gwhayduke

I'm looking for a pair of leather boots (or plastics if I can't find any that fit me well), but I just moved to Washington a couple weeks ago so I'm not sure where to start. Has anyone had any great experiences at a smaller store with really knowledgeable and friendly employees? Thanks.

Hey, I'm from New York, but moving to Olympia this summer. I saw on the Warehouse web site that there's a foam ice wall. I've never been ice climbing, but I'm anxious to learn. Is this in any way similar to learning to rock climb in the gym? I understand that it'd be better to actually climb ice, but until I meet some people willing to take me and a car to get there in, I've got to work with what I have. Is the foam actually fun to climb, or is it more just for testing the swing of new tools and so on?

The Paradise visitor's center was my next guess too. hah!

So I started bouldering in August. It lasted two weeks until school started and I started working full-time. Now I've cut back on my hours and I have time for it again. I got a membership at a local gym 5 days ago and have gone every day. Towards the end of my last two sessions, I've gotten some really ugly pains in my left elbow (and to a lesser degree my shoulder.) Do you think the best thing to do is keep going, and the pain will go away as I get stronger? Or maybe only go every other day until my strength builds up? Any recommendations as far as stretching or specific non-climbing exercises to help with this?

Man, this could seriously jeopardize my trip to Cho Oye.

Unbelievable.

Physical Demands: Required climbing activity at elevations from below 1000 feet to over 14,410 feet. over 14,410? Man, I knew those rangers were superhuman.

Likewise.

I want to practice tying knots without dropping $150 on a rope. Does anyone have an old rope, or even a segment of a rope they'd be willing to send me? I'd be willing to pay for shipping. Just think... maybe someday we'll be on the same team and my knowledge of knots will depend on whether or not you sent me a rope...

If anyone needs another use for retired rope, I'm looking for some to practice tying knots with. I've tried using other kinds of rope, but it's not the same. I want some 11mm rope to practice with. So, if anyone wants to help me out I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

Yeah, I get the bit about finding the right fit. That's fine, and I know that I I'm the only one who can figure that out. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from reading some reviews it seems like the Nuptse is more built for general mountaineering and the Alphas are designed more for technical ice. If that's true, which boot do you think is more of a compromise between the two? I'm trying to find this balance between a comfortable and sturdy boot. I know that I'll be using my boots for glacier travel, but I'm not sure how much I'll be using them for ice. I'm really excited to learn how to ice climb, but I don't know anyone to take me out and learn. Uh, I'm trying to form a question around those thoughts, but I think you get my point. Thanks again for your help. I really appreciate it.

I've never seen anything like those. I'm sort of having a hard time figuring out how they work. How would you wear crampons with those? Wouldn't they flex too much? I really don't get it. And as for the Nuptses, I've heard good things about them. They look a little spendy, but if they're durable I'd be willing to shell it out. I have Sportiva rock shoes that fit my feet like a glove... do you think that means I'd likely have good luck with their boots?

Uh, I don't know if more has been posted about this or if I'm actually breaking something here, but... http://www.rmiguides.com/htmldocs/dateline_article.asp

Thanks for the great response, Jason. I understand that you can't take someone's advice on how a boot fits, but I don't really have enough information to decide whether to shop for a leather or plastic boot. I used plastics last August on Rainier and my feet wouldn't talk to me for a month. They were probably not the right size or shape for my feet, but I'm still attracted to leathers more than plastics because of this. Are there certain leathers that are warm enough for winter ascents and sturdy enough for ice climbing? Is there such a thing as leathers with removable liners? That sounds counter-intuitive, but I thought I'd ask anyway. Thanks again.

Hi all. I'm fairly new to the alpine climbing. I begged, borrowed, and stole enough gear last summer to climb Rainier via the Emmons route, and now I'm looking to buy some of my own stuff. I'm looking for boots, but I've encountered a few problems. First of all, I don't trust many of the reviews I read online because I don't know who wrote them. I've done some searching on this board, but boot reviews are generally comparing and contrasting individual boots. Right, that's what I'm looking for, but it's a painful process to look through countless pages to find threads about a few different boots. Also, I don't have my own computer and it's hard for me to find the time to look through them. I've done some reading in Freedom of the Hills, but that's more about boot construction and style rather than reviews of specific brands. Is there anywhere online to find a guide? I'm looking for a boot that's warm enough for winter ascents in the cascades. I'm also interested in learning to ice climb, so I would like to find a boot that is a bit more versatile. Thanks for any help.