And let me stress, I AM talking about aid gear with the idea mostly of body weight placement (and may a single placement drop). Not sure if I'd place one of my homemade jobs on a run out lead.

It was a joke dude. it's all fun and games until REI puts an eye out.

Don't know if the bibler would be overkill. You said for backpacking and maybe some snow. This doesn't sound like "full conditions mountaineering" so maybe something a little less bombproof might work for ya. Many tents are pretty water tight these days (just do a little research) and you could probably save quite a bit of $$$ by not just going with a full-on climbing tent. If you want something that's going to be dry, just look for a bathtub floor design and a full fly. If you are out backpacking in warmer conditions (I assume you aren't going to be exclusively in shit conditions, are you?) then you will like the flexibility of a removable fly. Guess it would help if you said what types of trips you were doing.

also timmy, if you go please post pics (of the falls, not of any of your customers w/ their sauasage on a stick)

and will you also be painting charactures of people on route? i'd like to be drawn with clown shoes-N-pons please.

thanks for asking the question... you beat me to it!

Saw Steve House when he was in Salem talking about the Rupal Face climb. He talked a little about how he makes his own double bags. Found a little blurb related to this... http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index.php?/archives/1083-Saving-Weight-in-the-Mountains-Nunatak-Half-Sleeping-Bag.html

Alex, I recorded it (tape). Was planning on importing it onto my pc and maybe put it up on youtube. If I get this far I will see if I can make a dvd for you. I'll PM you if it turns out.

Hey dude; long time! Good call.... according to the OPB website - this Sun at 2:30am and 6:30pm. I think I'll stick with the latter since I don't have a tivo. Too bad is right. When (if) we get any gorge action, you up for another session? PM me if so.

bump Played again this eve... just caught the last few minutes of it. Looked pretty good, wish I caught the whole thing. Just gotta love those 2 year old repeats.