Valhallas

Pretty impressive collection, I really enjoyed the photos and reading your descriptions. Sometime if you find the time, you should take up Jake's suggestion and write up a nice chronological story about the development of the technology, your interest in it, and its place in climbing overall. I know I'd love to read it. Hopefully it won't take another groundfall to make it happen

It's somewhat heartening to know we aren't alone out there

I started this blog a while ago, mostly to keep my friends and parents (who live in NY) involved and up-to-date on the climbing aspect of my life. I also enjoy going back and reading about the things I've done. I figured I'd share it here and would be happy to get feedback on what's good and what's less good so I can improve. I realize the photography leaves a bit to be desired - I'm a point and shoot documentarian rather than a photographer. Enjoy. Adventures of an Introspective Vagabond

Having family in the PNW since the 1880s and being a second generation climber I'm sorry to say the answer is No We'll give you rent free guest privileges though Can you let my landlord know I'm supposed to be getting rent free privileges? Thanks

How long do you have to live here before they are YOUR rocks? I've been in Seattle since 2005 and started climbing in 2007. Can I call them my rocks yet? Or is that a prerogative of native washingtonians. Anyway, I bet there are maybe a couple thousand people that qualify.

I talked with Jim (his climbing partner) again and got a full update. Kris is in surgery now, with a titanium rod going into his leg. The docs said he could even walk as early as tomorrow, although the recovery period will obviously be longer. Kris thinks the rock that struck him was in between a softball and basketball in size, and clearly came from higher up on the mountain as Jim didn't dislodge anything. He knew immediately his leg was broken, and there was no fall as the news agencies have reported. Jim lowered him several rope lengths until they found a protected spot, set him up with the sleeping pads and bags and took his GPS coordinates. He then retraced their steps over the sandy glacier from the previous day until he found some S&R folks who initiated the rescue. It seems that Kris will be ok, which I'm very relieved to hear. Jim also deserves a lot of credit for keeping calm and acting quickly in the situation. I think they were both lucky to be climbing with each other.

Thanks everyone. I've talked with his mother and girlfriend now and his climbing partner, who I also regularly climb with. He's having surgery at the Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland. They're going to put a metal rod in his leg, but, given what happened, it seems that he's in about as good of shape as could be hoped for. The Dr. his mom spoke to said he'll probably be back climbing (if he wants to, which, knowing Kris, I'm sure he will) in 6 months.

I just heard from my friend's brother that my buddy broke his leg on Hood today. Apparently he was hit by a rock on his femur and is going to be airlifted out. I just found out a helicopter was dispatched from Salem around 11. We can't get in touch with him, and his girlfriend is out in the Olympics, so her phone is off. I'm just wondering if any of you S&R folks have heard anything or have any info? Any idea what hospital he might be taken to? Any info would be appreciated, thanks.

Unrelated to the issue at hand, but why are your pictures so out of focus? If you've got a digital cam hold down the button halfway before you snap the shot. Even a phone cam should be able to focus.

I found some very small yellow la sportiva katana shoes at the Amazonia wall at X38 yesterday. They are well worn and have been resoled at least once. There was another group or two climbing there and after they left the shoes were still there, but I don't believe they belonged to anyone else I saw there. If you think they are yours, let me know.

I'm just curious why those of you who find Dave Page's service objectionable do? How is a climbing shoe 'ruined' by a resoler? Presumably they aren't much use before they get resoled (at least, mine generally aren't before I get them done) and then they are useful after resoling. Seems like the point, right? I've had two pairs done at dave's shop and none anywhere else, so I'm wondering how the repairs might differ.

I was just up on Cascade Pass yesterday and today, trying to ski the Sahale Arm. There were continual avalanches coming off Jberg and the peaks along the ridge to the east. We got up to around 6k feet, right before the arm angle mellows out and triggered a large slab avalanche, about 1.5 feet thick and several hundred yards across. We were lucky to be unhurt and turned around. Based on our experiences, any steep snow slopes, especially those getting a lot of sun, might have a very unstable slab layer, which was surprising. We were expecting only wet sloughs.

I found a pair of old Tevas today at the base of the west end of The Bend wall near the Tieton River. My friend and I were the only people climbing on the wall the entire day, so they must have been from the day before or earlier. If they are yours, let me know and I'll try to return them.

I couldn't agree more. I made a blog for myself so I could write about my experiences climbing. I have no idea who reads it other than my parents, occasionally my friends and my climbing partners. For the most part, I like to write it for myself - I enjoy going back and reading what I've done, seeing the progression I've made as a climber from my first lead on Substation at 38 to improving my crack climbing skills last weekend at Leavenworth. It also gives me a context for the photos my partners and I take so that the many details about the experience won't be forgotten in some photo album years later.

I was climbing with him that day, although not belaying at the time. Virtually the same thing happened to another of my friends and I last year on P2 of Duress/Under Duress. Solid looking block the size of a shoebox, didn't move when hit, didn't sound hollow, then flew off as soon as I weighted it. It hit my friend in the head, busted his helmet and knocked him out. It gashed his head pretty good, and almost surely would have killed him had he not been wearing his helmet. I, like the original poster, always wear my helmet there when belaying, climbing, and walking along the wall. It's hard to believe there are people who don't.

I haven't got anything to add other than to say that I'm really enjoying this alpine mystery, if I can call it that, and will be reading this thread keenly to learn the ultimate conclusion. Nice systematic work by all.

I have an entire grivel hybrid crampon you can have. I found it on mount adams and nobody claimed it so it's just taking up space in my closet.

that sucks obadiah (I'm guessing)

I have a fairly old ridged forged friend, #2 I believe that I would be happy to part with. I've never used it but it seems to be in fine working condition.

Found an oldish looking Motorola Talkabout 250 radio at the top of the second pitch on Spontaneity Arete near WA pass Saturday. Although it was pouring at the time and the radio looks to have been 'well loved' it still emits some sounds even with the batteries that were in it. It's got a green and yellow gear tag on the antenna. If this is yours and you want it back, post or PM me.

I was about to ask this exact same question. looking to do something up there saturday. thanks for the info.

I think several people have made some valuable points. Certainly it cannot hurt to have more information available. It's then up to each individual to determine how much of that information they want to use. Because there are different info expectations for people of various levels of experience (and also for different people regardless of experience), it's probably good to have lots of very detailed information that can be picked through for the essential bits. I would also like to add that, with the invention of new technologies, e.g. GPS, it is now easier than ever to create and transmit certain information. Maybe in 10 years all that you'll see in guidebooks is a list of coordinates that you follow. Maybe there won't even be guidebooks for things like hiking and approaches and you'll just download a set of coordinates directly to your GPS or you'll have a little back-country Garmin thing strapped to your pack.

I was going to do this route a couple weeks ago with some friends but the weather looked shitty for a summit bivy. Also looks like I should read more about it to diminish route-finding confusion. Or maybe I shouldn't read anything and just climb. Anyway, we ended up doing the east ridge of North Ingalls and saw the fire right around the time it started. Ran into a ranger on the way out with a shovel. He said he had put up a sign to stay away and that the fire had mostly burned itself out. Lets just hope his job didn't depend on him being right!

Yesterday (08.23.2008) I found a single crampon on Mount Adams that looks to be in pretty good shape, probably lost this season. If you lost a crampon on Adams, tell me where it was lost (route, approximate location) and what kind of crampon it was, and it will be returned to the rightful owner.