blueserac

So far you have the physics and basics of preventing ground falls, zippering, preventing factor 2 falls onto the belay in this thread. Have you considered placing gear to prevent connecting with ledges if you fall en route to the ground? Also, on traversing pitches place gear for the second, such that if you lead out and fall, the pendulum will go this way; when the second slips off they will fall that way. Stances on edges and ledges are great places to drop in gear as if it were a free placement. Prior to racing into the crux, consider dropping two pieces in just incase you find it tricky to do so above in the drama of the crux. "when in doubt run it out...if not then, shut the @*#% up and sew it up"...sounds fun. Consider two alternatives of leading, the folks that race up with barely any gear or those that do so in the same time but can adaquately pro it. I find singing the Captain Kirk vs. Spock Death Match tune in my head helps gear go in.

Hahahaha...I did more than once, saddly. On one or more occasion I recall tossing and turning until the first rays of dawn shawn on me and then promptly falling asleep.

Didn't it set up with ice earlier in the winter?

The grazing is good up there.

Where are the crags on Pump Peak, to the right or that sunny slope staring back at you when looking from the back of the ski area?

Bivis rock, until it gets miserable. Ever spend a few days hiding out the weather in one? Or try to get dressed in one? I agree the weight of new tents nowadays can match that of two bivis and provide a enclosed space. If it suits your needs and requirements for your trip go with what you like.

Rap sling material really depends on the whats and wheres. What is the anchor intented to perform like after you use it; what sort of connection interface is employed from anchor sling to rope; what is the traffic going to be like; what, what, what? Where are you placing and using the sling? Are you engaging the anchor in a rarely visited area or are you dropping it in a high use area? Does that help? I remember cleaning a sling from Liberty Bell 3 years ago, it was one that I had placed 3 yrs earlier. It was supertape, and it still had the rap rings I put on it. It had numerous friction burns from rope crossing over it as someone pulled their rope down. On that anchor there was a another sling of 7mm prusik cord, and that route never gets any traffic nor is it subject to UV. Wow. In this case and position I think chains would be best to carry. I have read that rappelling can place between 3-4kn of force onto the anchor, so if you want a margin of safety it isn't much more to pack that. Your anchor should be redundant, at very least, and I am uncertain why that wasn't carried out initially to spawn this thread. How and what do you pack? What is your life worth to you? What is the life of your buddy that you are climbing worth to you? What are the lives of those less aware that will reuse your anchor worth to you? I use 7mm prusik cord after all the reserves of either inch or supertape are gone. In high use areas I have even placed mallions on the bolts, and rap rings to encourage repeated use vs. the pull through. There is an excellent book published by the Alpine Club of Canada, edited by Murray Toft, "Playing It Safe"; it is a great and informative resource. Have your buddy duplicate the amount of additional slings you carry. Consider employing a few tied double-length shoulder slings vs. the sewn dyneema expensive sort.

Play the weather it can save either a lot of energy or heartache. If a low or frontal system is forecast then pack the extra kit and hedge your bets. If it is calling for a 1030mb high pressure system to remain stationary then go light. But remember of anomalies. I have taken a 5x8 siltarp folded it along it's length and sewn the open edges so that it acts as: 1) a interior pack liner to keep my kit dry; 2) a bivi bag; 3) and a tarp, if the stitches are blown. Put in two rows of stitches that are easy to pull apart if necessary. Stitch to just below the armpit to maximize coverage in bivi mode and still allow the top portion to be guyed out and keep the precipatation off your face. Some folks I have come across have sewn in velcro or a lightweight zipper that allow a reuseable functionality. Reducing the overall weight, yet having something that will last much, much, much longer than a sheet of plastic or mylar fits my environmental needs too. Draw backs are the longevity is yet to be desired, and bugs have free reign to your head, neck and hands. Howerever, thankfully they have developed the bugmesh hat and heavier full function bivi bags that weigh over 2 1/2 pounds. This one weighs 200 grams (less than half a pound) and whatever the extra thread weighs to stitch it.

Oh, and the rock is snow free now! The approach is snow covered!

Trip: Mt. Cokely, Arrowsmith Massif, Vancouver Island - West Ridge Buttress Date: 5/1/2007 Trip Report: Seeing as though it is spring I feel it is time to start thinking rock and alpine routes. On the lower part of the Island, I can't think of many places that offer easy to get to multi-pitch rock routes. The benefit for this area is that these routes are on par for difficulty as the common routes that folks drive and take the ferry to Apron in Squamish for. Ok, the exposure isn't the same, and these routes are not developed (ie. bolted) as they are on the Apron. 200 meter routes that are easy to get to is a major plus. Ok, gear placements are like some of the older routes on the Apron, runout. It is about the mileage, not the cool shiny gear right? Jumajumalungma and I went up to Cokely two years ago (ok, we go whenever we can) to play on all of that readily accessable rock that is well the entire west ridge. It is all that nice rock on the left if looking at the col from the hairpin. The rock is very solid and climbing is mostly easy fifth with three "crux" sections of one-move-wonders to about 5.7. Gear Notes: Wires a few cams to (fist size) #3 single and double shoulder length slings blade and angle pins. Approach Notes: Park at Hairpin and hike Cokely/Arrowsmith Col (Saddle Route) trail. About half way up the trail, where it steepens into the trail-come-creek section, hike to open section at the top. Here, look left at the base of the route about 15 meters away through the clearing. I think you have a handful of trees to steeple chase through. Descend via hiking the ridge crest to the hiking trail from the col and follow that back down to the cars.

I think the rule of Tricams is to be the one to place 'em. Here is a rack I am sure you folks can empathize with, it is my "I Forgot the Rack Rack".

Left or right, it's your choice. Just have them synched on the same side so when your eyes from a deep sleep after downing two litres of water you can make it out.

Smaller units can walk deeper from rope movement and thus a extended trigger cord can be useful; except that the lobes will be messed up and you'll have get to in there with your nut tool and fingers. Try extending the runner to reduce the rope movement. I have never really seen anyone place cords to their cam triggers.

Compression sacks are the way to go. After mass comes volume in the quest of things to reduce. I have been really fond of the OR sil-nylon compression sacks or the drybag compression sacks they produce as well. Marrying up a thermarest and closed cell foam mattress is the best way to go. Having ensolite or evazote foam mattresses are great. I never think twice about slicing into a closed cell pad if I ever need to improvise blister padding, arch supports, blaces, splints or a rig for a camera.

Sometimes draping an unzipped parka overtop of your bag is an easy way to increase loft at strategic areas. But get the ground insulation.

The best road rashes I have seen are from folks jamming that short crack at the top of St. Vitus and then suddenly lean the wrong way and slip to the bottom of it. But yeah, you can spot Americans with the tape ready for the best finger cracks.

I have used -5*C down bag for many years on the wet coast for playing in the mountains and for paddling. If you are careful and learn from any events that let it get soggy then you will find that down will get you through. Taking the opportunities to dry you bag when they come will dry out a damp on. Mount Baker at those times of year is wonderful, with much drier glaciers, so you know you're on a glaciated mountain. If you sleep in a tent or shelter that reduces air circulation and contributes to heating the air in your space your bag will be warm enough. You bag should be warm enough at that time of year regardless, unless something like a cold weather phenomemon hits that has weather guys saying"Holy Moly, look at this...". What you do want to make you sleep warm is adaquate ground insulation. Have you read a title published by the Mountaineers, "Hypothermia, frostbite and other cold injuries"? It is a good read and will offer some more insights into heat exchange and well sleeping warm.

Has anyone been up that way recently, are there any ice lines up there? Has anyone been on the Nelson/Gerson route to the left of Beckeys' pioneering line?

Can anyone comment on the creek crossings? Has the trail been disturbed, or is it still prisitine once you cross the second log? It is such a wonderful setting to play within. Be cautious of dropping a tent at that nice, beautiful sandy tent spot, craddled in a rock basin, on the ridge just above the glacier over looking the lake it can really fill up with water during rain events. What were the rap anchors like?

The figure-eight is easy to use, what you see is often what you get. This is helpful when you are going on hour 28 or so. The less think I do the better everyone else benefits.

Simplicity. Simplicity. Simplicity. This is the key to most safe and efficient anchor/belay rigs. Consider how many links you have in your safety chain with daisies and what nots. I use the climbing rope from my harness with a figure-of-eight-on-a-bight to connect to the anchor node clipped into a locker or two regular biners opposed. I have read that a clove hitch can slip at ~1ooo lbs. Daises are great for rapping. I often use a pusik cord, made redundant (not girth-hitched) through my harness. This reduces the extra junk to carry. Belaying from a redirect (biner) clipped into the anchor node makes your work easier, especially if you are needed to take the weight of your second. This method also facilitates ergonomic braking with your hand, just pull as normal. Belaying from an overhead anchor point and belay device such as the Munther Hitch is is great. Suit the tool for the job, use the appropriate combinations as needed. If you are leading all the pitches, try developing a system where, once your second is anchored to the station, your second quickly re-piles the rope while you re-rack from the gear they cleaned. I have seen folks race past many parties with good systems like thise and not reduce any of the safety margin. Everyone seems to hit some key notes.

...and I am sure that if you going to run into it, you are most likely to run into Bigfoot on the back trails of Shuksan... How about the Twin Sisters... Or the routes up near Alpental, just have your avalanche skills dialed in and load up on avalanche poodles.

Dialing in your glacier travel skills will open up so much ground out here. Mt. Baker is great, here is another vote for the Coleman/Deming route on it; and one for Easton. Shuksan is good. Once the N20 is plowed, there is the whole Liberty Bell group. South Early Winter Spire is a popular introductory route. Liberty Bell is another introductory spire. And talk about ambience, mountain goats, larches, and such a unique area on the confluence of the rain forest and the desert. Cutthroat peak is across the road; and so is Whistler. If you ever thought about climbing on the label of the Evian bottle this is the place. Across the border, Yak pk with Yak Crack is fun when the snow is clear. Maybe spend some time doing some granite prior....shoot you'll just have to go to Squamish. Go to the book section at one of them thar fancy outdoor stores and check any of the Beckey books, or Selected Climbs in the Cascades series. Have fun, be like Columbus, go somewhere that you are not sure is, be lost and return like a hero, that is if you do not have roots to this continent.

...oh, you mean the solution by default...the irony is that we are fatefully lucky...

I say go climb. You'll fall soon enough. If you put in enough gear, something's going to hold. Nothing like training for an activity like doing the activity itself. What are those adages, "where there is rope, there is hope"? I've even heard some guys call to each other, "when in doubt, run it out...if not...sew it up and shut the @!*# up". Play long enough, with eyes and mind open and you will learn the game.