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Posted

i suppose the How To series & FOTH are good places to start. any comments on how i should begin to apply this? i'm a bit wary of self-teaching myself on this topic actually. i've been thinking on it, but not doing much ever since my friend took a tumble on High Mtn. Woody & hit a big flake on the way down. in hindsight i could have aided my way up (or could i have?), or walked out on the train tracks ofcourse, but i chose to grovel/simper/squirm & slide back up that muddy descent gully. anyhow, i feel i need another bag of tricks for the next time i find myself in a pickle. and i'd rather draw on some scrap of experience than have to sort out the permutations of theory under pressure. i am also unskilled in placing/removing pins, identifying good cracks, and ofcourse am a little bewildered by the weaponry. some exposure to this would be good too. don't be alarmed - i'm not intending to pound on the crags or any tourist routes!

 

the alpine is where my heart is, but my lack of talent is really starting to show as inadequate for my desires. 2005 will be more of a cragging year in the *hopes* of not needing to aid a 5.9!....and on it goes.

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Posted

Learning to solo-aid as a method to go for help for an injured climbing partner is probably not the best idea particularly if you are relatively new to climbing.

 

Your partners injured, you've probably lowered him back down to the ledge. You got a rope and full rack, what do you do?

 

Easy answer is get help in a manner that doesn't result in you being injured as well. Solo-aiding is a technique that is ripe with potential fuck-ups. Rappel, solo out or wait for help.

 

On another topic, there are plenty of incredible and worthy alpine climbs that don't require the ability to lead 5.10. Any ridge on Forbidden, the NE Buttress of Goode. The list goes on and on.

Posted
i am also unskilled in placing/removing pins, identifying good cracks, and ofcourse am a little bewildered by the weaponry. some exposure to this would be good too.

 

I agree with you here, some exposure would be good. I haven't done a ton of aiding and find it to be pretty tedious, but I think in a short amount of time you can leanr a lot. I know more about my gear and how to use it to its fullest potential. Aiding may not be the most expedient way to get to your friend, plus it's some extra gear to haul around, but I highly recommend learning to aid (for a little bit anyway.)

Posted

dberdinka thank you for your sagacity. i've spent some time pondering scenarios of me solo aiding. it doesn't sit too well with me, nevertheless i feel compelled to expand the repertoire. parenthetically, i was reading about Kris in Utah & his painstakingly safe solo aid practice, (p.73 of ANAM 2004) and with respect to his accident re: spring freeze/thaw cycle relating to cracks. thought i'd mention it as we are having a warm february.

Posted

Aid has more uses than soloing to the rescue. A bit of impromptu aid can be just the thing when a rainstorm catches you on a hard pitch, or when forced to climb in spite of an injury, or in any other situation where you must climb past obstacles that became harder than anticipated.

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