billcoe

ha ha ! I've cored 2 ropes in as many years, I really do cut them up and retire them, sooner than many folks I know - I'm a chickenshit fraidycat deep down at heart:-) BTW, Joseph caught and noted this early failure issue trend last year when he tested some skinny slings to (an early and low) failure. This should come as no surprise.

Nice route. Just curiosity. I bought some cheap assed soft iron Eurotrash from my buddy Mike Jackson like 30 years ago, slammed them in and left them in the rock there for everyone else to use. Some were orangy/red some were silver, just wondering if the things had survived all these many years since the advent of Sliders and Lowe Balls. Apparently not many venture up the 2nd pitch as Ivan seemed to say they were covered with moss and he unearthed them. Which might have just accumulated recently cause we have dumped stuff down that area during the early season Joseph Healy Memorial cleanup a couple of times in the last few recent years. As part of the "it's a small small world" theme, Mike was just up here a couple of weeks ago from California to say hi and get some climbs in, and coinkidinkaly, the hammer he sold me as part of that discount package years ago had the handle break bolting the very pitch JH and I climbed on yesterday. Which explains why the bolts are beat, cause when you hit them with a (relatively flat) rock instead of a hammer..... Now if I could just work the Sugar Bunny into the story.... Do you know if that pitch has seen a 2nd free ascent since you guys did it Mark?

Was one of the pins an orangy-red color?

Speaking of tests, Chris Harmon of BD did some tests with the new skinny ropes which...*GASP...* prove conclusively and shockingly that they do not last nearly as long as the old phat ropes. After a a few were tested and found that they will NOT hold 1 uiaa fall. Heres a link to a 9.4 test which broke at 6Kn, (JUST CLICK THIS F*ING LINK AND READ IT BEFORE YA POST ABOUT IT) about what a toprope fall can generate. Surprisingly it did not break during the previous weekend's whippers (maybe dude was tied on the other end?) Beal ropes as well as Sterling, Edelweiss, Mammut were tested AND RESULTS WERE THE SAME. So, old f*s like moi, need to pay attention to this. I own an 11mil 18 fall rope. These phat guys can be beat with a hammer, tow a car, run over a sharpe edge and take a 100' fall and like the energizer bunny still be working and hold up fine: However, NEED TO PAY ATTENTION as the new super ropes age super fast!

Really? I suppose that it could have train wrecked bad. For instance, suppose they let lil Sugar Bunny loose on the green in the park right outside of the school. Free at last! Free at last! Free to walk and run in the sun, on the green green grass of home. Sugar Bunny, after an moment of wallowing in the freedom of the moment, notes that the grass is truly greener on the other side of the road and now has the freedom to head that direction (see this coming a mile away don't ya) . The children see their beloved bunny in the park and squealing in joy and happiness they run excitedly to the windows to yet glimpse once again their beloved Sugar Bunny. As bunny hops to the greener grass on the other side of the road, to the horror of the children a truck of rednecks passing by nails the bunny and runs right over it the top of it in the middle of the road. However, only the bunnies hindquarters are hit, and in agony, back broken and with entrails trailing, unsure of what occured it continues to drag itself across the road by it's forpaws. A trail of blood only marking the painful passing. It's lil hindquarters are never to work again. Oh but this horrorshow has not yet concluded, The children scream and cry. Their noses on the windows not seen and their pitiful wails and lamentations not heard by the man in the truck, who has by now circled back and is out of the vehicle walking as if in slow motion as he approaches the bunny with a tire iron and a hunting knife....... To be continued in tomorrows series to be called "Recipe and requiem for a Bunny, or how the Save Toby bunny was finally free". The moral of the story may now be proposed by our gentle readers.

Ah bull! I have had the same rope for sport climbing for 7 years. Works great! lol It depends. Being 2' above an anchor and falling 4' is a fall factor 2 fall and most likely if you are doing it on your older used rope, assuming that your kidneys survive, it will break your rope with a few falls, rope dependant of course. I have heard that ropes come in many sizes. Some have said that 9.1mil diameter (uiaa rating 5 fall factor 2 falls until breakage) is available. Some say 11mil (uiaa rating 18 fall factor 2 falls until breakage). So I suppose it really depends on many variables. Doesn't it? How much do you weight? How much does Jamin weigh. You weigh 80 kilos? 50? Some have noted previously that weight may play a difference. Falling 200 times 10' with 100' of rope out is a different thing altogether and nowhere as severe as a 4' fall on 2' of rope, not anywhere close to a fall factor 2 as defined by the Uiaa and will not harm your rope (excluding abrasion issues) . Totally. Click the UIAA link.

Congrats and thanks Jon and Timmy. We now will now return to the regular ramblings and nonsensical off topic intercourse and arguements.

That was YOU out there today? OMG I thought all you did was spray on the computer, although there was a rumor that you just pulled FreeforSOME. Seriously, nice surprise seeing you. Kev: you should have seen Joseph further up in outer space today... he was crushing rock.

It could be that the Mfgs of ropes are talkin about this very subject.......nahhh, probably not. OK, maybe they "heard" something. I wonder if they have web sites? ________________________________________________________________ BTW Jamin, I SAW one break under bodyweight, ON RAPPEL. (I didn't "see" it but was actually in the same remote area on lead when some kid ran up breathlessly asking for help) Made a rope litter, splinted and carried the dude out. Had his thigh bone sticking out through his pants. Maybe it did not have had enough duct tape. This event made me a believer in rope bags. One more thing: I went out climbing with Alan Lester once and he brought the rope. I asked how many falls it had had, and he said, "over 200". When you are 100 feet up and fall 4 feet, it's not so much a "fall" as a ....hmmm, snugging action. What a fall is are actually tightly specified by the rope Mfg if you peruse one of their pages or th Uiaa site. Oh look, the link to the Uiaa standards is right here if you click it Hope you get google back online soon.

Wow ! Quite the map as well plotting his course.

Super spray

What do ya need? 7.8mil (2 available still new), 9.1, 9.4, 10, 10.2, 10.5 or an 11mil? I understand that we are using Josephs ropes tomorrow to try a new route cause he's got other preferences which are not listed:-)

Mikes a solid pardner and a good guy. If any of you dudes have time off from the cyberdesk: this is the dude. Hola Mike

I'm ok with rules, and I'm ok with sheep, but generally just want to be left alone. I don't want to be tooled, and I don't want redneck hassles. BTW, if you follow the rules that does not mean you will be left alone. It only means you will be F***ed with most of the time.

Speaking only for me, I'm hopin for great winter. My boy is a HS senior and it looks like the last year we'll be rippin together a'for he heads off to do whatever the hell adults have to do. That must mean I'm getting old now:-)

Ditto on the thanks: and I'd leave it up. I think Off White spoke for me. Tuck it away in a corner someplace.

Then you get the benefit of being tooled and hassled on a regular basis. Oh, you'll still get your shit stolen too when the mans not there hassling you. Not me bubba.

Good to hear the full report! rental fee ?.....

"Snaffle ledge" was named by Becky in the 50's. Wonder how that came about.

Not according to Jesse Jackson.

Probably get the green off.....

Is this a new version of "Pop goes the Weasel"?

I'll take 2 ...errr.... 3of them.

NEVER NEVER NEVER never use a wire brush unless you are intentionally trying to make the rock slicker and increase the grade. Thats what I learned the hard way. Natural or polypropelene brooms and brisles only. Wire brushes rubs off the little rugosites and roughness and makes rock slicker and greaser. ___________________________________________________ Glad no one got nailed by the meteorite.

damnit all.