blueserac

Thanks mattp and Alex for the response. I have been wondering about the 36 volt machines versus some of the new era lighter units in 24 and 18 by DeWalt and Makita as well. The application is a huge factor too in deciding extra batteries and overall strength of the unit. Any thoughts on the lithium ion batteries coming out? Certainly, I think Peter Parkers' uncle said it best,"with great power, comes great responsibility." I think back to one amazing place on the island here where a buddy and I first played in a dehiedral for several pitches and then returned a few years later to play on the blank granite slabs. Looking back at it, this granite dome within an area of huge walls and pillars of metamorphic rock was/is most certainly a culturally significant sight with the inhabitants nearby. On one hand it was awsome to open this place up and on the other hand I am sure that my karmatic account will have withdrawals with each poor route or reckless defoliation in the woods around. Thankfully, only quality routes are being put up. I agree on the actual time spent drilling versus visuallizing the route, cleaning & scrubbing, clearing plants, and trail building the actually hole making seems like a mouse raping an elephant. Deciding where the clipping points go is also the fun part. That is for crags anyhow. Most of the long routes that I have been involved with where I have been putting in bolts has been in sub or alpine settings and the route establishment from the ground up. Half an hour tapping in a hole helps develop your familarity with where the best clips will be. My main purpose for a power drill is three fold: i) to ensure that my partner always carries it; ii) I need something to replace the bolts from Meastri's line just incase someone chops them; iii) to reduce the time climbers spend finicking with gear on the routes of the Apron. Thanks guys, hope the rain is less down there.

I am thinking of upgrading my drill the sort that needs a hammer to a cordless power unit. Can you guys remark on the voltage that I am looking for; and difference in brands? Thanks for the feedback.

Trip: Banks Lake - None Date: 3/5/2007 Trip Report: Well it was good while it lasted. Better either dust off the rock gear or just plain ol' get high then. I mean as the passes get plowed. V0KpsVrLO_c Gear Notes: PFD, mask, snorkel, water wings, rubber ducy. Approach Notes: Darn best approach I have seen in a while

I recall meeting Fred and one his buddies on the Apron a few years ago on one of those old routes and he was turning toward us and saying stuff like, "what did my friend say?". Then he would clear up and launch up cleaning the pitch. The irony was his buddy yelled down, "watch me!". Can't comment on the state of his olfactory system. He is a god in the realm. Who cares.

Yeah 8mm ropes are awsome, however consider the application of a 35-40m rope in a near worst case scenario of crevasse rescue. The worst case would leave it easy and simple if your buddy got the chop as you could just cut and run. Will the reduction in rope length allow for a drop loop extrication manuevre? That is for two person travel, and re-evaluate this process and assess if you can really do what two people do on the surface but as you on your own. Also, it is a good thing to consider whether you will utilize a mechanical device or friction knot like prusik on the smaller diameter rope. Jumajumalungma, my wife and I use a single 7.5mm rope for pretty much all of our moderate climbing in BC and Washington. We take mountaineer coils [short rope] over the shoulder to take up the extra slack on 4th class and easy fifth class terrain; on the steep steps we just double the rope, so that she ties into both ends and I tie into the middle so that we have 30m between us and we climb as if using two double ropes. On glaciers, we have a little than the middle 20% between us and we coil the rest in mountaineer coils; well actually we give a little more length to compensate for moving as a team of two, and we usually tie figure of eight knots on a bight to act as both friction as they cut through the lip and convenient clip-in points if we need to acend the rope out of the crevasse. We actually use the tails, that is th extra length to do the haul system extrication. Consider the objective and then reverse engineer it. As for moving, one of my bood buddies and I even short roped the Squamish Buttress route in good time using this single rope doubled in half system. It is suggested, and written in several texts that there should be ~2-3 millimetre diameter difference for ideal prusik useage on your climbing rope. The smaller diameter for the prusik cord, and fatter diameter for rope. I use 5.5 spectra for my prusik cords when using the thin line. It is easier to assess the weight and bulk of camping and support gear, then climbing gear to reduce your overall weight than to cut the mass from the length of your rope.

Yeah 8mm ropes are awsome, however consider the application of a 35-40m rope in a near worst case scenario of crevasse rescue. The worst case would leave it easy and simple if your buddy got the chop as you could just cut and run. Will the reduction in rope length allow for a drop loop extrication manuevre? That is for two person travel, and re-evaluate this process and assess if you can really do what two people do on the surface but as you on your own. Also, it is a good thing to consider whether you will utilize a mechanical device or friction knot like prusik on the smaller diameter rope. Jumajumalungma, my wife and I use a single 7.5mm rope for pretty much all of our moderate climbing in BC and Washington. We take mountaineer coils [short rope] over the shoulder to take up the extra slack on 4th class and easy fifth class terrain; on the steep steps we just double the rope, so that she ties into both ends and I tie into the middle so that we have 30m between us and we climb as if using two double ropes. On glaciers, we have a little than the middle 20% between us and we coil the rest in mountaineer coils; well actually we give a little more length to compensate for moving as a team of two, and we usually tie figure of eight knots on a bight to act as both friction as they cut through the lip and convenient clip-in points if we need to acend the rope out of the crevasse. We actually use the tails, that is th extra length to do the haul system extrication. Consider the objective and then reverse engineer it. As for moving, one of my bood buddies and I even short roped the Squamish Buttress route in good time using this system. It is suggested, and written in several texts that there should be ~2-3 millimetre diameter difference for ideal prusik useage on your climbing rope. The smaller diameter for the prusik cord, and fatter diameter for rope. I use 5.5 spectra for my prusik cords when using the thin line. It is easier to assess the weight and bulk of camping and support gear, then climbing gear to reduce your overall weight than to cut the mass from the length of your rope.

Didn't the Alaska pick originate from the last age of ice tools? I had them with my Prophets, both straight shaft and bent. For those of the new era, the bend in the shaft was at the hand much like those particular to making rock moves, but with a straight shaft above. The pick angle matched the swing for ergonomic placements to each swing. As mentioned the straight pick lends itself to useful snow play and is still very secure in ice. The top bit acts as a anvil when pounding your tool into the ice. It is possible to have it irritate the hand if you are accustomed to carrying your tool by the pick; however if your use the adze, you gain some positive aspect, yet still then the teeth underneath are more of a threat. They delaminated the crook between thumb and index finger while self-arresting. The angle of the Alaska pick offers less positive purchase than recurve modern era picks that shape to offer higher surface area when drytooling. That said, my buddies and me have used Alaska picks on WI5 routes, broken glaciers with a lot of seracing in order to summit, and on a lot of snow approaches. They even worked well for hooking on routes.

Using twin ropes can certainly up your skill of rope management and systems rigging. however, it is more likely that you will eventually end up with a rope caddy for all your needs. I often climb on twin 7.5mm lines and love the versatility and added security that they offer. Having the second line makes rapping easy, especially since the length is 60m. Some of the trade offs are increased rope management, the use of the prusik knot or other self-locking knot to effect self rescues or ascent/descent of the line, especially if it is loaded. Rope stretch is often increased with a thin line, and it can be scary ascending a line with a lot of stretch as it rubs over edges. For glacier travel, if you are travelling on a thin line consider what type of constriction device or knot you will use to carry out your self rescue or jugging out of a crevasse. (Might as well consider adapting two person glacial travel too.) Some folks may just take one 60m or 70m <8mm line for moderate routes and then double it up for the fifth class. There is often a ledge to set up a belay within 30 meters; and the rest is a keen ground to move together. I have used a single 10mm-10.5mm line on many routes, just as on rock, and packed along a retrieval line of 5mm in order to retrieve the climbing rope after rappels. Just make sure that at the anchor knode that you have employed a closed loop on the short end of the climbing rope so the system does not completely fail if the retrieval line is interupted. This makes for a pretty simple system and it is a lot easier to cut off sections of the retrieval line for rigging rappels after all the webbbing and accessory cord are used. Just make sure that you use a stuff sack when hucking the retrieval cord or it won't go far. Kit out for the route. On ice I use twins; on easy glaciated routes sometimes a single 8mm; on routes with a lot hard climbing either the twin or single fat rope with retrieval line work well; if there is going to be a lot of rapping, then maybe the twins; if I taking someone that has recently discovered multi-pitch, then maybe the fat and retreival line. Suit your fancy, it will all wind up supporting stuff in the garden, as dog leashes, or hoisting your yaks in the garage.

Did anyone get a look at Synchronicity over the weekend, is it still there?

Hey in sea yakking we call it magnetic declination too, or deviation. We all certainly have some deviation to enjoy these sports at this time of year. Doesn't your current map provide information to configure magnetic declination?

One thing is for certain it is unfortunate and someone is going to be lamenting. I totally missed this bit of news, I was chasing waterfalls down at Banks and elsewhere.

Take the ava course the material covered is so complex that you will take away much more from the course. The movement skills in avalanche terrair with other students and search and recovery skills are best learned in a group under a instructor. The theory contained in the books will be concisely tied together by a course; and the field evaluation techniques will make much more sense learned hands on. Here are some books: Tony Daffern, Avalanche Safety for Skiers and Climbers; Fredstone & Fesler, Snow Sense; McLung and Schaerer, The Avalanche Handbook.

G-Spotter mentions a good point of mechanical ascension devices being able to sever a rope under [shock] load; but remember that a prusik knot is capable of doing the same thing with lower energy. Perhaps the thread of testing gear you are thinking of is from the Newbies forum "removing stoppers from rock"? Many have mentioned the best place to learn to place gear is with a buddy with some educated and examined experience with leading on placed gear. Have this buddy belay you on top rope as you aid a pitch or two on clean aid. You will become very "intimate" as one advisor stated with your placements and then have your consulting/mentoring/you're buying pints for buddy clean the pitch and evaluate your placements. Didn't another person mention about getting out there? Remember that we all have to go back to school, work, or the family at the end of the weekend so heroics isn't the place to learn gear placements. My old house backed onto the Little Smoke Bluffs in Squamish, and more than once I had stopped washing dishes or paying attention to my lovely wife because someone didn't take the classic route of learning about gear placements and the neglected patience to learn from a mentor or from a class to assist a broken individual. Doesn't anyone read anymore? Freedom of the Hills is a given, get all the literature about the discipline that you are interested in and then learn the theory; and then study the practical under a accomplished individual...peoples egos lend themselves to assisting others...and then apply the two; then once you know the rules understand the why and why nots of those rules. The best rack, of gear, that I saw was a set of different sized knots of webbing and a large wooden chock carved from a tree limb; and that wasn't learned in a book; video; or class; or contemporary climbers' repitoire. It came from learning from every source available to the highest standard. Learn as much as you can...as they say in for a penny in for a pound. And since your whole experience will depend on how well you have initially learned how to place gear it is in you interest to learn everything that you can. As they say, that's that lets move on.

When instructing different kayaking safety programs, and other wilderness programs, I mention caution around transition zones as this is where accidents tend to surface. So in our arena of climbing we have transition zones when we lead a route that is more difficult than what we usually climb; or if we usually lead slab, crack, sport, ice, or pull on plastic and then jump on another type of route; or it is as simple as topping out, as we are very cautious through the rest of the route and then after the crux we run it out to the anchor. In the mountains, the transition zones can be moving from seasonal snow cover to glaciated terrain; from 3rd and 4th class to 5th class terrain; or from 3rd and 4th class ground with acceptable and reasonable outcomes to permanent outcomes on that same terrrain. It can also be from moving from that nice mid-morning "yeah that was such an awsome breakfast that filled me up, and oh my god did I ever sleep so well in my bivi because I love being away from the family" state where you are running at an optimim; to the period of "oh god, when can we stop, I am so hungy and low on blood sugar, and so dehydrated, and I feel so pressured to make it into the office in the morning" state where we are full of indicision and distraction with a tank of fumes. These transition zones pertain to all of us, rank beginner through to seasoned has-been. If we apply this idea to our learning curves, we see those areas where it is possible to exceed our abilities happening all the time as our progression and understanding in our sport/passion continue. So, how do we navigate this without injury? Looking back at my introduction to climbing I see the role of mentors as being very critical. The mentors taught me stuff about climbing, and also where there to oversee my trial and error process so that I could apply or test all that newly gained information and turn it into knowledge in as safe an envirnment. If the mentors were either not available to help me progress to the next level or were just that gateway was beyond their experience then I would consult a professional and take a course or hire a guide. In our progression it will assist our learning to become a mentor. this may assist those new through those transition zones in there learning curve.

Yeah good points. There is a seven phase model for mastery of understanding. it goes like this: 1- Unknowing/Ingorant of all details 2-Unconscious Awkwardness, so like CP-3O just bumbling along 3-Conscious Awkwardness, the one determined to tie that knot but isn't able 4-Proficiency, you can tie that knot and can rig that simple bolt anchor 5-Conscious Mastery, you know you are good, and solid and can rig your anchors from a web of placed gear; the sort of person that cuts their teeth on lead with routes that test them 6-Unconcious Mastery, the Obi-wan, the one that does it to fit the settings without checking with the celestial calendar, and does it fast. 7-Knowing, very familar with all details I have noticed that a lot of the accidents that I have seen come from the folks in either the fourth or fifth phases of knowing. Most of the rank beginners seem to be too scared to do anything (except males between 18-45; and compounded in the company of other males)that will place them at risk. Then, yes their are those pushing the envelope but they are in phases six and seven. Complacency is a huge contributor to accidents; and think of that guy that is sending that awsome 10b hand crack that is so good you can sew it up with chocks, but doesn't as he is testing his knowledge, and then runs it out to the anchor and lunges but gets a down sloping sand covered ledge. Then there is the folks that demonstrate that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. For some unknown reason it seems that beginners in the second and third phases are imbued with an incredible amount of good luck and aren't getting the chop. Information and knowledge are two different things.

That makes sense. Practice is always good, once upon a time rainy days were designated for practice. Adding padding to the end of your cleaning tool is a good way to apply more umph while palm striking it. Using a hammer to tap the end of the cleaning tool to loosen the nut helps. Mostly, the best way to free stuck nuts is to watch how you place them. It is so easy to give into the grip and stuff any ol' piece of gear in to ease the nerves. Avoid the temptation, fear leads to the dark side, it is easier and more seductive. It is easier to place the nut as deep as possible to ease the nerves. Place them so that they do the task of arresting a fall and avert injury; but try to place them with the second in mind, and place them with removal in mind. Generally the placement that is easiest and looks like the photos in the books will be the best. Also, I find it easier to slot them between eye to waist level. The psyche of having a mini top rope with a [nut] piece over head is nice, but once you resist the temptations of the dark side and adjust to having the gear a little lower you will notice that they go in faster, easier, with ease of motion. The improvemts this also creates are reduced muscles fatigue, so you are less likely to use that piece, and less rope paid out to add to the fall distance and up those forces in a slip. If you really want to figure out effective, efficient and fluid nut placements try leading some cracks as clean aid pitches. Rap the pitche and clean your gear and you'll see how they are. Try DMM Wallnuts, they seem to go better on many types of rock and under frozen conditions too. Short snub-nosed nuts tend to really stick. ...whats' that, ok, time for me to get off the soap box...

Think of the piece as a toll or entrance fee. Give it up to the gods as your offering. Now you know that your gear held, and placement were effective. Think of the alternatives: had you not placed the gear and ran it out like a hero, what would the outcome have been; had you placed a poor piece and it blew, what would the outcome look like; had you placed a cam and had it fixed, what would your pocket book look like as an outcome; if you placed too small a cam and had it blow, what would the outcome be? I had a friend that was too heroic and miserly to place a piece and when he fell he broke an ankle. Reflect, you just gained a lesson.

I second the question for what climb was this on? Wow, with all the pins and nuts that people are leaving you could restock your rack. Anyone see that rigid stem at the end of Angel Crack on Angels' Crest? I see a pretty sweet rack forming here.

No idea. Anecdotally, the long ice past the gate towards the ski area "felt like WI3" from a buddy; and I believe these ones are called Crystal Chandelier and Bloody Knuckles. Not who initially climbed them, nor who re-initially may have climbed then for the first time again. The "Weepy Wall" of slabs just above the road at the hairpin are fun at WI2 when formed fat. It can also look great from afar...but be not so thick up close. But always fun... These are gathered from a visit up Arrowsmith on the third weekend of January. We took the Blitzbuggy as far as we could up Pass Main, which turned out to be pretty sad and low down well before the switchbacks. Ice Climbing is always fun, so off we went.

Yeah Stemalot there are some longer routes after the gate en route to the old ski area. I think they are upto 120m when they are in. The slab just above the road at the hairpin is ~50ish meters when in. I was being washed out on Saturday. But yeah, the approach can't be beat on the island.

Have any of you seen Gaston Rebuffats' book, "On Snow and Rock"? It has a lot of cool pictures and some of ice axe grip, and gives a fun look at the lineage of our sport.

Ummm, can you tell I am new to the site. Here is the ice in the area. Ice above right side of spur from Hairpin Trail.

Trip: Mount Arrowsmith, Vancouver Island - Cokely Col Trail Ice Date: 2/3/2007 Trip Report: This warm front is doing great things for the melt-freeze cycles. The slab ice directly above the car park directly above the hairpin is a bit thin for some. However, the slabs and corners on the right halfway up the spur road leading to the Cokely/Arrowsmith Col Trail are full of ice. We spotted large slabs of ice up here and ascended the gully on the right in order to reach the slabs sans overhead hazards, the drawback of the SE winds and fronts. Jumajumalungma lead some nice ice on these slabs, and then she lead some more slabs over to the right. There is so much ice around that you can't be dissappointed. We walked off to the right and descended through the trees. Gear Notes: It's Island ice folks, short (10cm) and medium length screws; shoulder length slings; and "BFT" anchors up top. Approach Notes: The plus advantage of the warming is that it was possible to drive to the top of concrete barriers shielding us from the exposed drop of the Pass Main. Pass Main is mostly free of snow to here. Park here, a few heros have been getting their bushed out trucks stuck in the old snowdrifts that lead down the straight section to the hairpin.

Over last weekend while descending a steep, slushy coulior with some friends new to the game this forum thread popped into mind. While using the self-belay grip it was possible to use the weight of my pectoral girdle via the heel portion of the palm to press on the adze and sink the shaft. This set up a boot/axe belay in a easy fluid motion when one of the folks below skidded out. Food for thought.

I have always thought that the best application for my flukes would be to stake out my tent on the sandy westcoast beaches when at work.