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Enf0rcer
Boulder climber
San Francisco, California
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 7, 2010 - 03:01pm PT
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I was climbing Table Manners 5.8 on the main wall yesterday 12/7. About a third of the way up, I heard the hollow shifting of rock. I thought I was hearing things so I continued on.
My left foot was smearing the left side of the chimney and my right was in a drop knee back step position most of the way up, pushing out on the AC Devil Dog column.
About two thirds of the way up I heard it again. I yelled down to my partner if she heard anything and she confirmed what I feared. I carried on carefully, trying not to put too much pressure on that side. When I reached the top bolts, I nervously perched on the same columns to set myself up to be lowered like many climbers before me.
I guess we all tend to keep our guard down when climbs are listed in a guide book. It is ultimately our responsibility to inspect anything we get on. AC Devil Dog Column is a massive refrigerator size column about 80 ft high, weighting a few tons. However it is fractured all around and detached from the face in a few spots.
Be careful out there!!!
Benny
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Prod
Trad climber
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With Granite and limestone weigning in at about 165 pounds a cubic foot, I'd say it is a bit heavier than a few tons.
80' high 3' wide and 3' thick would be 720 cu feet x 165 comes out to 118,000 pounds or 60 tons.
That would squash a few flies....
Prod.
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couchmaster
climber
pdx
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Can you calculate how much force it would take for a fall onto a cam to move the column and rip the cam?
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, thanks for warning folks....
should there be warning signs around, if folks are tending to think that due to "being in the books" a false sense of security IS there, then??
just wondering, at least warning signs, give someone the chance to rethink, at the last minute... or an option to change plans...
thanks agains...
supertopo is so great this way, with folks that care about giving out "scouts" and such...
:)
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Prod
Trad climber
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Can you calculate how much force it would take for a fall onto a cam to move the column and rip the cam?
Nope.... Pageing Dr Ed H.
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Enf0rcer
Boulder climber
San Francisco, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 7, 2010 - 04:40pm PT
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Don't know how basalt column react to water erosion but the area looks like it constantly changes quite frequently. I can picture waterfalls on all sides emptying into the pit during the rainy season. The bottom of the columns are not visibleand sit on a pile of loose blocks from previous rock fall. Who knows how it's sitting below.
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nature
climber
Tuscon Again! India! India! Hawaii! LA?!?!
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i doubt you can do much with figuring out what force it would take to send that sucker. You know nothing about the friction that keeps it in place.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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yowza
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dfinnecy
Social climber
'stralia
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If someone sends AC Devil Dog to the pit of Hades get that plummet on film so we can all raise a toast.
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drunkenmaster
Social climber
santa rosa
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finally something useful on the forum - very nice enf0rcer. and yes please video the plummeting devil dog pillar if anyone banks it. i always thought that route was bolted whacked anyways - sayonara :)
but until then a frkn warning sign might actually be good or something??
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davidji
Social climber
CA
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It's my favorite basalt climb. For me, many basalt climbs look a lot more fun than they are. That one is as awesome as it looks. If it goes, glad I got to have my fun already.
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Jerry Dodrill
climber
Sebastopol, CA
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Its not if, but when, that entire cliff goes...
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pvalchev
Social climber
Mountain View, CA / Calgary, AB
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Did the fridge a few weeks ago (first time in the Grotto), it is a very neat and memorable climb (so are the cracks!). It would be sad to see it go - how about instead of jacking it/destroying it, pump a few gallons of glue behind it? :)
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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ac devil dog is a special case.
the entire column is detached and sitting on a short stack of choss. that thing makes me really nervous. it's probably been like that through god knows how many earthquakes, but still.
if it goes while folks are actually in the pit, it might take out everyone down in that hole.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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ok, I can't resist...
...but this is just a calculation, not an endorsement to tip that column
note also that if the column is leaning back, you'll need more force and more range to tip it...
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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i'm convinced that a couple hi-jacks and/or a cumalong could pull that thing down without too much effort. but it would wipe out everything in the direction of pull.
there's a decent chance that there's a perfect finger splitter dead center behind it.
good redneck project for a day when there's no one in the hole.
heh
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nutjob
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Ed and Dingus, you both turned this thread into gold. Thanks!
And if folks are interested in climbing ricketty blocks... I invite you to a little face pitch to the right of Overhang Bypass. If you start up directly under the prominent roof on Lower Cathedral Rock, and wander left on 5.8 dirty bushy squeeze pitches, you'll reach a short face pitch with minimal/no pro, and then top out over a stack of 3 blocks each the size of a small washing machine or large microwave, and you better pull down not out. For some odd reason we don't have pics of that section while doing it, but I've got a pic somewhere of my partner reaching the fat ledge above it.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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so cross posted the Beartouni's calcs
LOL!
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
climber
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Archimedes used to say (in the Doric speech of Syracuse) “Give me a place to stand, and with a lever I will move the whole world.”
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Matt
Trad climber
primordial soup
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same could be said for el cap or HD, or any of us!
"it's not if, but when..."
meanwhile- who wants to go trundle?
=)
edit
oh and btw- ed, depending on what the true scenario is at the base, it could possibly require less force.
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