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artmusicsouth
Feb 2, 2006, 2:13 PM
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Anyone done it? I ma looking for beta on gear and where the bivy is. I have the Mclane guide but it is short on info on this. Just tells me to bring a big aid rack but from all I have heard I don't need too much for it as it mainly goes clean. Plus there is no description of the bivy.
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skinner
Feb 2, 2006, 2:53 PM
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There's a bivi on uncle Bens?
I could be wrong but I didn't think that there really was anything worthy of a bivi until you hit the ledges below Dance. But then why would you.. you're pretty much done by then. Possibly a semi hanging one under the second overhang? That's just a total guess though.
You could always break right onto Ten Years After and hang off of the broken drill bit if it's still there :D
I have never done Uncle Bens but apparently the aid section takes gear up to 2", unless you are a true Hardman, in which case you'd only require a roll of sport tape and a pair of titanium testicles (2" preferably)
Good Luck
When are you planning on doing it?
(edited twice, because I apparently can't spell *planning*)
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artmusicsouth
Feb 2, 2006, 3:30 PM
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We're gong to there in August. I am taking a class at Regent College in Vancouver and hope to hit the wall after that. We'll also put in some bouldering and other gear routes. Maybe a sport route or two if we're up for it. This will be my first trip out west so I am stoked. We are using Uncle Ben's as a prep for the Nose in the Valley next spring. I think I'll pass on the broken drill bit though. :wink:
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skinner
Feb 2, 2006, 3:51 PM
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If by chance it's raining when you get there, which RARELY happens in Squamish :D You can either hide in the local pub or go across the highway and do some short aid routes on Nightmare Rock under the overhang where only your belayer will get really wet (offer to lead), then head to the pub!
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yetanotherdave
Feb 2, 2006, 3:58 PM
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In reply to: We're gong to there in August.
My read of the topo is that it'll go clean as long as the fixed heads are still there...
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giza
Feb 2, 2006, 5:02 PM
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Haven't done Uncle Ben's, but according to the topo there's a 'classic bivi' on the 4th pitch before the Black Sickle.
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artmusicsouth
Feb 2, 2006, 6:23 PM
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What topop are you looking at? The Mclane guide has no info on the bivy and even the pitches inb the pics don't line up with the description. The description says 10 pitches while the topo has only 9.
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alikb
Feb 4, 2006, 7:50 AM
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I haven't done the route, but rapped it once after climbing another route. There is definitely no bivy ledge on the route, so if you want to bivy bring a ledge or hammock :D . Don't worry about the crappy topo, it's pretty obvious where the route goes. You'll figure it out.
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yetanotherdave
Feb 4, 2006, 5:18 PM
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In reply to: Haven't done Uncle Ben's, but according to the topo there's a 'classic bivi' on the 4th pitch before the Black Sickle.
:)
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peas
Feb 17, 2006, 9:28 PM
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I did Uncle Ben's a few years ago.
gear: We brought heads and pins up with us (as the McLane's gear list suggests), but did it clean. We relied on a couple of fixed heads in the sickle pitch above the "classic bivy" and another head pulled while my partner was on it. He was able to get by without that head though. You might want to bring some heads in case any others pull/have pulled. The biggest cam we had was an (old style) blue camalot. I had to do some thin hooking on the last pitch to get through a wide section, but if you're a stronger free climber or have a slightly larger cam, you can get through it just fine. Hooks come in useful.
bivy: The classic bivy is just a good place to hang a ledge. You'll know it by the bazillion or so bolts peppered into the belay. There are no ledges on the route, other than Dance Platform. I've posted a couple shots from the bivy. You can check them out through my profile.
Other useful info: I remember the topo as being not so accurate, but it's pretty hard to get lost and you can see the stations coming from a long way off.
If you're hauling, and want to avoid some unnecessary work, leave your haul bag at the top of Flake Ledge, bring up a ~70m haul line, climb Merci Me, then the 10c traverse, then haul from there. This avoided a lot of shenanigans for us.
That's about all that I can remember. Let me know if you have specific questions about anything else.
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