jesselillis

Do you live in Seattle? Do you have a copy of the Bugaboos climbing guide book? The Bugaboos - One of the World's Great Alpine Rockclimbing Centres Chris Atkinson and Marc Piche Would you consider lending it out? I'd happily leave a deposit with you for the cost of replacing it, should I damage it in any way. If it would make the difference, I'd also consider 'renting' your copy for a reasonable price. I'm moving to the East coast in a few weeks (have to hit the Bugs first!) and can't really justify buying my own copy now. Obviously I'd pick it up from you.

See those 4 plastic rectangle-buckle-esk-things (not quite D-rings, not quite triglides), 2 above and 2 below the horizontal cinch straps? They look like they could be used to attach a vertical strap (or two) to the side of the pack. I can't think of a reason to do that. Maybe you have some idea?

Hi Don (or anyone else interested in chiming in) Of the hundreds of lovely routes available (and do-able even in foul weather with a deep, sloppy snowpack in June), if you were to recommend one or three, which would they be? Lacking the experience of years in the cascades, my choices are usually motivated by either SCC or Steph Abeggs photos.

My partner and I are planning to climb Slesse end of this month. If you've approached the route prior to the Pocket Glacier sliding, could you recount such here? Is Nelson's SCCvI early season approach description the best option? Can you add any details to that description?

Have you used international websites to find climbing partners in other countries? Specifically I'm looking to find a climbing partner in Madrid. Maybe you have one I can contact? More likely (only slightly more) you have seen some sort of climbing forum (like this one!) for climbers in Spain. Any direction would be appreciated.

Been to the bugaboos? Did you camp at Appleby or stay at the Kain hut? Did you wish you'd done the other? I'm planning my first trip this summer. Was planning on the hut, but JPark highly recommended the Appleby campsite for proximity to climbs. I'm a bit leary of some notorious weather coming in and being much less comfortable in tent. Then again, when was alpine climbing about comfort? Other opinions?

Awesome! Thanks Jeff!

DPS, downey, I'm sorry to say I did not find the gear either of you left. I will however keep an eye out for both next time I'm on route.

Trip: Dragontail - Triple Couloirs Date: 4/29/2012 Trip Report: time elevation landmark/event 1230 2100 leave car, start hiking 1400 3400 trailhead 1440 4000 bridge over creek 1500 4500 Colchuck trail split 1630 5570 arrive at lake 1715 5572 finish setting up camp 1900 5571 dinner 2100 5570 in tent, trying to sleep – 0330 5570 wake up 0415 5571 leave camp 0610 6350 start up first couloir 0730 6700 bottom of runnels 1030 7000 top of runnels; bottom of 2nd couloir 1130 7400 top of 2nd couloir; bottom of transition to 3rd couloir 1220 7550 Jesse bottom of third couloir 1240 7550 Jesse finishes building anchor 1310 7550 Dan bottom of third couloir 1430 8350 top of third couloir 1530 8550 summit 1730 5572 back to camp 1830 5570 hiking out 2015 3400 trailhead 2200 2098 back to car 2215 2100 start drive back 0045 0290 back in Seattle Narrative Snowshoes to ~6000ft, donned crampons and roped up with kiwi coils and ~80 feet of rope between us. First couloir and found excellent neve snow, easy to kick steps and get something akin to purchase with ice tools. ~200 feet into first couloir, first of two additional parties (actually one group of four, climbing as two parties) passed us, moving quickly through the center of the couloir. That party anchored to await their second party at base of runnels. Runnels were in adequate condition to climb, but not proctectable ice. We pitched this section out (4 pitches). 1st: trivial (firm snow in rock dihedral), 2nd: one tricky mixed move (M3), 3rd: overhanging mixed (M6?) move that caused us to traverse left around it (to a poor gear anchor), 4th: most akin to ice, unprotectable (WI2+) to above crux (unnerving due to poor anchor below). Dan led 2nd couloir rapidly (2 pickets in ~600 feet). Mixed (M2) transition to the third couloir- wasted a ton of time looking for decent gear. Dan led last couloir and another ~200 feet of easy snow/mixed brought us to the summit. Descent: about 90 minutes. Snow varied from steep and hard to postholing. Retrospective thoughts: - Walking separately across a frozen lake is a bad idea - We got pretty lucky on the snow conditions and the weather. The sun came out while we were in the third couloir and the snow got soft quickly. Some clouds spared us some of the potential for deterioration, but disconcerting evidence of loose wet slides was apparent on multiple aspects of nearby peaks. - The rock is awful. Wasted tons of time scraping away at it looking for decent gear placements for anchors. Piton placement attempts dislodged rock. - When to rope up on a climb like this is still a tricky decision. While climbing in the (largely unprotected) couloirs a (unlikely) leader fall would have likely killed both of us, though a (potentially lethal) second fall could likely be arrested by a leader. If both climbers of equal ability, perhaps better to climb unroped? But then, what to do with the rope? In and out of a pack would be a hassle/time sink. Gear Notes: avy gear, 70m 8.1mm rope, BD cams .5-2, nuts 4-11, 3 pitons, 4 screws (2x 10, 13cm), 2 pickets, 8 double runners, alpine bod harness, 1 BD viper, 1 Petzl Aztar Approach Notes: Road to trailhead closed, no snow apparent from road. I brought a kids sled with the hope of sledding out the return on the snow covered road if it were closed. No luck, left it in the car. ~2+ miles on bare (easily bikable/drivable) road, then another 1+ with increasing snow cover to TH. From TH to lake, passed exiting lone female (no gear, not interested in chatting) and a group of 4 exiting snowsliders (3 AT, 1 splitboard) who reported marginal sliding conditions on their overnight stay. Found slowshoes to be best means of approach given conditions.

Name it and we'll figure out how to reunite you

Looking for recommendations on lodging as close to the South Fork climbs as possible. Also for looking for recommendations on climbs. Quick approached and long sustained WI4 would be ideal. Classics WI3-5 would be good too. Any other beta at all (special gear, eateries, mishaps, whathaveyou) much appreciated.

Out to Source Lake Sunday- SLL looked in challenging condition. Headed to Rap Wall and tried to get up a mixed line above and right of the main wall. The left line here https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos?tab=mq#photos/108513109565806365011/albums/5685494167627091649 Bailed after only ~20 feet: surprisingly brittle ice, crappy pro, AT boots, nerves... Initially I tried to access the top for a TR by continuing up and left, but couldn't easily manage the steep snow, not adhered to the rock. After an unnerving fall soloing, returned to the base for the lead attempt. Can one access the top of the rap wall from the left (looking at wall from base)? Could one traverse across the top?

seeking recommendations for inexpensive hotel motel accommodation close to hyalite thanks

I'll do that. It would be a pretty terrific service to this forum if you did see any of those lines come in, to post that information- ideally with a picture. Cheers

Anyone been up there and climbed anything? I just got a vague report from a friend that he was up there and saw a few nice ice lines.

Thanks for replies thus far. Coming from Seattle. Planning to drive, I believe the distances/times are comparable but if roads get shut down more between Seattle and one of two venues, that would be excellent to know. Happy leading WI4, and very happy with multiple pitches of WI4. Have been on sharp end on WI5, though more stressed than psyched. It would be nice to change that, though maybe not in an environment that is 'humbling'. Some backcountry ski experience and avy training.

I have about 6 days first week of January. I haven't been to Cody or Canmore. If you have been, and can spew some pros and cons for each, I'd like to hear 'em.

Looking to climb Chianti and Burgundy this week. Anyone know if there is water available in the col? Ice ax/crampons necessary this time of year? Thanks

I'm thinking about a trip to climb Orizaba and Ixtaccihuatl. Anyone have a GPS that they have loaded decent local (Mexico) topos on? I don't own a GPS but I'm looking around now as I'd like to have one for this trip. If you know of something that would work well for this application, please let me know.

Can someone tell me if all the Dynafit bindings have the same mounting screw footprint? Specifically, I want to take the TLT Vertical bindings off my Shuksans and replace them with TLT Speed bindings. Will I need to drill any new holes in the skis to mount the Speeds? Thanks -Jesse

Trip: Dragontail - NE Couloir Date: 2/19/2011 Trip Report: PreTrip Thursday evening Jiri and I decided to climb. Sleeping at gate by ~930PM Friday. Approach Left car at 4AM as planned (brief encounter with Chad Kellog and Brittany (LN?) at car lot, planning to do Triple Couloir- did not see them again). Snowshoes on packs and bootpacked well-traveled road to TH (snowshoes after ~2 miles, ~2 inches slippery snow); arrived ~530AM (nice full moon for hike). Uneventful 2 miles to the trail split and another 2 to Colchuck lake (~750AM covered in ~8inches snow). Cross lake (~815AM) and started up in trees towards base of TC. Lots of snow up towards Asgaard pass (12-18 inches), some concerns re: snowpack and avy danger. Traversed high- almost at base of Dragontail, towards base of NEC. Snowpit (in pass): top ~24inches unconsolidated, then a hard 2inch crust, slightly weaker layer below; no clean layers broke on column test. Traversed across Asgaard Pass to continue ascent in trees for snow stabilization, ditched snowshoes and 1 pole each (kept 1 each for descent) and crossed the pass again to the base of NEC (~1020AM). Climb Snow in the couloir was far in excess of expectation- sinking to hip height for first ~300 feet vert; some discussion about our anticipated speed (very slow), unpreparedness/unwillingness to bivy and overall worthwhileness of climb. Deciding to slog to a 'constriction' in hopes of more consolidation, found sightly better conditions, but consistent slogging for 1000+ feet [Jiri was a machine through this as I felt progressively worse]. Climbing was unremarkable until ~1PM arrival at base of headwall (crux). Jiri graciously offered me this lead, which I took. Pitch was likely in M5 conditions, felt much more difficult for little gear and stable features absent/hidden by snow (presumably first of supposed 2 pitches of mixed climbing completely covered by snow). Jiri up behind me (3PM) and took off for what we made into 2 traversing pitches (steep and slippery) to notch below summit (5PM). Decided not to gun for summit (uncertain route-finding and time/light constraints). Descent Had to make 2 raps (free gear on route!) due to only bringing one rope. Back in pass ~540PM, back to snowshoes ~620PM, to lake by 7PM. You know the rest, it sucks. Car just after 11PM. Subjective 1 No route finding issues. Mostly slowed by my hiking and the amount of snow we encountered; also by the time each of our leads took- hard to find pro (loose snow covering sparsely protectable rock). 2 I really need to learn about ISO and taking photos in the snow. The views from the climb were phenomenal, but killed by my inability to work a camera. 3 In these conditions I was underwhelmed by this route. Long approach, unremarkable snog slog, and 1+ mind f* leads. Gear Notes: Gear rack- 4 screws (useless), 2 pickets, 3 tiny TCUs, .3,.5,1,2 camalots, nuts 4-10, 4 pitons* rope- 1 50m avy- shovel, beacon, probe *a better rack for our conditions would have been 6 tiny tcus, nuts 4-8, 4 pitons (no screws, no cams bigger than .4)

I left my snow saw in the snow after digging a pit in Crystal Backcountry. It is on (well, 15 feet below) the ridge one uses to approach Pickhandle Point from the ski resort (on the resort side of the ridge). I know it is hell of unlikely to come across it, but it doesn't hurt to post. Lost on Friday, Nov 26.

I'm interested in making a trip to the Canadian Rockies (from Seattle) for ice this season. I haven't been anywhere in Canada east of Lillooet. Could folks comment on closest drivable worthwhile ice destination, and contrast with ice destination closest to an airport? Thanks

PM me with description and we can arrange for return

taking first trip to pickets this week can i pull off trail runners with gaitors and crampons or do i need hiking/mountaineering boots? i hate the idea of 4 pounds of boots in my climbing pack while on inspiration or terror...