Jon H

Therabands! Hurt my shoulder a couple years ago and wound up taking 4-5 months off climbing. I had my arm in a sling for 2 weeks, icing it 2-3 times a day. After the sling came off I let it rest for another 2-3 weeks and then got started on a theraband routine. Did about 20 minutes, twice a day. Just tie it off to a doorknob and do every exercise you can think of. Lots of suggestions on youtube. Start with the softest band (yellow IIRC) and aim for high reps... you should be getting 20-30 reps of each movement and this isn't weightlifting, you don't want to go to till failure. Just get a nice warm feeling in the muscles. Interior, exterior, anterior, posterior. Overheads. Flys. Presses. Do everything - it will build your shoulder back up. And when you start climbing again, be REAL careful with open-shoulder moves. NO FULL REACH GASTONS!

Is that Bill Belcourt holding the chromed out Fusions? I met him a couple weeks ago and IIRC he told me there are only 2 pairs of them in existence. It must be nice being the hardgoods manager for BD... it's the little perks that make you smile On a more gear-related topic - Got a recommendation for fitting crampon bales to the new Scarpa boots? I've got a similarly "loose" fit with my Phantom Guides and SS Cyborgs and Sabertooths. I was just going to use a hammer and a bench vise, unless you have a more elegant suggestion.

Sent you a PM on the Andinista

Looking to buy a pair of 2010 stainless steel (the newest version), black diamond sabertooth pro (with the lever in back and the wire bale in front). Not looking for older models, or the clip (i.e. strap) version. Shoot me a PM with condition and asking price if you got one for sale. I also have tons of stuff for trade... outerwear, rock/ice/camping gear, backpacks, photography equipment, hand tools, blah blah blah. I do a lot of trading and bartering - if you need it, I can probably get it. Thanks!

pm sent on the poles

Picked them up this summer after buying no less than 7 pairs of boots (MadRock Alpinist, LS Trango Prime, LS Nepal EVO, LS Nuptse, Mammut Mammook, and Scarpa Omega) and these fit me the best. Haven't had a chance to get them out yet though, so no comment on climbing ability, but they sure fit nice. I have weird feet - low volume, extremely narrow heel, slightly narrow foot but with bonespurs at the base of both pinkie toes rendering my overall foot width slightly wider than normal, and a high arch. These hold my heel down the best and give me the best toe wiggle room. We had a freak snowstorm with over 24" at high elevations so I've already started my backcountry ski season, ice can't be far behind. Will happily report in with pics and climbing impressions of the boot as soon as humanly possible. I'm itching to swing my axes

Thanks for the replies everyone. Got so stoked I posted without Googling first. It seems the Cascades aren't the way to go. I've got a free flight voucher courtesy of Airtran. I was gonna use it on ice this season, but ECB had some wise words... I really don't need to go anywhere at all to climb ice. I think I'll save it for Seattle to do Liberty Ridge next year. Anybody looking for a partner?

Serious question.... if an ice coaster like myself were to happen to plop down in the PNW for a couple weeks this winter - how hard would it be to find consistent partners? NH is nice but the Cascades are calling my name!

2010 Scarpa Phantom Guide

Didn't realize, good to know. I think I'll just hold on to it for a trade.

My favorite "warm weather" glove is the OR Vert - thin, relatively cheap, and relatively warm. Nice sticky leather palm. (Thanks to Dane for turning me on to them!) Perfect for those days that are 25-30 degrees, sunny, and dry. The classic ice cragging day. My favorite cold glove is the Mountain Hardwear Hydra - it's the first glove where the waterproof membrane is bonded directly to the nylon shell (instead of being a free-hanging liner) so when you pull your soaking wet hands out of the glove, the liner does not invert. It's amazing. Good durability too - probably have 30+ pitches on them, 5-10 rappels and they still look brand new. I get out about 15-20 days per season and I figure I'll get 3-4 years out of them. Fits true to size. Go up a size if you'll want to wear a liner glove for extra warmth. For ugly, chossy, rough conditions (and all rappels) I use a pair of cheap insulated leather work gloves like the Kincos. I also Sno-Seal them liberally every 2-3 days of climbing. Pro tip: put them in the oven at a low temp for 15 minutes before Sno-Sealing - they'll absorb the wax like a sponge, it's amazing. Just don't forget them in the oven!! I also have BD Mercury Mitts for belays when it gets reaaal cold... I usually need them in the single digits and lower. This season I'll be carrying 2 pairs with me for a day of ice - one on my hands, one drying inside my jacket, I like to switch off every pitch. Depending on the temps I'll either have 2 Verts or 2 Hydras. I'll toss the work gloves in the pack if the objective requires multiple long rappels at the end of the day. On routes where I positively know I'll be getting wet (running water, wallowing in fresh snow on the approach, etc), I'll frequently carry a 3rd pair just for the approach. Read andy kirkpatrick's blog on gear - this guy climbs in the worst weather on earth and has his system more dialed than anyone. And Kirkpatrick - Psychovertical

I have an appropriate pair for $99 right here: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/981682/FS_FT_Cheap_Boots_Gloves_Screa#Post981682 On an unrelated note, the Millet Radikal linked above has no front welt - you probably don't want that for ice. You're forced to use less precise strap-on crampons instead of step ins.

Patagonia Rubicon Rider in womens XS - not the most packable, but a solid jacket for sure. http://www.departmentofgoods.com/patagonia-rubicon-rider-jacket-womens-pat1660 Or you could get the EB First Ascent primaloft jacket for $199 Jacket And if you have an old winter coat to donate, you can get a 20% coupon for your entire purchase from EB. More info here: http://www.eddiebauer.com/EB/One-Warm-Coat/index.cat

I asked this same question here last winter - the general consensus is "Go with whatever you find in sale" There was a pretty equal split of people preferring the grivel, preferring the BD, or saying they're identical. So basically.... go with whatever's cheapest. I found a set of BD's for $90 and that pretty much settled it for me.

E-mailed you re: the reversino, the 2 stubby screws, and the aiders.

Snagged a Radion too. Report coming once we got some ice

Doing a bit of downsizing and getting all this extra crap out of my gear closet. Gotta make room for new crap Flat rate $15 shipping on boots. $5 on everything else. Preferred payment is regular paypal for the small stuff, paypal gift for the big stuff (i.e. boots). POSSIBLE TRADES I'M LOOKING FOR RIGHT NOW: BD Micro Adze Trango Cinch lightweight locking biners (Trango superflys or something similar), high quality collapsible trekking poles minitraxion C4 in .4 .5 or .75 Newest style BD Express or Grivel Helix screws (13cm and 16cm) Tiblocs Ski gear: Beacon 300cm Avy probe Good pair of polarized glacier glasses or DARK sunglasses BOOTS LS Trango Prime Ice - Size 45 - $240 Absolutely brand new and never worn outside. Small dirt spot on the left cuff (see picture). Not much else to say about them. Mad Rock Alpinist - Size 11.5 - $99 4-5 days of ice cragging. Barely show any use at all. The stock insoles were cheap, thin, terrible and uncomfortable so I put in a Superfeet insole. Then they felt great. You'll most likely want to use your own insole as well. Other than that, I'm very happy with the boot. Kept me warm as low as 10-15 degrees. Punched through the ice walking across a river on the approach and my feet stayed totally dry. They fit true to size. My feet are exactly an 11.5 on the Brannock scale. GEAR All PINS IN THE PICTURE ARE SOLD! Talon hook - $9 Metolius ATC - $9 Petzl Pulley - SOLD Petzl Swivel - $25 - Brand new. No petzl branding. I believe this came from their Industrial line up. For haulbags only, not for humans. Screamers - $11 each TWO ICE SCREAMERS ARE SOLD. One ice screamer, one regular are left. Titanium ice screws - $13 each Bought them for a mountaineering trip that never happened. They don't appear to have ever been used. Don't buy these for ice climbing. Mountaineering only. You wouldn't want to have to place them hanging from one arm. Snargs - Already sold, sorry. BD Camalot #5 - Placed maybe twice, never weighted. In perfect shape. I keep on telling myself I'll find another route to use it on. Prefer to trade it for any two of the .4 .5 or .75 camalot C4 but I will also sell for $79. SOFTGOODS Mad Rock Alpinist glove - size XL - $22 Great shape, barely used. Armored knuckles to protect your fingers. Relatively warm. Nice sticky palm. It's a solid ice glove in every way. Drop Marquis GTX glove - $25 Size L. Fits a tiny bit snug for L i think - either that or I have very long fingers. Brand new, tags attached. Gore tex. Nice fleecy lining. Good dexterity. I'm somewhere between L and XL and this is a hair too small.

Very interesting. I would have had a need to do this maybe next year sometime but my Cinch got "opportunistically repossessed" at the gym last week after I accidentally left it in a cubby overnight. Oh well. Anyone want to sell a used Cinch?

+1

Before long days on ice i eat my patented breakfast of 3 huge pieces of french toast on challah bread with a big piece of muenster draped over each and melted, then sprinkled liberally with a sugar/cinnamon blend. For warmer days I'll go for a big bagel with cheese/meat and lots of veggies. I always make it a point to try and superhydrate at breakfast (I actually start the night before) so I can get by with a little less water - I usually carry 1-1.5 liters for all but the longest/hottest days. This whole food science/performance nutrition thing doesn't really click with me. I eat when I'm hungry. I drink when I'm thirsty. I eat almost entirely natural food, no preservatives, no soda, no junk food/fast food/HFCS. I pay no attention to portion control or calories consumed - I eat like a beast. So far so good... I'm 26, at 9% body fat, and never been climbing stronger. YMMV.

Bump

Great layer. Almost snagged one, but found an Arcteryx Atom LT instead (1 oz heavier, but much sturdier fabric) for a great deal. Ultraight compressible layers (i.e. the Theta LT or Nanopuff) have completely replaced fleeces in my technical wear. My fleeces sit unused and neglected in my closet. They're heavier and less compressible. Maybe a bit better breathability, but that's it. The Nanopuff would mostly be an under-shell layer for me in particularly cold weather. My "action suit" for ice climbing in anywhere from 15-35 degrees is a baselayer (weight varies by expected temps and anticiapated sun exposure), R1 hoody, and Norrona Lofoten softshell. If it gets colder (0-15 degrees), I would layer the Nanopuff underneath. My heavier belay jacket (Mammut Stratus) hangs in a stuffsack off my harness for belaying and drying out. Below zero and I'll wear the belay jacket when I'm climbing. It's a rare day that I'll still be climbing out below zero. The barfies just get too damn painful. The other primary use for my Theta LT is late-season multipitch trad. If I get caught out after dark and the mercury drops, I'm gonna be glad I have that 10 oz of warmth hanging off my harness. Fleeces (and my belay jacket) were always much too bulky to bring normally, so I would just head up and hope for the best. The Nanopuff would only come out if I'm in a shitty situation anyway, so I'm less concerned about my jacket than I am about hypothermia in a hanging belay. Otherwise, it wouldn't really come out of its stuffsack. Oh, and no need to post the same question across multiple forums. You'll get a satisfactory answer, I promise.

I've never climbed Acon, but have been looking at a potential trip next year so I've been doing some research. This is what I've found, distilled. Aconcagua has been summited in sneakers. It's entirely dependent on conditions. Most people recommend one of the newer and lighter double boots, eg LS Nuptse/Baruntse/Spantik or Scarpa 6000. Most people wind up climbing to somewhere around 18K in approach shoes before switching to boots. Occasionally, people don't change into their boots until summit day. Your EVO's may be fine with supergaiters - but do you really want to risk your toes and a lifetime of pain?

Yup

Doing a bit of downsizing and getting all this extra crap out of my gear closet. Gotta make room for new crap Flat rate $15 shipping on boots. $5 on everything else. Preferred payment is regular paypal for the small stuff, paypal gift for the big stuff (i.e. boots). POSSIBLE TRADES I'M LOOKING FOR RIGHT NOW: BD Micro Adze lightweight locking biners (Trango superflys or something similar), high quality collapsible trekking poles minitraxion C4 in .4 .5 or .75 Newest style BD Express or Grivel Helix screws (13cm and 16cm) Tiblocs Ski gear: Beacon 300cm Avy probe Good pair of polarized glacier glasses or DARK sunglasses Tuning gear (Iron, wax, scraper, edge sharpener, etc) Full Tilt ski boots in my size (I have 11.5 street shoe with narrow heel) BOOTS LS Nepal Evo GTX - Size 45.5 - $325 Lightly used, couple days of backpacking and alpine rock. Didn't quite fit right. Comes with the padded tongue inserts, unused. Mad Rock Alpinist - Size 11.5 - $125 4-5 days of ice cragging. Barely show any use at all. The stock insoles were cheap, thin, terrible and uncomfortable so I put in a Superfeet insole. Then they felt great. You'll most likely want to use your own insole as well. Other than that, I'm very happy with the boot. Kept me warm as low as 10-15 degrees. Punched through the ice walking across a river on the approach and my feet stayed totally dry. They fit true to size. My feet are exactly an 11.5 on the Brannock scale. GEAR All PINS IN THE PICTURE ARE SOLD! Talon hook - $11 Metolius ATC - $10 Petzl Pulley - SOLD Petzl Swivel - $25 - PENDING SALE - Brand new. No petzl branding. Came from their Industrial line up. For haulbags only, not for humans. Screamers - $13 each TWO ICE SCREAMERS ARE SOLD. One ice screamer, one regular are left. Titanium ice screws - $13 each Bought them for a mountaineering trip that never happened. They don't appear to have ever been used. Don't buy these for ice climbing. Mountaineering only. You wouldn't want to have to place them hanging from one arm. Snargs - $8 each for the shorts, $10 for the longs. Don't think they've ever been used. Good for bailing or cheap pro for alpine. Very, very light. BD Camalot #5 - Placed maybe twice, never weighted. In perfect shape. Not really keen to sell this. I keep on telling myself I'll find another route to use it on. Looking to trade it for any two of the .4 .5 or .75 camalot C4 only. SOFTGOODS Mad Rock Alpinist glove - size XL - $22 Great shape, barely used. Armored knuckles to protect your fingers. Relatively warm. Nice sticky palm. It's a solid ice glove in every way. Drop Marquis GTX glove - $25 Size L. Fits a tiny bit snug for L i think - either that or I have very long fingers. Brand new, tags attached. Gore tex. Nice fleecy lining. Good dexterity. I'm somewhere between L and XL and this is a hair too small. Outdoor Research Alibi gloves - $22 each Black = XL = SOLD Red = L (Fits like medium) Both are brand new, never worn. Red is tags still attached in the bag. These are super sticky palms for dry tooling or warm weather ice. They are sized SMALL. Size up a full size just to get your hands in the glove. No joke. Bought the Large, couldn't even get my hand inside, bought the XL, and then realized that I don't drytool or climb mixed at all. Buy them here or I'll return them, makes no difference to me. Just looking to get my money back.