Rodchester

SR: At least two groups did the South Arete that day. There is still a good bit of snow on the route. As far s the couloir goes, I disagree that it would last a few weeks. It'll be gone in a few days with this weather. I disagree with

Set up video camera, give it a try, take whipper, put footage on the web. The End.

I generally agree with iain. In most situations here in the PNW, I feel that a single locker is sufficient. However, Petzl is correct that a single carabiner can have some problems in some scenarios.

I never knew that BD made the BP in a 40 cm. I thought that it was only made in 50 cm.

Are you sure its a Black Prophet, and not an older X-15? I did not know that they made the Black Prophet in 40 cm...

They have an array of shoes left...all LaSportiva brand. Board lasted alpine bootie style, slippers, and basic shoes like the Cliff....find the retail and take off 75%. Wow.

Still lots of harnesses and rock shoes, as well as mountaineering boots. Most everything else is gone. Oh yeah, some water ice crampons too and maybe one mountaineering ice axe. God damn I wished I'd been there yesterday...

There is a prestigious climbing organization that rules on similar disputes, a little different, but similar. Maybe we can get them to rule on this? This organization is totally independent and was organized to certify climbs. I seriously think it is an issue that they can handle. Maybe someone here should pose the question to the MSC Organization

I'd say the best way to learn is to do it. Serioulsy, Go to a safe area (steep snow not a glacier, something with a safe run out) and experiment. Two people or three people on a rope. Try it with a little slack, no slack, and a lot of slack and see what happens. Ensure that the run out is safe, with good soft snow conditions so you don't kill yourself. Then report your findings.

What does eveyone use to mark the middle of your ropes?

rodchester: check it Gottcha

many of the "bivy" sites above 11,000 ft. are not good camps, just decent bivy sites. There are usuallu exposed to winds and weather. As such camping higher than 11,000 ft. may not help you at all. If you really want a good camp site higher than 11,000 ft. that is SOMEWHAT well protected, camp in the summit caves in the crater. Then your summit day will be really short...say about 200-300 ft.

G-12s rock..... Air tech? You mena the ice axe? Good axe, but the BD Raven is WAY better.

Nail Polish...pick a color that is ugly and unique.

Would a Yates screamer make is sufficient?

This is one recomendation for an alpine hammer or a second tool as you are calling it: Cassin Extreme Guide Axe That is a great price and with a 55 cm shaft it is great on lowwer angle alpine stuff where you are usingit like a regular ice axe. It is a bit heavy, but still a great tool at a great price. I would also look at the DMM Raptor .

Guns vs. Doctors - A Thought Provoking Statistic Think about this: A. The number of physicians in the US is 700,000. B. Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year is 120,000. C. Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171. (US Dept. of Health &Human Services) Then think about this: A. The number of gun owners in the US is 80,000,000. B. The number of accidental gun deaths per year is 1,500. C. The number of accidental deaths per gun owner 0.0000188 Statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners. FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR. Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban doctors before this gets out of hand. As a public health measure, I have withheld the statistics on lawyers for fear that the shock could cause people to seek medical attention. OK, Ok , OK...I got this in some e-mail. I have not "fact" checked it. I think it is tongue and cheek and view it as such.

What are you talking about? M2 didn't get anyone killed. All M2 clients lived. In fact, the M2 clients had very few injuries ... only minor frost bite. Sure it was close at times, in fact very close, but the reality is (and all note this) the M2 clients and guides saved others. Obvioulsy, Scott Fischer did not live, most believe it was due to his pre-existing intestinal problem. Those that died (clients) were from a New Zealand company (Adventure Consultants). Yes, AC was and is a good company with strong guides and still look what happened. Comparing Everest guiding to Rainier guiding is a bit of a stretch, don't you think? Talk about bad advice.

You are correct. It was Paul and he is one of the most influential by far. His climbing career was ground breaking and he was very infuential in guiding when he and Exum founded Exum Guides. He was also very influential in outdoor education in founding NOLS. Paul

I bet if I had one of those bolt guns that Stallone had in Cliffhanger I could AID it. After all, AID is still climbing. Oh no, that's right, Chouinard says bouldering is not climbing. Further, I bet Dan could not only do it, but become the first to speed climb a V12. OK enough kidding. I think it takes a lot of everything to send a V12. Trainining in technique and physical as well as mental. And yes, you need to have some natural ability in my mind. But then again, maybe I'm just weak-minded?

Nelson I, 2nd Ed. Nelson II Check out and buy both Nelson books. For an 8 day trip you'll get PLENTY of ideas from these books. They are well written and provide good beta on routes, approaches, and how to get to the trailhead. Most people are shocked when they come from back east and see the North Cascades. They just don't know and understand how many great peaks there are around the PNW. Get these books, read them over, then ask for opinions and advice here. You'll get plenty of feedback.

"Do you think they used a US made helicopter and a US made missile to assassinate the guy?" Possibly, but Israel is very good at making thier own equipment and armaments. I hate Sharon......Fat Bastard.

Hmmm...I have a 9.8 x 60 meter dry that I generally use for alpine stuff. It has worn average so far. I haven't used it for AID, but have for some sport and crag trad. I think the quality of the rope is going to have more to do with the wear than the diameter.

How did the Sherpa get from Nepal/Tibet to the Baltoro? I guess the client hired him as a guide. You know what I think is a real scam? Taxis...I mean come on, drive yourself. Think about it, if you can't drive and find you own parking you must suck. I mean come on. You know that Cabbie is getting rich off it too. I bet he drives around the block twice to run up the meter. And then the Cabbie says to the client: "wait here a minute while I go do something." And he is off doing something personal on the client's dime. That makes me mad. When that client can drive himself, pay for his own gas, and then find his own parking and not rely on the immigrant cab driver I'll respect him.

Will: I get your point, but the reality is, most clients that have the money to shell out are USUALLY sharp enough to hang up the phone and call another guide service, and that is exactly what they do. VERY few actually pay full price on the large trips. The quoted and often passed around price of $60,000.00 is not a reality excpet in rare cases. To say that the few times that this happens (if ever) makes all guiding a scam is BS. But I understand your point. Hey Mattp, love the T.