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Eden

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  1. Eden

    Top 3

    Is he still your sweetie then? No, nor my climbing partner. I miss the climbing partner aspect the most.
  2. Eden

    Top 3

    Erik, thanks for the opportunity to reflect on this summer's events! Top 4: 1: Great Northern Slab at Index, after dark with only headlamps and some moon light 2: Exfoliation Dome 3: Lover's Leap near Tahoe 4. Getting into Grad school The bottom 3: 3: Losing an awesome climber and friend to a fall in Squamish 2: Getting a call from my new sweetie's Wife (didn't know he had one!) 1: Having my landlord bolt down the access hatch to my awesome roof top, because it's "unsafe"
  3. Check it out: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getaways/138966_bcclimb11.html
  4. I still want to say that I prefer my Gri Gri for traditional routes, and don't reserve it for sport stuff only. I feel the need to reiterate that I know of a number of accidents (trad and sport) that were more tragic because they didn't involve a gri gri. Also, I've been enjoying the debate that I started (sorry Matt P). However, it is a bit annoying to have everyone shooting off with out some real data points. Did I miss the post that actually can point to ANY accident where a leader was injured because of a failure of a gri gri, or the use of that same device? (Beginner's dropping people on top rope don't count in this discussion, since the complaint is using a gri gri to belay a leader on natural pro, and there are, I'm certain, the same number of accidents where beginners have dropped people on TR using an ATC type device.)
  5. Actually Greg, Erden was using a Petzl Reverso not a Gri-Gri at the time of the accident. Also he stated that he thought he had pulled some of the slack through the belay device and then wrapped it around his arm giving him a nasty rope burn when it caught. Anyone who choses to use a Gri-Gri to belay a trad leader is free to climb without me... Also small point but i think many would appreciate you not refering to him as having killed himself, but rather him having died... Hmmmmmmm...Having Belayed, and caught a number of leaders using a Gri Gri, and knowing of a number of other accidents that could have been prevented with it's use, I'd like to counter your sweeping statement about not leading with a gri gri. Just yesterday at Index I SAFELY caught my leader, with no jolting fall, on pro, using my gri gri. I'm pretty sure that with an ATC or some such device, normal reaction time and the resulting slack in the system could have caused him to ground. As it was, I caught him as softly as jumping ont o a bed (just ask him...) I'm sorry, but I take issue. I've never short roped anyone because of the gri gri, and I have successfully caught more than one person, on natural pro, using my gri gri. It doesn't matter who is belaying with what device, when your leader dyno's or moves fast, or pulls up the rope to clip with lightening speed, it still takes the belayer's natural reaction time to feed the rope. Rope management 101. Belaying a leader with a gri gri is an art, which takes a little getting used to. However, when you leader is smooth and deliberate with the movement, it is easy to "keep up" as well as to tell the difference between moving up, clipping, and falling, just by the feel of the rope. So, Greg, don't blame the gri gri for your rope drag issues, or your height for feeling some amount of pull on the rope when you are leading, regardless of the belay device that is being used. Speaking from experience, you aren't always so cognizent of communicating effectively with your belayer, or being respectful of how your belayer has a difficult time telling the difference between falling and clipping and moving forward, when it all feels the same. Most importantly, I can name so many accidents that would not have been as tragic if a gri gri were used instead of a atc type device. I'm sure the debate will continue for ever, but I've kept more than one partner safe and completely unharmed with my Gri Gri.
  6. My memory fails me. Sheesh. Seriously, though, I found the ratings pretty true, as in true Index or Yosemite ratings, not Squamish ratings...
  7. oh. It was there, as an attachement. Oooops.
  8. Let me see if I can get the picture to actually show up.
  9. I was just there about a month ago, and I have to say that it is a fantastic area. I met a guy who recently started a guiding company, and is the bartender accross the street. His name is Petch, and you've just reminded me that I owe him some pictures. At any rate, this is his website: http://www.loversleap.net/ He might be able to connect you to some partners. I met a few other people there, one guy who was looking for partners, so you might luck out on just going and finding people. Petch has done a fair amount of development in the area, and is probably your best bet for good beta. Petch's partner climbs with a proslethic (sp?) leg, and I was incredibly impressed. We just took a day trip from SF, but it would have been really nice to stay the weekend. The horizontal dikes in the rock are really trippy. There's a ton of good climbing, and a beautiful hand crack called the Line that I think goes at 10a. You might be able to make it out in this picture. This is the East Wall and there are a number of good routes up it; three full pitches to the top. It's pretty vertical. It's on the way to Tahoe, and about 3 hours from SF. Not a lot of facilities in the near vicinity, but a very nice (free) camp ground. I say it's an area you need to go to.
  10. I've had the catch on ATC's get all twisted up and difficult after alot of use, so a few years ago I bought a Hugh Banner Sheriff. http://www.gearshark.com/finder/details/Hugh-Banner-Sheriff-Belay-Device/details/Hugh-Banner-Sheriff-Belay-Device/7924.html?no_f The catch is metal, and is shaped otherwise like an ATC. This I use primarily for rappelling, because I like a gri gri for all sorts of belaying. I know, I know, a gri gri is heavy, and there's some debate about the potential for shock loading the system when leading with gear. However, after 8 years of climbing on and off, I've known personally of a number of accidents that would have been less tragic if a gri gri was used. It's also really nice to bring your second up with. Just my personal preference.
  11. Eden

    The tooth

    Has anyone done the tooth in the past few weeks? I'm curious if there is any snow left on the approach to the South Face.
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