keenwesh

On all my future ice climbs I'm going to throw at least one figure 4 and not place any gear, so that I can be a WI8 climber.

I managed to send Come and Get it yesterday, I had worked it up in my mind as a really big and hard line that would be really scary on the sharp end. It felt super solid and the gear, while being spaced out in a couple spots, is totally bomber, plus the climbing is so good and positive it's hard to get very gripped. Still, I placed a few extra pieces to make myself feel better. Incredible climbing, wild position, and the final ice hanger adds to the already fantastic route. It'd be damn hard/scary to onsite a couple spots would result in dusted ankles if you screwed up. Get after it!

Come and Get It is in great shape, ran a TR lap after class today and probably will go work it again all day tomorrow (cause I really don't want to fall off it). Incredible climbing, long route, and the final ice hanger is steep and mega exposed. Get on this one! I post holed all the way from the top of Fat One to set up the TR, so it should be casual for any other suitors. I forgot my camera, but here's a shot of Alex on it sometime in the past.

what the fuck? damn CC embedder isn't working fer shit!

[video:vimeo] [video:vimeo] Video from Keenan Waeschle on Vimeo.

upload it to vimeo and then embed it here.

The Montana house just introduced HB 215 to make the winchester model 1873 the official rifle of MT. http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2013/billpdf/HB0215.pdf

another thing, the stream goes live from 6 to 11 am tomorrow morning, check it out. http://www.livestream.com/iwcbusteni

Washington has lost all it's ice. I'll kick this back up to let everyone know there's still stuff to be had over here. Stuff that isn't in: Black Magic Maybe it'll just appear overnight. Good Looking One Slot corner doesn't look to have any ice on it, but I haven't gotten that good of a view, so I could be wrong. The start of Responsible Family Men appears to be sublimating away into nothingness, get on it soon, and bring pins. The crux pitch of Avalanche Gulch isn't looking good. Best case scenario it's a big hanger, the much more probable shape it's in is a utter lack of ice. Upper Mummys are devoid of ice Zack Attack also is bone dry. I think that covers it for climbs that aren't in, if it's not on the list there's ice on it. Feel free to ask about specific routes for more info. gotta throw a picture in here. here's a shot of my buddy rapping off code red, his first ice climb ever. Taken 2 and a half weeks ago. It's in huge, best part is the stem rest in between the pillar and the back of the cave. also, if you have the time, read my buddys blog post. He's the guy hanging from one arm in the picture above. He's in Romania competing in the world cup and I'm uber stoked for him. http://peakwranglin.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/my-pilot-trip-to-romania/

I'll update the hyalite conditions thread

I have a friend who did a trip to Helmcken and said it's hands down the most wild and exciting place he's ever been. He described doing drop knees and other more rock climbing specific moves, all on ice, in a incredible setting. I think it's more of just a really cool place with wild climbing, and the grades are kind of borderlines. I would be kinda pissed if a new rating system came out, we have plenty already. Just go climb rad shit and give you're best shot at the difficulty. I like the old school aid ratings. Piss easy, pretty damn hard, don't fuck up. Go out and have a cool experience. the chasing numbers aspect of sport climbing is what turns me off to it, same with bouldering. Having said that I'm usually stoked to go run around boulder fields without a guidebook (bouldering guides? what the fuck?) and trying stuff that looks fun. Granted I'm a punter and max out around V4 (more like V2 with all the ice I've been climbing). That was a long winded stream of consciousness spew, hopefully it makes a semblance of sense.

badass work, looks uber gnar. how does it compare to rocket boy? john was just telling me that the guys who put up HFA were fukkin' wankers. side question but the MTice forum is down, how hard is the extension to roman candle? Buzzbomb is M10ish, right?

the ragni route looks picked out! Not quite G1 status but getting close. It must be a really dry year there? These pictures make me want to drop out of college.

1000 lb test clothesline.

I want to know this as well, new routes were getting reported right and left!

Wayne putting the rope up on Silken Falls, Hyalite Canyon.

I went and talked to the La Sportiva rep and he offered to send them back for warranty, but I'd have to wait 4-6 weeks for the replacement pair. That doesn't work all that well for my lifestyle. He took a picture and sent a request in. If I'm lucky LS will send a replacement pair to Northern Lights and I can swap 'em out there. If I'm unlucky I'll be fucked. My plan for this weekend is to just run a strip of tape around my ankle to hold my heel in place.

that pillar looks like the big brother to Horsetail Falls in the east fork, sorry to say, but I'm actually jealous of you WA climbers right about now. Nice shot of the young one crushing. I went ice climbing when I was about that age and I remember being really sketched out and swearing I'd never ever lead on frozen water. Obviously I gave up on that, I hope they had a better experience!

they didn't have them in the store because REI doesn't stock jack shit in terms of actually useful gear. I thought I'd stick it to them by purchasing from some other place (I can't remember now). I'm a fucking moron! There's a LS rep or something that works at northern lights on tuesdays so I'm going to bring them into him tomorrow to see if I can get any kind of warranty. Otherwise I'll probably take them to a cobbler. Alternatively, I've been told scarpas will fit my anemic little ankles much better, so if I can somehow scrounge up a pro deal I might be getting new gear (that I most definitely cannot afford, being a unemployed college student is rad!).

rei doesn't carry boots in size 48

Posted this in the gear forum, no one responded yet and I'm impatient. Going to Cody next weekend and will be screwed if I'm out a pair of boots. I just inspected my Baturas (purchased new summer before last, used for a season and a half of ice, maybe 100 or so days total) The lower grommet that has to be tightened to keep heel lift to a minimum is tearing out in both boots. Here's a shot: It works for now, but will blow out completely soon, probably when I'm out climbing. Will I have any luck talking to La Sportiva's warranty people or am I out the cost of a new pair of boots?

I just inspected my Baturas (purchased new summer before last, used for a season and a half of ice, maybe 100 or so days total) The lower grommet that has to be tightened to keep heel lift to a minimum is tearing out in both boots. Here's a shot: It works for now, but will blow out completely soon, probably when I'm out climbing. Will I have any luck talking to La Sportiva's warranty people or am I out the cost of a new pair of boots?

A pair of skis bro, my set up cost me $40 and is a third of the weight of my split (Which cost many times more, and I don't hardly use). I feel like we're beating a dead horse, but splitboards suck for approaching climbs! Get skis, you'll spend less money, have a lighter setup, and move faster after the first few trips. I have become halfway decent at skiing on 191 tele skis mounted with 404's and wearing baturas. Last time I came out of upper flanders I only ate shit once, and I am the most uncoordinated person I know. You'll probably crush if you give yourself the chance.

there's some great upheaval with people getting banned over on supertopo. Jim Donini left on his own accord. I think it has to do with the fact that a thread called "boobs" was deleted which featured around 1400 (yes, one thousand four hundred) posts of bare breasts. It was fun while it lasted. Good luck on actually finding climbing content for the norcal area.

I wanted to get a hirundos for my new ice harness, but I needed it later that day so I went and got the only thing REI had, a new model of the aspect (it's blue and has TIGHT bionic style cutaways on the backs of the waistbelt and legloops) They made the harness better for wet conditions by surrounding the waistbelt padding in some plasticized fabric, like bob said above. It works pretty well. I'm a one harness for everything kind of guy (actually I just can't afford more than one harness) and I have no worries about using it, whether for new routing in the beartooths or clipping bolts. I'm a little hesitant to use it for big walling, because my hips would probably get really fucked up if I hanged in it for longer than a few hours.