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billiegoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 25, 2010 - 12:31am PT
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My partner and I are new to aiding and we're looking to climb Roulette This weekend. We read some scary beta that showed up on a Google search about most once-fixed gear being gone, but that was from 2005. Most beta says the climb is either spicy, scary, or sketchy, yet supertopo big walls book says it never gets too difficult or too dangerous.
Wondering if anyone has any advice about this particular endeavour, recent or past.
Also, my illustrious partner and boyfriend would like to know if the belay bolts have been replaced.
Thanks much,
BG
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Shack
Big Wall climber
Reno NV
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Aug 25, 2010 - 12:34am PT
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it never gets too difficult or too dangerous. for Chris Mac. YMMV
What other aid climbs have you done?
How are you at placing heads?
Not sure you'd want to jump on that if your "new" but I could be wrong.
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Transporter Room 2
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Aug 25, 2010 - 12:34am PT
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I'd bring a kit.
There's fixed stuff, but it's kinda crap.
One of the coolest locations there is. Roulette, baby!
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Transporter Room 2
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Aug 25, 2010 - 12:35am PT
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Oh, I almost forgot.
Yer gonna die fer sure!
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Burt
Big Wall climber
Las Vegas, Nv
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Aug 25, 2010 - 01:42am PT
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Hey Goat if you are comfortable with big runs between gear on hooks, small heads, bad rock, then it is up your alley. The thing is steep you will not hit anything, but for the new walls I would try something a little less on the scale. West Face is awesome, Wet Denim is supposed to be great, climb the Zodiac in 2 days (or a day) that will make the aiding thing go a lot better. Mileage is the key to success on the routes. Roulette is a hard one. Still very modern A4 IMO.
Kurt "Burt" Arend
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Shack
Big Wall climber
Reno NV
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Aug 25, 2010 - 02:30am PT
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Ok here is what Lord Klaus (Eric Kohl) had to say about it...
I just climbed this route last week. Overall I'd say it's a quality line with some incredible thin seams. It's possibly too soon for it to have a supertopo, especially with ratings of A3 and A2. The rivets for the most part are bad and I wouldn't expect they'd hold a fall. This combined with the extensive heading and hooking would make for some A4 in my book.
The first pitch is technically not that hard but you sure wouldn't want to fall. It appeared that someone had retreated off pitch 2 where a feature broke off leaving it blank for a move. I managed to chisel a head placement here (I brought no drilling gear). There is a bolt with a hanger on pitch 4 that should be removed. It must have been next to a detatched block that is now gone leaving an easy crack. Pitches 5 and 6 are totally rad but be warned most of the fixed gear has been removed so they will require a fair amount of effort and involve more time than you'd expect. Pitch six is probably the longest on the route at 175 feet or so. Pitch 7 was more involved than your average A2 pitch also.
As far as a rack list goes I'd suggest 12 beaks including peckers, the LA's should mostly be short/thin, 2 each baby angles, and at least 30 heads. I brought a pint of Dewars in lieu of cam hooks.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=91128&tn=40
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Aug 25, 2010 - 02:31am PT
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Wow, why not? Tons of folks started out hard.
You will find out on the 1st pitch if it is what you seek.
It is short.....
Good luck,
YGD.
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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Aug 25, 2010 - 11:16am PT
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Don't fall on the first pitch - as was said above, it isn't that hard, but you could easily deck if you blew a hook onthe long run up to the first rivet.
If you haven't done much aid climbing I'd suggest something a bit safer, and easier.
P.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Aug 25, 2010 - 01:05pm PT
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Please don't feed the troll.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Aug 25, 2010 - 02:49pm PT
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As most of the folks above have noted, Roulette is not a easy route. I did it in 2005 or 2006 & it seemed much more stout than the Super Typo rating of A3 might suggest. I would recommend doing Wet Denim first & see how that goes. Roulette has much harder hooking & heading than the ST guide makes it appear. I would consider it A3+/A4-. Not too bad if you know what you're doing but way stout for a self professed newbie team.
If you do send it though, you're hard core! Just don't drill if you get scared.
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
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Aug 25, 2010 - 03:28pm PT
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Just don't drill if you get scared.
Agreed!
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Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
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Aug 25, 2010 - 04:30pm PT
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If you get by the first pitch you could go at a one pitch per day kind of pace and figure everything out as you go along. Bring a long-ish tag line and have fun.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Aug 25, 2010 - 05:53pm PT
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BG, ur in SC, talk to TD ...
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Aug 25, 2010 - 06:54pm PT
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You guys are way too nice.
This thread reminds me of another I say recently where someone (a non climber) wrote that she just read a book on Everest and now wants to climb it. What do I need to know to do it?
Aid's a blast, but start small, start easy, start safe.
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OR
Trad climber
VT
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Aug 25, 2010 - 09:12pm PT
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Do it.
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Burt
Big Wall climber
Las Vegas, Nv
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Aug 25, 2010 - 10:34pm PT
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Tell that to Erik Sloan.
HEHEHE!!!
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billiegoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 25, 2010 - 10:56pm PT
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We're doin' it.
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Transporter Room 2
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Aug 25, 2010 - 11:29pm PT
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Cool. Take lots of pics....please?
The Leaning Tower Kicks Ass.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Aug 25, 2010 - 11:39pm PT
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My partner and I are new to aiding and we're looking to climb Roulette This weekend.
Do the West Face noob. If you don't die on the first pitch you end up beating the sh#t out of the pristine hard nailing cracks.
Honestly, no offense man, you may be a great climber...but thinking you can skip the trade routes to jump into something that Klaus himself calls "hard," is foolish, naive, and potentially destructive to yourself, and the route.
I got money on you bailing to the West Face after one look at that first pitch (no shame in that). And if you are stupid enough to get on it, don't f*#kin' fall.
Wet Denim is an alternative, but still has some thin nailing in "don't fall territory" above Awhanee Ledge, and a delicate block to be surmounted.
Either way, have fun.
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Shack
Big Wall climber
Reno NV
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Aug 25, 2010 - 11:50pm PT
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Tell that to Erik Sloan.
LOL!!!
Good one Mike.
We're doin' it.
You did see the rack list right?
12 beaks incl. peckers
2 rurps
8 KBs: 2 ea #1-#3, #5
8 LAs: 2 ea #1-#4
2 ea. baby angles
nuts: 2 ea (offsets useful)
micronuts: 2 ea (offsets useful)
cams: 2 ea .4" (offsets useful)
3 ea .5"-1"
2 ea 1.25"-2"
30 heads
hooks: 2 ea (including large)
cam hooks
10 rivet hangers (including thin)
2 large balls (offsets helpful)
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