sobo

And you also need to remember to make sure the sling is long enough to provide a sufficiently small angle between the bolts and the connection biner to reduce loads on the anchors. You know, the Triangle of Death and all that FOTH rot.

The entrance to that cave looks strangely like this one: We can't risk another frontal assault. That rabbit's dynamite!

Sure it is! It's how I got started climbing in the first place: caving in the limestone playgrounds of Virginia and West Virginia. We would map/explore virgin cave passages, and when we couldn't walk, crawl, squeeze, or swim, we'd break out the "cave pole" and the bolt kits.

Ken: The name of the 2/3-star hotel just south of the main town square is Le Laurence. We had a room on the 4th floor that gave us a view out the back up at the old castle on the hill. We also had a WC with a shower (that actually had hot water) in the room for 300F (~$50 back then) for two nights for two peeps. A pretty good deal. The local guide’s name is Jose, and he has (had?) his shop set up on one of the main streets into the square in a tree-climbing/arborist’s shop with a guy named Stefan, who speaks English very well. I don’t have their phone number anymore. You should be able to find them in the phone book. And you’re prolly right about the guide. I knew you were “down south and out west”, but I thought you might be coming back through the PNW to hook up with others before the trip, but I guess not. Ade: I looked at the guide last night, and I did in fact climb in the area of the Calanque d’En Vau, the Vallon de Cadeiron, and around the Port-Pin area. I apparently forgot how long it took to get there. The guidebook tells me that it’s 5K from the “parking area” to the climbs. I seem to remember it took only a few minutes. Mebbe my brain has faded and my recollections have been dulled over the years. Time just seemed to go so much faster back then...

I have that guide. Green cover, right? You can borrow it, Ken.

Ade, I'm not sure where I climbed, but I'm guessing from your description of En Vau's access that I didn't go there. I remember walking through the main square, passing along the waterfront road past the pricier lodgings, getting on the trail system at the northwest edge of town, and dropping down into the gorges and wandering around until I found things I could reasonably solo without killing myself. My wife (fiance' back then) went painting and so I was left without a partner, and I couldn't hook up with the local guide after several tries. A quick check of my guidebook tonight will tell me where I was. <aside> What are those wierd stone foundations with no roofs on them that are all over the hillside outside of town for?

Ken, Head to Les Calanques, Gaston Rebufat's old stompin' grounds, about a 20-minute train ride outside of Marseilles. Stay in the little seaside town of Cassis. It's about a 4-klick walk from the train station into town. The rocks are about a 10-minute walk from the downtown square. There is a great 2-star hotel right around the corner from the main square that was dirt-ass cheap, even over the May Day holiday (about 5 years ago). I would have to go look up the name in my travel journal for that trip, if you wanted it. I also have a guidebook to Les Calanques, but it's in French. I have enough of a grasp of Italian that I was able to use it to find and get up a few choice routes. Grading system is Euro, so bone up on those numbers! Let me know if you want the name of the hotel and/or if you want to borrow the guide (used only once! ).

Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.

I haven't been up that way in a while, but I've spent plenty of time on the N side of Adams in the past. In snow years better than this one I've been able to drive all the way to Killen Creek TH with no problems in May and/or June. My guess is that this year you could go up without any trouble at all by the end of this month. The thing you really need to be asking yourself is, "Do I really want to hike up this pile of choss when there are so many other great lines on this side of the hill?" I've never been "up" the NR; I only use it for descents. It's a dirt-slog - especially this year. Think: NF Adams Glacier, Adams Glacier Icefall, Stormy Monday Couloir, Lava Glacier, Lyman Glaciers (North or South), or all the cool stuff on the NW aspect.

LJN, You convinced Cragg to get into a kayak? HAHAHA! That's priceless!

I'll echo barjor's comment about the political crap. Sometimes it can be almost overwhelming. But then I'll also echo cluck's comments as well. I, too, will never read to blind children either, so mountain rescue is a niche where I'm reasonably good at something to which I can give back. And note that Mountain Rescue is a sub-unit of the larger SAR organization. Decide where you want to function.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...! That would prolly do it.

Yes. No. Well, not really "no" per se, but they don't fit well. Mebbe a spot of crazy glue on the threads, but when they finally fell off, I liked them better without the grinders after all. YMMV

I know the hill your talking about. What do you think the vert is? I estimate about 300 feet vert; certainly no more than that.

It's actually kind of fun in the middle of summer, all doody-ed up in resort regalia, watching the looks you get from folks driving by. But wipe-outs are, shall we say... "distasteful."

I've taken my "rock skis" and carved turns in the sand below the cliffs on the east bank of the Columbia River just south of the Vantage bridge. Take the exit for Othello and Royal City, then park the car about a half mile down the road from the exit. Anyone who's been to school at WSU knows where it is. Can't miss it.

Ya caught one, Brad!

True dat. I always figgerd that was a benefit!

Hey Paul, WTF do you do for a living that lets you get out so GD much? Inquiring minds want to know...

When I was a kid living in Italy, we used to call those toilets "European bombsights". I think you can figger out why...

Jeezus H. Christ! And I thought I was a coffee snob for grinding my own goddamn beans every morning and using a French press! You guys are fucking amazing, your knowledge of all things caffienated!

Yeah, but gyselinck lost beaucoup points for not having his name written on athletic tape in Marks-A-Lot pen and taped over the MSR logo.

mccallboater posted using my post for his reply, which Marko subsequently picked up. Marko even quoted my earlier post for further clarification ^^. From this, I must assume that we are talking about Joe Benson as the one who was killed in Asia. I know that Joe Benson lived in Sandpoint when I knew him, and that he was an avid climbing photographer. All of the photos in Randall Green's Idaho Rock, with the exception of only two, are by Joe, including the cover shot. We must be talking about the same guy. If this is correct, it is indeed sad news, and I am truly sorry. While I never met Joe Benson, we talked on the phone once or twice about climbs in the Selkirks, and we made that kind of plan where "...we should hook up some time and do some climbing...", but sadly, we never did. Never do the words "carpe diem" mean more than in situations such as this. Rest in peace, Joe.

For skiing/mountaineering, I have two pairs that work especially well for me that don't fog up. One pair is by Bolle' and the other is by Uvex. They both have these vent systems on the top, bottom, and sides that allow exchange of ambient air to the area behind the goggle that reduces fog quite nicely. They both retail for around $30 to $35 at the ski resort, but you could prolly get them cheaper at a gear store in town. As as an aside, you could always buy that "anti-fog" stick (or cloth) and treat them with that.

What part of you is injured? If it's not your legs, come on over to the east side and make a quick jaunt up Goat Peak on Saturday, then on Sunday take a long stroll up to the top of the Fife's Peak group, most likely West Fife Peak (6,880). The gain for Fife's is about 3,500 feet in 1.5 miles, through game trails and bushwhacking or 4+ miles if you stick to the Crow Creek Way trail. Access Fife's from the Crow Creek Way Trailhead located at the Fife's Peak viewpoint on SR 410 at MP 81.5 Goat Peak is across the road and down a bit, has about the same gain over twice the trail length. Access the trail from Hell's Crossing Campground and the Pleasant Valley loop trail on the south side of SR 410 around MP 84 or so. Both received about three inches of new snow last weekend while we were up on the West Peak of Fife's. It was a near white-out, and it was pretty cool. Then it got dark. We got "misplaced" on the way down and ended up with a twelve-hour day, car to car. Eric's Base Camp has some credible beta here for the main peak, which can be used for the West Peak as well. Also, Beckey's CAG #1.