catbirdseat

The only data I could find on impact force of one strand versus two strands is for the Beal Joker which is rated as a single, double and twin. Impact of a single with 80 kg weight is 8.2 kN. It increases to 9.5 kN used as a twin. That's impressive. So Matt, if you were climbing on a pair of Beal Jokers, I'd grant you that 1.3 kN difference is not very significant. Maybe that's the rope you want to get to replace those ropes you are so unhappy with.

I think it started out as a pet when it was small and cute. When it got large they decided they didn't want it anymore. It's big enough now to take a finger off if you aren't careful.

Okay, Dru. Forgive the oversight. I forgot about those crap placements.

A neighbor found this big turtle wandering the neighborhood and my wife took it thinking maybe it was a pond turtle. I took one look at it and knew what it was. Snapping turtles are non-native, so we can't just turn it loose somewhere. If no one wants it, we'll have to kill it. Before you ask, the zoo definitely doesn't want it. If you live on the East Coast or somewhere where they are native, I could ship it to you and you could release it.

Indeed it is what I said. But where Matt and I disagree is on the propriety of clipping both strands into the same piece of pro. My position is if it is a bolt or a really bomber piece, or if the fall factor is low, go for it, otherwise don't. Matt's position is that if a piece is going to blow, it will blow regardless of whether you clip both strands to it or not.

By the way, some of the smaller single ropes give test data for the half-rope test (55 kg vs. 80 kg) in addition to the standard single rope test. If the impact force is less than 8 kN in the half rope test, it means it passes and therefore can be used as a half rope. This answers Matt's question on why not two single ropes, apart from the fact that two singles are generally heavier.

The argument goes like this. Each half rope is tested by itself to prove that it can take at least one severe fall. This means that while it can take one severe fall, it might break if a second severe fall were to occur on that section of rope. However, since you have two such ropes, this increases your safety margin against rope breakage (or being cut over an edge) so that the chance of both ropes breaking is less than the chance of a larger single rope breaking. Back to the discussion of protection, both Dru's and Matt's comments explain why I like the double rope system. It is very flexible and allows many options. Obviously, if every placement were a double one you'd end up using twice as much gear on the route, assuming each set of placements were spaced as you would normally. In practice, you'd only double up certain placements where it make the most sense to do so.

Matt, you don't have to be sketched to want to double up on pro. A prudent climber if faced with a crux, may want to double up for certain moves, especially if there is a ledge immediately below. The same applies whether you are using singles or doubles.

Everyone has their price.

This is a great gig Marie. You get to climb a beautiful mountain and get paid to do it.

It would help if you gave us an idea where you left it. Did you set it down somewhere and forget it, or did you drop it? If so which side?

Garth Bruce wrote guide books for both Exit 32 and Exit 38 that are quite good. They are widely available. Check out his website: www.northbendrock.com There is a page which shows which stores carry the books.

It sucks worse when people plunge down steps that were put in for going uphill and mess them up. When you consider it is usually easier to make your own steps in untrodden snow going down hill, it's pretty stupid.

I'm on for Wednesday this week. How about the Trestle Area? There are some routes I'd like to do in the Substation and on the second level above Deception.

If you read the original post you see that what ticked off the person was the perceived lack of civility on the part of the SAR people. No one is exempt from being polite and no one can "reserve" the rock. If you are on it and are climbing it, it is yours. Cutting in, no, that's not kosher.

That does not sound good for public relations at all.

Ask Toast. He went up there this weekend.

Thanks for the memories. I did the route under virtually identical sloppy conditions a few years ago. Next time I will wait for cooler temperatures.

Not enough brains to figure out three people just might be roped up on a glacier.

Okay, call me slow, but I finally learned what "poot" means. In addition to it's colloquial use to mean "fart", it refers to bailing off a route. A poot sling is one that was used to rap off. In this case, I surmise that someone started up the route and didn't realize it turned into an offwidth. Not having the gear, they bailed from a hex.

Total Soul goes into shade at about 2 or 3 pm. Wait until that time and it will be pleasant.

Are you sure you want to do Dreamer on what is predicted to be such a hot day? It's going to bake up there.

You meant to say "Je ne sais quoi". A buddy of mine was playing golf once and fell off the edge of the putting green breaking his wrist.

It appears that it might have rained on 28th, the day he was out there.

Is there any way to find out what the weather was like on the day he went missing? Are there records on the web?