Drew_Jones

I made it to Bishop (by myself). Arrived Thursday morning just as it was getting light (about 18 hour drive). Buttermilks is AWESOME! Different rock than I'd ever been on before. Really big rock crystals to dig into your fingers on all those great slopers. High-ball problems too. Friday I climbed at Happy boulders - a little easier on the fingers but just as fun. Saw some good V10 problems sent, as I was stuck on V3's. Sharma's slide show was great. He's so laid back and spiritual about everything. It was intersting hearing about Realization. That guy has some determination! Saturday I hit the Sad boulders. Liked the Happy's better, but they were still great. It snowed at the Buttermilks Friday night, so the Petzl deal was postponed until Sunday. I got to meet lots of great climbers as we all hung out at Kava Cafe waitng for the rocks to dry - Chris Sharma, David Graham, Lisa Rands, Obe Carrion, David Kale (sp?), Greh Loh, and some of the Petzl international team who's names I can't remember. Every single person I climbed with was totally nice and crash pads were shared no matter who you were. It was my first time to Bishop and it's good to know that all the crap that goes on between people on this site is not truly representative of what happens outside at a great climbing area. I'll be back to Bishop in the Spring for sure. Hopefully for a month next time, not 4 days. Off White - I ate at Amigos. Great food. Thanks for the recommendation. Drew

OK. If anyone cares (and apparently they don't) I will most likely be leaving for Bishop BY MYSELF tomorrow sometime. I will be drinking all the beer , smoking all that's smokable , meeting all the girls , showing Sharma some new techniques , and generally having a kick-ass time. Any last-minute partners?? Drew

I can handle the usual climber smell, but I've been around some people that knock me on my ass even before they've climbed. I am serious though about getting a group to head down for the festivities. Drew

Here's the link: Petzl World Tour

Anybody thinking about heading to Bishop, CA for the Petzl climbing thing over Thanksgiving? Sharma and company will be there. Looks fun even though I suck at bouldering. Should be plenty of and Drew

ok so PDX will be there. Anyone else from Seattle? I'm thinking about driving down on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day). Looks like about 15 or 16 hours driving time . Things don't start until Friday night. Please Don't respond to this if you: 1. stink 2. are really damn annoying on a long trip 3. have no money 4. have ever been friends with Dennis Harmon 5. will make fun of me because I haven't climb V4 6. are a male and want to "have some fun" at the rest stops along the way (females OK) Drew

Yah, I think I remember getting lost in that stupid debris field better than reaching the summit. Still have a big scar from some huge log that attacked me. Sounds like you were smart to turn back. We were little sketched and the snow conditions were better than you found them. It was our second attempt. Drew

My buddy and I will be heading to 11worth around 2:00 this afternoon. If anyone needs a ride, we're going in style - taking the "Minnie Winnie", a beautiful little orange and white Winnebago with plenty of room for on the way. I'm in the Eastlake area. 206-568-8147 Drew

my bad

b-rock, I'll bring a tapper Drew

Norman, Thanks. I do have a set of instep crampons. Maybe I'll bring them along this weekend. So far I've only used them on Mt. Si early season, but they worked quite well. Without them I would surely have perished. Krazy1, I'll defend you for now, but as soon as that cast comes off, you're on your own. Drew

Flick Sorry to hear about you only being 5 hard. I hear the average is around 6 or so, and I can tell you krazy1 won't settle for anything below average. Back to topic - My main question is do I need crampons? Drew

I've read the past threads. Just didn't want to be surprised by any new conditions. Thanks for the help. Drew

I'm heading up to Mt. Deception this weekend. Anyone been up lately? Beta? Thanks, Drew

MARMOT

tlg, I've had a Silent Partner for over a year now. Sometimes the rope does not feed well and I have to stop and pull it through (9.8 x 60 rope). It seems to stop falls well, but I still get a little sketched that I tied the clove hitch wrong. Other than that, I like it. Also, if you enjoy being the center of attention everywhwere you climb, I would highly recommend this device. Everyone from Hardmen/women to newbies stop and and ask what the hell it is, then ask me to take a fall so they can see it work. I'm starting to charge a fee for this spectacle. Drew

Steigerman, I just put up a wall in my living room last month. I used "Home Climbing Gyms, How to Build and Use" by Randy Leavitt. Some ideas were good, some not, but it did help. I used 2x8's and 3/4 inch plywood. I do still need more holds, which I'll probably get from Metolius Otherwise I plan on gluing dried horsecock all over the plywood. Let me know if you want any or have any ideas. Drew

You're right Lunger, Bedal sounds like the way to go. Thanks for the pertinent info Drew

My buddy had his first sport lead on Bunny Face. We re-named it "Visious Bloody Bunny Face". It just wasn't right having a first lead with such a sissy name. Maybe "Bunnyface Anally violates Snafflehound with Bloody Horsecock" would have been better??. Drew

Bunny Face - Smith Rock. I think it's maybe an 11.a

Hey Lunger, You and I are both Wankers, so what the hell are we doing giving out route beta??

Norman, We approached via the Sloan Creek Trail 65 as described in Selected Climbs II. Camped at the trailhead Friday night. Left at 5:30AM Staurday and followed the trail through portions of the debris field. Lunger probably planned on ending up further right on the upper ridge than we did. That being so, he is correct in sending you right of the field. We were hoping to find the same spot we bivvied in last year on a weathered-out attempt. This was the Northeast side. We left for the summit at 1:30PM. Lunger, I'm quite sure you took a different glacier route, or conditions have changed drastically . If we weren't roped up I may not be here to write about it. I had to arrest a fall by my partner just above a large crevasse. It was a little sketchy traversing above those long crevasses. I didn't see any moats to speak of though. I'm all for pushing limits, but I would have felt better with a third person on our team. We were on the Corkscrew route, which is aptly named, winding around and around the summit block, with the scramble to the top. Very fun! Arrived back at basecamp before it began to get dark. The descent on Sunday was the most strenuous part of the trip, climbing over and under trees, all the while getting eaten by bugs. Stop in Granite Falls for and Drew

My bad!! Should have known better, but come on, I'm only a Wanker.

Climbed Sloan this weekend. Had to pick our way through a HUGE avalanche debris field. Stay on the left edge of it and you'll come out ok. Bugs were horrible so be prepared. Glacier is crevassed but the route is clear and doable. Class 3 and 4 scramble to the summit. Let me know if anyone needs more beta. Drew

I've tried that damn route so many times with no success. Stood under it with that great picture of Jim Yoder wearing his stylin' mesh baseball hat, white socks, and Toughskins. I think I have an old Caterpillar hat I'll wear next time. Is that aid?? Glad to hear someone else actually climbed it. Drew