DPS

No, the North Face is not in. A dozen climbers marched up to the face, only to turn around and march back home. Had these climbers come with an open mind, they would have seen that the NE Buttress was in rare form. The lack of snowfall that made for poor conditions on the N. Face actually made for better conditions on the Buttress. Most years snow buries the route but now the pitches are live water ice and exposed rock making for fantastic conditions! The rock on the NE Buttress is much better than that on the N Face. We found excellent rock anchors with pins and cams. Belays were generally sound. Nick lead the fist pitch in the intial, 'S' shaped gully on excellent ice for a full 60 meters. The next pitch follwed the broad ridge crest on snow for 75 meters to the base of a gendarme. Seeing as how it wasn't a 'real' pitch, Nick kindly allowed me to lead the third one. I traversed across the top of the East face, heading toward the obvious vertical waterfall step. The crux of the climb was crossing a minor rock rib with actual mixed climbing; picks cammed in a crack and crampons scratching on rock. Pulling over the vertical waterfall on excellent ice with spin drift avalaches pouring over my head was quite literally the best. At 60 meters I established a belay and Nick joined me. The mixed monkey business could probably be avoided by leaving the ridge crest lower and linking snow and ice to the water fall. We unroped for the last 100 or so meters to the top then down climbed to the rappel. The usual rappel anchors currently sit out of reach 15' above the col. A marginal 2 piton anchor had been established lower down. While we were pulling on the frozen slings to equalize them, the 'good' pin popped out. We spent some time restablishing and properly equalizing a reasonable anchor. Our car to car time was about seven and a half hours. A friend has called this the best route he has done in the mountains. If it had been longer I might have agreed. While this route is more technical, it is also far more interesting, more protectable and safer than the North Face. Come and get it! A fun, less commiting alternative would be to climb the descent gully. Light snowpack has made for good climbing with an 85 degree water ice step. Fixed pins and slung horns make for easy protection and the coolest belay cave ever graces the route. I may take off work early and solo it this week. Our rack: 1 60 meter rope 4 assorted KBs/Bugaboos 2 angles size #1 and #2 4 Camalots size .5-2 6 ice screws, shorty was usefull Nearly every piece was used at least once. Dan [This message has been edited by danielpatricksmith (edited 01-16-2001).] [This message has been edited by danielpatricksmith (edited 01-16-2001).]

Snowleopard, I briefly considered the Rages, but I am really looking for an alpine tool that I can do a few waterfalls with. I have decided to buy from Barrabes, in spain. I know two fellows who have mail ordered from there with good results. The Shrikes are $109. Cash is tight right now, so I am looking to save money where I can. From what I can tell, the superiority of the BP over the Shrike for alpine climbing is debatable. Dan

Thanks to everyone for your considered opinions. I have decided on Black Diamonds due to the ease of changing out the picks and the superior pick design. Now, my next question: are the old Black Prophets that superior to the Shrikes? I have climbed on the Black Prophets and liked them quite a bit. I have only swung the Shrikes in the store, but was very impressed by their balance and feel. Plus I can buy Shrikes for $109.00, and BP for 166.00. I am on a tight budget as I am trying to fund a trip back to the Alaska Range this spring. (My dad no longer works for Alaska Airlines, so there goes the cheap airfare.)

Colin, Thanks for your input. I had thought of the Shrikes, but assumed the BP were the better tools. (They cost more so they must be better) Dan

Hmmm. A year from now I might have forgotten about the 80 bones, but the VISA folks sure won't have =). I think I just might go with the BP. BTW, did I see your photos of Little Si climbers in Nelson's new guide?

Daler, Thanks for the input. I really can't even consider the Cobras, they are just too expensive. I had a pair of Pulsars back in the day and I didn't even bother bringing a spare pick 'cause I knew there was no way I'd be able to change it in the field. The Axars are $40.00 a piece cheaper than the BP. Is it worth the extra money to get the BP, in your opinion? Dan

Having snapped the tip off of one of my venerable Blackbirds, I am in the market for new ice tools, suitable for both alpine and waterfall routes. I have narrowed the field down to the old Black Profits and the CM Axars. I would like to hear what folks have to say about these tools. BTW, having read the thread about Black Diamond's alleged price gouging, I find it ironic that they named their tools 'Profits'.

The aluminum Hugh Banner offsets, available in sizes similar to the larger Stoppers make excellent companions to Stoppers. They fit flaring cracks like nothing else.

Victory Ridge Direct.

Ohhh, I can't resist posting to such a potentially inflammatory thread! My two cents: I have climbed with a number of WAC climbers, and have found them to be generally very agreeable partners with good climbing skills and fine attitudes. As for the Mountaineers....

I have a copy of Tim Olson's guide book and would gladly part with it for the cost of shipping.

I have done some reading on training as it applies to alpine climbing and I have a few questions. Apline climbing requires a balance of power and endurance. As I understand it, training for power and endurance creates competing demands on muscles; any gains made in one area are done so at a cost of the other. It has something to do with converting muscle fibers or something, I can't remember. One effective way of dealing with this is to train in cycles, training power first (it lasts longer) then training endurance. What I don't understand, and is not made clear in the articles and books I have read, is does this refer to muscle endurance only, or cardiovascular endurance as well. If I train carido (ie long, slow distance running, etc), am I losing muscle power? Are muscle endurance and cardio endurance the same? Thanks, Dan

Has anybody been up to the pass recently? Any idea on how Chair Peak or NE Slab of the Tooth are forming up?

I have no complaints about TAT, but I have heard similar stories to yours. We picked TAT because they were the only ones who (regularly) flew to where we were going, the Thunder Glacier.

John Burcham wrote a nice article in CLimbing magazine last year about Little Switzerland. Talkeetna Air Taxi flys there, and the owner, Paul, is a climber who might have some beta.

Fixed anchors on North Face of Hood? Bah, hah, hah, hah. Oh, were you being serious?

Allan Ginsburg is spinning in his grave:Howl of the Addicted I saw the best collegues of my floor destroyed by coffee madness stumbling, bleary eyed, in the dim hallways of dawn craving, nervy office workers looking for a caffeine fix that most indicitive of american appliances lays silent cloudy mind, dulled senses, fumbling hands can't comprehend they run screaming in pursuit of sanity flooding the streets in search of a coffee bar spilling loose change in exchange for the primordial drip hip counter girls, counter culture girls, smirk caustic smiles beautiful people in beautiful clothes drink lattes, cappacinos, americanos tatooed, attituded, well fed starving artists spin mad hyperbole long limbed x-ray women, tall, skinny, nonfat; prostating themselves before the altar dark fingers reach up the spine and wrap around the brain pulled, slipping into caffinated delirium embargoed impluses throb, throb, throb unaware of the impending dawn symptomatic, semantic mad poets ejaculate slanderous prose the crazy beat of the city thrums, thrums, thrums oblivious to the plight of the addicted concrete elevated super highways convey elevated super people diurnal latitudinal migrations burning daylight, sulphurous fossil fuel missonary lifestyles numbed by epidural narcotic prescriptives fault block thrusting along the subduction zone of the virtual empire sedentary, sedimentary, metamorphic monuments erected by flaccid men media in a vain search of purpose dyslexic insomniacs take noctural strolls with their gods lunatic hermits compose mad manifestos lost on the information superhighway but unwilling to ASCII for directions

I spoke to the owner of a climbing shop in Canada about why prices on European equipment was so much lower than in the States. He said the US has very high tariffs.

I get it now, its a joke. [This message has been edited by danielpatricksmith (edited 12-19-2000).]

Is the 4+ route you are refering to called Wait for Spring?

Wow, some really good, considered opinions, all from climbers whom I greatly respect. I'll throw in my two cents: I use a 9.4 with a 7 mm line. My partner and I used this to good effect on the SW ridge of Hunter, making 22 60 meter rappels with no hang ups. The thin line can be hard to grasp and pull, but it never became a problem. One advantage that no one has mentioned is that the second can jumar the 9.4 line more safely than the double or twin rope. This was critical in my decision to use this system. Many guides use a similar system (although they use a thicker lead line). They use the skinny line to belay the client as they rappel the fixed fat line. That said, Mountain Gear is selling a sweet pair of double, 8.1 mm, 60 meter, dry ropes for something like $240.00. Wish I had some extra cash, those would be nice waterfall ropes. Dan

David, I have checked out a number of routes this last week, NE slab of the Tooth, Mt Index, NY Gully etc. My feeling is that due to the low snowfall and low moisture content of the snow, that all of these routes will be late in forming this year. Nothing I have seen is in *condition* yet. *Although I'm sure they are doable, there was very little ice formed, just sugar snow over rock.

Murphy, I have done the lower part of Yokum Ridge up to the head wall. The route is very condition dependant..it probably takes several melt freeze cycles to form, and you definitely want cold weather (make sure it stays cold) for the ascent. The climbing on the headwall is actually on rime ice (or on rock that is like a stack of unmortared bricks) so I can't stress the need for good conditions enough. BTW I enjoyed your favorites list, having done some of them myself. Good choices! Dan

Alex and Darin as usual, voices of reason. For the rest of you, I edited my initial entry so as not to offend or 'perplex' anyone. BTW, I am posting under my name, why aren't you?

JIMI, Don't knock 'em, gels rock. The theory behind them is that your body can't digest solid food eficiently while climbing. The gel carbs are easily absorbed and can boost performance sub