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Beacon Alert!: Wasps, Barf and Peregrines


MtnHigh

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There is a wasp nest on Jill's 10' from the first rap station (5' above the last pin). Put my fingers in a hold and out come a bunch of 'em. Buzzing around my neck and head. Scared the crap out of me. They spared me from bites.

 

While I'm swatting at wasps my partner observed a guy coming up SE, panting and struggling. On the traverse after passing through Snag the guy hurls three times right on the traverse path. I wonder how many ropes dragged through it this weekend. Nasty

 

The Beacon Peregrines were dive bombing and squawking all day Saturday. Good to see them there. I don't mind waiting for them to fledge. They were there long before humans decided to take up rock climbing.

 

We got in some great pitches as well.

 

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Yuk! At least the guy did not drop trowel as well.

 

The tree ledge is the best place for that :laf::grlaf:

I hear they are going to install a porta-jon and and espresso stand at tree ledge. It will all be funded by the millions of dollars that the espresso stand will bring in when the mile long line que of climbers show up. Originally, the stand and jon were going to be at snag ledge, but I convinced them that tree ledge is much better as that will also get the people snaking up Crusin to cut in front of the throngs on the first pitch of the Corner. Also, everyone already knows tree ledge is the best place for dropping a hot coiler.

 

The wasps on Jill's got my partner too. I must have skipped that hold on lead but 112 was bitten twice on his way up.

 

PS, it is waaaaayyy to hot at Beacon so everyone should just go to Ozone instead...

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The wasps on Jill's got my partner too. I must have skipped that hold on lead but 112 was bitten twice on his way up.

 

Damn things are resorting to biting now? Shades of Mike Tyson.

 

raid-fly-wasp-killer.jpg

From the Chalkbag accessory collection.

FYI. from what I understand, wasps BITE, bees sting...
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from what I understand, wasps BITE, bees sting...

 

You misunderstand. 99% of the time, when climbers discuss "wasps", they mean Yellowjackets. They have poison sacs and they sting (repeatedly if they wish unlike honeybees who get a one time shot) as a means of defense. They can bite, but that's not what they are doing to you as you get chased down the trail.

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you might add "saharan heat" to the general warning list - think i'm gonna go solo night climbing tonight to beat it! :grin:

 

Was in the parking lot @ 6 am Sunday in an attempt to beat the heat... seemed to work though we found old larry sleeping on the trail at the first switch back :laf:

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Yeah, don't under-estimate the heat. I managed hydration badly on saturday. Rope-soloed YW and then attempted to do the same on FFA/Dods which was totally casual until I hit the tree when I wilted hard all in the span of a minute - dehydrated, cramping, and mildly faint. Had to badly aid the crux and thank god Ivan, Dave, Geoff, and Kyle were on Big Ledge and were kind enough to undo my rope from the anchor below as they rappelled so I didn't have to re-climb the damn thing to clean the pitch. Not too bright on my part, the only good news was the tree makes a pretty nice chair these days if you face to the west and just sit down.

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100 degrees, yellow jackets, poison oak,.... sounds like a horrible place to climb.

 

This year, Beacon is more horrible than any other year before.

 

Fortunately Ozone is 75 degrees, breezy, free of insects and poison oak, and no drama.

 

Beacon's for the birds.

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Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed

A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed,

Then one day he was shootin up the Corner,

And up through the ledge came a cloud of stinging rude.

 

Wasps that is, black and gold, Texas mean.

 

And the next thing you know got a rash of poison oak,

Kinfolk said "Jed move away from there"

Said "Belle Center Rd. is the place you ought to be"

So they loaded up the truck and moved to O-zo-nee.

 

Clifs, that is. Sport routes, climbing stars.

 

Well now its time to say good by to Jed and all his kin.

And they would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin in.

You're all invited back a gain to this locality

To have a heapin helpin of their hospitality

 

Hillybilly that is. Set a spell, Take your shoes off.

 

Y'all come back now, y'hear?

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Yeah, don't under-estimate the heat. I managed hydration badly on saturday. Rope-soloed YW and then attempted to do the same on FFA/Dods which was totally casual until I hit the tree when I wilted hard all in the span of a minute - dehydrated, cramping, and mildly faint. Had to badly aid the crux and thank god Ivan, Dave, Geoff, and Kyle were on Big Ledge and were kind enough to undo my rope from the anchor below as they rappelled so I didn't have to re-climb the damn thing to clean the pitch. Not too bright on my part, the only good news was the tree makes a pretty nice chair these days if you face to the west and just sit down.
I got a few pics of you from Big Ledge if you want em...
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The wasps on Jill's got my partner too. I must have skipped that hold on lead but 112 was bitten twice on his way up.

 

Damn things are resorting to biting now? Shades of Mike Tyson.

 

raid-fly-wasp-killer.jpg

From the Chalkbag accessory collection.

I hear Metolious is teaming up with raid to produce the newest super chalk, it is a powdered version of the wasp killer and also doubles as a round-up/cross bow herbicide. Sprinkle a wee bit in that nest or poison oak as you cruise by. Just don't snort it.
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wow - couldn't even follow my own advice - bailed on overnighting on ground zero yday evening - even at 9 pm i was as wet as having been thrown in the river after just the first pitch - fuck its hot!

 

I heard that this year, Beacon is more horrible than any other year before. But fortunately Ozone is 75 degrees, breezy, free of insects and poison oak, and no drama. This is the rumor just starting.

 

The lack of Oak at the Opdycke Zone might be cause I sprayed all that Oak shit and killed it dead dead dead. Their was a 40' high tree that had spread out onto the wall which Jim and those guys had yanked down with a rake. The stump is still visible there. Don't have no insect 'panation though. Maybe someone (else:-)) could organize a Beacon work party that would involve hitting the poison oak there, cause that shit keeps growing out of control. Who wants to step up and start the ranger discussion ball rolling on this? They probably have some projects or some things they want done out there which we could help them with as well. We could all show up, work our asses off all day and bang out all their projects too. It would be cool.

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