[TR] Stuart direct-- the "clean" TR - Mt Stuart north ridge direct 7/29/2014

[chris_stolz]

Trip: Stuart direct-- the "clean" TR - Mt Stuart north ridge direct

 

Date: 7/29/2014

 

Trip Report:

OK I posted this in the wrong forum with either too much or too little trash talk so I'll post a non-trash-talk one just for facts and less fun.

 

Henrik Hinkala and I set out from trailhead Sat at 1:45 and at 6:45 were at base of north Ridge.

 

We bivvied comfortably and awoke at 4:30 A.M. and at 6 I was linking P1 and P2. Henrik led P3 (5.9) and then we switched to simuling on gri-gri and tiblocks. After 3.5 hours we had passed a group of 4 and we were at the Gendarme. Because we were in a rush and had to go back to Canada we didn't want to wait for a party of 2 and another of 3 to do the Gendarme so we rapped and bypassed via a wee bit of snow. We arrived on the summit 6 hours after starting the ridge.

 

The descent was, go around S/SW side of false summit following cairns past bivvy spots, head down a snowfield then sharp skier's right into top of (broad) Cascadian. Then skier's right again through scrub pine and down to the creek. We had coffee then walked over Long's Pass.

 

Total time 20 hrs over 2 days. Would have been faster with one more tiblock (longer simul pitches).

 

Gear Notes:

rack: camalots .3-#4, 2 link cams, 1 grigri, 3 tiblocks (4 better), 2 draws, 6 short slings, 4 looong slings, a few nuts, light glacier axe. 3 litres of H2O; water at top of cascadian

 

Approach Notes:

For the CNR, stay below glacier and on or above snowfields after Goat Pass. For the shorter version go across glacier into gully. Maybe crampons for this glacier crossing i dunno

[telemarker]

Believe it or not, but a serious question(s)...

 

When using the Tibloc system, Would you decide to use one before a harder move, or just sort of randomly decided to use one? Did having it slung long create rope drag?

 

Just thinking, if there is any amount of rope drag on a slung piece with tibloc, the tibloc could ride up above the pro, thus eliminating the purpose of the tibloc. Maybe I'm wrong...

Edited July 29, 2014 by telemarker

[jared_j]

... if there is any amount of rope drag on a slung piece with tibloc, the tibloc could ride up above the pro, thus eliminating the purpose of the tibloc...

 

Not sure why this would be? As long as it is installed in the right direction on the rope, it will still bite when the rope is weighted by the second, regardless of where the end of the sling holding the tibloc is relative to the piece of pro? Don't have it in front of me so maybe I'm the one who is wrong...

[telemarker]

Any amount of slack in the sling with tibloc (it doesn't have to be above the piece) could conceivably put the load on the lead simul climber should the second fall...

[matt_warfield]

Any fall with simulclimbing could be catastrophic regardless of gear. That said you missed a couple of money pitches up and beyond the Gendarme. It makes any descent down the Cascadian worth it.

[Jcweinsx]

 

My partner and I rapped down to standard route just after you guys. You were hauling ass. Nice work.

 

We did it w/o tiblocs. Tiblocs would be better. The climbing on standard route is mostly low 5th so not a problem.

 

Crampons were nice to have. I watched a guy from Squamish take an un-arrested fall to bottom of the Stuart glacier in the only place where a fall would not result in a helicopter ride. I thought my trip was over and we'd have to do a rescue. He got up with bloody arms and continued up the route. There were several folks that cruised thru the glacier w/o crampons but I like my spikes

 

Again nice work. You guys were a highly efficient team.

[HHinkkala]

Appreciate all the positive feedback. It was great day on a fun route.

 

Stolz could comment more on the system, nevertheless this was my first time utilizing it and i have to say it worked incredibly well. I would also argue much safer then standard simul-climbing since it protects the leader. The tibloc doesn't generate any considerable drag, but you still want that piece to be centered with your chosen line, if at all possible.

 

Regarding placing a tibloc near a hard move, this doesn't really matter since you always have a tibloc above the follower so the leader is protected from a fall by the second regardless of where the second is climbing.

 

Regarding the system, the key with the tibloc placement is to have minimal movement at the tibloc to prevent possibility of shock load or weight transferred onto the leader, never use long slings, the closer the tibloc is to the rock placement the better, e.g. biner is clipped to the hard plastic loop of the cam. Again the tiblocs are there to protect the leader from a fall by the seconder.

 

For the second, they are anchored only to the rope with a gri-gri, with 20ish meters of rope below which provides weight to help the gri-gri move better along the rope. This allows them the ability to adjust the rope as needed to always maintain minimal slack in the system, and pay out more if required, say if 2ndr arrives at tibloc and the leader hasn't installed another.

 

We had x3 tiblocs with us so it allowed each person to essentially lead 4+ pitches of climbing in one consistent motion before we switched leaders (hindsight we should have brought one more).

 

Be advised with any system there is inherent risk, this is merely one method that allows a team to move very quickly through moderate terrain as long as you are comfortable at the grade.

Cheers!

Edited July 30, 2014 by HHinkkala

[telemarker]

Thanks for the reply! Good information. Since you're attaching the tibloc directly to the piece, you'd have to, like you said, make sure you're climbing directly above the placement. Which I suppose would be tricky on a wandering route like the north ridge.