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SplashClimber

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Everything posted by SplashClimber

  1. I might have to try the 2nd biner idea. I use the Petzl Attache, fairly smooth, but maybe adding another biner might help. Should it be another smooth biner, or any other locking/non-locking biner?
  2. Thank-you for keeping the post interesting! Love it! You should be ok on the funeral cost. I do not really like them [funerals], and don't plan on having one anyway.
  3. Ok Crillz, which is it.... gold or die? Just to be sure... I think by the rolling smily you are saying Crillz that I am gold? Just want to be sure! Thank-you so much for the help! or .....?
  4. This picutre is one for the most-typical typical usage of the web-o-lette, where the two sewn-eylets go into the pieces of protection. Very fast and simple to rig.
  5. So see my boulder picture in my post reply below. The fig-8 would be in case one of the sewn eyelets blows/is torn apart.... this way the other eyelet would possible hold the whole setup.
  6. Here is a picture of the setup question.... I know I am opening my self up here to graphic ridicule, but I did the best I could with the picture. I just wanted to show how the web-o-lette would be wrapped around the boulder (of course the web-o-lette will be hidden behind the boulder!). This could just as well be a solid tree. In my case I am talking about use the "official web-o-lette" you can purchase from Mountain Tools (instructions on their web site: Mountain Tools Web-o-lette instruction page. The web site list this as a "dont't": DONT's [1. first point omitted] 2. Never clip into the sewn eyes of the Web-o-letteĀ® except for attachment to protection points. This prevents weakening or possible failure of the sewn eyes do to improper loading. It would be nice to hear back from Mountain Tools on this, but may never hear back. So would be curious if this setup is "bad", "ok" or "good". It sure seems like the sewn eyes should be able to take the load, but very nervous about the Mountain Tools instruction DON'T quote (in red above).
  7. What are opinions (bad, ok, good) on the acceptability of this setup using a web-o-lette: feed each eye-let end of web-o-lette around a bomber tree or boulder, tie a figure-8, join the two eye-lets ends with a master biner. Use this setup for your belay. I have asked Mountain Tools for some advice also, but have not heard back. This scenerio (above) is not described in their usage document, and there are some statments that lead me to believe this setup may not be ok.
  8. I think this is a new video by BD, excellent visual. Seems like a setup where the device is at eye-level and where you can pull directly straight down is the ideal situation (video and BD manual). With any other setup... you will have to deal with a bit more management, and a bit more stickiness. BD video on atc-guide in autolock mode: http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/journal/climb//howto-video-using-an-atc-guide
  9. Excellent suggestion, something to consider for my climbing budget ( Already have BD ATC-Guide, and Petzl Reverso3)
  10. Good point... my rope is older, maybe dry treatment has worn off by now ( does dry treatment wear off, maybe? ). The rope always has been a bit twisty ( my rope is a Maxim9.8x60m Leavittator dry rope)
  11. Ah ha! So my situation on Ingalls is such that I think the anchor bolts themselves are just below chest height, and if you add the slings though then the device maybe was around waist level and the device only about 1-2 feet at most from my hands. You cannot stand lower or farther away because you are on a small ledge. So this is a part of the problem from what you are saying (re: distance from the device to your hands). The milking advice might help also. My second was also moving really fast, and with the stickiness/sluggishnes I just could not keep up. When in doubt I might resort to the munter, which I often use when belaying off a huge boulder. And yes, very simple, and I sure can yard on it and quickly haul a fast climber up very quickly. But will certainly keep on seeing how I can get the autolock to work. I also have a Petzl Rerverso3, and maybe I will see if it works more smoothly with my 9.8mm rope. I need to retire my rope soon, any recommendations for a rope that would work well in autlock mode?
  12. Ok, I have read tons of books and have heard lots of people use the direct belay off anchor method with either a BD ATC-Guide or a Petzl Reverso, but I am just not doing that well with it! Certainly lots of these devices are being sold, and I see them out there! I have tried several times to use my BD ATC-Guide in autolock mode and each time it has been a horribly hard pull to take in the rope on the follower. My device is a BD ATC-Guide, and the rope is 9.8mm, and I used a Petzl Attache biner (nice and smooth shape) on the device where you encase it around the black wire on the device and the rope. For example at Ingalls Peak South Ridge route there are 2 bolts you can set up a perfect situation indirect belay using a autolock device. The bolts are about chest high, and not too far away from the your stance (1-2 feet?). So ideally I would love some advice. But also just a quick response to let me know it works fine for you is fine too!
  13. So left a Petzl Attache (older style) on the Tooth (upper belay station). So... keep it if you found it. It is excellent biner (in case you were wondering).
  14. RESULT...!!! I ended up taking the summer route up and down. No post-holing either way.... contemplated taking the winter route back down, but decided to just stick with the trail. Thank-you again everyone for the help.
  15. Subject: Is it ok to just carry a web-o-lette and leave the cordalette at home? What are the risk? So, I really love my Mountain Tools web-o-lette (lightweight at 4oz vs 9 oz cordalette, and is very easy to use), BUT can it really replace my cordalette on trad/alpine climbs? Should I really in addition carry a cordalette? I do have a Spectra cordalette that is likley only around 6 oz that I could add to my pack, but might as well carry the 9 oz cordalette then (web-o-lette at 3 oz, plus Spectra cordalette at 6 oz = 9 oz). What about needing the cordalette for rescue techniques ( load releasing hitch) or other uses? This might be a acceptable level of risk question. But wondering what the considerations are!
  16. Thank-you, very helpful. I am thinking at this point it might be best to do the summer route both UP and DOWN. Althought toying with heading UP the winter route (maybe snow would be more solid in morning), and DOWN the summer route.
  17. So there are two Alpental parking lots, upper & lower lots. To do the "summer approach" which parking lot is best to use? The lower or upper lot? Is it even possible to access Snow Lake trail via the upper lot? AND... is the upper lot sometimes closed off by the ski area? (Summer approach -- by this I mean doing 1.5 miles of the Snow Lake tail, then diverging south, while staying east of Source Lake) I have rooted around cascade climbers for some help on this, but often it is hard to detect which lot was used!
  18. So very interesting to hear what people actually use "out there". Thank-you everyone for some really teriffic input! Regarding radios: I have been in situations where partners have radios left behind, or they do not like using radios, use them half-heartedly, or use them inefficiently (do not keep them handy etc, thus slowing down the whole process!) So seems like tugging really is used, to varying degrees!
  19. re: pictures of anchor setups, quick inital search, not finding anything on rockclimbing.com Anyone find some good links of belay anchor pictures?
  20. Ok, all of the books say if you are having trouble hearing your partner, you move onto agreed-upon "rope tugs". So practically.... does anyone out there really use rope tugs to communicate when you cannot hear your partner??
  21. I have the Feathered Friends 1# sleeping bag (Viero), and the Feathered Friends Helios, and a silk sleeping bag liner. This combo has worked well for me in the Cascades. Now the hard part with all of this is everyone is different -- I tend to need a bit more warmth than others, but this combo has worked fairly well for me. I am sometimes a bit cold, but if needed I put on any extra clothes (in addition to Helios jacket), boil up some hot water into a water bottle. And if the forecast is for some colder temps, I pack in some some silk liner socks (from Stephenson Tents), and add a bivy sack! The latter items certainly bring the overall weight up to a heavier "sleeping bag", but this way it is like layering, and I have more options to think about at home. Another point is this if doing glacier climbing. I rarely sleep anyway. Maybe at best I get to sleep around 10:00, and then maybe 4 hours (2:00 a.m.) I am getting up anyway to get an early ascent. So if I am cold, it is not that long anyway!
  22. Just a followup--- all went well! I was able to load up my pack for some conditioning with my alpine gear (20 pounds total). I skied down while being able to follow my route back on my Garmin GPS Forerunner watch (way cool, and very easy to glance down while skiing to make sure I was going the right way). My husband said he has never seen such a wide snowplow in his life! ( I think I mentioned I have not skied in years, and was not that great back then either?). It was a bit difficult due to sudden boot track holes and piled up snow. Due to my abilities a few times I had to snap off my skis and walk down some steep 20 foot sections. But lots of fun! Thank-you to all that helped me proceed!
  23. (cluster) Yes - I agree, in this case making the error (an error but still safe) might be the best teacher! I have been with an experienced leader where this situation (my last scenerio) was true (but had a bomber tree instead of bolts). They had me direct belay off the anchor, but I was not happy because I was not therefore following the "ABC"/Anchor Belay Climber- all-in-a-line rule". Your suggestion of a redirect seems like a great alternative solution. I have always wondered why anyone would ever redirect, and have read it is a bit antiquated (but not sure this is really true), but I think it does have this good usage. At least something to try! I did use a similar setup with my autoblock (where belayer/me was off to the side). It was a good solution because I had a bomber anchor, and I was on a smallish ledge. So this way I was removed from the system and could not possibly be pulled off the ledge. The angle seemed to prove difficult at the beginning of my followers ascent, but it was easier as they moved on up. It was a bit difficult at time to keep the two lines of the device (belay line, and follower line) running parallel to each other, so the rope would run smoothly). Ah much fun, but I am liking have the direct belay in my bag of tricks
  24. I have used this method -- best described by the book called Knots And Ropes for Climbers by Raleigh OR do google search on KNots and Ropes for Climbers, and Google Book Search will allow you to look through the book, do subsearch in right pane on "wash"
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