Take 2 ropes on the Freeblast

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Ben Doyle

climber

Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 26, 2014 - 03:06pm PT

Recently removed deteriorating fixed lines from Mammoth Terrace to Heart Ledges, and from Heart Ledges to the Ground. If you are climbing the Freeblast, bring 2 ropes to get down or be prepared to leave gear.

Ben Doyle

j-tree

Big Wall climber

Typewriters and Ledges

Apr 26, 2014 - 03:31pm PT

Sooooooo, can one still prehaul to heart ledges before doing freeblast?

Ihateplastic

Trad climber

It ain't El Cap, Oregon

Apr 26, 2014 - 03:45pm PT

Just wondering... when did climbers become lazy?

Might be better to rap in and climb the headwall pitches on the Shield rather than waste all that precious time climbing up to them.

MattB

Trad climber

Tucson

Apr 26, 2014 - 03:46pm PT

um, question, how do you get the rope up there?

Ihateplastic

Trad climber

It ain't El Cap, Oregon

Apr 26, 2014 - 04:04pm PT

thekidcormier

Gym climber

squamish, b.c.

Apr 26, 2014 - 04:44pm PT

Thanks for the heads up Ben.

Impaler

Social climber

Berkeley

Apr 26, 2014 - 05:50pm PT

Thanks for doing that! There were a lot of sketchy ropes there. I hope you got the one from the little john left anchor as well. There's also a fixed rope tied to a chockstone inside the hollow flake. Any idea what the point of that being there? Is that for the lazy masses or does it protect the free traverse over to the HF?

j-tree

Big Wall climber

Typewriters and Ledges

Apr 27, 2014 - 04:46pm PT

Just wondering... when did climbers become lazy?

It's not lazy if you're making plans based upon a limited time schedule.

A party might have only enough time to do a shorter route from the ground or a longer route starting from Heart Ledges before needing to leave the Valley.

For a party like that, laziness is not part of the problem, the time it takes to get to the best position on the wall for your climbing trip is.

caughtinside

Social climber

Oakland, CA

Apr 27, 2014 - 05:28pm PT

I prefer climbers to be lazy. The alternative is walking up to do freeblast and seeing an aid party hauling on it. :-(

tom woods

Gym climber

Bishop, CA

Apr 27, 2014 - 08:10pm PT

Hah! we had that problem years ago. People said there were fixed lines down, so we brought one rope up freeblast. It turned out that this was a bad idea.

It was quite the feeling to be way up there and realize that we had no way down.Fortunately there was one scuzzy old rope a few pitches down that we were able to scavenge and use for the rest of the journey home.

Reverse lead downclimbing taught me that it's best to always bring two ropes when you plan to rap.

JLP

Social climber

The internet

Apr 27, 2014 - 08:33pm PT

It's about $3-500 for those ropes, more for East Ledges. They get fuk'n worked and don't last long, maybe 2-3 sets per season or so? I'd contribute to a fund to finance and place these ropes, if someone set it up. I'm too far away.

Matt

Trad climber

it's all turtles, all the way dooowwwwwnn!!!!!

Apr 27, 2014 - 08:42pm PT

twins bitches

tom woods

Gym climber

Bishop, CA

Apr 27, 2014 - 10:00pm PT

Matt- that's what I was thinking when we were stuck up there.

whitemeat

Big Wall climber

San Luis Obispo, CA

Apr 27, 2014 - 11:39pm PT

I sure do hope the fixed lines for the east ledges descent are there!

Fat Dad

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Apr 28, 2014 - 12:33am PT

^^^
Ok, the fixed lines do make it easier but, yeah, we've gotten lazy. It's OK to admit it.

Andy Puhvel

climber

Apr 30, 2014 - 06:55pm PT

Does anyone know for sure if the Heart Ledges rappels go with an 80 meter
or do you need two ropes or a 100 meter.

Sonic

Trad climber

Boulder, Co

Apr 30, 2014 - 08:49pm PT

If anybody has extra lines Im headed there soon and would fix the lines

I've got one line for it

Levy

Big Wall climber

So Cal

Apr 30, 2014 - 10:40pm PT

Thanks for doing that Ben! It was much needed. I gotta laugh when people ask silly questions like do I have to take 2 ropes up there? Last June I did Freeblast with the Rock brothers and I insisted we take 2 ropes. Sure enough, the line down from Mammoth was the same one I had left in 2007 or 2008 when EE & I did Jolly Rodger and it was in terrible condition. If I had a knife with me at the time I would have cut it out of the anchors & brought it down & carried it to the trash bin. Further down the Heart ledge rappels I saw another rope that was already old, tattered & knotted over core shots that was old when we did J.R.. Ever try to rappel a rope with knots tied all over the place? While passing a knot or two during a rap is common bigwall practice, passing over a dozen knots on a single rappel would be tedious & time consuming.

Those ropes are exposed to the elements year round and exposed to rockfall too. Why would you ever trust your life to a rope you know nothing about? If you ask me the fixed ropes should be removed every season or so.

Whitemeat - If you value your life, you won't ever use those tattered pieces of junk to rap the East ledges. They are knotted junky timebombs unless you just replaced them yourself.