montypiton

Hey Mark - might be worth doing a google search on Mammut headlamps -- if you can find one on sale, I've felt like I've got more light for the money from Mammut than from Pretzel, BD, or Princeton Tec.... -Haireball

dammit, John, you just don't seem to get that skis are just to get you to and from the ICE!!! (seriously, way to get after it!!! wish I could keep up with you...)

nice follow-through, Craig! I'll vote for "corner route". Have I talked with you about the rescue school that is starting up in Wenatchee? Your demonstrated ability to follow through on projects suggests you might be a good resource...

I've had the pleasure of completing the Gerber-Sink N. Face route under winter conditions, in April a few years back. We had ice to WI5 on the steepest pitches, and some fabulous classic mixed climbing as well. I can email you some pix, if you like. It's unusual to find good ice-climbing on the N. Face routes in early winter, but it can happen after a significant thaw, when things refreeze. Memorial Day is a more dependable time to find good ice. While I have not done it, I've had friends make earlier winter ascents, and they have reported snow-dusted rock-climbing, rather than truly mixed rock & ice. The fattest ice I've ever seen on the Triple Couloir route was the first week of June in about 2001. I had gone up without ice gear, intending to do one of the snow couloir routes, and have cursed myself ever since...

Craig- the Pivotal Moment and Air Roof climbs are actually a couple of hundred yards upstream from the crag in your photos. I can't honestly say I've heard a name for the big roof left of the Visor. year before last, John Tarver and I climbed the second pitch of the route you show, but scrambled around the first pitch you did to get to it. Rapping off, we uncovered the corner (it was full of snow), and realized that this would make a much better start. Nice going! The route as you did it makes a far superior climb. I'm not aware of any other ascents, but that doesn't mean anything... There is some ice that forms on the Pivotal Moment climb, but it rarely gets into climbable shape, although it may, this year. I know that Bob VanDiggelen and Joe Schultz climbed it once back in the eighties... I haven't seen it come in for several years... -Haireball

between Genepires and Dane, you have a fairly complete and accurrate answer to your question, so I would just repeat: if you're all but stopped, or not yet really moving, go ahead and use your front points to help hold. if you're already sliding fast, use your knees - your frontpoints could flip you if they suddenly catch.

I have a low-volume foot, and have had good fit in Lowa and Garmont...

Thanks, Bob. We all need reminders once in a while. Just last weekend I grounded off a toproped sicle that neither I nor my partner felt ready to lead. Unfortunately, we both forgot how much stretch you can get from a LONG slingshot toprope, and now I'm housebound for five more weeks while my ankles heal up. I would have been safer leading, and hang-dogging on screws than I ended up being with that top-rope. A good example of failing to think outside the box...

Fred is doing well - shows up regularly for Chelan County Mountain Rescue Associations functions. Tarver still climbs regularly, rented a house from me for several years. Klewin has mostly given up hard climbing, very busy with his hardwood flooring company these days. the rest of that list I don't know well, although I think I recall meeting Matt Christianson once or twice...

Hells bells, guys, I still climb on some of that stuff!!! -Haireball

I still like Fred Stanley's motto better: "Its never to early to turn back!" I'd like to have THAT on a t-shirt... maybe I should have some made... -Haireball

I've heard a rumor that Red Chili may have a dealer in the Wenatchee area by coming summer...

A great number of Icicle Canyon rock-climbs are done in mixed conditions each winter. Dr. Shipman and I have done several on what Beckey's original guidebook called the "Candlestein Crags", between Rainbow Gully and Careno Crag. Most folks focus on the two obvious lines that I've seen called "Careno Right and Careno Left" which, in deference to Beckey's older name, the Old Farts call "Candlestein Left, and Candlestein Right", but there are numerous others. These are trad lines, and generally rely on one's ability to visually identify a line and climb it, without beta. Doc and I have done a number of mixed lines on Icicle Buttress, as well, and I've done a number of the classics like the Funnel in "mixed" conditions also. It hardly seems worth attempting to catalogue these mixed lines, as whether they are ice, mixed, or rock climbs varies almost day-to-day. But since you asked, I'm attempting to supply a meaningful answer. Does climbing Midway on Castle Rock in a storm that dumped 8" of snow while we climbed the chimney count as mixed? That was the first climb I ever did with Gordon Briody, back in December of 1980...

Wow-good thread that didn't get hijacked! I'm impressed! Bob, thanks for taking the time to write a well thought-out response. I'd be the last to say that what's not safe for some is therefor not safe for all. Ultimately, the greatest safety tool is between our ears, and you apparently know how to use yours. I'll always remember a spanish climber at Devils Tower back in '76 who taught me to always LOOK UP whenever I hear the cry "ROCK" because "you can't dodge what you don't see". Fernando taught me a great deal about safety -- and not all of it intuitive. I'm grateful to guys like you and Fernando. Thanks for accepting the risk of posting your thoughts. -Curt "Haireball" Haire

I've used this tactic since the '80s. I think its fairly common among those of us who use double ropes a lot. Taking only one half-rope, and folding it in half still leaves you the same rappel capacity as a single fat rope. And you usually aren't going to run 60meter pitches on moderate alpine rock. It's a sound idea that has been used for at least a couple of generations.

Also keep and eye on Ebay & Craigslist. Extraordinary deals pop up on a pretty regular basis. you may be surprised at what you can get for $100. If you don't trust your judgment on older model tools, shoot me an email - I'll be glad to advise...

Check that "ice tools wanted" thread. Kid wants to get into ice-climbing, and needs cheap tools. It'd be win-win for both of you...

lessee... "guys-link route" name has potential, in a cfcc sort of way...

I have no appreciable experience of gps, however as far as I know, they can be programmed to select a route by connecting "waypoints". The difficulty I would expect, is that the waypoints don't give the user a mental picture of the route the way a topographic map can. Without a topo, or personal experience of the travel area, it seems a gps could (at least theoretically) lead an inexperienced user into serious trouble. But that could be said of ANY of the navigational aids used by mountaineers. A compass, for instance is of little use in the vicinity of a significant quantity of iron-rich rock. Even holding one in a hand wearing a battery operated watch can render it inaccurrate. The key is in studying, and in knowing the limitations of your tools -- as always.

Got back to that nice little piece just up the road from Bridge Creek twice this week. Thursday, with Dave Allyn, started at the lowest point and climbed SIX pitches, mostly easy, WI2 except for the last which would have made WI3. Dave had never led ice before, but as forgiving as the flow is, we swapped leads, and he cranked his first three leads on water ice. As we exited, heading down to get me to town for a Drs appointment, we noticed above the exit route a SEVENTH pitch that looked longer/steeper than anything we'd done. So on New Years, the infamous Dr. Shipman and I returned to see what the last pitch was like. With the 8" new snow, we missed the first three pitches, but found the fourth, and continued up, also having picked up a "stray" by the name of Matt Hall, who just happened to have tools & poons with him. The three of us climbed pitches 4,5,6, then walked over to 7 and found a nice 100' wall with at least a half-dozen lines on it. Mark selected a nice WI4 rib, which he led in fine style while Matt took photos (apparently what he does for a living!)and I dodged dinner plates (successfully). We rapped the last pitch in fading light, then trundled down to the car, arriving just at dark. A SUPERB day. As I heard it, the line was first climbed by our own dear RAT, and the first time I climbed it we had Tom HEINZ along, so if Rat hasn't named it, I propose we call it RAT KETCHUP. It must be popular, because Dave and I saw two other parties on Thursday, and Mark and I picked up a third partner today! Anybody have a name for this? Or can we use the one I suggested. If it has a name already, I propose honoring the earliest one. -Haireball

Hey Mark -- you know if you get over here, that you've got a place to stay, right? We get insulted when friends come to town and PAY for room and board somewhere else... -Haireball

I've got a couple pair of Trango harpoons set up as monopoints that I need to move anyway. Was gonna put em on ebay, but I'd let you have them cheap... say $50 per pair for one or both pairs?

in my experience, if I'm carrying so much weight on the index finger support that it feels overloaded, I've got the support set too high on the shaft. try lowering it a quarter inch or so... and let me know how it goes... I'm perfectly open to the fact that it may not work for everyone, but it sure as blazes makes a positive difference for me!

Well said, Joe! If you feel you have to get a second opinion, then you'd best follow the printed directions...

I retune new picks all the time. Haven't had experience with the Grivel Evolution, but in my experience, a sharp, smooth top edge on the pick is helpful, along with a significant bottom bevel along the sides of the pick, ALL THE WAY TO THE TIP. I had the pleasure of recently acquiring 2 factory new BD picks, and the bottom bevel stopped short of the first tooth, which was left with a square bottom. They stuck, I filed, now they work as I feel they should. A word of caution - pick tuning is surprisingly personal, in my experience. A tuning that is optimized for one guy's swing may be less than optimal for his/her partner's swing. Don't be afraid to experiment - after all, you can always bring it back to what it is-- -Curt