David Trippett

....nor even the same continent

conditions not looking so good are they? Call Andy Kirkpatrick.....I'll bring the Hagis!

freshiez?! On skis? That's gonna suck!! thanks jordop

What routes are accessible from the resort on skis?....I'm heading up this weekend with the relatives and may sneak off to climb something conditions permitting. Blackcomb? Fissile? Fitzsimmons? any fav's?

Are you sure about the hanger? I thought that was the one Marko pulled under to the right... I walked from the Thalay Sagar as well...zzzzz Anyone see Josune last night? Awesome! One of the best shows ever, not at all what I expected. The section on the Walker Spur was classic. The one on Dave Birkett was pretty good as well.

this is a good thread, I am in the hunt for the ideal digital as well.... With all due respect to the Canon SD crowd....it's a great camera without a doubt. I would own one today (actually, I do own a older 2.1mp model) if not for the battery issue. I wish I could buy one, but the battery issue is the deal breaker for me. Alpinfox's idea about buying a bunch of batteries may or may not work, but depending on the conditions and your requirements this is not always feasable and it sucks when, for whatever reason, your usage drains those Li-ions quickly. From my own experience, if I was only heading out for a couple days at a time the SD line is the way to go. But often my work as a geologist requires that I spend long periods of time in the field, last summer it was over a month at one stretch. My work requires a camera that works all the time. A few seasons back I was using the old SD I have and with three Li battery packs and only once did it run out of juice before I could get to a recharge, but I ended losing some valuable photos for work because of it. My usage requirements are a bit unusual maybe, but it's pretty much the same as I need for climbing...I need a camera that is light, durable, takes high quality images, from telephoto to macro, in most lighting conditions and will always be available to use and is fairly inexpensive so if it breaks I'm not out 2000$. So for me it's AA's, I use Li AA's in the field, because of their cold weather performance and usually I bring about 20(Hey, I'm not paying) for a month of field work and I use rechargable AA's at home. Right now I use a Konica-Minolta from work, but I'm not super pleased with the output. I'll probably end up with another Canon. I like the Canons because my experience with them is that the optics are great and they tend to not be too heavy handed with the way their processors handle the images and the build quality is great. But I would flee to whoever if they made a better product. I have found DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEW to be a great source of information about how these cameras function and what makes a good/bad one. Under reviews you can look by brand/date/or rating If you find something you like that works then let us know. Photography comes up enough here it probably deserves it's own section.

this thread is bowing my mind!

maybe it's an old one but I just heard this... An aid climber, sport climber, and trad climber are in a public restroom. The sport climber finishes and goes to wash his hands, he washes only his fingers. He says "as a sport climber I learned to never waste energy" The aid climber finishes and washes his hands up to the elbow. He says "as an aid climber I learned to be thorough" The trad climber zips ups and walks out of the bathroom, all eyes are on him and he simply replies "I didn't piss on myself"

Panasonic=Leica (more or less) checkout the canon 710is http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona710is/ it's inexpensive, you can use 2 AA's(good for long trips), it weighs about a biner more than the sd900 and it gets a better review than the LX2....the optical view finder on the 710 is big and nice to have in the mountains.

nerds!!!!?? NEEERRRRRDDDDS!!!!!!!!!!!

changed...thanks!

Marmot Flurry, Good synthetic belay jacket for 100$.... http://ecom1.sno-ski.com/mensclothing-ss3.html Here's a review... http://backcountryblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/ouray-ice-tests-marmot-flurry-jacket.html

Good thing this guy has that rig to get into JT on that brutal road.... and that mullet to be allowed entry back into Canada....

Hey E! Looks like you've found Paradise! You got a floor I can surf? Cochise??

:brew:Awesome Wayne!

That's Great....and well deserved! Congratulations!

Nice Job!

I use these: http://www.mountaingear.com/pages/product/product.asp/item/121392/N/0/CMP/KNC-70150/cmpn/70150/afl/438 ....and I'm happy with them. I've had them for over a year and use them on everything from ice climbing, to alpine, to skiing.....It's a good system and I got them on sale....I think they're on sale now. I wouldn't pay 180$ for them but they're a reasonable deal at 100$. They're warm and very rugged. I like being able to "layer" with my glove system like I do the rest of my winter climbing clothes, so these work out well. The reviews are right though....with the liners and overgloves together they're not dextrous enough for ice climbing....but that's ok. The inner mixed glove is AWESOME for climbing and what I usually do is climb in the liner and put the outer glove on as soon as I get to the belay.....the outer glove is goretex and can be used alone as well....both have padding on the knuckles and the palm leather is tops. If you get them....size the fit for the liner....not the outer. For the sale price you could do a lot worse....

This is good timeless advice to consider before putting up an FA regardless of the area if you're new to it... true....but when that's not possible it's maybe best to choose to err on the side of ground-up "TRAD" (in a trad area).

Exactly my point....what's to keep someone from slapping in a bolt on a pitch the FA'er headpointed? Can one really cry foul when the means of the FA were thus? The FA had the security of a top-rope to rehearse the route? Doesn't seem too sporting. ....This happens quite a bit I bet. If we're to uphold the sanctity of the FA....then fine, ALL FA's should be respected regardless of style. Right? Even bolted cracks etc...? I don't really have too much problem with that. But, I do think that expecting someone to climb on mandatory run-outs(with, at least, the perception of a dangerous fall) that I headpointed is sort of dishonest...and I can't be too miffed if the pitch gets retro'd. ----Joseph----, firstly, I agree with pretty much everything you've said...but I'll play the advocate here again....in response to your comment about headpointing being reserved for "difficult" climbs....what does that mean exactly?....I think the idea of "difficulty" gets thrown around a lot without much regard to how relative the measure is. If climbing has an open ended grading system, and the periphery is always sliding up, dragging along the rest of us, and, what was deemed difficult yesterday is not today, is there much that can be said regarding "difficulty"? Is it just some arbitrary average? Is the essence really about "The Struggle", and how one goes about engaging in their struggle? Do you see what I'm saying? Anyway...thanks for the responses....this has actually helped me to sort a few things out. Nice article MattP

I'm not thinking about retro-bolting anything that was done by another.... if that's what you think I insinuated.... I'm quite contrary to that, personally. Actually, my concern was what to do when a route that is getting put up DOES get retro'd for the reasons I stated. It's not too far-fetched that it will....there are a lot of folks who say that having mandatory run-outs on cruxes is tantamount to chest-beating....and would put in a retro justifying it with "safety" issues. I've done climbs that, if the crux were bolted, and maybe not "SOOO" run-out it would have changed the character and commitment of the route considerably....and for me would have made the route a lesser experience...but a lot of folks are either unwilling or unable to accept certain types of risks...that's fine.... I'll play the devils-own here....Would you be willing to "let it go" if people really felt that strongly about it.....after all you don't have to clip the bolts....or put any gear in at all if thats what you like.

No Harvey today...unexpected meeting at the "office".....maybe I'll go on friday. If I do I'll let you know how the 'poon hunt goes.

I agree more or less with that... it's a nice ideal anyway.... I think most would agree headpointing is considered fair trad tactics, but maybe only if you're climbing on Grit, and maybe not on long routes. At any rate Sonnie Trotter's ascent of Cobra Crack could be considered a headpoint....he top-roped it for a couple years before the send. Anyway....so then if you can't free it ground up.....leave it be?

Say you put up a new multi-pitch trad route at your local crag....maybe you aided it first, cleaned it, checked out the pitches, decided it would go free and decided to redpoint the hard pitches. Say that the crux of the route was reasonably difficult for most folks....hard 5.11 on gear. The moves at the crux involved some substantial run-out on face moves between cracks(say 6-7m on steep terrain), but the falls, whilst long, are pretty safe, and instead of put in bolts you decide to red/headpoint the crux and leave it unprotected. If someone comes along later and puts a bolt or two in to make the run-out reasonable and the route a popular classic....what to do? Chop? Although I strongly believe in respecting the first ascent...I could MAYBE see their point... I'd like to hear other opinions....

Great TR Ahhh....Lillooet. After a night out at the bar you're happy to do safer things....like ice climb.