jg_eddie

Dane pointed me towards the Barutse two seasons ago and I have had great success around town as well as the AK Range. The biggest surprise for me is how well they perform on the technical side of things. I actually prefer them for ice climbing for up to WI5 and they dont have any issues with mixed up to M7. Solid boot, if only the toe area was a bit taller they would be even better. And the pinky toe gets sore after front pointing for a few days on a big route.

About time someone posted something cool! I'm jealous! Btw is there a guidebook and if so what is it called?

I would say as far as ice axe advice goes Kirk is right on the money. To throw out a different train of thought I would recommend skipping the ice axe altogether. I don't know a single person that I climb with that uses an axe anymore, it seems to be for trekkers or old school peeps that tromp around with leashes and gaiters. Ski poles work much better on flat and lower angle ground and lightweight tools work much better on the steeps. If I were starting all over again I would hope someone would point me towards something like a Grivel Matrix Light adze if I were in the same type of market.

How did you find the fit on the Hydra Pro? I bought the Minus One glove and the finger length was terrible. Maybe it was designed for Caldwell and they didn't stop with just one finger? Also wondering if you have used the warmer Hydra for cold days? Thanks

I grew up in Alaska and started doing more and more serious "hikes" with no knowledge until I had some very close calls that scared the hell out of me. Next step was read (aka STUDY) Freedom of the Hills, Snow Sense and Wilderness First Aid, get as much formal training as possible (avy and rescue stuff is hard to learn yourself) and then if you really want to climb hard struggle through the learning curve asap and get a solid experienced partner. Be careful but don't be too scared to go out on a limb, its the only way to really get better!