Cascade failures

[rob]

I sure have bailed off a lot of climbs, so much so that sometimes I think I bail more than I summit -- usually do to bad weather or crappy snow, (or sometimes vaginal sand syndrome).

 

My goal is to have bailed off of the top 100 peaks.

 

Is this pretty normal for the cascades? Or am I just a giant puss?

 

 

[ericb]

meow

[catbirdseat]

Poor planning is the cause of many a failure. I have only bailed on a handful of climbs, but then perhaps my reach is not as great as yours.

 

The greater the ambition, the greater one can expect to fail.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

Being inflexible and not planning for contingencies causes a lot of failures.

 

I had to bail off Eldorado last w/e because the party wouldn't do an earlier start, farted around all day with lengthy rest stops, and refused to shoot for the summit in one day (but still camp on day 1). So when the bad weather (which was forecast!) rolled in Sunday night, we had to bail.

 

[hefeweizen]

When I was growing up and starting to climb mountains in the NW, I had an extraordinary success rate. This set me up for some high expectations and I rarely had to back off. Well in the last few years the law of averages has caught up to me. I expect to be back on track here pretty soon.

 

That being said, if it was easy everyone would do it. Besides, the failures make better stories.

[tvashtarkatena]

I wouldn't be the best person to ask, as I have a 100% success rate...er, except that one time with you.

[Stefan]

The best way to avoid failures is to always start early.

 

If you start early and encounter a route error, you will have time to correct the mistake, or if you run into crappy snow, or poor rock, or a field of slide alder you did not anticipate, or...

 

The legendary French alpinist Gaston Rébuffat said, "You will never regret an early start."

[ericb]

The best way to avoid failures is to always start early.

 

If you start early and encounter a route error, you will have time to correct the mistake, or if you run into crappy snow, or poor rock, or a field of slide alder you did not anticipate, or...

 

The legendary French alpinist Gaston Rébuffat said, "You will never regret an early start."

 

I've had a pretty decent success rate...one of the things I do is always have an east-of-crest option or two in case the weather is iffy.

 

[mzchristy]

This "vaginal sand syndrome" sounds more distressing than not bagging a peak. I would turn around at once if this were to happen.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

The best way to avoid failures is to always start early.

 

If you start early and encounter a route error, you will have time to correct the mistake, or if you run into crappy snow, or poor rock, or a field of slide alder you did not anticipate, or...

 

The legendary French alpinist Gaston Rébuffat said, "You will never regret an early start."

 

+1

 

 

[rob]

This "vaginal sand syndrome" sounds more distressing than not bagging a peak. I would turn around at once if this were to happen.

 

The real trouble is that if you get too much sand in your vagina, it falls out into your second's eyes.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

The real trouble is that if you get too much sand in your vagina,

 

Gee, Rob, that's an interesting problem you've had there...

[rob]

just sayin'

[lummox]

weather has made the gash tween my legs bleed more than i want to say.

[Couloir]

The issue in the Cascades quite often is what appears to be bad weather up there, as assessed from below, is really just valley fog. Over the years I have learned to never cancel in town. Get up on the mountain and more often than not, you'll climb out of it.

 

As for sand in your "geni", might I suggest a good feminine lubrication product. I like AstroGlide.

[letsroll]

Sounds par for the course. I have a low success rate. That may be due to the fact I head up no matter what. Been burned too many times by the it is bad in town so it must be bad on the Mt. Going to start doing more trips on the east side this winter in an attempt to up my success rate. But hay at least you get out. Better than sitting on the couch watching cartoons sat morn. Rather get out and fail than not, heck I have a few good stories that way

[wfinley]

I don't think it's a Cascades-only problem - but rather an issue wherever you have to balance weather and alpine climbnig.

 

I think it's a hard balancing act; a few years ago I had more passion then sense. I climbed a number of fun peaks that season but also experienced a few miserable forced bivouacs and scared myself silly a couple times as well. Lately I have had more sense then passion and have turned around on a number of climbs - but I have yet to bivy or experience a good epic in the past couple of years.

 

If you're a weekend warrior getting burned because of weather becomes the norm because you're going regardless of the forecast. Quit your job and climb when the weather is good and the issue seems to arise less often.

[DavidHiers]

Bailing when you get too many "yellow lights" is a good way to stay out of ANAM.

[wayne]

Mike and I are 0-2 for our big new route projs this year. Its been a while since either of us have been shut out of the AAJ. One more shot coming labor day.

We bailed the first time because the approach was undoable the way we chose and the 2nd route just sucked too bad to want to climb it.

[layton]

But they were successful failures Wayne!

I've failed and bailed on so many routes it's actually unbelievable. Nooksack tower took SIX approaches to finally climb, for example. I try damnit!

 

After enough big scary routes under the belt, it gets harder to push it if things are sucking ass.

 

PM me if you want my "projects" that I've fully given up on.