David Trippett

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.

Simply put; the word 'superlative' is defined as: (as a noun) an exaggerated mode of expression (usually of praise); "the critics lavished superlatives on it" (as a noun) the greatest: the highest in quality the superlative form of an adjective; `best' is the superlative form of `good', 'most'

Thanks, Nice TR. I'm going up wednesday to do the ramp....I'll keep an eye out for the 'poon. Any guesses on the area it was dropped? Does that approach still have signage all the way up? What is the approximate line of the Pups Butt in that pic?

I climb there a lot, mostly in Rio, but I have a good friend who owns a gym in the south....where will you be?.. my wife is Brasilian... was just there over New Years... what are you intersted in finding out? How long are you going? What kind of climbing do you like? I can hook you up with good, english speaking partners etc... if you need. Can give some routes to do too....anyway send a pm and maybe we can talk or get together before you leave and I can give you all the Beta you'll ever need or want. The most dangerous part of climbing in Rio is the approaches that go past the beaches....

La Cross is spelled Lacrosse... Lax for short.... just thought you'd like to know.... it's the national sport of Canada and one of the oldest North American sports! OK, cool, seeya!

like 2200-2300m more or less .... similar elevations to here.... El Tronandor is roughly the same dimensions as Mt. Adams in Wa.... maybe more ice though.

Draculina passed on I heard... Eagle maybe?