Lafayette

What is the purpose of some bot computer program creating this?

What type of beacon and how old?

Cleaning out my closet: Scarpa Summit Boots sz 45.5-$120 http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/spo/1672112205.html Sole shows the lack of use. Black Diamond Momentum AL Harness-$25 http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/spo/1672135523.html Mountain Equipment Gore-Tex Pants sz XL full side zips with nice strong zippers. Great pant for hiking/climbing/boarding etc especially if you're just getting into the sport http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/spo/1672146818.html Contact at hockettw at gmail.com

I looked up the HMI course because it seemed like a unique adventure. I contacted the HMI coordinator and he gave me the email address of brit who had completed it recently. Unfortunately, I can't find his email at the moment. The brit guy had some experience going in and said that while it was very different, it was also enjoyable. He did say that you need to be careful about the safety. Indians tended to use runners, and slings longer than most climbers in the States would.

Trip: The Ecuador Adventure - Date: 12/9/2009 Trip Report: This is part one of the South American Adventure. A TR of Aconcagua will follow… Step one: locate wind. Step two: pick up caution. Step three: throw that shit out. Like All good stories this starts at the bar.... I met Mike in between rounds of whiskey shots at a Government Camp dive. We were both finishing a first aid course that weekend when fate threw us together. Mike’s plan was to climb some peaks in Ecuador, then head to Argentina and try out Aconcagua. For the previous couple of months I had been trying to find a partner to do the same trip. Badgering friends, and even trolling online climb partner postings. I crammed my junk into a freshly purchased duffle bag and was on a plane to Quito 9 days later. Somehow, I had managed to finish a number of finals, and term papers in a tiny amount of time. Mike and I are both solid intermediate climbers. We headed south not to put up new lines but to climb some mountains, test ourselves at altitude, and have a great time. After acclimatizing on Rucu Pinchincha, Illiniza Norte, and Imbabura. Imbabura is off most climbers standard itinerary. It should be included as it's a more interesting acclimatization hike. In the small town of La Esperanza is the kindest hostel owner operating Casa Aida. Don’t tell my Mum, but Aida cooks the best pancake I have ever had! On the day I left, I ordered two of her delicious breakfasts. The climb is another straightforward walk up with beautiful vistas of the agrarian community. Leaving Quito after a heavy night of boozing our first real climb was Cotopaxi (19,347). With less than a 100 feet to the summit we turned around on the final stretch. The snow was exceedingly soft. Worried that the sun would hit it and make the descent more treacherous we called it a day within sight of the summit. The undulating snow slope next to the standard Cotopaxi route To get to the Cayambe (18,996) summit we crossed through an ice cauldron. We were sheltered from the wind in this huge natural auditorium, but the route was exceedingly difficult to find. Guides had told us that a serac had recently collapsed and drastically changed the normal route. Group ascending Cayambe. Lastly, we topped out on the 20,561 ft Chimborazo. We had met up with a british climber and the three of us split a truck direct from Quito for a $100 each way. Chimbo is a pain in the ass, and I dragged ass from the altitude. On the way to Chimborazo's Whymper summit. Mike during a gear explosion at SAE 60 bucks gets you a membership to the South American Explorers. In addition to being a wealth of travel information, they have a locked garage that can be used as a gear storage in between trips. Ecuador is an amazing country that is treat to visit. Friendly people, delicious food, and excellent travel infrastructure. The country is bisected by the North-South pan-American highway. Jump on a bus heading in your direction and get off at the nearest town. From there it's not too difficult to hire a truck to the refugio. Refugio's generally run 20-25 bucks a night, and include propane stoves, and running water. Gear Notes: We did the standard routes up these mountains. Nothing too difficult. To include climbing details would plagiarize the Bradt climbing guide that we used. White gas can be used to refine cocaine. It isn't allowed to be imported into Ecuador. Searching can sometimes find white gas in hardware stores but at exorbitant prices. The cannisters available at local gear stores don't have threads to make them compatible with a Jet Boil. Approach Notes: A long plane ride

Testing a photo post

Joe's Donuts in Sandy.....although usually bought pre-climb and left in the car. Stanich's on Freemont street if leaving Rocky Butte

With a buddy I attempted Leuthold's on the same day. Got to the base of it about 4.30. Unfortunately, we made a wrong turn in the dark. Ended up traversing the top of the Reid and eventually over to west crater rim. Any chance you saw two sets of fresh tracks and where they diverged from your route? I need to hike back out there to identify exactly which couloir I was in.

I think ClimbMax is doing a thing where it's like ten bucks to try out different rock gyms on Wednesday nights as a social/trial climb type of event.

that's a funny lookin keg tap

I'm free this week if you're going for it.

Doing the false polish we didn't need to boil until camp 2. But had hauled enough fuel to boil from the first day at base camp if needed. The camps on the approach, and base camp will have water piped in from the valleys. We had 1 jet boil and one Whisperlite. When melting snow it was great to have two stoves to melt the snow, then boil in the jetboil. For drinking we sometimes tabbed it when it was questionably but frequently just drank it direct without problems. The jetboils are great but the cannisters are expensive. If I had an XGK I would definitely have brought it as it seems like the stove of preference on the mountain.

nice work Todd-Poo looks like this weekend could be good for a repeat...

dopeness

PM on the Alchemy

I would love to grab a bunch of these if you're able to ship to Portland. Cheers, Will

PM'd any ArcTeryx aficionado's have any idea what year this pack is?

Oh, having carried my plastics on too many flights. Usually being overweight and actually wearing them in the airport. If you're not going to do a bunch of snow climbs, it might just be worth renting boots and crampons in each country.

Kathmandu has gear shops galore. Depending on what type of winter peak you're going for it ranges from cheap knock off, to mediocre knock off, to original NF, Mountain Hardware, etc. Depending on how many stops you're taking the flights can become expensive. If you used the RTW to get you to and from continents, you could use cheap carriers like AirAsia, RyanAir etc to bounce around. Then hop back on the RTW ticket for the long hauls. Depending on your skill Island Peak is a pretty easy climb for which you'll need basic crevasse rescue, cramp on's, etc. It provides a phenomenal view of the Khumbu valley. However, that means you're doing the Everest Base Camp trek and it's probably isn't the most majestic outing in Nepal. That being said, the locals are fantastic, the Momo's awesome, and the outdoor adventure incredible (and cheap!)

If you start in BKK there are about the cheapest air tickets in the world there. Getting to KTM won't be difficult. However, this seat of the pants approach will necessitate some serious flexibility. If you opt for the round the world option those can also be purchased on the cheap in Bangkok. Cuba has a whole province of unclimbed limestone rock in the Vinales area. Bit of an easier flight too....sorta.

I met a couple of AMG guides in South America. Both were of the highest caliber and strong climbers.

I met a couple of AMG guides in South America. Both were of the highest caliber and strong climbers.

Thanks Bug, it seems that after satiating the initial curiousity of the community the ire has turned against me. However, Dane is right. Paul probably should post a reply. As I stated earlier I,m no saint. So for future partners he can go nowhere but up, I have yet to post a full TR to lay out the case. In fact I was the last person to join the team. Luckily for Mike, otherwise it wouldn{t have worked out when Paul backed out at base camp. Mike and I have all the tech skills, this mountain was by no means a stretch. At this point these facts are just whining. My revenge was but one small part of the point of this thread, and not what I set out to do. With luck his next set of Acon partners will do a google search and have this come up. It also forced me to confront him and lay out exactly how he disapointed, and laid out some specific items for future trips. Those two reasons made this exercise worth while to me. I may take my lumps from a bunch of bloggers, but so it goes. I stand by my statements. With this post I{ll end my participation in this thread and we can all get back to the important tasks were were doing before.

Surprise, my name is indeed Will Hockett. I choose an avatar that reveals my identity, and stand behind my words. As for the uselessness, probably right. A juvenile revenge, but after a few weeks it felt good. In my defense, I,d point out that this is hardly the first post to waste time. Hopefully, it will serve as a reminder to others when the look for a partner online. I,ve also met a number of great climbing partners online. I,m an intermediate level climber with time to commit. Its been tough to find enough partners that are as eager to get out. As for evaluating; plenty was done pre-trip. It wasn,t exactly easy to find a partner willing to ditch girl, job, or dog for a 3 week trip in South America. On the phone paul had plenty of tech skills from the ascents he,s done. He also had two trips, one independent on Denali. He sounded personable and amiable on the phone. My other partner, Mike and I didn,t have any expedition experience so we were looking for the extra knowledge. All that could have been done in pre-trip planning and evaluation was done. Lastly, most of my climbs have been in OR and WA. I,d never seen much of the guide industry, let alone other climbers. In Ecuador and in Argentina we were both appalled and amazed by the minimal level of skill that can be hauled up a mountain by a guide. I was impressed with the guides and appalled by some of their clients. On Acon the guides were exremely helpful to our independent group with weather, and route info. Those thanks will be doled out in the TR.....eventually.

eh, had the big boy conversation with a guy five years my senior. Laid out the facts he conceded some. Disputed others. I´m definitely no saint on this climb. Gave him a second chance to pick up lunch. Would have helped after carrying his boots down from Plaza Argentina for him. Either way, Paul Elwell at paulelwell.net