daler

I've got three pictures of the goats beard all the way in. Not close ups but the climb veritcaly takes up about 2/3 of the slide. dale

Juan, Bail on the guide. I have climbed Orizaba 3 times, 2 while guiding it and half of the fun is getting to and from the mountain. Are you flying into Veracruz or just going there to party? If are flying into Mexico City you will have more fun going to the west coast as Veracruz is a fishing town with no real night life or beach scenes. Make sure to go to the pyramids and the museum of anthropololy in Mexico city. The local resturant in tlachichuca will make you fresh pies to be ready when you get off the mountain, ask around as I can't remember the name of it. Don't stay in the huts(bring cheap tents)they are loud and full of mice and rats. If you need more beta let me know. dale

quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: quote:Originally posted by forrest_m: i apologize in advance for posting something on topic: climbing at the toolshed All right! Where the heck is that at Gorilla Bar

The pictures are of Gorilla Bar M8 to the right of pandome falls at the toolshed. Gorilla bar actually is very steep. For how short it is you will lower off about 10 feet out from the wall. The bolts are close enough that you can dog your way up and set up a top rope. Icegirl- Drytooling does not have to be hard on the picks or the tools. If you start with good habits it doesn't actually dull the picks at all. if you are climbing verglass or very thin ice and trying to get sticks or course it will thrash the gear. But with good technique (gentle probing and hooking) you will not damage the gear. dale

Having taken the 50+ footer from the top of Full HC(not for fun,and 13 stiches later)it's more like 30 feet once you clip the chains. I'm sure most of you want to do it without additional gear but just in case there is a bomber #3 wild country rock just before you brake left at the top. Place it from the secret huge 1 finger ring pocket a little out to the right just when you are going to break left. dale

Jens There are three developed mixed routes at the Tool Shed. If you walk about 100 yards to the right of Pan Dome there is a nice gully of ice (Up to grade 4+ early season grade 3 late season) This is call Tabasco Kidd with a two bolt achor up at the left. From this there is a TR problem with a one bolt directional directly to the left. Many Options. Left of this route is Gorilla Bar M8 with 6 bolts. Ice some years but mostly a dry tooling route to prep for the Rockies. Roger S. Snagged the first on this just minute before Myself and me bud Derik sent. He respected the name we gave it. Thanks Roj. Again to the left is the Anialator M7+ WI 6 with bolts all the way. I bagged the first on this one and I think only Roger has repeated( Way fun to see him whip off the top trying to beat me to it, I don't mean fun seeing him fail just fun watching him "given her hell!!! Fuck yeah!!! All the routes and route potential are short but a great start to WA mixed scene. There is potential at other areas for dozens of new mixed routes. Keep with it boys and girls as I have moved to CO to climb more and harder. Although I will lurk the site as the Cascades are dear to my heart. Dale Ps I'll be at the toolshed on Dec 5 to try and bag a couple of more. Passing through on my way to Canadian Rockies.

DavidW Were you on twin ropes(clip both ropes into every piece) or half ropes(alternate ropes into pieces)because twin ropes actually have a very high impact force, even compared to a single 10.5 or some 11 mm ropes. Twins are not a good idea for ice climbing. They were designed for the Euro style straight up alpine routes where two ropes are needed for the descent, but a trail line is not desired. Ice is almost impossible to read but if you had perfect ice the srew placement should be placed down so the threads are what catch a fall. Think of a wood srew sticking out of the wood a couple of inches. If you pulled straight out with pliers it would be impossible to pull it out. but you could bend it over with your fingers. Dale Ps The ice in Colorado is coming in, with the high stuff ready to go.

I agree with Lambone! if the power point is below the waist then you should just belay from the belay loop. But if you still hook it up in the autoblock method is easier than belaying like an ATC.

Mr. Natural, Having the ropes doubled does not reduce stress, it actually icreases the impact force as the ropes have less ability to stretch if a fall happens. Also my 2 cents for simul climbing- The second should have the rope running through their belay device so if they have to move through a crux and increase the slack they have the ability to quickly pull the slack up and start belaying. dale

After DH try the new finish to the right of Lovin' Arms is goes at about index 11c. It rocks. It is in the back of the new guide book as an addition in the back of the book. I think its better than Lovin' Arms. dale

Climbed the North Face on Sat. 7-20. The conditions were good. Crampon crunching, pick eating hard snow the whole way. We used no pickets or srews. Pickets could have been placed no problem but there is still no ice to speak of. The route should be in shape for awhile. We left Sahale Camp at 4:15 am and were on top at 8 am.We had hard snow down into horseshoe basin. Waiting longer would have been better to get softer snow. The exit back to Sahale arm is melting out and will probably be without funkness for only another 2 weeks. Dale

ray, I have access to a guide and could probably get you a copy. sent me a pm if you are interested. The needles are for sure in my top 5 list for best crags on the west coast. dale

Brand spankin new!! size 9.5 us. 75$ They are at feathered friends if you want to try them on. dale

Heinous, guiness is in fact in. My buds climbed it several days prior to your report date and said it was in fine shape. the first pitch is almost always thin.are you sure you were in the correct gully. dale

sorry dru- but i have to ask if you hiked or climbed up to see if there were rap slings on the trees? dale

sorry, I meant 1-10 and 10 is new!!

2 13 cm express srews. 9 out of a 9-10 scale 25$ each.1 17 cm srew. 9 on the scale. 25$1 booty srew found in Lilloet. 5$ or free if you can tell me where it was found and what kind it was.1 charlet compact quasar tool good cond. 75$Leki approach poles. good cond. 30$send me a private message or look at them at the feathered friends employee gear corner. dale [ 02-08-2002: Message edited by: daler ]

Gnash, I climbed Wicked wanda and Malignant in the south ghost and Hydrophobia in the North ghost about a month ago. All three were in great shape!! It is a low snow year in the ghost as of 3 weeks ago and most of the approaching is on dirt or grass. When the Banff/lake louise area gets pounded by snowfall the ghost rarely has much accumulation. dale

climbed shriek on saturday. first pitch in nice WI 3 shape. Second pitch funky fun WI 4 shape. Last pitch funky scary fun WI 5+ shape. Watch out for the approach slopes as they are loaded with much snow and any warm weather is going to bring a ripper down the gully. Snow was up to 1 meter deep in several spots, mostly from spindrift loading. Be Careful. Dale

check out the damian potts leavenworth boulder guide. much has been cleaned and climbed up to V8 with plenty of sick stuff left. dale

cling, Stimpy is moving to Vail. dale

lambone, As far as guiding goes I would never take anyone to a busy area and expect to be treated as anything but another party of climbers. In the past I have always gone to glacial ice and worked with people in a place where the impact to other climbers is minimal. And if somebody even looked like they wanted to lead where I was set up I would do everything in my power to move ASAP.As far as toproping at marble goes I stated that its pretty much something I expect when I go there. I just try and show up early and beat the masses. There is nothing pompas about being bummed about a climb being picked out, it's just simply that, being bummed. o-well maybe next time. I love to TR things that are over my head but I will always stay away from things that only have limited amounts of ice. And I definately was not trying to imply that hiring a guide is the only way to learn. I don't even think it is the best way by a long shot. Having a mentor in my opinion is still always the most fun and most reliable way of learning. Remember climbing is fun!!!I hope to party with all you fools this weekend. may the beer be chilled, the air brisk and the ice not to thin! dale

Just a quick response to the whole Deeping wall issue. First of all leading the deeping wall in this years conditions is not being a "crazy mother Fucker" I led it twice this year and felt totally in control. Grade 6 ice is often much harder and run out than the deeping wall. Although in a area like marble canyon where there are massive amounts of people tring to climb, toproping should be expected, but leaders always have the right of way!! It does bum me out to find a climb like the deeping wall all picked out because it does take away from the challenge on lead, but again I'll just head somewhere else to find virgin hard ice.I agree with the comments that excessive toproping just work against you. But no one should ever step onto the sharpend on ice and not be anything but totally in control. To do otherwise is just stupid. If you want to improve get a mentor or hire a guide and get some honest learning done, toproping grade 5 ice a hundred times ice doesn't teach you much, except that its steep and pumpy. dale remsberg

Up in the Canmore area.here is what we have found- Climbed Malignant Mushroom- Vertical but good ice.Climbed Wicked Wanda- Very wet and technical. Probably harder than 4+Climbed Hydrophobia- Dry, old ice but still in good 5+ shape. Stick to the book approach beta. Climbed Pilsner via last call- Less Ice than usual and probably about M7+ WI6r.Current temps- 10f during the day in canmore. Dale and Dandy

Not that I'm a huge fan of it "yet" but leashless is catching on quick. Many of the hardest routes are being done as we speak without leashes. And i'm not talking about sport protected dry tool fests. I'm talking about Artic Dream, Riptide, The replicant and most of the other Big Rigs out there. And yes by North American climbers.Will it go main stream? How many of you used to climb with cords attaching you're tool to your harness for placing gear of for back up. Climbing without umbilical cords was once thought as crazy!! dale