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braon
Sep 25, 2003, 3:54 PM
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Question for those of you with a couple of walls under your belts ... How many walls have you bailed off of and how many have you actually summited? Also, what are some of the different reasons you've had to bail? Slow parties ahead, weather, dropping the pig ... whatever. Were you solo, with a partner, in a threesome (kinky :wink: ). Just trying to get a feel for others' experiences so I have an idea of what to expect as I start to explore this new (for me) facet of climbing.
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dingus
Sep 25, 2003, 3:58 PM
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I'm 5 for 8... bailed on 3.
Bailed from Texas Flake area on the Nose due to congestion (4 parties, 2 of them with 4 members each) betwixt us and the top. (the raps were far scarier than the climbing!)
Bailed from Half Dome when my partner refused to lead the next pitch. (p2)
Bailed from a wilderness wall FA attempt when my wife called and asked that I come home ASAP.
DMT
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bandycoot
Sep 25, 2003, 4:29 PM
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Bailed on Half Dome when temperatures soared to 105+ We were drinking gallons of water each day and still extrememly dehydrated... Plus the hike in killed us!
Josh
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epic_ed
Sep 25, 2003, 4:48 PM
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Bailed? Did someone say "bailed"? Oh yeah! I'm the freakin king of bail. Read some of my TRs to get an idea of why, but it genereally comes down to inexperience. I'm two for...six. Bailed off the Prow twice; Zodiac once; Prodigal Sun once; Moonlight Buttress once.
Not once have I bailed because the route was too difficult or because I came across a section that I couldn't/didn't want to lead. It's always been because of logistics and moving too slow to make enough progress to finish in a reasonable amount of time. Anchor CFs, change over between pitches, and hauling has killed me on previous walls. The only way to over come that is more practice.
When I started planning to do walls I focused quite a bit on my systems and movement while leading. I'd hop on all sorts of stuff and feel experienced enough to lead most any A3/C3 pitch out there (expando stuff excluded at this point). Problem is, there's not a lot of multi-pitch aid stuff I've climbed so while I have lead a lot of aid pitches, I haven't done nearly enough pitches back to back in order to work out the whole anchor/haul/change over stuff. My advice is to make absolutely sure you are working these aspects of big wall climbing into your training mix. It's as important as learning moving systems while on lead and can shut you down completely if you're not prepared.
Ed
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crotch
Sep 25, 2003, 4:54 PM
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Bailed 4 pitches up S. Face of Washington's Column - Brought too much crap, partner hurt his back manhandling the bags. First wall.
Bailed 6 pitches up S. Face of Washington's Column - Partner fell, core shot to rope. Scared. Retreat.
Bailed 3 pitches up Pan-American Route - Too hot, not enough water, too slow.
Bailed 9 pitches up Rainbow Wall - Storm, epic rappels in watercourse.
Bailed 10 pitches up Triple Direct - Too slow, too lame.
Total success rate 6 of 11. Now, the times that I did make it up, we could have used any of the above excuses to justify bailing, but we kept going anyways.
Edit to add: Bailed 4 pitches up Moonlight Buttress - Rain some time between bailing off SFWC and the Pan-Am.
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brutusofwyde
Sep 25, 2003, 4:56 PM
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Bailed on East Buttress El Cap after one bivy, wall stomach.
Got it the next year, bivying twice.
Bailed Leaning Tower -- Wall stomach
Climbed Leaning Tower.
Climbed it again.
Climbed Prow on Washington Column.
Climbed Skull Queen in Winter.
Climbed South Face Column.
Climbed South Central.
Bailed off Bastille Buttress due to no bat hooks.
Bailed again due to Wall Stomach
One of the few climbs remaining on the "Double Grudge List"
Bailed off Tribal Rite due to snowstorms.
Climbed Half Dome.
Climbed it again.
Stormed off from the 11th pitch.
Climbed it again.
Bailed at the base trying HDIAD. Wall Stomach.
Bailed off Golden Bough near Ribbon Falls in rainstorm.
Climbed Golden Bough.
Climbed Gold Wall.
Climbed Lurking Fear.
Bailed off West Buttress El Cap due to multiple hornet stings on the approach.
Climbed Magic Mushroom.
Climbed Salathe' Wall.
Bailed off Salathe Wall due to partner injuries sustained in a fall on Free Blast.
Climbed Salathe Wall again.
Climbed Muir Wall.
Climbed Nose.
Climbed Tempest.
Climbed Zenyatta Mondatta.
Climbed Tangerine Trip.
Climbed Zodiac.
Bailed off Banzai on Calaveras Dome in deluge.
Bailed off Banzai on Calaveras Dome in deluge.
Bailed off Banzai on Calaveras Dome in deluge.
Climbed Banzai on Calaveras Dome in heat wave.
Bailed off Cinco de Mayo when ran out of time.
Finished the route the next year.
Climbed South Face Lone Pine Peak.
Bailed off Windhorse (S. Face Lone Pine Peak) due to weather.
Bailed off Windhorse due to lack of time.
Completed Windhorse the following year.
Bailed off Hairline (E. Face Whitney) ran out of time, needed more bolts
Completed Hairline the following year.
Bailed off Summer Ridge (S. Face Lone Pine peak) because we were trying Winter Route and got off route.
Completed Summer Ridge 17 years later.
This is by no means a comprehensive nor chronological list, but it gives a flavor for my failures and successes.
Brutus
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krillen
Sep 25, 2003, 5:00 PM
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What's "Wall Stomach?"
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epic_ed
Sep 25, 2003, 5:05 PM
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Otherwise known as "snail eye" or "small sack" syndrome. Scared. For whatever real or imagined reasons. Scared.
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iamthewallress
Sep 25, 2003, 5:12 PM
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1. summit
2. bail (too slow/cf'ed)
3. bail (too slow/cf'ed)
4.5 bail (partner ill, too slow)
4. bail (snail eye)
5. summit
6. summit
7. bail (stormed off)
8. bail (stormed off)
9. sort of a bail...only going as high as we could get in two days anyway...
10. summit
11. summit
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brutusofwyde
Sep 25, 2003, 5:18 PM
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In reply to: Otherwise known as "snail eye" or "small sack" syndrome. Scared. For whatever real or imagined reasons. Scared.
(nodding) It can manifest itself in many ways up to and including actual physical symptoms such as nausea, small but critical injuries, or sudden problems at home. The bottom line, as Crotch so aptly put it, is:
In reply to: Now, the times that I did make it up, we could have used any of the above excuses to justify bailing, but we kept going anyways. |
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flamer
Sep 25, 2003, 5:33 PM
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Bailed off spaceshot: first wall moving too slow. 4pitch's up
Bailed off the Prow: couple of French pricks moving way to slow in front of us- partner lost motivation. 2pitch's up
Bailed off Swoop Gimp or be Dust: partner got me in way over both our heads, should have listened to the little voice in my head... 5pitch's up.
climbed Prodigal son: with help from another party, should not have believed the lies an Ex GF told me about her climbing ability....
Bailed off solo attempt on Moonlight: WAY to many people up there...and they were dropping stuff! 4pitch's up
Bailed off spaceshot in a day attempt: Climbing with 3 one partner demanded we bail....5pitch's up.
Climbed the Prow: This felt great, this is when I really started enjoying walls
climbed Moonlight in 9hrs.: This started a trend and passion for me Light is right!
Climbed touchstone in 8hrs: did this the day after moonlight, super fun route.
Climbed S face Washington's column 10 1/2 hrs.: Fun Fun.
Climbed Lurking Fear: Fun route with great partner/friend
Climbed WFLT in 9hrs: First climb with new partner met some really cool Swede's
I fully believe you learn alot from bailing! It took me awhile before I really started to enjoy climbing walls. . I've learned alot about people from climbing/bailing off walls.
josh
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iamthewallress
Sep 25, 2003, 5:36 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Otherwise known as "snail eye" or "small sack" syndrome. Scared. For whatever real or imagined reasons. Scared. (nodding) It can manifest itself in many ways up to and including actual physical symptoms such as nausea, small but critical injuries, or sudden problems at home. The bottom line, as Crotch so aptly put it, is: In reply to: Now, the times that I did make it up, we could have used any of the above excuses to justify bailing, but we kept going anyways.
...If only...There were definitely times when I was so genuinely incompetant that I could not have finished in this century with any amount of courage. But there were also times, when I stood at the base and wanted to hurl. Or got to the top of the first or second pitch and decided that bailing would only get harder as I went up, and that since my jelly-guts told me that I would be bailing sooner or later, I might as well make hay...Before my next-to-last summit, I got the snail eye in the living room as I looked at all of our gear. I started to sob wondering how I'd ever be able to budge the bag. By the next day when we set to leave, I'd worked out some of my jitters. The last summit was kind of cool snail-eye-wise in that we decided just the day before to go for it. This won't work if you have a lot of logistics to work out, but for us it meant that by the time we got done getting our stuff in order, it was time to go...No time to start worrying.
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ep
Sep 25, 2003, 7:31 PM
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I've summited 13 times (6 times with partners, 7 times solo) and failed 9 times for the following reasons:
3x - fear, once on route, once at the base, once in the parking lot
2x - ran out of time
1x - rain, never made it to the base
1x - crowding at the base, never started up route
1x - really slow party ahead, rapped off
1x - jury duty, did a U-turn in Oakdale
All but two of these were solo attempts that failed. I tend to give myself a lot of slack to chicken out when alone. There are numerous times I've planned to do a wall alone and never even got out of the driveway. Sometimes false bravado can keep a party of two going. But not always.
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apollodorus
Sep 25, 2003, 7:46 PM
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I've never bailed, but only because of more experienced partners. Taking too much stuff on my most recent 3 walls was a definite advantage, even though they took a long time to go up. Tenacity and the will to continue in the face of adversity (like dropping half our food, water and gear halfway up SE) is often the key to the summit.
Lost Arrow Direct; swung leads; 9-83
Excalibur; led 12 pitches; 6-02
Scorched Earth; led no pitches; 9-02
Bermuda Dunes; led 8+ pitches; 6-03
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bumblie
Sep 25, 2003, 8:04 PM
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In reply to: Bailed from Half Dome when my partner refused to lead the next pitch. (p2)
Too funny. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Know thy partner.
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braon
Sep 25, 2003, 8:37 PM
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Thanks for all the input, guys. Sounds like if I want to have any success, I really need to sack up and prepare myself mentally before I even think about leaving my garage.
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drunkenmonkey
Sep 30, 2003, 9:59 AM
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Braon
very sensible question and one that i was thinking about a lot last year. I, like you, am new to this aid climbing game but at the moment I have the good fortun to have a 3 for 3 record.
Prow 4 days
(ran out of water 1/2 day from top, forced bivy on top & heat stroke on the way down, mmm nice!)
Zodiac 4 days clean
WFLT 18hrs
this hit rate i expect to decrease (significantl) in the coming years but i put this early success down to preperation and determination.
My friends and i read everything we could get our hands on, tried out all of the different systems we heard about and even, god forbid, worked on our cardio. This put us in the position of being able to do all of the tech stuff without thinking too much and gave the best part of our concentration each day to dealing with life on the wall which was a hug departure from the norm as well as the vertical.
If your starting aid climbing just practice every technical element you can before you get on the wall, after that its easy! I think!
Take it easy :wink:
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ricardol
Sep 30, 2003, 3:48 PM
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well .. my experience is rather limited .. but i watched many parties bail on zodiac and other routes on the captain this september ..
.. whatr i noticed was that most of them bailed on the 2nd or 3rd day .. (before the 1/2 point) ..
.. i also noticed that mentally i didn't start enjoying the route until i had passed the 1/2 point... before that all i wanted to do was be somewhere else..
.. so keep your head down and push until you get more than 1/2 way through a wall .. and you'll probably make the top
..also helps to carry plenty of water and food .. i got lucky that i got good advice on how much to bring..
-- ricardo
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jliebgott
Sep 30, 2003, 3:52 PM
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Bailed on WF of Leaning Tower - people crux
Summit WF of Leaning Tower
... decided walls too much work.
... decided walls are fun.
Summit on East Buttress of El Cap (sorta a wall)
Bailed on Half Dome IAD - people crux (8 parties above)
Bailed on Washington Column (euroVan head gasket fails, destroys all hope).
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dingus
Sep 30, 2003, 4:38 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Bailed from Half Dome when my partner refused to lead the next pitch. (p2) Too funny. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Know thy partner.
Too true! As it is, the guy who bailed on me is one of my main partners and a very very good friend. We've been climbing together for more than 10 years. We STILL climb together frequently.
The thing is this... he puts up with my bullshit so I put up with his. Yeah, he refused to take the next lead and I was unwilling (and too sullen) to lead every pitch. And we bailed.
It rained, hard, the very next day. So in our defeat we patted each other on the back for our "wise" decision, hehe.
He's also summitted two walls with me and he's no quitter at heart.
I love my partners.
DMT
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elrojobdugs
Sep 30, 2003, 4:45 PM
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are u including routes where u could have continued but chose not too... for example climbing a nice route, but not wanting to do the second pitch...???
otherwise i bailed on one that i just wanted to try, it was some insanely impossible overhanging 5.13 or somethin
but i dont have the most routes under my belt... so hopefully ill have some more
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flamer
Sep 30, 2003, 8:13 PM
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Dude I hope you're a troll and just not as stupid as you sound.
Two words- BIG WALL!!
josh
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iamthewallress
Sep 30, 2003, 8:25 PM
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In reply to: Dude I hope you're a troll and just not as stupid as you sound. Two words- BIG WALL!! josh
Sadly, josh, some of the pitches that sent me back to the ground were a mere 5.11+ (aka a too-slow C1) :wink:
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flamer
Sep 30, 2003, 8:39 PM
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Mel,
I pretty sure he's talking about sport climbing....he's certainly not talking about climbing walls...
josh
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iamthewallress
Sep 30, 2003, 8:47 PM
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In reply to: Mel, I pretty sure he's talking about sport climbing....he's certainly not talking about climbing walls... josh
I realized that. I was just joking because a lot of my "walls" are free climbs for the exceptionally able... :oops:
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