summerprophet

Mountaingear does indeed rock. Unbeatable prices and never had an issue with anything they have sold me. Would love to give a shout out to backcountrygear.com as well. They custom ordered a couple portaledge flys for me to see what I could get to fit my custom ledge. Even though it is a custom order, no problem returning the fly (or flys) I can't use. No restocking fee. No hassle. That is customer service.

I can do Friday after work. I get off at 4, work right near HWY 12 in Yakima. Justin

The most common use for a swivel is to avoid twisting the haul line when you need to roll the bag across the wall on traversing pitches. In rescue situations, it is very rarely used, although it could be handy for lowering into caves or chambers where the rescuer needs to rotate a lot. Obvoisly this would only work with a single line.

Can't help you for a partner, but I can give you some advice for the valley. First, Supertopo.com is far more Valleycentric, and you will have better luck there. I can ask some of my wall buddies in the bay area, if they can get the time off work, I am climbing the Nose witht them in May, so they may want a warm up. Lastly, the best route of the three you chose was the Prow. It is the cleanest line, but significantly harder than the South face. When I was up there 6 years ago, Southern Man still required pins. Also, if you want something Harder, Ten years After was all fixed last year. Given the unstable weather right now, I would do the prow or West face of Leaning tower. Toss me a line if I can answer any questions for you, or if you want me to give my buddies a shout. Justin

PM sent

A hip belay is perfect for this as well........ is faster, and saves the extra gear.

Crap crags actually used to be a pretty good route in the early 80's (sadly before I was climbing) it has since been consumed by the forest. Such is the nature of Squamish, the first true "Big Wall" route in Squamish was apparently an incredible line, with truly spectular climbing to the left of Uniiversity Wall, called "The Northwest Passage". Try to find it now, you can't even imagine a line through that jungle these days.

I stamp my initials into the gear with a letter die set. Climbers (especially internet know it alls) say this is dangerous and will cause complete and utter gear failure..... but Black Diamond does it on their gear and any materials engineers say that the strength will not be changed what so ever. Incidently..... if anyone comes across any gear stamped JT (Old original Friends and Tech Friends) give me a shout..... my rack was stolen last year.

Matt, Got anything on the Nose? As if this onbe hasn't been topo'ed to death allready. Interested in topo with footnotes if you have it. J.

Best Spots for Dry Rock in March: Yosemite: Shhhhh, keep this one quiet. Everything on the base of the Nose, and Lower should be dry. Really Cold nights though. Vantage / Smith / Redrocks: Obviously you allready know this one. Pinnacles: Think Vantage with Poison Oak. Decent Sport and some uninspiring trad routes. Some exceptions to the rule though. PM me for a list of favorites. J Tree: Good, but shorter than everyone lets on. Oh yeah, and too far south. So I guess I will be seeing you at Vantage.

An Evening With Carlos Buhler First Ascent on Everest Route World Class Climber Thursday, March 20, 2008, 7:00pm The Seasons Perormance Hall 101. North Natches Avenue Yakima, Washington Minimum $10 Donation to Provide Training Funds for Central Washington Mountain Rescue Sponsored by Rod Nelson and Lani-Kai Swanhart

My work phone is a motorola i560. Flip phone, rubberized exterior, water resistant, tough tough tough. Nor sure about the cold though. It is discontinued, so you can either find it on the net, or spend the big bucks on its replacement, which can withstand being driven over.

One route that has yet to see a second ascent is "The Mainline" on West Main Wall, Powell River BC. 160' runouts on 5.11 slab, Combined with A4 on filed down RP's underneath house sized deathblocks. Grade VI 5.11, A4+ F.A. Colin Dione, Rob Richards 1993 Incidently, if someone wants to head up there.. .I can do the aid if you can do the slab. http://www.surfingvancouverisland.com/climb/eldred-westmainwall.htm

Smith rock sounds like the place you want to be. Lots of sport climbing, fair and predictable weather in march, and great easy trad climbing. Lovers Leap is great, but the campground will not be open yet, and you will be hiking across steep snow to get to the base of the routes. Other climbing exists quite close to the leap that is South facing and snow free, but not sufficient enough to entertain you for a solid week. Incidently, the last three years have had snow there in March. Yosemite is pretty stiff as far as grades go, atleast until you get used to the smooth granite. March is fine in the valley, but you might be pulling straws with the weather. Redrocks is great, but the gate closes early before spring break, so you have pretty short days...... and the campground sucks. Pinnacles is NOT a roadtrip destination. It is more a place for the locals to frequent in the winter while they wait for the valley to open up. There are a few good routes there, but the majority are of poor quality rock, and for the most part can be done in a single pitch. Everything north of you is out obviously. Head to Smith, you will have a great time. Send me a PM if you want a hit list, or learn about a few choice routes that the crowds haven't discovered yet.

What Valley are you talking about? Yosemite is all about dicey pin scars in the sweet California sunshine. Certainly you can get your fill if expando cracks, and rain and snow, but by no means would this be considered the classic El Cap experience.

Vantage is really not the place to practice Aid skills. The rock Quality and nature of available placements lends itself to brainless cam slotting / bolt clipping OR crapping you pants while A4 flakes creak and groan underneath you. Head to Index my freind.

Oops, I meant Tuesday. Justin

My goals; The Nose on El Cap. First ascents on Gooseegg mountain. Finding a climbing partner in Ellensburg.

Up for a climbing partner as well, I am in Ellensburg. Incidently, the falls at Vantage are disappearing as we speak. The ice flows to the climbers right of sunshine wall still look like they might have potential (from the road). Kevino, if you are serious about a partner, I would be happy to join you. I think I am going snowboarding tommorow, but what about Monday? Justin

Two stories of unintended clipping; One Swiss cheese wall, North of the Bugaboos, 1996ish I had instructed a close friend Kelly, on the ins and outs of sport leading, and after reviewing everything, sent her us a rather delicate 5.10. The moves were not difficult, but releyed on a lot of friction and balance. Well Kelly ended up about 100 feet off of the ground, and while I was soloing around on easy terrain, taking pics of the event, somehow she had managed to clip her belay loop into the same biner that she had clipped a bolt with. Unable to move up, and unable to move down, with no previous lead experience, she was as stuck as can be. I would love to say I galantly came to her rescue, but unfortunatly, I was rolling with laughter. Two Lost Arrow Spire, Yosemite, 2003ish Perhaps as Karma for the above episode, I found myself stuck on the last few feet of lost arrow spire. While only rated as 5.5, the climbing is pure slab, and rather dicey in hiking boots and an aid rack. Anyways, after clipping the last bolt, I climbed up and unclipped my etriers, in preperation for the short amount of free climbing. Tossing the aiders aside, I start merrilly climbing away, until I find that the second lowest loop on my aider had clipped into my last piece of pro a good 6 feet below me. Tweaked and looking at taking a nasty fall onto my daisy, I delicatly retraced the moves to where I could unclip the daisy from the etrier and finish the few moves to the anchor. Ashamed to say just how scared I was on a 5.5.

Damn,I was really hoping Washington would stick to its guns and go against the federal government on the "enhanced licence". For those of you not in the know, an enhanced licence (or Federal identification), is an ID card with a radio transmitter similar to the tags you find on DVD's or CD's. Therefore, your personal information is available to anyone with a reciever to interpret the radio signal. Essentially, the ID can inform the state of your location and whom you associate with without having to question you personally. A patrol car outfitted with the reciever can list everyone in your home, or everyone in your car simply by driving by. So the next time you pass by a patrol car with a bunch of your pothead friends, guess who gets pulled over for a random search? Last I had heard, Washington declared not to require enhanced Drivers Licences, although a similar ID would be required to enter federal lands (parks, courthouses, etc.)

I am a bit north of you, but still within partner distance.... I live in Ellensburg and work in Yakima. Also looking for a partner for Aid, Rock, Moderate Ice and mountaineering. I have the required toys and have open weekends, give me a shout. I hate long approaches though..... bad knees.

Went up to solo aid the route today..... given current conditions, it is pretty hard. Lots and lots of going from free moves to hooking, and very little gear otherwise. The best bet would be to wait until it can be hit with rock shoes and chalk. Incidently, between five and ten pitches, near white pass. Always looking for partners though..... regardless.

Aid climbing / New route cleaning partner wanted. Yeah, looking for someone to suffer with. Care to freeze up there with me. Central WA

I hung out in Yosemite with "The other Captain Kirk" during the summer of 98 or 99. Last time I went looking for him Ammon said he was in Idaho somewheres. If anyone knows him, pass on the word that I still have a big wall in mind for us in Canada that is in need of a first ascent. (Oh and if Kirk reads this, it is Justin, from the big brown Van, center of the universe)