DPS

I take the clothes I will be wearing while climbing plus a down or synthetic parka for rest breaks and the summit. Rope and crevasse rescue gear, harness, ice axe, crampons, 2 liters of water, lunch, sunglasses, headlamp, sun block, camera. I don't take bivi gear, sleeping bag, or stove.

[quote NE is on my list this spring, and I believe it's considerably more challenging and probably would be super scary solo. I climbed it ropeless and it was not that bad. The NE Couloir that is, not the North Buttress Couloir.

When and where are folks meeting this week? I would like to go.

I came back from Leavenworth once and felt something on my stomach. It was a tick with its head buried in my skin. But this tick was running around in circles all crazy like. I think it was just a nervous tick.

Apparently Liberty Ridge has gotten harder because when I did it 10 years ago it only took 30 hours car to car and was pretty moderate. Now it takes 5 days and is "potentially one of the toughest routes in the lower 48".

Not sure the name of this climb but it is about 5.6.

http://www.smcgear.net/products.asp?cat=4&pid=62

This guy has his own Web site promoting himself complete with the embedded newscast. This guy is all about publicity. I will give them credit however, they did climb a moderate, popular route in the early season.

Did you all catch that quote "potentially the most difficult route in the continental US."

I agree with mtnfreak. Leaving the Sat phone on for extended periods would drain the battery quickly. Maybe they have sat linked pagers now?

I have a Maxim 10.5 mm, 50m rope you can have. Email me if you are interested: bighurtbob@hotmail.com

Hello, I am interested in beta for the Curtis Ridge. If you have climbed the Curtis Ridge I would like to hear how you climbed the crux rock thumb, or avoided it. I understand from reading the Beckey guide that there are several variations for this section. Thanks, Dan

That is what we locals refer to as a sucker hole. Sucker.

Hello Joe, Remember me from NE Buttress of Chair Peak earlier this winter? Was that Einar Osterhaug that you did Chair Peak with? He is a friend of mine. Dan Smith

Jim Nelson's guide book recommends 2 days.

If the two dots in photo taken by climbaround on the 19th, are indeed the climbers, then they did not move much since we last saw them at 3:00 pm on the 18th, suggesting they bivied in the couloir. That is just speculation of course. I am looking forward to a trip report.

I think you might be jumping into the deep end a bit with some of these routes. Why not try NF Chair or NE Slab of the Tooth? They would make nice introductory winter routes.

Apology accepted.

I climbed Chair Peak in my randonee boots once. It was fine.

Ryanl and I shoveled the bridge so it is reasonable to cross now. ww4ever: The road is about 4 miles. It is indeed gated at Bridge creek.

Go to Colchuck Lake and climb Colchuck peak. I think you are looking at a slog.

We experienced constant, large rock fall from the toe of the ridge to Thumb Rock. The spine of the ridge was exposed rock and rocks were not so much falling as sliding down the mountain. We crossed many troughs that were worn into the ridge by falling rocks. We would come to a trough, wait for a rock to slide down it then quickly cross.

I went mid July and had really good conditions, although rockfall was an issue. I used an axe and a north wall hammer, this combo worked well. I think 2 pickets and 4 screws should cover it. We took one day (12 hours) to thumb rock and another day to climb and descend (30 hours car to car.)

Sounds like you want a light single rope. Maybe this one: http://www.promountainsports.com/ropes.shtml?ropes-beal-joker.shtml

Yeah well, I may be getting fat, but at least I'm going bald.