jimmythegoon

Is it a legit route if it's on an entirely man-made wall?

Hi all, I've got a badly herniated L5 S1 disc that I've been dealing with for a couple of years. It finally got bad enough that I've had to quit climbing, and after months of physical therapy and 2 epidural steroid shots, my doctor is recommending surgery. I'm going to get a second (and third, and probably fourth) opinion, but in the meantime I wanted to start edjumactin' myself on our local surgeons. So, does anyone have any Seattle area surgeon recommendations? Ideally someone who regularly performs laparoscopic surgery. I'd also be interested in recommendations for excellent physical therapists who are used to working with active clients, or info on other alternative methods to try.So far I've tried yoga, acupuncture, chiropractics, and osteopathy. I'm currently looking into decompression and would be curious to hear about what people's experiences have been. [img:left] [/img]

Speaking of Shuksan, does anyone know the current conditions of the North Face?

Thanks all for the suggestions. That Liberty group traverse sounds awesome. What does that end up going at? 5.7 or so?

I just started alpine climbing this year and I'm looking for some good, moderately challenging routes that could be done in a weekend (starting from Seattle). I'm comfortably leading 5.8 (but no offwidth experience) and would like to start venturing into 5.9 territory. The only routes I've done so far are the west ridge of sherpa, north face of burgundy, and sw rib of sews. What are some of your favorites/suggestions in the 5.7-5.9 range? Thanks.