darstog

Running a lap on Golden Road, the GriGri on my harness popped off in the chimney section on P1. Fell either into the abyss or down to the hill a ways. Happy to arrange some sort of reward if found.

Unfortunately, I still have some hardware in my right ankle and the $1.99 gas station flip-flops don't cut it (I'm fine barefoot, but crappy shoes (or snowshoeing, which is awful in and of itself) tend to aggravate an already-less-than-ideal pedal situation. Ergo, I have to bypass the cheapies in the quiver of approach/decent shoes. The chacos fit a great niche. Just enough support, light, sticky...

Dude, the .10a to the left of Octopus' Garden got the smackdown in the non-sticky flips! (full disclosure: it's 5.6 with one move of 5.10... and I was on top-rope...) If it's the Sportivas that I can think of, then you can have them. I wouldn't want to walk more than a hundred yards in those things, whereas I know of somebody doing the approach to the N Ridge of Stuart in the flips.

Just got 100% better. Chaco flips with sticky rubber. Weigh very little. Take up ZERO room in the pack. I've used the non-sticky versions on some pretty sketchy slabs, the sticky versions are going to be AMAZING. Just got them in the mail. Seem very similar in stickiness to some of my approach shoes. Chaco Flips with Sticky Rubber If I weren't working 80 hour weeks, I'd be drooling about getting these on some granite in this incredible weather!

I spent the past two days climbing with Stephen. He's a very interesting guy, very articulate, a great storyteller. Looking forward to the show tonight, I'm sure it will be excellent.

I finally registered for this class. Hope others are and that there will be a good crew of climbers in this class.

PM sent. If anybody knows "motamota," could you please let them know that I've sent them a message? With one post and a registration date of this post, I don't know how often motamota check's this board. And my wife bought me that jacket and almost killed me when I lost it...

Trip: Quoddy Head State Park (reconnaissance), Lubec, ME - Various Date: 7/29/2009 Trip Report: Easternmost Crag in the US. It was an extraordinarily wet summer in Downeast Maine. After days and days of rain, I took the family (and a couple of my daughter's friends) on a short dayhike to Quoddy Head State Park. I had heard rumors of amazing, 100' sea cliffs and the legendary Mainiac (unrepeated 5.14?, 5.13c?, 5.impossible?) and a number of other climbs. Here are some photos. Maybe somebody has visited and has more beta and can comment. There's very little info on the web. Next year I hope to return with a rope, climbing partners of age, and some better weather. We were only able to hike maybe 1 of the 2 miles of sea cliffs (the 5 year-old got tired and it was raining). There may be more cliffs. There may not be. It was wet. East side of largest crag I saw: West side of largest crag I saw: This could be 5.11. This could be 5.14. It was very wet. Cave below face. Climbable when dry? A smaller crag W of the previous pictures: Gear Notes: Slings for trees. Approach Notes: Easy-breezy. Enter Quoddy Head SP. Take immediate R fork. Park in gravel lot. Hike E along coastline. Go when not wet.

I'm taking this course to re-certify my WFR: http://www.catlin.edu/upper/outdoor-program/wilderness-first-aid-course September 26-27, 2009 It would be great to have some other climbers enroll, it makes for a much more interesting class!

A friend found a tool somewhere around the Palmer. Describe it and we'll find a way to get it to you. PM me.

Mythos are speced (or they used to be) out for the leather they use on the uppers to come from the belly portion of the cow (which obviously stretches/contracts as they eat and digest). They're also unlined. Ergo, they stretch a ton. I'm a size 9 on a brannock and I wear a 39.5 Mythos that have gone from very, very tight to nearly-sloppy.

If one were to be taking a group of about 15 high school students up to Squish for a week of cragging and camping, the focus being on interpersonal growth, where would be the primo campground (quiet, secluded, safe) to facilitate aforementioned growth and group bonding? Also, any recs re: specific crags to visit. Crags with a variety of climbs (gear and sport) from 5.7-5.12 (hey, I gotta have some fun, too). I have the guidebook and have spent a little bit of time at Squamish (in the "dirtbag" category of camping), but was hoping to hear some personal experience. Thanks!

As somebody who occasionally climbs at Broughton and who would love to be able to project some lines on Bat Wall without entering into a bolt-war-zone, I think it would be very wise to wait awhile before chopping anything. Let cooler heads prevail. Take a look at all of the implications of this bolt line. Then again, I can't believe anybody in their right mind would consider putting up a bolt ladder on such a wall. WTF? Would love to hear some more answers.

Back in the day, there were two DWS climbing routes in the area you're talking about. I, personally, last climbed these in summer 2001. WashDOT and the anonymous climbers/constructors have an interseting history. This was not the only climbing-related construction project in the area. At one point in maybe 2003 (?--thinking of it, the holds were still there then) a small, maverick team installed a slackline over the water, between two support pillars. While this was a very proud accomplishment and made for a fantastic slackline, WashDOT chopped the line within 72 hours of it's creation.

Thanks. On the way to CBR, you go up Asgaard for like 300 feet, after which you cut over through a series of trees and boulder fields into a gully that takes you to the base of CBR. My down sweater is lying somewhere in the tree/boulderfield bushwack!

My highly prized (a gift from my better half) Patagonia Down sweater was pickpocketed by the trees on the bushwhack into Colchuck Balanced Rock (amazing route!). It's in a blue stuff sack. $50 reward. .00000001% chance of recovery. Fingers crossed. Thanks

I, too, would second "tackling the gendarme." It's amazing climbing and when you look down to the escape gully you'll think, "people climb that?" Really, the climbing isn't very difficult. I didn't find either pitch harder than 5.8. The first pitch has absolutely sinker jams/lieback the whole way up (complete with 3 or 4 no-hands rests) and the second pitch is a little awkward but is all over once you get your feet in the wide crack (maybe 8 feet of strenuous climbing). If you're concerned about the difficulty, bring a 3.5 and a 4 camalot and you can aid the difficulties of the 2nd pitch in 40 seconds.

Bill, That was most definitely the species at those anchors (I'm not really into ornithology, but I was VERY close to my little pal--close enough to make a positive ID). He seems to have a good set-up over there (sans climbers). There was not only a ton of owl crap, but the remains of quite a few little critters he's been snacking on.

FYI, There's an owl who has made his home immediately below the anchors on Grunge Book (I think this is the name of the climb--between Blownout and Excalibur). He wasn't particularly fond of the fact that I had to rap from his anchors. I wasn't particularly fond of the large bird-of-prey with a huge beak hissing at me. We parted company as quickly as possible. I doubt this will affect many people, I just don't want my owly friend too stressed out...

Thanks a TON!!! this link seemed to work better: https://library.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/misc/Freedom_of_the_Quad.pdf I'll be out tonight... hope campus safety isn't...

I'm spending a week on the Stanford campus and, remembering that it's the "birthplace of buildering," was wondering if any of you had done any climbing on the campus. Any can't-miss projects/buildings/walls? I can't really budget a huge amount of time for a session, but am thinking that I'll be able to sneak out here and there for a few moments. Of course, I'm saying this knowing that I violated my "never travel without a pair of Moccasyms" maxim. Stupid, stupid.

I'm thinking about making my first-ever weekend run to Yosemite from PDX (I have some friends who are going to be bumming in the valley and I want to join them for a route). I'll be flying out of PDX on a Friday. I can't seem to find quick and efficient transportation from Fresno (or any airport, really) to the valley. It seems like I need to fly into an airport, take a cab to a train station, take a train to a bus, etc. Thoughts on making this easier? Has anybody accomplished this (died trying)?

I got the same treatment. Graham definitely seems to me a hard-working dude. I own 2 Cilogear packs... will probably buy more...

That's wild. It seems a little bulky, don't you think. I feel like I can see it getting hammered around unless it was affixed to a bolt or a cam on a very short sling. I purchased a pair of Petzl Tiblocs and my friend a couple of Wild Country Ropemans (Ropemen?) for the purpose of simulclimbing. I know there's been a few debates on some other sites regarding this, but I'm wondering if anybody has used any of these devices (or others) with any degrees of success. (read: I've yet to use my tiblocs--damn this whole "making a living and raising a family" thing--but am hoping to do Slesee this summer).

Thanks for the note. Arcteryx also has coming out something like a $750 insulated, shelled jacket. And that's on top of the Dually Parka which is like $450 and not a high-tech shell. Though neither of these interest me, it sounds like Westcomb has the potential to make a pretty primo NW belay jacket...