JosephH

Back in the mid-70's climbing on a set of stoppers and a set of hexs you had to conserve your pro and not every crack was good for passive gear, we considered a 30 footer a completely ordinary and average fall. Anything 40+ we thought of as getting long with my partner taking a 110 footer in Eldo as his max. My max was more like a 70footer. But we both took a few falls every year in the 30-60 foot range and considered 20-30 foot falls simply the normal cost of the business of pushing your limits. The skills involved with successfully running it out can be as much or more about brains than balls. My old partner and I are good examples of those different approaches - he did rings in college, possesses an endless well of self-confidence, never liked screwing around with pro much, and has regularly free soloed 5.11s for over thirty years - he just goes and doesn't think much about it. I, on the otherhand, aren't as strong, don't free solo much, and tend to overthink everything. But I actively do risk management every step of the way and when I think I have a risk under control I climb on. But I've worked hard at developing my craft with gear and have always free climbed above crack'n ups, hooks, microstoppers, small ball nuts, and using steeply pre-sliced screamers to keep the odds in my favor. That doesn't mean I regularly entertain death falls, but I don't hesitate to run it out above what others sometimes consider marginal pro. But I only do so because I've fallen on all of it many times in the past and know the limits of what it will likely sustain. Simply slapping in bolts on mixed routes before developing advanced trad skills is pretty weak to me. I am far more inclined to respect a decision to bolt under such circumstances when they are made by someone who took the time to develop those advanced skills and understands the limits of what can and cannot be reasonably accomplished with gear. As far as bolting just to make a climb "safe" - complete bullsh#t. Climbs, regardless of how runout they are, don't hurt people - people with bad judgment hurt themselves.

Kevbone and I actually agree on this topic. HB Aluminums offset nuts and two larger WC stopppers above the HB range are definitely the workhorse on my rack. I carry two sets of the HB's and the two WC's more or less permanently on my rack and augment them with small wires and / or cams as necessary for each route. I reach for them first every time at a placement and only reach for a cam above the range of those nuts or in placements a nut clearly won't work for some reason. I don't carry hexes or tricams anymore, however. I climb a lot of routes where the stoppers are all I leave the ground with. It sucks the HB Aluminums aren't available at the moment. DMM is in a bit of a catfight over the rights which, oddly enough, are held independently for for the brassies and aluminums for some reason - they hold the rights for the larger Aluminum ones.

Hold out for a Canon SD800 - they should be out this month in theory...

This is a lot like not wearing a helmet - probably nothing will happen, but it will be a drag if you becaome a statistic. There is more risk in the North and along the Burmese border, but even Bangkok has a high rate due to the number of infected people who come to the city from areas with high rates of infection. The odds depend on where you go, but I'd take appropriate precautions and try not to be bitten anywhere in the region. I do take anti-malarials when I travel in Indonesia or Thailand...

Just now noticed all this... Ralph - I was remiss in not explaining the first rule of Beacon Club - had I been paying attention to the fact you were in fact "slothrop" I probably would have asked you not post - my bad, not yours - but Jim and I both did enjoy climbing with you... Jim and I also didn't really share what the point of the whole Cruisin' exercise that day was. It was related to a different issue that arose a week earlier and we were both simply verifying the rap was in fact possible from the existing p2 anchor as is and that it is still ill-advised for folks to do so. Both are the case: the anchor is fine as is and, while the choice is theirs, it's a bad rap with nothing to recommend it.

Blake, take the time to look it up and read it. Pretty interesting actually. Since being in the NW meeting a lot of alpine types I've noticed some of them have a less detailed (technical) approach and more cavalier attitude towards pro in general. This probably serves them well in alpine settings, but not necessarily on rock. Can't say that was the case with Goran, but I've noticed this tendency over the years...

Same deal Sunday, will be out in the a.m. will pm my number...

Jim and I will be out tomorrow morning, track us down and we'll figure something out...

2007

PM me...

Not in my browser...

Yeah, this one is pretty old and the trend has been rising from Telluride to Aspen - someone is afoot with a drill...

A woman's jacket was found by someone named Mike who was kind enough to drop it off at the park office. Pay them a visit to pick it up if it's yours or give them a call in advance to arrange a time as they can get very busy with all the construction going on. BRSP Phone: 509.427.8265

Beacon Rock Update - 9/17/06

================================================= Beacon Rock Update - 9/17/06 ================================================= *** SAFETY NOTICE: RAP ANCHORS *** All the anchors at Beacon have been refreshed in either the 2005 / 2006 seasons with the exception of a half dozen or so outliers few climbers are ever likely to use and those will be hit by the end of the this season. No anchors need augmentation of any kind. Existing slings will be maintained as required on an annual basis. No rap anchors currently require additional slings, cordage, chains, links or rings of any kind. The slings installed are dual, independent milspec 1" slings in a nested equalizing figure-eight configuration with two Fixe 50kn SS rings. If there are no rap slings / rings on the heavy Metolius rap hangers at any of the anchors it is because either none are necessary for a smooth rope pull or a rap at that location is typically not done or is ill advised. In particular, rapping from below the p2 slab on the SE Corner is not typically done or advised, nor is rapping from the SE Corner tree. The better rap in the case of the base of the p2 slab is to go back to the p1 anchor and rap back to the base of the route - or contine up the slab and (with a 60m rope) do two raps from the p2 anchor on Young Warriors which is located immediately straight ahead and to your right once you turn the corner at the top of the p2 slab. In the case of the SE Corner tree - please do not rap from the tree - either stop short of the Tree Ledge and do the Young Warrior raps, or proceed up one more pitch to the standard raps up on Grassy Ledges or, for the fastest way down, rap Flying Dutchman. If you have any question about any of the anchors at Beacon Rock please email the address below... *** SAFETY NOTICE: CAR BREAK-INS*** The BRSP Staff wanted everyone to know that someone has been driving up and down Route 14 breaking into cars along the way including several recent incidents at Beacon. They advise you to be sure and not leave anything of value visible inside your your vehicle. Joseph Healy, Jim Opdycke, Bill Coe Beacon Rock Climbers' Association Beacon.Rock@AvaSys.com

They're good to the very last drop! I've done routes where between three or four of us we went through a couple dozen of them at the crux circular nest of equalized rp's before sticking the route. Given it was a very fragile nest we pre-sliced the screamers (Wild Things Air Voyagers back then) at a steep angle to flatten out the loading curve and then pre-sliced them again after each fall. We'd also sport tape them together with one thickness of tape after the first fall. Don't sweat it, they're fine to keep using...

The strength difference is pretty much irrelavant - people weren't dying in the old days from knots parting or coming undone. Also, they were usually carried over the shoulder as opposed to in alpine draws. With regard to 8-10mm Dynemma slings - they should be considered a consumable commodity tossed and replaced every 2-3 years. I had several of mine tested at the two year mark and they pulled at 2/3's of their rated strength (around 14kn). Still stronger than most stoppers and cams, but you shouldn't think of them as having anywhere near the longevity of straight nylon slings...

Watch this video of "heavy" jet components disintegrating... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3939904420012109745&q=f4+crash++test&hl=en My Father and both brothers are commercial pilots with 90 years of flying between them. My father started in biplanes and retired from 747's. All three said it would be no problem whatsoever for the hijacker to pilot it into the pentagon - even with just MS Flight Simulator time, let alone a real simulator and any time in commercial aircraft. The USAF Academy started using the MS software after a cadet with no time in their trainers flew it like a champ first go. Turns out he had customized the MS software for the academy's trainers and had logged a ton of hours on it prior to his first flight...

Thirty two years of climbing and I almost punked out on an trad lead Saturday after one fall and then only managed to [finally] get my sh#t together on the second go because I got further and the fall was going to be an around the corner whipper, so to some extent you could say I only came up with the goods to pull the crux because I punked on taking the fall... This sort of thing is always with us in an ebb and flow over the years. - Down climbing is always good, but seldom taught or practiced. - Knowing when not to fall will take time. - Overprotecting (within reason) until then is good. - Risks are unavoidable, in fact the whole point, entertaining them intelligently is the key. - Second as many strong leaders as possible. - No matter how long you climb or how good you get, always try to climb with at least some climbers who are better than you are.

What are the new sizes - bigger I would guess...?

I'd take any #4 - #7 Lost Arrows (or any medium or long Bugaboos)...

Beacon Rock Update - 9/1/06

================================================= Beacon Rock Update - 9/1/06 ================================================= *** SAFETY NOTICE: SE CORNER AND YOUNG WARRIORS TOPOUT *** Rockfall Incident There was a significant climber-initiated rockfall event last weekend from high on the final ridge ramp pitch that finishes both the SE Corner and Young Warriors. This occured about 3/4's of the way up the final ramp pitch on the right side of the ramp at the top of a short run of shrubs. The rock that came down was layered in a nook above the top shrub. Between what was seen falling and an examination of the point of origin, it appeared about 30-50 pounds of rock was launched. This was a particularly dangerous incident as the rock fell across the Grassy Ledges at the point you first arrive there from the Tree Ledge and then continued on down to the base of the SE Corner route. There was a party of three traversing Grassy Ledges at the time and it was a miracle their leader escaped unharmed as rock rained down all around her. It was equally fortunate this occured late in the day so there was nobody at the base of the SE Corner route at the time. SE Corner Ridge Rockfall Potential The particular location is now stable and clear of loose rocks and while this was a one-time event from this spot, in the course of checking out what happened we noted another serious problem - the heavy load of loose rock at the top of the SE corner ridge ramp through to the tree line. This load of loose rock has always existed above the ridge ramp, but in the past two years a significant amount of it has migrated down to the top of the ramp where the last pitch ends, and worse - close to the ramp's edge and ready to rain down on the Grassy Ledges and SE Corner base as in this incident. Take-away Lessons and Imperatives: Topping Out By coincidence, Jim Opdycke happened to be across the tracks watching a party on Young Warriors and witnessed the whole affair. He had also noted the problem with the loose rock load at the top of the ramp earlier in the day when doing YW and so this past week he went up to deal with it and made a good start at it all. But the biggest problem with this stretch of loose rock is people trying to head up directly through it to get up to the tourist trail, versus taking the walkoff trail which first heads right from the top of the ridge ramp for a short distance before turning up. This has become even more of an issue this year, because where last year there was an almost reasonable direct path up, this year it is blocked by a slide of rock and people have instead been heading up right along the outside edge of the ridge ramp. Jim cordoned off this stretch with a ribbon and markings that direct you to the walkoff trail. As illustrated in the photo below it is imperative that folks take the walkoff trail to the right - away from the edge - and not head up directly through the stretch of loose rock. And while a few folks may not be entirely comfortable with the idea, once you hit the top of the rock ridge ramp you should stop and belay your partner up, after that you should NOT be roped for the walkoff from that point on up to the tourist trail. There is, unfortunately, no path between these two points where dragging a rope isn't far more of a rockfall hazard than a safety device. The danger in this case isn't to the party topping out, but rather to everyone below should a rockfall be caused by the use of a rope up to the tourist trail. So please, look at this photo to get an idea of where the proper walkoff path goes and take it in the future. Take-away Lessons and Imperatives: Controlled Ropes and Footfalls The climber involved in this incident no doubt meant no harm, but it well illustrates the risks associated with unconsidered and uncontrolled footfalls. Pretty much from the time you hit the trail up at the parking lot until your return there you need to be in complete control of every footfall. This is normal when you're actually climbing, but at Beacon it is equally important you be in control of, and know where and how your feet are landing, on all of the ledges and any of the ramps or paths that top out to the tourist trail. For that matter it also helps keep the climber's trail down to the South face from being torn up and maybe prevent a sprained ankle. The imperative here is simply to be in control and if you get so tired you're losing control of how or where your feet are landing then simply slow down so you can move carefully. Jim also wanted to remind folks traversing Grassy Ledges roped up to keep your rope off the ground by any means - drape it over bushes, clip the rap anchor as you go by, put a draw on the pine tree - anything will help prevent rockfall. The bottom line is that even though a lot of loose rock got cleaned up during the pre-open work session this year it is simply impossible to eliminate every rockfall hazard at Beacon Rock. The best way to do that is for everyone to be in control of your rope and feet at all times and places while you're out there. Anchor Replacement Project / Winding Down As was mentioned we've been winding down on the anchor work for the summer and will be wrapping up the project by the end of the season. Last tasks for this coming winter include anchor replacements on: - Boardwalk - Rythmn Method - Rock Police - Riverside - Above the chimney at the top of Flying Swallow - Above Dastardly Crack - Pipe Dream - Silver Crow - A couple of 5pc Powers bolts to stainless steel bolt changeovers This will finish the project up and leave the anchors at Beacon with known 2005/2006 install dates and consistent materials which should make things far easier for the next crew to tackle all this 20-25 years down the road. Anchor Replacement Project / Piton Checking Another aspect of the project has been inspecting all the pitons we've come across and either resetting or replacing them as needed along with restoring others that were stolen or broken. In general, Lost Arrows and Bugaboos (thicker Knifeblades) are bomb out at Beacon while Angles and Knifeblades are not. Angles typically have too little metal surface area in contact with the rock to stay secure over decades and Knifeblades are simply too thin for the long haul. Jill's Thrill The upper Leeper-Z with the torn eye was replaced last year and this week the lower euro Knifeblade was replaced. The old one was split in a scalloped shape as seen below (and note the edge of the split area is well rusted meaning it has been split for a long time). Half of the blade could not be removed and so that specific placement could not be reused. A new longer Bugaboo was placed at the nearest point possible which turned out to be about 14-16 inches lower but still works well as a first piece of pro on the route and for getting by the first "pod" till you place a piece of your own pro. Fear of Flying The first three pins on this route all outwardly looked good, but all three were dislodged simply tapping them to hear how "solid" they were. The two Knifeblades were badly corroded inside the crack, and the angle in reality had very little "bite" going for it at all - like a 3/4" in the back of an opening in the crack. The angle was the first pin you encounter on the route and was in a perfect smaller nut placement (HB blue or #2 Rock) and Jim felt it shouldn't be replaced so be prepared with an appropriate piece. Here's pics of the two knifeblades - very unhappy (note how good the part exposed outside the crack looks): Desperado Even if its short, this is an absolute classic route. The anchor pin at the base of it was snapped off long ago and is probably the reason the route has seen little or no traffic in recent years. This Knifeblade has been replaced with a Bugaboo which should help folks get reacquainted with this great old line. Rookie Nookie The missing lone pin has been restored to this great route as well putting yet another classic back in commission for all to enjoy. Stone Rodeo Stone Rodeo is the 5.12 route up the obvious overhanging shield as you come down to the SE corner. It was retro-bolted by the FA's but the last two pieces of protection are the original small Angles draped with a bit of ancient tat. My hats off to Vern from Corvallis who did the route a couple of weeks ago and said simply, "I wouldn't want to fall on those pins" - no kidding from what we've seen of the state of other small Angles. Checking these pins should make for quite the epic later this year. ...But Pins Are Bomb At this point most all of the pins out at Beacon have been checked and either given a thumbs up, reset, or replaced so you can be confident about clipping them when you come across them. In fact, after replacing over a hundred anchor bolts out there, almost all of which were bad, we appreciate good pins all the more. You can check a pin simply by tapping it with a hammer and listening to it. With bolts, on the otherhand, there is just no way to tell what's going on behind the shiny facade. Pins are bomb, but basically the only ones appropriate as fixed pro out at Beacon are Lost Arrows, Bugaboos, and soft metal euro spade pins (only the medium or long ones in all cases, not the short ones). [ Note: As an aside, all the replacement pitons have come from John Middendorf's spare pin rack which he ebayed last year along with all the soft and hard goods he had left over after the sale of A5 to Black Diamond. ] West Face Reclamation Battle Another project for this winter will be to start the long battle with the poison oak dominating all the routes on the West face to the left of Jensen's ridge. The plan is to cut the vines this winter and attempt to clean them during the 2007 season. We'll definitely need some brave and / or immune volunteers for this one...! Climber's Bulletin Board The bulletin board in the parking lot at the top of the climber's trail used to be open so folks could put notes up. Due to repeated vandalism the BRSP was finally forced to screw it shut to protect necessary official postings and notices. A board available to climbers has been needed for some time and a solution has been proposed that we simply use the backside of the existing board. To that end material has been gathered for a hinged cover similar to the frontside and so the climbers' note board should be up and running by next weekend. Joseph Healy, Jim Opdycke, Bill Coe Beacon Rock Climbers' Association Beacon.Rock@AvaSys.com

Probably between 12:00-1:30 for me tomorrow as well...

Well, now that's a fitting end to a conversation that never needed to take place online in the first place...