Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 16, 2006 - 11:20pm PT
|
We forgot to mention the false belay, I think it was on the 5th pitch. It seemed like a short one and sure enough we ended up doing the route in nine pitches. Not a bad idea when short-fixing but no good if climbing traditionally.
So, we hit the rim in 3 hours 42 minutes, exactly 45 minutes longer than we did Desert Shield in. The extra time could be chocked up to the placements on the headwall being more tedious, not having ANY HB off-sets (Haa haa), or maybe a better excuse could be, we were still feeling the numbing effects from the Streaked Wall.
Haa haa, sound familiar?
Either way, we dun good and it was an excellent way to spend my last day in Zion.
The topo said to bring a drill because the bolts on the summit “are flexing hard”. We, of course, didn’t bring a drill kit. We checked them out and they didn’t seem bad to us, they must have been replaced. I did notice the webbing and cord on the raps weren’t looking that great.
We descended and were back at the car in no time.
|
|
Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 16, 2006 - 11:24pm PT
|
Our rapping method went down like this:
I would fix the lead line to the anchor and go down on a single line to the next belay. Chris would re-rig it with the skinny line and double rap in. I could pull him in if needed. I take the other end of the lead line, fix and start rapping. Chris starts pulling and I get a head start off the belay and reduce the cluster. Just remember not to get too far off the anchor unless the rope gets stuck. The second guy has to pull all the ropes but the first guy has most of the weight and leads the descent, a good trade-off.
Oh yeah, does anyone know if this route has been done in a day before? Most of the locals seem to think it has but had been fixed from the day before.
Cheers!
|
|
Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 16, 2006 - 11:38pm PT
|
Here's one of me hooking the holes on the headwall - The hole above is the one that blew.
|
|
Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 16, 2006 - 11:53pm PT
|
Alright OUCH!! It's YOU and ME, after school... at the baseball field at three O'CLOCK.
Haa haa, we should put on a slideshow together. I could act all serious and you could be that guy who keeps crack'n jokes and switch'n the slides to your funny ones.
It would be a riot.
|
|
Ouch!
climber
|
|
|
Mar 17, 2006 - 12:01am PT
|
LOL! OK, Ammon, but you gotta give me a headstart. I'm slow as molasses in wintertime. Really some nice pictures and a good climbing adventure. Well done..
|
|
Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
|
|
|
Mar 17, 2006 - 12:18am PT
|
Seems like there would be some way to lower you on the lead line as it's being pulled and that would kill two birds at the same time.
Or maybe kill you anyway if it screwed up.
nice send as usual
Peace
Karl
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
Mar 17, 2006 - 12:47am PT
|
Now this looks like a nice route us regular guys (mere mortals) can do.
But you guys still took it off into the stratospheric regions.
Back down here on earth, we love man.
It's a beautiful line.
|
|
HiAzTy
climber
Cayucos
|
|
|
Mar 17, 2006 - 12:56am PT
|
What? Christ..... what the f*#k are you talking about!?
|
|
Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
|
|
|
Mar 17, 2006 - 01:00am PT
|
Wow.
Climbing.
Good call.
|
|
Ammon
Big Wall climber
El Cap
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 17, 2006 - 01:46am PT
|
Aiigh, I hate being lowered, Karl. It's worse than going down the skinniest of ALL lines.
Besides, you have to do a few tricky pendi's and scrambling traverses to get to some of the anchors. I think it’s easier if you have total control without yelling…. STOP!!
|
|
Chris McNamara
SuperTopo staff member
|
|
|
Sep 14, 2006 - 12:01pm PT
|
just thought this should be archived here in case anyone wants to fix up the bolt ladder and wants to know how one of the fa feels
Just to give you a very brief history... Josh Cannon and I climbed the first three pitches and got snowed out. I came back two weeks later and soloed the 4th and 5th pitch. I left my ropes fixed at the top of the 5th and rapped down to get back to high school monday morning. When I came back to finish the route the next weekend, I stopped by John's place, he lived in Hurricane at the time, and we agreed to attempt to finish the route together. We jugged to the top of the 5th, I led the sixth pitch, and and John led the remainder of the route. As far as the holes go on pitch 5, I never intended on having empty wholes for hooking, I used a #3 copper head inserted by hand into the 3/4" deep hole. My thought was that I wouldn't blow the hole out by pounding a beak in there, but the if the route got repeated subsequent ascents could deepen the holes and place a bolt or baby angle. There was some natural hooking on the pitch, maybe five or six moves. I climbed the route about 6 years back and it looked like those hooking edges had blown out and holes or enhancements were put in there place. In retrospect, knowing how sandstone wears from repeated ascents, I would have taken the extra time and money to drill deeper and put something more permanent in the holes. I was 17, and that was my first time climbing a new route, live and learn I guess:)
 Calder
|
|
Kartch
climber
Mutahna
|
|
|
Sep 14, 2006 - 02:12pm PT
|
Minerals,
There is a new geology book that came out by Zion Canyon Institute, written by Robert Eves (Prof at SUU) about Zions geology. The book has several pics of climbers including one of Joe French on the Disco Inferno headwall.
|
|
deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
|
|
|
Sep 15, 2006 - 09:21am PT
|
Just noticed this post.
I had completely forgotten (again) I was involved with Disco Inferno. Actually, it was really Calder's project. His previous partners had bailed on him and he came by my house asking if I would finish the route with him, which we did. But I only climbed the last three pitches, ropes were fixed to pitch 5. The only pitch I led was the second-to-last pitch (the pitch after the roof). My role in the FA was really one of support for Calder.
As some of you Zion dudes might know, most of my routes in the canyon don't have many drilled holes, but when they do, they are filled with a good solid bolt. So I say, fill 'em if you drill 'em.
By the way, Calder was quite the inspiring climber. I think he was only a teenager when he climbed Disco Inferno.
|
|
nvrws
climber
|
|
|
Sep 15, 2006 - 02:23pm PT
|
Ammon,
OT: Whatever happened to Calder stabelford(sp). funny story, our friends knew him very well. Always talked of his climbing exploits. When it came time to name our son, we settled on Calder. Was just curious to see what happened with the other Calder. BTW ours just turned 7 and did his first outdoor bit of climbing a few wks back. Not sure he's gonna be a big wall climber but it sure was fun to watch.
|
|
yo
climber
The Eye of the Snail
|
|
|
Sep 15, 2006 - 02:31pm PT
|
He's a pilot. Skywest I think.
|
|
clustiere
Trad climber
Durango, CO
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2007 - 07:33pm PT
|
researching zion routes and I came across this sweet description. How would this be for a slouch like me to solo ammon?? culd ya bivi on Boogie Ledge This looks to have trade status (ONCE the holes fill in) as it seems moderate and easier than cosmic trauma, DS, and lunar X..?? What happerns after p8 as it looks like there is a line a nd a bolt, does it top out???
Good send fellas looks llke a ton o fun.
|
|
addiroid
Big Wall climber
Long Beach, CA
|
|
|
Jan 13, 2007 - 08:16pm PT
|
RE: Lunar X
I don't know but if Ammon/Chris say that DI had "tedious" placements, I don't think it is mellower than Lunar X. While I have not climbed DI, we did do LX about 2 years ago, and while the "Old A4 pitch" has a bit of spice to it, it went just fine with HB's and the odd offset alien as I remember. However the little "good bivy for 3" block at the anchor for the old A4 pitch requires a portaledge. We slept 1/2 pitch below that on a decent ledge because we didn't bring a ledge.
just my 2 sints
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!