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tombombadil112
Dec 11, 2005, 2:03 AM
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okay so what aliens should I get for Joshua Tree? Are the hybrids worth it? I am getting doubles in BD C4s .75-3. here are some ideas I was thinking about for aliens:
Blue
Green
Yellow
Gray
Red
or
Green
Yellow
Gray
Red
Red
or
Yellow
Gray
Gray
Red
Red
or mix in some hybrids.
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caughtinside
Dec 11, 2005, 2:08 AM
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I'd go with option #1 you listed there, one of each from blue to red.
Also, I'd get an orange instead of a second .75.
So far, I've managed to do most climbs there without hybrids. THe exception was a thin, pin scarred crack that I borrowed a set for.
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vegastradguy
Dec 11, 2005, 2:09 AM
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i'd get....lessee, probably a green, two yellows, and a red. double up on either another green or a red- preferably both.
forget the gray- its a strange gap filling piece that really isnt what i'd call necessary in the realm of aliens. maybe something to get later on.
the blue can be nice to have, but its quite small and i found i rarely use it except in perfectly parallel splitters and its the only option- Josh tends to have lots of other options, especially on the easier climbs.
hyrbids, are, well...nice to have, but hardly necessary for free climbing in most cases. if you can get a set, though, it may be worth it to buy them since they're a pain in the ass to even find when you do want them. for the record, i hardly ever carry them on my free rack.
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caughtinside
Dec 11, 2005, 2:15 AM
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In reply to: forget the gray- its a strange gap filling piece that really isnt what i'd call necessary in the realm of aliens. maybe something to get later on.
Hmm, you think so? I just ordered one. :?
Naturally, I didn't need it. :P
Just thought I'd give it a try instead of doubling up on red. THought about maybe dropping a yellow from the rack as well.
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chanceboarder
Dec 11, 2005, 2:36 AM
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i actually use my gray alien a lot out in joshua tree. i've definitely found it to be a valuable addition to my rack.
as for hybrids, i've never actually needed to place the one red/yellow that i've got on lead but have used it a bunch of times at anchors. so i would say if you can find them pick them up but are not really needed to climb in josh.
to the original poster i would agree with caughtinside and would go with option one with the addition of the orange alien.
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vegastradguy
Dec 11, 2005, 3:58 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: forget the gray- its a strange gap filling piece that really isnt what i'd call necessary in the realm of aliens. maybe something to get later on. Hmm, you think so? I just ordered one. :? Naturally, I didn't need it. :P Just thought I'd give it a try instead of doubling up on red. THought about maybe dropping a yellow from the rack as well.
yeah, i picked one up when it came out and, although i climb mostly at RR (with the occasional trip to Jtree- including next weekend!), I rarely use it. I carry it when i think it'll be thin, but rarely place it. In fact, i think its been about 6 months since i've used it on lead.
but who knows....maybe you'll come to love it!
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jt512
Dec 11, 2005, 4:18 AM
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There's a gray Alien? What's the point?
You'll end up needing doubles in the small sizes. I would suggest you get a set of Aliens and a set of the equivalent TCUs.
My recommendations for the Aliens:
Black (maybe not immediately)
Blue
Green
Yellow
2 Reds
Jay
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pipsqueekspire
Dec 11, 2005, 7:33 AM
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I Love my hybrids- I use them all the time in josh! They will fit in almost everywhere because every crack in josh is weird- ie not a perfect splitter but undulating top to bottom and front to back. I use the grn-ylw ylw-red all the time as doubles. I think they are more useful in josh than anywhere else. .5 and .75 camalots are sometimes useless because they are too wide to fit into most of the undulating cracks in josh. I agree with the poster who said get an orange alien! (I am using old camalots so dont hold me to that about the new ones.)
good luck and happy spending.
-pip
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tombombadil112
Dec 12, 2005, 2:57 AM
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okay thanks for your help everyone who responded
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miavzero
Dec 12, 2005, 3:14 AM
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In reply to: My recommendations for the Aliens: Black (maybe not immediately) Blue Green Yellow 2 Reds Jay |
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toejam
Dec 12, 2005, 3:31 AM
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I too would go with option 1. Also consider replacing one of the .75 BDs with an orange alien. One of my favorite pieces.
I bought a blue alien on a lark, thinking I would never use it. It has wound up seeing a lot of action, being so light that it stays on the rack, and gets placed when nothing else fits and I'd otherwise be running it out.
So now I picked up a black on a lark, thinking I'll never use it...
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landgolier
Dec 12, 2005, 4:29 AM
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I don't mean to rain on a josh-specific thread, but I want to stick up for the gray alien. I like my gray alien, dang it. Even though it's not one of the "core" aliens, to me it's its own size, not a gap filler. I know when I stick my fingers in a gray alien slot vs. a red or yellow. YMMV and all and it's not like I'm so excited about them I'm giving away free samples, but don't overlook it.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many aliens
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locker
Dec 12, 2005, 5:42 AM
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just get a set of BD's up to #3, two pink tricams, a full set of nuts... If you can't do just about every route out here with that? Join a gym!
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baja_java
Dec 12, 2005, 6:29 PM
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got this idea of making a rope out of the husk fibers of the yuccas and joshua trees a little while ago. that's pretty much all i do now. and for pro, i just pick up whatever pieces of rock lying around the base of a route, for use as chock pieces, eyeballing for size from the ground, of course. i tell ya, the pure coreness is unbelievable! 100% pure!!
i do see most people out at JTree making do with regular green, yellow, and red aliens. they don't seem to need the blue for up to easy .10's. if five aliens are what you're going to get, try 1 green, 2 yellow, and 2 red. some people show off with a gray or gold on their rack too, but really, an extra yellow or red would work just as well. same goes for hybrids. handy, but not mandatory. again, that's just what OTHER people have. i only use husk fibers and chock rocks
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caughtinside
Dec 12, 2005, 6:38 PM
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In reply to: i only use husk fibers and chock rocks
:roll: Try climbing in Thailand with just husk fibers and chock rocks and let us know how that goes. :P
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tombombadil112
Dec 12, 2005, 6:54 PM
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I'm not limited to five but its just i would rather get some bigger ones cause the nuts overlap the smaller aliens. so if i really needed to i could get more aliens but then again I'm just starting out. so this is just a guide line. I'm going out there in a couple of weeks so i will be able to figure out if i really do need some more or if what i got will take care of things. thanks again for all the replies.
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baja_java
Dec 12, 2005, 9:24 PM
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your profile says trad lead up to .9's, so for that, the 5 mentioned will be plenty. if you want to add more later on, go for a 2nd green alien, then the blue. by time you're down around the blue, check out the ballnuts too. understand how they work, and learn how to place them. THIS FRIEND OF MINE trusts falling on those more so than tiny cams of that size
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baja_java
Dec 12, 2005, 9:35 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: i only use husk fibers and chock rocks :roll: Try climbing in Thailand with just husk fibers and chock rocks and let us know how that goes. :P |
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vegastradguy
Dec 12, 2005, 10:12 PM
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In reply to: for as soon as he direct-clipped into a draw biner so he could talk to me more, i went immediately to placing MY pro. see, i'd picked up these two handsize pieces of limestone rock and put them in my pocket. limestone is very hard, and pointy. you just pick one that has the right curvature so there's good grip and nice bashing action. anyway, as soon as he direct-clipped, i took out one rock and whacked him on the forehead. he instantly went limp, knocked out cold, head and limbs dangling down. i quickly girth-hitched the rock with a piece of husk fiber sling and wrapped that around and around his neck, some loop-da-loop action. yank test! bomber piece!! finding natural pro like this is what climbing is truly about, i think.
this made me laugh so hard, you get a trophy!
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