DPS

I have a pair of Grivel Air Tech aluminum crampons. They work well for snow and neve, but on bullet hard black ice they are less than confindence inspiring and the down facing points are too short to penetrate a thin layer of snow over ice. They rock climb better than any other crampon I have had. This is due to the shorter points and the soft metal. They 'bite' the rock almost like rubber. They won't last long doing that though. I veiw them as specialty crampons for alpine rock climbing and ski mountaineering. Alpine climbing//mountaineering I go with a pair of steel spikes.

Is that still there?!?

NW Alpine Fast/Light Pant http://nwalpine.com/apparel. BTW, you don't need 100% waterproof pants but if you want them, Dutch Harbor rain gear is cheap and durable.

I have a Black Diamond Alias Avalung ski touring pack that I would like to sell or possibly trade. The pack is size M/L in red and gray. http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/ski/snow-packs/alias-avalung-pack It is in perfect condition and has been used exactly once on a short ski tour. I would like to get $130 for it. Also interested in a trade for the following items -Summer wieght down sleeping bag (e.g. Western Mountaineering Summerlight, Marmot Hydrogen, Feathered Friends Vireo, Merlin) in 6' length. -Pyramid style tarp (e.g. Black Diamond Megalight, GoLite Shangrila 3)

My preference is Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather. It is beeswax/silicone that comes in a tube.

Vortex by David Harris, hard cover. Climbing Fiction. $5.00 or free with other purchase Mexico's Volcanoes - A Clmbing Guide by R.J. Secor, paperback. $5.00 Mountain Journey's - Stories of Climbers and Their Climbs, edited by James P. Vermeulen, paperback. Anthology of classic climbing stories. $5.00 So,... How Does The Rope Get Up There, Anyway. A Complete Gudie to Big Wall Watching, by Kathy Meyers and Mark Blanchard, soft cover. $5.00 or free with other purchase. Best of Boulder Climbs by Richard Rossiter, Chockstone Press, paperback. $8.00. California County Summits - A Guide to the Highest Point in Each of the 58 Counties by Gary Suttle, paperback. $8.00 California's Fourteeners - A Hiking and Climbing Guide, Stephen F. Porchella and Cameron M. Burns. $5.00 SOLD Climbing the World's 14 Highest Mountains - The History of the 8,000 Meter Peaks by Richard Sale and John Cleare, hardcover, coffee table book. $15.00 SOLDFifty Favorite Climbs - The Ultimate North American Tick List by Mark Kroese, paperback, coffee table book. $12.00. Buyer pays shipping. I am happy to do bulk deals. If interested please email bighurtbob@hotmail.com. Thanks, Dan

I have an UNUSED pair of Black Diamond Vipers I would like to trade/sell. These are the newer version (copper colored) with micro hammer and adze. I bought these because my wife decided to get back into ice climbing, but they are a bit heavy for her to swing. I am interested in the following items: -Pair of Petzl Aztarexs (hammer and adze) in good condition. -High quality summer weight down sleeping bag in 6' length (e.g. Western Mountaineering Summerlight, Feathered Friends Merlin, Marmot Hydrogen). Other offers considered. Please email bighurtbob@hotmail.com in interested. Thanks, Dan

FWIW, McHale Packs are larger than they are rated. My McHale Sarc is supposedly 3800 cubic inches, but I used it on Denali to very good effect. A 5200 + cubic inch McHale should be big enough to carry eveything you could possibly want.

All good insights above. If you do go with leather boots, make sure you keep them dry as the snow pack in spring can be wet, and once leather boots get wet, it is much harder to keep your feet warm and comfortable. Use a good wax on the boots and wear gaitors. At high camp take off the boots and remove the insole to help dry them if they are damp.

I would say it depends on the boots/weather/how cold you get. I personally feel good and wholesome climbing Rainier May - October in an insulated leather boot (Scarpa Summit).

Cool! My running buddy is Fay's cousin. I have been hearing Fay stories for years.

FYI: Swedish is opening a new hospital in the Issaquah Highlands. They are hiring all types of health care professionals. Issauah has incredible access to trail running, hiking, mt biking and is 15 minutes from the nearest rock climbing and 30 minutes from accesible alpine climbing, ice climbing, rock climbing, bc and front country skiing.

Thanks.

Great idea. I was thinking it would be kind of cool to do an anthology of sorts from some of the trip reports. Call it 'Uncle Tricky's Bedtime Stories' or something.

Hmm, I would volunteer to play tour guide, but I may not be well enought by then.

My daugther started by bouldering with me when she was 5. I let her decide when she wanted to start top roping. She started out on small, 30 foot crags at first. I think just letting the kids have fun on their own terms is a big thing. If the child finds the experience frightening, or unpleasant then there may not be a second time for a while. I would suggest trying not not to push the child. If you are top roping and they want down, let them down.

The standard route on Eldo is not difficult, but if you have no experience with an ice axe, crampons, wilderness travel, etc., you could easily find yourself over your head. When is your trip?

What happened to Godzilla? Its been a couple of years since I have climbed at Index.

Smash and grab beats sitting on the glacier for two weeks waiting for a weather window. Way to throw down!

Alex, was that the Honda that we were rear ended in coming back from Big Four one winter?

I haven't been this season, but in winter's past they have allowed parking in the lot at the end of the road past the main Alpental parking lot. During the rest of the year one needs a pass to park there. Maybe sleeping in your vehicle is techinically not allowed, but I doubt anyone would hassle you if you keep a low profile.

Way to represent the PNW!

What Gene said. I think the 'soft skills' are easily as important as technical skills. I think with favorable conditions most reaonably fit persons can climb Rainier. That said, the fitter you are, the more enjoyable the trip will be.

Are you asking about the North Buttress Couloir? It leads to the West face and the difficulty is conditions dependant.