Tree safe rap anchor!

[EWolfe]

Tree safe anchor until gets your webbing

[Alpinfox]

Dru and Kurt,

There is a rap sling girdling a tree on the descent from "The Kone" (I think) at Darrington. I didn't have a knife with me or I would have cut it off. Snaffles ain't doin' their job apparently. Silly thing is that there is an easy walk off to climber's right/skier's left of this rap sling -it's only 15/20m off the ground - so it is not necessary at all.

 

I don't think are too interested in chewing on nylon unless it has a lot of salt in it (pack straps, old ropes, clothing, Dru's codpiece, etc).

[chucK]

Ditto. We found a very tight rap sling around a tree on "The Back Road", a climb at Index. I did have a knife and when I cut it, it exploded with a very loud pop.

[daler]

I did not want to argue with dru as I know he is the master of all climbing info. I have seen this many times and have started using alternative methods when they are useful. I have been back to several climbs that I had climbed years prior and still found the cord I had left perfectly intact. I don't think the snaffles chew the stuff very often although they do go after your pack and clothing because of the salt.

Anyway- I was just sharing a alternative technique!!!

 

 

cheers to all and happy holidays

 

Dale

[Dru]

[catbirdseat]

I did not want to argue with dru as I know he is the master of all climbing info. I have seen this many times and have started using alternative methods when they are useful. I have been back to several climbs that I had climbed years prior and still found the cord I had left perfectly intact. I don't think the snaffles chew the stuff very often although they do go after your pack and clothing because of the salt.

Anyway- I was just sharing a alternative technique!!!

 

 

cheers to all and happy holidays

 

Dale

Just pee on the sling before you rap off and I guarantee something will have chewed through it before the end of the day. Hopefully not before you reach the end of the rope, though.

[snoboy]

I don't think are too interested in chewing on nylon unless it has a lot of salt in it (pack straps, old ropes, clothing, Dru's codpiece, etc).

 

The rangers in the Bugaboos were telling me that the in that area are eating rap slings. The real problem is that they chew them up for nesting material, and then they are supposed to eat it in the Spring. Well, Nylon is not that nutritous,.

 

The rangers at the time were advocating chains on regular descent routes for this reason.

[catbirdseat]

Certainly, chains would be less visually distracting on rap routes on places like the Beckey Route on Liberty Bell. The first rap features a pair of bolts. How much effort would it take to add chains?

[mattp]

I agree with you, Catbird, though just to be obnoxious I will point out that you can't see the first rap station on the Beckey route from anywhere except, perhaps, the top of Concord Tower. In general, I think, the visual impact is more of an issue at crag climbing areas than on mountain peaks and sometimes the fact that chains are harder to spot can be a disadvantage, as in the case of the West Slabs (Westward Ho) descent from Exfoliation Dome at Darrington where many parties cannot find the chain anchors and end up following an alternate route marked with sling anchors.

 

Even where the visual impact is not a tremendous concern, I still favor chains because you don't have to mess around with installing or removing extra slings and there are more places to clip.

[catbirdseat]

Indeed, the chains on Westward Ho blend with the rock quite nicely. A small pair of binoculars would be quite handy.

[Cpt.Caveman]

show me a case where the sling tied around a tree actually prevents the tree from growing? maybe chains but not slings. the snaffles will chew through it long before the tree expands by that much diameter.

 

That is not true in the enchantmeanttohavefunmeants.

 

Trees are squashed there and I dont have a photo for anyone other than what I have seen.

 

It is happening though....