Rodchester

Illimani94, Question...If they are recyclable, where do you take them to recycle? The local recycle won't touch ANYTHING that has had fuel in it. While I think it is great if they CAN be recycled, the real thing is, will they actually be recycled? Tell me if I am wrong, I would love to recycle mine. Thanks for any input....

CeCe, You really ROCK!!! I hope that you make it, but climb safe.

David Parker, I have seen a "lunar module" crash and burn too. Climbing Kid: The XGK II is a real barnburner and sooo reliable. And when they do crash, they are very repairable. I have used the MSRs (XGK II and Whisperlights) On long and high trips to the Andes and found they work great on 0therwise suspect fuel. I recently acquired a Dragonfly stove. I have not had the opportunity to really put it to the test just yet. I have friends at MSR who have told me that it is basically an XGK II with a simmer switch. Good = easy to simmer Bad = more parts to break, repair Liquid v. Cartridge Efficiency: Liquid are very efficient. No comparison with cartridge stoves. Weight and bulk: Liquid stoves tend to weigh more and tend to be more bulky. Performance: On most models the liquid stoves win, but many cartridge stoves can really put out the heat, just not efficiently. Most cartridge stoves lack a good windscreen set up, which effects performance. Maintenance: Liquid stoves tend to be more temperamental and require more care, but they are usually very repairable. Each part is replaceable. Cartridge stoves tend to be damn near maintenance free. Turn on, light, cook. But when they do break they are gone, trash can time. Availability of fuel: In USA and Canada both are easy to come by. However, in South America white gas is very hard to find. Make sure your stove burns multiple fuels. (This is where the XGK and Dragonfly excel) Make sure you bring a coffee style filer to strain the fuel. Unless your stove says will burn "chunky style" fuels. Auto gas is the easiest to obtain for your liquid fuel stoves. Cartridges are quite popular and can be obtained throughout most of the world. They may be hard to find in many areas, but hit the cities and stock up as you pass through. Enviro concerns: Face it, cartridges suck. I am sure some one out there is going to say how they heard about some place that recycles them, yeah right. They will sit in landfills, and not rot. Rule of thumb (my thumb anyway): Liquid = Mt. Rainier, long trips, snow melting, mountaineering, Cartridge = backpacking, alpine rock, short trips, light duty cooking, coco, coffee That is the view from my side of the mountain....... ------------------ Have a nice day.

I do wear my 5-10 mountain masters to the crags, but I don't wear them around town. That is where you will get the wear on the soles. Don't be paranoid about wearing the approach shoes, just don't wear them as city shoes and expect them to last.

I would really recommend the BD. I have used it and love it. It is simple and light, really focused on climbing. Big enough for 1-3 days for lightweight trips. Everything you need in a pack and nothing more. With dual ice tool tubes, an expandable crampon pouch and built-in tail holders for skis, the Ice Pack was designed for alpine/ice climbers that appreciate the essentials, not fluff. Comes in two sizes, go with the 50L if you want to do multi-day. Surf By: http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/alpinism/packs_ice_pack.html Also try Marmot Front Point: http://www.marmot.com/products/packs/packs_prod_bkpk_frntpt.html It is a bit larger than the BD. And I have not used it, but it fits well into the class of packs you are looking at. It is lightweight and simple, really focused on alpine climbing. It was designed by Pete Takeda. I think he climbs pretty hard...ha ha ha. Any way...good luck!!! ------------------ Have a nice day.

Hope to see everyone there tonight!!! It should be fun. ------------------ Have a nice day.

Hey Jman, what is lowa's web address?

I'm telling you, check out the mountain master. It is beefy enough for hiking and climbs very well. More beefy than the 5-10 Guide almighty. I took them from car to camp to summit of the grand via the exum ridge. And loved every step, edge, smeer, and crack-jam along the way.

CeCe is great and the slideshow should be fun. Too bad you can't make it. the T-shirt purchase is always apprecited!!! ------------------ Have a nice day.

I have a pair of the five-ten mountain masters and I cannot say enough about them. They are, hands down, the best pair of trail/approach/hiking shoes I have ever owned or used or tried on. I would buy them again in a heart beat. Excellent. The only potential problem...or should I say thing to keep in mind...is that stealth rubber does wear down quickly, when compared to regular sole rubber. So if you want the sole to last, wear them only for the trail/approach/climb. ------------------ Have a nice day.

I have heard the REI has stopped sending its repair work to Dave Page due to slow turn arounds and workmanship issues. I also had a friend that had a simple problem with an Everst One Sport and he said it could not be fixed. Took it somewhere else and it was fixed ina couple of days, no problem. That is what I have heard anyway. Not sure if it is becsue he is sooo swamped, which he is, or if he now has "elves" that are not up to speed.

Can i just say, Oh I don't use the FBI so I don't want to pay for it? NO. The politicians and our taxes are supposed to pay for it. ------------------ Have a nice day.

Everyone, My friend CeCe is doing a slideshow on Boliva!!! She is doing this as a fund raiser for her upcoming expedition to Makalu, in Nepal. There is no "entrance" fee, however if you would like to donate any money or buy a raffle ticket it would go to a great cause. The route they are doing on Makalu is a very difficult technical route that has only been done once. Many have tried to repeat it, but none have been successful. Join local Seattle climber Cecelia Mortenson this Monday March 19th as she shares her tales of climbing in the Bolivian Andes and elsewhere in the America's. This is a party / fundraiser / slideshow for an upcoming climb on the Southwest Ridge of Makalu, the 5th tallest mountain in the world. Free Beer! Cool Raffle Prizes! Great tales! Good Fun! 7:00pm Monday, March 19th 911 Media, next door to Feathered Friends 119 Yale Ave N - Seattle 206-292-2210 ------------------ Have a nice day. [This message has been edited by Rodchester (edited 03-16-2001).]

The question isn't SHOULD we fund these things, but HOW should we fund these things. Access fees to “public” land are the wrong answer. It could get to a point that only those with money can get access. Then the public would loose access. The forest service is not the US Postal service. Our society is based on a capitalist economic system, but our government is not. Our government is our representative assigned the duty of stewardship over our nation’s resources and lands. It has a duty to maintain these resources. We must not turn our nation’s resources and lands into a capitalist system. If we turn our nation’s resources and land into a capitalist system we will face far worse problems than we face today. Soon some areas may be seen as a profit center and those that are not seen as profit centers face the possibility of guts due to lack of profitability. Fees at Yellowstone and Yosemite would sky rocket while, while the North Cascades would be seen as a capital drain. Not enough users to justify the expense. (Dirt bag climbers just don’t spend money). Like any corporate /capitalist system we would sell it off, maybe as a whole unit, maybe in pieces. Too many gutless politicians are afraid to do their jobs, like fund our parks, forests, and public lands. So they pass it to the end user, people like you and me. The more we pay, the more they say, pass it to the end user. Too many people like you and me just pay it and don’t point to the politician and say, do your goddamn job. I am as capitalist as you can get, short of our lands and resources. These Fees seem to make sense, but they don’t. Fund it, don’t charge for it. It should also be noted that the majority of the "fees" do not, that is right do NOT, go toward what they tell you the fee is for. The vast majority of the time they go into the general fund and can be redirected as some politician and or bureaucrats sees fit. It does NOT all go toward trail maintenance, rescues, etc. My twenty-five cents worth.... ------------------ Have a nice day.

Most often the answer is in the shoes.....even if they still look good...odds are they are shot. Replace them. ------------------ Have a nice day.

I agree with DPS, GO LIGHT!!!! Leave all of the crap where it belongs....on the shelf at REI. Drink water like mad, who cares if you have to piss all night long. Stay hydrated. ------------------ Have a nice day.

Jon, I get the joke...mmmm porn, beer, and climbing. I know I am sick, just NO MORE POP-UPS!!! Ads in the main text are just fine, and it sounds like it really fits in with the page...but kill the pop-up. ------------------ Have a nice day.

Enough on the miles smart thing already!!! I am sure Miles is a great guy and the slide show will really rock...but enough. Everytime I surf by or even push the back button I have to close the "advertisement" window. I really want to surf by more often but will not until the window is disabled. This is not a porn site...just do a regular ad please.

opps..sory, wrong place [This message has been edited by Rodchester (edited 03-05-2001).]

Check the weather.....and don't go if it is snowing or blowing. The route is fairly exposed, as far as weather goes. Check the avalanche conditions!!! Surf by this page for basic route beta as well as permits and fees. You will need a snowpark pass to park. Count on 5500+ vertical gain. If you are in loose snow, this will be a BITCH, even with snowshoes. Although once above treeline the snow usually harndens up due to wind. See Jim Nelson/Potterfield's first Selected Climbs. Good Luck,

It will be interesting to see if any routes have changed.....maybe a new chaulk stone in a crack, maybe wider crack, maybe a toppled tower, maybe a rock slide filling in gully? ------------------ Have a nice day.

NORTH!!!...To Alaska my friend. Good luck. For Lilloeet weather, check this out: http://www.weatheroffice.com/scripts/citygen.pl?cclient=ECCDN&city=WKF Ice won't stay in there very much longer...sorry

There are many Americans out there doing many hard ass climbs. Many more than you think. Many of them are not known because they rarely write about it or talk about it beyond their inner circle. They are not sponsored by high profile companies and they climb in areas that lack the media attention. Carlos Buhler, and many of his climbing partners are excellent examples. In the summer of 1999 Buhler and Mark Price did a wicked hard new route on Sula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash. (You know, the only ascent since Joe Simpson's epic) and yet no one even blinked. Buhler and Price just didn't see a need to blow his own horn too loudly. That and the media can't even pronounce Cordillera Huayhuash. There are many more out there and up there. Moving too fast and light to carry sat phones and banners. Too focused to write books and brag about themselves in patagonia catalogues.

Fred is older than dirt, not quite as old as rock, but older than dirt.

Why dream about summer when there is sooo much to do here and now....summer will be here soon enough. ------------------ Have a nice day.