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mikeadam

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Everything posted by mikeadam

  1. David, Obviously the first thing you want to do is closely inspect the abalakov anchor that is in place. Pull the perlon through and visually inspect it for deep burns or for hard flat spots. If you suspect it, then replace it with some of your own, or make a second abalakov below the first one and use the first as a backup. Also make sure you inspect the ice quality around the threads. If in doubt don't be lazy. Build another one of your own. Yes, you should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS back up the first and heaviest person on the initial and others on subsequent rappels/lowers. Only the last person would not be backed up by the screw. The screws sling should leave some slack between itself and the abalakovs. Remember you are testing the ice anchor and not the validity of your screw. The screw is a backup only. There are incidents of people failing to follow this simple precaution and accidents have occurred including one this year that I know of. Someone clipped through a tail of an in place anchor, did not back it up and leaned back for the 120m ice dart. Not fun and terminal. If they had placed a screw they would have lived another day and would probably be laughing about the incident. I have yet to see an abalakov that is threaded with a rap anchor such as a ring. Just carry a bunch of 7mm. You can also use webbing. It is valid. Ethics are ethics, but you have to make a decision that might affect your life. I'm sure most of us can live with a little perlon at the base of an ice climb after the meltage. Don't forget your hooker on the ground or your screw will become booty! Mike http://alpinelite.com [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 02-27-2001).]
  2. Phil, I was looking at one of the final beta versions of the book today and it looks like it will be out soon. Certainly in time to plan trips for the next season. There is some really burly stuff in there including the "Snoqualmie Haute Traverse" that Martin did with Mike Hattrup. http://www.skinet.com/magazines/skiing/feature/00/1528.html Guess I better ski more often. This year was nearly nada. Mike http://alpinelite.com
  3. Everyone, Like me, I know you are all dying to get on that "hazardous enigma" sitting out there at the end of the Middle Fork SRR (Snoqualmie River Road). If you're not aware of the enigma it is a mountain called Garfield and if you haven't seen it up close it presents one of the biggest walls in the Cascades. Besides Pete Doorish I do not think it has seen much attention due to it's reputation. In addition to Garfield this approach is often used as the backdoor to the Snow Lakes area (Roosevelt-Kaleetan traverse), and the Chimney Rock Massif. This is all public land and we have a right to enjoy it. However, I am hearing disturbing rumors of the closure of this road to public access. This essentially shuts down an amazing and not often visited area of the range. How would you feel if they closed the road to Sahale and Eldo? Pretty cheated I would probably think. I am in the process of trying to get more info from the park service, but in the meantime if you feel like this issue affects you or you want to do a good turn for your other fellow climbers who consider this a valuable resource please visit the NB ranger station on North Bend Avenue(on the way to Little Si climbing) and let them know your opinion. There is some mumbo jumbo information that can be garnished from this URL, but as soon as I get the word from the Forest Service I'll scan it and put it on alpinelite. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/ Ray Borbon has already contacted Scott Silver of Wilderness.org for more interpretations of this issue and what it may mean for the future. Any questions or additional information can be directed to this board or to me personally at mikeadamson@alpinelite.com Thanks, Mike http://alpinelite.com
  4. No, that couloir has been skied many times and is called "The Slot Couloir" by the ski fraternity and not "Enigma Gulley" as championed by the boot kicking posse. Martin Volken will be including that as a ski tour in his forthcoming publication. Good work Juan and Colin. I think Juan is amassing an impressive amount of winter routes this year. Mike http://alpinelite.com [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 02-26-2001).]
  5. Hey Borbon weren't you on this over the weekend? Maybe Fred snagged it bro... Mike http://alpinelite.com
  6. # [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 05-15-2001).]
  7. Wow! 11 hours Canmore to Seattle...not bad. Bailed in the face of an imcoming stormfront. Anybody want to go look at Triple Couloirs on Sunday? Erik, BIG Mikey I am back. Make me one with Index Brah! Photos? Yes...I'll try to get them up tomorrow. I have pics of His and Hers and the M6+ to the left. Ratings...hmmmm....it comes in 4 flavors for me. Easy...medium...hard...really hard like I'm falling off. As far as the WI thing....well Barry Blanchard is the person I climbed those lines with so you can argue about it with him. That was his assesment of those routes conditions. Overhanging for 12M is overhanging for 12M bro....mostly I agree with you though. It's all very strange stuff this ice climbing and I can barely discern between any of the middle grades. Steep, steeper, arms burning, or low angle and calves burning. Who cares it's all fun right? Ghost....4x4 city man. I had to make new tracks because of the drifts. Mostly in the big valley at the bottom of the hill before you take the valley north to the sorcerer. I have a pic of a guy buried to his axles in the middle of the South Ghost river. Bring 4x4 or forget it. Didn't climb Prof just heard the word. I know Dale was going to climb Sea of Vapors so their all in the same neighborhood. I was based in Canmore the whole time. IP is coooold and no Beamers coffee girls. Bow Falls looked really cool by the way. ummm...let's see. I climbed Louise in January, but it was getting climbed probably everyday I was there this time. Pretty hacked up on the upper curtain no doubt. I'll try to get a few pics up tonight. Mike http://alpinelite.com
  8. A correction to my first post. Forgive my ignorance. The route Dale R climbed is a Grade6. It's about 500 ft of WI5 pitches stacked one on top of the other. To get there you have to climb 500 ft of WI4 or WI5, but I think they may have climbed a 160M thin WI3 on the left side of the Weeping Wall. Let's see...conditions are good right now. I have been in the North Ghost, Grotto Canyon, Kings Creek, Weeping Wall, Carlsberg and Massey near Field. I was supposed to climb Cascade this morning, but waning enthusiasm (can you believe that) is keeping me close to the ground today. All the usual suspects are in shape, but due to the lateness of the season I would just expect to add/subtract a grade to some of the routes. His and Hers are typically hard 4 easy 5, but the day we climbed them they were /hers 5- to 5+/ His 5+ to 6/. His is currently unsupported as the bottom of the curtain has fallen and can't get up. Carlsberg on the other hand is rated 5, but felt 4ish because of the traffic. Louise Falls is good, The Professor Falls are good. Polar Circus was VERY VERY VERY in. Reality set in when I saw it for the first time....Slipstream looked in bro....just kidding DON'T do it! You will die. Panther Falls and Bridal Veil are in. Cascade is currently safe from avvy as is Kidd Falls on Mt Kidd, but some recent snowfall can make those an avvy hazard. Ah hell man....EVERYTHING is in and fat. Climb where ever you want to stick in your tools. Climb the Whimper Wall and let me know what you think. It was hella fun and a cool position in which you traverse 600m of steep snow to reach the base of the solid Grade4 60M curtain, traverse right across the snow ledge and climb the crux 50M curtain to a dead end on rock. Check your shorts and rap off, traverse and rap again Then cruise back over and climb Weeping Wall left or snivelling Gulley. Make sure you drive up the road to check out NF of Athabasca and the Columbia Glacier. Slipstream is the obvious line on the shoulder of Snowdome. The overly hyped drive was not that bad, but I took my time and made sure I did Rogers Pass in the morning. I am going back through Idaho however instead of doing the TC again. Have fun and make sure you back up your abalakovs for that first rap or you may find yourself walking through the Elysian Fields with the sun on your face. Mike http://alpinelite.com [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 02-23-2001).]
  9. # [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 05-15-2001).]
  10. Grivel Rambo 2's seem to be a top performer for midrange ice (low angle to 80 degrees) and alpine. If you take them on grade4 or harder you will hate yourself for it. Grab the top machines for that chore. The House of Sky will fall with Tops and a Lite though despite what Borbon says. Enjoy your desk.... Mike http://alpinelite.com
  11. My day off here. Arms can't move....but typing fingers work. Retro, Why the condescending tone bro? It was a simple setup using a Petzl device so I could solo the choss crags at Rocky Butt (mispelled intentionally). I was too lazy to belay Borbon that day and simply set the rig up for him. I knew there were dangers and if I flipped over I would have decked. Borbon's locking biner somehow threw open the ratchet when he leaned on the rope and I watched him deck. The thing has never been used since then and I've never bothered soloing with a rope again. Soloing ice is a personal choice and I would think it would be easier to just climb well below your level and use your tools as belays. Cripes, if someone needs a partner around the area it's not that hard to hook up. If you're shaky at the grade don't slap the roof dude... Mike
  12. # [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 05-15-2001).]
  13. Dru, Big Rock Trad uh? I prefer to snort Jaagermeister up my nose with a straw, and pound Sheaf Stouts by the bottle. The 15th is here and big blue is waiting. ....when I first met you...didn't realize....I can't forget you...or your surprise.... Mike http://alpinelite.com
  14. <LOL> I know. I'm a junkie. Mike
  15. In reference: http://wildthingsgear.com/insulation.html http://www.promountainsports.com/clothing.shtml I have a primaloft jacket (Wild Things). I've worn it this winter and I find it very similar in function to the old military Field Jacket liners found at most surplus stores for about $40. The liners are a "wear under" your shell thing, very lightweight, comfortable and warm. I wore one everyday during those 45 day in the field winters with nothing, but a BDU blouse over the top of it. That said, I bought a primaloft jacket with the intent of layering over the top. Smart move. I wore it for 8 straight days and I didn't have any complaints overall. Repels water in a reasonable manner and also breathes. Some amount of sweat will accumulate in areas such as your back with a pack over the top, but it dries very quickly. However, if it had gotten much colder (temps were fairly mild with gusty winds) I would have preferred a heavier jacket such as the WT belay jacket which has 3+ times the amount of insulation as the primaloft. The belay also has a full featured hood which the prima does not. For COLD winter ice climbing grab the 'WT belay' (may or may not apply if you are strictly here in WA). For going light in the summer grab the 'WT primaloft' and treat it like a sweater. It weighs less than a pound, compresses to nothing, and offers a small amount of water repellency with the benefits ot synthetic down. Leave your down coat in the pack for when you head to Denali or Colorado in the winter. The shells on the WT synthetics seem to be pretty tough and could take some ice tool bumbliness alot better than most down jackets I've seen. That is unless you subscribe to the theory that you're not a 'real' ice climber unless you have duct tape plastered all over the holes in your jacket and your gaiters. Personally, I'd rather just not have weaknesses in my systems created by my own ineptness. I guess it's like the ski or snowboard issue. Everyone has a preference and everyone can argue their point. In the end you'll do what feels best for you. Mike http://alpinelite.com P.S. Price, forgot to mention price. Generally I find the synthetics to be cheaper ounce for ounce and warmth factor for warmth factor then down. [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 02-13-2001).] [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 02-13-2001).]
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  17. I wonder how many people will be out there for this 30ft smear this weekend? Mike http://alpinelite.com
  18. Rambo's are tough on the knuckles if you do alot of WI. They do not have bulge clearing abilities so bone up on your foot technique for getting over the top. I can shoulder press 275+ so they could be made of lead for all I care. 3.5 stars out of 5 for Rambo 2's
  19. Voile hands down. Fits nicely into the outside pocket of My Arcteryx Bora40 and then the handle tucks up under the top compartment of the pack. I hardly notice it, and it digs much better than a military entrenching tool. Mike http://alpinelite.com
  20. My mind has drifted since I got on Tuans site. Just found this excellent quote he culled from a friend regarding picking one's partners carefully on Big Wall adventures. "Picking a Partner - I always laugh at the "No Fear" and the "tough guy" image that is forever being thrown at us. Most successful wall climbers are quiet, humble, and low-key. The overall best characteristic of a partner is someone that you get along with. Climbing ability is important, but will you get along with them on day 4 when they keep stealing your Beenie Weenies and pick their nose while handing you an unwrapped jolly rancher? " ~Paul A. Brunner Mike http://alpinelite.com
  21. # [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 05-15-2001).]
  22. Never heard of this guy, but he's a local. Spock out his spray and see what you think. I found this on the Misty Mountain website. In particular this page is a riot: http://www.geocities.com/freewilly.geo/page6.html http://www.geocities.com/freewilly.geo/ Mike http://alpinelite.com [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 02-07-2001).]
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