So i went out with the Apline Club today to go ice climbing at Kings Creek. i must say it is quite a nice little ice crag. one route called scotch gully is the perfect length for a 60m rope and is a really a fun little climb. then there are a few other flows too. there was one delicate chandiler(however you spell it) that was tons of fun with some mixed and wow, mixed is probably one of the most amazing experiences ever. so i climbed leashless all day in Tim's B;ack Diammond Fusions, they are an interesting tool. i was the only one from our group to be climbing leashless. i found on really vertical and coming up over a big bulge they were really awsome. that was were they particularly seemed really nice. and on that mixed climb definately were fun to play with. it took a while to get used to swinging them that is for sure. i dunno if i would have been alot better with a straighter shaft or not but it took soem getting used to. as the day went on the better i got at not over gripping the tools. it is amazing how loosly you can hold them and you can still hold yourself up. there were some other people there with the new petzl leashless tools and they looked really neat. i would really lke to give a pair of those a try. they appeared to have more clearance and a really appealing curve to them to make me think that they would be really nice to swing. as for dual point vs. mono-point crampons, i am really gettign excited to get my mono kit if it would ever arrive. definately seems to be the way to go and a few times i was like dang a mono would be really nice right about now. and by that i mean most of the time, but really both work so i dunno. so the flows aren't as big as last year apparently which makes them pretty interesting.
jason
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Friday, December 1, 2006
Star Creek #1 2006
So last night November 30 2006 we went down to the pass on a road trip to see the boys and sauna. i packed some ice gear and thought i would go check out star creek falls. it was a perfect night warm with close to a full moon. listening to the water rushing under the ice as i walked up was not all that reasuring but i went up there anyways. there was a fair bit of water coming down but defineately possible. i was miss a rope and a partner so i did not venture up. so far probably not all that Wi 2 condition. more like 3 probably. it is a bunch of little icicles fused together right now. but will likey get fat. it isn't completely balled up onthe bottom yet so is a descent height. with the -25 temaptures and what not it is alittle bit on the hard and brittle side that is for sure. definately looking at making a run up it in the near future. maybe next saturday? but will have to be an early morning thing and maybe even head out friday night. that is the 8 and 9. let me know if anyone is interested.
jason
jason
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
plastic vs. leather
so i am no expert but another thing that i want to do on this blog is dicuss gear. the good the bad and the stuff that the verdict is still out on.
so as many of you know i have been a huge fan of the plastic boots. for the past on year almost year and a half i have sworn by the plastic. i always figured i was a koflac guy for life. over the past few months my friend Mark has been trying to tell me about full shank leather moutineering boots and how awsome they are. so at the last gear swap i bought some Scarpe Cerro Torre boots. so i have been giving them a try. as far as rock climbing goes the whoop the plastic hands down. far and away. i could probably lead 5.7 for sure in them no problem. plastic i would be freaked on 5.6 tops probably. kicking steps on the other hand plastic defineately, well so far at least. monday the leather really let me down in that area and it almost cost me a friggin fast sore ride down. side hilling again i would go with the pastic, it just does so much for you, even jsut walking it is a toss up but hte plasic is not bad like they will tell you in the store it is really awsome. i am really excited to see how the leathers do ice climbing. they may really shine there, so i am told. maybe not till i start WI4 or 5 and up but we'll see. having some ancle flex could come in huge. so i am really looking forward to that.
so what boots? really i have both and am so greatful that i have gotten really good deals on them. i have got both for under $200 total, i know you won't all be so lucky so which one? well if you don't intend to do and real rock climbing them plastics although really out dated are nice. i keep being told leather is the way and realy they are nice. seriously who isn't goiignto climb rock in the mountins, although a loose plastic i haven't tried to the extent on a lead as the leathers may fair alright. one over all boot.... leather, but please don't think i am turning my back on the plastics. besides you can get a koflac for like $350 or osme thign for a full shank heck yes! and just for those who are like is full shank really all that important, the answer is yes! i wore my back packing boots a few weeks back that was awful. maybe a good 3/4 isalright i dunno never tried it. but full is the bomb.
so as many of you know i have been a huge fan of the plastic boots. for the past on year almost year and a half i have sworn by the plastic. i always figured i was a koflac guy for life. over the past few months my friend Mark has been trying to tell me about full shank leather moutineering boots and how awsome they are. so at the last gear swap i bought some Scarpe Cerro Torre boots. so i have been giving them a try. as far as rock climbing goes the whoop the plastic hands down. far and away. i could probably lead 5.7 for sure in them no problem. plastic i would be freaked on 5.6 tops probably. kicking steps on the other hand plastic defineately, well so far at least. monday the leather really let me down in that area and it almost cost me a friggin fast sore ride down. side hilling again i would go with the pastic, it just does so much for you, even jsut walking it is a toss up but hte plasic is not bad like they will tell you in the store it is really awsome. i am really excited to see how the leathers do ice climbing. they may really shine there, so i am told. maybe not till i start WI4 or 5 and up but we'll see. having some ancle flex could come in huge. so i am really looking forward to that.
so what boots? really i have both and am so greatful that i have gotten really good deals on them. i have got both for under $200 total, i know you won't all be so lucky so which one? well if you don't intend to do and real rock climbing them plastics although really out dated are nice. i keep being told leather is the way and realy they are nice. seriously who isn't goiignto climb rock in the mountins, although a loose plastic i haven't tried to the extent on a lead as the leathers may fair alright. one over all boot.... leather, but please don't think i am turning my back on the plastics. besides you can get a koflac for like $350 or osme thign for a full shank heck yes! and just for those who are like is full shank really all that important, the answer is yes! i wore my back packing boots a few weeks back that was awful. maybe a good 3/4 isalright i dunno never tried it. but full is the bomb.
November 13/2006
so this is my first posting and i have no idea if anyone will read this but i will write because i want to tell people about conditions and what i am up to and good routes and bad routes and whatever else.
So the radio said avalanche warning was high, the weather forcast was for falling tempatures and it was snowing. So Melissa Dube' and i loaded the car with way to much gear and headed west to see what kind of trouble we could find. the front ranges look good. hardly any snow. not more than could cover a small rabbit likely. so we turned down highway 40 and still conditions were prime. got to a mountin that Brian Shorten and i had tried one month earlier and got turned back. i said lets give it a try. so we did. after a much to lengthy bush wack(due to my poor route finding and remembering abilities) we finally got to a clearing and coudl see the peak. we walked another hour or better up the ridge dropped some gear and started up the rock. we got to the cliff band where i had previously got turned back. we continued on to run in to verglas(thin ice on rock) and had to dry tool up it. we continued on another maybe 100 feet and got to the small snowslope i had been eyeing up earlier. it started out alright but the higher we got the harder it got. before i knew it i couldn't get mt feet to kick in and i was slipping untill my axe finally bit. we descided that that was it we would rap doen from there. till we saw the rock face beside was blank. no cracks, none. no pitons no nuts no hexes nothign was going in. jsut down there was a stubby little tree. so we rapped that and trudged out way down the ridge and back to the car. maybe next time.
the snow was starting to get a little bit deep by the end of the day in places but there may be another possible attempt for next weekend, November 18/2006 if you are interested:
e-mail-jasonslyons@gmail.com
phone-(403)990-1865
So the radio said avalanche warning was high, the weather forcast was for falling tempatures and it was snowing. So Melissa Dube' and i loaded the car with way to much gear and headed west to see what kind of trouble we could find. the front ranges look good. hardly any snow. not more than could cover a small rabbit likely. so we turned down highway 40 and still conditions were prime. got to a mountin that Brian Shorten and i had tried one month earlier and got turned back. i said lets give it a try. so we did. after a much to lengthy bush wack(due to my poor route finding and remembering abilities) we finally got to a clearing and coudl see the peak. we walked another hour or better up the ridge dropped some gear and started up the rock. we got to the cliff band where i had previously got turned back. we continued on to run in to verglas(thin ice on rock) and had to dry tool up it. we continued on another maybe 100 feet and got to the small snowslope i had been eyeing up earlier. it started out alright but the higher we got the harder it got. before i knew it i couldn't get mt feet to kick in and i was slipping untill my axe finally bit. we descided that that was it we would rap doen from there. till we saw the rock face beside was blank. no cracks, none. no pitons no nuts no hexes nothign was going in. jsut down there was a stubby little tree. so we rapped that and trudged out way down the ridge and back to the car. maybe next time.
the snow was starting to get a little bit deep by the end of the day in places but there may be another possible attempt for next weekend, November 18/2006 if you are interested:
e-mail-jasonslyons@gmail.com
phone-(403)990-1865
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