high_on_rock

I have a few youth who want to try their first experience at rock climbing, wondering if there are any great crags for absolute beginners in/near wenatchee, otherwise I will merely take them to the Feathers. Suggestions?

I also need WH beta. Back in the early 70s, my stepfather was the president of the Everett Mtnrs. He lived his later years in Darrington, and died this past winter. On the June 21 weekend,family is having his ashes taken to the top of Whitehorse, and I have the notion to meet the helicopter up high. It is my understanding that getting to the summit at that time of year is difficult, but what about just getting up the trial to High Pass? Any thoughts on routefinding that time of year? will I be fighting berry bushes the entire way? Any input is welcome.

I don't want to list brand names/ stores/ branding until I have personally had a chance to inspect the stuff. Assuming that I am as convinced as everyone else, I will list the details. sorry

Thank you all for your good thoughts. Here is what happened to the best of what I can reconstruct. You will note that I am a stickler for what I “know” verses what I “believe” so that we limit misinformation. I have climbed 15+ years, many years getting in more than 250 days per year, and must have over 500 days climbing at vantage. I know the area, know what I am doing, and know most of the moderate routes, even if I rarely know the names of the climbs. This spring I find myself fat and out of shape, and invited a few of my old high school students out climbing for the weekend. Some of these students have become great climbers, other have not climbed in the 7 years since our last time. I had a couple beginners head down to the sunshine wall, so I decided to hang a rope on “Justified Ancients of the Mu Mu” (5.8) for them to climb on. My belayer is a great kid who had not climbed much in the preceding years. He belayed quite a few routes on Saturday and did a great job. Hand movements were consistent and correct, attention to detail was correct, focus was great. A notable fact is that my fat ass was weighing in at about 225, and he weighed in at about 170ish. Belayer was using an ATC device, and using it well. I climbed up the pillar to the last bolt on the front face. My hands were tired from being so darn out of shape, so I stopped to hang twice and rest while the belay held me. On about the last bolt on the front face, I clipped in with a new runner recently purchased. The runner was sewed webbing about 6 inches long being used basically in the same way one would use a quickdraw. To rest, I told my belayer that I am going to have to rest, so to “take” me. I reached over and grabbed my hand around the runner, then shifted my weight onto the runner, which immediately “zipped” out of my hand and disappeared. As I started falling, I had the sense to kick my feet out so that they would stay underneath me, figuring that I would just hit the wall down a ways when the next bolt caught. Somewhere in the half-way down range, I know that the rope came taunt for a moment, serving to slow my momentum yet throw me off balance. What was happening during the rest of the descent is merely a blur to me, but I do remember at least once being jerked at the harness. Meanwhile, when I told him to “take,” my belayer (being much lighter than I am) leaned heavily back into the rope to hold my weight as I laid back into it. When the runner “broke,” I assume that he immediately fell backward just as I did. My belayer tumbled, fell, caught, and was “beaten up” during this event. After the event, he had cuts/scrapes/bruises showing that he had been in a fight. I have no doubt that in his tumble, slack entered the system while he was fighting for control. Belayer eventually caught the rope, and was pulled back up the wall by my momentum. I don’t know how far I actually fell, but while laying there someone asked me and I looked up from the ground and estimated 40 feet. Where I first hit was on a rock ledge, flat on my back. Since most of my injuries were merely “hairline fractures” I have NO DOUBT that my momentum had been slowed SIGNIFICANTLY by the belayer. I have NO problem with the belayer doing the best he could, and give him huge credit for slowing my momentum at his own injury. He has my love and my appreciation for saving my life. While laying there waiting for the chopper, I was awake and coherent (no head injuries whatsoever.) We looked up at the climb, there was still a biner hanging alone in the top hanger. The corresponding biner was hanging on the rope. People went and found the “runner” and numerous who have viewed it have told me that it is their opinion that the runner had been glued but never been sewed. When I get out of the hospital I will investigate further. My preliminary view is that “people make mistakes” and the manufacturer merely let this one runner out of the shop without getting sewed. I am glad to be alive, glad to have NO permanent injuries, NO head injuries, and glad that it was not someone else who “discovered” that I had a defective piece of gear on my rack. Love to all of you. The lesson to be learned: Even NEW gear can be defective.

hey all, thank you for the concern, I am doing fine. Within a couple days I will submit a write-up of my full analysis of what happened, but thought I should address the condition of the "victim." Damn I got lucky. The end result is a fractured pelvis (two places, surgery completed now healing); 5 hairline fractures in the spinal column, and a bunch of broken ribs. The pelvis has been fixed and will require wheelchair for minimum 8 weeks, the rest look as though they will heal merely with braces. One leg beaten up, but not broken. Small "slice" in the kidney, should heal itself. lungs were "poked" but no holes, and should heal. ABSOLUTELY ZERO injuries from chest up! Not even a tender spot in my head (was not wearing helmet). Not even a scratch on my body from the shoulders up. Should be a long spring, a boring summer, but by Fall I should be brand new. The belayer suffered some cuts/bruises/scrapes on his arm and upper body as he tumbled about. He will be fine, and was treated at home. I still want to see a couple more items for myself before giving my analysis, because I don't want to get any details wrong. I assume that I will post my thoughts within days, and thank you all for your patience. Love to all!

I am planning on taking a bunch of children to Vantage soon. Any bathrooms out there yet?

Anyone think we should clean the spray out of the climbing forums?

What I would like to see is less "pissing" all over eachother. I grow tired of reading thread after thread to merely have it be KKK and trask and others pissing back and forth. Spray should be in spray, save the rest of the site for climbing stuff. Merely my thoughts.

The answer is, "YES, without a doubt".

There are two ways to set up the tibloc, the right way and a couple of wrong ways (like upsidedown). First, use a rounded biner as it will work more smoothly. second, make sure that the rope is running through the caribiner and in the tibloc, not merely though the tibloc. If it is running through the biner it has never shredded the rope on me. Before i learned that trick, I had it shred some rope by running it merely through the tibloc. Fast to set up, works beautifully. If you ever want a demo buddy, just let me know.

I like to leave a tibloc or similar about every rope length to help keep the second from pulling off the lead climber.

I think this raises a great question of why we tie our shoes with different knots than we use to tie our ropes. Why don't we use a European death knot to tie our shoes?

I have taken my kids to the feathers for years and they enjoy the heck out of it. now that they can read, I will be "altering" some of the poetry in the outhouse, but the kids love the experience of being there.

I hope you are feelin the love here buddy, seems like the CC folks are behind you and willing to help if you need it.

well, I am guessing that those dates did not work for folks, any other suggestions? e