layton

sure wouldn't do it off an ice screw

In a recent article, Will Gadd makes a good case for NOT clipping the anchor when leading out off the belay. I agree. However, Gadd then suggests that using the Fixed Point Anchor system is the way to go. I have to disagree with this system. I would not trust a single piece of trad gear, biner, or especially an ice screw to take the initial force of a high factor fall. If it blows, I don't see how the next piece wouldn't be just as shock loaded and also fail. Belaying off the harness tight against the anchor (tied in with the rope) oriented in the direction of fall just seems like it would reduce some of the load. Belaying off the anchor like this totally removes any possibility of a dynmic belay. Not to mention paying out slack would be incredibly jerky and annoying for the leader. Using an ATC type device looks like an accident waiting to happen. If I was that concerned about the leader factor two falling on the anchor, I'd lower down several feet on the belay to provide more rope. Finally, if the leader did clip the anchor on a bomber piece, you could put in an upwards directional as well. Thoughts?

holy crap! nice job guys. Wonder what decade a 2nd ascent would ever go down on this one?

ice floss if you can afford it

oh

reminds me of the Black Elk spraydown about the 5.11 O/W pitch. A full pitch of #4 camalots is 5.11 in my book unless you're Wayne Wallace and have balloon hands

would wearing sticky rubber approach shoes tame the O/W a bit?

leapfrogging cams up that OW is exciting

very cool! like being on another planet

hope the kids get a piece in a trust fund

http://now.msn.com/fracking-gag-order-prevents-two-children-from-discussing-fracking-for-life/

unless you're climbing 5.13 or above and want to progress or at least have maxed out your genetic potential you have other concerns

i don't think I can effectively write about that

So I've been spending the last two years writing the 2nd edition to "Climbing Faster, Stronger, Healthier: Beyond the Basics". After flipping through the first edition I decided that I needed to write a new book from scratch to make a better product. I completely re-wrote the second edition from a blank page and wound up with 430+ pages of unformatted (8x11 normal margins no photos) manuscript. The scope is this: all the info that you don't get from basic how to books on all aspects of climbing, or rehashing basic info that is important but can get lost in the process. The first section deals with training, nutrition, and injury rehab/wilderness medicine. The second section deals with gear and technical stuff. Because the scope of the book is kinda crazy huge, I may have missed something obvious. To help with this I've spent the past 6 months fact checking and reading every book I can get my hands on, website, etc... including hundreds of interlibrary loans to make sure I've covered my bases. So my question to you all is what do you want to see, or what do you think is important. This includes all those crazy random tips and tricks (my personal favorite) you have learned from trial and error along the way. If anyone feels they are an expert on a particular subject, I would be happy to email you a copy. I've enjoyed the freedom of self-publishing, but if you are of know of a publisher or editor, feel free to send me your/their info. I think you'll like the new edition, hopefully I'll get it out within a years time. -Mike

should have entitled the thread "stay off infinite bliss and liberty crack this weekend" -

Probably because Rolf's three cams got used in the belay

Nice jorb! Glad to see Rolf hasn't succumbed to marketing pressure and still has the same classic helmet

Baffled by the lack of discussion on the X4 cams considering how much fun it is to bicker about small cams online. Has anyone used them enough to compare the different sizes to Totem Basics or regular Totems? I'm considering getting a second set of tiny to medium cams. Range? Head Width? Get stuck (see Mastercam)? From the specs I've seen (unless the X4 is narrower than the regular totems and totem basics), I think I'd get a 2nd set of regular Totems, a set of blue and green totem basics, and one .1 X4 unless I hear that the X4s are better than the Totem basics.

When can we begin to bicker about the commitment grade?

sounds like a standard trip to the Chehalis!

yeah, wayne and i took that way to put up Gran Torino on dome. if your plan is to stay on the ridge crest it should go. that wall below Sinister is sweet. screw the traverse and put up some routes on that. the approach sux ballz. if you can bypass the ridge below sinister by going through a pass just below and left of your up arrow and get back on just to the left of your left arrow. we downclimbed that ridge up dome and it should be a shit ton easier going up it

how the fuck can you remember that?

neverwet comes off extremely easily, totally useless. I haven't bought any, just watched a couple reviews on youtube

wait, nevermind...the way i went WAS the canadian approach. give yourself time to get lost

beckey and mcclain guides are good. plenty of trs on this site too. I can't say about the canadian approach, but it can't be any worse than the u.s. way except that there's no descent if you go in the us approach. Bring bug dope and coverage. It all depends on your sketchy ice skills, we got away with aluminum poons and tennis shoes with one tool each but it was shitty (until they got put away then it was nice). Fun route, goes quickly. Do the direct, the way steph went seems like a giant waste of effort