DL winter aid climbing?
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Does anyone do it? Im looking to learn aid and was thinking about doing it over the winter. Any easy aid route advice at the lake in winter? |
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I should not tell you this but there are some easy aid routes in the quarry area of DL. The rock is crap as it was an old quarry for railroad rock - so who cares if you beat on it more? But be careful of not only the darn park police (so climb fast), but also the rock is a little weak from ages old blasting..... There are slabs on the right and overhangs on the left. It was an old DLFA winter aid climbing training ground.... |
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Both "Congrats" and "Thoroughfare" get done a lot. "Birch Tree" is a great first lead. "Sometime" is entertaining. I also enjoyed "Cheatah" (might need a hook for that). For pure hooking practice, you can do "Stretcher" (I'd suggest a TR). I've watched "Chicago" being done, but you'll need to do a free move or bring hammered gear for that one, I think. |
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Personally I would not aid a free climb even in practice, you have to bash some aid gear in to get big wall experience, and get a drill (Hilte) or RASPS, the only place that Ive found in DL is in the quarry. Hooking is the last resort,and scary, most times the rock is to soft! I have hammer if you need it and can talk about stirrup advice if you need it |
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Many of my friends and I used to solo Birch tree, Sometimes, Congratulations, & Thoroughfare just for fun even in the winter. Keep your Aid climbing focused on place where you can in bash hardware, you will have to pull out all the dirty tricks, just my advice and be careful - please, we have lost too many souls |
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DaleMoirDukeyetnotPrince wrote:Personally I would not aid a free climb even in practice, you have to bash some aid gear in to get big wall experience, and get a drill (Hilte) or RASPS, the only place that Ive found in DL is in the quarry. Hooking is the last resort,and scary, most times the rock is to soft! I have hammer if you need it and can talk about stirrup advice if you need itI'll take all the advice you can give, I don't have any experience with placing anything other than clean gear. |
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FYI, the quarry it self, is closed to all public use, you be may arrested for trespassing, but you have to do some pounding of steel the quarry is the best (only) place to do it, |
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What AA siad is all true, depending on where you are going to climb walls... last piece of advice get some old school knee pads, you will look like a dork, but your bones will thank you. |
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Hey Nick, |
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There is a fun clean aid line at the Railroad Amphitheater. It starts near Jack the Ripper and then wanders over right to Cop Out and tops out via that route. Probably C1+ (whatever that means). |
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NOW you want to do aid at DL.! Great timing, as we could have pulled out my aid gear last season sometime. Nick, I assume you just want to do this on nuts, no pins, pitons, rurps, etc? Dale (Duke of Fukness) knows the way around the lake for sure, but be real careful if you choose the quarry area. I"ve done solo aid up the usual cracks such as Congrats, Sometimes and Birch Tree. Guess the best time to do it and not draw climber criticism is now, during the off season. But being a skier and ice climber I'm in favor of more cold and snow than aid climbing weather. cheers. |
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Jay's suggestion is great if you are looking for some 'trickier' clean aide. Routes like Congrats are good for dialing in your aide systems but most of the placements are straight forward. Railroad will give you the chance to hang from the smallest brassies/offsets that are not fully in the crack. About as much fun as hooking...... |
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I would suggest starting aid climbing on TR. That way you can get the feel for systems and placements without hitting the ground if gear rips. With aid climbing its all about building a system which you can then get proficient with. Learning to top step and use hooks is strenuous and risky, especially on quartzite, and with a few practice runs first on tr both your system and skills will get dialed quicker. Also, dont be afraid to bust free moves when there's options. Getting tunnel vision on your daisy and aiders will lead you to a multi-hour DL aid epic for your belayer. |
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I wasn't going to say anymore... however, you can top rope aid climbing for practice by yourself we used to do it all the time. Just fix one end and use ascenders, it is good practice. Just be safe and follow the recommendations provided in earlier posts. Sooner or later though you are going to have to bash stuff in, unless the times have changed..... which is possible..... sneak to the quarry, don't drive in or they will find you... hammer bebe!. |
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Ditto on what Dale/Duke said. Ascender up a fixed rope for backup, while you walk up in your etriers or aiders on the placements. If one pops, you are snagged by your ascender and can live to fix your technique without taking a beating. Tons of not-so-popular cracks to follow, without hogging some classic route for a few hours. |
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Times have definately changed. Pounding pins is not a requirment of aid climbing especially if you are planning on climbing in the desert where clean climbing is the preferred style. In addition, a better way to self belay is using a traxion(pro or mini). These are the preferred means of hauling as well, so if you are really amped to get into the aid game a traxion will be part of your rack. They are also great for top rope free climbing as well. |
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If you are going to solo aid routes, with a ascender make sure you back it up, to tie in once you a safe distance off the ground, should be doing these when seconding routes on jumars, ascenders do fail, ask Peter Cleveland he was working on his roof with a ascender |
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Bump? |
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EB i am curious too as to how the traxion can be used for aid solo. The traxion only allows the rope to feed one way. I have tr Soloed on a traxion, but i don't think its possible to lead solo with one. |
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How do you get to the quarry, is there a trail to approach from the top? Bushwack from the base? |
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