Robert Howell

Not really. It's a great semi-technical tool, but should be holstered when things get vertical, especially on water ice. You are going to want something with more clearance and a thinner pick. The Viper would be a great choice from BD and if you can afford them, the Cobra's are incredible. Other choices: -Petzl Aztar or Quark -Grivel Matrix Tech and etc...

You can't lead 5.12 without whining for a rest and you don't pwn noobs on a regular basis.

Black Diamond Revelation is a very practical technical pack for climbing. It is available in 35L an 45L. I use some Wild Things packs because they are damn tough but they may not fit some as well as others. +1 for the Bora series as well. They seem to be the most capable (load wise) pack out there. This is just my experience though.

My buddy and I climbed jeff park this weekend and this is exactly what we had to deal with. No way around either 'schrund'. We had to do some front-pointing but protection was surprisingly solid.

Kevin, I believe those were our tracks that you were following, as we were the first ones up the West Crater that morning.

You will absolutely want crampons right now. I summited last Sunday (4/1) with TMG and if you want to get to the summit you will need it no matter which route you choose. We went the Old Chute route because Pearly Gate's is pretty steep this year.