dberdinka

Brand new, never used. Grey model. $125 + shipping or could pickup in B'ham. PM or e-mail dberdinka AT gmail DOT com. Thanks.

Finally got back on Ellation after almost two years. The climbing was in fact better than I remembered. The trail is in good shape and fairly easy to follow, the route itself looks to have seen very little traffic. The "Approach Slab", Pitches 1-3, have definitely collected a bit of grit and tufts of moss but are fine to climb. The main wall has remained very clean, infact I think it's quite a bit cleaner than it was the first go round. I'd recommend a mid-day start as the "Approach Slabs" are still suffering from some runoff in the mornings before the sun dries it out. If anyone ever gets out there and climbs it let me know what you think.

About a month ago and shortly after starting up the far climbers-right hand side of the headwall we witnessed a very significant serac fall totally pulverize the left-side start as well as the the mixed snow and rock bands between the two lobes of glacier ice. While it might be a relatively infrequent occurence it does happen and had anyone been over there it would not have been pretty. Something to consider when choosing your route.

Wow. Thanks for the pics of the Lake Fork Approach. The North Arete of Goliath Peak has always looked really aesthetic on a topo map it's cool to see a pic of it.

Whatever asshat. A dog as big as that who has "completely torn up all the cartridges in her ankle" sounds like a permantly crippled dog. I hope that makes you happy.

+1 for DPS. One more excellent example of why you should lease your dog in the wilderness.

BOLD!!!

Alpine - Nooksack Tower - Bertulis Route Scenic - Central Garibaldi Park Cragging - Near the top of The Nose, El capitan Whatcom County Ice - Cold Snap 2009

So...parking 4 miles from the trailhead these days? Any chance the roads going to get fixed?

A surprisingly well written article on fatalities in the Alaska Range Article

At that rate how long until someone skis Nooksack Tower? I mean there's snow on it...

The ability of a corporation to make completely self-contradictory statements in a single breathe while maintaining their perma-plastigram smile is absolutely disgusting. "Thank you for your email. Monika Johnson was highly regarded in the outdoor community, a member of the REI community, and a dear friend of many REI employees. Please know that we have expressed our condolences to Monika's family and extend them to you, as well...... As we have since REI was founded in 1938, we stand behind our products, and we are committed to acting in accordance with the co-op’s values. We have kept those values front and center throughout the defense of this case, and we will continue to do so through final resolution." "Condolences for causing you brain damage now go fuck yourself".... I'd absolutely love a thorough explanation of how REI has "kept those values front and center throughout the defense of this case". So come on Libby if you're so damn responsive let us know how manufacturing shitty products then not standing behind them when they fail reinforces a commitment to your co-op members. Ryan and everyone else who knew Monika I am so, so sorry for your loss. Clearly she was exceptional in her passions. To be exposed to this bullshit just makes it that much worse. I've got an REI credit card, I swear it's gone tomorrow, as is shopping there it's only become an exercise in frustration anyways...

In June DEFINITELY HAVE A BACK UP PLAN/DESTINATION MAYBE MULTIPLE. Which means east side. All things considered if I had four days hanging out in the Icicle Creek and cragging would be better than the alternative locations. If the weather really sucks you might be able to salvage days in Vantage or Smith/Trout. I always seemed to get weathered out in Skaha.....

So bad ass. The exposure at the top of that must have been?? !!!

crackers... what kind of foam do you use in the back panels of your packs (the stiff stuff)? Better yet, do you know I can get it?

That is some crazy ass glissading there at the end. Going for it!

That is awesome! Most of those kids look like they were 8 when 9/11 went down, is there a fraternity row next to the White House or something?

His life defines Tragedy A lifetime of incredible effort in the mountains committed to redefining the capability of the human spirit and body yet his own life ultimately defined by a few careless seconds. I'm sure no one was harder on Erhard in the last 10 years then himself. A cautionary tale for the rest of us. RIP.

+1. Saw Peregrines in the Cheeks (or more accurately they seemed to be hanging out in the crud between the Cheeks and the main UTW) a couple weeks ago.

If Osama was a Sunni doesn't this just prove that Obama's a closet Shia?

A Silent Partner should feed very smoothly and without visible friction on a brand new ~10mm rope. Others have already pointed out the likely problems. 1) check that you've loaded the rope correctly with the strands coming out of the device on the side with the carabiner hole. 2) SP is designed with the intent that both strands of rope hang below the device when climbing. With the rope in a backpack and presumably feeding over your shoulder I'd think you get some weird ropefeed issues. My advice (having never done the backpack thing...) Get or make a GOOD rope bucket, not a rope bag but a bucket. The Fish Snake Charmer is awesome. If you really plan on just using a single line for more or less straightup pitches his single rope bucket would work fine as well. I don't think there are any other good alternatives. Us a backup knot (I use one then retie 1-3 times a pitch) It serves two purposes 1) as a backup and 2) maintain semi-equal rope weight/tension on each side of the SP. Used correctly you won't have to tie off your rope midpitch to avoid excessive feed, which compromises the whole system IMO.

“I've been doing a lot of thinking about this. Don't worry about what happens to the environment. It doesn't worry about what happens to you, does it? Think about it. Hurricanes? Part of the environment. They roll in. What's the environment's role? It creates the hurricanes!” “Nature only provides us with trees which basically lure humans to stand under them and then it provides lightning to kill us underneath the tree.” “[The environment] lures us to our coastlines. ‘Come, come to the coastline.’ We build our most important and expensive buildings only so the environment can cause flooding and beach erosion, stealing millions of dollars from honest citizens like you. ‘Come to the coastline.’ The environment could provide temperatures that are mild and consistent. Oh, no, no, no, but that's not the style, oh, no.” “I love the forest, who doesn't love forests? Oh, they're great. Yeah, that's what I used to think until I saw... who hides in forests? Bears, killer bears. Bears, part of the environment. More than happy to rip your torso from your extremities without a second thought. Gee, I don't know, maybe we should have a cap and trade on the humans there.” “I propose immediate sanctions on the environment for creating oil in the first place. I didn't create it. I just pumped it out of the ground! It's the environment's effects on dinosaurs, former members of the environment murdered by the environment which create oil in the first place.” -- Gle.....oh I'm sure you can figure it out.

Check on the two ropes. Blakes suggestion on using some sort of knot or carabiner block will work well on routes equiped with traditional chains it won't work well or at all on those huge horse-shoe sized rings that make up a lot of the rap stations on that part of the wall.

I'm pretty sure somewhere around here Off_White said you could nominate your own TRs, so if I may be so bold I nominate the two part TR I wrote for a trip to the Grimface/Cathedral section of the Pasayten years ago. I love looking at this thing again and again... Pasayten Part 1 Pasayten Part 2

The Nodder