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18-Nov-2014 11:08:00 AM
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partner in grime is keen on a trip up the north wall this christmas. Ive done ozy direct many moons ago and was thinking the original route might be the go for a change of scenery. So whats the deal with the infamous traverse? Should i try and do it french free or is it skank and best done as an aid traverse? The guidebook topo has "leap froggy leap!" Which i assume means get ready to back clean cos you are gonna run out of the right sizes, no? Doesn't that make seconding on jumars a pain?
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18-Nov-2014 2:16:47 PM
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I haven't tried to free it. I aided with 2 each of Camalot #2 and #3 and one #4. I think a #1 goes in along the way too. It's a relatively short section, so it's not like you're leapfrogging too much, but it is awkward to clean because of the angle. You basically need to re-aid it on second. An extra #2 and #3 would certainly make it easier. And then you get to the chimneys….Oh the chimneys! Just make sure you know how to far-side haul.
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18-Nov-2014 2:22:20 PM
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Stu, looks like you're in for a treat. Maybe Lord Gumtree would be more fun ?
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18-Nov-2014 2:34:10 PM
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Hi Stu,
it isn't very far across and it is mostly a good hand crack. With a double set of cams you can lead it on aid with a little back-cleaning, then lower any bags out and just follow it free - the gear will be no more spaced than on any free pitch and it is much faster than mucking about with jumars under tension (unless you want to practise cleaning traverses). Have Fun.
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18-Nov-2014 7:20:01 PM
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its a bit of a pain that section. The first time i climbed it was solo and I leap frogged number 1 and 2 cams along the crack ( i had two of each), I then re-climbed this section to clean it.
The second time i climbed it, I placed a piece of gear straight off the belay. I then back cleaned the rest of the pitch. My second lowered off the mallion on the anchors and he jugged straight up, simpler but more dangerous.
Good luck with the chimneys above :)
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18-Nov-2014 9:30:07 PM
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On 18/11/2014 Superstu wrote:
>partner in grime is keen on a trip up the north wall this christmas. Ive
>done ozy direct many moons ago and was thinking the original route might
>be the go for a change of scenery. So whats the deal with the infamous
>traverse? Should i try and do it french free or is it skank and best done
>as an aid traverse? The guidebook topo has "leap froggy leap!" Which i
>assume means get ready to back clean cos you are gonna run out of the right
>sizes, no? Doesn't that make seconding on jumars a pain?
>
Having climbed with you, I reckon you'd easily free-climb it if you wanted to, and likewise probably En could too, though I have variously heard it described as free grade 18/19 through to 23/24 depending-
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18-Nov-2014 10:10:12 PM
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Thats a very wide grade range! Is that just another way of saying folks who can't jam for shit will struggle?
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19-Nov-2014 7:12:47 AM
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On 18/11/2014 phillipivan wrote:
>Thats a very wide grade range! Is that just another way of saying folks
>who can't jam for shit will struggle?
pi, 3.14159+, one is either correct, ... or a sandbagger.
;-)
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19-Nov-2014 8:31:12 AM
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Thanks everyone for the beta. If I manage to get down there and onto this route this summer I'll have to post a TR.
I was mostly interested in what is 'standard practice' for cleaning an aid traverse when the leader does some backcleaning along the way, and it sounds like the leader needs to leave enough gear around for the seconder to fill in the gaps as needed and aid across too.
En had a bit of a struggle following the Kor roof on Washington's Column last month and I think it was because of my freakish arm span and some back cleaning ~ what I should have done is left enough gear around so she could cam-jug across and get the weight off the line. Or, more efficiently, make sure she gets the lead of the traverse pitches!
Brendon your technique of cam-jugging with no backup pieces sounds horrifying!!
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19-Nov-2014 8:37:32 AM
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On 19/11/2014 Superstu wrote:
>Thanks everyone for the beta. If I manage to get down there and onto this
>route this summer I'll have to post a TR.
>
>I was mostly interested in what is 'standard practice' for cleaning an
>aid traverse when the leader does some backcleaning along the way, and
>it sounds like the leader needs to leave enough gear around for the seconder
>to fill in the gaps as needed and aid across too.
>
>En had a bit of a struggle following the Kor roof on Washington's Column
>last month and I think it was because of my freakish arm span and some
>back cleaning ~ what I should have done is left enough gear around so she
>could cam-jug across and get the weight off the line. Or, more efficiently,
>make sure she gets the lead of the traverse pitches!
>
>Brendon your technique of cam-jugging with no backup pieces sounds horrifying!!
Many do it, although when I do, I prefer to use three cams (1 on each ett, and the third sling-tethered to harness), leap-frogging alternately, so that I always have two in place while back-cleaning the third.
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19-Nov-2014 8:44:35 AM
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Cleaning aid across a roof is well harder than leading in my opinion. And not something that you think of practising in advance. Ideally I think you want to be able to transfer your ets to the next two pieces and still easily reach back to take out the piece you need to clean. If they are too spaced you end up having to lean right back which uses up a lot of energy. Also if the piece is not straightforward to remove you can end up getting it stuck with all your swinging around. So the idea of the second plugging in spare gear to fill gaps that have been back cleaned by the leader or placed by one of larger wingspan makes sense. Interested to hear what m9 has to say on the topic.
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19-Nov-2014 9:08:46 AM
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On 19/11/2014 shiltz wrote:
>Cleaning aid across a roof is well harder than leading in my opinion.
>And not something that you think of practising in advance. Ideally I think
>you want to be able to transfer your ets to the next two pieces and still
>easily reach back to take out the piece you need to clean. If they are
>too spaced you end up having to lean right back which uses up a lot of
>energy. Also if the piece is not straightforward to remove you can end
>up getting it stuck with all your swinging around. So the idea of the
>second plugging in spare gear to fill gaps that have been back cleaned
>by the leader or placed by one of larger wingspan makes sense. Interested
>to hear what m9 has to say on the topic.
Horses for courses (route, second and leader ability, gear available etc); and having enough gear and knowledge to be adaptable (or improvise) is the trick.
For the Ozy diagonal traverse, I think it is easiest and more fun for the second to follow similar to the leader, although I'd leave a couple of strategic pieces to minimise the pendulum if they fall.
Other tips include;
Anticipating your seconds requirements and leaving crucial pieces to their following. Any pieces they clean can supplement their continued following!
Second considers lowering out (like Brendon suggested).
Steeper (roof) cracks are very strenuous unless your ett style is basically upright, and a short* fifi off a chest harness can help greatly for them.
Adjustable fifi's are a bonus when it comes to leaning out/backcleaning, and having more than one attachment point helps minimise swinging.
(*If there is any significant roof-length involved, largely a factor of how unfit I am at the time; I prefer to use a second long-tethered adjustable fifi off my sit harness with that then passed up through the chest harness as is clipped together at centre-front, because this allows an upright position but still being able to sit/rest easily when required).
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