A Most Profound Short Speech

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address given on this date in 1863...

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate — we cannot consecrate — we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The Gettysburg Address at The Library of Congress

November 19th - Today in History

A new image has been found of Lincoln at Gettysburg.

Lincoln Picture and Image of First Draft from http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/gadd/

Fashion Friday. Maximum Style.

Remember Al ? He's been hanging around a bit. Sometimes he needs encouragement. Frey offers a few words.Separation Anxiety starts at the little hobbit hole, so I crawled in for a fresh perspective.Al clowned it up of course.







Do you like either of these shots? Or does the perspective screw with you too much?I like both, but I couldn't decide which works better.You decide. Post a comment. Be firm, but kind.









I could look at Al all day, but over at our sister site Red Phoenix Style the girls have styled up another runway show. This time for the first anniversary ofBrisbane's most wanted hairPanic Hair.jjobrienclimbing sent Sandra Phoenix along to bring back the look.





So much hair, so much colour.All the fabulous jewels are available online from Red Phoenix Emporium or in store at The Tribune.





Climbers, you can celebrate with me as my first jewellery design for Red Phoenix, the Omiyagiwas ordered by an unknowncustomer in New York. Yay for international jewellery sales!





What? You want more Al? OK just one more.



Welcome to our newest follower Bjorn Lyngwa

How do you put that slash through the "o" ?

Aerial Mount Rainier, Climbing Route Images

Moving the bear aside... This picture tells a long story. Here is Mount Rainier on May 30, 2006. I was able to capture a few climbing route images during a flight.

A series of recent storms dumped a lot of snow on the mountain. In some places, there were reports of 3 feet. There are rumors that more is expected later this week too. Winter is not over...

Today, however, climbers contended with blue bird skies and light breezes (and quite a bit of postholing.) The tracks indicated that a few made the summit too! Here, two climbers took on the arduous task of breaking trail up the Emmons Glacier... It didn't appear as if anyone else was on the route either. These climbers are at roughly 11,400 feet, exiting the top of the corridor to the left.

Parties were having a hard time making it to Camp Schurman until Sunday, so it's good to see a team getting up the route. This may mark the first successful ascent of the route in 2006.

And here is a nice image of the Ingraham Direct and Disappointment Cleaver routes. The green line traced the visible climbing route up the Disappointment Cleaver. Notice how directly it climbs the spin of the cleaver... Nice...

More images later, this week. All images by Mike Gauthier

Preview of the Fall Black Diamond "Stinger Crampon"

I willfocused on a Cyborg/Stinger comparison but might as well get this out of the way first.

Most obvious comparison for similar performanceis the PetzlDart at 840g per pair. The BD Stinger is 910g per pair on my scale.

For the 70g (2.5 oz) you get a easy replaceable and inexpensive front point, (likely the best improvement over the Dart)a pair of mini secondary front points (that are suppose to grow in the production version), full antibots front and back, mid sole traction of sorts for hard iceand stainless. The foot print isvery closein size (virtually the same) on the Dart and Stinger. And I have accused the Dart and Dartwin as being "roller skates" on moderate ice. I don't like either there and would expect the Stinger to be just as dismal on that kind of terrain.The Stinger seems to "cut" a little better from my own use. The secondary points will allow me to use them on more ice routes than limiting them tojust mixed where I would use the Darts now. None of theseare a "beginner crampons" or something I'd suggest as your only crampon.. It is the right direction, but still ageneration or two to go before I'll be totally happy:)









Before you read any further this pair of pre-productionBD Stingers arethe1st piece of gear to be reviewed here on Cold Thistle that I have been loaned.So YMMV, but by all means, "Caveat emptor".



I don't write about kit that I don't like so obviously I like these new Black Diamond crampons. And againno matter who's blog...if theyare given the sheet...bewareof the review...even mine. Caveat emptor!



It should be obvious if you read the blog that I am none to happy with the state of modern boots and crampons. Twight says and rightfully so, "you can't get around in the mountains without crampons".

And I say in the last 30 yearsthe boots and crampons haven't improved much. That might be a little over stated as both crampons and boots have improved a lot...but I bitch andpush for even better gear where it is so easy to improve. Crampons are easy to improve.



I'd bet it is no surprise that in my spare time I write what I hope are constructive comments to folks at Petzl, BD or La Sportiva for example hoping that small things might get changed. I suspect the company receiving them round files the commentsandjust might refer to them as "nasty grams". Even though I am always polite.



I figure why not...I have nothing to loose from a suggestion.



I am an equal opportunity crampon guy. I like them all. Darts, Dartwins, G12s, M10s, Sabertooth or Cyborg, they all climb well. Just thatfewof them climb pure ice as good asthe last version of the Chouinard/Salewa or SMC rigid. Kind of an old and sad secret really.



Only thing still resembling a Footfang is the current Grivel Rambo.



1978 Haderer single leather boots, Chouinard Zero,a Terrordactyl an SMC rigids...Canadian Rockies ice.



1980 North Buttress of Mt Hunter, Kolfach Ultras and SMC rigids again.







And more recent Dartwins, on Curtain Call, Feb



Grivel G12s on a WI5+



BD Serac on WI4, in the Ghost, Nov





Just an idea of how impressed I am with any one crampon or brand of crampons. They all seem to work.

But all of them could also be better.



Thisis a want list I recently sent to BD after spending a few days climbing on Cyborgs again. And I think the BD Cyborgs is a very good crampon although on the heavy side of what is available.



"I figure somewhere there @ BD you have a plan to update the Cyborg. My thoughts on the Cyborg if so. I'd tighten up the connecting bar interface as you have the Sabertooth and the Serac. I'd go even tighter and make it a .0005" +/- over. Hard to move and adjust but added rigidity to the crampons worth while I think and you still have the option of a spring bar if they aren't using rigid boots..easy to cover in the brochures. Since you are already doing a second connecting bar....you'll have some options. But I wouldn't go to a thinner stock on your new bail. I've been rethinking that. Problem with the thin Petzl bail is reliability and work hardening in the stainless as we suspect. I would not go to a thinner bail but a much "thinner width" bail on a thinner width crampon forefoot. A more narrow bail would solve many of the actual fit problems. I know you haven't missed what Grivel has done on the G20 and G22 bails and forefoot. It won't take much in width. Then you can use the weight savings there to add a bit of length to the forfoot piece. As much as you think you can get away with and still fit tiny boots. But the size of the forefoot *foot print* seems way too smallcurrently. I think it needs to be longer. But that is going to take a new computer drawing of the forefoot. It won't take much to make a big difference. The older wider bails will still fit the dbl boots like the Spantik and over boots as required. The one thing that really shows on the Cyborg trying to fit the newer boots (classic example is the Spantik's rocker and I'd bet the Nepals as well) is the lack of rocker on the Cyborg. You could easily dbl the amount of rocker in the Serac and Sabertooth which is good and really helps the over all fit and be fine on most any boot I suspect. And they would fit so much better over all on others. I think you would be better off on a technical crampon to reduce the size of the first two verticals and move the second pair back a bit more like a Sabertooth front than what you are running now on the Cyborg. Equal length points are easier to mix climb in. And you aren't going to loose anything on technical ice with your forged front points. Just mate the first pair of points up and have them hit a the surface when sitting on a flat. I am not explaining this well. Easy to see if you set a Serac, Saber and Cyborg front piece on a flat. Take a Serac, add the 3rd set of full size teeth from the saber (1st vertical pair supporting the front) narrow up the forefoot a bit and add Cyborg fronts. Then build a narrow forefoot bail of the same material you are using now. Then just do a aggressive lightening job with aggressive profiling on the teeth sides. Easy enough when you cut them out of the plate. I'd bet from looking at it you could do all that and drop some significant weight on the Cyborg."



OK! What am I asking for...short version? Bails that fit the new boots, a bigger foot print on the bottom of your boot, and more rocker in the forefoot. A more rigid inner face between front and rear crampon parts..more rigid. Smaller main points on the crampon, easier to climb mixed and easier to walk in. What I wasn't interested in was a technical crampon that was mono point specific.



Hopefull ythe back groundwill all make more sense in a minute. Dare to read on.





The new Black Diamond Stinger





The one thing that I really miss on the newest crampons is a "cutting edge". By that I mean a set of side points (front to back) that easily allow you to kick a step on hard ice to splay your feet out and get off your calves. In the old days with a straight shafted toolyou could do it with one or two swings, pick or adze. Even the original carbon fiber Cobra could handle that job adroitly. Current Cobra will do it if you don't stick the pick...but an adze is pretty useless in a reversed grip. Quark is OK. Nomic?Fusion ? Not so much. Ergo...ha, ha, hhhaaaaa! And I like my Ergos :)



Here is what I mean by a good "cutting edge". The last generationChouinard/Salewa clip on crampons. You can do some serious step cutting with the point design on these guys. Nothing I would have thought toask for but gotta say I am more than pleased to see this change in forefoot design on the new Stingers.







New Stinger goes a little retro on the third set of down points and you get a slightly bigger foot print from what theCyborg has done previous as the comparison shows. Count the lugs on the sole and look where the yellow mid sole meets up with the down points as a reference.



Stinger and Cyborg side by side. The Stinger mono point is slightly off set of center to the inside of the foot intentionally closer to the big toe. The Stinger is amono specific crampon, andno question the designis specifically intended for hard, modernmixed climbing. BD offers other less technical crampons for pure ice that climb very well. As a "more general" crampon, if you can put a any mono specific cramponin that catagory, these have some advantages over the usual suspects imo.



Cyborg forefoot shown below. Stinger is giving almost a full lug more of coverage on my 45.5 size Spantiks shownhere. A good thing I think. Thenewdesign (really not new at all) might be a little sketchy on the down hill though with the loss of 2 "braking" points on the forefoot. I am more worried about getting up than getting down so I like the change. Never seemed to have a problem before on the older gear and no bots at that!





It gets better. As the heel piece is just a tiny bit longer as well. Again more over all foot print. At this point I am thinking BD is staffed by brilliant engineers and climbers...as we were thinking along the exact same lines. Just that they were 2 years ahead of me and my "round file" letter.



Heels. Check out the heel lever placement. The longer set is the Stinger.



StingerCyborg..again check the position of the boot sole lugs. Stinger has thelonger foot print.

One of the things that has really buggedme on two piece crampon design. If you are going to fook up a perfectly good crampon design by cutting it in half and making it semi rigid...which generally just means flexible, why not at least add some working bits to the empty space between your 2 parts? If you have ever stepped up on a piece of cauliflower ice to find nothing under your foot is biting, you'll know why this one can really irk a climber.

Grivel is doing something similar on the G20 and G 22......but have to say I think the BD versionis a better solution for that issue.

This is the current Cyborg, kinda half assed into the idea

Grivel G22 a totally different way to address the same problemof traction mid foot.

This is the new Stinger which is the best solution I have seen to date on a two piece 'pon..

And a classic example why the new cuts under neath the forefootis a good thing imo. It makes a difference





So what do I think over all? The Stinger is going to ship from the factory with a flex connecting bar. I have tried both the flex and the rigid bar. No surprise what I think works better. I like the rigid bars but I also like options. The connecting bar slot is cut very tight...almost but not quite a rigid crampon with the solid bar in place. Will they be reliable?...who knows at this point but I suspect they will. BD typically over builds everything for durability. Fit? Remember these a pre-production crampons..proto types really. A third or forth round of new bails are in the works. I've seen that bail and fit ittomy Ultras. I believe they will be just as good of fit as I have now, with Petzl bails clicked in. With my Petzl bails in the crampons these are the first pair of crampons to fit my Scarpa Ultras (which a super thin bitch to fit) and my La Sportiva Spantiks (which are about as big as I will get in boot soles). The added rocker on the forefoot of the crampon makes a huge difference on fit. Any crampon that actually fits my boots I am THRILLED spitless to climb in, free or not!



Weight? BD has dropped6.5 oz per pair compared to the Cyborg with the lighter weight Stinger. Stinger is 900g or 32oz even per pair with the bot and heel strap. Good bit of that loss is just in loosing theone front point though. But we have also gained a bigger foot print and a better ability to cut a stepwith a bigger "cutting edge" and better placed down points to accomplish it.



Not a big mono fan myself, but the two secondary front points are being enlarged on the production model which gives me hope. More coining is being added to make the forefooteven more rigid. The down points may be shortened a tiny bit more to make them even more rigid.No question I like having the chance to replace a worn set of front points withforged replacement parts that are cheap to replace. Over all I like the Stinger crampona lot. Things I really like...more rocker in the crampon, more rigid crampon by design and a much, much better fit on all my boots. Down side is they are monos (which may be OK if the production version's secondary front points are long enough to give some real additionalsupport) This is a pair of crampons I will likelybuynext fall when they become available in final form.



Gotta say, "thank you" to Black Diamond for allowing me to introduce the Stinger to the world on Cold Thistle.



WI5, SLC, Jan

Have a merry one

OK I'm a scrooge. I'm Scrooge McScrooge. Bah. And oh yeah, humbug.

I'm not sure what came over me, or exactly when. I used to love all things Christmasy. I could happily shop for ornaments in the middle of July. Now I never want to decorate. My husband finally decided that he'd have to put up a tiny tree himself, or we'd have no decorations at all. I didn't get a single Christmas card sent. (I normally do though - I was just busy filling orders this year. Now it's too late.)

Even though I'm scroogy, I'm wishing everyone a merry Christmas. I haven't had time to go out and take pictures lately. So as your gift, I'm sending you to see someone else's.

This great photo of Western Australia mistletoe was taken by John Dolphin, a fellow wildflower nut. (Also see Maximum Depth of Field.)

If you have bizarro-brain like me, the name John Dolphin makes you think of the Buckaroo Banzai movie. (Sorry John!)

All the Lectroids are named John. Some have normal names, like John Parker or John O'Connor. But others are obviously made up, like John YaYa and John Smallberries. My favorite is John Bigboote, who keeps getting called Bigbooty. ("It's BigbooTAY!")

I must have seen this movie at least a dozen times. I love John Lithgow as the fiendish Lord John Whorfin/Dr. Emilio Lizardo. ("Laugh while you can, monkey-boy!") His expressions while giving a speech to the evil but listless Red Lectroids make it among my favorite movie scenes. ("History is made at night. Character is what you are in the dark!") I guess you could call the film a cheesy, over-the-top, low-budget spoof. The special goggles they use to watch a holographic message are clearly made from bubble wrap. But if you like that sort of thing, come on over. Bring the popcorn!

Yesterday afternoon's wander to the Welland

We all noticed how flooded the valley was when returning from Pitsford Water. I took a two mile stroll along the road to investigate further.











Still lots of snowdrops on the verges

Pretty high

reflections

Too deep to walk through, though passable by cars

starlings, probably

I also saw a heron and a yellowhammer, who stayed obligingly still, though I had only my smaller lens with me. So here's a hugely cropped and blown up version.

Plastic ice, bluebird skies and a good day of winter climbing!

Behind the ice climbs at Upper Meadow Run, natural lighting.

Winter climbing? It really didn't feel like winter as we stood in the Upper Meadow Run amphitheater in Ohiopyle state park. The warm sun felt good on the face and made for very pleasant climbing. Laura has been sick for the past week and seemed to pass it on to me over the last couple days. She's getting better and I'm now feeling achy and congested. We'd been watching the weather and realized that the end is drawing near and decided to get after it while the getting is good, despite health. The forecast isn't looking that great in the near future. Temps are going to begin to rise and stay above freezing for quite a few days. The ice has been building at an amazing rate since last weekends warm up but this is what I'm assuming is the beginning of the end. Next week may be all we get before the ice becomes unclimbable. Get out and enjoy the great ice here in SWPA this weekend. It may be your last opportunity.

I'm so glad we decided to go out. What a great day of climbing! The warm sun, Ibuprophin and cough drops made the temporary improvements necessary for me to enjoy the day. We started our day off by climbing The Schoolyard pillar which was in great shape on the shaded side. It was very smooth, unlike the chopped out front. The upper section was beat on by the sun and made for little to no protection on slush covered, melted out ice (glad the climbing was easy) up to the Hemlock. Laura seconded enjoying the fantastic ice on the pillar.

Looking down from the belay

Laura finding the "good ice" in the shade

FYI, I've recently placed a rap anchor on the hemlock at the top of the Schoolyard climbs to reduce wear on the tree from everyone pulling the rope after rapping, please do not take the anchor and ring If you need one email me and I'll find a way to get some to you. Enjoy!

Since I was feeling down and Laura was up, she had the opportunity to run quite a few practice laps on the various pillars climbing one tooled, no tooled, etc. to improve footwork and increase efficiency. She had a blast climbing to her hearts content for quite a while.

Laura climbing one tooled, ala Jeff Lowe

With the weather situation looking grim, I figured time was precious. I managed to summon up the energy to get on the project again today. I've been on it about 5 times this season and have been making good progress. Here's some photos Laura took of the route today.

Ray Burnsworth of Wildfilms showed up later in the day to film

a little ice to start

off the ice and starting the business

feels steep at this point

Its a short but powerful line

tool toe cam

moving after the "rest"

exiting onto the pillar

Finishes up on the U.M.P.

After climbing I rapped and left a top rope rigged on the U.M.P. (upper meadow pillar) for Laura to climb. She tied in started climbing up the 35' pillar. She was doing great up through the overlaps that the new ice has created, but the shower pouring down proved to be not worth the climb and she lowered off to avoid becoming completely saturated. Here's a photo of Laura after on a few minutes on the start.

This photo speaks for itself

After drying out in the sun Laura took countless top rope burns enjoying the great ice. Shortly after, we packed up and called it a day. The sun was going down and the chill was setting in. Despite feeling under the weather, Who could ask for more... The climbing and weather were stellar. All while being in the best of company. So did the project go down? Nope (1hang) I hope I have enough weather to put this puppy to bed before the end of season. If not, no big deal. There's always next season and countless other project abound in SWPA. I'm most thankful for such a great late season day. Happy climbing!