JosephH

Duck Baker

O

Will be out at Rocky Butte about 3:30 or so...

The premise for the anchor replacements was like-for-like functionality.

Kevin, I added an anchor to replace a tree anchor that required 60 feet of rope and still sucked for the purpose of accessing the routes it served. I was specifically, repeatedly, and independently asked to eliminate that rope by BRSP, the WSP Resource Steward, and the WDFW. The replacement anchor and rope are virtually invisible, both from the ground and Grassy Ledges. And given one of the two routes is the best, if not only reasonable place, to stage a rescue litter off Grassy Ledges, the anchor can also serve that rescue option as well. Jim O. and pretty much everyone else who has seen it views it as a much better arrangement to the rope running from the tree down to the now removed sport anchors. So again, the rope sucked for getting down to the routes, it pissed off three different folks we don't want pissed, and was a straight anchor trade for the tree.

If you're talking a top anchor and the route gets any traffic at all then I'd say put in an anchor to spare the tree. I've seen too many of them die over the years. Bottom anchor for roped soloing - use the tree, I do all the time.

Kevin, haven't climbed it, but if you've done it 30 times and you're still with us it would indicate that it's fine. That it isn't risk-free is what you seem to be objecting to. At what point does it stop? When all routes are risk free? When they're risk-free for just you and good climbers, or can lesser climbers want bolts in places you don't think they're necessary? Climbing without risk is something else.

Mr Phil, charges of arrogance rooted in ignorance on the topic at hand is pretty intimidating. Adding bolts for soloing is completely lame and pretty much the antithesis of the whole idea of creative self-reliance.

Have to say again this is a bad idea, you'll piss folks off, and they'd last less time than a top anchor at Rocky Butte - and for what? Hump an empty haul bag up and fill it with rocks for an anchor if that's what it takes, but like Kevin said, getting creative is the name of the game.

That would work for me...

People going up on Hood unprepared to deal with reality have about the same media effect as Potter on Delicate Arch. However, those involved with the Hood incidents weren't intentionally attempting to attract media attention.

I suppose if you don't think painting a picture of climbers as self-absorbed and self-agrandizing boneheads who need to be kept on a short leash by the staffs of every state and national park with climbable rock is a problem then I can see how it might be hard to recognize the many issues involved.

No fixed pro, no climbing on arches, no slack/high lining, and a new climbing management plan. I'd a simple guy, but I'd call those changes... [quote=National Parks Service ]Climbing Debate Opens at Arches Public comments sought on new "climbing management" plan. March 26th, 2007

You're a bright guy, you tell me...

Countless ways, all context dependent. I'd say ridiculously uninformed or self-absorbed not to be able to recognize and or understnd the basic problem involved with the incident.

Doing Delicate Arch was a bonehead move no matter how you cut it and the backlash from NPS was swift. NPS and NFS personnel are also now on the internet and this sort of thhing travels fast in their ranks doing no one any good. Patagonia was equally culpable and boneheaded in their logistical and initial PR support of this stunt. Both Patagonia and Potter deserve to be soundly panned by the public for the incident. Dropping the Potter's was an unavoidable and quite appropriate move for Patagonia as part of managing the fallout. Thinking caps and common sense are in order all the way around now that money and sponsorships are an integral part of climbing.

Yeah, got my days confused. I can go out today (Thurs.) at 3:30 or I'll be available after 12:00 on Friday...

Who's climbing around PDX tomorrow (Friday) - I'll have the afternoon off...

Bill, was saying I'll be going back out to RB; sorry about that...!

I'm going to head out to RB in a little bit here, should be out there by 4:00...

Pretty straight forward. Put an old cheap Chouinard pulley on the first branch of the big pine tree close to the road with about 4' of rope between the branch and the pulley. Then I ran an old 60m down to the garbage, through the pulley, and to the Camry right in front of the rocks by the street. Rapped down off the chain, tied on said debris on, jugged back up the chain line, drove Camry towards fence. Pretty straight forward. Took about 20 minutes thinking/setup, 20 minutes for each of them, and 20 minutes haul-to-road/takedown. Engine block did snag on the edge under quite a bit of tension and so I had to stay to one side while I cleared it over the lip as it shot about four feet when it did. Other than that I just clipped a jumar on the line once they were up and drug them over to the road which is when the Church guys thankfully came over and hauled it away. I was in and out of there in 90 minutes. Probably go back out to RB...

I'd take the red petzl helmet as well...

In case folks missed the 'Pickup truck' thread, the dishwasher and engine block got hauled out of the base of Rocky Butte yesterday and thankfully whisked away by a couple of the Church staff attracted by the peculiar shennanigans used to extricate them. But there are still some remnant parts and other trash there so if folks heading out there could take along a couple of plastic bags and grab the rest of it that would do it for this latest round. Thanks...

Not sure if it was you or not, but we went around on this topic on RC.com I believe. Basically the answer is no. Rig the first bolt as the anchor and back it up with a screamer on the second bolt if you need to. I rope solo a bunch and personally would take bolting to enable it, free or aid, to basically mean I've failed before leaving the ground.

I go back and forth on the fun thing. It was serious in my twenties and then about fun in my thirties and forties, but in my fifties I find I am not done and have things I still want to do so it's been pretty serious this go around...