davidk

The GriGri is for people who do nothing but single-pitch cragging and don't know how to tie off a climber and initiate a rescue scenario. People learning how to belay on a GriGri just leads to laziness and bad habits. Exactly. I have witnessed some appalling belay habits that were developed from learning and practicing on a GriGri in the gym. Personally, I guess I use a combo of slip-slap-slide (with brake palm DOWN) and brake-under-slide. Situation, posture, and space dictate which method I choose. If I used the BUS belay all the time I think I would develop a serious hunchback.

Queen Maude Land is where it's at for rock, but it already receives a lot of attention. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are an Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA), meaning the region is highly regulated and restricted. You pretty much can't go there unless as part of the lucky handful of science grantees or necessary USAP support staff. Aside from a professional photographer once in a while or the few Distinguished VIsitors (senators, heads of state, etc.) who might get flyovers or a short walk at one of the camps, no one gets to go for reasons other than science. The only steep rock in the Dry Valleys is crumbly dolerite (essentially intrusive basalt, with columnar jointing) and soft sandstone. There is granite throughout the valleys, but it is low angle and very weathered.

Just a digression from the thread topic. I hiked in to Strobach with a couple other cc.com'ers yesterday and nothing was in, and had let Kevin know after I returned.

East Fork road is gated as of Jan. 1 I believe, so don't bother. It's a long walk. Like Kevin said, get Winter Dance, head to the main areas in the book, and get after it. Thrill Is Gone is my favorite pitch in Hyalite so far.

Thanks for the pics Dane, and boy does the new 6000 look sweet! I own the first gen. Phantom Lites, and my only complaint has been with the lacing system. It lacks sufficient eyelets for an effective heel lock, and the stock quick lace system was a joke. Glad to see Scarpa addressed that with the new Phantom Guide (now with a loop directly over the instep, and 3 hooks vs. 2 on the ankle). Durability wise, Scarpa's construction and design can't be beat (especially the sweet zipper). Their boots are bomber, yet still have competitive weights.

I predict a buyer's market for old Quarks come fall...

cilogear = ...

One thing to consider: There is a relatively new product that has now become ubiquitous in the motocross and downhill mountain bike world. The "Leatt Brace" is a neck brace which, in conjunction with a full-face mountain bike or motocross helmet, can dramatically reduce the potential for neck and spinal injuries. My younger bro races downhill bikes, and never does a run without his (and most savvy downhillers use them now, from amateurs to world cup pros). An important thing to note is the Leatt Brace must be worn with an appropriate full-face helmet. (if worn without a helmet, it actually dramatically increases the risk of breaking your neck - think fulcrum effect) So you have to buy two expensive pieces of protection, but the system can be priceless.

I had a high-speed mountain bike accident a couple years ago (off a jump, of course) that left me with out of climbing shape for half a summer. I was wearing some of the best armor available, including knee/shin guards (Fox brand), beefy full-coverage upper body suit (Rockgardn brand), full face helmet (Giro Remedy, carbon fiber), and goggles. While the armor certainly saved a lot of skin and the helmet definitely saved my life, I still had the cracked ribs and severely bruised hip coming to me due to the nature of the fall. Point is, armor doesn't prevent bad injuries. It does do an outstanding job of warding off scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Helmets save lives, so buy the best. Want a surefire way to prevent bad injuries? Well, let's just say I gave up extreme mountain biking after my accident. I now try adamantly to minimize "the sudden stop" associated with my falls.

beater plastic holds or wood. Wood offers better grip for the picks and is cheap to replace, and you can easily sculpt your own holds with simple hand tools. Just use a washer and don't tighten too much.

wow, what a climb. And some absolutely incredible images! Thanks for sharing the link.

that was the first example that popped into my mind too. Alex Lowe's bold lines are the real deal

Cilogear gets my vote. I have been using a 30L Worksack since the beginning of last summer, and I couldn't be happier with it's performance (I forget I'm wearing it when climbing), fit (perfect), versatility (rock it with no straps/belt/lid, or add whatever you need to transport the yardsale), weight (superlight and strippable to even lighter), and durability (better than expected. Graham talked a lot about materials choices above, and I have noticed that the thought put into what fabric goes where has actually translated into real-world advantages. As far as fit goes, the 30L is the largest of Cilo's models I have used, but I had mine made with the optional tall shoulder straps. I am 6'3", 185#, 21+ torso, and it fits great. I tried a standard size 30L before talking with Graham and trading up to the longer straps. My favorite features on the Cilogear packs: internal compression strap (I rarely use side comp. straps now it works so good), ninja pocket, and the removable bivy pad that is actually rectangular and easy to remove/insert - something you can easily pull out at every rest stop. I also own a 20L Worksack, which I am equally pleased with. It takes my XL DAS parka and a liter of water easily, then disappears on my back for an ice lead.

I believe that's "Sharp Dressed Man" 40m M5. See page 89 of Winter Dance.

Wonderful photos as usual, Steph! And another fine panorama too

those contraptions would not do anything to train for "the feel" of your personal tools, which is very important. I made a small drytooling "system board" this year out of plywood and 2x4s, hung it high in my garage, and found something to lightly rest my feet on to simulate an overhang. It's modeled after a training element I saw in a Mountain Athlete video on Youtube, and has proved to be a very effective training tool.

Late November this year. My guess is people stop seeking out the Emerald Lake Trail climbs once a critical mass of snow builds up. Probably why the road wasn't drivable to the parking area too. Now we know what they know.

classic Hyalite, through-and-through = always a welcome TR! Comet and Asteroid are cool climbs, but that approach gully is definitely understated. Kevin and I tried to do those in an afternoon and ended up rapping in the dark after only climbing Asteroid.

Nice work dudes! Those look like some quality pitches in Cody And way to tag Big Sleep - I think that's one of the coolest looking routes in Hyalite.

The petzl rep I talked to in Bozeman said that fitting the trigrest on a Quark is not easily done (probably due to the change in tube profile where the shaft meets the grip). He did say the Quark will be a little different next year, and will likely include a second grip option similar to the trigrest concept. Something I've considered doing on my Quarks is drilling the grey hard plastic part at the top of the grip to attach a BD strike. The BD Viper has a similar dual density grip, but they have thread inserts for the two strike positions. It would probably require a larger hole with a plastic insert of some kind (like a concrete screw anchor, only much slimmer) to take the screw. Anyone want to try and let me know how it goes?

I didn't think they were that special- I only demoed them because I wanted to get someone else's gloves wet for a change. They do appear very durable, they were warm, and the gauntlet is nice to have when stumbling around in powder between climbs. But dude, $170?! I can buy two pairs of the awesome Rab Latok gloves (for leading) and a pair of basic leather palmed BD ski gloves (for belaying) for that much. And switching gloves throughout the day makes me happier than wearing one soggy pair just because OR says I can.

I demoed both the Nomics and Fusions in Hyalite last weekend and definitely agree with Doug. The Fusions are for hard routes only. I felt that the Nomics are far more versatile. I personally didn't like the Fusion grips. The pinky support was too tight for my XL hands, and very uncomfortable. (But grip size/adjustability was fine) Cobras, on the other hand, were amazing to climb with.

they work great. The big secondary points work well for support on steep ice, but are noticeable on hard pack/icy approaches. Most crampons that are geared for low angle walking have a rocker design, so to speak, in the length of the forefoot points to facilitate easier walking. The Cyborgs don't, but that's because they are designed to be optimal on steep ice.

Since I have some things to take care of during the day that prevent more involved ventures, I would like to get a solid drytooling session in this week before heading east for an ice trip. I'm available Monday or Tuesday afternoon. I have tools and can do any or all of the leading on any of the routes. You must be lead belay certified at Stone Gardens, and wear warm clothing and a helmet. I would like to run half a dozen or more laps on the drytool wall before heading inside to boulder or toprope for a while. Reply to kiehld@msn.com with a phone number and I'll get in touch. -David

Part of what made this a great trip for us was the fact that the access is really good right now. Not too much snow, good trails pounded out to the climbs that are in, and the East Fork road is very driveable right now. Go get some, and keep beating in the trails! It's worth adding for some of you guys heading there soon that "The Good Looking One" (Unnamed Wall) was actually pretty good looking... and it appeared that it was climbed the day we saw it. Even with a whipper on Sherbert, seeing all the carnage on I-90 made me feel like our sport isn't as dangerous as some make it out to be