dalius

I feel better already! Thanks yp!

jon, maybe you're right. It's really not fair to judge this guy from whatever few chapters I've read from his book, it's just that that's all I've got to go on. If he's not the guy I've formed an impression of in my mind, then more power to him.

I just got that feeling from reading a bit of his book, "Addicted to Danger". He talked a lot about how hard he was, how a lot of partners died on him, and how he can't keep a marriage together. It might have been just me, but by the tone of his writing, he seemed to be bragging about these things. I could be totally wrong about the guy, and in that case I'm the real loser here and I eat my words. But, he seems like a grade A loser. "Addicted to Danger", what a fucking stupid title anyway. If that's why the guy climbs, I feel sorry for him. All this being said, to his credit, the guy has climbed shit way harder than I'll ever climb. He's very talented. It just really turns me off when talented climbers are cocky and conceited. The best climbers out there, IMHO, are those that send the *sickest* climbs and make it seem like no big deal, another day out for some fun, ho de hum humble. I don't care how hard somebody climbs, if they have a stupid ego then that makes them an Uber-Loser. Utmost respect to the humble ones...

$13 is a lot of cash for a mag, but I think that this one is definetely worth it. It's definitely *the* nicest climbing mag out there these days, very elegantly put together. $13 also buys you virtually 0 ads (except for couple of first and last pages, which are very tastefully done) and very high quality color printing on heavy paper. I've read the first three and the one thing that I don't understand about this last one is what the hell a story about Yosemite is doing in there? This is supposed to be an alpine climbing mag, as written in their mission statement (Christian Beckwith writes... "He spoke of an empahisis on alpine-style and single-push ascents, climbs that strip away as much of what is not alpinism as possible, leaving only the cleanest interactions with the mountains, the most intimate experiences"), and there isn't supposed to be anything in there on bouldering, sport climbing, or cragging in the valley. I'm by no means disqualifying what Cedar Wright did on the Sentinel. It truely was an amazing climb. That kind of story belongs in Climbing, not Alpinist. I'd rather see the space filled with more stories on alipne climbs from around the world. There can't be a shortage of them. Not trying to nitpick, I'd just like to see this mag. live up to it's statement of being a real alpine journal. Any thoughts?

Jim Wickwire has a tendency to brag about how everyone he climbs with seems to die on him. For some reason he seems to get off on this. Hope these guys don't die because of his bad luck.

IMHO, I think it's great that thing was knocked down. Sounds like it was a total threat to people's safety and should never have been bolted in the first place. I think that whoever had the guts to go out and do this and risk getting in trouble with the law should be commended on their great deeds. While I am not for environmental destruction, it sounds like this was a death waiting to happen. If someone was able to push this thing over, then it had to be close to going under a climber's weight. Better some more choss on the ground than a dead climber. It's one less trip for SAR in my opinion. I can't understand why the hell would the sheriff be after whoever did this? Are they going to be chasing after anyone and everyone that's ever "cleaned" a route before, as so many people do on first ascents (and all subsequent ascents at Vantage). Is cleaning loose rock now considered illegal? And what is with some sheriff getting injured in this whole ordeal anyway? I thought nobody was there but the 'outlaws' when this happened. I'm not saying that I would go out and do somethine like this myself. I hate Vantage because of the large choss pile that it really is and never climb there anymore. It's the only crag that I feel the need to wear a helmet while at the base. Personally, I don't feel like people should be climbing there, but that's not my decision. I simply realize that people *are* going to climb there and so what if somebody actually had the balls to knock over a tower and make the choss pile a little bit of a safer place to climb.

from the Seattle PI... Stay out of the backcountry! LINK Wednesday, March 12, 2003 Avalanches close Trans-Canada Highway THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REVELSTOKE, B.C. -- An avalanche has closed the Trans-Canada Highway east of this southcentral British Columbia town for the second time in as many days. The British Columbia Highways Ministry said the slide was so big that the principal east-west route through the mountains could remain closed for as long as days. The second avalanche, about 30 miles east of Revelstoke, rumbled down a mountainside just after dawn Tuesday, burying two semitrailer trucks. The vehicles were damaged but the drivers escaped without injury. Highways officials estimated it would take as long as 48 hours to clear the road but hoped to reopen it to some traffic within a day. Avalanche crews will check for trouble spots before the highway will be reopened, officials said. Long detours were required to get around the slide - Highway 3 through Fernie and Crowsnest Pass to the south or Highway 16, the northern Yellowhead Highway, through Jasper, Alberta. An avalanche closed the Trans-Canada in the same area for about 10 hours Monday. Evan Manners, an official at the Canadian Avalanche Center in Revelstoke said the slopes have been especially unstable because of mild, wet weather recently. "This system is pumping moisture right out of the central Pacific and we're seeing temperatures even in the alpine (areas) approaching (the freezing level)," Manners said. "Definitely this rapid warming has triggered a fairly serious avalanche cycle." Sixteen people have died in avalanches in the province this winter, including 14 in the Revelstoke region. Seven teenagers from Calgary died in Glacier Park on Feb. 1, and seven skiers and snowboarders were killed in the back country north of Revelstoke on Jan. 20. Six to 10 inches of snow fell on the Revelstoke-Glacier National Park area Tuesday. "In the last two days we've gone from -20 to zero degrees (-4 degrees to 32 degrees Fahrenheit) in the alpine, so that snow has started to warm up and settle into a bit of a slab, become cohesive," Manners said. "Now we're adding more weight on to it in the form of either rain or heavy snow. "So we've got rapid warming, which is an avalanche trigger, and we've got heavy snow and rain, which is another well-known trigger. Those two things are combining to produce avalanches in this storm snow, at the surface."

Here's the link for the skiier killed at Crystal. 44yo male fell into a tree well and suffocated...... Ouch. Be careful out there. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134648334_webskier07.html

Yes. The pricing thing breaks down this way... $40 to enter the rec. or "citizens" class $50 to enter the racing class ~$22 for the lift ticket ------------------- Total = $62 - $72 The lift ticket, even though you don't use it for the race, is actually to deal with the liability issues at the ski resort. By buying the ticket, you essentially are signing a waiver form releasing the ski resort from any responsibility for your partaking in such a dangerous sport. This is the case with all lift tickets at all ski resorts. They sell the discount ticket because they realize that you are CLIMBING and not riding the lift for the race, but you are totally free to ride the lifts the rest of the day after the race is over, which is pretty early. Beer consumption and gear giveaway starts at 3 or so.

With the 1" an hour snowfall and the EXTREME avalanche danger predicted for the weekend, forget it! I did read the thread you were referring to savaiusini, and I do have the concern about the $70 entry fee and how much of the money goes where, especially since I'm self-employed (read: unemployed). The only way I can try to justify it is if most of, if not all the money goes to the NWAC. So who is throwing together the Dirtbag Rally this year?

Yo LADIES!!! Women especially should be thinking about coming to this event because so far there have barely been any!! Last year there was only 1 woman in the rec. or "citizen's" division at Alpental!! (which means you could have come in last and won big $$ and prizes) and this year at alpental there were only 6. The racing division had 6 women last year, only 3 this year! And the last two showed up 45 minutes late! Ladies, the gear and $$ awaits. cheers, dalius

http://www.life-link.com/race.htm Check out the post in the Climber's Board.

http://www.life-link.com/race.htm For those that don't know, the "Randonee Rally" is happening at Stevens Pass this Sunday. I know what you're saying: Backcountry ski race?@!? What the@!? Check out Life-Link's website. They have all the info. The reason I'm posting is because it seems that less people know about it this year and I've seen no talk about it here yet. It's a good cause (a lot of the money goes to support the NW Avy Center) and it's one of the only ways you'll ever get a bunch of solitary backcountry skiiers together. Oh, and afterwards there's all the FREE BEER you can drink and a raffle in which just about every single person walks away with FREE GEAR!! Make note, you need not be a serious racer to go. There's a Racer's Course which requires a serious set of lungs and limbs to compete, and a recreational course for the rest of us that just want to have some fun. Winners of both divisions receive $$, skis, etc. Hope to see you there. Dalius

This whole 9-5 work world is stealing all of my midweek climbers partners! I'm interested in getting out to Index tomorrow to crank on some granite. As far as index goes, I'm starting to lead in the low tens. I've got the gear, I just need a partner. Who's interested? Also, I'm trying to learn how to aid climb so if you want to go aid some lines at Index as well, let me know. Cheers, Dalius daliusg@yahoo.com

Tasty Bites and cous cous. Tasty Bites are pre-cooked packed-in-foil-pouches Indian dinners. All you have to do is heat them up in boiling water, then take it out and use that water for cous cous. Voila! ***** 5 star indian dinner, even better than eating at home. The indian packets do wheigh a lot, but it is 100% worth it.

Sold.

I've got a yakima rack that does not fit on my current car. Was on a Jeep, doesn't fit on my 4runner. It's gotta go! The specs:-2 66" crossbars-4 gutter style mounts (these are great for Jeeps and pickup canopies, volvos, etc, if you have a "gutter", it will fir)-The mounts all have locks, comes with a set of keys. Asking $100, or best offer.contact daliusg@yahoo.com

For sale: Used Yakima Rack. 2 64" bars with "Gutter" style footings. Footings have locks. Asking $125 OBO. Daliusdaliusg@yahoo.com

The mountaineers are hosting the "Best of Banff Mountain Film Fest." over the next three evenings: Wed - Fri. It seems that I was a little late in getting tickets to the Friday show (damn!). If you have, or know anybody that has any extras, could you please let me know? It seems that I'm always a little late in getting these tix. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks a bunch, Dalius