The Brotherhood Of the Traveling Stopper...

Sounds like Barnabas got to do some travelling at least!  I miss Cochise a lot right now.  I'll happily take him on some adventures, I've got some big plans in some cool areas around New Mexico this winter that a weird piece of gear might just help out on.  Shoot me a message Matt and we'll figure out details of getting it my way.  No rush though...don't want him to blow away in this weather we're having right now!

Paging Dr. Barnabas ... where is our bawdy baby blue ballnut bouncing about these days?

F r i t z wrote:

Paging Dr. Barnabas ... where is our bawdy baby blue ballnut bouncing about these days?

I was talking to Matt, he had my address but I never heard back or got our little ballnut friend!  Hope he's adventuring somewhere.

Forgive me brothers, for I have sinned. I completely forgot about Barney and that I hadn't shipped Barnabas out to Josh until my in-laws discovered him in their garage last month - I'd placed him out there to take to the post office on our way out of town and then missed him when packing the car. So it goes. With the need for a bit of redemptive contrition in mind, we took Barney out to Wyoming this past week on a whirlwind tour before I ship him out.

A bit of context on the trip: my partner, after 7 years together showing no interest in trad leading, finally decided to start alternating leads with me this spring. What changed? In her words, "Leading trad is less stressful than cleaning your overcammed placements". Ouch. She's always had a cool head for runouts on fixed gear so I knew she'd be a natural.

We'd planned this Wyoming trip for the end of the alpine season as a bit of a 'final exam', and we now had Barnabas in tow.

Between this vacation and a dry run the week before we made two stops at Medicine Bow Peak. The area is a convenient jumping off point when driving from Denver into northern Wyoming and served as a perfect test of her alpine trad chops: moderate climbing and a negligible approach, but no fixed gear, indistinct route lines, lots of thin/weird cracks, and a reputation for both runouts and bad rock. There's definitely the opportunity for both, but we managed to thread some nice lines in the 5.7-8 range on mostly good rock without running it out too much. Solidly type 1 fun.

She crushed it - great route finding, anchor choices, and gear placements. It was made all the better by the great views. We'll be back for sure. Barney got plenty of use by us both on the routes we climbed, as the rock forms a lot of tiny cracks (bring your brassies!). First member of the 'sisterhood of the traveling stopper'? 

No placement photos, unfortunately, and he didn't get much use on the rest of the trip (the granite around Cody and the Tetons had lots of non-micro gear placements so he was left on the harness). With that, Barney will be shipped out tomorrow afternoon. I'll edit this post once he's in the mail.

Edit: I shipped him out to Josh via USPS priority envelope mid-September

Way to go sister!

I think with a bit of concerted effort and old fashioned gumption, we could shave a few hours off the present 4 months between sends.

I do understand that life is hectic and it can be hard to take the fifteen minutes we tacitly promised to take in order to keep the show rolling, so maybe (is this stance too extreme?), don’t call for the piece if you can’t deliver.

Josh, you actually got it, right? I shipped him out via a flat rate envelope in September to the address you sent me. If not, we may need to establish a line of succession in the event of a fallen ballnut.

J W wrote:

With respect, this was the first order of business.

Oof. Edited. Regardless, he's been out of my hands since September.

MattH wrote:

Josh, you actually got it, right? I shipped him out via a flat rate envelope in September to the address you sent me. If not, we may need to establish a line of succession in the event of a fallen ballnut.

Ah, forgot to hit send on that email I guess!  Yes, I got him.  I'm dirtbagging around this winter so he's been having some great adventures(no spoilers!).  Who's next!  Happy to ship it on to someone soon if they've got plans for him!  He's hung on my harness for too long!  I'm bumming around Red Rocks for now if someone local wants a handoff, then I'll be moving onto Yosemite as we get into spring.

I'll take a sometime soon shipment unless you have an easy handoff in the near future.

Josh Z wrote:

Ah, forgot to hit send on that email I guess!  Yes, I got him.  I'm dirtbagging around this winter so he's been having some great adventures(no spoilers!).  Who's next!  Happy to ship it on to someone soon if they've got plans for him!  He's hung on my harness for too long!  I'm bumming around Red Rocks for now if someone local wants a handoff, then I'll be moving onto Yosemite as we get into spring.

In this era of hyperbole, it’s refreshing to see the occasional understatement. Nice one.

Lads, I've spent many years adrift but now find my feet on sweet sweet terra firma again, in possession of a Traveling Stopper, and ready to send it on to the next recipient. 

The stopper accompanied me on some stellar sends and some trade route traipses, ranging from Squamish, to Vedauwoo, to Enchanted Rock, and was blessed by climbing royalty and christened in the crimson lifeblood of a flappered failed redpoint along the way.

A brief recounting of its Texas deployment:

Blessed by climbing royalty the eve prior, the Gods had surely blessed the stopper and my RP attempt

The day dawned bright with promise at Enchanted Rock

I added the stopper to my quiver, consulted the most cosmic of climbing scrolls, and set forth

My long-time nemesis Remote Control lurked in the shadows, a thin cruel mistress

A number of RP goes, gear and beta finally sussed, she felt ready for a send secured by the stopper

But alas, my strength sapped and skin serrated...I was denied send glory despite the Hand of Hans blessing

Let this serve as a cautionary tale to those who thirst after the sacred stopper... while it has often guided and blessed, it does not bestow its gifts lightly. For those who seek it, remember—what is gained on the rock is earned in sweat, blood, and soul. Glory through blood penance.

The Traveling Stopper continues its journey, passing from hand to bloody hand, leaving behind whispers of sends that were, and those that were not. Will you be the one to finally unlock its true power?

Post up if you want it! But be prepared—its power is not for the faint of heart.

Captain Ahab wrote:

Blessed by climbing royalty the eve prior, the Gods had surely blessed the stopper and my RP attempt

Post up if you want it! But be prepared—its power is not for the faint of heart.

Did you tell Hans where it came from?  He might get a kick out of it knowing the whole thing originated from a Minions missive since he's [a;s with Bill.

You can send the wedge back my way and I'll take it back out.  Will PM you.

Tony B wrote:

Did you tell Hans where it came from?  He might get a kick out of it knowing the whole thing originated from a Minions missive.

You can send the wedge back my way and I'll take it back out.  Will PM you.

Tony I’ll take it after you since we’re local to each other. I’ve got a pretty big FA I think it could be useful on