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telemarker

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Posts posted by telemarker

  1. Thanks for bringing this up, MM. This weekend (3/28-3/29) I counted over 130 cars on Saturday eve. It is unsustainable.

     

    I wonder whether one way to help is for the various "commercial/organized" groups (like Mountaineers, Boeing Climbers, YMCA, Seattle Climbing Meet Up, Whitman/other college groups, and private school groups) to perhaps make a shared calendar or something so they all know which group is going to be there. Most of these groups love the Feathers, but the Feathers cannot accommodate more than one of these big groups, really. How about a voluntary limit of one or two organized groups, max?

     

    Even better? What about all of these groups making a pledge for "no weekend use"? And even a group size limit? Some of these organized groups often bring 30 or more people--and over a dozen cars. Imagine them confining their semi-commercial use to week days and promising not to bring more than 15 or so people (less would be even better). I often lead organized groups to the area, and I would be willing to adopt these changes.

     

    You're trying to herd cats, coming up with a complicated solution to an impossible situation.

     

    Keep it simple: Ban camping at Frenchman's Coulee from March to mid May. There are other places to camp, and this may cut down on those craggers who can't seem to climb in groups of fewer than 5 people.

  2. Hey John (telemarker):

     

    Really great description and solution...I like it! What I DON'T like is using one Mini (as I've told you at least 100 times).

     

    Since you have the Basic with you...why not use it as a backup for the Mini while climbing?

     

    That's a good point Tom. But I suspect getting a second mini/micro would the optimal system, like you have. It will sink in one of these days!

  3. I always solo TR with a Petzl Basic on my harness. I solo TR on one strand with a single mini Trax.

     

    If I can't get past a crux, I will ascend the rope until I can reach climbable ground again. I attach the basic above the mini, with a biner attached to the basic. Grab the strand below the mini Trax and Merely thread it through the biner in the basic and you have a 2:1 haul system to ascend the rope as far as you want, since the mini or micro will lock automatically as you ascend.

     

    To escape, attach a qd and long runner to the basic, stand up in the runner and clip in short to the basic. The mini Trax should be unweighted by now. Merely remove the mini Trax and attach your rappel device. Stand up high in the long sling you have attached to the basic still, yard in slack on your rappel device, and the basic should now be free to remove, and you're set to rappel. Simple....

     

    Can you post a photo or to to illustrate?

     

    As requested Rad! Name the route for bonus points...

     

    Ascending past a cruxy section:

     

    rps20150325_205530.jpg

     

    rps20150325_205505.jpg

     

    rps20150325_205445.jpg

     

    rps20150325_205422.jpg

     

    Escaping the system:

     

    rps20150325_205400.jpg

     

    rps20150325_205253.jpg

     

    rps20150325_205219.jpg

     

    rps20150325_205205.jpg

     

    rps20150325_205219.jpg

     

    rps20150325_205136.jpg

     

    IMG_20150325_184237849_HDR.jpg

  4. I always solo TR with a Petzl Basic on my harness. I solo TR on one strand with a single mini Trax.

     

    If I can't get past a crux, I will ascend the rope until I can reach climbable ground again. I attach the basic above the mini, with a biner attached to the basic. Grab the strand below the mini Trax and Merely thread it through the biner in the basic and you have a 2:1 haul system to ascend the rope as far as you want, since the mini or micro will lock automatically as you ascend.

     

    To escape, attach a qd and long runner to the basic, stand up in the runner and clip in short to the basic. The mini Trax should be unweighted by now. Merely remove the mini Trax and attach your rappel device. Stand up high in the long sling you have attached to the basic still, yard in slack on your rappel device, and the basic should now be free to remove, and you're set to rappel. Simple....

  5. For Trade actually...La Sportiva Katana Lace shoe, sz 46. They're in used shape and need a new resole soon after a few more trips outside. No holes in the rand. They've got some life left in them. Yours for a six pack of 10 Barrel Apocalypse IPA or Ninkasi IPA.

     

    John

  6. Hello!

     

    Anyone up for a couple laps on SCW this Sunday? The wall looks reasonably free of snow, and Sunday it's supposed to be dry and warm. Outer Space/Iconoclast is my favorite link up for the early season.

     

    PM or email: touring29@gmail

     

    Thanks!

     

    John

  7. I've fallen a bunch, sometimes on a single crux section on the same section of the rope and never damaged the sheath.

     

    Also a thing to consider. After loading a mini Trax vs. Loading a micro Trax, the mini seems to bite into the sheath more than the micro and may need you to reach below the device unstick it to get it moving upwards again. The micro seems to "disengage" a lot smoother than the mini, maybe since the cam is narrower??

  8. I thought of a few more details...

     

    Make sure your shirt is tucked into your pants and keep the front two gear loops free of any gear. That decreases the chance of anything interfering with your chosen catch device.

     

    On my mini, my friend used a dremmel to file off the horn that keeps the cam open so there's no way for me to accidentally leave it in the open position.

     

    I always use a DMM style belay master that won't cross load.

     

    Finally, a quadrupedal length spectra sling can be threaded through the minis carabiner hole to fashion a simple chest harness to keep the mini even closer to the engaged position, especially reassuring on overhanging pitches.

     

     

     

  9. For a few years now I've used one mini, dynamic rope, and slings/biners for anchor. Simple and quick. My friend uses two micros for a more redundant system.

     

    Blake recommends a static rope which I wouldn't since sometimes you do fall when you're close to the anchor. When this happens, even with a dynamic rope it's kind of jarring.

  10. How about an all-out ban on overnight camping from March 1 through the end of April? There are official campgrounds in the general area (Quincy, Wenatchee, etc) where climbers can stay if they want to make a weekend out of it, considering the length and expensr of travel from Seattle/PDX/Vancouver BC/Spokane). Seems to me a camping ban would be a lot easier to enforce than clean camping regulations.

  11. I'm just not sure if a campground is warranted. Vantage is slammed at most two months out if 12, two days out of the week. It's Busy maybe for 4 months out of the year. The rest of the time, mid week and beyond it's blissfully tranquil.

     

    It just seemed like heaven and earth were moved to get a latrine installed. I couldn't imagine the work and bureaucracy involved to get an entire campground in place.

     

    Now if the "west side city folk" wanted to really help matters, maybe open a brew pub in George!

     

    And nice send Sol! In the rain no less!

  12. A slide for life down the Northeast Face?! They're fortunate they're still alive. In hard snow conditions and enough momentum they could have easily continued over the top of the Ice Cliff Glacier.

     

    Hope they have a speedy and full recovery.

     

  13. Common stereotypes and misconceptions aside as exemplified in previous posts, I would suspect that the mindfulness aspect of climbing would be a strength to those suffering from OCD. I was wondering if this were true and was hoping to hear back from those climbers who are actually afflicted with this disorder.

  14. Have you ever dealt with or are dealing with, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder and rock climbed? Or had a regular climbing partner who struggled with this disorder? How did the experience go in such an endeavor as detailed as climbing, where there's a high importance on doing things correctly.

     

    This is a serious inquiry. You are welcome to PM me if you don't want to publicly respond to this post. My inquiry is genuine and personal.

     

    Thank you

  15. 1. Have Climbed:

    **The Nose, El Cap;

    **Half Dome RNWF;

    **Serenity/Sons;

    **Beckey/Chouinard, S. Howser;

    **Hyperspace, SCW;

     

     

    2. Capable of but have not climbed (the goals):

     

    **the NIAD in under 15 hours;

    **the NIAD in under 12 hours;

    **the NIAD in under 10 hours;

    **Rostrum N. Face;

    **Edge of Space, SCW;

    **Thin Red Line, mostly free ;)

    **Grand Wall;

    **High Plains Drifter, Squamish;

     

     

    3. Admire but will never climb:

    **All along the watchtower, N. Howser;

    **Astroman, Washington Column;

    **The Nose, El Cap/ RNWF Half Dome under 24 hour link up;

    **That Colchuck Reality Pitch and route, CBR;

    **Freeway, Squamish

  16. I don't see "Vantagefication" ever happening on El Cap. El Cap has a way of striking terror into would be suitors as they stand below it, looking up. If one doesn't have the technical ability to exist on a 3,000' granite wall for more than a few hours, they won't get past a couple pitches.

     

    The media and general public has a 5 minute attention span. Dawn Wall shit storm came and went. It's forgotten.

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