Drederek

I'd try going to a small or medium sized welding shop. Those guys get asked to do crazy stuff all the time.

If you don't think you've led it properly yet you haven't. If you think you have then you have. Are you happy "stickclipping" this or other routes?

Yep I carry 5 with me and I have bailed on them and replaced them. Originally got them to double up cams on large sizes cheaply. Stoppers double up the small cams. And they do work well at the Tieton. And they don't go bonk bonk bonk down the trail if you put them in your pack.

Looks about as big as the Papoose.

That's pretty funny. You obviously lack even the faintest clue as to what you are talking about, but keep talking if it makes you feel like you know something. No I'm just here to learn. Is a tick mark beta? Does someone of similar size, ability and style saying the crux was not too bad beta? What about a name like "Vomit Launch"? What about bouldering up and clipping the first bolt? What about hearing 2nd or 3rd hand that some one 3" shorter came up short on the crux? What about the ground eroding out from under a start, OK to stack rocks to the original start? What if you saw a picture of the route in a calendar or mag with someone on it? Which of these scenarios invalidate an onsite? Do any of them lessen your achievement? Please enlighten me as I truly do not know very much.

I once read (and heartily agree with) something that went like: Stupid people should be allowed to do stupid things and die so they don't pass their stupid genes on to their offspring. I submit that for the good of the human race these two people are not in need of rescue.

Flash or onsite the same event has occurred; you climbed a route without resting or falling. The only difference is how you describe it and how big your chest puffs up.

Today would be a good day to get a site but if you're set up to sleep in your vehicle its no prob anytime. You pretty much described the smoke bluffs for a place to climb. Don't miss the pool a few kliks north of the smoke bluff parking lot on Loggers Lane. Its cheap and amazing. There is also some more expensive camping there if you don't find a spot at the chief and the free stuff looks too grim for ya. Have a ball!

Wandering around above domestic dome on saturday I led a route on Wart wall called bee crack. After pulling around the corner the book says finish up the runout slab above. The runout slab is now filthy and not at all fun looking. So I wnet up the nice corner (which was easily protected) and diagonalled over to the anchor (two bolts) which was missing one hanger (had the nut). After reaching the anchor I was very glad I didn't try the slab as the top was mostly moss. This route is probably a 2-3 skull route as described in the book but plenty safe the way I went. A good cleaning and perhaps a bolt and this excellent climb would get more play IMHO.

Don't be sorry BJ. Pure silliness. Sometimes I say the stupidest shit. The point I was making is the concept of climbing something with no beta is stupid. You are going to know something about the climb before you start up. The difference between a flash and an onsite is purely semantical. Or perhaps egotistical.

I seriously doubt very many people onsight a route knowing absolutely nothing about it. The name and grade and location and type and direction are all info most people leave the ground with. So I guess to truly "onsight" a climb you would have to be blindfolded, led to the airport, flown to an unknown destination (still blindfolded), hermetically sealed in plastic so you couldn't pick up clues to your whereabouts, then led to the climb (still blind folded). Then feel your way up to the base of the route and climb it (still blindfolded). Of course it would be a sightless "onsite" but what else would you call it?

Angel's crest was better than Rock on + Squam butt. Orbit was better than Outer space. Epinephrine better than Levitation 29. Davis-Holland/Lovin arms better than Centerfold. Magic light better than Overboard. Deflowered better than Penelope's walk. Split pillar better than Illusion dweller. Thin fingers better than Clean crack. The Land down under better than Rainy day woman. And by a whisker, Chossil rock over Chossman's coulee.

Was nice at Leav yesterday. If the winds are calm there are dry lines at Lil Si and Fossil. Climbing up and down scaffolding at work. Looking at new areas on the web. Slumming at this site. And there is always the Warehouse Rock Gym down here in Olympia.

On my last hike up to the Squaw we found an 8" long 2x6 already drilled with a tape sling. It looked sketchy but got me to thinking maybe a very short piece of 3 or 4" steel pipe cut like a crown with three points on one side might work to extend the cam. But the cam would have to be retracted far enough to contact the pipe in four places which may make the pipe too long to be stable. Pipeline is such a beautiful looking line I wish you well.

Inti Watana is indeed easy to rap. We rapped it last week to avoid the walk off Mt Wilson, not the final pitches of RA

with a four point stance you'll slide a lot slower than you'd think and in my experience not very far at all. You may want to avoid tumbling.

The last pitch protects pretty well if you trend left after the old nasty bolt low down.

Definitely the hollow flake pitch on the Salathe route up El Cap. 2 1/2 hours of unprotected chickenwinging left my right arm a bloody mess. Sad part is I know I coulda walked up it in 5 minutes by laying it back but one slip meant a 0 - 60 foot fall onto a completely tipped out 7 friend then when that ripped an 80-100 foot pendulum into a corner. Slow and sure seemed the way to go on that slippery valley granite.

All I remember is a small tcu after the slab move, a medium nut somewhere after the barn door hand crack and a #3 camalot to cut down the runout on the finish. Don't remember doubling anything other than nuts overlapping Metolii.

Lookin at the weather, I think I'll go to JT instead

French free (or american free in france) is aid. nothing wrong with it per se but it is not the most respected style on climbs that go free. Rock shocks for DHO's

Don't waste your time hiking till you've done the routes at Bathtub dome. Much better routes and harder too! More climbing on any of the three routes in the middle of the main dome than all of CA. IMH/AO.

The flaring,narrowing chimney to the right of the climber in Joseph's third picture was a good test for me. There is a bolt to protect the exit move that I had to clip blindly. Move up, reach around, and yell "am I hi enuf yet?". Repeat till answer is yes

A waterproof gym would be nice. Then they could hose it down every night and any slab climbs would stay clean instead of being greasy, dirty and no fun at all two days after they're put up. All I really look for in a gym is a friendly atmosphere.

This is old ground - do a search. That said I'd start with a copy of Viktor's guidebook to locate areas to begin. If he's 5'2 and 300 pounds you may want to start with Jenny Craig. If he's the state A 400m champ you may want to drag him up Orbit. Sorry if this is blunt.