sitandbefit

I'm heading to tropical Valdez for spring break. The plan is to climb ice until my legs and arms explode. Anyone climbed up there, how about must-do routes (Hard 4's and easy 5's)? Matt

Do you want to climb Everest? Have you read "Into Thin Air?" How did you get the rope up there? How many camps does it take to get to the top? What were you feeling on the summit day? What did your wife/girlfriend think about you unnecessarily risking your life? What kind of camera lens did you use?

http://themountainworld.blogspot.com/ - Here's some explanation that I came across. Mainstream media jumped on the "news" that Denali National Park has established a cap of 1,500 on climbing permits for Mt. McKinley in its new Backcountry Management Plan, finalized this month. Denali has not yet seen 1,500 attempts in a season; the record was 1,340 last year, about 20 percent above the average for the 1990s. But if 2,000 climbers suddenly did apply for permits, the new cap would be a blessing (though administering it likely would be a big headache for the NPS). The West Buttress route, which most mountaineers attempt, is already severely overcrowded during peak season, diminishing the experience for everyone. A cap sucks when it keeps you off the mountain the year you want to go, but it truly is a case of being the greatest good for the greatest number. Incidentally, the media have reported that one justification for the cap is safety. This may indeed have been part of the NPS rationale, but statistics don't back it up. The American Alpine Club last year produced a fascinating report on perception vs. reality in the risks and costs of mountaineering, and one section showed that while the number of attempts on Denali grew from an annual average of 751 in the 1980s to 1,240 in the first five years of this decade, the ratio of fatalities per attempt has fallen 93 percent in the same period. Along with better gear and training, the NPS' educational efforts, and better-trained and equipped rescue services, the AAC report attributes the decline in fatalities to more people on the popular routes. More clmbers in the area generally equals quicker rescue. Thanks to dogged work by the AAC, Denali's final management plan is largely positive for climbers. Among other things, it caps guided climbers at 25 percent of the total on Denali, toughens human-waste standards so North America's highest peak will stay relatively clean (a big problem as warmer springs melt back glaciers, exposing god knows what), and establishes a climbing-only zone in the Little Switzerland area of the park to limit glacier landings for cruise-ship tourists. Read the Denali Backcountry Mangement Plan here.

Sorry about to get off the topic of the thread, great reviews so far. If I mate these with my M10 crampons, will I be limited to climbing M10 or can I climb to the boots capacity of M11? Or is there a duplicating effect where I can now climb M21 (previously only climbable in Vail and lycra-infested parts of Europe). I only ask because of my recent injuries from using a 5.10 climbing shoe outside of its recommended parameters. Thank you, Matt

Sorry man, apparently nobody wants to help. If you come out to Wyoming I'll take you up to Cody. Or I could meet you in Colorado at RMNP.

This is my favorite post of '06 thus far. I was in the stands in Salt Lake when Ono "won" his gold. I like the sport, once every four years. Boardercross, however, is a joke.

Life of repo man is always intense

My buddy did this. He cut some stuff off the bottom of the cobras to get the Viper thing to fit. It seems to work well. I didn't see the cutting process so I have no idea if it affects (sic?) the structural mumbo jumbo.

I grew up in Wyoming so maybe this is skewed. We do have one of the highest per capita meth usages in the town I grew up in. Every kid that I knew in high school that amounted to anything other than a tweaker spent the summers in NOLS or on an oil rig. I did the oil rig. I think hard work changes you. Boosts your self-confidence, teaches you about what difficulty really is (high school, not difficult; working a 12 hour shift 7 days a week, difficult). I would vote for NOLS as there is less of a chance of losing your arm or falling out of a derrick. Plus with NOLS you don't end up with a shitload of money in your bank account which is a recipe for disaster when you are 16.

My vote goes to the Rocky Mtn. Ski Lodge as well. It has a freaking huge hottub.

I guided backpacking trips all summer. The clients paid for the food and cooked. All I did was walk, keep from getting too lost, find campsites 200 ft from water, and keep up some sort of banter. Plus I planned the trips so I could scope climbs and conditions. ... and the boss ran a pack string so he would take me and my gear way up in the mountains, and then pick me up some days later. It was so much fun that it felt like a scam.

"Take to the Limit" also had a badass title song. It really upped the drama during the top-roped 60 degree 5.1 speed climbing climax. I don't wanna ruin it but one contestant was bit by a snake and another contestant was a real hero. Take it to the limit, limit. [repeat ad nauseum]

Pull my finger

I pulled one of these ti screws on body weight in good ice. I crapped my pants. For what it cost me to replace the pants, I could have bought some nice screws. The moral of the story is that you have to pay one way or the other.

I have the older CM Quarks (pre-trigger) and do the conduit thing as well on the bottom. The existing pinky rest works well to support the conduit. I think the rages have a smaller pinky rest/protector that would be similarly suited. I tried to make hand matching ones too but it was a massive pain in the ass. It seemed that they were in such a spot that they got bent every time I pulled over a bulge. Just go to Ace (skip Home Depot/Lowe's b/c it takes four hours to find anything and check out) and get some conduit hangers. Hacksaw off the kinked side to make a U. Then tape the hangers on the top of the pinky rest with some climbing tape. Cover it with electrical tape for water resistance and go climbing. This will be enough to get you sufficiently addicted so you will gladly sell plasma for a new set of tools.

I have the same multi-sport thermos as olyclimber. Its function allows me to fill it with hot cocoa and peppy schnapps for an evening of car camping and without any modifications carry coffee ice climbing the next day. A Johnny Cash sticker identifies it as mine and encourages me to not suck.

Ice climbing: That last screw is way down there, shit. Holy fuck this ice is all shee-it. Holy shit, I am puckering so hard my gaiters are involved. FUCK!! This is retarded, this screw won't go in, FUCK!!! FUCK ME, I HATE THIS!!! Never again, never a-fuckin-gain. Aaaah, there it goes, this climb fucking rules!

I hate to defend the oil industry as I worked for it and saw firsthand how bad the methods are, but I am curious about the subsidization argument. Here in Wyoming the oil industry pays for everything, the only thing we give the oil companies is the virginity of the wilderness areas, etc. As far as monetary subsidies I am unaware of any.

Teddy Roosevelt - national parks #1

that rhetoric broke down quick

Or else they will be dead, which also satisfies the conservative agenda.

I doubt that it is a common name. A quick internet search didn't yield any results. I love a good brawl story, care to give a quick recap?

The page says that Fabrizio Zangrilli owns the company. I saw a slideshow of his at the Cody ice fest a few years back. It was truly sick. On every slide that he showed his routes on, he showed another route that he thought was cooler. His main thing was that using leashless tools in the big mountains would allow small teams to climb through mixed and nasty terrain really, really fast. This was three seasons ago I think. Just a discussion point really, seems like he knows his stuff.

My grandma's dog was named Snoose. Great name.