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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 23, 2009 - 10:20am PT
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Twenty six days in frameless Bat Tents! Makes my body ache just thinking about it. Six days ledgeless on the Trip was torture enough for me. Porty Lounge is mo betta!!!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 25, 2009 - 11:10am PT
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How about some prototype ledge shots Gramicci, Fishprods and A5?
I used a Vertical World Systems Ledge for years. Fig and Mark Axen were making them very early on. Lacking rigid corners, the VWS ledge required some skill and persistence to settle into. I will try to dig it out for show and tell.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 11, 2009 - 10:04pm PT
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But first a word from our sponsors. Life getting dull? Take a tip from Jello and...
From Cimbing Jan-Feb 1972.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 12, 2009 - 12:02pm PT
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Here are some shots of a Vertical World System ledge. I think that there are less than a dozen of them in existence, all told.
The long rail is three pieces of simple sleeved tubing with the middle section being a larger OD tubing. Cross rivets for stops and the bungee cord to keep it all together.
Corner detail showing the fabric tensioning design.
Corner tab detail for a tubing on tubing joint.
The rare VWS logo!
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Apr 13, 2009 - 02:57pm PT
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Just a few thoughts dislodged from cranial archives.
I have nothing but fond memories of my nights spent in a Robbins hammock way up above buildings (an old Bud Couch phrase). I loved those bivouacs and looked forward to them on every wall climb. I found the hammock bivouac to be a comfortable alternative to lying on cold granite or sitting in slings all night (as Boche and I did on the 6th ascent of the Leaning Tower – three months after the 3rd ascent with Kor).
Granted, all these hammock bivouacs were subject to summer conditions. When Boche and I did the 8th ascent of the Nose in 1967 we spent 7 days in cold pouring down rain – not exactly hammock weather – no place for hammocks on that route anyway. The water tumbling down the face would enter the sleeve of the uplifted piton –placing arm and pour through the shirt’s torso into our pants, down our legs, into our Kronhofers. The suede leather of the Kronhofer klettershue was very absorbent and could soak up hundreds of CCs of H2O. Quite conveniently, however, when one stepped up into the next aid sling … squish, out came all the water and the shoe was ready to accept the next load. Oh, the memories!
I also admit to a prejudice in that my mountaineering store, West Ridge Mountaineering, was selling our own version (an exact copy) of the Robbins hammock. The prejudice was further ingrained by my mother-in-law’s participation in the manufacturing (she was the manufacturer).
An aside: I noticed a photo of Frost in a net hammock. Robbins, of all people, insisted we take net hammocks on the 2nd ascent of the Dawn Wall. Big problem with those mothers was that if you dropped any peanuts or M&Ms in them they were unretrievable – lost to the abyss below. Robbins hammocks, being less porous – impervious in this case - allowed one to recover lost morsels – a big plus!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2009 - 01:12am PT
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Great hammock memories, Don. Do you have a shot of the West Ridge sewn tag? Belay seat to match?
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Apr 19, 2009 - 01:48am PT
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Yes to both. Photos tomorrow.
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Largo
Sport climber
Venice, Ca
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Apr 19, 2009 - 02:05am PT
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I never fit very well in hamocks and wonder how Don Lauria found them so enjoyable. I hated them. Spreader bars did little. As DD said, the portaledge changed everything because you could actually sleep deeply in one.
JL
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
above the play park
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Apr 19, 2009 - 12:02pm PT
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I spent a week or so bumbling up the Trip in a lawnchair rig much like the Crusher model. After a night or two all the buckles failed to sustain their rigidity and the cot position was no longer attainable. I backed them up with slings to achieve a sort of dentist-chair position which was actually pretty comfortable, nothing like the shoulder-crushing horror stories I'm hearing from the hammock era. I remain light.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Apr 27, 2009 - 01:37pm PT
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Finally, Grossman, here's the photo.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 27, 2009 - 11:37pm PT
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Sweet! Thanks, Don.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 2, 2009 - 03:42pm PT
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Wall bump!
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hooblie
climber
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not my story, so i'll skip the colorful details that riveted the image in my memory. one of those subledge units made several trips up the captain during a time frame that happened to coincide with a rash of "airborne deliveries" which seemed like a breakthrough technology before the frowning commenced.
so a party of three on the trip bivi'd a couple pitches short of topping out. when the second left the station, the third began to stir and could no longer provide ballast for the ledge. the wind was having it's way with it so, not being the property of anyone in particular, it seemed right to just cut it loose.
well it cut a huge gracefull arc out to the side in a slicing airfoil sort of way, paused and reversed course to the other extreme, a real marvel to watch. trouble was it was climbing back up with each howling pass and the arc began to rotate as it moved to an overhead position. screams of delight morphed into the other kind.
what with all the wind, the leader had not been aware of any of this until it smashed into the wall alongside him as he hauled the sacks. words were exchanged, the ledge made its way to the deck, heart rates returned to normal, lesson learned.
the kinks in technique had revealed themselves in one fell swoop
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
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Great memory of Charlie Fowler taping a chaise lounge together in the parking lot back in 89? for the Zodiac.
Quite the pro - a real utilitarian!
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Ray-J
Social climber
east L.A. vato...
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Great thread - stilla need for a really
Well designed featherweight hammock, eh?
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Prod
Trad climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
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Aug 27, 2009 - 06:26pm PT
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Worthy of a bump. How many out there have slept in a hammock?
Prod.
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Ray-J
Social climber
east L.A. vato...
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Aug 27, 2009 - 07:56pm PT
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Twice? Yes...
The hidden key to
Making a light hammock
Womens swimwear.
And how light is light enough?
Like, belay seat light? or packcloth
Weight.
Designed for rapid deployment.
No rain fly...fair weather, quick and light...
Then, for the full leather types, a bunk w/ frame.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Aug 27, 2009 - 09:23pm PT
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Hammocks eh? let's see,
NA wall, one night,
attempt on the New Dawn Night, 1 night
Dawn wall success, 1 night
Magic Mushroom, 1 night
Mescalito, 3 nights
PO Wall attempt, 1 night
Zodiac, 1 night.
8 nights total.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 21, 2009 - 04:45pm PT
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Bump for a better night's sleep! ZZZZZZZZZZ
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Nov 29, 2009 - 09:55am PT
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hey there say, really neat share, here, too...
thanks, say, i just saw the "pate steve grossman links thread" too...
fun stuff, today...
:)
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