blueserac

Good work...and Happy Birthday Canada!!! Nicely done. We were going to play on some humps on the north Island, but were sogged off. Thought about taking a ferry and heading east, but it was much easier to grab the qayaqs and play with the seals in Baynes Ch. Well done, gotta love the Silmilkameen territory.

Thanks mkporwit for the details. It is always a good thing to learn what lessons lay in our times of drama. Kudos to you for effecting a self-rescue and team lower. Double kudos for you for taking what sounds like a background in first-aid. Kudos thrice for courageously sharing your insights with all of us, blow the ney sayers. Playing the hills for many years and many more years of kumite have given me some real lessons that are universally true. One point that comes to mind is that while run out or playing for gold or silver in the ring, no matter how much turmoil, surprise, shock, and frustration that we feel inside from actions that are seemingly ineffective to our situation it is always important to remain calm and in control of ourselves, emotions, and actions. It is these that we truly and only have power over to change. I am curious to learn which one of you two is the stronger leader? Looking back, I have injured three of my buddies that were not as strong as me then; one split his lip on a multi-pitch ice line at the Hope Slide while building a anchor, on lead and I saw a poor situation. In that instance, I called to him and suggested that he alter his ice tool in a picket orientation on a ledge where only the ferral was imbedded; I should have insisted that he do otherwise. The outcome from that is that he had learned, at the cost of sutures. The second was with another great friend that is very lucky to be alive from surviving the biggest far that I have personally witnessed. We were swapping leads on a WA of Blanshard Needle in the Golden Ears when on his lead he travered up and out on ledges and all that I had left on the ground at the belay was ~10 meters on a 60 meter line and he must have been close to 20 up from his last piece. Yeah, he took a whipper then the rope went still. Omg, in his fall, he fell back then flipped upside down looking like a freefall parachutist with his pack; and then he went out of view below and behind a arete. No movement...I burst out in uncontrollable snickering then laughter. I really felt like a git from this but the more that I censored myself the more my spittle flew from the laughter. Just prior to his fall I began pulling in slack, b racing myself in a three point position and shortening my tie-in. I tied him off and began to assess when he came to...in all that he only bruised his left radius, a concussion and horizontal abrasion across his nose. Again, I saw that he was have difficulty in both route finding and movement; I did call up to him deviate his path...yet again did not prevail. The third time was on a day after cranking with two good buddies in Squamish the day prior to the event. We were leading everything at the top of our range and then top-roping those above that. The next day at the base of the Grand were played on the .10b lines, and I declined a line from feeling too pumped to send it; yet my friend K1 got the gumption to give it a go. He sussed his way through some lines but on, I can't recall for sure but think it may have been Seasoned in the Sun, he passed the lip and ran it out on this awsome hand crack that just eats up #9-10 nuts all the way. Again I called up to suggest that he place some kit but he called down saying he was good, bunk. He pressed on and lunged for the block thinking it was positive like Exasporator and was swiftly rewarded with a sloper and he peeled. He avulsed a ligament in his R. ankle deltoid and had to lowered with a knot by-pass. Again, I knew he was in over his head but at the time did not persist that he yield. He got his comeuppance, but would have gained the wisdom if I persisted he not be haughty. Hmmm. In all those times I have learned that yeah it is a good thing to get your buddies to their limit so that they may learn some stuff; yet at the same time it is best as the stronger climber to find the way, just as you would on a new route, to get your buddies with less strength to yield to their ego and let you go through. As my old buddy Big Kev used to say it is all about team work on long routes and if you are the second then that is as important as the leader. From all that I have learned to assess many situations and haved prevailed in my insistance to lead when my buddies thought they were were styling. As for your buddy, after blowing a shoulder in the long ago, I learned to rely and develop technique rather than strength and oomph. That improved my grade from a minus to plus. All we have to do is listen to the the universe around us. So in that ramble, those are some of the things that I was able to glean from matches lost in the ring and apply that to the hills. You know, know one thing; and you can know a thousand things from that one thing; and then you will know that after you know a thousand things you really don't know anything. Thanks for your insight mkporwit...may I urege you talk with your buddy and any involved to debrief the incident and learn what you may. Kudos four sided for you for managing the evacuation of your buddy once you got him to the ground. Omg, you have created the English Box with kudos, you better learn more angles and not be stuck in the box...and never climb in Kartoum.

Wow, that is one way to gain knowledge and wisdom; that sucks. What route were you guys doing, and any speculations to what occured both leading to the event and what the event was?

Hmmm...What did that Spansih guy say while in the tub, in the movie, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?", I believe it was, "if you are going to shoot; shoot, don't talk." There is so much to do in the North Cascades and pretty much any lcoation that you go you should find something fun to play on. In that rhythm I would suggest driving further north to Squamish and playing at Burgers N Fries or above at Neat and Cool to play on Corn Flakes or the ever lovely Cat Crack. What are you looking for as far as terrain is concerned? Do you want rock, snow and ice, aid, mixed, or glaciated routes? A common area is that around Washington Pass, you know Liberty Bell or Blue Lake. Think of the original line on Liberty Bell by Beckey et al. (aka. the Beckey Route). This line is great in all conditions and seasons. Prior to that it is common to warm up on the South Arete on South Early Winter Spire. Across the highway you have Whistler Peak with the couloirs and ridges and remember Cutthroat Peak, with the w. ridge being a nice romp. All these areas are non glaciated. As for glaciation, last winter has been a very high snow depth year. So, Baker has been one of my favourite alpine crags, with the north side offering glacial access within two hours from the car park. The tourist route of the Colman/Deming is very nice as far as classical routes go. Remember that a few parties this year have enjoyed enlightenment through difficulty on this route this year from being stormed off, which can be very frequent-and a few mortalities have occurred in the past 10 yrs; or from a relevantly recent crevasse plunge. If your skills are keen, think this route or the north ridge, or Coleman Headwall; or is you are seeking the classic Gaston Rebuffatesgue route think of the Cockscomb Ridge. You can set a camp and try another line on Baker or try Colfax after. There is so much to play on in that area that you will find many, many things to entertain you. Washington Pass is good it is easy to hitch a ride with another party. Ohhhh, Shuksan is fricken sweat too. I don't know , I am reminded of that scene in the movie; if you are going to go play; then just go and play. Depends what you want. Just go anywhere and you will either find someone to join or some line to play on or expand the horizon of your skills.

I have read a few things about joining ropes of different diameter and some guidelines around the various size ratios. When joining ropes of different diameters >4mm it is best to use interlocking figure-of-eight-on-a-bight. Ropes diamter differences ~2-2.5mm it seems acceptable to join them as though both ropes are of the same diameter. However, knot selection seems key. Double and Triple Fishermans' are very strong but we all know the fun and ease that they untie with. A re-woven figure eight has plenty of strength for this application and has increased ease of untying. Extending the tails of any joining knot seems to be key. A meter of tail has room for the EDK knots (overhand or figure-eight) to flip over a few times and still have a measure of safety. Dressing and setting these slow the process. Here is another picture of the 5.5mm retrieval cord and 10.5mm climbing rope rappel set up. In practice it is desireable to have the climbing rope extend down from the anchor node ~1m of avoidance room of the potential of fouling the line. The locking biner clipped through the loop and around the long line creates a closed loop so if the retrieval cord is defeated. I have used this setup since the mid 90's and have not had an issue with the joining knot becoming set in a crack. It has cut through the snow on the lip of an edge and become stuck but any rope would have been stuck. When prussiking up to the anchor it was very bouncy as the majority of the load appeared to be on the single fat line. In one case it snowed white fluff on me as the core was being cut over an edge but that just came with using a low-impact force 9.5mm rope as the mainline.

MountaingirlBC, if you are in Van there are some spots in the North Shore that should still have some pockets of snow and drops to practice. It is possible to get a reasonable simulation off the top of the first pk on Seymour.

ketch, yeah you know all those times when the rain is a week old and still steady at 36NM and all your buddies are either wise to your con tricks to drag them up the Buttress or Crest or are still nursing that wound or shiner from last week when, at the pub your devised the idea of, aiding that route come waterfall with a few cases,wigs and lawn chairs; then yeah it is time to pull the qayaq out. Yet, busting all those low or high rope moves would look cool on the rope or a slack line; I was really suggesting that it will assist some of those that have difficulty locked off flipping through their rack like the school janitor with keys. The improved core strength and finesse might actually help the mortal.

Here is a link of the ultimate fitness program, really it is.

Those urban ninjas are awsome and have a lot of martial training. Most martial arts are very complimentary to other sports. The explosive or plyomtric aspect, cardio, stretching and full muscle conditioning that you gain are amazing. Breaking is pretty sweet too. However, for those like me that are ronin, or don't have access to cardboard, and have never been able to carry a tune the rope gymnastics are great. That mini clip is just that a short clip from a continious segment that runs nine minutes. There is a lot to it.

and false azalia.

Hey folks, ever thought of adding new approaches or stressors to your training regime? Are you stuck or feeling plateaued and are having difficulty finding the route to the next level? Try cross training. (Cross dressing might get you to that next level but it may not be in the same avenue as this.) Have a look at this link and read on: http://www.dubside.net/swf/video_trailer_qajaasaarneq.html Core strength has worked for so many things in so many disciplines. Try traditional inuk rope gymnastics. An old climbing sifu of mine introduced me to a form of slack rope walking and balance training that was very useful in developing these things but are only a fraction to the traditional inuk rope techniques. There are over 38 disctincly different qayaq rolls and this works for that so it must work for this. A gym and a lot of fancy gear used for plyometrics can get you there in a way. So can pilaties, gut this will gain you more ground and benefit in less time. It also only requires two trees, two slings, a few bines, and two sections of rope.

Exhebitionist

That is sweet. That is climbing.

I understand that a red tag signifies that the project is ongoing. So if you saw a line of bolts that run out of sight behind a bulge or overwise out of view following this red tagged route and jumped on it, you may encounter an incomplete project and that last bolt that you saw from below may just be that, the last bolt. Hanging a rope to claim it, well if you aren't using that rope to dog it, and it has sat idle for sometime while your having a picknick, checking the team over for ticks in the bikini region, or spending a half hour dogging another line, with repeated and prolonged calls of, "take", then it can be logical for someone with patience to say bugger this and lead it. Use or lose it. Have you ever thought of just climbing it and being done with it. Save the glory and hard effort to the one who originally hung the tag. You get to climb it and they get to open it for others. Dunno, what does your inner voice tell you to do. What is the local ethic surrounding etiquette of this sort in your area?

Yes during his pon farr where Kirk assisted his kunat kalifee.

Corner Crack is a great route for those wishing to do some routes in boots. Ok, most of the easy routes at Neat n Cool are great routes for boots. So most of the routes lower down at Butter Fingers, ok..Burgers...Pixies is a fun spot for boots; The North Apron lines a friggin awsome for boots too. Give it up, Corner Crack is 5.7, feel free to do variations. Has anyone tried linking routes together in a horizontal traverse in the Bluffs during a busy summer day? You will gain recognition.

Adding waterproof zippers is a wicked idea, yet I have been on this kick and process to reduce as much wieght and bulk as I may to my kit and yet maintain as much multi-purpose kit with what reamains. So in this instance, adding two rows of stitching to an already super light weight tarp that will provide many years of repeated use is the best option.

Remember to carry your open mind in addition to a full rack. Many, many times upon many times have I used slings, webbing, and prusik cords to sling and improvise protection. In semi and off-width you may find or can carry and start placing chalk stones (rocks) in wedged in the crack. Sling 'em, stand on 'em. Watch Crouching Tiger and see what you get from the scene wher Li Mu Bai bests the girl with a stick vs the sword Green Destiny and translate that to climbing. Use the obvious, but many times we do not leave that opening as apparant. Talking to some old timers they used to carry stones and large machined nuts to place in cracks and thus slung them. Stay alert and open to or create the obvious. Sometimes technology doesn't replace old school nor technique.

Ok, so before hitting the pub on the days that you get rained or weathered out, use those opportunities to plactice self-rescue. It will enhance your trust with your buddies. It will increase your climbing grade. It will allow you to understand yourself and climbing in greater detail.

Have you checked the web for material? have a look at these gateways: http://www.rescuedynamics.ca/articles/pdfs/RescueATC.pdf http://www.rescuedynamics.ca/articles/pdfs/RescueMunter.pdf What discipline are you seeking? Crevasse? http://pbskids.org/nova/denali/crevasse.html That one was ok for three person parties Have a look at second hand bookstores for some of the older English books. Try any from Bill March, Nigel Shepherd, Andy Selters. Freedom is a good reference, but contact a school up here. The best rescue course that I took was taught by a ACMGA examiner.

Sherri have a look at this link: http://www.rescuedynamics.ca/articles/pdfs/EarnestAnchors2.2.pdf It isn't directly related to placing running pro yet you might find either amusement or interest.

Take a course or hire a guide and utilize the text as a reference. I have found data contained within US texts to be very effective, yet still in progress to what I have seen and witnessed from Canadian courses and guides. Take a trip up north and check out some of the courses run in Squamish.

Frikadeller: Good meatball from the fresh of two beasts...I miss my Mormor.

Ohhhhh. I get it now. Much less exciting than I was imagining. Ah. I was thinking Victoria's Secret daisy chain... I think it is something that Lady Heather will have on store for her guests...oh well we will have to wait and see if it shows up on this weeks CSI.

Rope drag!!! Oh, I wanna play too. How can we develop strong quads without rope drag? Rope drag does well we all know what it does to a relaxed mind. It can also cause pieces to go on a walk-about, redress themselves in situ, and jump for joy. When loaded a line with prior rope drag will do its best at living a straight life. So, if you have a 90 degree angle along this eventual line the rope will lift, pull, rotate gear in the process of shaking off the kinks. Runners or extensions provide the ability to increase a straight line and increases in reduction of rope drag. For most intermediate routes that I have come across their are many opportunities to finding or creating stances, however breif, to pause and place gear. It seems that people choose to act in one of two ways when climbing, whether by choice or by default, yet they either react to the difficulties of the route or they take their composure to the route and dance. Getting all stressed out in a awkward stance that feels backwards and is slipping, then the sewing-machine leg shows up to tell you it is time to move, doesn't help that free flowing fluidity of taking your composure to the route. So what am I trying to say...you can either layback that flake and be reactionary or perhaps you can face straight in and jam it.