Sophia

A friend said that another friend was hit by rockfall and needed to be rescued. Sounds like the climber's leg is badly injured but otherwise fine. (I was actually coming here to see if there was more detail about what caused the rockfall.)

I don't think I'll be able to do a super early start tomorrow. Bo Marchman - if you're visiting, you should jump on Rockdan or Bmyers threads (both looking for this weekend.) If you haven't done those routes, they are some of the nicest trad/Alpine 8, 9s.

Anyone up for a short day trip Saturday? I have an event Fri night and am marching with my company in Pride Sun, so I'm stuck in town. My summer is off to a very slow start, so I'm still "just trying to get back out". (I've been saying that for over a month now! *sigh*)

Beer? I and any other red-blooded climber would be in! This could be more like The Bachelor. Prep your rose. (I've never seen the Bachelor, but I think that's how it works.)

If you end of piecing together partners, I am thinking about doing a longer trip next year after dusting off the gear this year. (I've been on a force break for a year.) I have a few things in mind in those regions. I've always wanted to try French Direct on Almpamayo, Mittellegi Ridge on the Eiger. I've been to Chamonix once, but it was early winter season so Mittellegi was nowhere near in condition. We were lucky to pull off Aiguille du Chardonnet and Matterhorn (only 4 people on the mountain...that part was awesome - short day was not) but not much else would be interested in going back and looking into other stuff. Unfortunately I don't ski.

Are you looking at rock or ice routes (e.g., north ridge of Baker, Serpentine Ridge of Dragontail)?

Hmmm...Hate to be devil's advocate but setting aside the issue of the cams being stolen (that sucks), seems like you're playing into the hands of the people who were being jerks by announcing you might not ever go back and that you won't recommend it to your "outsider" friends. It's not like they're going to lose money or anything if you boycott Index. It's not a climbing gym. I assume that's exactly what they wanted - for you not to be there. Better yet, post on a website so maybe others will see it and not go there also...more free routes for the jerks! Great! Being a jerk works.

If it's just an approach pack, I go for roomy and wide. I have a BD speed 30 and if my rope is inside, I can't get much more in there. Even if I did, it would be so much more effort to organize and stuff than it's worth. (If I'm actually going up the cliff, then I'm a bit pickier about the size/weight. I'd get a smaller pack and strap on the rope or sling the gear.) I've been carrying an old Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki. I'm 5'2" and waver between 105 - 110 lbs so I'm pretty small and it fits well. It's 60L though. Generally, I need wide packs so I can maintain the volume with a short torso. I saw a guy walking by with what looked like a Mountain Hardwear pack (by the colors) that was short and wide. I also have found that a lot of the Gregory packs are wide so they are better in the shorter torso lengths. I looked this morning. I think the pack I saw was the Hueco: http://www.mountainhardwear.com/hueco-35-backpack-OU5951.html?colorID=011 However, it looks like the MH packs only go down to 16" torso whereas my Granite Gear goes down to 14" so I'm not sure. The Hueco looks like it's made to pack easily for its volume though.

Jason4 makes a good point. It really depends if you're new or experienced. I visited the three main clubs when I first moved here but didn't stick with any. I was already an experienced climber and they were pretty unfriendly. (I'm also small, a bit older and don't look like a typical climber so there's all that.) It might have just been the people I met but they didn't want anything to do to me. A bunch of them just pointed me to the classes. I considered taking one except they are a huge time commitment AND they cost money. I'm not broke but the idea of paying someone for a class when I had already climbed more than most of their instructors seemed silly. In the PNW I had already climbed Rainier twice (Liberty Ridge and Emmons), Baker twice (Coleman Deming and N. Ridge), Shuksan, SEWS, Liberty Bell, etc, etc along with a bunch of mountains elsewhere (Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, etc), could lead trad/sport on rock and WI3...so already in what they would consider "advanced" in their courses. Then I ran into one of the clubs on the Apron at Squamish. We got to the route a few minutes before them and they started up right behind us. The leader kept asking me for beta on a really easy climb. He seemed nervous and like he was barely making it. It was a slab and he leaning in, not putting his weight on his feet so he kept slipping. Then when I met him later I found out he was teaching a lead course for one of the clubs. I mentioned that I tried the club but found it hard to meet people. Then he actually suggested that I take the course that he was teaching! (The guy who was asking ME for beta on a climb I was leading in front of him with no issues.) When I told him I was all good, that I had a partner that I met here on cc.com, he said that was dangerous and he couldn't believe I would climb with someone I met on the internet. (She was totally safe and solid...more solid than he looked.) In the end, that was the issue for me with the clubs - that they seemed so judge-y. They were even judge-y of each other (like the Mountaineers people told be the WAC people were a bunch of yahoos.) It was weird. I totally agree with being careful and learning skills but I don't agree that someone who took a club course is inherently safer than someone who didn't. Training is great but experience is important also. That being said, if you are a total newbie and don't know anyone, you'll meet a group of people in your course who are at the same level that you are and learn the same technique so you don't have to deal with variations. Seems like you would form a natural group that you could keep climbing with through the years.

Apparently I can't delete this post but they're taken. Thanks! I'm in "getting rid of stuff" mode. I have a bunch of Rock and Ice and Climbing magazine back issues. None more than ~15 years old (although I probably have nearly all, if not all, of them.) Seems like a shame to just recycle them. Looking to get rid of them by this weekend. (Also - let me know if you know of any organizations or groups that might be interested in them.) Thanks!

I don't think that the skills to climb Baker and Shuksan are all that different than the skills needed to climb Rainier. If you're looking for big, less technical mountains, I'd say shoot for Hood, Adams, and some others. That said, you have plenty of time to learn most of the basics (roped travel, self arrest, pulley systems, rescue, etc) and can do that on the east coast. There are probably classes up north. I'd still say to do Hood or Adams first when you get here and then head up to the bigger mountains. If you want to tag along with others or get an experienced person to lead/support, you might want to consider a smaller group - 2 at the most (and still practice those skills before you come.) Most experienced people would be pretty uncomfortable with 3 or 4 inexperienced people on their rope unless they are a professional guide.

I was told I posted this in the wrong forum. Didn't look carefully and just went with "north". Oops. Doesn't look like I can move it though. Maybe a moderator can? Sorry!

Trip: Colchuck Peak - North Buttress Couloir Date: 6/16/2013 Trip Report: This isn't really a trip report. We had planned to climb the North Buttress on Sunday but with potential thunderstorms in the forecast, switched to the Colchuck Glacier route (which is in fine condition with a nice bootpath, snow melting quickly.) However, since we didn't find a lot of information on the North Buttress when we looked last week, I thought I'd snap a couple of shots for anyone considering it. Gear Notes: Looked like rock gear could be useful lower down, not just on the upper sections.

Sent PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 5, 2011 Release #11-084 Firm's Recall Hotline: (801) 278-5533 collect CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 HC Media Contact: (613) 957-2983 Avalung Backpacks Recalled by Black Diamond Equipment Due to Suffocation Hazard WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. Name of Product: Avalung backpacks Units: About 3,500 units Importer/Manufacturer: Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd. of Salt Lake City, Utah Hazard: The air intake tubing can crack under cold temperatures, causing the unit not to function as intended, posing a suffocation hazard. Incidents/Injuries: The company has received one report of an air intake tubing cracking. No injuries have been reported. Description: This recall involves the following Black Diamond 2010 Avalung backpacks (see chart below). These backpacks have an air intake system that the company states extracts air from the snow, allowing the victim of an avalanche to breathe while buried under the snow. The model name and color are printed on the side of the backpack. The PO number is printed on a white label inside the backpack. Backpack Model | Color | Size | PO Number Anarchist | Black | M/L | 101153, 101254 Anarchist | Black | S/M | 101104 Bandit | Black | One Size | 101052, 100981 Bandit | Green Olive | One Size | 100957 Bandit | Seth Plaid Red | One Size | 101030 Bandit | Seth Plaid Orange | One Size | 101254 Outlaw | Black | M/L | 101104, 101271, 101254 Outlaw | Green Olive | S/M | 100981, 101052 Agent | Black | M/L | 101104, 101153 Agent | Ocean Print | S/M | 101104 Covert | Black | M/L | 101104, 101254, 101330, 101287 Covert | Black | S/M | 101030 Revelation | Black | M/L | 101254, 101104, 101287 Revelation | Chili | M/L | 101213, 101254, 101030, 101052 Revelation | Chili | S/M | 101104 Bandit Avalung Package | Black | One Size |101322, 101330, 101052 Sold at: Specialty outdoor and ski shops nationwide from January 2010 through December 2010 for between $180 and $280. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled backpacks and contact Black Diamond Equipment to receive a free replacement product or a full refund. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Black Diamond collect at (801) 278-5533 anytime or visit the company's website at www.BlackDiamondEquipment.com/AvaLungRecall Note: Health Canada's press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1228 To see this recall on CPSC's web site, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11084.html