RafalA

Those are some sweet-looking boots! I agree, the Petzl bails fit better but I was just chatting with a guy who snapped both on his Darts recently - luckily he wasn't leading.

One other thing you may want to consider is an older, cheaper truck and using the money saved for gas. Say you have $13k and buy a newish Subie with good mpg. How about picking up an older 4x4 (say 4Runner or similar) for around $5k and using the surplus eight grand for gas, the occasional repair, upgrades, etc. I've got a '91 4Runner (stock 4cyl in 5-spd manual, but with the 31x10.5x15 tire option giving it quite a bit of clearance) and it's an awesome backroad and Ghost vehicle. With proper 4x4 and low range, it'll take me anywhere I can think of, makes short work of logging roads, is pretty much unstoppable in snow unless you plow into a huge drift and, while admittedly not getting the best gas mileage and requiring the odd repair, it's still much cheaper than buying a newer truck. Sure, it'll only do 130km/h and that's with a tailwind and downhill, but the speed limit around here is 90 anyways! And with a newer truck I'd be much more hesitant about heading into the Ghost and bouncing off the occasional rock. That and there's tons of space in it for sleeping and enough cargo to swallow gear for a very long roadtrip. FWIW, I took the same approach with my car: $11k for an out-of-warranty 2002 instead of $25k for a 2006 with another two years of coverage left. Two years later and it's had one repair for all of $800... you do the math.

Do you have the front bail or plastic clip ones? Which boots do you use? I have the SS Sabertooths with clip and find the fit kind of awkward - the secondary points are really far underfoot, which is great for mellower stuff on alpine but makes them hard to engage on the steep stuff.

Ok, you've got me convinced - going to try this horizontal points on WI today. Been climbing monos and leashless since I learned ice, although that was just a year ago. One thing I've noticed is that as someone who doesn't have experience with leashes, I use my Nomics much more as intended(?) - swapping tools, matching, choking up, shaking out more, etc. - than my friends who've transitioned from leashes. I do use tethers, but have never tried leashes. Same with monos: I find moves like drop knees, stems in awkward formations, more fluid transitions thanks to being able to twist the point around, are much easier and feel more natural in monos. It feels more like rock climbing than bashing up the ice, although this does apply to the more vertical and funky stuff than simple WI3/4. That said, I am always open to suggestions so as stated I'll try this horizontal front point thing this weekend.

Hehe, well said Dane! What I meant, and perhaps didn't really make clear, was that it's really cool to see the old tools, boots and other gear and, with the knowledge that much of the ice in the Rockies was FA'd with stuff like that, compare it to what we use now. (I use the ice here as it's the best comparison for me.) I'm curious to see in what light we'll see, for example, Nomics in 30 years.

Wow it's inspiring to look at all this! I think I'll keep my gear so in 30yrs I have pics like these to share. Thank you so much for posting these!

I think that's kind of redundant with climbing, as when you come to the end of the rope you just make a new anchor. If need be, you can easily go to the side or back higher up to find appropriate terrain. However, the technique would be worth knowing, if only out of curiosity. Another plus for two full-length rope systems we've found is quicker descent - one person descends on rope #1 with rope #2. As soon as he's down, he sets up rope #2 for descent while the other person is rapping down #1. Then, just pull rope and your next anchor should be good to go. Leapfrog as needed.

Not to throw a wrench in your process, but one immediate and obvious downside for me with shorter ropes is shorter raps. Granted, in the Cascades you maybe don't have as many long, multi-pitch ice routes as we have in the Rockies, but I can tell you that I'd much rather carry and buy a slightly longer rope (60 - 70m) just to minimize the amount of raps. Also, having shorter raps means you miss all the pre-existing stations which are usually at the 60m mark, further slowing your descent. And don't forget to add in all the extra cord you have to carry for shorter raps. On a long route like Polar Circus, you'll be putting in a lot more v-threads than other parties, probably nullifying any advantage of lower weight by carrying all that extra cord around. FWIW, we typically climb on singles and carry a half-rope in case double-rope technique is required and for full length raps. That said, I'm curious to hear how your system works out!

Owned these for about two days but got a chance to climb some WI3/4 and easy mixed on them. The most interesting thing was the side-to-side flex, which was worrying to say the least. They're designed to do so, but man did it ever feel sketchy. Swing was ok, although pick penetration was marginal and required quite a bit of force to sink it in (non-modified pick). As they're all single-thickness steel, the balance is somewhat middle-to-upper end of the shaft (due to the pick being quite heavy). Another thing I noticed was their shortness compared to other tools. All in all, even for the price, not worth it imo.

The pommel on the new Nomic has three rounded notches, whereas the old Nomic has square-taper ones. Some modification will be needed to make the pommel compatible with the old Nomic, but it looks like it can be done. As for effectiveness, I haven't spoken to anyone who's climbed on one yet, but the general consensus seems to be that the spike may be useful in certain situations, but given how it's situated it'll be marginal. I've only played around with them in the store but am curious to hear real-world experiences.

Hey, what's wrong with Canmore? If you're heading this way, check out http://www.gravsports-ice.com/icethreads/ for the latest ice and road conditions. Depends where you are, but I've made the Vancouver, BC - Canmore drive in 8 hours in the middle of winter before, so it's definitely doable as an overnight. Conversely, it's taken me 15 hours as well, so be prepared for delays and bad weather. If you have multiple drivers you'll probably be able to climb the next day too. And there's always Golden and Stanley Headwall on the way... The biggest issue with driving are the roads: The shortest route is north, via Kamloops & Revelstoke, but it can be closed down for hours / days due to accidents / weather / other random shit. The closest detour is hours away, which can seriously mess up your plans. The southern route (through Canada) is somewhat less problematic but about 4 - 5 hours longer. As with the above road, weather and accidents are common problems, and there is no convenient detour. If flying, Canmore is 1 hour 15 minutes from the Calgary airport. Can be much longer is weather is bad. From here, good, hard climbs are from 30 minutes to 2 hours away (plus approach). Easier stuff starts pretty much in town...

Yellow, size Regular. In great shape, other than some scuffs on the bottom from getting dragged around and a mysterious black mark on the pouch. Wrong size for me (capacity wise) but a great pack otherwise - strips down to next to nothing. http://www.arcteryx.com/Product.aspx?EN/Mens/Packs/Khamsin-50 $200 Cdn obo. Willing to trade for random climbing gear - let's hear what you've got. Call or e-mail for images. Located in Canmore (Alberta). 403 953 1303 rafal dot a at g mail dot com

I've got the Mont Blancs and love 'em. They fit my feet better than the Nepals (less heel lift) and the toebox is very roomy and wide. They are supremely comfortable - my first outing in them was a 10-12 hr trip up Mt. Athabasca with no blisters, rubbing or other issues. The laces can be locked in to keep heel lift in check while allowing the rest of the boot to be loosened up. They fit crampons very well: the sole is not as assymetrical as the Scarpa Freney (my ice boots) allowing a better fit without additional bars. Petzl M10's fit as if they were designed for these boots. I just got them this summer so can't speak for their ice climbing prowess, but I prefer them for alpine over my Freneys. The roomier toebox and slightly less flexible upper make them more supportive, while remaining comfortable for long approaches. Durability has not been an issue and other than some scarring on the sole, they still look brand new after 5 or 6 alpine outings involving extensive scree trudging and boot-skiing everything possible on the way down. I think the Freneys will still be better on harder ice due to their more flexible upper and slightly longer last (I had to get the Mont Blancs 1/2 size larger to prevent toe contact when front-pointing). They also feel a touch warmer with the same socks. I guess it somewhat depends on your primary use, and I still have the Mont Blancs out on some ice this winter so I can make a better comparison, but as is I'd characterize them so: For ice I think I'll still prefer the Freney. They climb very well, are nice and sensitive and keep my feet warm down to -20 or so. They're absolutely waterproof and comfortable enough for long approaches. For alpine the Mont Blanc is roomier and feels like armor for my feet. They feel like heavy-duty hikers that can climb.

Perhaps this will help, as I've an 'older' MX (2007 model vintage) and have been looking for a good deal to stock up on another one in case this one ever wears out. The below notes concern the hoody only, haven't looked at the non-hooded version. Last year (2009, so 2010 model) I noticed the MX became super-thin to the point where I wondered if it was the same jacket. It had the same cut, same pockets (although one of the chest pockets now had an off-color flash on the edge) but the material was much thinner. It was still PowerShield, but it had to be lighter weight as it was nowhere near as thick or burly as mine. This year (so 2011 model) the jacket is back to using thicker material and feeling more substantial, much like my older piece. Perhaps what you saw was the 2010 model - one that I would definitely reconsider using in winter. Maybe an e-mail to Arcteryx will clear things up?

I think you'd need to find someone who's tried the same crampons on the same boots in auto vs semi to get a clear idea of the differences. (Based on my browsing the forums here, Dane?) Was in the store today and took a closer look, and, as above, came away with the same conclusion - semi is non-adjustable as far as front point position, whereas with autos you can place the crampon either further forward or backward on the boot. From my brief experience climbing with semis on WI3/4, I hated them. For WI, I like my front points far beyond my boot with the secondary ones beyond the edge of the sole, and the semis did not achieve this fit. I wouldn't even dream of trying them on anything harder.

The biggest difference I find is how prominent the front points are beyond the toe of your boot. With a wire bail, there is usually a two or three hole adjustment range so you can fine-tune the binding to your boots. This allows you to locate the front and secondary points closer to the front of the boot, where as with semi-automatic binding the distance is pretty much fixed (and, imo, too far behind the toe of the boot). For reference, I only have experience with my crampons: auto: Grivel G14 & Petzl M10, semi: BD Sabretooth SS

While not helping you exactly, I would recommend you try the Scarpa Freney XT. I tried the Nepals but their heel doesn't fit my foot, so went with Scarpa. The Cumbre is similar to the new Mont Blanc, so I can hopefully help with this comparison: Size 43.5 Scarpa Freney XT - long and narrow fit - quite well insulated (been in -30 no problems) Size 44 Scarpa Mont Blanc GTX - wide and short fit - less insulated than the Freney The long and the short of it, is that with the same socks, same feet (mine), I needed different size boots from one company to fit me properly. Both are fantastically comfortable and climb exceptionally. If the Cumbre / Mont Blanc didn't fit you well, try the Freney. It's a much tighter fit.

Sign me up for five... Thoughts: - bright, neon yellow or green or pink would stand out against a lot of clothing, harnesses, gear, etc. - a hook on top would be nice, but it would have to be bigger than the Petzl ones as I find it too small and awkward to use - fitting two Nomics on one biner and having both hang down vertically would be amazing For harness attachment, I'd like it to attach in a way such that it's flexible if pressed on (i.e. will twist to either side under pressure) and also have more options to attach to rather than just the clipper slots.

Yeah, stashing them under the lid, inside the pack or just otherwise attaching them in a way that Arcteryx did not provide for seems to be best. Not to mention that the little gold-toggle attachment thingy doesn't play well with Nomics either... gotta say, first piece of their gear that I'm finding under-designed. Nice little pack otherwise, though.

if you can find it on sale.... Check out the Arcteryx Factory Store in North Vancouver. They occasionally have those jackets, and often for a great price. And I've yet to find an Arcteryx 'second' that has issues major enough not to be used... The jacket was borrowed: kind of wishing I had bought one when they last had them in the outlet. (I think they were around the 250-300 mark).

I wore the Dually for a couple of hours during a cold hanging belay a few weeks back, and have to say it was like a personal furnace. Arcteryx costs a lot, but I have yet to be disappointed in any of their pieces. The fit, features, design and materials are exceptional, and usually way above anyone else's. Just buy it on sale.

Instead of the slot, how about one thin pocket across the bottom of the pack that the whole head of the tool would slide into? Think of the side-pockets on big expedition backpacks, although not with so much volume, and on the back of the pack instead of the side. A simple cinch strap above this, and the usual velcro or cinch-strap for the shaft, should keep the tools secure. I've been struggling to attach Nomics to an Arcteryx Khazri 35 pack, and this is the idea I came up with. Now I just need to sew it on...

Thanks for the updates, Dane. As always, some good info!

Two Grivel X-Monster tools for sale. In pretty good shape, picks need a bit of sharpening if you're going to use them on ice. Great fun on mixed routes, swing great and the flex is quite cool! And they've got claim to fame: these used to be Barry Blanchard's. http://rafalandronowski.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/xmonstr_1.jpg'>http://rafalandronowski.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/xmonstr_1.jpg http://rafalandronowski.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/xmonstr_1.jpg Selling because I bought them about two weeks ago for fooling around on mixed this season, and a few days later MEC put their Nomics on clearance... and I just don't need 3 sets of tools. $150 for the pair, plus shipping. I can deliver if close to home, or if I'll be in the area. Just ask!