plark42
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Posts posted by plark42
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CC'ers-
Thanks for the words. I climbed outside (off and on) for about 2 years in Colorado Springs (at the Garden of the Gods) following my friends on sport routes (2001-2002). Needless to say I wasn't as good a climber back then as I am now. My technique is much better nowadays after thumbing through several rock climbing books and being more fit.
I'll most likely take the gym's lead climbing class to learn how to fall in a controlled setting. The 5.5 at Foster Falls would be an ideal start. - MJR
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Hey there CC'ers-
How long did you top rope before you led your first sport route? What was the grade of your first lead?
Any advice?
MJR
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Hey CC'ers.. I am looking for a great way to get my cardio indoors during the off season.. any good ideas short of joining a gym? Has anyone out there ever followed a boxing regimen? I wonder if that would work for cardio...
Thanks!
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Definitely!!
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Sorry Thatcher... I am going home to Houston from July 1st through the 9th.. D'OH!!!! and then after that.. we have to start packing to move to knoxville starting July 15th (my last day of work is the 14th).. and we move on the 20th..
Damn it!! Perhaps we'll climb together when Ashley and I move back up to the NW after she's done with Vet school!!! (You plan on moving back to the NW when you're done with school?)... perhaps I could make a visit sometime to the NW to climb one summer.. that would be super fun..
I am still thinking about soloing shasta.. i haven't quite decided what I'm going to do.. This is the LAST weekend I have to climb any snow for many years.. so I might as well suck it up and make the 9 hour.. round trip drive..
take care!!
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hey thatcher-
unfortunately I'll be in KNOXVILLE, TN starting at the end of July (for the next four years..) I think I told you that Ashley got into vet school there.. so we're packing up and moving out there on July 20th..
It's too bad that we can't meet up and do shasta b4 that.. I was really looking forward to it...
shmo well.. such is life i guess.. unless you wanted to grab a cheap southwest flight to sac town!?!!? hahah.. I'll pay for gas to shasta and back!!! hee hee..
I'll see how I'm doing on thursday.. I may just pack up my bag to leave work on friday and drive up there.. I would much rather do it in 2 days rather than one.. coming from sea level and all... it would be nice to sleep at the trailhead at 9000 ft or whatever.. and then again at 11000 or whatever...
wuhoo!!
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Hey CC'ers..
I am thinking of soloing shasta this weekend.. (Drive up friday night.. sleep in the car.. hike up to the lake helen camp and set up a bivy on saturday.. and summit sunday morning and drive back)..
Has anyone out there soloed/bivyed shasta? (I am assuming that there are so many people up there that it would be hardly a solo)..
i have a p.o.s. mountain hardwear bivy sack that's basically a gore-tex shell.. is that enough? I am guessing shasta gets a wee bit cold at night up there..
any suggestions? I guess I could just do it all in a day...
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that seems to be your advice for everything.. although it does have some truth to it.
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Hey CC'ers..
What's the best method for getting motivated to make a long drive to climb some distant peak?
This past weekend my girlfriend and I drove 4 hours from Davis, Ca to matterhorn peak just north of yosemite. After we hiked out on sunday.. the long, uneventful, half awake drive home reminded me just how much I hate driving to and from the mountains. I always tell myself I would climb so much more than 1-2X a month if the mountains were an hour or less away. It's such a drag to have to factor driving into the equation. It just takes so much out of you.. you ever try hiking up a 14er in colorado after sitting in a car for 4 hours? I know everyone out there has.. and it SUCKS!!
How do you keep yourself geared up to make the drive?? We spent nearly $70 on gas alone to make this trip..
I was thinking of doing shasta this weekend (also a 4-5 hour drive).. but I just don't think I'm up for all the time in the car. Same thing goes with bc skiing in the winter. It sucks to drive 4-5 hours round trip (to and from Tahoe) just for 5-6 hours of skiing..
How do you do it?
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hey CCers out there..
I am looking for someone to climb shasta with me over the weekend of june 24th/25th. I am coming from Davis, CA (near sacramento) and want to share the driving chore/gas money with someone else..
I am a WFR, Avalanche I certified and a NOLS mountaineering grad. I have a nice 2 person 4-season tent, stove, and even an extra ice axe/crampons for someone to use!!
let me know!!
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Hey CC'ers I have a follow up question.
So I want to get into climbing class 4 and low grade 5 alpine rock. What's the best way to learn all the technique involved with leading trad routes?
Are there any courses out there that are recommended? I am thinking of taking a rock seminar course here in California that teaches everything from anchors and rappelling to placing pro and multi-pitch climbing.
is that the way most people do it? Did anyone out there get formal instruction? is it even worth it?
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Hey CC'ers.. I am debating as to WHICH aspect of mountaineering to pursue the most.
In your opinion, what is the BEST form of alpine climbing?
1) steep snow
2) technical rock (4-5.?)
3) ice
4) glaciers
5) rock scrambles
6) mixed
I am a big fan of glacier climbing though I am not a fan of steep snow. I want to get into alpine rock but I just don't know...
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I am in pretty good shape.. though I haven't been at that kind of altitude in over a year!!.. either way it's going to kick my ass..
I like the idea of making it to Helen Lake on Saturday and climbing Shasta on Sunday.. I could spend some time to construct nice snow walls so that the wind won't be much of an issue.. (and that way making dinner won't be as cold)..
thanks for the advise.. keep it coming...
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So you camped at Horse Camp for 2 nights? Would there be any advantage to camping at Helen Lake the 2nd night? Would it make acclimating any easier? probably not I presume..
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Hey SP'ers-
My girlfriend and I are planning on climbing Shasta on Memorial Day weekend (get ready for the crowds!).. I wanted to get an idea of where and how high to camp.
We are coming from Davis, CA- which is basically sea level. When I climbed 14'ers in Colorado the altitude was still pretty brutal even though I was acclimated to 6600 feet (living in Colo Spgs). However I usually did the mountains in a single push.. usually 3-4000 feet of gain from the trailhead.
We are thinking of going up Saturday morning, setting up camp at Horse Camp and do an acclimization hike as far up as we can bear (and sleep at the lower elevation). Then move up to Lake Helena on Sunday and summit on Monday morning and hike out.
Has anyone every done Shasta this way? Would it make more sense to just push it out and make it to Lake Helena on Saturday and get up and down ASAP Sunday?
Please give me some feedback.. what's the best way to attack Shasta (from Avalanche Gulch)..
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Hey Thatcher!! Long time!!... Ashley and I are planning to do Lassen peak (hopefully) over memorial day weekend.. you up for it?? Maybe Shasta is on the horizon too... (btw Ashley got into veterinary school in Tennessee!!..) so we'll be moving out there come August.. I'll have to hang up the ice axe and crampons for a few years and replace them with rock climbing gear and my mtn bike..
My glaciers are fine.. although they feel a bit clunky to me.. It would be nice to have some boots that are super light.. (but I think I would be sacrificing performance).. I also like the idea of step in crampons.. maybe I'll just look for some newmatics or semi-autos.. and perhaps try on a smaller pair of the glaciers.. (which are great btw)
Keep in touch.. let me know if you are down for Lassen..
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Hey out there. I was thinking of either getting the la sportiva trango S evo GTX or going for a plastic boot (like koflach degre). Any suggestions? Do the trangos hold up (keep feet warm and dry) on log snow slogs? (mt. baker or rainier..)
What are some good newmatic crampons out there?
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how much for the boots?
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I own a ton myself.. they don't teach you the experience you need to lead a group of friends up a glacier. no more posting. I am done.
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Do you think the courses offered by the mountaineers are worth the time and structure? Why not just spend 1500 bucks for a 8 day intermediate mountaineering course..
(The courses are what attract me to the mountaineers)
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I guess I have the general skills already- NOLS prepared me pretty well..
True or False- the mountaineers is a great club to meet competent climbing partners... I like the idea of taking 2-5 years as the intermediate course.. and meeting some people on the way.
What are some alternatives for meeting ptrs? Climbing websites? Climbing Gyms? If I want to do predominately glacier climbs, then wouldn't I benefit most from taking the mounties intermediate course and meeting those peeps?
I like the idea of having a club that I can always turn to if I can't do my own thing (and find the people to do it with). I have had trouble with that in the past-- people backing out, or getting freaked once we start heading up the glacier. Ex. Mazama on adams!! (which is super straight forward). My 2 partners just didn't feel up to it once they saw REAL crevasses.. what the hell.. (they had claimed to have been on several rope teams even up Rainier and Baker). I for one did not want to go in front without my ropemates knowing waht to do if a bridge failed or something similar.
I think being a newbie to the NW (but not to mountaineering) the mountaineers would be a good place to start to meet people and get back into the swing of things.
end of discussion!!
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I think I am looking for a proven method to gain experience on glaciers.. with a future potential of rock (if I get bored with glacier slogs).
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also- what happens if the boot path to the summit gets snowed over? what then? just feel my way down and hope for the best?
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I was talking about route finding on glaciers... if I ever want to go somewhere a bit BIGGER than WA, like Alaska, then I better have a solid basis in the tricks of the trade.
Summer mtneer partner w/ flexible schedule (Bend)
in Climbing Partners
Posted
My wife and I moved to Bend last September. I am a teaching professor at OSU-Cascades and will have summer off (mid June - mid Sept). I am looking for mountaineering partners who have flexible schedules (off during weekdays) and who want to climb local peaks. I'd like to eventually climb all the peaks that can be seen from Bend- Sisters, Broken Top, Washington, Jefferson, 3-fingered jack, Hood, etc.
I've done two NOLS courses: Alaska Mountaineering (2002) and Backcountry Skiing (2010). I "know the ropes" so to speak- though it's been a while. I have all the needed gear and am fairly fit.
PM me if you're interested!