JosephH

Peckers are the latest invocation of A5 (Hurricane Works) Beaks which were designed off of ideas from half a Crack'N Up that was cut up. Beaks and Peckers were designed to be hammered even if folks sometimes hand place them. Crack'N Ups were designed as passive camming devices much like a Leeper cam hook. The shaft if bent / offset from the head to provide the camming action. Crack'N Ups are two-sided so they can cam right side or left. Also, for ball nuts you should consider heating the plastic sheath tubing and flattening it, especially on the #1 - #3 so it doesn't get in the way of placing it.

cause no one uses them! No one used Crack'N Ups either. Some things are just a bit esoteric and / or folks simply don't bother to understand how they work and how to use them. People buy WCZ's because they understand how to pull a trigger and that's about as far as they look despite the fact that they are objectively inferior to available alternatives. If I only followed the herd I'd have missed out on a lot in both climbing and life...

I've taken lots of falls on ball nuts. I've taken repeated dives on both #2's and #3s (like 4-6 falls working a line) I've never once had a problem removing them. It's all in how you place them. I use them relentlessly and have never done an FA without carrying them. Here's some more in-depth discussion about them from rc.com: Ballnutz Careful consideration when putting your balls on the line...

No comparison and folks break WCZ's right and left whereas I've never heard of anyone breaking a ball nut... BallNutz Specs -------------------------------------------------------- # / mm / in / gm / oz / Strength / Color -------------------------------------------------------- 1 / 3 - 6 / .12 - .24 / 29.0 / 1.0 / 4.5k / Blue 2 / 4.5 - 9 / .18 - .35 / 39.0 / 1.4 / 8k / Red 3 / 6 - 12 / .24 - .47 / 48.0 / 1.7 / 8k / Gold 4 / 9 - 13 / .35 - .51 / 61.0 / 2.2 / 8k / Green 5 / 11 - 15 / .43 - .59 / 71.0 / 2.5 / 8k / Purple WCZ Specs -------------------------------------------------------- # / Range / Strength -------------------------------------------------------- 1 / 5.5-7.8mm / 3kN 2 / 7.0-9.8mm / 4kN 3 / 8.5-12.2mm / 6kN

That would be Metolius #2. In fact, a Metolius #00 covers a WCZ #3 and that leaves only the WCZ #1 & #2 that need alternatives. Ball nuts provide coverage up through WCZ #4. Bottom line, Ball nuts are a way, way better choice than the low end of WCZ's and Metolius TCU's are a way better alternative to the second half of the WCZ range. They are just a very weak alternative to other options in my opinion.

Yep, gotta get in any days it's dry between now and then - if any...

Looks like we're out of commission for the next 10 days...

Nah, there's a crew in a red car with a Neptune's bumper sticker on the roof rack that's been getting out quite a bit and another that drives some sort of huge panel truck that also get out every now and then.

Kevin, can you just not help yourself? Having a bad day on the planet, or is it just a matter of impulse control after so much time in spray? You should be out there climbing on a morning like this one...

I been going up 84 a ton of late and it's interesting to watch it cycle from wet to ice and back several times. A remarkable amount of ice developed in just the past 24 hours from Dalton to just after Multnomah and in the past 48 hours from Multnomah up to HR. It's not climbable, but there is a ton of water so if the weather would cooperate for a couple of days you folks would be set. Be careful this year when it does come in...

No way! That train is key. I miss them when I climb other places...

Mark, Hi! The Niacin trick is from back in my days doing cedar shake roofs all winter in Chicago on these estates along Lake Michigan. One of the old guys showed it to me. He cut the thumb and two fingers off of the nail hand glove, told me to eat big a big breakfast and lunch, and we took the Niacin at the end of those meals. It worked like a charm all day long in real cold weather and wind. Back then we were using solid stick charchol hand warmers in sort of a glasses-sized case and taping those to the nail hand wrist. I'll be coming down your way once Beacon closes and going to try to visit Karsten in Vegas near the end of Feb. He and Raluca were in and out for the holidays. Hope all is well down there...

Today, tomorrow and Monday the name of the game is - go early or go burly. The crew that got out early today had sunshine. I couldn't get out there until about 1:45. I ended up chatting with John and Vivian (the new ranger) in the parking lot for a bit and by the time I hit the rock the sun was gone and the cloud deck was moving in hard and fast. By the time I was seconding p2 it was officially burly and was blowing 50 by time I hit the corner ridge. If you go out tomorrow or monday you should definitely be on it by 11:30 or noon at the latest - earlier would be better. I don't do alpine and hate being cold but don't freeze because I tape one of those small air-activated 'Little Hotties' heating packs [loosely] on the underside of each wrist with sport tape. I then put one of the shoe heating packs with the adhesive strip stuck on the inside of each fingerless glove on the palm. If the temps are in the 20s-low 30s I'll throw a bigger packet in each jacket pocket. I augment all the heat packs with a 100mg's of Niacin which I take about 5 minutes before getting to Beacon. This forces blood out of your core and into your extremities (i.e. forces blood past your wrists to your hands). To keep my core temp up for the Niacin, for clothes I'm wearing: - Roffe smooth/fleece tights worn fleece side in (from US Outdoor Store) - burly Sport Hill 'XC Cross' running pants (from REI) - UnderArmor 'COLDGEAR® MOCK' Tee (almost like a wetsuit on the outside and 'fuzzer' on the inside - it's the real key piece, from US Outdoor Store or REI) - Northface Momentum Shirt (from US Outdoor store) - Marmot Photon Softshell Jacket which has a hood big enough to go over a helmet (from US Outdoor store, but I don't see it on their website now so maybe they don't make it anymore) - Thin Turtle Fur 'Dryline® Mesh Frost Earbeanie' under helmet (from REI) For shoes I wear fairly loose 5.10 Ascents that I can put one thin and one thick pair of socks comfortably in. I run the trail down in them equally comfortable as well. This was day three and both today and yesterday on YW with Karsten were pretty burly, but this system works for me, and as I said, I'm a complete lightweight when it comes to being cold. Over the past month I've been out on days as low as 29 degrees with 50kt winds. I outfitted Karsten yesterday almost identically in terms of both heat packs and clothes and he said he was a believer by the end of the day. Works for me anyway...

Looks to be good through to the first. Jim had yet another funeral today, someone should get out with him tomorrow as I'll be tied up. Heading out for today's go...

Cold Warriors...! It was great getting out with Karsten again... Dry East winds and wet West ones were duking it out around Rooster Rock - hopefully the East winds will prevail and tomorrow will be good as well.

2 Niacins before burly cold climbing...

Texplorer has dibs on YW tomorrow. Saturday's still open...

Nope, rock was fairly warm from the sun being on it all day. I stopped and chatted so I didn't get on the rock until 2:30. By then the east winds had picked up to a pretty solid 35-40 once you turned the corner at the tree. Temp was probably in the 39-42 ballpark and more like 50 in the sun. But I just wore the light jacket and didn't use gloves or heating packs today. Things are still a tad wet, but they'll be dry by morning I suspect. Hopefully it will be as good tomorrow and Saturday. Sunday is looking suspect.

Ah, sweet...! One day down, two to go.

Saturday looks to be back on and Sunday now at least a remote possibility. Heading out the door right now...

Turns out the sun has been on it all morning and there's no wind. Will be leaving Lloyd Center at about 12:45 if anyone get's motivated. Otherwise see'ya - going climbing...

Corner, YW, Dodds - take your pick. Will be heading out around noon from Lloyd Center area...

Wait for Lowe-Byrne ball nuts on ebay...

(Saturday isn't looking so good anymore...) (Saturday appears to be back on...) Any takers...?

Nope, just cross posted it from ST...