Marko

Yeah, the MSR windscreen works great for the Pocket Rocket with the added bonus of helping to keep the canister warm (dangerous, but what isn't?). A windscreen made of 4 layers of aluminum foil works almost as good and is much lighter. One problem with the little stove is its tippiness when cooking in a tent( dangerous, etc.) on a foam pad . A solution for this problem is setting the stove on a ziplock baggie 1/4 full of instant rice. Push the stove down onto the rice bag to create an indentation for the canister. This works great until you've eaten all the rice. Definitely a good stove.

Good job gents! That route doesn't get done in winter too often. Must of been a blast. Cheers for sure!

It was completely snow covered as of March 5th. About 1 ft deep at the beginning.

Zion or Death Valley? Abso-freakin-lutely ZION without a doubt! One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Routes in Red Rocks? Folks have given some great info on this site, try a search. Have a blast!

As I have no style, I am not in their jurisdiction! I've actually hung on the umbi maybe twice. Now the rope on the other hand...

Gotta work some tomorrow. Sunday 1/2 day?

Umbi's were good while placing Snargs or the old Chouinard screws, as Mr. Parker mentioned, it was nice to be connected to a tool while you're sweating in gear. I still often use an umbilical of 9/16" webbing with bungie cord inside on one tool on long routes. It's nice to know you can't lose the tool even when you place it in some mank and are fiddling in gear. The bungie helps keep the tether from catching too bad. On pure ice it's even kinda comfy to be connected to a well-placed tool when twisting a screw in. (Like ice climbing is supposed to be comfortable!)

Hey Pat, I see you're in Kent too. I've got the normal Sat/Sun off, but let me know if you want to go riding or running in the evenings. Also, I've got a (computerless) friend that has Tue/Wed off and is looking for partners. If you're into it, I'll give you his number. Mark

Weekdays after work, mtn bike ride around Lake Youngs, trail runs, whatever. Gotta get fit to keep up with partners half my friggin' age! Mark

Way to get at 'er Youth! And the girlfriend got her Valentine's day after all...

You're doing the rest of us lackies (speaking only of my over-worked self) proud! Prosit!

Thrift stores!

Well, I didn't actually say "absorb" but if the screw flexes at all, then it does actually dissipate energy. In fact anything in the system that flexes, stretches, or heats up is dissipating energy. I did simplify the system a little I guess. More energy dissipaters: Knots tightening, harnesses stretching, climber's beer gut sloshing around, crampon catching on ice and shattering ankle, rope whipping through carabiners, rope slipping through belay device and belayer's gloves, belayer sinking onto anchors, cordalette stretching, pins shifting in manky rock, etc. The point is if there's a screamer in the system and it activates at all, it will reduce the energy, and therefore the shock loading, imparted to the pro. Yeah, 9% maybe isn't a whole lot, but like you say it could make the difference...

Naw. You're falling and hit the end of the ropes with a certain amount of energy. The ropes dissipate some of that as they stretch. If there's a screamer, it dissipates more energy until it fully zippers and then the screw and surrounding ice get to deal with the rest. (Or not.) If there's no screamer, the screw and ice get hit with whatever energy the ropes haven't dissipated.

A friend of mine is about to switch to Tuesdays and Wednesdays off and is looking for partners for alpine, rock, ice, and/or slogging. PM me if you're into it.

I often use 6mm perlon for a rap line in tandem with a standard lead line, or sometimes by itself when soloing. If you're using a rappel device you can gain more friction by clipping a second biner into the ropes and to your belay loop. Make sure you clip into the ropes AND into the harness though. If you clip into just the ropes you'll get even less friction. I don't think I'd ever use Spectra for rapping. Because it's so stiff it gets wicked tangles in it. You'll be F.U.C.T.! Cheers! Oh yeah, and make goddamn sure you direct the rope away from any bad edges...

Clean, cold, and wind-whipped. The ledges and cracks had snow but no ice. We foolishly brought tools and crampons up the trail but wisely left them at the tent!

No shit, you live on Waldron? That's cool! I sail by there all the time. You got a boat? Mark

The E Ridge is a hoot if you stay on the ridge proper. Great cracks and cool exposure.

Intuition liners are freakishly warm and comfy if you get an experienced person to fit them for you. Erik at Marmot spent a good chunk of time fitting mine and the result was zero heel lift and toasty feet while ice climbing in -30°C last winter. My partner's feet were blocks of freakin' wood. They are pretty stiff laterally however.

"...best way to get off that damn thing during the winter." With a couple exceptions, pretty much just rap and downclimb the ascent route. When descending the big snow ramp that tops out on the N ridge proper, rap off one of the lowest trees straight down to a big tree at the upper edge of the bowl. One of the last raps is free-hanging off a shitty bush. Fortunately in winter it's frozen in place and feels alot better! Oh, 60m ropes are very helpful. If the upper bowl has slid already the climb should be great right about this weekend! Enjoy! Mark

Maybe you're thinking of Alan & Shari Kearney and a couple of buds on the SW Ridge in the late '70s?

"OK, I'm letting go of the rope!" "OK gotcha, you've got the rope!" "Er, where's the rope?" Or something like that...

Two of THE most inspiring climbs for sure. Everything Kukuczka did in the Himalaya was epic, for his partners anyway. The guy must of been the friggin' definition of hardcore. Did you ever meet him?

"...I think the Raman Coulior is a first ascent/descent." Actually it was done by a couple of Brits, I think in '99. Cheers, Ramenless