Marko

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

Looks like somebody's been feeding the rat, that's all.

I guess it's time to get strong!

Pilsner?

blue_morph, I've got a pair of light ripstop goretex down bibs if you're still looking. 60 bucks or so. I can send a photo if you want. -Mark

Integral Designs Endurance bivy sack, 11 oz., size regular, very low miles, $80. Lightweight goretex down pants, large, no miles, $60.

Damn nice shots, daler. Was that on the Nettle-Quirk? Mark

mvs, Actually that was Forrest and not me on Inspiration last winter. Sounded like they had a blast, the bastards!

Hargreaves. Didn't Destivelle solo a new A4 route on the Eiger a bunch of years ago?

Very goddamn cool Wayne! Helluva an adventure once again old man. Cheers, Mark

"Gullies are FNA aid" Goddam right they are! Though it is the more considerate nude climbers that stick to gully routes. Well done in any event!

Sperry's NE Ridge is pretty cool. Some brushy climbing but not bad. Up to 5.6 say. Really cool exposure, too. A short rope is nice for a couple of the more exposed 5th class bits. No glacier though. I think it was less than 8 hrs...

5 years! You're shitting me. It's been that long?!?! Holy crap! No way, that wasn't '98 was it? In any event, cheers.

Man, that is a beautiful shot of Johannesberg!

Wayne: Just think of it as yet another objective danger out there in the hills! CBS: My lawyer has advised no comment at this time.