fatswaller

Wenatchee is a fine place to see small headed large white people.Or is that Whitenatchee.But what about the gym at the airport in East Whitenatchee?That Thai place by Miller Street isn't to bad.

Hard to beat the Assininboine pass route for scenery.Its fairly casual and the miles go by fast.Once past the head wall there is no need for mt. boots or crampons in a dry year.We only belayed a short bit at the upper rock band and ran the rest.Made 4 to 5 raps on the decent. Not to hard a route by Rockies standard in the right conditions.Great peak to bag.

Even thougth I am over the hill, I would recommend the hook creek approach. Its just a matter of finding the best route from yellow jacket tower to hook creek. Once thougth that,it is not bad.It is certainly a quick route out.

I don't remember the section above the pressure chamber as being that difficult.We stepped right and up a crack to exit the chamber.Then traversed left and up a short steep crack to the top. From the belay just below the pressure chamber,we made the top in one pitch.

A few years back,I was working in the bay area.It seemed like Tuolomne was always my area of choice.In my opinion, it is home to some of the finest slab/face routes in the world.Most of the classic's are run out with 1/4" bolts. On more than one occasion,I would be way out from my last piece of pro wondering what I was going to do next.Only to find an old rusty 1/4" hidden in a patch of dark colored rock staring me in the face.Relieved,I would start laughing hysterically.When I would regain my composure I would clip and move on.Some of my favorites were Crescent Arch,The Vision,Shadow of Doubt,Aqua knobby,Needle Spoon,Shit Hooks,Lucky Streaks,and Rosanne.Roseanne on Fairview Dome might be the best,well worth the run out on the upper pitches.Fairview has got to be the finest crag in the country that is easy walking distance from the car.The rock has the most amazing colors and features of any that I have climbed on.

Don't do it pops it ain't healthy. I would be kicked out and booted on my first day. I was better off climbin' with chuckles and the guzzler than those clowns.

I don't remember the line of mashies but I do remember the the trips down to the park and under the bridge when I should of be in class or lunch in 1971.

Steve Ansell,there is a name from the past.He's probably more well known in the music world.Last time I talked to him,he was holding down a viola chair for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.Quite an accomphished cat.Don't know if he's been climbing lately but I'm sure he's good off the couch.

Last time I climbed there,this charactor named BIlly Bum Trip was hanging out at the boulder.He'd just stand there and babel at us.Use to see him around the U-District.I'm sure he lived next door to the boulder.Any one ever see him around anymore?

Back in the early eighties,we did the first couple pitches of the Town Crier.We were lounging on big honker ledge when I noticed a few small rocks wizzing by.All of a sudden it started raining large rocks.This went on for what seemed like an eternity,maybe a half hour.We pressed up against the wall and tried to be small while screaming at the top of our lungs to who ever to stop.Finally the trundling stopped and we rappelled back to the ground gripped out of our minds.We assumed it was trundlers but could never find out for sure.I have never heard of this happening to any other climbers untill now.I have visited the Index Cell Tower,located above the Town Walls,for jobs recently and have noticed a lot of strange folks in the area.Lots of 4 wheelers,dirt bikers,and yahoos that would have no idea people might be climbing below.

Boy,Im glad I don't have this route on my list.Although there really aren't any technical difficulties on this route.It is really difficult to get a combination of good conditions and weather.The rock fall can be really bad late season and the deep snow and weather can be bad untill at least mid june.We did the route in mid July in 1981,we only roped up for the glacier travel and not the route.We hiked in from Ipsut Creek,a long hike with alot of elevation gain and camped at Curtis ridge.We waited until the afternoon of the next day for the weather to clear and made it to thumb rock that evening.The weather was perfect when we started the next morning.Once above thumb rock we started experiencing rock fall that was as bad as I have ever seen.Huge boulders were rolling down on us from a formation known as the Black Pryamid.These things would be bouncing down the slope straight at us and bounce off at the last second.Gripped,I started running up as fast as I could to get above the Black Pryamid and out of the rock fall.Fortunately we made it to Liberty cap in one piece. We staggered across to Columbia crest and went down the Emmons glacier.We managed to hike back to our car that night but it was along ways back to Ipsut creek.Wished we started at White River instead.With the heavy snow we 've had at the upper elevations,mid-June or July should be good for this year.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "THE WHITE TOWER" with Lloyd Bridges as the superior nazi climber and Glenn Ford as the good guy american sap.Based on a fictional James Ramsey Ullman book.Its hilarious with the totally serious, fanatical Lloyd bridges saying "To rest is not to conquer".

watching Hogan's hero's re runs to train my German accent to speak with German speaking climbers in the Western Alps.Memorizing quotes from the Eiger Sanction is good also.

I would start with yellow bird and jam session.

I've been wanting to do this for years.I will provide the bolts and hangers.