Rad

Tape is aid - like BAND-AID! Try it sometime, everyone's doing it

Vesper rocks, and you can link it with Sperry pretty easily. The following are excellent workouts with a little 3rd or 4th class and some great views at the top: Kaleetan (S ridge). Baring. Del Campo.

There goes my last excuse for not doing it, and my onsight! Thanks. ........... "RE Steepstreet: The new start is pretty cool. The undercling is bomber and fun. The move out left after clipping felt a bit harder than I remember though, as you can no longer get a good right foot."

BTW, has anyone climbed Steep Street since that huge block fell off? It looks like the opening moves now involve a committing undercling on a questionable protrusion that could easily snap off and lead to a backflipping groundfall. Thanks.

Don't sweat it. That section of rock will probably come flaking off the nesxt time it rains anyway. Aren't there Euro crags where the name of each route is painted at it's base, or is that urban legend?

While there, pick up the phone at Newhalem and call your 206 friends for free. Anyone know what's up with that?

Exit 38 (far side) has a low angle grid-bolted slab that looks like 4th or 5.0 and soloable. If you don't want to solo to the anchor you could fix the rope at the base and self-belay. My son is 3 and I am thinking he might be about ready to try climbing soon. Let us know how it goes.

Last summer we had a group going up weekly. We're still working out which day will work this year. You're more than welcome to join us. Perhaps next Tuesday? Send me a pm next week and I'll share what I know. Cheers, Rad

I hope safety is your #1 factor in making a device decision and that cost is secondary.

Traffic volume is a non-issue as there are NO ROADS that connect Stehekin to the rest of the grid. You'd have to ship your car there by boat. The only vehicles that were going up there were hiker/visitor shuttles, run by the park service or contracted out, or Stehekin locals. Blake can tell you how many people live in the Stehekin valley, but I bet it's less than 200. Just the other day a few folks and I were running off all the roads that are washed out and don't plan to re-open any time soon. The number is staggering, and many would see much more use than the upper Stehekin river road.

As PP suggests, Yos ratings often feel stiff for first-timers. I think the reason is due to several factors: 1 - you need to be tuned into jamming cracks (all sizes) without access to face holds. Few WA areas will prepare you. 2 - Yosemite pitches, particularly classics, are often very sustained. Example: NE buttress higher cathedral has 300ft of continuous 5.9 moves. 3 - Most of the classic moderates were put up in an era when 5.9 was thought to be the top end of difficulty. Thus, there are some tough 5.9s out there because people thought if it would go free then it couldn't be 5.10. 4 - Classics see a lot of traffic, which leads to polishing of key holds. Royal arches is the best example I know.

I wrote a letter in the comment period for the 'evaluation' and was disappointed with the result as you are. However, I disagree with this: You can see and experience them, just not by car. By your reasoning, the Pickets would not inspire us. Quite the opposite is true for those I know who have been there. Blake, I like your idea. Unfortunately it also comes down to $. The park services is strapped for cash and a road along the lines you mention would cost millions of dollars. By all means write your legislators. I would enjoy a road there as it would allow my kids to access sooner rather than later. BTW, are you heading to Stehekin this summer as a baker or ranger? Cheers, Rad

What did you expect on "Exfoliation Dome"?

Been there, done that. I slipped unexpectedly off a crappy foothold trying to clip the 2nd bolt on what would have been my hardest redpoint. My astute belayer reeled in an arms-length of rope and jumped back, catching me just as I hit the deck. I would have been fine except the ground was uneven. I sprained my ankle badly and limped away. The lesson I learned: sometimes instead of clipping as soon as the pro is within reach it's better to climb even or past the bolt/pro so you can clip from a better hold/stance. This also reduces wasted energy pulling the rope up to clip. Regarding the rest of the thread, I'd say the best way to learn to lead is to follow. Find an experienced leader whose risk-taking profile is similar to yours and follow and clean trad pitches he/she leads. Look carefully at the placements as you clean. Heck, if this is a single-pitch outing you might even pull the rope, lead using the pre-placed pieces. Too easy? Then clean the pieces and place them all yourself on lead with the knowledge of which ones go where. Lastly, the first few times you fall on your own gear placements and they hold your confidence will bump up. This will help quiet the voices in your head on future leads. The first time your gear blows out will have the opposite effect - hopefully you'll be thinking 'I knew that piece was sketchy'. Be safe, have fun.

Sounds like a great trip. Here are a few ideas for moderate climbs: NE Buttress higher Cathedral (not the spire). If you like crakcs this is a good one. 5.9 IV (Said by many to be the best grade IV in the valley). Plan on a full day for this. Longish approach and descent. Standard rack reqd. Several variations on the last pitches can cause confusion. pm if questions. Braille Book. 5.8 III. About the same approach and descent as above but the climb is a bit shorter and easier. Pro to 3". Central Pillar of Frenzy. Middle Cathedral. 5.9 II/III Very short approach, can be quite popular. Climb as high as you like and rap the route (people often rap after 5 pitches)(this is still on my to do list). E Buttress of Middle Cathedral. 5.10something. Popular, short approach. This is still on my list. Nutcracker 5.8 II. Manure pile buttress. Very popoular but still fun. Short approach. Many start variations allow you to leapfrog past slow parties, but there is a bottleneck around the crux pitch. Munginella and 6ish are easy (5.4-5.6) multipitch routes on the manure pile buttress left of nutcracker. I haven't been on them. Snake Dike on half dome. 5.7. I would avoid against selecting this climb because the approach is VERY long, likely will have snow, and the cables on half dome will probably still be down. Royal Arches. 5.6. III Good intro for newbies but I thought the climbing was not that interesting. The moves off the ground behind the hotel include the most polished, unprotected, '5.6' chimney you'll ever ascend. Crest Jewel on North Dome is excellent. 5.10a friction. ONLY QUICKDRAWS REQD! It looks like a lot of pitches but it goes quite quickly. Be prepared for long runouts. Best to approach from the Tuolumne road. Can also be approached via Royal Arches and then down the North Dome gully. There's lots, lots more but that should give you some ideas. Reed's Yosemite Select is a good guide to use/borrow. Have a great trip! (got any room in your luggage?)

The science of risk assessment This article suggests that sleep-deprived climbers are more likely to make high risk/high reward choices (e.g. run it out, descend unknown gully, untie prematurely) they would not make if well-rested. Does this reflect what you have seen?

This looks to me like a case of marketing sour grapes. The organizations you deride are being effective in generating revenues, and apparently you are not. My small suggestion: Brevity, recall, is the soul of wit. Rather than trying to poke holes in the practices of other operations, perhaps you might identify an un-met need or pent up demand and develop a product/company that addresses that opportunity. Then you might be better able to generate the revenues required to help you achieve your lofty goals. Good luck.

It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the end. Tis true. (Warning: biologist attempting physics calculation - no warranties expressed or implied). The punch line: If a 100kg mass falls 5 meters it reaches a velocity of 10m/sec. If it is stopped in 0.1 seconds the force required to stop it is 10kN. Note that this assumes no energy is absorbed by the rope, the climber, the pieces, the sling, or friction. In practice, all of these things do contribute. Modeling them is beyond my meager capabilities. Also note that if you increase the time of stopping the mass you decrease the force required to stop it. This is why dynamic ropes put lower loads on pieces and climbers than static ropes, ditto dynamic belays. This is also the reason why bumpers are designed to crumple on impact and why airbags are effective. ................ So... Force is measured in newtons = kg(m)/sec-sec. Indeed, force = ma (where a is acceleration = m/sec-sec). Inspection of the units reveals that force is also equal to a change in momentum per unit time, sometimes called an impact force. In other words force = change in momentum/stopping time = MV/T Momentum is MV (v is velocity of the object, M its mass). Stopping time is T. Solve for V, the velocity of the falling mass: V = F*T/M Now plug in numbers: 230lbs is about 100kg. Let's say the stopping time is 100 miliseconds (0.1 seconds). Note, I have no idea if this is a good estimate for the stopping time. Force = 10kN (keep numbers simple for estimates). V = 10m/sec. Now, if a mass is dropped how far must it fall before it reaches 10m/sec? In that case, the gravitational potential energy (Mgh) is converted into (read equal to) the kinetic energy (mv*v/2). Note that mass cancels out. All objects accelerate at the same rate, g. Solve for h (height dropped) = v*v/2g g = 10m/sec-sec. v = 10m/sec (see above). Plug them in and you'll see that h = 5 meters. So, a 100kg mass that falls 5m will be moving at 10m/sec. A force of 10kN will be required to stop it in 0.1 seconds.

Thanks for the ideas. I am personally hoping it will be bomber so the line can go trad, but safety is my top priority. I like the crowbar/videocamera idea best. If any entertaining pics or video emerge we'll post them.

Thanks for the flake-chopper pic...is that my lost neutrino?! Please drop it in the mail. tks

Suppose you are putting up a new route on a granitic crag and encouter a sizeable flake. This thing is 10 ft wide, 7 feet high, about 6 inches thick, and the crack behind it is about 1-2 inches wide. One must use its lower and upper edges to climb past. After stomping on it on rappel it seems pretty solid. However, you are concerned that if someone were to place a cam near the far end of the flake a lead fall onto that cam would result in high forces at the end of the flake, which would apply a huge torque on the beast, potentially prying it loose. It must weigh a ton, and if it comes off it would almost certainly kill anyone in its path. To make matters worse, the flake is very sharp. The rope might get stuck and/or cut if it runs behind it. The route is really great otherwise, and definitely worth climbing. You want this route to be climbed safely by lots of people (it's Renton granite, after all). sickie Would you bolt the wall next to the flake to discourage cam placements behind it? What about bolting the flake itself (might help keep the rope out of danger)? How might you test the stability of the block without endangering anyone? How might you help prevent the rope from running behind or getting cut by the flake? You considered shotcreting the whole thing shut and bolting on plastic holds on to make it 5.6 instead of 5.10. However, you are hoping that some clever route setters on CC might have a better idea.

I am a simpleton who could stand to learn how to properly use a clove hitch, but this is pretty idiot-proof: Figure 8 = Knot to tie harness to rope. Figure 8 = Knot to tie rope to anchor at top of pitch. Figure 8 = Knot that ensures I don't rappel off the end(s) of the rope. Figure 8 = Knot to tie behind belay device so I can keep partner safe but free my hands for something (e.g. sort rack and flake rope at belay before partner leads next pitch). I keep a sling girth-hitched on my harness for clipping into anchors. When I rappel, this is the last thing I undo after I check the anchor, my harness buckle, and my rap device/locking carabiner. This sling is often the first thing I clip to the anchor, but I may undo it after a knot is in place if it is too short. In most cases I belay directly off my harness. In addition to reducing loads on the anchor, it is usually faster and requires less force. The times I belay off the anchor are when my partner (plus pack) is large and expected to fall/hang substantially.

Right you are. The force in top-roping is double that of rappelling, even if there is no fall distance. This assumes negligible rope friction at the anchor, which is what we strive for anyway. To see this see look at the first force diagram here or the first pulley diagram here

Counterpoint: (warning, plot spoilers below) There is some pretty mountain footage, but you guys got my hopes too high. Most of the climbing footage is of Harlin following moderate (if loose) ground, with the guide's wife next to him or just above him the whole way. I wanted to see the badass guide leading hard pitches with basically no pro at all. The very brief footage of him climbing was impressive, but we never saw more. Then at the top the guide's wife is feeling faint, so she calls in a chopper for a shortrope ride home. Great photo ops. Then they drop her off, still at the end of the shortrope, in her backyard, literally, where grandma and her daughter come running in for the victory hug. Puke-o-rama. Finally, coming down off the glacier, there is a gratuitous crevasse crawl crumble crash for dramatic effect. Whazzup? There were opportunities to film leading that were missed. There were better opportunities to talk about the technical parts of climbing (ice tools, rock pro, anchors, how leading works) and how they fit into the story, but they were missed. Maybe they ended up on the editting room floor. The human story is good, but Harlin's father was pioneering a bold, new, hard route up the face as part of true team effort when he died. Harlin got two guides to lead every pitch on a well-established route while he followed. There's nothing wrong with that approach; it's probably what I would do if I had the chance, but comparing the young Harlin's climb to his father's is like comparing apples and oranges. It is still a compelling vanquish-the-demons-of-dad's-death human story nonetheless. I'll still give it a big thumbs up. The Alps scenery footage is jaw dropping. The tangents on Alps climbing history and avalanche studies are excellent. The dialog and people are all very good. Go see it for these things, but don't expect great things from the climbing footage. - edit: limestone sporto clipping next to a waterfall was way cool.

Best to call the Leavenworth ranger station and ask about permits even if you think you don't need them. It would be a bummer to get a fat ticket on your car at the trailhead when you could have easily gotten a permit.