jfs1978

"uh"...cool! They should then. Those Brits have been putting down a pretty cool ticklist of a boatload of the hardest OW's on our side of the pond. I think it's cool. Not trying to "measure" anything... ymmv.

heh...off topic...but don't forget that some of those british guys have been doing the same thing to "us" lately... Pete Whittaker Flashes Belly Full Of Bad Berries

Thanks a bunch for the recommendations guys. Busy with family stuff at the moment but I might get a chance to cram something in. Thanks again.

thanks man. looks like i might have to just suck it up and take a few days off. oh the horror.

Anybody know of some spots in Salem to get in a workout/bouldering session? I'll be stuck there for a bit and...far as I can tell...my options are pretty limited. I'd even settle for a gym/plastic session but it appears the closest option is Corvallis. Thanks.

Seems to be working normally for me. I don't have any problems viewing pages and had to look for the banner ads to notice them on the top, side, and bottom.

Got that off my chest... now... OP asks about "alpine harnesses". I'm guessing s/he means alpine rock or some such. In which case the Couloir is super NOT recommended for comfort and utility reasons alone. Same deal for the BD Bod. I still really like my 1st gen. Arcteryx harness for alpine and am pretty sure I've seen them out there on clearance for around $80 now. Certainly more reasonable than MSRP even if that still only gets it down to the "expensive" range. ONLY gripe is the lack of a real haul loop. Stupid d-ring attachment just flat sucks when you are trying to attach approach shoes, tag line, self-rescue kit,, jacket, water or whatever else you might typically want out of the way on a long alpine climb. It's still my harness of choice when I want something that crams into nothing in my pack on the approach and is still comfortable enough to hang or take whippers in. Other than that...any number of decent, comfortable harnesses out there. Trial and error usually works best for figuring out what works for you.

I love the size and weight of the BD Couloir. GREAT mountaineering harness... once you have the DAMNED THING ON!!!! I absolutely despise that damned buckle. Major BD fail on that count. Just try getting that stupid thing buckled on either with gloves on...or numb freakin' hands. Your choice. Both suck. Royally.

another fwiw... i wear slightly larger than 45 in street shoes and mtn. boots and I'm one of those people that likes to go down to 42 in Miuras. They are fantastic at anything needing techie footwork, including a lot of thinner crack. Yes, they are initially painful on hand size cracks. They break in but are never all that comfy on that size. I also never use them for an all day alpine shoe. If I did I'd go with a 43. My all day crack shoes are either TC Pros or LS Nagos (cheap!!!) both of which fit comfortably at 42 after break in...and (surprisingly - for the Nagos) let me climb at my "crack limit"...

No argument here.

Dane you mainly focus on the Sabertooth and Serac SS crampons and all of the failures or "issues" I've seen have dealt only with those models. Do you think the design differences on the SS Cyborg seem to protect them from the same failure modes? I don't get enough hard mileage on them to be all that concerned...but the thought has crossed my mind at a few...uh...key...moments. =) Thanks for the blog. Always interesting.

Not sure what pass BootsandPants was in... As of almost two weeks ago there were two patches of snow to cross on the trail, both of which were completely fine with no sharp, pointy stuff. The trail was essentially completely clear. Have fun GA!

Timberline Mountain Guides

We went in with just the photos off MP. They were ok...but a real topo would be a lot better. I'll pick up the L-worth book. Thx.

Are there any online? Photo topos seem to be what's available and they'll work if that's all there is. Thanks for any info. js

+1 to Ian's decision. I'm not understanding those getting up in arms about this one. It's a no-brainer. Despite some comments to the contrary, I would not say that his actions are coming across locally as some enforcement by a "select few". But opinions will vary. Fact is...none of that side of the debate is all that important imho. People are gonna get torqued...and argue...and debate. Cause that's what we do on these here interwebz... More importantly... +1000 to the well wishes to the injured. Really hoping the girl pulls through and fully recovers and is back out having fun before long. Really looking forward to hearing some good news. Best wishes to her and her family.

dude ... you're getting pissed off that something called a "fanny pack" isn't up to your technical standards??? jes' playin'...

For those interested. 6/16/11. Snow begins approx. 30 minutes in from Pole Creek. Slowshoes useful a little after the Soap Creek crossing. SE Ridgeline is normal...although I may have cramponed up lower than normal due to higher snow levels. Dropped over to the west aspect at the camel's hump and navigated through more gullies than I recall from previous visits. Significant rime build-up is present above the traverse - be early. Depending on which gullies you choose there are some sections where two tools were appreciated on the traverse below the pinnacle. Typical mix of rotten snow, good ice, shitty rime, and solid spring snow throughout. Bowling alley has a couple options left or right - it looked like left would have been scary solo so I opted for right. All fairly typical if not for this time of year. No sign of boulders or rap options so be prepared to downclimb. Summit is still fully covered of course. Weather looks to be opening up again after this weekend. Have fun.

I'll defer to Dane's opinion on just about any boot question...but I will still say that my Intuition experience has been very good. BUT...I fit them myself, got the liners for cheap, and had a new pair of Expes just sitting around that I'd picked up for a ridiculously low price back when they were disappearing from the market. As a result (and I should have said this above) my experience may be slightly off kilter from the average. I expect I'll be picking up some Baruntses before too long. But for now, even a full price investment of $150 in Intuitions seems pretty reasonable for the performance I've gotten out of them. I have not had a problem with the stiffness of the overlapping cuff that Dane references. Ignorance is bliss apparently.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes. There is no real comparison with the standard liners on the Expe's.

Cool re-review Bill. I was kinda pulling for the Totem's from the get-go ... just to have another solid cam option out there that offered different capabilities. Competition is good. =) I was bummed to hear the initial downer assessment. Thanks for the follow-up. I however, DON'T have more money than brains (which sucks because I also don't have much in the way of extra brains either...) which leaves me definitely SOL. Which is really better anyhow - my rack is well stocked as it is. I agree it seems like the Totem guys really are trying to do right by the climbing community. Props to them for that - and pretty cool to know that some folks are still out there innovating.

sweet! thanks for the post ivan

I can't add much to my post above. Every gear decision is based on my own comfort and skill levels combined with route and weather hazards. It changes every route, every time. You list a broad assortment of snow and ice protection and gear for widely different types of route conditions. I may bring all of it, I may bring none of it, I may bring a lot more of one kind - it all depends. But to me, your gear list looks like the snow protection version of "jack of all trades, master of none". On anything technical you'll likely be left there cussing yourself out saying at least one of two things, but probably both - "dammit why'd I haul that boat anchor along" and/or "dammit I wish I had another one of THOSE"... If I'm solo I likely won't bring any of it. I'll climb up what I can climb down ... or know my descent and what I'll need to leave behind to get back to the beer in my car. If I'm with a partner - I bring enough to get both our asses out of trouble...or at least enough so that I can say "this is definitely YOUR fault dude - beers are on you" if we get our sorry asses stuck... Or at least enough to stay outta the evening news. Bivy gear? Get that new light weight stuff......... duh. How light? Light as you can find that still provides a comfortable margin. Do you want to sleep like a baby or get down mostly alive with most of your appendages? Is it cold? Bring a puffy. Is it %&$*ing BALLS COLD!?!?!?!? Bring a BIGGER puffy ... or move your lazy ass fast enough to stay warm. That's all I got. One of the smart-asses around here might have something more specific. But your question's too general for me to get much traction...

OK benb I'm still not exactly sure what your question is...but maybe this'll help. Short answer is...and I'm not being sarcastic here...it depends. You gotta make the call. You mentioned everything you carried was needed and that you can't figure out how to make it lighter. That is ... surprising ... considering the route in question. Out of the 15 items in you gear list I take five on a typical SS climb. To the top of Palmer I'd take two from your list and my pack weight would be ... whatever a liter of water and a couple shots of Gu weigh. Again...not being sarcastic but I'd recommend going through that list of yours and assessing the utility of each of your items based on the objective hazards, potential risks, and technical challenges on your chosen route. That's the way this gig works. If you decide you need everything, then more power to you - go get it.

Am I an idiot (or an a-hole) for even asking if this is a troll?