Planning a 4 day climbing weekend in Feb and wondering aside from ice screws and pickets, what rock pro (and size) I should rack up (cams, pitons, nuts, etc)? May climb a few different gullies and routes in the ravine and want to be prepared for any of them. Thanks!

I've only used ice screws (4-5) and pickets (1) in Pinnacle, Yale and Damnation Gully. I've taken a set of rocks, #3 to 8, but never used them. If you look closely there is some rock protection left in place by the local guides (Pinnacle and Damnation).

Have fun and safe climbing.

Brad Marshall wrote:If you look closely there is some rock protection left in place by the local guides (Pinnacle and Damnation).

Don't count on fixed pro in February - most likely it will be under ice/snow. Screws and pickets shoud be all you need in February although a few nuts/cams is OK to take along just in case.

Thanks for all the feedback, much appreciated. At least for my first gulley ascent, I'll probably take a piton or two, a couple of cams and a few nuts to put my mind at ease.

http://www.rockandsnow.com/store/produc ... ICE-PITON/

No experience placing rock pro in the gullies, but this thing is what you want for frozen-together chossy rock like shows up a lot in the Whites. When the ice won't take screws and the rock won't take nuts, both will take this. Having one on your rack can take a load off your mind in tight spots.

Autoxfil wrote:http://www.rockandsnow.com/store/product/1329/BLACK-DIAMOND-SPECTRE-ICE-PITON/

No experience placing rock pro in the gullies, but this thing is what you want for frozen-together chossy rock like shows up a lot in the Whites. When the ice won't take screws and the rock won't take nuts, both will take this. Having one on your rack can take a load off your mind in tight spots.

A Spectre will only put your mind at east if you're foolish enough to actually believe it will hold. Craig Luebben couldn't get one to hold much more than 5 Kn (about 1200 lb-f) in his testing. Make sure to use a screamer and pound the ever-loving $h!t out of it.

brokesomeribs wrote:

Autoxfil wrote:http://www.rockandsnow.com/store/product/1329/BLACK-DIAMOND-SPECTRE-ICE-PITON/

No experience placing rock pro in the gullies, but this thing is what you want for frozen-together chossy rock like shows up a lot in the Whites. When the ice won't take screws and the rock won't take nuts, both will take this. Having one on your rack can take a load off your mind in tight spots.

A Spectre will only put your mind at east if you're foolish enough to actually believe it will hold. Craig Luebben couldn't get one to hold much more than 5 Kn (about 1200 lb-f) in his testing. Make sure to use a screamer and pound the ever-loving $h!t out of it.

Is that in his Mountaineering Handbook? I hadn't seen that testing info, but it's good to know. I do bury it to the hilt and use a screamer, like most ice placements.

Autoxfil wrote:

brokesomeribs wrote:

Autoxfil wrote:http://www.rockandsnow.com/store/product/1329/BLACK-DIAMOND-SPECTRE-ICE-PITON/

No experience placing rock pro in the gullies, but this thing is what you want for frozen-together chossy rock like shows up a lot in the Whites. When the ice won't take screws and the rock won't take nuts, both will take this. Having one on your rack can take a load off your mind in tight spots.

A Spectre will only put your mind at east if you're foolish enough to actually believe it will hold. Craig Luebben couldn't get one to hold much more than 5 Kn (about 1200 lb-f) in his testing. Make sure to use a screamer and pound the ever-loving $h!t out of it.

Is that in his Mountaineering Handbook? I hadn't seen that testing info, but it's good to know. I do bury it to the hilt and use a screamer, like most ice placements.

It's in his "How To Ice Climb" book. I bought it a couple months ago on Amazon for $7. It shows up at my door, I open the front cover, and it's signed by the man himself. I was a bit floored. RIP Craig.

I just double checked - page 155 has the results. Most began to lever out at 400lbs. The weakest failure was at 600 lbs, with a couple making it up 1600 lbs. The major qualifier, however, is that they were in ice. Not turf, frozen dirt, etc. I have not seen any quantitative testing for those.