knatapow

The situation in Nepal is a very tenuous one that I don't think any of us "experts" can truly evaluate. Even the Nepalese people are very in the dark or are being mis-lead about what is actually happening in their own country. I have lived in Nepal on and off since 1996 and things after 1996 were always dangerous, but only in very remote regions, far from us tourists. I had a couple of close calls but nothing to write home about. There are many theories on the 'maoists' and who supports them and their idealogy. One thing to remember is that the 'maoists' only make up a small portion of a dual sided party. The CPN-UML (communist party nepal-unified marxist leninist) is a legitimate party in Nepal with some serious grievences with the ruling aristocracy. The Nepalese government and royal family are some of the most corrupt in the world and continue to keep one of the poorest nations in the world poor, while the aristocary keep moving up the list. Rumor has it that the previous king of Nepal, in the early 90's was possibly the 5th richest man in the world! As for us climbers- many regions are unsafe, but climbing is still very viable. Pay attention to hot zones and pick accordingly. Half-assed updates can be found at www.nepalnews.com

I have a brand new (still in the bag) Black Diamond Altitude 8.1mm dry rope for sale. Check it out at: http://www.bdel.com/rockclimbing/ropes-etc_altitude.html It retails for $159.00, but I am willing to sell it for $90! let me know if you are interested! kevin@shakti-imports.com

Has anyone been up Liberty Crack lately? Wondering what the snow conditions are like at the base? Also, does anyone know the true rating of this route. Nelson's book puts it at V 5.9 A2, whereas Rock Climbing Washington gives it V 5.10b C3 Thanks

I have a brand new (still in the bag) Black Diamond Altitude 8.1mm dry rope for sale. Check it out at: http://www.bdel.com/rockclimbing/ropes-etc_altitude.html It retails for $159.00, but I am willing to sell it for $110! let me know if you are interested! kevin@shakti-imports.com

I am looking for a itinerary for getting up the Emmons Glacier route with very little time. I am planning on breaking out of work early on Friday and would love to be home by midnight on Sunday. Any suggestions on points to reach by Friday night, Saturday and Sunday?

I am here in Seattle and was thinking of heading out on Sunday if we have a few days of decent weather. Thanks for the info. Do you know of any particular crags that are better off around this time of year? Kevin

Has anyone been up to Exit 38 lately? Are there any areas that seem to be drier than others. Any info is helpful....

Are you guys talking about Elliott Boston who is trying to be the first African-American to climb the seven summits? If so, he is a good friend of mine. He is a totally rad guy and a good climber. What were you wanting to know?