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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Lawn chairs rule.
Back in 1983, when I spent some time in the Valley, and on the walls, Portaledges seemed absurdly expensive, we knew no one who had one to lend.
So instead I bought a 12.95 lawn chair from K-Mart in Mammoth. Took it up the PO Wall. Worked fine, for 10 nights. Threw it off the top, and it survived the fall--just. I sat in it once more, under El Cap, then it finally gave up and collapsed.
I took one on an attempt on the Nose Route, on Chasm View Wall; I recall lying in comfort, while Mike O'Donnell was wrestling with his early Gramicci ledge, which would keep twisting out of shape. Kinda sucked, carrying the thing back up the gully.
Took another up the Hallucinogen Wall (fifth ascent?). By this time, had it dialed. Some things are obvious, like using metal adjusting buckles, and (duh!) leaving the legs on for the extra rigidity. The final trick is to heavily duct-tape one edge, and that's the edge that scrapes on the wall. You also have to somewhat baby the thing; rough hauling can damage it, better to carry it if possible. The quality control is not quite up to modern professional portaledge standards, so it's a good idea to check out the rivets, and the ratcheting function for smoothness before buying. I kept the ex-Hallucinogen one for years after (it survived easily) but never did another big wall.
Shame they never caught on; people can be so frightened of trying what's not for sale in the big colorful catalogs.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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Photo by Matt Dancy
Bed by K-Mart
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 9, 2009 - 08:56pm PT
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Freakin' classique and yellow too! Nice one Crusher!
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Mimi
climber
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That rig is amazing! I can't wait to see the matching fly.
Crusher, I always knew you were innovative but how comfortable was that thing? I'm sure a night on it wasn't the worst night you ever had traveling. LOL!
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marty(r)
climber
beneath the valley of ultravegans
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K-Mart--last bastion of weekend warrior!
Let's hear it for MAN, the Tool User.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Hey Crusher, you got any pics of your hammer from that ascent? Equally adaptive, if I recall correctly...
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 9, 2009 - 11:30pm PT
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So what did Willie Lowe go on to do? Is that him bending the LURP tent frame while jugging up during the chosspile shoot?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! I laughed my ass off at this poor bastard's misery:
Who is this unfortunate?
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E
Social climber
Tujunga CA.
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Mar 11, 2009 - 11:59am PT
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Reinhard Karl?
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Mar 11, 2009 - 12:22pm PT
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I clicked on this thread out of general interest but when I moved to this section and saw Walleye's picture of the single point without stretcher bars, a repressed memory bubbled up.
Dave Bircheff and I started up the Prow in the winter with a couple of those hammocks. When daylight broke, we were also broken and bailed. What a miserable night.
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east side underground
Trad climber
Hilton crk,ca
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Mar 11, 2009 - 12:30pm PT
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my bro made a custom belay seat out of a lawn chair,added aluminum bars that folded out against the wall so your legs wouldn't get pinched and you could face the wall, super comfy and light
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 14, 2009 - 04:49pm PT
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Suffering is a state of mind........
Tom Frost on the second ascent of the Dihedral Wall.
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Mar 15, 2009 - 06:36pm PT
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I can never get over how much climbers in hammocks look like nice big fat juicy pieces of stored prey put up for a rainy day by giant wall spiders. Yummmm.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 19, 2009 - 01:30am PT
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Only served on crackers these days!
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Mar 19, 2009 - 01:39am PT
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It might be symbolic if climbers were served WITH crackers...
Yes, the spiders' prey analogy is a good one. Sort of like in The Hobbit, where all the dwarves get caught by spiders and wrapped up, and Bilbo rescues them.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Mar 19, 2009 - 02:05am PT
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I like the prey thing, but I always thought it more like a womb. Waiting to be born or reborn or not.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 19, 2009 - 10:05am PT
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Fortunately, Shelob doesn't live under the summit overhangs! Good thing, eh?!? Have to sew a couple of scabbards into the haulbag wall.
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Mar 19, 2009 - 12:53pm PT
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Crusher, I remember when that PO ascent occurred. I sold you some heads or fixed a friend or something. Storm, long delays, while you were perched up there and then you went for it, cool stuff.
The original story I heard was that you bivved in a leather motorcycle jacket, then I heard that that coat stayed on the ground. What did happen? Wasn't the hammer that Deuce refers to, a claw hammer?
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Fogarty
Big Wall climber
Back In Time
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Mar 23, 2009 - 12:00am PT
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Great photos all, I remember The CURRY cots, They were the Cadillac of The day?
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Patrick Oliver
Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Mar 23, 2009 - 03:13am PT
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I haven't read this whole thread, but
didn't Harding and Caldwell have some
sort of bat tent porta ledge on Dawn Wall?
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