|
handtraverse
Jul 30, 2005, 3:18 AM
Post #1 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 28, 2005
Posts: 153
|
[brown]I frequent the Delaware Water Gap cliffs on Mt Tammany in New Jersey. I finally figured out where these bites on my lower back and back of my legs were coming from. I'm talking nasty bites. I'm pretty sure they were from spiders.
If you are familiar at all with the "gap" you know that there's a thickly wooded area along the path that follows the base of the cliffs. As I was trudging up the path, my face or my legs would rip through a spider web (creeps me out) that's spun across the path from tree branch to tree branch.
Anyway, sometimes the spider is still attatched and winds up on my back! And I never knew it! Same applies to the low lying webs.
I found that it really helps to take a small branch with leaves on it and wave it in front of me as I go. Sounds silly but it works!
"All for the love of climbing!"
HANDTRAVERSE[/brown]
|
|
|
|
|
saxfiend
Jul 30, 2005, 3:44 AM
Post #2 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 31, 2004
Posts: 1208
|
In reply to: I found that it really helps to take a small branch with leaves on it and wave it in front of me as I go. Sounds silly but it works!
JL
|
|
|
|
|
over_the_hill
Jul 30, 2005, 5:25 AM
Post #3 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 6, 2004
Posts: 56
|
Many years ago, I was climbing in the "gap". About 30' up, with no pro, I was faced with doing this easy roof dihedral. As I reached into the crack, I disturbed a HUUUUUUUUGE gathering of spiders, and they began to pour out of the crack. Thousands of spiders, falling like someone opened a dam flood gate. All I could do was to hold on, shut my eyes, and find my happy place!!!! After the flow of spiders stopped, I dusted off the ones crawling all over me with one free hand, found some courage to move on and finish the route. NO WAY was I about to down climb the wall below me now all covered with spiders. And, for some reason, my partner refused to finish the line. I think it must ahve been to easy for him at the time.
To this day, I HATE seeing spiders while I climb. I also have no desire to return to the GAP eithor.
|
|
|
|
|
healyje
Jul 30, 2005, 5:32 AM
Post #4 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 22, 2004
Posts: 4204
|
Have you actually seen one bite you? Only a few species are inclined to bite humans and the result are usually is worse than what you describe - do you know what kind they are? Do the bites hurt later or at the time of the bite? And are there any other possible suspects about...?
|
|
|
|
|
kovacs69
Jul 30, 2005, 5:40 AM
Post #5 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 16, 2005
Posts: 607
|
A few years back I was climbing Devil's Tower. I got to this point in the climb where the crack opens up big enough to stand in and has a very nice ledge in it to rest on. So I pulled myself up into the gap and stepped in to take a breather. Walked right through a huge web full of baby spiders about the size of a pin head. I am talking thousands. I really couldn't see them but I could feel them crawling all over my body. I about fell out of the gap. Started swatting and smashing trying to kill them. They were everywhere. Worst of all they had crawled under my helmet and I could feel the crawling around on my head. UGHHH. It seemed like it took forever to kill them all. After I finally got rid of them I leaned out and yelled at my partner not to duplicate the same thing I had just done ...but nooo. As soon as he got to the same place I had been he climbed in and to his surprise there were spiders everywhere. I heard him scream and shout. For a second there I thought he was going to jump off the rock. It was a nice little adventure at 400 feet off the deck.
Another time I was climbing in a horrible place in Texas called Mineral Wells State Park. My partner was talking smack while I was climbing so I reached in a dish next to me and took out a hand full of daddy long legs and kinda tossed them on him. He had a shit-fit. I didn't know he a so fearful of spiders. He about ripped me off the wall he was jumping around so much. Just so you know...Mineral wells is about 25 feet high and top rope only so I was relatively safe not to mention it was a easy climb. Taught him to talk smack.
|
|
|
|
|
srwings
Jul 30, 2005, 10:45 AM
Post #6 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 27, 2004
Posts: 247
|
My family refuses to climb if there are spiders, even small ones, on the route. I don't mind 'em as long as they are not poisonous to humans. Not sure what I'd do if I had a thousand of them on me though.
If you like spiders you'll like this photo I took of a banana spider in Panama earlier this month. I was down there scouting out some rock and these things are all over the place. Sometimes the webs can be strong enough to trap a small bird.
http://www.blackburn-tree.org/climbing/spider.jpg
|
|
|
|
|
maxiter
Jul 30, 2005, 11:22 AM
Post #7 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 24, 2005
Posts: 173
|
I know the area, but not the cimb. Could be spiders -- I can't say either way. But if you are picking them up on the trail, there's no reason for that. Most spiders won't bite people, but the few who do (that won't seriously injure you) can still give a nasty infection. Keep the Neosporin or Betadine handy.
Also, carry a stick a few feet long and wave it in front of you to break webs. It's low tech, but my preferred method of spider avoidance. I know it's lame advice, but it works.
|
|
|
|
|
handtraverse
Jul 30, 2005, 3:35 PM
Post #8 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 28, 2005
Posts: 153
|
Maxiter - thanks for your comments....not a lame advice. Actually, as I said in my original post I "fan" the path in front of me with a small branch with leaves on it.
I guess I'm not the only one who does this. Haha!
Climb on!
HANDTRAVERSE
|
|
|
|
|
crackboy
Aug 1, 2005, 7:51 PM
Post #10 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 14, 2003
Posts: 323
|
sounds like chiggers or scrathed out black fly bites
|
|
|
|
|
gandolf
Aug 1, 2005, 8:03 PM
Post #11 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 4, 2005
Posts: 119
|
Kavacs69,
That's pretty funny to hear your story about Mineral Wells State Park. I learned to climb there and learned to deal with the millions of Daddy Long Leg spiders there. At times, the cliff would literally come alive with the spiders vibrating as you climb past them.
|
|
|
|
|
kafish
Aug 1, 2005, 8:16 PM
Post #12 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 29, 2004
Posts: 64
|
i just try to be the last one up the trail, and since i tend to be the shortest i get no spider web incidents.
|
|
|
|
|
kimmyt
Aug 1, 2005, 9:48 PM
Post #13 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 10, 2003
Posts: 4546
|
In reply to: i just try to be the last one up the trail, and since i tend to be the shortest i get no spider web incidents.
Agreed. A well-played, "You go first, you're the one that knows which way we're going" usually does the trick quite nicely.
|
|
|
|
|
fear
Aug 2, 2005, 2:32 AM
Post #15 of 16
(2994 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 16, 2003
Posts: 475
|
In reply to: A few years back I was climbing Devil's Tower. I got to this point in the climb where the crack opens up big enough to stand in and has a very nice ledge in it to rest on. So I pulled myself up into the gap and stepped in to take a breather. Walked right through a huge web full of baby spiders about the size of a pin head. I am talking thousands. I really couldn't see them but I could feel them crawling all over my body. I about fell out of the gap. Started swatting and smashing trying to kill them. They were everywhere. Worst of all they had crawled under my helmet and I could feel the crawling around on my head. .
Fu-ck dude.... that's horrendous.
I had to crawl through 1/2 pitch and a cave STUFFED with bird shit last year on Assembly Line at DT. I thought that was bad....
-Fear
|
|
|
|
|
|
