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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Aug 29, 2015 - 01:53pm PT
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There is probably a virtual reality helmet and gloves setup that would allow you to "TR Rope Solo The Nose in Five Minutes". Do that, since both El Capitan and Baffin Island are off-limits to grandiose gumby goof-ups.
I once saw a human mule train, of about ten guys, schlepping that 3000 foot caver's rope to the base of Mescalito. They looked like a theater troupe performing The Human Centipede.
I later saw their pals on the summit, well-stocked with freeze-dried camping food. I guess they didn't know that Horsetail Creek is kinda seasonal, and they should have just brought fresh food with the water still in it.
One time, Yvon Ynov told me he was going to lower his haul bags all the way off the summit of Zenyatta with a bunch of ropes all tied together. That was less than half the length of the Nose, and sounded like it was going to be an epic nightmare. I imagined they would need to cut the rope with the bags about halfway down, and just Fedex them the rest of the way into the Talus Wastes.
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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Aug 29, 2015 - 06:26pm PT
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Remember those cavers who hung a fully free hanging line off the dawn wall area, and timed their ascents?
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Aug 29, 2015 - 06:33pm PT
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Remember those cavers who hung a fully free hanging line off the dawn wall area, and timed their ascents?
When the line between rappelling and falling gets a bit grey.
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Caveman
climber
Cumberland Plateau
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Aug 29, 2015 - 08:28pm PT
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"When the line between rappelling and falling gets a bit grey."
duece4 did say ascent. They probably timed their climbs. (up the rope)
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Aug 29, 2015 - 08:44pm PT
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Whoops, that's actually kind of cool to jug that much. Some kind of freak crossfit jazz.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Aug 29, 2015 - 09:14pm PT
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The cavers came from all over the world, to yo-yo up and down, all day long.
They'd attach themselves at the summit to these two foot long, skinny u-bolt steel racks, which would take cross-clipped brake bars as needed. As they descended, they would add bars to compensate for the decreasing weight of rope below.
Then, at the base of South Seas, they would mount a Gibbs ascender to one boot, and another Gibbs to the knee, clip their chest harness around the rope, and then run like hell, ravenous for the Diving Board.
Those guys were cool enough. I thought it was odd that they took expensive, freeze-dried food to the summit of El Cap, where there is no water.
I guess it takes all types to fully enjoy the wonderment that is our National Park System.
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Crazy Bat
Sport climber
Birmingham, AL & Seweanee, TN
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Aug 29, 2015 - 09:25pm PT
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We actually timed both climbs and rappels. Those who rappel too fast cause too much heat to build up in their rappel devices and cause damage to the sheath of the rope. They get fussed at big time, especially if the rope has to be retired.
Most of us come from lower elevations so our times are not truly representative of our normal physical abilities. I think the fastest climb was 1 hour 45 minutes, a young guy who lived at altitude.
One poor girl was on rope for over 7 hours, she never gave up. She had physical limitations from having grounded twice while sky diving. Unfortunately she died while scuba diving in Australia last month.
Most of the rappels are in the 20 to 30 minute range. I've forgotten the time on the fastest rappel. They had traded water at the top for hauling gear off. One rapper got a pack that weighed around 100 pounds He couldn't go as slow as he wanted too but maintained control.
The climber who owned the packs swore there was no food in them. He didn't get to the base for 24 hours and found a mess where a bear had torn into them.
Since 2012 and the rescue rappel, Tiny always takes his super rack to the top. That sucker is about 3 feet long.
Edit: The timing of climbs wasn't for any particular reason. It did help with scheduling and people wanted to see if they improved from previous years or from earlier in the week. Some people just time things if they have the ability to do it.
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Todd Eastman
climber
Bellingham, WA
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Aug 29, 2015 - 09:28pm PT
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Top roping the Captain sounds like more fun than top roping at say, Carderock...
... imagine the burn if sending at warp speeds!
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jaaan
Trad climber
Chamonix, France
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Aug 30, 2015 - 02:59am PT
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Tiny Manke. In my humble opinion. Well he has done things no body else has done.
Tell us more...
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Aug 30, 2015 - 07:42am PT
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I thought the AAA batteries for this thread would have worn down by now.
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overwatch
climber
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Aug 30, 2015 - 11:12am PT
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Looks like a perfectly flaked rope to me.
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jeff constine
Trad climber
Ao Namao
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Aug 30, 2015 - 02:49pm PT
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^^^ ZZZZ ^^^
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DrDeeg
Mountain climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Aug 30, 2015 - 03:19pm PT
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Years ago a group of cavers planned to rappel the Leaning Tower. In one of the many come-the-Revolution conversations that took place in the Yosemite Lodge Bar, Galen Rowell and I had a plan. Get a group of climbers at the bottom and when the first rappeler is a couple of hundred feet from the end, pull as much stretch as possible out of the rope. Then sproing! when we let go.
Didn't happen, but the talk got us through a couple of beers.
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Caveman
climber
Cumberland Plateau
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Aug 30, 2015 - 04:41pm PT
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"Tiny Manke devised a method of having two people on rappel at a time."
This was done in fall of '81 or spring of '82 by people on the 1982 Mt. Thor rappel as practice.
Edit to add: This took place at Fantastic pit in Ellison's. T. Howard was one caver involved.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Aug 30, 2015 - 07:56pm PT
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Toproping El Cap He is grossly overweight.
Have a nice nesting of anchors at the belay, and I recommend a stitch plate.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Aug 30, 2015 - 08:19pm PT
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There was a group of cavers there in June when we were climbing The Real Nose, jugging the rope in the middle of the night when temperatures were cool, and yacking up a storm seemingly all night long.
Finally in frustration, Shipoopoi screamed at them from El Cap Tower: "Hey, can you guys please be quiet?! There are seven people trying to sleep here!"
Instant and deafening silence.
Obviously they didn't know we were there. Perhaps they didn't realize that people actually climb El Cap, and sleep up there too. ;)
It was interesting to watch the cavers rappel. While they used nice long racks and brakebars, they sure as hell had no clue of how to rappel with a heavy load. Most had lightweight loads, but a few loads were obviously heavy. Everyone I saw rappelling had their loads tethered to their belay loop below their rap device, which is standard procedure for cavers. The problem with this method is that the load swings around underneath you, and in some instances these guys started rotating pretty quickly - dizzyingly so! - when the wind kicked up.
Not to mention that the load crushes your bollocks.
Are you cavers familiar with the method that wall climbers use to rappel with heavy loads? Whereby the rap device goes on the load, not on you? So you put the load on rappel, and then clip into it so you can "ride the pig" instead of having it ride you? As a caver, this method initially seemed counter-intuitive, but it is most assuredly the Better Way.
In June after we topped out on our route, the four of us completed a successful pulldown rappel of the entire distance of El Cap, or rather from our high capsule camp three pitches below the summit. Steve rigged the ropes for pulldown, Heather followed, and Cristobal - as our Patagonian big wall mountain master - came down last, pulling the ropes behind him. My job as Pig Master was to rap with nearly 300 pounds of gear. Fortunately, no problems, and no drama. Double rope pulldown, used a Grigri as my rap device on my pigs. Everything went perfectly, no drama, no spinning, no pain.
And no stuck ropes!
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Caveman
climber
Cumberland Plateau
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Aug 30, 2015 - 09:29pm PT
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I personally don't know who you're watching but cavers are well aware of how to rappel with loads. Maybe not so much the ones you see.
edit to add: I descend with a load by the same method as you except I don't use a grigri.
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Crazy Bat
Sport climber
Birmingham, AL & Seweanee, TN
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Aug 31, 2015 - 12:22am PT
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I had forgotten that tandem rappels happened at Thor. I knew everyone on that trip and was invited to go, but life got in the way. From what I was told the first tandem rappels was not planned. They just couldn't tell when the person below had gotten off rope because of the rope weight was so high.
Not all of the people who participate in the long rappels are cavers. Many people find there way to the group other ways. I've seen people do that rappel that I wouldn't want driving my truck. They ain't firing on all cylinders and it might be catching. Another reason I work support.
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