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alpinerockfiend
Mar 14, 2003, 8:15 PM
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In reply to: WORST thing: Listening to experienced climbers bag on newbies.
You disagree? My scenario is not frightening? I wouldn't want to be at a crag and have them climbing above me or in the area, witnessing some horrible accident due to their ignorance! I guess what I said sounded sort of generalized- it wasn't meant that way. Not all newbies are ignorant. In fact, most are not at all.
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mtnjohn
Mar 15, 2003, 1:38 AM
Post #27 of 42
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Registered: May 17, 2002
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My scariest experience was missing the first of 9 rappel stations on blank wall. There's just 2-3 bolts every 50 meters or so for rappeling, no route.
I was literally at the end of my rope(s)
I was able to swing way right to a small crack that was less than a foot long and angle down at about 45 degrees.
I stuffed two small aliens and a small stopper in and slowly wieghted them. Then I had to come off rappel so that my partener, who is still on top, could rap to the proper anchors set the next rappel and get the rope to me. Watching the ropes disappear aroung the face was utterly disheartening.
The wind was loud and communication was impossible, my partener didn't even know what happened until he was rapping and got the anchors and I wasn't there!
It's a very lonely feeling hanging on three little pieces in the middle of blank vertical wall about 900' in the air!
It seemed to take forever for him to reset the next rap station and throw rope to me!
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ajoys
Mar 15, 2003, 3:15 AM
Post #28 of 42
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Talk about a moment in time to keep your fear in check.
Great story.
Why didn't you just jumar back up the rope?
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tori
Mar 29, 2003, 3:24 AM
Post #29 of 42
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Registered: Feb 23, 2003
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my first climb, 5.6, easy enough, until i hear "good, now you are going to clean the route" huh? What’s that I say? after many minutes of clipping, untying, threading the rope through the hangers etc.. i think i am done. then they say, ok rappel, to which i say, "i have never rappelled before" to which they say, "well now you are going to learn how." it went fine, only thing scarier was my first ever multi-pitch climb about 3-4 months later. monkey face at smith rock, easy enough route, but my god the exposure for my first multi-pitch!!! it was like having a gun to my head for 3 hours. :shock: things have slowed down since then.
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melekzek
Mar 29, 2003, 4:04 AM
Post #30 of 42
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Registered: Nov 16, 2002
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When I took my first serious trad fall, I was falling upside down, that was scary....
Falling on the smallest size hexentric a couple of meters below you, and watching your belayer crushing to the wall with the shock load....
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schizy
Mar 29, 2003, 5:18 AM
Post #31 of 42
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Registered: Jan 22, 2003
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There I was. . . . . . .
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agentoffortune
Mar 29, 2003, 7:08 AM
Post #32 of 42
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Registered: Aug 13, 2002
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One time, I was really drunk and was climbing. I don't remember anything besides being scared. Even that might not be a real memory. 'Cause I think I was wearing a tux.
Richard
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dangermonkey
Mar 29, 2003, 7:41 AM
Post #33 of 42
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Registered: Jan 15, 2003
Posts: 164
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I took a lead fall on the "sporty" 5.9 pitch on White Punks at the Needles, CA. Slid on my backside for a while on the slab with enough time to realize I was falling. It seemed like forever. The rope was between the legs and left a screaming rope burn on the saddle.
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wildtrail
Mar 29, 2003, 11:44 AM
Post #34 of 42
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Registered: Jul 6, 2002
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The time I almost died in a blizzard and lightning storm on Mt. Of the Holy Cross.
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minnesotatrad
Mar 29, 2003, 5:01 PM
Post #35 of 42
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Registered: Aug 25, 2002
Posts: 81
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My first trad lead was a very trilling time
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wallrat
Apr 1, 2003, 5:35 PM
Post #36 of 42
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Registered: Nov 28, 2002
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For me it would have to be on the descent from Mt. hunter, when the mountain was falling apart due to too hot weather. In 24 hours we had 2 avalanches, major rockfall, mushrooms falling away from right under my axe plant, and the grand finalle, when almost 100' of a huge cornice, 20' wide, broke away. It snapped right along the line of holes my axe plants made, like a postage stamp tears. BOOM, right at my feet, and it all fell into the cwm. Am I ever glad I was tied in! Our path on the way up was well out into the area that fell away...I'm glad I didn't trust that cornice and went further back. Nightmares for weeks.
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keinangst
Apr 1, 2003, 5:53 PM
Post #37 of 42
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Registered: Apr 1, 2003
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A 70' TR pitch--We were the first climbers of the day on the route (a nice warmup 5.7). The last guy of three was descending on my belay.
6' from the ground, he dropped 2' suddenly. I looked at my gear and the rope for fear of some kind of failure, then I realized that a huge slab had broken loose from the top. It was about a 3' x 2' x 6" piece of sandstone, and it landed about 10' to the right of the third guy, who was resting. The climber wasn't affected, and I was able to see everything coming down, but it happened so quickly...
Needless to say, I will always wear a helmet on belay from now on :shock: Also, be very careful when placing TR over thinning roofs. This particular setup is used very frequently, we just happened to be the guys there when the slab decided to break free.
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stewbabby
Apr 2, 2003, 5:25 PM
Post #38 of 42
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Registered: Apr 25, 2002
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In reply to: be very careful when placing TR over thinning roofs. This particular setup is used very frequently
Palisades, Sandrock??? where was this and what route? It wasnt kashmere was it?
stewart :?
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stevo
Apr 2, 2003, 5:52 PM
Post #39 of 42
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Registered: May 28, 2002
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Well, well...some kick as stories so far.
Mine isn't that crazy, but i loved the mind state i was able to achieve during the climb. I haven't experienced anything like it before in a single pitch climb.
I was standing at the bottom of 60m of ice and rock, in guide book it says steal at WI4 when fat. No problem i thought, four is easy.
The ice was an inch thick and a foot to two wide. I brought pins and a screw. Well i climbed the first 20 feet no problems, a lot harder for my second due to the fact that as i pulled a bulge and took my feet off the vertical ice it just peeled away and hit the ground. Undeterred I hammered in a pin and kept going. Thin moves, tapping holes and hooking the holes, only the tips of my picks pentrated, an exceptional cerebral exercise, but i can't stop, not enough ice for pro of any sort. 15 m up clip another pin, shitty and manky, mental at best. More vertical thin ice, finally i am up 30m and guaranteed ground fall, the ice is too thin to hook. So calmly I take my tools off, harness them, stuff my gloves down my shirt and rock climb over to some bolts a few feet over on a ledge. The moves were spicy and exciting. I clip the bolts and my mind screams, that is when fear hit me. Luckily the last 30m was straightforward 4 that took screws, thankfully.
I would do it again, that mind state was amazing.
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keinangst
Apr 2, 2003, 6:06 PM
Post #40 of 42
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Registered: Apr 1, 2003
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In reply to: Palisades, Sandrock??? where was this and what route? It wasnt kashmere was it?
Stew:
It was at Palisades--I've only been out there twice, so I don't know the names of all the routes. It was the second route from the far right/north(?) route, which is a 5.9 IIRC. It begins very easily around a huge roof about 5' off the ground. The next route to the left is the highest pitch in the park, and has a huge roof at the top. Do you know which one I'm talking about?
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dano
Apr 2, 2003, 6:16 PM
Post #41 of 42
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Registered: Feb 7, 2003
Posts: 86
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Most thrilling: Swinging leads on Snake Dike.
Most scary: Taking six consecutive lead falls trying to get over the roof on Scoot Your Muffin (Summersville) After the last fall I was shaking so badly I couldn't lead the rest of the weekend.
Most thrilling for me, scary for spectators - whipping off of Sancho Belize (sp?) with the rope caught behind my knee - going upside down and winding up just 5 feet above my belayer. Thrilling for me because I just KNEW she'd catch me. She always did.
- dan
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stewbabby
Apr 7, 2003, 4:52 PM
Post #42 of 42
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Registered: Apr 25, 2002
Posts: 802
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keinangst,
The name of the route is arachnaphobia (sp?). Ill send you a pm about the details, since this has nothing to do with the thread.
stewart
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