Happy Independence Day!

Happy Fourth of July! Remember firearms are allowed in the park, but fireworks are not.

The weather and climbing conditions came together to make an amazing weekend. A windy low pressure front passing through on Sunday morning made things interesting - but it passed by quickly giving way to the best weather of the season. Climbers have been on Ptarmigan Ridge, Mowich Face, Success Cleaver, Kautz Glacier, Disappointment Cleaver, Little Tahoma, Emmons/Winthrop, and Liberty Ridge. It's as if the poor weather early this season preserved the mountain for great climbing in July. Suncups are starting to form on the south and west facing routes,making skiing on the upper mountain less fun, but cramponing much easier. Be safe, see you on the mountain!

Handmade Dress Guards from Holland, by Simeli

My bicycles are not exactly run-of-the-mill, and they tend to get noticed when I am out and about. But nothing has compared to the effect of installing these dress guards on Marianne. Without exaggeration, the dress guards draw crowds of women, their eyes full of wonder at the sight of these unique creations. Subtle they are not. But they are sure to brighten up your day. I received these dress guards as part of an equal value exchange fromSimeli(a sponsor July - August ), and here are my impressions:



First I must say that I've had the dress guards for some time now, but could not find a bike on which to install them. I was initially hoping to fit them on a loop frame bicycle, but all of mine already had dress guards and removing them would have been a pain. Finally I installed them on my mixte, and the combination is unexpectedly fabulous.



Here is a straight-up view. It is not as typical to install dress guards on a mixte as it is on step-through bicycles, but I really do not see why not. It was done in the past, and in Europe you will find many older mixte bicycles with holes drilled into the fender - evidence that at some point the dress guards were there. If you use your mixte for transportation and you wear fluttery skirts or coats, this is a useful accessory.



This angle gives you an idea of how the dress guards are attached: They connect to the bolts (or the fender stays) at the rear dropouts and to the fenders via clips.The clips are supplied by Simeli along with the dress guards, and are available in a variety of colours. If your fenders are deep enough to fit the clips without rubbing the wheel, you do not need to drill holes. However, please note that the attachment system was designed for the sort of wide, deep fenders that are found on Dutch bikes, English roadsters, and similar bicycles. If you have fenders like the ones pictured on my mixte, the clips will likely rub the tire. We have angled the clips on my bike as best as we could, and they still rub a bit. So if I keep this set-up in the long run, I will drill the fender and re-install the dress guards that way.



Simeli dress guards were designed to work with either 28" or 26" wheels, so anything in between is fine as well. This includes 650B, 27"and 700C wheels. The wheels on my bicycle here are 27" and the dress guards stretch tightly.



Another thing to note is that - like most dress guards - these have an opening to fit over either a "cafe lock" or a caliper brake on the rear wheel (click to enlarge the picture to see the opening). The opening is aligned with the rear stays, so even if you have neither a lock nor a caliper brake on the rear wheel, it is unobtrusive.



As far as performance goes, these dress guards certainly do their job. They cover a large portion of the wheel and are densely knit. Any outfit you could wear is safe from the spokes with these installed. They do not shift or flutter or make any noise (other than the potential problem of the clips rubbing narrow fenders), and they hold up securely.



Of course the singlemost feature one is drawn to when discussing these, is the looks. There are several models offered by Simeli, and all of them feature crochet work in bright, cheerful colours. Mine are pink, lilac and light green, with silvery thread and a row of peralescent beads woven in between (the model is Linde).



Here is a close-up of the colours and the row of beads. If you've been reading this blog, you know that I do not tend to go for colourful designs like this, and instead gravitate towards neutral colour palettes. But it's nice to try new things once in a while, and hey - it's summer after all!



The shimmery aqua-blue of Marianne's frame is too much for me as it is, so I decided to go all out and make her my "technicolor dream coat" bicycle. And that she is!



But the crucial question: Would I buy these dress guards if they were not sent to me for review? I would if they were available in an off-white or natural-hemp sort of colour, or even something silvery or gold-ish. In fact, I am looking for something like that for the new custom mixte we are building up and would even gladly drill the fenders if they prove too tight for the clips. The bright and cheerful colours on the models currently available are not my style - but given the response they get out in the streets, I believe I am in the minority in that respect.



Final note: I've received emails from readers who are interested in the dress guards but cannot understand how to navigate the website (which is entirely in Dutch). If you'd like to order a set or have questions, please just contact Simone(the owner of Simeli) directly. She speaks English and can answer all your questions.

When Your Shoes Give You the Slip

A few weeks ago I tried to wear these shoes while riding Marianne. After getting half way down the block I had to return home and change, because they kept slipping off the pedals. Yesterday, I tried the same shoes on Eustacia Vye, and was delighted at the lack of slippage. The Pashley's platform pedals must be grippier than the Motobecane's, though the Pashley has rejected shoes in the past as well.

This brings me to the general issues of footwear on bicycles. I don't like to pretend that something is easy for me when it is not, just for the sake of making cycling seem super-easy and convenient. And finding shoes to wear while cycling is not always easy for me. In my pre-velo days, I wore mostly dressy high heeled shoes, and occasionally flat dressy shoes like the exquisite Italian green ankleboots in these photos. However, I must confess that I find 75% of my footwear problematic to wear while cycling.

The problem is not the heels, but the soles: they tend to slide off the pedals. To me it seems downright hazardous to cycle like that, especially when standing up. An additional issue is when soles are thin and/or flexible: I find it uncomfortable to push on the pedals in shoes like that. As a result, I wear only a small portion of the footwear I own when cycling. And since I cycle pretty much every day, this means that I have basically stopped wearing all those other shoes, some of which I greatly miss.

So ladies, what do you do? Do you get grippier pedals? Textured soles installed on all of your shoes? Or do you honestly not experience this problem when wearing your dressy shoes, like the magical women of Denmark? I want to battle the "shoe slip", but I need a plan.

What I did on a Saturday in Luxembourg City

Luxemburg (or Luxembourg) City is a very small cosmopolitan city. It is a trilingual city, locals speak French, German and Luxemburgisch. I guess it should be quadringual if you throw in English into the equation which most people speak anyway.



The country has a reputation of being a tax haven which is the reason why it is rich in the first place.







Now, many people who come to visit the Grand Duchy find themselves wondering where to go, what to see and what to do here other than shopping. Shopping in Luxembourg is definitely better than PC Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, and that is if you are into signature labels. But other than that, in order to enjoy this city, you really need to know where to go.



The easiest resource in order to get to know the city would be Luxemburg Tourism’s website and of course some intensive googling, which is the reason why I blog my travels in detail; experience by experience and bit by bit. It is my way of giving back to the travel world for all the great advice I received online.



Nevertheless, I was planning to do some art viewing but realised I was too lazy to stare at other people’s works so I stuck to my fall back plan—go slow, walk around, do nothing, just be free. I need this wandering aimlessly to de-stress and recharge myself. It helps empty my mind when I do not have a plan and when I do not think of serious stuff, like work.



Well I did went to the Grund as planned but other than this, I just went with the flow. Here’s what I did.









First thing that I did was to check in to my hotel, Le Place d’Armes Hotel on Place d’Armes. I have a very strategic home base to explore the city. Place d’Armes is the heart of Luxembourg City.



Then I chilled out at Cafe de Paris located just beside the hotel with a glass of port and did my favourite pastime, people watching. The city and women are quite fashionable, just my kind of style--classy, with taste. Of course expensive, but not show off.









Checked out the Grand Ducal Palace along the way of course.









When I am wandering around aimlessly, I love to look at delicatessen and bakery shops. Sometimes I buy something, sometimes not, but it gives me warmth to see the lovely delights on the window display. It was Three Kings when I was there and this deli-patisserie shop and restaurant called Kaempff-Kohlercomes highly recommended. Amust visit if you are a foodie.







Place Guillaume is a big square you will not miss.









Another square you will not miss, Place de Clairefontaine. The Notre Dame Cathedral is located just beside this square.







I was curious of the cathedral of course so I went inside to take a peek. Majority of Luxemburgers are Roman Catholics including the royal family.



Then I went to visit the Grund. I wanted to book my dinner reservation at Mosconi and have pre-dinner drinks at Scott’s Pub. It turned out that Mosconi was closed so I just walked around the little commune and consoled myself at Scott’s with a glass of sparkling wine. Dinner will have to be somewhere else.









Then I went back to the city centre and passed by Place de Clairefontaine again. The squares here in Luxemburg city are very bright and sparkling at night.









My wandering led me to the shopping lanes and surprisingly there were still shops open. What happened? Naturally I shopped. I am an accidental shopper; I only shop when the opportunity is in front of me. I bought stuff at Vicomte A and Massimo Duti, two of the very few shops that were open late.







I was debating with myself if I should just eat at my hotel’s restaurant, La Cristallerie or look somewhere else, when I saw La Lorraine on Place d’Armes. The restaurant looks inviting from the outside and there were many people dining already which is positive. In addition, the French menu didn’t sound shabby at all. This will do.







Delicious pumpkin soup.







Escargot! Garlic buttered snails. They are so delectable. I can do another serving really.







My main: Salmon with sea snails, cooked egg and vegetables. This was nice except for the vegetables--dry and overcooked.



No desserts for the evening but a little cup of espresso. Service at La Lorraine is top comparable to real fine dining restaurants.







Place d’Armes at night. A quick stroll on the square after dinner.









Then it is time to call it a night, and go back to my hotel. I will be pampering myself with a nice hot bath.

Reel Rock Tour

Don't miss this.The Aussie opening was in Brisbane last night, so many climbers, so much fun.Climbers, I'll make it simple for you, here's what to do:A: click on the poster below for dates in your neighbourhood.B: Get a ticket and get inside.



Or maybe get a ticket at the door.Catch up with the cream of Brizzies climbing crew.



Get yourself some Pizza.



Keep eating Damien, almost show time.

Thanks Brad and TimGet your look happening.

Get in line.

Get inside.

And be amazed. Easy.

jj

The alpine uniform AKA "the action suit"

Photo courtesy ofDave Searle. Ally Swinton high on the Colton/Mac

I get asked all the time, "what do you wear?"



Easy answer generally for all my alpine climbing. Likely little different from Ally's or Dave's (any Dave) outfit. Two layers on the bottom, 3 layers on top. Add and subtract as required.



Here is my list for a typical alpine ice climb in late fall conditions through much of the winter.



Boots:

singles or more likely doubles

2 pair of liner socks or simple mid weight if the approach is short and my feet tough



Bottoms:

long under wear base layer (maybe two pair depending on weight)

uninsulated soft shell pants or salopettes

OR/and insulated soft shells, ltw insulated hard shells or water proof shells as needed



Top:

base layer (generally a lwt hoody but may be two base layers stacked on each other if it is really cold)

mid layer (soft shell or Atom Lt or a simple wind shell, all choices temp dependant)

OR/and shell jacketor belay jacket (again size and volume is temp dependant)



Head:

all the various hoods

"Buff" style headband

Helmet



Gloves:

as required by temps and expected moisture on route.



Hardware, harness, 35L or *smaller* pack, tools,crampons and various other bits as required by planned time on route.



I could take any one of a dozen photos from Colin's or Jon'sblog or mine and little will change. Nothing really going to change much if you climb fast and in control. . Layers change as the temps, your energyand your speed go up or down.



Until you end up loooking like this!



Yes that is actually 7 layers I've got on trying to keep warm in a Loo bivy mid winter on the Midi. Move fast, dress light to stay dry and hopefully just warm enough. And if everything goesright.....pass every ass you come across and avoid the bivy all together ;)













It is always a horse race. Jon makessome good observations and suggestions here:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=3533

Hard shell pants are still very popular in the Alps in winter...because it can be really cold there up higheven compared to the Canadian Rockies. You can get high and stay high so easily in the Alps.

Down works in dry climates. In my experience down doesn't work if you have to climb hard in it or you have a moist climate. Much of any one's suggestions for clothing will depend on where they actually do climb and when.

It was pointed out to me recently that the Atom Lt makes a good belay jacket for a earlyfall ascent on the Grand Wall @ Squamish."But it is too warm for anything else". Several of ususe the Atom Lt as our primarymid layer climbing inwinter. Use an Atom Lt as a belay jacket there and you might just die. Different environments and different uses. In our case a down verison of the same garment wouldn't work at all, as the down would eventually get wet from perspiration.

What works for me may not work for you. Pay attention to the details, make your own decisions, trustno one.

I often wonder why I keep repeating this stuff past wanting to put a cool picture to good use. I just took a few minutes to reread a part of Twight's "Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast, and High"



Mark covers it all better and in moredepth than I ever do here. The specific gear selections might be out dated ten years on but the ideas behind the gear are not. Try Chapter 7 pages 82/103 If you are reading this blog and don't have your owncopy of " Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast, and High" and use it as a reference your beta is seriously fooked up.



http://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Alpinism-Climbing-Light-Fast/dp/0898866545