AFIVE
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The U.S. got it's first batch of Friends!! What a glorious day that was. Can't wait to see what's out there 28 years from now.
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What about Sherman's new spot...Tam O'Shanter? Anyone been there? The quartzite looks pretty bomber and fun. It is mostly a sport area. C.H. gave me a copy of the guide which I have looked through, but have not been there. The routes go from 5.4 to 5.13+. There are 89 routes listed as of last August. It's 20 miles S.E. of Oak Flats. I don't know if the guide is available online or not. There is no website listed in it. John Sherman would be the guy to get in touch with.
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Then why did you mention it in a Patagonia thread? I know some folks are to lazy to drag large gear into remote areas do to it's weight. I'm not implying that the FA's of this route were lazy, but that is often why you see bolts on wide cracks. The grade is usually lower by one grade on cracks if you aren't poking gear in on lead. Obvioulsly none of us know wheather things are loose up there or not, but my comment was more to do with the way people learn to climb these days. In gyms, at sport crags.....I think it is important to pass on the history of the sport and attempt to save the rock for future generations who can send in better style. By all means if you can't get gear in...put in a bolt. The looks of those pictures I mentioned sure look like there could have been gear placed.
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Use a Wild Country Zero cam or a BD C3 cam!
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It seems to come up in threads I make a comment on. Like it's some jab at me to let me know the "secret" is out. Well it's never been a secret! Don't worry Mark, I'm not mentioning the other areas around there. I have only made reference to TC in it's original thread. Hell I don't think I have ever mentioned the crags name.
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That place has been on my list of places to go for over 12 years. Still haven't got there yet. I'll bash bolts next to cracks till I'm dead! I was waiting for the Wolfgang comment...I don't give a f@%$#&* who you are! Bolts next to cracks = BAD STYLE....ALWAYS!! Just because he climbed hard and you have heard of him, makes it ok to bolt the rock where it could easily be protected with natural pro???? I would most likely do a FA when I finally get down there, but if I ever get on that route...You can guarantee I WONT BE CLIPPING THOSE BOLTS. If you think it's fine to bolt cracks, you unfortunately didn't have a crusty old school mentor over 18 years ago. If we aren't passing on history and the value of ethics, then we aren't doing the rock justice with our newer geration of climbers. This newer gerneration far out numbers the amount of people engaging in this activity even 10 years ago! There are a place for bolts, and that isn't right next to a crack!
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The problem I've had with the clove hitch is underestimating the distance to the next stance when making a free move and then getting about 7/8th of the way there when the rope comes tight.
Somestimes if you connect the clove hitch to two locking biners, it doesn't lock off as much with rope weight and still locks off when you fall on it. The Silent partner is the best for this because of it's large diameter wheel which keeps the clove hitch feeding rope smoothly, much better than the two biners. When you take a fall the wheel locks off like a seatbelt mechanism in a car and lets the clove hitch lock off. Are you mainly going to aid or free climb? This is the best for free climbing because you can take a fall in any orientation and the "Silent Partner" will lock off. The "Soloist" will also feed rope smoother than a clove hitch, but won't catch an upside down fall. If you are aiding, then the self feeding rope isn't as important. The clove hitch or "Solo Aid" are a bit smaller in the front of your harness and do require self feeding a bit, but still hold falls in an upsidedown orientation. I have never tried the prussik method above, but would reccomend using "dynamic prussik cord" if you were to do it that way. Yates and Bluewater have dynamic prussik cords.
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Here is an e-mail I got this morning from JW who is working hard on this project..........PM me if you want the letter he attatched to me.
Hey!
The Yosemite stuff is totally on as far as we're planning but you never know who might have to flake. Honestly we're 100% swamped with the China trip right now. That is the crucial step to getting this thing off the ground and building the momentum we need. Chouinard has a vision for the film that we share: Get to China by way of tax deductable contributions made through the AAC challenge grant and then have proper coorporate sponsorship for the rest of the film (Luking Fear, Bugaboos, interviews, post-processing, $ for us, etc.). 95% of the coorporate world fianancing will be 6+ months out anyway, same with the way most yearly grants are awarded. We would love your involvement at any point. It's too early to tell what we could do in return but appreciate the offer. I'll attach the AAC letter. Feel free to share as you see fit. Also, other donations are coming in and are much appreciated. The leaing guy (company) in high altitude O2 in North America is donating the Oxygen which is great and a high altitude specialist MD is donating his time and paying to be along at base. We'll have to probably put 4 camps on this thing and fix a fair bit of rope so there is plenty of room for other types of donations but we're not writing that into the challenge grant. Tell Pat we'd be psyched for his involvement too if Yosemite works out...and it would be cool to meet in the Valley regardless. IC sounds amazing but I doubt I'll be able to justify more time from work. I'm basically taking 10 weeks this Spring. Thanks man I'll keep you posted. Can't wait to get back out to TC for some cold camping...haven't been since last Fall.
Cheers,
Jeff
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It's a bummer the route they are on have bolts within inches of gear gobbling cracks!! Picture #22 and #23 are the ones I'm referring to. Picture #22 would take big green cams for that OW pitch. Pic #23 also has a fixed LA down to the lower right of the Pussy bolt he is clipped into, plus the gads of options for clean gear all around him. Bad style on who ever put up the route!! This shit shouldn't happen in arenas like this! Or anywhere for that matter. Don't bring the rock down to your level.....if you don't have the gear...leave it for someone who does, or comeback with the right gear and do it in style.
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Nice work Micheal!! Glad you got out this round. I am extreemly jealous of all of you folks who are out seeking it because it might be there. Yes I got my hernia surgery a week ago! I am finally off the Vicodin and just chillin online looking at where my mind is, and where the body is unable to satisfy the brain. I won't be out climbing until late April! Keep posting the frozen pics....I am enjoying looking at them. Portland folks...you would be supprised what you can find at Rocky Butte with these cold snaps. Also take a drive south on 99E into Millwaukie from Sellwood/Eastmoreland....You will see a body of water on your right, and at the far end of that...you will see something white and vertical....Yes that is ice. I can't go get it so someone else should. These were areas not known for ice that I found the last round as well as the stuff in the gorge. Let me know what you all find!! Happy hunting.
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What color was it? You waited two years before calling and seeing what was up with them fixing your cam??? You are one patient dude!
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Sounds like a great project! Will be filmed with some local guys. They did Spirit of Snow for Lenticular Pictures. Fred may be linking up with Aamon soon to do Lurking Fear! Can't wait to see and hear what becomes of this project.
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CM- is that you flying around on a most beautiful day?
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U.S. Outdoor also has them.
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U.S Outdoor Store just got the La Sportiva Nepal Extreme Evo's for women!! Not to sure how many shops have high end insulated female boots, so we have a good size run in stock.
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U.S. Outdoor Store just got a pair of Nomic's in! They were supposed to be here in November, but they didn't get their shipment from France when they were slated and they didn't send many. It's a great feeling tool! Have not personally climbed on them....yet.
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There was another similar device by Simond at the show that had a device built into it for lowering folks off in autoblock mode, but it was a bit clunky and always there for the seldomly used lowering mode. Sorry I can't remember the name of that device off the top of my head right now.
This device from Simond is called the Toucan ref#10026
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If everyone in the group is using this beacon....it can pick up motion and detect a heartbeat, tell you which victims are being searched for, which victims have been positively probed and marked. These beacons can speak to one another to give you this info while searching. In a multiple burial situation it will list victims #1, #2, #3, #4 etc. If you have found #4 probed marked- you can hit a button and it will tell the other folks searching that #4 has been identified. You can see that someone is looking for #2, so you don't duplicate searchers on the same victim. It may show a heart next to #1 and nothing by #3...you will know to look for victim #1 first and then go to victim #3 last (having the least odds of still being alive). The arrow always points to the victim as you move the beacon in different directions kind of like how a compass needle points to magnetic north. This will help you take the fastest line along the flux line to the beacon you are searching for. All in all a really cool beacon. The Pulse is going to retail for around 399.00. This was one of the coolest beacons I saw at the show. The S1 from Ortovox was pretty cool as well, but cost 599.00. Both of these prices are much cheaper than a funeral, and way faster than anything produced to date!
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I got one from R.S. @ BD about three weeks ago. So far I have used 8.0mm half ropes which work well in autoblock mode. 9.2mm and 9.4mm single ropes cragging, and I just used a 10.2mm cord in it as well. I have not tried my 7.6mm twins in it yet, but I am guessing they will work just fine like the 8.0mm. It is the best at handling a wide range of diameters out of any of the devices I have used to date. It offers alot more friction than the Reverso when it's not used in autoblock mode (belayer below the climber). You can use a small wire to slip through the relese tab hole and clip the wire with a biner. The new 6mm Mammut slings that will be out in about a month would work well too like other folks have pointed out. I found the small nut trick to work fine. I have not personally tried the girth hitched method. It is close to the same weight as the ATC XP. There was another similar device by Simond at the show that had a device built into it for lowering folks off in autoblock mode, but it was a bit clunky and always there for the seldomly used lowering mode. Sorry I can't remember the name of that device off the top of my head right now.
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Yes. I have the names and ratings for the 60 some routes that I'm aware of over there. Just like IC...it kind of depends on your hand size. I know that Gold Rush is 5.10- for most guys, but for any girl...It is solid 5.11....JR Token is a 5.10+ for the dudes and pretty cruiser 5.10- for the ladies. A good 80% of the routes there are in the 5.10- to 5.10+ range. Like any good trad area.....the ratings are a bit sandy. Currently the hardest route there is 5.11+ with potential for some hard 5.12's. Nothing is really easier than 5.10-.
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Doesn't anyone climb anything else other than GoldRush?
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My conversation with Lisa Gnade at Excalibur (USA distributor) last week was about the aqusition of HB tooling. They have had issues with delivering product on time like there new Rebel and Anarchist ice tools, and the new carbon fiber picketts and deadmen. They didn't want to have another product in the same catagory (couldn't deliver on time)....so it sounds like fall of 2006 or spring of 2007 for the earliest delivery. The outdoor retailer show is this weekend in Salt Lake, so I can inquire with some of the boyz from Whales for a more accurate landing date in the U.S. I am urging them to do the HB El Cap helmet as well since they are now doing carbon fiber composite products. They are not sure if they will aquire that mold or not. I am doing my best to make sure that helmet will still be available in the future. I know that helmet has somewhat of a following like their offsets. Unfortunately for HB their cams didn't have the same loyalty.
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that looks like a different angle of the same formation that Shapp posted above.
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I think it is excalibur
I think you are right. If I'm not mistaken the ledge below them is Guenevere's bivy, which is at the top of P12. That would put this pic about the top of P15 the .11c 5" OW after the left angling expando flake, or even the top of P16 the .12 that has some face climbing at the top heading left. Hard to say without ever being there. I have been around the corner left....looking at the topo of Excalibur that is my best guess. What do you think of that assesment Wimsey? Have you done that wide mutha?
Climbing in Cuba?!
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