Bigwall Questions
A few bits and bobs that are worth reading:
Bounce Testing, Moving Up Efficiently, Extending Your Reach, Untrapping Your Foot From the Wall, Using Two Ladders. (more…)
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November 19, 2013
Hiking the ND Descent vs. Rapping Royal Arches when topping out Washington Column
Which is better? Go down the North Dome Gulley of death? Wander over to Royal Arches and rap forever and ever and ever? Here’s my attempt at an answer (more…)
November 18, 2013
Bigwall Chest Harnesses
FWIW I have owned the Yates bigwall harness, the misty mountain full strength chest harness, the Metolius zero strength “bigwall” chest gear sling with separated loops, and the black diamond no strength zodiac chest gear sling. (numbered by what order I like them) (more…)
November 15, 2013
Wet Denim Daydream snippets
Turning the roof was a grunting, awkward flailfest. Not technically hard placement-wise, but with my feet spinning like a boat propellor, it was not something I was used to. Now that I think about it, it felt similar to Kor Roof but not as easy. Once you were able to get your toes against the rock it was cruiser with fixed pins every now and then and camhooks in between. Best advice I can give for upward progress when your feet have NOTHING to gain purchase on is to walk up your aiders by putting your heel through the front of the ladder over the toe of the foot below it - this is similar to how you get up those skinny wire caving ladders which we use to service the ropes course at my summer camp. The move onto Dano ledge was sketchy to me because my blast piece…
November 13, 2013
Ethics and Mud n Crud
I have no words... A product of climbing focusing on ability over history. A whole generation that stands on the shoulders of those who came before, never looking down, only grinding their feet back and forth. What's strange about this story is that the desire for "adventure" usually comes with a desire for history imo. Afterall, it's the history that leads us to where the adventure is. It would seem that these guys know a little something since the most obvious no-nothing meathead move would be to rap bolt since that's all you'd understand from watching videos. To attempt to "set" (sorry brad) a route via aid and hooks is not the most intuitive thing for someone with no background in the lore of the activity. I wonder where they got the idea in the first place? Ok, I guess I did have words... --- In the evolution of cultural…
November 11, 2013