Green Giant rap stations

[chris]

When I last climber the Dreamer, all the anchors were littered with rap slings of every model, make, and nationality - including the old-old-school "American Death Triangles." Some the the anchors were so badly cluttered I had to cut away old, faded trash to clip the bolts.

I'm contemplating climbing it again next month and adding quick-links and chain to the anchor stations. Not only would this eliminate people adding new slings and not removing the tat, but would also assist parties passing each other as one is descending and the other ascending (that FUBAR has happened to me twice on Dreamer).

I wanted to lay it out for ya'll first. Anyone against it?

Contributions to the project would be nice too.

[dbb]

I say go fer it

[hanman]

Sounds like an excellent idea to me. I am undertaking a similar project on Three O'clock Rock during an upcoming weekday (if anyone is interested in helping -PM me). Many of the routes there are in the same shape , ie Tidbits, Magic Bus, CharlieChan's, Boredwalk, etc. Quicklinks and galv chain are a plus, as they can be easily repaired/replaced in the future. The only thing I would add is cold galvanizing paint to the QL's, as they are typically bright.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark Hanna

[billcoe]

Lets see, you're not asking for money?

 

...............Hmmm.......

 

you're paying .................right?

 

Whew: well, thanks for offering: very kind of you.

 

Regards

Bill

[lancegranite]

Shop around, i got a sweet deal on my links and had the chain donated by my local rigging store.

[Szyjakowski]

kill the tat!

[chris]

Sometime between 12 September and 7 October I'll be climbing Dreamer on the Green Giant Buttress and replacing all the rappel slings with chains and links. I have plenty of partners lined up for the project, but could use donations to help defray the costs. Please PM me if you're interested in helping out.

Thanks

[skyclimb]

Another very worthy alternative would be to fix stations with tat in the gully off the back side, enabling a "walk off". This way two ropes wouldn't be needed, and stuck ropes wouldn't be an issue.

[larrythellama]

in that case bring a machete to clear a path too.

[catbirdseat]

Another very worthy alternative would be to fix stations with tat in the gully off the back side, enabling a "walk off". This way two ropes wouldn't be needed, and stuck ropes wouldn't be an issue.

Seems like it would be easier to create intermediate rap stations on the route than to blaze a trail down the wild and wooly backside. Just replacing the existing tat with chain as mtnfreak proposes would be a big plus.

[mattp]

If you want to do the climb with one rope, head off the back. It isn't THAT bad and one rope will get you down that way as it is right now. In fact, I don't think adding stations will help that descent all that much -- the main problem with it is that it is long and bushy, not that it lacks rappel stations.

 

You'll end up with a lot of extra hardware, and some of it in funny places, if anybody tries to retrofit Dreamer for mid-pitch rap stations the whole way. I'm all for reducing tat, but I wouldn't be psyched to hear somebody talk about adding ten additional rappel points.

 

Adding chain at the existing belay points would be a plus, though.

 

(Also, while we're on the topic, I can suggest what I believe is a better way to handle the Blue Crack and Undercling Pitches. Set a gear belay at the base of the Blue Crack, and then climb that crack to link it with the undercling traverse just above. Skip the usual hanging belay and set a gear belay out just around the corner after that undercling. This will make three pitches out of two, but will vastly reduce rope drag and avoid the usual snag on the second of those pitches.)

[Off_White]

Seems like it would be easier to create intermediate rap stations on the route

 

What a HORRIBLE idea. I hate having pitches mucked up with intermediate stations just so someone can avoid dealing with a second rope.

[Szyjakowski]

yup i agree. if you don't want to haul that "heavy" second rope then walk off the NOT so bad descent that mattp talks about...

jeezus some people are sooo Lazy.

[Drederek]

I third that sentiment. Its getting close to being clustered already with intertwining routes up there. I'm unsure if I've ever done all of Dreamer in one go. Hey Mattp (or anyone else) is there any more climbing in that basin behind Dreamer? Another 5+ pitch route would entice me to hike down that gully!

[mattp]

Don't sweat it Drederek. The first three pitches of Dreamer are, in my opinion, not as good as either Urban Bypass or the Safe Sex start. Similarly, the last three and a half pitches of Dreamer do not follow the original line. Nobody follows the "real" Dreamer anymore. Also, it has been my impression that most parties do not succeed in completing the climb by any route on their first attempt. Guidebook authors have suggested that the top pitches may not be worth doing, and many people are pretty fried by the time they complete the two crux pitches and bail from there even if they aren't out of time.

 

There is lots of rock out behind Dreamer, but I am not aware of anybody climbing that attractive little wall you see behind the crest of the formation - it doesn't appear large enough to warrant the trouble.

[chris]

I just want to make sure I'm really crystal clear here - I have no intentions to add rapel stations or place additional bolts - I only want to eliminate the slings on the existing anchors by adding chains!

Another cool way to climb the Green Giant is with two or three friends. With a team of three and a reverso, you can climb just as fast as two, but now you have two ropes to descend with. With a group of four you would climb as two seperate rope teams, but rappel together. I've done both methods, and they work!