![The Mammut Wall Rider Helmet. [Photo] Drew Thayer](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/mammut-wall-rider-helmet-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
“Smaller rocks inevitably rained down. Just as the barrage ceased, a small rock whacked me in the head…. On the hard shell of the helmet, where the rock had hit, was a small ding. No cracks, no mess, just one clean dimple.” Drew Thayer reviews the Mammut Wall Rider Helmet.
Reviewer Drew Thayer notes, “The Ultamid 4 is currently the lightest option for a spacious, four-person shelter that can adapt to just about any conditions…. It’s a great shelter for backcountry pursuits where versatility and light weight are necessary. And it’s made right here in the USA.”
![Tat removed from Recompense (5.9) at Cathedral Ledge, NH by the author in 2011. [Photo] Mike Lewis](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/trango-piranha-knife-mountain-standards-1-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
As a guide, I’m often asked what I carry on my harness. In addition to standard climbing hardware, plus prussic cords, a Tibloc, and a Micro-Traxion for glacier travel, I carry a knife. Once my clients see the knife, they often reference Joe Simpson’s classic mountaineering epic, Touching the Void. Unlike the moment of decision in the book when Simon cuts the rope to free himself while letting Simpson fall into a crevasse, I carry a knife for other reasons: these include to cut tat, add cordage to existing anchors, and cut the free ends from a stuck rope.
The rope is the single most important piece in your pack. During alpine climbs, the rope is subject to needle-sharp crampons, errant ice tools, rock and ice fall, and abrasive terrain while climbing and descending. For me, the most important qualities to look for in a rope are: durability, minimal weight, ease in handling and a permanent, obvious center mark.
When you climb in cold places, you quickly learn the value of a lightweight puffy jacket. The promise of a sunny morning can dissolve quickly in the alpine: the wall passes into shadow, belays get long and cold, and the wind picks up. An insulated jacket can make the difference between starting the next pitch excited or shivering.
We packed up camp high on the Roosevelt Glacier and began climbing towards Mt. Baker’s North Ridge (WI2-3, 3,000′, Beckey-Widrig, 1948), in Washington’s North Cascades, at 6 a.m. Challenging weather conditions required creative route finding. At noon, six hours later, we climbed into a storm below the summit.
Though I spend countless hours in a harness every season, I rarely get excited about them. To me, they are merely utilitarian. As long as the harness is comfortable and functional, I don’t think too much about it. That changed with the new Petzl Sitta harness.
This year I put my new pair of Electric Tech One sunglasses through rigorous field-testing. I wore them on a month-long climbing trip to Colorado’s Front Range, the Moab area and northern Arizona.
I’m a wilderness camping minimalist, bringing just enough food and not bothering with extras or luxury items. I eat freeze-dried meals out of a bag, eliminating cooking, cleaning pots and other annoying dish duties. My no-cook system is not perfect, since I usually eat tasteless freeze-dried meals, but it’s difficult to reach food deep inside a bag without spilling it.
Alpine climbing in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia inevitably involves extended travel through wet weather. While attempting an enchainment of Mt. Waddington (13,186′) and its neighboring peaks, I wanted a lightweight shell that was waterproof and breathable enough to wear during high-output exercise. Unlike my other shells, which fall short in at least one of these categories, the Muztag jacket exceeded my expectations.
