Ice tool rotation?

1st genPetzl Nomic and a new Trango Raptor




"Here is a bit of rehashed info (from ) on the rotation issue some are having with the newest tools.



If you have bought a "new" tool that looks a lot like a Nomic something worth pondering if it isn't "working" quite right for you.A few people coming from a Nomic are finding an uncomfortable "bounce" in a few of the newer tools on ice and the tool being a little scary when pulling bulges. If you are new to this kind of tool likely you will have even more problems climbing pure ice and be blaming all sorts of things. Generally what is getting blamed is not going to be a "fix".



Climbers have little or no no institutional memory generally.

Yes even a couple of degrees one way or the other on pick angle will make a difference. But if it were only that obvious it would be an easy fix. Blaming the pick angle as "too steep" generally isn't the problem. I can think of two tools specifically that opening up the grip even just a little and gaining more rotation in the swing makes a big difference.



It is not a hand /glove size issue for length of grip. Much as one might first think between pick angle and grip size. I've foundthat it is neither of those particular issues.






more rotation





less rotation




Many of us asked for a spike on the Nomic. ThenBD gave it to us as the new Fusion. But if you have climbed very long you'll remember how we all choked the end of a shaft to get a better swing on short tools often almost negating/chopping the spike off all together for steep ice performance to eliminate bounce and help pulling bulges BD's Fusion spike you can remove. Take a close look at thenew DMM, the newest Grivel "Machine", Edelrid's, Camp's X Dreamoffering orTrango Raptor. Not all the grips are the same. Tight grips for the little pinky limit rotation as do spikes (most every one's) or additional blades (Petzl). Bigger is likely better when it comes to the size of the constriction for the little finger. Smaller is better on the spike. Simply because either in the wrong size(any size?) willlimit the rotation available from the tool. Limited rotation means a unfriendly tool in many ways on pure ice.






Brian pulling on 1st gen Nomics




For some the arc of swing on a new tools with a spike intact is limited to small side of 180 degrees without changing your grip. While the olderNomic and a smooth pommel (no blade) can go something like 210 degrees. Don't hold me to the exact numbers but realise one tool can swing a bigger arc than the other inside the palm of your hand. It is important for pulling bulges.











Nomic/Fusion over lay






Very cool to have a removable spike or no spike. Remove the spike for steep mixed and ice and you'll gain some but not all of the arc/rotation back. Most of the bounce will also disappear. With the use of a Dremel/grinder/hand file (or just some good rough emery paper) you can get an equal amount of swing arc on the new Fusion/Raptor by rounding the inside and end of the pommel more like the olderNomic grip. Might make a big difference for you if you are having small issues with any of the newertools with a tight bottom grip.Opening up the trigger slot on the bottom of the grip will gain rotation of the tool in your hand.



A simple, inexpensive mod, takes just a few minutes with power tools, that might make a big difference for you. Down side is you loose the umbilical attachment on the spike. But that's not a big deal on hard cragging anyway and most will use umbilicals and the spike on longer stuff no matter what small disadvantages on hard technical ground they both might create.



More rotationin the shaft will alsoallowa strongergrip with less effort. Much as you might like that super tight grip on your little finger. Some times bigger is better!"
















DMM Switch










Edelrid's












Trango Raptor







Camp X Dream





That is the modern stuff. The idea of the tool having enough rotation in the hand to be useful is not new. I didn't come up wiht this stuff by myself. Just been around long enough to see how it has changed climbing and always made it easier if the reasoning is better understood.



Here are the ferrule and spike from the classic Chouinard Bamboo Piolet (top) and the secondmore technical tool, the Chouinard Bamboo Zero (bottom). The Zero has been taped for a better grip.















The Ferrule on each tool is the same size. The spike on the Zero is almost exactly a 1/2 size replica of the original Piolets. 6cm cut down to 3cm. One reason....and that was to allow better rotation in the hand. Which resulted in easier sticks and less effort.



Some even went to the extremeand prefered nospikefor their own water falltools.

The Ultimate question isn't it?

Good interview here as well:



http://www.tetongravity.com/blogs/Interview-Tempting-Fear-With-Andreas-Fransson-And-Mike-Douglas-6378877.htm



and more here on another huge line....



http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews1.lasso?l=2&keyid=40154#

Grand Canyon :: Sunset at Hopi Point

On our last night at the Canyon (April 17th) we decided to take in another sunset. This time on the southwest side of the Canyon, at Hopi Point.

A close-up view showing a bit of the ruggedness of the Canyon.

The late afternoon sun emphasizes the “hills and valleys” of the Canyon.

The waning rays of the sun also bring out a little of the color in the Canyon.

Quite a few people view the sunsets at Hopi Point. There were three buses and more in the queue to take everyone back to Grand Canyon Village.

The setting sun, split in two by a layer of clouds. It was a fitting end to a very nice day and a great way to end our time at the Grand Canyon.

Coaster Roadster!

Behold my beloved Raleigh DL-1 Lady Tourist! Lovely as usual, is she not?

Ah, but some things about her are not at all "as usual". Can you tell that the lady has had major surgery? Probably not, and that's the beauty of it; her classic roadster features have been left intact.

But oh, what's this here? Why yes, it's a Sturmey-Archer S3C coaster brake hub! And with it, the bicycle has been magically transformed to an unmatched state of fabulousity.

For those unfamiliar with the saga: The Raleigh DL-1 is basically the holy grail of vintage "Roadsters," particularly the lady's loop frame. These bicycles are elegant, comfortable and surprisingly fast. There is only one tragic drawback: They were made with rod brakes, which is a braking system that is not the greatest even in dry weather, and completely ineffective in the rain. I got my DL-1 last summer and it has been my preferred bicycle ever since, despite the poor braking power. Still, I hoped that someday a conversion to a more effective braking system would make it perfect. Imagine my elation that this day has come!

If you are wondering how we did this, I will first say that it is definitely a "don't try this at home" project unless you are mechanically inclined, or have a spouse who is. But to summarise: You will need to get a 3-speed coaster brake hub and to have a new wheel built around it. You cannot put the coaster brake hub in the old wheel, because these hubs were designed for a different number of spokes. If you are planning to keep the original rod brakes (which you have to, unless you want to replace the handlebars), the new wheel needs to have a 28" rod-brake rim. These are distinct from regular rims, in that they have a special notch for the rod brake pads to grip. Yellow Jersey sells these rims, and they can also build you the wheel if you send them the coaster brake hub.

And that is what we did: I got the hub from an acquaintance who happened to have one (and who sent this monogrammed reaction arm clamp to go with it!), and had the wheel built by Yellow Jersey. Upon receiving the new wheel in the mail, we stayed up half the night attaching it to the bike. There are various little nuances that made it, shall we say, challenging - but it is doable. I will post a more detailed account on Boston Retro Wheelmen soon; for now I still have PTSD from the process. But let's be frank: A mild case of PTSD is a small sacrifice for the miracle of a secret coaster brake on a classic rod-brake roadster!

After the coaster-brake wheel installation, I spent the following day riding the bike everywhere; it was difficult to get me off of it! I tried hills, high-traffic routes, bridges - all kinds of situation where the brakes would be put to the test. I even got stuck in the pouring rain on my way home from downtown Boston - which was not intentional, but perfectly timed for testing the brakes in wet weather. If you've been reading this blog, you know I like coaster brakes, and this one performs fantastically. Upon back-pedaling, it comes to a soft (non-jolting) but reliable stop, making hand braking completely unnecessary, other than for preventing the bicycle from rolling when stopped at a traffic light. One funny thing about this hub, is that it is very-very loud: a steady ticking noise when pedaling, amplified tenfold when coasting. Well, at least they can hear me approach!

It did not take me long to get used to the DL-1 having a coaster brake and to adapt my braking patterns accordingly. With the rod brakes, I used to plan my stops in advance and I feared rain. Now I am free from worrying about such things and can fully enjoy this wonderful bicycle. There are other ways of installing effective brakes on the DL-1, like attaching the rods to a rollerbrake hub or replacing the whole rod system with standard brakes and conventional handlebars. But I chose the coaster brake, both because I like the system in itself, and because it allowed me to preserve everything about this bicycle exactly as it was - making it my very own Coaster Roadster.

In Copenhagen: a Dane asked me what is ‘happiness’?

Trivia: Did you know that the Danes are the happiest people in the world? Use google please for more info =)

It was a sunny day in Copenhagen with sporadic passing clouds. I wanted to enjoy my afternoon in the city with a glass of wine while people watching, something that is always in my agenda when I am travelling. Luckily, I found an available table at the outdoor terrace of the strategically located ‘Café du Norden’ on Stroget and Kongens Nytorv (the Kings New Square). Here, I met Bj.

That is Bj at my back before we actually met and had a chat.

I always carry my little black notebook with me and my Montblanc pen.

Bj is in his 50’s, lives in Copenhagen and works in the finance industry. He is married and has a daughter. He’s basically spending his afternoon chilling out with a beer in the city while his wife and daughter went to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, a unique open-air museum located by Oresund, about 42 kilometres north from the capital city. It is the same museum that I wanted to visit that same day, however, I wasn’t feeling very well so I decided to stay in Copenhagen instead.

We didn’t really talk about the Danish being the happiest people in the world or Denmark being the happiest country. We talked about Copenhagen and what brought me to the city. Then we further talked about travel. We talked about our jobs. We even talked about Christiania. Our discussion went deeper and we talked about life. About happiness.

Different people have different thoughts about what happiness is and what it means to them.

He asked me, ‘So, what is happiness to you?’

To me, happiness is relative. It is something of personal nature. The character, the personality, the person’s personal circumstances and the stage in life this person is in, will determine how that person will view and understand happiness.

Happiness to a 16 year old is different to someone who just recently graduated from university. Moreover, someone who is between 25 and 30 years old, who thinks he or she can conquer the world, will have a different view of happiness compared to a person in his or her mid to late 30’s who have other factors in life to consider, i.e. children, a more stable job, etcetera. When we reach our 40’s, our take on happiness will be different as well—I know this personally because I am at this stage currently. I am sure that reaching our 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, another state of happiness will enter into the picture.

With that, I believe that happiness is a state of achieving contentment, which is a continuous and evolving process throughout the stages of our lives.

If I look back at what made me happy before, it humbles me big time. I have gone so far in life. So I try to hold on to these snippets of my bygone days to keep my feet firmly on the ground. I try to be grateful each day and to always go back to the basics.

I can honestly say that I have gone past the material happiness stuff. I do not anymore feel the nagging need to constantly prove myself, to be accepted by others, to be number 1 at work and to be the best at whatever situations and circumstances I find myself in. Importantly, I have learned that happiness is something that we ultimately can control and can decide.

Right now, what makes me happy are my travels-discovering the world and being with the Dutchman.

Another picture of me and Bj before we actually had the chat.

View on Kongens Nytorv, the Kings New Square.

The afternoon went fast and before we knew it Bj and I have to part ways. His family will be home anytime soon and they are expecting him for dinner while I am faced at the challenge of finding a restaurant.

I thanked Bj for his time and for the thought-provoking discussion we shared.

Now it’s my turn to ask you—What is happiness to you? What will honestly, at this very moment, make you happy? Will you go for it?

Southern Blight

Every year, around the Fourth of July, a disease called Southern Blight appears in gardens and nurseries. And while it is not something you want to have in your garden, it one of my favorite plant pathogens. And yes, only dorks have a favorite plant pathogen.

This is how it happens: When it gets so hot outside that it hurts to breathe and we start to get afternoon thunderstorms, this fungus awakens from dormancy. It begins to grow around the bases of plants like Hosta, Ajuga, Iris, Creeping Jenny and other perennials.

As it grows, it feeds on the crowns of the plants and actually severs the stems from the roots at the soil line. You can see the white fungus on the petiole base of this Hosta leaf:


Seemingly overnight, affected plants wilt and and begin to turn brown. And if you look closely at the soil, you will see tiny spheres that look just like mustard seeds.

These "seeds" are how the fungus survives until the next summer. They hang tight-protected in their own little shells- until the days are hot and humid, causing destruction in your garden all over again.

And the worst part? The seeds can survive in the soil for up to seven years. That means you could put these seeds (they are really called sclerotia) in an envelope, file it away and in seven years disperse the sclerotia in a rival gardener's flower bed.

Since this disease is soil-borne, it is hard to manage. The best way is to remove the infected plants carefully (put them immediately in a plastic bag and do not compost) and then dig out the soil to about 1-foot deep.

If plants are growing in a nursery, there are additional tools for management of this disease- call for information.

Cooking With Pioneer Woman

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year was Pioneer Woman's cookbook. I was inspired by Julie and Julia to cook my way through a cookbook, but figured The Art of French Cooking might be a bit daunting to me at this point so I am tackling PW's cookbook instead. If I make it through this, I am going to buy the matched set of The Art of French Cooking!



So far, every recipe I've tried from her cookbook has been very good. Just a few pictures of some of the goodies we've sampled. BBQ Jalapeno Poppers on the grill (alongside of some Carne Asada):



Fresh and colorful Pico de Gallo which we have been making for years now:



and PW's potato skins:





And this has nothing to do with PW's cookbook, but I also tried these for the Pickleball Tournament and New Year's eve party and they were fabulous too:



Since it's sooooooo cold here right now, I think I'm going to stick to the hearty, fill your belly with warm food dishes for the next few days.



Living the life in chilly Florida!