rock climbing

tommyj27

tommyj27

Not really Banned
this is a cross-post so if you've seen it already, it's mostly the same thing.

i went climbing last friday, which turned out to be about the best trip climbing i've had this season, so i figure i should post some pictures for what they're worth. climbing pictures usually tend to be mostly pictures of my ass since my brother doesn't know how to take good ones. the rest of this is my own rambling so skip it if you just want pictures. we were at Barn Bluff in Red WIng, MN (if anyone knows where that is). It's really different from what i'm used to climbing around here because it's a sandstone bluff as opposed to the exposed lava flows i'm used to further north. sandstone is quite soft so it doesn't take much crack a chunk off or lose a piece of protection. it really adds a new dimension to things when the outcropping you grab starts crumbling and nearly pops out on your head, or your mates suddenly start cursing at you for not letting them know about the piece you didn't know you kicked off.

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God Bless Ya, wouldnt catch me doing that, Scared to stand on a ladder, let alone climb rocks-REALLY cool picks though :D
 
tonks said:
that looks like a blast! is it safe?
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just like any other sport there is always the possibility of serious injury, the key to minimizing that possibility is knowlege of safe climbing techniques and practices.

in a nutshell, if done consistently and properly, climbing is a very safe activity.

bumps, bruises and cuts are pretty common. i got my middle finger sliced open on my last climb friday, i must have cut it on one of the jagged agates that are lodged in the rock. but most of the serious injuries and deaths i hear about are a result of people who do stupid things because they don't know what they're doing, or people who should know better but get careless.
 
tommyj27 said:
but most of the serious injuries and deaths i hear about are a result of people who do stupid things because they don't know what they're doing, or people who should know better but get careless.
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Ever see the video of the guy trying to repel ,but there was too much slack in his line.50 foot fall flat on his face,he lived ,but I'm sure he'll "measure twice, jump once" next time.
 
Do you have to climb it other way to previously fix the cables before, or do you fix it little by little in the first way up?
 
AlladinSane said:
Do you have to climb it other way to previously fix the cables before, or do you fix it little by little in the first way up?
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[answer]
in this instance we were fixing little by little, you can see the attachment points in the bottom two pics

[overkill explaination, because i'm bored]
the area we were in has no safe access to the top so we can't place anchors for a top-rope setup (see the diagram). we place protection, or anchor points, as we climb up by clipping into bolt-hangers that have been drilled into solid parts of the face. the technique is called lead climbing or sport climbing. it is more challenging because you must place your anchors as you climb, often in very precarious positions. there is also the added bonus/risk that if you fall, you will fall twice the distance since your last placement. for example, if i last clipped in 2m below and i fall, i will drop 2m to the placement, another 2m due to that slack in the rope, and an additional distance taking into account any extra slack in the rope and the amount the rope streches.
 
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