obwan

Amen - this is certainly not the first time for this thread.

I wasn't going to jump into this one as I was a past employee; and as a member of the COOP I was always frustrated with the return policy - so I was banned from working in Customer Service. Some of the stuff discussed herein is valid - Return Everything Inc. was sometimes difficult to accept; but from a business perspective it makes sense and actually works out in the long term. It's called 100% customer satisfaction. As a climber (and I know that there are not many left in the retail job market), I almost cried when I saw brand new ropes (factory wrapped) cut up ): - but as said above it becomes a liability issue. I mean, you don't know if someones dog pee'd or pooped on it. For liability reasons, once climbing gear has left the store it could not be sold. It would not be cool if you rapped off the nose of Monkey Face and found the rope shredded or was sabotaged. Once every year an item would sneak through the process and it would be a wet harness, steaming up the plastic bag. Typically it came from a first timer on Rainier, who rented axe, helmet ,crampons and boots - but could not rent a harness, so they bought one and then returned it. It's the same as the Nordstrom story, where you buy a Tuxedo for your wedding and then return it. Pretty lame. That's my two cents and I'm sticking to my story.

This is the most awesome TR! Congratulations! I guess I'll have to modify this old joke: When God made woman, he told Adam that he could make him the most beautiful woman in the world that could climb WI, and be your ropegun forever - but it would cost you an arm and a leg. Adam says, really? But that's a lot, what can I get for a rib?

Goes to show you - climbers are the same everywhere.

Good for you, that will help. We should not be banned from this Classic climbing area.

I met him once on a carpool drive up to the Cliff Hanger in Coquitlam, a very ambitious dude - god bless.

Close the f--ker, just don't write me any tickets as I have the "all access pass", and we'll go to the judge on that one. ::

mucho dinero!

Si, pretty buffed - I want one!

Try the Spires at the Marymoor Park in Redmond near the Velodrome.

Good job - and thanks for the hard work. I love Squamish.

Nice job and a good trip report!

The annual freezing and expansion has always created unnerving rock fall at Index, especially at The Country, bummer.

God Bless.

As mentioned, weather is the main factor. Obviously this time of year there is no snow (so it's just a walk up), but if it's socked in forget it. The pillars you mentioned are maybe reference to wood posts along the ridge line.

Thanks Matt and everyone who made this happen - Rock On!

Now - we have seen it all.

Even the topo in Burdo's old book "North Cascades Rock" does not match exactly. If you started at a low belayer's bolt to the right of the tree, you were on the route - then after 5-6 bolts you are at about 90ft, not quite the anchor chains. If you start out again from there it's about ten bolts to the next anchor, basically the top of pitch 2 on the topo's. Above that there is a short/small roofy area between pitch 3 and 4. You are right about the topo's lacking - I hope they are good for "Prime Rib" as I'd like to get that one done someday. p.s. I have never seen a detached block - it's probably gone

Sounds to me like you were on the Inspiration Route, as it starts to the right of the lone pine tree. The grades you describe also fit the route - it goes up and gets steeper (about five pitches total as I remember).

One of the big draws to the sport is that it is free, whereas skydiving can get quite expensive with lift fees, and approved areas for clearance and jumping. You don't just go get a buddy with a plane either, as there are rules and waivers needed for jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. With basejumps though, there is little room for errors; whereas in skydiving you have a little more room to salvage an epic jump. But, as in climbing also - it's not the fall that kills you, it's that sudden stop.

I used to sky dive in my younger years and would think that a high skill level of maybe a thousand jumps or more would be necessary before taking on base jumping. The crazy French/Europeans are a bit ahead of the U.S., especially in the wing-suit phenomenon. But as you can see on www.basejump.com that many newbies want to do it - and you all think we have a bit of spray on our website.

All of the above advice is good - another consideration is the experience level of the climbers. They should be told precisely how to clean and lower or rap, whichever. I had to witness some newbies at Vantage once and it was scary. The mentor on the ground sent up a newbie to "clean" the anchor, and said we'll lower you. When the climber got up to the anchor, she unclipped the rope from both draws without clipping in to the anchor - and said " now what do I do?" And a few years a go a climber at Smith went up and put the rope through the webbing and said ok - lower me, it sawwed through and down she went.

Check out " Washington Rock Climbing" by Jeff Smoot; or to save dinero, just show up at the "Fun Rock" area 1.5 mile west of downtown Mazama. Anyone there would have a guide book - all single pitch.

That is correct!