wetslide

So, why spray on a climbing website if you don't climb (which I know is the case for some of these spray lords). To me, that is the definition of a wantabe. Ya, you can make fun of people on the internet, congratulations. (shitstorm commence)

As if anybody's writing style was a good excuse for making an ass of yourself by declaring someone's TRs not "worthy". I could understand some display of immature bravado if you were some kind of hot shot, but this is obviously not applicable to you. You've been on this website for over 9 years and have never posted a single TR. Instead, you post thousands of times in political rants in the flaming forum on a *climbing* website and wonder aloud why the dialogue is not up to some "academic standard" (as defined by you). To top it off your writing style is on par with a brain-damaged simpleton. You're an open invitation to mockery, j_bot. Not that we have to prove anything to anyone, but you're right, this is a climbing website. I love getting flamed by dudes who claim credibility yet provide no basis for it. I'm not citing J_B in particular-he's never done me wrong personally- but just the culture here in general and a few individuals (who will remain unnamed) in particular /rant/

Ok, so a consensus in the climbing community is pretty rare. I'm basing my opinion of some of the respected magazines opinions (and my own pondering of the issue). You have to trust some authority or what are you left with? Not much.

Kimmo - you bring up some good points about the locals having a dog in the fight. Do you think their (the climbers who chopped the route) method had a neo-colonial tinge to it? Or is it more like the consensus of the climbing community overwhelmingly favored their actions (which seems to be more the case from what I've heard). In most cases I say leave people's routes alone (barring discussion of certain notable examples of breaches of ethics like the compressor route or other vastly over-bolted or unethically bolted climbs). But this is an exception I think.

Last night I used an old biner to tow my car out of the ditch after a failed hill climb. Not sure what that lends to the conversation but I bet at least 4,000 lbs of force was exerted on it. That's not the first time I've used it for that task.

Washington local here. I'll pm you details.

Wasn't Jason Kruk the guy who crapped his pants in that off-width?

email sent.

Very good crampon. Head and shoulders above the g12 for ice and mixed (but that should be a given). Felt great on them, even never having used mono points prior to purchasing them.

8a.nu is for chestbeaters.

What dross! Countless studies have shown that through ww2 ~80% of soldiers refused to kill the enemy. Only after thoroughly dehumanizing desensitization training programs were introduced has this ratio changed. manufacturing contempt Have there really been "countless studies" confirming that even people being shot at won't return fire? Isn't it more like there's a controversial statistical claim made by a single author? http://warchronicle.com/us/combat_historians_wwii/marshallfire.htm It'd be good news for humanity if his claims about the extreme reluctance of humans to kill other humans, even when someone else is actively trying to kill them happen to be true. The entire record of humanity from pre-history onwards seems to suggest that people are reluctant to kill under some cirumstances, and far less so in others. I'm skeptical of the claim that "when other people are actively trying to kill them" is one of the situations where people are generally reluctant to use lethal force. There is actually good evidence that violence has actually been trending erratically downwards for at least a few centuries, and that things like rising prosperity, communication, travel, trade, the spread of liberal values, etc - rather than an inborn extreme reluctance to use violence under any circumstances - are behind the trend. I wonder what evolutionary biologists would say about the phenomenon you describe. If we are merely trained chimps how is it that we are not actively out killing each other in streets in this bad economy? My opinion is that modern conditions such as communication, infrastructure and other modern rituals contain our animal tendencies. Additionally, strong periods of enculturation contribute to reducing our animistic ways. I don't think you can necessarily say that people have changed biochemically or even anatomically in thousands of years. It's just that we no longer rely on brute force (outside of armed conflicts) to solve our problems. We use other things. In psychology, this is called sublimation- the use of a higher level activity (pro-social) to release the tension of more fleshly forces (anti-social). I think climbing can be seen as a sublimation of sorts. We have destructive urges that are not alleviated in other realms. This is why soloing is so taboo, I believe. That is, because it skirts the line between life and death so closely, and reminds us why we climb. It will always be the purest type of climbing.

yep. Everybody does it. But I won't anymore.

Gentlemen, Gentlemen. This is merely an academic discussion. I am merely positing that it is a potential solution to use your cell phone while trapped in a crevasse. This is not to say I've tested my cellphone extensively at any given elevation, location. It just to say that my cellphone was able to upload photos at around 12,000 feet. Pretty impressive and it takes a pretty good signal to do that. spray on...

I have practiced crevasse rescue. I was lowered 50 feet into a crevasse and prusik'ed out. Once over the lip and into the abyss I could not hear the voices of anyone outside, nor could they hear me. So, unless you bring a flaregun with you... good luck summoning help. cell phone? Mine had service on the DC. Even uploaded pics to facebook.

Trip: Chair Peak - North Face. Date: 1/13/2012 Trip Report: So, I've decided to make a formal trip report to glow in the commendable light of the other recent trip reports I've seen. Not bad work guys. And I thought a month off was going to not put me back in the running for Americas Best Climber award. I kid I kid. Here it is...What you all have been waiting for... I hesitate to write about soloing the North Face of Chair Peak because it is the most important climb of my life. It has taught me a great deal about climbing and the climbing community. It has taught me that action is more important than posturing. Climbing itself is about action. Life is also about action. Anything else is just window dressing. But, I have to write about it. I hesitate also because any type of writing about climbing is usually fraught with misunderstanding, and elicits questions about motives from the audience. I will try to avoid this by writing this for myself primarily, and for the public secondarily. It seems that it is a rare breed indeed that can write about their own climbs at any length without garnering condemnation from the hoards of arm-chair climbers. This climb started out as any other. I woke up with the urge to do something. When this happens I usually go climb something. I gathered my gear and headed for the hills. When I got to the parking lot I found it empty except for one car. I gathered my gear together and suited up. One car pulled in when I was gearing up, but then took off as I left the parking lot. The air was crisp and a slight wind stole my warmth. The cat track was icy and it took some effort to not slide backwards on the inclines. I made steady progress, not pushing hard but not holding back either. It was sunny but not warm. My muscles felt fresh, my lungs clear, my mind sharp. [video:youtube] I got to Source Lake and spotted a group of three high on the slope I would soon climb. I told myself not to chase them but the athlete in me sped up. The going was slow as I battled up the slope, sliding down periodically on the icy crust. I spent the next hour following a skin track up through trees up a slope I know intimately. This was to be my third time up the North Face of Chair Peak. It was to be my fifth time to the summit. And it would be my second solo of the mountain. But, it would be my first solo of the mountain in winter. I got to the basin below Chair Peak. I stabbed my skis and poles into the snow and continued up the skin track on foot. At the notch I geared up. The perpetual wind was there this time, like every other time I've climbed Chair Peak in winter. I felt reassured in my knowledge of the mountain. I know Chair Peak more than any other mountain. I've done more routes on it than any other mountain that I can think of. I looked up at the peak- the ice looked thin. I decided to gear up and take it one step at a time, like any solo climb. At the base of the technical climb I turned on my helmet camera and proceeded up the ice and snow. I was able to turn my mind off and focus on the technical aspects of the climb. I stabbed my picks into the snow and ice. My body felt strong. When soloing, you constantly think about falling. I stopped after the first pitch to rest, then proceeded up the route. The climbing felt easy. After the first pitch the climbing eases off. I was relieved. I pull up to the top of the route and feel the warmth of the sun. I focus on my breathing and jog up to the summit. I spend a few minutes sitting down and taking pictures. I decided to go down quickly because it was late in the day. I down-climbed quickly and efficiently. At the rap station I decide to down-climb as the route looks easy. It turns out to be. At the base of the rap route I decide to glissade. I keep my crampons on, knowing that they could snag and I could break an ankle or leg. At first the glissading is easy. Then I feel the snow become hard and I snag a crampon on the ice and my right leg flies outward. I know instantly that something is wrong. I breath in and out, thinking of my plan. I take off my crampons. I try to walk and it hurts. I try crawling. I finally make it to my skis after crawling, glissading and walking the small distance. I take my skins off my skis and secure my tools and crampons to my pack. I know this is going to be an all-out self-rescue. I put on my skis. I ski down and realize I can't really go left because of the weight I have to put on my right leg. So, I do what I have to which is basically going right. I end up at a steep section that would be easy with two good legs. But, given the circumstance, I take off my skis and walk down. At this point I discover that I can ride fakie easily and thereby traverse the slope back and forth. I made much better time this way. This was important because the light was fading. At Source Lake I pull out my headlamp. It's dead. I cuss to myself for forgetting to replace the batteries but thank God for the full moon. I ski out, cringing at every undulation. I make it back to the car, grab a beer and some Tylenol, and then head to the ED via my house. I'm thankful it wasn't worse when I hear from the ED doc that I broke my fibula. Epilogue: As I write this I am propped up on the couch, weaning myself off of pain medication. I have an appointment with an orthopod tomorrow. Post-Script- It is now five weeks from the day of the injury. I have skied four times since injuring myself. I am climbing 5.11+ in the gym. My leg feels strong but hurts about 1/10 occasionally. Gear Notes: 2 tools. 1 screw and some pins JIC (not used). A sling (not used). 90 foot rope (not used). Skis, skins, poles. Crampons. Approach Notes: You should know.

Maybe if you knew there is literally an "application" to get a solo permit, you would have some business posting in this thread. Otherwise stop spraying my tread. I appreciate you reading my posts, but quite frankly your analysis sucks. 1. "Batura" ice climbing boots are not necessary to climb Rainier in summer conditions. Lighter mountaineering boots with a 3/4 shank are preferable. 2. I'm ice climbing and working on other technical skills, which HAVE NOTHING TO DO with the standard DC route on Rainer. 3. I never said I wanted to get by with "shit gear" and most soloists probably don't even bring a shovel. If started a thread on unicycles would you assume I would be planning ride one up there? 4. A 10pm to 2 am alpine start just doesn't make sense if you're climbing in good conditions. Maybe there is some freakish wind or some other weird glacier condition changing that isn't obvious. This whole paragraph makes me think either/both your knowledge of gear or analysis of people's motives is pretty bad. By the way, what business it is of yours if I'm buying ice screws? Fuck off. Lol. Anyone who can use google can answer basic questions about glacier travel and crevasse rescue. On the other hand, who can answer a question about the same topics solo. It's like being asked how you would belay safely while doing a multi pitch route solo. The question doesn't make sense. First you criticize me for throwing away Batura's, and don't have enough ice climbing experience. Do you even know what the DC route is? Based on your post, you're the one playing mountaineer without a clue. And now it looks like you're a shrink too. So where do you get your safety tips? Page 303 of Freedom of the Hills? Guess what, I've read that too. The bottom line is that I'm doing research months in advance for a possible solo attempt on Rainier. I've climbed higher peaks than Rainier solo, and traveled on alot of glaciers. By making this trip, I'm doing the same thing I've been doing for years. I have nothing to prove to you or need to prove to you. If you don't want to answer someone's questions that's fine, but you shouldn't shit on other people's threads. You clearly are the greater mountaineer than I, Prince, and my 27-odd years of rock, ice, and alpine climbing and mountaineering, the last 22 of which were right here in the PNW, don't count for shit. And neither does my 9 years of mountain rescue experience, hauling princely mountaineers such as yourself off the flanks of several volcanoes around here. And neither does my dozen or so ascents of Rainier, not by the donkey routes, from almost all points of the compass, in all seasons and conditions, doesn't count for shit either. And niether do any of my many other ascents of other peaks and volcanoes, even your sacred 14-ers, they don't count for shit either, I guess. So you're right, I'm an e-mountaineer that has never done the DC. I don't ever intend to. It's a conga line in which I don not wish to participate. So you're right, I'm full of shit. So in your own words, fuck off! What a douchebag. Even Summitchaser wasn't this obnoxious... Thanks buddy.

Here is how I would answer them. Describe your technical method of crossing crevasses safely: I approach with caution, probing the area I am going to cross. I will approach slowly, and cross the crevasse. Describe your method of self-rescue from a crevasse: Assuming I am not very deep into the crevasse, I will extricate myself with my ice tools and/or ski poles. If I am too deep, I will attempt to summon help by whatever means necessary and at my disposal.

Oh the glory days.

Any word on the NE Buttress of Chair or other soloable peaks in the area? Or, anyone want to try something harder tomorrow?

Since we're dropping names homeboy, what's yours?

Here ya go.

And thanks for the input.

You mean like aid climbers or something? More like inner city kids without the opportunities most of us had. This looks pretty cool. Geez bro are you not allowed to have a sense of humor where you live or what? On another note, is there any research that actually shows hoods in the woods programs actually work? Yes, I actually could give you more information about that than you probably want to know. Basically they use a tool called "40 developmental assets" pre and post-trip. And yes, the program (big city mountaineers) is very effective.

Hey, Currently I'm a graduate student working on my masters in International Care and Community Development. I am currently looking for practicum sites where I could 1. learn about a culture not my own, 2. learn about a specific social change activity, and 3. gain access to 10-15 consultants in my research focus. My research focus includes but isn't limited to using photography for individual empowerment and for increasing awareness of marginalized groups. I am already looking at Big City Mountaineers, for whom I've already volunteered (my dad is on the national advisory board). But I am also looking for other (preferably but not necessarily) not-for-profits that have something to do with climbing or outdoor activities. Anyone know of anything that matches these criteria (even a little bit)? Thanks in advance.