trainwreck

We saw Barry's car at the GCC parking lot, so yeah, it was the 4th I guess. Super strong winds that day, we found the travel and avy conditions to be very reasonable, but we weren't really on a spot that'll load very much. It snowed again last weekend, probably about 20cms in the alpine and most of it has been transported. I was talking to a Public Safety guy last Friday and he said that there's a raincrust already. We climbed Cerca Del Mar in the Stutfield valley yesterday and there was surprising little avalanche activity, LOTS of serac fall though. The forecast looks really good for things to firm up. @John -- I think it really depends on the route. I wouldn't be super concerned about it on something like the A Strain, but certainly the GCC will need a few days to shed some layers. The bigger concern atm is the lack of ice up high. Apparently Marko Prezlej tried guiding the A Strain a little while back, didn't find much ice and ended up rapping off.

I've been out there a fair bit the last little while. Travel conditions are excellent, but there isn't much ice. Waterfalls are only now starting to freeze and consolidate, and only if they're in the alpine. Lean start to the year so far.

OR Alibis for technical ice climbing and mixed, they fit small but are extremely dextrous and plenty warm for leading. BD Punishers for belay and rappel duty. OR Alpine Alibis for alpine ice, routes with snow, etc.

He wore a hole in the side of the face fabric from harness rub. The worst part was that Westcomb wouldn't warranty it, they fixed it 'for a price.' The jacket was about two months old. He then punctured straight through climbing a chimney, something that pretty much wouldn`t happen with softshell. He ended up replacing it with a hardshell from MEC. I put so many holes in my eVent pants that within a season of light use they were functionally useless. I blame the fact that they were made by Lowe Alpine, but it soured me on the efficacy of the fabric. Perhaps things are different on the coast, but in the Canadian rockies softshell still rules.

Westcomb stuff SUCKS! Three of my friends bought Westcomb jackets and all three had to replace them within the year. eVent is a nice idea, but is so paper thin that it serves no function with respect to climbing equipment.

I took the new quarks out for a spin on the NF of Athabasca this weekend. They swing beautifully and are pretty much the ideal tool for leashless alpine climbing. I am happy with them.

When I have my home computer on the 'net I will upload some of the used picks I have from the last few years, Dane. My Astros from our attempt on Boobquake/Undertow show the typical type of wear from alpine mixed on limestone. I've actually chipped two of them in an odd way. I am stoked that you're thinking asbout producing a proper "Alaska" type pick as I've been thinking about the need for one. Hopefully you're it for making for Petzl tools!

Dane - I still use the Astro. It's the best pick Petzl has designed IMO. It cleans easily and isn't as squirrelly as the Cascade. Also faaaaar better for mixed.

I got my new quarks yesterday. They seem very light compared to the nomic, the bump-up/trig-rest is going to break during the season IMO, but overall the tools are pretty friggin sweet and will make an excellent alpine rig. I had the older quarks and have nomics and these new quarks are definitely an improvement on the older model. The astro picks are still the best ones for the nomics IMO. The new ICE pick has teeth that aren't sharp for hooking which is silly.

Don't buy Kayland boots. The quality sucks and they have a shite warranty.

Saskatchewan is way longer but much much less objectively hazardous.

The arcteryx R300 weighs the same and has none of the sketch factor.

I was the first person to climb Curtain Call this year and it took the better part of two hours (or longer!) to do the first pitch. There was a ton of cleaning and I had to think through the moves as well as the pro. I went back and climbed the same pitch twice more as a second (the leader took 1:30ish) both times and it was considerably easier then the first time seeing as we had solid hooks, no cleaning, and knowledge of where to place the gear. I then went back and lead the first pitch in ~1:15-30 in solid WI6 shape. The second pitch was in WI5 shape this year and took no longer than 45mins both times I lead it. So not two hours per pitch Dane, just the first, and only the first time I climbed it this year. The funny thing is that coming off of that two hour lead, I felt amazing. It felt like I had been climbing WI2 the whole time and I wasn't tired, sore or pumped. Just amped to keep moving higher and confident in my ability to comfortably climb the grade. Will (and by association, Dane) are talking out their asses. Leading takes time (apparently that's OK in the alpine though) and a WI5-6 pitch will take as much time as necessary to avoid sketching up the thing. If it takes an hour (or two!) so be it; lead and learn. Perhaps when I've spent as many half hours as Will has leading ice I will also be able to claim that anyone unable to meet my standards should abandon what they're comfortable leading and try something that I think they should climb. It was my right fibula and ruptured MCL in the ankle Dane, not leading, but walking down a snowslope. I guess I should have tried an easier snowslope.

I disagree with Marc's Rule 16, mostly because it is advice about 15 years too late. I also disagree with Dane/Will's point about how much time an ice lead takes. I think that if the leader is in control and comfortable, milking rests and shaking out a lot, a 60m WI6 pitch can take much longer than half an hour. I can see shitty, technical ice taking a long time to work out. It doesn't mean you should go climb WI4, it means that the lead is going to take a bit longer. I understand the point he's making but I don't think it really applies to hard ice as well as he thinks it does.

dubstep

the old viper pommel attachments will fit with some effort. i've done it to mine and they've help up for quite a while.

I rock a Marmot Flurry and it is wicked. I have abused it beyond what I thought it could take and it is still nice and warm. Lots of holes and still kicking. Normally I wouldn't even consider Marmot clothing but it was riducheap.

2 way zipper is an absolute must imo. as is an integrated hood.

I have a feeling Will took a really shitty approach line in that post. I know the route he was heading for and there's a much easier, safer and faster approach that he failed to consider.

you americans are really weird about guns. like, really weird.

Sabretooth Pro. QED.

Cool video! I think I saw you swing your tools four times during the whole thing.

I know not everyone uses the plastic jobs from BD and Petzl, if you're not, what are you using? Why?

You can have Cody (that's not true, I'd love to go there) because if I have to drive that far to climb ice, I am driving to AK. If we drive any more than an hour and a half I get whiny.

The Banff/Canmore area is pretty sick for WI climbing. It's a shame about all the people though.