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Marko

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Posts posted by Marko

    Mt. Stuart in Winter

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    Well, not knowing your experience with the mighty Stutgart or how much time you have to spend up there...

     

    Skiing into the north side is great until you leave the trail, then snowshoes are easier (for my ski skills anyway). I've usually used showshoes and have even walked in a couple times in good conditions. From the meadow below the north side you can easily access the Sherpa Glacier route (nontechnical steep snow or neve) or the Stuart Glacier Couloir (somewhat technical especially once on the W Ridge) or the upper N Ridge (similar to SGC but more rock) or stuff like Girth Pillar and the lower N Ridge (rather technical). The NW Face route would be pretty cool I bet.

     

    To access the south side you can ski up Ingalls Creek and then ski up the SE route, or snowmobile and/or ski the road past Salmon la Sac and then cruise up the endless avi slopes to Ingalls Pass. I gotta say though that the north side is one amazing place in winter, go there man. But not after a big dump, it's friggin' heartbreaking.

     

    Gearwise; let's say 1 axe and a short tool (or 2 tools I suppose) for the first 2 routes, add a couple screws and a small rock rack for the SGC. A medium rock rack for the upper N Ridge, no pins or screws. Lots of aluminum and a bit of steel for the other routes, and a couple screws for getting up on the Ice Cliff Glacier. And crampons all around of course.

     

    Have a blast!

    -M

    Mitten Troubles

    in The Gear Critic

    Posted

    Dachstein mitts are surprisingly dexterous as far as mitts go since they're only one layer and thinner than insulated mittens; they're very warm, they dry from the inside outward when you're wearing them, and they're easy to take off for gear fiddling and then fairly easy to put back on.

     

    When the shit hits the fan and all else fails I've always fallen back on the Dachsteins. And they're cool looking. Sort of.

    Modify tool swing

    in Ice Climbing Forum

    Posted · Edited by Marko

    I've also read that BD picks tend to get stuck in the ice with the factory design and that many file them to remedy this. What exactly does one do to the pick to make it clear easier?

     

    What Selkirk said for sure, along with: Bevel the sides of the pick's teeth for the first 1.5", and dull the tips of the teeth a bit. This'll make it much easier to disengage the teeth from the ice. This made all the difference with the BD picks I've had.

     

    And what Andy Kirkpatrick says: http://www.psychovertical.com/?winterbooster

     

     

    FS: Ice tools-- Axars, Black Prophets, and X-15s

    in The Yard Sale

    Posted

    So let's say: Axars $120, Black Prophets $150, and X-15s $70. (Even I think 6 pairs of tools in the collection are too many...)

     

    The Axars have been great alpine tools; they're light (<24 oz for the hammer w/o leash) and have a moderate clearance shaft that helps for the occaisional mixed pitch.

     

    The Black Prophets are friggin' solid waterfall tools; a bit heavy (26.5 oz) and no clearance shaft but it doesn't take much of a swing to get a confidence-inspiring no-vibration stick. Grip shape seems to fit larger hands. BD makes the best adze I've seen for torquing in cracks, chopping out gear placements & ledges, and for climbing crappy snow/ice.

     

    The carbon fiber X-15s are certainly outdated but are still pretty light (24 oz) and bomber in the mountains. Same pick as the BPs. Definitely for larger hands.

    FS: Ice tools-- Axars, Black Prophets, and X-15s

    in The Yard Sale

    Posted · Edited by Marko

    Axars-- Well used but good shape, 7 extra picks (3 unused), $130/pair obo:

    http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=32554&cat=516

     

    Black Prophets-- Low miles, new picks, $180/pair obo:

    http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=32553&cat=516

     

    X-15s-- New picks, $80/pair obo:

    http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=32552&cat=516

    Pick these up and I'll throw in a few Snargs just to complete the ensemble!

     

    -M

    Cycling: tips for cold feet?

    in Fitness and Nutrition Forum

    Posted

    Welllllll, here's one thing that definitely works, but can be kinda dicey... Cayenne pepper on the toes! It keeps the circulation up no problem, but you really know it if you put on too much. Unfortunately you won't know it until after you've been pushing for a little while.

     

    Maybe a wee bit combined with one of the more conventional (sane) methods would do the trick.

    tag line

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    When using a tag line I rap both lines... when I set up the rap I set it up so that I am pulling the lead line (not the tag line) so that if the rope some how gets stuck when pulling the rap and I am forced to cut what I did manage to pull down/remains I am cutting the lead line... I set it up this was as I personally rather continue down with a piece of lead line not tag line.

     

    So how do you keep the skinny line from feeding through the rap device faster than the fat line and then subsequently start sawing through the rappel sling?

     

    My tag line is ~5 meters longer than my lead line to account for stretch of the lead/fat line... this extra also allows for some movement of the knot on the sling... whoever raps second always repositions the knot back against the rap sling prior to rapping though as some slippage does occur... I have never seen so much slippage or at a rate that cuts/melts the rap sling. What I do to minimize the amount of movement is I put an extra biner on just the skinny line side (total of 2) for rapping... the extra surface area seems to give enough friction so that the skinny line moves at about the same rate as the fat line... it helps that I don't climb on anything larger than 9.4 in the alpine also.

     

    I can take a pic if that would help.

     

    I'd be worried about the skinny line getting cut over an edge while you're rapping. On the other hand, if the tag line gets cut while you're yanking around on it to pull the ropes... yer in fer some fun.

     

    I'm guessing, also, that you're using Techcord which stretches a much less and is more cut resistant than my ratty 6mm Perlon. The 6mm stretches and slides a whole lot more than even the 9mm Stratos or the 8.5mm Sharp I usually use.

     

    I use the additional carabiner trick when rapping of the doubled 6mm alone but hadn't thought of rigging the 'biner just on the 6mm for double rope rappels. Good idea.

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