dave

If you have the rope on, then it is a simple and quick matter to place running gear if necessary. If one anticipates placing running gear, or belaying, sometimes it is easier and/or more efficient to be roped from the beginning. I certainly have climbed some snow and ice slopes roped, prepared to fire in a few screws, and then did not bother. Is this really a more dangerous practice than soloing? The thing is, Not to Fall, Ciao-D

I can't believe I actually agree with the Caveman! Guided parties, like any parties, can be good parties or bads parties. I believe that Prusik, and the Enchantment basin proper, is off limits to commercial guiding but the rest of the stuff aforementioned is not. Ciao---Dave

Thanks Jason, for the only worthwhile comments on the subject. I guess that is why it is called "spray".

The Washington Kayak Club, the Vancouver Kayak Club, Whitewater Kayak Association of BC, all have good web sites with discussion. Bonus, a whole lot less fascist asses shooting their mouths off as well. To all you non-kayakers, the NWet is Mecca for paddling. All the shitty rainy weather when climbing is no good, the rivers are cranking! When their is no ice and the skiing sucks, drizzle at 7000 feet, there are probably a dozen kick ass kayak runs within an hour and a half from your computer terminal. Kayaked five days, four different rivers, no approaches, last week. If it wasn't stupid, totally useless, and at least a little dangerous, it wouldn't be fun!

Good morning Fascistclimbers.com, Imperialist climbers rsource! Stop the Bush War Machine! Ciao

I'll be there.--Dave

So didja climb it?

Thanks! I can't wait!

Stay dry as in completely dry even when it is raining?

Does anyone know if the routes around Newhalem shown on the misha site stay dry during rain, seep a lot etc. Are they any good?

Exactly. The best way to figure it is to warm up a bit and then go all out. The formula is definitely a bit rough. If you are active the decline with age will be more gradual.

If you are standing and belaying from the hip, and the pull is a bit outward as opposed to downward, (as is likely on easier terain) you are going to topple over, especially if you didn't anticipate the direction of pull well. This situation will be the same if the terrain is generally steep but you are on a ledge a short ways back from the edge, again some outward pull. If you prefer to stand on the edge of the cliff with no anchor, so that you can have a nice clean downward pull, ..I don't know why a person would. If the terrain is quite easy and you have difficulty keeping up with their rate of travel with your belay, and they ever fell, you'd get pulled right off your standing stance. Take care with losing the rope, sliding off the hips, with the standing hip action. If you are sitting with your feet braced widely against even small edges, you are in business, even if you didn't anticipate the direction of pull well. One can also use a hand to brace with. The rope won't slide off your hips. One can also belay dynamically when seated quite well to prevent getting pulled off a stance. I don't really believe in a good dynamic belay with an unanchored standing hip belay. Maybe the shoulder belay if the terrain is steep. Just some thoughts from my experiences, having done a fair bit impromptu belays, hip, shoulder, rock, snow.

Freeclimb is accurate, your training should mimic the movements you are training for or you will get little transfer. Obviously stair machine is better than running flats. In fact walking fast up steep hills is arguably better than running up less steep hills. If you have freeweights, squats might help. Sqats would be better than leg extensions on a machine or other devices they are more similar the movements done when going up hills, the same point as above. Running flats does not exercise the quadriceps enough.

Might just keep in mind that whatever method you use, it will invariably be a little more of a pain in the ass than you are used to when you swing leads. Better to lead a couple few in a row. then fuck it all up. You won't have to do it so many times.

Maximum heart rate is largely genetically determined. Usually around 220 minus age. If one is very active, max heart rate may not decline as steeply. Resting heart rate decreases with aerobic training. Imagine your heart rate at 70 before training and 50 after training. The "untrained you" would be walking around at about 90 beats per minute. The "trained you" would be walking around at 70 bpm. This means the two yous could walk at the same pace, yet the untrained you is always going to be working harder cardiovascularly. The high resting pulse rate after a long endurance event or maximal effort is an indicator of overtraining. Something like roundabout 5 over your normal might indicate it is time for a rest, especially if it stays up for a few consecutive days. For those who have high resting pulse after extensive training, this is definitely not the only indicator of fitness. While maximum heart rate is fairly constant, the maximum heart rate at which one can still work aerobically is definitely not. A highly trained athlete can work aerobically at over 90% of their maximum heart rate. A couch potato can probably work aerobically at 50-60% of maximum heart rate. Remember the athlete and the TV addict probably have close to the same maximum heart rate. (Unless one is an older athlete who has been continuously active and the couch potato is working down the 987,435th bag of Doritos for exercise). This level, the dividing line between aerobic activity, that which can be continued for a long time,and anaerobic activity, that which brings about heavy fatigue, metabolic wastes, lactic acid, PAIN! is the anaerobic threshold. The higher the threshold, the more you can do without working anaerobically. There are many ways to determine anaerobic threshold. If you simply put on a heart rate monitor and run around in the hills for a few hours a few times, trying to run at a constant heart rate, you'll get a pretty good idea. If your legs get heavy, body loaded down with fatigue at 15 minutes, well your probably working anaerobically to some degree. If you can keep it up, just, (keep what up?) for an hour,.... then you are probably pretty close to the threshold.