CascadeClimber

Were you watching me ski the lovely hoar frost, crust, lumpy powder combo down to Source Lake today? On second thought, probably not: I'm not really, really, phenomenally bad, I'm exceptionally, exquisitely, phenomenally bad.

In some cases, retail prices in Europe are lower than wholesale prices in the US. Even for gear made in the US. There are a lot of excuses made by the manufacturers for this, but it comes down to two things: 1. The supplier-customer relationship in the outdoor products industry is backwards, with manufacturers telling their customers (the shops) what to do, evening threatening them. 2. The cost of a product is determined solely by what the customer is willing to pay. Manufacturing and overhead costs determine whether a company can compete, but not the selling price. So as long as we keeping buying Cobras at $300 each, that's what they will cost. Same with rock shoes, screws, etc. This has been extensively hashed out over the last couple years, ever since this post BD employee Chris Grover on the Couloir BBS (I saved the original page before it was removed): BD Response to Pricing Disparities There is also some additional info on my site here: U.S. Gear Prices on CascadeClimber.com -L

Yes and no. You have to pay to take their courses. And intermediate climbing students are conscripted (as a graduation requirement) to teach the beginning students. So you pay for training, then work for free. -L

Not since Caveman punched out the bartender and two random patrons at the Alehouse. But hey, that makes three for the east side. And I've sufficiently recovered from the last time.

True dat: I don't have the skills the assess a slope from 3000 feet below it, or to ascertain its stability from conditions on a ridge-top miles away. As Clint says, "A man has got to know his limitations."

How about the Rolling Log Tavern in Issaquah next week. We can dare each other to knock over the row of Harleys outside. Seriously though, it's time for the Eastside to get a turn.

It's usually pretty clear to me when they aren't adjusted correctly, in either direction. My hands and wrists are small (shut up!) and I wear very thin gloves when leading, so maybe that has something to do with it. As it is, I've left them just a touch too long for leading, but when wearing heavier gloves the length is about right, but I sometimes have a problem grabbing the buckle. Overall I think they are great. I haven't gotten used to the clink-clink sound they make, though.

I used them for a couple trips and found that they felt loose when I didn't want them to and other times felt too tight. They also tended to work their way up my wrist as I climbed. But that's just me. To each his/her own. Want to buy a set?

Shhhhh, don't tell anyone, but we also used ropes, screws, rock gear, and we even bivied. We didn't even swim nekkid across the Wenatchee or wear blue jeans up the route either!

I have 3/4" left to shorten them before they hit the bar tack. But if I take them down that far the buckle doesn't reach far enough into the crook of my index finger and thumb so that I can grab it. The attachment location on the Viper isn't adjustable- there are fixed holes in the shaft where the male part of the buckle attaches with bolts.

Is anyone else using these? I'm having a problem that I hope is operator error: With the leashes adjusted for proper support, the strap to the clipper is so short that I have difficulty grabbing it with a gloved hand. It seems like maybe the bracket attachment location on the shaft of the tool is too close to the grip by about an inch?

Thanks, wdietsch. It's really amazing what can done over a weekend with Photoshop.

I think perhaps Fred meant not violin, but "Violin".

Eighty and still going strong. That is so effing cool. Anybody want to pitch in and get him something?

I've quickly grown to appreciate the 'tink' sound it makes when it hits the ice: It means my pinky was just saved from a mashing. I think I'll still use the old Super Courmayers on moderate alpine routes, though. -Loren

Last time I was up there I hiked up a large, recent tough *in the trees*. It wasn't snowing and there was little fresh snow at the base. I got hit by a sluff at the last belay and there was a sizable (but not huge) slide while we were descending from the top. Both started well above the climb and they happened with 15 minutes of each other. I'm not trying to scare anyone off, I just wanted to point out that you cannot assess the avalanche threat from the bottom or approach on that climb.

The Night N Gale and Shriek approaches are extraordinarily bad places to be when avalanche danger is up. The slides that come down the Night N Gale gully start way above the top of the climb and sometimes stop within spitting distance of the river. Be safe.

Drury was climbed last weekend.

Looks like Guye Peak from Cave Ridge to me.

Blue socks and black pants and still a Babe Magnet. Go Fred, go!

I don't know what it's like right now, but I've seen that very thing going into and out of Chair: Bullet hard amidst the ice-fog in the valley, mushy glop above the ice-fog, and nicely frozen again on the North Face.

Yeah you ruined my lunch plans. If I can make a suggestion: http://www.newart.com/

The email address in your profile is wrong- all the mail sent to it is coming to me. And soon I'm going to start selling it off to the highest bidder. You need to add an "s" to the end of cascadeclimber. -Loren

Didn't climb it, but we weren't out for ice. It looked pretty lame- WI2 or so with lots of snow and cheese-ice. The one above Mikey's (Tato or something?) was really thin.