Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 14, 2010 - 12:24pm PT
|
I wasn’t having the best day of my life, after all, I’m Mark Hudon and I’m supposed to be badass. I was having a hell of a time soloing a 5.11 pitch and a 5.10 pitch on the Nose part of my Grape Race/Tribal Rite solo. The Gri-gri was self feeding backwards and forwards, the tag bag got stuck for no reason at all and then when I really needed to pee, the haul bag hung up on a three inch overlap about 50 feet below me. I was just about to cut loose and spray the Nose when I came to my senses. "There is no way I’m going to piss here. Everyone who climbs these pitches will have to climb right through it. I’m better than that”, I thought.
Putting the mental squeeze on my bowels I rapped down to the stuck bag, spent a few minutes getting it over the overlap, grabbed an empty water bottle and raced back up the rope to the anchor. At the anchor I relieved myself into the water bottle happy that I had done the right thing.
Everyone knows that it’s required to carry our solid waste down from this great cliff with your other stuff. Most people are respectful of the rule and of people on future ascents. Somehow though, it’s still okay to pee all over the route. Most ledges smell terribly and detract from the beauty of the cliff and climb. Most every belay is simply a health hazard.
Last year, John Fine and I, on our attempt on the Shield, captured all our solid and liquid waste. We never got above the Shield Roof but every ledge we climbed to smelled. On our retreat, we thought for a moment of not setting up our ledge until we saw the aromatic puddle in the middle of the only flat spot available. This year, on my Grape Race/ Tribal Rite solo, given that the Grape Race is rarely done, I didn’t feel the need to capture my water waste. When I got to the Nose section of the climb and while I was in pissing distance of that route, I captured all my water waste. Again, when I hit the Wall of the Early Morning Light section of the route, the last two pitches, I caught all my waste. All in all, I hauled 1.5 gallons of water waste to the top of the cliff. Once on top, I hiked far off into the manzanita and dumped out the bottles.
This is an effort that all climbers should take pride in doing. El Cap and its base are looking pretty good these days in contrast to BITD when the base was covered in feces, bags of feces, rusty cans and all the ledges were sticky with sh#t and toilet paper. I think we need to go to the next step by hauling out our water waste. Think of how nice and clean El Cap would be after a winter and if everyone carted their pee off!
El Cap deserves it!
|
|
Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 12:52pm PT
|
Nice work Mark. Not always easy but the cliffs deserve it.
|
|
wildone
climber
GHOST TOWN
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 12:59pm PT
|
I agree with your statement that this is an effort that all climbers should take pride in. It's not like we're shy of hard work...yer on a wall fer chrissakes. Kudos to you man. I HATE sleeping in the sweet smell of urine.
|
|
PP
Trad climber
SF,CA
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 01:07pm PT
|
and if you run out of water you always have that emergency supply of pee
|
|
Moof
Big Wall climber
A cube at my soul sucking job in Oregon
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 01:13pm PT
|
On my second run up WFLT we got stuck at the P6 anchors with the remains of a party of 3. Their dude was crawling badly, and in total the two were stuck there for about 5 hours, use only a couple hours (ugh). With 4 of us stuck there waiting for loser boy to finish the pitch, one of their guys just couldn't hold it. Despite lowering down as far form us as possible, and doing his best to keep it in a crack (take that you free climbing monkeys!), a perfectly timed updraft deposited plenty all over his partner. Justice served! Sort of...
Peeing ON ledges is just bad form. On overhanging routes I usually let fly, aiming away from the route as best I can. I probably should capture more, but I don't... I'm lazy.
|
|
Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 14, 2010 - 01:27pm PT
|
Hey, Lazy is passe, Don't be lazy, Respect the rock and the parties behind you!
|
|
rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 01:32pm PT
|
Alot of the piss smell is from birds and rodents. If you go do backcountry first ascents you will be amazed to find the scent of piss where no humans have been before.
|
|
Kalimon
Trad climber
Ridgway, CO
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 01:37pm PT
|
This is an excellent marketing opportunity for some sort of absorbent reservoir that neutralizes the waste, preferably into an organic and biodegradable state. Perhaps the water content could even be recycled while on the wall, reducing the amount of water hauled.
|
|
Josh Higgins
Trad climber
San Diego
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 01:47pm PT
|
Great post Mark. Way to set an example instead of just complaining. I'll think of this next time I'm in the wall and try to minimize my liquid impact.
Thanks,
Josh
|
|
Kalimon
Trad climber
Ridgway, CO
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 01:50pm PT
|
Silver,
It would be a process that results in pure H2O . . . I'm not suggesting drinking any urine. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify my remark!
|
|
BTipton
Trad climber
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 01:51pm PT
|
My idea for an evaporative cooler got shut down in the Big Wall Beer Cooler thread...it could double as a urine container and as the whizz evaporated, less you gotta carry up...
|
|
apogee
climber
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 01:52pm PT
|
That's an impressive display of pushing for higher standards, Mark. Not nearly enough of that integrity out there in climbing these days (see 'Idyllwild Rant' thread).
|
|
waulrat
Big Wall climber
Santa Rosa, CA
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 02:05pm PT
|
I with you mark! I've hauled my water waste where it was prudent. Although I have let it fly on off route overhanging ground. I think hauling pee is something we as a "leave no trace" community can learn to adopt.
|
|
PP
Trad climber
SF,CA
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 02:15pm PT
|
The new big wall spritzer at the end of a long day; add some lemon and some bubbly water. The ex-prime minister of india had a glass of his urine everyday but I don't think he was a climber.
|
|
Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 02:18pm PT
|
PP beat me to the punch about the Indian PM - salty old dog he lived to be.
|
|
426
climber
Buzzard Point, TN
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 02:19pm PT
|
C'mon gents, urine is sterile! How many times have we ran out of water up on high. I personally drank pepto-bismol on one of my early disasters then chewed on manzanita to mitigate the desert mouth. Terrible times...copper color when I finally did micturate. Not shiny either, I'm talking 1964 penny color...
Alot of the piss smell is from birds and rodents. If you go do backcountry first ascents you will be amazed to find the scent of piss where no humans have been before.
This is true, but big wall climber urine has a je ne sais quoi, certain acridness to it, agreed?
|
|
426
climber
Buzzard Point, TN
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 02:37pm PT
|
I never liked hauling canned seafood around the captain. Haji's almonds, neither. say hi to him
but yeah, del, exactly
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/8719
|
|
Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 14, 2010 - 02:42pm PT
|
Okay, so it's harmless, it's still disgusting to pull up on a ledge that's been used as a latrine, isn't it?
|
|
426
climber
Buzzard Point, TN
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 02:46pm PT
|
Certainly, no one enjoys "would make a cigar store indian wince."
Name the author of that classic...
|
|
SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2010 - 03:18pm PT
|
Mark, you never cease to impress me.
Thanks for the inspiration!
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!