stevetimetravlr

Whatever could be wrong about posting a trip report about HIKING ON A ROAD. At least you got out, or it could have been about baking cookies.

Whatever dude. Each to their own. Or maybe, a little bit of everything makes you a stronger better well rounded climber.

If you are trying to lead a hard climb but only can get to say bolt #4 and keep falling, fixed draws allow you to pull the rope and walk away without leaving a draw of your own. It eliminates the loss of draws by indivual climbers by dedicating draws to the climb initially, a community service. It allows those climbers who cannot onsite a climb( usually 5.13 and up) to give the hard climbs a try without being penalized other then taking a fall. Fixed draws are also nice on very overhanging routes where if you fall off you cannot get back on the rock and are required to lower off to the ground. Again, you can pull the rope and not have to leave gear.

Good seeing ya today Dave! Dave is whipping himself into shape, ever time I see him he's running up a storm, getting the miles in. Look out come Spring, he's gonna be a animal!

If its going to take rap anchors to clean up there and allow access, I am for it. Just back from Beacon again. It was raining so we just rapped in checking out some lines for future reference. That first pitch of the Dutchman is clean, but the 2nd pitch must never get done because the crack is all lichenated and somewhat chossy. Next spring I'll volunteer to give it a good scouring. Jensens Ridge and all those upper routes must be even worse? With Beacon closed half the year, we just don't get the traffic to keep most of the climbs clean, and a majority of the climbs in the guidebook are rarely if ever done either due to the moss has overtaken them or the fixed gear/anchors are old. Its not a matter of whether you can climb up there, aid or free, its a matter of who wants to clean those cracks while leading them. Not me, but it would be great if they could all get a good scrubbing, and if it takes a new rap anchor to access that terrain to do it, why not? I talked to Jim as he was out there at the parking lot, and he is not for it intially, but I think he could be convinced if its for a well thought out cleaning project. If Ivan wants to go to all that work, who are we to stand in his way! Also, rockfall came down the Corner and hit a tree. Nothing major but the tree blocks the trail right below the corner now. Cool.

Does anyone ever venture into that area above the Arena of Terror? Have you ever climbed up there Joe? Nobody ever up there that I have seen except Ivan and company. I think perchance Ivan is just trying to gain a somewhat easier access to these little visited areas so he can do some cleaning/trundling so its not so gnarly/filthy when they do get climbed.

There have been perma draws on many of the harder climbs at Smith for years. For instance, Chain Reaction. They can't be to intrusive then if you climb there and haven't noticed them, right?

Cascade climber, I don't follow your logic. Nor do i climb 5.13. However, I do know that fixed draws on climbs are there for a reason as a public service. Climbs that are very difficult generally require "work" over a period of time. In other words, tough to top out generally the first few times you try them. So fixed draws allow you to bail off and give someone else a chance, without abandoning your gear and tieing up the climb while you stickclip your way to the top or leaving your brightly colored gear on the climbs. I'm not for fixed draws in very many places, but Smith Rock and Little Si seem pretty reasonable, with little if no negative impact, except for the imagined slight people like Raindawg feel reading about them.

Raindawg, I base my views on many things you have posted on this site, mostly your unrelenting attacks on sport climbing. With no posting on what/where/whom you climb or positive input on climbing in general. Kimmo, my view is based on the fact that there is wilderness a plenty in the state of Washington, millions of acres. Most people are to lazy to go find it. But some love to bitch about fixed gear in a dedicated sport area near a major population area as impacting someones view? There are many many thousands of miles of trails in the state of Washington. How many fixed climbs can you see from any of those trails? So in one of the few instances, it is a issue for someone? Sorry, I find that just a little self absorbed, one sided, and ridiculous.

If someone only climbs 5.6, then their point of view regarding fixed pro on hard sport climbs is invalid in my view. They have no concept of what is involved, as evidenced by their comments. So sure they are welcome to comment, just not to be taken seriously. I have been hiking Mt Si since I was 15 in 1974. there was no traffic at those crags, no real trails, no visitation back then. All that has happened due to fixed gear. So maybe they are against people going there, rather then fixed gear. Thats what it appears to me.

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I look forward to discussing it with you at the crag sometime. Cheers, Orion You won't be seeing Raindawg or any of the whiners at Little Si or Smith Rock. They don't climb anymore. or if they do, doubtful if it reaches the 5.6 scale but they certainly like to judge people, thats their thing, not climbing. What are you thinking Orion trying to climb a route that may be to diffcult for you? You should be like these guys, and participate in "Assured Outcome" climbing.

ya got my vote Ivan. Do it mon!

gonna have to upload the video to Vimeo. Otrhwise it didn't happen.

I think that wear and tear on ropes over sharp edges, ropes getting hung up and cranked on when you pull them, jugging ropes, these are all things that contribute to wearing a rope out. Taking falls maybe not so much. I think shorter falls where the rope doesn't get to stretch much and absorb the fall(ie sport climbing) is harder on the rope then longer falls but its what the rope is made for. But thats just my personal opinion. also, washing the rope seems to fuzz it up over time, so i wouldn't really wash it much personally, just use a rope bag on a regular basis when belaying in the dirt.

Fun

I don't think we have anything to argue about Bill! For once we all just want to go climbing. But can't with all this flipping rain. We can get all pissy and stuff after the Beacon closure kicks in again. Kudos to Ivan for being out getting it done in the torrential downpour, had to have been brutal. any photos?

How was it Ivan? Did ya get on Jensens? I was looking for ya as I drove west on 84 this morning but couldn't see much thru the rain and fog.

You can always move to Ogden. This ice tower will be located right near the Rock Gym and the Flowrider indoor surfing park. Ogden coming on strong. http://www.envisionogden.org/Articles/IceWallArticle.php

The continuing saga of Plaid on Psychic, we returned the following day in a raging gale to retrieve the gear left the night before. We rapped all the way down, and cleaned the pitch. This is the day of the snowstorm this week, Tuesday evening, it started snowing as we got back to the parking lot, good timing! http://www.vimeo.com/18803267

We still got a few weeks left Ivan. and Plaid did have to leave a pin or two, so he still needs to go back up and clean them out or apply for a fixed anchor permit in triplicate, notarized, signed, authorized and duly noted and then take a trip in the time machine so that its submitted before he left, or he'll be knocking elbows with the jailers and barking like a dog before we know it. Blueblockers, I remember those and even ordered a pair, loved em. Classic.

Holy sheep shit. Thank goodness for safety meetings,its a dangerous world out there.

I think the Chinese are a pretty mellow crew overall compared to us dickheads. But what we REALLY REALLY don't want them to do is force them to start flexcing their muscle.

What Ivan said! Plaid told me that Andrew(Pink) tried to free the final pitch Physic Wound unsucessfully sometime back, and he is the only person to date known to have climbed it at all, aid or free, with copperheads and skyhooks and iron. But he posts on here, so whats da story Pink??!!! Would love to hear the story!!!

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying Joe. Plaid defintely wasn't drifting into expediency, I am here to tell you! ha! We had double set of Alien and Alien offsets, double set of Dmm offset brassies, full set of C3's, all the clean tools neccessary, but that seam is so tiny he kept going to the peckerheads and knifeblades,he had to tag up a whole nother set of them. It did take him a while, although he ran up the first bit in pretty fair style, but as he neared the top, it went to 15-20 minutes a placement, and then on the last placement he was there for like 45 minutes without moving, he kept blowing the pieces at the copperhead seam but we had no small heads, just some big ones. so next time. It was a grand adventure, although the book I was reading was kind of lousy so that was weak sauce. Osprey, this is the line to the right of Flying Dutchman.

Unreal! Im going, whos in?