JosephH

Glad you're ok. Belaying - irrespective of gloves and device type - is pretty much a binary, on-or-off activity in that either you are belaying or you are not. If you are then - regardless of gloves or device type - your hand positions, rope handling, and lock-off (and attention) need to be fully operative. If those conditions can't be met it probably means you shouldn't be doing it right then. Concern about children in the DZ is a pretty good example of a paramount priority which can definitely create a situation incompatible with belaying - hence climbing.

No, it's not. It's a manufacturing and consumptive consumer activity incompatible with many public resources. Given the near complete lack of restraint shown by sport climbers I'd say this is absolutely essential. Sport climbers would be wise to camo bolts, but the visual impact of chalk is also a very considerable and significant to non-climbers. Here I think you hit on the heart of the matter - if sport climbers would self-police and moderate their activities there would be far less pressure to regulate. Unfortunately, moderation and restraint are not two of the things humans are particularly good at. I suspect a little less self-absorbed self-interest and denial of sport climbing's true impact would go a long, long way with most land managers. Sort of like when you get pulled over for speeding - pleading lilly-white innocent is rarely the right approach for minimizing the potential for pain.

I'm entirely with the 9th on the grounds of both of the Washoe religious rights and climbing impact issues. The arguments around the fact the State ram-rodded a highway through the Rock over the Washoe's objections so we should be able to do yet more drilling and concrete work were specious and self-serving to begin with. Not every rock is our personal Xmas tree to decorate with fixed draws a manufactured base.

I'm planning on getting out some over the weekend - not sure when yet, but do hope to get one or two days in.

Sometimes I play hooky, but then have to find a good stance and take an extended client call. Last time I did that my Treo ended up 50' down behind a column because it wasn't leashed...

Nice stuff - glad to hear you managed to get down there...

Advanced Automotive in Tualitin - Wayne or Owen.

Kevin, leave it alone...

At one time long ago there was an anchor on the perch. Jim Opdycke and I reestablished it in lieu of rapping off the tree, but that met with an unfavorable response and so was removed. Part of the deal with the WSP and BRSP relative to the anchor replacement project was their explicit desire to have anchors off trees - and that is the sole purpose of that anchor, as a substitute for the nest of slings on the tree - neither that anchor nor the tree itself were ever meant as a belay anchor, but rather to allow retreat for folks who can't make it up Dodds. That's the story there, now back to empathizing with Jon...

I missed Sunday after the ass-whooping I got with Mark Cartier on Saturday. Whew Jon, I thought mine was a pretty stout reality check until I just read yours! Man sounds like a real flying lesson. Glad to hear you landed relatively safely...

Yeah, I have both Petzl Ascensions and BD NForces. My conclusion? I want the NForce teeth on the Ascensions. So far I'm preferring the Petzl units. HB aluminum offset nuts - it doesn't get any better, so I guess I fall into the category of folks who think they're special. I stocked up on a few sets when HB went under and am glad I did. I'll believe DMM will get them out when I see them hanging in a store. I'm also bummed out that they changed the colors on them and aren't going to epoxy them both of which really sucks - one you could easily do something about, the other is a bit more difficult. Neither is an "improvement". Oh, and I'd happily buy any #8 or #9 HB aluminum offsets from any of you folks who think they're just ok.

Could someone pm me with Ben Priestly's cell number? I said I would try to get out with him to climb today and can't and want to call him. Unfortunately I pitched my cell phone into the void Friday and so don't have his number anymore...thanks.

Bill, thanks for the kind words - and for any pins you can dig up. How did Blownout go this time around?

Well, I am out of shape and been dogged by a bout of pneumonia for eight weeks that I haven't been able to shake which is keeping me from getting after anything. So all I'm doing is maintenance and easy laps and am very cranky about it so sorry if I seem a bit touchy at the moment. And yes, there is nothing Reasonable about Richard.

"Those few laybacks" are pretty stout and doing essentially blind placements which makes doing the pitch considerably harder by the time you get to the top of it compared to sequeing in part way up. You can attempt to minimize how difficult they make the route, but I suggest you try it that way sometime, before doing so and then report back. As for "pre-inspecting", I FA ground-up, onsight and would never pre-inspect any route out there if I could and still get new anchors on them. I still wouldn't even know their names if it weren't for having to communicate with Jim and Bill during the anchor work. Whether an FA or been climbed 10k times and all things being equal, I never want to know anything whatsoever about a line before I get on them. But there is that comfort in getting older and increasingly more senile by the day. After twenty hours on Flying Circus staring at the end of my chisel so I hammer my hand only a minimum number of times in the inch-by-inch cleaning of the route rather than looking at holds or moves, I can honestly say I barely have a memory of it more than the fact the start and finish are burly. That and the fact consistent width, slightly overhanging offwidths with flat walls on either side makes for some pretty damn futile "previewing" even if one were so inclined.

I don't doubt that for a minute...

Maybe, but I don't think you can really claim to have done it if you're cruising in from the left a quarter or more of the way up the route.

Mark Cartier and his friend Kip grabbed the first go on the rehabilitated Flying Circus. Stout business, but all there to be done...

What do you call the variation where you climb the choss to the left and then traverse right onto Pipeline instead of starting it at the bottom which I never see anyone do?

Bill, you must have just finished as I was rapping in as that couple were just starting up Blownout as I started the Flying Circus rap. It took a bit lot longer than I anticipated today, but it's done and Flying Circus is now good for climbing again.

Ah, can't say I'd be clipping any ring pins with high hopes and expectations - those are more about keeping the history...

Well, after six hours the other day, seven today, and about two or three more tomorrow morning Flying Circus will be open for business and all the pins will have been checked and reset or replaced if necessary. Over the course of the anchor replacement project all the pins out there, with only a few exceptions, have been checked and either reset or replaced if necessary. The replacements came from John Middendorf's spare pin rack he ebay'ed so they have a good karmic pedigree from the Valley. And during that pin work short pins were replaced with medium or long Lost Arrows or Bugaboos. About a quarter of the angles (all bad) were pulled as good and solid pro is available in those placements. In general, pins weld at Beacon and are not effected by the freeze thaw cycle, but the only pins really suitable for fixed pro out there are medium and long Lost Arrows, Bugaboos, and Hard & Soft Euro Spades. Short pins of all stripes don't last / hold, the knifeblades corrode through, and [some] angles do tend to freeze/thaw and work loose given how little actual surface area they have in contact with the rock. As for whipping - I'd whip all day long on any of the pins on all of the routes I've checked, reset, or replaced, which is most of them. Several I haven't gotten to yet are Stone Rodeo which the top two small angles may not hold a fall given their age and from my experience to-date, though they are sheltered; the pins on Steppenwolf above Big Ledge; and the pins above the Arena and leaving up from the Windsurfer anchors. They're all on the list when I get time (and also running low on replacement pins which I'm look for more of). For overall performance and on a percentage basis year for year - the pins have way, way out performed the bolts by a long shot at Beacon. True, they weren't SS bolts, but most were still bomb 20-40 years later. By comparison, almost all the bolts I replaced were bad and the very worst of the lot were placed in the 90's and all looked fine on the outside. There were a couple of knifeblades that were like that as well - but - knowing what I know now, I'd rather clip a good pin than a non-SS bolt any time. Also, pins need to be maintained no differently than bolts. Somehow folks "get" that bolts need to be, but then assume pins don't. At least with pins you can check and reset or replace them easy - with bolts on the otherhand, what you see isn't always what you're getting back in the stone so knowing when they need replacing is a complete guess. [ Note: Please do give me a shout if you know of any missing pins or run across a loose one or one you don't like the look of that I may have missed (or have any medium or long pins you'd like to sell or donate to the cause). Thanks... ]

Have a slew of shorter ones of all types, need longer LA's and Bugs as I've run short during a checking/replacement effort. Will also just buy them. Thanks - please PM me...

I have a good suite of route cleaning tools all set up for the job. You and anyone else are welcome to borrow them if you want to clean a route.

I've just never liked the specs, axles, manufacturing execution, or feel of the business end of the Camalots of any generation. I find them inelegant, sloppy, and not as burly as I prefer. I use a 4.5 on the big end and will continue to while pestering Metolius to work on some Extra-large Super Cams.