CaleHoopes

Ok, so I had some great and not so great experience with the GAITER version of these boots at Ouray. The pair with the Gaiter's are warmer than the ones without for sure but the rest of the boot is exactly the same. Pros Climbed WI5 awesomely! Felt very confident in them in very steep terrain. More than warm in the gaiter model. Excellent Ice boot Lightweight Fits Petzl Crampons FABULOUSLY Cons Lacing system sucks - very hard to get lacing system to work right every time. Gaitered zipper painful Very little difference between climbing mode and hiking mode. Very stiff ankle (great for ice, crap for walking) Difficult approach boot. Sized differently in that model Performance = regular width, Insulated = wide (mentioning this because they may have this kind of weird model for the non-gaitered boot too). I climbed a whole day in Ouray in these boots and thought they were the best boot there. However, I admit the demo guy didn't know the boots and was kind of a jerk (like I was doing him a favor). So, I came home and ordered two pairs from Backcountry.com and a pair of La Sportiva Batura 2.0 GTX boots. The two pairs were one Regular and one Wide. Then I took the pairs over and climbed ice at Banks Lake. Problem? The approach in the Salewa boots was almost unbearable. We only hiked up a quarter mile at 45 degreesish, and over some talus. If I had to do ANY distance in these boots, it would not treat me happily. Once again, they climbed ice awesome. But only when vertical was I happy in them. In contrast, the Batura's have a very flexible ankle and climb ice ok, but I could actually climb a couloir in them and I don't think I'd be happy doing that in the Salewa's. I do worry about the shank in the Salewa's breaking over time. If you could see a demo model, it's really just a strong metal strip that they loosen and tighten inside a vibram sole. I believe Dane has pictures. Changing the mode in the field (in real winter conditions) would totally suck. Too stiff and takes too much work. Plus with the horrible lacing system, I sent both pairs back and kept the Batura 2.0's. They are lighter and 50 dollars more expensive but they are also flexible enough to keep my back of my ankle from being torn up by the boot. Good luck with your choice. I could see them being used on Denali in some scenarios. I would continue to use my Baruntse's for Denali. Warmer and can go to summit. If you're staying below 14 for some late June ice climbs, these would be just fine for that. OH: And to the review of the Mountain Trainer boots... I have those and they are totally different fit and feel IMHO. My Mountain Trainer shoes are easily the best approach shoes I've ever owned. I wear them every day, have done multiple approaches in them and after a year I'm abusing them. They are even better if you get a no work lacing system for them. Then they are the killer app in approach shoes!

Thanks for telling me what. I'm trying to get the newer Batura's to fit right. They are pushing on the foot in weird places and it really seems to depend on the right footbed for comfort. Good luck with the selling. $300 might be too steep.

Hey, what's the fit issue? Just curious - trying to get my new Batura's to fit right and I'm not sure if it's the boot or what yet.

Wallstein! Thanks for the great review. That was the kind of experience I was looking to hear about for sure (regardless of the shameful plug)...

So, a lot of the responses from Mountain Project regarded the cost. I agree this is way overpriced. However, I also believe that MH's gear using Dry Q is way overpriced. That doesn't remove it's merit as a technology. It simply prices it out of casual use as far as I'm concerned. What's interesting to me here - is how the technologies are changing. Imagine that in 5 years, Encapsil is firmly planted in outdoor technologies and the price point has come down. It'd be amazing to have a very warm very light jacket in my pack that's not made up of horrible water soaking untreated down. So, really I'm just watching these technologies. I find it interesting to see if I can catch the "change" that affected the entire industry. Once again, Encapsil is probably more suited for AK range, belay jackets in below zero temps (yes, I had like 5 days like this in Ouray) or something like that. Will I spend $700? No. Am I intrigued? Yes.

This is great folks! Thanks for all of your awesome input. Some thoughts: - Yep, was waiting on the X4's simply because it's new tech and you never know about recalls and such before they really get in the field - Really appreciate all the talk about the lower sizes and will likely integrate that by skipping some of the smaller cams - I'll check out some of those DMM Wallnuts, good stuff. - Double up finger & hand sizes, check! - JoeR, credit goes a long way to buy gas. I'm using up much of an REI dividend that was bolstered by a bunch of logistical purchases for a Denali trip on my REI card... LOL. - Gene, I forsee my first trad lead coming at Leavenworth, Mazama, Index or X38. Probably not Vantage but who knows. I have only climbed at Leavenworth & Mazama so far in WA (with about 5 minutes at X38). So, who knows. Just turns out that I can get started using my dividend to be ready. You'd be surprised, I bought my first ice tools FOUR YEARS before I actually used em - and they got so much use that I'm on my 2nd pair. Thanks for all the input, if anyone has any other thoughts, I'm still open for ideas! Thanks all!

Folks, I'm working on putting together my first trad rack. I'm looking at: Set of BD Nuts Camalot C4 .3-#4 (8 total Cams) 00-2 Master Cams as "doubles" of the lower C4's (this was a recommendation) Slings and Biners. What I'm looking for is OPINIONS, DISCUSSION, SPRAY, whatever... I've done a lot of multipitch CLEANING and am pushing myself to hopefully do my first trad lead this summer and I'd like to do it on my own gear (like my first ice lead was...) Anyhoo, I'd love to hear reviews of Cams, the makeup of your rack, what you've learned over time, etc. GO!

Ok, lets keep some of the disinformation to a minimum. RMI no longer bivies clients who can't make it on a sleeping bag. This process stopped years ago. I'm not condoning the activity but I have climbed on some of these climbs and a client who could not make it sure enjoyed the sunrise in their sleeping bag. Warm and a great view of the east usually. That being said, its a practice they had to stop once the 3 concessionaires were announced. The guide services on Rainier have no idea what they are getting when people throw money at them. They have stretched out the climb into multiple days in order to confirm that the clients have the skills and good acclimatization to get up the mountain. They are hauling clients and not really teaching. 4 day = 1 day to muir, 1 day of snow school, acclimatization, 1 day to summit, 1 day down. Considering they get all kinds of people, this is very reasonable for a beginner in my opinion. Finally, I hope you have an idea of what kind of risk you're putting this "independent guide" in.... If they are caught guiding without a concession or permit in MRNP (and you can bet your ass that MRNP personnel read this forum), they will be banned from the park permanently. That's pretty damn harsh. I wouldn't want to be the "client" who screwed a potential young guide out of an opportunity to guide for a concessionaire because I got him kicked out of the park. Why don't you get some basic skills, find a partner and just have a go at it?

Kurt speaks volumes. On denali I wouldn't build a snow cave to sleep in unless I absolutely needed to or was Lonnie Dupre. That being said, feel free to build a snow igloo for a latrine - we saw a bunch of these and indeed wished we'd taken the time - would have been nice and warm place out of the wind to do the business. I'd say the MEGAMID is a REQUIREMENT. I think I would have psychologically failed if we hadn't been able to be out of the sun. Four season - hell yes. However, there are some good lightweight options out there for this. It doesn't need to be super heavy. When he says "down low" he's talking about 14 camp. The most serious climbing starts above - and having a 2 person down low lets you KEEP your camp at 14k while you're away and gives you a good place to put your gear where you don't have to dig a cache. He's totally right about this. Lightweight options? Mountain Hardwear DIREKT 2 (Rei) Spend the $500 and bring this along. It REALLY IS 2lb 8oz. It's BOMBER and it's so light that you won't regret it. Then one of you can sleep in this and it will be the perfect gear stash at 14k. To be honest, $500 for anything regarding denali is actually pretty cheap. You won't regret it.

Good luck. With freezing levels above 6,000 ft over the next few days, you'll have to go much higher on Rainier IMHO.

+1 to Gene for best response. Me too.

Ok, so in the parka department. WTF. Is this yet another GAME CHANGER?!?!? http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-encapsil-down-belay-parka?sssdmh=dm23.153895&p=84645-0-065&src=030113_mi1&dmmid=124359299 18 oz (518 grams) 1000-fill power WATER-REPELLENT DOWN So, if Patagonia's Encapsil tech works, this parka is a HALF POUND lighter than the DAS Parka and if the 1000-fill down is warmer, seems like a win. Compare to the Mirage Parka at 12 oz - 900-fill down. However, not water repellent treated down. On the other hand, the Patagonia is $699, and the Mirage is $349. What do you guys think? (Dane)

So, on the 17th, I was at Banks. It was BARELY in. By the time we left as a group, we decided it generally wouldn't be in much longer. Yes, if you want some dangerous deathcicle mixed climbing - you could call it in. But with 39-42 degree days every day and most pitches getting some sun, the freezing nights don't matter much. There were a few things left when we left but even the Devil's Punchbowl was getting sketch. You could probably get some stuff in early morning, but the objective danger was high. The climbing area was basically intermittent from The Cable to Devil's Punchbowl. A few lines in Pee Wee's that were marked for death, but still barely in... a few lines about 1 mile southwest from Pee Wee's. A few WI5 routes that don't reach were still there. Keep in mind though, this was 2 weekends ago now.

I think that as a climbing community, we discovered that not caring is how we generally respond to Mark's article.

Banks was very thin when we left it last weekend and I don't know that anything else anywhere else was in. If you go to Banks... good luck. We left assuming the season there was OVER.

+1 for the Sasquatch.

FOLKS! IF INTERESTED, GET YOUR APPLICATIONS IN BEFORE MARCH 1ST. The Bushwhacker Climbing Club is opening up registration for the Basic Glacier Climbing Course which we put on every year. We're really starting to get some momentum in the club and would like to have you join us to get some basic glacier travel skills. The course includes group dynamics, gear selection, self-arrest and self-belay, running belay training, backcountry navigation (heavy emphasis on route finding), trip planning, snow camping skills, team arrest training and practice, crevasse rescue practice and a 4-day climb of Mt. Baker (the Squak Glacier route). The makeup of the course is Lectures on Tuesday nights in May - June, a day outing for group skills, a day outing of self-arrest and navigation, an overnight snow camping and team-arrest outing (with anchors clinic and crevasse rescue introduction), and a 4-day crevasse rescue/summit climb of Mt. Baker. Lectures will be held at BELLEVUE COLLEGE on Tuesday Nights in May and June. The course is a fantastic and inexpensive way to get some great outdoor travel skills and feel comfortable on glaciers. The club offers other endeavors for after graduation: Leadership, Advanced Crevasse Rescue, Snow Shelter, Scrambling, Outings all over the cascades and monthly social gatherings. Come join us! The registration process is by application and all applications will be reviewed through now and the end of the month with an awarding of a spot sometime in mid March. More details and the application can be found here: Bushwhacker Glacier Course Also, if you want direct details or have questions, you can email me at caledh@gmail.com. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about the Bushwhacker's or the course. APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY MARCH 1st to bwcc_information@bushwhackerclimbingclub.org. Thanks! Cale

And where do we get the black card? ;-)

These are spectacular boots. I've climbed everything from Denali to Rainier to WI5 in Ouray with these. Warm and breathable and the best double boot liner ever made.

Spent the last two weekends at Banks Lake. There's a bunch of single pitch stuff in and a few that look like they could go in a few pitches. If it gets warm it'll probably be out. Some of Pee Wee's Playhouse was in, a few steep lines north of the cable were in and some stuff between Emerald & Zenith. Nothing north of Devil's Punchbowl was in, but the punchbowl itself was - although the lower part of the pitch was about to fall and the central waterfall was really dripping out. Unless it gets & stays cold, I think most of this stuff will fall away.

Oh. Gotcha. Not good for ski boots. Haven't tried em on TLT's yet. I need more money to start an obsession with AT skiing. Too much spent on ice climbing crap.

Dane... what??!? No Lynx? My Lynx are rockin!

Free Topos on http://www.gearlooptopo.com/topos.html?area=redRocks Very nice info on tons of routes. Enjoy! (all PDF printable).

Seems like something Feathered Friends or Pro Mountain Sports would have. You could try Marmot, but usually their ice gear and accessories are limited. Give the folks at the AAI store a call too - you'd be surprised what they might have in stock.

Been there man. The total Suck. My best stretches for it -> #1 - cross right over left leg, bend down at waist to touch toes. Hold for 8-30 seconds. Switch legs to left over right. Keep legs as straight as possible. You'll really feel it. #2 - spread legs wide while standing and reach down and touch the floor. Keep legs straight and engage the quads and hamstrings. 8-30 seconds. As many reps as possible. #3 - the best one, but the hardest. Get a partner and a weight bench. Get down in the pushup position on the weight bench. Have a partner hold your lower legs. Push yourself off the weight bench bending at the waist while your partner holds your legs down. Try to get all the way up and then fall back down. As many as you can do -> more as you get strong again. Also: hot-tub and massage help greatly. Make sure you warm up in some manner BEFORE any of those stretches. Everything I've read about stretching says it's better to do AFTER a workout. If you want to "stretch" before, then just simply do some cardio and get moving - don't do specific muscle group stretches: IMHO. My 2 cents. BTW, Even after my pull, I still have trouble stretching on the side that was pulled... but it's good enough without pain.