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. FlippinSweetDude
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Oct 30, 2018
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SLC, UT
· Joined Feb 2018
· Points: 0
Looking for some suggestions for class 3 & 4 routes/scrambling within 2 hours of SLC. Want to work on scamble rope work. Thanks in advance for the help.
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Peter Lenz
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Oct 31, 2018
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Salt Lake City
· Joined May 2008
· Points: 670
South Ridge Mt Superior. Short sections (2) of low class 5.
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Igor Chained
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Oct 31, 2018
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Jul 2016
· Points: 110
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Carson Darling
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Oct 31, 2018
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Salt Lake City, UT
· Joined Jul 2015
· Points: 90
You could probably call the right side of the west slabs of Olympus 3rd/4th class, depending on your actual route.
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Peter Lenz
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Oct 31, 2018
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Salt Lake City
· Joined May 2008
· Points: 670
Devils Castle traverse fits the usual definition of 3rd class: most people don’t rope up, but a fall could be fatal. Another great one with a bit of class 3 is White Pine Peak, East Ridge Perla’s Ridge is an excellent 5.8, grade III, with extensive opportunity for 3rd and 4th class climbing. If you belay every pitch you are likely to spend the night. It is similar to many routes in the Tetons, and I recommend it. Although class 3 and class 4 are often used as difficulty ratings, they also may describe a style of of climbing. Class 3 is pretty clear: no rope, don’t fall. Class 4 is pretty nebulous, but to me it suggests roped simulclimbing, very short belayed sections, often no belay for the leader, generally to move quickly.
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Peter Lenz
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Nov 5, 2018
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Salt Lake City
· Joined May 2008
· Points: 670
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Peter Lenz
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Nov 5, 2018
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Salt Lake City
· Joined May 2008
· Points: 670
Yes to Geurt’s! It is a superb route, which lends itself very well to 4th class techniques. Bring a 40 meter light gym rope, and a light rack of cams stoppers and long slings. Great suggestion! You need to move somewhat fast on this one, or else start early. Patty’s Ridge in BCC has short sections of low class 5; also a great one for practicing 4th class style. It is a bit short, however.
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Alex Temus
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Nov 7, 2018
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Lehi, UT
· Joined Jun 2016
· Points: 363
+1 for West Slabs.
When I did it, we brought a rope and simuled, but it felt pretty useless. We just placed a piece every 20 feet and moved just as fast as the guys soloing it below us. I'd definitely solo it next time, but if you're looking for something to practice ropework, it's long and it'll get you in rhythm.
The descent kinda sucks though, at least the way we went.
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Robert Hall
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Nov 7, 2018
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North Conway, NH
· Joined Aug 2013
· Points: 28,893
Add +1 with Alex for the West slabs Olympus. We probably didn't take the easiest line, thought most of the moves Class 4 to 5.2, with maybe a couple of moves of 5.4 or so.
Alex didn't like the descent (presumably down the recommended gully on climber's-right of the slabs) and I can say the "hike" over to the true summit (to take the hiking trail down) is both longer and more complex than it looks! There's some easy technical climbing, plus route finding, plus some down-climbing (or rappelling) involved in getting over the 2 or 3 (?) ridges to the summit.
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Thumer
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Nov 11, 2018
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SLC, UT
· Joined Jul 2015
· Points: 250
Standard ridge in bcc is mostly 4th class with just a few fifth class moves. It’s pretty good route to practice simul climbing.
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Daniel Winder
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Nov 11, 2018
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Jul 2009
· Points: 101
Nearly every route mentioned so far is fifth class guys. Normally third and fourth is climbed to 'get somewhere'. If you don't care about getting anywhere, just go find some local choss that's not steep enough for 'climbing'and go up.
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Robert Hall
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Nov 12, 2018
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North Conway, NH
· Joined Aug 2013
· Points: 28,893
As Peter Lenz mentioned above, the issue with Class 3 and 4 is that they originally defined a TYPE of climbing: 3rd = No rope, but hands are "required" for making progress; good hand and footholds, handholds good enough to grab and hold you if a foot slips, but still best not fall. 4th = use a rope, and belays but no intermediate protection points, i.e. climbers are scrambling along roped up, usually close together; the second calls up "Hey it's tricky here!" and the leader stops, takes in the slack and maybe slips the rope around a boulder or protrusion, or around his/her waist, and gives a quick belay. Technically, "Class 4" applies to any roped climbing where no intermediate protection is placed. (and, I think, only "natural" belays too, but I'm not sure about that part of the old definition)
When trying to use Class 3 and Class 4 to define a difficulty, things get hazy, because everyone has a different "comfort level" for soloing (which is what you've doing with 3rd class) and a similar issue with the comfort level of simul-soloing, which is essentially what your doing moving roped together without a belay.
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Igor Chained
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Nov 13, 2018
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Jul 2016
· Points: 110
If FlippinSweetDude could tell us what he's comfortable with, that would help a lot.
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. FlippinSweetDude
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Nov 13, 2018
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SLC, UT
· Joined Feb 2018
· Points: 0
Sure, I can provide more information.
Robert's thoughts on class 4 is what I'm after. Use of a rope, and belays, and some/few intermediate protection points. Want light rack with few cam/wire/nuts, and use them rarely, otherwise full on scramble roped in together. I understand that portions would be simulclimbing, and all the better. Not after 5.* on the route.
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Peter Lenz
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Nov 14, 2018
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Salt Lake City
· Joined May 2008
· Points: 670
In Wasatch: Mt. Olympus, W. Slabs Mt. Olympus, Geurt’s Ridge Mt. Superior, S. Ridge
In Tetons: (5 hours from SLC) Buck Mt., SE Face Teewinot, E. Face Symmetry Spire, N. Couloir
All of these require snow climbing in early season. I like lots (5-6) of long runners (doubles and triples) for setting up quick belays and protectionpoints on trees and boulders.
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Robert Hall
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Nov 14, 2018
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North Conway, NH
· Joined Aug 2013
· Points: 28,893
In the SLC area you might first try Reservoir Ridge at the picnic area in Big Cottonwood. It's rated 5.4 and 3 pitches. My recollection is it is actually a nice climb with mostly "Class 4 / easy Class 5" moves and has the advantage that it has (at least) the 1st bolted belay. Similar to climbing that on Olympus' West Slabs (i.e. easy climbing, then a "move" then more easy climbing) but far, far less committing.
Maybe try this with the leader carrying your intended "light rack" and the second carrying "back up rack" * and see how "dialed in" to this type of climbing you are. Think about 1/2 hr for each pitch (15-20min for leader, including setting a gear anchor, and 10 min for the second to follow). If you're way slower than this, then maybe you need more practice, or get further instruction, or both.
* The 'theory" being if the leader runs out of gear before the end of the pitch, he/she sets a belay with what they have and brings up the 2nd; then continue on with more gear.
Think about natural pro: slings through "holes" or around "horns" and boulders. Think about what you'd use to "bail", e.g. bring along some 7mm or 8mm cord (and a knife to cut it!) and think about how to use it to set anchors, running protection, and "bail" anchors that don't need to deplete your gear. (And here, we're NOT talking because of $$$'s, but rather anytime you can get a good bail-anchor without using gear, that means that/those piece(s) are left to use lower down where you may REALLY need them. On a mountain, if/when the s--t hits the fan, always ask "Which is more valuable, my life or my rack?"
Practice downclimbing. The leader almost always goes last, but he/she can still have an effective belay: place the rope over a horn or boulder, downclimb with this "top rope", then flip the rope off the horn/boulder and take in the slack. No horn/boulder? Tie a piece of 7 or 8 mm cord through a hole or around a boulder, clip in the climbing rope to a biner, then downclimb. When past the hard part, untie, pull the rope through and tie-in again. You can save using the biner if you're sure you'd only need to be stopped, and not lowered on the sling-rope-only.
Mountaineering is not just about climbing up rock fast, it's about having wide knowledge covering many aspects of the sport.
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Peter Lenz
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Nov 15, 2018
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Salt Lake City
· Joined May 2008
· Points: 670
Excellent advice! Especially the bit about down climbing. So important! That skill will get you out of more bad situations than any other, and often faster than rappelling.
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Brett Verhoef
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Nov 20, 2018
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Northern Utah
· Joined Aug 2013
· Points: 380
Jump Off Canyon in Ogden. Go up canyon about 15 minutes, past all the named routes, and you'll have as much hand-over-hand 4th class simulclimbing as you could ever want.
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Lucas Ulmer
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Dec 3, 2018
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Salt Lake City
· Joined Dec 2017
· Points: 0
Wildcat Traverse, from Mt. Olympus to Mt. Raymond, is more 3rd class probably, but still worth checking out.
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