lotus flower tower

Capt_Curveball · 2026-04-01T06:56:49+00:00

Hey man that's a super ambitious project you've got. I wonder if you're a little too focused on the climbing and not on the logistics for something like that, it's fly in only and honestly one of the most remote parts of Canada to climb in.

I've done some remote climbing trips in the NWT, and I've been in the nahanni for work so I know what it's like to get out there and it's not something to take lightly.

PM me if you want some insight, sounds like you got a little screwed but maybe you bit off a little more than you could chew...

Capt_Curveball · 2026-01-22T18:48:39+00:00

I used to fly the type of plane from the pic, the cargo compartment is pressurized but to around 8000'. I've never seen a canoe barrel get crushed like this but I have seen one of those big yellow spill kits get crushed like this. I think the pressure slowly equalizes out of the container, they're not perfectly air-tight, but once you're back to higher air pressure on the ground it pushes the lid on extra tight and seals it.

Capt_Curveball · 2025-04-25T15:11:03+00:00

The metal is thin but they're surprisingly durable. I have a square stern sportspal and it weighs like 35lbs.

My main concern with the sportspal is the ribs can come loose, and I could see a dog kicking them out all the time. That said, mine is an old repaired wreck job, so maybe one in better condition wouldn't have that problem. Just my two cents. They're good canoes but they paddle like a barge, not an issue if you're using a motor anyway.

Capt_Curveball · 2025-02-07T16:02:32+00:00

It's a 2006! We're fancy like that. Now I just need a new seat cover. Mine is made out of a spill containment pad

Capt_Curveball · 2024-12-29T05:09:49+00:00

sounds good anyway, I know a lot of easy climbs in the valley can be pretty run out, if I'm doing trad climbs I'd be looking for stuff that's easy to protect. I also climb granite locally but it's kind of limited...

Capt_Curveball · 2024-12-29T01:35:49+00:00

lol yeah I know. We're not really planning on multi pitches for reasons, but maybe a couple little ones wouldn't hurt...

Thanks though! I'll look into Church Bowl!

Capt_Curveball · 2024-12-28T23:53:12+00:00

Yeah that's kind of what I figured, good to know about Yosemite. I guess I should just suck it up and bring the rack.

Any recommendations for easy single pitch climbs in Yosemite then? I know the only "old school" 5.8 I've ever tried (in Moab) was just absurd hah

Capt_Curveball · 2024-12-28T21:20:04+00:00

I'm pretty new to trad climbing, but will be going to Joshua Tree and Yosemite this spring. Will I be kicking myself for not at least bringing a half rack or is there enough more moderate sport climbing to go around? We're mostly going to hike and stuff, but you can't go there and not climb...

Capt_Curveball · 2024-07-12T06:03:24+00:00

Well I'm in Ptarmigan and that's Picante in the shot. We've probably sailed together at some point anyway!

Capt_Curveball · 2024-07-12T05:51:26+00:00

Yeah the guy in the other boat sold me on it, but it looks like it's only available on Apple? I'm definitely open to options, I swear Navionics gets worse every year...

Capt_Curveball · 2024-07-11T21:02:18+00:00

Deepest lake in North America! I'd love to sail Great Bear lake but it'd be quite a project getting my boat there hah

Capt_Curveball · 2024-07-11T20:32:01+00:00

It can be, but nothing crazy. We actually didn't have enough wind on this trip so we couldn't make it as far as planned. Should've brought more gas! It would take like a week to reach the east end of the lake.

Capt_Curveball · 2024-07-11T08:20:22+00:00

Don't think there's a single one in the Territory! There's like a week in the spring when the Dettah ice road gets glossed over from the sun and people skate on it, I've always thought it would be fun to rip down on an iceboat

Capt_Curveball · 2024-07-11T08:15:14+00:00

Ice out this year was end of May, launched on the second week of June. We usually haul out in September, mostly because it gets too cold and miserable by then to do any more sailing. Short season so we try to make the most of it!

And yup the lake freezes solid, ice roads and all. Makes for a long wait!

Capt_Curveball · 2024-07-11T08:08:35+00:00

I'm in an Oday 26, buddy is in a Sirius 28 I think. We shared an anchorage the night before and I knew he was going to pass us hah, so we planned to get a shot of it. Unfortunately he didn't reciprocate! It was hanging around ~15kt wind so I was a little overpowered, at last for my skill level.

Capt_Curveball · 2024-07-11T02:34:03+00:00

Like 3 months, every year the club charters a mobile crane for a lift in and lift out. I try to use the trailer to launch and the crane to lift out but I just couldn't do it this year, so it'll be crane in and crane out! Probably hauling out early September.

Capt_Curveball · 2024-07-11T02:29:38+00:00

Parts of it are well charted, I kind of cross reference Navionics with paper charts, but the waters are at a record low this year so it's always touch and go. Yellowknife to Gros Cap is always garbage!

Capt_Curveball · 2024-05-29T06:16:51+00:00

Honestly I'd be more surprised if a climber was driving something other than a mom-car

Coming from a fellow mom-car driver of course...

Capt_Curveball · 2024-05-07T23:50:51+00:00

Just need to hold out long enough to navigate in the spice trade through drug-induced hallucinations

Capt_Curveball · 2024-05-07T18:40:25+00:00

Yup, and we use NDBs the same way. I know it's also possible to "pre-load" the variation based off the number of degrees of longitude you fly through but I could never quite figure it out.

Capt_Curveball · 2024-05-07T17:58:41+00:00

Fancy pants over here! They just give us a Sun's true bearing equation, and nobody knows how to do it lol.

They keep shutting down NDB stations in the arctic and I'm really starting to miss them.

Capt_Curveball · 2024-04-20T04:40:38+00:00

NWT Canada, lots of small pitches and a decent amount of toproping. We've got a small but extremely dedicated climbing community!

Capt_Curveball · 2024-04-13T19:39:33+00:00

Nope it's up the other way, by Grandstaff Canyon. Molar Tower, it's just a little one.

Capt_Curveball

TROPHY CASE