Rodchester

Yeah, Vantage's Seven Virgins is a good fairly long and vertical chimney. It is FAIRLY clean and an enjoyable climb....I think it goes at 5.7...it is not bolted.

Actually I am fairly sure that NOLS started that approach long before anyone else....correct? Of course one might say that NOLS is a school, versus a guide service, but when you are talking about a guide service offering a school style class...what's the difference?

Don't go to Muir at all...camp below near Anvil Rock, say maybe about 500 ft. below Muir. 1. Instead of leaving the parking lot early, or even mid-day, wait until late in the day. With the heat of the day going down with the sun, begin your slog up to Anvil Rock area. You'll be alone, avoiding crowds of climbers and day hikers, and it will be considerably cooler out. You'll sweat less. 2. Camp at anvil rock instead of Muir. No crowds. Arrive at Anvil some 2.5 to 5.5 (depending on speed, physical conditioning, and how much crap you've convinced yourself that you need up there) later. So you arrive around 9:00 to 10:00. Go to sleep. 3. Wake up at about 7:00 a.m. Qiuickly pack up and move. You'll arrive at Muir shortly. Those that are there will be those that choose not to go, or some that RMI turned around. Move through Muir quickly and talk to no-one. Move up to Ingrham flats. Total time 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Once again you have beat the heat. 4. You arrive at Ingrham Flats at about 9:00 a.m. Set up camp, melt snow, eat, fart, sleep abit. Get up and practice crevasse rescue and do some ice climbing in the crevasses. Hit the rack at 6:00 p.m. 5. Get up and get moving by 12:15 a.m. This will let you beat the hoards out of Muir. The key is to get ahead of them and beat them up the DC. This is the bottle neck and the area of greatest danger. You should be able to get to the summit by 3:45 to 6:00 a.m. without moving real quickly. There aren't likley to be too many others up there with you. Summit shots, blah blah blah. Climb into crater and get warm. eat and drink and wait for the hoards to crest the the summit crater. 6. As soon as they crest make a go for it. While they are deciding whether they should go over to the true summit and they are drinking water and eating go around them and begin your desnt. At first you'll run into a few groups. You should be able to by-pass them without too much trouble. 7. Close up camp and make a dash for Muir. Now go down. You should be down by noon without any problem. Beat the heat and crowds. If you time it right...and a little luck...you won't get caught in the hoards. I did it once where we were on the summit for around and hour before the next team came up. It won't be solitude, but it is one way to avoid the crowds and the heat.

If you can't summit with out it, due to time or inabilites, is it better to summit with it, or fail without it? I wouldn't let your peers drive the answer to that question. Further, isn't it standard on Elbrus to take the chair-lift? If so, then you've made the standard grade, and others shouldn't criticize you unless they've done better. And even then, they shouldn't criticize you. Now, if time and abilities permit, and if the standard on the mountain was to NOT use the lift and you chose to anyway, then I might say something.

J_Fisher: Thanks for the BETA!!! I am familar with the rap off and the peak in general. I was planning on doing a first night bivy at the base of the Molar Tooth in what the books call the bowl. And then pushing to the summit the second day. Opinion? Is the bowl a decent bivy sight? Also, I am thinking of doing the Petzoldt(Direct)-Upper Exum. Have you done it? If so, which is the better/more fun route? I have done the Upper Exum, and would love to do the Petzoldt(Direct)-Upper Exum . But, I also want to do the East Ridge. We won't have time for both...I figured we would have better luck getting permits for the East Ridge and would see fewer people. What is your opinion? Thanks for the beta .

A guy that used to post here named Brian Haggerty did the trail in a lightweight manner a few years ago. I think he did it in something like three days. He rigged up a harness/but-pack system that was really lightweight. He has since moved to Bozeman MT and I haven't seen any postings by him since he left Seattle. Maybe you can track him down via e-mail and get some good beta from him? Tray a search. He really had the trail dialed in. My understanding of the trail is such that it would be quite challenging to do it in 48 hrs...DAMN near impossible. But hey, give it a shot. I take it you plan on running the vast majortity of the trail. As far as water goes....just use iodine. Lightweight, cheap, simple. The time you take to pump any water filtrations ystem will eat into your running time way too much. Plus it means added weight, and if you have problems maintainence, and if it breaks they all say to carry iodine anyway.... Good luck....post a trip report.

Ouch!!! That sucks. Make him carry his own pack...or make the second carry the water, food, and wind shirts for both. Or, are you the kind that carries two of the 10,000 essesntials on every route no matter what? Either way...you got out and had fun!!!

Where did you have to down climb? I've done the route twice now and do not recall having to downclimb at all? Was that at the crux? Next time try carrying less and try climbing with the pack on your back. The route doesn't involve any chimney moves, so the pack shouldn't present any problems. Anyway...it is a fun route...and the crux is really only one short section of what I would call mid-fifth that is easy to protect.

I am looking for beta on the Grand Teton's East Ridge route. Any beta is appreciated, but I am looking specifcally for info on turning the Molar Tooth ... south v. north v. direct. On the south traverse, the books (Ortenburger, Bonney, and 50 Selected Climbs) all refer to the "window" and the "notch." This is confusing me somewhat. They're not the same thing...right? Also, did you do it in one day from a camp new the glacier or one of the lakes? How long from there? Did you bivy on the route? Are there any decent bivy spots/ledges? Heading out there in a few weeks and want to do the GT East Ridge, come down to the lower saddle and then go over the Midddle Teton via its North Ridge and then hit the South Teton. Any beta on that also appreciated.

Japanese Tourists (family) in Jellystone in good english with a heavy accent. Husband: Will you take a picture of my family next to the buffalo? ME: Sure. Lots of Japanese language directing the family nearer and nearer to a very large solitary Bufflo. With thier backs to the buffalo about 12 feet away, I was about to take a picture. Then there was an exchange between the husband and wife. Wife: Please wait, my husband wants to put our child on the Buffalo. ME: Sure....maam....um....can I keep the camera? (Husband looks at me funny.) Husband: What? ME: Can I keep the camera? Husband: What do you mean? ME: Well when you try to put that kid on the Buffalo it is going to trample all over you and your family. And seeing as how it weighs over 1000 lbs. and can run 30 mph, I think it'll kill you pretty quickly. So what I want to know is, after it kills you, Can I have the camera? (wife blurts something out distressful sounding in Japanese as the Buffalo snorts and shift its position now facing head first at them) Husband: We do not require a picture at this time. (taking the camera back from me) Thank you.

Its not? Then I'm not going!!!

How much is that in Canuck-cash?

Oh man.... What a loser. Got it off your chest, but how about the chunk on your shoulder? Yeah, and the girl that was raped was asking for it because she was wearing a short skirt. Great logic....... Canda rocks Those punks suck and don't represent Canada or Candians.

Are those on Rainier's dog route still using the Direct Ingraham, or is it too broken up shifting the conga-line to the DC? Going up next week with some old friends from back east that have never been to the summit. Any beta on conditions is appreciated.

many say that the Friction Pitch is unprotectable. When my wife and I did the Exum we carried a medium alpine rack and I threw in two fairly small (small, but not tiny) cams. I was able to protect the Friction Pitch as well as other pitches thanks to the small cams. I really enjoyed the route and want to do the North Face Direct or East Ridge in August. I have also thought about the Petzoldt. I have been told that combining the Petzoldt and the Upper Exum is a sweet combo with less crowds than the Full Exum.

There is a great place to climb right in downtown Seattle. I think it is called the REI Pinncale crag. Yeah, beta on it can be hard to get out of the locals. They are really protective of that crag. No published guidebooks exist. Ihear there is some first ascent potential. Really ... you'd get more information if you were more specific about your abilities and your desires. Crags, alpine, glacier mountaineering, etc.

I know some that post here disagree...but Black Diamond . A couple of weeks ago I posted asking if anyone knew of a place that would re-sew slings on old cams. Responses were varied and I did contact one local Seattle place. Some one recommended BD. Two of my cams (out of four) in need of some attention were BD. Someone had recomended senidng them to BD. So, I called BD and they said to mail them in and clearly explained the various prices for various services. They were very straight forward, telling me to include a credit card number in a note with the cams. So I mailed them in. Only a week or so later I got them back. They had re-sewn the draws, put on new trigger kits, and cleaned up the cams in general. They are almost like new. They did a great job and did it quicly too. Then a card fell out of the box, with a hand written note saying: "No charge, this time. John." Well John, you're my hero. BD .

Dan: Try Second Bounce. They have a few used ones that are still in good shape at good prices.

Wolfie: I have used a apir of very lightweight aluminums made by Camp. I have been fairly surprised at what they can do. I tend to be more cautious with them and only use them on basic mountaineering stuff. But I have used them on a some short, steep, hard blue ice sections. They actually held up fine. Again, I don't lick in as hard as I would with steel. That said, I am sure they won't last as long as steel and would wear out fast on rock and would eventually bend on hard ice.

Oh man that's bad....

Hell, I'll tag alomg and buy some brews for the crew. this could be fun. So where and when ya gonna do this thing? I like

tell me you're kidding?

Yeah, and she wanted to be raped ... that's why she wears those sexy clothes. Those Americans ...always trying to conquer other countries ...what's next Liberia? God damn, are the local RCMP guys paid professionals or Barny Fife types? Talk about weak ass police work. A mark of corruption to the point that they believe thier own BS. Canada and most all Canadians . These punks suck. And thier RCMP friends will do eveything they can to cover this one up and hide it....to the point of blaming the victims. RCMP

Personal Locator Units Anyone ever use one? Any of you rescue guys/gals ever have a victim get saved by one? Curious about opinions about the effectivenss technology and the ethic behind using and or not using one. Is this the wave of the future?

4-H Camp