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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Nov 20, 2006 - 09:11pm PT
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"merely the goal to strive for."
-pretty much describes my style to this day. A starting point, anyway
Thanks for the elucidation, John, I always thought jingus things, and their inspiration was steve's thing.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 20, 2006 - 09:30pm PT
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Deuce,
I didn't now that history between you and Steve. Sorry to hear it and sorry for any pain that my part in it caused. I remember talking to you and the Bird over some scotch one night in SLC and you mentioned the Monkey-Paw idea. We had already proto'ed a double-sided BallNut (think inside-out monkey-paw) that will stick in a 35 degree flare. I still carry that thing on my rack on occasion. I'll toss up a photo if I can find the damn thing. Like a lot of super-tricky aid stuff, it's tricky, unpredictable and x-rated only. But the damn thing works in some amazing places. Jello, I think I might have placed it on the first pitch of New Music. Is your memory any better than mine?
Mal
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 20, 2006 - 09:54pm PT
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Okay, found the DoubleBall and shot some photos. Sorry about the soft focus but it's all I could do at the moment.
So here's what the head looks like:
Look at the flare it will go into:
And look at how it can handle a bombay/flare:
Here's the instability thing. Sometimes it can simply rotate into a secondary equilibrium position which, often, isnt too stable:
Now it's time to open up the Knob Creek.
Mal
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 20, 2006 - 10:03pm PT
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Are those your fingers, Mal? Looks like you've been cheatin' and actually doing some climbing.
We did New Music in 1986, before we worked on ball nuts. Have to say you did a fine job on that first pitch, though.
Cheers,
J-Lowe
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Nov 20, 2006 - 10:13pm PT
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If I was Ouch I know what I'd do with that first photo.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 20, 2006 - 10:15pm PT
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Jello, that was quite the route, wasn't it? Good job spotting it.
Hands are rough because we've been doing some concrete work around the house:
and in my spare time I installed a wood stove:
Just wish it would get cold...
Headed off to Moab and Flagstaff for some climbing over the next week. Then to Chatanooga for the Triple Crown so I'll be climbing a bit...
Mal
Edited to mention that that's not my minivan in the concrete photos!
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Nov 20, 2006 - 10:38pm PT
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Malcolm,
Cool but that 'secondary equilibrium' is a pretty unhappy pic. I think I'd like John's pet Monkey a bit more than having my balls dangling out there like that...
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 20, 2006 - 10:45pm PT
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healyje, the thing that's weird about the "secondary equilibrium" is that I've never had it happen in the field. I can make it happen easily in my fingers but once the unit is set, it seems to stay pretty well. Go figure.
Mal
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 20, 2006 - 10:48pm PT
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Malcolm
What kind of stove is that? (Manufacturer?) It looks cool.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 20, 2006 - 11:05pm PT
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Werner,
It's a Rais Bando. http://www.rais.com It's covered with slabs of soapstone to hold the heat. I fired it up three hours ago with some kindling and 3 stick of wood. It's still throwing off lots of heat. I love it. No surprise but it wasn't cheap...
Mal
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 20, 2006 - 11:11pm PT
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Malcolm, thank you
Edit: Sh#t man, those things cost more than I've ever spent on a car. Yikes, but they sure are nice.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 20, 2006 - 11:21pm PT
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Werner, what was this thread about, anyway?
Mal
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 20, 2006 - 11:27pm PT
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Some ball nuts that Jeff was rolling around somewhere and then Middendorf got into the fray along with Piton, and then some guy Mal got cold and fired up his stove and then Werner as usual did his thread drift off somewhere and only god knows why ....... etc etc.
You know how this sh#t plays out ......
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 20, 2006 - 11:29pm PT
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It's kind of like sitting around the campfire at C4 or Indian Creek. You just never know where the conversation will go...
I love it.
Mal
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Nov 20, 2006 - 11:32pm PT
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Malcolm's been awful friendly since the election...
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 20, 2006 - 11:35pm PT
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Back off man!
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Mimi
climber
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Nov 21, 2006 - 12:57am PT
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Ron, you on the other hand are ready to go out and blow up your TV. I don't think it's the election results though.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 21, 2006 - 04:38pm PT
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Haven't I seen pictures of Ron machine-gunning his TV?
Ron??? Post 'em up if you've got them.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nov 21, 2006 - 07:43pm PT
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Man you'all have ranged nicely on this here thread so far.
...And no arguments even; I guess cuz no body said the word Bolt very loud. I certainly ain't gonnah sour the milk.
So, we grew up on the cusp of the clean climbing revolution:
I recall having arguments with my buddy, AKDog, not about the implementation of nuts on free climbs at that point, but as to their application towards an accepted challenge to supplant all hard nailing. I said no way that was happening at that time.
I also drove a couple pins on free routes, (really, just a couple) where I thought nuts were dum 'n dangerous. Then AKDog would go around later and take 'em out.
Our first 5.9's were on nuts and it seemed fine at the time, cams as they came out didn't warrant immediate grasp, or so it seemed, until 5.10/11 became a goal.
Yabo said that 5.11 on nuts was often a life or death proposition and not at all routine. Nevertheless we saw a bit of it done, like Augie Kline walking up Insomnia at Suicide; the crack is tight hands and overhung, but he could cruise it. Yabo bemoaned Kauk's strategy of sending him up on Tales of Power, with a single #5 hex, just to get it up high enough before Yab would wig out and lower off, having pushed the pro a bit higher for Ron.
Chapman said, and I still do it with cams, that on 5.11 he'd place two good nuts, then just gas it through the hard stuff. Never, ever, he said, allowing himself to get pumped, well, in plan anyhow.
One day at Taquitz while heading for Open Book, a fine 5.9, still on nuts, I got off route onto Zig Zag, a 5.10. Things didn't feel right so I down climbed to where I could get lowered off, which worked great until I weighted the improperly tied rope and after the knot released I bounced about 30 feet down along a ramp into a bush, just before another hefty drop.
Now that wasn't the fault of any nut. Well you know what I mean. Later that day Larry and I sat by the car, somewhat dejected and he sullenly grabbed his piton hammer and pounded one of his aluminum bongs deep into the dirt, until it vanished from sight.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Nov 21, 2006 - 08:30pm PT
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(multiple) TV destruction scheduled for a week from monday.
Anyway, back on topic; I think that many of today's "trad" climbers are quick to cam and fail to fully appreciate the full utility, economy, and efficiency of nuts.
And you don't have to lubricate your nuts (at least for climbing...)
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