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Crag & Route Beta

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Author

large bit of gear on P3 of Watchtower Crack


westie

16-Jul-2008
12:29:58 PM

.... not very intrepid I know but what is the piece of gear required?

any (helpful) advice?

My partner and I have OK racks but wanna be sure we have something for it.

kieranl

16-Jul-2008
12:48:24 PM

#4 Camalot I think is the one.


muki

16-Jul-2008
12:53:34 PM

But if you run that bit out, you won't even need the #4

kieranl

16-Jul-2008
1:02:31 PM

I think the idea here is to avoid the runout if possible. Quite sensible IMO.
I still remember the shudder I felt donkeys years ago as my 11 Hex fell out of the crack below me and I barely made it to the belay.

hero

16-Jul-2008
1:17:06 PM

I have a new policy. If the gear's no good, I close my eyes for a couple of minutes and some f#cker usually whacks a bolt in it, and chains at the top and half way down. It is a magical mountain but someone should lay some bait for the fairies.


tnd

16-Jul-2008
2:46:01 PM

#5 Camalot. You can shuffle it up with you if you want, or even place two if you have them.

gfdonc

16-Jul-2008
3:34:35 PM

#5 Friend is my chosen companion on this route, but I seem to recall last time I did it that I might have got away without it, given I also had a #11 hex and #4 friend.

rolsen1

16-Jul-2008
5:11:06 PM

I placed a 4 camalot after the bolt and below the anchors I don't think it was big enough to go anywhere in the crack think you have to find somewhere where the crack narrows - anything just a bit smaller wouldn't go.

Not sure if a 4 camalot would go in below the bolt on the 4th pitch or not as I went up and clipped the bolt to use as part of the belay. As others have said its pretty safe with just the bolts.

maxdacat

16-Jul-2008
6:47:52 PM

the biggest piece on my rack was a 3.5 friend....i didn't feel like i was particularly running things out on any of the pitches.


gordoste

16-Jul-2008
8:31:13 PM

yeah but you're CRRRAAAAZZZYYYY!!!!!


westie

17-Jul-2008
10:50:02 AM

On 16/07/2008 gordoste wrote:
>yeah but you're CRRRAAAAZZZYYYY!!!!!

As am I... but as I'm 31 I now have a contigency option in mind at times :) #5 camalot it shall be. Ben you reading this? I'll spring for a plastic hex to cover a #4 cam. You can spend on the BD. :)

once again I'm amazed at how much people think about their climbing when they aren't (climbing).

Cheers.


ado_m

17-Jul-2008
11:17:39 AM

If you've got enough gear and 60 metre ropes, string pitches 3 and 4 together. Otherwise, moving off the 3rd belay is not nice, I'm not sure even a #5 is big enough to protect the 3 or so metres off the belay before you hit a big bolt....

patto

17-Jul-2008
11:19:54 AM

On 16/07/2008 maxdacat wrote:
>the biggest piece on my rack was a 3.5 friend....i didn't feel like i was
>particularly running things out on any of the pitches.

Similar here. The larger pieces I had was a 3 friend and a 3.5 Camalot. I didn't feel that it was too runout. Though without that 3.5 Camalot then things might have been different.

At the time my limit on trad was 17. I psyced myself up for the Watchtower Crack ascent and found it alot easier than I expected. If I did it again I wouldn't bother with a 4 or 5.

fish boy

17-Jul-2008
12:28:50 PM

2 pitch sport route....solo first pitch, next pitch clip two carrots and fixed wire on way to 3 pegs, belay, cnext pitch clip bolt a few metres up and then it is over. Belay by sitting behnd a rock at the top. Gear: 3 draws, one locker.


skink

17-Jul-2008
12:59:54 PM

On 17/07/2008 fish boy wrote:
>2 pitch sport route....solo first pitch, next pitch clip two carrots and
>fixed wire on way to 3 pegs, belay, cnext pitch clip bolt a few metres
>up and then it is over. Belay by sitting behnd a rock at the top. Gear:
>3 draws, one locker.

Watching an elitist prick trying to clip the 3 pegs but realising he used all his gear already: priceless.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

17-Jul-2008
1:11:44 PM

On 17/07/2008 fish boy wrote:
>2 pitch sport route....solo first pitch, next pitch clip two carrots and
>fixed wire on way to 3 pegs, belay, cnext pitch clip bolt a few metres
>up and then it is over. Belay by sitting behnd a rock at the top. Gear:
>3 draws, one locker.
&
andesite replied:
>Watching an elitist prick trying to clip the 3 pegs but realising he used
>all his gear already: priceless.

LOL.
Well picked up andesite.
It certainly conjures up an interesting mental image!


EJ

17-Jul-2008
1:20:52 PM

On 17/07/2008 ado_m wrote:
>If you've got enough gear and 60 metre ropes, string pitches 3 and 4 together.
> Otherwise, moving off the 3rd belay is not nice, I'm not sure even a #5
>is big enough to protect the 3 or so metres off the belay before you hit
>a big bolt....

Yeah I agree, the few meters off this ledge is a bit dicey, even with a good belay. Last time I did it, I continued past the belay and clipped the bolt, then downclimbed back to the ledge. This gives you a good bit of fixed gear for the belay and also minimises the chances of a factor 2 fall as you move up to the bolt.

gfdonc

17-Jul-2008
2:01:42 PM

On 17/07/2008 andesite wrote:
>Watching an elitist prick trying to clip the 3 pegs but realising he used
>all his gear already: priceless.

ROTFL .. this gets my vote for the Posting of The Year.

prb

17-Jul-2008
3:16:26 PM

Clipping the bolt on p4 then climbing back to the ledge isn't a bad idea, but I'd avoid running p3/4 together
if you don't need to. You'll struggle to hear each other, particularly if there's a breeze. And seconds have
been known to have minor epics on p3; it helps if the leader is up at the p3 belay. I think 1, 2/3 and 4 is
the best 3-pitch strategy if you have the gear and the inclination.


harold

17-Jul-2008
3:37:38 PM

My purple poly hex is just big enough turned sideways on pitch 3 between the bolt and the belay. And yes, it can be almost impossible to hear each other when topping out due to the overhang on pitch 4.

There are 30 messages in this topic.