christophbenells

I was never very close with Dasan, but I would see him several times throughout the winter climbing season. He was always so stoked. He would periodically post on the forums here. Very sorry to hear he died in a climbing accident on Yukla in the chugach range. Last year in the AK range we were so stoked when his familiar face popped in our cook tent unexpectedly. You will be missed buddy. I still have your old 22cm bd screw and I will put it to good use for you.

i see the rome whiteroom on sale on the interwebs at $389. that board weighs 6 lbs. you can find used dynafits for under 200 (or just the toe peices for $165 new), i see some bd slants for 150$ new. Take a dremel to em and they ride ok. or find some used tlt5's. Burton race plates are around 100$ for a full split binding setup. you can do it for cheap if you try. Don't get me wrong i love skiing as well. I definitely encourage you to get a ski setup also. if you tried ski touring on the equivelant gear that you are on on a split you would hate it, ever try alpine trekkers?

sol has the right stuff. you dont have to give up on the splitboard. phantoms and dynafit tlts are the way to go. I've got quiver killers in my board and ski set-up so i have one set of dynafit bindings and boots for both a splitboard and skimo skis. you can go just as far, just as fast, and just as efficient on a splitboard. You just have to know what you're doing... that being said if i were just going to approach a climb i would do a ski setup, mostly because they are skinnier so there is less drag and more glide. (78mm width skis with mohair skins) The bigger part of the whole backcountry deal is knowing your equipment (and terrain) well so your not just fiddling with gear all day. Thats what kills your efficiency and drains your muscle power. most people take way too much stuff. too much clothing, too many gadgets, elaborate foods, etc.

no it's obviously a neighbor of fairweather.

thats mt. hood from government camp.

Anybody out there (besides cold thistle) have any comparisons between the two? From what I can tell the Scarpas are not quite as warm, but are a little more nimble on technical ground since it is a bit lower profile and thinner sole. I like my spantiks but they are damn big boots, wondering if trading them in is worth it or not. The general use would be climbing 5.9/ WI4 and lower in AK range.

I got a hamstring graft about 5 or 6 years ago. I went to a surgeon who specializes in athletes. My left leg still has bit less muscle mass than the right, but it has the same amount of strength as far as i can tell. Everyone I know who has done the cadaver thing has torn it again right after the "healing" was complete. As far as i know the cadaver grafts do not take quite as well as using one of your own ligaments.

red camp nanotech?

Can anyone comment more on this?

i hear colfax peak is in good condition...

i saw alot of people with those carbon fiber bd tools this last spring in ak range. they seem pretty awesome for that high dagger climbing. i had the same problem, my gloves actually froze to my tools on several occasions, where i had to actually pull them apart, and yeah it makes my hands freeze needlessly. i also saw lots of closed cell foam/duct tape combos.

the few pairs of mountain hardwear gloves i've owned have really been the worst gloves ever. I do not like the outdry, and dry q is bs. If it really was superior all the other companies (BD, arcteryx, marmot, etc.) would be licensing MHW's fabric. MHW uses fabrics like outdry and dry q caude theyre too cheap to pay for gore tex. That being said i do think they make great climbing packs and expedition tents, can't beat the trango tents. My favorite gloves are the black diamond gloves, (leather/ gore-tex) i have the guide glove and the sentry glove, and when i need to i take both pairs with me.

i picked it up, took me a while to decide whether that was a good choice or bad. it sat there in the parking lot overnight on saturday night... anyway, i've found the owner and will be getting it back to him.

owner has been found

i would start your trip in desert sw, get some rad rock then head up to ouray, co area and get some ice stuff mastered. head to the tetons get some winter climbs in to some of the peaks, then head to the cascades in the spring. climb rainier and baker and get to some of the n. cascades peaks. colorado is a great place to take your avy courses since they've got a really reactive snowpack.

take some avalanche courses. an avalanche 1 will teach you everything you need to know. if you do avy 2 you will be able to forecast in any mountain range in the world. of course you need constant practice. i wouldnt worry too much about glacier travel, if you understand rope systems and knots you can use your imagination to figure out how it work with the help of freedom of the hills. a couple days practicing and a couple months spent on a glacier and you'll have it mastered. the problem with avalanches and crevasses though are that the most people that die from these things are "experts" in avalanches and glaciers...

Did you forget your rope and helmet at beacon rock yesterday? I'd like to get this stuff back to its rightful owner.

I found a rope and a helmet at the rock this morning. Looks like someone forgot it there yesterday... Anyone know the rightful owner?

i used mountain hardware nitrous jacket paired with a mountain hardware kelvinator, one or the other, or both depending on the temperatures. they worked fine for that trip, but i would like to do some more intensive rock routes in ak range, and i am a cold person (ironic for an alaska climber i know). i envision myself climbing while wearing the parka, so i want something that is really resistant to abrasion. those mhw jackets are both really thin denier down jackets, that would shred to pieces inside in icy off-width...

im looking for a new belay jacket. looking for synthetic, ultra warm, waterproof or resistant, and a tough fabric. recommendations?

The nut on the bolts at the top of Jill's thrill need to be tightened down, was up there this morn, tightened em best I could with my fingers, but they're still loose.

the only way to go!!! thanks keffler!!!

did right gull on wednesday, great fun as usual, last pitch through the trees on se corner in the dark. do they ever lock the gate on the hikers trail?

Trip: Kahiltna Glacier, Alaska Range - SW ridge Mt. Francis, Radio Control, Bacon & Eggs Date: 4/30/2014 Trip Report: Ryan Irvin and I spent a month on the Kahiltna Glacier in perfect weather from April 23rd to May 23rd. We climbed Mt. Francis by the east ridge, (with a partial snowboard descent) Radio Control Tower by a technical-seldom climbed line, snowboarded steep spines and couliors on Annie's Ridge, Southwest ridge of Mt. Francis, and bacon and eggs on the micro-moonflower. It was all in all a pretty productive trip for this relative newcomer to alpine climbing. I did my first snow and ice climb (Mt. Hood's south side) not more than 4 years ago (though I grew up in the snow and charging around the Sierra Nevada year round)and my first real rock climbing experiences not more than 3 years ago. Here is a bunch of pictures... ryanirvinphotography.com Spantiks on the plane save on baggage fees Beer by the river TAT and Paul Roderick, Denali and Hunter Base Camp locals We went up a big coulior to access the east ridge of Mt. Francis, different than the normal route. East Ridge crux snow bollard rap Snowboarding down the east ridge coulior Our line on radio control tower M4/5 crux on top Mt. Francis base climb steep powder snowboarding There were some super pro alpinists there (kyle dempster and scott adamson) and they were impressed by our snowboarding, was a nice ego boost. We rode both these couliors Mt Francis SW ridge (3,800', 5.8, 60 degree snow and ice) We bivied half way up rock step The absolute worst part of the entire trip. Almost done...but not before one more bivy on the summit, not the clumping on thy boots, Bacon and eggs We cut our trip short 3 days on the glacier, and we got out just in time. 60 mph winds and 5 feet of snow came in over the next 5 days, our friend Bobby got stuck in the ruth. TAT gave us an hour to tear down our camp we had been in for 23 days...we barely made it in time! They picked us up with two tourists, the look on their faces when they asked "whats in the plastic buckets?" was priceless. I don't think they thought they would be on vacation with 5 gallons of human feces.. Talkeetna was a totally different place when we got back! Gear Notes: DR> FRANKENSTEIN Approach Notes: Girlfriend drop off at pdx- dont stay at anchorage backpackers hostel- bummed ride off craigslist- TAT- splitboards w/phantoms and tlt's.