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Keeper of Australia Mt
Trad climber
Whitehorse, Yukon , Canada
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 28, 2006 - 05:16am PT
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Any stories out there of bees and climbing?
A few weeks ago I was back at Mt. Arapiles in Aussie and was ticking the old classic Tip Toe Ridge. Whilst gearing up at the bottom I could hear a loud buzzing noise and despite looking around couldn't pinpoint the source. It was a hot day but it struck me that me that it was unlikely to be a mob of flies having at the mangled carcass of another shy, innocent, introverted Canadian who came up short with a gnarly climbing matilda from Boonah, Queen'sland. My experience clicked on bees.
Anyways, up we went and well up the this little delight - sure enough, off to the left a distinct swarm of these beasts working themselves into a bit of agitation. No idea why, but of course
Queen'sland climbing matildas can become highly agitated with no reason OR when faced with a closed community hair salon or mate who has overshot his footie match and pub curfew. I wasn't about to get creative and move off route to investigate but rather put some distance between them and me.
Now the Aussie bees , so far, appear to be more buzz than bite but it got me thinking about those African rogues moving north from South America into Central America intent on laying claim to the JTree, Moab, Zion, or Yosemite motherlands.
Anybody out there intersected any of the new kids/bees on the block and got some epics to recount?
I hope no one transplants any of those dudes (a la the cane toad) into Queen'sland - it is scarly enough with those gnarly matildas, venomous snakes and delightful spiders without adding some ornery bloody bees to the scene! There are antidotes for the snakes and spiders and I am working on one for the matildas!
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Gunkie
climber
East Coast US
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Sep 28, 2006 - 09:29am PT
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Around 1980 we were climbing a route called 'Three Birches' on Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire. I led the initial crux arch but had too much rope drag to reach the ledge above. So I set up a hanging belay on the slab above the arch. My partner followed and led through up a big flake. He's out like 50 feet with one piece of gear in when he begins wildly swatting at something. He finishes the lead, sets up a belay and yells down that he got his ass stung off by a bunch of wasps. I told him to stop his whining and to put me on belay. I figured that these little devils had worn themselves out on my partner and I could just saunter by, cool as a cat, without any problems. I climb up to where he launched a #8 hex into the flake and begin to clank it out when I hear some buzzing. Next thing I know, I'm getting nailed repeatedly by a dozen or so angry wasps. I got stung mostly around my neck, but got a few on my left hand while fishing out that hex. Apparently, the hew was sitting on top of their nest. I then sprint up the flake, but my left hand swelled up quickly and I lost feeling in it. I couldn't grab the edge of the flake and bombed off just short of the belay ledge. I somehow roll up onto the ledge with all the grace and demeanor of Andrew Dice Clay dressed in a tutu.
My partner is stung pretty badly, I can't move my left hand too well and the pitch leading to the big Refuse Ledge is awkward and crimpy. If we rap, we'd go right through the sting zone again. So we sit around for a while until one of us feels OK to finish the climb. Thankfully, my partner leads through and we escape to some cold beer and hammocks for the rest of the day.
...and I've got a bunch of climbing with bees stories.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Sep 28, 2006 - 09:41am PT
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Long time back, I'm leading a route near Phoenix. I climb up and sort of around the corner and I'm staring at about 10 feet of honeycomb hanging upside down in a deep vertical slot. Honey is dripping off the comb onto the rock. Thousands (hundreds-of-thousands?) of bees are all over the place. It was about this time that they started getting real curious about me. I soon had bees crawling on me and flying all around. I forced calm, kept moving slowly up (no way to go down without a long fall) and finished the climb with nary a sting. I still remember the feeling of bees crawling through my hair (very freaky!). Thank God this was before the Africanized bees came to the area!!
A couple of years ago, a pair of clmbers from Michigan (?) came to Phoenix and were climbing a route on Camelback Mountain when they were attacked by a swarm of bees. They untied while downclimbing and one of the pair fell to his death trying to escape the bees. Something extra tragic about dying during the course of a recreational pursuit, even one as inherantly dangerous as climbing.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Sep 28, 2006 - 11:26am PT
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In fall 1991 K C Baum was climbing in the Valley when he was swarmed and stung severely by yellowjackets.
Keeper, what're ya doin down there? I thought you were in Whitehorse.
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Gunkie
climber
East Coast US
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Sep 28, 2006 - 12:15pm PT
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Here's a true story that I wrote up in 1995:
"The Roof"
I got home from work yesterday and let the dogs out. I was walking around back when a gust of wind came up. The big umbrella in the middle of our picnic table lifted off like a Saturn V moon rocket. It was a neat sight to see. The umbrella had to go as high as the house (25'), it did few flips and then landed right on the apex of our garage roof. Of course it slammed a huge dent into the gutter on it's way to the bivy ledge.
Lucky for me, I had left an extension ladder up from this past weekend. I needed it to replace a flood lamp. I figured that it would be easy to climb the ladder, hop on the garage roof and recover the umbrella. But it also occurred to me that it would be a wise idea to change out of my suit/tie/shoes and put on at least a pair of sneakers, if not climbing shoes....um...nah...too much work.
My neighbors had, in the past, mentioned that they thought climbing was irresponsible. I could get hurt or killed... What the hell do my neighbors know anyway. They're dumb and I'm smart.
I thought the roof would be class 4 at worst. The "route" started off with the ladder (5.1) for about 12'. Then the route traverses left about 4' on the roof slab and goes up the slab to the apex of the garage, where the umbrella is perched. As I began traversing, some funny words popped into my head..."...remember that you didn't plan to free-solo an unknown quantity today."...umm.. where did I hear that before?
The slab began fairly easily. After the traverse, I headed up the slab where I encountered the first wasp. Must have been a scout with radio contact back to the main nest. I smacked the little guy, not too hard because I didn't want to lose my balance (not because I love wasps), and he rolled down a few feet and then stabilized himself. About this time, I noticed my feet were not sticking too well to the hot roofing shingles. It seems that the little crushed rock or sand that is used on the shingles built up on the bottom of my leather bottomed, tasseled, dress loafers. I couldn't brush the debris off the bottom of the shoes...didn't want to get my dress socks dirty...but the crap was turning into millions of ball bearings. At the same time, I heard the low droaning. I looked up into the vent window for our upper attic (above the main part of the house) and saw a lot of angry wasps hanging on their numerous paper nests...They were not very happy about me smacking their buddy or invading their turf. I promised myself that I would come back up here and spray these suckers with wasp killer.
Ok.. I'm pretty gripped now but I'm almost to the umbrella. Then I begin to slide. Thankfully, I stop after only sliding one shingle...whew! I feel very insecure now, I'm hugging the rock...er.. uh...roof like a crazed novice. I can almost hear my neighbors saying the dreaded "I told you so". I must look awfully dumb. Dressed in a $500 suit, $50 tie, $100 shoes, gripped outta my mind, sweating bullets, looking at a painful grounder, can't go up, can't go down, too proud to yell for help...my mind races for a resolution to this situation....
The first wasp got me in the right cheek, just below the eye. The next in the back of the neck...I dyno for the apex...just short...now I'm sliding, feet first on my stomach...oh please, let me hit the gutter...yes! oh no, something's wrong.... I stop.
Picture this. My upper body is plastered to the roof, my feet are in the gutter and the gutter is two feet out from the roof supported by the downspout. I'm ten feet off the ground above my wife's cherished flower garden. What the hell do I do now?
I figure I'm dead anyway...land in the flower bed...killed by wife later....try a mantle...land on my head and do a Christopher Reeves.... Better go for the flower bed.
I push off and try to get my feet under me...no go. My feet get hung up on the gutter. I land flat on my back in the flower garden, in the process mashing the maximum number of flowers.
I'm lying there thinking "I'm such an as#@&%e". I can't breath, one of the dogs is licking my face and I'm almost positive that I lying on top of an old dog turd. I really hope none of my neighbors saw what just happened.
My breath finally comes back, my toes work so I don't think I have any spinal injuries, my face and neck are swollen from the wasp stings. I'm bleeding from numerous lacerations and road rash. My suit is shredded, the toes of the shoes are gone, the Ungaro tie is trash. My shirt is torn with blood stains. My watch is broken. I leave the flower garden in it's state of devastation...I can't wait for my wife to get home.
I go inside, grab a cold beer and bleed on the couch.
The aftermath...I'm still alive today. It was almost dark when my wife got home. She never saw the garden. I told her most of what happened. She wasn't even mad that I bled on the couch. I'm telecommuting from home today. I'm really too embarrassed to go into the office. I'm all cut up. I'll probably wait until Monday.
The umbrella is still up there.
I think the farmer down the road has a big shotgun.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Sep 28, 2006 - 02:30pm PT
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I've posted this story before but back in 1975 (or was it 1976?) Dave Hitchcock, Ed Barry and I were headed up to do the Book of Job (or Braille Book, I always forget which one, as we never did the climb) and I was at the front climbing up the talus and trees when we got nailed by hornets. I was the first (and got it the worse).
Hornets not only sting but they bite. I got in in the chin, left hand, cheek, right arm, twice in the back, and twice on the leg.
Now I'm allergic to bee venom so we hightailed it back to Camp 4 and then planned on going to Lewis Memorial as my hand was beginning to swell, but there was a climber who was also a doctor (can't remember his name but Ed knew him) and he had gave me some antihistamines and said if I started to have trouble breathing then to get to the hospital, but that never happened.
For a couple of days my left hand was so swollen I probably could have done any off width in the valley.
EDIT
For Piton Ron below. LOL
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Sep 28, 2006 - 02:37pm PT
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If it was your other hand you might not want to be lonely.
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Keeper of Australia Mt
Trad climber
Whitehorse, Yukon , Canada
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 28, 2006 - 10:33pm PT
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Yah well, the job is so fricking mindnumbing I have to escape whereever and whenever I can and get some climbing in - lost all of last season due to an ornery gall bladder so I am playing catch up. Real reason I am in Aussie is because I walking across this remorseless chunk of vegemite - raising $ for the ROSE charities- surgeons who do rehab work on land mine victims, kids with cleft palates, and women facially disfigured by jealous men or women throwing acid on them - all in Cambodia. Started my walkabout in 2004 at Freemantle on the Indian Ocean and heading east for Brisbane via Adelaide, Melb, Canberra and Sydney. Have reached Merredin on this last trip - on the edge of the western wheat belt and just about into the "ghastly blank". The Nullabor Plain is coming at me soon - 880 miles with ll roadhouses and water and the water is pretty narly. But onward. My late life project - have to do it in installments as I do not have enough holidays for a start to finish option - plus the job to pay the bills and a couple of kids. So one does what one can.
Aussie signs are a riot - the gnarly Queen'sland climbing matildas were ever devious in trying to way- lay me! I came across signs as i was walking the Great Eastern Highway that read " Reduce Speed" - they will try anything to have their way with shy, innocent, introverted Canuck blokes.
Also spent some time at the Sydney Children's hospital with a new draftee for my hockey team - the young 3 and 1/2 year old is battling luekemia, was knocking back a dose of chicken pox gained from other kids in the hospital and has a broken femur - bones are brittle from the chemo . He can stand to pass fluids but can't walk. I sent him a mini hockey game amongst three boxes of toys and he told his mom in a weak voice " When I get strong I am going to play hockey." So my new teammate needs to
have the team colors so I dropped off a Team Canada hockey jersey and ball cap - actually the Spiderman figurine which shot water was pretty good too - he was giving the nurses a good going over and was hatching plans to intersect with his Doc aka "the Prof". Met his mum and grandmum. Dropped off some motorized cars and other stuff too so the hospital was getting lively which is just the way the Keeper likes to engage life. I contacted the Steve Nash Foundation and they have sent me a Steve Nash poster so I will pass that along as well. The lad may not know much about him but the Aussies do as he single handlely destroyed their side in a Canada-Aussie game at the Sydney Olypics! He is a class act and pretty amazing player to boot.
I wedge in as much climbing as I can around everything else. Got a couple of days in north of Brisbane - doing Sports Fan (17) at Tinbeerwah and with a good mate JJ O"Brien did the Caves Route on Mt. Tibrogargan . On Sports Fan I spent a bit of time at the crux going right (the North American highway conditioning) but finally remembered when in Rome do as Romans do - (the Huns and Visigoths said " Burn it!) so I went left and finally got up the thing.
Got a couple of days in at Araps climbing with Kiwi Kate - a pretty awesome young lass who does grade 27 - something which is in my dreams. Did a series of old classics, Tip Toe Ridge, D Major and Agememnon . Also did my first all out Trad lead on Sunny Gully an extremely modest old Royal Robbins effort down under. No top rope backup . Also thrashed around on Muldoon - got through the first pitch with bulgy overhangs but came off on the one further up so it is in the skeleton bank along with D Minor from 2004. The common thread is bulges at chest height etc. which I had a good indoor gym to work on that stuff but in any case I will back on those next time I am down there. No retreat , no surrender. Weather was deluxe. Nati pub was on life support and in need of some North American mouth to mouth. The Pines was filled with a couple of school groups playing around on the Organ Pipes. May try and get into the Grampians next rip also. That is in two years time. Good to see an old fogey of about my age hammering away at Tinbeerwah. No one my age climbing around here but so it goes - they are the ones missing out. No chance I am dying in front of a TV set or at my office desk - that would be too fricking grim to imagine!!!!!!!
Pedal to the metal, or biner to the cam - life is short and I aim to drain the tank.
Next summer I stay on this continent - want to get back into Squamish and my climbing mate Colin Morehead and I have talked about doing a road trip down to Smith Rocks in Oregon - so I hope to dial that one up. I now try to attach some climbing to business trips - will get over into Alaska a couple of times probably - there is a guide for climbing in the Anchorage area - mostly cliffs along the coast - but I need to ferret out a belay slave. We need to move this Blinny gal from Montana to Anchorage and have her advance the cause of climbing in Alaska - it could become a hotbed of heinous climbing! It is a waste of talent having her cloistered away on the ball headed plains!
In any case, climbing season is just about done here = time to start dusting off the ice climbing gear and attempting a mid-winter sally down into Canmore or over to Valdez.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Sep 29, 2006 - 12:48am PT
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the only place I have had problems is in the 'Gunks, the wasps there can get testy in the fall, if I remember correctly.
Back in the day people rigged a long spray wasp killer can on their racks to spritz the nests from a distance. I remember getting stung, I remember partners getting stung.
On one particular day over in the Near Traps my partner Mike was leading up and had his hand around an arete. He pulls it back real quick and says "Ouch!" I remember him looking at his hand before moving off.
Of course once I get up there I have to see what got him. I look around the corner, and I am confronted by something close in. Just about the time my eyes are focusing the wasps in the nest about 4" from my face are starting to launch in attack. I pulled around the corner very quickly and went on my way without incident, luckly.
I acquired a sensitivity to wasp stings climbing in the 'Gunks...
The only other encounter I've had was on the approach to the SSW Ridge of Mt. Robson, on the retreat, where my hand grabbed a plant which happened to have a surprised hornet sitting on it. The hornet got me pretty good, but somehow didn't do much more.
As for the killer bees, I haven't seen 'em in a long while, but here is what I remember:
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Sep 29, 2006 - 12:49am PT
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A walkabout?
Didn't the locals give that up about a century ago?
Looks like its getting to ya. Any visions?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Sep 29, 2006 - 01:18am PT
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Several people I was with got attacked by wasps last summer in the Smoke Bluffs at Squamish. We seem to be getting more wasps around here - drier summers, perhaps.
Is there any effective wasp repellent, apart from watching where you put feet and hands, or a bug shirt?
Anders
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Keeper of Australia Mt
Trad climber
Whitehorse, Yukon , Canada
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 29, 2006 - 03:50am PT
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PR - Had a vision east of Kellerberrin whilst encamped between the railroad tracks on one hand and a thin screen of trees, the Kalgoorlie pipeline (with real water) and the Great Eastern Highway on the other. Freight trains rumbling by one one side - road trains on the other. A clear view of the Southern Cross and the southern night sky - maybe it was a vision of the Virgin from Boonah or maybe a vision of a life with no senior managment types, politicians, memos, business plans etc. just climbing in resplendent retirement. The vision lacked a lottery win but maybe included a small airplane from Bali flying into the Grampians and crashing into an isolated almost dry reservoir- mayabe around the Taipan Wall - loaded with "good stuff" - I just happened to be a climber ( maybe with a few acquired mates)encamped nearby and hammering out a few routes here and there - when all of a sudden -"mana" from heaven. We quickly exercised pre-emptive salvage rights before the Grampians Park Rangers got wind of the gift from the heavens and made our stashes which subsequently we distributed to climbers from the Kalbarri Gorge to the cracks of Frog Buttress. Life was good, no, better than good, it was bloody good! The Aussie climbing community became transformed - they no longer worried about any of there mob cranking 5.15d with the Euro hunks and just lived happily with their matildas who suddenly acquired a new perspective on life and a sense of humour. Aussie was never the same - in the Nati climbing pub the Aussies cheered enthusiastically with each scintilating play of their antipodean rivals - the All Blacks. They hugged like long lost brothers and hatched plans to travel to the New World to try out ice climbing, ice hockey and real Canadian beer, and signed up for Steve Nash basketball clinics. They junked their Rolf Harris and Slim Dusty CDS and started dancing to Arcade Fire and giving heart rendering offerings of "The Maple Leaf Forever". Even while this vision was flowing I could feel a tear trickling down my eye.
Much beer and jocularity prevailed. Life took on new meaning for the Antipodean denizens of the crags - the starch levels in Queen'sland were reduced beyond Kyoto Accord expectations. And included rain and snow inthe Blue Mtns and increased visitation by touring Canuck ice climbers. The world was coming together.
Damn, this vision had potential. But then an ant bit me and I woke up and there I was pushing a cart down the road and dodging road trains.
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Keeper of Australia Mt
Trad climber
Whitehorse, Yukon , Canada
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 29, 2006 - 04:03am PT
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My god, I have just had a "Vision"!. PR - my vision -you as a subject of a Rock and Ice photoshot or maybe even a Supertopos photoshoot - a designated "Keeper" climbing model clad in one or for that matter either of The Keepers new line of climbing Ts- they are a hot commodity in the Antipodes and are giving Billabong a bit of a going over.
I only have extra large left in either one - but if you send me a mailing address I will complement your climbing wardrobe. If they are too big shrink them - but remember that a bit of slack always comes in handy when some matilda bent on having her way with you latches on in a death grip - a bit of play and you live to climb another day! They come in the salient gold with green lettering in celebration of that chunk of floating vegemite southeast of Hawaii. Classic colors, a classic design for a classic climber - you will rock! Submitted pics will have the climbing gals of Supertopos thinking they have died and gone to heaven! Go for it - live on the edge! You can't find too much humour on this planet!
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nvrws
climber
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Sep 29, 2006 - 02:50pm PT
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Back in the 80s I was climbing the exorcist in Jtree, struggling with the crux a bit. These big black bumble bees were messing with me, i fall off the crux. Get back up there and this time, nothing is going to stop me. I'm totally focused, commited and making the move(s). The bumblers are all around me but I can't be bothered. My partner Mark is telling me there all around you dude but I can't be bothered cause by god i'm not falling off this thing again. Finally he yells "Tim they're landing on you", I leap off the crux shouting lower me, lower me. Mark is going just as fast as he can.. The bumblers are circling me buzzzing all the way down while I'm spasing out trying to swat the bastaards away. I land at the bottom in a heap totally wrung out. Mark just about peed himself. They finally left and we finished the route. Later that day, we were over by intersection rock. I swear those bumblers had my number, cause here they come again, like B-52s on a bombing run right for me. Well I was flaking the rope and needless to say it turned into a weapon. I think I almost took Mark's head off. I managed to smack one in mid straffing run, he landed on the ledge and was (with great pride, i must admit) smashed into nothingness. Ahhh victory is sweet. Lets hear some bat stories after this round.
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Madbolter
climber
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Sep 29, 2006 - 03:20pm PT
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Farting around on the first pitches of Electric Ladyland, we saw a guy stir up some hornets at the base of the Prow while pissing in those trees at the start. Funny as hell because he got hit mid stream. A plethora of curses and shreiks accented with wild flailing of all appendages including the 5th one. The other partner started shouting too...he was getting pissed on!
Bats: TRing "Lie Detector" on the backside of "Robbins Crack" at Mount Woodson in the 80s. Heard bats squeaking inside for my ascent and 15 minutes after, during my partner's turn. My partner, Karen Brotter was worried about the bats coming out as she neared the top. I assured her, they would stay in there and she'd be fine. Well no sooner than I had said that, perhaps 150-200 bats flew out right in her face, between her arms and also between her legs. I'm surprised I caught her fall as I was laughing so hard amidst her wailing and flailing.
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Jim Clipper
climber
from: forests to tree farms
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Mar 25, 2014 - 08:50pm PT
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dregs in reverse bump.. got a smile from a dad visiting the area this afternoon. "What is a winkler?" asked the 20 something daughter with the nose stud.
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