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Does this look safe?


geoff

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I want to hear that story at Jim's Friday night before the movie, but after you've had 4 or 5 beers:-0

 

BTW, I don't know if you remember me pointing to a scrawny lil tree and saying - thats my rap ring up there....in pulling this from another thread, I need to correct my poor memory and say...thats my 2 biners up there on that scrawny tree:-)

 

story from the other thread:

 

Is there a lightweight way to place bolts so I can ensure that this situation does not happen.

 

 

I just had this happen to me about a month ago. I had a handrill and thought I had it OK all the way, but I was soooo fucked. GD, I was soooo pwned.

 

Rapped down a chimney and thought there was a visible crack down there where the end of the rope was (and I could set up another rap using those cracks and leave some gear), but when I got there it was just these big loose flakes. So I yanked off flakes till it got solid, after 5-10 min of scratching around looking for anything to put a nut into, pulled out my Hurricane handdrill and the hammer, started pecking at the rock. 30 pecks later, I realize that this is going substantially slower than the sun is still moving towards the horizon, faster than the drill bit can work it's magic.

 

Not only is the rock too hard, but check the bit: dull. MF you are such a dumb-ass (speaking to myself, I am the only person here and no one knows where I am but me. No one will come and get me. ) I have 3/8 dia bolts. Too big for an emergency. Slow to drill.

 

Shit, didn't bring a headlamp either. MF you are such a double dumb-ass. How the F did you live to be 52 years old you dumb ass.

 

Ahhh, whats that 30' over there straight left? a 4" diameter fir tree growing out of the rock. I make the 5.10 moves, hoping I don't peel off and smack the rock, as my rope is essentially deep in a chimney, and it doesn't move over with me, so I don't really have a nice tr above, but am looking at a pretty big swinging traverse fall.

 

Make it safely to the little tree, assess it for a rap by yanking on it pretty hard, and decide it will work if I sling it low and I can find a backup piece. Tie it off and pull the rope, which comes most of the way down the chimney and then gets stuck. Stuck bad.

 

MF you are such a dumb-ass, did you just get that rope stuck? The end I have isn't enough to get to the ground. MF you are such a dumb-ass.

 

Now I'm tired, no water, dead beat, muscles cramping, head pounding - can't get down, can't get up.... alone. I still have to unclusterfuck this mess - no one will ever come here and find me until it's too late, no one knows where this is to speak of. No cell phone (or coverage most likely for that matter).

 

Scratch around for a crack. Find none. Tie off the fir and try to reverse the moves. Surprise myself and do it, then climb up and unF*ed the rope, climb down carefully, not a chance in hell that a 4" scraggly fir at the edge of a cliff will hold a leader fall of this distance. About 30' across and @25' down. But I'm tied to it anyway on the off chance I'm wrong or to make myself feel good. Actually, the climb over and back really felt good, I like pulling rock I'm thinking to myself, and relieved of the fear I'd had on the way over of a flake pulling off, I'm flowing. I live for this moment.

 

I might be able to pull the moves to the top, on a route which has never been done before or even seen by a human being, but a short consideration and a brief snaileye towards the top later I'm thinking I'd better try for the ground.

 

Once back safe and sound again with the rope on the ledge, runner the lil tree, decide that although my head is pounding from dehydration, leaving 2 'biners, opposed and reversed is a good idea. At least if the tree pulls, it will look safe when they find me...at the base with the lil tree both still on the rope. Set up the rap, then slowly and gently slide over the edge: trying not to take big breaths as the extra weight of the air may do me in. Trying to use my feet to keep less weight on the rope - thinking I should have gone on a diet and lost some of this extra weight. Course I've got the bolt holder, bit, bolts, hammer, blow tube and wrench lowered safely to the ground on the end of the rope and doing nothing productive at this point. Of course.

 

Get down to the ground and the twilight zone effect comes on just as the sun hits the horizon.

 

I beat cleats and clear the woods and make the car just as blackness starts to settle and the cold drifts in. Laughing my ass off and glad to be alive.

 

So to answer your question Jamin. A bolt kit, with a new bit, holder, and a couple of 1/4" bolts and hangers may get you out of trouble, but may not, as my true example demonstrates.

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Billco, are there ethical considerations of quoting someone, and changing the quote?

 

Oh dude, ETHICS? do you realise that you are on Cacadeclimbers!

 

You are a lot smarter than I am HOR, you are right and I apologize.

 

No problem Bill, apology accepted.

 

ha ha! :lmao:

_______________________________________________

 

-huh- .....wait...

 

HOR?.......

 

Never mind, I've met lots O HORS smarter than me, after all, they're the ones gettin the money eh!?

 

:wave:

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