RafalA

Thanks for the reports, pics and info Dane. You're the best resource for this stuff on the web!

Haven't fallen, not planning to (knock on wood), and only have about 30-40 days on ice, but here's my take: To me it doesn't matter if it's the first, second or last screw - ice quality is much more important. If a screw hits a (lot of) hollow spot(s), is in questionable ice or otherwise feels iffy, it gets a screamer (I carry 4 - 6, depending). Otherwise, standard or alpine draw, again, as needed. Also, tend to climb pure ice on singles.

Which funnily enough look and are named the same as the Climb Bubu tools... http://www.climbubu.com/Equipmnt/bb_mur01_e.htm

Not really new... they've been around for a few years. Cool looking stuff though!

Nice to see some info on the Grivel tools! Thanks for posting up the review.

Not sure how new they are, but Carlos Buhler is the rep around here and I used a couple of the models very briefly last season. They're quite light, seem very functional and, well, if Carlos uses them they can't be all that bad? I'd like to give them a more extended workout this season, so if I get the chance I'll definitely follow up here.

Interesting, to say the least. I didn't like the new pommel attachment as soon as I found out about it... The Ergos are sounds pretty amazing, though. I'd definitely like to try them out on ice!

I've got a Petzl Adjama and it's been great all around: comfortable for hanging around on sport, sheds snow on alpine, two clipper slots for screw racking on ice and big gear loops for big racks. No haul loop on mine though. A buddy has the Arcteryx and his one complaint is that the ice-clipper slots are not placed ideally, especially the third one. I think my next harness will be the Xenos - I'd like to have four clipper slots (two for screws, two for tools) - and that harness has six.

So, took the Sabretooths for a run up Cascade this morning (the benefits of living 30 minutes away!) and I have to say I'm impressed. As best as I can recall, this is my first time actually climbing in these and on the WI2/3 of Cascade they were a dream. Given the sun beating down, the ice was quite soft and wet, handily highlighting the benefits of the horizontal points. Next time I'll be heading out for easy ice, I think I'll take the Sabretooths again...

Sorry! Didn't mean to disturb the status quo.

Hehe, can you ask him for an extra pair for me? I'd love to try them - the new Scarpa soles are too thin to fit anything!

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...

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.