andrewbanandrew

My feet aren't especially narrow but they're slightly narrower than normal and I fit La Sportiva shoes really well. Try the women's versions; they're typically narrower. The downside to this, of course, is having baby-blue colored rock shoes. But after a while the mud and dirt just makes them look gray.

Anyone notice that the material between the tongue and ankle cuff on the Trango Extreme frays incredibly easily? Or rather, the ones at the store looked rather frayed. I'm hoping its just a cosmetic thing.

something thin cos 10.5 is heavy as fuck

LS Glacier LS Trango Ice LS Nepal Extreme (only had small enough size in women's, too narrow) Raichle 90 Degree EXP (a bit too wide, I think, although I don't really remember) Scarpa Freneys (old blue ones, too big) Montrail something or rathers the ones with the special crampons, too pronounced of an arch. Not that it really matters anyway, I got in a fender bender the other day so my savings will go towards increased insurance premiums. Oh well. There's always next year.

Been to FF, REI, PMS, Marmot, and Second Ascent.

Seattle, U-district. And yes I've been to PMS but they only had two boots in my size and I wanted something different than a pure water ice boot (Trango Ice) or pure glacier travel boot (La Sportiva Glacier). I think the La Sportiva Trango Extremes that I tried on at Marmot fit pretty darn well, they're a tad wide in the forefoot on my right foot but not on my left so I'm thinking thicker socks would cure that.

I've tried on seven pairs of boots at five different shops and I've only had one pair that had very little heel lift when walking. I've found no boots that have little or no heel lift when standing on my toes (to mimic frontpointing). How much heel lift is normal? Obviously with a full shank boot it is impossible to have no heel lift because the foot flexes and the boot doesn't, but I don't want to drop a lot of money on boots only to find that I should've gone a size down. The biggest problem is that each shop only had maybe one or two pairs close to my size, so it was impossible to try on a half size larger and smaller than my measured size to compare...

Did you take the Denny Creek trail?

Are any of the slopes adjacent or above the approach route (take trail to source lake, turn left up gully) prone to sliding?

If I come, which I don't know yet (depends on how crazy school is), I can bring some food. I was thinking lots of tortilla chips and salsa, but if anyone has any requests...

I might be wrong but if you were to tie both ends to your harness, could the rope kink up something nasty ala tying the ends together before a rap?

Does anyone know where I could find a guidebook or topos of Beacon Rock?

Milk, mixed with muesli

a good IPA or sweet stout. Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout is heaven in a pint glass.

Hmm I suppose it is between keeping meticulous habits when using a down bag or buying a new synthetic bag every couple of seasons, eh?

Since I only did backpacking and carcamping for the longest time (and mostly in the summer, for that matter), I bought the cheapest synthetic sleeping bag I could find. It's an off-brand one made by a company called PRIME USA. I don't remember what it was rated to nor, I just remember it being cheap. Currently it takes up about a third of the volume in my 50L pack which is mildly annoying, even for backpacking. Anyway, I'd like to replace it with something I could use for short alpine trips. I don't know much about alpine climbing since I've just started, so that's why I'm posting here. From my searches I've gathered that: Down is a lot lighter and a lot more compressible than synthetic insulation but if it gets wet you're going to hate life. Synthetic supposedly retains ~60% of its insulating properties even when wet. Down lasts a lot longer. Primaloft seems to be the best synthetic insulation? There are ten million different shell fabrics (Pertex, E-VENT, etc) and I don't know how to tell them apart. Temp ratings seem to be kinda arbitrary although total weight of insulating material used has a lot to do with it. I would personally rather buy a synthetic bag because it could perceivably do double duty for backpacking where I've gotten rained on, a lot. However I really don't know what to go with. I was looking at three synthetic bags that seemed promising, the Renaissance made by Integral Designs, one made by Marmot (Pounder Plus, I think...nobody knows anything about it apparently), and another made by REI (Nooksack UL +10). I think all of these were in the 20-25 degree range, and about the same weight. The ID and REI bags look to be warmer and heavier than the Marmot bag, but if the Marmot bag is as warm as the other two and as light as the other two then that'd be neat (doubtful since I think they all use Primaloft Sport). I'd like to go try on all of these before I buy them. It seems like if the short version of the Renaissance fits me it'd be ideal. BUT if I am misguided in my thinking about what class of bag I need, none of this matters at all. So, any advice?

Mammut Revelation 9.2mm, 60m is on sale at REI.com for $162 if you use coupon code THANK25 The sale ends today. Certain Petzl headlamps are also on sale using the same coupon code.

I'll be making some trips to Leavenworth this summer. Send me an email cheunga at u.washington.edu

So far I've rested for three and a half weeks. I still feel moderate pain when loading the two fingers at their tips so I'm not sure if I should start climbing or keep resting, but I'd really like to start climbing even if it were on easy stuff. Anyone have any more advice?

Someone already covered Touching the Void so I'll cover the only other book I've had time to read in B&N: How to Climb 5.12! by Eric Horst - "Buy my product! Buy my product! You can't train well unless you buy my product!"

About six weeks ago I was bouldering in the gym with my right middle and ring fingers in a pocket when my feet popped off. I didn't let go fast enough and I felt a 'tick' in my forearm, followed surprisingly little pain. After some investigative stretching I discovered that if I loaded my right ring and little fingers with their DIP joints flexed, I'd feel pain beginning from the tips of these fingers and ending somewhere in my forearm. I iced and took some ibuprofen even though there was not a significant amount of swelling (I had to look hard to tell). I did not lose any range of motion. Stupidly I only took ten days off and began climbing again on 'easy' stuff. All was well until ten days ago, when I reinjured them traversing at Marymoor. I suppose I was asking for it (Eric if you're reading this you've every right to laugh your ass off). I don't plan on climbing for at least another 4 weeks. I'm planning on waiting until I feel no pain when loading my fingers, and then waiting an extra two weeks just to be sure. I'd like to know if there's anything I can do beyond massaging, stretching, and icing my fingers. I sprained an ankle pretty badly last summer (couldn't walk for a ten days or so) and contrast baths helped reduce the pain and get my range of motion back, but I'm not sure how helpful they would be for this injury. I'm also wondering how long it will be before I can go back to pulling hard on it. I suppose now's the time to make up a tick list of slabs...

Well in that case, I will continue as I have always done and not lower through the chains. Although I think lowering off the last climber through the chains would save time, bad habits are easy to form...

I have in the past always rappelled after cleaning, but I've seen so many people just thread the chains and lower that it made me wonder.

Okay. That's what I've been thinking.

I am new to climbing, and just began sport climbing outdoors about three months ago. I was taught to not lower off the chains as it puts wear extra wear on them. I have seen other climbers do it, however, so I'm guessing the opinion on this probably varies from crag to crag and from climber to climber. I suppose a definite answer could be obtained by asking the FA or developer, but that's not always that easy. Is it acceptable to lower off of the chains on a single pitch sport climb?