Raindawg

I've done loads of soloing....alpine, rock and aid...and I started it early on beginning when I moved to the Pacific Northwest and didn't know anyone. And that still remains a motivation: no climbing partners available when I want/need to go? Go it alone. I find it a greater mental challenge, and vastly more satisfying as one doesn't have the crutch of a partner and it requires a great deal of mental, physical and technical self-reliance. I still usually tail a rope from my harness and carry a few items of gear should I get nervous. I've taken a few tumbles, but overall, I've found it not necessarily unsafe. I also got used to it while guiding, because while leading climbs with a client, I would mentally assume (at least as a working concept) that even though we trained them well, their belay was useless, or at least untrustworthy. I'd still place the gear, but the professional expectations, and the lack of trust in the novice climber, meant that there would be no falling. One of my guide buddies, the late, great Dave Stutzman, was a sincere purist, and would solo rock and alpine routes with a minimum of gear (often zero, not even a pack), and sometimes bare-foot (at least on the rock sections). He'd hike into our climbing seminar basecamps without shoes (yes, he'd put his boots on for the class) and used to entertain us with stories about how he hoped to grow his toe-nails out so he could use them as crampons. He'd didn't really care if you knew he was soloing, liked it or disliked, or whatever...he considered it the ultimate expression of climbing and a personal challenge to do it minimalist as possible. I tend to agree. I've toned down alot of the scarier stuff in the last few years for personal reasons but I still find going alone to be a very special experience.

Hey Cap'n Tolerance. You won't want go down to California....a whole bunch of JEWS live there!

Hey, Dude-4: Ya, I am a bit tired from working out. FYI, there are new pictures and even some revised commentary in our annual announcement. We'd like to make the "Bouldering Rodeo!" an annual tradition just like "Rockfest"...I would suspect if we stopped posting this crap every year, you'd probably miss it. RE: the new photos: check it out: the second picture of the mattress is completely NEW! as it the image of the wide-mouthed astonished Jimmy "Dyn-o-mite!" Walker. There was a sassy picture of some coeds enjoying a game Twister until the pious "E-rock" complained and it was replaced with some man-butts for your enjoyment. See you in 11-worth! (Look for the soiled mattress!)

Hey,dude...if you're referring to the picture of the scantily-clad ADULT women having a good time playing Twister, I've removed it and replaced it with something perhaps more to your liking.

Who's being negative here??? Should we all march in line like happy consumers? Do we have room for dissent here? That being said, I hope you have a nice time at whichever event you choose to attend. See you in Leavenworth.

What an articulate fellow you are! Did you read the announcement...we got some new stuff going...and why do you complain? You sure seemed to enjoy it last year...especially when Dirty Bunny gave you a wedgie and poured a can of Malt Liquor down the back of your pants! Now back to the Burgess Shale with you!

LAST MINUTE ANNOUNCEMENT: ANNUAL LEAVENWORTH ROCKFEST ALTERNATIVE EVENT THIS WEEKEND!!! Sorry for the last minute posting but someone stole our special mattress (as described below) about two months ago. Fortunately, the police just located it last night where it was found soaking wet in an overgrown empty lot in Spanaway. Yeah! The show will go on! "DWAYNER 'N POPE'S GOODTIME BOULDERING RODEO!" It's that time of year again! "Rockfest" makes its annual appearance in Leavenworth. Pancakes, special guests, play with shoes, etc...the ultimate goal being to get you excited so you can BUY MORE CRAP!!! It's going to happen whether we like it or not so me and my buddy "pope" are once again putting on our own counter-event. As before, it's called "Dwayner and Pope's Goodtime Boulderin' Rodeo!” There are some new changes in the works for this year and even more fun than before. For example, you might have noticed that we added an exclamation point to the official name of our event. (Previously: Rodeo. Now: Rodeo!) For those of you who have attended in the past, you know the basic drill, but for others, newly disillusioned with the "climbing" status quo, this is how it works: me and pope found an old mattress near the railroad tracks by South Tacoma Way in Tacoma a few years ago. It's got some MAJOR pee-stains and a few cigarette burns and it leaks a strange, smelly substance but otherwise, it will hold a tumble off a boulder like few others. Here it is (the blue one!): On Saturday, look for the mattress strapped to the top of one of our vehicles or pull over to the side of the road when you see the two of us ferrying "the pad" to a new site. We will be setting it up below some of the choicest of bouldering routes in Icicle Canyon. To lessen impact, we are limiting the Rodeo! to Gurlz only. There will be a glass pickle jar nearby and we will be charging 50 cents a plop or you can get a punchcard: 3 plops for $5. Sit-starts are encouraged and ladies may bring their boyfriends for an extra-dollar providing the boyz shout classic calls of encouragement....for example, stuff like, "send it!" and "dyno for the mono-doight!" Silly you say? Sure beats this boring nonsense: Some of you might be thinking that the "Goodtime Boulderin' Rodeo!" doesn't have enough events. That is so untrue! Here's a comparison of what Rockfest has to offer vs. the alternative event: Rockfest: Rock shoe demo at Barney's Rubble Boulderin' Rodeo!: They's just wants you to buy new shoes! This is what we're gonna do: Meet/meat us across the street at Bruce's Boulder and we're going to try on each other's shoes. A can of disinfective will be provided. Rockfest: Free clinics! Boulderin' Rodeo!: No need to set up a clinic specifically for climbers in Icicle Canyon although perhaps no other group is more worthy. I hear there's a free clinic in Leavenworth or Wenatchee where you can have your curious rashes examined. Pope, however, will have a handy supply of Baby-Wipes for any sport-climber that should wander by. Rockfest: Bridgecreek group campsite. BBQ, Party Boulderin' Rodeo!:Weenie roast at 8-mile CG followed by a new drinking game we invented which is a combination of strip poker and Twister. A photo from last year: Rockfest:Outdoor slideshow by the lovely Miss Kate Rutherford. (Don't know her but I’m sure she’s very nice. Better treat her good or she'll end up defecting to our Rodeo, as have some previous "celebrity" speakers.) Boulderin' Rodeo!..much…too...nervous again...to...ask...BIG LOU!....uh.....maybe next year! Big Lou Never mind. Back by popular request, it’s Dirty Bunny and his naughty campground hijinks! Rockfest:Massive fundraising gear raffle for the "Washington Climbers Coalition". Boulderin' Rodeo!: W.C.C.? We don't need no stinkin' W.C.C.! Rockfest:Pancake breakfast Bouldering Rodeo!: Pancakes are overated. We're havin' sausage and sushi; both being provided by our old friend, Sushi Dog! (We only hope that the sausages come from a supermarket, and not from Sushi Dog's lawn.) Rockfest:Bouldering tour of the Leavenworth area Boulderin' Rodeo!: Instead of 150 folks crowding and tripping over themselves with their pads, we got "The Mattress" as described above. Pay and take your plops! Waitin' 4 u! NO DOUBT! See you at the RODEO!

Sweet Renton Granite! Caught anything yet?

Hey! Big Lou didn't say that...you did! Great picture of His Royal Lou-ness! Standing next to him, aren't we all midgets? (figuratively and symbolically?)

Glad you asked! How about clowns AND dwarves!

Walking in to a snowstorm unprepared is not challenging one's self. I absolutely feel for the friends and familiy of the survivors and the victim, but this *is* a climbing site and it's hard to avoid commenting on a news service's typical misrepresentation. It doesn't seem productive to lead people to believe that accidents such as this occur despite "experience." Granted, I have no clue what actually occured, but every sign available to climbers/hikers, experienced or not, indicated unusually severe weather was basically guaranteed. You don't know the whole story yet so how about toning it down until you do. So easy to speculate from one of these:

You still think that fall at Smith was huge??? Check out this action from just a few days ago: An Even Huger Fall at Smith!

Cancer reconstructive surgery is not even a part of the topic, gurlfren. I'm talking about the majority of perfectly healthy folks who for whatever psychological or social reasons choose to increase the size of their natural mammalian protruberances. Anyone think they don't look fake? Take the tests: Test One Test 2

Why would women have a breast "enhancement" of any size? It's a lot cheaper to have the words "low self-esteem" tattooed on your forehead. Keep 'em as God made them, I say! If you think the mens don't likes them small, too bad. Who you trying to impress anyway? The only exception I can think of would be this friend of mine whose "hoots" were so huge, she had serious back pain. She had them "reduced" and it corrected the problem. On the other hand, I hear these two young ladies work for the Coast Guard on secret off-shore patrols.

Freddie goes mad..... G8mAaJuefOw

The man just wants to break free! 2RyIyEyVPvo

For those of you about to take HUGE 30 foot falls at Smith, WE SALUTE YOU! WvrHTXzMCQg

Is that such a bad thing? The people who are committed can car-pool it, stay the whole weekend or suck it up. Maybe some will take up a new and cheaper sport like knitting or scrapbooking and the crags will be even less crowded.

HUGE! Like that HUGE! fall at Smith! So is MINE!

What’s the matter Rain…..cat has your tongue? I'm working and don't always have the time to tend to your personal needs. You should try it sometime (work)...surely no one is paying you to make over 8,500 posts. The fact that some folks might think a 30 foot fall is HUGE could be because they're basically sport climbers and are used to a metallic security blanket every few feet. Climb some trad AND get out more in the world.

Do you really expect everyone to high-five you because you saw someone take a moderate fall? Part of the discussion here is to let you know that there are other climbers who don't find that sort of incident the least bit significant. Falls of that sort are common. You, yourself, and perhaps others, have now been educated to that fact. Word of advice...you might want to tone down your usual "ego" routine...you only sound silly...and I don't really think you understand the concept very well.

Wow...he popped two pieces and got caught by a bolted anchor..."GEAR RIPPING!!!" Better call "Rock and Ice"...they'll want your breathless, detailed story for their next "epics" theme issue. This man's "rooster" is bigger than that fall you witnessed! By the way, you always act as if "having an ego" is a bad thing. You didn't learn that from Dewey Cox!

Would YOU feel better if we didn't call your ridiculous exaggeration what it is? 28 feet isn't even a big fall for sport climbing (I have seen bigger whips off Latest Rage and Darkness at Noon) and for trad climbing, is merely slightly larger than average. Gotta agree with the "G-Spotter". A fall 15 feet above some bolted anchor??? Please. It ain't a noteworthy fall...maybe you don't get out much. It might impress someone who's used to clipping a bolt every five feet. 50 ft+... possibly worthy of comment but for some it's just another day at the office. (Ever zipper a bunch of your pro falling on a scary aid line? You can go a good ways.)

Hey Wisenheimer...you missed the point. YOU ACT LIKE YOU MISS THEM!!! Enjoy it while it lasts. "no one to watch! no one to watch me! no one to share beta! no snarling dogs! no Mounties yelling "what???", no near-misses with dropped gear, blah, blah, blah....what do I do? How will I live????"

Why do some people insist on advertising the fact that certain crags are empty (e.g. Peshastin Pinnacles and Index). Do you really want to see more people???? Do you really want to be around more climbers??? {Why?????????} Keep it to yourself and hope the trend continues! Regarding nasty dogs at the crags: not everyone appreciates nor wants to see your flea-bitten pride and joy. Personally, I'd rather they be kept at home. Once I watched as one rummaged through my pack while I was anchored in to a belay, and another time I saw someone's tethered crag-pooch nearly decimated by a falling rock. I generally love animals but if someone's personal beast acts aggressive towards me, the normal rules of polite engagement are suspended.