from gravsports
Moved to willgadd.com as of November 25, 2011. I'm putting this blog along with all my various old websites, blogs, etc. together on willgadd.com, come on over and check it out! New post up on a mixed climbing accident/video, interesting. http://willgadd.com/?p=600
published: 5 months ago
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downloaded: 5 months ago
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from gravsports
Are Ice Tool Leashes As Archaic as Gaiters, Screamers and Third Tools? The picture above is the last one I could find in my photo collection where I have a leash on a tool--Norway 2005. This is another blog post inspired by a question from a reader. The question was roughly, "I was wondering your take on leashless climbing for beginners? I am a sorta old school ice climber that still uses leashes for those 4 days a year I manage to get out ice climbing. (father in washington state) I feel that I don't get
published: 6 months ago
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downloaded: 6 months ago
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from gravsports
First off, sorry for the long delay in blogging. I've been stupid busy with everything from getting my first guiding exam done, family, writing, doing a couple of TV shows and of course climbing, mountain biking (broke some ribs, healing now), travel, and just life. Enough excuses, I'm back, thanks for the heckling/encouraging emails. I'm going to do a new section of this blog where I answer questions from readers, starting with these: 1) There has be a lot of discussion on knots for tying ropes to rappel.
published: 7 months ago
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downloaded: 7 months ago
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from gravsports
Summary: If you're pondering buying a Spot for tracking and emegencies I'd suggest NOT getting the Spot Connect. To do anything but send an SOS message doesn't work without a bluetooth phone, and the bluetooth pairing is sketchy even sitting at your desk at home. A spot 2 is better if you're actually outside of civilization, which is where I generally use a Spot. Bad product design. Spot needs a Spot Connect with Spot 2 physical buttons/menus. Notes: Spot beacons are a great idea. They send short satellite
published: 8 months ago
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downloaded: 8 months ago
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from gravsports
Keywords:
Stewart,
risk,
reflections,
images,
friend Stewart,
1,000 feet,
writing,
sum,
head,
commonplace
I'm finding it hard to finish off the writing about my flying trip from Vernon home. The basic reason is simple: A week after that trip my friend Stewart crashed his glider on Lady Mac as I watched impotently from 1,000 feet over his head. He would not likely have been there if I hadn't stated that I was going to walk up, and walked with him when he wanted to go. Stewart's now recovering, but the starting point for that recovery is a broken neck with currently serious spinal cord issues. The battle back is
published: 8 months ago
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downloaded: 8 months ago
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from gravsports
I'm back home after flying the final leg of the whole trip. Yesterday was a really intense flight--windy, powerful air, cool terrain, and a flight I've dreamed of doing for at least ten years. Boom, the end of an adventure. Today it's way too windy up high to fly; I had incredibly good luck that yesterday was just on the edge of flyable, just. The screen grab of the Spot tracking page shows the basic line, but it doesn't show the waiting in the air, analyzing, or the wind... I'll post some thoughts, more
published: 9 months ago
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downloaded: 9 months ago
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from gravsports
In the last 48 hours I've top-landed in the alpine twice, camped high, had a ton of help from friends in Revelstoke and Invermere, and flown the coolest mountain flight I've ever had. And sunk out into a cut block, but escaped this time! I have some wicked photos of flying right through the Bugaboos, a flight I've dreamed of for going on 15 years. Never have I flown so deep for so many hours, so stoked! From just south of Revelstoke to Brisco to landing on the beach in Inveremere, where a bunch of friends
published: 9 months ago
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downloaded: 9 months ago
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from gravsports
I'm out, ripped to shreds by the alder and cut block debris but stoked for the last two days... Not sure what the next move is but got a ride to revy and planning tactics. Making this up as I go for sure, great adventure so far. The freedom of going a nywhere in the air is great, but I've learned some lessons. Not all cut blocks are launchable. In fact most are barely landable!! Logging roads grow over to the point where they are worse than the bush, even if they show on the gps. BC bush is really fierce.
published: 9 months ago
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downloaded: 9 months ago
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73 views
from gravsports
I'm out, ripped to shreds by the alder and cut block debris but stoked for the last two days... Not sure what the next move is but got a ride to revy and planning tomorrow's tactics. Making this up as I go for sure, great adventure. Lessons: Not all cut blocks are launchable. In fact most are barely landable. Logging roads grow over, even if they show on the gps. BC bush is fierce. There's a fine line between vol bivouac and vol bushwhack, and I got well on the vegetation side of it.... More later, long
published: 9 months ago
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downloaded: 9 months ago
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from gravsports
From here to There? After two weeks of frustrating delays due to bad weather I'm off at one tomorrow morning on a Greyhound bus to Vernon, BC, along with my glider. The basic idea is to ride the dog 350k west to Vernon and then try to fly and walk back home or to the eastern edge of the Rockies somewhere. I should be walking from the bus station toward the Vernon paragliding launch by about 8:00 in the morning. Beyond that I don't know much other than there's a lot of mountain terrain (all of the Columbia
published: 9 months ago
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downloaded: 9 months ago
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