MattS

Cleaning out some closet stuff. Black Diamond Shrikes (one hammer, one adze). $90 La Sportiva Trango Ice boots size 45 (small hole in attached gaiter on one boot. still performs great) $175 OR crocodile gaiters - SOLD Grivel G12 crampons - strap on variety + carrying bag. $100 4x Ice screws - $25 each or 4 for $90 All costs include shipping. --Matt

Awesome trip report Ivan. It brings back good memories of caves on the east coast. Love seeing a caving trip report.

Thanks Water. That thread answered a lot of my questions on the mountain expert. I'm going to give them a shot next time I find a good sale on them. I'm being foolish and trying to get 1 pair of do-it-all boots even though that is pretty much impossible for the range of conditions we have here. It sounds like the mountain expert will be plenty stiff for alpine ice, and it'll be nice to have a boot that works decent on rock too. If I feel like ice cragging I can always throw on my ski boots for that I suppose. If only I had narrow heels I would just stick with my trango ice boots as they have been great for everything I've asked of them.

I'll second the Hilleberg Nallo 2. You can sometimes pick them up for a great deal at AAI's annual sale in Bellingham. I've been very pleased with mine as it's light enough that I'll bring it even when I'm solo and it has plenty of room for us tall guys. The only drawback (other than the retail price) is that it quite large. Great for camping on flatter surfaces, but if you're planning on camp on a steep slope you're going to spent a lot of time chopping a platform out. Personally if I was going to camp on something steep I'd use a firstlight and just accept that I'd have to curl up a bit to deal with the length issue. Other than that I love my Hilleberg.

Thanks for the advice guys. I tried on a pair of the mountain experts and they fit very well. I liked that they are lighter than the Silberhorns. How do the mountain experts perform on water ice? I'm wondering if they have a bit too much flex for that. Thanks again

Has anyone had experience with these yet? They look tempting. I'm on the search for a new boot to replace my old Sportiva Ice boots (which tear my heels to pieces. Foolish me for not fitting them better) and these are on my list. Any idea how these Silberhorns compare to the mountain expert? Thanks

Love the time line of ice axe history. Very cool.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/water-moon-north-pole-100301.html Someone go out there and get that. Can't wait to see that trip report. FA - The Moon

Ever since the first time I climbed Baker I wondered when someone would climb that spire. Congratulations on a great ascent!

Great post Dane. I second the compressor jacket; it's one of my favorite pieces of clothing. I use mine for extra warmth on things in the summer, as my moving layer when its around 20 degrees, and as a mid layer when it's really cold. It's worked great for all of them. The water resistance has really been nice too.

I used to use the BD guide gloves. I really didnt like them. They weren't at all as warm as I had hoped and I found myself with cold finger tips several times while in the 20 degree range. Also they had very little dexterity. I sold em, and switched to the OR Northwall mitts and have been very happy with those. They aren't super durable but the warmth on them is very nice. I hate being cold and these have worked well for my winter objectives.

“This rope is a baby dangling off of a 10,000 cliff, and the mother is pressing the barrel of a .357 magnum against your temple. Drop the baby and see what happens. If you flip upside down, don’t let go. If a tiny alien spacecraft flies up your asshole, don’t let go. Any questions?” That's the best instructions I've ever heard. I've got to remember that one

I recently used a pair of the OR northwall mitts. Really liked them - very warm and a good price. I used power stretch liners under them and never had cold fingers during winter alpine endeavors.

I bet the stuff you scored was from us :-) We descended in the dark, and I had THE FEAR so we rappelled a ton instead of down climbing.

Me and BundledUpSurfer did the Northeast Buttress yesterday. It was nice with valentine's day keeping a lot of people away. A little bit thin on the first pitch. The 3rd pitch has a water ice step that was difficult, but there might be a way around it. Bring lots of nuts - we used a bunch. A good day in the hills - Thanks David for having me along.