New and experienced climbers over 50, #3

Dallas R wrote:

Today's lesson boys and girls is about stuck ropes.  Hard to see in this picture but Barb is using an ascender and a prussic.  This was a nice 5.5 corner trad route, Barb hates corner cracks, so she led the really big face crack to the right of this route, not in the picture.  (One of the upsides to Trad, you don't like the line use a different one.) Set up an anchor and was lowered down.  We were going to mock lead the corner crack.  Practice, practice, practice....  

When we went pull slack for the second climb the rope would not budge.  Whipping, twirling, waving, tugging, hanging, moving out, nothing freed it.  Both strands had fallen into a perfect 9.7mm crack.  It was like the perfect size, then when one rope was doubled over the other it made a perfect grip. Because it was a little around a corner no rope shenanigans would free it.  

Now comes the fun part, how to ascend a stuck rope and protect yourself in the event it becomes unstuck mid climb.  You can't treat it as a fixed rope.  I belayed her from the belaying side, then set her up with an ascender and a backup up prussic above it.  Step, slide, slide.  Step, slide, slide.  Step, slide, slide. Up she went until the rope could be pulled free.  She set a redirect that kept the rope out of the perfect notch.  I lowered her.  Good to go right?

Nope, when she came off the ascender she had only unclipped the prussic, not taken it off rope. I know she was distracted by the mechanics of the ascender.  When I lowered her the prussic jammed into the anchor.  I didn't know this until I climbed it, but no amount of anything would get the rope to budge. Stuck rope twice?  Come on, this only happens in comic books.  

I set up a double prussic on both strands and climbed, self belaying.  Got to the anchor as was quite astounded by how her prussic had jammed into the anchor.  You get to learn something new everyday.  

I set up a rap that would keep the rope out of the offending crack, descended and pulled the rope without incident.  

We had a heart to heart talk tonight about where we are at as climbers, why something this simple seems so difficult.  Barb was disheartened about todays climb.  I was thrilled, I actually got use some of that self rescue stuff I had been studying and practicing.  

At no time were we ever in danger of taking anything other than a 2' top rope type fall.  It was definitely a good day of climbing education.  

Funny, isn't it, she's disheartened, you were stoked! ;-) I confess to a deep love of prussik hitches, my first climbing, after all!

Best, OLH

Lori Milas wrote:

Yes, Senor! The very place. It’s lovely! Thank you!

So where is "THE" place   

Next year (starting December 2018), I will be spending 2019 traveloing the USA and Canada, climbing and hiking. I very keen to learn about good people and good places to visit.

Squeak wrote:

So where is "THE" place   

Next year (starting December 2018), I will be spending 2019 traveloing the USA and Canada, climbing and hiking. I very keen to learn about good people and good places to visit.

29 Palms Inn. 

Squeak wrote:

So where is "THE" place   

Next year (starting December 2018), I will be spending 2019 traveloing the USA and Canada, climbing and hiking. I very keen to learn about good people and good places to visit.

The Center of the earth is not in Joshua Tree with its short routes and wear out your shoes negative 100 sandpaper rock and crummy camping. Yosemite Is the place to be. Or the Needles. Go big! Yes Jtree is OK climbed there for 30 years on and off now off lol

Jeffrey Constine wrote:he Center of the earth is not in Joshua Tree with its short routes and wear out your shoes negative 100 sandpaper rock and crummy camping. Yosemite Is the place to be. Or the Needles. Go big! Yes Jtree is OK climbed there for 30 years on and off now off lol

I will absolutely be heading to Yosemite, I'm hiking the JMT, I also have desires to do Lost Arrow Spire (not sure if I have the skill though   )   JTree however is a gloriously unique place and will be visited at length   

Lost Arrow is EASY,

go get it.

Jeffrey Constine wrote: Lost Arrow is EASY,go get it.

So is brain surgery, (for some)   

Dallas R wrote:

We had a heart to heart talk tonight about where we are at as climbers, why something this simple seems so difficult.  Barb was disheartened about todays climb.  I was thrilled, I actually got use some of that self rescue stuff I had been studying and practicing.  

At no time were we ever in danger of taking anything other than a 2' top rope type fall.  It was definitely a good day of climbing education.  

What a great story, Dallas! I feel a kinship with Barb and would love to know more of her. It almost seems as though she’s hung a great deal more import to being a climber and being competent and able, and in that case it can be disheartening when things go wrong. You were already competent and able (at the whole outdoor thing) and maybe have a solid sense of your capabilities. 

That could be a projection   but I love how much she loves this and wants to get it right...and that you’re all in with her. Does she have specific climbing goals?
Wish you guys had the Garmin-like maps on line so any time one of us wants to know “Where’s Barb and Dallas?” We could punch in the map and see where you are in the world!

Squeak wrote:

I will absolutely be heading to Yosemite, I'm hiking the JMT, I also have desires to do Lost Arrow Spire (not sure if I have the skill though   )   JTree however is a gloriously unique place and will be visited at length   

Squeak you said it exactly right. I come here to J Tree because of its rare beauty and serenity...and the climbing almost an afterthought. I love the desert. You don’t have to choose between places to visit...you can see it all and climb everywhere you choose. It’s not either-or.   

One thing I have enjoyed about this park is the solitude and vibe. There’s a tribe-like feel, and a sense of place. Artists, musicians and climbers congregate here.  I spent most of this summer up in the Sierras hiking and climbing...those mountains have grown on me. But only here do I walk into the little local diner and periodically the whole staff break into song—whatever is loudly playing on their sound system. 
Enjoy the journey!

Dallas, how's Barb's mindset today after the heart to heart and some time to reflect?

Remind her there's somebody on here every day that posts a stuck rope or bail gear somewhere they'll give somebody some beer to get back.....

You got down in one piece, had some adventure, and returned with all your toys.....successful day in my book.

Jtree was WAY better in the 1980s no tribs of Urban Yups Gym goofs and loud campers. Just peace and quiet and you knew every climber. Now it's blow out big time. Lori you will never know what it really was like long before the Rangers became LEO's PS  I bet you are not camping but AirB&B right?

Squeak wrote:

So where is "THE" place   

Next year (starting December 2018), I will be spending 2019 traveloing the USA and Canada, climbing and hiking. I very keen to learn about good people and good places to visit.

In 2011 we started on a 5 year mission to find "THE" place.  In 2017 we formerly extended the mission another 10 years.  With the freedom of retirement we are able to travel and explore, it's awesome. Then, we discovered climbing.  Now we have a lot more to travel to and explore.  

FWIW, we find good people everywhere. 

Jeffrey Constine wrote: Jtree was WAY better in the 1980s no tribs of Urban Yups Gym goofs and loud campers. Just peace and quiet and you knew every climber. Now it's blow out big time. Lori you will never know what it really was like long before the Rangers became LEO's PS  I bet you are not camping but AirB&B right?

Jeff I’ve been coming here since 1968–actually earlier if I consider family trips. I don’t pretend to be a good climber or have an inside line... I just know where I love to be. (And it’s surely not the only place I love to be.). Will be heading out to the Colorado River today to visit another place I love, only bitd we didn’t jet ski, we water skied. I camped on that river more times than I can count. 

I’ve never stayed in an AirB&B.  I prefer to camp. However with temps in the high 90’s I will vote for shelter. I prefer cheap awful motels to nice spas, but I’m grateful for a roof. 
No Jeff I will never know what it was like—path not taken. Sounds like you are as lonely for what you experienced and had much as I often am for my life in the ‘60’s that vanished into disco and corporate jobs. Sometimes it feels like being a stranger in a strange land.  I have plenty of young kids now who ask me...what was it like to see Zep live before they became famous. Or Joplin. I can share that. You can share what you saw and did AND STILL ARE, too...pass along your tradition. it’s important!

Lori Milas wrote:

Jeff I’ve been coming here since 1968–actually earlier if I consider family trips. I don’t pretend to be a good climber or have an inside line... I just know where I love to be. (And it’s surely not the only place I love to be.). Will be heading out to the Colorado River today to visit another place I love, only bitd we didn’t jet ski, we water skied. I camped on that river more times than I can count. 

I’ve never stayed in an AirB&B.  I prefer to camp. However with temps in the high 90’s I will vote for shelter. I prefer cheap awful motels to nice spas, but I’m grateful for a roof. 
No Jeff I will never know what it was like—path not taken. Sounds like you are as lonely for what you experienced and had much as I often am for my life in the ‘60’s that vanished into disco and corporate jobs. Sometimes it feels like being a stranger in a strange land.  I have plenty of young kids now who ask me...what was it like to see Zep live before they became famous. Or Joplin. I can share that. You can share what you saw and did AND STILL ARE, too...pass along your tradition. it’s important!

Mic drop......

Squeak wrote:

So where is "THE" place   

Next year (starting December 2018), I will be spending 2019 traveloing the USA and Canada, climbing and hiking. I very keen to learn about good people and good places to visit.

THE place is the one that sings to you. I'm more drawn to sagebrush desert than pretty alpine. Less people, and those places in Idaho are vast, interesting, and unforgiving. Almost unknown, too.

Squeak, Erika, and anyone else, for that matter, do let me know if you would enjoy meeting at City of Rocks. Or, at the least, everyone has a belayer in Boise, if you are traveling through. Just don't expect a rope gun!

Lori, I believe Barb is the stronger climber, at the moment? That probably adds to the annoyance if something not going perfectly. But, I bet that climb is remembered!

Best, Helen

Lori Milas wrote: I feel a kinship with Barb and would love to know more of her. It almost seems as though she’s hung a great deal more import to being a climber and being competent and able, and in that case it can be disheartening when things go wrong. …  but I love how much she loves this and wants to get it right...and that you’re all in with her. Does she have specific climbing goals?
Wish you guys had the Garmin-like maps on line so any time one of us wants to know “Where’s Barb and Dallas?” We could punch in the map and see where you are in the world!

You and Barb would be a hoot together.  We make a team, always have been always will be.  Barbara is the passionate one, and when it goes wrong she takes it a lot harder than I do.  I am the boring worker bee that makes everything work.  

Her specific climbing goal is to lead multi-pitch trad.  We have had the honor to climb with some folks that do this regularly.  They make it look so easy, but it requires a multitude of skills to be successful at it.  We are building that skill set one climb at a time.  

I have tried lots of things to let friends and family follow our adventures, but it takes a lot of upkeep.  I have finally just resolved to posting on Facebook, it's easy from my phone, take picture - post, done.  I do not post to the public, you have to be a friend to follow.  I tried public but I had a couple fruit loops trying to sell me cereal.  

John Barritt wrote: Dallas, how's Barb's mindset today after the heart to heart and some time to reflect?

Remind her there's somebody on here every day that posts a stuck rope or bail gear somewhere they'll give somebody  some beer to get back.....

You got down in one piece, had some adventure, and returned with all your toys.....successful day in my book.

John, at breakfast we talked about going back Addis-Ababa.  The first to second bolt on the second pitch has a bulge that 's we couldn't get over.  The rock is really friable, I think the original hold have broken off, making that move harder.  It's a sport route, but there is a horizontal then vertical crack that would take trad gear really well and we could go around the bulge.  The cracks are deep enough we can set cams in good rock and avoid the upper stuff that would break if stressed.

How's her mindset?  She's ready to go again this morning.  She admitted that she would not have been able to work the situation out by herself and that there is more to rock climbing than just getting oneself up the rock. 

We have decided to back off on the multi-pitch trad routes a little, that is, we are going to do many single pitch 5.5-5.6 to get out skill set up. We will also attempt 5.8-9 TR if we can find them, or maybe stick pin the lead.  Having no ego about climbing is liberating, for us it's all about having fun outdoors while maintaining a high degree of safety.  Sure we look like a couple of dopes sometimes, we take twice as long as most people, but we climb safely within our physical limitations, ok, sometimes outside our physical limitations.  If you find a black BD oval on a sport route it's safe to say we were there.  

I would leave every piece of climbing gear we own on the rock as bootie if it got us out of a bad situation. 

Lori Milas wrote: Sailed Away first try. I really had my doubts!

Yay! Good for you Lori!! 

So how did you like the climb? I've never done that one and it looks prudy!! Easy to jam? 

Dallas R wrote: 
Her specific climbing goal is to lead multi-pitch trad.  We have had the honor to climb with some folks that do this regularly.  They make it look so easy, but it requires a multitude of skills to be successful at it.  We are building that skill set one climb at a time.  

If you get to SoCal any time soon I highly recommend you go do "The Trough" on Tahquitz Rock. It's a terrific intro to multi-pitch trad. Easy climbing. Endless protection. Fantastic exposure. The scariest part, really, is the walk off down the back of Tahquitz.  Jeff C is about to come tell you how he used to down climb The Trough 3 times in a day back in the 80s. It's that easy. But beautiful. As long as you know how to build anchors and follow a topo you'll be great.

I would leave every piece of climbing gear we own on the rock as bootie if it got us out of a bad situation. 

This is a good attitude. I never understood people bailing off a single stopper, for example, instead of leaving more gear. 

Lovena Harwood wrote:

Yay! Good for you Lori!! 

So how did you like the climb? I've never done that one and it looks prudy!! Easy to jam? 

Lovena that one had your name on it! I think you could have knocked it out of the park!

I wish you could have been there because you would have admired the pretty line on that face.  But I’m still not playing my A game on cracks.  I did it, but it wasn’t easy. Unless my hand fits perfectly into a ready-made slot I’m toast.   
One thing I learned this week was when to quit. I climbed Sail Away the first time with no problems. I started up a second time and got a little wobbly about 3/4 of the way up. Slipped a few times and lost my poise...not much, but after 10 minutes Bob yelled “That’s it! You’re tired! Come on down...” Also he coached on the foot jam. Just a tiny twist, keep it subtle and stand up. (No wrenching ankles!) 
Tomorrow is the last day of climbing here. I told Bob I’d like it to be Teacher’s Choice-surprise me...I’m sure if it’s right we’ll climb Old Woman. If not, then not!

Lori, I was talking about Climbing times in the 80's, not tourists or sightseer times, way different.