Cobra_Commander

It can be pretty cold during the day, usually below freezing overnight. If there is sun (and there almost always is), you can climb in a t-shirt during the day on the south-facing walls (Morning Glory, etc). It can be a great time to climb there if your fingers are not too cold. Usually it's pretty dry out there, but I've been skunked a number of times this year by rain. A lot of people don't realize you can climb year-round at Smith, fairly comfortably. There are other things to do though, obviously.

I'll break wind in your sheet

I can say the Nepal Extremes are excellent boots, and good enough for essentially any conditions you will encounter in the Cascades, year-round. Mine have kept me fairly comfortable in some truly horrible winter storms. The Italian craftsmanship is outstanding and they fit my foot like bedroom slippers. They cost a ton at retail price, but they are handmade in Italy and it shows. I have slogged cinder and climbed WI5 in them and they have been perfect in either scenario. Damn, they should sponsor me. Gear review complete.

I hear you can place those as a nut.

Another thing that helped me in the past (and this years) is to lead at every opportunity. Lead easier routes instead of TR'ing harder ones. Hell, lead harder ones that protect well or are bolted well. TR'ing routes does some good for technique but nothing gets your head where it's supposed to be for climbing better than leading, and it's all about the head games up to a certain grade. Wow, guess I had a lot to say here huh?

Another piece of advice I got from a good climber was while climbing Blackened at Smith. I thought I was going to whip off of it on some small (for me) holds, and he shouts up "those holds feel just as crappy for 5.12 climbers, so you might as well stop screwing around on them trying to make them something they are not, and keep climbing!"

This is so true! You can hang on way after you think you are going to peel. I find gym climbing helps me here, as I learn precisely how long i can hold onto a certain hold. Also, being able to find a centering routine, where when I feel pumped out, or I'm in over my head, to smile, relax, and say hello to fear and accept it, get some gear in, and continue! Calling "take" can be so tempting once you get that gear in but you know you can keep going!

all your base belong to stumps

The enemy is too powerful for us. Vaginas, combine to form Supervagina!

I do not have to lease my ice tools, after cobra successfully broke into fort knox by telepathically controlling a herd of radioactive brontosauruses.

I think 6mm perlon is perfectly adequate for the job, and 7mm can be unwieldy to tie three legs of a cordolette together or to have hanging on your harness. Just to point out, Gene's calculations above assume two anchor points perfectly above the power point, with zero angulation, which is essentially never the case. The forces on each leg will be considerably greater as these points move apart. It's generally a good idea to have a healthy safety margin between the material breaking strength and the maximum load you anticipate, rather than simply counting on the rated strength. I like to use a general rule of thumb that any knot in a cord reduces the strength by 1/3rd.

I love the footage of driving in the Ghost. Classic! seems like a bit of a faux pas to be hacking away at ice nine like that though. but what do I know

'course some dude in your it department gets to see the log entry user: kix content: big_gay_al.jpg status: pleased

I think he swallowed a NASCAR

Is the kid on the left wearing a Real Madrid uniform???

...because reality is such a pain in the ass.

You quickly realize in ice climbing (at least on the waterfalls in Canada) that it's always "your gully".

nice! ever wonder why everyone chooses to bite the head off chocolate easter bunnies first? there's a master's thesis in there somewhere...

Ah that makes sense. How sensitive of them.

On a related note how did "Growing Pains" get away with a character named "Boner"

aahhhhh, ice climbing.

and maybe a calendar

Ow! My cognitive dissonance! Cognitive dissonance has been considered the gateway to new concepts and ideas. Even my diaper jokes provide a learning opportunity. You should be paying me for opening your mind with this spray.

He ain't the only one

I make a hilarious diaper joke and you call me sick and now you are all like "Erock I want to have your baby!" after that mediocre beastiality post. What up?