A 10 lb baseweight for Alpine Climbs

[Steve S]

This is nothing new, nothing that screams to the heavens, oh my, Eureka! Climbers from way back have been faced with this same dilemna and the same questions since the first climber headed up into unknown territory.
I climbed for 35 years, and it went from YC, you know, that guy who owns Patagonia, and his famous catalogue that showed how to place clean pro, to Marc Twights Extreme Alpinism, to Blanchard, and then Steve House, and now to Ueli. The bottom line in all these evolutions is that they kept asking the same questions; how to get more done, with either what they had, what they could re-invent, or what they could do with out! Hmmmmmm, sounds like the same questions we ask ourselves each time we try to "lighten" or "change" our gear list for some upcoming trip!
I think the only thing that is actually changing is the ability to access some of the more mainstream designers, and mfg'ers, because in the end, its still business, and they want to make money. So more power to the climbers, because they get to do what they love, without living the life of a "poor" dirtbag climber, sleeping in the the back of Camp 4, or hiding out in Chammy, or poaching bed space in the Cain Hut. Sure those memories are cool, but it does take away energy that could be spent completing a killer climb.
Here's hoping that some of their ideas will actually make it downstream far enough that we might see it on the shelf, only to laugh and say, dam, I made one of those years ago!

[James holden]

"newly converted ultra-lighters and their tsk-tsking and looks of disdain haunts me to this day"

i find its often the newbies who are most wiling to tell you the million of things you are doing wrong … the "oldies" just let you do your own thing

all my UL gear and biners … and i still get outclimbed by some bum with "heavy" gear … cause he brings so little of it cause hes a much stronger climber … no need for a rain jacket, water, puffy, etc… if you can solo up the squamish chief in less than 2 hours =P

[Rakesh Malik]

"i find its often the newbies who are most wiling to tell you the million of things you are doing wrong … the "oldies" just let you do your own thing"

It's funny, that newbies always think they know everything, and the old hands are always still learning.

My Iaido instructor once said, "We're all beginners. I've just been a beginner for a lot longer than you." :)

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