Mud n Crud pecking order...

[mynameismud]

I third the way sticky comments.  do not like them green eggs and ham

[JC w KC redux]

thanks for all the feedback - i'll stick with my camalots and aliens and nix the idea of link cams for now. i did happen to notice that gearX.com has a bunch of stuff 20% off until the 15th - camalots are about sold out but they have the new heliums and my fave biners - most places usually only do 10%...or 20% with tax so this is a crag snag...especially if ur a dirtbag...

[JC w KC redux]

i've also done quite a bit of research into determining manufacturing dates on gear - some of the bigger retailers don't do such a great job rotating their stock...let the buyer beware!

[Brad Young]

I bought the red and gold Link Cams when I was on a road trip and realized on day two that I'd left half of my rack at home. They were the cheapest way to cover the largest span of cracks (and thus to fill in for the missing gear).

They're OK; sometimes even useful, especially in three situations:

1. As a desperate "reach-for" piece in a hard part of a crack climb (when you absolutely want your first piece to go in);

2. As gear on the back of the harness, left there until the belay to give the maximum number of size choices in setting up the anchor;

3. Actually, at Pinns, in some situations where you want the absolute most metal touching the absolute most rock (fully retracted Link Cams have a lot more metal in contact with more rock).

But I admit that I don't really fully trust them. And I'm very cautious to place them with the stem as close to straight down whenever possible. And I keep them clean since the spring action seems weaker than I'd like (and dirt reduces that spring action).

[JC w KC redux]

thanks Brad. now i just need a mentor to school me in some trad - i haven't forgotten what you rec'd but i'd like to work on placing at Pinns and not at Disco or Mono - at least not on the weekend - what a ZOO yesterday! btw Kat and I finally did Portent two weeks ago on a Friday - amazing fun! followed it with Reg Route on Mono - a superstar day!

[Atomizer]

I talked to a friend who did NIAD with Hans Florine, who requested they must bring a bunch of link cams or no go. Hans swears by them... does that mean anything?

[JC w KC redux]

Since this thread diverged into some gear talk I just wanted to put a big hardy thanks   to all those folks contributing to helping me start a decent Pinns rack. I led Dragonfly Dome the weekend before the rendezvous placing two cams and two tricams. What a great route!

[mynameismud]

Good to hear it worked out.

Not sure if Hans' gear rack works for the rest of us.  How many pieces does he place and does he ever fall?

[JC w KC redux]

Being a neophyte to Mud n Crud and a newbie lead climber, I'm just wondering what I'm up against to graduate from the peepers category? I bagged my 21st onsight lead this past weekend and I've been leading since just before Christmas...how am I doin'? All my leads have been in the Pinns...my first and several others in the High Peaks and on the West Side since the closures...I'm hooked...

I thought I would go back and resurrect one of my old posts (my 5th post to be exact - OCD ya know) for our Pinns anniversary today. It was 10 years ago that Kat and I hiked into the High Peaks and went to Flatiron to do my first lead. I hemmed and hawed around the base for about 45 minutes and finally climbed almost to the first bolt on the Regular Route in my hiking boots. I went back down and put on climbing shoes and the rest was history. A couple years ago on this date, we went back to repeat the route and after leading it again, I wondered why I ever kept climbing at Pinns. On a subsequent trip out - working on various rebolting there, I realized that the route only goes up for 3 bolts and then sneaks around left and runs it out to the anchor (on the same upper terrain as Lost Fortune). Those upper bolts belong to the other route that goes up the ramp (Flatiron Apron Right 5.0). Things that make you go hmmmm...

Now after not being able to climb for almost a year, I wonder what the future will bring.
I am working to try and make sure that whatever it brings, it is something good.

Muddy Christmas everyone 

[JC w KC redux]

[Brad Young]

And the rest that is history is great history.

Sorry to observe this, but you look a little younger in the photos from ten years ago 

[F4?]

And what a history!!!! Glad you joined the groups and added some color.


Who is still using them link cams??

[JC w KC redux]

^^^
Yep - i noticed the age difference and how new my rope looked in the other shots from that outing. .
I have a couple anchor selfies from that day too but they are pretty awful since I was so new at point and snoot. (not a typo)
The angle makes me look a little like yosomighty.

It's been a helluva ride.

Waterfalls should be nice down there today.

[clink]

 Yer more than ten years younger than Yosonutty in that picture.

 

[JC w KC redux]

I looked back in my records tto see what I was doing over the years on this date (12-23)

In 2012 I was climbing in one of those "other" places.
In 2013 Kat and I climbed Seldom Seen Pinnacle
In 2014 I was working at Soap Box Slab with clink and mungie
In 2015 it was rainy.
In 2016 we were rained out after finishing Hoof It with Brad and clink the day before
In 2017 we repeated the Flatiron Regular Route, shaking our heads afterwards.
In 2018 Kat and I did Seven Year Itch and a little cleanup rebolting
In 2019 I was down with a pulled back and a variety of other issues that I realize now were warning signs of what was to come
In 2020 Kat and I had fun climbing new Pinns routes in a yet-to-be disclosed location
In 2021 I was grateful that I could function fairly normally again but not to the point of climbing
 
Ahhhh...the sun is shining and I may be able to get the uni out today...

[clink]

a variety of other issues that I realize now were warning signs of what was to come

 I slept the sleep of the dead last night. I think I may even have started a slight bit of decomposing.

[Brad Young]

 I slept the sleep of the dead last night. I think I may even have started a slight bit of decomposing.

That ship sailed long ago.

But it does remind me:

Some time ago, the German government decided it needed to disinter Ludwig Beethoven in order to do some genetic testing. After he was dug up, they pulled the lid off his sarcophagus. The scientific team looked in and then stood there utterly shocked. Beethoven was laying in his coffin with sheet music in one hand and an eraser in the other.  Finally, one of the scientists overcame her shock enough to stammer: Beethoven, you have been dead for centuries, what are you doing?
Beethoven sat up, looked at the scientists, held up the sheet music and the eraser and said: well, obviously, I am de-composing.

[clink]

de-composing

 Interesting that Beethoven died at my young age of 56.

 But it does remind me of the leper, that told the hooker, to keep the tip.

[Brad Young]

^^^

Which reminds me that we have now finished the two routes above The Joy of Hooking. They are: Off the Hook (was to be named Having Hooked, but Gavin suggested this better name). Notably, BAP got the first lead of this one.

The second route above is Once a Hooker.

Both are 60 to 65 feet long, starting from the top anchor of The Joy of Hooking. Both well protected and a lot of fun.

[JC w KC redux]

^^^
What are they rated?