Zodiac October 2006 Trip Report

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Haggis

Trad climber
Scotland
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 13, 2006 - 11:28am PT
Zodiac (VI A3 C3F) October 2006 Trip Report

ive attempted to produce a small slide show which I have uploaded to Google video
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-8899933882406300872

and a larger version at http://www.mydeo.com/videorequest.asp?XID=20892&CID=59476


enjoy

Rob

p.s

if anyone can tell me how I can get better quality then I will reload it. the images are not done justice in the slide show

Example


and

Russ Walling

Social climber
Out on the sand, Man.....
Dec 13, 2006 - 11:37am PT
Yo Haggis!

You've got to get them pictures sorted out on that google thing. You are right, the quality is not very good, but the pics would look great if they were not all pixelated etc. Not sure how to do that on the Google.... Hopefully one of the big brains here will help you out. Looks like a great show!
Good job!
susan peplow

climber
www.joshuatreevacationhomes.com
Dec 13, 2006 - 11:59am PT
As usual, I'm completely jazzed to go after watching a show like that.

Nice work!

~Susan
Cloudraker

Big Wall climber
BC
Dec 13, 2006 - 12:13pm PT
Killer slideshow. The quality is fine if you select the 'normal' view on the bottom right of the Google window.
Russ Walling

Social climber
Out on the sand, Man.....
Dec 13, 2006 - 12:20pm PT
no normal view button here.... but if I make the entire window smaller, it looks pretty good, and if I download it and then play it in GoogleVision or whatever their app is called it looks better.
Good job again Haggis.
Haggis

Trad climber
Scotland
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 13, 2006 - 12:27pm PT
much much much better now try the other links

thanks for the comments

im working on one for the Nose but i dont have as many images

Rob
Scoopy

Big Wall climber
Both feet on the ground
Dec 13, 2006 - 12:57pm PT
Great show. I especially like the falling sequence on the Nipple Pitch. Tom must have shot those.

Thanks!
Kartch

climber
belgrade, mt
Dec 13, 2006 - 01:11pm PT
Thanks for putting that together, it's getting me psyched!
SammyLee

Trad climber
Memphis
Dec 13, 2006 - 01:27pm PT
Dude, that is very, very cool. Especially like the sound track that goes with it. Something about this package captures moments.
BKW

Mountain climber
Central Texas
Dec 13, 2006 - 01:27pm PT
Excellent, Great presentation and music. Makes me wish I was there.Thanks for posting.
Nohea

Trad climber
Aiea,Hi
Dec 13, 2006 - 02:04pm PT
Great dood! Looked good here. Thanks for sharing. I really need to get up that route.

Aloha,
wil
waddell

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Dec 13, 2006 - 02:28pm PT
Wow fellas makes me want to get back on the big stone. Nice work both on the rock and using the camera.

Thanks for posting
scuffy b

climber
The town that Nature forgot to hate
Dec 13, 2006 - 02:43pm PT
Lovely. just what I needed.
bringmedeath

climber
la la land
Dec 13, 2006 - 03:00pm PT
"Wow fellas makes me want to get back on the big stone."

There are very few days I don't think of her.
Zander

Trad climber
Berkeley
Dec 13, 2006 - 03:18pm PT
Thanks Haggis,
Great show. Looks like you had a blast!
Zander
yo

climber
The Eye of the Snail
Dec 13, 2006 - 08:45pm PT
No fixed lines. Excellent!
Cuckawalla

Trad climber
Grand Junction, CO
Dec 14, 2006 - 12:58am PT
DAng, been a long time since I heard the band FAithless.
Strider

Trad climber
one of god's mountain temples....
Dec 14, 2006 - 03:28am PT
That was a great TR! The music and the pictures were well done and it gave a great impression of the experience.

While I watched the video I felt a number of emotions. The first was surprise when I recognized one of the climbers in the video! Gerhard is (or at least was) a friend of mine from Camp 4. For both of us, it was our first time staying in the valley, climbing and living the "dirtbag" lifestyle. I remember the Austrian accent well because I could hear it from several sites away. Gerhard has such a friendly, outgoing personallity that you could not help but join in on the fun.

The second emotion I felt was of nostaglia. Gerhard, Storm Williams, David Bird and myself climbed the WFLT as 2 teams of 2. We swapped partners halfway through, and I climbed the second half with Gerhard. This was my first "big wall" and there was a definte gumby factor. I can clearly remember leading the 7th pitch (combined with the 8th) and Gerhard is belaying me. I am back cleaning pieces and I guess I looked a little run-out because Gerhard looks up and says that I should place more pro. So I start clipping pieces and a little while later I am starting to run out of slings and biners and I am wishing I had moderated myself better. Reached the end of the pitch without major mishap but it was an eye opener and shook my nerves.

The emotion I felt next was the metallic taste of fear as I remembered how I finsihed the climb. The first party (Storm and Dave) were on the summit and Gerhard (my partner) was on the summit as well and had just fixed the rope for me. I alone was left at the last belay which is on a narrow, sloping ledge. I cleaned the anchor and stood on the ledge, soaking in the last sights of the climb and the valley before me. I looked up and saw the rope hanging directly above me. I figured for one last hoorah, I would jump of the ledge, onto my jugs. Since the rope was staright above me and it was static, I figured this would be a short drop of rope stretch and then I would start jugging...

How was I to know that the final anchor was actually to the climber's left and in reality, I was looking at a 40' pendulmn to the left? So when I jump off this ledge and start swinging, I am screaming like a little girl. I start spinning out of control and I have an absolute death grip on the handles of my jugs. After an eternity of stomch churning, back and forth, I just focus my eyes upward and started jugging. Good laughs were had all around when I arrived at the top.

The last emotion I felt was curiosity and fear at how I ended the last 40 ft. of the descent. After we arrived at the summit we caught our breath and then headed down. After the initial slab rappels and after the gulley rappels, there is a final slab rappel. This starts at a large ledge with a number of bolts (left over from a YOSAR rescue, as I recall) but this ledge is about 40' short of a 200' rappel to the ground, so you have to stop at an intermediate rappel which is either a bush or a hanging stance.

We do not know any of this and we are thinking we might have a shot at hitting the gorund in one 200' rappel. Brainstorm = lets lower me down on one end of a double rope rappel (I am the lightest and squirrelyist among us). I will carry the other end of the rope with me to minimize custer*uck and I will determine if we can hit the ground or if we need to stop at another rap station... So as I am being lowered I see both the bush rap station and the hanging rap station but since I am stooopid I still think I can hit the ground and make this a full 200' rap. Then I hear the words "TEN FEET" yelled down to me and I know I am way more than ten feet from the ground so I figure I am screwed. I yell up to fix the rope and I will jug up to the last station so we can all lower-off and get out of here. So imagine my concern when I hear, "WAIT!" being yelled down to me and I wait and wait and wait and wait and wait... I have my jugs on the line and am just rerrring to go back up when suddenly I feel myself being lowered down! Soon I am on the ground and yelling "OFF RAPPEL!" The other three team members rap to the bush station and then rap to the ground. When they get down I ask them how they passed the knot of the two tied ropes and lowered me to the gorund. Dave and Storm look at Gerhard and and shake their heads. Now, years later, I know how I would solve this problem, but to this day I do not know how Gerhard did it. Neither Dave or Storm could recall how it was down, just that it worked in Gehrhard's crazy, Austrian way!

It is great to see a friend from the past doing so well. Congrats on the ascent guys! You did a great job and brought back some really good memories. Hope you guys didn't mind listening.

-n
Haggis

Trad climber
Scotland
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 14, 2006 - 04:05am PT
funny i think i felt much like you did during our ascent. it was a huge learning trip for me i developed a lot climbing with him. although im sure he could put more gear in traverses and he has a heavy had with pin placement.

i think the 45 foot fall on pitch one was an eye opener as was the full exposure hanging jumar.

climb safe

ps the music is Faithless, code followed by evergreen. a product of my stundent days
Gunkie

climber
East Coast US
Dec 14, 2006 - 07:25am PT
Great trip report! Thanks for sharing!
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