JosephH

We'd need a seperate Opdycke forum if Jim ever got a computer.

Layton, yeah, the 14.7mp acts like a significant zoom all by itself. On the case/sling thing, getting a camera off my harness and out of the case to shoot on lead was too much hassle compared to it mounted on the shoulder strap, but then I climb with that gear sling anyway as I can't deal with gear on my harness (yeah, I know, it's an old guy thing).

Canon SD990 Lowepro Rezo 15 case (lose the strap) Retractable Key Leash (attach to camera) Metolius Big Wall Gear Sling Attach the Rezo case horizontally high on the Gear Sling's left shoulder strap so the case opens towards your chest. Attach the key leash to the same shoulder strap below the case. With one hand you can now pop the camera out and shoot while on lead and even just throw it into space if you had to. It's what I do anyway.

I've seen all you guys free climb and you all could be way solid at it - if you wanted to - but the aid thing is kind of cool on it's own, and yes, in part because of all the cool, less traveled parts of Beacon you've been hitting. I go back and forth between the cool and slacker view of it. Edit: and not that what I think should matter fuck all with the loads of fun you are so OCD about.

I don't know. Seems like a lot more than the weather is going on with all this given trips to the Valley and all. As I said, interesting to watch unfurl.

It's interesting to see an aid renaissance cycle through so many years after a free one. Turn! Turn! Turn! To every thing there is a season...

Lot of good reasons in my case.

Works for me, anyway...

we used shunts all the time when working on cellpone towers but id be hard to find any solid use for them in any aspect of rock climbing Used as I describe above they're THE way to effortlessly rap with heavy loads - particularly when doing anchor replacement or cleaning routes.

Pics?

It isn't an improvement of any type; it's an entirely different deal altogether. Don't use it a for backing up a rap (though you could)- use it for rapping with loads.

Get a Petzl Shunt if you're going to be rapping with significant loads with any frequency. Put it directly on your belay loop and put your rap device off the belay loop above the Shunt by a draw's length. Put your load off the belay device and forget about both the load and the belay device. Rap with your high hand on the Shunt and your low hand on the rope. Effortless.

My motto is: "if you can't climb hard, climb strange" I can still do some of the former and a lot of the latter.

You started when I was 5 and I'm frigging 57 and been climbing for 36 years this month - dude, you're what I still aspire to - way to pull on it.

I'm too old but do it anyway. So should you. There's an old SoIll saying that's relevant here - "f#ck'em if they can't take a joke".

RB is the most dangerous place I've ever climbed, especially this time of year what with the rain. Be execptionally careful wandering around anywhere near an edge out there - that clay gets slick as snot and it's easy to lose your balance when wearing one of those hazmat suits. Also, if you need a skilled Russian interpreter for the cleanup then Bill Coe is your man. Oh, and watch out for the phantom chopper.

Hopefully we won't be blessed like the eight year f#cking we got the last time the repubs had office.

Well, hopefully they won't f#ck us any worse than they already have.

http://www.intellicast.com/Global/Satellite/Infrared.aspx?region=hipacsat&animate=true *Very stormy period developing for all of California; potential for major flooding*

(1) A person who engages in mountain climbing during the months of November, December, January, February, and March shall use an electronic signaling device when climbing a mountain at a point above the timberline.

Thank god that maintenance guy from the school saw the commotion and offered to haul the stuff away - I was beginning to wonder how I was going to do it with the Camry or where I'd take it.

I think the progression on the Friends can be best seen in what kind of nut secures the ends of the axle. Mine were all stolen in the late 80's in front of my now wife's house. Always had them double slinged East coast style for horizontals and never had a complaint except for a #3 that exploded into a million pieces in Eldo once. Good thing it was backed up by a bomb nut.

I can't believe you even bother with a rope on Blackberry. You should be forced to down-solo it blindfolded so that it would at least be a challenge. I happen to like the lines out at the Butte and don't mind winching the occasional dishwasher or engine block out of the place, but I don't think the environs do it for most folks. And for some reason I don't mind other folks at the Butte, probably so that someone can tell the wife in case I do the slip-and-slide off the top.

Will enjoy reading that one myself. I went round and round between the Montbell and Mtn Hardware before setttling on the Compressor - really like all the Montbell stuff I have.