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addiroids
Oct 19, 2003, 3:03 AM
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Registered: Oct 11, 2001
Posts: 1046
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Well, I was a little bit PO'ed (no not Pacific Ocean Wall) today. I was climbing at Suicide with my friend Steph. There was a "fixed" nut right at the start of Flower of High Rank that I cleaned (by the way, the one that was higher is gone now). But as I climbed up, there was also a good hands sized friend that was a bit loose. I needed two hands to clean it, and tried while laybacking with my left hand, but couldn't get it without hanging. I was going to clove to a piece and work on it, but Steph said these people were waiting and we should hurry up. I agreed, but this thing was loose, I just needed like 30 seconds to get it with two hands (and maybe my teeth on a sling). The people waiting were 5.12c crack climbers on a three year road trip (IC, Valley, Squamish, Valley, IC, Valley, Squamish, etc) and I knew the leader would clean it. I kept climbing, steph didn't clean it, and the other guy did clean it by lowering from a tree at mid height. I am only pissed at myself for not just taking the 30 seconds to clean it and get a 40 dollar piece of gear. Sucky.
So do you have any other stories like that, where you kicked yourself for passing up gear. I would like to think I am a very good "fixed" gear cleaner, but sometimes, you just need two hands and a hang if there is no stance. But I have bootied 5 cams and 15-20 nuts off Tahquitz/Suicide, so I guess it's okay.
TRADitionally yours,
Cali Dirtbag
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mreardon
Oct 20, 2003, 7:04 PM
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Registered: Jun 17, 2002
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Should have stuck it out and booty'd the gear. Regardless of who's waiting for you, if you only needed a little more time, just hang in there, another five minutes won't kill them.
I had just the opposite, I was in Joshua Tree on Diamond Dogs (fun 10a) and at the end of the crack, just before you take off on the face, a friend of mine stuck one of my old hexes in and sunk it. This piece was very old, was one of my first that was given to me by a crusty guy who taught me to climb. Hex with tied kevlar cord on it. I couldn't get it out, and when I lowered off, we had to leave. I mentioned to the party following that if they could get it out, it was thiers. I didn't even make it back to the car before they hollered success. They were nice about it though, offered to give it back to me, but I figured they earned it, so they got to keep it. Still urks me to this day having to leave that thing behind.... :roll:
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flying_dutchman
Oct 20, 2003, 8:33 PM
Post #3 of 5
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Registered: Nov 20, 2002
Posts: 708
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should have clipped the rope into the friend so your partner would clean it when they seconded the route. Just gotta remember that the piece may not be bomber so back it up before continuing.
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estwing
Oct 21, 2003, 9:39 PM
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Registered: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 344
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Though climbing in Quebec I have never encountered any fixed trad gear other than pitons, I have thrice seen bail biner, or quicklinks left on bolts of short sport climbs. Their retrieval required only a short hike to the top a quick rappel. I cannot understand why people are so lazy as to bail off of 30 foot climbs by leaving gear, though I am not complaining.
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ricardol
Oct 21, 2003, 9:52 PM
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Registered: Nov 11, 2002
Posts: 1050
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i was climbing behind a party of 2 on nutcracker in the afternoon .. (after a scorching day) .. it was about 5:00 pm ..
they passed a sling + nut + carabiner combo .. next to some historically fixed pieces (they've been there all year) ..
.. the party ahead talked about bootying the nut + sling + carabiner .. but the leader told the follow to leave it behind for other parties to bail from ..
.. as i led through the section, i clipped the fixed gear -- cleaned the nut, sling and carabiner, and thought of myself as lucky.
-- ricardo
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