|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:08 PM
Post #1 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
3) Traditional Climbing
What is traditional climbing? (the short version)
Traditional climbing generally refers to ground up routes, done on lead, at places like Joshua Tree, The Gunks, and Eldorado canyon. This can be face climbing with bolts, or crack climbing or a combination of the two. At one time “traditional climbing” was “climbing”, as that was all there was. Traditional climbing has ethic’s. Traditional climbing is not sport climbing and it is not really aid climbing, but it does include bouldering.
return to The FAQ TOC
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:09 PM
Post #2 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
What do I need to trad climb?
Harness, shoes, chalkbag, locker/belay device, extra locker, nut tool+biner, 2 shoulder slings.
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:14 PM
Post #3 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
blank2
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:17 PM
Post #4 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
accountability
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:18 PM
Post #5 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
unbelievably stupid people
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:19 PM
Post #6 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
tradman
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:19 PM
Post #7 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
blank 4
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:20 PM
Post #8 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
letters to the editor
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:22 PM
Post #9 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
the list is up to a couple of hundred
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:23 PM
Post #10 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
what is a rack
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:24 PM
Post #11 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
so
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:27 PM
Post #12 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Placing protection
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:28 PM
Post #13 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
phxtradrock
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:31 PM
Post #14 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
asandh
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:31 PM
Post #15 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Buying Gear
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:32 PM
Post #16 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
an inapropriate place to learn about rockclimbing
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:33 PM
Post #17 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
you say something with one screen name and then pat yourself on the back with ten others.
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:35 PM
Post #18 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
no more
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:36 PM
Post #19 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
who?
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:48 PM
Post #20 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
more
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 15, 2004, 10:49 PM
Post #21 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Should I start out with hexes?
I respectfully disagree with those suggesting you start out with hexes.
Brutus
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 16, 2004, 6:37 AM
Post #22 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
lies
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 16, 2004, 6:45 AM
Post #23 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
it's hollywood
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 16, 2004, 8:12 PM
Post #24 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
bad show
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 16, 2004, 8:19 PM
Post #25 of 63
(16873 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
who
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 16, 2004, 8:24 PM
Post #26 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
nobody home
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 16, 2004, 8:27 PM
Post #27 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
idiot
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 17, 2004, 2:00 AM
Post #28 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
dingus
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 17, 2004, 2:03 AM
Post #29 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Why "not" carry hexes?
Hehe. That's pretty funny. Just how many individual pieces do YOU carry on these multipich climbs? I started out climbing exclusively on hexes and nuts cause cams didn't exist then. I have evolved with the technology though.
My standard multipitch rack consists of single cams #1 TCU or Alien through a number #4 friend, and between 5 and 10 nuts. Period. That rack will see me through most moderate multipitch climbs. When the going is more difficult or the cracks more specific, I will augment by doubling up on specific sizes, up to x2 on everything, as high as a #5 camelot and a #4 bigbro.
Placing hexes is an utter waste of time in many trad climbing situations. They have their utility for easy alpine climbing where the extra weight of the cams is a heavier burden than the clumsiness of the hexes. But say in Yosemite Valley... ? Bring on your hexes! And be prepared to weep! There are many, many reasons why climbers switched from hexes to cams and you can learn most of them in a single day in the Valley.
But you folks go on and do whatever you wish. You may want to ask yourself though, why, on those rad trad pics you see in the mags and elsewhere, the leader is toting a rack of cams and not hexes. Hmmm. I wonder why?
Nope. I know why.
DMT
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 17, 2004, 2:04 AM
Post #30 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
How can I climb cracks?
From: Dingus Milktoast
Subject: The Secrets of Crack Climbing
Newsgroups: rec.climbing
Date: 2001-11-01 08:54:47 PST
So what are they? What once piece of advice (or theme) would you offer aspiring crack climbers?
Here's mine:
Yosemite: I see a lot of crack neophytes making a fundamental mistake in their approach to climbing Yosemite moderates. It concerns the use of the hands for upward progress.
The classic image of a crack climber is some honed babe reaching way high, locking some fingers or the back of her hand in a crack and then cranking like a disease, biceps bulging as she moves up the crack. That's the image...
The reality is that the hands should not be used all that much for upward progress. Or rather, the use of the hands for upward progress should be minimized as much as possible. The same holds true for face climbing, but it's easier to see there.
Our crack newbie comes to climb a line. The typical sequence is to reach as high as possible, lock off (or something that approximates a lockoff), then paw the feet up as high as possible too, then fight to strenuously stand up, and wobbly slap the other hand even higher. By stretching and reaching like that, the leader is assuring herself of staying continuously out of balance. By reaching too high, she leans too close to the rock. This makes moving the feet up hard and strenuous. It leaves the leader feeling insecure and gripped.
OK, that's an image of poor crack climbing technique. What would I offer to improve the picture? Here goes...
A simple adjustment of the mind can do wonders. And relaxing the mind can do more. Cause crack climbing (all climbing in my opinion, but we're talking crack just now) requires relaxation.
Instead of reaching as high as possible, purposely look for jams a foot lower, so the elbow is still bent once the jam is discovered. Get a good jam, fiddle with it if you must, and then once again purposely, back off on the lock pressure until it feels as though the jam may slip if you let off more.
Now walk the feet up the crack. Not huge, giant steps that require a lot of hand pressure from which to stand. Smaller steps, a foot at a time for example, and walk up, without moving the hands. You walk as high as possible, stand in balance, and then reach higher and repeat.
The other key to this, and the key to the Yosemite crack candy store, is proper foot work. Too exhaustive a subject for me to broach extensively, but the single most common mistake I see is people just kicking or slapping their feet into a fissure without regard to the best possibilities for jamming.
Here's the secret... the more secure your feet are, the less you will rely upon your hands for upward progress. The less you rely upon your hands for upward progress, the better.
The same holds true for most foot jamming possibilities...
but is required for thin to hand sized cracks. Don't put your foot in when oriented horizontally. Nope. Bend your knee outward at right angles, so that your foot is rotated into a vertical orientation. Now insert the foot (or toe) into the crack, big toe up, little toe down. Feel around for the most secure position. Then rotate the knee back in line with your body. That rotation serves to lock the foot jam into place. You can actually feel it lock down. When done properly, you will quickly realize that your feet can give you more secure locking power than even your hands.
Knowing your feet won't slip allows you to relax your hands even more. It's a feedback loop in the classic sense. And of course, as you move up the grades, you rely on your hands more and more. Yet mastering the basics of proper footwork at the lower grades enables the same feet to be used to their best advantage once the going really gets tough.
Mentally, instead of thinking about cranking, or perfect form, think "easy." The idea, unless you're a poser, is to make the climbing look easy. The classic nasty Yosemite flares for instance, are notorious for causing newbie anxiety. And yet once you learn such techniques as hip scums and what I label 90 degree toe jams (toe jams in blank corners and the backs of flares), of properly using the shoulders, of how to use leg and calf bars to totally take the weight off your arms, once you start thinking of your feet first and your hands second. you'll float these things too. They really are moderate once you make the mental leap to focus, and I mean really focus, on the feet.
Last note: my experience has been that gym crack simulations are not very useful for practicing this type of movement. Most of the gym cracks I've seen are very steep and typically try to cram every known type of constriction into the space of a 20 or 30 foot crack. You can't often get your feet into them properly so you climb mostly on your hands. A person can get quite strong at this very quickly. But when he comes out of the gym and gets on a crack where the angle is 90 or less and the jams are totally flaring and insecure... well, let's just say his training sets him up with the wrong tools and the wrong mindset.
You climb with your feet, not your hands. Your feet give you balance and security. Say it over and over and just like with Dorothy going back to Kansas, it will come true.
Whaddaya think? Am I blowing smoke, or what?
DMT
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 17, 2004, 2:05 AM
Post #31 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
The Elusive Leaders' "Head" ?
Three pieces of advice: (and no panaceas, magic bullets or short cuts)
TIME - in the pilot seat - you don't get to be a master pilot by spending all your time in a simulator. By the same token, you don't become an experienced leader by top roping. Period. If you want to be a leader, you have to LEAD. The more the better. Set aside your pride and start climbing all the 5.5's, 6's, 7's and 8's you can find. Climb them repeatedly.
PROFICIENCY - with your gear is very important for your peace of mind. Being able to select, place and clip the correct piece of gear the first time is hugely important to your lead head. If you believe you will fumble and grabufluck each and every placement you will be very reluctant to subject yourself to a demanding lead.
DESIRE - this is really the whole guacamole. It comes down to desire. The people you see leading trad 5.11 in their first or 2nd year (I've known a few of these people too) achieved that threshold simply by wanting it more than you... and having the gumption to do something about it. Desire.
Accept that we all have different fear tolerance. It's a chemical threshold as much as anything else. Some of us suffer more from exposure and anxiety. Our bodies don't always deal with this sort of stress in productive ways. Some of the idiot savants you see out there simply don't have the fear. Don't worry, in the long run I suspect neither Darwin nor Nature will reward such individuals with long lives and a lot of descendants! They sure make good climbers though!
If you are contemplating a lead and the anxiety and fear threaten to overwhelm your desire before you even start, ask yourself a simple question...
"Why am I here?"
The answer, if you have been true to yourself thus far, is either to go home and sell the gear or try the lead. When you get to that Rubicon point, where the next move will commit you to the climb no matter what, take a deep breath and again ask yourself (as every scared leader since the beginning of time has had occasion to ask),
"Why am I here?"
Why are you there? Do you want to be a leader or not???
Don't give up so easily and don't sell yourself short.
DESIRE!
DMT
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 17, 2004, 2:06 AM
Post #32 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
To Cordellette OR not to Cordellette?
I used to scoff at them until I used some on a wall climb. Certainly made the dreaded big wall belay a bit less clustered.
Used em quite a bit for free climbing for a while. I have one of those nice slim ones.
I don't think I've actually used it once this year, so I guess it has officially fallen into disfavor once more.
People call them simple and I guess they are. They don't work well with widely spread anchors and that is the thing I like least about using them. If I have a piece in the crack at my feet and one up near my head, well I just lugged that cordelette up there for nothing, for all the equalized good it does me in that situation. And it seems as though I encounter enough of these sorts of situations.
Simplicity... place a piece, tie the lead rope to it. Bang, you're secure (but not off belay). Place the 2nd piece and clove hitch the lead rope to that piece as well, taking care to adjust the length of rope to your harness to suit your belay needs. Call off belay. 2nd starts her final cleanup of the belay (most of it was ready to go in case you had to simul for some reason). Place the 3rd piece and tie another fig8 in the rope somewhere. Then, using the runner you've girthed to the tie in point on your harness like a daisy chain, you clip directly into the 3rd piece.
Bing, bang, boom, equalized, redundant, non-extended.
I'm not dissing cordelettes. Still love em on walls. But I went back to my old school ways for free anchors.
Cheers,
DMT
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 17, 2004, 2:06 AM
Post #33 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Falling on Trad?
Rgold
The most important principle for using trad protection, especiallly but not exclusively if you are just learning, is redundancy. The idea is to develop a system you trust while maintaining a healthy scepticism about the reliability of any one piece. Try not to put yourself in the position of having a single piece, no matter how "bombproof," between you and disaster.
Placing more than gear than seems to be essential requires discipline and endurance, marks of a good trad climber. Failing safely is a better longevity option than betting the farm on a single piece.
Nonetheless, all climbing to some extent, but trad climbing intrinsically, involves risk. A lot of climbs have places you better not fall from, and this is part of the essence of trad climbing---performing in a cool and controlled manner when confronting a risky situation. Neutralizing danger, not just by protection skills, but also by climbing skills, is part of the game. (Unaulterated difficulty unencumbered by concerns of mortality is the province of sport climbing.)
Arguments about whether or not falling is a good idea always have these provisions: "if the gear is bomber, go for it," which is fair enough, but such pronouncements avoid the real problem by defining it out of existence. Many accidents happen when the bomber gear turns out not to be bomber. The climber (1) misjudged the pro (something that is quite possible for experts, let alone beginners), (2) failed to build sufficient redundancy into the system, and then (3) misjudged their ability and went for it in a situation when they were not well protected.
As for judging pro, I concur with the posters who recommend aid climbing. Redundancy is a state of mind combined with the will to carry it out. The most difficult issue is how to climb without falling when falling is a bad idea. (For example, if there is one piece between you and the ground and you can't back it up, then falling is a bad idea.) Here I think modern trends can inculcate bad habits. Gym climbing, sport climbing, and bouldering all emphasize moving up in the most marginal of situations. There is a risk of developing a tunnel-vision mentality that, first of all, accepts marginal moves even though the consequences of failure are catastrophic, perhaps not even noticing that the climber has gone from control to high risk status, and secondly, that blinds the climber to both the need and the opportunity to climb down to rest, regroup, and yes, in some cases, to retreat. Mental discipline is the primary tool for avoiding these situations, but this discipline is not something acquired in the gym or on sport climbs.
Here are some exercises that may be of some use:
(1) When climbing in the gym or on sport routes, try to be conscious of how marginal you are. (This does not mean reducing the difficulty level, just striving for heightened awareness.) From a trad perspective, falling may be ok, but an unexpected fall is not good. Know when you are on the edge.
(2) A lot of falls on steep ground happen when the leader runs out of gas. Try to develop a sense of your "half-way point," because this is one of the moments when you have to decide whether to move up or down. For example, a gym exercise is to select a challenging route and then see how high on it you can get and still climb all the way back down without falling.
(3) Develop the mental habit of filing away "retreat data." This can make the difference between stepping down and falling. (For example, when you step over a small roof, the holds underneath disappear. Did you make a mental note of features above the roof that will help you locate the holds underneath?)
(4) Don't neglect the building of a base of climbing below your limit, climbing in which you are relatively comfortable but are also frequently in the "must not fall" zone. A steady diet of well-protected hard climbing at or near your limit, while essential for raising your climbing level, may shortchange you on control and calmness when things get dicey, as they will, sooner or later...
Rgold
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 17, 2004, 2:07 AM
Post #34 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Is a loop (almost)twice as strong as a strand?
Here's another explanation of "loop theory":
Look at any point in a loaded rope. Since the point isn't moving, the rope above the point must be "holding up" the rope below that point. The amount of force needed for the rope above to hold up the rope below is called the tension in the rope at the point. One way to think about tension is to think about cutting the rope at a point and grabbing the cut end. The amount of force your hand has to exert to hold the load is the tension in the rope.
Use this analogy for a weight W held by a single strand of rope. If you cut the rope and grab the cut end, your hand will have to exert a force of W to hold up the weight.
Now use the analogy to think about a weight held by a loop of rope. Cut each strand of the loop and grab an end in each hand. Since the rope just transmits force along it, this is the same (from the point of view of forces) as simply grabbing the weight itself with each hand. If each hand exerts a force of one-half of W, the combined force will be W and the weight will be supported
This is what happens with a loop; the tension in each strand is half the supported load, so the loop can, in principle support twice as much as a single strand of the same material.
Rgold
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 17, 2004, 2:07 AM
Post #35 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
To Cordellette OR not to Cordellette?2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think that cordalettes are overrated special-purpose gadgets whose lack of versatility makes them extra baggage on multipitch mostly free climbs. They were first used extensively in Europe on climbs with fixed belay anchors. Fixed anchors are usually close together and are easy to rig with cordalettes. Then guides started using them, which makes sense, because the guide leads every pitch, and a cordalette anchor makes it much easier to change positions when the same person is leading consecutive pitches. If a climb is being led in blocks, cordalettes are useful. And there is no question that cordalettes simplify complicated wall anchors. Cordalettes are also a good accessory for beginners who may not yet be very good at visualizing and setting up equalized anchors.
On the other hand, as several people have said, cordalettes are only adapted to a limited range of anchor positions. (Not only anchors too far apart, but anchors too close together can give rise to a cordalette anchor with the "power point" too low.) A person competent with clove hitches can set up an equalized 3 (or more) piece anchor at least as fast, usually faster than a cordalette set-up, with no limits on the spacing of the anchors and better control of tension in each arm.
As for the belay escape, I see Dingus his 30 years and raise him 17. And in all that time I have never met anyone else who ever had to do the belay escape either, 'cause you have to have an unconscious leader hanging on the rope who cannot be lowered to a ledge. (By the way, and this is another thread, if you really end up in this situation, your leader may end up dead from suspension trauma while you're doin' all your fancy munter mulin' and prussikin'.)
Now don't get me wrong, I know how to do all that stuff and practice it periodically, but you ain't likely to have to use it in real life and I'm not sure such low percentage activity justifies special anchors. (On the other hand, maybe I've just been lucky or sensible enough to climb with people who don't lob off climbs and knock themselves out.) Anyway, at least for the way I set up my sans cordalette anchors, escaping the belay is not a problem and the anchor does not have to be rebuilt. (In principle. Most cordalette anchors will not be equalized for an upward pull. If an equalized anchor is needed to serve as a base for a rescue, the anchor will have to be rebuilt whether or not it was created with a cordalette.)
My equalization system is somewhat different from the ones described and uses just the rope. I usually use double ropes but, since they are out of favor in the US, I'll describe the single rope versions.
1. Tie a small figure-eight loop just beyond the tie-in knot.
2. Clip rope to first anchor, adjust tension, and clove hitch to a biner in figure-eight loop.
3. Same for all other anchors.
(This system uses six biners instead of four for a three-anchor system. It has the advantage of being completely adjustable, even if the anchors are out of reach. If the rope is clove-hitched to the third anchor rather than being clipped to the third anchor and clove-hitched back to the figure eight, than the count goes down to five biners, although then the system cannot be adjusted remotely. Another modification that also sacrifices remote adjustability requires four biners only: the rope is clove-hitched to the first piece, then clove-hitched to the second piece with a little slack between the pieces, then clove-hitched back to a biner on the figure-eight, and from their clove-hitched to the third piece. This is my standard three anchor set-up.)
The figure-eight loop functions in a way analogous to the "power point" in the cordalette in the extemely unlikely eventuality that the belay escape must be performed. In particular, the belayer can untie from the rope leaving the anchor intact.
rgold
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 17, 2004, 2:08 AM
Post #36 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Boltdude
Posted: 17 Jun 2003 19:20 Post subject: Higgins ethics essay from the 1983 Tuolumne guide
Here's an interesting view from the early 1980s. - Greg
From the 1983 edition of Rock Climbs of Tuolumne Meadows by Don Reid and Chris Falkenstein, published by Chockstone Press.
A Climbing Commentary
by Thomas Higgins
Climbing in Tuolumne is much more than picking your way along the lines and symbols of route descriptions. Climbs here will vibrate within you for awhile. The very blue sky of Tuolumne quiets you, if you gaze into it from up high. The sparkle of crystals and the sheen of polished granite can haunt you, if you turn to find them. The water and meadows you pass fix your climbs in memory, so you may long recall them.
Climbing in Tuolumne will titillate not only your senses, but your mind. With some knowledge about who climbed here before, what they tried to create, and what were the rules of the game, you can speculate about the vision, motives, fears and skills of climbers. You can wonder how or why some routes were done earlier than others, or think about how some routes led, and will lead, to others. You can play detective, historian, anthropologist or judge. And best, you may be inspired or challenged to make your own contribution to the best traditions of Tuolumne climbing.
The Beginnings
At first, Tuolumne served as a pleasant diversion for climbers from Yosemite Valley. Warren Harding and Dick Leonard played some on Lembert Dome in the 1950's. Chuck Pratt and Wally Reed climbed a prominent crack system on the west face of Fairview Dome in 1958. They used lots of aid and didn't proclaim the route a superior one. Now, of course, the Regular Route on Fairview is well known as a wonderful free climb. In 1962, Jeff Foott, Jim Baldwin and Hope Morehouse climbed the Great White Book and told people it was great fun. But the prestigious action, the "serious climbing," was in Yosemite Valley where big walls and hard cracks focused everyone's attention. Driven crack man Frank Sacherer visited Tuolumne in 1963 to do West Crack (on Daff Dome) with Wally Reed. Frank liked the route but climbed few others in Tuolumne. And, his secret log of planned first and free ascents always listed only Valley routes.
Nevertheless, 1962 and 1963 brought stirrings of the great climbs and free climbing tradition to come. In these years, Bob Kamps and Mort Hempel virtually free climbed the Regular Route on Fairview. Mort used one pin for aid, but Bob free climbed past it. Kamps and Reed also free climbed the Inverted Staircase. The crux pitch, a three step arch, was hard 5.10. Suddenly it seemed that the little knobs on Tuolumne domes might provide incredible free climbing possibilities.
No sooner were the possibilities raised than discussion began of ends and means. If the little knobs and flakes could be climbed, how could and should the climbing be protected? Jeff Foott, Eric Beck, Bill Amborne, Bob Kamps and others had some experience with bolt placements on Glacier Point Apron in Yosemite Valley. It was possible to stop in some places and put in a bolt. But many of the domes in Tuolumne were smaller and like playthings compared to the oceans of rock in Yosemite. Would it be okay to come down on rappel here and there, place a bolt and create a fine, safe climb? Or create a short aid ladder to allow for free climbing attempts? Naive neophyte I was then, I put these questions to Frank Sacherer and Bob Kamps in 1963. Sacherer never answered. But by his look I knew that climbers might die doing such things if Frank caught them. Kamps answered. He said, "No."
Tom Gerughty was perhaps the first to climb and protect a large, crackless expanse of Tuolumne rock. He demonstrated that bolts could be placed while free climbing, but not without difficulty. In 1966, Tom began climbing the lovely crystal dikes on the northwest face of Pywiack Dome. But Tom had an aversion to bolts and had little experience placing in them. Once in Yosemite, Tom stepped on a bolt in the presence of Sacherer. Frank yanked the rope so hard Tom nearly fell off the wall. Perhaps Tom learned the lesson too well. He trembled up and up on the dikes of Pywiack, unable or unwilling to stop, the drill dangling uselessly from his side. Dave Meeks and Roger Evja, his partners, waited for the 200 foot, slab splashing fall. Somehow, it never came. Tom captured the aesthetic plum, The Dike Route, on Pywiack, as well as the respect of numerous climbers who imagine leading the last pitch with two less bolts, since added with Tom's permission.
The issues of how climbers could or should protect with bolts lay dormant in the late sixties. By and large, climbers sought out the major crack systems. When they did venture onto blank, open faces, climbers abided by the prevailing ethic - placing bolts from stances on lead, and leaving alone what could not be done this way. Examples of the better face climbs created during this period include Rawl Drive, Nerve Wrack Point and The Vision. The Vision is on a far-away buttress that glows in the afternoon. Look at if from east of the climb. Rawl Drive is just for fun, perhaps after dinner, and by using the original protection and not the bolts on another route to the left, you can feel the old challenge of the route.
Period pieces of the sixties following major cracks include Phobus, Deimos, The Yawn, The Coming, Hobbit Book, Crescent Arch, Cooke Book, Chartres and Lucky Streaks. The Yawn presents the only long chimney and crack climb in Tuolumne. You won't find a more astounding dihedral than at the top of this climb. The Hobbit Book features waves of curling rock. Phobus and Deimos are wonderful, moderate crack climbs. The approach suggests that you might be visiting Japan. Has a crazy Japanese gardener been working on the trees, creating gigantic, twisting shapes? Lucky Streaks is a superb gem, following wispy cracks on a steep, golden wall. Kamps and I turned back once before doing the first ascent. With so little done on Fairview at the time, we refused to believe free climbing would be possible on such a steep wall. What a joy when the route proved feasible, well within the standards of the day!
After fifty routes were done between 1965 and 1971, and four climbers figured figured in over half of them. Tom Gerughty, Bob Kamps, TM Herbert and I climbed in this period. A couple of reports in Ascent and the American Alpine Journal told a little about the routes, but no guide book ever evolved and few other climbers visited Tuolumne. Rumors developed suggesting that certain climbs were horrifying. Consequently, many routes were not repeated for several years. Lucky Streaks and Chartres are examples. TM Herbert did much to scare climbers away with his rubber-faced, wide-eyed tales of first ascents he had witnessed. "God, you should have seen them," he would say, referring to a first ascent team, "...their butts quivering, no place to stop, no protection except for some dinky bolt..." Of course, the routes were not horrifying, however intimidating in appearance.
A Time of Controversy
As the seventies arrived, the era of boundless opportunities drew to a close and a controversy began over climbing styles. Climbers began attacking more fearsome faces and cracks. New climbers on the scene spent long periods in The Meadows, sometimes returning several times to try the same route. Climbers hung ropes for weeks at a time to reserve a prospective route and allow repeated access to high points. A few aid climbs appeared, unheard of since 1958. Also, climbers resorted to preprotection (placing protection on rappel or on aid, then free climbing); previewing (viewing and/or rehearsing moves on rappel or by top rope); and resting on protection or yo-yoing (repeated tries at moves, lowering, and possibly hand-walking the rope to try again). Needless to say, climbers of the sixties were appalled at the new styles. The new stylists argued that many new routes couldn't be done in any other way, or that the final route was more important than the means.
Several routes focused the debate. On Fairview Dome, aid was used on the Plastic Exploding Inevitable to climb the giant roofs above Crescent Ledge. What a disappointment to the climbers of the sixties who unsuccessfully tried the roof, then turned back with the expectations that some day it too would be free climbed. Death Crack was rehearsed several times with a top rope before it was finally led. Hoodwink involved a short aid ladder to protect immediate free climbing. Wailing Wall was preprotected, as was a short section of Shambles. Handbook was yo-yo'd.
Perhaps the lightning rod for the debate was Willie's Hand Jive. Here, nearly the entire route was created by placing bolts on rappel. In 1974, in a fit of righteousness, I chopped the bolts and lectured one of the first ascent team about traditional styles. Later, the bolts were replaced on rappel, this time more numerous than last. Such was the intensity of conflict between new and traditional styles!
Hand Jive taught me more than had my old, strict mentors about adhering to traditional climbing styles. The route broke no frontier of difficulty, while robbing others of the opportunity to try the first ascent in traditional climbing style.
You may want to do the route and judge whether or not it could have been protected in the same way most face climbs of the sixties were done. Ponder the same question on Hoodwink, just above the roof on the last pitch. Finally, the super crack climbers of today may want to try Handbook, Death Crack, Wailing Wall and Blues Riff without rehearsing, preprotecting or yo-yoing. My hunch is that some of today's climbers will find these climbs possible in the traditional style. If so, how will they feel about losing the chance at a first ascent in traditional style?
Go Climb!
Maybe the campfire is the best place for debates on style, history and ethics. When the sun comes up, you are lusting for the raw experience of climbing, for testing your limits and nerve. For climbers craving the jitters of tiny edges and knobs, Polly Dome and vicinity is a must. Try Get Slick, Piece of Grass, Sweet Nothings and Golden Bars. Or, wander a little way to Ursula, wonderfully wicked and hidden in the woods. In the roof category, Thy Will Be Done might warm you up. Then try Wailing Wall. Can you do it in good style, your first try? What about doing Boa? No matter what you answer, you'll want comic relief. So, do Un-Huh on Fairview - its twenty-five foot ceiling is only 5.3! Getting to the roof is more of a problem. Be warned, TM Herbert nearly lost his life (again) on the third ascent, trying to find the way on the second (or third?) pitch.
In the category of long climbs, Pičce de Réstistance on Fairview Dome may be the best. Several climbers figured in the ascent. Bob Kamps and I had tried the route a couple of times in the late sixties. We stopped at a headwall which appeared to need a couple of bolts of aid. Vern Clevenger and Bob Harrington climbed the headwall after placing some bolts from difficult stances and other bolts with aid. Then, in 1974, I returned with Clevenger to free climb the pitch and complete the climb. The headwall involves ceaseless 5.10 and 5.11 climbing. Most climbers now call it 5.12, saying that little flakes keep falling off to make it harder. Whatever the case, the line is a most dramatic and direct one. An enormous arch marks the route, powerfully drawing you along.
Of course the wonder of climbing is not in mulling over the past but creating the future. Think and question yourself as you climb in Tuolumne Meadows. Try to assess which routes and ethical traditions seem best. There are magnificent routes done by compromising the traditional style, the most recent example being the Bachar-Yerian on Medlicott. Always the compromise seems justifiable at first, then doubts arise. Maybe the climb could have been done another way? Or, maybe the wall should have been left alone?
Probably, you will be torn between climbing in the traditional style and relaxing your standards to do the hardest routes. If so, consider that most mortal climbers have only ten or fifteen seasons with sufficient energy, time and ability to do their best climbing. Then, a time comes when climbing memories far outnumber climbing prospects. A guide book may mention your name, and so might a few old friends. But the end result will be your own memory and evaluation of climbs you have done. Will you prefer to remember having done the most severe routes in whatever way was necessary, or having done a few of the hardest in the best style, while perhaps failing miserably on some others and avoiding altogether some others? It is a question the tumultuous climbing traditions of Tuolumne forces upon you. Think before you answer it, for your best climbing days too soon rush by.
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 17, 2004, 2:09 AM
Post #37 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
How do you rack your gear? long
=-=-=--
Dingus Milktoast Re: gear organization rec.climbing
Long winded response to follow: It sounds to me as if you don't use a gear sling. That would be my #1 suggestion. I just don't like racking pro on my harness, for a variety of reasons. While my racking method couldn't be termed "standard," I have used it for years with adequate success. Here's what I do. Feel free to borrow my ideas (as I did with others previously) and improvise to suit your style, needs and sensibilities. There are no truly wrong answers. Before discussing the racking itself, consider the following principles:
1. Always rack the same way. If you change up often you will never memorize the location of your equipment. When stressed out on the lead and desperate for some pro., if you're not dialed in on your gear you will tend to mess things up all the more. YOU NEED TO MEMORIZE THE LOCATIONS OF YOUR GEAR.
2. When you put gear back... put it back where it belongs. This is important. Trad leaders of all stripes make errors in gear selection... that first piece just doesn't fit. Put it back where it belongs! Sometimes, when I'm really scared or pumped, that isn't an option. I have made that a rare exception, but it does happen. So that #3 friend just won't fit. I clip it back in front, get (read fumble)the right piece in, clip it and move on to a better position. THEN I put #3 back where he belongs. I don't wait till I get to the belay to straighten things out.
3. Be methodical and almost religious about staying organized. Conrad Anchor's advice about how to get back in shape (don't get out of shape in the first place) applies here: don't become disorganized in the first place. This includes your pack, the base of the route , belays, the summit, your car, the whole guacamole. For instance, my garage is organized around my climbing needs. I can assemble all the gear I need for a 3 day trip (rock, snow, ice, peak bagging, hiking, whatever...) in about 20 minutes start to finish, food included. I always unpack within 24 hours of getting home and I put things back where they belong every time.
4. Come up with a racking plan suitable for you AND YOUR PARTNER. Nothing will screw you up faster than a partner who refuses to cooperate with your organization methods.
5. I generally don't like to have too many over-the-shoulder slings. I've never really thought about it much until now, but there are a few reasons: I have a big head and wide shoulders. Getting those store bought slings over my head and wearing them comfortably is a problem. For instance, the "standard" Black Diamond over-the-shoulder slings (I call them "singles") will not fit me! I can get them on, but they bind me too much when I reach up high. Also, when I have 5 or 10 slings in a pile over my shoulder, I have problems keeping them from getting inter-tangled. I pull one off and 3 more want to come with it. Finally, I often wear a pack when climbing, even leading. The pack makes getting things on and off my shoulders all the more difficult. Now, unless a partner needs otherwise (read, their racking method differs from mine and I opted to use theirs) I only rack doubles over the shoulder and then usually only 2.
6. Adopt a fussy attitude about staying organized. Think "Felix Unger."
OK, here's how I rack...
1. The rack itself goes over the shoulder and hangs on my left side. I'm right handed, so I reach across my body to select gear. You'd be surprised how many people rack on the opposite side. There are no wrong answers, but if you and your main partner rack on opposite sides, you can't share the lead rack... you have to re-rack at every belay. That sucks and takes way too much time. Agree on a strategy (as with all of these principles... agreement between you and your partner, ahead of time, is critical).
2. I don't put any kind of runners or draws on my rack. They are either hanging from my harness or over the shoulder.
3. I rack front to back, small to big. Small wires, all on one biner, bigger wires (one biner again), then small cams to big cams. If I have a huge rack I will sometimes clip the big stonkers on the back of my harness (like a number 4 or 5 camelot). This is especially important on pitches where access to the rack is difficult. Say I'm heading up into a wide crack/ chimney where I believe I will have my left side in (the rack side in). I will usually clip a couple of the widest pieces (and whatever else I believe / know I'll need) to the outside gear loop on my right side. 4. On my harness I rack with symmetry. I have 4 loops so: a screamer up front, one on each side if I have 2 of them. Then draws. I like the shortest draws up front (less likely to step on them when high stepping). The 2nd set of loops gets the long runners (singles), doubled up. I double virtually all my singles and rack them as if they were draws. Me and my partners use runners on almost every piece (it's how I learned to climb and I'm too much of an old dog to change my ways), so on a long trad route , I would expect to be lugging say 6 draws and 6 - 8 singles, plus 2 over-the-shoulder doubles. The singles on my harness all have 2 biners on them, racked like draws. When I need one, I remove it from the harness and clip it to the piece. If that piece is a cam, then there will already be a biner on it. I leave that biner there almost always. Once the runner is clipped to the piece I will either extend it or just clip the rope. To extend the runner, I just unclip one strand of the runner from one of the 2 biners and let it slide out. These runners are all racked equalized, which makes this possible. If they're not equalized, when you pull one stand out, the entire sling comes off the biner. Try this, you'll see what I mean.
5. The less used stuff, like a nut tool, or whatever, goes way in the back. But if I'm putting a really big cam back there, it goes in the "last slot." What I mean is that the absolute rear most spot on your harness, while not the easiest place to reach, can be found totally without looking. Reserve that spot for your emergency big piece. You can find it blind cause you know it's the last piece back there.
6. Leave stuff you *KNOW* you won't need at the belay. Let your partner carry that #4.5 if your headed up a thin crack on this pitch! But don't be too selective or you could end up crying at the end of a long runnout! The downside to my method is excess biners. This offends the sensibilities of some "light is right" purists. I have one partner who basically refuses to use my techniques. He's an "over the shoulder" kind of dude. If I choose to climb with him, I know I will have to adopt his methods (he's a far better climber than me to boot... the bastard). If you want to rack your singles like draws, you have to use 2 biners. The "extra" biners constitute the biner on each cam. I just choose to live with that weight. When going light (say a back country climb, etc.) weight supercedes convenience and I adopt a more conventional racking technique. When cleaning a pitch, rerack the gear on the fly. Stay organized! We each use a gear sling (or improvise one out of a sling if need be). Put the cams back. On easy pitches I rerack nuts too. But on more difficult pitches, I'll often leave the nut attached to it's draw or runner. I clip the runner to my harness with the biner that has the nut and runner attached to it. That way the nut doesn't hang down any farther than the draw itself. Here's how I clean... I get to the piece and get a stance, I remove the piece while the draw is still connected to the rope. I clip the freed end of the draw to my harness... where it belongs (if a nut is attached) or clip the cam where it goes on my gear sling. If it's a cam, I then unclip the runner from the cam and clip that biner to my harness where the draw goes (length dependant). If it was an extended runner, I re-double it. Finally I unclip the biner from the rope. Advantages are numerous... everything goes right back where it belongs, minimum of fuss, less reracking chores when I get to the belay. By unclipping the rope last, I loose nothing if I drop the whole mess while fumbling about. If it was an extended runner and the place is really dicey, over the shoulder it goes! Staying organzed must be subordinated to staying attached to the rock! At the belay change over, be as fast and efficient as possible. If you're on a 6 pitch route and futz about an extra 10 minutes on each belay, the extra hour may cause you to get knighted or stuck in a thunderstorm (or passed by an old fat man like me!). The way we do it, the follower it responsible for returning the gear to the former leader. The leader holds out the gear sling and the follower clips each piece where the leader indicates. That way each piece is only touched once and one person concentrates on moving the pieces and the other concentrates on organization. If nuts were left attached to slings, those are reracked as needed. If you're using 2 gear slings and rack differently, then the follower will have to do her own reracking (which takes a little more time).
Wow! I got carried away. Hope all this spewing helps you out some!
DMT
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 22, 2004, 6:12 AM
Post #38 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
How do I gain confidence? (leading)
Dingus Milktoast Subject: Re: Confidence in leading a climb. rec.climbing Date: 1996/02/22
> > > I am able to second a 5.11 but I have a terrible feeling on lead! I feel > > insecure on the crux moves. Could anyone give me insight on how to > > correct my insecurity? >
All of the posted methods I've seen on this subject should help you build confidence. Ultimately, there is only ONE way to build lead confidence, though. You've got to CLIMB, CLIMB, CLIMB! When you get done, CLIMB some more! Easy routes, hard routes, sport routes, trad, safe lines and runnout; you've simply got to log the miles. Without being snide, it's called paying your dues. Some take to leading like a duck to water; others have to work at it. Doesn't matter. You'll build your lead head by leading! Practice falls can help your protective mind learn that falling won't necessarily kill you, but that can go too far. In sport climbing, falling is part of the game. That's fine, especially if you're a sport climber. But many trad routes will force a mentality of "the leader must not fall." Being prepared to fall then is a death sentence. What will you do, oh sport climb prepared to fall climber that you may have become? Will you pitch off all too easily? Will you back off? Nope. You'll fall back on the hundreds of hours of experience you've gained and earned. You'll relax your mind and dick it out. You may do all this and still have a tough time leading at the limits of your physical ability. So what? A lot of climbers share that handicap. Lead the routes and pitches you can and leave the rest to a stronger partner or another day. But remember to have some fun. Don't forget your particular reasons for climbing (whatever they happen to be, chances are they are not about ultimate personal performance) and go after the climbs that will give you the long term satisfaction you are looking for. Try not to let the magazines or a bunch of mindless gym buddies tell you why you climb. Tell yourself what you want to do, then go after it. If leading at your limits is included in that mix, then in time you'll do it. But if it's pure torture every time you try, if you hate it and persist anyway, well, perhaps another sport would be more suitable.
Anyway, good luck and have fun.
DMT
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 22, 2004, 6:17 AM
Post #39 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Falling
Dingus Milktoast
Is anyone else scared leading? rec.climbing Date: 2000/07/20
Practice falling has its place in a learning curve the same as practice not falling. The trick is to use the proper tool at the proper time. The trad assumption that falling is always bad is just as nearsighted as the sport assumption that falling is necessary.
DMT
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 22, 2004, 6:25 AM
Post #40 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
The Price of Success (an ascent of Lower Cathedral Spire) (Ouch!)
Dingus Milktoast (crharris@midtown.net ) Subject: A Christmas Offering from Dingus... Long. rec.climbing Date: 1999/12/22 Here's a totally bizarre story I wrote a while back and just recently edited. It's a TR or sorts, but it didn't start out that way. Originally, I was pondering the cataclysmic nature of injury and how it changes reality in an instant. I've been hurt in the back country a few times, so unfortunately, I have some experience with the subject. My way of describing the before and after aspects of this event almost lends the feel of 2 separate stories. What I ended up with has nothing to do with Christmas, or the climb, or even getting hurt. Not sure it has anything to do with anything. I know it made me feel better to write it. Anyway, I hadn't posted anything substantial in a while and hoped to make amends. Yet another story from the Milktoast Chronicles... *******************************************************
The Price of Success (an ascent of Lower Cathedral Spire)
by Dingus Milktoast
Angus and I drive through the north gate of Yosemite at nearly 30 miles an hour; without stopping! And get this... the rangers don't pursue. No, we're not dreaming. No, I'm not the President's nephew. It's 4 in the morning and as we all know, the rangers are still asleep. We're in long route mode. A 2 am departure from home assures us of a first place start on the route of our choice. I find myself climbing the Spires Gully at dawn. I've been here many times before. There are some outstanding routes up here, but the price of admission is the 1000 foot approach. There is a climbers trail that wanders through the woods, then up the gully through a maze of tumbled boulders and thick underbrush. The consolation is that the climber is assured of being thoroughly warmed up at the base of any route. There are some cool climbs up here. The Braille Book, a steep 700 foot corner system, is probably the best 5.8 route in the valley. Higher Cathedral Spire, first climbed with soft iron and logging boots, goes free at solid 5.9, rewarding the climber with an amazing summit island. The North East Buttress of Higher Cathedral Rock is a testament to 5.9 Yosemite crack climbing. It's a serious Grade IV with many difficult sections of rock over the course of 12 pitches. We take a left turn where normally most continue straight up the gully. Lower Cathedral Spire is our goal today; a summit I've never touched. The Regular route went up at about the same time as the Higher Spire route, but it doesn't interest me. Today, it's the North East Face that requires our attention. Roper called this climb an outstanding line, hard and committing. He predicted it would become a trade route. He was right on the first statement, but way off on the second. I asked around. No one I know has ever done the route. Reason enough to climb it right there! Know my definition of a great Yosemite route? One I've done but none of my friends have. It automatically becomes the best climb in the valley of it's grade, whatever that happens to be. I did a classic sandbag on two of my buddies with the Yosemite Point Buttress climb. Told them it was the classic route of it's type in the valley. Just didn't tell them what type. We stand at the base of the Lower Spire, trying to find the start of our route. We are in a large concave area, with much rotten rock above us, leading to a ridge and the base of the spire proper. The guide book is back down at the car. The first 2 pitches are supposed to be easy 5.7 and 5.4. This looks anything but easy! But we see some slings about a pitch up, so Angus heads up to investigate. Isn't it funny how easy a dangerous and difficult lead can appear?. He bobs and weaves his way over two ledge systems, over, under and even through loose hanging boulders. I slap at a horde of mosquitoes and urge him to hurry. He mutter oaths at me as he finally reaches the belay, a mere 4 pieces between us. I follow. Now it's my turn to mutter. Damn! It's hard! Scary too! The rocks are loose. I'm afraid to pull very hard on some of them. It's all covered with lichen. Fools must have put those slings up there. Fools like us? What gets us into places like this? They're probably rappel slings anyway. What kind of idiots climb a rappel route up loose rock? You need go no further for your answer. Meet idiot A and idiot B. Angus's pitch is at least 5.8 in difficulty. It also deserves a R rating. Now it's my turn. I find myself ascending an indistinct corner up stacks of loose and overhanging rock. There are plenty of cracks, but none of them offer any protection. I'm sucked higher and higher. In many cases I'm scared to even jam. I don't want half of the crack to go sailing out into space. Finally I get a piece in; something that might hold a fall. Angus remains stoic, but I assure him all is well. The higher I go, the worse it gets. Eventually, I'm about 15 feet below the shoulder at the base of the spire, facing a hard and unprotected move through a loose overlap. I fidget for a while and then finally commit. Adrenaline sees me through the 5.9 moves. Wow! That's the scariest lead of my life. It's funny though. The real fear hits me after it's over. Now I realize just how far out there I was. While engaged, while dealing with the lead, the horrors are held at bay automatically. Now as I look back down and watch Angus remove one of the 3 pieces I placed, I understand the full consequences of my actions. Had I blown that last series of moves I might very well have stripped both of us from the wall. Heady stuff! Angus gives me a look as he reaches the belay. Words are inadequate to describe these two pitches. But the look says it all. It's a look of admiration tempered with the knowledge that he's looking at a madman. It's a haunted look. I don't like seeing that look on my climbing partners' faces. Angus gets an easy 4th class pitch around some trees along the shoulder. My next lead, now obviously on route, ascends a crack system through a small overhang to an alcove beneath an even bigger overhang. Killer crack climbing all the way. I set up my belay, very pleased with myself and the rock. It's all solid here, with no lichens and no death blocks. Angus leads straight out of the alcove for several feet, using a wide crack in the ceiling for his hands, head and arms, stemming his feet in the chimney below. Nothing but hundreds of feet of clean air beneath. It looks like 5.13 from where I'm perched and I fret for the rest of his lead, worried I'll slip under the ceiling and go sailing over that void. I hate that shit. He finally signals off belay and I follow. Turns out the ceiling is about 5.8 and very climbable. The hard stuff is higher up. Faced with the choice of thin unprotected crack climbing or hard, overhanging off width, Angus chose the thin crack. It deviates from the main crack system out onto a bulging face. There is a very similar pitch on the East Buttress of El Cap offering the same kind of choices. This one's harder to climb and protect. Angus only got one marginal piece in about 50 feet. But the locks are very solid, painful in fact. When I reach him, it's my turn to give him "the look." I don't even like to imagine myself leading such a pitch! The last lead is mine. Again, I'm faced with alternate 5.9 options. Wide crack straight up or slightly overhanging hands to the right. I whimper about for several minutes. The wide stuff looks easier, but the old green guide book warns of it's burly nature. Angus finally counsels that I should take the hand crack. Half way up I get an attack of the chicken shits and stop to place a cam when my rational mind tells me to keep going. I flub a red camelot placement, blow my arms out fixing it and end up grabbing the damn thing. After that, it's no holds bar jamming for another 50 feet to reach the lower end of the summit. Finally we stand on the very tip of Lower Cathedral Spire. Wow! The view is incredible. We lounge about for a while, hollering against Higher Cathedral Rock just to hear the echo. Higher Spire looms above looking like a castle for the gods themselves. This has been a well-earned summit and we revel in the glory of it all. But we have to rap to get down from here and I can never truly relax in the face of mandatory rappels, so all to soon we pack up and head down. The rope catches on the first rappel. We both pull on it for several minutes. Nothing; it's stuck. Finally Angus ties a loop in the rope and stands in it like it's an aid sling. I pull on Angus. That does it. The rope comes sailing down. Soon we're back at the base, swatting mosquitoes again. We pack up everything and head down the talus toward Angus's truck. We're feeling a little cocky and quite pleased with ourselves. A few words about talus may be in order here. There's a lot of talus in Yosemite. Much of it was deposited by the same ancient glaciers that carved the spectacular cliffs. The older, less active talus slopes have always seemed pretty stable to me. This particular slope leading down from Lower Cathedral Spire seems as though it hasn't moved in eons. All the rocks have that deep gray weathering and are lichen covered. There are few fresh rock scars. There are no trails and very few signs of other hikers or climbers. Normally I would pick my way carefully down through such a place, taking care to test suspect rocks before committing my weight to them. But the mosquitoes are swarming and I can here the beer calling my name. Angus leads out at a slow jog, talus running Doug Robinson style. I remember that Robinson article, have read it in reprint. He talks of the dance, of the dynamics of boulder hopping. I've been doing it my whole climbing career. I know a thing or two about talus running, I tell myself with conceit as I read his words. Funny thing, though. You don't hear Doug Robinson talking much about the consequences of a talus running mistake. I guess he left that to me. After 10 minutes or so we come out of the shade of the spire and stop to regroup, get our bearings and a drink of water. Angus leads off to the right, stepping on a teetering rock and jumping down hard to a small platform. I don't like the looks of it and make an instant decision to go left. I too jump down hard onto a big rock. Too late I realize I have made a very bad mistake. My chosen landing is a big rock, about the size of a 2 drawer file cabinet. It is perched at the top of a short slab. Of course there are other rocks around, above and below it. As soon as my weight hits it the rock gives way and begins rolling down the slab, taking me and some of it's sister rocks with it. I fall onto my butt and begin sliding. An even bigger rock, formerly held in check by the rock I kicked loose, is rolling beside me. All of this happens in about 5 milliseconds, but to me the scale of time seems altered. I reach out and push at the other rock, trying with all my might to get away from it. It seems as though it's working. I am able to alter it's trajectory. Then I slam into the pile of rocks at the base of the slab and stop, still in a standing position with legs splayed, but with my butt still against the slab. The boulder I pushed hits another rock and just as I come to a stop, rebounds right at me! One final push keeps the damn thing off my knee, but just barely. As it is, it rolls right over my lower left leg. My leg was pressed against the slab to begin with. There is no where for it to go. The boulder smashes over both my calf and ankle. I'm wearing recently purchased mountaineering boots to break them in. I believe they just saved my ankle. As the rock hits me it rolls my leg in the same direction of travel; to the right. Part of the weight of the boulder is absorbed by the sole of the boot. The padding around the ankle also helps save me from what surely would have been badly crushed bones. This final deflection forces it to roll directly over my calf muscle. The rock stops between my legs, the smell of flint floating heavily in the air. Ten seconds ago I was descending from a successful climb, carefree and anxious to get a sandwich and a beer. Now I'm at the bottom of a landslide and I'm badly hurt. Just how bad I don't know. But it is bad enough that my time scale remains altered. My entire world centers around my left leg and the beating of my heart. As the rock rolls over my calf, my head explodes in a bright flash of pain. Oh God! My leg! My leg is broken! Aaaagh! I can't even look at it, it hurts so bad. Then my heart beats one beat; THUMP. Whatever I thought I knew about pain a heartbeat ago is blown away by an even greater wave of bright, savage pain. I can't hold it back, the pain exceeds my ability to keep it inside. AAAAAAAGH! It feels as though my leg has been crushed to a pulp, as if every bone in it has been pulverized. My eyes bulge. I can't breath. Pain is the only thing in the universe I understand. THUMP. The next pulse of blood brings on a tidal wave of fresh pain, exceeding the previous two by a mile. There is no way I can hold it in. AAAAAAGH! I become aware of Angus making his startled way toward me, his anxious questions. I can't even acknowledge his existence, let alone respond. THUMP, goes my heart. Another, and unbelievably even stronger wash of pain floods every nerve in my brain. If I don't let it out I'll literally explode. AAAAAAGH! At this point the survival being takes over. I slide myself away from the scene of the accident, to the left, into a half sitting position. THUMP. AAAAAAGH! I'm holding my left leg with both hands, above the knee. Angus is standing beside me, looking at me as if I'm some kind of high school science experiment gone horribly wrong. He probably thinks I'm over-reacting. THUMP! AAAAAAAAAGH! I'm not. Incredibly, each heartbeat continues to bring on a more powerful surge of pain than the one before it. Each time I am unable to contain it and have to let it out as a scream. And that's what these are, blood curdling, agonizing screams, pure and simple. I have previously suffered broken bones, sprained ankles, bad cuts, serious road rash and a host of other violations to my body, but nothing, I mean nothing in my experience with pain has prepared me for this. This far exceeds anything I have ever dealt with before. Why I don't pass out I'll never know. THUMP! The pain still surges through my body, but this time seemingly of the same intensity as the last. I manage to open my eyes. Perhaps 20 or 30 seconds have passed since the rock rolled over my leg. THUMP! I shudder and shake, but manage to keep it in. Shock is now knocking on my door, but the survival animal in my soul is not going to let it come in. The automaton takes over. Rational thought soon follows and I begin to take stock. THUMP! Angus is still standing over me, watching me writhe in pain, unsure of what to do. I look at my leg, expecting to see a horror of torn flesh and broken bones. But there's nothing to see; no blood, no strange angles, nothing. THUMP! I have to know if it's broken, that's the first order of business. But I'm too scared to pull the pant leg up. I get Angus to help me stand. As I do, a new pulse of blood forces it's way into the depths of my leg. This is as close I ever come to passing out. My world goes down to tunnel vision with blackness around the edges. My hearing goes high pitch like the tail end of a wave gently washing up over wet sand. A cold sweat breaks out instantly over my entire body. I shiver uncontrollably in the hot sun. THUMP! Dizzy, I sway and start to fall. As I do, I'm forced to stand on my left leg to keep from falling. THUMP! It holds my weight! As screwed up as I am, I'm still aware enough to be surprised that I can stand on it. I sit again quickly. Now I can muster the courage to look at it. Okay. It's not broken. Good. It's red and looks like it's going to swell. But the assault of pain continues, totally out of line with the visual inspection. Can I walk? Angus asks me if he should go for help. I automatically tell him no. My every instinct is geared to self-rescue. I don't want to be carried out on a stretcher. I can use that stubbornness to fight the pain. If I sit here very long I know I won't be able to get up again. This thing is gonna swell fast. My only hope is to get moving now. I tell him I want to start down. He takes my pack and even finds me a good stick. I get back up. This time the rush of pain is expected, but it still takes everything I have to not scream. I take my first step and almost topple. No, it's not broken. But I have to learn how to use the damaged limb, all the while descending a trail-less boulder field. I find that I can stand on it, but that's about it. I can't move my leg or ankle in any way that causes the calf muscle to contract. To do so invites a fresh wave of pain. Each new wave of pain takes me closer to shock. Ever try to walk down hill without bending your ankle in any way? It's not easy! But with Angus's help and a will to move, I manage to stay upright. We work our way down, down, down through the endless field of stone. Less than 5 minutes passed between our water break, the accident, and starting to move again. Yet everything has changed in that 5 minutes. Everything. Time has no meaning for me now. I am a being that lives in between steps. I take a step and deal with the resulting pain, breathing fast and shallow, awash in cold sweat and shivers. I'm still dancing on the verge of shock. I know that if I do stop, it'll take me. That fear keeps me moving as much as anything else. I stabilize enough to plan my next step, then I take it. A new wave of pain floods. I repeat this process hundreds of times down the slope. Finally, we reach the trail junction and a cache of gatorade. Angus stashed it there this morning. I'd totally forgotten about it. Gratitude brings tears to my eyes as I drink. Angus is there, right by my side, the whole way down, helping me when I need it, staying back when I don't, enduring a torrent of gutter language and encouraging me in the process. There are friends and there are friends. This is a guy I know will stick with me right to the gates of Hell. I gain a lot of moral strength from his character. It takes me about 2 hours to reach the truck. I expect it might have taken us 20 minutes, sans accident. I hobble through the final level steps in the woods, approaching the loop road. It's actually harder for me to walk on level ground! In foolish pride I angrily throw my stick away as I step from the woods onto the pavement. I don't want any tourons to see me hobbling with a crutch. Luckily, Angus drove this morning. All that's left is a ride back home. Once again, my eyes flood with tears, only this time out of relief . The worst of the ordeal is finally over. Epilogue: It's been several years since I crushed my leg under that boulder. Time is the great healer and has worked it's magic on me. I have to concentrate hard to remember some of the details. For instance, I can no longer recall the pain. Oh, I know it hurt all right. Hurt worse than anything in my life, before or since. I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on my worst enemy. But I can no longer conjure up the feeling or remember the pain. I think my brain erased the memory in the interest of self-preservation. And I can no longer remember how big the rock was. It was big. 300 pounds? More? Less? I don't know. Maybe someday I'll go back up there and find it, carve my initials into or something. By the time I got home that day I could no longer walk. My leg would no longer hold any weight at all. I had to keep it propped up to keep the pain pulses, timed impeccably with the beating of my heart, at bay. When I brought it down, I was flooded with the same intense pain I felt when I first crushed it. We got home late, and I figured the damage was already done. Not respecting the danger of blood clots, I decided to hold off going to the doctor until the next day. I went to one of those out-patient clinic things that are so popular these days. The doctor there was quite shocked at the extent of my injury and the fact that I got there under my own power. She didn't know what to do, other than to advise me of the nature of soft tissue damage and blood clots. She described symptoms to me that for all the world sounded like a stroke or a heart attack. Precisely, she said. She indicated that due to the massive nature of the injury (my entire calf muscle was crushed), hundreds or even thousands of tiny blood clots could be forming. If any of them broke loose... The only other thing she could offer were pain pills. I declined, telling myself it was better this way. Besides, I had to go to work. Yup, that's right, work. I'm was the lone field engineer and an important client was taking one of our systems live the next morning. There was no replacement available. I had to be there and there I was, hobbling around on crutches, literally sick with pain. It won me Employee of the Month for whatever that's worth. I have a picture stuck in some drawer. It shows my calf when the swelling was at it's height. My calf was the same size as my thigh! Oh does it look sick. At night I had to prop my foot up in such a way as to prevent my calf muscle from touching the bed. Getting up in the morning was always the toughest. Like most people, I wake up and go straight to the bathroom. But bringing my leg down to the floor after having it elevated all night brought on thick waves of pain that rivaled the initial injury in their intensity. It usually lasted between 30 seconds to a minute. I would get dizzy as the throbbing agony intensified beat after beat. If I gave in a sat it made getting up again that much harder to endure. So I usually just forced myself to stand there and let the pain wash over me, like a wave on the beach. I tried to let it wash right through me as well, but that was harder. I had some days better than others. Getting up slowly brought on the pain slowly. Getting up fast delayed the pain for a few seconds, then caused a tidal wave as the demons caught up. But I used that delay. I'd get up and start hopping for the bathroom in one go. My goal was to be leaning against the wall next to the toilet when the wave hit me. That way I could either stand there and take it, or at worst, sag onto the toilet. In either case, I was where I needed to be. I went to see a specialist after a week's time. He poked and prodded, mumbled and scratched things on my chart. After all that (to the tune of 300 bucks an hour) he said, "That's the damnedest soft tissue injury I've ever seen." He had little else to offer, in his professional opinion. He too cautioned about clots. He too offered pain pills. I thanked him for his time and hobbled back home. Four weeks after the accident I was able to walk without crutches, although slowly. The next weekend I went climbing at Lover's Leap with Angus. We did easy routes and I surprised myself at how well I could manage. Hiking was more difficult than climbing. The next weekend saw a little more improvement so I went up to Sonora Pass with Burl and Angus. We hatched some crazy plans that day and the next weekend saw us succeed on a one day attempt at Balloon Dome, deep in the heart of Mammoth Pool country. I considered myself healed at that point.
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 5:44 AM
Post #41 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
What are some good trad belay techniques?
Spot the leader until he gets a first piece in.
Stand underneath the first piece.
Wear your helmet if there's loose rock and/or gumbies over your head.
Always tie into the end of the rope before the leader leaves the ground.
Think about what your head and/or arm might hit if you get pulled upward. This goes for belaying from off-ground anchors as well. Is there a piece below you?
Keep an eye out for rope drag issues, like the rope running under a flake or around a nose. The leader can't always see these things once they're beneath him but can sometimes fix the problem by flicking the rope.
Never harrass the leader for putting in too much gear. No one puts in more gear than they feel like they need.
Take in slack when slack is created - don't just wait for the leader to use it up again.
No one wants to be short roped when they're moving but in trad it's less important than in sport to avoid touching the leader on a clip. Clips tend to made lower and slower, so you don't need as big a slack pool.
dalguard
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 5:48 AM
Post #42 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
belaying the long fall....
http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=846344#846344 post
I've caught some giant falls, right up to factor 2. It is no fun, and totally different from the common experience of low fall-factor catches.
The worst situation is, of course, getting to the first bolt. A fall just before clipping it would have to be caught on the belay anchor (the anchor bolts are good, right?) and would be close, perhaps even a bit higher, than the UIAA 1.78 fall factor. Using a rope with a UIAA impact rating of 9 kN and allowing for friction over the biner, the belayer would be subjected to a 6 kN blast if he or she held the fall statically, and the anchor would have to withstand a 15 kN load.
What will happen is that the belayer will be jerked violently upward unless there is some kind of directional holding them down, an uncommon feature of bolted routes. You have no idea what this is like until you experience it. The belayer will probably get scratched up, and there is a real worry if there is a roof directly over the belay that the belayer could hit their head on. There is a reasonable chance that the belay device might hit the anchor biner, with unpredicable effects on the belay, and also that the non-braking hand will be smashed against and/or into the anchor biner.
If you aren't using a locking device (and maybe even if you are), some rope will run through the belay device. This can be annoying to disasterous for the team, but especially the belayer, who could in some cases be subject to terrible burns. In a number of cases I know about, burns to the belayer have been far and away the worst injury experienced by either team member.
The device hitting the top biner, the belayer's hand smacking the top biner, and burns to the belayer's hand are three potential contributors to a loss of control of the belay. If this happens, the leader goes for a long ride, with whatever friction the belayer can provide. Hopefully, the ground and any ledges or flakes will not intervene. The belayer will definitely get serious burns from this.
What can you do?
First and foremost, the leader shouldn't fall before clipping the first bolt.
Second, the belayer should be gloved. Frankly, I think this is true for all belayers on all multipitch climbs, but it is such a rare sight that I am clearly in a very tiny minority on this.
Third, use a high-friction or locking device, remembering the locking devices will produce the most severe upward jerk. I believe the highest friction plate nowadays is the Metolius BRD. I think the TRE Serius provides the best compromise, with about a quarter second of rope slippage followed by a locking action that keeps the peak force on the belayer below 4 kN.
Fourth, consciously rehearse and be ready to grab the braking end of the rope with both hands. Not only does this improve the your grip, but it gets the usual non-braking hand out of harm's way when you smack the top biner.
Fifth, try to arrange your anchor so that your waist is as far as possible from the biner the lead rope is clipped to.
rgold
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 5:50 AM
Post #43 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Hard Falls and Gloves
http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=846348#846348
post
The fact of the matter is that high fall-factor situations with little intermediate friction in the system are so rare that they are not a part of most climbers' experience. You have to have a high fall-factor fall occur on the first piece with little rope/rock contact. Because of the extreme dearth of experience, climbers conclude that they can hold such falls, based on the far less severe experiences that are the rule in climbing.
I can guarantee if you ever experience such a fall, you won't forget it. Unless you are belaying with a locking device, you will get rope burns without gloves, possibly very severe burns.
The idea that modern ropes eliminate the need for gloves is a lovely but potentially dangerous fantasy. A major whipper onto the belay anchor could hit the belayer with a 6 kN impact. That's a bit more than 1300 lbs on a belay device that might enable you to hold 600 lbf. Lifting may or may not dissipate enough fall energy. In some cases, the nature of the anchor forces climbers to eliminate lifting. Think skin grafts.
But such falls are extremely rare. So is it worth lugging the "extra junk" of gloves along when the chances are very good that in your entire climbing career you will never experience such a fall? Like almost everything in climbing, each individual has to decide.
rgold
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 6:25 AM
Post #44 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Buying Cams?
Unlike ropes and shoes, which you'll need to replace as you learn anyway, your cams could last your entire climbing career. Get the ones you'll want now and 10 years from now. Spend more if you can or buy more slowly if you have to. I know you're anxious to get started, but some extra time and money now will be nothing spread over the life of your rack.
That said, it's not uncommon for people to end up with two sets of cams eventually so you could buy your second choice first if they're cheaper. Just don't buy your last choice because they're cheapest.
dalguard
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 6:28 AM
Post #45 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
What is an ideal all around rack?
alpnclmbr1
00 metolius tcu
0 metolius tcu
2x green alien
2x yellow alien
2x red alien
3x green camelot junior
2x red camelot
2x gold camelot
set of brass wires
set of steel wires
2x set of stoppers to size 10
3 small dmm peanuts
a few offset hb's
everything hung on neutrinos
10+ shoulder slings
A few doglegs(12”) and light draws
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 6:33 AM
Post #46 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Actual Strength of Gear
There are a couple of issues here.
First, most gear is rated at the mean failure force under laboratory conditions minus three standard deviations, so there is a big statistical "safety factor" figured in.
The second issue is how applicable are these laboratory conditions to real climbing conditions. I'm no expert here, but from what I've read, it seems to depend on the type of gear. For ropes, the laboratory conditions are harsh compared with real climbing; for carabiners, they are probably comparable.
For SLCDs, laboratory conditions are probably mild compared with real climbing. As I understand it, SLCDs are tested on a lab device that is stronger than the SLCD and which does not allow the SLCD to pull out. Hence, SLCDs are rated based on when the SLCD itself breaks.
However, in real rock, chances are that the SLCD will pull out of the placement or will cause the rock to break before the SLCD itself breaks. This is particularly true for small cams. Don't believe double-digit kN ratings for small SLCDs.
One manufacturer that rates its SLCDs based on how they are likely to perform in real placements is Metolius (they state this in their catalog). They rate their small TCUs, for example, at 4 kN, compared with other manuracturers who rate their comparable cams at double-digit strengths. The Metolius TCU is no "weaker" than, say, the CCH Alien. It's just that Metolius has better lawyers.
jt512
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 6:36 AM
Post #47 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Thats supposed to be bomber? (sm cams)
http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=761672#761672
The original question has to do with whether small cams are bombproof. Various replies suggest that there are a lot of definitions of "bombproof" in use. Some of these boil down to "it didn't fail when I/my friend/this guy I heard about fell on it." The fact that the same size cam did fail in similar falls doesn't seem to be part of this definition.
I propose that "bombproof" ought to mean "highly unlikely to fail under any conditions achievable in normal climbing circumstances."
I don't think this is an unreasonable definition, but it has as a consequence that bombproof placements are uncommon and
No small cam is bombproof.
Get used to it. This is life (and possibly death) in the real world. Climb accordingly.
rgold
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 6:40 AM
Post #48 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Is lead climbing a personality trait? thread
http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=472881#472881
Someone wrote:
In reply to: I started with trad climbing (not at the gym like a lot of people seem to do), and I don't get to do a lot of sport leading. Living in NY, and all, we don't have a lot of opportunity to do sport routes.
I'm thinking more about what is to be, rather than what has become.
Where do you want to go in climbing? Envision your climbing 5 years from now...
Where do you want to be? Who do you want to be? What will you be doing?
THOSE answers are the ultimate answers you seek. Once you see where you want to go, the methods to get there will nearly dictate themselves. They really will.
Because all too often in this sport, people are "forced" into leading because they think they are supposed to do such things.
You are only supposed to do such things if you WANT to. Leading, climbing itself, is scary, rife with fears both real and imagined. After doing it for a full 30 years now, I can assure you the fear you have today will never leave you. Never. It will evolve, if you stick with it, morph. Things you once feared you will no longer hold terror. And other things you used to take for granted and ignore, will rear their ugly heads and reveal their true horrors. In fact the more you know, the more you will fear. Such is the WAY.
Yet you will also develop the skills and mental practices to deal with the fear... if you stick with it (because you will have to).
In the end?
Ya gotta love it.
You really, really, REALLY have to love it. Because love is the only consistent tool to conquer fear. If you love climbing, if you are a lifer, you will use that love as en enduring force to combat your fears and insecurities.
If you do not love climbing, then eventually the weight of the stone of fear tied around your neck will drag you down (Animals, The Dogs, Pink Floyd circa 1977).
Cheers (I think?)
DMT
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 6:45 AM
Post #49 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
What is the Best Knot To Join Two Ropes for Rappelling
an overhand knot, pretensioned with long tails is fine.
the retraced fig-8 is fine, but can also get stuck.
the fig-8 where you tie it like the overhand (or EDK as some call it) is the dangerous version because it rolls.
double fishermans is safe, but prone to getting stuck.
vegastradguy
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
vegastradguy
What is the Best Knot To Join Two Ropes for Rappelling
Mountaineering, Freedom of the Hills 7th edition recommends the overhand for joining two ropes for rappel. (FOTH, pg 193)
It also goes onto mention (and I'm citing here, straight from the book) that the overhand only reduces the breaking strength of the rope by 15-20% [it cites the American Alpine Journal]. (FOTH, pg 141)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 6:50 AM
Post #50 of 63
(15533 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
5 Knots you use most??
Tim
like the man said,
figure 8
clove hitch
munter hitch (if you drop your belay device)
and I'd add the water knot, for slings (especially rap anchors) plus an ascending knot, like the prusik or kleimheist.
Jim Bridwell said at one point he only knew 3 knots, and those were the clove, 8, and water knot. If he can get by with just that, so can you. But you will be safer if you are conversant with the Munter and Kleimheist knots (the former to belay/rappel with, the latter to ascend or escape a loaded belay).
I prefer the kleimheist knot to the prusik knot because you can use a kleimheist with a sling. This is good for backing up rappels (ask Hollyclimber about what happens when you don't do that) and freeing a stuck rope (ask any of my partners when we've had to double-team a rap rope).
So,
fig 8
clove hitch
water knot (aka. "ring bend")
for normal climbing, and for safety,
munter hitch
kleimheist (or prussik, if you must)
Tim
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 6:57 AM
Post #51 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Downclimbing and placing gear (instead of rapping)?
Downclimbing is one of the foremost skills that can get a climber out of trouble that folks seem to never practice. Downclimbing can save you from a fall and help you retrace your steps if you get off-route.
If you are out top-roping climbs sometime, or say you have a rope on a climb, practice some downclimbing. It's fun, goes with gravity, and might save you butt sometime
Peace
Karl
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Downclimbing and placing gear (instead of rapping)?
If you wind up resorting to 'lead downclimbing" it's important to remember to forget the 'rules'.
For example, the second guy down might want to keep a couple cams and nuts that might fit in the crux areas. She could clip one to her daisy chain and slide it down with her or place it, make the move and take it out before it gets out of reach. Down aiding is no shame if it comes to that. If you think deviously, there's plenty of tricks that can get you down safer. Remember, when push comes to shove, gear is cheap compared to hospitals
Peace
karlbaba
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Downclimbing and placing gear (instead of rapping)?
http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=703716#703716
As others have said, if you are climbing in remote areas or are on climbs with bad weather potential, down-leading is a skill that belongs in your bag of tricks. Most of the back-country climbers I know have had to do this on occasion.
Herb and Jan Conn, the climbing pioneers of the Needles in South Dakota, believed that rappelling was just another aid technique and an ascent wasn't a free ascent if the descent required aid. Consequently, they climbed down everything they climbed up as a matter of principle.
At the crag, if it isn't too crowded, down-leading climbs is an excellent way to get comfortable with the process, work out the kinks, and add variety to the day. I and many of my friends have done this regularly in the Gunks on well-protected routes 1 to 2 grades below what we can onsight on the way up. (I've always gone down routes I have gone up at other times, so routefinding has not been one of the issues.)
Cruxes on the downclimb can be different from those going up. Anything that involves long reaches and lockoffs on the way up is usually easier going down. Stepping down over overhangs can be extra stenuous, because the footholds do not appear until you have lowered yourself over and are more or less hanging on your arms. It is harder to place the feet and properly weight footholds going down. Friction moves are desperate going down. Most climbs are going to seem harder when downclimbed, and the first person down will, in general, place more pro than might have been used for leading the same pitch.
Downleading is one of the ultimate tests of a partnership. One the way up, the leader decides how much protection he or she needs, but on the way down, the first person down places pro for the "leader." Pro has to be placed as close as possible to hard moves but just below them, hopefully in a spot that won't be too trying to extract. (If it is in a tricky spot, then a lower piece should be placed to protect the "leader" while he or she is getting out the higher pro.) The whole process requires one partner to think carefully and empathically about the needs of the other.
If someone doesn't do a good job of this, I wouldn't go on a long or remote climb with them, whether or not I though there was any possibility of having to downclimb.
rgold
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Aug 29, 2004, 6:59 AM
Post #52 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
How do I stop kicking the wall?
I've got a practical suggestion for you. I used to have a lot of trouble with this and while everyone is right about the technique issues it does also just become a habit. That is, most of the time you're doing it you'd probably be fine without.
So, to break the habit, here's what I ended up doing it. "Scumming" as I was taught to call it is hell on your shoes, right? You get holes over the big toe maybe even before you've worn down the edge. The solution: keep climbing in them. First you go through the rubber, then eventually the leather underneath. Now your big toe is exposed. This does two things: one, scumming stops having any useful effect and two, it starts to hurt. Aversion training at its best.
dalguard
|
|
|
|
|
edge
Sep 2, 2004, 1:06 PM
Post #53 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 14, 2003
Posts: 9120
|
Common Injuries
|
|
|
|
|
edge
Sep 2, 2004, 1:35 PM
Post #54 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 14, 2003
Posts: 9120
|
Knots and the Rope
|
|
|
|
|
jammer
Sep 2, 2004, 2:16 PM
Post #55 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 25, 2002
Posts: 3472
|
All this information is excellent, but i thought you were going to have your own Climbing FAQ segment of this site :?:
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Sep 2, 2004, 2:19 PM
Post #56 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
^ look under the help tab at the top of the screen. That is where this stuff is going to end up.
d.
|
|
|
|
|
jammer
Sep 2, 2004, 2:42 PM
Post #57 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 25, 2002
Posts: 3472
|
This has to be the best idea I've seen on the site in a long time. Keep up the great work!
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Sep 6, 2004, 6:28 AM
Post #58 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
What should I buy for a beginner's rack?
1 Green Alien
1 Yellow Alien
1 Red Alien
1 .75 Camalot
1 #1 Camalot
1 #2 Camalot
1 #3 Camalot
1 1/2 sets BD stoppers #4-11,4,5,6,7,8.
10 24" spectra slings
1 24' Tied 1-inch webbing
2 12" spectra slings
30 carabiners
2 lockers
1 gear sling
1 Nut tool
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Sep 6, 2004, 6:30 AM
Post #59 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
What is and what is not Booty?
Booty = Found gear that is appropriate to take and keep.
Ten draws on a sport climb is not booty.
One draw on a sport climb is pretty much booty.
Fixed biners at the top of a sport climb are not booty
A single stopper or cam in the middle of a trad route is booty.
An entire pitch worth of gear. Try to find the owner, it may have been an accident?
Be aware that some fixed gear is there for a purpose. If you use it for that purpose, then it is nice to leave it. If you didn’t need it, then it is booty.
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Sep 6, 2004, 6:32 AM
Post #60 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
Why is the second carrying a rope on his back?
The second rope is for doing full length rappels off of a route set up for that type of descent. They are also useful in the mountains for emergency retreats, with or without pre-placed rap anchors.
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Sep 6, 2004, 6:33 AM
Post #61 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
A trad draw is a compact way to carry a shoulder sling on your harness gear loops without it dangling down to far.
To make a trad draw, you take a 24 inch sling with two biners. Grab the sling just below the upper biner. Take the lower biner and feed it through the center of the upper biner and then clip the part of the runner that you first grabbed hold of. You should end up with a tripled sling. To open it up, just unclip the lower biner and reclip it to one strand of the runner. It should cleanly extend to full length if you have done everything the right way.
alpnclmbr1
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Sep 6, 2004, 6:35 AM
Post #62 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
blank
|
|
|
|
|
alpnclmbr1
Sep 6, 2004, 6:37 AM
Post #63 of 63
(14021 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 3060
|
blank
|
|
|
|
|
|
