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sheldonjr
May 28, 2003, 3:11 AM
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Whoa. Did my first aiding today. NOTHING like I thought it was going to be... Aiding is really hard! I used to be one of those people... "Aid is stupid. You're not even climbing on the rock, you're on ladders. How hard is climbing a ladder?" But now I know. Kudos, all. :D
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moabbeth
May 28, 2003, 4:25 AM
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Congrats. It's always good to expland your climbing skills like that. And Tim is right, I don't know why people flame areas of climbing that they haven't even tried (I often wondered how many times sport climbers that diss trad have actually seriously tried to learn and pursue trad before slamming it). It's one thing to do some aid climbing and come to the conclusion that you think it's lame, but it's another thing to diss something you've never experienced. Glad you were able to to grow into this new phase of your climbing career and realize it's always better to try something new and decide its merits for yourself before judging it.
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addiroids
May 28, 2003, 4:33 AM
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Right on bro!! Ohh and by the way, the clusterfvckage has just begun. Just wait until you spend another $3000 on gear and start dragging your butt up some walls. And it's only okay to slam a style of climbing that you have tried! I have sport climbed before (gasp!!!--okay okay) still love trad climbing more. Hell, I can climb harder on gear than on bolts, and not only that but the lines are way more aesthetic. Pretty much solves any argument right there huh. TRADitionally yours, Cali Dirtbag
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timpanogos
May 28, 2003, 4:52 AM
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Ask Nailzz about his first bolt ladder last Sat. - a real scary super short mushroomed old broken off 1/4" bolt - and then the top stepping hook move with cheater stick up at the top. Yep - aid climbing is a different animal. I love aid and trad - two way different, but complementing styles.
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nailzz
May 28, 2003, 7:38 PM
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In reply to: Ask Nailzz about his first bolt ladder last Sat. Aye, first bolt ladder and second aid experience. Quite a rush indeed. I have talked the experience up quite a bit here at work and I am going to take a co-worker there tomorrow (Thursday). Cheater stick? I used no cheater stick. :P But top stepping that hook was the closest thing to a religious experience I've had in some time. :shock:
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deleted
Deleted
May 28, 2003, 7:43 PM
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i would STRONGLY suggest to all trad climbers that learning some basic aid techniques is great insurance for getting yourself out of a jam. as a mountaineer (read: generalist ... or, jack of all trades, master of none) aid climbing fits into my everyday climbing. as a devotee of aid as a style unto itself, i would say there's nothing that compares to reeeally scary aid. once you've led an hours-long a5 you'll discover the wonderful invention that is the adult diaper (i recall a very recent full pitch of bashies and duct-taped camhooks and cliffhangers that had this 42-year-old, 210-pound ex-marine whimpering for deliverance to jesus, buddah, and mommy all at the same time).
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bandycoot
May 28, 2003, 7:53 PM
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I've done some aiding myself. I saw a 5.12 crack that looked like it would be a good aid climb. The pro looked horrible at the top (it was) so luckily I TR aided it since there was a death ledge under the overhanging boulder. I made it to the 2nd to last move and placed my first hook (I had bought it at REI just for this move!). The ledge looked really solid but when I stepped up it just blew right off the rock and the hook flew out and split my lip. If I hadn't of been on TR I would have been in the hospital after zippering 4 micronut placements in a row and decking on that ledge. Mad respect to all those hard aid climbers from me too! My first aid climb consisted of a 5.12 bolted line, baling to a couple trad placements. One of the placements was a sketchy shallow cam. I got on it and weighted it and after about 2 seconds the rock exploded and I swung. It was pretty cool and the bolts were bomber! Maybe I should stick to trad and just get good enough to free climb big walls? I just have bad luck...
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jimdavis
May 31, 2003, 2:22 AM
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Mad props to you aid climbers for pulling off the stuff that'd make me soil myself. I'd love to find an aid climber who's sanity i didn't question so i could go with em and work on my gear placing skills (which i need to do before i take my AMGA TRSM.) Again, mad props; something i'd like to try sometime.
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xanx
May 31, 2003, 2:34 AM
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yeah, i really doubt i'll ever try aid for a number of reasons. first, i am way too scared and have way too little self confidence to trust my gear that much. also, i think i would much rather free climb and enjoy that aspect of climbing than worrying about every gear placement... that said, you gotta respect people who aid stuff with manky placements where a fall means death... you gotta be way self confident and attentive to do that. and slightly insane.
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stonefiend
May 31, 2003, 3:38 AM
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sure is tedious and time consuming though... wish i were strong enough to free many pitches i have aided/frenchfreed..
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epic_ed
May 31, 2003, 4:57 AM
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In reply to: I'd love to find an aid climber who's sanity i didn't question so i could go with em and work on my gear placing skills. Dude, question the sanity of ANY aid climber you meet. Seriously...
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alpinelynx
May 31, 2003, 5:19 PM
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Aid sure has helped my faith in the gear when I'm free climbing. I took a 25 footer on a pink tricam in shissy rock when a cam hook blew (don't ask). That tri-cam is like my second favourite piece of gear now (next to the yellow alien).
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evoltobmilc
Jun 10, 2003, 1:17 AM
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xanx, Aid climbing has made my trad climbing improve loads! I'm more confident knowing what kind of mank will hold a short fall, and also after bouncing to high heavens on gear. Aid climbing has made my systems way better, too. I'm much more efficient in my trad game having done a couple walls. I only regret how damn addictive it is to me- all I want to go do is climb a big granite wall in the Valley!! and Alpinelynx, I never leave the ground without the pink tricam. You're asking for it if you do! The yellow alien is gold, pure gold to me. On a side note, my pink tricam did break my friend's ankle one time, but it was only indirectly the tricam's fault, and directly the result of his inexperience cramponing. I still feel guilty about that one. Be safe, all! Have fun! Aid Climb! David
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melonhead
Jun 17, 2003, 4:31 PM
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Registered: Mar 18, 2002
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Yeah, I once had this "number chaser" talk down about aiding to me. When I explained to him what an A5 fall is all about he just kinda shut up and walked away! Ha Ha!! Hey Up2Top, That's why I love the aid climbing scene........insane people!!!!! No tree huging hippies on walls!!! Have fun everyone! melon :P
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sillymnkee
Jun 17, 2003, 4:39 PM
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Registered: Feb 12, 2002
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Does anyone else find it ironic that the first post is talking about how great aid climbing is yet the signature reads:In reply to: "Grabbing the bolt: three feet penalty slack!!!" No disrespect. It just made me chuckle.
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tradmanclimbs
Jun 17, 2003, 6:29 PM
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Registered: Apr 24, 2003
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I really don't get it when free climbers bash aid climbers when if it wasent for the aid climbers risking their necks to get the fixed gear up there the sporty's wouldn't even have a clue on how to get up the wall in the first place. I am impressed when they free a wall but not impressed when they don't respect the folks who first climbed it and drilled all those bolts for the thin sections and belays.
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melonhead
Jun 17, 2003, 7:14 PM
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Registered: Mar 18, 2002
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I'm with "tradman". There have been plenty of times I was thankfull for fixed gear. Gear that if I placed it, it would have me shaking in my boots! :shock: :shock: :shock:
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phreakdigital
Jun 18, 2003, 7:01 AM
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Registered: Apr 24, 2002
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Aid climbing can be really fun i think because you can go up anything...and if you are free climbing and it gets too difficult...you can always aid the too hard part...honestly i dont care about doing this...lol
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kevlar
Jun 18, 2003, 4:16 PM
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Registered: Jun 5, 2002
Posts: 272
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Maybe Chad will let me use his Russian aiders next time in Yosemite...wohooooo...rock on :D
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