Alex

Maybe alpine has warped my opinion but generally most R rated WI climbs I have encountered werent. Both that and also if you are climbing at a much higher level the lower grades all tend to blend in together a bit more, where you're only placing a screw or two per pitch in the 3 and 4 range. Kind of like climbing 5.4 when you are a 5.11 leader. The book might say it's 5.4 but you just can't really tell 5.4 from 5.7 anymore, and are just running it out.

Banff has always been the benchmark grading for me, as well as most of North America, simply because of the consistency of the ice and the traffic it recieves. I have never climbed in the South Fork but I think it has a repulation like Index does for ratings in general.

I had a gear cache in an orange see-through storage box at the base of a large maple tree at an exit 38 Far Side crag undergoing some development. It had a ratty white static line in it, but also a reasonable number of new bolts and hangers. It was removed from its location sometime later summer or early fall. I'd love to have it back! Thanks, Alex

Neat graph. Please post link to research. I know the articles have run that favored angle is -5 to -15 degrees, but I've always placed my screws perpendicular to the surface of the ice for myself even after that research came out. Which means typically at 0, but also sometimes on cauliflowers etc I'll place them straight down into the top of a small ledge or back of cauliflower. But I also use screamers on every placement, which gives me alot more confidence all up and I don't worry so much about 13 v 16cm. Alot of it depends on the ice itself. In the Cdn Rockies I lead easily with 13s because the ice has generally far fewer voids. Here in the cascades I regularly use all my 16s as the ice tends to be crappier for pro: better for easy sticks with the tools but generally more sparse for good solid screws. But I never place 22s or 19s anymore at all on lead.

I have only 1, stowed on the back of my harness as either a final anchor-building screw and/or for building v-threads.

Thanks for the update. I'm updating the wastateice.net condish tonight (finally), I will plagarize you.

Unbelievable send, awesome! That it's formed completely, let alone in December, is pretty amazing!! This line has only come in complete 2 other times in the 10 years I've been looking at it! It's a hella steep second pitch for sure!

Is it The French Maid? I have a signed Alex poster of him on Weeping Wall.

I've never seen that frozen actually, all the times I drove the 1 to Banff through Salmon Arm.

Gene, not Fernie, the town you're thinking of is Nelson, BC. You and I drove through it on the way to Gimli And yes, you are a wanna-be-hippie, as you will never actually qualify for *true* hippie status with your military service. I was a wanna-be-hippie once, now I'm just old. As for relocating, if Canada is an option Vancouver or Canmore AB are good. Radium would be awesome if I didnt have to work. If looking in the Western US, then my options are Seattle, Bellingham, Portland OR, Lagrande OR, Bend OR, Bozeman MT, SLC/Logan area, Bishop or Jackson WY if you can find work. I'd opt for Washington over Portland OR simply because the North Cascades arent as much a drive from points in WA.

I love the blood stained teeth.

The eagle on the back makes me think Salewa.

wince

Thanks. I need ASP.NET 2.0 for wastateice, most of the site is driven off an XmlDataSource control. Will look into it. For now, since I've been delinquent in posting updates for the last week anyway - thanks to all who sent updates! - I'll work on getting the thing back online this week.

congrats!++

I lead that pacman when we were there, I almost fell ..... asleep

flash: ground up, first time, no beta, no falls, no draws on pro onsight: ground up, first time, no falls, no draws on pro red-point: ground up, no falls, no draws on pro pink-point: ground up, no falls, draws on pro

Badass adventure, camping in 10F even. Ah, youth!

yeah HOLY COW did Scepter and Matrix ever fatten up since Thanksgiving!

So wait a minute, you put in 4 1/2 in bolts for a mixed route FA, found out the rock was actually friable, and now you want people to be gentle? sweet. If a crucial hold breaks, nothing a drill cant fix

rinse, wash, repeat it seems. I need a new host, these guys have no mercy

Gene..the guy who needs a belt and suspenders to hold in his gut

Nice pics all. Looks like a great day out! Xhen, that first pic with you approaching is looking directly at "Kiddie Cliff", looking not worth it in it's current shape.

DPS is spot on. Kautz is great, but there are other mountains out there. Some of the better experiences might include Baker, or a multi-day trip into the Three Sisters in Oregon where you can tag all Three Sisters and Broken Top, or a nice trip up Shasta and epic ski down.

Congratulations! To my knowledge this is indeed an FA, as the one party who had attempted it previously - on their first exploratory adventure to Strobach - made it halfway up before they bailed due to daylight. Looks great, looks harder than the typical shape I've seen it in, so good work getting after it in thinner early season shape! Very aptly named For those of you not as familiar with the area, this is perhaps the most "formed" I've seen this area this early in the season in a very long time. Bodes well for a strong ice season up there!