It is a dead horse... (more on stainless crampons)

but do you really want to be riding it?



OK, this got my attention. In less than 10 days counting back from todayI got reports of 3 pairs of bent, broken or crackedBlack Diamond Stainlesscrampons.



Call me cynical but it was exactly this time last year that the same thing happened...actually within days of each other one year apart. Over a dozen cracked or broken pairs of Black Diamond stainless crampons poppedup over the last year. But 3 in a row, in mid Feb ! Again?!



edit for an update: Same scenario again in Feb. of . More reported BD stainless failures.

It is mid season for ice climbing world wide. Check your crampons. If you are on stainless, check them twice!






This one bent while climbing ice. It isn't trick photography. The front point simply straightened out under body weight,




"The one front point flattened out when he was 5' off the deck. He fellto snow."






cracked using a rigid soled boot









Crack here is circled in red.



And these are crampons I really liked initially, BD's Sabertooth and Serac. Crampons I climbed and soloed in. And the most recent faulty crampons are all the reinforced 2nd gen. versions.



I could care less about Black Diamond. They made it clearlast winter that they have littleconcernabout yoursafety while using thisproduct. The sales samples and prototypes excuses are really long in tooth a full year later. These cracks and failures are all in the same place. Make damn sure you inspect yours closely prior to EVERY use. Thefront point collapsing under body weight is a new one for me.



Check your gear, be attentive and pay ATTENTION if you are still climbingin any of the BD stainless horizontal front pointcrampons. When thesedo come apart, make no mistake, it is a catastrophic failure. Falling off an ice climb because of gear failure can very easily get you dead.



So one more time...



Since Black Diamond won't tell you this, I will.



You all be careful out there on Black Diamond stainless 'pons!Friends don't let their friends climb on stainless horizontals.



More here if you want the enterainment:

http://rafalandronowski.wordpress.com//02/15/broke-my-crampons/



http://www.gravsports-ice.com/icethreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=8972&page=all



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//02/soft-shoe-shuffle.html



http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1004766/Broke_my_crampons



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//08/crampon-durability-stainless-or.html

Mercersburg PA to Springfield VT

Today we arrived in Springfield VT. This is the same town that the Simpson movie did it's premiere in. Pretty cool, huh? We left yesterday, stopped at the Lake Timothy Outdoor World and got here rather late tonight.



It's been a whirlwind of busy since we left Tennessee. We are still adjusting to the new job, which is going very well, but it's still different. We are adjusting to being in parks other than the Thousand Trails system. We miss the people we have come to know and love and thought we'd have time with this summer. The people at the last park were so wonderful, and the people at this park seem the same. So we're hoping to settle in and find new people to meet. We're still biased when it comes to TT's, but surely there are other wonderful people out there beyond the parks we've visited so far. Right?



I'm excited to see more of Vermont. We had a far too brief visit here when we first hit the road. I'm looking forward to a visit where we can dig in and see more and learn more. Oh, and the temps seem fabulous here after all the hot weather we endured in Virginia! Big bonus points there!



Living the life in wonderfully moderate temperatures in Vermont!

Double Boot Resource Info

I have distinct opinions on the use of double boots in cold weather and winter climbing. But this winter with even more of a chance of a cold injury myself I am beginning to wonder if there aren't more factors involved that keep your feet warm and in good shape than I had previously suspected.



I'll get to that theory in an upcoming blog. For now I'll stick to what I do know aboutincold weather climbing. Think multiple days out in winter in the Rockies or Alps,high on Denali or early spring in the Ruth Gorge. Places that most experienced climbers will prefer a double boot.



To that end I wanted to give some more details so it is easier to make a good choice on your own foot wear and may be give you some options you might not been aware of previously.



Here is a quick review of most of the plastic versions:



http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//09/double-boots.html



The otherboots I mention, Baruntes, Spantik, and Phantom 6000 can be found by a search here or google by a "cold thistle spantik" search for example. Just add the model you want more info on in place of "Spantik". The Oly Mons info while new is long over due here.



All that info can now be found by a simple search.



Boots.. one boot .. (size 45)



Two of the lightest boots available and suitable for winter mountaineering in milder conditions:



La Sportiva Trango Evo Extreme GTX 2#3oz (35oz) / 992g

Scarpa Phantom Ultra new model 2#3.5oz (35.5oz) / 1006g



Both of these "1000g" boots are a real pleasure to climb in because of their over all weight and sensitivity while climbing on steep ice or rock.



The lightest plastic double boot is a Scarpa Omega. Which is lighter than many of the current state of the art single boots.



Omega 1110g or 39 oz. total 2# 7 oz

Omega's Intuition inner boot 140g









La Sportiva Batura 1st gen. 2#7oz / 1106g



La Sportiva Batura 2nd gen. 2#9oz / 1170g

La Sportiva Batura 2, 3rd gen 2#3oz /1000g

Scarpa Phantom Guide new model 2#7.5oz / 1120g







There are really only 4 boots that I recommend for really cold climbing. La Sportiva dominates this catagory for good reason, it offers three great boots with differing and distinct features. But no matter how good the boots are if they don't fit you well, stop, drop the boot and move on. I use a Baruntse inner boot that has been heat molded to my feet in the Baruntse, Spantik and Oly Mons. I've tried to do the same with a Intuition Denali liner with less successful results.The intuition liner stiffens the ankle flex in all the bootsmore than I would like and is a true VBL.YMMV but you need to know there are options to the original inner boots. I like the custom fit, added warmth and easy lacing system of the Baruntse linner. Butjust as important is the over allweight.








In theupper Midi station




The size 45 La Sportiva Spantik with a Baruntse liner comes in at 2# 12oz / 1247g. In that formthe Spantikis a warmer boot with more support than the Scarpa 6000 with only a 2oz total weight penalty per boot. 4oz per pair in a 45 or 2oz per boot.








On the Montenver's train


The Scarpa Phantom 6000 was new in .Afull dbl boot with intergal gaiter @ 1190g / 2# 10oz is the over all winner in the weight catagory. It equals the Spantik and Baruntse in warmth right out of the box. Only the "custom" Spantik with a Baruntse liner is warmer as a technical boot of similar volume imo



The advantage to the 6000 at that point? The 6000 is slightly more flexible in the sole and ankle and the 6000'sintegral gaiter is always a benefit in cold snowy weather.And it is still the lightest of the "very warm doubles" but still not at the weight of the Scarpa Omega. Missing by 6oz per pair in a size 45. But the 6000 (or any of the better doubles) is a gazzillion times easier to lace up!



more here:

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//08/its-back-scarpa-6000-dbl-boot-and-2.html



1/2 dozen of one 6 or the other between the two. I like the extra support and volume of the Spantik a majority of time when I need that warm of boot. But I have the option of the Baruntse liner to keep the weight down as well.





Oly Mons 3# 5oz / 1500g

Oly Mons w/Baruntse liner 3# 1oz / 1390

La Sportiva Spantik 3#.05oz / 1362g

La Sportiva Spantik with a Baruntse liner 2# 12oz / 1247g

Scarpa Phantom6000 with intergal gaiter @ 2# 10oz / 1190g

La Sportiva Baruntse 3#2.5oz / 1503g

La Sportiva Baruntse w/inner and lwt sole 2# 15.5oz





Morehere on how to slightly improve the Baruntse:

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com//05/la-sportiva-baruntse-revisted.html



The Baruntse geenrally gets short shrift when the discussion gets to the best doubles. I noticed recently a interesting article on Alaskan climbing, where the authornoted the use of full down suits on Denali and no mention of the Baruntse...just the 6000 and the Spantik. Seems to be the only quality double boots the author was aware of. Down suits on the other hand haven't been used on Denali by anyone able to buy a clue in a long while :)



Denali is cold in early May but not that cold!

On the road to Cayo Coco: Cow traffic and the toilet from hell

So now that Santiago de Cuba is behind us we are an experience richer!



Our next destination in the agenda is Cayo Coco—the islands or the keys. This is where the famous Cuban beaches are located, in the eastern part of Cuba. We will be staying in a 4-star beach resort.



The drive from Santiago de Cuba to Cayo Coco is about 7 hours. We will be making 2 stops.



Cow Traffic: Mooooo!









While on the road, we saw cows joining lazily in the traffic. The biggest hazard in driving in Cuba are animals that think the highways are their domain. I have a horrifying animal encounter on the road story to share later.









And then we saw the usual scenery on the Cuban highways.



The Toilet from Hell



Then we have to make the necessary stop—our FIRST stop nearby Holguin, because nature called us to do THE deed. We’ve probably driven about 2-3 hours already.







This is the roadside café restaurant that we had the stopover. And because nature called us to stop here we proceeded to their toilet.







The toilet from HELL! EWWWW. The picture did not do justice, the toilet was really so bad in person.



When I saw this, I was speechless and my body hairs were literally standing! Goosebumps. I wanted to run away but I realised that I am a girl scout (and Blondine as well) who deals with the situation at hand. So I held my breath, make sure I balance myself well without touching anything (so gross!) and just stared at the ceiling (because I don’t want to see the hell around me) while doing the deed. UGH.



I was so proud of myself after. I did it!!!







Back at the café restaurant we bought some soda. Yep, this is a cafeteria in Cuba.











And we saw some locals stopping by as well for drinks and some socialising.



It is now time to go back driving and be on the road. We still have another 4 hours to reach Cayo Coco. Wish us the best!

Acadia :: Carriage Roads and Bridges

From 1913 to 1940, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was instrumental in constructing the beautiful carriage roads on Mount Desert Island, which would later become part of Acadia National Park. There are 45 miles of carriage roads (including 17 stone-faced bridges) available for walkers, bicyclists, equestrians and even carriages. In the winter, they can also be used for cross-country skiing.



The 'problem' with walking on the carriage roads is that the bridges are sometimes difficult to view. (This website has more photos of some of the bridges.)

It was easy walking along the carriage roads, even the uphill grades weren't too bad, and it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.







This bridge was at the southern end of Jordan Pond.




The roads and bridges were constructed
with manual labor. At times, there was a crew of 300 men working on
these roads.





Each of the bridges is different but
built to 'fit in' with the surroundings. This group of riders stopped
after we told them they were riding over a bridge. When you're on the
road it is sometimes difficult to know that you're on a bridge. Many
areas have the large stones bordering the roadway.






Another view of the same
bridge in the previous photo.




Some bridges, like this one, were
constructed with viewpoints that extended off to the side of the
road, which were nice so that you could actually see the bridge
itself.






This little bridge was
near the Bubble Pond.

First Autumn Snow

Autumn at Mount Rainier, especially in the alpine and subalpine zones, does not last long. In fact, some argue whether it exists at all. Camp Muir had beach-like weather last Thursday; by the next night there was 70 mph gusts slinging fresh snow into climber's tents. Summer conditions to winter conditions in less than 24 hours.

Last weekend about 2" of melted precipitation dropped on the mountain. This caused drifts of snow "knee to mid-thigh" deep on the climbing routes. Snow and high winds can make navigation, especially on the upper mountain, difficult. Be sure to have a solid navigation technique, whether it's using a GPS or map/compass/altimeter, before venturing onto the mountain.

The high winds associated with the storm cycle resulted in poor skiing conditions. Some leeward locations have loosely wind packed freshies, while other windward locations are scoured, grit-covered, hardpack. Though the skiing hasn't become great, the climbing conditions have held out! The lower freezing levels have solidified the sketchier crevasse crossings and the feshly plastered snow has kept loose rock in place.

This upcoming weekend, September 24th and 25th, will be the last weekend that the Climbing Information Center in Paradise is open. Please come on by to chat, chill, and register. We'll be open from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. After this weekend climbers can self-register in Paradise at the self-registration kiosk on the porch of the Paradise Old Station (the small A-frame right next to the toilet tunnel in the upper parking lot). Directions on how to self-register are posted.

Boating and Tubing

We have been so lucky to be able to do boating on Daryl and Diana's new boat. The boat is just awesome and they are so gracious in sharing it with us by inviting us each time they go out in it.



We really appreciate you all and your cool boat! Today we spent a good bit of the day out, enjoying the water and doing some tubing with them.

An osprey and its nest: