dbb

cherry ice is about 10 ft wide. two ropes would be a lot to ask of poor cherry ice.

Skiing the North Face (our descent) would be fairly casual for a solid back country skier. Slopes up to 40ish degrees, but open and rolly. The exit chute at the very bottom might present some trouble. There were waterice patches that we downclimbed around, followed by a narrow scoured couloir. Justin and Darin made a rappel here once. You could continue the descent by looping back under the East Face, or skin up to Salish peak and go down the moderately open valley by the Squire Creek Wall (essentially reversing Beckey's approach beta for the NE buttress on Three Fingers. The whole thing would have great position and views.

corporate ho! How many miles driven per pitch? I think I'm currently at 280 miles per pitch

hope he's good at dodging rocks if you go late season

ride 'em cowboy!

I have an older chouinard hammer that I'll sell for $30. new handle but no funkness hole.

Bob- thanks for the pics. looks rad, but is Jia climbing in ski boots??

rad trip team Harro!!

temporary closures this time of year usually continue as season closures.

this one?

WHOAAAA, this is rad! Way to go SG! Did you back the holds with plywood like in this picture?

Choosing a method to tether your tools when going leashless seems obvious to me. The spring lanyards, short and with shock cord, are great. They don't tangle much at all (have you tried a springy tether with a swivel Don?) and minimally affect the swing. Some may disagree with the swing affect, but it doesn't bother me. For most single pitch cragging it seems reasonable to climb without any tether. On the topic of using leashes at all, I think Eric hit it just right: it depends on your strength and skill level. For waterice, going leashless means committing to hanging on for the whole ride up the pitch. It is a lot more like steep rock climbing where technique will help, but you need to have a base level of strength and endurance. The leashless climber needs to understand that requirement before starting up a pitch, instead of relying on leashes to save them when they pump. I think this is why some folks feel that leashless climbing is more "pure" (whatev). It's also why it can be dangerous pushing your limits in the WI4-5 range leashless. In the alpine, it is great to be able to place and let go of your tools when mixed climbing. Over the shoulder, into ice or in a crack, it allows you to grab a rock hold, or shake out and place gear. Dangling tools has always felt cumbersome to me. With tethers, this is easy. That said, Don has climbed way more alpine climbs than all of us put together. but to each his own

Good to hear. Sounded like it would be a long road. Hardest working climber in SE!

usually just shoulder seasons when the North Cascades Highway is open. Otherwise you need a snowmobile. The NE Ridge in winter wouldn't be difficult if you have winter alpine experience. snowy, moderate rock. Might have some cornice problems too. Here's some TRs from november and may: http://uw.cascadeclimbers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3489 http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=413489

I think a digital beacon is worth the extra money. They are easier to use, and that's what counts in an emergency. I have the Barryvox beacon (the original) and love it. The harness it comes in is simple (unlike the old tracker), comfortable and the overal unit is much smaller than other beacons. The barryvox has a "stupid simple" digital mode, but also has advanced options like view digital on the screen and hear analog in beeps. That said, I haven't paid attention to beacon advances over the past few years.

The Freneys and the Nepals are different classes of boots. IMO the Freneys compare directly to the Trango Extremes in weight and construction. The Nepals are a bit heavier, but also "higher-topped", stiffer laterally and better built. I really like the Trango Extremes for day routes in winter or summer trips where you wouldn't want a lighter boot. However, for super wet snow or multiday winter trips, I think that style of boot absorbs/leaks too much water. In my experience, Goretex boot linings are just hype. Boots get wet, feet get wet. Maybe they keep the water back for a little while longer. However, it is worth noting that the Nepal Evo (GTX) is about a half pound lighter than the older Nepal Extreme.

nice! way to go team Harro!

And all this time we thought we had it right. Thanks Nike!

All the time. They are well worth putting on and keeping on.

I've been using neutrinos but when shafting the tool the carabiner flips up into the pinky rest. a camp nano or other tiny biner like this is a good idea.

nice work gents!

I think it is a bit irresponsible to post pictures of a product like that without giving the back-story. The implication was that the damage occurred via climbing somehow, which it sounds now like it was not.

Depends, do you want to go alpine climbing or ice climbing? If alpine and not in WA, then maybe the San Juans by Ouray (added bonus of the local ice and the park) or the Canadian rockies. The snow can get weird in the rockies by later December though. Also not technically in the lower 48 Bug's suggestion of Montana is a good one. Fairly accessible and within a reasonable drive for us washingtonians. For pure ice, you can't beat Hyalite, the Canadian rockies and Ouray that time of year.

It's really strait forward: "Virgin Mary" is a difficult one to tick, but getting "Skid Mark" is super easy (you might not even know!)

carharts work great, are cheap, and have plenty of room. if you want a "climbing" pant, nothing beats the Arc'teryx tweave softshell pants for tall skinny guys (beta lt? I dunno)