YocumRidge

It is a good one!

Is there any reason the location is set to Leavenworth each year or there can be variations on a theme in the future to make it more accessible from Oregon?

Casaval Ridge is not a bad option especially if you do it c-to-c in one day.

I have been in a few gyms but none have sweedish walls (so popular in Europe) for stretching. It is not like a big deal, just a piece of wood that does help, so whats the problem? http://www.dance.net/topic/7484895/1/Stretching-Photos-Misc/Sweedish-Wall.html

Are you volunteering for a new case study?

"Spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and pneumopericardium in a 16-year-old drug-abusing motorcyclist surrounded by a pack of coyotes." - Thats a real science paper. Here's da proof: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2798277 Just to think of it, what if you are surrounded by coyotes on a bike and you are also high? You wouldn't have a clue what could happen to you, would you?! Now you KNOW and knowledge, as they say, is power (not in the US Congress, though).

A way to go Josh! Also read and digest "Glacier Mountaineering: An Illustrated Guide to Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue" - 3rd edition by Andy Tyson and Mike Clelland!

Sorry to hear that, Jon! Lets plan on climbing something nice soon to redeem yourself, eh? I have just returned from Puerto Rico (mostly a business trip rather than vacation - at the NASA-run Observatory) and am really struggling with getting back to the painful pouring rain 300 days a year. A

good thin ice climbs to the summit are often in by late october/early november - last year i did a very casual walk up the s side the first week of decemeber Ivan - the summit ridge's "thin ice" was actually quite thick... OlegV and myself tried to climbed it via West Crater rim the same day in December 08 and had to retreat. But our "walk up" did not include the rope though, just two tools.

http://www.mounteverest.net/story/stories/Life-threateningflyingO2bottlesdownEverestNorthwallMay172004.shtml

I believe that!! My brother gets it with certain foods. So there's foods I have to be careful with. Last attempt on Rainier I was very careful of that which is why I never had to go. I have no climbing rope... BUT have my friend Mark who has a climbing rope and he has broughten it over to practice. The problem is though is that he is focused on teaching me rock climbing. I only have one pully device so practicing the z pully is not quite as practicable as I would want it. Tazz, would you be willing to join if someone else or a few other people were willing to teach crevasse rescue? Now I believe I had someone else willing, plus Mark might if there are other people which would be awesome! I have a sample rope that is like 10 or so feet long and is good for practicing tye in's and such. Josh - Do yourself a favor - take a formal crevasse rescue class and stop bothering people here with things like that. BTW, it is a good practice even for experienced climbers to take refresher CR every now and then!

A very artistic TR and one of the best I read on CC! Great climb too!

These photos were taken when I climbed the Old Chute on 06-30-09 and that was pushing the reasonable limits in this particular year. But browse my other pics of the Hood's summit as of 05-30-09 to see the one month difference in the conditions.

Meh. Find one on that route for me that's recent. When you don't, I won't be mad. So, if there are no recent TRs then does not that tell you the obvious?

Did you guys get the pics of you Jon took with his camera?

The last couple of pitches are a marvel in comparison with those half way up.

Thanks but in this particular case, getting to the summit and then back down the North face was the only way to get off that mountain. We were far off the ground to downclimb it safely and there were no way to rap off there either. And of course we did not come across anyone en route (because like Ivan noted all smart people go "north"). RE: forced bivy. Right on - no sleeping bags, only day packs to sleep on and one 60 m rope that was knit into the emergency blanket to stay warm. I feel I am a bona fide "journeyman" because I only lead climb 5.10s.

join my club

you win then!

It is nice to be independently wealthy but I am not.

Already doing it: north or south for that matter. I just wish my boss would understand the concept that climbing is not like taking the time off, right?

OK, I am getting ready for the traffic violation hearing defense later this month so I might as well start here... I apologize for hurting your feelings and for not following the SE Spur route according to Ore High and memorizing the references. The specific points are addressed as follows. 1. "The TR starts out giving the rating as 5.6? - It is clearly stated in Ore High its 5.5" Does the first pitch (pic shown) that we were forced to take due to the current conditions look like 5.5 or 5.6 to you? My TR specifically states that the beginning of the climb was a south variation of the standard route and after climbing it I would define it as a crux pitch and rate as a 5.8 thence "5.6?" given in the TR. I am free to climb whatever I choose to. 2. "Then the words "vague description" show up, not sure but like each foot and hand hold needed to be specified" Misinterpretation: the "vague description" obviously refers to the approach route finding in the current context and not to the foot and handholds. 3. "Next its Hortense lake not Hortens lake" Misspelling noted: Thank you very much! 4. "Also the a "sort of trail", and while its not the PCT it a very clear trail" There were very likely to be a very clear trail in 1963 or in 1991 but after recent forest fires, it is just not there at some places anymore. 5. "Then you say you crossed the creek, if you had looked at page 72 in Ore High you would clearly see the climbers trail on the North side of the creek" Yes, I had looked at the page 72 for the beta as I did talk to the actual climbers who climbed the SouthEast Spur last year and as I did check other sources of the info on the approach with one general consensus being that there is No climbers trail on the North side of the creek (which BTW has completely dried out at this point and does look like an eroded trail). The fact however remains life tends to change in 2009 since 1963 or 1991. 6."So why did you go to the Southside ?" Misstatement: We did NOT go to the southside of the mountain but we did take a south variation of the first pitch. My TR and pics clearly show that we approached the E/NE side of the mountain by bushwhacking along the north side of the creek and then headed up south to the notch and then descended to the boulder field by zigzagging. 7. "You say you passed SouthEast Buttress - Its the East Buttress" Noted: Thank you very much! 8. "Jeff's uses the words "good rock" only for the first 200 feet then it makes clear that the rock quality is downhill" I was hit by one such "good rock" right at the first 50 feet off the ground and oh boy that hurt for weeks. 9. "As for the 16 pitches, when my friend and I did the 3rd ascent of the route in 1963, we used a 120' rope which was standard, and we did it in 12 - I have done since with a longer rope in less - Were you doing some traverses?" Obviously we were doing some traverses in search for more solid stretches (and whoever wants to stay alive would not have?). 10. "And finally I have never heard of anybody biouacing on this route in the last 50 plus years I have been climbing" Neither did I. But when you have to take your time and improvise to avoid the rock falls as well as checking out each single hand and foothold, it might take longer than expected. And I am not talking about the holds being solid here, what I am referring to is that thin line between whether the hold will break off or not on you. By the time the darkness hit and the summit is not even close, climbing up and avoiding the choss are becoming increasingly difficult if done in the dark with a headlamp. 11. "Comparing your TR with the guide, it seems you really did not read it at all." I obviously did not otherwise I would have copied and pasted it right into the TR!

Touray, You had your chances but remember your comment about "10 years" on FB, right? A

No, they were not new - mostly my sports rack (BD and Petzl) plus a few alpine draws - purchased from the OMC if this matters.

you should have a pair of personal prusiks on you too - if the leader falls and is need of help, how will you escape the belay? these prusiks can also be used to climb the rope. I was contemplating this Ivan but using prussiks in aiding to climb up the rope is like grabbing the gear on regular routes, do not you think?