stevetimetravlr

As someone who enjoys trad climbing, I find that sport climbing has actually taken the pressure off the good trad climbing areas. You can enjoy trad climbing in a generally noncrowded atmosphere, but when you want to mix it up a bit or work on technique and push yourself,go sport climbing. It's all righteous.

All right then Joseph, I'll only issue a warning this time instead of a citation, but slow it down a little and no open beverages. I didn't get your pin, I was just yanking your chain dude...and kudos for all your hard work. and all the best and fast healing to Jim! If no one steps forward with the pin, what kind was it and I'll throw a few your way as my contribution?

Way to go get it! Great TR.

Did you have a permit for that pin Joseph? Because Section 4, paragraph 5 clearly states......

What peak is Mithal Dihedral on? That looks stellar!

Cant watch the video Justin. It says I'm not your Youtube friend

You're right Pope. Henry Barber did nothing for me, except the first free lead of Bombshelter on Grand Central Tower for which I admired him for. He did leave rap slings there, and make use of fixed gear but other then that he did not contribute to NW climbing much. Alan Watts on the other hand left a legacy of great climbs and tradition, in a area that I can assure you was little used before hand. In high school, we used to drive down to Smith from Seattle area and sleep in the parking lot in our car. We would be there the whole weekend, and rarely see another person, let alone another climber. Now the area is enjoyed by thousands of climbers and spectators, and its only crybabies like yourself that selfishly bemoan "why can't I climb here without seeing bolts" that are the odd man out. Same with Vantage. You are whining about bolts at Vantage at Frenchmans? Are you serious? Who the hell can see them but climbers who go out there purposely to climb? Enviromental destruction by the partiers that go the concerts and wreak havoc at Frenchmans should be your concern, not people out climbing where no one ever goes and the bolts they use. Your arguements are selfish and lame. You didn't address my post earlier about using the Cascade Alpine Guides to go to the thousands of climbs in the Northwest that have no bolts. Instead, you choose the most popular sport climbing areas and decry how sad it is you can't climb there and not see bolts. Weak dude. Very.

Yes, bring the fatty, it will keep you warm....... or at least on course.

Way to be out going for it Plaidman.

Bill, absolutely you and the crew should all head out here on a sunny day for some cragging when its miserablely windy or rainy at Beacon areas. We'll show you guys the ropes out east here!

To go adventure climbing at Smith to the top of some of the more remote and less traveled pinnacles is a grand experience little changed over the years.

Cool

Joseph, why is the Flying Dutchman rap the best way off the Grassy Ledges? I thought Jills Thrill or Blownout were best, do you mean just on that side of grassy ledges, or the easiest way off Grassy Ledges period? As I have never rapped that way.

Beacon seems a great training ground for alpine ascents. The temps with the rowdy winds, and the train going by is like the thunder of avalanches or rockfall in the distance, yeah thats it.

so kenny, if you think it was cold when you were climbing this last time, just wait till this weekend, check this out. as of today, record low temp at White Salmon. Special Weather Statement Statement as of 3:35 PM PST on December 03, 2009 ... Significantly colder temperatures will be expected late this weekend into next week... An Arctic air mass will invade the Pacific northwest late this weekend... and remain over the area through the middle of next week. High and low temperatures will be 15 to 20 degrees below normal... with the coldest of these days expected to be Sunday through Tuesday. All areas can expect the possibility of snow showers from time to time... as temperatures will struggle to reach freezing at best in the lower elevations. Cold air trapped in the Columbia Basin and surrounding valleys will likely persist through the later part of next week until the next weather system is expected to arrive. Please monitor the latest forecasts and statements from the National Weather Service or your local media outlets for more detailed information.

it's obvious Pope and Raindawg don't climb much and are not involved in the sport to any great extent currently. We live in the great Northwest, which covers a immense span of mountains and rock. the amount of rock with bolts in it is about equal to less then a drop in the bucket. Ever heard of the Cascade Alpine Guide dudes? Pick one up and thumb thru it, then get volumne #2, and then volumne #3, and get a clue. If it is rad trad, ground up ascents, no crowds you want, there is all you can handle and a allot more. Grid bolting is not the norm, and even when sports routes are put up at some traditional trad place like the upper Town Wall sport area, I don't see anyone whining about it anymore as the routes were unprotectable before. But to get on this Forum and whine just shows you're completely out of touch. Bolts have been around in climbing for far longer then either of you two have been climbing, so they have been part of the trad arsenal. so you are referring more to esoteric "ethics" you bemoan have been breeched. Yeah, Tommy Caldwell freeing all the big El Cap routes is a regression in the sport, yeah sure whatever. Grow up, get off your ass, and go climbing. but don't disrepect Mr Watts, one of the most badass and prolific climbers of our generation.

Must have been colder then a witches...cauldron.

Welcome and greetings to Alan! Alan you made Smith I have to say and you rocked the climbing world for the better. No matter what someone does, they will always have detractors. You put up some of the most classic climbs in the Northwest, and obviously some of the top sport climbs in the world based on the Euro's that still come to sample Smith's delights. This is coming from a long time trad climber who used to climb there back in the day before sport climbing. The place was scary as shit. Sure there are some great crack climbs there that go on trad gear, but the amount of traffic that the sport routes brought there have cleaned them up. Before, back in the 1970's, we had to run it out on pebblesand crap that would pop off when you looked at them. Smith used to scare the crap out of me trad climbing, and I was used to mountaineering in the choss! Alan, I love going to Smith now, and also taking the family there for a day of climbing. Many of your routes I will never do, but I can appreciate what went into them and what it took. I look forward to your new book, totally stoked is more like it. I turn 51 this year, and still climbing hard, and watching Mark Hudon climb and train has inspired me to ramp it up. Here's to the new guidebook and more climbing, Cheers bro, you da man!!!

Take it easy on your body and hands when you are younger, as when you get older you will very much appreciate it and still be able to climb. Some things you do in your youth, you think they make you tough, but they end up messing you up permenantly, and you don't realize it until much later when no circulation or can't bend your fingers or have arthritis or your dick falls off.

Whats not to like about Beacon? Strong winds, loose rock, detached columns, strange pins, trains beneath your feet, tourists trundling above your head, chopped bolts, Rangers and raptors, moss and lichen, chossy ledges, Seasonal closures, permit system to place fixed gear, holy shitttttttttttttttttttttttt but the worse thing of all......Joe Healy passing you while he's roped soloing!!!!! Thats not right!

Funnest climbing beer drinking spot for me is UW climbing rock on a warm summer evening. Gettin a workout and doing some gravel splatdowns with your buddies while having a cold one.

hey Joseph, I've always been of the atitude that if you're going to drink martinis you might as well throw away the glass, olive,rope, gear,and lime twist and drink it straight out of the bottle solo climbing.

chalk sack do you mean? I myself like a bolt at my knees, and a hot babe there also, but that doesn't mean thats what happens all the time. I'll run it out with the best of them, but have to admit being way out on marginal gear on difficult terrain is not really that fun now, is it?

How about Mark Hudon just sent the Nose in 15 1/2 hours, oldest guy to do Nose In A Day (NIAD) at 54. I think there are allot of strong older American climbers, but you got to have the mullah and the drive BOTH to make it happen.

and maybe because its really 5.9 instead of 5.7..... I mean really now....