What Not - RP's, Stitch Kit, Snow Cat

... read that German-born Australian climbing legend and engineer of 'RP' small wire brass stoppers,  'Roland Pauligk', died recently. Those things were pretty much mandatory on many sketchy, blank un-bolted face climbs and usually saved your ass when you felt that you had climbed yourself into a jam - or at least made ya' feel like you were out of a jam until ya' were. Searched high and low this morning for the set of six I had, which for some reason aren't on the old gear rack, with no luck. Recall that I may have lent them out (?) to an old climbing buddy and have apparently never got them back... Sh*t!!... but, alas, have no need for 'em anymore, anyway... no need for that fight...

... here's an old set of 'Black Diamond' small wires similar to RP's - don't recall if they're brass or aluminum, though - look like brass - need to clean 'em up (sure we will) - hey, what's up with that small broken size 1?...

... looks well used... took the only ever leader ground fall on that thing to end its days - went flyin' after about fifteen feet up - snapped that wire and the dynamic force on the (about 5ft) lower, small slotted TCU placement fractured the lip of the sandstone rock seam when loaded and it popped as well - landed hard on the ground in a perfectly seated position - hit so hard it popped a lens out of the glasses I was wearin' - after about twenty minutes of searchin' for the lens and recovering some nerve, went back up and finished the route - spent the next three weeks nursing a very sore tailbone, though...

... constructing a "bomb-proof" placement out of small wires is virtually an art form - especially if you're totally pumped and gripped and "hangin' on for dear-life"... a "good-man" above - the small-pro master "sewin' it up"...

... thank's for all the fun, Roland...

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... came across our old (man - use that work a lot these days - second time here) 'Black Diamond Expedition Sewing Kit' while searching for those RP's... never actually used it on an "expedition" and come to think of it, have never really been on an "expedition" (depending upon what your definition of an "expedition" is) - but it works just as well when not used on an "expedition"... 

... bought it at the time to repair a ripped tent - that small stitching awl works great - have used the thing a lot over the years to stitch tents, packs, jackets, jeans - even stitched a rubber raft tube once - and have gotten pretty good at it... recommend using 'bowstring nylon serving line' for a heavy duty stitch - pictured a spool here but ya' gotta' get it separately from any shop that sells archery gear - a dab of super glue on the final stitching knot works great, too...

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... finally got some winter weather this weekend - just in time for spring (almost)...

... this guy's happy and in his element...

Sidney and Fuji

... "Do what's right once, twice and three times. If what you do continues to be right, do it ten times more. The least you've done is something right many times, and practiced a quality of greatness that eludes most day after day"...

- Dave Draper, 'Iron on My Mind'          

... Strongman Matt sent us some video footage of 'Fuji', a former shelter dog that he and the brothers recently acquired. Fuji is currently in training and will shortly be companion to 'Sidney Taylor'. Sidney has EDS, or 'Ehlors Danlos Syndrome'... to quote Matt - "this dog will save her from falling because it will recognize her seizures before she has them so she doesn't fall (and potentially bleed to death if injured and unconscious) because the condition causes the collagen in your blood to fall apart"...

... Sidney...

... Fuji...

(Brian Gugliotta and Adam Swiecicki video)

... Fuji's training under the guidance of Janet McGowan Edberg, lead service dog trainer at 'SmartyPaws Canine Coaching' in Las Vegas, NV...