Clarence

Great photographic timing. Glad I wasn't there though...

Freedom of the Hills has all the info you need.

Haha, that set of plastic nuts actually weighs about 20g more than a set of BD stoppers!

PM sent.

Awesome! We climbed Eldorado today. I'm surprised we didn't see you guys last night on your way out. I had hoped to do Dorado Needle in addition to Eldorado, but work schedules cut the trip short, it looks very cool and your trip report only makes it more enticing.

Pretty much sums up the main uses for hexes.

Way to get after it! Seems like there have been quite a few in the last couple weeks. It's an inspiration to the rest of us.

Cool!

That's correct. No parking pass of any kind is required at cascade pass (or boston basin).

I wonder if it would go in late fall or early spring (or winter for that matter) when snow is covering the loose shit at the bottom? Or do you think the main crack feature is full of shit too?

I talked with someone who sumitted about two weeks ago and they said it was passable.

No, you stay right of the glacier on the permanent snowfield. I suppose it could technically be a part of the glacier, but even this late in the summer there were no open crevasses.

Tried the East Ridge this weekend. Buckner is out, as that picture shows. The coulior for the West Ridge looks a bit broken up, but I didn't get close enough to see for sure. I think you can force the route even if the coulior is shot, consult the Beckey Guide. P.S. careful crossing that unnamed glacier on Forbidden, there were a lot of huge ice chunks sliding off in the afternoon last Saturday.

Nice job guys! I was in that party of 3 that turned around. We decided not to finish the route before we started climbing, but because it was early we did climb the first two pitches which were great fun! Though the climbing was easy, I agree that the downclimbing added some spice to moves that you didn't even think twice about on the way up. We got back to Seattle at ~11pm and I think we were all glad the next morning that we didn't finish the route since all three of us were heading to work by 9 am...

Very nice! I've been wanting to make this same trip myself.

Nice TR. Cyclone lake is one of my favorites.

Fucking sick!

No it doesn't ruin the breathability, that's the whole point of using that stuff rather than 3M scotchgard. Tx-direct is good. I like Granger's stuff better--the stuff in the blue bottle, I think it lasts longer on the garment once you wash (or spray) it on than the Nikwax does.

Somewhere on the internet is a google street view in Chicago area that captured a drug deal on camera. A man is clearly handing the driver of a car a bunch of cash. It's hysterical, but i don't have the energy to search for the picture.

I was up there in June, I think that it does require a double-rope-rap, if I recall correctly.

I would use a Nikwax. SnoSeal is alright, but it's messy and it does effect the breathability of the leather.

Trip: The Tooth - South Face Date: 8/8/2008 Trip Report: After a few trad leads in Leavenworth and Index, I decided it was time to actually get out and lead a route in the mountains. So I headed out to the Tooth this morning with Travis. We made it up to the base in in 1 hour 45 mins. We climbed it in 3 pitches. p--low 5th. p2--4th class. p3--the catwalk, low 5th. There were only two other parties of two on the route (one in front, one behind), which seems ok for a climb like the tooth. Down in 3 30m raps and back to the car in 1 hour 30 mins. Gear Notes: Brought a set of nuts and BD cams 0.5-2. Just runners for slinging horns and nuts would do though. Approach Notes: Snow from Source lake to the pass.

Nice! Very cool

I'm not trying to say that structured learning is all bad. I was trying to illustrate that from my experience you can be safe without it. It really just comes down to your personal learning style and comfort level. I don't think that one approach is inherently better than the other.

I think you're right Matt. In my own experience, structured climbing classes are not that great. I have been sport climbing and scrambling for several years (shown the ropes by an experience friend), and this year I wanted to get into more alpine climbing, especially glacier, but also alpine rock. I took the Mounties basic climbing class for the glacier skills and was very underwhelmed. Certainly, there were nuggets of knowlege that were useful, but by in large they told me nothing that I hadn't already read, plus I had to suffer through two months of (re)learning how to belay... A class like the basic climbing class might have more to offer someone who has never belayed or climbed before, but with a decent amount of general outdoor experience, some time spent reading (FOTH and John Long's Anchors book) and the willingness to get out and try things one should be in a good position to act safe. That's the approach I've taken to learning to trad lead this summer. I'm going out and learning on my own after carefull reading and some practice placements on the ground. The funny thing is, the last rock climb I went on with the mounties kinda scared me. I could place gear better than the leader after only one or two trad leads of my own... Good thing we were climbing stuff that I would consider soloing.