Jon H

Nice send Mikey. Cool running into you in the Index lot. Thanks again for the spare nut tool!

If you guys do decide on Liberty Bell, please do me a favor and take a glance at Liberty Crack. Flying out on Friday to give it (and a couple other Cascades routes) a shot. A conditions report would be most appreciated.

Oooooohh, burn!

Messner and Kukuczka (and Steck, for that matter) are absolute deities of the climbing world. Calling any of them, for any reason, "ball buffers" is the absolute height of internet climbing spray. Kind of like calling Dave MacLeod a "wanker" because he hasn't climbed 15b or Dave Graham "weak" because he isn't even in the top 100 on 8a. It just makes you look like a buffoon.

You might consider asking your fellow guides what boots they use to guide full time. And yeah, the Firstlight is a popular choice for Aconcagua although, you'll definitely need to guyline it out to the max (and build windbreaks out of rocks and/or snow as available) if the storms start getting bad.

I've never tried the Exped, but I did try a Neo Air in the store once. I didn't find it comfortable at all after lying on it for a good 5-10 minutes. It seemed the same to me as a regular thermarest, so I just bought a cheap one instead of shelling out the big bucks for a Neo Air.

Oh, I'm not saying there's a problem. I just observed that the pommel on the X-monster is quite small compared to Cobras, Nomics, Quarks, etc so I was curious if anyone felt it was small enough to be a disadvantage on vertical ice in terms of less pinky support. Nothing happened. Still got 'em and I intend on keeping them. But I definitely want something a bit less radical for low angle ice (gullies on Mt. Washington, etc), alpine excursions, or as a spare pair to lend out, etc. I found a pretty good deal from a buddy of mine ($170ish for both) on a set of X-monsters and just want to do my homework before I have him ship them over to me. While I would prefer my 2nd pair to be Nomics (so the picks match my Ergos) or Cobras (best all around ice/alpine tool on the planet, IMO) they would both cost me waaaay more than double what these X-monsters would cost. And since I have a bunch of other expenses coming up anyway, I'm happy to save the cash. BTW, did you wind up getting those Nomics the other week?

Thanks for weighing in everyone. I've never had a chance to climb on the X-monsters before and the pinky hook looks a bit small for support, at least compared to the Cobra, Nomic, Quantum Techs, etc. Can anyone comment on the comfort and finger protection (against bashing) offered by the X-monsters?

Can the Grivel Horn be mounted on the X-Monster ice tool for additional hand/pinky support when leashless climbing? If so, does it require any dremeling or does it just mount right on?

I have a firstlight and I'm 6'2". Last year I spent 3 weeks in Chamonix with another CC.com regular who is at least 6' and we didn't find it terribly cramped. There certainly "could" have been more space, but even with bringin some gear inside, it was manageable to stay organized and not feel literally on top of each other - like in the Rab bivy tents. I also have a Sierra Designs Clip CD (non-freestanding ultralight 2 person backpacking tent) which feels absolutely claustrophobic compared to the Firstlight. [img:center]http://i.imgur.com/yeEV9l.jpg[/img] You said it yourself - you're looking for a bivy tent. A Trango is a totally different class. I reckon the Firstlight would be fine for you in terms of available space. However, the moisture issue is a different beast entirely...

I met Jack this year in Chamonix. I had the distinct pleasure of drytooling up some crappy choss with him for a couple days at a crag whose name I can't even remember, but Jack's memory will stick with me forever. Jack had a smile on his face every moment I saw him and he had an endless love for the bacon burgers at Elevation. He was a storyteller, a guide, a climbing visionary, and a friend. You'll be missed buddy.

Dane, I'm assuming your Ergos had the temporary epoxy fix done sometime last year by Petzl, and therefore they had to be replaced with a brand new set of tools. I'm about to send my Ergos in, but I never had them epoxied. I'm wondering whether they're going to give me a new pair, or they'll just find a way to machine the new steel insert into the aluminum heel of the used tools.

Wow. East side of Mt. Alexander is EXQUISITE, both as a photograph and as a mountain. Are there any routes up that face? It looks as blank and committing as anything I've ever seen.

I was extremely interested and already starting to craft my application letter in my head until I realized that the AAC is not covering our airfare. Based on the OP, it sounds like this was a contest where you would be footing the bill. Can you provide a little clarification why I would want to attend this event, rather than choose my own partner, set my own schedule, and choose my own objectives?

I love a happy ending

Esprit Ropes of Canada makes a 6mm static line called the Alpine Escape Rope that is very popular for this exact purpose. Last time I looked it wasn't listed on their website, but if you called up they had no problem talking about it. Colin Haley, Mikey Schafer, and plenty of other hard alpine climbers use it. If you do a search for it here on CC, you'll find it discussed quite heavily.

You're absolutely right. Too many Euro names to keep track of. Like I said, my memory is hazy

Back in March one of the guys at Snell told me that Simond products are now going to be sold under the Cassin (I think) name. I don't recall whether that referred to hardgoods, softgoods, or both. It's been a while so my memory is hazy.

Does anyone have a picture of this moat? I'm having trouble visualizing the specific hazard. I've never been on Baker.

That's Slammin the Salmon. Gunks 5.12's are no joke. I still haven't been able to figure out the crux move (lockoff on an undercling crimp with the right hand into a big cross move over with your left, on terrible feet), but I've managed to work through everything else without too much difficulty. I went up Birdland a couple months ago. Don't remember any welded nuts down low, but I live about an hr away so I'll go see if it's still hanging out

I generally use an alpine cock ring as well. I have it tied on a 17' length of 6mm spectra cord. Light, versatile, and relatively cheap. Never leave home without it.

Just to reinforce the scarcity of Nomics (old AND new) - there hasn't been a single pair listed on eBay in over 3 months. I suspect that a used pair of Nomics listed right now would sell for over retail price.

Is there any use for Microspikes in Cham?

Yup, will be bringing both but will probably be using mostly the Cyborgs. Bringing the ST's primarily as a backup for when I do something stupid and lose a crampon so the trip doesn't go to waste. All this talk of bullet hard ice makes me wish I ponied up for a set of your ColdThistle picks. Got a pair with you in Cham that I can demo?

Great, great, great info guys. I really appreciate it all. Thank you!