delendaest
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 21, 2010 - 09:38pm PT
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Now this might be the most uber-noob question I've ever asked, but after a few cold-ones I'm willing to go out on a limb and ask: how do slab routes get put up? I can imagine standing at the bottom of a face, seeing an arete or a crack you want to try following, and going for it. That seems pretty straight forward. But what about slab routes? How are those put in? When I read that someone spent the summer of 'XX developing an area, what does that really mean? Do you walk along the face with a level and a pair of binoculars before picking the start? If you're going bottom-up, how can you explore what lies above without drilling bolts or down climbing every time to decide to back off? I know these are vague questions, but I'd enjoy reading any stories people have, any insight they can give into the day-to-day life of the stout men who set the routes I'm enjoying.
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Aug 21, 2010 - 09:40pm PT
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In some cases, with big Balls! I hope Kevin Powell and Henny chime in on this one!
Peace
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delendaest
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 21, 2010 - 09:41pm PT
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You got that right.
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Tami
Social climber
Canada
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Aug 21, 2010 - 09:42pm PT
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the summer of 'XX developing an area, what does that really mean
Means yer prolly a woman c'os XX chromosomally designates the distaffs while XY the spears.
However said, it reads like the OP is perhaps YYZ and therefore LIVES IN TORONTO.
GUD LUCK WITH THAT.
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Blitzo
Social climber
Earth
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Aug 21, 2010 - 09:43pm PT
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You pick a line, climb up to where you feel you can place a bolt, stand there and drill it, climb to the next stance and drill again an so on, ect.
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Gene
Social climber
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Aug 21, 2010 - 09:46pm PT
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I was gonna say that Tami nails it, but maybe that ain't the appropriate phrase........
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Transporter Room 2
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Aug 21, 2010 - 09:46pm PT
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What's a distaff?
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delendaest
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 21, 2010 - 09:47pm PT
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So the route ends at the highest bolt you can set? What if you can't drill a bolt from the position that you've decided to stop climbing? I'm surprised that Tuolumne isn't littered with routes that end abruptly before reaching a coherent end-point.
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Gene
Social climber
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Aug 21, 2010 - 09:48pm PT
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Whut's a distaff?
Opposite of a stiff staff.
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delendaest
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 21, 2010 - 09:49pm PT
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as for the "'XX", i was thinking of supertopo's description of dozier dome, and was too lazy to get the book and find the exact year they quote the great mr dozier as developing the area... i think YYZ chromosomes would imply that i'm a reptile human hybrid.
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Chinchen
climber
Way out there....
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Aug 21, 2010 - 09:49pm PT
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Two words.
RAP BOLT
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delendaest
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 21, 2010 - 09:51pm PT
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holy sh#t blitzo, what is that route?
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Transporter Room 2
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Aug 21, 2010 - 09:53pm PT
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Stiff staff at a distance?
No one knows, man.
Lost in the Mists of Time.
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Blitzo
Social climber
Earth
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Aug 21, 2010 - 10:13pm PT
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It's the FA of "Country Boy" at Echo Lakes near Tahoe. None of the routes we put up there were rap bolted.
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Transporter Room 2
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Aug 21, 2010 - 10:22pm PT
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Bill, you may be lost in the Mists of Time.
For now, anyhow. It does march on, howsumever.
Or so I've heard. Grins
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delendaest
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 21, 2010 - 10:25pm PT
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damn, strong work blitzo. so how did that work? you just eye-balled it and went for it? set the route in one day? one person lead the whole thing?
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Nordicknut
Trad climber
Seattle
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Aug 21, 2010 - 10:31pm PT
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How do slab routes get put up?
Boldly.
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flakyfoont
Trad climber
carsoncity nv
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Aug 21, 2010 - 10:33pm PT
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never rap bolted, never had to .On slabs I just had to tighten my bra strap 1st.
edit I bag on myself so's not to offend
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Gregg Olson
Boulder climber
Moorpark, Ca
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Aug 21, 2010 - 11:17pm PT
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This is in reference to Tami's wonderfully creative post... YYZ is the code that pilots use to Identify Toronto International Airport. I can add to that by saying Geddy and Alex would be proud of Tami's abstract thinking.
As far as leading slabs or face climbs in general go...
1. You find a line that looks like it might go.
2. You holster up your drill of choice, some bolts and some draws.
3. You cast off into the great unknown until you get to a spot that you "think" you might be able to hang out on and get a bolt installed, hanging of hooks to get the job done ( depending on the areas ethics and steepness of the route ) might be a choice.
4. After you whimper and pray your way through the first one, you cast off until the next drill spot is found. Ect.. ect.. until you get up the thing. FYI this is why you have runouts. Its not usually because someone purposefully decided to scare the sh#t out of you. They just had to keep moving until that spot was found. There is great story out there about the first ascent of " The Edge " at Tahquitz Rock Ca. by Tobin Sorenson that exemplifies the way it should be done for maximum reward and adventure !!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Aug 22, 2010 - 12:01am PT
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You cast off for the unknown, that's how.
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