tvashtarkatena

It's mainly the shoulder straps digging in under heavy loads I'm wondering about. I don't tend to fill in extra pack space - I've got a set kit for each kind of trip and that's what goes with me. I want lots of extendability (that's apparently not a real word) so my multi day ski pack can double as a big wall approach dump truck.

Looks like the 45 extends all the way to 75 L. Seems like that would work. Have your carried any big loads (50 - 60 lbs) in it? Not too painful?

I skimmed this and may have missed the obvious: Why not balance the talent of the two teams beforehand, or at least once the speed difference became apparent if the objective was to stay together? Seems like that is the # 1 thing learned to me. That, and nocturnal whitewater paddling probably isn't going to catch on any time soon.

55-65 L relatively light simple (no zippers) Good for carrying skis removable/extendable top compartment Recommendations? I've checked out Osprey, BD, TNF, MH, and Dead Bird online

Good points and good thread. I use a gri + body belay on walls - those belays can, um, take a while, and a gri is nice for that, but I think I might throw in a reverso for certain pitches, and a fixed anchor belay for others from now on. Lots of shaky little pro on walls.

Oh, I reckon certain folks might be able to rain 5KN down on their belayer on occasion.

good thing, because 6 - 8 KN would tear you a new one.

It's far more important in most cases to minimize the distance of a leader fall to avoid hitting a ledge/etc. than treating your anchor gently, unless you're in the habit of equalizing blades of grass or something. You're going to rip the leader's spleen out before getting anywhere close to the 8 - 14 KN rating of even a single properly placed cam. Adding to the length of fall by employing devices that slip, like ATCs, is an anachronism from the days of hip belays and far more static hemp ropes, when slippage was necessary. It's not anymore. Stop that fall as fast as possible! The rope and your body weight will provide the dynamic component. The idea that ATCs have a 'dynamic advantage' over, say, a gri doesn't really apply in the modern world unless you've got a sheer face with no protrusions so that fall length doesn't matter much. It usually does, though. A lot. I use the rope to anchor in with because its fast, quickly adjustable, requires no extra gear, and the strongest thing available, not because its dynamic. That connection is so short that the rope isn't significantly different from a static connection like Dyneema. If your anchor is so shitty that failure is an option - it happens, use a body belay (belay below the anchor) and make sure the leader puts in as many bomber pieces as soon as possible and don't kid yourself about the insignificant stuff that's not really going to make a difference, like how static/dynamic your tat to the anchor is. One significant disadvantage to anchoring with the rope/clove hitch is binding. If your leader takes a real screamer, it might take a Yates knife to get that clove hitch undone. If a screamer is likely without the benefit of a body belay, clipping in with a figure 8 on a bite rather than a clove hitch might be a good idea for that pitch. The vid is about bolted anchors though, amarite? I would not use a Munter (Italian) hitch for belaying unless I dropped my regular belay device because it snarls the rope too much. I was impressed at how much more quickly it stopped the fall, however. I'd probably opt for a gri to get that same quick action without the snarl, though. Worth the weight for the much easier rope handling. Didn't catch the argument for/against clipping a runner into the anchor or not in the vid. Poor attention span, I reckon. Can anyone summarize? I usually do it until I've got a decent piece in, depending on what the pitch is like.

preservation is generosity. towards future generations and nature. todays politics doesnt reflect this value very well. too bad. we can do better.

done it youre right.

See ya in the Winds! We'll be in the Cirque of the Towers Sep 1 thru 5. Great place that time of year, or so I hear. We The Sawtooths of ID are also an excellent choice for the granite minded. Elephants Perch, Warbonnet, Finger of Fate etc.

I love this trip report.

A while. He hiked all the way out (18 - 20 mi or so?) and got a medal for it. From memory - the chopper apparently hit a wall pretty hard and its a miracle anyone survived. Actually, it was two friends who came upon the crash. For family members of the crew who seek more details - one of those two posts as TommyT on NWhikers.net.

Specifically, I'm looking for ext painters, int painters, a house cleaning crew, an electrician, and a linoleum installer. Recommendations? TIA.

My roommate (a couple of years afterwards) discovered that crash shortly after it happened and hiked out to get help.

Well, that clears that up. Without a translator, I'm left to my own devices, I reckon. Some of the trails and routes could use a snip or two here and there.

Dark Rythm is an excellent route!!!!!

What did I write? I can never remember. One guy sent me a summit register instagram for another peak I'd completely forgotten I'd climbed.... Talk to Mr. Brooks. You can go from 24 to 100 pretty quickly! 45 in one year, as I recall. I'm tired just thinking about it.

Well done!

Thanks! What's the generally accepted protocol for, um, pruning in Darrington? None? A few snips here and there? Napalm OK? TIA

That is most likely true but not always. Last year we made an Rainier attempt via the Emmons on a perfect July Saturday and, except for a few minutes encountering two other parties, we were the only people on the route. The year before I descended that route on a perfect August day in the late afternoon - same thing. Nobody but us. Best to plan for self sufficiency, even on a trade route.

If you can self arrest, you should have no problem running up that thing.

Another 200 or so pages and you guys'll have a pretty good alternative Bible for those tired of the same ole shite. Will JosephH fill the role of Our Savior or Beelzebub? Stay tuned and tuned and tuned (glaciers come back, then recede) and tuned. No End Times in this Bible!

Where can one find beta on the aid routes on Witch Doctor Wall? Never been. Could be a reason to go back sooner than later.

we opted for the butt instead of the ho (I'd done that one and the butt offers more varied climbing). OK route if you like slide cedar. Got our usual crack of noon start that day, so retrieval - which would have involved either shortpitching up Dark Rythm for 2 pitches on a doubled 7.8 or reclimbing the first 4 or 5 pitches of the butt and rapping back down, sans water. Neither were attractive options at that point - Looks like part of lower Dark Rythm may have fallen off, BTW. Couldn't tell if any pro'd been taken out, but there's a big ole white scar, lots of newly smashed rock litter. A couple of bolts took big shots, apparently - they're a little deformed (none badly). I'll get up there this season sometime to police it if nobody does me a solid and grabs it beforehand. If so, a certain tat festooned stump is going to take a quick trip earthward.