Originally Posted By: Oware
The information was posted by the Yosemite park service and writtenup in various climbing mags. They also threatened
to fine those who had to be rescued who carried down garments
for insulation instead of synthetic. This was after a couple
of fatalities where the gear of goretex and down were considered
contributing to the deaths.


Interesting. I must say I haven't seen the writeups to which you refer, although I don't keep with the climbing literature to the extent that I formerly did. Anyway, if this were so, surely this statement would be reflected in the climbing safety section of the park web site. Here is what I found:

"# For rain, use coated nylon, sailors’ oilskins, or the waterproof/breathable fabrics. Take rain pants and jacket, overmitts, bivy bag, and hammock or portaledge with waterproof fly. The fly is critical – it must overlap your hammock generously and be of heavy material, in excellent condition, with strong, well-sealed seams. For sleeping on ledges, take a big tent fly or a piece of heavy-duty, reinforced plastic and the means to pitch it. Then hope that your ledge doesn’t turn into a lake. Do you know to run your anchor through the fly without making a hole? Did you spend more for lycra than rainwear?
# WARNING: Several climbers have blamed the waterproof/breathable fabrics for their close calls. They claim that no version of it can take the punishment of a storm on the walls. Whether true or not, you must be the judge; test all of your gear ahead of time under miserable conditions, but where your exit is an easy one."

This is a bit more believable. In fact, this whole section was a very edifying read - a very extensive and thorough discussion of climbing hazards and the measures that help forestall them - the kind of discussion you might have with a fellow climber who knew a lot about the local scene and was passing on the information to you. It portrays the NPS as friend and advisor and not as nanny. This is indeed a welcome change from the attitude I saw on my first trip to Yosemite in 1958, where things were a lot more arbitrary.

I also looked up references about Goretex in Tim Setnicka's [/u]Wilderness Search and Rescue[u], page 482

"For[/i]storm clothing[i]rely on coated (waterproof) nylon, or Gore-tex in a cagoule or rainpants and jacket".

I totally agree with the comments about first generation Goretex. I had one such parka, and it wasn't worth a pitcher of warm spit. Later Goretex was much better. And nothing is perfect or bomber in any and all situations. Coated fabrics have their place, as do the breathables.
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Geezer in Chief