Distinguishing Alpine Climbing from Cragging

[Attitude]

Alpine vs. Crag

[Dru]

dont confuse mountaineering with Mountaineers or Mountaineering Freedom Of The Hillz with Extreme Alpinism

 

should this go in the new EXTREEEEEME forum?

[Cpt.Caveman]

dont confuse mountaineering with Mountaineers or Mountaineering Freedom Of The Hillz or with Mountain Madness or with MountainMan with Extreme Alpinism

 

[Attitude]

And whatever you do, don't confuse it with the NEW ROCK CLIMBING FORUM.

[Dru]

oh shit, too late, i confused EXTREMOMTNDUDE with EXTREME ALPINISM

[layton]

chucK said:

The Urioste guide (Red Rocks) describes the Frigid Aire Buttress route as having an Alpine Feel. Perhaps in his mind it means discontinuous climbing (steep parts then less steep bushy parts)?

 

He's one of the folks that assoiates alpine climbing as "shitty". That route did have an alpine feel, however.

[chucK]

michael_layton said:

chucK said:

The Urioste guide (Red Rocks) describes the Frigid Aire Buttress route as having an Alpine Feel. Perhaps in his mind it means discontinuous climbing (steep parts then less steep bushy parts)?

 

He's one of the folks that assoiates alpine climbing as "shitty". That route did have an alpine feel, however.

 

So what made you associate it with "alpine"?

 

I did it. The only thing I can think of is the aforementioned stretches of easy brushiness, and I guess also the fact that the canyon up there feels pretty wild. Also, I guess there weren't any bolts (besides one shitty one).

[Cairns]

Dru said:

Pup Buttress is not above treeline but it's pretty alpine. Ditto Index pks I bet.

 

I met a guy who broke his ankle on the Pup Buttress. They used the cel phone to call for help, then used their GPS to direct the helicopter pilot through some cloud.

 

I prefer to think that cragging doesn't ever involve heli-rescue, but heli-rescue doesn't make it alpine, either.

 

I think you are the victims of words rather than their masters to be arguing over this. If you were the masters of words you would just be using them as a stick to beat those less accomplished than you.

 

Some kinds of climbing fall between the integer values of crag and alpine. Probably there is a kind of climbing between every 2 kinds of climbing.

 

I don't like getting cold.

[Dru]

i have seen a heli rescue from angels crest. but i would not go so far as to say angels crest in an alpine route. i dont think most people climbing it take a gps either!

[Bug]

Jack and I were climbing Canyon peak in the Bitterroots about 15 years ago. It is an easy alpine ascent with a little 5.6 here and there and a lot of beautiful exposure and scenery. When we got to the base, Jack promptly rolled his ankle hard. We packed it in snow and he walked on it to test it. It seemed good enough so we climbed the peak and descended to the base. At this point he told me he was not going to be able to walk on it all the way out six miles and down 4000 ft. We devised a plan. I would take the rack, rope and other gear and high-tail it out to the truck and he would make it down as far as he could. I would jog back up and assist the rest of the way. Jack gave me his key and gear and I headed out. When I got to the truck that he had traded for some legal work, I found out that the key was for the ignition but not for the locked doors. Oh well. I stashed my pack and headed back up. I passed the first hunter about two miles up. He had passed Jack way up by the top and he was moving very slowly. I met a second hunter about three miles up and he had just seen Jack about an hour before up steep switchbacks. About half way up, I found Jack tying his shirt around his crude crutch as padding. I tried to help him but the trail was narrow, steep and precipitous and it was pitch dark. We had not brought headlamps. He had too much pride to let me carry him. He hobbled all the way out to the truck. That was when I informed him of the key not working. We found one fist sized rock in the parking lot. Think about that. A parking lot in the mountains, surrounded by vertical rock and talus and we could only find one fist sized rock. Of course it was dark but still.... So I grabbed the rock and struck his wing window. It made a thwack sound but barely even ticked the window. Harder still, I whacked again. Still in tact. Finally, I thwacked that sucker hard and my fist and the rock went right through the wing window slashing my thumb wide open from the joint to the base. It was bleeding profusely. I taped it up and we started the truck and went down to Hamilton to get some ice for Jack's ankle. We pulled into a 7/11 and I jumed out. The front right tire was hissing and deflating rapidly. Jack had no spare. It was Sunday night about 10PM. Jack's wife was seven months pregnant and had a broken ankle from a Rainier trip (different story) so we could not call her. I called my GF and she diligently searched high and low for a car to borrow. My parents were out of town, all our friends were unreachable. We were screwed. Jack called his wife who did not want my girlfriend to drive their new car (OK she was only 18). Lil showed up about midnight. She looked at me and asked if there was anything I wanted, a drink, snack, whatever. I said no, no, and no. She turned to Jack and politely said,"Don't ever do this to me again." and peeled out. Did I mention this was Jack's and my first trip together? We since have had a 90% success ratio.

[j_b]

Cairns said:

I don't like getting cold.

 

just put on more socks