shaoleung

#1 piece of safety gear needs to be yer brain. Sounds like the Seneca Rocks example is one with little info, but we can be certain that regardless of what happened there, with 20mm ropes some folks would still figure out a way to make them fail. Kinda like our education system!

That's awesome. Let me know if I can help out!

I vote stay at home and watch the Bachelorette.

Billcoe I bet knows the report, but there was recently a study done of the tat left on anchors around Yosemite. Supposedly 4 slings of the most heinous, old, faded webbing they pulled off anchors could still hold several thousand pounds. If you feel like you need to add something, at least take away the crap you don't trust.

Trip: Alpine Lakes - Ingalls traverse? Date: 7/17/2009 Trip Report: Ingalls has got to be one of the best short-approach, alpine environments in the region. Beautiful. I keep going back. This time to attempt a traverse from Stuart Ridge back to Ingalls ridge. We decided to try the Dyke Chimney route up the East side of the east peak. We ascended the Dyke Chimney to the foot of the snow. The snow was in poor shape and we decided to traverse up the left side. We scrambled and climbed past some class 4 and a few class 5 sections. We passed a lot of tat and bail biners. Eventually we were stopped short of the ridge crest by a short gendarme of unprotectable class 5 climbing. We tried to get around by rapping on the snow and bearing right, then center, but nothing appeared to go. Methinks the FA in 1960 might have had 30 or 40 feet more snow, even in October. Has anyone successfully climbed this route recently? We retreated and headed for the East ridge of the N. Peak. Roped up around 6:45pm and swung leads through the scrambles, topping out at about 9:45pm after running 9 pitches! We bivvied near the top of the South slabs. A windy, cold night. By morning, we were chilled to the bone but rewarded with an incredible sunrise and crystal clear morning views of Glacier, Adams, Rainier, Denny, Shukson, Baker, etc. We rapped the slabs and scrambled the South Peak. After assessing the ridge between the South ridge of the South Peak, we decided the beer in the cooler at the parking lot was more enticing. We descended and headed for ice cold IPA. I love it. I can hardly think of a better way to spend a weekend than exploring the mountains with friends. Gear Notes: With little snow, light-weight approach shoes are fine. We brought ice axes, but hardly used them. If you try the Dyke Chimney, bring your rock shoes and balls bigger than ours. (Maybe some pitons?) Approach Notes: Almost all snow is gone from the area.

I usually don't get to retire tied webbing as it goes to raps. 9/16 is great: Cheap and strong. I like to clean up the f-ing mess of crap people leave on raps.

Yeah man... they have these specially outfitted snowmobiles that are roped up on 14mm x 90m ropes with sirens and stuff.

No shit!... or lots of it!

Trad = R&D @ 11'worth. That's hard core. Don't F*ck with it.

Come on now, 90 percent of the slackers that slog up Rainier don't have a f-ing clue what they're doing. Damn right they should be on a rope team. Most of the Rangers are obscenely familiar with the glaciers and crevasses on the mountain. While this doesn't completely preclude them from the dangers of that stuff, their qualifications are pretty damn high and I'd bet the stats on Ranger accidents while skiing on the mountain are a million to one. One ranger makes a mistake and we're talking about how they need to follow gumby's rules? I was hit with a case of giardia in the mountains and while I thought I was passing gas, instead shit my pants. Logically, everyone who has spent time in the mountains must now wear a diaper! Does Mike Gauthier waste his time on CC? I bet he could give some pretty definitive numbers.

That is F-ing cool. I spent an hour or so staring at that wall from the West Ridge on Friday afternoon. I wondered if I'd ever have the balls to throw myself at it. You guys don't wonder!

Just got back from Stuart yesterday. Not much snow up there, but everyone we saw was happy to have crampons and ice axe for the few hundred feet of snow fields you must cross. It's pretty steep, and while not crispy it was firm through late AM, then slushy enough for slip-sliding into the boulder field. If you're thinking Cascadian (especially on a weekend with lots of people), bring a helmet too.

So, alongside Hammerhead Rock there's a good boulder/slab for kids. We climbed there with my friend's 4-yo and belayed him from the top. Fun stuff.

So, I go back and forth on how to encourage climbing with my son. He's only 18 months old and I know a couple years away from roping up, but he recently fell in love with a football and I fear I'll have to start going to football practice and games instead of the Icicle. His SAT prep is going well, as are the piano lessons and physics tutoring. Drivers' Ed is tough given that he can't reach the steering wheel. While his motor and speech skills leave something to be desired, I think he'll be ready for the rock sooner than later! Any parents out there have ideas on where to start? What are your favorite areas for kids?

So, is it happening? My son's only 18 months, but I am pretty sure he's going to want to be involved. Who do I talk to?

From the false summit you can reach the top via a very short section of low 5th/4th class rock. I do a lot of rock climbing and consider myself very conservative in terms of safety. I rope up but don't place any pro. From the top, I belay my partner. For the decent, we down-climb, belayed from the top, then the bottom.

Rad, what don't you like about Aborigine?

Are the ratings comparable more to 38 or Index?

One of the last of the yosemite icons. RIP John.

Just hiked past the Little Si cliffs with the family for the first time. Incredible looking rock! Any suggestions for a favorite 5.11 ish climb?

Nice work.

Complex carbs with some protein. Oatmeal's great, but try something like Bob's Redmill Scottish Oatmeal. Carb loading with pasta has apparently been scientifically proven worthless. Check out Bicycling Magazine's May 2009 article: Big Fat Lies

It's true! I pissed in that bottle... Gatorade smells the same when it comes out!

#7 isn't the problem... wheel-barrows and sand bags sound great... albeit meat-headish. That balance between meat-head and meaningful workout is a tough one. I need to get over that. Stairs are working out great. As for the heart-rate monitor, what are "The right zones"?

Selected Climbs in the Cascades - Nelson & Potterfield. There are two books. Both are great and have different climbs. I'd send you to Washington Pass. There are a ton of climbs, short approaches. Weeekends get a little busy, but there's a lot to choose from.