Crow Hill trad rack requirements
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So I've contemplated for awhile about asking this but what's a good basic rack to go to Crow Hill in Leominster and start trad climbing? I have a few pieces of gear but I'm not sure if it's enough and I certainly don't want to find out its not enough half way through. |
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Great first lead at Crow |
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A Bosch seems to be the gear of choice these days :-) |
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I'm going to pick up some cordelette and as time goes on I'll add more to the rack. Or as I find some more deals I'll add to it. I picked the Cams and dmm nuts off criagslist and I'm itching to actually put them to use unlike the previous owner. |
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Boardwalk has anchors at the top? Or are people building anchors? |
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If leading, you can just run your rope back to the trees for an anchor. |
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Eric Engberg wrote:A Bosch seems to be the gear of choice these days :-)THAT made my day Mr Engberg |
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LegendMetalCo wrote:Boardwalk has anchors at the top? Or are people building anchors?Should be bolts there. If not or if they are in bad shape you can use trees further back. The bolts were originally installed (~15 years ago) not for convenience but to mitigate erosion and save the trees - so use them if you can. |
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jackkelly00 wrote:If leading, you can just run your rope back to the trees for an anchor.Valid point, thank you. This will be my first trad lead.... |
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Tom's Dilemma is a good firsty also.
There are bolts at the top of Boardwalk, but you absolutely need very long slings to extend if you want to set up a slingshot belay. Actually, that is a theme at Crow Hill. You can, of course, just use the rope and top belay, but please be sure you know what you are doing. |
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For the easier climbs at Crow you may want smaller cams. Green Corner, Open Book, Boardwalk, Tom's, Outersight, Intertwine, Thin Line, Fool on the Hill, Triple Overhangs all favor smaller gear but do not take anything big. I would trade out the #3 C4 for a yellow and a green Alien or something of similar size. Climbs where a bigger piece is nice include Diagonal, Tarzan, and Cro Mag (not necessary but nice). There are a bunch more climbs I am forgetting but the #3 just isn't needed that much at CH. |
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Indeed, the gear list noted at the start of the page should get you up most things. It is considerably more elaborate than many a rack of yesteryear. The nuts will suffice in the absence of small cams. The climbs are either short or can be broken into short pitches. And in the worst case, if you run out of gear, lower, walk to the top and get the gear back via rappel... |
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Camp tri cams are very helpful on all routes... especially the small pink one. You can lead all of the easy routes without them but I prefer to use them. DMM Torque Nuts work well on some of the easier routes as well but I recommend practicing with them on the ground a lot.... they can be finicky. |
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dave custer wrote:Indeed, the gear list noted at the start of the page should get you up most things. It is considerably more elaborate than many a rack of yesteryear. The nuts will suffice in the absence of small cams. The climbs are either short or can be broken into short pitches. And in the worst case, if you run out of gear, lower, walk to the top and get the gear back via rappel... I'll add "Chimney Route to the Blue Route top-out" to the list of good first leads. Chimney Route doesn't seem to be in the MP listing, but is ~5.6 and a better start to "Blue Route" now. Step down & (climber's) left from the start of Intertwine. Head up the right-arching, right-facing corner system; squeeze by a tree; (mid-climb anchor optional) head left & up the obvious corner/weakness.I saw the 2 pitch "Chimney route" I've got my eyes set on it for down the road. I think sticking to single pitch while learning trad is a good decision in my head. But it's definitely on my list once I get a few routes under my belt. I think I might pick up a pink and black tri cam for the time being and get out there and start plugging gear. Down the road I have full intentions of picking up some smaller cams to expand my rack for more routes. |
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I dont get this trad rack requirements for a specific area stuff? Its all basically the same. Cams and a set of nuts. There ya go. |
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grog m wrote:I dont get this trad rack requirements for a specific area stuff? Its all basically the same. Cams and a set of nuts. There ya go. Look through the area at some specific climbs you want to do. What are the gear requirements. Boom done.If you check out a few of the routes listed, generally for pro listed it only says "a standard rack" well a standard rack can vary from your grandfathers rack of hexes, chocks and nuts to someone with a full rack of cams from micro aliens to #5 c4's. I live approx 2hrs away from Crow Hill with it being the nearest Trad spot I don't want to drive all the way out there on a Sunday and quickly figure out I can't climb anything because of lack of gear. If your thinking "then why don't you just buy more gear?" Because let's all be honest it's pretty expensive..... |
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Having less gear won't mean you can't climb it, you just might have to run it out. |
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LegendMetalCo wrote: If you check out a few of the routes listed, generally for pro listed it only says "a standard rack" well a standard rack can vary from your grandfathers rack of hexes, chocks and nuts to someone with a full rack of cams from micro aliens to #5 c4's. I live approx 2hrs away from Crow Hill with it being the nearest Trad spot I don't want to drive all the way out there on a Sunday and quickly figure out I can't climb anything because of lack of gear. If your thinking "then why don't you just buy more gear?" Because let's all be honest it's pretty expensive.....Since most of the routes you are considering were first done with your grandfather's standard rack - I think you have your answer. Just need a variety of sizes - could be active or passive - and the competency to use them. It's not like the only way a route can be protected is with a pink tricam in a solution hole followed by a black alien. Don't overthink it. |
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Nuts and hexes are never a "standard" rack. This isnt the 70s. A standard rack is doubles from 0.3-3 and a set of nuts. You could climb 80% of all climbs with that. |
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Eric, As you well know, the "grandfather's standard rack' for the FAs of most of those routes at Crow were Army angles and a few blade pitons!!!! |
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Alan Rubin wrote:Eric, As you well know, the "grandfather's standard rack' for the FAs of most of those routes at Crow were Army angles and a few blade pitons!!!!And they worked perfectly ok |