dougd

1730 is very close to beer thirty... Nice work!

Enjoyed the pics and video very much. If you two ever get a road show together, I hope Spokane could be one of the stops. d

very cool

Agreed, the smart money would be on them to succeed. To see them doing this at their age really helps me work harder. I ran into Donini once. He was guiding for Exum and he and a client were chilling on the summit of the Grand Teton when I topped out. I'll never forget the looks I got when they realized I did not have a partner. Especially the client... Jim just kind of grinned. He was doing a lot of cool stuff in Alaska during that time and we talked about that. I had a 60m rope in my pack and so combined with theirs we were able to do the double rope rappel from the anchors a short walk off the summit. That was a good day. He's a stout dude. It's good to have him still going strong. d

I still have my old fire's, you want to lead it for me Matt? Seconding sandbagged 10d is my only chance man. d

However available it is,.... they still walk there. The summit of Everest, even with O2, sherpas, fixed lines, and the blessing of the weather gods, is still a shitload of hard work. Certainly more that I am interested in doing. I openly admit to using Diamox (or acetazolydimide... most likely spelled wrong). Is it cheating? Sure, might be. Do I care? No. The fact is 99% of us are without sponsors, and are just happilly following paths that others have already blazed. At Marks level, he may have cause to bitch, because he is in a very select group of alpinists chasing a very small amount of expedition funding. Making these claims loudly and fervently is Marks style. I generally don't listen much. This may be a subject for another thread but in my opinion, there are things in this world that should not be for sale. Summiting Everest is one of them. It's just me. d

I'll be there, looking forward to it.

It doesn't happen often, but when I have trouble staying motivated, I need look no further than guys like these for inspiration to keep going... http://www.climbing.com/news/donini-and-lowe-plan-nose-in-a-day-attempt/ d

Mysterious climber enjoying the view. Cooper Spur, Mt Hood 2012.

Good to see you getting out and about and recovering after the illness... Those lung infections can be nasty. d

Congratulations John et al. That TR's gonna be pretty cool... d

Saw Mountain Runners last night. There was a familiar name when the credits rolled. Nice work in that too John. d

Brit, I'm from Vancouver originally but now live in Spokane. If you're intent on running bleachers check out one of the local High Schools, Ft Vancouver High, or maybe Columbia River High School in Hazel Dell would work. FYI there are some really nice training trails near you as well. I'm sure others on this site can help you find some of them. Angel's Rest trail is on the Oregon side of the river, just off the hwy @ the Bridal Veil exit. A bit further is Larch Mtn (Multnomah Falls)trail for a better work out but there'll be some snow up top right now maybe... The days are probably long enough now for a run up Angel's Rest before dark if you off work early enough. Trails are better for ya I think, and more fun. d

When climbing at the level I'm at, which is basically slogging up moderates here and there, it doesn't seem to matter much what I do, or how I do it. Mountaineering is a selfish pursuit, inherently individualistic. Having that said, it does, and should, matter a lot to me, not only how I do it, but how I present it to anyone who shows interest. It is a point of honor. Mark's not saying I can't take diamox on the EBC Trek or hire a Nepali guide if I choose to do that. He's just saying I should be honest about it. What's not to agree with there? Climbing at the level that Mark Twight enjoyed for a time gives him a totally different perspective than me, and I appreciate him sharing that perspective. Anything, or anyone that helps me remember the importance of personal integrity, and honor, I appreciate. When taking on the biggest mountains, or the most extreme routes, seeking to push the limits of what is possible for humans in climbing or any sport the goal should be to do it clean. We know it can be done now. Whether it is supplemental O's or whatever, let's be honest, it's cheating... Without that dedication to honor the endeavor, wtf is the point? I think the essay is a lot about what humans are doing to denigrate sport in general, and our sport... About the lack of honor in our culture... If we're not careful, we end up without much real adventure in this life. d

lol

Another honest man. Bravo!

I have always respected Mark Twight's honesty and integrity. I may not agree with him always, but he has my respect. That is not given away to just anyone... The bottom line in this for me is that folks need to be honest about their accomplishments, with themselves, and others... I never liked that the summit of Everest is available to anyone with the money to spend. d

Please try not to run over me, I may be there around the same time... Thanks in advance... d

Here is a revolver. It has an amazing language all its own. It delivers unmistakable ultimatums. It is the last word. A simple, little human forefinger can tell a terrible story with it. Hunger, fear, revenge, robbery hide behind it. It is the claw of the jungle made quick and powerful. It is the club of the savage turned to magnificent precision. It is more rapid than any judge or court of law. It is less subtle and treacherous than any one lawyer or ten. When it has spoken, the case can not be appealed to the supreme court, nor any mandamus nor any injunction nor any stay of execution come in and interfere with the original purpose. And nothing in human philosophy persists more strangely than the old belief that God is always on the side of those who have the most revolvers.

CC, Congrats on your winter summit of Rainier. It's a real accomplishment. Great that you were able to take advantage of the weather window. Aside: I remember being shocked by how much the icefall has receded from Sept 1981 when my little brother and I climbed the DC, and June 2011 when I climbed the Gib Ledges route and descended the DC... The icefall as I remembered it was all but gone. d

Steph, Nothing against the other stellar photographers that frequent cc.com, but with consistent, quality images like these, and others you post here, you should be winning the photo contest here year in and year out... JMHO Is there some reason Mt. Thielsen did not make the cut? It's one of the first summits I visited when I started climbing, way back when... I got a pretty cool shot (Kodak 110 Inst.) of storm clouds gathering over the mountain after my summit climb that day. Guess I'll just have to dig out that old photo album. Thanks for taking the time to share these pics. A lot of old friends in that lineup... d

Nice pics. The spur looks ripe... d

Matt, Thanks for sharing that story. Old school/hard core... It made my day. d