sobo

Haven't been to Chamo, but we stayed a week in VDA about 9 or 10 years ago on the engagement trip. Very nice valley, quite picturesque, lots of climbing year round, and you're only an hour's bus ride from Courmayeur and the cable car over to Chamo. Personally, I'd stick to the WOP side because I like northern Italian food better than what the Froggies eat. Either side is gonna be spendy. What else you wanna know?

as it does to me. and most likely quick-linked to the bolt hangers on both ends.

Well, we knew you probably wouldn't, matt, since you already told Rad you don't follow "The Rulez." Just to be clear to everyone, a friendly warning or advice offerred in the right spirit will almost always work better than down-shouting someone for what appears to you to be a stupid mistake. Matt has the right approach. Oh, and I break "The Rulez" rather occasionally myself, so mebbe a lot of you don' wanna climb wit' me neither. It's all about experience. You know, that stuff that comes from exercising good judgment. Which is, in turn, that stuff you gain by surviving bad judgment...

I've never been up there either, but I find this explanation to be completely illogical. As in, how would one connect a rap ring (a fused, solid metal annulus) to the chain links (also fused and solid, although oval in shape)? Since the chain links in question are clearly not quick-links, and a rap ring, by definition, is not able to be opened and closed, by what magic would one construct an anchor such as you describe?

Easy. Frank Gibson, hands down. Story is similar to yours. I used to do a shitload of cave exploration/surveying/mapping with Frank and "Mike the Psycho" when I was in school at VA Tech. One weekend, Frank and Psycho didn't want to cave, but were going climbing instead. I asked, "What's that like?" Frank and Psycho: "Wellllll, it's a lot like caving, except it's not wet. And it's not muddy. And it's not cold. And it's not dark. And it's not blah blah blah..." (you get the idea) I got to go along, and I think I went caving all of 3 more times in my life after that. Frank became my climbing mentor just as he had been my caving mentor. And he sandbagged me on my first leads just as he had sandbagged me into being the first human into some pretty tiny spaces underground. So clearly, it was Frank Gibson. RIP Frank.

My Climbing Excellent find, Billy! Must go back and amend my list with Paul and Jack! :tup:

All I was hoping to accomplish with my post was to help Stewster avoid just this. ^^

Precisely, which is why I said this: As in, most newbie trad leaders will not have an extensive rack from which to pluck the necessary larger protective pieces for the wider off widths inherent for the grade, and... which goes back to the above. I'm just letting Stewster know what she's getting herself into if she's going to head up the "really easy graded" low-end climbs at RC. They are not sandbagged; I just want her to know that the injury potential is greater with these "walk-ups" than it is with the harder lines, and that she may find herself wanting a few more larger pieces that she might already own/have available.

Be aware that the lower grades at Royal Columns will lend themselves to less protection opportunities. This is because the cracks are rather wide in the 5.3/5.4 range, although the climbing is super easy and straightforward. Pay attention that the injury potential on these lesser-graded climbs is generally greater than the harder routes. Take Apprentice (5.3), for example, as AR Guy mentioned. More that a few budding trad leaders have had their ankles/knees/elbows/legs/arms meet an untimely end on that climb. Most climbs in this range are off-widths at RC. Miladugga gave you a good list (Slacker, Good Timer, etc.). You'll have to reach in deep to get pro, holds, etc. Moving into the 5.5/5.6 range offers better protection scenarios, as the cracks are narrowing up a bit more (hand and fist jams, foot jams). Miladugga left you a great list to get on (Nimble Novice, Nimrod's Nemesis, Double Trouble, etc.) Others not to be missed are The Sorcerer, Twin Cracks, and a trio of really short 5.6 cracks toward the far left side of the face. They all end at a common (bolted) anchor. By the time you're in the 5.7 to 5.8 climbs, you're doing finger and toe jams. Entrance Exam and Cutting Edge are favorites. Render Us Weightless is a roof climb that is far easier than it looks from the ground. Although we're talking about RC right now, do not miss the opportunity to get on Ed's Jam at The Bend, just upriver (again, miladugga gets the credit for pointing you to this fabulous crack). There is no finer 5.8 crack in the entire state as easily protectable as EJ, IMHO. By 5.9/5.10, finger locks and smears and edging become de rigeur. Things to get on include Inca Roads, Thriller Pillar Direct (technically a sport climb), Developing Arms, Orange Sunshine, X-Eyed & Painless, etc. By 5.11, it's tough crimping, pinkie/ring finger locks (for me at least), and deft edging almost exclusively. But then, I've only done a couple of 11's at RC, and that was a hella while back. Regarding the notion that RC is a sandbag haven, I say Pfffft! It's as fairly graded as any classic destination climbing area. Everything I've climbed there over the past 20-odd years is spot-on for the grade. Ya, I know, this argument has been had on this board a bazillion times before, and I'm not gonna engage anyone in it again. However, I strongly feel that the route pioneers at RC did an excellent job of selecting the ratings. They fit nicely with what I grew up climbing. Now if they could just get rid of the rattlers...

That took longer then I thought... You must have missed this part... I was talking about the whole thread as you were the first to list Fred... Ah! It occurred to me after I replied that that was how you intended the comment. But by then, I had already logged off and gone to munch out. Never got back to editing it. My bad. Cheers!

Way to go Powell! CWMR rocks! (Powell and Crew were doing the Mazama chute)

Sweet! Very nice! "...After Avalanche #3, it was time to bail..." Classic! Bad Nodder! Joe, if your mom saw you do that, she'd kick your scrawny little ass from here to next Thursday!

and while on the subject, jimmy buffet's "volcano" is a great one when scaling such beasts "i don't know where i'm a-gonna go when the volcano erupts blow"

That took longer then I thought... You must have missed this part...

My "A-List" is long and distinguished. I'll probably be adding to this as time goes on... Round One, in no particular order: Doug Scott Chris Bonnington Joe Tasker Maurice Herzog Heinrich Harrer Reinhold Messner Mugs Stump Edmund Hillary Alex Lowe Jeff Lowe Jim Bridwell Warren Harding Carlos Buhler Walter Bonatti John Roskelly Marty Hoey Lynn Hill Alison Hargreaves Wanda Rutkiewicz Royal Robbins Yvon Chouinard Fred Beckey Layton Kor and lastly (for now), Frank Gibson Round Two (credits to wfinley) Paul Petzoldt Jack Durrance

And our gummint pays you to score these choice toyz, Brad? I wanna job like yourz...

This reminds me of great fun when we were kids... 1. Take two cats. Any two cats, but preferably not your own cats. 2. Duct tape their tails together firmly. 3. Throw them over a clothesline, so a cat is on each side of the rope, with their tails over the line (cats are upside down). 4. Sit back and enjoy the show!

Strong female

Just a simple "Happy Birthday" wish from me. And to you, too, ILS.

Here's my favorite... I'm a rock climber and I'm OK I sleep all night and I climb all day. Chorus: He's a rock climber and he's OK He sleeps all night and he climbs all day. I climb up rocks, I eat my lunch I go to the lavatory. On Wednesdays I go shopping and have buttered scones for tea Mounties: He climbs up rocks, he eats his lunch He goes to the lavatory. On Wednesdays he goes shopping and has buttered scones for tea. Chorus: He's a rock climber and he's OK He sleeps all night and he climbs all day. I climb up rocks, I skip and jump I like to press wild flowers. I put on women's clothing and hang around in bars. Mounties: He climbs up rocks, he skips and jumps He likes to press wild flowers. He puts on women's clothing and hangs around in bars?! Chorus: He's a rock climber and he's OK He sleeps all night and he climbs all day. I climb up rocks, I wear high heels Suspenders and a bra. I wish I'd been a girlie, just like my dear Papa!! Mounties: I climb up rocks, I wear high heels?! Suspenders...and a bra?!... Just the Rock climber : I wish I'd been a girlie, just like my dear Papa!!

Funny story: I had one of those almost 30 years ago, as a young lad fresh out of high school, back in my Dirty Harry days... The first time I took it out to shoot it, I struck a "Go ahead... Make my day" pose, complete with the hoarse whisper and Clint Squint. Pointing the weapon at the intended target with but a single hand, at arms length, a la Clint, I let fly with a slug. Goddamned thing whollopped me with the hammer. Left a big dent in the middle of my forehead that took weeks to heal. After that experieince, I always kept both hands on the wheel... Yeah that doesn't always work. Fixed it fer ya... _uZkvzYEXp0

Ah! Well, welcome back. Do stay around awhile, eh? We miss you.

WTF? So all that money that I have clients spend on MasterBuilders AE-90 is just going to waste? Shit, I'll never spec air-entrained concrete again. Ever! This does get my :tup:

Funny you should say that A...that is one of the things keeping me from squeezing the trigger...the other one is this damn "guilt" shit...everytime i get serious about it, i read about food shortages, talk to a bum, blah blah blah... seriously, my company would take me back...its an awesome company, my fellow staff absolutely rock, my boss is really solid and respectable, the projects are world class...i'm just siiiiiick of it...i feel so bad about not liking it anymore... this is why i haven't bothered to look at other firms...i don't think i can beat this one...or my job...i just don't want do it anymore... From the bold text, I'd say your decision is pretty clear, and mentally you've already made it. Good luck in your travels! Let us know what you're doing.

So you're turing in your lurker status now? You've been "quiet" for almost two years now, and this thread brings you out of "retirement." Boston, eh? Nice to hear from you again!