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April,
2003
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| Welcome
to the Mountain Adventure Seminars Newsletter. Our goal is to
provide the MAS community with current information that is
both informative and enjoyable. Please note that your email
address will never be sold or shared. If you would prefer not
to receive this newsletter then click here to unsubscribe. |
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| MAS
Guide Tip #1 |
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Springtime
signals a change for outdoor activities. At MAS it's time
to assemble all the rock climbing gear and take inventory. We
keep an eye out for items starting to show signs of wear and
tear. For example, if SLCD's (aka - "cams") are squeaky
or sluggish, we give them a hot bath. Simply immerse the heads
of each camming unit into a pot of boiling water so that you
can still pull the trigger without scalding your fingers. Carabiners
can also benefit from a quick bath. Of course if you organized
and cleaned your climbing gear at the end of last season then
you ahead of the game. 
Click here
for more information on camming device care and cleaning.
Take a look at your passive protection such as nuts, hexs and
tricams. Look for any frays in the cable or abuse to the swage.
It is best to retire any pieces exhibiting damaged to the cable
or swage. Plus a frayed cable will unpleasantly poke you all
season. 
Rock climbing gear should hold some sort of personal identification
markings. This helps avoid confusion when mixing gear with your
friends. Many people use small strips of vinyl tape to denote
a personal color or pattern of colors. Black tape should be
used to denote damaged or suspect gear. Some climbers use nail
polish or a light application of spray paint to mark their gear.
All climbing ropes should also be inspected for abnormalities.
Spend the time to inspect your ropes carefully. Pull the rope
slowly through your fingers and be on the lookout for soft or
hard spots in the rope. For more information on rope care visit
the links below.
| Links
for more Rock Climbing Rope Information |
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•
Rock Climbing Rope PDF Booklet by Mammut
(724K). Large download but full of good information.
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General rope information at rockclimbing.com
& rei.com.
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•
Good article by Petzl on shock
loads.
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| MAS
Spring Special |
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| BaseCamp
Lodge
is
offering a
20% discount on all lodging reservations for the month
of April to anyone who says "friends
don't let friends leave Bear Valley" while
making their reservation (except for 2 for 1 Tuesdays).
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| MAS
Moments |
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The
7th Annual Bear Valley Telemark Festival
was a success thanks
to all the wonderful participants, staff and instructors!
Many folks have requested the lyrics to the slideshow's
hit performance of "Subtle Shift of Weight"
by Fred Hochstaedter, Eric Montizambert, Larry Carver
and John Shinnick. Click
here for your own copy of the lyrics.
In addition photos that were taken on Friday, February
7th, are available for viewing and purchase at West
World Images. |
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