burchey

Yeah, route is mild, but the pics were great. Thanks for tossin it up

Berg, this is really the first season I've even paid attention to alpine ice, so I can't speak for other years other than the research I've done. This was a pretty dry year, so the ice came/went pretty early. My understanding is that late Aug/early Sept is about average, as you say. I'm still holding out some hope for early fall and the V-notch...keeping my eyes on it, but not holding my breath.

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like it matters!!!!!! On a serious note - little insights like leaving larger gear not immediately needed with a follower, etc are very useful to those learning this Trad game - nothing finer than learning from the (mis)adventures of those more experienced that come before and are willing to share.

This is so awesome.

Hey Chris, thanks for the feedback. I know a guy at SMG - their website/condition reports are handy. PM sent.

Trip: Eastern Sierras - U-Notch / Chimney /North Palisade Date: 7/14/2012 Trip Report: Following a few days of thunderstorms and a stretch of warm days, we threw judgment to the wind and headed up the 395 towards glorious alpine ice routes in the Palisades, just west of Big Pine, CA. Stories, gear, and bodily fluids were exchanged at the overnight parking lot around 7700 feet or so. Intended goal was North Pal by way of the U-notch couloir and the 2 pitch chimney. Lazy morning led to a 12 mile schlep up the north fork of the Big Pine creek. Water was plentiful all the way up to the glacier. We passed the turquoise waters of the lakes below temple crag around 10,000 headed up the Sam Mack Meadow around 11,000 and decided on the standard route to the glacier after inspecting the snow in the chutes at the southwest end of the meadow. We left the trail above Sam Mack and headed across mounds of Moraine and snow up to the flat boulder just above the glacial lake at 12,200ish. Water was gathered (and treated upon discovery of an odd film on the water and the bug-corpse-floatilla ), dinner was consumed before sweating the night away in my 32 degree bag. We'd heard tales of rock coming down the U-notch, but hadn't heard a peep out of it all afternoon or through the evening. Up at 1 am, we decided to give it a shot, hoping the early morning would afford the cooler temps to stave off rockfall, and we'd be down before the possible t-storms that hit this area in the summer afternoons. The mile or so and 800 feet to the mouth of the U-notch passed more quickly than we anticipated, even with the sketchy boulder slope traverse above the lake before you reach the toe of the glacier. Water ran over the surface into trenches scored by the running melt on its way to the lake. We found a flattish spot about 75 feet below the U-notch, flaked ropes and racked gear before we headed up to the bergschrund. At that moment, in the mostly-dark of the early morning, we heard a far off rumble to our right and way up high. It grew into a deafening rattle of rock down the Clyde Couloir, boulders sparking off the sides of the chute, landing in the snow and ice and setting off a huge plume of white that we could just make out in the dark. The chute above us leading to the U-notch and North Palisade sat silently, waiting on us to make a decision. We decided this route wasn't worth the risk - it was too warm and the recent rains high up probably loosened up some treats above us. We packed it up and headed back down the glacier to camp - short nap and some snacks made the 11-12 mile hike out that much more bearable. V-notch, U-notch, and Clyde Couloir above the Palisade Glacier. Gear Notes: Didn't use it: took 60m half ropes, stubbies, draws, handful of nuts and cams. 2 tools. Approach Notes: 11-12 miles to the notch from TH. Water plentiful.

You have to think about where you'll most likely end up in the near future, and then think about the distant future. An axe/tool can and will last you a while if you aren't destroying it every other day. Buy something that will grow with you. I ran the venoms for a while, and they were great. As my routes grew more difficult - sections of moderate ice tossed in - I outgrew them. Snow/snice were a dream, but they don't swing well for hard water ice, and you pump out fast without leashes. If you plan to advance your game (as most of us do) keep that in mind. I found the Grivel Matrix Lights to fit my bill - short and light for a T-rated axe that swings really well / sticks in ice like a champ. I modified a couple - climb WI3 with zero issue leashless - beyond that you'd probably need more aggressive tools unless it was a short section...gets pumpy more quickly due to the angle of the grip on steeper stuff. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1066886/Grivel_Matrix_Lights_Maximum_V#Post1066886

Perfect Strangers was also simultaneously the greatest and the worst television program ever created. Balki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep looking - I don't do 2-man glacier travel (so far). We carry a second rope all day for a 3 or 4 man team. My buddy did a two-man team with some random idiot, other guy didn't watch the tension, rope draped down into a crevasse, got mega snagged, had to cut the rope. Trip = over. Extra rope might have been nice. Super random, but happened.

No offense here, but I don't know any 2 person rope teams that carry a second rope for a route like the DC. What would you do with the second rope? (rescue situations?) gotta read my entire post, baby. I tend to agree with you

I think it depends on the type of cord you're using - testing is a good idea. We tested because we practice rescue on dry ground - 6mm, like those pre-made Metolius dealios, don't do well on 8mm ropes. That's what we found. 5mm climbing spec cord works great.

Several things: 8mm is too small for the 6mm prus..go with 5mm 2 man rope team isn't the safest way to go, but sometimes I know you have to. In addition, a lot of folks go with two ropes - in your case, couple o' 30m ropes should be fine. Not sure I'd feel good running around on glaciers with only one short rope. DC isn't too bad, though. Probably wanded/stomped like a mother. On that route, one rope might be just fine. Odds of going in are pretty low.

Nice .pdf file - I remember seeing a video of a semi-recent rock/ice slide on the Nisqually, couple weeks after I had been on it...rock ran down the mountain like some kind of scary river. It was about 1 millionth the size of this, can't imagine being anywhere nearby at the time of the slide.

Wow, that looks unreal. I HEART Glaciers.

Billcoe, I'd imagine you worried like crazy since your father died so young. That's a whole 'nother kind of hazard we can't even account for. Every day (and climb) is a gift for sure.

Are you genuinely this dumb? Almost every post you put up is just a string of unrelated misspelled words and junior-high jokes. You do realize that this kind of nonsense does nothing to anyone except reinforce your obvious lack of capacity for adult conversation and ideas. The post of mine you quoted was hi-lighting your attempt to modify that other guy's name the same way I did yours, an example I'm sure was lost on you. Who's the uncreative piece of shit now?

Assintake is most definitely missing them. looks he is suffering from constant period mood swings 365 days a year. feel sorry for his constantly hurting snatch. AssholePiss: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/imitation-is-the-sincerest-form-of-flattery.html

This is exactly what I was hoping for - a range of perspectives and personal takes on the topic.

watch out for the mummy, dawg?

Assintake is most definitely missing them. looks he is suffering from constant period mood swings 365 days a year. feel sorry for his constantly hurting snatch. Real internet tough guy. I will be in Washington next week, just saying... yeah, look me up in whistler or squamish, because now i spend more time there. And the winner of the 2012-person-I-fear-a-physical-confrontation-with-the-least-award goes to...........assholepiss. Are you sure you aren't in Tadoussac more often?

When did you go to Aconcagua?

Hey douchey, just posting pics on of climbing on tr kind of shows lack of mineral, don't you think? I don't even know what mineral means yet, so I think I'll agree with you. I forgot that we aren't allowed to TR on CC. Do you have any pictures of yourself being a waste of carbon? Toss that in your french-canadian signature. Ahhhhh Oui!

I want to get in on this minerals thing. Who do I have to talk to? Also - giant pictures of yourself in your signature for the win

Yes, I'm a moron and have nothing to add but does Cam know how you feel about his nuts? Well-played.

Haha, how much did you sell them for? I hope more than the 175 bucks or whatever on Amazon. "don't respond maggots!"