That's what I say. It adds to the fun as long as you don't hurt anyone else. Belayer's beware! Always wear a helmet...and shoulder pads and a shield may not be a bad idea.
I agree. You know you've encountered authentic choss when the belayer is at greater risk of injury than the climber. Someone should come up with a line of protective gear for the choss belayer - as suggested above. Choss climbing might really take off if belayers resembled gladiators....
McHales! Re your mention:
I forget the name of this intrepid climber, but he was the founder of Pipestone Mountaineering in Missoula, MT.
From Fritz!
Is that the near-legendary Jim Wilson?
Then your confused answer? (I did not answer your first question clearly)
You mean the Stoney Point Jim Wilson? That's not him and his name was not Jim Wilson. I mean Jim Wilson's name was Jim Wilson, but not this guy. I forget this guy's name, but it wasn't Jim Wilson. If it was Jim Wilson he would have recognized me as a Stoney Point guy but he didn't.
I doubt if the Jim Wilson that started Pipestone was the Stoney Point Jim Wilson, since the Pipestone founder (who is another Jim Wilson) grew up north of Butte and first started a climbing shop there, before expanding to Missoula. I'm sure of his name, since I worked with him as a outdoor gear sales-rep from day one. He sold the store a few years back to a Bozeman-based Nabob, who closed it in the 2008 recession.
Back to Choss. Much less confusing!
South side of Mt. Heyburn Sawtooth Range Idaho. All decomposing granite, or sand lightly covering decomposing granite.
Credit: Fritz
Makes for quick descents!
Heidi glissading sand. Only tricky places were when the sand was too-light a covering over rock.
I doubt if the Jim Wilson that started Pipestone was the Stoney Point Jim Wilson, since the Pipestone founder (who is another Jim Wilson) grew up north of Butte and first started a climbing shop there, before expanding to Missoula. I'm sure of his name, since I worked with him as a outdoor gear sales-rep from day one. He sold the store a few years back to a Bozeman-based Nabob, who closed it in the 2008 recession.
Fritz, Wow! That would be a coincidence. It sure doesn't ring the bells it should, but I look for first signs of dementia, in myself and others! HaHa! That is challenging for climbers since there is already a high background level of the stuff.
I'm looking at a lot of the photos on this thread, and to me, many of them feature rock that falls far below my standard for choss. But just how does one quantify "chossiness"? I'd suggest using the average density, as measured by combined length of cracks (fractures) per area of rock. So if you took a square meter of rock surface and measured the length of all of the cracks in that square meter and got 1 meter of fractures, that would not be so chossy as compared to say 5 or 6 meters of fractures. By this criteria, the rock in the photo below blows away most anything I've seen on here. Basically any piece of rock will move if a bit of force is applied to it - truly world class choss...
Gotta love Columbia River basalt entablature - that columnar stuff is for choss-avoiding wimps. You're lucky over there on the west side, you have all that moss to hold it in place... Here's a shot of some REAL climbers braving the über-chossy basalt entablature of Wallula Gap.
We introduced Briham to some excellent Pinnacles choss on Saturday (after he did some of it's better routes on Friday). The only problem is - he's got the photos.
Get on FB already Brad. lol I saw some already. He actually sounded like he's warming up to the place, which makes no sense if you put him on The Snail. really?
We introduced Briham to some excellent Pinnacles choss on Saturday (after he did some of it's better routes on Friday). The only problem is - he's got the photos.
Post up a few Brian.
Chossville
Credit: briham89
The Snail 5.7R
Credit: briham89
The "I didn't die" look
Credit: briham89
I have to say, after this trip I am more excited to come back...the power of choss has compelled me after all.
He actually sounded like he's warming up to the place, which makes no sense if you put him on The Snail. really?
The snail was definitely not the driving force behind this paradigm shift haha
Let us know!