Did you Bail...

Off of the 2nd pitch of "Pony Express" last week? If you did I have your bail rig... BD makes only one micro smaller than this, you lowered of a body weight piece of gear in a marginal placement. I literally climbed past it and lifted it out of the crack, it was not "set."

If you would have climbed another 2ft (free or aid) you would have been able to lower off the stopper I replaced a few days prior (which was terribly frayed). I'm posting pictures to show your RP, and the wire I replaced. If you want your bent #2 micro stopper back feel free to Pm me and I'll get it to you. Glad I didn't see an accident thread related to this... I looked.

Ryan Kempf wrote:you lowered of a body weight piece of gear in a marginal placement...I'm posting pictures to show your RP

Posting in this way is a real turd move.

Ryan Kempf wrote:Glad I didn't see an accident thread related to this... I looked.

I bet you looked. Then you would have felt soo smart, being able to humblebragshame some poor fool. Mr. Kempf, you are a turd.

sprigedy-spray

What is that saying about assuming things?? Why do you care so much if this guy has balls the size of Bayonne and will bail off shit you consider marginal with not a scratch to show for it?

Sometimes I'll solo a route, place a micronut with some webbing tied to it on the way up, just so some maggot will get upset about a pretend-bail-scenario.

It's all for the lulz, folks.

I am so glad to learn that nobody has ever, in the history of rock climbing, accidentally left a piece of gear in the rock, and then decided that climbing back up to retrieve a BD micronut wasn't worth the trouble.

When I saw the rig up close I thought to myself whoever bailed on this thing really knows what they're doing… Or has no clue. Choosing this piece to bail on was an attempt to save some cash (nothing wrong with that), there’s plenty of larger/better gear in and around that section. But hey I get it, leave a piece you’ll prob never use free climbing. Hell I was a little impressed at the moment, but was a little unnerved by the quality of the placement.

Pic of the location of the fixed wire.

mountainproject.com/v/10636…

This guy's just a badass, not a noob. I mean, one time I lowered off of a slung chicken head, and I was horribly scared- that's nothing compared to this. Much respect.

Just thought I'd mention that there are safe ways of backing off a route from a sketchy piece if you are leading that route on double ropes:
have your belayer lower you on the rope clipped in the sketchy piece, and at the same time take slack in on the other rope (this is a bit tricky to do, but entirely doable with a bit of care). This keeps you protected by whatever pieces are clipped to that second rope, just like when you were leading the route a bit earlier. You remove your gear as you pass by it coming down as usual, just making sure that your belayer is indeed taking the slack out of the second rope.

If the sketchy piece above blows, you'll take a "leader" fall until the other rope catches you on one of your lower pieces. Of course, you are relying on only about 1/2 of your lead pieces for backup, so fall distances if the upper piece blows could be long, but it's still better than no backup at all.

Also, if/when you reach a more solid piece/potential placement as you are being lowered, you can always decide to leave that other piece in as well (or place one) and now get your belayer to lower you on both ropes simultaneously.

I've used this method a few times in the past.

Ryan Kempf wrote:the wire I replaced.

^ Thanks for taking the old nut out. It has always been a bummer that there was fixed gear there. Hopefully you didn't fix another nut there...

Legit alpine belay anchor

Ryan Watts wrote:Legit alpine belay anchor

I would agree, Bridwell and Mugs rapped on something similar on the FA of the Dance of the Woo Li Masters, JIm talks about it in the article.

Lot of assumptions in that OP. Who in the hell would want to meet you to get that piece back and deal with your condescension face-to-face?

Ryan. You should consider deleting your post. You are sounding toolish.

1. How do you know someone bailed on that nut.

2. Just cuz a nut lifts out when you climb past doesn't mean it is no good for a downward pull.

3. It is not always possible to set a nut but it may be all you get.

4. Is it possible someone took a lead fall on it and loward off

5. It is not uncommon in Eldo for that size piece to be the best gear you get at the crux on a route at that difficulty.

6. Obviously it held.

7. Did you really fix another nut after you cleaned the other. Really? Seriously?

Greg D wrote:Did you really fix another nut after you cleaned the other. Really? Seriously? Nuff said.

Lame

Lane that I said that or that he did that?

So how do you lower off of a nut that is not set?

The definition of set that I know would most certainly be activated by putting your body weight onto the piece as you lowered.

And un-set piece indicates that it was NOT used for lowering.

Greg D wrote:Lane that I said that or that he did that?

That he did it, if that's what happened.

teece303 wrote:So how do you lower off of a nut that is not set? The definition of set that I know would most certainly be activated by putting your body weight onto the piece as you lowered. And un-set piece indicates that it was NOT used for lowering.

"Set" often implies that the stopper won't wiggle around freely when you put relatively light force on the wire in any direction. The theory is that this implies a more secure placement...but a bad nut placement is a bad nut placement. Some of the best stoppers I've placed have wiggled around like no other (i.e. not "set") but have been trapped in a bomber constriction.

teece303 wrote:So how do you lower off of a nut that is not set? The definition of set that I know would most certainly be activated by putting your body weight onto the piece as you lowered. And un-set piece indicates that it was NOT used for lowering.

If there is not good surface contact the nut my not sit well. But it is still in a constriction that would make it ok to lower off. It may not take much effort to lift it upwards though.

Chill out people, Ryan and Wade watched a guy deck off of Wind Tower a few weeks back and he owes his survival to their prompt assistance.

Ryan, some guys reported a swarm hornets on P2 of Pony Express when I was up there on the 30th. Not saying it's their nut, but it may explain a hasty retreat.