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iamthewallress
Oct 29, 2003, 10:23 PM
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What sounded like a delicious idea to you on the ground, but turned out to be a miserable mistake on the wall?
On my first wall, I only brought 2 cans of food, 12 peanut butter Clif Bars, and a couple of bagels. The bagels started fermenting after the first day. The smell was really revolting, but we were so low on food that we had to eat them anyway. I've never eaten another PB Cliff Bar again.
On my next-to-last adventure, I bought 3 pounds of raw, unsalted nuts (among other things). I like to eat nuts when I'm out for a long day of climbing because they are compact, hi cal, and low sugar. On the wall, however, they were just too rich. And eating nuts for one day is OK, but 5 is torture. We carried 2.5 lbs. down. We also brought cinnamon granola, which should have been fine for breakfast, but my stomach got so sensitive that the strong smell of the cinnamon made me nautious.
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bandycoot
Oct 29, 2003, 10:27 PM
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Sounds like you're picking two or three things and overkilling on them. Bring a small amount of a lot of stuff. Then atleast you have a choice if you get sick of one. I've only done one wall, but we brought a plethora of crap and it was GREAT. I recommend canned fruit.
Josh
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iamthewallress
Oct 29, 2003, 10:36 PM
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Just to clarify...I was asking if folks had any funny stories. I have a pretty good idea of what I like to eat now, barring the occasional mistake.
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crotch
Oct 29, 2003, 10:45 PM
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Hmm. Ran out of water one time but had plenty of Jolly Ranchers. Sucked on Jolly Ranchers for a day with no water and then two days later the first layer of epithelium on my tongue peeled off. I figure it's from the citric acid in the Jolly Ranchers just festering in my mouth and burning away at the poor old tongue. I couldn't eat tortilla chips or other hard/pointy ojbects for over a week. Spicy food burned for just as long. It took me a few years to eat another JR.
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alikb
Oct 30, 2003, 1:31 AM
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Prior to an ascent of New Dawn this summer I stocked up on food at the Oakhurst "dented can store". To suplement all the canned food I bought about a dozen chocolate pudding cups, which like everything else were slightly dented.
Anyways, at the first bivy I pulled out my food sack and was horrified to see a huge wet spot on its side. When I opened the bag I was greeted by a terrible stench. I soon found the culprit to be a pudding cup that had been slightly more dented than the other's and thus had fermented to a totally liquid state and subsequently had burst while we hauled the initial pitches. Disgusted, I yelled "rock" and cast the remaining vile liquid of our ledge. For dinner that night I ate all the remaining pudding so as to elliminate any chance of another accident. Although for the rest of the wall I was constantly reminded of the pudding mishap by the stinking chocolate coating that covered all the cans :( .
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bigwalling
Oct 30, 2003, 1:35 AM
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On my first wall attempt I brought pretty much all junk food. I was so pissed when I fell and hurt myself and had to bail. I ate a ton of that junk while sitting on the ground. Heres what I'll bring next time:
tons of snicker bars, at least 4 cans of pringles, 50-100 air heads (very high in sugar!!), rolos, and sweet tarts. Plus some tortillas, cheese, and beef jerky. For drinks I'm going with water and a bunch of lemonade and gatorade mix.
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ricardol
Oct 30, 2003, 2:08 AM
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i learned on my first wall, that any kind of canned food that has liquid in it is gold! .. you're always frigging thirsty on a wall.
i brought too many dehydrated meals. Next time i'm only bringing canned food.. (canned corn and pork & beans rock on a wall!!).
.. i later tried to eat a can of pork & beans at camp4 .. tasted like shit.. uh well .. i gues you gotta be hungry..
-- ricardo
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ctgunkie
Oct 30, 2003, 5:12 PM
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On my first wall I had lots of help, but I decided to bring some chocolate cliff bars with me for the belays. We were cranking all day so we didn't crack open the haul bag until late in the day up in the Stovelegs. So I ate a few of these cliff bars. Well, I NEVER drink or eat caffeine. So, first night on a wall, my heart is racing! There are bats or swallows or something dive bombing us all night on the portaledge. One hits my buddy in the head!
So next morning around 5 am, I still can't sleep - I don't think I'm gripped that much, but I probably am. I am the only one of our four person party awake and I see a thunderstorm down the valley for a few hours. I start remembering all the details about the Grand Teton rescue earlier this year. We get drenched. Now I'm wet, gripped and anxious from the caffeine.
Next time I need to bring some alcohol...
Cheers.
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atg200
Oct 30, 2003, 5:19 PM
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bigwalling, i think you will never eat pringles or beef jerky again after carrying that crap up a wall. too salty, no moisture.
i have no funny food stories to tell. my only food mishap was when one of the cans of guiness exploded all over the haul bag. could've been worse - there are many worse things for everything to smell and taste like then stout.
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flamer
Oct 30, 2003, 5:23 PM
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The first wall I tried was space shot in Zion. My partner INSISTED (he now say's it was my idea) That we bring cans of Stagg chicken chili. Apparently he had climbed leaning tower the summer before and was sure that this was the secret to his sucsess.
So upon reaching the bivi and setting up the port-o-ledge, we cracked open our cans of chili and they were mighty tasty!!!
The next morning as we began to stir I had a bit of a cramp in my belly, I relieved this pressure with a tremendous gas passing.
This "bad air" has come to be known(between my partner and I) as "The port-a-ledge fart from hell" . It was followed up with several more stinkers and never again has he recommended we bring Stagg chili on a wall.
josh
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atg200
Oct 30, 2003, 5:40 PM
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i've eaten stagg chili on a wall with exactly the same result. the shit tube become some sort of biological weapon.
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tradman
Oct 30, 2003, 5:50 PM
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Biggest mistake? One word: PEMMICAN. Took a load of it when I knew I'd be staying in a snow hole cos someone told me it was light and had loads of calories. You eat that s**t and I guarantee you'll never have to prove your courage in any other way. It's f**king horrible.
In the meantime I'm still searching for the holy grail of climbing snacks - something that's sweet and moist but doesn't freeze!
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atg200
Oct 30, 2003, 6:22 PM
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In reply to: Took a load of it when I knew I'd be staying in a snow hole
so, you have aroused my interest. which big wall did you manage to dig a snow cave in? seems like quite a trick on el cap.
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junnos
Oct 30, 2003, 7:49 PM
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Not on my first Big Wall, but the first time I bivied on a wall it went like this. Me and my bud brought up saltines, peperoni, and beer. No water!!! what a mistake. I woke up the next morning an was so dehidrated I had to stop on the ride home because I thought I was going to die. At least when I did my first wall I had that bad experience in the past and didn't make the same mistake again.
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nickb
Oct 30, 2003, 7:58 PM
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Best wall food story? Historical fiction? You decide. Many years ago two very well know valley regulars were planning to do a wall together. One of them had no money, as usual. The other gave him some money for food and sent him off to the store. Said individual purchased the wall food and packed it away in their bag. This pair being very competent climbers made good time their first day. After setting up the hammocks, the first climber looked into the food bag to find a ten pound sack of raw potatoes. Apparently he had purchased the potatoes and a bag of illicit substance as food for the wall. You could clearly hear the "conversation " from the meadow below.
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nickb
Oct 30, 2003, 7:59 PM
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Best wall food story? Historical fiction? You decide. Many years ago two very well know valley regulars were planning to do a wall together. One of them had no money, as usual. The other gave him some money for food and sent him off to the store. Said individual purchased the wall food and packed it away in their bag. This pair being very competent climbers made good time their first day. After setting up the hammocks, the first climber looked into the food bag to find a ten pound sack of raw potatoes. Apparently he had purchased the potatoes and a bag of illicit substance as food for the wall. You could clearly hear the "conversation " from the meadow below.
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iamthewallress
Oct 30, 2003, 9:04 PM
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Back from the rec.climbing archives...
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=beer+leaning+tower+cocktail+group:rec.climbing+group:rec.climbing&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=rec.climbing&selm=7m4vq4%24b79%241%40nnrp1.deja.com&rnum=1
Synopsis: Two guys climb the LT with only beer and cocktail weenies.
And another oldie but goody...
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=zodiac+%22clif+shots%22+group:rec.climbing+group:rec.climbing&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=rec.climbing&selm=9tcmco0229o%40drn.newsguy.com&rnum=1
Synopsis: A play about a guy who solos the Zodiac eating only Clif Shots.
Thanks for your stories. They've been fun! Keep 'em coming.
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verticallaw
Oct 30, 2003, 9:39 PM
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worst wall food? RICE not the good quick kind but the slow boil kind (maybe I should have read the label more carefully. That Sh*t t so long to cook and our ledge position so unstable it was hell ( and I was so dam hungry) oh well. could have been worse!
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brutusofwyde
Nov 1, 2003, 9:16 PM
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In reply to: i've eaten stagg chili on a wall with exactly the same result. the s--- tube become some sort of biological weapon.
Stagg Chicken Chili helps me keep my sleeping bag warm at night!
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diesel___smoke
Nov 6, 2003, 11:34 PM
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I brought 40 Power Bars on Never Never Land as my main source of food, ate them all, less what the other team members ate, Pete however would not eat a single one. Shawn ate a few, I actually grew fond of them, I didn't mind them at all. I don't think there is anything wrong with bringing a lot of one type of food so long as you don't mind it.
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ricardol
Nov 6, 2003, 11:39 PM
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i saw pete shop for his "big wall pantry" .. the man knows how to eat well .. so i'm not surprised he passed on the power bars ..
.. all cans .. all varied stuff ..
.. pete .. those chreese sticks we bought at trader joe's were WAY dry .. and i could not eat them on the wall .. but they were MIGHTY tasty once i was on the summit (and had plenty of water to put them down) ..
.. i dropped the box of soup on the first day .. so i have no idea if trader joe's soup is any good on a wall ..
-- ricardo
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passthepitonspete
Nov 12, 2003, 6:47 PM
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I rather liked the cavers I met on the summit, and who were rapping El Cap. They had brought freeze-dried food!
[This makes about as much sense as carrying freeze-dried food to the Sahara, or the moon]
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drunkenmonkey
Nov 13, 2003, 12:14 PM
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In retrospect i don't know what i was thinking of when i decided to take a dozen hard boiled eggs up my second wall, Zodiac. It may have been the look of them sitting in the bear box waiting to go off or not wanting to waste them or it may have been the extra hot stagg CHilli i had already decided to pack that threw me over the edge, so to speak.
Regardless of the cause there they were, 12 peeled hard boiled eggs, sitting in a plastic jar in the haul bag. after a couple of days on the wall i realised that there was no chance in hell i was going to tuck into them, the weird green juice that had collected in the bottom of the jar was a real give away that my plan had fermented nicely.
The same trip was made more interesting by the extra hot chilli which i had also decided to take, this was also inedible, not due to it being bad but due to my frail body, which had been cooking away during the long hours in the sun and had left my body unable to deal with the spicy nature of the food, dry retching followed.
The worst of this tale is yet to come, being the good boys we were we hauled our shit down the east ledges descent, i was lucky enough to be carrying the food crime and the shit bag. When i got to the long drop in the car park i realised i was in for an interesting time. I still couldn't tell you which of the two it was that made me vomit more the 5 day old rotten eggs which were just green mush and yellow juice or the 3 days of 3 mens shit. Answers on a postcard to the usual address
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