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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Hilarious, Biotch! Re. fixed ropes: Total fuster cluck. When watching Free Solo I was struck by how messed up is was for Honnold and crew to be rapping down through other parties trying to climb up. That's really screwing with the other climbers' experience, IMHO. Then, to add semi-permanent fixed lines to so many pitches.... Ugh. Better to find obscure routes and different objectives. It's a bummer, tho, if you really want to climb El Cap by a classic route. If I had to make the call, I'd say long-term fixed ropes should not be allowed. I've fixed a few pitches when I did some big walls BITD, but that was only for a couple of days max on one occasion. Otherwise, it was a question of just getting a jump on the next day's climbing.
BAd
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Fixed ropes are fine and common. The problem is when you leave them there for other parties to have to pass through - ie you're too lazy and/or inexperienced to efficiently get them up, do your thing, then pull them and get out of there - when it's a route others are on as well.
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mikeyschaefer
climber
Sport-o-land
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I’d like to believe that the amount of trash and abandoned fixed ropes we removed while filming Freesolo outweighs the inconvenience that we caused the other parties.
Like Jim, I think all the fixed ropes on Freerider/salathe are absolute bullshit and shouldn’t be there.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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I think all the fixed ropes on Freerider/salathe are absolute bullshit and shouldn’t be there. That's pretty funny that you think it's okay for Honnald to use fix lines for his goals and dreams - then you showcase that and profit from it in a movie - but if anyone else tries such a thing then it's bullsh#t.
What you're really saying is that it's only okay for the elite, which I find an entertaining viewpoint given your own position on the totem pole.
I get you guys most likely rarely left lines out overnight and/or in the way of other parties - but that's actually what the majority of others do as well.
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WBraun
climber
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I saw yesterday fixed lines coming down from the top of the nose to somewhere (changing corners?).
There's supposedly fix lines on Muir by a party they are working to free it?
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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There's supposedly fix lines on Muir by a party they are working to free it? So the OP links to the Hersons getting on Muir. Nice work. Living the dream. However, that would officially be weird if he was up there taking advantage of fix lines while at the same time ripping on the same thing located elsewhere - so I'll assume for now he completely avoided them.
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August West
Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
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Free climbing – not as "clean" as envisioned by its early proponents? The convenience generation has found El Cap.
Absolutely. Nobody should climb in a style that deviates from the one developed in the 50's to the 70's. And if they do, they should be ridiculed.
And you should have to ride into Yosemite by horseback from Merced. Wouldn't want any of those convenient automobiles spoiling the experience.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
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This thread needs pics... not a fixed line on a classic El Cap route exactly, but a clusterfvck on the East Ledges descent. This was from a moment in time about summer of 2007.
It's easy to see how somone could get lazy (like in this pic?) and just clip into the mess and not recognize whether or not that loop is worthy of constraining a falling body.
For anyone who cares, I hereby grant you any and all rights for now and in perpetuity, assignable to your heirs successors, to take the time to download that pic, save it as a file, upload it to supertopo, and in good conscience state that you have the rights to post that content.
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WBraun
climber
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not a fixed line on a classic El Cap route exactly, but a clusterfvck on the East Ledges descent.
What's wrong with it?
Looks normal to me ....
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Bargainhunter
climber
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It was refreshing to hear Mark Twight on a recent Enormocast mention John Roskelly's maxim of never using a fix line which you did not personally anchor. While most El Cap anchors for fixed ropes are solid bolts, I have seen sheaths abrade to the core from jugging, thus there is unknown risk to the rope as well (not to mentioned core shots from overnight rockfall etc.). I was impressed on certain wall routes to see a leader carry a roll of duct tape to place on rough/sharp edges to minimize abrasion of the lead rope later while the second is jugging; it's not something I've done on my mere trade routes, but I can see the utility on more obscure routes with sharp corners/roofs, etc.
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SeaClimb
climber
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JLP
I can assure you that Jim and Connor are in no way using fixed lines.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
Err, on second thought...
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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It was refreshing to hear Mark Twight on a recent Enormocast mention John Roskelly's maxim of never using a fix line which you did not personally anchor.
I respect that ethic, but maybe Roskelly forgot about the fixed rope he clipped into on Makalu when his partner turned back and he was attempting it solo. A gutsy performance, nonetheless, but you have to be honest about what happened.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Fixed ropes in the mountains are usually really thin, susceptible to rockfall, icing and are often attached to a sh#t anchor. It’s a completely different conversation. Has a fixed rope ever failed in the history of Yosemite? I know jumars have popped and what-not and sheathes strip off all the time - but have there actually been any deaths due to an anchor or fixed rope failing?
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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I dunno Clint - interesting example - and it seems close - but neither anchor nor rope actually failed there - the guy was carelessly in a hurry, at night, and rigged himself into unattached scrap nobody in their right mind would have used in daylight.
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Matt's
climber
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Fixed ropes in the mountains are usually really thin, susceptible to rockfall, icing and are often attached to a sh#t anchor. It’s a completely different conversation. Has a fixed rope ever failed in the history of Yosemite? I know jumars have popped and what-not and sheathes strip off all the time - but have there actually been any deaths due to an anchor or fixed rope failing?
One time I went mini-traxion'ing at arch rock. I went to climb english breakfast crack-- once I got to the top, I discovered the rope wasn't secured to anything, it had gotten stuck on rappel.... I was so used to fixed lines existing at arch rock that i hadn't questioned anything.
Re: the larger question of people leaving fixed ropes on El cap-- it is a practice that is not sustainable given the number of people now climbing the formation. It also makes it extremely difficult for people climbing routes ground-up to assess how many people are on the route above them, and whether there will be space on natural ledges to sleep.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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have there actually been any deaths due to an anchor or fixed rope failing?
John Harlin on the Eiger was jugging an 8mm IIRC.
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