Coldfinger

Rings (Metolius)! Much easier on the old elbows. Neither the board nor rings are a substitute for a gym, but they're nice for occasional use and especially stretching. Get boring fast tho..... I'd build an 8x8 tiltable wall if you are really serious about training and have no gym.

So which Chinese restaurant are we going to celebrate at? My vote is "K's China." I'll try not to throw the Chinalots in the fish tank this time. I find all the arguing going on here and elsewhere to be quite amusing.

Well all I know is La Sportiva, so here goes..... The TC is too much $$, and if you're used to bouldering and sport, might be a bit overbuilt for you. The most important thing is fit and the shoe's last, so if you really liked the VS for fit go with the Miura, otherwise if you have a narrow foot Katana should fit. I have big feet (forefoot) and had a hard time even trying velcro Katanas on. The VS has a lot more downturn than the Miura, which should feel more natural and comfortable on trad than your shoes. The Katana last seems a lot narrower and flatter, a lot less room there, and perhaps a lot less stretch from the shoes' construction. I like the Miura because it is comfortable, solid on edge, versatile and still sensitive (not too much midsole). It bends well underfoot. It has stretched well and in all the right places, love the laces & big rands. You might also consider a pair of slippers too, very good for thin cracks and sketchball buttery feet. Now that they've finally broken in (long and painful), my Venoms are really solid for all the feel and power required. Love the Cobras--they're back!--but I'm finding that the Venom kicks Cobra butt on hard stuff.

Well, maybe we should call BD and see if the Fins are covered under warranty or recall if they do break........ I only use one to rack screws and for that it is great, probably WAY stronger than any clipper design ever made.

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!

Just got the Sabers, thanks Dane for the good call! Very impressed with the fit (absolutely perfect with both rockered pairs of boots) and quality finish. Even more impressed by how well the 12 bottom points cover the edges of the soles. Petzl bails are an upgrade. The six front points are going to handle alpine mixed very well. Thanks all!

No special undies, you better have another surprise.....

Well better shave it then!

No, but thanks to ebay you might find some lil thing that matches your cute hat!

"Ed Hardy Brief Size Small"...... Perfect ad for Spraymeisters, while we're at it looks like Dick wants to play ball!

You might try to find a pair of these on closeout: http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/AKU-Spider-Kevlar-GTX-Boot-Mens/AKU0001M.html Sweet boots, got my pair new for $200. Very light, very warm, break in fast, climb well and great for approaches. Neptune might have a pair or two, try AMH too.

Yeah, Vasak, legendary steep ice pons. Please tell me your laptop has an interlock! Having traveled many miles with those underfoot, yeah they're great mountaineering crampons, but nothing you want on ice or mixed. The points and frame are all long, light, thin and flexy in the name of saving weight, that's why the Sarken has the weld on points it has (and maybe the recall). I can flex the vasak frontpoints with my thumb and one finger and not much effort.

Well good luck getting just the Neve heelpice, BD said nope they don't sell just that, but then again I'm just Joe Blow. And Dane is 100% right on the underfoot points, kinda seems like modern climbers are in love with their frontpoints and don't really use the other 10 or 12 at all. I get a good laf watching my younger partners making things look harder than they already are. And I have notice modern pons are not as wide as they should be--nevermind the poor and/or missing underfoot points--just in the name of an ounce or two. Dartwins have great front points but they felt like skates for glacier, French, stemming, etc.

Should be fine, I'll just have to see how they fit Scarpa Invernos and Aku Spyders. I'll probably LOVE them if I can get the Neve heel. Won't be ice season for a while tho! BTW how can I tell if I have old Petzl bails? Mine are fairly new (2 or 3 years) and have angles instead of a smooth curve.

Well I'm sold on the Sabers, just happens I've got a spare pair of Petzl bails, I'll call BD in the a.m. about the heel pieces. One thing I really liked about the Petzl line was being able to swap front ends, but your Saber kit looks like it'll cover everything I'll be facing and hard to beat 25 oz! Thanks for the beta on the bots, they're pretty damn important for Wyoming spring conditions. Thanks again!

Thanks, that's an interesting setup Dane, that a Neve Pro heel? Any chance of getting the heel piece from BD directly instead of spending $$ on a whole set? Seems great for long ice routes in the Andes, no need for bots there. I've got short feet so I've also been known to cut the linking bar down. I'm probably going to cut BD's toe bail strap off too. I tend to pound the bail with the hammer tool to fit it to my boots, so the thicker BD bail should be a plus. Had a G14 bail pop on me once, so I'm real careful fitting now. I'm also very big on Frenching my way up (or stemming) any time I can, so good underfoot points--point taken.

Howdy, so I could use a little help here.... I'm looking for crampons that are solid on glacier, snow and neve, have good antibots, don't weigh a ton and can climb well on alpine and waterfall ice (WI 4-5). And yes I have quite a bit of experience on ice and alpine climbs, so any technique pointers specific to these two are welcome. The Sabretooth looks sweet BUT I'm not sure about the front points on waterfall ice. It's not just that they're horizontal it also that they have no hooking teeth on the front points like all other ice pons do. Stainless does look nice. I have never used any version of these. I like the Sarken for those sweet front points but am not happy that you have to buy a whole new pon to replace worn frontpoints (though the old ones could be used for mountaineering). And yes having used Dartwins don't want those as they suck for all around use. From limited personal experience it seems like Sarkens do quite nicely on ice. So what do you all think about that?

BD Fin biner! Hasn't been available for a LONG time but has a huge basket and great gate clearance. And I have a few spares to sell!

Well gee, where are you planning on going? My 2 cents: glacier glasses! Not too hard to find good cheap ones and your eyes will thank you (shields help with wind too). If you're going to altitude these are a must; pretty hard to believe how irritating the little bit of light that leaks past the shields and frame can be. Don't underestimate the power of light, especially reflected light off the ice: I once got sunburn INSIDE my nose. Lenses are the meat of these and something comparable to what Julbo used to call x-6 lenses are the minimum way high up (now spectron 4). I like glass better than polycarb as it resists scratches much better. Besides, there are many affordable frames that are stylish as both sunglasses and glacier glasses (Julbo Dolgan) for a bit more than $50 with removable shields. Goggles suck: they get in the way, are bulky, fog up, and look real dorky as you waddle up approaches or sit in camp. They're designed for skiing not climbing. But if you hang with the Mounties find a pair of pink goggles to match the obligatory shorts and gaiters outfit.

The BD screw up is nice for screws but it's really great for wire brushes etc. if you do a lot of cleaning and new routing come the end of ice season. So it gets my vote as it gets used year-round.

Geez man, you're kinda wordy for one of those Easter Island stoneheads, and most folks in Wyo. or Yakavegas. Seems like the SC gave the green light to the use of surrogates, i.e. Swift Boating. Just outsource the words you can't say yourself out in the open air (even if you're an avatar or fictional individual). GN is we're talking this one out well, it matters.

Yeah kinda like the irony of the phrase "bible study"--my favorite oxymoron. But a hammer always sees everything as a nail, so keep on pounding it!

Not interested in getting into a pissing match here, but doesn't it seem ironic that the Court has affirmed the 1st amendment rights of corporations such as Planned Parenthood yet does not recognize any such nascent rights to the unborn? I'm certain there are some legal doctrines that have bearing on this of which I'm not aware (as a layperson). One couldn't compare this to the Dred Scott decision or to the recent decision by the Supreme Court in upholding a lower court ruling ( SCOTUS Petition Asks Justices to Review Torture Abuse Case of British Former Guantánamo Detainees a Second Time Well.... There is that infant who somehow advocates for X investment co (the talking baby ads) so I guess with ultrasound communication the unborn could become day trading shareholders or even form a corporation or even become corporate officers, and in that case the SC has recognized their nascent rights, otherwise I guess they're SOL as far as the holding of the case we're talking about.

True in part. More to do with the so called "strict interpretation" of the Constitution (e.g. Scalia), but the big problem is that "speech" as it is practiced nowadays in no way resembles 1780 America. Not that we are really any more or less honest or dishonest now than back then, but politicos are often committing slander and libel solely because it is either "free speech" or falls under the "public figure" exception to common law libel and slander. Seems we won't solve this one until we somehow draw a clear line between contributions and bribery.

Well.... There'll be much more effort to "save" the white pines as long as idiots build second homes and cabins in beetle kill forests. We've had some doozies for fires here in Wyo. lately. Maybe we can save the Pika if they can be proven useful for fur hats or animal (cat?) food. Anyone know the folks at Arc'Teryx?