Simple poll: To you, registers are...

[klenke]

I would like to know what is your stance on registers placed at summits. Please, no spray here.

Registers are:A bonus thing at a summit when found; something worth havingLitter (pollution) that has no place in the outdoorsI don't sign registers; it's against my beliefs

Note that registers and what's written in them is considered a historical record and is archived as such.

[thelawgoddess]

i think the ones you find by accident are kind of neat.

[Rodchester]

or D. None of the above.

[faust]

I don't like finding the real heavy duty, permanent, register boxes/tubes/etc. on top of mountains. They make too much of a visual impact on something that should feel untouched. But a film canister hidden in a cairn, or something at that level, is pretty cool.

[erik]

YEAH I NEVER SIGN THEM NOR TAKE THE TIME TO LOOL THROUGH THEM.

 

BUT IF SOMEONE ELSE IS INTO THEM GO FOR IT, AS I DONT THINK IT REALLY AFFECTS THE CLIMBERS EXPERIENCE.

 

BUT FOR THE TOOL REMOVING THEM, I THINK THAT IS BULLSHIT.

 

I THINK THE TOOL NEEDS TO STAY OUT OF THE MTNS....PERIOD.

[terrible_ted]

faust said:

They make too much of a visual impact on something that should feel untouched.

 

I've always had a tough time reconciling that sentiment with the notion of beta . I figure that FA's are entitled to that pristine, untouched appearance, but otherwise you're just fooling yourself or setting unrealistic expectations.

 

I like the sense of history that registers evoke, especially the old ones. Seeing the entries by past climbing partners, early route pioneers, the dear and not so dearly departed, etc... is my favorite way of staying in touch with the climbing community...

 

[thelawgoddess]

faust said:

I don't like finding the real heavy duty, permanent, register boxes/tubes/etc. on top of mountains. They make too much of a visual impact on something that should feel untouched.

 

i guess i've never encountered big ugly ones - except for the ones in buildings and such. the one tube i did find was pretty hidden. i just happened to notice it stuck between some rocks when i sat down for a snack. reading other people's comments can be pretty amusing.

[lummox]

registers are really cool when someone leaves some burnage.

[klenke]

A film cannister as a register? What? Come on. And then I suppose when it gets filled up every five weeks (depending on the frequency of visitation) that it should be removed and a new one put in its place. A film cannister register is okay for a very seldom visited summit, but not for something that would see a dozen or so parties per year.

 

I agree that a big box like that found on top of Boston Peak is a little too much, but a short metal or PVC pipe is perfectly sized. You can roll a register book up and put it in there snugly. The entries fill up the book at a pace that seems acceptable to me. Plus, it is small enough to "hide" in a crack or crevice.

 

In regards to ruining the pristine nature of the summit, there's no such thing. While I wouldn't want to be able to spot a summit register from a mile away, a little cylinder placed in the rocks or in a cairn at the summit is pretty invisible until you're right there, at which time it's sudden appearance is not something unexpected--especially on oft-visited summits. Maybe it would be a little deflating to think you got a FA of an obscure peak only to find a film cannister register there. Sure.

 

If you're going to complain about registers, sucks to be you to climb up to a summit only to find a big lookout building there (or the ruins of a lookout). Those generally ruin my peaceful feeling more than any register ever would.

 

All that said, I sign registers when they're there. When they're not, I'm not disappointed.

[scot'teryx]

I like the register on Vesper, it's cool.

I looked and looked on the North Twin but found nothing.

I like the register on Pilchuck to, they even built benches and a large building to encompass it!

[faust]

terrible_ted said:

faust said:

They make too much of a visual impact on something that should feel untouched.

 

I've always had a tough time reconciling that sentiment with the notion of beta . I figure that FA's are entitled to that pristine, untouched appearance, but otherwise you're just fooling yourself or setting unrealistic expectations.

 

Just because you're not the FA you don't get to experience a pristine summit? I dunno, maybe "untouched" is too strong a word. The feeling of being alone in the world on top of a mountain is one of the main reasons to climb it in the first place. An obtrusive register, monument, windblock, or even large cairn kind of ruins it for me.

 

Now if it was Inca ruins it might be kind of cool . . .

 

Edit: Klenke, I think we're talking about different kinds of mountains, I'm used to climbing less popular peaks where a film canister could last for years. But then, if dozens of parties are climbing it each season, do you still care about signing the summit register so much?

Edited June 13, 2003 by faust

[klenke]

Yeah, I placed the new register pipe on Vesper last September after the old PVC one got tossed off the North Face and smashed into smithereens. You will find the new one all very amusing since I used PVC endcaps on a metal pipe. Hey, at least I saved a pound or two in weight. I'm sure one eccentric screw on too many and the PVC threads will strip. Oh well.

 

Faust: boy, seeing how you like to be alone at the summit, I'd hate to come up to the summit and find you there. You might toss me right back off again. Sucks to be the party to make it up AFTER Faust.

[Sloth_Man]

Funny register story (I guess it's funny anyway)

 

Me and a buddy climbed up the arete on Cathedral peak in Tuolemne (hell I can't spell it). It was a great climb by the way and vastly better than the standard route which was covered by gumbies.

 

So we're chillin on the neat little summit when some folk show up. There's a metal summit register bolted to the rock with a couple old 1/4 in spinners. The people that just showed up put the rope around the summit register and proceeded to rap off of it.

 

Before they go over the edge I look at my budy and say "we're not connected to them are we?". After they safely rap off the summit register we did the easy 5.0 down climb.

 

Anyway I go for D none of the above. Summit registers are meaningless.

[faust]

klenke said:

Faust: boy, seeing how you like to be alone at the summit, I'd hate to come up to the summit and find you there. You might toss me right back off again. Sucks to be the party to make it up AFTER Faust.

 

Word. Better Recognize.

[Sloth_Man]

Now that I think about it they might have been rivets or button heads. Whatever they were didn't look like rappin material to me.

[klenke]

Faust: based on your avatar image, I'd say I'd know when it's you. I'll be on the look out for a white-haired and white-bearded old man sitting indian style on the summit cairn. You might even be levitating.

[faust]

Based on your avatar image I would probably be to scared to throw you off a peak. I think you're safe.

[thelawgoddess]

Sloth_Man said:

The people that just showed up put the rope around the summit register and proceeded to rap off of it.

 

that's awesome!

[Bug]

I once found a summit register on the side of a mountain. We were about a thousand feet below the summit at the base of a wall. We signed it and threw it in a crevasse.

Now that's archiving.

[terrible_ted]

faust said:

Just because you're not the FA you don't get to experience a pristine summit? I dunno, maybe "untouched" is too strong a word. The feeling of being alone in the world on top of a mountain is one of the main reasons to climb it in the first place. An obtrusive register, monument, windblock, or even large cairn kind of ruins it for me.

 

I wouldn't argue with you there for a minute. I just think that the majority of summit registers actually require a bit of work to hunt out, particularly on more obscure peaks. Windblocks really kill it for me, it's like you're walking into someone's bedroom. And not in a good way!

 

Curiously enough, when on less traveled summits which DO have registers, I often get a greater sense of remoteness when I find a summit register that hasn't had entries for that year, or even for a couple of years.

 

-t

[thatguy]

I haven't signed one since the fall of '70, I think, but I like the idea of 'em. Was enjoyable to read others routes and comments.

Don't be.......

[dkemp]

This is my second year of carrying my own summit register. I have a small size spiral bound notebook that I carry - on the cover it says Doxey's Summit Register 2003 - and the gang I climb with likes to sign it. Last year it was really fun to look back through it at the end of the season.

 

[dkemp]

Oh, and to answer the original post - I never look for them but if its there I'll look through it and sign it. Yeah, they dont bother me.

 

[Tod]

dkemp said:

This is my second year of carrying my own summit register. I have a small size spiral bound notebook that I carry - on the cover it says Doxey's Summit Register 2003 - and the gang I climb with likes to sign it. Last year it was really fun to look back through it at the end of the season.

 

Now that's a cool concept!

[oleg]

In Russia instead of summit register we have a summit note. Climbing party leaves a note in the cairn

at the summit and takes the previous note. Then it surrendered to climbing ranger who keeps summit logs

for the area. It serves 2 purposes: helps in case of missing climbers/rescue as it states time, intended descend

route weather, etc. and serves as a proof of the climb (no Dan - type discussions there). On challenging routes

there could be couple of key points on the route which contain notes, like e.g. bolt at the belay with attached

film canister, again serving the same two main purposes. To prove you climb this particular route, you have to show all the notes.

Of coarse there is much less traffic in Russia than here, I used to find notes 12 - 15 years old.

Oleg.