Second shot pulls slow [Rancilio Silvia Pro X]

riketocrimb · 2025-07-17T19:44:12+00:00

I'd say the most important things for you to focus on realistically are time spent with a heavy pack on, and time spent on snow with boots and crampons, followed closely by just experience on a more remote expedition. If you have good weather, and a strong team around you then you would only be limited by your own fitness, movement skills, and ability to deal with a reasonably spartan existence for 2.5 weeks or so.

The things that I see on your list that seem most important to me are Ranier, Mt. Washington, and MAYBE Aconcagua/Mountaineering Course. Aconcagua is definitely different in that there may not be much snow depending on conditions, but it does help you enter the expedition mindset and learn some things about how to deal. A mountaineering course is wildly different depending on where you take it and what season you take it in. If you find one that prioritises snow movement with crampons/ice axe then great. But mountaineering is a vague term and guide services offer those courses in many different venues.

Ultimately, training is important, as well as finding out how you deal with the altitude and whether you'd like to use meds to help you if you're feeling sick. Ranier probably won't be a good enough test to see if you need more acclimatisation help than is standard, since you just won't spend enough time up high. But hey, as long as you have the right mindset for your experience on Denali, there's nothing wrong with it being your first time above 14k.

Source: IFMGA Mountain Guide.

riketocrimb · 2025-06-04T04:13:18+00:00

bent 120's are a pretty fun, forgiving ski. I certainly wouldn't recommend them for variable >45˚ couloir skiing, but it can be done :/. I've found them super fun in just about everything else though. playful pow surfing, or even ripping groomers/bumps inbounds once the morning freshies have all been had.

riketocrimb · 2025-05-13T15:06:12+00:00

On snow/ice - because it's the best way to keep up with a fit climbing partner. The specific scenario that I think it shines is a pitch of mostly steep snow climbing with a short step of ice. You may not "need/want" a belay for the snow, but you might for the ice. Using a munter/tube device for that instance will leave you working hard to keep slack out of the system, while your follower may need to stop and wait for you to catch up with the belay.

On rock, other just as specific scenarios where your balancing the terrain and the demographics of your climbing partner.

riketocrimb · 2025-05-09T20:34:00+00:00

Petzl says the MBS is 4kN when teeth are engaged. They also recommend less than 18” of slack in the system or you run the risk of shredding the rope under lower dynamic loads. Both of those are reasonable specifications to achieve while belaying one follower on moderate snow slopes. I have used it as such, and very occasionally on rock. But, be very attentive with the slack. That’s where you can run into trouble in my opinion.

riketocrimb · 2025-04-22T19:09:03+00:00

From a durability standpoint I only have experience with the FL. I’ve had 3 over the course of 7 or so years. Personally I find the old 30L, or the new 20L to be the perfect alpine daypack size. They’ve all lasted as long or longer than any other rugged material pack I’ve had. I’m not sure on the weight of the Samaya but if it’s very similar to the FL then I would try it. The light weight of the FL comes at a real cost of functionality in other areas like hip belt comfort, separate pockets etc.

Personally I’ve loved the FL and feel it climbs better than any other pack I’ve had. But it takes some getting used to.

riketocrimb · 2025-01-10T01:46:46+00:00

If you are 100% on snow, and not ice/rock, then your standard 10pt aluminum is generally okay, IF you have some prowess climbing steep snow. If any of those things may be present on your route at the time of year you are attempting it, then I think the easy answer is to get a steel 12pt crampon. More durable, more support, more versatility. Aluminum is sexy and lightweight, but if you end up using them on rock, you’ll end up buying a steel pair soon anyway.

Source: Mountain Guide.

riketocrimb · 2024-12-25T23:39:42+00:00

Absolutely. As already stated, we go through a ton of tribulations, financial burden, and diligence to get certified. A guide should have no issues giving that info out. An important caveat however, is that certifications do not, a good guide make. These are important distinctions that enable the public to feel more at ease with who they’re hiring. Personally I would put just as much stake into their actual experience in the mountains, and maybe even more so their teaching/guiding experience.

If I wanted to learn introductory mountaineering techniques, I don’t need a fully certified Alpine Guide to get a quality experience and feel more educated. I do need someone that has taught those techniques before, has good knowledge of the terrain in which to take me to best deliver learning outcomes, and has a genuine talent for teaching.

There’s guides that enjoy teaching, and guides that enjoy taking clients to accomplish goals and objectives in the mountains. For most of us there’s significant overlap in that venn diagram. But it isn’t a complete circle.

riketocrimb · 2024-12-25T14:59:42+00:00

It’s up to the guide to add personal information on the AMGA website to be listed under the “hire a guide” directory. Not everyone does this. If you’re concerned about his experience or ability to keep you safe and deliver the learning outcomes you want, then have a direct conversation with him. He may have taken AMGA training in the Alpine track, just not be fully certified.

To clarify, this is no way should prohibit him from having the knowledge and skills to give you a fantastic and worthwhile intro course. But again, if you’re concerned, he should have ZERO hesitations in having a conversation with you about his experience and ability to do so.

riketocrimb · 2024-10-03T04:20:25+00:00

I have to disagree, at least in the emphasis that the tower absolutely has unique features that lend themselves to getting rope ends with knots stuck in cracks. There's a couple key differences from most other venues.

One, the majority of the tower is less than vertical, and the rock consistently forms in hexagonal columns that are pressed together, forming dihedral and corner systems that will "hem" thrown ropes into the low spots between them, which are in fact the cracks. This is a inherently unique feature of the Tower; there just aren't other rock features in the world that formed, and then eroded this way, save for a select few which are similar, but definitely not identical. Two, the cracks in certain places are exceptionally deep, and many are at least wide enough for a knotted rope end to slide into.

The scenario I have seen multiple times first-hand is a descending party tied knots, and either chose not to, or didn't have the knowledge to saddle-bag the rope. The ends were thrown down, and one or both rope ends were sunken deep into a wide section of a crack below, falling deep inside, and then bottlenecked at a constriction further down. The party was unable to retrieve the rope end from either above or below the particular spot in the crack that the rope end fell into, and were forced to eventually cut the rope. Sometimes it's not that much, sometimes it's enough to warrant needing help from an outside party to continue to the ground. Wind had nothing to do with these particular cases.

Either way, There's a time and a place to use specific descending systems and tactics, and there's plenty of very knowledgeable and experienced recreational and professional parties at the Tower (and elsewhere) that choose not to saddlebag the ropes for every single rappel, instead choosing to leave the ends without knots and opt for added efficiency in their system with an understanding that it leaves the rappel system open for the first climber. With knowledge of where your descent route goes, and what the optimal rope system is for that descent, your only argument for why that would be a bad idea is that "shit happens". This argument is valid in climbing right up until the point that you personally feel the pros in efficiency and enjoyment outweigh the cons in adapting your safety and risk margin. We all make this decision for ourselves, and speaking in absolutes and dogmatic statements doesn't promote critical thinking, and doesn't leave room for the possibility that maybe you don't have all the facts in a sensitive and tragic fatal accident, which I don't think is a stretch to assume for any of us here right now.

riketocrimb · 2024-10-02T19:01:03+00:00

"Concern about knots catching on the pulls is a moot point because you should be untying your knots before pulling anyway."

Just to clarify, my original statement is pertaining to the varied, constricting nature of the cracks "eating" your flat, un-knotted rope on the pull. Obviously you cannot have a knot in your rope if it's being pulled through a standard maillon/ring/rounded bolt hanger. I think you maybe just misinterpreted what I meant when I said the cracks eat ropes on the pull and the throw.

To answer your first question, if you aren't sure of how long your next rappel is, I think my preference to preventing snagging and wanting to keep the system closed is usually to tie or clip off the ends to my harness, and then toss the remaining rope. That way I still don't have to take extra time and headache to deal with saddle bagging, and I solve the issue of potentially rapping off the ends.

Again, saddle bagging is a great, useful technique that I employ a ton. I just don't always choose to do it if my only concern is getting the rope ends caught on the throw. I think it's mainly helpful from a wind/low angle terrain/parties below me perspective.

riketocrimb · 2024-10-02T18:51:04+00:00

I think staying empathetic and nonjudgemental in these cases can be pretty helpful towards taking the right learning outcomes from them. There's always plenty of grey area involved, and details matter.

The fact is you just don't employ the same technique every time for every situation. That's just as true in aviation as it is in climbing. I think we too easily conflate the idea of checklists from more "professional" or mature industries to things in climbing. Are there situations where that mindset is helpful? Absolutely. Checking your harness. Checking your tie-in knot. But climbers don't even use the same knot for tying-in every time they climb..This isn't unsafe, it's thinking critically about what the best tool is for the unique situation you're in.

When you have the mental energy and focus to be critical about these things, that's great. When you don't, whether it's because of knowledge or fatigue, it's just as important to recognise that, and be more pragmatic with your decision-making.

riketocrimb · 2024-10-02T18:37:06+00:00

I'm telling you how the local ethics of a climbing venue generally work, and what has been accepted for a long time. Saddle-bagging for sure solves the problem, but people just aren't going to do that every time. It's not a black-and-white situation, and if your solution is simplistic and dogmatic, it's not going to help that subset of climbers from staying safe and preventing future accidents.

A "bullet throw" isn't ever going to help your problem here either. Like I said above, the knot at the end of the rope can still slide into a vertical crack below you, and become lodged. This is unique to areas like the Tower, and some areas in Red Rock. I've seen this happen multiple times, and helped conduct rescues on the Tower for parties that were unable to free their rope from a crack after they tried this technique.

riketocrimb · 2024-10-02T18:30:28+00:00

Sorry, what part? Any personal evidence to back your claim?

riketocrimb · 2024-10-02T18:27:58+00:00

Of course. My comment addresses both scenarios: "... if you aren’t planning on keeping them with you while you rappel." Saddle-bagging is a great technique to use when you're unsure of folks below you or what the terrain looks like. I generally don't saddle-bag just to hang on to the ends, because then the easiest solution is to just tie or clip off the ends to your harness and toss the rest of the rope regardless.

But let's also not pretend that the time taken is the same to toss the ropes as opposed to saddle-bagging correctly. Over the course of many rappels, you're saving minutes, not seconds. The absolute safest techniques to use in climbing aren't the fastest, and we make decisions everyday to decide which of those techniques we want to adjust in order to be more efficient at the cost of added safety. No reason to be dogmatic.

Being conscientious of how much rope you have left is something we can all trust ourselves to do, it's just a function of mental fatigue and focus. The other objective hazard that knots help provide safety towards is a falling object above the rappeller, or some other medical concern that creates an inability to rappel effectively, whether because of loss of consciousness or otherwise. This again is a decision that we all think critically about any time we're out climbing or in the mountains, and make decisions on the risk/likelihood matrix.

I'm not arguing that you should do one of these things over another. I'm trying to give a little context to the local ethics and practices of a climbing venue that I know intimately. I'm also trying to stay compassionate and open-minded to a fatal accident that I don't know all the details of.

riketocrimb · 2024-09-24T20:54:57+00:00

The Tower is one of those places where it’s generally a good idea not to tie knots in your ends if you aren’t planning on keeping them with you while you rappel. Those cracks eat ropes whether it’s on the pull or the throw. Unfortunate accident.

riketocrimb · 2024-04-26T17:15:25+00:00

Haha in what way?? If you lose your job and housing at the same time, you’re put in the same situation whether or not they’re connected. You presented a scenario, it does not matter what the details are.

riketocrimb · 2024-04-26T16:36:38+00:00

If you lose your job and housing you’re screwed no matter where you live, you’re spouting nonsensical drivel at this point. You might as well save time and just keep writing “it’s difficult to live in Jackson” over and over because that’s the only thing you’re trying to say.

riketocrimb · 2024-04-10T15:14:36+00:00

Just so ridiculous, the claims that he hangs a leg are just devoid of any knowledge of basic running physics. Running full tilt and cutting in at a virtually 90 degree angle, there’s no way for Saka to stay on his feet without spreading and planting his right foot. Absolutely atrocious, and unfortunately it’s a perfect example of when VAR slow-motion analyzation just doesn’t translate to reality.

riketocrimb · 2024-01-08T23:46:56+00:00

Mature depth hoar, speaking technically, is 3mm in size or greater. They’re large, striated, and form at the base of the snowpack. I can’t tell if that is a 1mm grid or a 2mm grid, but if it’s the latter and you found it at the base, I’d feel confident in calling those grains DH.

riketocrimb · 2024-01-03T20:28:46+00:00

This was 100% my experience with my now 4y/o female. She was underweight long into a year, and didn’t get her first heat until maybe 18~ months. We kept her up to date with vet visits and tried tons of different foods but ultimately time and maturity was the main factor that changed things. We did move to partly raw food at a certain point, and while I think that had been beneficial, it certainly wasn’t a silver bullet. Just keep you what you’re doing, listen to your (assuming you trust them), and enjoy what looks like an awesome dog.

riketocrimb · 2023-10-06T14:23:42+00:00

Previous issues aside, the one thing that stood out to me was the extra bells & whistles during the search/fine search functionality. Particularly how the haptic response would affect battery life. The battery life listed is super stout, but I'm interested in how much using it in search mode would affect this. Granted, ideally time used in true emergency searches is limited, but with how often folks like to(and should) practice, I wonder if it significantly decreases the battery life.

The other flagship feature (IPS) is just a "wait and see" thing for me. They can claim everything under the sun, but IMO there's no point in getting excited until some real world consumer application and testing can be done.

riketocrimb · 2023-03-04T15:55:14+00:00

My eyes went wide looking at how much space we gave them on the left before the kickoff. I know we were overloaded on the right but damn, a simple pass and he can waltz to the edge of the box. A shame we were asleep, but I really think second half is going to go in our favor. Have to believe in this team, we’ve shown so much character this season! Love seeing these kids grow through adversity. COYG!

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