Huntington Central Gully -- 5/5/07

[cbcbd]

I know people mean well here, I am just saying my POV.

IMO AFAIK, with every TR YMMV, and your POV is more like POS.
So just KISS and stop being a PITA.

 

[albee]

IMO AFAIK, with every TR YMMV, and your POV is more like POS.
So just KISS and stop being a PITA.

ROTFLOL!



(not)

(I know - egregious fluffage, couldn't help myself )

 

[DougPaul]

no significant ice was knocked down by climbers,

Wasn't accusing anybody of knocking ice down on anyone else. There is aways a chance and it is therefore safer not to be below anyone else. I, for one, have been hit by ice knocked down by a climber in a separate party.

Doug

 

[percious]

We were going along pretty well until we got to the bulge. We weren't quite as comfortable going up with out protection and so Arm went up to help Jeff set up some pro and to get a rope to skimom (out team's rope was closer than the one Jeff had). With the corn snow, setting any kind of anchor was proving difficult and while Giggy, Abster, and I waited below the bulge, they tried their best to secure a route. However, ice kept breaking off and racing down the slope. It seemed like every five minutes someone was yelling "Ice!" and we were ducking. Giggy got hit it the helmet with a piece slightly larger than a softball and I got a tennisball sized one off of mine.

Ah, here in-lies my confusion. In my mind Jeff was up there hacking away to get the pro in because the ice was soft/shattering. Big chunks are flying down and hitting the seconds. Not the case. Ice was coming from other places but that was a bit unclear to me. I mean no ill will towards the leaders, as I was not there. But I do stand by my leader breaking the ice for me!

Giggy, don't you think you could have taken a couple of swings at the ice chunks flying down? A kind of "Huntington Derby" if you will.

Glad everyone made it back safe and had a great day out. I wish I had a chance to hit Central this year... Oh well.

-percious

 

[cbcbd]

I wish I had a chance to hit Central this year...

Or if you don't watch out, have Central hit YOU

 

[giggy]

Wasn't accusing anybody of knocking ice down on anyone else.

I know that and I know you mean well - but to the masses reading this, there can easily be some assumption that central should have been avoided this day as it was non stop falling ice, when in reality it was a nice day to climb it - thats all I am saying here.

As always, its judegment, was is too much risk for some is a fun day out for others, I for one thought is was not a pefect day, but not that bad either- when is there a pefect day in huntington ravine?? - pretty much never.

jeff was setting up a belay with rock pro, the ice from way above just happend to be coming down at the same time he was doing this.

I know for fact other climbers are hesitant to post any trip report here becuase every little detail is picked apart, I would like to see more reports like this, so......


(disclaimer: dougpaul, etc.. and I are freindly and this is a freindly discussion, no ill will on either end)

 

[percious]

posted a few pics online

http://community.webshots.com/user/armclimb

Judging by the amount of rock up there, it looks like the route would have protected pretty nicely with a set of tri-cams and a #11

-percious

 

[bubba]

all part of the game.

(I know bubba is just goofing here)

Yeah - expect it!!

It was an attempt to put things in propective. "You voluntarily assume such risk" It doesn't say don't go... I'd rope up with any of you. [especially cbcbd -- he likes doin all the work!]

 

[Double Bow]

FWIW, I wasn't too sure where the ice was coming from (other than "up"). I couldn't see its source and I'd had my cage rattled.

If it was confusing to you reading it, it's 'cause it was confusing to me living it!

After I got hit, I knew I was hurt but that it wasn't a serious injury. I was more comfortable just continuing up. No need to turn back. Again, it was a great day weather-wise and if I hadn't gotten pegged, I would have said that it wasn't very dangerous (and story would be less interesting). We all knew the risks and were a-OK with them. It was good training with a great crew.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Just wondering if you saw any guides (IME, EMS, MGA, etc.) with clients in the gullies this past weekend? From a historical perspective, in the "old days" we pretty much stopped climbing the gullies in Huntington by the beginning of April, for the very reasons described above (although this past April was much cooler than normal, so probably ok). For big mountain routes in the West (or the Alps), it is wise to avoid climbing any gully with snow and ice combined with loose rock that sees a lot of sun (i.e., stick to northern exposures, or try to top out before the sun reaches the snow- and ice-anchored rocks on southern exposures). If you hear falling rocks, even small ones, making high-pitched whirling sounds (likely not the case in Central Gully), they are probably moving at a velocity sufficient to punch through any hard hat. Really glad that no one was seriously hurt.

 

[cbcbd]

I don't know if I saw the Climb On Inc car that weekend or another one... No guides the time we were there, but it was pretty late in the day if you were with a client anyway.
Who do you guide for?