sdizzle25

http://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Hood/forecasts/3426 ive found that, when in doubt, the PNW weather will ALWAYS buddyfuck you, as you arrived for the only storm cycle in a month. skiing should be good though.

whatever harness fits you best and has 4 gear loops with preferable ice clipper slots. and of course steve house likes the safe tech, i would too if i where sponsored, same goes for any manufacturer.

You are all certainly entitled to your opinions but i do have to say this is kinda coming out of left field to me. In my humble opinion access in Washington is wayyyy to good, as access demands in areas like the Alpine Lakes truly negate the sense of solitude and commitment, and this is AFTER the permit system was in place. Dont permanent structures like those at camp Muir ruin the climbing experience for you? Doesnt the approach bushwhack (on the few climbs that require it in Washington) add to the richness of the experience? It would break my heart if the North Cascades became as big a circus as the Alps.

+1 for the simple fact that out of state opinions on the use of federal land are just as relevant as local opinions, hence the whole federal thing. If it wasnt for wealthy k street NGOs and DC bureaucrats, all of Idaho would be 4x4 accesible and open for hunting from the drivers seat, instead of the home to the largest and most continuous pristine wilderness in the lower 48. 2 sides to every story, all Im saying.

recap: 8 lead ropes and 39 aliens? maybe you do have too much gear. why arent you MY dad?

any comment on how the size of screw used to make the v thread affects your ability to pull the rope? Ive messed around with pulling the rope through v threads made of 22 cm screws at a crag, but never have actually repelled off one

me and my buddy blindly stumbled into the bingo cave after the first day of our first trip to hyalite. to see that video of you on it that very same night was mind blowing. thanks for the inspiration-though we still never got on anything harder than the dribbles.

turns out this shit is completely subjective, as this is clearly not a major safety issue. If you manage to actually shear through the thumb loop of your cam while the lobes are still intact you deserve some sort of prize, though i suppose you could make it kinkier than a cheerleader on prom night with a good fall on a real narrow biner. Do whatever facilitates maximum fun while climbing, and unnecessary fumbling around with your rack is not fun while on lead, in my humble opinion.

awesome! had a similar climb of the reid with nothing but water ice last february, probably the best time i have had on hood. How was the glacier? pretty manageable?

howdy y'all returning to Idaho as a technical climber for the first time in a while, and was looking for partners/beta for ice cragging and maybe some manageable alpine days. will be in boise for about a month, but willing drive a bit. let me know!

time to ask teh interwebs.....would like to solo reid HW this week if weather/homework permit. anyone been on the reid glacier lately? how is it looking? properly filled in yet?

Please note this is a CASCADES climbing forum. excessive documentation of climbing conditions in the rockies is just.........cruel...........

wondering if there are any worthwhile winter climbs on those magnificent piles of muck? having a hard time finding any info besides people talking about scrambling them in the summer.

though its supposed to be el nino this year, so expect plenty of sastrugi and blue ice

in my experience winter climbing on easy routes makes your margin of error smaller, days are shorter, storms are worse, and it can be f***ing cold (though less rockfall). that being said beginner routes like the south side of hood/adams/rainier etc can be less technical, as one will be climbing snow instead of late season glacier ice. if you want to really get a safe start to winter mountain climbing wait until NWAC says its safe to climb st. helens-though you should always judge the avalanche danger yourself. this can give you a feel for managing climbing in more taxing conditions (as in learning how to piss without taking your gloves off, what you need to hike at a good pace w/o sweating much in 20 degree temps), while still what being what most people would consider "safe". its also a pretty cool hike and an awesome ski down. just dont go close to the cornices on the crater rim, they can be pretty big (>20 feet)

blah blah blah i dont have to go to college blah blah blah

I went backpacking near mccall when i was about 15 and saw a granite wall above a lake that i reackoned at the time to be closer to 1000 feet than 500( i wasnt a climber than and didnt often judge these things. Its been bugging me to go back and find it, I reckon like most of Idaho, FAs are out there and not too difficult. Even at the time it looked splitter though

i do hate trying to cut hotline with a dainty chainsaw. stihls are good shit, though i like a nice husqvarna. they match my phantom guides

i agree no good climbing. how many potato farms did you have to navigate on the approach? too bad there arent any other mountains in the area

its human nature mate. the most intense brand loyalty or connection i have ever experienced is loggers/fire fighters/forest workers and their boots . i honestly think its a completely natural side effect of placing some degree of your well being into a piece of merchandize mass produced by a brand you have no direct connection to, as i have no idea who made my westco's/scarpas/c4's, but i literally trust them with my life

i always stick myself with an epi pen before a hard redpoint. pull wayyyy harder

Anybody know if there is actually ice on the kautz yet or is it still all snow?

Terrible Traverse Bowling alley. Should be clear in a week of so, Ice wasnt great, certainly climbale though. climbed N and Middle sisters 7/22. N was clear of snow until the pretty easy traverse and the quiet bowling alley. avoid the southeast ridge like the F***ing plague though, it sucks

thanks Kevino. not sure if its proper west face, northwest face or just north face, but that is indeed the face i am talking about, recognize the spot you took your photo. Still looking for a good shot of the face in winterish conditions, thanks for the help!

me and my buddy heard you guys on the knife edged traverse as we where finishing up the west rib, reckoned you had passed the toughest parts but obviously we didnt know what the climbing was like. conditions on the summit pinnacle where really quite nice. Not much rock fall until a mcmansion sized block fell off below the knife edged ridge as we descended.