Solo anchors at the base of Green Drag-on

[Baltoro]

Any advice out there for an anchor to solo the start of Green Drag-on? I remember some blocks at the base but don't recall if they were slingable or if I need to bring along some gear. Any thoughts?

[tomtom]

Yes, there's a solid pinch between boulders at the base of the aid start. I believe a double length runner is all you need. I use 1" webbing.

[Sol]

if you want to back up the pinch you can sling the giant block that makes up the top of the pinch. last time i used it it had duct tape on the not so sharp edges. now you've got all the beta, go climb that thing!

[Lambone]

Yes, there's a solid pinch between boulders at the base of the aid start. I believe a double length runner is all you need. I use 1" webbing.

 

Maybe I'm paranoid, but I would never solo off just one sling for an anchor.

 

Anyway, the bottom of GD is easy to build a bomber anchor, blocks to sling and girth hitch, and gear placements. Make it bomber!

[hawkeye69]

wow. thanks for the beta! i was thinkin of this too.

 

so i take the sling and wrap it aound the blocks? i clip into it then right? and you mean i need to get some thingies to stick in the rock for an anchor? do you know EXACTLY what size? and like what happens at the top of the pitch? if i forget something can i get your number so i can call you for help? that'd be way cool dood.

[Baltoro]

Hawkeye69

I wasn't psyched about making the approach to solo it if I was going to find one unslingable block at the base with little else. Time is rather precious to me as of late and I did not want to take a day up hiking with gear that I could have spent climbing something on the LTW. I'm sorry if my desperate attempt to find every conceivable piece of information about every square inch of stone had somehow interfered with the purity of your internet experience yesterday. I know it can be disturbing to be forced to hear shamelesss beta requests and stories, let alone acknowledge the existence of guidebooks or topos. If on the other hand, you are just joking and are seriously benefited by the anchor information, please complete an in-depth trip report with move by move beta, pitch length measurements and sun/shade timeframe. Thanks.

[counterfeitfake]

Hawkeye, did you resurrect this thread just to be a dick?

[dmuja]

No body should shit on beta requests.

[tradclimbguy]

He was obviously joking, you have to expect it when you make so many beta request posts though.

 

My buddy and I just did TC and GD a few weeks ago just before the snow. We went up again a week ago to grind em out a bit faster and there was about a foot of snow on the ground and a bit of Ice fall, so watch out. It was a bit rainy but those two usually don't get too bad. If you want more beta you are welcome to PM me on it.

 

Otherwise there ARE large boulders at the base of the 5.11 crack that you can sling like lambone mentioned. We brought a double rack from purple TCU through BD#3, two leepers a sky hook, one set of nuts along with some offsets and some RP's.

 

You can also link GD to TC on the second pitch for a very fun pitch with a 60M. Off the belay move up the RFC and into the hand crack then exit on some free moves and move over under the big roof which is pitch 3 of GD.

 

Lots of fun. Watch out for ice this time of year. Enjoy.

[Baltoro]

Tradclimbguy

I can fully appreciate that he was joking and I hope he understood this with my additional shameless beta request at the end. I don't know that I would define two requests (pitch length and base anchor) as "so many beta request posts" though. I was wondering if I could leave one rope out in the rain and nastiness for a day or two or if two ropes were needed. I was wondering if building an anchor at the base would take up any gear that for me might be crucial to the first pitch. Beyond that, I'm fine. Like I mentioned above, my time has become very precious to me (fulltime school, fulltime work, fulltime husband). I have to make the most of my time and if that means trading some of the adventure and the mystery of a route for the opportunity to get out and climb it, then so be it. I'm all for keeping the adventure in climbing but for me, soloing C2/3 in the winter is adventure enough, even having that little extra beta. Maybe I'm just being defensive because my wife gives me crap for reading guidebooks cover to cover, but so much of my climbing as of late has been mental, and rehearsing the logistics of actually climbing GDO solo will have to do until the weather cooperates with my availability. I'm fully prepared to take crap for beta requests from good intentioned people which it appears that everyone here is so far. So seriously now, what's the secret sequence to unlock the 4th class ledge at the top of the first pitch? Is it grass, mantle, moss or moss, moss, dyno, grass?

Edited December 12, 2006 by Baltoro

[hawkeye69]

sorry, bad joke. beta requests bring out the monster in me...