waterboy

Mizuki was an ideal climbing partner. I was lucky enough to climb with her every season for the past 5 or so years. She was extremely strong as a climber but at the same time very easy to get along with, very accomodating, and respectful of everyone. Our running joke together was that every time we climbed we always accidentally went home with the other's gear, which required a follow-up meeting to exchange gear. More often than not she would volunteer to come by my work to perform the transfer - always laughing because it never failed that we went home with the other's gear - it was just the kind of person she was.

I heard that if you take a factor 2 on a figure 8 it actually becomes a figure 16.

Good report, Matt. I went up there on Oct 20 with Gary Shatswell to climb up the west buttress. We found the sidewalk equally slick and we only got one pitch up the route before being sketched by the slick rock.

I have the ice gloves (XL) and what I have found is that they are virtually impossible to put on if you have wet hands. The good news is that the gore-tex works well, so your hands will dry relatively quickly once you get your hands into them.