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Overheard on the way to Certain Doom


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Alex said:

On the Tooth, a fine sunny day many years ago.

 

Me, rapping off the top, watching an older guy coming up leading with his rope clipped into a locker, instead of tied directly to his harness: "Hey you know you should probably tie in directly, what you're doing there isnt safe."

 

The guy, pissed off: "I'm a Boeing engineer, I've done the calculations!"

 

I shrugged and decided to skate before I witnessed something bad happen.

 

Hey Alex,

Ever "tied" into the middle of a rope while glacier travelling? If so, my guess is that you probably did it by tying a figure-8 on a bite, or maybe a butterfly knot if you know your shit, and then CLIPPED INTO IT WITH A LOCKING BINER! There is nothing unsafe or irresponsible about that. Granted, it is preferable to tie into your harness directly whenever possible, but what that guy was doing was certainly not stupid or reckless. Lead climbing with a braided nylon rope (I saw someone doing this at exit 38)? Most people would probably consider that stupid and reckless...

 

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Alpinfox said:

Alex said:

On the Tooth, a fine sunny day many years ago.

 

Me, rapping off the top, watching an older guy coming up leading with his rope clipped into a locker, instead of tied directly to his harness: "Hey you know you should probably tie in directly, what you're doing there isnt safe."

 

The guy, pissed off: "I'm a Boeing engineer, I've done the calculations!"

 

I shrugged and decided to skate before I witnessed something bad happen.

 

Hey Alex,

Ever "tied" into the middle of a rope while glacier travelling? If so, my guess is that you probably did it by tying a figure-8 on a bite, or maybe a butterfly knot if you know your shit, and then CLIPPED INTO IT WITH A LOCKING BINER! There is nothing unsafe or irresponsible about that. Granted, it is preferable to tie into your harness directly whenever possible, but what that guy was doing was certainly not stupid or reckless. Lead climbing with a braided nylon rope (I saw someone doing this at exit 38)? Most people would probably consider that stupid and reckless...

There's quite a chance of the biner being cross-loaded in this situation. On a glacier the forces are much lower, so it doesn't really matter. Plus I like to keep things simple, tying in directly gets rid of one more potential weak link.

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Gaston_Lagaffe said:

At Smith a couple of years ago I was sitting by Cinnamon Slab waiting for a group to finish the easy face climbs by it when I see this woman belaying her partner with a GriGri attached to a gear loop. Since the climber was only 7-10 feet off the ground I ask him if he can be secure for a second while his belayer fixes her setup. After explaining to the woman where to clip the biner the climber proceeds.

 

But wait, there's more.

 

The leader ties into the anchors and yells down for the woman to tie in and follow. I had decided to stick around for a second to make sure that her first error was just "that one time" you do something stupid. It wasn't. Me: "Ehemm." She (in a nice way, mind you):"Is there something else wrong?" Me:"Mmmm actually, yes. You're tied into your leg loop." and proceed to show her how to properly tie in.

 

 

That's going to be the great thing about the new Metolius Safe Tech harness with full-strength everythings.

You can tie into the damn gear loops, or the leg loop rise adjusters, or that little tab that keeps the rope in place where the webbing comes up from the leg loops. They even designed it so the buckle's good for a couple thou' pounds without being doubled back. Hopefully that rig will save a few busted bones (or worse).

 

thumbs_up.gif

 

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as we settle for a bivy just below the summit pyramid on shuksan on an early summer evening, this couple (shorts and t-shirts, hiking boots and no pack) takes forever to get off the summit. eventually, they reach the snow slope beneath the lower rocks, the guy takes off in a teetering standing glissade, falls on his butt a couple of time and barely escapes the gaping shrund that can only be avoided by circling way out of the fall line. the woman still stands just beneath the pyramid, not knowing whether she should follow in the same manner or take a more conservative approach. she attempts to glissade but falls and decides to walk downhill. all flustered at such a display of timidity the guy starts yelling at her that glissading is the only way to go and to boot:"it is fun". she hesitates, tries a glissade, her upper body swaying wildly back and fro, falls again, and indicates she wants to walk downill because she is scared. but the dude keeps shaming her into glissading. this goes on for a few minutes, the scared whining and falling, alternating with the abnoxious goading. we are a captive audience to the abuse and potential disaster; we can't stand it anymore and scream at the dude to keep quiet, and ask his partner to walk carefully around the crevasse. she does so and they dissapear toward the sulphide glacier. madgo_ron.gif

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"OMFD!!!!!!!! IS THAT DFA!!???? HE IS SOOOO FUCKIN RAD!!!! DO YOU THINK WE COULD APPROACH HIM AND MAYBE ASK FOR HIS AUTOGRAPH? TOUCH HIS LYCRA TIGHTS OR MAYBE EVEN STEAL HIS WATER BOTTLE?? HEHEHEHE

 

- IAIN

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Dr_Flash_Amazing said:

iain said:

that must weigh a ton. I'm not a big fan of overengineering to counter stupidity

 

All the bomberfications are with Spectra. It's not like there's any webbing on the harness that wouldn't be there anyway. And anyway, accidents do happen.

 

And accidents still will happen no matter how much you overdesign a harness...

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rr666 said:

 

And accidents still will happen no matter how much you overdesign a harness...

 

So, the next time some gaper clips into an anchor with their gear loop, instead of tearing off 'cause it's only good for 20 pounds, it will stay attached 'cause it's good for 2000 pounds. So there's a potential accident not happening. Obviously other stuff might still happen, but there's a whole bunch of other crap that could've happened but won't, because of an overdesigned harness. What's your point?

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Dr_Flash_Amazing said:

So, the next time some gaper clips into an anchor with their gear loop, instead of tearing off 'cause it's only good for 20 pounds, it will stay attached 'cause it's good for 2000 pounds. So there's a potential accident not happening. Obviously other stuff might still happen, but there's a whole bunch of other crap that could've happened but won't, because of an overdesigned harness. What's your point?

 

Nothing really.

However, with all of the gapers out there, there is nothing that is going to prevent stupidity and carelessness.

 

Hell, if the harness was comfy, and did not weigh much more, or cost too much more, I might buy it, but not just because it is "safer".

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I believe so...

 

i heard you get incontinent when you age...

 

reminds me of the 3 rules to growing old...(courtesy of MikeS)

 

1. If you get a hard on, act on it immediately, regardless of what you are doing or where you are!!

2. Never pass up an opportunity to use the bathroom!!!!

3. Be extremely careful of farting, you never know what you'll get!!!!!

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High skewl aged gym rat (sketching breathlessly on Inca Roads at Royal Columns, Tieton River a few years back) to his belayer:

 

"Goddamn! You sure this is 5.9? It's way fuckin' harder than any of the 10s at the gym!" peoples.gifmoon.gif

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My friend came across a church group at Smith Rock climbing in the name of Jesus, shouting religious encouragements to each other and yelling out thanks to the Lord each time they grabbed a hold. Whatever works, I guess. Although, isn't the Lord aid?

 

Y'all enjoy your weekend. bigdrink.gif Cheers

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