Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 02:15am PT
|
Mike. has good advice. FYI- IIRC = If I Remember Correctly
They don't want to come down and hose their continuous ascent.
Aid to the roof asap, setup camp, and wait out the storm. Break out the wine and have a toast or twelve to Warren.
Best of luck, lots of people are rooting for you. Possibly the most impressive rock climbing achievement ever IMO. If it looks safe enough under the roof it could be a good spot to wait out the storm, but you can always come back another day. Big decision to make.
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 02:20am PT
|
I guess one thing to add is Harding was up there at this same time and had to deal with a four day winter storm probably crappier than this one and then another one also. 27 days total on the route ground up. They were in the same area also for the bad weather. And they were in bat-tents!
|
|
Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 02:23am PT
|
if you start down now, you will be able to make the Cochise Sushifest,
|
|
Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 02:28am PT
|
do you guys have a Lego flashlight up there?
if not, you are ski ruuuuuued,
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 02:31am PT
|
Here's the current NOAA/NWS forecast:
Overnight: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. South southeast wind around 6 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 55. South wind between 8 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. South wind around 10 mph.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of rain after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. South wind between 9 and 13 mph.
Friday Night: Rain. Low around 38. South wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Saturday: Rain and snow. Snow level 4200 feet. High near 38. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
Saturday Night: Rain and snow. Low around 30. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible.
Sunday: Rain and snow. Cloudy and breezy, with a high near 30.
Sunday Night: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 26.
Monday: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31.
Monday Night: A slight chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Tuesday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33.
Tuesday Night: A slight chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 36.
Looks like snow/rain Friday night through Sunday. Then mostly cloudy days until Wednesday.
Will the rock dry out on a cloudy day, or will it take sun to dry it out?
If the storm puts 8" of snow on top, will that drain into key areas of the climb like the Dihedrals for several more days (until the snow on top is gone)?
The Dawn Roof is good, like Mike said - pretty similar to the Great Roof on the Nose in size.
If you are going to jumar or aid up to Wino and Dawn Roof, then rap back down to the free highpoint, personally I don't see much difference between that and rapping to the ground and jumaring back up. Freeing it in a couple of blocks with a storm break on the ground might be wise.
One other option. If the goal is to "stay on the wall" to avoid criticism that you spent too many nights relaxing on the ground, you could probably fix straight down to the South Seas alcove and get some protection for your bivvy by the very steep overhanging rock there. Maybe get some help from the ground crew to grab the end of your fixed line and anchor it so you can pull in under the overhang. Bivvy just a pitch or less above the ground and cut the risk of getting hit with stuff from above. Plus if things get epic you can get down without a big rescue.
|
|
Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 02:33am PT
|
did you guys bring a Bag-O-Sleep?
one of these>
|
|
Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 02:38am PT
|
this is Caldwell in three days, savage winter, oh savage winte, behold my brethren on the wall of doom,
i just got off the phone with Jim Bridwell, and he says "if you guys come down now, you ain'yt nuthin but a bunch of pussy faggots, hell i drank a fifth of jd waiting out that tora bora debacle,..."
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 02:41am PT
|
I know T*R!! Crazy!! I cannot fall asleep and I see You won't either. I keep Iphoning these posts lying in my bed up on Twin Peaks in SF. I was there in the Valley for the so-called Harding rescue you know. It is all coming back to me. By the way this the SECOND big storm of the season. Someone upthread said it was the first.
|
|
JOEY.F
Social climber
sebastopol
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 02:55am PT
|
KJ and Tommy,
Please be safe, good luck on your decision.
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 02:57am PT
|
No-- the real Harding rescue was on half dome and again in winter. WH and Rowell were in a really bad bad way on the South face in big winter weather. 1969. Guido was on that operation and has photos! The Wall of the Early Morning Light aka Dawn "rescue" turned out not to be an actual rescue. NPS called us all in and began to mount an operation but it turned out that Warren and Dean were actually refusing help. They were close to where TC and KJ are now on the wall. Warren and Dean climbed on after the 4 days of weather. 1970. November.
|
|
Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 03:03am PT
|
The forecast here is for a cold front to arrive in Vancouver on Friday, with fairly cool (for mid-November) conditions, some flurries, and some sun by Saturday. Which probably means it will push the jet stream well south, with both precipitation and cool weather. The last week or more in Vancouver has been quite wet and windy, with a few half-decent afternoons between storms. We don't mind some nicer if cooler weather, as long as it doesn't snow much, but that often means everybody south gets hit.
|
|
Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 03:07am PT
|
So Mighty Anders you are taking responsibility for KJ and TC's predicament?
|
|
the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 03:07am PT
|
If the goal is to "stay on the wall" to avoid criticism that you spent too many nights relaxing on the ground
If I had the incredible drive and talent to do something like this I'd be doing it for my own goal of freeing all the pitches in one ascent. I suspect they feel the same way. It's not about criticism or what anybody else thinks. It's a personal goal they don't want to give up on.
The storms are just destiny's way of adding the same challenge that Warren and Dean had on the FA of The Wall of Early Morning Light.
|
|
healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 03:11am PT
|
The jetstream forecast doesn't look particularly great:
http://squall.sfsu.edu/gif/jetstream_pac_loop.gif
Darling you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go
If you say that you are mine
I'll be here 'til the end of time
So you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go
It's always tease, tease, tease
You're happy when I'm on my knees
One day is fine, the next is black
So if you want me off your back
Well come on and let me know
Should I Stay or should I go
Should I stay or should I go now
Should I stay or should I go now
If I go there will be trouble
An' if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know
...
|
|
Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 03:28am PT
|
Criticism includes "self criticism". :-)
A little storm could be a fun break. Or it could turn bad if the ledge gets wrecked and you start to turn into a popsicle.
It happens, even to people who know what they are doing:
http://www.fishproducts.com/topos/nativeTR/nativeTR.html
I've never been on El Cap in a big storm, and I don't know how to estimate the probability of something "bad" happening from this storm.
|
|
jsb
Trad climber
Bay area
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 03:47am PT
|
Take it to rockclimbing.com, noobs! :)
(Edit: Seriously, though... come down, rest, and send that beast from the bottom next week.)
|
|
the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 08:02am PT
|
man up..
|
|
rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 08:10am PT
|
It's time to get geraldo and fox news up on that ledge and see what's going on inside their heads...leave a rope on the hinterstroiser traverse for gods sake...
|
|
Studly
Trad climber
WA
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 08:56am PT
|
Best wishes to Tommy and Kevin. Whatever you guys decide, everyone is with you. You guys have been rocking it. Freakin Badass!
Almost 2 feet of snow at 5000 feet on Mt Hood here in Oregon in the last 24 hours, and still coming down with the forecast for it to snow for the next week. Winter has come to the Pacific NW, its been raining cats and dogs, and it may change to snow tonight down at the lower elevations where I live in the Columbia River gorge.
|
|
'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
|
|
Nov 18, 2010 - 09:12am PT
|
If they could get up right under the roof, they'd probably be fine. But why stick it out if you've got fixed ropes? Just leave, and come back later. Any fool can be uncomfortable.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!