[TR] Town Crier, UTW, Index - 5/14/2012

[wayne]

Trip: Town Crier, UTW, Index -

 

Date: 5/14/2012

 

Trip Report:

There are many different “sports” within the sport of climbing. May 13th, 2011, I decided to revisited one of my old favorites: Aid climbing. I really used to enjoy its propensity to allow me to be in some ridiculous places. In the late 70s, and early eighties, I dreamed of doing El Cap and many other amazing routes that require such skills.

 

Then came sticky rubber and I was almost exclusivly a free climber after that.

 

Aid climbing gave me a great base for rope management, rescue techniques, and getting-out-of-trouble skills, that I think every climber should have.

 

After recent decades of ignoring, I decided it was time to dust off some old skills. Turned out to be worth doing for a couple of reasons..

 

Saturday practice for Beau on City Park (c-1), and we tried to sleep to the sound of rescue helicopters pulling a multi-fractured climber off the wall we were off try on Sunday: Upper Town Wall, above the town of Index.

 

Sunday we got up early, as the temps were expected in the mid 80s for the day. We were going for a south-facing route called Town Crier. Beau had the rock shoes, so he took the first free sections. I then kicked into the first of three, c2 pitches. The 6th placement blew out on me taking with it numbers: 5, 2, and 1. At least numbers 3 and 4 held! The 20 foot fall stopped by Beau (The Awesome Belayer/Climber) Carrillo, left me 5 feet above him and a ledge, PHEW! It was nice to know the system works. More on blog.

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

gear to 3". extra small nuts

[Buckaroo]

SWEEEET!

 

I rope soloed this a dozen years ago, back when the bolt ladder was original Becky stuff. It had these home-made aluminum hangers with 1/8" bolts, it added some spice to the route.

 

I've heard the 4th pitch no longer has a bunch of fixed pins? It used to be a ladder of pins, too easy.

 

I know just where you fell from, there's 2 variations, you must have took the harder one.

 

I totally agree with you, aid is a great skill builder. You concentrate on gear placements and are doing many of them in a short period of time, with safe fall potential. You learn much quicker than you would placing while free-climbing. You also learn exactly what will hold and what wont.

 

Where was the climber climbing that had to be choppered off?

[wayne]

I dont know, someone may chime in, I hear it was an accident that caused both ankles and a wrist to fracture," hearing second hand info", of course.

[Sol]

I heard from the rumor mill that the accident occurred at Private Idaho and involved an unfinished rewoven figure 8 knot.

[Sherri]

What day was the accident? We were at Private Idaho for a little while on Sunday but left around noon when the place got crazy busy. Must have been 20 people up there.

[ivan]

wayne, i'm in the market for a yosemtime trip this june - come do a badass big wall, eh?

 

how'd you conspire to fall, let alone rip so much gear? which pitch?

[wayne]

thanks gotta work all summer again.

it was an expanding block, I found that out when I tried a cam hook afterwards, duh. it was on the 1st aid pitch just below the roof and pendulum. top 2 pieces blew, then the bottom 2 werent directionals so they back-zipped.

[Riley81]

I had a piece blow at that same spot. Only fell to the previous piece though. Pretty hard to avoid placing pro next to that block though as there are two or three of them.

[mountainsloth]

Private Idaho was crazy with people, but no accidents. I was there until 3pm on Sunday.

[denalidevo]

The accident was on Saturday: accident thread on RCNW.

[BeauCarrillo]

I will catch you if you fall my friend...

 

Most people, like myself, never have the gear or ambition to Aid. I learned from the start that Climbing should be done free and in good style. But, after taking time to scratch the surface of this discipline, in light of wanting to climb a few routes that require it, I can attest to it's value. The positions gained from overcoming hard (overhung) terrain for consecutive pitches is totally wild, unforgettable, and addicting.

Anyone lacking total confidence in gear placements, rope management, or rescue techniques will find that Aid Climbing sharpens all of these.

 

Thank you Wayne for taking the time to teach me so much.