rap line on El Cap?

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Messages 1 - 34 of total 34 in this topic
Gerg

Boulder climber
Calgary
Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 18, 2010 - 03:57pm PT
i was in the meadow in mid-June and I noticed two ropes dangling from the rim to the bottom of El Cap near Dawn Wall.
What is that for?
i saw two guys rap the thing, it took them about an hour.
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Jun 18, 2010 - 04:53pm PT
A group of 14 SAR/Cavers set them up for rapping and jugging/rope walking.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Jun 18, 2010 - 07:52pm PT
I heard from a ranger that the rangers made them take the rope down, as it was considered a commercial enterprise. I guess someone was charging someone to use the ropes? Anyone know?
Dr.Sprock

Boulder climber
Sprocketville
Jun 18, 2010 - 08:45pm PT
yeah, chongo was up there trying to make change.
wildone

climber
GHOST TOWN
Jun 18, 2010 - 09:16pm PT
When I used to work aat the wilderness permit office, about once a year, a bunch of caver kooks would come out from georgia or some sh#t, and string up ropes on el cap. Then, wait for it....they'd rappel them! They were so psyched. To hear them tell it, it was pretty much the coolest thing anyone could do. Maybe it's those guys.
survival

Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
Jun 18, 2010 - 09:19pm PT
Sounds like the same bunch.

One of them rapped and lost control of his brake bar scene, to his death in what, 92?
Slakkey

Big Wall climber
From Back to Big Wall Baby
Jun 18, 2010 - 09:26pm PT
They go up and They come down I would rather just climb the Big Stone.
the Fet

climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
Jun 19, 2010 - 03:13am PT
They all chipped in $800 each for the gear, food, etc. I don't think they were charing anyone or making any money of it.

There's at least one other team that does this too.

Of course I'd rather climb El Cap, but I have no problem with them doing it if it floats thier boat.
Tom

Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
Jun 19, 2010 - 06:19am PT
I saw those guys from Georgia about five years ago, and they were stoked to do the 2500 foot free rap and jug. It took about six guys to carry the rope to the Alcove, which was hauled up by a thinner line dropped by their team. At the top, they had dehydrated backpacking food, but the only water up there was what they brought with them (snicker).
Captain...or Skully

Social climber
Seriously, Man, I didn't know she was Your sister.
Jun 19, 2010 - 08:41am PT
Cavers, man. To each his own, I guess.
Or somethin'. I don't get it, but I guess they do.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Jun 19, 2010 - 09:34am PT
Ho, hum....who gives a shite!
Jingy

Social climber
Nowhere
Jun 19, 2010 - 10:31am PT
"They go up and They come down I would rather just climb the Big Stone."

"They all chipped in $800 each for the gear, food, etc."





Each respondent mentions they'd rather climb El Cap…

Even with $800 each of gear… Would this be enough to get you up El Cap.. Once?

For me… Even if I had that amount of gear I still would not have the ability of the rock. Not to mention, these dudes were lucky enough to even be that close to the stone. I think it would be kinda neat. Tough to ascend, super thrill to rap. Longest rap in America?

From what I understand they had the lines up for a few days, then got in trouble because it was a commercial venture…. But then again, I am just an observer of these things, and was neither ranger or the dudes on the lines.. so I would not know.


Aside from that… its all speculation from us all….
Burt

Big Wall climber
Las Vegas, Nv
Jun 19, 2010 - 10:56am PT
It's kinda f*#ked that they make them take them down. Hell we get to string all our crap all over that wall and we feel we are entitled to it. I mean it sounds kinda lame to me, but again climbing sounds just as retarded to them. Maybe the big W can shed some light on this? How many illegal climbing videos have been shot without permits or permission? Money making adventure there for sure... just playing devils advocate need a good discussion around here.

Kurt "Burt"
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jun 19, 2010 - 12:25pm PT
A group of 14 SAR/Cavers set them up for rapping and jugging/rope walking.
What is "rope walking"?

It sounds like they simply came, did their rappelling and jumaring, and went home. Is there any substance to the rumour that the NPS asked that they remove their ropes?
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Jun 19, 2010 - 02:24pm PT
Anders, it wasn't a rumour. A ranger told me she made them take it down, because it was considered by them to be a commercial enterprise. But the rangers all refused to talk shop at the BBQ, so I could learn nothing more.

I do have one caving friend who has done this, maybe she knows something about it?

You climbers don't get cavers, do you? Cavers - pale anemic offspring of the underworld - have nothing better to do with their time than perfect their jugging and rappelling systems. Accordingly, if you want to know anything about jugging and rapping, ask a caver. Most of us are appalled at how poorly your average Yosemite wall climber ascends a free-hanging fixed rope.

Most interesting in their system are their homemade rappel racks, consisting of brake bars over and under which the rappel rope runs. The rope weighs several hundred pounds, and won't work in a conventional rappel device because of its weight - it would be like attempting to rappel a steel rebar. So they weld themselves up a rack about three or four feet long, upon which they start with only a few widely-spaced brakebars, which can be added as the caver descends, and the weight of rope beneath the rappel device decreases.

Equally interesting are the lifting systems they construct in order for a person to step to the side of the wall, and somehow get on rappel on a couple-hundred-pound rope.

The ropewalking systems usually involve a chest roller, which is just like what it sounds - a roller-pulley you wear on your chest with a very tight chest harness to keep you upright while you're jugging. Various other ascenders are added to the system, such as ankle cams. Sometimes cams are positioned around one of the knees on a stirrup to the ankle, and these "floating" cams are held up by a bungy cord to the harness.

It takes you forever to get one of these systems onto the rope, but once you're on, it's the fastest and easiest way to ascend. Typically such systems are impractical on shorter drops, say less than a hundred metres or so, and here most of us use the conventional Frog system, often converted to a pseudo ropewalker with the addition of an ankle cam.
tomtom

Social climber
Seattle, Wa
Jun 19, 2010 - 03:37pm PT
How is this any different than the fixed ropes to Heart Ledge?
Wade Icey

Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
Jun 19, 2010 - 05:26pm PT
Most of us are appalled at how poorly your average Yosemite wall climber ascends a free-hanging fixed rope.


no such thing as an average Yosemite wall climber.
August West

Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
Jun 19, 2010 - 05:37pm PT
How is this any different than the fixed ropes to Heart Ledge?

Well, Heart Ledge fixed lines are less visible to the average tourist, but it is an issue...
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jun 19, 2010 - 11:50pm PT
You climbers don't get cavers, do you?
Cavers = the climbing underground.
Captain...or Skully

Social climber
Aw, Pshaw, you wouldn't even understand....
Jun 20, 2010 - 02:00am PT
Dude, Cavers are SO pale.
WTF?
Lambone

Ice climber
Ashland, Or
Jun 20, 2010 - 03:53am PT
PTPP says:
Most of us are appalled at how poorly your average Yosemite wall climber ascends a free-hanging fixed rope.


come one man, we've all seen you jug way slower then the average wall climber many times. ;)
j/k
thanks for explaining the system , it's pretty interesting.

did they let you rap down off Pacemaker?
nice 'send btw
Scott Cole

Trad climber
Sunny California
Jun 20, 2010 - 12:22pm PT
Many climbers a secretly cavers as well. We don't talk about it in polite company, but caving is every bit as demanding as climbing.

Swimming in ice cold water in the dark is almost as much fun as bivying under a waterfall in a storm, and crawling through a horizontal suqeeze chimney for half a mile is a great abdominal workout.

On your next trip to the Tetons, spend a rest day in the Ice/ Wind cave connection.

ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
Feb 12, 2018 - 07:42pm PT
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Levy

Big Wall climber
Calabasas
Feb 12, 2018 - 07:59pm PT
I rappelled the Nose on December 30th, 2017 and it was a fun day outing. Having climbed El Cap over 30 times previously, I thought it would be a fun adventure, and it was!

I'll post up some photos soon.

Has anybody climbed and rappelled El Cap in 1 day?
Crazy Bat

Sport climber
Birmingham, AL & Seweanee, TN
Feb 13, 2018 - 03:16am PT
There were actually three groups scheduled to do it in 2010. The first group were dweebs who were charging. They nearly had a rope tangle that would have given SAR fits. SAR wound up owning their ropes. The next group was scheduled for the following week and got a cease and desist order. Our group came in for the third week. We were just a group pooling funds and no one was charged. Luckily we got there early enough to work with the park service and our trip happened with one rope. I will be with a group coming to repeat the feat in July. LOL
Sula

Trad climber
Pennsylvania
Feb 13, 2018 - 06:05am PT
Levy posted:
I rappelled the Nose on December 30th, 2017 and it was a fun day outing.
Presumably, this was with a normal-length climbing rope and multiple stops - yes?
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Feb 13, 2018 - 08:04am PT
Has anybody climbed and rappelled El Cap in 1 day?

Yes, when Shipoopi's and Hans did three el cap routes in a day they rapped west buttress or something.
JLP

Social climber
The internet
Feb 13, 2018 - 11:09am PT
Sweet video. I’d take that over East Ledges any day.
Levy

Big Wall climber
Calabasas
Feb 13, 2018 - 01:03pm PT
Sula, Yes, we used two 60 Meter ropes and had an additional rope as a backup incase a rope got irretrievably stuck. We did something like 27 rappels. The act of committing over the lip and getting into the top of the Nose dihedrals was very exciting. The ends of our ropes were swinging out in space on the blunt, rounded buttress where the Central Scrutinizer comes in with some 3,000' of air below.
Gary

Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
Feb 13, 2018 - 01:33pm PT
One regret I have is I never got to do any vertical caving. Those big potholes are something else.

It's a whole nother world down there underground.
Gary

Social climber
Desolation Basin, Calif.
Feb 13, 2018 - 03:15pm PT
And crawling through bat guano.
skywalker1

Trad climber
co
Feb 14, 2018 - 12:28am PT
In early high school rappelling was as much fun as the actual climbing. We would clip in from the haul loop and dive off bridges, etc.... I even got suspended for 3 days for rappelling off the catwalk of the school auditorium during a "restroom" pass. If at the time you showed us how to do that sort of stunt we would have been all in 110%. Now...not so much but looks RAD!

Nice video! I was looking for all the features but he was facing Middle a lot so maybe need to just go UP there to see for myself. ;-).

Cheers!!!

S....
JLP

Social climber
The internet
Feb 14, 2018 - 08:50am PT
Years of climbing - I'm claustrophobic in my own living room. Fuk caving.
jstan

climber
Feb 14, 2018 - 12:27pm PT
In 62 or 63 before I got into climbing I did some caving in NY, WV,IN, & VA. Never do it again. Craziest was a sump I pushed in NY. I would get free of the water just as it started filling the upper nostril which was pushing up against the rock ceiling. Frankly not sane.

Hellhole was fun I must admit however. So I migrated to something safer.
Messages 1 - 34 of total 34 in this topic
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