Ade

I have a pair of the Chugach pants (which match the jacket in construction). The Chugach has more in common with the Patagonia Puff Ball than the DAS. This might be worth a read too: HIGH FOCUS: The Belay Jacket by Andy Kirkpatrick

There's the "Black Ice Crag" at Exit 38 and Rap Wall in Snoqualmie Pass. Any other alternatives. What I'm really looking for is something like a roadcut or similar that's closer to home. Any ideas?

It was raining up in Snoqualmie at 4k' on Sunday, everything was mush and what little ice there was seemed to be getting stripped pretty good. If the freezing level drops things will improve but conditions will be thin.

Cost of doing business.

I'd say "All technical climbing must occur during that period." If you approach the route or leave after the winter period that seems fine to me. The Cascades is a little bit odd because in lots of cases the hardest part of a winter ascent might be getting to the base of it. Maybe the peanut gallery discussion about how lame this thread is to spray, rather than dumping on it because they're not interested. Dru - If you ever think you make it second base then post exact details here and I'm sure someone can tell you if it qualified.

Beer Shrine!!

You mean Paragon Sports right? If so they've seen the error of their ways and are now selling it for $550.

Definitely... very sick. But I don't understand how it gets called a winter ascent.

$425 US

Thanks, I'm not heading to Logan. For the Western part of the range, Bona etc, Paul is the obvious choice just due to his geographical proximity to those peaks. Andy may be out as leaving the US may be difficult or impossible for my climbing partner. We're also considering peaks Southeast of Logan in the US so I'm trying to find air services on that side of the park to reduce flying time, weather unknowns and cost. There's also http://flyglacierbay.com/ a buddy of mine flew in with him last year to Vancouver and said good things about him. He flys out of Haines. Anybody else flown with him? There a couple of others I've yet to chase up including http://www.mccarthyair2.com/ . Ade

If you don't care what we think then why did you bring it up in the first place retard?

We sort of just talked through this one

What are you, some sort of astrophysicist? Really...you'd think he had his PhD or something... Yeah... If there's one thing worse than a pompous Brit it's a pompous Brit know-it-all. The study mentioned above appears in "How to Climb Ice" by Luebben. Definitely worth a read.

What test did you conduct exactly? Unless you state your methodology then your results aren't reproduceable and your conclusions impossible to confirm or deny, let alone debate.

Yep. Arrived yesterday.

Do you have this guy's details? Looks like I might make it myself next year.

Seconded. Go to the Wadd and have done with it.

I go cragging in pair of army cammo pants. Double fabric on the butt, and knees. Seem to have lasted forever. Obviously no nice dead bird logo on them or nothing but then I didn't have to sell a kidney to pay for them neither.

I'm thinking they might be a really good option. Of course I don't seem to be able to find anyone that stocks them in the Seattle area.

Does anyone have any experience with these? I need to replace my ice climbing / Cascades winter mountaineering boots and these are up for consideration. I want to replace my Tecnica Altis with something warmer and a bit more durable. The Altis were an uninsulated kevlar boot. I got cold feet and had problems keeping them waterproof on extended trips or in wet snow. As for the Freneys I'm concerned about their waterproofness. Several things I've read suggest that they're not as waterproof as a lot of other boots. They're very light so I'm figuring that they not that durable either. Anyone have any direct experience with these? Other suggestions welcome. I need something that has a groove for a crampon bail and that will serve double duty for all winter climbing. I have wide feet so fit is also an issue. Cheers, Ade

There's a Volant on sale in the Gear Forum you should check out.

The downside of this is that you'll also bleed more. I had a very minor surgical procedure a while back and they didn't want me to take asprin the week before for this reason. It started to make me wonder how much more I might bleed should I have an accident and be takin asprin. Given the choice between cold hands and running the risk of bleeding to death I'm with the former. Does anyone know how big an effect asprin has?

I climb in the Cascades in winter with a pair of Tecnica Altis (kevlar with minimal insulation). I get cold feet a lot but they are a much better fit than my Invernos. I improved the fit of my plastics with footbed but they're still bulky and climb poorly. Fine for alpine ice but lousy for mixed climbing. I'm considering the Nepals for this season as the Tecnicas trashed. If your feet are getting cold after multiple days then you should consider putting your boots in your bag overnight as they're probably getting progressively damper. This is a big advantage of plastic boots because the liners are removable and most don't absorb water anyway - unlike most leather boots.

If you want European gear then I've had good luck ordering from Needle Sports. Of course the dollar is worth next to nothing at the moment so Rab and the like aren't going to come cheap.

I have a Rab bag and a FF one. Personally I prefer the Rab. I have the Epic outer on the FF and I still seem to end up with a damp bag, whether this is coming from the in or outside I can't say but I don't think Epic is a silver bullet. I'd also go with synthetic over down for the Cascades for the most part. Certainly for multi day stuff or belaying on technical climbs things tend to get quite damp quite quickly. As for weight it rather depends on your climbing style. I've used a lot of summer weight gear on winter routes by keeping moving. If you like to stop and take breaks a lot then you might want to consider a bigger insulating layer.