dbb

Get the mythos! I went from boreals to these a couple years ago and it was unbelievable. Still a comfortable shoe, but climb way, way better. The rubber is a bit soft, so you'll need to resole them in a couple years, but worth it imho. Love these shoes.

If I remember correctly, prussiks begin slipping at 1000lbs of force. Seeing as the percel prussiks around two pieces of perlon, I'd imagine that number to be even lower. The main reason why rescuers use percels is because they are full strength adjustable daisies (essentially), and can be used for ascending a rope. I don't know if they are generally regarded as some sort of screamer though. ... and nothing is static, it's all just low-stretch baby

hip belay?

obviously the $589 price tag! (a 100m wall would scare the kids anyways )

From my few times using androids on real alpine routes where you change between swinging and plunging and hanging the tool, I'm not too fond of them. Granted, I have them setup such that I can just barely grab the head of the tool. But, I don't like unclipping my tools at a belay and just leaving them. Almost dropped them in a moat that way once too. I haven't had a problem with the android coming unclipped, but it can fill up with snow and ice, making it difficult to get the leash back on. I think I'm going to have to just put regular leashes back on for the spring and summer. Oh well, it's worth it for how awesome they are on waterfalls. btw, with my androids, every time I take them off I put them on a locking biner on my harness. In the hotel, at home, after a climb... That way you will always have them, and know where they are.

I'll take em too

***I am not ignoring your guide book offer*** Oh my Gawd settle down....my timer went off and I had to run back to the lab. Y'know sum of us here have to werk for a livin'. That would be great if you could leave your copy of Washington Climbing with your roomies or the mailbox, I'll swing by after work today.

My guess is that most midgets don't have a super long hammer.

Oooh, good call! I didn't notice that. And yes, busy with work seriously cuts into that midweek climbing time... can you help me become unemployed Mr. Alpinefox???

to the rescuers. They did they best they could.

A lot of people worry about the ropes jerking back and forth on a webbing rappel, causing the rope to saw at the webbing. There were some interesting home tests done that show this isn't really a problem, and the rope actually breaks before the webbing. Details here: http://mtncommunity.org/dcforum/DCForumID1/1531.html That being said, I'm a little warry of old slings that have been repeatedly rapped off of in this way.

rad

I agree in that it would be a pain to do that little bit of downclimbing down the ramp (with no anchor really) in the rain. all it would take to make the whole route rappable is one more anchor there. Anyhow, Pax and I climbed it friday (in the sun no less!), and it was fun. I put up some pictures and a description of the 'wierdness' above p. 14 on my site: http://www.alpinedave.com/garfield/infinite_bliss.htm It's not bad if you miss the whole deal above p14 as long as you have a little gear with you to just running belay strait up. But this shows it too: The first dot is the top of pitch 15. This picture is taken from the sharp angle point in the photo above.

I'll take the bongs. check yer PMs

Still there. I thought it was a metolious though. i thought it was green. No, it was red!

I've used the Lowe Alpine Attack Summit pack for the past few years and in my opinion it s! It weighs 1 lb w/o the foam pad, and something like 30L, 17.5 oz w/ the pad. It's basically just a sack with 1 ice axe loop (can be a pain there), but its real redeeming factor is that it has these wide foam-y shoulder straps. They make rock climbing in the pack extremely comfortable. The pack is a little pricey for a 'bag' ($50 at PMS), but it's been worth it for me. I've also seen this kind of shoulder strap on some little MEC summit packs that cost like $30 CDN.

I don't think it is... just your everyday clown puncher!

As part of my exit from the UW, my website has fully changed over from the student server to http://www.alpinedave.com so if you have any links to the old http://students.washington.edu/~dbb/ site, you should update them! For some strange reason the UW just doesn't want to continue giving me free web hosting. Dave

wow, that looks like more tuolumne fun!

Post deleted by AlpineDave

going to the summit is definitely worth it. a couple wandering pitches, but it adds a lot to the route I think. The rappels down Chris C's route aren't bad. They are rusted 3/8th bolts with cold shuts, and SMC hangers. There is also a new stainless 3rd bolt with an ushba hanger at each one except for the one hanging station. Not too bad of a way to get down off the terrace if you have to as there are no rope eating flakes. Like it was said, just start from the tree and bring some webbing to remove the ugly neon shit. I haven't rapped jacobs's ladder, but I think that puts you ever farther away from the base of the west buttress. West slabs descent is easiest imho.

no Gary, the fly's were $25 at the north face sale!!

elephant foot?

You might check out the new routes on the Witch Doctor Wall in Darrington. VooDoo Wall (details here) and Solaris are both IV 7-8 pitch 5.10 A2 sort of affairs, VooDoo being a little shorter with more clean aid, and Solaris having more nailing and a long OW pitch. There are also several other IV-V walls around, like Squamish and Index. Get a lot of those in anyway, but in my experience fix & push walls, or one night walls don't really prepare you for the pain and anguish of a VI. They will certainly help, but it is still a big step up. But what do I know... have fun!