mountainmandoug

What ice axe have people found effective for hard ice? I've recently concluded that my Omega Pacific is useless unless you can get a couple of teeth in.

Check your PM's.

Check your PM's.

I am free Tuesday-Thursday next week and I would like to do some alpine rock climbing. I was thinking about the Becky Route on Liberty Bell and the South Arete on South Early Winter or similar. I would be open to ideas for other routs. I am fairly new to trad leading with a smallish rack, but I'm comfortable leading up to 5.8. I'm in good shape and fast on the non-technical ground, comfortable on steep snow and glaciers. Drop me a line at romans8_28@hotmail.com if you're interested.

I was just in the Wildernest in Port Townsend and they told me they are now stocking the Cilogear packs. They had a 60L, 40L, and a 20L on hand. I have one of the '06 60L's and I love it, but I have to say the update is nice. I'd reccomend this pack to anyone who climbs.

I am in the process of building a rack and trying to keep it light. I recently ordered #5-#8 Metolious Ultra-Light Power cams. These cover from about 1.1-2.9 in. I suspect at some point I'll end up buying a couple of smaller cams and I'm wondering weather it would be better to get 3cam units or four in the sizes from about .5-1 inch. What do people think?

http://titaniumgoat.com/poles.html Less than seven ounces a pair, and reportedly these are the stiffest carbon poles on the market. I've also read good things about their locking mechanism. I can personally attest that these guys offer great customer service.