Pins on Alpine Rack?

[newbee]

Newbie question.

 

Most of the suggestions here on Alpine Racks have suggested a small selection of pins.

What do you take to pound them with? A wall hammer? Second tool hammer?

 

Thanks.

[slothrop]

If I bring pins, it's only been on routes where I also have an ice tool with me, so I use the ice tool hammer.

 

Almost all established moderate alpine rock routes I can think of around here don't need pins since they protect well with a regular free climbing rack (cams & nuts).

[layton]

Listen to Slothrop. only take pins on an ice route (almost always in the alpine except for obvious climbs that are all ice), or an established rock climb that specifically states that pins are necessary -even then try not to use em. The only time other than that is when you are doing a 1st acsent.

 

If you are doing something that requires pins in the alpine and aren't ice climbing, a nice lightweight childrens' ice hammer (Simon Fox) works sweet, and Grivel makes something heavier but similiar. This way you also have an ice ax for any glacier approachin' or icy cracks. the pick is very nice for cleaning moss outta cracks too.

[Dru]

i place pins all the time in thge alpine but usually when making fa's or bailing i must admit. the best thing is like layton said except i like the grivel compact 3rd a little better, it is slightly heavier and when pounding pins heavy is good, but its light enough you feel like taking it along.

 

you won't need to place pins on alpine routes like WA pass or even NE butt of Slesse but if you start going up more remote and/or non granitic peaks you may find them very useful. especially if climbing in the cdn rockies where pins are often the only good pro and you may have to place them even on supposed trade routes.

[JoshK]

I admit to generally carrying a few pins on a route that isn't super-common and I can't scrounge up really good beta on. I also admit to placing pins on several different occasions for bailing or rapping off something I didn't mean to get myself up.

[Stephen_Ramsey]

Pins are real useful for winter alpine

Edited March 31, 2004 by Stephen_Ramsey

[Greg_W]

pins are real good for winter alpine

 

Yup Yup!!

[Bill_Simpkins]

The Grivel 3rd tool works nice! Plus you can climb and self arrest with it! I've used it on aid routes too. The pick is good for pulling pins.

[Don_Serl]

newbee,

 

take mostly thin stuff: a cpl long blades, a cpl medium LAs, maybe a mid-size leeper and a small angle (1/2" or 5/8", maybe 3/4" - don't get over-concerned about the size, cuz mtn cracks tend to be pretty variable in short distances, and if it won't fit HERE, it'll fit THERE). the deal is that you can't get decent pro (or anchors) in thin cracks without them, whereas you CAN get nuts or cams into anything more than thin fingers on out.

plus, in the mtns the rock tends to be much more frost-fractured, and that tends towards thin, flakey cracks.

 

as for hammers, i happen to like 50cm length, trad alpine pick tools ( i own, use, and love a DMM alpine raptor hammer, but that took a special order ). not easy to find these days, and heavier than the modern "mini" tools, but they can replace your iceaxe on an alpine climb, whereas the "minis" are not too fine to self-arrest or nick steps with.

 

as for the "minis", people are often interested in "light", and the simond fox is lightest at 330gm. charlet petit loup is 410gm. grivel black 3º is 480gm.

there are others out there that u can see surfing european sites, but not easily available in north america.

 

have fun,

cheers,