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Blizzard
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 4, 2013 - 07:48pm PT
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What are yours? regarding developing a new area? camping nearby? stashing gear? trail building? mitigating loose rock? Preparations for retreat? Tag line pros and cons? Tips and techniques? anything else i should know? This area is in a National forest if you know any laws regarding camping and climbing in these areas or a reference to those laws please inform me. I am a novice developing an area for the first time and would like to learn by experiences, yours and mine. Thank you for your input.
-B. McIntosh
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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Beware of Locals
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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For development at the Riverside Quarry, we would bring along our good friend, Dave (aka: Super Dave), who would obligingly clear away loose rock by belching mightily at the cliff face.
We could climb on whatever was left after the dust had settled.
After we had picked ourselves up off the ground and removed our ear protection.
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Resist the urge to buy a power drill.
It is the path to the dark side...
Go out there and have yourself an adventure!
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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What kind of rock?
Style of routes?
This thread is useless without pics! Show us the freshies!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Usually I bring two things just in case. One is a power drill in case I get scared, and tow is my boxer buddy in case the locals show up. lol
My real strategy is to avoid learning how to bolt so I do not have to listen to people bitch, and to have a lot of fun with my friends.
If area is overhanging choss it probably is good for sport climbing. If there are cracks and it protects than it is probably a good place for ground up trad. If it is a slab and you are first to discover the area I think it is your call if you want to rap bolt or go ground up. Whatever keeps you happy.
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Rivet hanger
Trad climber
Barcelona
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Do a FA that takes me at least 60 days (not climbing on Sabbath), write a tedious book claiming it's the only real A5 ratted route on that wall and explaining the troubles I had with local climbers. Then, wait for 30 years to find out it's just A3+...
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Just always remember that......
YER
GONNA
DIE!!!!!!
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Get there, first.
Get there first, second.
And when you get back home, thank the Lord and spray.
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Classroom to crag to summer camp
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I don't think RH will ever understand new wave versus old wave aid ratings.
I also doubt RH reads the same book most of us read.
Do you get too distracted by the twinkle of trenched lead heads and the brittle cracking of wooden pegs around you when you read and just sort of fill in the blanks with whatever weird ramblings are happening in your head RH?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Don't promise an FA on Denali to a client if he is gonna go blab to the
Canadians at loose ends camped nearby. Jess sayin'...
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Blizzard
Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 5, 2013 - 11:48am PT
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thanks for the replys and i'll try to get some pics up soon. This area has vast potential for trad, sport, and bouldering. So far we have developed one trad route and a slew of boulders. (i wish it was the other way around because my arms feel shot with minor injuries and we only had one awesome trad day) It has been real fun nonetheless. The trad route has a mellow walk off and approach. we stash our gear out there near the campsite in 5 gal buckets along with some food, beer and water. as far as trail building goes we only built cairns and developed a path from walking over the same path to get to different areas. we will bring a small hand saw to aid in this aspect of developing. I bring gear to bail such as rap rings, pro and slings. I don't own a tag line but am considering purchasing one for it's uses with bailing and self rescue. I am a novice and am just learning on my own so i thought i could consult the vast knowledge held captive by supertopo users. Thank You Guys.
I really started this thread to hear about YOUR experiences with developing areas or routes. I thought if we all came together to offer our insight into this realm of climbing there would be a plethora of tips and techniques from various situations to help aid each one of us in our unique pursuit of happiness. Thanks again.
-Bruce McIntosh
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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I think the thread title in inauspicious, I don't view an FA as a battle requiring tactics with a winner and a looser... it's not a combat against the cliff or mountain.
When you view it in a different light the "tactics" become a lot clearer...
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Rivet hanger
Trad climber
Barcelona
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The same book, dude! Thank Lord only exists one edition of this literature pearl (makes Lionel Terray look like a pre-school student!). The birds, the storms, Sabbath, bad angry boys in the Valley, prays, hooks (used in both new wave and old school I guess), and so on...
By the way, very funny you still don't undestand the use of wood wedges and the pitons! Needless to talk about physics properties of lead...
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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I don't view an FA as a battle requiring tactics with a winner and a looser... it's not a combat against the cliff or mountain.
Now there's a Californian point of view if there ever was one. Come up to the PNW one of these days Ed, and we'll show you some fierce FA battlegrounds.
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rincon
Trad climber
SoCal
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Your first ascent tactics should respect all USFS and NPS regulations. I believe hacking local flora is illegal. Stashing 5 gallon buckets of gear in a National Forest is probably ok as far as I know. I hate when people use the term "develop" when talking about putting up routes, because it sounds like you are building a city or something. Trail building is not legal, so keep it small. LEO's read this forum.
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crunch
Social climber
CO
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What rincon said.
Around here the Forest Service have prosecuted "developers" on occasion. Not for bolting, which is usually legal and legit everywhere, but for damage to vegetation, construction of staging areas and trail building.
When folks do get busted, it's a big bummer, it all gets real ugly for everyone. Developing a new crag is thankless at best, it hurts bad to get prosecuted after all the hard work.
Best to do a bit of research (internet search? Phone call?) first to figure out what regulations there are in the particular forest you are interested in.
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Barbarian
climber
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My FA tactics have always been the same:
Pick a line.
Climb it on lead.
Drill no holes.
Leave no tat.
Go home.
Tell no one.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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What rincon said.
Up to a point. Not all potential climbs are in areas administered by the FS or the NPS. Regulations governing vegetation removal, trail-building, fixed anchors, power-drilling, overnight camping, fire-building, etc etc etc vary from place to place. As do local customs and consensus about what is acceptable.
What is important, at least in my view, is not to screw things up for others. So, yeah, check the land status. Find out what the regulations forbid or permit. Talk to other folks who put up routes in the area.
But remember, what is illegal (or unethical) in your corner of the woods may be legal and commendable elsewhere. And vice versa.
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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My FA tactics have usually been the same:
Steal a good looking line from someone with greater "vision" than I,
Find a stronger partner to do all the harder leading,
Place at least one bolt to "mark" the route,
Brag about the route,
Publish a guide and give my routes 5 stars so everyone knows how cool I am.
(Or so I've been told.)
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