Yank the Mank, Waimea 2013

Attention all Rumney climbers!

The Rumney Climbers Association (RCA) will be removing all the fixed draws from Waimea on December 7th. This will be a coordinated effort undertaken by locals concerned about the safety of the fixed draws on the cliff. It is by no means an ethical statement--it's mainly motivated by concerns for safety.

If you have fixed draws on Waimea, consider removing them prior to the removal day. The draws will be cataloged according to route and may be claimed by contacting the RCA.

More info can be found on the RCA page here: climbrumney.com/upcoming-ev…

This sounds like a good step toward new and better management of fixed gear on the well used cliffs at Rumney. I especially like that they will be keeping record of the gear that comes down so it can be returned to the owners if they want it.

Im glad to see the RCA taking action. I support the active management of the area and like to see decisions made and action taken!

AWESOME. Totally agree with you Jay and Lee.
Way to go, RCA!

Next up, OC?

Totally makes sense considering the scary state of many draws at Waimea, but I don't quite understand what the ultimate intentions are. Is the plan to replace most draws with perma-draws? Or to just replace and remove all the fixed draws every season?

Anyone know more about what is going on?

Who cares, as long as they clean up that junk. Not like I climb there much, but I can only imagine the crag has gotten to be more of an eyesore since I moved out the region.

lucander wrote:Who cares, as long as they clean up that junk. Not like I climb there much, but I can only imagine the crag has gotten to be more of an eyesore since I moved out the region.

I am not trying to argue about the necessity of fixed draws/perma-draws at Waimea as it has already been established. As someone that does climb there often, I care and I am interested to know what the plan is.

Given the RCA's reputation, it's reasonable to expect updated software and hardware. If not, I hear those Rumney folks are pretty good climbers - draws (likely better than be removed ones) will grow on the cliff.

Thanks, Jay! I'll be there with my big static rope and Jumars. Hopefully we will get a sunny day and we won't be freezing our butts off. I am glad we climbers finally got organised to start doing this regularly. I have been hearing too many reports of near misses caused by manky worn gear.

re replacement: Speaking as an individual and not as an RCA member,it is my understanding that fixed draws are still forbotten according to the Forest Service management plan, so as it stands, the RCA, as an organisation, could not replace them. We can do bolts and anchor replacements though.

Awesome effort guys!!!!

Here's hoping for some sun for u guys!

This is a great effort by the RCA towards a safer and more mindful use of Rumney. I'm super excited to get out there and clear up the cliff of the junk that has accumulated with the RCA on the 7th.

Yank the Mank was a great success! Thanks to all those who participated! The entire cliff was cleaned of fixed draws. Here's an after photo:

Well done! Is that old wooden ladder gone too?

Impressive. Hope everyone was able to stay warm. Congrats and thanks. For a second there I did not recognize the cliff; it is so bare! :)

more pics on the RCA Facebook page
facebook.com/rumneyclimbers…

wow... so fresh and so clean clean!

This is so awesome. What a strong climbing community.

M Sprague wrote:re replacement: Speaking as an individual and not as an RCA member,it is my understanding that fixed draws are still forbotten according to the Forest Service management plan, so as it stands, the RCA, as an organisation, could not replace them. We can do bolts and anchor replacements though.

I thought a small number of climbs were granted an exemption, and were upgraded to fixed permadraws? No?

GO

I would assume so, I toured the whole mountain yesterday to check out water ice conditions close up, and noticed a number of fixed wire permadraws on Orange crush and other locations. If this is old had, my pardon, I havnt been up the mountain since the snow melted.

GabeO wrote: I thought a small number of climbs were granted an exemption, and were upgraded to fixed permadraws? No? GO

Maybe an RCA board member could answer that. My understanding is that that is still in discussion. The current FS plan does not allow for them.

Apologies in advance for such a long post. There is a lot to say in the larger context here.

TLDR: Permadraws aren't yet managed within the RCA's purview. We hope to get that changed as soon as possible by working with the USFS. The best way for you to get involved is to join the RCA, talk about the issue with us, and make your voice heard in the community.

M Sprague wrote: Maybe an RCA board member could answer that. My understanding is that that is still in discussion. The current FS plan does not allow for them.

Mark is too humble. In forming the RCA position, the RCA has taken a lot of guidance from dedicated route developers like Mark (Team Tough, many MPers, and many others from NH, VT, and MA).

I'd like to thank everyone for such a positive response to this event. The community really is rallying, and so many people have worked together to make this happen.

S. Neoh wrote:AWESOME. Totally agree with you Jay and Lee. Way to go, RCA! Next up, OC?

We debated doing OC first, but as it turns out there are relatively few fixed lines there. Rest assured, it's on the list.

M Sprague wrote:Speaking as an individual and not as an RCA member,it is my understanding that fixed draws are still forbotten according to the Forest Service management plan, so as it stands, the RCA, as an organisation, could not replace them. We can do bolts and anchor replacements though.

Mark is right: the RCA isn't in the business of replacing permadraws. The RCA is working on a plan to manage permadraws and the USFS is working on it with us. Here are the facts:

1. Technically, permadraws are abandoned gear and not allowed.

2. The RCA and USFS recognize that the times have changed and we have to figure out a path forward that balances the competing interests involved.

3. We've proposed some edits to the climbing management plan to address permadraws and the USFS is reviewing them. The USFS seems to support finding a reasonable approach to permadraws (note: I do not speak for the USFS). But please remember point #1 when I say this.

The very best thing the community can do is rally around acting responsibly. That means removing unsafe draws and gear, adhering to the guidelines in the Climbing Management Plan, and showing a willingness to compromise.

There very worst thing the community can do is hang steel-cabled permadraws on every bolt where we just removed nylon mank. If permadraws are to be allowed by the USFS, we've got to be patient and measured in our approach.

Project draws: they're fine. Leave them overnight, all weekend, all week: that's fine. Take them down when you are done. That's even better. Use the highest quality draw you can afford, please.

If the community can establish a track record of responsible management of the cliffs, then we are much more likely to be trusted by the USFS to manage permadraws in the future when the appropriate time comes.

Having said that: the RCA is not the Quickdraw Police. We educate and manage where we can, and try to help the community exercise good judgement. We are all climbers and we represent climbers. We do not enforce laws, rules, or regulations.

Keyan P wrote: Is the plan to replace most draws with perma-draws? Or to just replace and remove all the fixed draws every season?

The RCA is working on a larger statement of the overall plan. There are many points of view to consider, so it's not ready yet.

In a perfect world, the RCA would be allowed to manage permadraws in an official capacity. If and when that happens, we'd look to establish guidelines for their installation that balance safety, efficiency, maintenance, visual impact, and the many other concerns.

Then we would install them, maintain them, and the climbing community will have scored a big win.

Yank The Mank was one of many steps required to get us there.

We want to hear the community's voice on this. If you want to help: join the RCA, send us an email, or just talk this issue up among your friends. We need community input and support to accurately represent climbers on this critical access issue.

GabeO wrote: I thought a small number of climbs were granted an exemption, and were upgraded to fixed permadraws? No? GO

Gabe: it is true that there are fixed steel permadraws on a few routes. We all agree that a climb like Orangahang is safer when equipped that way.

However, the RCA didn't equip that route. It is technically not permitted by the USFS. We'd love to be allowed to do so and are working hard to make that a reality. If you want to help us reach that goal, join the RCA and speak up about the issue (respectfully, of course).

Since the steel draws are not manky, we did not focus on removing them. We only had so much time and daylight on Dec 7th, and the focus of our efforts fell upon the dozens of routes with tattered nylon gear on them.