Climbing

If your topic has nothing to do with Spyderco, you can post it here.
SpydieFlicker
Member
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 5:11 pm

Climbing

#1

Post by SpydieFlicker »

I just wanted to make this thread for anyone who is interested in climbing to be able to ask questions, and give their thoughts.
I really like to climb trees, and although I have dabbled in rock climbing, I don't really know much about it. The picture below is most of my climbing setup I most commonly use, but I do have a few other setups I can share if anyone is interested.
I think the best part of climbing is the view, That's why I really like this picture.
P.S: There are no silly questions, ask away, even if you have never climbed in your life :)
Attachments
IMG_4211.jpg
User avatar
RustyIron
Member
Posts: 2376
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: La Habra, CA
Contact:

Re: Climbing

#2

Post by RustyIron »

Aid climbing... isn't.

Just my thoughts...


Cryptic.jpg

The Flake.jpg
SpydieFlicker
Member
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 5:11 pm

Re: Climbing

#3

Post by SpydieFlicker »

Are you saying that aid climbing isn't climbing, or aided rock climbing isn't climbing?
TomAiello
Member
Posts: 6655
Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:34 pm
Location: Twin Falls, ID

Re: Climbing

#4

Post by TomAiello »

RustyIron wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 9:50 pm
Aid climbing... isn't.
I believe the phrase you're looking for is 'Sport Climbing is Neither.' ;)
User avatar
Wartstein
Member
Posts: 15041
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:06 am
Location: Salzburg, Austria, Europe

Re: Climbing

#5

Post by Wartstein »

SpydieFlicker wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 8:57 pm
...
I really like to climb trees, and although I have dabbled in rock climbing, I don't really know much about it. The picture below is most of my climbing setup I most commonly use, but I do have a few other setups I can share if anyone is interested.
I am a rock climber (trees just occasionally;) )

Question: Your setup shows a fixed static rope with jumars... but the important (and fun) part: At first you have to climb that tree in order to "set up the set up" - and since you then have climbed it anyway, why "set up the set up"?

Probably just because it is also fun to ascent the fixed rope with jumars? :)
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
User avatar
ChrisinHove
Member
Posts: 4059
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 8:12 am
Location: 27.2046° N, 77.4977° E

Re: Climbing

#6

Post by ChrisinHove »

Nothing more than scrambles for me, now!

I’ve always found all the forms of climbing I tried to be fun, and all the ones I hadn’t tried, looked fun!
User avatar
RustyIron
Member
Posts: 2376
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: La Habra, CA
Contact:

Re: Climbing

#7

Post by RustyIron »

SpydieFlicker wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 10:01 pm
Are you saying that aid climbing isn't climbing, or aided rock climbing isn't climbing?
Yes!
User avatar
RustyIron
Member
Posts: 2376
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: La Habra, CA
Contact:

Re: Climbing

#8

Post by RustyIron »

TomAiello wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 10:30 pm

I believe the phrase you're looking for is 'Sport Climbing is Neither.' ;)
Thank you for the clarification, sir. Clearly, my linguistic ability diminishes rapidly as the evening progresses--not unlike my climbing ability. But in true rock climber fashion, my ability to puff out my chest and claim my routes and style are unequalled.

Interestingly, at first I wasn't interested in climbing rocks. My goal was to learn to ascend rope in preparation for a rare opportunity to visit a cavern that was typically inaccessible. That exposed me to rock climbing, and that's the path I followed. And that caving trip was the only time I ever used the jumars.
TomAiello
Member
Posts: 6655
Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:34 pm
Location: Twin Falls, ID

Re: Climbing

#9

Post by TomAiello »

I used to have a 'Sport Climbing is Neither' bumper sticker on my truck. I also had one in the black and white style of the old 'Got Milk?' ads, that read 'Got Pro?'

I did a fair amount of aid back in the 90s, and if it's not climbing, I'm not sure what it is. But it's certainly some of the scariest stuff I've ever done. Lots of aid is about logistics and process, for sure, but there are few things as scary as leading out on copperheads. Are you familiar with the Lovetron? It was essentially a stick clip for placing hooks remotely (by brail). That was one of the scariest pieces of made up climbing gear I ever had the misfortune to use.
TomAiello
Member
Posts: 6655
Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:34 pm
Location: Twin Falls, ID

Re: Climbing

#10

Post by TomAiello »

Wartstein wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:57 pm
Question: Your setup shows a fixed static rope with jumars... but the important (and fun) part: At first you have to climb that tree in order to "set up the set up" - and since you then have climbed it anyway, why "set up the set up"?

Probably just because it is also fun to ascent the fixed rope with jumars? :)
I can't answer for SpydieFlicker, but I've had some good instruction in tree climbing (I have to retrieve things out of trees with some frequency at work). It's possible to climb a tree with Jumars by throwing a rope over a high branch or crotch and tying it off. One of the arborists who taught me some things had a giant slingshot made from surgical tubing. He used it for launching a weight, with a rope attached, up to the top part of trees. Then he'd tie off the bottom end and Jumar up the other side.
User avatar
Wartstein
Member
Posts: 15041
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:06 am
Location: Salzburg, Austria, Europe

Re: Climbing

#11

Post by Wartstein »

TomAiello wrote:
Sat Jun 19, 2021 8:36 am
Wartstein wrote:
Fri Jun 18, 2021 11:57 pm
Question: Your setup shows a fixed static rope with jumars... but the important (and fun) part: At first you have to climb that tree in order to "set up the set up" - and since you then have climbed it anyway, why "set up the set up"?

Probably just because it is also fun to ascent the fixed rope with jumars? :)
I can't answer for SpydieFlicker, but I've had some good instruction in tree climbing (I have to retrieve things out of trees with some frequency at work). It's possible to climb a tree with Jumars by throwing a rope over a high branch or crotch and tying it off. One of the arborists who taught me some things had a giant slingshot made from surgical tubing. He used it for launching a weight, with a rope attached, up to the top part of trees. Then he'd tie off the bottom end and Jumar up the other side.
Makes sense!

Actually I am a bit embarrased that I did not think of this myself... of course on a tree it is a lot easier (and makes a lot more sense) than on rock to install rope while still standing on the ground...
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
JD Spydo
Member
Posts: 23532
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:53 pm
Location: Blue Springs, Missouri

Re: Climbing

#12

Post by JD Spydo »

I used to be in the tree service business. But when both my knees gave out I had to quit doing that job and I couldn't help my friend in the roofing business any longer. I really enjoyed working up high. You've really got to keep your wits about you and you MUST keep your attention keen at all times when doing any type of climbing or working up high.

For all of you who have bought tree climbing gaffs from a local sporting good store or from some mail order outfit you better have a Rockwell hardness test done on them. I've talked to a couple of people over the years that have had those cheaper climbing gaffs snap off on them. That's the last thing you want when you are about 30 feet plus up in a tree.
User avatar
Naperville
Member
Posts: 4360
Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2018 2:58 am
Location: Illinois, USA

Re: Climbing

#13

Post by Naperville »

I only tried climbing once, 22 years ago with a university group. At the time I was quite passionate about lifting weights and the climbing instructor thought that I would never get off the ground a the climbing site in Blue Mounds, Minnesota. I weighed over 200lbs, but was only 6% body fat at most according to caliper tests!

Our group had approx 15 people in it. Being a group of newbies who had never climbed we followed all of the safety regs with a top rope and a belay line.

I never popped off of the wall and we climbed some moderately hard paths up the rock face that was 85 to 95 feet straight up.
I support the 2nd Amendment Organizations of GOA, NRA, FPC, SAF, and "Knife Rights"
T2T: https://tunnel2towers.org; Special Operations Wounded Warriors: https://sowwcharity.com/
SpydieFlicker
Member
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 5:11 pm

Re: Climbing

#14

Post by SpydieFlicker »

Hey Wartstein, I actually set my rope from the ground using a small static line (about 2 mm, and 200 lbs tensile), and a 14oz throw weight. I just swing the throw line between my legs, and throw really hard into the air, and at the same time as the throw, I jump up for more power. I then tie my 11mm climbing rope to the end of the throw line using an unobtrusive knot, and pull my rope over the branch, all the way to the ground, and tie a figre 8 on a bight on the end of the rope. I can then clip a locking carabiner to that figure 8, and the other end of the line. The pic below isn't my setup, but it is close enough to what I do, I just replace the ring with my carabiner, and the yellow rope is my throw line, so I can retrieve the rope from the ground by pulling on my throw line.

I use a hand ascender (jumar) and a locking belay device (GriGri) to climb small distances, but when I climb more than 30 feet, I use a chest ascender and a top harness, (in addition to my regular harness) and a hand ascender. When I need to descend, I switch to my GriGri, and take all of my ascenders off of my line.

When I climb trees, it is mostly for fun, although I occasionally cut some dead branches with a folding saw, so they dont fall on anyones head.

(P.S: the picture in the first post was the same tree I took my calendar pic from, So I'm 60-70 feet in the air, and It is always fun to (without getting yanked out of the tree) watch a branch drop that far, without getting yanked out of the tree.
Attachments
srt.jpeg
Last edited by SpydieFlicker on Sat Jun 19, 2021 10:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
SpydieFlicker
Member
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 5:11 pm

Re: Climbing

#15

Post by SpydieFlicker »

To anyone wondering what the "Giant Slingshot" looks like, here it is. I don't have one yet, but it does launch about twice as high as I can throw, so it might be worth it to get one. It has 2 4 foot poles and a little "bucket" for holding the throw weight.
Attachments
bsn.jpeg
User avatar
RustyIron
Member
Posts: 2376
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: La Habra, CA
Contact:

Re: Climbing

#16

Post by RustyIron »

TomAiello wrote:
Sat Jun 19, 2021 8:31 am
I did a fair amount of aid back in the 90s, and if it's not climbing, I'm not sure what it is.
Yeah, the 90's was my peak. You got me thinking about those olden days, all the epic adventures, and those times when up is the only direction, the moves are beyond my skill level, and failure is not an option. There were the raps off quarter inch rusty spinners, or anchors constructed with a couple RP's and a twig of a bush. All this reminiscing made me think of some of the characters back then, and what they might be up to today. Googling only brought melancholia, for the Mountain Goddess is a harsh mistress.
Post Reply