Alpiners Anonymous: PDX dry tool night

[John Frieh]

10 am. Call me either tonight after 8:45 pm or 7:30 am Sat morning for directions: 503.758.5772

 

If you need to borrow gear it is on you to call me and tell me what you need.

 

Can someone bring a beater rope?

[John Frieh]

10 am at Rocky Butte.

 

After 3 speedbumps the road bends right and passes a big tan dome building. Park past the big tan dome building (look for a silver pickup), cross the road into the woods and walk c. 100’. You should immediately pass a tunnel on your right that goes underneath the road (good warm up area is you are early). Walk c. 100’ along the top of the cliff looking for some TR anchors/listening for the sounds of shitty footwork with crampons on (screech!). If you start to head significantly downhill you have gone too far.

[billcoe]

You forgot your shovel!

[John Frieh]

 

Rock climb tonight (3/27) anyone? Call me 503.758.5772.

 

Sunset ends at 7 pm!

[Kevin_Matlock]

Hey John, just wondering what came of your super-secret-ultra-cool-construction-crag-project that you were working on? I sorta thought you were planning some kind of "grand opening" so to speak.

Just ran out of steam/time/money/interest or are you trying to keep it under wraps just to maintain the area?

"none of your bidness" and/or "go find your own" are valid responses.

Edited March 27, 2006 by Kevin_Matlock

[John Frieh]

We had one route up before "public officials" located it. However before it was "dealt with" a number of people came out and tried it and as far as I can tell they liked what we created.

 

I have identified additional locations and plan to move development activities there.

 

Sorry for being vague but I think you can figure out why I am doing so.

 

Additionally I have/had no intention of posting additional information on activities, pictures, etc etc as the routes we made employed holds made of wood. As these holds have a finite lifespan I wanted to keep the user list limited to just those who contributed time, materials, or effort to develop the new area... Basically I have no interest in mantaining a resource for individuals who don't want to help out.

[Chad_A]

FYI, probably head out to Rocky Butte Thursday afternoon, if it's not pouring, or a mudfest. I only have one rope to DT on, so if anyone else wants to bring one, that'd be great, along with some webbing to set up tree anchors. The more the merrier.

 

Chad

[billcoe]

FYI, probably head out to Rocky Butte Thursday afternoon, if it's not pouring, or a mudfest.

Chad

 

Must have been a mudfest:-)

 

Well, my social secretary has advised me that spring forward/fall back will hit Sunday, giving us another hour of light.

 

I got out a little today and as kevin or Larry can explain: discovered that I'm old and out of shape. Can't do anything about being old. But, since my foot isn't too excruciating, I can still get a few laps in. I suppose the out of shape thing is to be expected since its winter and all, and I've stay a bit off my foot.

 

Point is: we should start up regular again getting in shape after work once it dries off some out at the Butte. Seemed like I was out a lot with only John last year, as good of a partner as you can find, but I'm sure that some of you other folks might enjoy yourselves too. We kept inviting last year, and something we'd get some people show up. Come on out! I give great belay.

 

What say for Tue or Wed if it's not raining? John: you in town?

[Chad_A]

Nah, it was great, and I brought down a chunk of scrap plywood to put down there, to keep the 'pons from tracking crap all over the place. Small, but big enough to move around on while belaying. Didn't rain until we were done that day.

 

Probably will be out there again sometime later in the week; Wed-Friday, someone pick a day.

[John Frieh]

What say for Tue or Wed if it's not raining? John: you in town?

 

I'm in PHX Tuesday - Friday this week. Go anyways... don't wait for me. I am down for going 2-3 times a week once my travel settles down (should be soon)... I know a few noncc.comers that would be game too...

 

And EVERYONE should throw a roll of trashbags in their rig and pack out a bag of trash every time they go.

[billcoe]

Looks like Wednesday may be the best day weather-wise for rock climbing.

 

Good for you? Silver Bullet? Rock shoes-no tools for me: You?

[scheissami]

If the weather dries out, anybody down for this evening at the Butte? Otherwise, I was gonna head to the Circuit. Pretty much the plan for the rest of the week (preferably rock but DT always an option if things get soggy).

[DJ_Dirty_Ernie]

something about the sunshine now available after work is forcing me out of abominable lurkerhood. I'd REALLY like to go climbing tomorrow and meet up with some people. check yer pm's billcoe.

[billcoe]

Hi all:

 

Sunshine, finally. Looking forward to this.

 

Short technical note: I figure that posting my rant thing here for everybody, just once, might be better than PMing everyone. As it’s a new year, with new folks, I want to restate my terms and conditions. Sorry if you heard this before. I don’t know the skill levels of people tomorrow so I’ll repeat.

 

I only have 1 major issue. Safety. As such, I give and expect 100 percent perfect belays. 100 percent perfect means: good communication, ground checks for every climber/belayer, and brake hand on the rope ground to ground round trip for any climber off the deck who thinks they are on, or should be on, belay. If you've ever seen a person dropped by their belayer, you witnessed a less than perfect belay. Might have been a 99 percenter, hard to say, but it was less than 100 percent.

 

1 really don't give a rats ass if you can outclimb me, welcome to a huge club if like most people you can. I don't care. I don't want to hear anyone say it's just top roping either. I choose to be safe and as part of that refuse to climb with anyone who expects to do less. If you don’t like what I’m saying here, don’t show up. Last year the rescue crews were called out for 10 cliff incidents, most in the area we will be in. Every Fucking one of which was avoidable, except that somebody chose to not be safe. Don’t think this can’t or won’t happen to you. I once carried out one of the most experienced Oregon climbers who had just finished the easy White Rabbit 5.3 down climb and while turning on relatively flat ground, banana-peeled on the wet mud and seriously pitched. The hospital stay was like a month or so with the broken ribs, punctured lungs, surgery to remove the spleen and permanent pins added to the wrist a week into the stay with more surgery. No one is immune and it’s a choice we can make. I free solo out here sometimes and it always shocks and surprised that rare person who sees me toping out - I’m fine with you doing so too, best not this time of year with this group please, let’s let it dry out and clean off some.

 

I don’t want to teach belays either. If you don’t have your Sh*T together, don’t come out expecting that somebody will help you to get it together. Make arrangements with somebody else some other time, I’d rather solo. I like to get set up efficiently and rapidly to get maximum time to get pumped. That might mean running up 3 laps in a row without untying and/or down climbing. Given the time constraints, it’s not a good time to be dogging a route unless you have a belayer who’s toasted out and done in, and nobody is standing at the base: rock shoes on foot tapping hoping for another shot before dark. You want to smoke a bowl or drink some beers, pretty common and fine by me, stay in control and don’t get sparks on my rope or (more) glass on the ground is all I've ever asked.

 

If you haven’t choked and blown spit on your screen due to my arrogance thus far, I’m driving from Beaverton and should be there @6 pm. Directions to Silver Bullet are thus: as John said: After 3 speed bumps the road bends slightly right and passes a big tan dome building. Park past the big tan dome building, @ 100 years before the hard right turn, and cross the road to the north into the woods and walk c. 100’ east paralleling the road. You should immediately pass a tunnel on your right that goes underneath the road, @ 20 steps further there is a trail that branches left, head left out to the cliff edge (another 25 feet or so) and you should be able to gaze down to some anchors below. (Going straight is a very safe and gentle walk to the bottom. You could curve around and meet up with folks below if you don't want to jump on the fixed line).

 

Communication from the top to the bottom is very difficult. There is some white water rapids or something further below, and the continued roaring sound never abates and is very difficult to overcome. The hand signal for advising a belayer that you are over the edge, tied in safe and can be taken off belay is a wave of the hand for instance. Planning the hand signals in advance is a good idea. If my finger points down and makes a circular motion after I've topped out, that means please lower me. A fist means stop. Might want to clean some crap off so your trip up is cleaner, or perhaps reclimb a section that felt particularly great or difficult.

 

As there is plenty of slippery wet mud, leaves and winter moss buildup, I suggest we tie off a fir and rap to the ledge below, set up the climbs and then rap the same line the rest of the way down. I rarely do this at this location, but this would be the time to rap IMO. It might be dry, but probably not. I have beater rope and don’t mind getting sap on it. You show up and see a light blue Maxim tied to a fir, feel free to rap on it, don’t ask permission. Side note: out here it's common to see a single party have 2, 3 or 4 climbs set up, tradition is that you can climb on their ropes. Nice to ask first.

 

If you feel insecure on a single line rap and want a fireman’s belay, glad to do it, flip the rope around till some enquiring person at the base walks over below you and looks up, point or shout and we’ll pull on it to slow you down if you have a crappy rap device and/or hate single rope raps. Tossing an identical sized 2nd carabiner in most atc devices helps slow you down too.

 

As this had been a active rock quarry, many of the anchors are into large blocks. We had a winter with some freezing; I always, but especially now, like to back up all the anchors with a backup rope tied solid to a fir or a rock further back. I have plenty of sections of retired ropes to do this. Bring your climbing ropes and personal gear, some lockers and such if you have it. Should be plenty of gear and ropes if you don’t own that stuff, so no worries.

 

If you want to warm up bouldering, you might drive to the top and jump on some of the short man-made stuff up there. It's pretty good.

 

Have fun, be safe, and see you tomorrow.

 

PS, 2-4 is a great number of folks, I usually bag off if I see lots of cars and it's a big group, please don't be offended if that occurs. It's me, not you.

 

Any of you last years or before dudes gonna show? Ivan, Paul, B-rock, Ron, Dan, Pete, Roberto, Kirby, T?

[ivan]

jeebus bill!

 

can't play 2morrow as i'm baby-sitting and was in the er y-day after destroying me arm at the gym in an arm-bar gone bad...

[MtnHigh]

Hey Bill, would you include an abstract at the beginning of your posts for us attention deficit types

[John Frieh]

well said my friend

 

In summary:

 

- know how to belay and rappel and how to not kill yourself or others

- bring your own stuff

- don't hang dog for 20 minutes. Either you can pull it or you can't

- bring a trashbag and make Rocky a better place

- get stoked!

[billcoe]

Nice abstrat John: I wouldn't have said anything but Sunday I was out and one of the young guys who had been dropped by his girlfriend in the gym not that long ago, breaking both ankles.

 

Least thats the story I heard. It's more unforgiving out there than a gym, and my ankles are signifiganly more aged and brittle than a 20 year olds.

 

I think he thought she had it dialed based his teaching. Good luck with the arm Ivan, hope it doesn't impeed the baby carring features you need right now.

[markd]

If you want to warm up bouldering, you might drive to the top and jump on some of the short man-made stuff up there. It's pretty good.

 

 

bill--

the man-made "bouldering" is my favorite in portland. great at sunset with a couple beers! although i don't know if i'd call them short.

[dan_forester]

Nice Rocky Butte bouldering stoke pic!

 

I can't make it this week, but maybe next week?

 

Looking forward to climbing up there again with you all.

[billcoe]

 

bill--

the man-made "bouldering" is my favorite in portland. great at sunset with a couple beers! although i don't know if i'd call them short.

 

Nice call Mark, me too - and real nice pic BTW. Some of that isn't short, I've never climbed that with a crash pad, I think I have to upgrade my friends to a better class, one with pads for instance.

 

 

It's currently raining outside my office window (Beaverton) the ground is solid wet...... looks like tonight is canceled unless some of you drytoolers suit up and hit it.

 

Dan - you bastard, what did you do with Fueonos? seriously, look forward to your humor and solid belays.

[castlecrag]

CRAP!! I just got back from rainy Cali and was stoked to climb tonight. I'll try and ctach up with ya guys another time

[scheissami]

Sucky. Catch you guys later this week, hopefully.

[billcoe]

Did anybody go anyway? How was it?

[RuMR]

after that dissertation, you didn't go?? WTF?@!??!?