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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Poll Option Votes Graph
Yes 10
71% 
No 4
29% 

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 37
Author
Would you bring a rope on a Europe road trip?

Rich
6-Oct-2005
12:05:15 AM
Heading there soon for 6+ months (travelling solo) and trying to decide.. Am planning on visiting as much areas as I can. Interested in hearing people's opinions on whether it will be necessary or whether it would be highly likely that prospective partners would have rope and/or wouldn't care if I didn't have one.. i'm planning on bringing say 10 draws as well anyway.
Naturally the main negative will be having to lug it around lots of areas where it won't be used..
jmgh
6-Oct-2005
12:13:49 AM
As far as i know prices over here are still cheaper than Oz, so i would recomend coming over without but having a bit of cash put aside to buy if you find you need one.
maxdacat
6-Oct-2005
1:54:14 AM
you could get by....but i would rather have one....as the previous post said you'd be better off picking up a 60m rope (and shoes etc for that matter) on sale for about 80 -90 quid ie less than AUD200...not sure how much the same thing costs in oz?

i have been in the position of looking for partners and having your own ropegives you more options.

oh and btw - you're a lucky bastard!

Rich
6-Oct-2005
8:06:20 AM
oh i forgot to mention, I'm working in a gear shop so it'd prob be cheaper or equivalent for me to get one here..
so maxdcat, u reckon it was easier with a rope? did u travel much?

ps if u could vote too it would be helpful.. cheers!

mousey
6-Oct-2005
8:57:45 AM
>if you find you need one

verdon, ceuse, frankenjura, siurana, the troll wall!, err i mayhavemissed one or two....thousand
are you fo'real?
climbingjac
6-Oct-2005
9:17:36 AM
Depends on what other items you are taking with you. The baggage limits with the airlines are not generous these days, and a rope takes up 3kg of it, from memory... You might as well buy one there (a 60m or 70m rope). You'll be there ages so you will probably trash it over there and throw it out before returning home.

nmonteith
6-Oct-2005
9:19:36 AM
Make sure you have a 70m in Europe. We had two of them and it made our life much more satisfying for
those longer pitches.

dr_fil_good
6-Oct-2005
10:39:05 AM
I'm doing the same jig next year - first of all a 2 month bike ride accross China - then travelling Europe for up to six months but more likely three months before heading back to Nepal and then to Canada (chasing the weather).

I'm still trying to work out my baggage blues. I have a monster rack and I wanna take the whole thing with me but finding belay buddies may prove tough (and dangerous!! as I've experienced with randomly rocking up in places and trusting people). When I'm done in China I'm just giving my bike away so it'll just be me, my panniers and a ropes bag - when I find a new rucksack the panniers will have to go too. It's such a _MAJOR HASSLE_ combining sports on the trip!!!

It's great to hear about the 70m rope bit - I suppose dry ropes would be mega handy over there two - were you twin / double roping or just hauling the second rope? I currently twin or double a 60m when necessary.

It'd be nice to know about whether you can rock up without a rack in Europe, Nepal, Canada etc. and climb low grades ('cause I'm pretty much a below average climber in terms of climbing ability).

I'd love to hear more from people who are seasoned travellers to Europe, Canada etc. Especially from people who aren't well known in the climbing community
Phil

nmonteith
6-Oct-2005
10:57:06 AM
In Europe you can forget about the rack. EVERYTHING is bolted - from grade 1 boulders to massive
2km long mountain rock ridges. 15 or so quickdraws will do you for almost everthing. There is pleanty of
easy (sub grade 20) sport routes in Europe. At popualr crags every little piece of rock realeastate is
developed.

We used a single 70m for everything - most rap decents are set-up for 60m single ropes (ie 30m raps).
We were a group of 8 climbers so the two 70m ropes were required for the two climbing groups!

nmonteith
6-Oct-2005
11:00:04 AM
I just remembered an awesome 70m+ rope stretcher 'pitch' I did in Verdon. I linked three pitches together
and I still didn't make it to the belay so Jaq had to start simul climbing a bit. Wicked fun - when your
belayer is 70m below they seem so distant that they are not connected in anyway. A real rush of
exposure thats for sure!

littlejames
6-Oct-2005
11:01:17 AM
Second that you should get a 70m. Perfect example is Ceuse, which is (as you probably know) an overhanging cliff above a steep hill. A minor f---up with quickdraws and belaying left me and the climber I was belaying dangling at opposite ends of our rope some ten metres off the deck at Sector Cascade (hanging from the chains on Mirage) - it was tricky enough to get out of with a 70m, and might have been semi-serious with a 60m. Don't even think about taking a 50m.

nmonteith
6-Oct-2005
11:10:49 AM
I just checked out the current European rope range - holy crap you can get a 9.1 mm Dry Cover 80 m -
(Beal Joker) single rope!! Cheap as well AU$223 (EU$141)

70m ropes are soooo 2004....

Eduardo Slabofvic
6-Oct-2005
11:26:27 AM
I like climbing in Europe, it's very good.

I've spent nearly 3 years in Europe over 4 diferent trips, and have found that the best thing to do is have gear that can double up for different purposes. I take 60cm slings that can be turned into quickdraws/thrreads/tieoffs. I take 1 set of wired stoppers 1 to 9, and 3 or 4 mid range cams. This will get you up most routes. If traveling by myself, I probably would take a 60m single rope, as I will be hanging out at spor climbing crags where there is a bit of a permanent climbing scene (there are many). Depending on where you climb, the need for trad gear varies. I have a preference for multi-pitch limestone, which means there is usually some fixed gear which can be augmented with trad gear. If your bold or climbing well within your own abilities then you may be able to gat away with only using the fixed gear. Some multi-pitch places are sport bolted as well. I recall a place called Presles in France which has 10 pitch sport climbs (N.B. don’t go to Prelles, both are pronounced the same).

Another tip is to find out what routes the local guides take their clients on, as they will have good quality fixed gear. I have done a number of so-called “classic climbs”, which turn out to be loose horror shows with loose and rusted pitons for fixed gear (go the Dolomites and try and do all the 1913 Hans Dufler routes – hope you like your rock loose and your gear crap!).

As I’ve spent a bit of time over there, I tend to hook up with friends I’ve met on previous trips, so I augment my gear with theirs. My last trip I did with my girlfriend and we took 8 draws, slings and crabs to make up another 6, the set of wires, and 4 cams. We chose to use double 60m ropes that we bought there. Ropes are always a bit of a trade off, in that the longer they are the heavier they are, the choice is yours. I found that using 60’s meant that we could reduce the number of raps on all the routes we did. On multi pitch stuff, you will still come across 40m pitches, so if your rapping the line to get off you can’t link those raps unless you’ve got an 80 (which you can buy quite easily over there). If you’re not rapping the line it’s nice to have a bit more to play with when you’re rapping off into the unknown.

If you’ve got a car then take everything, but be careful where you park it, as break-ins are very common (particularly in the south of France and Italy). On my first trip I just went sport climbing with people I met in campgrounds and I hitch hiked everywhere. I have a rope and 10 draws, but in retrospect could have done with out them, although the rope makes for a good pillow.

As far as getting the gear home, I recommend posting it surface mail (but not from Italy). It arrived in about 2 weeks from Switzerland. There would be bugger all that you could take as carry-on these days due to paranoia in the skies. A friend tried to take a rope as carry on, but didn’t make it past security before it got taken off them (I dare you to take an ice axe on board).

I agree with J.T.P. in that buying stuff over there is good, as it is much cheaper, and the range is greater. If buying stuff in the E.U. you can get the tax back when you leave the E.U., which includes crossing the boarder into Switzerland. Tax is 17%, and you need to get the forms from the shop where you bought the stuff.

Also note well that England is not in Europe, so don't go there.

gordoste
6-Oct-2005
2:05:09 PM
On 6/10/2005 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:

>Also note well that England is not in Europe, so don't go there.
>

LMAO
climbingjac
6-Oct-2005
4:16:42 PM
On 6/10/2005 nmonteith wrote:
>I just remembered an awesome 70m+ rope stretcher 'pitch' I did in Verdon.
>I linked three pitches together
>and I still didn't make it to the belay so Jaq had to start simul climbing
>a bit.

Ah Neilio, you make me sound very brave! In reality, I remember feeling sick to my stomach with panic on one particular rap-in to the Verdon Gorge :-)

nmonteith
6-Oct-2005
5:15:27 PM
On 6/10/2005 climbingjac wrote:
>Ah Neilio, you make me sound very brave! In reality, I remember feeling
>sick to my stomach with panic on one particular rap-in to the Verdon Gorge
>:-)

You and me both siss! I was shit scared of that exposure on that one route with the crazy hanging belay.

Rich
6-Oct-2005
11:37:10 PM
Thanks heaps for all the tips guys.. sounds liek you've had a bit of fun there Eduardo! should be a bit easier to work out what to take i reckon. I had always thought I should take one and only thought about reconsidering when a couple of others mentioned it.

>climbingjac wrote:
> The baggage limits
>with the airlines are not generous these days, and a rope takes up 3kg
>of it, from memory... You might as well buy one there (a 60m or 70m rope).

yeh good point and as

>nmonteith wrote:
> you can
>get a 9.1 mm Dry Cover 80 m -
>(Beal Joker) single rope!! Cheap as well AU$223 (EU$141)

>Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
>much cheaper, and the range is greater. If buying stuff in the E.U. you
>can get the tax back when you leave the E.U., which includes crossing the
>boarder into Switzerland. Tax is 17%, and you need to get the forms from
>the shop where you bought the stuff.

I might have to invest over there i reckon. Thanks for the info guys but 70 eh?i was originally thinking a 60m. I actually already have a 10mm 70 and thats pretty heavy. But hmm.. wonder how much it costs to send within europe.. say from spain to italy cos like u did eduardo I'm gonna try and hitch most of the way which I'm sure will involve a fair bit of walking.

On 6/10/2005 littlejames wrote:
>Second that you should get a 70m. .. it was tricky enough to get out of
>with a 70m, and might have been semi-serious with a 60m. Don't even think
>about taking a 50m.

na def not a 50m, only thing shorter than a 60m i want is my 35m for the gym!

On 6/10/2005 Eduardo Slabofvic wrote:
I take 60cm slings that can be turned into quickdraws/thrreads/tieoffs.
> I take 1 set of wired stoppers 1 to 9, and 3 or 4 mid range cams.
>
>Another tip is to find out what routes the local guides take their clients
>on, as they will have good quality fixed gear.

Good tips.. might have to chat to some of the local gear shops/guides.. and bring soem cionverted draws.
>

>If you’ve got a car then take everything,
nope..
>On my first trip I just went sport climbing with people I met
>in campgrounds and I hitch hiked everywhere. I have a rope and 10 draws,
>but in retrospect could have done with out them, although the rope makes
>for a good pillow.

hehe yeh well hoping for a softer pillow actually! so now u say no gear? I will be hitching too but i can afford to take some gear i reckon, although cams are pretty weighty. hmm.
>
>Also note well that England is not in Europe, so don't go there.
>
noice.. duly noted hehe

>dr_fil_good wrote:
>I'm doing the same jig next year - first of all a 2 month bike ride accross
>China - then travelling Europe for up to six months

Yeh i was gonna do the bike ride thing, cept across northern europe though, might still. Altho it's gonna pretty weighty!

Again, thanks for the ideas, it all helps to make things easier!
rod
7-Oct-2005
4:30:18 AM
rich, just emailed you. as for the rope, IF you bring anything get a double 70m and you've covered all the bases...main problem will be finding partners. plenty of sport so you'll need, 2 slings, 12 express, 2-3 carabiners, reverso/tube and a preussic. cams and nuts occasionally useful. europe doesn't include the UK which has a distinctly anglo-saxon mentality. rod, CH.

dr_fil_good
7-Oct-2005
9:02:47 AM
So a double 70m system. Sounds goodah. I'm going to miss climbing trad :'( I almost feel like dragging my rack along with me just for that sexy feeling digging into my shoulders, the cutting of my circulation, the numb fingers, the occasional dodgy placement that gets the heart really pumping, the wrong choice of hex for a split that gets the arms really pumping, the constant jiggling of my shoulders to move the weight around *slight exaggeration!!!*

I'm kinda happy in a way 'cause it means less weight to drag around when trampin, troggin, and doggin.

On 7/10/2005 rod wrote:
> so you'll need, 2 slings

What for??? Sorry, I'm unfamiliar with the use of slings in sport and have racked my brain and can't think of any benefits (prolly 'cause I practically never climb sport).


Rich
7-Oct-2005
9:27:50 AM
On 7/10/2005 rod wrote:
>rich, just emailed you.
ah didn't get anything.. mrDOTrichoATgmailDOTcom

as for the rope, IF you bring anything get a double
>70m and you've covered all the bases...
yeah i'm gonna have to draw the line somewhere and it might have to be at bringing doubles, just cos of the weight.
>main problem will be finding partners.
hmm.. i figure it will be a prob in some locations but as i'll need a partner i may have to count on them for the second rope cos carrying around another 3 odd kg will really add up i reckon.
>plenty of sport so you'll need, 2 slings, 12 express, 2-3 carabiners, reverso/tube
>and a preussic. cams and nuts occasionally useful. europe doesn't include
>the UK which has a distinctly anglo-saxon mentality. rod, CH.
you guys think that I should be relying on the partner for some draws or be carrying all ie 12-15?

cheers!

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 37
There are 37 messages in this topic.

 

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