dberdinka

I nned to get my gimpy body (broken right ankle) from Bellingham to North Seattle this evening (Friday 4/9). Anyone headed in that direction?

You've got some bad ju-ju going on there with rockfall bro. I ain't climbing anywhere near you there.

Monday was a great day as I skipped work and headed up to Squish with 3 joyously unemployed friends. The Smoke Bluffs were essentially deserted and by 10 AM is was almost too hot to climb in the sun. My headspace was great and I was consistently leading routes at or just beyond my onsite ability. My abilites were well matched with a new friend Matt, partner to the infamous Big 4 Layton rescue. By early afternoon I was whipped and seriously considered just getting on some easier well-protected climbs. Instead I kept pushing myself, and got on a climb called "Where Ancients Fear to Tread" just right of Geritol on the Neat & Cool Wall. Wearing a helmet I cautiously worked my way up the intermittent cracks and thin face moves. Doubling up most protection points I essentially sewed it up. Near the top you hit a horizontal break that you traverse right on. After much hesitation I moved right about 10' then tried to move straight up over an overlap to what I later discovered was an off route bolt. Regardless, my grip strength faded, I started to flail, my foot blew off and I took a fall. A nice big pendulum fall, grating across the less-than-vertical wall. As I fell I swung in torwards my line of gear. As I passed the perpendicular my right foot caught on the now taught rope running to my belayer. SNAP! I yelled out, in a high-pitched squeal, "OUCH! I broke my ankle!" Quickly followed by "LOWER ME DOWN" My inner ankle was visibly deformed. Matt quickly lowered me to the ground, where we pulled my rock shoe off. My buddy Allen and his housemate Tomaline came over in minutes. Tomaline (also know as Traumaline) is a wilderness medicine instructor, Allens a long time guide, Matt seemed to know what he was doing as well . It was well splitted within 5 minutes and we were on our way home with 45. X-Rays at St Josephs on Monday night show that I had broken off the inner knob of my Tibia. 1 big chunk, 2 smaller fragments and god knows what else. It's surprisingly unpainful, though I imagine the Vicodin is helping. Surgery is scheduled for Friday, I'll be off it for at least a month. I am so suck Honestly I feel surprisingly upbeat. I've seen a lot worse happen in Squamish, a friend of a friend is dieing of cancer in their 30's. My condition is a minor inconvience in comparison. And I've got a script for Percidan come post-op. Lesson Learned: I DIDN'T LISTEN TO MY INTUITON. Even though it was speaking with much clarity. Getting on a climb just at the border of my onsite ability, that was nebulous and relatively runout, when I was worn out on a muggy day was, in retrospect unneccesary and somewhat stupid. A couple observations. In the last few years I've devoted a fair bit of energy to solo-climbing, something I've generally found terrifying. By learning too push through the irrational fears associated with that activity I think I have lost a healthy respect for reasonable fears. With more and more of my time and energy focused on work and a rapidly maturing relationship (I'm recently engaged) when I do have time to climb I've been very intense, trying to push myself and get the most out of the experience. My ego got involved. Climbing with a new, and strong, partner made me want to push things. Note this all about me, nothing to do with the personality of the partner. I've got at least six weeks to focus on other things (like completing a long overdue Masters) and look hope to be climbing again in the late spring. In the mean time, I definitely will listen to myself far more carefully in the future and I hope it rains every freakin weekend. Darin

You guys have peeked my interest. Looking at maps could you not hike into Boulder Lake, then schwack up to the ridge crest and wander along that to get into this Weber-Frostbite area? And whats with the Sasquatch Mr Granite? Tell us more......

ummmm.....what/where is Whore of Babylon? I need a proj for this afternoon.

MOST DANGEROUS Route in the Cascades Hogsback on Hood on a busy June weekend

I had a 9.6 Sterling, I think it might have been a Marathon. It was amazingly durable yet had a really nice hand. I did a lot of jugging on it in the desert and it held up really well. The best rope I ever had, I would buy another if they still made them. Check out Gearexpress.com I think they currently have 9.5mm x 60M Marathons on sale.

He needs to have a more consistent message....

The weight of worldly matters conspires against me. Fug it, I'm going to Squamish. To those who make it happen, best wishes and give us a TR.

i.e. Should I hump my ass up to Colchuck Lake tomorrow Based on the various forecasts (NOAA and NWAC) the following conditions seem to be setting up for the east side. Cold temps through Friday, with minimal snowfall but high winds. Saturday looks sunny with rapidly rising temperatures. High winds & rapidly rising temps vs minimal new snow and sun....hmmmm........... Will we all die in an avalanche ? Will the routes fall off on our heads? Will we all send the radness? Discuss.......

Did you find it on Princely Ambitions? Evidently a blue alien was recently fixed there when the same thing happened!

Beautiful Photos! A route that looks worthy of repeats. On the right edge of the photo you can see a sliver of the 3000' N buttress of the NW summit. Another huge line that will one day be climbed.

Whats with downgrading my route bee-och! I could have sworn I gave it at least 5.6+ or 5.7 Do you know of any repeats?

I need to get a hold of the notoriously unreachable folks at CCH for cam repair. I can't find a phone number or web page to save my life. Anyone care to help? Thanks. Darin

Thanks Michael!

The NW Face is a Skoog route I'm thinking? It appears to be an awesome looking north face thats remote, hidden and on a big mountain. I wouldn't expect great rock quality but in the right conditions it might make an exciting alpine climb. Do it when the highway opens a write us a TR!

For almost a year I been suffering from chronic pain in my left back/shoulder. It flares up from climbing (particularly aid climbing -- pulling down on adjustable daisies and hammering) and is further aggrevated by staring at a monitor all day. Symptoms include very sore muscles over the shoulderblade particular on the interior side (near spine). The muscle in my shoulder and neck can also become very tight. It does not seem to be a rotator cuff problem. I plan on getting a referal to PT soon. I do have some questions Questions: Is this a common injury? If so what the heck is it? What is a reasonable plan of treatment medically? Should I seek out a PT or a LMP? In the mean time what can I do at home? What are some good stretches for the muscles over the back? What are some good low-intensity strength excersises for this area? After a vigorous day of free-climbing yesterday it is no worse than it was the day before. Should I continue to climb on it if it's not getting any worse? Or am I jepardizing the potential long term recovery? Looking for serious replys only, thanks a lot!

Beautiful! Where the hell were you?

Looking for a handful of beaks, peckers, KB/Bugaboos or Rurps (in that order of preference). Somebody out there must have some they're willing to part with. PM me. Thanks! Darin

Ok, a lame question, but..... They were my favorite shoes ever, then I got lazy, yesterday my left big toe starting sticking through the rand. Not good. Now I can't remember how tight I bought the things. Really tight? Or painfully tight? Can't remember. How much do these things stretch. Any advice? Thanks Darin

Wind Rivers are amazing. The Deep Lake area is a worthy counterpart to the cirque and was nearly deserted when I was there. Consider the South Ridge of Haystack vs the North Face. If you and your partner are up for it definitely add the Minor Dihedral to your list (III-IV 5.9) One of the best climbs I've done anywhere. In the Cirque WatchTower and Warrior have reps for shitty rock (not that Ive done either) S Butt of Pingora is fully worthy. Consider doing Sharks Tooth by any route (great rock) and naybe Overhang Tower in the same day (1 pitch 5-low to awesome summit). I think my favorite climb in the area is the East Face-Left Side Cracks on Pingora, up to 12 pitches of flawless granite from 5.5 to 5.7. There is an intimidating steep dihedral around pitch 10 (looks hard) that is stellar 5.7 jams and stemming. Awesome! Have fun.

Thursday was T-shirt weather at the LTW. Only half a dozen folks, all from B'ham. Little drips here and there but everything is pretty much dry. Gonna be there tomorrow. Yea-hah! QUESTION: What is an honest rating for the third (guidebook 11a) pitch of Heart of the Country?

I heard a rumor that new logging roads on the south side of Slesse last summer reduced the approach to "30 minutes". Hard to believe, though no one knows how to cut logging roads to timberline like the Canucks do! Any truth to this? *** POST 420 ..... SWEET!! ***

Beautiful. Is that the backside of Chair Peak?

"Battered Sandwich" is a cool route name on Private Idaho at Index. Name didn't make much sense until I pulled myself onto the ledge at the top after an embarassing amount of thrashing in a hand-crack to offwidth to lieback to squeeze chimney. I was the Battered Sandwich for sure.