BootsandPants

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2nd the dead bird recommendation. My lady bought one of the entry level BD harnesses because it was yellow (true story) but said it wasn't super comfortable belaying me while I thrash around on the wall. I found the female version of the red dead bird harness (R320 I think?) on clearance for $60 and picked it up for her. She loves it and ended up returning the BD one.

I have too much stuff in my closet that isn't getting any use and I'm hoping it'll help out someone here get out and have some fun climbing stuff. Shoes: 5.10 Team shoes; size EU 45. Very lightly used, less than 10 days on these total. Used indoors only. $60 OBO 5.10 Quantum Shoes; size EU 45. Also lightly used. Plenty of rubber and edge left. Used indoors only. $60 OBO Jacket: Outdoor Research Credo softshell, size M, color blue. Only have worn it a few times. No stains/smells. Practically new without tags. [img:center]http://c632628.r28.cf2.rackcdn.com/470x500_56130_197.jpg[/img] $80 OBO Jetboil Flash, blue. Gently used but in great shape. No burns on the outside or inside of the cup. Igniter works fine [img:center]http://i.imgur.com/EeaaM.jpg[/img] $40 Email or PM if offering and for more detailed pictures if interested. Local pick up in the Puget Sound area, otherwise add shipping to price. Thanks for looking!

Like Kurt said; a bit of snow in the forest on the way up (nothing more than a dusting). Rocks at the creek crossings were pretty iced over at this point. Our group stayed low on the toe of the glacier and didn't go to the seracs; were mostly top roping crevasses. Some good blue in there and we found a few really fun pitches. Also explored a few large moulins that were pretty cool to climb in. Weather was incredible and it was great to finally get the new tools out for a spin.

Been using the Camp Speed since the beginning of the season and it's really nice. So light I forget I'm wearing it sometimes. Durability seems good too as I've been pretty rough on it this year and it still looks and works great. It's also rated as a ski helmet, which is nice as I don't have to lug my behemoth Carrera with me into the bc anymore.

Got back from a weekend cragging in 11worth to find a set of ergos on my doorstep. The only difference was in the griprest to pommel interface as already shown on Edvin's blog. Looking forward to getting out on them next weekend! One comment though; wtf is with the torque on the head bolts? Nearly broke my damn hand taking out the bolts while trying to swap the pick out. The allen head on the bolt even deformed about 10 degrees before the thing budged. Seems a bit excessive on the torque to me...

I just sent them the whole tool, pick and all.

They already had them. Shipped them in a month ago and told them just to send me the new ones when they're in and not to bother with the . No sense in wasting their money to ship the fixed tools back to me just to have them be shipped back and replaced a month later.

Just got an email from Petzl saying that they just got the tools in today and that my replacement Ergos will be on their way this afternoon. Great service and communication from Petzl through this whole thing. A+ guys!

Mammut Twilights are 7.5mm twins, and Tendon Master 7.8mm half/twin come in at 38g/m, which is probably the lightest you'll find. Edelrid also has a half/twin, but I think it's a little heavier

Trip: Paisano Pinnacle - West Ridge Date: 9/4/2011 Trip Report: A nice three day labor day weekend had us heading back to the North Cascades to finish out the Boealps ICC class for me. Being the "graduation climb" I got to pick the route and other team members. I had heard about Paisano from a friend who wanted to do it the previous year as his grad climb, but unforeseen sickness turned them around at the base of the climb. Upon getting the beta on the climb, I thought it looked like an awesome, sustained climb on great rock that doesn't get done a whole lot. Plus we could link it up with Burgundy Spire. Convincing enough for me...we're doin' it. After grabbing some breakfast from Tootsie, a generous helping of bacon and eggs in our stomachs, we headed up to the bivy site. The climbers trail is steep, dusty, hot, but uneventful. All that food didn't help much in terms of moving fast but soon enough we made it to the bivy site around 1430, about 2 hours after leaving the cars. After setting up camp and filtering some water from the spring, we took off to do a recon mission to find the start of the route, and to drop off our gear so we wouldn't have to haul it up in the morning. There aren't many descriptions of getting to the base of the route, but we found our way there in about an hour from camp. We had found some carins leading off to the right off of the main trail that goes to the col. These were above a large rock slab about 20-25 minutes out of the bivy area. We built another carin just off the col trail to mark the diversion a little better for future parties. Following a faint path (marked by carins) traverse climbers right for a bit until you reach a gully. Descend a slab while green belaying yourself down on trees. Cross the gully and look for the easiest way to get up on the other side of it. Once on the other side, stay on this little ridge between the two gullies. There's a faint path here, stay on the solid ground. Resist the urge to go up the nice looking small grassy gully now on your right. As you ascend, look for the distinctive notch and chockstone that are mentioned in other TRs. Scramble up some kitty litter filled benches and you're at the start of the route. I have a GPS track from the bivy to the start I'll post once I get it off of my device. Hopefully it will help someone in the future! I'd highly recommend not approaching this from up high or from the col. One piece of beta I had said to do this; but it looked too sketchy for me, and I don't see what time it will save. The start of the route is at the tree off to the right of this picture. [img:center]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RX4enjcp6TM/TmfI124XE7I/AAAAAAAACo0/6g4v71Fj1i8/s800/IMG_0195.JPG[/img] The view from the start was great in the waning daylight [img:center]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-o4GTqU9a4Gs/TmfIuvJzm6I/AAAAAAAACoo/kvL3SELJmlE/s800/IMG_0192.JPG[/img] After cacheing our gear, staring at and talking about the route for a while we got hungry and headed down. Fed and watered, we were in bed around 2100. 500 the next morning seemed to come too early. Out of bed and moving up to the start by 530. Our goal was to be at the base of the route by sunrise (630) and to begin climbing quickly after that to maximize our daylight. Predawn stoke [img:center]http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/301162_2231818368325_1633862280_2238647_177420832_n.jpg[/img] We made our time, thanks to caching the gear and our recon mission the day before and were climbing by sunup. I won't go into a pitch by pitch description of the climb; there are plenty of those out there, but the climbing was very good and, with the exception of the second pitch, quite sustained in difficulty. A few highlights; - The first pitch was an eye opener! Not what I was expecting at all and quite sustained. Guess I was still sort of sleeping when I started. Was definitely awake by the end of it. BK Starting P3 [img:center]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-985Wc5hRtwk/TmfJF9lI3vI/AAAAAAAACpY/pws_ZuBBn-g/s576/IMG_0205.JPG[/img] - I got the crux pitch (our 4th, marked as 5th on a lot of other TRs), which I found awkward and very balance-y in parts. Towards the end of this pitch, leave the ridge and look for a tree and little ledge off on the left face. Set up your belay here. Staying on the ridge is unprotectable slab and there is a nice little feature system that will get you back onto the ridge line from this tree. If you look closely, you can see 4 climbers in this section I'm talking about above. There's the obvious one (black jacket/tan pants) finishing up the crux, two on the ledge by the tree belaying (green jacket and tan jacket) and one leading the pitch back to the ridge (black shirt/white helmet) [img:center]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UsWMWSu1BY0/TmVj_L5pXbI/AAAAAAAAPXo/WyVnfzUEg9Y/s512/P9040689-2.JPG[/img] - The pitch after the crux pitch (P5 for us, P6 in other beta), you'll eventually come to a big blocky ledge where some beta states that you can set a belay. Climb up over the next step to the next ledge. It's also big and blocky and sets you up to knock a pitch off of the climb Pic of the above described belay spot [img:center]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vj65L2PDtmg/TmfJNKRAC7I/AAAAAAAACpk/W7721GDW6RM/s800/IMG_0209.JPG[/img] - If you stretched the previous pitch a bit you can combine part of P7 and 8 into one. Climb on P7 until an obvious big blocky ledge and set your belay here (this is partway into P8 in other beta). There's a nice bulgy crack on this pitch that's not rated on the topo. I'd give it an 8, just for reference. - With your new and improved belay spot, you can make the summit in one pitch from there. Booya, shaved off a pitch with no sketch factor or heinous rope drag! Belay ledges are generally really well defined and comfortable. [img:center]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-r2I6hh35XZo/TmfJAyJjInI/AAAAAAAACpQ/Gi8UHfUooh8/s800/IMG_0204.JPG[/img] BK were both on the summit in about 5 hours after starting. Nailed it. Both Matt and Aaron were standing with us 20 minutes later. Chugged some water, scarfed some sandwiches, and took in the views [img:center]http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/302722_2231820008366_1633862280_2238659_130539835_n.jpg[/img] Matt and Aaron [img:center]http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/303037_2231820448377_1633862280_2238662_1192414783_n.jpg[/img] We discussed our plan of continuing on to Burgundy from here, and while both teams weren't on the summit by our 1230 cutoff time, we were damn close. However, not all of the team was feeling up to it, so rather than split up, we decided to stick together and head down. Summit Shot [img:center]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nDFoVE8iSbw/TmfJOE2Pb8I/AAAAAAAACpo/JipjlL25xAE/s800/IMG_0213.JPG[/img] A scramble down to the rap station, and two raps later and we were on the ground, chossading back down from the col to our bivy. We decided to stay that night rather than hike out, because why not? We didn't have to work in the morning. Shenanigans ensued What else are you supposed to drink while climbing the wine spires? [img:center]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FCmJGVngb3k/TmfI75NyakI/AAAAAAAACpE/a6DTVZ_33Ow/s800/IMG_0200.JPG[/img] Whiskey bouldering in the meadow [img:center]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gF4nRiWLHqQ/TmVkbPdIlhI/AAAAAAAAPZ4/rPPU-6W9NEQ/s512/P9040755.JPG[/img] Whiskey Bouldering! All in all, it was a great weekend with some awesome friends on some fantastic rock. Thanks guys for a great ICC experience. Gear Notes: We took gear to 4", but if just climbing Paisano, gear to 3" is enough Approach Notes: Steep and dusty

I've been using the Vireo since the beginning of the year, so my experience is pretty limited, but so far I really like it. Very light and has the ability to be used in the summer as well as the winter with the right coat. I'll use a FF Volant when it's colder and my lighter pile jacket when warmer, or just the bag if really warm. As for height; I'm 5'8" and I can get the regular length bag cinched around my shoulders with a little wiggling. I'd go for a long if I were you. Another option would be to pop by their store and try them out. It's a very versatile piece of kit that, so far, I've found works great in our range here.

Thanks for the tool attachments and the leash Dane! Fit like a charm; now I can't wait to use them

Wow, thanks for the write up and pictures. I was heading out on the trail after completing a route on NEWS when the heli came shooting over the ridge and started circling, then ran into the SAR ground unit. Left me wondering what was going on. Glad everyone made it out OK for the most part.

Nice job guys. I like the 2PM start time...I need to do more climbs like that

Nice write up Matt; I need to get my pictures up. Yeah, the lose rock was somewhat terrifying. If anyone is going up the 5.7 variation, there is a huge flake buried in the crack about 10 ft. above the big leftward pointing horn/possible belay ledge. This sucker is cantilevered in the crack and the only thing holding it up is its own weight. Breathing on this will cause it to go and take out your belayer and anchor down below. Hopefully it falls out on its own when nobody is up there. Until then, stay safe if you go up that way.

I love my Hille and have had it for about two years now. Super lightweight and it's double wall, which is a huge selling point in my opinion for any alpinism in the Cascades. I've spent similar weather situations in both a single wall Bibler and my Hille and I'd take the Hille hands down; kept me drier. I haven't had experience with the exact models you're looking at, but that was the case with the ones I've tried. Also, Hilleberg's North American office is in Redmond. So if you live in the Puget Sound area and need help or parts, call them up and pop on by. They're very helpful and great people.

This! Also, I usually tell people to get a smaller size as it will force you to take less. You'd be surprised what you take that you really don't need and how much stuff can be left behind! Just my 2c

Guess I didn't follow the "trail". It was dark and the snow was easier to descend quickly than rocky bits. So I guess you don't need the axe then

The lower half is still snow covered. Upper half is rock as of last night. We didn't use pons, but the axe was a must.

So it's basically a G14 with easier FP removal? Not seeing the big differences, although it could be weight. Nice front bail design though

That's been my experience. I've done it in 2.5 hours on the fast end with nothing but a liter of water, a puffy, and a hamburger in my pack, or 9.5 hours dragging a full keg. That was a long day on the snowfield...

Sweet write up and pics Rick! I'd like to get this one done once class is over and the conditions are better. Here's hoping! We've got some cool pictures of you guys climbing from our vantage point an the Roosevelt/Coleman too.

So I'm an idiot and in my haste to pack up, I forgot my tent poles and pegs at the bivy site at Smith. The poles are gold/yellow and in a green bag and the pegs are also gold in a black bag. My site was situated right along the ridge overlooking the river. If anyone happens to find them, shoot me a PM. Thanks!