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labuke
Aug 10, 2009, 5:05 PM
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Registered: Jul 22, 2008
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Hey all,
Im heading to acadia for some climbing next week and hoped someone could offer some advice and information.
Heres the situation...
Im taking two friends climbing, both are pretty new to it. Is there anyplace to go where a rappel off the top is not necessary. They do not know how to do this yet and learning on such short notice is not a risk Im willing to take. It seems that this is necessary at otter cliffs. IS that true?
Also looking for routes 5.5-5.9, any suggestions?
And lastly, there is a significant weight difference between all of us and Im not confident with them belaying from the bottom without anchoring themselves. Are there good places to set up an anchor to tie in to on any of the 5.5-5.9 climbs?
Thanks
Joe
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majid_sabet
Aug 10, 2009, 5:36 PM
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Registered: Dec 13, 2002
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you are such a nice guy taking new climbers for top rope but who is going to belay you ?
I hope not one of them
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Skidemon27
Aug 10, 2009, 6:10 PM
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Registered: Jun 15, 2007
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ill be up there to man....i dont have a clue about the area either...... ( i know not much help right) but any info u fin don the place, id like to know as well, i just picked up a guide book, (Acadia, forget the full title, blue cover though,, when i find ill post a link but truly a awesome guide book
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Skidemon27
Aug 10, 2009, 6:11 PM
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Registered: Jun 15, 2007
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sorry no idea how to turn it into a link just copy and paste it
http://www.rockclimbing.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2181046;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread
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taydude
Aug 10, 2009, 6:12 PM
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couldn't you make an anchor at the top and just lower them down on top rope?
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labuke
Aug 10, 2009, 6:28 PM
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Registered: Jul 22, 2008
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thanks for the info on the guide book, I'm looking into it but have only 4 days and a lot to get done inbetween.
Lowering them from the top is a great idea, thanks. I'm worried about them being able to make the climb though. If they cant then Ive got even more to deal with. Was hoping for the possibility of hiking back to the top.
Both have climbed before, one is a 5.5 the other is 5.7-5.9 but I dont want anyone stuck at high tide.
Also, both have belayed me before just not from the harness. It was a belay off of a tree.
Thanks so much so far, Im going to look at the climbs in much more detail but still, any local beta is greatly appreciated.
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Skidemon27
Aug 10, 2009, 6:30 PM
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Registered: Jun 15, 2007
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the shipoing company is in NY and i live in jersey took only 1 day to get to me....
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mnottingham
Aug 10, 2009, 6:55 PM
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Registered: Apr 20, 2008
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I spent a week up there back in June. Many people belay from the top. It allows you to move around to other climbs more quickly, and for some climbs, during high tide, it may be a better option overall. Also, setting up a top rope for a long time is frowned upon, especially on busy weekends. We were there on weekdays, and we rapped down and belayed from the bottom a lot. My belayer is experienced with the normal "slingshot" belay, but had never belayed from the top before. Belaying from the top can be a little scary for noobs, sitting or standing right near the edge of the cliff. It's also important that they keep an eye on the belay device so it doesn't flip or get jammed against the top of the cliff or anything. With a good top belay set-up, this should not be a problem. I would advise that you belay from the top and lower one of your buddies down first while your other friend watches your top belaying technique. That way you can adjust the belay postion if you find it needs tweaking. Just be sure to choose an easy route that your friend can definitely get back up. As far as anchors for the belayer at the base of the cliff, I doubt this is necessary. You will need to haul your trad rack down with you to build something. For the top of the cliff, be sure to have a static line or VERY LONG slings. Most of my anchors were built with cams, with a few tricams here and there. There are plenty of cracks and features that can be used. All of the Otter Cliff climbs are good. Pick up a guide - there are at least three available.
If you do decide to rap, consider setting up a dedicated rap line instead of trying to rap down a TR set-up. This will allow you to set the anchors up high and easily get your rap set up a safe distance from the cliff edge. WE did this, and I set up my girlfriends ATC before I rapped down, that way I knew it was correctly threaded and oriented. All she had to do was attach the locking biner to her harness while I gave her a firemans belay from below. When we were done climbing, I'd have her belay from below, then I'd top out and set up to belay her from the top. Have fun !
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Gmburns2000
Aug 10, 2009, 7:00 PM
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Registered: Mar 6, 2007
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South Bubble is a great place for beginners to learn to climb. The approach is fairly easy and there are bolts at the top for easy TR setup. Plus, the route to get to the top is like a 5.3 or something, so you don't really have to worry about bad belaying.
However, there aren't many routes there for beginners (about four or so), so it can get boring. Also, it is below a trail and hikers can't see what is below them. I think there are signs telling them to not throw rocks, but a helmet is advised.
You can get a guidebook at Cadillac Mtn Sports on Cottage St in Bar Harbor (downtown).
The Precipice may also have stuff for you, too (actually, I'm sure it does, but it will likely be busier).
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labuke
Aug 10, 2009, 8:07 PM
Post #10 of 11
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Registered: Jul 22, 2008
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Many many thanks for all the beta so far.
How are the crowds (climbing and otherwise) during the week? I wonder how much less populated the popular areas will be?
I plan on spending tuesday and wednesday there.
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qtm
Aug 10, 2009, 10:38 PM
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Registered: Apr 8, 2004
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It's been a little while since I've been there so things might have changes in the past couple of years.
At otter cliffs, we pretty much were able to get on any climb we wanted during the week. On the weekend, it was very busy.
There are large staples on one side, but for the most part you need to build your own gear anchors. In the middle, the only gear is set way back, so you need to bring lots of webbing or length of static rope. I remember it back 25 feet or so. On the left side, there are good cracks, but on the weekend all the good placements may be taken. I had a bd #4 or #5 which meant i could use other spots in the cracks. There were on on lot of anchor lines crossing and people adding and removing anchors, so always keep any eye on your gear in case someone has inadvertently loosened it.
Check the tide tables before you head out there. We mostly belayed from the top as the tides were against us. Also, the bottom can be slick, so we lowered to about 6' off the deck.
Don't drop anything in the water, and if you do, don't try to retrieve it.
Precipice was crowded, but not as bad as otter.
Gmburns advice is good too, at least you can spend the first day there and get your friends up to speed with belaying and see how well they're climbing.
(This post was edited by qtm on Aug 11, 2009, 3:40 AM)
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