Rad
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Posts posted by Rad
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BTW, the Sail Flake and Flats pitches are great too. Somehow we didn't take pics on those. It was getting hot and we wanted to get off and into the shade.
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SP goes from thin hands to 4" and then to a chimney. It is really very friendly, with enough constrictions for great jamming and a nice edge to lieback. It's hard to imagine a more moderate way to free climb a vertical wall.
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Trip: Squamish - Grand Wall
Date: 5/18/2008
Trip Report:
A great trip except for some shenanigans at the border.
It was baking hot and humid on Saturday the 17th. A dozen parties stacked up on the Grand Wall, slowly cooking like hotdogs at the Quickie Mart. We were glad not to be one of them.
Sunday the 18th was much cooler. We went up the Grand Wall, with a botched attempt at Cruel Shoes as noted below. Except for one other party that rapped off from the base of the Split Pillar, we didn't see anyone else on the upper wall the whole day. Morning clouds burned off as we finished the Split Pillar, and it was nice and sunny in the afternoon.
Twas a trip to remember. Thanks Blake!
Blake leading The Flake p1. Trickier than expected.
Blake accidentally leaving Cruel Shoes for some 11d. We backed off, rapping back to go up Apron Strings because we couldn't find Cruel Shoes. Now we know where we should have gone...
Apron Strings p2.
At the base of Merci Me.
Merci Me p2.
Blake on the traverse to the Split Pillar.
Exposure at the base of the Split Pillar.
Split Pillar start.
Split Pillar school of jamming.
Upper Split Pillar.
The lower Sword.
The upper Sword.
Exposure at the top of the bolt ladder.
Blake leads Perry's Lieback with no hangs.
Bellygood ledge.
Gear Notes:
Doubles in the 0.5 - #3 camalot range, though the second #3 is not really needed if you're willing to run out the fist section of the Split Pillar. We didn't bring or need the #4.
Approach Notes:
10 minutes from the campground.
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Matt,
I have climbed with you and hope to again. I think we are on the same page here.
I suspect that the examples of bad habits you and I provided are just proxies for us to determine whether our partner has two key things: sound judgment (not just from a book), and habits that prevent what I call the 'fatal moment of inattention'. Most accidents boil down to a failure of one or both of these things.
When I tie in with a partner I am literally trusting that person with my life. Ask yourself if there is any other aspect of your life where you do that. I think that's pretty cool, and it's something that intensifies the bonds between climbers.
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KK, glad to hear you are helping where you can. I agree with you that some people's 'training' is woefully inadequate. However, I feel that doesn't justify withholding potentially life-saving information from them. Quite the opposite.
To add to Matt's comment, I have seen plenty of newbies who are VERY safe and responsible. I've also seen experienced climbers do things that I perceived to be irresponsible (brake hand off lead rope, setting up squirrely anchors, unclipping at belays on exposed multipitch routes etc). This latter group is more problematic than newbies IMHO. At least the newbies can plead ignorance and may change their bad habits. The 'experts' are generally less likely to acknowledge mistakes and change their practices.
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There is no reason to make some of these stupid mistakes! just a little reading and getting out with someone who is competent is all you need. I know there are gray areas, but some of the stuff cited above is so egregious I can't buy into the idea that it's part of "normal" learning.
OK, so you really are superior. Congratulations.
Don't you still have some responsibility to try, in some small ways, to help keep other people from being killed by their stupidity regardless of what their learning may or may not have been? Or, better yet, volunteer to mentor/teach newbies so they won't make these mistakes.
I guess you could just do nothing and whine on the internet...
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We all started somewhere. Most of us made stupid mistakes but survived them somehow. It would be great if we could help other new climbers survive those early days too.
Thanks to those of you willing to risk being rebuffed by arrogant attitudes of some novices. Maybe they don't want to hear the message, but perhaps, whether they admit it right away or not, they will learn something from you and be less likely to kill themselves another day.
How would you feel if you kept silent and then someone died? Probably worse than if that person chewed you out when you gave some unsolicited safety advice.
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The link to climbing is "Pistorius' lawyers countered with independent tests conducted by a team led by MIT professor Hugh M. Herr that claimed to show he doesn't gain any advantage over able-bodied runners."
........
Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius won his appeal Friday and can compete for a place in the Beijing Olympics.
Pistorius still must qualify, but he is now eligible to compete in the Olympics.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the 21-year-old South African is eligible to race against able-bodied athletes, overturning a ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations.
CAS said the unanimous ruling goes into effect immediately.
"I am ecstatic," Pistorius told reporters in Milan, Italy. "When I found out, I cried. It is a battle that has been going on for far too long. It's a great day for sport. I think this day is going to go down in history for the equality of disabled people."
Pistorius still must reach a qualifying time to run in the individual 400 meters at the Aug. 8-24 Beijing Games. However, he can be picked for the South African relay squad without qualifying. That relay squad has not yet qualified for the Olympics.
Pistorius appealed to CAS, world sport's highest tribunal, to overturn a Jan. 14 ruling by the IAAF that banned him from competing. The IAAF said his carbon fiber blades give him a mechanical advantage.
A two-day hearing was held before a panel of three arbitrators at CAS headquarters last month. Pistorius now is expected to get invitations from track and field promoters across the world who want him to run at their meets before Beijing.
Pistorius said he will be running in both able-bodied and Paralympic events before Beijing. His manager, Peet van Zyl, said the runner will compete in Milan on July 2 and the Golden Gala meet in Rome on July 11.
"Oscar will be welcomed wherever he competes this summer," IAAF president Lamine Diack said in a statement. "He is an inspirational man and we look forward to admiring his achievements in the future."
The International Olympic Committee welcomed the verdict.
"Oscar Pistorius is a determined and gutsy athlete who will now no doubt put all his energy into reaching the qualification standards for the Olympic Games," the IOC said in a statement. "If he makes it we would be delighted to welcome him."
Pistorius holds the 400-meter Paralympic world record of 46.56 seconds, but that time is outside the Olympic qualifying standard of 45.55. His training has been disrupted by the appeal process.
Even if Pistorius fails to get the qualifying time, South African selectors could add the University of Pretoria student to the Olympic 1,600-meter relay squad.
Pistorius would not require a qualifying time and could be taken to Beijing as an alternate. Six runners can be picked for the relay squad. Pistorius also expects to compete in Beijing at the Sept. 6-17 Paralympic Games.
The verdict also clears Pistorius to dedicate himself to competing at the 2012 London Olympics.
"A lot of the time we've had this year we've devoted to the court case," Pistorius said. "Now when I get home, my time can be dedicated to training. I am going to have to start thinking about getting my body in shape in order to run those (qualifying) times. I am hopeful there will be enough time but it is going to be very difficult.
"We have the opportunity once again to chase my dream of participating in an Olympics, if not in 2008 then in 2012."
The IAAF based its January decision on studies by German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann, who said the J-shaped "Cheetah" blades were energy efficient.
Pistorius' lawyers countered with independent tests conducted by a team led by MIT professor Hugh M. Herr that claimed to show he doesn't gain any advantage over able-bodied runners.
CAS said the IAAF failed to prove that Pistorius' running blades give him an advantage.
"The panel was not persuaded that there was sufficient evidence of any metabolic advantage in favor of a double-amputee using the Cheetah Flex-Foot," CAS said. "Furthermore, the CAS panel has considered that the IAAF did not prove that the biomechanical effects of using this particular prosthetic device gives Oscar Pistorius an advantage over other athletes not using the device."
Pistorius was born without fibulas — the long, thin outer bone between the knee and ankle — and was 11 months old when his legs were amputated below the knee.
Pistorius' lawyer was thrilled by the verdict.
"He simply has the chance now to compete fairly and equally," Jeffrey Kessler told The Associated Press. "We are particularly pleased that the decision is unanimous."
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If you head from the end of the slabs straight up to the notch there are only one or two small cracks (1-2ft width). Caveat: it has been 2 years since I've been there. In any case, this early everything will be sealed shut.
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A little farther South: Icicle Creek.
Plenty of rock climbing in the Icicle. Alpine routes in the Enchantments nearby.
FYI, this area is thin on glacier travel compared to the North Cascades, in case that's a factor in your decision.
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Yes, best to stay in the Smoke Bluffs until August.
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well not that soon ..falcon closures until August
OK
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Dibs on Squamish!
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couch to fridge.
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sounds like you need a break to recharge and find the passion again. continuing in the status quo is likely to breed resentment and result in an unhappy ending.
Dr. Ruth signing out.
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harder than hand traversing would be standing up and walking the traverse!
Isn't that how it should be climbed?
Seriously, I have never done it as a hand traverse.
I pull up and put my left foot in the low spot. Then there is a balancy move to reach a positive left facing hold up and left and viola, you are standing.
The walk across is not balancy at all imo.
That's about what I remember. The fun thing about climbing is that there is no right or wrong way.
"There's a million ways to go, you know that there are..."
Cat Stevens
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I took a year off to travel, but that was after grad school so it was a natural break that may be rather different from your situation.
Before going, I talked to several of my advisors/colleagues. I got two responses:
1 - I never took time off and really wish I had.
2 - I took time off and it was the best thing I ever did and I wish I had taken more.
At the time, I had no wife, kids, mortgage, significant other responsibilities. Now I do have all of those things, and I am doubly glad to have gone when I did.
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I'm surprised the bolt thumpers didn't dump on this thread.
Perhaps they have all been weaned from their whining ways and shall join us in the liberated age of enlightenment and free love!
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McCain has said he would not go negative in his campaign. I suspect that given the harsh treatment he received from Bushie during the '00 primaries, he might well stick to that pledge. While I can't say for certain, my guess is that Obama might do the same.
This reminds me of 6th grade x-country races. I was pretty even in ability with Peter Gallup, a total prick. We'd each won several races and had become rivals. As we ran along in one race, Peter suggested we take it easy and come across the line at the same time to tie. I held back and he surged in the last 10 meters and won that race. The next time out we agreed to tie again, and I blew his lying ass off the map.
Playing nice doesn't work in politics either. The party faithful want to see the dirt. So what happens is they form these separate groups (PACs? I don't recall the legal term) that put out nasty ads on the other party's candidate. Witness swiftboater smear campaign a few years back.
Oh, those ads don't have anything to do with me that was somebody else. Right, and the pope never gets a hard-on.
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I'd second MattP's comment on the S face of Jello being less than idea for a newbie trad leader.
I had been leading trad 8s, 9s, and some 10s for several years when I got on it. The gear protecting the crux is fairly tricky and likely to be one of your first pieces. I placed a nut that seemed solid but apalled to see it fall out just after I climbed past it - and no it was not a quickdraw/ropedrag pulling it out. At that point I was looking at decking and had to decide between climbing higher to the next protection stance or downclimbing through the crux. I chose the former and everything turned out fine. I wouldn't want a newbie to have to make the same choice.
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Sherri,
Now that you're feeling solid on hand jams you're probably ready to lead the Nutcracker in Yosemite. It's popular for good reason, though you may need to climb it by moonlight to avoid a crowd.
R
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Big Ben,
Thanks for the tip. Is there anything else you'd recommend to extend the fun? I'm not sure we're up to the Roman Chimneys yet.
Rad
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Nice job Sherri! I've never done p2 of Princely. You're right that the crux of the first pitch of feels pretty committing, but at least the gear is at your face when you start the mantle/step-up. If you want a good 5.8 testpiece lead all of the pitches of Aries/Lizard at GNS. Between fist crack, thin crack, a chimney flare, an undercling, and a hand crack it's got just about everything. If there's no one around you can TR the whole line with 2 60s on the chain anchors of GNS.
Hey Blake, if smelly shoes is your biggest flaw I'd say you're doing pretty good.
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Trip: Index delivers - the goods
Date: 5/10/2008
Trip Report:
I have enjoyed recent TRs where people have shared their climbing tales. IMHO this site could use more TRs, so I wanted to follow suit.
Summary:
Index stayed dry enough on May 10th to climb:
Ultrabrutal (minor wetness).
Tunnel Vision.
Angora Grotto (why the bolts next to the crack?).
Climax Control.
Cunning Stunt.
Morning Star (thanks for cleaning this).
Leave My Face Alone (need 2 ropes or a 70m rope to get down easily).
Zoom.
A slightly more animated account of a fabulous spring day (sorry, no camera):
It was overcast as I waited in a parking lot by the freeway in Everett for Blake just before 10am. Blake doesn’t seem to trust me around his girlfriend, even though I’m happily married with kids, so kept her locked safely inside the minivan. Undeterred, she and I exchanged longing glances and waved enthusiastically at each other through the shatterproof glass.
Blake hopped in my car and we headed East on Route 2, hoping the showers would hold off enough to allow us to savor some yummy Index climbs. The fact that the low hills and peaks were not visible did not bode well, but we pressed on ahead. At first, it was just cloudy. Then, just a few miles from the Index-Galena junction, it started. A few drops. Then more. Then still more. I reluctantly turned on the windshield wipers, no longer able to ignore the fact that the rain was preventing me from seeing the road ahead.
As we crossed the bridge we talked about whether to shoot through to Leavenworth or give Index a try despite the showers. It sure would be nice not to drive another hour plus each way…let’s just take a look at the Lower Town Wall.
The shower stopped just as we stepped out of the car. There was just one other car in the parking lot. We strolled over to the Country and looked at the wall. Now that’s an approach to envy! The opening mantle of Zoom was impossibly wet. Not good. But the vertical parts of adjacent climbs looked better.
I lead Ultrabrutal, carefully avoiding a few wet spots. 5.7
Blake lead Tunnel Vision, which was in good shape. The skies seemed to brighten a bit. I followed, weighting the rope to downclimb to a rest before firing the crux at the second bolt. Not quite clean. 10d in Sky, 11a/b in Cummins’ online guide.
Side note: Blake tells me he pmd Daryl Cramer (dcramer?) and sent some money for a guide. This seems like a good way to see that your money goes directly to the author and not to Amazon/REI/etc. I plan to send a pm to see if I can get one from him.
Looking up from Tunnel Vision, I decided to give Angora Grotto a shot, knowing I could lower off or French free if I couldn’t climb the route clean. Both guides list this at 11a. I started out more anxious than I needed to be, but was eventually able to calm the body and the mind. After all, it’s only sport climbing, and there’s no real danger (cue has-been trad-only-climber whiner poster who did ‘real’ climbing back in the day several decades ago).
Climbing up on my spray-inducing high horse…
I enjoy trad climbs as much as our favorite whiners, particularly when gear placements are solid but not obvious. A great trad climb is a puzzle that must be solved in two dimensions simultaneously: climbing the route clean, and adequately protecting it. Leading trad-onsight is a true joy. I freely acknowledge that it’s more strenuous to place gear on trad climbs than on sport routes.
However, I also enjoy sport climbing for several reasons:
1 - You can climb where there are no gear placements available.
2 - The moves are often more varied and interesting on sport routes than on crack routes.
3 - You can lead closer to the limit of your climbing ability without fear of injury.
4 - You can climb more routes/pitches per day than trad routes because clipping bolts is much faster than placing gear.
Anyone who thinks all bolt routes are wimpy needs to visit Tuolumne and climb some slabs, or for that matter Bachar-Yerian. Climbing has many forms. Enjoy them all if you can.
Climbing down off my high horse and back to Index…
I went up Angora Grotto with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised as I got higher and higher. There were some very fun moves over the roof, nice balance moves to the alcove just up and left, and up into the undercling/lieback above that. My spirits rose higher and higher as I approached the anchor. This was my first Index 11a climb and I was very psyched to get it onsight. I know there are harder 11as and even harder Index 10s, but it’s still a milestone for me.
Can someone tell me why the 1.5 inch crack at the start of Angora Grotto has bolts next to it? These are absent in the old Clint Cummins online topo and look pretty new. It is a lovely crack that would definitely take gear. You should have the rack from the Ultra-Brutal approach, unless you left it on that anchor as we did when we saw only bolts on the Sky topo. Would you approach from Climax Control? I doubt it. The link from the CC anchor to the anchor at the base of AG is a groove full of dripping green prickers and moss. Regardless, I don’t see the point of bolting next to this fine crack. Did I clip the bolts? Yes, so I guess I’ll burn in hell…but enough of that.
Next we TRd the line to the left of Angora Grotto (in Sky but not Cummins). The mantle down low and subsequent crack transitions felt substantially harder than Grotto even though Sky lists this section at 10+. The roof above, listed as 11b in Sky, is much easier. There’s something funny there, but I know I still have plenty of room to improve and much to learn.
We rapped to the ground and I rehydrated after taking off my sweaty helmet. Blake kept his stinky shoes on, thankfully, but I didn’t return the favor. The skies were still cloudy but we hadn’t had any more showers. The temperature was perfect. Cool but comfortable.
Blake lead Climax Control with one fall. Nice job. We pulled the rope as I wanted to save my energy for Cunning Stunt. I lead Cunning Stunt onsight, placing a stopper and cam to back up the rusty pin. Sky calls it 10d and Cummins calls it 11a. It felt easier than some of the other routes we did. Still, it was harder than any of the Index climbs I’d lead before Angora Grotto.
I then TRd Climax Control. I pulled through the crux, redlining, but couldn’t stay in control on the balancy stepup/mantle above that and teetered off. I now understand the route name. This one is worth coming back to do (11c in both guides).
Blake then lead Morning Star, a 5.8ish crack chimney, and continued to the Zoom p1 belay. MS has been cleaned up nicely since I saw it last year. Thank you.
Despite some wetness down low, Leave My Face Alone looked really good and Blake was kind enough to let me take a crack at it. This route goes up a corner/flake system to a small roof. Getting over the small roof and onto the upper face involved excellent moves that required some thought. The upper face is outstanding. It has a fabulous position and requires you to link amazing small square edges that get smaller and smaller as you approach the top. This climb really engages the brain as you get higher, which is always fun. The crux for me and Blake was the last ten feet to the belay ledge, which was quite devious and sequency. I set up on a sloping right sidepull, high-stepped into a tenuous smear, crimped a tiny left hold, and lunged for the final jug, whooping with joy upon catching it. In my view, this was the best climb of the day. This route is 11a in both guides. I was very psyched to climb it onsight. I know grades mean little, and 5.11a is only moderate in the Layton book of grades, but for me this is a breakthrough. For almost two decades, 5.11 was a psychological barrier, an impenetrable ceiling through which I thought I would never pass. Free the mind and the body will follow.
Unfortunately, our single 60m rope didn’t reach back to the Zoom belay so we played some downclimbing games, always protected, to get there. I refused to set up an intermediate rap on a small sapling, though a new sling indicated someone had recently done just that. Note: a 70m would probably reach, or you could climb on two ropes. Neither guide mentions this.
As we started rapping down Zoom a small shower blew through the valley. By the time we were down it had stopped. We TRd Zoom and headed off to wash the sweat and dirt off our faces in the bracing waters of the swollen river. This time Blake didn’t spare me the unquenchable stench of his shoes, but I was too high on the day to care.
Not bad for a late start on a rainy day…
We only saw two other parties on the entire Lower Town wall the entire day.
Thanks for an excellent outing, Blake, and for letting me lead some great pitches.
Coming soon: Cruel Shoes, the Grand Wall, and the Black Dyke!
Gear Notes:
Rack, draws, and tea in thermos.
Approach Notes:
Step out of car, walk 100yds East on train track, set down pack, climb.
[TR] Squamish - Grand Wall 5/18/2008
in British Columbia/Canada
Posted
Hmm. I don't remember that bolt, but then I'm old and senile and it's already been three days...
The lower piece is missing in the second shot. Perhaps the lower shot was the first attempt and the upper shot was taken after the leader placed a second piece before going back up for another attempt.
Where were these shots taken from? Looks like well above the belay.