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Stepping on bolts?

Shelton Hatfield · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 650

I think brownpointing should be when you lie about your headpoint and call it a redpoint. The shame!

Dave Miller · · Boulder · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 0

I use to issue 'penalty slack' with the rope if I ever saw someones foot step on a bolt...

Russ Keane · · Salt Lake · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 392

"It's way more engaging than bouldering or sport climbing for me"

Tommy Caldwell confuses me. This quote comes from the video posted above of his "Mescalito Project" which involves the use of bolts. He even steps on a bolt at 2:18 and then goes on to say the quote above. Isn't a climb like this (albeit lots of trad gear) mostly dependent on bolts and even aid to "free" the route? Just like his Dawn Wall project.

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425
Dave Miller wrote:I use to issue 'penalty slack' with the rope if I ever saw someones foot step on a bolt...
And that is how your break someones ankle. Someone did that to me there would be a major problem. Nothing cool or funny about playing with someone's safety.
Dave Miller · · Boulder · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 0

ok Scott…Did not mean to tread on your sensitive side.

Old lady H · · Boise, ID · Joined Aug 2015 · Points: 1,374
Alexey Dynkin wrote:Ethically? Who cares. Safety-wise? Who cares, if it's on toprope.
And if you top rope with a nice stiff static line to avoid pesky rope stretch, and the belayer keeps you really, really, really tight, you'll have the comfort of knowing that gash will probably not reach your knee. Sorry, couldn't resist. Go grab another cuppa on me. : )

Actually, when this comes up, it's a great time to mention all the odd hunks of metal (broken off pitons from earlier decades, etc.,) that are lying in wait to inflict damage on your newbie friend.
Alexey Dynkin · · Bozeman, MT · Joined Oct 2014 · Points: 0
Old lady H wrote: And if you top rope with a nice stiff static line to avoid pesky rope stretch, and the belayer keeps you really, really, really tight, you'll have the comfort of knowing that gash will probably not reach your knee. Sorry, couldn't resist. Go grab another cuppa on me. : ) Actually, when this comes up, it's a great time to mention all the odd hunks of metal (broken off pitons from earlier decades, etc.,) that are lying in wait to inflict damage on your newbie friend.
Meh...I don't really consider any type of routine toprope injury, whether from natural or artificial objects on the rock, to fall into the category of "safety hazard" :)
Marc801 C · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 65
Russ Keane wrote:"It's way more engaging than bouldering or sport climbing for me" Tommy Caldwell confuses me. This quote comes from the video posted above of his "Mescalito Project" which involves the use of bolts. He even steps on a bolt at 2:18 and then goes on to say the quote above. Isn't a climb like this (albeit lots of trad gear) mostly dependent on bolts and even aid to "free" the route? Just like his Dawn Wall project.
The Mescalito Project and the Dawn Wall project are one and the same. Although when they did it they referred to freeing the Dawn Wall, the line of the free climb mostly follows Mescalito.
Guy Keesee · · Moorpark, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 349
Dave Miller wrote:I use to issue 'penalty slack' with the rope if I ever saw someones foot step on a bolt...
Ha Hahahahah..... WE (the whole Stoney Point crew) do the same... You can step on bolts, yard on gear, get a tight Toprope to help ya out somewhat.... but you are only fooling yourself. Esp when afterward your spraying about how it really wasn't a 5.6D ..... "more like a B"

I find that in climbing, much like golf, most folks fool themselves about the "number" at witch they can FREE CLIMB.
jacob m s · · Provo, Utah · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 135

When I grab a quickdraw I always put two fingers through the bottom carabiner. this way if I can't meat hook my hand. Also because the thickness, size of opening, and round edges you shouldn't be able to deglove your finger. How ever if you have the rope over your finger and you fall that I guess could be bad, or if your finger got pinched between the carabiner and the rock . . . What are other peoples thoughts about how to best grab a quickdraw?

csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330
jacob m s wrote:When I grab a quickdraw I always put two fingers through the bottom carabiner. this way if I can't meat hook my hand. Also because the thickness, size of opening, and round edges you shouldn't be able to deglove your finger. How ever if you have the rope over your finger and you fall that I guess could be bad, or if your finger got pinched between the carabiner and the rock . . . What are other peoples thoughts about how to best grab a quickdraw?
Dogbone. That's one of the reason wide dogbones are nice. I'd wager that meat-hooking a hand mostly has occurred when people grab the draw while falling. If you have to, grab it while you're still in control, not while you're falling past it.
Adam Stackhouse · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 13,970
Anthony O'Neill wrote:I care because what if it compromises the integrity of the bolt/hanger. That's why.
No it doesn't
Eric Chabot · · Salt Lake City, UT · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 45
csproul wrote: Dogbone. That's one of the reason wide dogbones are nice. I'd wager that meat-hooking a hand mostly has occurred when people grab the draw while falling. If you have to, grab it while you're still in control, not while you're falling past it.
Some sicky euro-draws even have ergonomically shaped plastic grips that cover the dogbone for easier/more comfortable dogging
Donovan Allen · · Soft Lake City · Joined May 2012 · Points: 356

I don't grab the draw for fear of freak injury. I see nothing wrong with grabbing the draw or stepping on a bolt if you're willing to risk freak injury. If I can't get to that next clip I'll use stick clip shenanigans to get up there. We all have our gypsy ways.

Guy Keesee · · Moorpark, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 349

Maybe this meat hook deal is more common then we figured. I was at the ORG in like 2006 or ????, and a young lady did just that. I didn’t see the accident but I did see the victim, hand all wrapped up in a T-shirt, tons of blood and tears while she waited for a car that was driving down the south entrance to fetch her…. pretty grim deal.

I do tell this story whenever I see somebody acting cowardly when they are trying to fake a fall and grab down for the draw.

I think that with some of the new gear people are using now days, tiny neutrinos, extra small wire gates, very thin dog bones and the like this will become more common.

Personally, when I go Sport Climbing, I use old BD Big Easy biners…. Those suckers were designed so you could get your whole hand - 4 fingers in there, so you could hang on for dear life and pull like a mofo….

Guy Keesee · · Moorpark, CA · Joined Mar 2008 · Points: 349
Eric Chabot wrote: Some sicky euro-draws even have ergonomically shaped plastic grips that cover the dogbone for easier/more comfortable dogging
ERIC..... got a link????? I have never seen those.
Donovan Allen · · Soft Lake City · Joined May 2012 · Points: 356

I believe grivel sells some.

csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330
Guy Keesee wrote: ERIC..... got a link????? I have never seen those.
Grivel.

I don't know about common, but I met a guy who really messed his hand up hooking it on a biner at Pilot Mtn, NC.
Jason Todd · · Cody, WY · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 1,114
Joel Allen · · La Crosse, WI · Joined Mar 2014 · Points: 265

I'm asking this as a serious question, for what reason would you ever have to grab the draw before/while falling? I have never once felt the urge to grab a draw, just fall. If you're close enough to grab it it can't be that big of a fall....?

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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