Ben Beckerich

Talk to this dood http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1136119/Mt_Hood_Beta_Partners#Post1136119

So glad I trad. Screw this crap. At least I'm too scared to fall on my own gear - you're supposed to be able to whip fearlessly on bolts, but crap like this proves you can't trust anything. Except gravity and Murphy - count on both of those.

What The Fork

As to ascending a rope post-fall; If I'm gearing up for legit it's-possible-someone-could-actually-go-through glacier travel, I keep two Tiblocs clipped to biners on my harness. Super fast setup, faster ascending than prusiks... just make sure your rope diameter works with them. Any single will work, but skinny twins - not so much. But neither to prusiks, either, unless you're on two strands.

Yea, that was said in a particular context that should have been explained: one certainly cannot ever ignore avalanche concerns. But anyone with any avy sense at all can pretty much not even look at NWAC, this season. Let's, Matt... but I'm about to sell my splitboard!

Basically everything on Hood is soloable, if you're a competent alpine soloist. Being a strong ice climber will go a long way to ensuring you don't fall off the steps, but there's not that much steep ice to be had. The bigger issue with soloing is just having a good head for alpine - understanding where shit is likely to fall from, being able to move through shit-fall areas quickly and intelligently, avalanche assessment (don't even bother, this year), glacier/crevasse navigation, blind land navigation- visibility seems to be the catalyzing killer in most of the classic Hood tragedies... weather rolls in, people decide to hunker down rather than descend, and mysterious death ensues. Physical fitness is absolutely critical.. fatigue ruins climbs, epicness or not. So I'm saying it sounds like you probably don't want to solo at this point, based on what little I know about you. But if you're fit, there's no reason you couldn't slam out a North Face trip with a partner that knows the mountain. But dammit - you better be fit.

Howdy Not entirely sure I want to do this, so I'm posting one of these dumb "feeler" threads I hate to see so much... but before I go to the emotional strain and effort of getting it out, cleaning it up, taking pics, uploading, and posting, then to sit and watch and wait for someone to make a lowball offer on my already righteous price.... Is anyone even interested? 158cm Solution I think it's an '11 variety Only ridden a couple times a year... less than 10 trips, I'm sure G3 high-traction skins Voile Mountain plates for descent Dynafit toes for ascent Not gonna let it go for a song, but I realize the market is more saturated than it was when I put this together. Lemme know if there's any interest, and I can put a proper ad together and come up with pricing -Ben

I didn't go.... I wanted to take a nap on the summit, build up some RBCs, and just didn't like the idea of doing it in 50mph gusts, as the forecast was suggesting. Will try again Monday... even after 10-12" of fresh this weekend, there's just nothing up there that can slide with enough mass to ruin your day, barring terrain trappage. NWAC might as well shut down.

Anybody been up this week? Gonna do a lil training run up the south side tomorrow morning.... wondering if I should do hikers or skis

Seems like this route really calls for a 3, 4 hour pre-dawn start for best conditions. The ridge is so sharp and full-south facing, as soon as the sun hits it, it's taking sun-ray punches to the kisser. Or an overcast day.. but that slims up your margin.

Logged on to check this out..... Sounds like conditions were not optimal, which makes me less jealous - but lends bigger props to you boys for getting it done anyway. Strong work.

Wow... Kid was really bold, and had a crazy enthusiasm for gnarly ice. We weren't exactly bros, but we tried to be a couple seasons ago... just never did get trips/schedules to line up. RIP, little bro... climb the big one in the sky.

Which Dasan?? Not this Dasan? http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showprofile/User/23383

I used to care about ridiculous shit like this... I'm so glad I don't anymore. I'm totally OK with an all women's school banning Vagina Monologues because it doesn't represent dudes with vaginas and chicks with dicks, if that gives them jollies.

Everything from Lewis to Everette is just Seattlapolis to me, dude.

Special place.... http://abc7news.com/news/cyclist-hit-in-west-oakland-robbed-while-unconscious/474341/

Free?? Hellsyea!

Yea... the Whitewater descent just seems like a sloggy hell.. I've read accounts of people spending HOURS out there coming back around. Plus, it adds at least an hour or two on the trail also. Last time I was up there I couldn't even find a reasonable exit to the Whitewater from the knife-edge, but I didn't actually look very hard, as I descended the Milk Creek ravine to the Russel. I great approach/retreat is to take the Russel's drainage up to the moraine from the PCT- I believe it's the only spot where the PCT breaks the treeline on Jeff herself- so it's a very obvious ingress and egress. And greatly simplifies descent. The only issue I see with this is the fact that the Milk Creek drainage is sustained steep snow for a couple thousand feet, which some folks find intimidating for descent. Speaking of the Milk Creek thing... is that an established climbing route? It's not particularly interesting climbing, but it's got to be the single most straightforward and least technically demanding routes to the summit, no? If one was looking for a quick and safe bag of Jefferson, I'd think it'd be just what the doctor ordered. I've never seen any report of anyone ascending that way.. just descending.

Not a passive-aggressive criticism (like one would expect on this board [and would usually actually be what I was doing]) but genuinely just wondering what your take was: why do you say the upper schrund was impassible? Looks like there was a few places where it was continuous frozen water... just too overhung to give it a go?

Can't read your TR... Scared made it too hard.

Happy Christmas!

This is my overall political position. I can't believe anyone cares anymore.

I've had similar experience, as a construction contractor. I was stoked about fellow climbers before I found out that the type that are interested in doing construction are the type that already have a well established pattern of life lethargy and poor decision-making. Not saying a climber can't make good labor- I'm a climber, and very squared away on the job site... so it's not impossible. Just rare. Some folks like to maximize their odds by pre-screening, and that's legit.

Funny how everyone had a jacket to sell me when the sun was out...

He doesn't give a shit about the Constitution. It's just one of about 30 different flags he keeps in his pocket to suit his current bullshit argument... many of which, as you've noted, are completely contradictory. This is why I can't humor his bullshit. I can take any ism you've got up your sleeve, but hypocriticism I cannot abide.