willstrickland

I liked that bit in the other thread so: top ten on your lifetime tick list? 1. Astroman 2. Sea of Dreams 3. Primrose Dihedrals 4. North Face of Rostrum w/ Alien finish 5. Excaliber - repeating the unrepeated OWs 6. Cowboy Direct (Trangos) 7. Moonlight Buttress - free 8. Walker Spur 9. Infinite Spur 10.Abruzzi Ridge

quote: Originally posted by Dru: lambone - you can be fat and weak and still be a hard aid climber But Dru, who would you rather have hanging off that string of #0 heads...87lb Beth Rodden, or 220lb John Long. Besides, who'd look better after five days on the wall? Maybe the best case would be 3.6lb Teddy Ruxpin (how are his aid skills anyway Beck, I know you said he really knows how to drive the iron)

I guess my "discipline" would be free trad routes, so my dreams outside that are typically things involving a mix of all kinds of climbing. Stuff in the Tetons, Patagonia, Trangos, Baffin, Alaska etc where you need to climb hard rock and aid pitches, snow, and water ice all on the same route. That Russo-American ascent of Changabang back in '99 (I think it was Buhler with four Russians) comes to mind as having those requirements.

quote: Originally posted by Me: The reason I am not fond of him is his ego. In his Everest retelling he consistently wrote as if he knew more than the guides, and was the stud of the group. Consider the circumstances. The assignment he was on was to cover the commercial guiding activity that was surging in popularity. That required an objective, stand back kind of view of the guides, leaders,and other team members. To assess them requires a certain cold and aloof perspective. Also consider the background of the teams. Kraukauer was a self-driven climber at one time in his life and had probably 20 years of experience behind him...compared to most of the clients he was a climbing stud. (But how can you really think you're a hot-shot when Pete Shoening is walking around?)

From Rock and Ice's News section: Like many of his peers these days, the 17 year old is proving that he's more than just a gym rat who can send on the best slopers Pusher can offer. On October 10, Roth made the second ascent of Timmy Fairfield's powerful Sickman (5.14b) at Palomas Peak, New Mexico. The V12 crux is right off the ground. Roth made a huge throw from a bad pocket and undercling to a solid slot. “The route requires a lot of body tension and finger strength,” Roth says. “I think the training on the Petit Brothers hangboard by Entreprises helped.” When asking Will what he though of all this he said: "Well hold on and let me put down my new SuperOldE 40oz finger training simulator and tell you my thoughts. Ever since I sent the sick-hard "Sick-Hard" route (5.17c+) at Potosi with the help of my new and improved Timy Fairfield signature model Ex-Pat climbing slippers by La Spraytiva, I've been wondering...How do those youngsters manage to crank so hard at an early age. Now I see their secret is to eat lots MonkeyCLimb brand's climbing specific gel food and to train on the Petit Hangboard by Enterprise. I also think that new climbers should take that kid Roth as an example...they should want to dress like him, act like him, and use the same gear as him or else how are they ever gonna climb the sick-hard lines like the CLASSIC "Sick-Hard" put up in 2000.

I am a Braves fan, first game 1977 at the ripe old age of 4. They don't stand much of a chance this time around, but with the caliber of pitching they have you never know...I'll say M's vs Braves, M's in 6, Ichiro Series MVP. (Not exactly going against the odds there am I?)

OK, not the Cascades but a classic nonetheless, the saddle privy between the Grand and Middle Teton.

quote: Originally posted by E_Mohler: Strickland – As usual you’re tripping over your own words. You failed to mention Leavenworth as your local crag. If you’re not a local then leave your crowbar at home. Eric Well Dude, whoever you are...the only tripping I'm doing ain't legal...I was at Leavenworth to assist the efforts of a local - Retro. If you'd pull your head out of your ass long enough you might remember that from the incessant shitstorm after DDD. So easily disposed of...so utterly useless, your arguments are a disgrace to the art of rhetorical debate. ALL YOU BASE ARE BELONG TO US, BITCH

Bend him over Pope, give him the Choir-Boy treatment. (Seriously, ID fraud is not to be messed with, even on a spray-heavy board like this)

Back when I started climbing: "We didn't have all this fancy gear, we just tied the ropes around our dongs and put a bunch of pitons in our mouths like roofing tacks, we didn't need these new fangled EBs or them spendy goldline ropes" - Beckey as related by Cpt C.

quote: Originally posted by E_Mohler: You guy's are the biggest bunch of loud mouth losers that obviously never climb anything hard. If you got a problem with bolts then don't clip them. Strickland is nothing short of a hypocritical jackass. I don't see him pulling bolts out of Heinous Cling. Eric Hey Eric, nice to meet you. I'm really glad that you could take time out of your busy schedule to enlighten me on how I never climb anything hard. Although I must admit that I don't quite understand what the grade I climb at has to do with anything...are you asking me to climb a hard route with you? I'll have to check my dance card. Hmm, "jackass"...I like it! A new nickname, you've got that 'ol President Bush charm workin'...just give all a nickname and they'll love ya. Or maybe it was a "subliminababbababbbllee" message? Heinous Cling? Isn't that some sport-monkey hoop to jump through at Smith? You see, I wouldn't know because I've been to Smith exactly twice, climbed one bolted line and several trad routse and I'm not likely to return unless it's to climb on the basalt trad lines. Judging from your asinine comments (that means inane, or stupid...I assume you're probably a bit mentally challenged hence the help with the vocabulary) you seem to think that I hail from Oregon or that I live near Smith. I love Oregon, but I'm certainly not a "local" at Smith or anywhere else around here. If I'm a "local" anywhere it's in absentia and at T-Wall, Lost Wall, and Tallulah Gorge. And as a final offering of cordial greetings I provide the following: As a very special "welcome to CC" Sexual Chocolate would like to teach you the misunderstood art of Moondancing. Cheers ehh!

quote: Originally posted by sexual chocolate: And why the hell don't you guys come clean and post what the hell you guys do for a living, huh? Damn chocolate, if you want to know that bad just do an archive search, there was a thread a few months ago where people gave the skinny on their employment situation... I do alot of stuff, I'm basically between a Masters and a PhD intending to teach at the post-secondary level in Park and Rec Admin. Since my bachelor's is in Civil Engineering and engineering work pays well and is fairly easy to get in the NW with a degree from a good school, I currently work in civil infrastructure projects management (primarily highways but also bridges, stormwater systems, etc) for a local municipality. It's rapidly paying off the debt I incurred while climbing full time. Now, pony-up buddy...what's the moondancing scoop?

Well Cavey, Attribute the misquote to my poor short-term memory, something to do with those big pitons, what are they called again? Ahh yes, the how do you say...bongs...

I was going to the southeast for the holidays but with all the terrorism foolishness I'm not getting on a plane anytime soon. If you're driving I'd be up for it, RR trad or Zion walls...I've done both, might think about the Rainbow Wall at RR too.

What the hell are you apologizing for Pope? Stand up for what you believe in, fuck the naysayers.

quote: Originally posted by Dru: of course when you are at the ledge or belay you can't use all your daisy holes to sort out gear if you only have lazy chains. only 2 holes!! Good point, but my ledge has daisy loops all the way up two of the pieces of suspension, so not a problem.

quote: Originally posted by pope: Retro mentioned the the Bandaloop Dance Troupe.... What a fascinating and colorful juxtaposition of the performing arts with climbing's adrenaline pumping exposure! Is that what it's about? And here I was thinking it was just hottie limber ballerina style climber chicks enticing me with the ritual mating dance. I saw bandaloop way up on El cap? somewhere...might have called it project bag-o-poop that being the case.

Every anchor is different so every situation is different. Learn all the methods you can and make your own decision based on the situation at hand. "All guides do it this way" doesn't hold sway for me because I climb with much different protocols when guiding than when on personal outings. And with a zillion variations for each personal outing. Spectra daises have a breaking strength of much higher than 800lbs, for standard nylon it may well be that low, I don't know because I don't use nylon daisies. As long as you don't cross clip the daisy loops they are every bit as bomber as the sling or cordelette you put on the anchor. Think about how you would escape the belay anytime you get set-up on an anchor, the optimal length from you to the anchor point, who will lead the next pitch, etc. The bowline on a bight is a convienient way to tie off to the anchors, it's easily equalized, strong, and doesn't use much rope or any slings. It does require swinging leads or swapping rope ends though. Safe is safe and overkill is overkill, do what the situation calls for... When moving fast on a grade IV where I know we are swinging leads: if I hit a two bolt anchor I almost always clip the daisy into one piece, throw a biner on each piece, tie off the bowline on a bight and belay off my harness through a directional either on one of the anchor points or off a high loop in my daisy. This allows a slight safety margin (if the rope gets chopped you're still connected to something), and if you're follower somehow takes a big fall (maybe rope gets stuck and you can't take in slack and they fall while trying to climb to the stuck point) then the stitching in the daisy loops provide a sort of screamer for the anchor. It's also fast and requires little fumbling with gear. Just throwing in my $1.23

quote: Originally posted by lizard brain: I can't help but think that some day things are going to pendulum in the other direction. Years from now people will be looking for bolt-free climbing areas to give themselves a chance to really test their climbing skills. Here's my slant on that: Now that the companies and mags (aka the Marketing Forces) have made climbing somewhat mainstream and gotten all these new people involved through the relavtively simple pursuits of sport and gym climbing and bouldering they'll start making their move. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that trad or wall climbing requires much more gear (and hence generates much more money). It's already happended with ice climbing, now start running all these stories about how cool big walling is and how rad the trad climbers are...EUREKA! A surge in sales of trad and wall gear and a boon for the Market Forces...shops, manufactuers, and mags. Just wait, it will happen.

Re: the adjustable fifi You can get basically the same effect by using "lazy chains" which are adjustable daisies, but they will start to slip after a while and require replacement. The advantage of this is one less piece in the aid-climbing cluster as well as eliminating the the hook (which snags things and requires moving in and out of pieces) altogther. Almost everyone I know who has tried the lazy chain method loves it. The adjustable aiders are another story, not recommended by anoyone I know who's tried them.

quote: Originally posted by Beck: A nice set of legs doesn't hurt, though! Unless she squeezes too hard....

Ever try stemming in one aider? Listen to Dru. I'd recommend "ladder" style over "alternating" style aiders, but that's mostly a personal choice.

quote: Originally posted by Terminal Gravity: Will: I was hoping to read a comment from you about my original posting. I didn't comment because I basically agree with what you wrote. However, I do believe that the term "environmental damage" in this argument goes beyond the destruction of the physical rock and contains the element of destruction of the aesthetics. Bolts are ugly, so is chalk...chalk washes off. Some will call me a hypocrite because I say if you can't climb it (established routes) without adding bolts then stay off it, yet I go out and climb wall routes that have chicken bolts added or rivet and bolt ladders on them. I've never added a fixed piece to an established route intentionally (I've had passive pieces that I couldn't clean and one cam that welded when I fell on it) but I have used the chicken bolts. I clipped the new bolt on Kor-Ingalls, I also clipped that first bolt on Serenity crack. Does that make me a hypocrite? Maybe, but I do it my way, you do it yours...and if you come in my back yard and retro-bolt something just because you can't get up it in the same or better style than the FA, then expect it to get chopped. Here's a little story of how I went from a passive dislike of bolting to an active one: I worked a short,hard crag route in Alabama that was originally done with pre-placed trad pro. My goal was to do it placing the pro on lead. This route is only about 40 ft, but the climbing is hard and sustained (I don't generally use ratings in posts here, but maybe numbers will put this into perspective...the route is 5.12b R, the crux sequences both involve big dynos over brass nuts). I worked it on top rope for a few days, mixing it in with my other climbing. I worked out the sequences the first day, fired it clean on TR the second day. On the third day of work a week later I just worked it looking for the most feasible stances to place the gear and exactly what gear to place where. It was only going to accept three pieces of gear and two of these were being placed from very pumpy stances. Falling while placing the first or second pieces would mean groundfall. About a week later I went back and put in several ascents on TR stopping to place the gear over the course of a weekend. I felt ready and made a plan to come back the next weekend with my most trusted partner, to do one TR ascent, rest and wait until conditions were cool in the late afternoon. Forecast was for rain the next weekend so we stayed close to home (it never rained). Mid week we roll over there and I'm just amped, sweating and nervous before we even get out of the parking lot. I was psyched, nobody around but us, this could be my finest accomplishment or put me in the hospital and we'd soon find out. We walk up to the pinnacle that the route is on and I drop my pack and start gearing up. My partner suddenly goes "Holy shit, what the f$&*# is that?!" Some bastard had retrobolted the line as well as the three other lines adjacent to it. Needless to say I was pissed, and although I probably could have got on it and just done my thing ignoring the bolts, it destroyed that psyche I had going and I knew without the right frame of mind I could not do the route safely (or at all). After the inital anger wore off I examined the bolts...the stupid bastard didn't even place them in good places for clipping (I was scoping them from the ground). We did some bouldering, climbed a few easy classics, then went into town. We bought a wrench and hacksaw, grabbed the claw hammer and prybar in my partner's rig and chopped the line and one of the adjacent lines (as far as I knew at the time the other two were FA's by the bolt-whore, later I found out they were also retro-jobs). We show up next weekend and the little bolt-whore had re-bolted it. We didn't have the chopping gear so we did other stuff and went home. I left the southeast soon after for grad school and never did the route. If you are ever climbing at Sandrock, AL the route is Called Tales from the Hard Side and is located on the Holiday Block.

quote: Originally posted by Juneriver: I, too, am curious about the Moondance.... So, what is it? A Van Morrison song...Am7 to Bm7 repeat for the verse...