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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Jun 25, 2010 - 02:11pm PT
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What's a cell phone gonna do? You think rescuers have some magic plan to bail you out if you get stuck?
They don't. They'll have to make it up on the spot, or call cave rescuers in from tenessee or somewhere.
I ain't saying don't do it, others have. I'm saying the best strategy is to take care of yourself because the cavalry won't be there if something goes wrong.
Hate to be a killjoy. It sounds like the cell phone remark was made in jest. I'm just saying, like with many climbing/backcountry situations do not count on being rescued.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Jun 25, 2010 - 02:28pm PT
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I gotta get a crack weasel.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Jun 25, 2010 - 02:38pm PT
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Rescuers would just feed a water tube and feeding tube into the depths and let you live out your days there.
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Jun 25, 2010 - 02:40pm PT
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Is it filthy dirty in there? I'm not sure how excited I would be for that.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jun 25, 2010 - 02:41pm PT
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There should be enough water running through there to keep it reasonably clean, although by autumn it might get a little smelly. Quite a lot of water runs down from above onto the ledge at the end of the second pitch, and a lot of it must essentially run through the ledge into the cracks and chimneys behind the wall.
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scuffy b
climber
Eastern Salinia
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Jun 25, 2010 - 04:10pm PT
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It is not filthy dirty in there.
When water is flowing, it is concentrated in a pretty small swath.
That gets slimy, but when it's dry, no problem.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Jun 26, 2010 - 09:06am PT
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From Pete Livesey's I feel Rock
"...........Reed Pinnacle Direct..............The first pitch is a wicked curved slash like a saber scar, but its just my size. 40 ft up, 20 feet to go, and I put a chock in. Hand-Jam size, number 9, pick it out on a natty , white tape and throw it in.
I threw it in: it went right in, two feet in, krab and all, out of reach. I was broddling around with my longest wire, and was just pulling the tape out, when I saw one of those sights you just don't want to believe or accept. In the crack was a hand, yes a hand. It still had chalk on, and grubby fingernails.
Not only was the sight of the hand completely unacceptable to me, but it also was dragging the nut away, my nut into the depths of the mountain.
I instinctively let go of the tape, and I remember thinking that dozens of climbers have probably lost their hands that way, best to let it have the nut and clear off. At the top of the pitch I grabbed the tree, tied on and checked my feet to see if they were still there- you never know with hands in cracks what they're after.
Behind the tree was a perfect, dark chimney parallel to the cliff face. creeping out of the base at ground level was a giggling Yank with my nut..."
So the chimney is pitch one. the good thing is if you get stuck you could be like the troll in The three billys goats gruff and not let anyone pass unless they gave you a beer or a sandwich
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Jun 26, 2010 - 12:37pm PT
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Hobo-Thanks for posting that Livesey passage, great stuff.
Kevin-
Yeah, I remember the cross through chimney to the left side, may have been with Richard and Largo. Pretty secure if memory serves, but I also remember forcibly suppressing the fear that you might somehow lose traction and slide into that horrible abyss.
Going to think about something else, now.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jun 26, 2010 - 02:25pm PT
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It is not wet or dirty. It is dark and sometimes tight. You have to move around to pass chockstones (trailing rope might not work). It was a grand kid's adventure with, in my case, the complete surprise that you can exit in the cross-through abyss Rick mentions. My partners did a double take when I walked up beside them at the top of the 2nd pitch.
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Maysho
climber
Soda Springs, CA
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Jun 26, 2010 - 03:35pm PT
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I have gone up that claustrophobic slot a couple of times, though never found the exit. Both times I made an effort but way up there it gets really tight and I lost my nerve.
Once I went up while someone was struggling mightily with leading the second pitch. Always the supportive guide/coach, I started softly talking encouragement, "hang in there, your almost there, try to relax"
"Whats that!" the guy yelled down to his partner,
"No, its me here inside the crack" he freaked out, but I calmed him down, then a bit higher he had to hang, I probably didn't help him.
I fantasized about sometime reaching a hand out to someone right before they fell off, thought they would probably really freak out and jump!
Good times...
Peter
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Jun 26, 2010 - 04:48pm PT
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Peter, you were too close to the crack. The way up is to start moving towards the left side. I was a long way from the 2nd pitch crack: move away from the light; move towards the dark; embrace the squeeze; arise from the abyss.
Or not.
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Prod
Trad climber
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Jun 26, 2010 - 04:59pm PT
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Oh man!
Once I went up while someone was struggling mightily with leading the second pitch. Always the supportive guide/coach, I started softly talking encouragement, "hang in there, your almost there, try to relax"
I'd f*#king sh#t myself.
Prod.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
citizen of planet Earth
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Jun 26, 2010 - 08:35pm PT
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Only crazy people go in there.
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scuffy b
climber
Eastern Salinia
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Jun 28, 2010 - 09:18pm PT
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HoboDan,
Livesey's story is a good one.
But there's not much adventure potential on the first pitch.
I don't think you can chimney behind the jamcrack for much of its length,
only the upper part.
But, I certainly will have to go back to verify.
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Caveman
climber
Cumberland Plateau
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Jun 28, 2010 - 11:24pm PT
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Better to climb up into tight places than climb down into tight places. caveman
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TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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Jun 29, 2010 - 05:14am PT
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In an email from myself to Mark Hudon:
I was recently in the Valley.
I went down and did Reed's Direct with a couple friends and I had told these (very young and new to the Valley climbers) that I was not entirely sure of this but that I had heard that you could chimney behind the main/5.9 pitch of Reed's.
Ok another story in the back of my mind (for all these years)...
I could'a sworn that Base told me (something to this effect)...
That he was in the Valley (maybe his first time there) and that he headed down to Reed's to do the Direct.
As the story goes (in my feeble memory) he said he was leading up and unexplicable all these bomber nut placements he made were popping out. He was getting a little freaked as half the gear was popped out leaving large runs between, but worse...
"Why were these bomber placements popping out?"
I recall him saying that he was almost to the rest ledge before the short off width at the top when all of a sudden there was a big puff of chalk that came from inside the crack...
and then giggling, turning to laughter.
Any of that story sound familiar to you Sir?
Aloha and Godspeed.
TrundleBum
Mark's response in email:
I think the story about Base is mostly true. I think it was Eric Barrett who was pushing the nuts out. He may have done one or two but certainly not all or most of them.
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Mason
Trad climber
Yay Area
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Jul 28, 2010 - 02:02pm PT
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Nutjob, did you ever get this done?
I want to see pics!
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Jul 28, 2010 - 02:09pm PT
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he's probably still in there
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nutjob
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 28, 2010 - 05:48pm PT
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I'm nursing a little shoulder wound that delayed my plans... since my grand proclamation I actually went to Reed's twice:
I made my first try on the final pitch of Reed's Direct (got it with no falls, but scary part is in the middle with no pro looking down the chasm, not up top where there is pro)
Had a little adventure on the first 3 pitches of Flatus. Crikey that's a classic. All wide and chimney, no face hand or finger filler. First pitch tweaked my shoulder, I kept going anyways. Pitch 3 is a squeeze chimney with zero pro if you follow the direct path. Or you can go waaay inside to get a piece of pro (I threw a biner on a sling over a chockstone that I couldn't squeeze up to reach) that might stop you from hitting bottom, but it requires tighter squeezing and ~ 10-15 feet of horizontal to surmount the chockstone that guards the end of the pitch. Cool pitch, not very long, but don't fall.
Spelunking adventure...
As soon as I am able, I'm on it. With camera and a stick of butter just in case.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Jul 28, 2010 - 06:12pm PT
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"Pitch 3 is a squeeze chimney with zero pro if you follow the direct path. Or you can go waaay inside to get a piece of pro (I threw a biner on a sling over a chockstone that I couldn't squeeze up to reach) that might stop you from hitting bottom, but it requires tighter squeezing and ~ 10-15 feet of horizontal to surmount the chockstone that guards the end of the pitch. Cool pitch, not very long, but don't fall."
Yup, ripped outta that one.....Plinko comes to mind.
Good flat landing as I remember.
The chockstone takes a .75, after you finally reach it.
Mucci
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