dakobed

Jim Donini is giving a slideshow June 10th (next thursday). The event is a fundraiser for Climbers 4 Kerry. Climbers 4 Kerry is a grassroots organization whose goals are to motivate climbers to vote and educate climbers about where Kerry stands on positions that are important to them. Doors open 7pm, show starts 7:30. Location: Capital Hill Arts Center (Lower Level) 1621 12th Avenue (On 12th between Pine & Olive) There will be off-color humor, off-the-deck pics and stories, and an alpine trivia raffle. 21 and over. Beverages will be available for purchase. $10 at the door All proceeds to support the election of John Kerry for president. Thanks to Montrail for helping to bring Jim out here. For more info check out www.climbers4kerry.com. 356983-donini poster legal.pdf

I was up there on sunday, and while there was an Alpental employee sitting in his truck as if to restrict uphill traffic, he did nothing to stop me or the usual cluster of sledders and snowshoers going up the groomed backcountry exit trail. I would not recommend making a big stink about this with the resort, otherwise they will find a way to restrict parking to backcountry users not riding the lifts. They have done this around Mt. Hood and you have to buy a snow park in areas where you used to be able to sneak in with the alpine skiers. It's a lot easier to walk around the trailhead they don't want you using than dealing with parking restrictions. I can see the resort's reasons for restricting uphill traffic. I ride alpental a lot and the clueless sledders and hikers on the BC exit are in danger of being run over. I think the key to maintaining access is just to keep a low profile and keep a heads up while hiking up the trail when the alpental BC is open.

My coworker did Buckner's NF June 30. Snow was reported to be very mushy, making the slog across the boston glacier to the face slow and strenous. Otherwise the access and climbing were straightforward. Descent was all snow and fast. This face has been melting out in late season in recent years. I went to do it in August a few years ago and there were huge sections that had melted out. Since the rock on that face is choss, I'm not sure it's worthwhile in such conditions. I'm surprised dan didn't encounter drier conditions when he did it in october last year. mattp is right that it will be more of an ice climb later in the season, but be aware that with this year's low snowfall, it will probably melt out. Another victim of global warming, I suppose.

Did anyone attend this meeting or know what the fate of good old Sherman Rock is? The historian in me hopes they will restore it but the climber in me hopes they will build something with better bouldering (ala the UW rock). The pessimist in me assumes they'll tear it down and not replace it, or replace it with something mediocre.

I agree with Andy Bourne. Having climbed the Condorphamine route this last weekend to see what the hubub was about, I would like to discourage the creation of similar routes in alpine areas like Washington Pass. While the route provided excellent climbing and was certainly convenient, its quality was diminished by the excessive number of bolts en route, many next to good cracks. Most people climbing at this grade (5.10) can comfortably climb sections of 5.8 without a bolt every ten feet and can place reliable gear. If they can’t, there are places where they can learn. Indeed, the mental challenges of runouts and gear placement are integral to the granite climbing experience. First ascents should reflect the standard of the day. Putting up a route that is far below that standard insults both the climbing community and the rock. For instance, an earlier post used the bolt ladders on the East Buttress Direct as an excuse that bolting the shit out of a FA is acceptable. Keep in mind that when this route was put up, it represented the cutting edge of route development. Nowadays, however, most people are capable of free climbing at that standard and drilling a bolt ladder up it would be rather heavy-handed. Bolt it on rap if you need to, but do so in a manner that reflects contemporary routes on similar stone. On multi-pitch granite, this means no bolts next to gear and closely spaced bolts only on cruxes. There is nothing new about rap-bolted routes at WA pass. While Bryan Burdo has put up heavily bolted routes at exit 38, he has the sense to maintain traditional qualities in his routes at WA pass. His routes use bolts to supplement natural gear. Though sometimes bolts are found next to good cracks, usually at cruxes, this is the exception rather than the rule. I fear that the creators of “Bolt Spray Buttress” will create a similar route at WA pass. Hopefully this forum will make it clear to them that this type of bolting is not acceptable beyond the sport crag.