el jefe

good job getting out on i-rock you guys. the mountain looked beautiful yesterday and i was wondering if i-rock was "in".

stop being dense, rudy. everyone knows the reason the top sportos don't go to squamish is that they don't want to be seen struggling on apron strings, exasperator, etc. our granite routes are soooo much harder than anything those decadent euros have... besides, i still don't see how any of this red river gorge stuff is more interesting than plaidman's new route on the steeple.

how can any of this be more important than plaidman's new route at the steeple?

i couldn't be more in agreement, rudy, but have to admit it also gives me a powerful urge to go up to leavenworth and start sprinkling the crags there with Xs...

my understanding is that the usual practice is to refer to hand moves.

'the "aging" climbing athlete' is a pretty vague concept in this thread: one poster mentioned he was 31 and another that he was 60.

i think john really nails it here. there is no formula that is guaranteed to yield the results you want. instead, you have to do some homework, take some classes, experiment with different things, etc. but foremost you have to be pretty clear about what it is that you are trying to achieve -- probably the hardest step of all.

looks totally awesome. nice trip!

nice link to the fuddyduddy forum on the taco, but are you thinking of cc.comers that qualify as all around yosemite 5.11 crack climbing experts or as tiresome windbags who whine ceaselessly about how things ain't so good as they were back in the day of the stonedmasters? seems like there are more than "a couple" on this site who qualify for the latter.

be sure to buy a pair of vintage EBs and don't forget to wear a shirt, eldiente. both are important elements of the tradman look. also, a bandanna on the head is highly recommended as well!

good advice from sol. work other aspects such as finger strength while waiting for the knee to come back up to speed.

your strength will come back surprisingly quickly if you avoid reinjury. initially you'll feel like you get pumped really quickly but that phase will pass after a few sessions. a month and a half off isn't a long break. how old are you? younger people bounce back much more quickly. the main thing is to not reinjure your knee. try a longer warm up phase of moderate problems before you try something hard. be willing to back off if something in the knee feels "not right". stay away from mountaineering. notoriously tough on the knees.

definitely looks like you had a fine day out. got to love the northwest in the summer!

actually, "Am Limit" = "At the Limit"

what's that old saying about "a good craftsman never blames his tools"?

tito traversa. no telling where the upper limit really lies.

excellent vid, robert!

really, leashes are so passe'

actually, the route tyson et al are climbing in these photos is "not sheer strength" (aka "la bamba roof"). "attractive nuisance" is the line to the left with the red quickdraw hanging on it.

this post is so ungrammatical i can't figure out what you are trying to say, ivan.

nice work you guys. way to take advantage of the good weather!

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and that saying holds true for both mom and dad as both are very good climbers, too!

if right now is when the crag needs to be closed for golden eagles, then why not have a public forum and make the case? if your argument is sound and you have the facts to back it up, then why make the decision behind closed doors? you may very well be right about the necessity and timing of the closure, Alasdair, but sneaky way this deal went down undermines the credibility of the BLM and the people who work there.

I'm requesting that the seasonal onset of Bitching About Beacon not occur this year, or I'll be making some deletions. Its not a positive or acceptable use of this forum. strange, i seem to recall the forum was created more or less specifically to contain the bitching and keep it out of all the other honest, god-fearing forums i think the point is that even when contained in this forum, the seasonal beacon bitchfest is excessive. 6 months of climbing followed by 6 months of bitching -- not as "balanced" as it sounds.

thanks for the link. good to see info based on actual testing of equipment.