Jon H

Can anyone help me out with the process for adjusting old school 404 bindings (length and DIN)? I found the mounting instructions on WildSnow but they don't cover adjustment. I'm leaving for Chamonix in a couple days and dug my old approach skis out of the closet to bring with me, but then realized that I'm using new climbing boots and my bindings need to be slightly tweaked. They're the right size bindings, but my new boots are about 1/4" shorter than my older clunky boots, hence the need for an adjustment.

In about a week I'm heading off to Chamonix for almost 3 weeks of scaring myself silly up in the mountains. I've got some thoughts/questions running through my head and would welcome your opinions and beta on any of the these topics. On some of the questions, gear topics for instance, I've already made up my mind, I'm just curious to hear the opinions of others. Feel free to answer as few or as many as you want... I'm a beggar so I can't be a chooser 1. I'll be there March 29 - April 13. I don't have a handle yet on "expected" temps in town. We'll be camping (can't really afford hostels) so are we going to be cold and miserable the whole time? 2a. Speaking of camping - I haven't found a single camp site that's listed as open. Almost every single one shows an opening date sometime in May. To top it off, I've e-mailed maybe 5-6 different sites and none of them have even responded (it's been a week at least). Anyone have a line on any camping site that's A) affordable and B) actually open? 2b. If paid camping isn't an option, anyone have a line on where we can [relatively] safely poach a site? If we have to be out at 7am every morning we'll do it, even though it's not desirable. If we're gonna poach though, we'll need a place to store gear - are there any gear storage services where we can access our storage at any time of day? 3. Anything cool to do in town (or the surrounding areas) on a rest day? Maybe a cool and very exposed via ferrata? Not sure if a VF would actually hold appeal for someone who's been out on proper alpine climbs for 5-6 days in a row, but it might be cool to do just for the experience? You tell me. 4. For the sake of argument, on routes big enough to be a 2-day affair, does anyone bother with bringing a Firstlight (even assuming there is a large enough ledge)? Or do most people just carry a bivy bag each? Or just a sleeping bag and dry it out that night in town? 5. Is there a general preference for horizontal or vertical frontpoints in the alps? 6. Where do the snowbunnies hang out? :kisss: I'm happy to hear any and all input, even the inevitable "yer gonna die!!11" comments. Thanks!! (Paging Powdherb, Dane, etc...)

What's even more awesome is that she's barefoot freesoloing them in a sundress. Hotter than even the newest crop of Verve booty shorts that the girls wear in comps these days.

Metolius Monster 7.7mm I've had a pair for 2 seasons now. They hold up reasonably well, but I only use them on ice. They probably wouldn't fare so well getting dragged over lots of rock. For your use, it sounds like a great match.

Care and precision. I've been climbing fully leashless for 2 seasons... I figure I have 70-100 pitches climbed without leashes and I haven't dropped a tool yet. I once knocked one that was hanging in the ice, but quickly grabbed it even before it had started to fall. Regardless, I'm not entirely sure it would have actually popped out completely. Even with Androids, whenever you place a screw (the time most likely to drop a tool) one tool is unleashed and hanging in the ice, so having leashes doesn't really do a whole lot for ice tool retention anyway.

I presume you're going leashless? Having leashes plus umbilicals is asking for a total clusterfuck. Just go leashless. And please don't use umbilicals on any 1-pitch or 2 pitch climbs with easy retreat options. It's not worth the hassle. Anyway, that having been said... First step is take a good look at the Fangs and figure out where you can drill your hole. Put a 4mm hole in. Thread a short length of 4mm accessory cord and tie off with a double fishermans. Clip your umbilicals to said loop. That's it. (If you have access to a cable swager, I suppose you could go with cable to drill a smaller hole. Either way it doesn't make much of a difference. Oh, and if you haven't bought the hardware yet, I have 2 fangs and 1 strike (with all mounting hardware) that I'll sell you for cheap. All you'll need is 1 more strike. PM me if you're interested.

Oh, and for reference, here's what I've got now: I've wound up with 3 harnesses over the years but none of them cut it. -Mammut something-or-other: Comfortable but too bulky and the drop seat has an EXTREMELY fiddly hook that is impossible to replace without taking off the whole harness, even worse cause it has a tendency to pop out on long hikes. -Petzl Calidris: Actually pretty good, but I don't find it comfortable, I again don't like the hook on the drop seat, and I'm not crazy about the position and size of the gear loops. -Mad Rock Neptune: ultralight, packs up TINY, only problem is that it's painful to hang in for extended periods like rappelling, AKA no good for Chamonix. That having been said, I use it frequently for anything backcountry with a long approach and a walk-off. It's perfect for that.

Heading to Chamonix next month. Will be climbing TD to ED routes, rock routes up to 6c or 7a if I can get in some real good training. I'll be starting to gather beta in the coming days (feel free to send me good info for an Amerikaner to have in Cham/Grindelwald!) but for now I know I need a new harness. Here's what I'm looking for: -Must pack up nice and small -Don't want to spend too much... Maybe $80 max? -Must have a drop seat with a fastex buckle -Must have speed buckles -Nice large gear loops (I'm a pansy. I carry extra gear and sew it up) I've been looking at the WC Syncro Ultralight. It looks like it fits all the above criteria. Only thing is that I can't confirm the attachment for the drop seat - they photoshopped the buckle out of all the advertising pics!! Happy to hear any input, reviews, or suggestions for another harness to look at. Oh, and don't bother recommending Arcteryx... it sure is pretty, but I'm not gonna buy a $125-$150 harness with an 11 pound haul loop. A harness has to have a full strength haul loop and give me a happy ending before I'll consider forking over $150 for it.

I have an "Oh Shit!" biner with one of the tiny Leatherman multitools, 2 quicklinks, and 2 pre-tied prussik cords. The knife I have is similar to the current Squirt S4 models but even smaller and lighter. It only has pliers, a blade, a file, and combo screwdriver/can/bottle opener. It does not have the scissors (a silly gimmick IMO) that the current version has. It weighs about 1.5 oz (maybe 48g?) and it's been indispensable. I've used every feature of it on route at least once to repair/fix/fiddle with something.

Ha, that's pretty damn cool. And that's why BD has my business for life. Bill, I'll have them off in the mail to you after this weekend's icy festivities.

Just a followup... Bench grinding picks is slow business. After spending almost 10 minutes working on one of my Aermet picks and making minimal progress, I decided to try grinding down the same protuberance on a pair of old Titan picks which have the same shape (see pic above). Interestingly, the Titan seemed to be about as difficult to grind down as the Aermet. The dimensions are the same, but obviously the steel is [supposed to be] very different. On both the Aermet and the Alaska picks, I was able to grind the point down to a rounded radius, but that's pretty much it. Figure I took off 2-3mm of metal. Grinding the point takes all of 60 seconds, but after that, you make no progress whatsoever. I took off more steel in the first minute than I was able to do in the next 10. I think I'm going to go with an angle grinder to take off the bulk of the horn, then use the bench grinder for final shaping. Any metal-geeks here have an explanation for why the hardness of the metal increases as you get deeper into the pick? The thickness of the stock is identical. I'm not sure how these picks were made. Is there a Heat Affected Zone on the edges? Wheres Tvash when you need him?

That depends heavily on the more experienced people you know - experience isn't enough by itself. They also need to know how to teach. I've never taken a class or hired a guide. I'm too poor and too stubborn. I started young and learned mostly by being a headstrong idiot. The invincibility of youth is a magical thing. I'm still amazed I lived through my first 3-4 years leading in the mountains. That said, if you have the coin, taking a 3 day class from one of the established, long-time guide companies would be a great way to get up to speed. It's pretty easy to "learn" how to climb, routefind, place gear, etc. A good guide can teach you how to pull it all together and turn it into a polished system that will have you moving quickly and confidently over technical terrain. Above all, speed is safety.

PM EastCoastBastard. He lives there now.

I guess, since we started in 1972, we have a few years under our belts of not being cocksuckers. Sweet! Unfortunately I was just in Europe where climbing gear was usually 30-50% higher in cost than in the U.S., but if you sneak a climbing trip in with it and eat Ramen for dinner it might be able to break even. Good times. Handled with grace. Eddie, I applaud your efforts. I highly doubt any of the internet tough guys would walk into your shop and call you a cocksucker to your face. The internet is a magical place where pretty much everyone has a Napoleon complex....

I'd say that too, but they don't make them anymore. Got any more helpful tips?

Currently practicing EMT with a bunch of additional certifications (ITLS, etc) and also WFR. My standard first aid kit for most backcountry climbing days is a set of gloves, 1 roll of kling gauze, a 5"x9" trauma pad, and a ziploc full of ibuprofen. Total weight: 2 oz. I have about 12' of gaffer tape wrapped around my trekking pole. Everything else can be improvised...

I've got Aermet picks on my tools. Amazing steel, really. I've got a problem though - the shape of the picks. The top of the pick, above the head hole, protrudes a good 1/2" from above the tool head. It's shaped like the old Alaska picks. It looks roughly like this: More than once this week I had trouble cleaning the tool because the protrusion got caught inside an ice mushroom. I want to cut off that protrusion and round the top so that it cleans easier. I want it to look like this: How can I do that without ruining the temper of the steel? What tool/blade/cooling process etc?

Real simple: Is it a skiing trip or a climbing trip? Or in other words, what's your objective and which will you spend more time doing? There's your answer. The one notable exception would be if either the climbing or skiing are going to be particularly hard, then bring the appropriate footwear. If both are going to be hard... bring both!

You've clearly put a ton of thought into this, and I would venture a guess that anything I write here won't actually do much to assist you, because it's a safe bet that you've already read volumes on the subject. Maybe try watching some DVD's instead? You know what will REALLY help you: 1 - Get modern leashless tools. Beg, borrow, steal them if you have to. You can still wear leashes if (for some silly reason) you want them, but the tools themselves are orders of magnitude easier to climb with and hold on to. 2 - Tag along for a day or two with some experienced climbers to holler beta up at you. Last season I started out barely scratching my way up WI3 on toprope and getting sketched out and pumped on any vertical section more than 15' high. I spent 2 days out with some really strong climbers who were also good teachers (this part is crucial!) who were able to critique my climbing, suggest different methods of body language, etc. You need someone to teach you what you're doing wrong and how to do it right.

I was out on some ice last week with EastCoastBastard and we ran into one of the local Camp-sponsored athletes. He had a pair of X-ices with him. I took a couple swings and they felt nice, very balanced, similar to the old Quark. I remarked that I didn't like how small the pommel/hand support was at the bottom of the shaft and he informed me that it was a common complaint and that a new modular grip (in addition to the 3 that are on the market now) will be coming out next year with a full pommel, much like on the current Cobra or Viper. He also had a prototype pick on the axe called the "All-Mountain" which he raved about (and said he didn't like the current pick offerings very much) and thought it should be in the US by next year as well. Hope this helps.

This is a fantastic thread.

Step one is probably to get your own boots. You can borrow anyone's ice tools (or crampons) but it's much, much harder to borrow boots.

There is a much more comprehensive tutorial posted (with pictures) on the TGR forums for molding Intuitions. It specifically refers to ski boots (obviously) but it's easy to adapt to climbing boots.... http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102575

Just read Dane's posting on his blog... www.coldthistle.blogspot.com and do a search for "belay jacket" That should be most of of your info. I don't think anyone here is looking to write your thesis for you...

Anyone know what technical differences exist between the old Bibler vs new BD Eldorado tent? I'm specifically asking about the fabrics, but other info is welcome. I seem to recall reading somewhere that there are 2 versions. One is more flame retardant (as mandated by law), but heavier and less breathable... can anyone verify? If this is the case, how do you differentiate between the two? Also, the BD website currently lists ToddTex as the fabric material. Did they ever use eVent?