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Topic Date User

Simond Ice Gear 16-Feb-2009 At 10:01:20 PM Paulie

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On 16/02/2009 james wrote:
>probabaly a third of the people I've seen out this year (Canadian Rockies)
>have been climbing leashless. more like 90% at any mixed crags. Leashless
>is great on mixed stuff & when traversing. I'm still too scared of dropping
>tools to climb leashless on ice, & it only takes 1 second to unclip a clip
>leash.

Leashless...unless it's a 10mtr "sport ice route"...not for me thanks. On long pitches / multi-pitch routes I have images of my hands uncurling from the shaft and me falling clutching at the ice wall as I slam crampons 1st into my belayer (as 2 unlucky lads from Liverpool found out can happen on the route Centre Post (Scottish III) at Creag Meagaidh (Scotland) last time I was climbing there), at least with a leash you can (as the Canuks say) "give er" and dead hang while placing a screw.

So saying...Norway 2005, run out to buggery and slightly pumped on a 50mtr single pitch WI-IV route with no screws left and a stubby about 6 metres below my feet when my leash somehow manages to come off my wrist and I drop my right hand tool with about 6 metres left of the route (still steep WI-III) to finish. Holy Shiteballs. Had to finish the rest of the route slab style with one tool and no pro, one of the scariest bloody things I've ever done I reckon.