Brad Marshall wrote:it's really difficult to make a rope longer out in the mountains.
believe me, it is hard, I'm still perfecting the method.
by Wastral » Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:47 am
Hotoven wrote:Brad Marshall wrote:it's really difficult to make a rope longer out in the mountains.
believe me, it is hard, I'm still perfecting the method.
by Brad Marshall » Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:16 am
Autoxfil wrote:Or, they have a static line along for rescues.
by Autoxfil » Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:27 pm
by nhluhr » Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:01 pm
Correct me if I'm wrong, but he isn't going to be jugging/hauling.Autoxfil wrote:No - if you bring a 60m rope, you're tied into it and have to carry coils. If you bring a 30m static and 30m dynamic, it's the same weigh as one 60m rope, much less clutter, and you have way more freedom in rigging up your haul or jugging setup. Plus, hauling/ascending is much nicer on a static line.
by Autoxfil » Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:10 pm
by Brad Marshall » Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:09 pm
Autoxfil wrote:You still have the "who's got he rope" issue with coils - or else everyone has a very short coil on them.
by Buckaroo » Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:48 pm
by lowlands » Sun Mar 14, 2010 2:18 am
Buckaroo wrote:2nd the notion only take one pair of boots on a climb. For Mont Blanc you want plastics and you go right from the trailhead wearing them. Get something with a little rocker for easier walking. If you have the money get some Intuition liners, much lighter and more comfortable. The weight of plastic boots is in the liner. Intuitions make any boot lighter and warmer than any boot with a stock liner.
Wool is comfortable for socks and thermals but once it gets wet it takes way longer to dry out. If you sweat a lot you might not want wool for base layers. Synthetics will fully dry overnight in the sleeping bag, wool will not.
When buying a gore-tex jacket spend more and get something made with the name brand "gore-tex" especially if you're going to climb where it's wet. The knock-off materials don't work as well as the name brand. Get it loose fitting where it will fit over your puffy. When you're high on steep terrain and the wind kicks up you want to be able to quickly layer in either direction, puffy under or over, depending what you're already wearing. On Mont Blanc the wind can pick up to 50mph easy, you're going to want all your layers and you're not going to want to dink around taking something off and back on so you can put something on underneath. For really wet climes get a single layer urethane rain jacket so you can save your gore-tex, cheaper and more effective in the rain.
When shopping for a puffy keep in mind there's at least 2 and sometimes 3 different weights people use depending on conditions. For Mont Blanc you probably want something towards the thicker side, maybe even with a puffy hood. Down is lighter and packs smaller but synthetic is more versatile in that it works much better when wet. Down is worse than wool, once it gets wet it loses most of it's insulation and will not dry out unless you set it out in the sun all day.
Full side zip wind pants are the only way to go on something like Mont Blanc. You can put them on without removing the crampons. Otherwise you have to decide what you need for the whole day before you put on the crampons, or stop mid slope and take the crampons on and off, not practical.
Petzl makes some very nice crampons. I really like the Dartwin sidelocks, maybe a little more technical than what a beginner needs but their other models are nice also.
When shopping for gear pay attention to the weight factor. If all else seems equal go for the lighter item. Packs for instance, the same size pack can vary from 6 lbs to 1.5 lbs. As they say in racing less weight is free horsepower.
If you're climbing Mont Blanc learn how to dig a snow cave and take something to dig with, at least a sturdy cook pot. People have died on the walk up because they didn't know how to dig a snow cave when a storm came in.
by lowlands » Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:40 am
by Kai » Sun Jun 20, 2010 12:32 am
lowlands wrote:I return from the abyss to ask yet another question.
Sleeping bag temperature ratings! I would like to carry my climbing trips year-round, so I've been looking at sleeping bags going down to about 0 degrees Fahrenheit, that may be hot for summer, but I could open it up a bit to air out. I've been looking at a bag like the Marmot lithium, down filled and light. But, if I'm also buying a belay parka like the Patagucci DAS, would it make sense to buy an even lighter, sleeping bag like the Marmot atom with a higher temperature rating, and then just wear the DAS while sleeping? Would the combination of the DAS and the less insulated bag compare to a lithium, or does it not work that way? Saves weight too, no?
I look forward to your insight,
Keep climbing,
-Steve
Edit: Or maybe something in between those two bags, like something rated to 15 degrees fahrenheit. I'm just using the Marmot bags as examples. I usually have a very high body temperature, and sleep very warm, kick the covers off, that sorta thing.
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