TT Rock Climbing Club

“I'm in CO, used to live in NC, but didn't start climbing till i got out here.”

“reading the AAC "accidents in north american mountaineering 2008"... just came in the mail. reminds me of all the stuff not to do or that could happen despite my best efforts. humble reminder that you can do everything right and still get screwed.”

“it's amazing how many of these accidents would not have happened if people knew where their rappel lead and if they put knots at the end of their ropes. the idea of rappelling down a rope when i wasn't certain where it went -and- that i could re-ascend the rope -and- with no way to lock-off the rappel is simply unfathomable. i use my petzl shunt religiously, even on short rappels.

also, lots of accidents seemed to be caused by overconfidence that led to people climbing way outside their ability, poor planning, or taking totally unnecessary risks.

one chilling story was of a guy that climbed up a route that was well outside his experience leading trad. he fixed a hex at the bottom as his first piece ...a unidirectional placement... then a bomber stopper placement and finally a cam before he yelled "falling" and dropped. the cam was apparently poorly placed and inverted in the crack (it was observed as "deformed" after the accident) and pulled out. the nut was well placed but because the hex was unidirectional when the rope went under load the direction of pull on the stopper dislodged it. the result was the climber hitting the deck. the miraculous blessing was that he lived.

very humbling stories.
last edited: 9/24/08 6:59:08 AM”

“Very true Yogisan. The hardest part of trad climbing is, of course, piece placement. But knowing one's limits is the most important thing. that's why beginners really need to climb with experienced leaders awhile. But climbing is dangerous and sometimes, as you say, it doesn't matter how good you are. I took my worst fall ever off an overhang and was saved by a #1 wire nut. Go figure.”

“What's this about big bras and adding to your rack?”

“it was said best on monty python: everything is lude when you interpret it right.”

“A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

“You know you've been climbing too much when your partner asks you to use protection and you shove a cam up her crack.”

“check out this report over on supertopo about the new record. In particular take a look at the pics and at the astonishing lack of pro they placed.

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=696319

(gotta scroll past a few other pics to get to the Hans and Yuji pics)”

“amazing. humbling.”

“someday, I'd like to tackle a big wall, but that's a whole different kind of ball game.

tonight i settled for the gym, if you wait until about 10 pm to go up there you don't have to fend off crowds. Used the auto-belay device and climbed and then downclimbed several routes - climbing down makes for a strenuous exercise.”

“It sure does! I climb laps in the gym to build endurance. They are hard as hell. We will lead an overhang/arch and downclimb the other side... Then climb up and do it again. Talk about pumped when you downclimb the last segment!”

“went climbing at the gym yesterday for the first time in like a month... my job and life (lots of time running the cub scout pack) have taken a huge toll on my copious free time... lol! anyway, i had a lot of fun but the place was totally empty. so i had to stick to lap climbing on the autobelays and working on the one route remaining that i still can't climb clean.

had dinner at 4assmonkeys house last night. he is already talking about a return to capitol peak. i expect we'll make a run at it next year. personally i think i would rather return to s colony lakes for a week and explore that area esp bears playground and kit carson peak. i could easily stand to climb the needle again... that was seriously fun.”

“Hey Yogi!

I spent some time on a toprope yesterday in Boulder Canyon. I smashed my index finger a couple weeks ago doing some volunteer trail work up at Rocky Mtn Park - it broke the bone in the tip which slowed down the climbing for a few weeks. I was able to do ok on an easy TR but it's difficult to grip and crimpers would be out of the question.

Hey, if your talking about coming back to the Capitol area, you should check out the Pierre Lakes area. Its off trail and a serious bushwhack to get into but looks like a stellar setting.”

“i'll look into that. thanks dude.

i did NOT know about your finger. i am sure it will heal up nicely. the good news is that i read once that broken bones heal stronger than the original material... so you won't break your finger in THAT place again. lol!”

“its more sore than anything. the bone in the very tip just split in about the last half inch. It created a huge avulsion as well, but that's almost healed up. its a pain in the ass, but shouldn't create any major issues once the next couple weeks get by.”

“fatal accident at Red River Gorge

:(

http://www.rockandice.com/inthemag.php?id=246&type=onlinenews

yall climb safe...”

“This isn't mine and I have no idea if it is a good deal or not...but thought one of you in the PA/NJ area might be interested in this box of climbing gear:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/spo/992206229.html”

“That is a fair deal for anywhere, not just in that locale.”

“This guy posted a link over at mountainproject and I thought the climbers here would enjoy it.

http://www.fractionfilm.com/2009/02/mirando/

Just a touch over 10 minutes long.”

“It's been 70 degrees in Boulder all week. Sunny and warm all weekend! Saturday in Boulder Canyon, Sunday at Eldorado Canyon.... man it's gonna be an incredible summer!”

“can't wait to get out there!”

“I've got a mountain climbing trip coming and thought I'd check out the local climbing gyms yesterday. I got a good work out, but I really need exercise with ropes & belaying devices, etc. One place had artificial rock walls and really tight auto-belayers. It felt like cheating hanging from the auto-belayer reaching for the next fake hand-hold. The other place was a small room with 15' overhanging plywood walls that you fre-climb. At least you can't cheat.

I need to find somebody climbing real rock with real rope.”

“if you've got solid belay skills check out mountainproject.com or rockclimbing.com and look for people searching for partners. I've had very good luck finding partners there.

i'd lean towards mp.com - it's a bit more 'on-topic' rc.com is akin to tt in terms of trash and silliness.

A lot of gyms also have a bulletin board (the old fashioned cork type) where you can hang a note "looking for a partner" - try that too.
last edited: 3/23/09 7:47:27 AM”

“I'd like to develop solid belay skills - that's my issue.

Thanks for the tip!”

“just be honest with your potential partner about your level of experience and instruction. you might find someone that would be willing to spend some time at the gym with you to work on the bare basics and then take you outdoors.

It's safer at the gym, the floor's padded and there's more friction on the top-rope set ups than there will be outside.

Good luck! It's a phenomenal sport.”

“climbing workout at gym today. i broke the first rule of climbing in the gym: don't suck. i have never struggled so much on 5.9-5.10 climbs! the good news is that i now have what seems to be a regular climbing partner and he climbs 5.11-5.12... which is a good deal. he really pushes me to climb things beyond my capacity. my forearms are still burning. good stuff!”

“I tried on my new harness today and it fits weird. When the loop is centered in the front, the back isn't centered. Any thoughts?”

“It needs to be comfortable and you should not be able to pull it over your hips when it is properly adjusted. Imagine falling upside down and slipping out of the harness. You might need a larger harness. Try to open up the leg loops a little bit and see if it seats higher up. You should be able to slide your flattened hand between your leg and the loop but the loop should not be excessively loose.”

“Stomper, it sounds like the harness may be too big.... BUT, if it fits over your hips correctly, don't worry too much about the back being centered.

Good deal Yogi, a stronger partner will push you into new levels quicker than you'd get there on your own.

The fooot plus of snow last week fecked up our plans for the weekend, but we got out a little bit anyway. By early afternoon it had warmed up enough that water was starting to run down most of the lines and we called it an early day. But, a little workout was better than none.”

“A tip, maybe. You should be able to slip your open hand between the harness and you, but when you make a fist you should not be able to pull out your hand.”

“I just realized I have to go rock climbing in Red River Gorge this weekend! My friend Dan has his birthday on the 8th and he wants to spend it in the Red. I can't believe I almost forgot!”

“You HAVE to go? Strange choice of wording.”

“well i also HAVE to go the NEXT weekend. it's the drive that i dread, not being there.”

“So what are you going to do next weekend? (bike, hike, climb or float) Are your kids coming?”

“kids are coming
wife is coming
dogs (both) are staying
tortoise is staying
guinea pig is staying
i think the baby cat has to come because it still is being bottle fed

...lord what a menagerie i live in.

i have NO CLUE what i am doing

kat has had back problems so i have to get an idea of what she will be up to. i sort of abandoned her the last time i was there, which she was cool with, but i made myself feel guilty about that.”

“Aint that a beach? Two weekends in a row in RRG! Yogi, you poor, poor basturd, you...


BTW< I still plan to hit the walls again with you one of these days. I've been working out.”

“Yeah, you got it rough man. ;)”

“Don't he though...?”

“True. Sucks 2 b me!”

“I am glad to hear you're bringing the whole gang next weekend! How old is your youngest?

Also, where are you guys climbing this weekend, we'll more than likely be at the Gorge!”

“My youngest is 8 and is quite a kid even if I do say so myself. He is stoked about the trip. He constantly is pestering me about going "to the Red".

Climbing is not out of the question if we have an interested crew. Kids would be especially welcome It is pretty time consuming and if you don't get an early start for sure it will be an entire day. I have gear enough for everyone big and small (I have leftover gear from when James was like 6).

I will just go with the flow. I primarily am making the trip cause I love hanging out with all the people that will be there this weekend. It is all good!

I esp am stoked my wife is going. My one concern is that I sort of don't want to drive her down to the gorge and then abandon her. She has never said anything and I doubt she cares but that doesn't make it easier for me. There is so much of that place I would want to share with her and there is a lot more to this than driving down together and sharing meals.

Can you believe I have only slept in a tent once with my wife? On a backpacking trip in Pigeon River some 12 years ago! We just tend to do our own thing.”

“Do they make hammocks for two?”

“yeah... two hammocks.”

“Posting from my hammock before going to be. We are at Red River Gorge camped off the Rough Trail near Martins Fork. We had an excellent day of climbing. We drove to Muir Valley for the day. I had never been there before. It is very beautiful and very, very well maintained.

We started out on a pretty easy 5.8 to warm up a bit. Then we moved over to climb this 5.10c that had quite a roof on it. That was a great climb. Next we moved down to a 5.10a a few limbs down. This was a fun climb because it was so smooth... You just went from one move to the next. Finally we moved over to a 5.11a but we were all tired. Still, we all climbed the route, yours truly included. I was totally shocked.

I got a VM from upluver. He and Stokley were out off of some ridge they had never seen before. They also seemed to be having a good time. Hope I get to see them tomorrow.

There routes were all sport routes. Tomorrow we will go to some of the trad areas and let them take a shot at this kind of climbing.

I definitely surprised myself.

Great day!”

“Awesome! I got my second ever 5.7 onsight Sat - trad climb. Never placed anything larger than a #1 C4 was wishing i had doubles in C3's!! We were at Cadillac Crag in Eldo.
last edited: 6/07/09 6:54:28 PM”

“I am still sore from the weekend. I climbed a 5.4 trad on lead. It was a little awkward... haven't done that in almost a year. I scoped out a climb for my next trip.

I had three new trad climbers with me. I led the 5.4 and rigged a toprope. Then each took a turn leading the pitch with the toprope as backup. It was a good learning experience... one I didn't enjoy when I was learning! Nobody fell and all the placements looked solid. They placed a mix of stoppers and cams.

Funny. These guys are solid 5.10 climbers, and were thinking the the 5.4 rating was wimpy. I let them climb it on toprope first and of course they flew up it. After they led it placing gear they weren't thinking it was wimpy anymore. Lol!”

“ha! yeah, when i was in "the business" on that 5.7, i was thinking to myself, "this would be no big deal on a toprope!". Trad climbing is very much a mental game.

I put some pics in my webshots of our day at Cadillac Crag.... From this pic: to the end of that album.”

“great photos. thanks for posting those. looks like a great time!”

“Cadillac Crag is cool - it's quite a hike/scramble to reach and as such doesn't get nearly the traffic that most places in Eldo do. There were only two or three other parties up there all day - and great views from up there. There's 4 or 5 other routes that I'd like to do at some point up there.”