mikeadam Posted June 25, 2001 Posted June 25, 2001 It's not even July and all I can think is...ICE CLIMBING FUCKING RULES! Is it winter yet? Does anybody else feel like this? Does anybody else wanna hang up those little fairy rock shoes and get some big spiky shit on your plastic boots and some serious medieval looking axes and a little puny does you no good (barely) laugh of a helmet (anyone know where I can get an authentic Kaiser Wilhelm WWI trench warfare helmet) and then just commence to wail away like siege warriors on some surreal ice castle somewhere? JIVE VERSION----------------So you can understand me YO! It's not even July and all ah' can dink is...ICE CLIMBING FUCKING RULES. Right On! Is it winta' yet? Does anybody else feel likes dis? Does anybody else wanna hang down dose little fairy rock kickers and git some big-ass spiky shit on yo' plastic boots and some serious medieval lookin' axes and some little puny duz ya' no baaaad (barely) laugh uh a helmet (anyone know where ah' can git an audentic Kaisa' Wilhelm WWI trench warfare helmet) and den plum commence t'wail away likes siege warrio's on some surreal ice castle somewhere? Mike [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 06-24-2001).] Quote
willstrickland Posted June 25, 2001 Posted June 25, 2001 well, I get enough spike and medieval implement action in the bedroom to tide me over until winter. "Sweetie I said CRAMPON, not TAMPON!" Quote
mikeadam Posted June 25, 2001 Author Posted June 25, 2001 Hey! were you that guy at the base of The Professor Falls wearing the tight black leather climbing suit? Very stylish, hope your Johnson didn't freeze off... Make the journey to Ixatlan! Quote
Bronco Posted June 25, 2001 Posted June 25, 2001 Mikeadam: The sap is up in most species of trees right now and dry tooling is good. I got on a big Cedar last weekend and had to watch it to not overdrive my tools and spend the next 3 or 4 minutes prying them out. I know it's not the same, but if you can get a rope over a big branch and a belayer you could satisfy the urge. If you don't spend too much time in one place I doubt it really damages the tree beyond recovery. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 25, 2001 Posted June 25, 2001 Bronco we aint tree huggers anyways. Where is that arborist? Hey also is this tree on your property?? Quote
mikeadam Posted June 25, 2001 Author Posted June 25, 2001 3 to 4 minutes prying them out? Shit homey! That sounds like me on real ice even before I start to get gripped. Am I doing something wrong????? Quote
Bronco Posted June 25, 2001 Posted June 25, 2001 Yes Caveman I have several good, big dry tooling trees on my property. You are welcome to try them out anytime. Mikeadam you should really ask someone who has actually climbed on ice. I just bought my first tools recently and was anxious as hell to try them out and remembered a photo in last years BD catolouge of someone dry tooling on a pier in alaska. I had removed most of the branches up to 30' a few years ago and it was clear sailing even with some small features to hook on. Quote
AlpineK Posted June 25, 2001 Posted June 25, 2001 Bronco I can't really condone what your doing to your live tree, but you could limb the tree up to 60' top it and install an eye bolt at the top. That would be better all around for climbing; plus you would have constantly changing conditions as the tree decayed. Quote
Bronco Posted June 26, 2001 Posted June 26, 2001 AlpineK: That is an excellent suggestion! I gave it some thought and decided that if Caveman and I tear up all of my trees, when I go to sell the farm and the potential buyer walks around and says "why the hell are all of your trees leaking pitch and dying?" Then my wife gives me THE look and I am left by myself with a forest of dead trees filled with broken picks so they arent even good for lumber......... Now I must get some schmidt to lure a tree topper over here! You know anyone who might be interested? Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 26, 2001 Posted June 26, 2001 Yeah good idea I think too. That is part of the reason I called for your assistance PineK. You should join us for the festivities! I will bring lots of beer if Bronco approves. If we get too drunk he can dump us off at the Index camping area Quote
Lambone Posted June 26, 2001 Posted June 26, 2001 Its pretty funny that Washington Ice climbers spend most of their time climbing trees. Hey, mikey... Mabye you should trade in those plastics for some fairy leather boots, get rid of the WWII helmet, and treat the Ice with respect. Try to use some of those fairy rock climbing techniques to preserve the Ice Castle for the next guy. "Take only photo's, leave only footprints" doesn't imply bashing the shit out of the Ice like some midevil warrior. I don't want to climb your footprints. Happy Ice dreams, I share your passion. Quote
Bronco Posted June 26, 2001 Posted June 26, 2001 Lambone: What other stuff should we climb? Just dry tool at the crags? Climb styrofoam at Cascade Crags? If you are just cranky from not sinking a tool (thunk!) in a while you are welcome to c'mon over. You guys from Montana are ok with me, just stay away from my goat! Quote
Dru Posted June 26, 2001 Posted June 26, 2001 Actually Lambbone, its not just Washington ice climbers that spend most of their time climbing trees. the same is true of washington mountaineers and rock climbers too! ever take a close look at mount index? ever climb one of those routes? 25 pitches of tree climbing with the odd rock move... Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 26, 2001 Posted June 26, 2001 Ah the joys of vertical bushwacking! I can never find a competent partner to climb that peak with. You on Lammy? Quote
Lambone Posted June 26, 2001 Posted June 26, 2001 Ahh... I'm just playin' I drytooled in the rain at Merrymore once! It was Dope! Quote
Lambone Posted June 26, 2001 Posted June 26, 2001 Hey Cavey, Yeah man I'm down... But I think I'd perfer to do it in winter. You got any old Snargs that we could pound into tree limbs?! Quote
Dru Posted June 26, 2001 Posted June 26, 2001 That is an excellent question - what is the best piton to place in a tree? On the NW Passage at Squamish the Beckey beta goes something like (blah blah) "... climb difficult cracks for fifty feet to the great One-way Tree (A4). Pitch nine: nail up tree for thirty feet to rope throw..." - I always wondered what type of pins you take for that tree and if you are nailing a crack in the tree or just pounding angles straight into the bark [This message has been edited by Dru (edited 06-26-2001).] Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 26, 2001 Posted June 26, 2001 Yeah as a matter of fact I can get my hands on some of those. I got some old timer partners with souvenirs layin around. They always are tellin me about the old days with trippy axes and pro Quote
Lambone Posted June 27, 2001 Posted June 27, 2001 Cool Cavey, But I will only get on it with you if we can listen to Marley all the way to the trailhead. Oh yeah, no puffin while on belay duty!!! Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 27, 2001 Posted June 27, 2001 You get your headphones on and I have a Marley cd somewheres. I'll be listening to the likes of Helmet or Corrosion of Conformity. When it comes to the Mtns that big I don't smokage anyway... Quote
Lambone Posted June 27, 2001 Posted June 27, 2001 Wow, I am surprised to see some restraint, last time we talked about this you were all about burnin down before gettin on lead. Don't let a little peak like Index stop ya! As for Marley, I was just kiddin'. Rage or Janes Addiction gets me jazzed to get roudy. But seriously, do'nt you think there would be less chance for rockfall when things are frozen up in winter? Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 27, 2001 Posted June 27, 2001 Touché Touché! No I think you have that incorrect about burnin on lead. I said "sometimes" it helps sometimes it does not I think summer is better I have a brain bucket for the rocks. It's the big boys you have to worry about if you ask me. Quote
AlpineK Posted June 28, 2001 Posted June 28, 2001 I respect all you ice climbers, but what really floats my boat is ripping it up in the pow down some steep narrow couloir. Dam do I really have to wait 6 months. I know I can still hike and find some lame ass slope with giant suncups, but it's not the same. If we had had a decent winter I would still be shreading, but now I just have to wait and hope. George W and his lame ass attitude about global warming has me down too. I want a global ice age!! I want giant glaciers rolling down I-5. Lets hear it for winter!!! Quote
mikeadam Posted June 28, 2001 Author Posted June 28, 2001 Dude, you are absolutely correct. I am also eagerly awaiting some powder face shots. I'm not sure what's more enticing. Looking down something steep or looking up at something steep and wondering just how the hell you're ever going to get up/down it. I'd have to say that skiing and ski mountaineering in general are more exciting that ice climbing, but ice climbing is pretty surreal in itself. Just apples and oranges I suppose. Mike Quote
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