The Standard Machete Descent: Is It Time for Rap Anchors?

[mungeclimber]

that cleat gives me an idea!

[clink]

that cleat gives me an idea!

 Did it gel overnight? If so, spit it out.

 


  JC-cute.

[clink]

Bollards

[clink]

JC suggested traffic cones and signs

LA would have to approve, of course.

[mungeclimber]

bollard bolt hanger!

[JC w KC redux]

All kidding aside - people are still having a serious impact on the upper gully and rapping off trees before or in the meadow instead of using the 4th class ledge and lower part of the standard descent. I think part of the problem stems from websites that suggest carrying two ropes and rapping off the tree(s).

This seems to be the most severe erosion in the upper gully. The lowest tree has evidence of rappelling (tracks below the base - no scarring of the tree - yet).





This lower "slide" is probably the sketchiest section of the upper part of the descent - dirt and loose gravel on top of rock. If someone were to start sliding here and go into a tumble toward the left side, they wouldn't have far to go before they'd be airborne.






Closeup of the previously mentioned/shown tree that someone has rapped off - something I never noticed before - tracks around the base and no other earthly reason to step out/down there.







And as usual there was webbing on the big tree in the meadow. We left everything clean.

[Brad Young]

The Cooks and I installed rappel anchors on this descent today. It went well; we feel we accomplished an excellent public service in two ways. First, the safety issue - this descent has gotten smoother and considerably more tenuous over the years. Second, the erosion up there was as bad as I recall (one trench was over two feet deep and one oak tree is already dead). The way we set up these stations (and tried to block off the "paths" that have led to erosion) should help enormously with this issue.

I'll post the basic information about the rappel stations. J.C. is working on photos now and will post those.

The first/highest rappel station we installed is below the standard Machete rappel and then "down-gully" slightly. It is at the last/lowest "flat" part in the top of the gully. A person rappelling from the top of Machete would either finish their rap and walk 30 feet of class two to this station, or just continue their rappel and arrive there on the rope. This station consists of two 3/8" stainless Rawl-type bolts with Fixe ring hangers. It is at about chest height on the wall above the ramp (on the left as a climber faces up-gully). The bolts and hangers are oriented in the direction of the rappel and equalize nicely when weighted (we actually set up and weighted each rappel before tightening the bolts to make sure that the hangers were all oriented perfectly).

The second station is below considerable sections of class four and above other such sections. It is 85 feet below the first station. The bolts and hangers are of the same type as in the first station. Orientation and equalization are also very good. This station is on a higher part of the ramp instead of on the wall, since placement there seemed to lead a climber to rappel down the ramp and not down to the ferns and dirt (there's a "landing" area below here where erosion problems seem to begin). We were particularly happy with the way this station worked out insofar as how the rope equalizes and how it sets up a climber to stay on the rock ramp.

It is 85 feet from this station to a nice flat spot where a climber will go off rappel and walk 25 feet of class two to the third station. From this station to the top of the meadow is about 75 feet.

All of the rope pulls are very smooth.

I left bits of red webbing on one of the bolts at each station so that climbers descending would see the color and notice the bolts. This was probably overkill as the bolts were fairly obvious where they are.

We cleaned several rap slings off of the trees in the area.

Lastly we moved branches and brush up from near the base of Fish Breath Arete, into the descent gully, and used it to obscure and block the erosion gully/use trails. This was really labor intensive, and we didn't move all that much brush. But what we did move and place looked to us like enough to seriously discourage people from leaving the rock (a relatively un-erodable substance) while on rappel.

[squiddo]

Again, MANY thanks for the service. You are fantastic

[JC w KC redux]

1st rap anchor





JC makes an initial voyage down rappel one





Brad pointing out rejected wet wall rock for anchor 2 (we decided to put it on the ramp to avoid this and the PO).





Brad getting anchor 2 started on the ramp





Anchor 2





PO on the wall just below anchor 2 





Looking down line of rappel from anchor 2 – note PO on wall





Looking over the usual path climbers take to get into the dirt/vegetation/erosional trenches – now with deterrent in place





Looking further down the erosional gullies with more deterrent





Looking up the upper part of rappel 2





Looking up the lower part of rappel 2





Kat works on anchor 3





Anchor 3





Leaving rappel anchor 3





Looking up Over the lip on the 3rd rappel





Brad forgot to mention that all the anchors were installed ground up from stance

[waldo]

Your intelligently placed infrastructure will prevent harm to Pinnacles, something we all appreciate!

[squiddo]

And with crunchy pictures even better! Thanks guys!!!

[mungeclimber]

Cool.

What is the shortest length rope that makes those raps usable?

E.g. Are they set for 50 or 60m? 

[Brad Young]

I've always considered that half of a 50 meter rope is 85 feet (a close approximation, I did climb with them BITD). So a 50 meter rope will work just fine on all three raps (for any fossils out there that still use one - Bruce are you listening?).

[squiddo]

Ha my first (well second) rope was a 50 meter Cousin brand. Red and white that became pink after a wash. Lame, lame, short and made in France. Random:-)

[F4?]

Hey that 50m rope has to be lighter than the 60m...that was always the reasoning. Heaven forbid you use a 70m...and have to carry that damn thing (think small pack).

Yeah that PO on the decent sucks! I took a bunch to the chest w brad once.
A week later poor Jenny was scratching and scratching not knowing why.

oops.

[clink]

Much thanks!!!!! Finally, but without climbers tracking through the hummocks the deterioration process will stop, over time may even start to reverse.

Munge and I came across an untouched hanging meadow last week. We spent a bit of time planning a anchor location that would avoid the softscape from the beginning.

Penny's dropped.

[mynameismud]

Nice work, thank you.

[mj]

Excellent job!  Thank you very much to all of those who put the time in to think this through and make it happen!  Hope I get out there to check it out sometime soon.

[Atomizer]

Good work team!

[kylequeener]

Good stuff. Thank you guys. Nice to know that got some love and the decent will be safer and quicker.