Anyone else into Rock Climbing/ Mountaineering?

[Fengzi]

Anyone else into Rock Climbing/ Mountaineering?

Just wondering, at least 90% of the climbers I know are smokers but I haven't really seen anyone on here mention it.

[friendowl]

i scramble up rocks but im no rock climber
i summit peaks but im no mountaineer

if i had more time and cash i would love
to go to nols to take some courses.
i really want to learn thetechnical side
of climbing.that is in my future.

hey fengzi have you done el capitan

[Fengzi]

NOLS is pretty hard core. I did the NOLS "North Cascades Mountaineering" course and it was brutal. 30 days with 90lb packs and they don't hold anything back. They figure the best way to learn is by doing so they don't tend to go for the beginner routes. We had one guy evac'd and two other dropped out part way through due to simply being terrified. Some folks just don't enjoy climbing up 50 degree ice slopes with man eating crevasses waiting below ;) Attached is a pic I took on the course

Never did El Cap. Got into the planning stages a couple of times but it's a big commitment. Not to mention that you need literally thousands of $ worth of gear. I've done a number of big climbs though. The regular route up Fairview Dome in Tuolumne, Middle Cathedral in Yosemite, the standard route up Cathedral Peak in Tuolumne, and a route up something called Calaveras Dome. the other pic is me about 1,000 feet up on Calaveras

[Cooler Then Jesus]

i like hiking, do about 13-15 miles in a single day, on the weekend, once a week.
tottaly kickass.

[Fengzi]

Hey Cooler, have you ever hiked up Mission Peak in Fremont? It's a bit of a long slog but the view at the top is incredible.

Gotta love the Bay Area, hundreds, if not thousands, of miles of hiking trails right outside our doorway :D

[friendowl]

hey fengzi
you gotta good life there buddy
how much weight can those anchors hold
that you stick in the rocks

[Cooler Then Jesus]

Fengzi, i hike Sunol. last week, i walked the train tracks through Norris canyon. from pleasonton, tword fremont.

[phareye]

i did a lot of sports routes and bouldering when i lived in eastern TN and western NC, butthat was years ago. i ended up in FL for five years and only got to do indoor walls. i'm in central NC now and still have my rack.

[geonagual]

I can rock scramble real well. But no real rock climbing. I do rappel once in awhile. All different kinds. I learned it all in the military. I got abandoned bridge I go to In the SBNF where you you can get stoned and rappel. I dont really think I have the confidence or the upper body strength anymore to do true rock climbing.

[Fengzi]

You really don't need a lot of upper body strength for rock climbing. At least not until you start getting to the really hard stuff. That's really just a misconception a lot of people have. It's really much more about balance and knowing how to move your weight around.

I always got a lot more satisfaction from doing a long, but fairly easy, 5.6 route up some peak in the Sierras than an 80' 5.11 route at the local crag. I love the peace and serenity of the big mountains. There's absolutely nothing like smoking a joint 500' up on a rock wall with nothing but the birds and the wind around you. You just have to make sure that you, and the guys your with, can keep their wits about them when they're high.

As for Friendowl's question about how strong the anchors are; they can hold a lot of weight. Typically several thousdand lbs. The gear isn't what you need to worry about. The rock itself will usually break before the anchors do.

[friendowl]

so what do you do
do you just put up a bunch of anchors in
case onr breaks you have back up or what

are the holes already placed in the rocks or do you make em
and if you make em what do you use.

what is a good beginner climb that i can look into.
have you been up matterhorn peak in the sierras[dharma bums]

i really want to learn the technical side.

[Skink]

I feel lucky when I can climb out of bed in the morning...

[Fengzi]

so what do you do
do you just put up a bunch of anchors in
case onr breaks you have back up or what

are the holes already placed in the rocks or do you make em
and if you make em what do you use.

what is a good beginner climb that i can look into.
have you been up matterhorn peak in the sierras[dharma bums]

i really want to learn the technical side.

Yes, you definitely want to have multiple anchors for back up.

You have two choices for anchors. 1- You can climb up a crack and wedge anchors in constrictions. The person who comes up behind you removes them.2- On rock faces without cracks the climbing routes are bolted. Basically someone climbs up(or rappels down) drills holes in the rock, then puts a bolt and hanger in. The bolts and hangers are then left for others to use.

The best beginner climbs are short (<80') ones that can be top roped. I know tons of them locally. There's shitloads down in your area too. If you're really interested I'd check out somehting like the climbing school out at Josua tree http://www.rockclimbingschool.com/guide.html they have lots of different classes and are a really well known group. Your local REI probably offers classes too. Or, if you want to make a drive, Yosemite Mountaineering School is one of the best in the business.

A really cool beginner route is to go up Unicorn Peak in Tuolumne. It's actually just a 3rd/4th class climb but it will put you on top of a great summit with an incredible view.

Yes, I actually have been up Matterhorn Peak. It's in a spectacluar area in the Northeastern part of Yosemite. I just did the 3rd class route from Matterhorn Pass, however. I was backpacking with some non climbers and since we were going over the pass I couldn't resist the urge to bag the summit.

[BizzleLuvin]

i am an avid spelunker, this year i am going caving in Costa Rica in search of thier famous bat population