scheissami

The money was donated to the animal hospital, not toward's Velvet's bill. Yes, it sucks that the vet got the money and not Christina, but this seems indicative of our approach to healthcare. Corporate sponsors donating cash so they can sell more crap (in this case, I think it's micro chips for pooches).

I weigh 140 dripping wet, and as I mentioned, don't ski....so I got the shortest ones they had, the 159s. Very forgiving, and I'm not worried about "growing" out of them, as I'm also hoping to get onto an AT setup next year (if I can swing the cash). So now I have skis that are shorter than my snowboard! WTF?

I also am using the setup to learn to ski and think you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal. I got hand-me-down boots, cheap-ass poles, and had the bindings mounted professionally (so I wouldn't totally hack it)--the whole package cost me ~$160. I'm certainly not experienced enough to recommend equipment for your size; my two cents, though, is that 191's are hella long to learn on...

P.S. You can check out Velvet's website for a firsthand account of the Hood rescue. Please be respectful.

WHO: Everyone you know - For the entire family Thousands of dollars of items = Thousands of dollars to be raised! WHAT makes this even cooler: * Silent Auction and Raffle with items for all ages and breeds! * For this occasion, the Lucky Lab has brewed: "Black Velvet Oatmeal Porter" * Celebrity Guest M.C.: Matt Zaffino WHEN: Thursday March 29 6 - 9 PM Kids & Raffles 6 - Close Adults with ID WHERE: Lucky Labrador 1945 NW Quimby * NEW LOCATION * WHY: To support search and rescue organizations - Portland Mountain Rescue - Crag Rats - Corvallis Mountain Rescue - Eugene Mountain Rescue - Mt. Wave Communication --------------------------------------------------------------- Please check out all the info at www.missvelvet.net. If you'd like to make a donation to the fundraiser, you can do so via Velvet's website. Hope to see some of you there! Cheers, Erik

Bump...

Where are you from in Germany? Do you climb much back home or in nearby countries? I may be going to visit some family there and in Austria for several months next year and it would be rad to get an idea of some accessible alpine climbs. Unfortunately I'm busy on Sunday but have a fun trip. Cheers

Not gonna make it today (sorry, homie)....maybe next week? Cheers

Obviously a lot can change in two weeks, but here's some pics and a TR from our trip. At the time, the NE buttress was probably in better shape, but with the recent weather, the upper pitches of the N Face may have consolidated a bit more. Cheers...

I'd be down unless there's exceptional new snow to ski on. I'll get back to you once I'm sure....

Yeah, there was a thread I started cuz I was having the same difficulty with my Grivel AirTech pons: Though I tried using vise-grips and other fancy stuff, I actually ended up having to file away small portions of the flanged tips of the bail; I know they fit in somehow initially, but I was just unable to line up the bail with the slots in a way to get the damn thing out. I haven't had a problem with the bail's stability since adjusting the size.

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Anyone picked these up yet? Seems pretty sweet, with aggressive secondary teeth and a not-quite-monopoint setup. I'm looking for some crampons more suited for water-ice, rather than alpine type stuff; these seem the business. Your take?

Check the other thread here

fheimerd and I checked out Mist falls today; way fun but be sure to bring your raincoat!

I was up at Snoqualmie yesterday to climb Chair; here's some photos of some ice in the valley. I apologize if I've misnamed the routes (never climbed these before). I think this was Kiddie Cliff; in any case, it was pretty close to the parking lot and on the west side of the valley. Bryant Buttress looked fat, though the slopes above were still pretty heavily loaded. Source Lake Line was beautiful; maybe one of you hardmen should climb it soon... Happy Trails!

Trip: Chair Peak - North Face Date: 1/14/2007 Trip Report: On Sunday, Nick (webnick2007) and I were one of many to hike up to Chair Peak. Neither of us had climbed it before, so we weren't set on either the NE Buttress or the N Face; we figured we'd climb whatever seemed most appealing. The weather was spectacular--it felt downright balmy in the sun. Since I've been slothful lately, it was slow going for me, especially with my ghetto snowshoes. I'd worked up a sweat by the time we reached the base of Chair. On the way in, we were passed by a solo climber, who convinced me during our very brief conversation that I need to learn how to ski and ditch the clown-shoes. After cruising by us in his AT setup, he subsequently soloed the NE Buttress; you can see him on the ice step of the first pitch. There was quite a queue below the NE Buttress, and since it was already almost 11am, a steady rain of ice was coming down. We opted for the N Face. Nick led up over the moat below the start of the route proper (we couldn't find a good snow bridge) and up the first "crux" pitch. There was ice to be had, though for protection he had to dig through a couple inches of crumbly snow. The conditions made for excellent sticks, though. Lookin down the bottom half of p1 Looking up p1 After cresting the ice bulge at the top of p1, Nick kept climbing but realized that the crusty layer over unconsolidated sugary shite would not be a good place to set an anchor; we simulclimbed for about 30m to an excellent tree belay. Pro on pitch one: five screws and a shitty picket I thought this was clever; here's Nick taking a photo of me taking a photo of him from the top of p1... I took pitch two, which was mostly more crust-covered fluff. I managed to tie off a couple of trees and got one good screw. Towards the top, where it steepened, the sticks were good, which was reassuring for me as I was 25m above a crappy screw. Another tree belay, then Nick scrambled the 15m around the cornice to the summit ridge. By this time, the sun was setting so we quickly made our way down. We descended to the SE, down-climbing a couloir to a col with a fixed anchor in place. By this time it was dark; the rappel is pretty steep, and it was somewhat unnerving to rap into the dark without knowing exactly where we'd end up. Since my headlamp couldn't reach the bottom of the basin, we chose to set another anchor at the bottom of our first 35m rap. After the second rappel, it was quick work to downclimb down the bowl to the large basin below Chair where we had stashed our gear (I think the gully could be downclimbed after the first rap, though I'd hesitate to do it in the dark). Another hour or so later, and we were back at the car and ready for junk food. I definitely would be interested in climbing the NE Buttress; it looks to be in better condition now, likely thanks to the early sun. The N Face hasn't seen enough warm weather to consolidate the upper pitches yet, but it still was great fun and an excellent first winter climb at Snoqualmie. Thanks to Nick for a good time and putting up with my slow ass... Cheers, Gear Notes: 70m rope screws nuts (only used one for setting a rappel anchor) pickets camalots 1-3 (didn't use) Approach Notes: I'm too slow, and that's what got us topped out at dark. I'm buying skis this week (snowshoes suck).

If you do Chair on Friday be sure to post pics/condish. Also, if you notice any routes that are in on the approach the beta would be appreciated. Have fun

Yeah, I understand the deal about conditions...but I suppose I'd still be interested in hearing about any routes that stand out at ~WI 2-3. I'll definitely pick up the book--thanks!

Planning a trip to Whistler the first week of February. Any recommendations for some easy to moderate ice climbs in the area or on the way up from Portland? Guidebook recommendations would be helpful, too. There won't be a real ropegun in the group, so easier stuff, especially that's potentially top-rope friendly, would be a bonus. Cheers

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Bump... No partner, sadly. Anybody interested in leaving tonight?

Anybody got recent pictures? Seems like the weather recently should have helped some of the snow form up. I'm thinking of heading up there tomorrow night, but my partner isn't sure if he can make it. If you're interested in going, PM me. Cheers

Anybody use the Mammut shock absorbing slings? I don't have an exact weight, but they're definitely more compact than Yates'. I'm looking to buy a couple of screamers for this season, and Yates seems to be the most common in use, and cheaper than the Mammut slings. Do you guys find the "tie-off" function of the ice screamers to be beneficial?

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