Lafayette

a hot day for spantiks

When the child is real little their waist is so small that the harness doesn't 'lock' down above the illiac crest. The fear is that if they flipped backwards there's a chance they could slip out of the harness. Hard to have happen, but ya never know. That's why a chest harness or a full body can be necessary with the lil guys and gals.

I'd plan for the cold, and hope for the warmth. I've found October weather can change quick.

I gave the J-Park a go on Wednesday night (9/22). Just a quick conditions update for ya... Went straight up the middle to 9200 feet. The bridges were sphincter tightening, but the snow was steep and solid. The first Bergschrund can be passed on the climbers left through a patch of snow that shows some signs of rock fall. We didn't do this, instead going directly through the first berschrund zone. This is around 8800 ft if I remember correctly. The second bergschrund is where we met our match. It is possible that another team, with a different skill set can still make it up and through. There's a wall of solid glacier ice, with a snow cornice overhanging the top. It looked like you might be able to traverse it all the way left to negotiate around the cornice. I gave it a try, but no luck. I don't know if it goes, but it might be possible to get onto the rock ridge on climbers right and traverse above this upper problem. There is a pretty big moat/ice/rock chute on this side but there could be a bridge across. It was a solid hike, fun times, but no summit. So it goes...

The Petzl lit rates the Meteor helmet between -4 deg F and 95 deg F. Does anybody know how the foam behaves outside this temperature range?

emailed, lets do it

So I would like to share a small spreadsheet that a buddy and I mocked up in excel. We're just a couple of geeks and thought it would be an interesting experiment. I was looking for a way to objectively measure the 'cost' in calories of each piece of gear, and especially all those extra personal items. While not important on weekend hike, as the trips goes to 2 or 3 weeks that 1/2 lb book can require a large amount of food and fuel. What this spreadsheet does is allow you to enter your body weight, trail grade, mileage, and gear to compute how many calories you'll be burning. It makes a number of assumptions to keep it on the simple side. If anybody has any ideas or improvements I would be happy to hear them. https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuSAKF-Mz6i3dENWRGU5elNhYTRxTjExT1pvRk5uYXc&hl=en_US

Hi, I will be driving from Portland to Skagway/Haines Alaska. I plan on leaving the third week of April and taking about 4-5 days. If there's good weather I'm definitely stopping to climb in Squamish for a couple of days. I have a Subaru Outback wagon with room for 2 more people depending on gear. If anybody needs a ride I'm looking to split gas and driving. If you're headed up further I can drop in Whitehorse, YK. Cheers, Will

That is a perfect distinction

Once upon a time.....well it worked last January. I can't say I know the guy well, but we correspond via FB. He said he recouped some of the traveling costs back. It's by no means a get rich quick scheme. As for traveling I took 6 months off in college. Went back and finished and found the degree has helped me stay on the move. Up to 6 continents, and an absurd number of countries. Most of the last 5 years have been on the road. That little slip of paper has opened some cool doors. Would it have been possible without it? Maybe, either way I look forward to seeing the path you choose.

FWIW: I've seen three different people with Toyota pick ups planning on selling them in Argentina. Apparently there is a high demand, and maybe a high import tariff where a solid truck bought here can be sold for a tidy profit in Argentina. The story I heard is that it is at least enough to cover some of the gas money, and airfare home.

You'll have some of the best work days of your life. I'm sometimes incredulous that I'm actually being paid to hike and climb in such beautiful areas. But as the other posters alluded to, you'll also pack your belongings and your life into a suitcase. It's the double edged sword of travel.

FWIW I just emailed the Denali NPS staff and was told...."the mountain use fee for Denali and Foraker is $200, and will definitely remain at that level throughout the 2011 climbing season. No need to rush in order to 'lock in' at a lower price if you plan on climbing this next season."

ouch

Thank you for the informed replies. It is definitely something that interests me. But will not be in the cards in the near future. I was also curious to hear from people that are actively practicing the sport. Besides it beats having Boadman and I build a really really big zip line. Just because my post was brief, does not mean that I do not understand the extraordinary risks involved. If I do choose to pursue this I will likely post online, watch a couple of videos on you tube. Only after this extensive training regimen will I start hucking myself off buildings.