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| lcarreau | I'm sorry ... | |
Voted 10/10 | I didn't notice this album until now! Technical question - what's the difference between a cam, a bolt and a piton??? It's nice to have cams, bolts and pitons with you when climbing the Tetons, right? What is the STANDARD way a rope is attached to a rock for rappeling down and (top-roping) up a rock face? Do you have a link you can give me, Melinda? I'm assuming that a climber can experience rockfall at any time of the year. Based on my travels in the Cascades, rockfall can happen on exposed slopes in the middle of the day, or even at night. Thus a good climbing "hardhat" would come in handy, as well as good climbing shoes. I'm sorry I'm not HIP to all the 'termology' that the younger generation uses. I was just hoping you could be kind enough to answer my questions. Thanks & good luck with the snow & ice adventures!!! - Larry from AZ | |
| Posted Feb 10, 2008 4:26 pm | ||
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| mountaingazelle | Re: I'm sorry ... | |
Hasn't voted | Thanks Larry. Here is a LINK It depends on what type of climbing you are doing. Sport climbing is primarily done on crags with a shorter approach. Bolts are located on the cliff and you clip your quickdraws in as you climb. There is usually a bolted anchor at the top where you can be lowered back down. This is also the type of climbing you would see at a gym. Trad Climbing is short for traditional climbing. That is the type of climbing in the Tetons and other alpine mountain ranges. You place your own gear as you climb and build an anchor at the top of the pitch. Then you belay your partner up the route. It is always a good idea to wear a helmet. Even good rock can break or fall when you don’t expect it. Natural anchors include trees, chockstones, rock horns, and boulders. Bolts are drilled into rock and provide a strong anchor. They have an opening where you can clip a carabiner and sling. When rappelling, the only thing you want to leave is webbing and rappel rings. This doesn’t cost very much and leaves little behind. Passive protection is known as chocks, hexes, or nuts. They are used as wedges to fit into cracks and holes in the rock. Cams are a form of active protection. They are a spring loaded device with a trigger that makes them expand into different sized cracks. This type of gear is cleaned from the route so there is nothing left when you are done climbing. Pitons are pointed metal spikes that are pounded into cracks with a hammer. Pitons were used as the original form of protection in rock climbing. They are used in aid climbing but only when necessary and there is no other alternative. Today, cams and nuts are preferred over pitons because they do not damage the rock. | |
| Posted Feb 11, 2008 5:32 am | ||
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| lcarreau | Re: THANKS... | |
Voted 10/10 | That's a very comprehensive body of information. It will take me awhile to develop a sufficient understanding of the modern-day climber. Those cams OR camalots are awesome! But, I assume that a person's judgement of the individual conditions of a crag or rock would be the KEY. I was interested in learning about TRAD climbing, and how the climber can establish their own route and protection without having to depend on the SAR or Park Service to "pluck them" off the face of a mountain. I also know that most climbers are interested in saving money, and "CLEAN CLIMBING" seems to be the ultimate way to go. I can't understand why a person would want to carry a hammer or drill into the backcountry. The last time you were in the Tetons, did you notice a lot of gear such as bolts and pitons left in the rocks??? Well, I've heard from some SP-members that certain ranges are being BANNED from using bolts and pitons. When I travel into the backcountry, WEIGHT is my major consideration! Besides, most of the weight in my backpack is in the form of FOOD!!! To me, food always tastes better when it's consumed outdoors. Do you eat a lot of high energy power foods when you go climbing? I like to take ramens and soups, because they are lightweight.(A lot of people might take a few bottles of beer and/or champagne or red wine, and I don't condemn them FOR doing that. They're the ones who gotta live with the hangover!) You have to be able to trust your climbing partner, at all costs!!! Thanks for the information, Melinda!!! : - ) | |
| Posted Feb 11, 2008 2:27 pm | ||
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| mountaingazelle | Re: THANKS... | |
Hasn't voted | In trad climbing there is a leader and follower. The leader climbs up the route putting in protection every 10 feet or so, more or less, depending on the difficulty of the route and other factors. The leader then sets up an anchor at the top of the pitch. Then they belay their partner up the route. The follower will clean the route and take out all of the protection as they climb up so there is no gear left behind. An anchor consists of natural or gear protection. When you build an anchor you try to use at least three pieces of gear for strength in redundancy. When there is little protection available the route is called runout and a fall could have serious consequences. These routes are listed as R and routes with no protection are listed as X. Generally, 5th class is considered rock climbing. This rating system goes from 5.0 to 5.15+. Some people don’t use a rope on easier routes. It all depends on that person’s ability and the route itself. Many scrambling routes in the Tetons have a lot of exposure so some people like to rope up for that too. I have seen pitons in the Tetons and Wasatch Mountains. The cliffs above Ogden have several ancient pitons because that area is not climbed very often. Bolts are common especially in sport climbing areas. When you get into the higher and more remote mountains you will see fewer or no bolts at all. The only people I’ve seen carrying a drill were establishing a new route. Some canyoneers carry them when they are descending a canyon for the first time because they are unsure of the terrain ahead. I don’t own any pitons or bolts. My rock climbing ability is modest but I climb what I can. I have a standard set of gear and that gets me up most everything. This includes cams, nuts, carabiners, slings, etc. Luckily, I live in a place where rock climbing areas like the Cottonwood Canyons are close by. I’m not sure about which ranges have banned bolts and pitons. One of the places where I learned to climb was City of Rocks in Idaho. I know that you must be granted permission to drill bolts there. I like to go on a few backpacking trips each year. I try to go lightweight but it always ends up weighing a ton. I don’t eat or drink much water when I hike. Yes, ramen noodles are always good and so is Mountain House dehydrated food for dinner. You forgot that I live in Utah where strong beer is outlawed! Just joking, don’t write me any letters ;-) | |
| Posted Feb 12, 2008 4:50 am | ||
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| lcarreau | Re: THANKS... | |
Voted 10/10 | You appear to be an excellent typist and writer. I am aware of the local and state laws of Utah, having grew up there in public schools. The City of Rocks seems to be a popular area here on Summitpost. The closest I came was where the water comes out of the rocks, think it's Hagerman Falls. Also close by is Shoshone Falls on the Snake, and further southeast is Pomerelle Ski Resort and Cache Peak. I have admired Cache Peak several times from the freeway; I would like very much to travel there again. It seems to be a scenic and very "laid back" place. Where is your Dad from??? Did he grow up there in southern Idaho? I have a friend living in Mountain Home I need to visit. He used to be a campground host here in central Arizona. Was a former fighter plane pilot. How about Fred Beckey ... are you and your climbing group familiar with him? He must be in his eighties now. He put together some wonderful hiking & climbing books back in the 1980s. Okay, thanks for the valuable climbing beta, Melinda!!! | |
| Posted Feb 12, 2008 11:19 am | ||
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| mountaingazelle | Re: THANKS... | |
Hasn't voted | Fred Beckey pretty much climbed everywhere so all climbers are familiar with him. Yes, City of Rocks is a world class climbing area. There are dozens of granite rock formations and climbing routes. I know a lot about the Albion Range where Cache Peak and Pomerelle Ski Resort are located. I’m from Mountain Home. My family is scattered around all of the little cities in Southeast Idaho. There are a lot of neat places to visit in that area if you decide to go back. Let me know and I’ll give you some more information. | |
| Posted Feb 12, 2008 12:51 pm | ||
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| lcarreau | Re: THANKS... | |
Voted 10/10 | Decisions, decisions, the world is wrought with decisions! I know for a fact I need to see my friend in Mountain Home, and my wife and I would like to drive up to Stanley and see the Sawtooths. How is the snowpack up there in Southeast Idaho? I suppose it won't "melt out" until Memorial Day. The desert is going to come alive with wildflowers here next month, and I believe the Turkey Vultures return the first week of April. Take care & thanks again! | |
| Posted Feb 12, 2008 1:46 pm | ||
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| mountaingazelle | Re: THANKS... | |
Hasn't voted | There is a lot of snow this year. If you are just driving through and taking photos then Memorial Day should be no problem. If you plan to go hiking there will be snow at the higher elevations. You should definitely drive up to see the Sawtooths and some of the other mountain ranges around Sun Valley. There are plenty of low elevation desert areas in Southern Idaho that you should check out too. Send me a PM if you plan to go or this thread may never end :) | |
| Posted Feb 12, 2008 3:07 pm | ||
| skunk ape | East Face | |
Voted 10/10 | Ive read this page twice now, I was looking for something new to ski in the Tetons and stumbled onto it again. Really good stuff! | |
| Posted May 3, 2009 11:14 pm | ||
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| mountaingazelle | Re: East Face | |
Hasn't voted | Thanks! You'll love Teewinot. By Teton standards, it has a short approach that is easily accessible for skiing. It has one of the smallest summits in the range. | |
| Posted May 4, 2009 2:39 pm | ||
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