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Ed Bannister
Mountain climber
Victorville, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 14, 2006 - 11:12am PT
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There are times, when the right thing to do is say no.
Kim Schmitz should have untied from Yvon when he knew the slope ahead was unstable, under protest he still followed. He got a fast ride down, a mouthful of loose teeth, a four day donkey ride, and a flight back to the us for a long visit with an oral surgeon.
Willi Unsoeld, kadaver gap. He knew it was bad, he went anyway.
I said no to a military type who wanted a partner. With a different belayer, his pro pulled and he grounded from 60 feet.
What is your story about when you really should have backed off, or when you were in fact glad you did?
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Gunkie
climber
East Coast US
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Mar 14, 2006 - 11:50am PT
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I had a partner that once ran away while I was leading, 60' up on a tenuous 5.9 pitch, in the Gunks because he had to take a crap.
I also had another partner that belayed me up a 50' 5.11 climb using a Munter Hitch on a non-locking biner. I pulled over the top of the block and saw his belay and almost threw him off. The f*#king guy could have lowered an end of the rope, without even untying, to retrieve a locking biner and a belay device. A hip belay would have been 1000X better. Being a 5.11 leader didn't make him smart. This guy even girth hitched slings through wired nuts for lead protection [different climb]. At least he loves & fears God.
Another partner laughed at me when I arrived at the belay 500' up [Cannon Mountain, NH] and backed up his shitty one rusty piton and one stopper behind a loose block belay. As I reset the belay with good cams in a good crack 10' to the right, the nut pulled while dip-shit was still laughing. This guy has been in climbing rags pictures leading 5.13 sport climbs.
I climb with none of those partners anymore and I *should* have bailed in the parking lot.
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bringmeshelter
Social climber
la la land
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Mar 14, 2006 - 11:57am PT
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So this guy is too proud to admit he forgot his rap device. Well so he hand over hands down the ropes for 100 feet of mostly a free hanging rope.
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Mar 14, 2006 - 12:07pm PT
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For me, it's mostly weather that makes me just say no.
Last year two friends continued up Deerhorn Mt. into the teeth of an oncoming lightning storm. While the rest of us headed back to camp in the rain, counting down the flashes. They made it up and back OK, and reported no lightning on the summit. Still, I would not have changed my decision.
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handsome B
Gym climber
Saskatoon, Saskatchawan
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Mar 14, 2006 - 12:09pm PT
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'nuff said
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Ed Bannister
Mountain climber
Victorville, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 14, 2006 - 12:20pm PT
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What! weather makes a difference too?
My fav was on a solo up whitney I looked down at my arm, hair straight up! Then the hair on my head, just breaking the horizon was a bank of thunderheads, I was outta there.
and B, nice.
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climberweenie
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Mar 14, 2006 - 12:35pm PT
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Southwest Colorado, some peak around 12-13k at the start of a snow storm, flashing in the sky. We have our Halloween scary monster feet and gloves ready to put on, getting the kite ready to fly, and we start to hear a loud buzzing and the hair stands up on my arms. We take off running down the ridge, break out our hefty garbage bags and slide down the exceptionally steep slope and reach the bottom 1000 feet below within a couple of minutes. Walking across the valley back to our tents we see lightning striking the peak.
It was good to say no.
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bringmeshelter
Social climber
la la land
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Mar 14, 2006 - 12:39pm PT
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When it is decided that the creek is the most direct way to the mountain... forget taking the trail that is well traveled but will add about .25 of a mile! It is winter, and half the creek is frozen but it is not that cold... so get wet and all. Have to rock climb out of the steep step where it is a small waterfall... could have taken the easy trail... but instead it is time to solo a 30 foot rock step that is icey and wet. A fall from the top means you won't be climbing for a long time, maybe forever. Luckly no falls... make it to base of mountain. No rope in pack, no headlamp, oh well f*#k it. That was an interesting day.
This guy is still my main partner. HMMM... what am I thinking??? God have mercy.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
one pass away from the big ditch
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Mar 14, 2006 - 03:36pm PT
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White Mtn, CA lightning last season. strikes 100' or so away.
One chick's hair standing straight up, punk without the punk.
RAN downhill. Scary.
edit- that's not really a story about saying no and it worked out for the best. But we definitely decided to head down early when the clouds started forming and every other tard was still taking pics on top and some kept going up.
nutty
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crotch
climber
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Mar 14, 2006 - 03:56pm PT
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Hey handsome B (that sounds gay doesn't it) is that Athabasca?
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Mar 14, 2006 - 04:47pm PT
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Hooked up with some crazed Norwegian in Oslo back in '78. I don't remember how we met him or where he took us but it was one of the wilder five pitches of basically unprotectable and moss covered choss I've ever trundled, er, I mean climbed.
Back in '75 in a confused fog I managed to wander off the Bastille crack at the top of the face and venture on to Wide Country with essentially no pro and a belayer that hadn't climbed much at all - almost did not survive the experience.
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 14, 2006 - 05:17pm PT
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Alpspitz
Funny how you started this thread off with Kim Schmitz's bad experience, and forget to mention later in his life how he should of said no to that client that pulled him off that climb in the Sierras.
He fell like 80 feet and was finished.
He should have said no to that guy and bailed after he did it the first time. (The second time (pulled on the rope), next pitch is when the dude rips Kim off the rock while he was leading.
Ended his climbing career and nearly killed him.
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Gary
climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
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Mar 14, 2006 - 05:30pm PT
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That's awful.
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dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
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Mar 14, 2006 - 05:52pm PT
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HAHA, I've had times when I should have bailed, didn't, and came out unscathed, but those don't make for good stories.
Never had to bail on a partner, which is largely the result of having extremely good luck in meeting and becoming good friends with the right people.
I have in the past observed others in action and then declined to participate though, LOL. Again, no good story material there.
I have bailed, and been glad I did, but even then, no good stories.
Gunkie, if you have not had your drunken belayer lie down on the ground and threaten to go to sleep, or climbed up to a belay to find one sling draped over a projection, and heard the words, "You're not going to like this, but I never weight my belays", I don't think you have much to complain about.
HEHE!
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Ed Bannister
Mountain climber
Victorville, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 14, 2006 - 06:37pm PT
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Werner, thanks, I did not know about Kim.
Ed
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Larry
Trad climber
Reno NV
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Mar 14, 2006 - 08:27pm PT
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Werner, that happened in the Tetons not the Sierra.
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 14, 2006 - 08:31pm PT
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Larry
Oops you're right I screwed up the location. Thank you.
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oblio
Trad climber
San Diego
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Mar 14, 2006 - 08:58pm PT
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Having spent 4 glorious days climbing in Yosemite last summer (my first time there), one of my camp mates was lamenting that he hadn’t been able to climb. Green enough to not realize that the guy with no rope, no gear other than a set of nuts was NOT the guy I want to be climbing with (among other clues which I was oblivious to) I offered to climb the with him the following day rather than the 2 great partners I had had the previous days climbing Royal Arches and Fairview dome. I haven’t been climbing that long and 5.8 is about the limit of what I was comfortable with (first clue to me/note to self that I ought to have said no). He was chomping at the bit from the beginning…my buddies climbed first…I saw them clip the fixed gear but apparently HE didn’t see me clip it and as I was belaying him up heard him grunting and groaning and he was not making any progress only to discover he had been with all his might to get it out. Anyway, by the end of the 2nd pitch I already wondered what the hell I was doing and the remainder of the climb served only to reinforce that sentiment, but for obviously all the wrong reasons, decided NOT to bail. By the last pitch I was at my wits end, NOT focusing, NOT climbing my best and slipped only to take a 30’ whipper and break both of my legs (at least my gear held!). 7 months later I still can’t climb though I’m getting closer by the day, I can almost taste it…and I have a newfound appreciation for walking, driving, simple things most people take for granted.
I certainly learned some critical analysis and decision making skills regarding when to say no. I hope it will server me well in my future climbing.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Mar 14, 2006 - 09:02pm PT
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oblio,
That is a bit of a brutal way to learn, but it sounds as if you have. Hope you get back to climbing soon...
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LOWERme
Trad climber
Santa Fe N.M.
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Mar 14, 2006 - 11:22pm PT
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I have had the good fortune of always having solid partners, always. I mean everyone has their little idiosyncrasies One guy I climbed with for a while always had to stop at noon and have a sit down lunch. It was always neatly packed in plastic tupperware containers, with knife, fork, spoon, the works. Kinda like his mom had packed it. Use to drive me nuts! He was also always stopping on the approach to adjust something, or apply more sunscreen etc. Good god! Actually, the lack of patience I displayed back then is beginning to embarrass me! On his behalf, he was a great belayer.
My own performance on the other hand, has sometimes been less than stellar. I once fell asleep while belaying a partner as he led a super tedious (4 hour) 120' A-4 pitch on a new wall route. Rope pull finally woke me up. I'm probably not the 1st to do this, but I never told him about it. I also brought a guy up the 1st pitch of Stairway to Heaven, Tahquitz, using a stich plate without a locking biner. I think I was just a little delerious from the lead, he made a super huge deal out of it, ( I always suspected it was because I had to tension him up), but I never made that mistake again. I also had a partner fall on Pink Rhoyd from the sandbag 5.9 move above the crux, (now rated wierd 10b). After all was said and done, he logged about 40', none of it air time. I always felt that I could have done better, more attention, quicker reaction, less rope out, something. He really took a beating, and never led again. Love ya Pete.
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