Loose Rock on Catapult

[catbirdseat]

Leading the first pitch of Catapult on lower Castle Rock, I dislodged two fist-sized chunks. Fortunately, they missed my belayer. I can't be certain there isn't more loose stuff, so keep your eyes open of you climb there. Consider belaying behind the rappel tree.

[G-spotter]

By "the first pitch" do you mean The Fault, or the pitch below The Bone?

[kevbone]

The Bone?

[Blake]

IS there still a metolius hex stuck at the crux?

[catbirdseat]

By "the first pitch" do you mean The Fault, or the pitch below The Bone?

No, as I said Catapult. Catapult has two pitches. I suppose you could do it as one with a 70 m rope if you moved the belay up from the tree. This was below The Bone and below Stoner's Ledge.

 

You gotta stop at Stoner's Ledge though. It's such a cool place to hang out.

Edited April 16, 2007 by catbirdseat

[catbirdseat]

IS there still a metolius hex stuck at the crux?

No, I never saw a hex, but there is a cam stuck on the start to The Bone just off the right side of the ledge. I looked at it and decided it wasn't worth fooling with. I think a determined individual might get it out. It was a U-stemmed green Camalot, I think, I am not certain though.

 

We did get a #1.25 Friend out of Saber though. Nice condition too.

[brendan w]

Thanks for the beta. I love linking lower castle with something fun on upper castle and getting a handful of pitches out of the deal. I am a bit confused about location though. I have climbed the catapult but assumed that it was the single pitch above the wide crack/chimney (the "fault") that moves through a corner/roof and then up a dihedral to either the ledge that is about level with "the bone" or on up another 15 feet to the huge ledge where the climbing becomes much easier. Did the rock pop in the chimney, corner/roof, or up in the dihedral?

 

Thanks!

[catbirdseat]

I think the rock came off of the arete to the left of the dihedral. I was perhaps stemming wider than many people would and that might explain how I found some loose rock to dislodge.

[telemarker]

Yeah, the hex is still there. With a 60m rope one can easily link the fault and catapult to stoner's, and even have enough to get up vertebrae. Now you want to talk loose, climb vertebrae. Huge and loose boulders. Fun crack tho.

[catbirdseat]

Yeah, the hex is still there. With a 60m rope one can easily link the fault and catapult to stoner's, and even have enough to get up vertebrae. Now you want to talk loose, climb vertebrae. Huge and loose boulders. Fun crack tho.

Clearly that is true, but rope drag goes up, communication becomes difficult, and also fall potential because of the greater stretch of the rope and/or gear zippering out. Plus my belayer was a newbie. If I were absolutely certain I couldn't fall on the Catapult, I'd have done it. I fall in the more timid category.

[Weekend_Climberz]

Yeah, the hex is still there. With a 60m rope one can easily link the fault and catapult to stoner's, and even have enough to get up vertebrae. Now you want to talk loose, climb vertebrae. Huge and loose boulders. Fun crack tho.

Clearly that is true, but rope drag goes up, communication becomes difficult, and also fall potential because of the greater stretch of the rope and/or gear zippering out. Plus my belayer was a newbie. If I were absolutely certain I couldn't fall on the Catapult, I'd have done it. I fall in the more timid category.

 

So you haven't tested your new belayers competancy?