Alpaholic

So you have a compromise between "Fairly stiff for kicking steps in snow" and the "trail runner/../approach shoe combo". So how stiff do you want it (...right)? Most boots with a stiff shank ARE going to have a welt in the back for crampons...assuming you know this, are you looking for something along the lines of this? http://www.sportiva.com/products/prod/502 or this? http://www.mountaingear.com/pages/product/product.asp/imanf/La+Sportiva/idesc/Trango+Guide+%2D+Men/Store/MG/item/203313/N/663 Heading further down the trail running side of things, what about just going with an approach shoe? Something like the Montrail D7 would make a good trail runner/fast hiker but still climb well, is light and you can strap crampons on for low angle glaciers. Couple that with an ankle gator and you've got a pretty good light and fast setup. Down sides would be not stiff and not waterproof (unless you find a GTX version).

nice...oh, NICE!

Nice Work! Yeah, Sierra snowpack @ 25% of normal this year = no crampons/axe needed for MR descent (or pretty much anything else). Sweet (not so sweet).

This is from their website (slow morning today). The lottery is only in February. After that, it's standard reservations (made at least 2 days proir) or walk-in... Can I still make a reservation if I missed the lottery? Yes, if space is available, you can still reserve a wilderness permit. When applying in April or later, for space leftover after the lottery, use the standard Inyo National Forest Wilderness Permit Application. These post-lottery applications are accepted by telephone, fax or mail. If space is available, permits can be reserved up to two (2) days before your trip entry date. For example, if you plan to enter the wilderness on Friday, we will stop taking reservations for that day at the close of business on Wednesday. If time does not allow us to mail out a confirmation letter, we will provide you information for how to pick up your permit over the phone or by fax. If you are applying a week or less before your trip date, we recommend that you do not apply by mail. Are there walk in permits for Mt. Whitney? The quota space for the Main Mt. Whitney trail is 100% reservable. Space is not saved or set aside for walk-in permits, however cancellations and any space that was not filled by reservations will be available to be picked up in person at the Eastern Sierra InterAgency Visitor Center, south of Lone Pine. There is no fee for these unreserved permits that will be issued starting at 11 am the day before the entry date. Additionally, any permits that have been reserved, but are not confirmed or picked up will be cancelled and made available to other parties on a walk-in basis. http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/whitneylottery.shtml

If I remember correctly you can get walk-in permits as early as 11am the day before. There's a good chance you'll get one if you're there at 11. I've been in there twice and got permits both times this way. Both times they were reportedly 'sold out' before I showed up. If SFD is right you can just reserve one now which is even easier. Again, if memory serves me correctly, no matter what route you do, you're still in the 'Mount Whitney Zone' (this includes many routes on Russell as well) which means you enter a lottery to get any remaining permits (The MW-trail is a different story, DONT descend this way w/o permit...better yet, stay as far away as possible lest you feel like you've been transported a few hundred miles south to the tourist infested mecca that is disney land). However, if there are only a hand-full of people there, you'll have a good shot at getting them. Have fun!

Ditto to the above. However, I think MH is on the right track with "things are just going to be early this year." Usu, the ice firms up nicely in late Aug-Sep. This year, the thinner couloirs esp ones like the upper parts of the Mendel couloirs are probably going to have long rocky finishes by then. I have plans to head over to Mendel right first weekend of July. I'm pretty much still expecting neve but who knows, it's getting hot early this year. Feather is the alternative...I suppose a rock route is another alternative. I'm hoping it will take a few more years of global warming for the V and U notches (which are both great, classic climbs) to be melted out at any point during the year. They are pretty wide and deep. But then again, I did the U in may (all neve) and the V in Sep (mostly neve with about 200' of WI) of a year which had a TON of snow so maybe they do melt out in low snow years...Sorry, guess my only real contribution to this thread is the following (hoping the pic will work): Just an fyi, the Knudtson, Smrz and Harrington (left to right) couloirs on Thompson: Just keep your options open. There's so much good stuff on the east side that if you come prepared to change plans based on conditions, or even *gasp* do a rock route you will not be disappointed. That North Peak Couloir to North Ridge Conness link-up was something I dreamt up last fall and would be a SWEET long day...very sweet. If you (anyone) want to head in to do that sometime, PM me. cheers Edit: Lamark has a couloir too!

The InsulMat Max-Thermo is a great inflatable with a bit of primaloft that has kept me warm while camping on snow at about 0(F). I ended up buying it because it packs down slightly smaller than my thermarest pro-lite 3! Yes, it’s heavier but with the insulation and the fact that it blows up to around 2” and is full length and packs really small and and and... I thought it was a worthy trade off for long cold routes where I wanted a small pack. Anyway, if you want some more opinions, a search revealed: http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Sleep%20Gear/Pads%20and%20Air%20Mattresses/Insul%20Mat%20Max-Thermo/

sold pm about to be sent

Well...please let us know which aliens are left...

I have the gamma MX hoodie...two BIG thumbs up. I have two other softshells and nothing gets worn as much as the gamma. That said, there are a ton of good products out there but you can't go wrong if you follow these suggestions: 1)MAKE SURE IT HAS A HOOD! This is a must. I can't explain it any better than Andy so I'll just quote him: "Do you suppose soft shell should have a hood? If not, and you're an outdoor activist, then it isn't soft shell. If it doesn't have a hood, as soon as it starts to rain or snow you'll be reaching for your shell, therefore, it isn't doing what a soft shell should. Just take a look at those fancy 'soft shell' jackets that feature water-resistant zippers and no hood? What's the point? To stop wind, I don't think so, no it's to give that top end look without that top end performance a hood would give. Why no hood? Well hoods are a waste of space when you're playing golf, sitting in your Mondeo on the M25, or wearing it under your Barber jacket. Sure a hood adds bulk and makes it harder to make a nice 'smart' collar design but this is soft shell, not soft as shite, it's designed to do the job as a fully working shell. " - http://www.psychovertical.com/?thebestsoftshell 2)GET THE RIGHT FABRIC! Otherwise you're waisting your time. Power Shield is the fabric used on both the Gamma MX and the REI Mistral and the REI One and a few others. It's great stuff. So are the various Schoeller products (although schoeller dynamic is quite thin) and patagonia has good proprietary stuff (the figure four is sweet though not very warm, but you might not need warm). If you stick to these fabrics, you are off to a good start. Be ware of anything that says it's a softshell but has some kind of laminate that makes it waterproof. It's not going to breath like a softshell should and you will have simply bought a very heavy (and hot) rain jacket (I'm pretty sure gore-softshell falls into this category, supposedly it breaths worse than XCR but I've never used the stuff). 3(but probably should have been 1))GET A JACKET THAT FITS YOU! This is probably the most important point. If you're using it climbing, it's got to perform. In my oppinion, this is what makes the Gamma MX worth the 299 and the mistral or one not worth the cost in gas to drive to REI. Things to considder are, does it rise up when I reach over my head? Will the waist stay put under a harness (the REI products will not...look for a bit of a droop in the back like the gamma MX has)? Does it conform to your body (marketed as 'athletic fit') enough so that when you have a harness and pack and rack on you're not going to feel like you're wearing your baby blanket or a cardboard box? Spend the money up front (or find a screamin' deal on some top notch gear) and you WILL be stoked. Go cheap and you'll think everyone on this forum just has stock in this stuff.

Nice work, anyone know if you can fit the Grivel horn (pinky rest) on some old charlot axars??

If you have trouble selling the axes, I have the same ones and would buy your pics and a few bolts as spares

Try AAI in Bellingham. I rented from them a few years ago.

The Black Diamond pants mentioned above are probably the Alpine pant and are supposed to be pretty good. Don't forget to check out beyond fleece, I've been tempted to order from them recently...custom fit! Which mammut pants do you have? The Champ pant??? If so, and you're the right size, I'd be willing to take them off your hands. If you're a little larger than I, I'll sell you my Mountain Hardwear Trekking pant (size Large). These pants are soooooo sweet but they are just a little too long for me. I usually wear a 33 waist X 32ish leg. They def do not have the yerp p-star look.

Just look at your boot sole length which should be embossed on the side of your boot somewhere (near the heel on mine). The Freeride in a medium size goes up to 335mm. The extra long as they call it goes from 325 to 365. My guess is you will probably be able to fit either. I wear a 13 in a street shoe and go down to about a 12 in a ski boot. My boot sole length is a 330 and it fits just fine in a medium. The medium might be easier to sell once you've used it a year or two and realize you want dynafits

I too am a fan of the no bag, sleep in your clothes, don't bring food you need to cook so you can leave the stove at home, forget about water born illnesses and bring a light rack M.O. Check out Big Agnes for a compromise between dannible and genepires. The nugget has a small ammount of insulation and it's waterproof (and really light). Doesn't zip closed at the head like many bivys but so far it's been adequate even in the rain. Jens wont like me for this but the pack is where you can save a lot of weight. Most packs these days have way too many features. A simple, non padded belt and frameless pack will be adequate if you keep the load light with all the other suggestions in this thread. Shoot for a pack that is sub 35g/L. And of course, you could always check out this site: www.psychovertical.com and read just about everything under the gear tab

I suppose this thread is a real invite for some major chest beating. I hope the following is mostly just comical: Highlights: 7 hour bushwhack into NF Shuksan. Camp. Wake up to deteriorating weather and 12h bushwhack back. That was a real downer…Still want to get back on that one. Went into kangaroo temple to do the southeast face (I think that was it…some 8 pitch route rated 5.8 A-something) and the Finger. Decided to do the southeast face first with a nice alpine start of 9am. Following some shenanigans we topped out as the sun was going down. 5 or 6 rappels into the unknown brought us to terra firma. Back to camp by 4:30am . Dropped climbing partners off at work at 8:30am. Big party at my house that night lasted till 12:30 and involved me trying to play guitar with a few guys I used to jam with back in the day. This next one was kind of funny. I couldn’t sleep the night before the climb because I was worrying about how I was going to make my flight for my business trip the day after. Southeast butt of Clyde Minaret (Sierra) 5.8 12ish pitches. Hike in and camp at base. Alpine start around 4am. Climb and back to car by 9:30pm. Dropped off friend in Bishop by 10:30ish. Back to condo in San Diego by 4am ish. Pack up a bunch of test equipment really fast and off to airport for 8:30am flight for a business trip to Montana. Stop first in Seattle to jump in an experimental aircraft to finally end up flying over eastern Montana for testing before checking into my hotel that evening… U-notch to North Pal (3.5 days) and V-notch to Polemonium (2.5 days) in the palisades. Two of my favorites. Not too much in the way of stories but lots of effort, hiking and some seriously windy nights making sleep impossible. Well worth it though. This has become one of my favorite areas in the Sierra.

Going to have to break down and spend the cash at some point...might as well be now. Putting together my first AT setup. Looking for the comforts, classics, speed, race or whatever homebrew concoction you've come up with (if that doesn't invite spray I dont know what does). pm, reply or email jcrabtree (at) scu (dot) edu I'll be back in the good old PNW from about the 22nd to about the 25th so that could be convenient...

I've used one. Definitely bomber construction. Two doors are nice. That said, single wall is nice too and the EV2 is a fantastic tent (you pay for it). There was just a thread on this. Look back in this forum a little ways. Short story (and my oppinion only): Both tents are great and will stand up to alot. I prefer the EV2 for single wall, tight footprint and overall schnazzyness. How 'bout a bibler or one of the new lightweight singlewall BD tents? People have used them in some gnarly conditions...It depends on what you're looking for and how much comfort you're willing to give up.

PM sent about the scarpa boots and Fischer skis. I'll take em!

No, from the inside, the built-in vestibule just looks like more tent, no separation. The tent is great for your intended application. Definitely bomb proof. I've been impressed with MH tent construction. They seem like they could weather anything. Spent two nights in the EV2 at 11,000' recently in the Sierra and we experienced virtually no condensation (though we had high winds (60mph) which no doubt helped the situation). I remember thinking the tent felt surprisingly roomy as well.

REI Taku pant. 18 ounces = 510.291416 grams Got 'em for next to nothing so thought I'd give them a try. Something with Schoeller or Malden Mills would probably be even better.

They do look like sweet pants. Plus your pictures will turn out great, guaranteed! Are they a little overkill? I suppose that's personal preference. As far as the hybrid concept goes, for certain applications it does seem to excell (I think ice climbing is one of them). Some may say it's mearly a step down from the breathability of a fully softshell pant like the champ (which rocks!) and you are therefore just going to end up getting wetter from the inside and less able to dry from evaporation. This is true if you are in constant exhertion and will be able to generate the heat necessary to dry out the softshell pant the whole time you are out. However, a hybrid with a hardshell panel at the seat and in front, below the knee may be nice in a situation (like belayed ice climbing) where you are stopping at every pitch and may end up with said parts in contact with snow/ice. I thought hybrid pants were a little gimicky when i first saw them but after testing them side by side with fully waterproof/breathable and fully Schoeller pants over a weekend of ice climbing, I actually liked them the best. Bottom line: They kept me dry enough, warm enough and free-to-move enough to be my favorite and most comfortable option. Plus they work great for skiing...though probably too warm for the up-hills. Now, a concern with the mammut pant you mention is weight (890g as noted above). Not only because it's just plain heavy but also because you can move better in a lighter pant. The hybrid pant I used in my tests was only 510g which is scant compared to the Extreme hybrid. I'm sure mammut has a lighter model... The question is are you going to need the robustness and extra warmth of an 890g pant? Perhaps if you want something that will last forever it's a good way to go. Perhaps it's better to save the weight and maybe have to buy another pair in a couple years (more likely they'll be replaced by the next coolest pant first)... but they sure do look cool!...totally euro.

Email sent.

If you want to wear a hardshell it's a great way to go. It's light and has that great arcteryx fit. I'm not sure it really matters what W/B material you use, it's most likely not going to breath as much as you want it to. I have owned and used XCR, paclite, conduit and pre-cip in the mountains and I always have the same experience as Fromage...too much sweat. Now, perhaps I just need to wear less insulation under my jacket, but I'm not sure that's the problem. The problem is that we expect too much performance out of our gear...more than they can provide. Getting something to be truly waterproof AND truly breathable is a tricky balance that isn't quite there yet (though event may just about have it...havn't tried that yet). Pro climbers are more and more becoming proponents of the soft-shell meathod for the simple fact that they FEEL dryer (the difference between microfiber on your skin and sticky slimey coated nilon) and in fact, dry out (all your layers) faster so long as you keep moving and the storm eventually stops. As a result, I slowly (because I hesitate like all the rest) started to go all soft-shell. Now I almost exclusively use my Gamma MX Hoody or a marmot dry-clime if its warm or both if its cold. The only time this can really screw you is if you are stagnant for a long time and it's really coming down. In this case you either want a waterproof belay jacket if it's cold (the arcteryx model looks nice..Fission Belay I believe) or, if it's warm, an extremely light rain shell that can just sit in your pack till you need it. For this I used to use a pre-cip but then I found the Alpha SL on sale for $90 and though I added about 2oz in weight, the fit is oh so nice, and the hood fits way better over a helmet. So I'm not sure that helps you much as far as what you should buy but at least it will give you another perspective. If you have any questions about the softshell meathod read this: http://www.psychovertical.com/?cuthecrap and this: http://www.psychovertical.com/?thebestsoftshell and here you will find a great summary of what to wear in the mountains: http://www.psychovertical.com/?alpineclimbingequipment cheers