mmeyers

IMO, go to a doctor for a positive diagnosis. Then go to a physical therapist for treatment. some PTs are good enough to diagnose, but you might find one that can. however, your health ins will probably pay for some PT if it's prescribed by a doctor. look into that before you just go to PT. If you can afford it, PT is worth it - it will help with muscle imbalance, help you focus on the proper exercises for healing, and it will help you know *when* you can get back into it, and *how fast* you should go. I've gone to PT multiple times for my shoulders, and it has definitely helped me know where my limits are so I don't get injured again (but still get stronger and improve). hope your recovery goes well.

nylon ropes are made of Nylon 6. acetone has no adverse effect on nylon 6, so that's what I'd use. (it a prior job, it was standard procedure to clean grease off of nylon using acetone.) ethanol (a component in rubbing alcohol) has a very slight effect, so it's probably OK to use on the tent, but I would not use it on the rope.

daily disposable lenses. even easier, there are some silicone hydrogel lenses that can be worn at night. That's what I use. i've used them for 5 days straight. I only bring a back up pair, and I use eyedrops before I sleep and when I wake up.

The corsa nano-tech is definitely a good option, b/c it's light. I like the Petzl Sum'Tec b/c it has a bit more of a bend to it, and it's a bit more sturdy that the nano-tech.

if you're still looking for someone, or want to add another, I'm game. two zero six 339 3711 or PM Matt

I have a couple of Rock Exotica RockO that I've been happy with. not as light as others, but within your range. I think they're more rounded, which I prefer when using as pulleys, and since they're ovals they don't get funky when I have them opposed on my tie-in points, or when used for a garda hitch. they also have a screw lock called the Pirate which is at the upper end of your weight range, but it has 25mm opening.

I'm looking for a climbing partner for Sunday (7/22). My preference is to do DH-LA. I have a rack, a rope, and a car. I'm in Seattle. But if you're looking for a partner in crime to do something else, let's hear it b/c I'd probably be game. Matt

wow. nice going gents!

still looking. - Matt

anybody want to climb at Index (town walls, the country, whatever) tomorrow (thursday, 6/28)? leave early in the morning, but need to be back in town around 5pm. I'm in Seattle, and can drive.

I've used the Yates, and it's good. It's beefy, b/c it's also a chest harness, which sort of restricts some movement, but not much. Metolius also makes a double shoulder gear sling. I prefer the multiple gear loops on this one b/c they're stiffened with plastic - the yates isn't. The metolius also has a small pack on the back of it. supposedly it takes a 1L bladder - I had trouble with getting mine to fit, and 1L is small for a long climb - necessitating a backup option for more water. So, that being said, the Yates is nicer b/c you can put whatever pack on it you like. Granted, this may not matter to you if you're not doing aid. I have also seen people have great success in using two of the metolius single-shoulder gear slings, one over each shoulder.

I want to get a handheld (not wristwatch) GPS to supplement my map/compass/altimeter (and to mess around with) for my mountaineering and backcountry jaunts, mostly for whiteout situations. I think I want it to have mainly 4 features: - be lightweight - last a long time on a charge, or one set of batteries (is 1-2 weeks even possible?) - give me coordinates when I want them (obv) - track/save my coordinates (so I can get the coordinates and evaluate my path back home) What are you other folks using? any suggestions? is there anything else i should consider in that list of requirements? Do I want it to have a map display? Is that generally what climbers are using? It sounds all neat-o, but if I have a map anyway, is it worth the weight, and won't it use more power? Thanks, Matt

I taped when I was first starting to learn crack technique. I'm happy I did, b/c of the times I slid down and/or out of a crack with my hand still in it. Once I got some of the very basics down, I generally stopped taping. I still get plenty scraped up, though. I will tape up if I expect to be crack climbing a lot over consecutive days - if I don't the sores from the first day hurt like hell on the following days. related: as for the scratches and scrapes, I still like to use benzoin. It's the best antibiotic for hands b/c it stays in place so the sores heal up faster, and it isn't greasy.

impressive, for sure! wow.

y'all with State Farm - did you get your policy *after* you had been climbing? If so, how long has it been since you've had your policy? I've started to look, and the best I can tell, restrictions eclipse after the policy has been in effect for 2 years. BUT, if you climb, and you don't declare it, and you die climbing within those first 2 years, I suspect that there would would difficulty making a claim. It also appears that State Farm makes a distinction between rock climbing and mountain climbing. Although I don't think they know enough to ask it specifically, if you die on a glacier within the first 2 years (and you don't declare mountain climbing as an activity), *and* they can prove you had in the past done some glacier travel (ie, mountain climbing), it seems like there would be problems making a claim. Has anyone else run into this, or is it just me b/c I opened my big mouth? (fortunately, I just asked over the phone. no applications have been filed)

not much to add, except that nowadays I head to Trader Joes (cuz it's cheap) and get macadamia nuts as well. highest fat content in a nut, so it's good for energy.

@Dane, synthetic stink: when you wash, try putting some oxyclean in and run a pre-soak. don't use fabric softener. works for me. (ha. I knew being domesticated would be helpful one day o_O ) M

sex kills. go to Rensselaer and live forever. (sorry, couldn't resist) Does the outdoor club still climb some? they used to. also, it's not rock climbing, but i learned how to ski with the outdoor club while at RPI. the snow sucks, but it sure is cheap. but you probably already know this stuff. cheers! Matt

to make the system more efficient, or the climbing more efficient? all said, that system seems straightforward, and it would work. I prefer to use a silent partner, so i don't have to adjust a clove hitch every move. however, with a silent partner, rope management becomes more of an issue, and you should read up on that. maybe this is unrequested advice, b/c you didn't ask specifically about making the climbing more efficient, but in my experience there are a lot of tricks in aid climbing that make things much faster (and therefore efficient) that he's not doing: top stepping, not hanging on fifi each move, leapfrogging, etc. BTW, if you don't have a lot of exp with solo aid, look for andy kirkpatrick's website, and read the tips section on solo climbing. he lays it out better than anyone else I've read, imo. Matt

Kurt, yeah, that makes sense. can't deny that could happen. but I'm wondering how bringing up a 2nd could create that much shock. Maybe falling on an unprotected traverse while the belayer isn't paying attention and has left a lot of slack, but rope stretch on a dynamic rope would probably keep it from severing. but thanks for the heads up. I'll definitely keep it in mind. BTW, let us know the easier way to do the auto-blocking munter you alluded to above.

Kurt, I wouldn't recommend it as a general go-to method either (since it releases poorly), but in a pinch it's something I'd consider in my bag of tricks. but specifically, would you share what you know about it's design and function that precludes it's use in bringing up a 2nd? thx.

how about a Garda? there might be a bit less friction?

my partner had to bail for kid reasons I'm in Seattle, looking for someone to climb with. I'd prefer some longish trad at Leavenworth or Smith, but I'm open. Oh yeah, I'll climb alpine, too. Anybody interested? I can drive, too. Matt

starting a white gas stove in a vestibule always freaks me out. Maybe I'm a neophyte, but those flames can get pretty high. If I'm cooking in a tent, I use a canister stove, and preferably something like a jet boil.

Has anyone been on FSR 3065 all the way to Twin Lakes? How bad is it, and how necessary is a high-clearance vehicle? I was thinking of camping there with the fam, and climbing Larrabee and/or Tomyhoi Peak. I need to know if I can get to Twin Lakes with just a Honda Element thanks all. Matt