Triple Direct C2 5.8

Currently 4.0/5

El Capitan

Yosemite Valley, California USA

Trip Report

El Capitan Double Bill: Virginia & Triple Direct

Thursday August 13, 2015 9:08am

http://www.ashtond6.blogspot.com

Hey Supertopo users, hope you don't mind me linking to my blog.... detailed report in there! I don't want to upload all those pics again!

We did Virginia, then The Triple Direct


	Credit: ashtond6


	Credit: ashtond6

Trip Report Views: 5,322

ashtond6

About the Author
ashtond6 is a climber from Sheffield, UK.

Comments

johntp

Trad climber

Punter, Little Rock

Aug 13, 2015 - 11:13am PT

Looks like a bit exposed. BBST

Erik Sloan

Big Wall climber

Yosemite Big Wall

Aug 13, 2015 - 11:49am PT

What happened with that pulley?

Woot Woot!
Erik
Yosemitebigwall.com

micronut

Trad climber

Fresno/Clovis, ca

Aug 13, 2015 - 11:58am PT

Nice write up. Congrats and way to stick it out!

Like Eric said....What about that pulley?! What happened?

Scott

ashtond6

climber

Sheffield, UK

Author's Reply

Aug 13, 2015 - 12:10pm PT

Thanks guys!
(nice to meet you Erik!)

I knew this would be a talking point on here and debated not putting it in

Long story short, we rigged our chongo set up with some 2mm chord to keep it all together (so you could just clip it up at anchors)

I set up the chongo, double checked it all and shouted ready to haul.

I had not put the traxion through the masterpoint so when weight came on it snapped open.... Saved by the backup

Absolute amateur mistake but hope it may help someone else! we tried to make things safer and quicker, but in fact complicated it from our 'norm'. So on a brief check of the chongo rigging, everything was connected and looked like it normally would

ashtond6

climber

Sheffield, UK

Author's Reply

Aug 13, 2015 - 12:12pm PT

Needless to say I sh#t myself...
Oh the joy when I realised I was backed up with the lower ascender :)

micronut

Trad climber

Fresno/Clovis, ca

Aug 13, 2015 - 01:35pm PT

Whoah. Scary. It can happen to any of us at any time man, way to BACK UP! Thanks for the insight. Keep sending and posting!!

Scott

FRUMY

Trad climber

Bishop,CA

Aug 13, 2015 - 01:36pm PT

TFPU

aco

Big Wall climber

zadar croatia

Aug 16, 2015 - 10:32am PT

Hello I have a couple of question about Triple direct.I will be there in
30.08.2015 until 09.09.2015.
can enybody say to me is it there ancors and traverse have a
Secured with spits.Best to wear on rock climbing shoe or something alse

Every sugestion is welcome because I will come all the way from
Croatia
Cheers

ashtond6

climber

Sheffield, UK

Author's Reply

Aug 16, 2015 - 03:34pm PT

We wore approach shoes for most, you'd need both shoe types
All belays have at least 2 bolts
The traverses are pins and bolts, I wore approach shoes but this made the 5.9 at the end quite scary

aco

Big Wall climber

zadar croatia

Aug 17, 2015 - 08:09am PT

TENK YOU A LOT ON QUICK ANSWER
if I understand you every belay from down to end of rout are bolted with few bolts.Or only a difficult one ?
Did you recommend to me to take a portalage ?
Enething what you are sugestion is fine I need many information.

BrassNuts

Trad climber

Save your a_s, reach for the brass...

Aug 17, 2015 - 03:49pm PT

Very cool and thanks for sending the pics from above Jonny! We wondered what went wrong with your haul rig that day - sounded scary but we were glad to see you got it sorted out okay :-) Cheers!

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Aug 17, 2015 - 05:09pm PT

Good on ya both!

Y'all come back, now.

BryanE

climber

Minnesota

Aug 17, 2015 - 05:15pm PT

Great report man, thanks for posting. So I have zero big wall experience, can anybody fill me in on what would have happened had the pulley not been backed-up?

ashtond6

climber

Sheffield, UK

Author's Reply

Aug 18, 2015 - 12:59pm PT

I'd take a portaledge, was very busy once we hit camp IV (one party on every pitch to the top). Bolts on every pitch, happy to answer any more questions!

BryanE,
If the pulley wasn't backed up... it would PROBABLY be okay since the bags were around 40m below me and we had a dynamic 60m line... 100kg load falling 20m on a bouncy line.

If they were near me, and the pulley failed, on a static line. A 100kg bag falling 50m could be disastrous - possibly rip the belays.

A few were killed on the nose some years ago, but the bolts were apparently already cracked when the bags were dropped

Hope that makes sense!

Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber

Old and Broken Down in Appalachia

Aug 19, 2015 - 06:43am PT

Did you ask the author of that El Cap photo (me) if you could use it for your blog?

ashtond6

climber

Sheffield, UK

Author's Reply

Aug 19, 2015 - 09:18am PT

Which photo? The big first one I took last fall (I thought)

ashtond6

climber

Sheffield, UK

Author's Reply

Aug 19, 2015 - 09:27am PT

See it now, my apologies- I'll take it down

aco

Big Wall climber

zadar croatia

Aug 23, 2015 - 07:23am PT

Hello ashtond6,do you think that s necessary to have 2 sets of aliens for triple direct. Could we pass with 3 sets of BD camalots and a couple of aliens?? Are offset nuts crucial?? Which number is the largest cam we need?
Thank you

ashtond6

climber

Sheffield, UK

Author's Reply

Aug 25, 2015 - 04:14am PT

we took lots of cams, a mixture of C3s, C4s, Totems, offsets, mastercams

3 ea from 0.3" - 2.5"
2 ea 3.5"
2 ea 5" (no 5 BD)

with back cleaning you could probably take less

2 sets of micro cams (1 regular, 1 offset)
then offset normal wires