stevetimetravlr

for climbing Rainier in summer? Synthetic all the way.

What a TR, I can almost smell the poop! Way to go after it guys(the climb, not the crap.) Shit happens. Also, I should mention that in my experience beer for breakfast is akin to climbing in tennis shoes. Direct correlation between piss poor performance and piss poor breakfast, plus you get sleepy at the belays. And all those yuppies on Godzilla get pissed when yo bounce the cans off their heads I know from my experiences in my youth. We had as role models at Index back then Jim Nelson and company, and they would never allow anything like that to happen at Index. Keep charging it, but maybe switch to Odouls for early late morning sessions!

Way to poke it guys!

No, the route wasn't to crowded. We did have a team climb climb up behind us going for a push on the first eve as we were having dinner on Ahwahnee Ledge and then in our sleeping bags and had a good long sleep. When we woke up they were only 160 feet above us at the top of 6, poor saps. They hung in slings thru the night, listening to me and Plaid snoring. Then the next eve me and Plaid set up early at the top of 7 which is a pisspoor place to set up a portaledge. I could have gone another 50 feet to the top of 8, but didn't. My mistake, it would have been a much better place to hang the ledge, and probably we would not have have the ledge flipping around so badly. The day after I got off the tower me and Jim O. went climbing at Sunnyside Bench, here is the video from that day. www.vimeo.com/24703912

Super rowdy!! Way to go for it.

Seems like most of the stuff at Brougtons is a sandbag, for me that is!

Timberline is a good place to sleep if you have curtained windows, lights are on all night long. and then there are people falling under your vehicle and getting wedged there at all hours of the night.....

Way to get after it at Banks! Love that place.

Ass candy and funk all, sounds like a far better time then I had! Spent Friday huddled at the base of broughtons belaying ben hunkered down against the pouring rain with full combat gear on, and even got the screaming Barthes when it was my turn to climb. It spoiled me for the rest of the weekend. Great tr Ivan!

Lots and lots of shit is going to be coming off that Mtn as soon as the sun touches it around 5am starting. Myself I would give hood a week or so of warm weather to stabilize, but then I am a little gun-shy.

Always a good idea to wear a helmet thru the pearly gates. No question about that at all. Don't let the sprayloads get ya down, while u were out getting it done they were .........?

Trip: Yosemite - west face of the Leaning Tower Date: 5/13/2011 Trip Report: the continuing adventures of the Plaidman!!!

P1 is one of the easier pitches of the route at 11a (sandbag!) The Green Dragon is a freeroute! I agree! I tryed to free it at the time, but it was quite dirty back then and I had to garden many placements, I recall pulling up the ladders half way because it was just too much gardening. Someone was already on the 1st pitch of Davis Holland, and you came and started up the 1st pitch of Green Dragon and beat them to the ledge by 45 minutes? Were they aiding the first pitch and total dweebs, because that sounds pretty farfetched......and troll-like...

First remove the cock from your own mouth, and then we will be able to hear you grasshopper...

If I can get by with just putting the draws and gear on my harness, then that is my preference. Seems like when I use a gear sling, I am always grabbing the gear and throwing it back behind me, and then it always swings back around and gets in my way. Also seems like cams are always hooking up on the rock when they are on a gear sling, at least in Red Rocks its a problem sometimes due to the nature of the rock. That said, when I am switching off leads, or aid climbing, or using a heavy rack, a sling or double sided sling chest harness is the way to go for me.

I have used a Silent Partner for a couple years now, and yes they have more slightly more drag and issues then with a belayer. The most important thing is to make sure that when you clove the SP, that the rope comes out of the SP EXACTLY like in the diagram in the manual, which is off the top of it. If it comes off the bottom, major rope drag and problems and sounds like the issue you had Gaucho. The other thing is that if you carry the rope in your pack you are possibly creating more drag. It is designed for the rope to be hanging straight down and feeds well when the rope is cleanly hanging. Yard out maybe 35-40 feet and clove off. Anymore then that and its back to the rope drag issue again. The SP is more practical it seems to me for granite or long steep routes where you can let the rope hang without fear of the rope catching on horns. Red Rocks not so good a place for it, Yosemite good. The SP is a really heavy duty bombproof device, and has always locked up for me in a fall. If you go to fall, do not resist it or grab the rope or whatever, take the plunge as you want that quick action to get the SP to lock off, slow sliding falls such as on slab climbing may not get it to activate so be aware of that and if you fall on slab, throw yourself off. Its a great device, but really only practical on some climbs. Hard free climbs basically turn into French free and it is always challenging to stay one step ahead of the device, trying to figure out where/how you are going to re-clove the device and feed more rope, etc. Also, be aware that in some instancs the SP will unlock on you. I was standing on a small flake and had the device locked and my weight on it,i leaned forward to do something and then as I re-weighted the rope the SP let the clove slide and I found myself in a slow motion fall going over backwards, its not a Gri gri! I've found the more you use the SP, the more intuitive the use becomes and it gets easier and faster.

Trip: Red Rocking in Nevada - Date: 4/21/2011 Trip Report: 3 days of moderate fun climbing in Red Rocks with old friends. What a great time! Here's the TR on video!

Holy sheepshit thats a great TR!

RAd trip report!

I think most important is taking a hard look at the forecast and making sure you have a minimum couple day window without precip. AS when the clouds move in and everything goes white is when it gets interesting, especially if you are unfamiliar with the terrain and you could be forced to hunker down. If its clear,you can always find your way down.

In tick country, if you are vigilant you can always feel the little buggers when they bite you. It is a quick sharp pinch, and if you react by looking at the area instead of scratching it and being aware that this is a tick symptom, then you will always get them before they have a chance to sink there nose in and they come right off and do not transfer infection or inflamation. In the past 20 years, I have pulled hundreds of ticks off me due to the area that i live in and the places I have been and so developed this hyper awareness of how ticks attack! Also be aware that they get on you, and then they crawl upwards, so many bites are on the hairline at your neck, or at your beltline if they have access thru your shirt. Preventive measures such as taping your wrists and ankles and tucking your shirt in work very well, and eliminate the areas you need to be concerned about.

Maybe Hans work you a deal for 3 weeks if you don't mind sharing a bathroom or basement. Nothing like living in West Yosemite, a hot shower, a warm bed, and without the smoke and hassle of Camp 4. http://www.hansbasecamp.com/

You snaggged an ascent of Chumstick, nice!

I wonder what brand of backpack that is?

Its loaded up and finger on the trigger.