bcollins

Brought back memories. This route was also my first alpine route, about 25 yrs ago!!! I led the first real pitch, grabbed this monster rack and took off. I might take my daughter up there next year.

I have memories of solo'ing up the Black Pyramid to lessen the risk to the rest of our team, the view between my legs was incredible. It was also a long.....way......down. RIP fellow climbers. Sincere condolences to family/friends. We're all very sorry for your loss. Barry

As someone who's spent an unplanned night out on the slopes above Paradise, I'll weigh in. A winter AT trip on the Muir snowfield. Weather deteriorates quickly below Pan Point, me and a 17 yr old newbie get disorientated and veer east, down the fall line, despite trying to follow a due south compass bearing. By 10 pm my headlight fails, so we radio into buddies at Paradise and dig in. Next day we skied out to Paradise through 14 inches of powder and single digits. I learned this: *Bring exta dry glove liners, my wetted out gloves froze into bricks. *Waterproof matches. Even in the dead of winter, below treeline we could have built a fire. *Emergency bivi sack. Light weight and would have been oh so nice. That's about it. We had extra layers, we kept a cool head, dug into a small clump of trees and stayed warm by doing squats, step ups all night. We were in communication via radio, ate the last of our food and water, and counted the minutes until first light. Of course it's not practical to bring everything on a day hike/ski, but it's possible to survive in good spirits and not endanger others with a little forethought and basic survival skills. Barry BTW so glad to hear that Mr. Kim is ok

Heard from my buddies who summitted today. (Love the cell service up there). They solo'd the ice pitches on the Kautz cuz it was too soft for screws. Bluebird day with a sea of clouds below, water at "Wilson Beach" as mentioned prev. One day of rest and then they're off to hit Stuart. Damn to be in my 20's again.......... Oh yeah they agreed with Jimbo's assessment of the "Fan" or Hourglass, they said it looked horrible up there, stay on the west edge of the Wilson.

I usually try to grab one of those electric scooters from Wal Mart. If you get one from the back of the line with a full charge you should be good to go for the Baker road approach. Go light or you're milage will suffer. Good luck.

Definately Moab chalk. Lately the weather's been hotter/drier in the Deception Crags area than the Utah desert, so the mudclimbers have been heading north. Scoop some of that up into your chalkbag and get crimpin.

Good news! Is the Wilson Beach bivi the one just below the Turtle? What's this talk of a rap from Camp Hazard down to the Kautz? Anchors? In years past it was just a scramble......I have a couple buddies heading up 6/13 so was wondering. Thanks Jimbo.

American made BD quality! I tied off that cam while leading the 2nd OW pitch away back in '01!!

Hey are the panties still under the roof at the pitch 4 anchors??? I girth hitched those to the hangers on that trip with AlpineH. I believe that was a dynamic thong, full strength rated to 12 kn.

Right..........shitty and boring. I put over 8K on my motorcycle since march and have ridden in the rain ONCE!! Just got back from a glorious ride up the Big Thompson to Estes Park to scope out routes for tomorrow at Lumpy Ridge. Come on cj if it was boring here for you that's cuz you spent too much time indoors making up shit you know nothing about. People don't rave about Pierce County, they just move there.......... Was it the Alpental ice comment that got you worked up??? Surprised you haven't said anything about the Rockies.........

Hey you'll be thanking the good people of Longmont around the end of Nov. when your nawing on the end of a drumstick. After dinner I'll be planning a trip up to El Dora ($25 all day tickets) or perhaps cruising up to Eldo for some world class climbing in the SUNSHINE. It seems I can afford to take Friday off cuz the COST OF LIVING is low! I do miss standing at the base of some moss-covered lichen infested slab up at Exit 38, squinting into the mist and rain while my stereo get's jacked from my truck. Oh BTW, when's the annual thread start on CC.com called "Any ice up at Alpental?"

I solved the Boulder blight problem by simply moving 12 miles away to Longmont. Hiking today in the sun on a bluebird day I scanned for ice routes that will soon be in up at RMNP. Tomorrow I'll drive 20 min. for nice granite in St. Vrain canyon, then Monday it's 40 min. to Eldorado for literally hundreds of routes to choose from. I was raised in Seattle, yea it's a great place but the weather shuts you down way too much. Hard to go back after living with over 300 days of sunshine per year, and enough rock within an hour to keep me busy for years. Oh yea I skied over 30 days of BC last winter too. Got it all right here!

Skiing Volkl Mountain 170's, Garmont AT boots, I'm 170 #'s, 6 ft. tall. Silvretta 404 AT bindings Basically what's the sequence for setting these bindings? Adjust heelplate fwd/bkd with pink rotating lever THEN heel and lateral release settings?? My boots are Mondo 28's. I'm skiing 80% BC and 20% lift served. Thanks, Barry

If not a climber, it's difficult to understand how much gear is essential to get up a technical route on a big mtn. Besides clothes, food, fuel, bivi sac and sleeping bag, you really shouldn't forget: Harness Helmet Ice screws (6-8 total) Pickets (3-4) Ropes (usually 2, 60 meter 9 mil) Slings to set up belays, anchors Carabiners (many) 2 technical ice tools each Crampons There's more I'm probably forgetting at this late hour. My point is that this isn't a hike!! It would be impossible to lead a pitch of 60 degree ice with 2 weeks of "extra" food and fuel. To suggest such is just plain ignorant of what Kelly, Brian, and Nikko were attempting to accomplish. We are surly now, I'm beginning to feel like our lifestyle is being questioned or put on trial by a gaggle of "expert" naysayers. I stand by our buddy's gear list, have no reason to believe that I'd have done or taken anything other than what they did on this trip. This is how these mtn's are climbed, period. Generation's of climbers world wide have perfected these techniques. On every piece of gear we buy there is a disclaimer that starts with, "Climbing is dangerous............"

Sad news indeed............ My condolences as well, sounds like a valiant effort at survival was played out just below the summit. Thanks SAR personnel for all your effort, there's more work to do though. Hoping for the best for the others.