Mud n Crud pecking order...

[JC w KC redux]

Jc- You wrote:

 Not sure i would trust some of the bolts based on their age and the rock quality

Are you speaking of the bolts on the route Lichen to lead? 

Hope they didn't go bad just yet ?

Josh - the bolts you replaced on Lichen's pitches looked good. the first bolt/hanger at the bottom of the start is the one that looks old but the rock there is still good - Kat used that one as her belay anchor to get me going on lead. the thing that i was concerned with on lead was the length of fall the upper bolts would have to sustain because of the crazy runout and esp the one on P2(the second part of what Brad calls P1) - b/c the rock turns rotten through that section... although based on the grade, falling there would probably involve tripping over your own feet or having multiple holds break off simultaneously! i thought i remembered one with epoxy but that may be the last one on the route. at any rate i appreciate the work you did b/c we had a blast on the route! i am psyched to do a trip with you this summer!

[JC w KC redux]

People with elaborate racks that only place a few pieces might be better understood as, unless you know exactly what climb you're going to do and have exact beta on it, you have the elaborate rack so that when you need those "only a few" pieces, you have them.

thanks for that and for the supertopo link to taco - that's a good perspective for me to keep in mind. i normally have several climbs picked out when we head out but i never have the exact beta(only the guidebook) b/c then i would not consider it an onsight lead and it would also detract from the adventure component - which for me is a big part of the fun...

[mynameismud]

@Josh
Some people do not realize that Star Dryves can actually be good.  I did not trust those things at all for quite some time.  After climbing for a bit I learned they are a good bolt.  Now I do not trust button heads but even those can be good.

It can also be a long process to determin what is good rock, what isn't and what will just work for a while.

[joe]

by large cams I mean BD #2, #3, #4, #5
that's what I use anyway, I believe most oh dub affecionados prefer Wild Country larger than that...
I also routinely carry 1 #1, 1 #3/4 in BD and their equivalent in Aliens (orange, and clear)
from there down aliens red, grey, yellow, double green, a yellow tcu
and add or subtract as needed with other gear (e.g., blue or black aliens, orange or red tcu, sometimes blue, or even the small blue BD, but I don't like that piece)

more info than you want I'm sure...
if you know Lisa, are you in the cruz?  if so, look me up at the edge and I'm happy to talk gear with you...

btw, I just got an e-mail from Rock Creek indicating that BD cams are on sale...

[JC w KC redux]

by large cams I mean BD #2, #3, #4, #5
that's what I use anyway, I believe most oh dub affecionados prefer Wild Country larger than that...
I also routinely carry 1 #1, 1 #3/4 in BD and their equivalent in Aliens (orange, and clear)
from there down aliens red, grey, yellow, double green, a yellow tcu
and add or subtract as needed with other gear (e.g., blue or black aliens, orange or red tcu, sometimes blue, or even the small blue BD, but I don't like that piece)

more info than you want I'm sure...
if you know Lisa, are you in the cruz?  if so, look me up at the edge and I'm happy to talk gear with you...

btw, I just got an e-mail from Rock Creek indicating that BD cams are on sale...

thanks for the clarifcation and the heads up on Rock Creek. I have been following gearexpress b/c they have no tax and free shipping over $50 + 10% off on 3 or more cams. RC beats that by a little with current prices. Yes we are members at the edge an for all I know we have talked - I'm the dude with the funky headbands and usually orange shirt...

[Brad Young]

In order to master climbing at The Pinnacles you have to play many different games.  You need loose rock skills, a runout resistant headspace, and be able to deal with sketchy pro which often means bad bolts. Once you can deal with at least two of those skills at a time you go beyond "Peepers" status and become a "Mudder."

I'd be carefull to not gain the unsaid "4th skill" or the even rarer "5th Element" of The Pinns, at which point you may find your self in the unfortunate "800 Club" or "BLL" crew.

Am I the only one who appreciated Adam's wit here? It's a pretty damn clever post ... well it is up to the part about the unfortunate 800 Club.

I submit that the  "unsaid fourth skill" is an ability to ignore better climbing venues (including those closer to one's home) in favor of our beloved Pinnacles.

"The Fifth Element" is easy: age. Some of us have been climbing at Pinns since some of you were in diapers (and those extra years of climbing mean extra routes climbed).

[F4?]

Check on the 5th...but there's a 6th....bad memory. That way you can forget the suffering.

[mynameismud]

For those that do not know, the 800 club is for those fortunate or unfortunate few that have climbed at least 800 routes at the Pins.

[JC w KC redux]

Check on the 5th...but there's a 6th....bad memory. That way you can forget the suffering.

check on those - but i tend to remember suffering(or take notes!)...those that forget the past...

[mynameismud]

This should read lead 800 routes.

For those that do not know, the 800 club is for those fortunate or unfortunate few that have climbed at least 800 routes at the Pins.

[mungeclimber]

This should read lead 800 routes.

in good style, meaning bottom to top no falls.

[Atomizer]

I haven't discovered the 6th yet... not sure if I want to.

[JC w KC redux]

If anyone needs some fresh gear Joe turned me on to the fact that Rock Creek has their stuff on sale - but only for a couple more days(ends March 19th) - BD Cams are 15%-16% off with no tax and no shipping - saved a bundle - I try to "think local first" but hey - do the math - 10% off (member discount) + CA tax = 1.5% discount @ Pac Edge versus 15/16+8.5 = 23.5/24.5%. There's discounts on lots of other stuff too!

[rhyang]

This is a little late, but Squiddo's pic is from Courtright Reservoir, on Power Dome.  Here is a tricam shot from A Little Nukey (5.9) -



Really fun !  A couple of tricams come in handy on Dragonfly Dome too.

[JC w KC redux]

This is a little late

cool pic. better late than never. i ordered the black, pink and red tricams on cobbledik's rec. i am anxious to go back up and do Dragonfly along with several other routes nearby.

[JC w KC redux]

got my camalots , tricams and aliens added to my pre-existing rack of passive gear (nuts, hexes and sewn dyneema runners). is there any consensus or opinion on Omega Pacific's Link Cams? anybody have 'em? use 'em often? like 'em? some people swear by 'em as a panic piece or for unusal placements and others say they'll "explode" if placed incorrectly. thoughts?

[squiddo]

cool pic. better late than never. i ordered the black, pink and red tricams on cobbledik's rec. i am anxious to go back up and do Dragonfly along with several other routes nearby.

Be careful...the black and whites are SO easy to get stuck I bought them thinking I might only get one or two uses. Three placements later they are on their fourth life. Even with very careful consideration they are sooo small...

[JC w KC redux]

Be careful...the black and whites are SO easy to get stuck

squiddo - i take it from the quote you are referring to the tricams...i'm not too worried about getting those stuck since they are only about $20 each...the OP Link Cams are about $100 each...no one mentioned them in any of the previous recs on this thread but i had a guy who's an old pro at Pinns but not on M'nC rec them so i thought i'd put it back out there for some feedback...

[squiddo]

Right.....Brad Young has an opinion on them. I own the two largest sizes and see the value. From a "building a rack" POV though I'd steer away.

I WAY prefer BD C4's (or even WC Friends) over them. There are reams of comments on MP.com if you are curious. Ask ten people you'll get 10 responses.

They serve a purpose but require some knowledge on placing....placing them wrong renders them dangerous too easily. They are also a tad heavier and pricy. Take it with a grain of salt but I consider them a specialist piece. Great for "back of the harness" in building a belay when you are not certain what the next pitch holds.

[cobbledik]

OP Link cams are fixed/stuck all over Yosemite. I've seen too many reports of fractures to ever want to spend my monies on a link cam.

If you're going to be aiding C1 though, I'd probably try to borrow some to fix to each aider.