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clustiere
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 4, 2006 - 05:04pm PT
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Was out in the back country a bunch this last Month. On Merriams North Buttress and I came upon 600 feet of fixed line strewn all down the route from the top of the buttress all the way down. We had to crawl around these through out the whole steep part of the route. The fixers identified themselves as Jake and Justin on trail crew and seemed rather proud of their "600ft top rope the ultimate top rope". I was rather dissapointed and found the ropes to be an eyesore and a pain in the ass logistically. I really hope this does not become a trend out in the beautifull Sierra Backcountry.
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dmalloy
Trad climber
eastside
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not to condone any fixing in the backcountry, which I think you will have trouble finding anyone to defend...
but I am going to call bullshot on you actually coming along on the fixed ropes. I am going to guess that you heard there were some ropes up and decided to try to stir up trouble a few weeks later on the SuperTaco.
Show us some photos of Merriam or anything in the area.
By the way, LEB...this dude is a troll.
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andanother
climber
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sorry, but you got the rumor wrong. The fixed lines are on a remote wall in Pine Creek Canyon.
Close, but not quite Merriam Peak.
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clustiere
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 4, 2006 - 05:21pm PT
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Not a problem tough guy. When I get to my computer at home I will. Ah yes, I would not have mentioned it if I didn't see it and climb through it my self. If ya wanna fight about it just know that I am faster and more lethal than you young punk.
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clustiere
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 4, 2006 - 05:22pm PT
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YEah I will send you picture clearly representing the lines and the pitch that is in the SIerra classic. Get back to you knowitall f*#ks later.
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dmalloy
Trad climber
eastside
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no, no fighting, I will gladly retract and supplicate. Others have mentioned the presence of the lines on Merriam, although last I heard they are not there anymore.
you are trying to stir up trouble though, no?
I am quite sure that you won't find anyone on the Interweb - this site or others - who was involved in any fixed line placement, so you won't be addressing those responsible.
Just the rest of us, who all agree that fixed lines in the backcountry suck.
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Bodega, CA
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How about directly contacting Jake and Justin on Trail Crew, or their supervisor, and keep LEO out of it?
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clustiere
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 4, 2006 - 05:43pm PT
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I suppose general peer pressure and awareness is what I was going for. You sure you don't wanna fight, I am definately in the mood. HE HE. YEp it really happened and I had hear of perhaps a Justin Lakey (?) doing this else where in the backcountry. Seemed like a lot of effort for a route that is nice to do in the standard way and really easy to do in an afternoon.
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Ultrabiker
Ice climber
Eastside
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Chill dudes! The lines are gone! And for the three times I was out there on the "DNB of Merriam" and "actually" climbing the route two different times in less the three weeks, the fixed lines were for the most case, out of the way. And in the rarity that they actually were close to the climbing (if on route, P's one, three and six), were easily pushed to the side and did not impede efforts on any of the six pitches. They were actually nice as they allowed for a quick 15 minute safe "Rap" down the route vice the 2 hour choss hell standard descent. I didn't see anyone out there other than Jason, his crew and the two different parties I was with. Jason was polite and very apologetic about the lines as he didn't think it would be visited while his crew was working on the Pine Creek Pass Trail for three weeks. And he is not drilling or adding "Jack" on the route. Understandbly, a no no. But, as the DNB only gets climbed maybe three to five times a year, well, didn't bother me none.
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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Dmalloy, I'm sorry but you couldn't be farther from the truth. Clustiere doesn't even know what a troll is, he is honestly asking all of these questions. He's stuck in San Diego and being forced to talk about his feeling with his parents and so whenever he can he's escaping by coming here and trying to get climbing info.
Def not a troll....but even if it was you didn't have any problem taking the bait.
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clustiere
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 5, 2006 - 02:26pm PT
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The ropes are real, and they bottom line don't belong in the back country. Fixed lines on the Capitain sayyyyy Mammoth ledges has become standard, lets not take it to the Sierra. And trolls are little hunchbacked men that wait under bridges then snatch your feet and tugg on you as you walk across. They also have a bad case of warts. See DJ I know these things.
Ryan
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clustiere
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 5, 2006 - 02:34pm PT
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how do you post pictures??
Nobody expects to rap down the face of a route in the Sierra. If you don't do the sweet 5.5-7 ridge you just ain't done the route, especially on a mtn route with a summit register and all.
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dmalloy
Trad climber
eastside
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well...
Clustiere, I am quite sorry I accused you of fabricating and trollulating. Seems quite sure that you were not. I hope you had fun on all your West Coast adventures. And now that you have stated your purpose for posting - "generalized peer pressure" - I hope that some of it will happen.
I guess, also, that I was wrong regarding finding people who would condone fixed lines in the backcountry, as Ultrabiker seems willing to give some latitude to those who put the lines up. Whatever the reasons behind it, I feel it is a terrible precedent for people to set.
When I first heard about the lines, I knew they wouldn't effect me - I looked at the N Buttress last fall and I am few years from having the cojones and burl to do the route - but I thought to myself,"All it takes is one person to have their wilderness experience screwed up to show how selfish that is." Turns out the one person (or one party, at least) seems to be expressing his frustration right here. I hope the message gets through to anyone who would consider doing such a thing in the future.
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clustiere
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 5, 2006 - 07:11pm PT
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BUuurnnn it all , uuh yeah never mind. Yeah my ego gets flustered when I get called dishonest. I am about as honest as it comes, some don't like me for it , others adore it. There is peace and balance in the force now. I just hope the fixing of classic backcountry routes doesn't become standard and so I spoke of this concern.
Sorry for the violent raging responce to your disbelief.
The route was more like solid 5.8. I was ready for it to be a lot harder, but I am also climbing harder these days, so who knows. It lacked a pumpy pitch for sure. Super easy compared to say Red Dihedral, or even Third pillar of Dana.
I really want to live in Cali, but Durango has a healthy lifestyle and minimal people. Ohhh the pros and cons. I sure miss big granite like the sierra and all those other sweet spots in Cali.
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Ultrabiker
Ice climber
Eastside
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You are soooooooo full of shet! P-5 is a SOLID 5.10c. layback for 35-40 feet and EVERYBODY knows that, even Vern and Bob! There is nothing on the 3rd P of Dana that comes close to the crux P-5 of this Classic route! Nothing!!!! I am really starting to believe that you never even got on it. Tell me this, what color were the slings that the fixed lines were attached to on P-1, P-3 and P-4? I know what color they are because they were mine(and so was the PRO) that I left when I bailed off the top of P-4 in a very hairy TStorm that almost killed me and my partner the second week of July! Quit raggin on Jason and his buds...they didn't mean to hurt anyone! They did what they did. If anyone didn't approve, they could have confronted him or even have chopped the line. Get over it!
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klinefelter
Boulder climber
Bishop, CA
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For the record, it's Jason - not Justin - Lakey, and he and Jake are very nice folks who I'm sure feel bad about affecting someone's wilderness experience. Maybe they were just trying to get the stretch out of that shiny new 600 foot cord.
And this is just a bit OT, but does anyone know if the magnificent, serrated NW ridge of Feather Peak (on the Merriam-Royce massif) has been done? It's one of those routes you might imagine finding scribbled in Becky's infamous Black Book. Just curious.
Here's the ridge, right skyline.
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Matt
Trad climber
places you shouldn't talk about in polite company
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so lemme get this straight-
fixing lines up a back country wall for easy and accessible TR/self belay/rappell is now ok to do, even for taxpayer funded govt. employees, so long as they are good guys and feel badly if they impact anyone's experience?
and the criteria includes whether or not it's easy to push the ropes aside while you are climbing an isolated and uncrowded backcountry route?
and yes, of course i know that dean potter and 9/11 have changed everything, so i am trying to get clear on the rules of the game- thanks in advance for any clarification offered.
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cochise stronghold
Sport climber
Big Bear
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Sep 19, 2006 - 11:13am PT
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looked to be an orange rope with lots of hexes and nuts and a few cams, rope was anchor if i RECALL. I also figgured the route to be more like 5.8. Climbed Wages of Skin the next day and it was way harder. Mostly hands then a 6 ft pure layback section into moderate ow.
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dufas
Trad climber
san francisco
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Sep 19, 2006 - 12:51pm PT
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5.8? really?
i'd been a bit nervous of that one after reading trip reports of very loose big blocks, and 10c at altitude kind of makes me sweat sitting here. but if overstated, please elaborate. Went up to do it once, but bronchitis kept me wracked up in pain at camp so I just got to drool at it. Yes, I'm a dufas. It is such a sweet line, like the direct line on feather just over from it.
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