UKC

What's the crucial bit of gear needed on Gaia??

In reply to Anonymous: luck?

In reply to Anonymous:

Steady head, skill and balls.

In reply to Anonymous: the ability to climb up to look for yourself...

In reply to Ian Hill: you prick

In reply to Anonymous:

It's easy to go up and have a look, from the pictures a couple of smallish cams seem useful. I assume you're going for the onsight here....but I think the gear is hardly crucial beta, it will be pretty obvious I'm sure. Oh and a fast belayer of course.

In reply to Fiend: yep, am going for the on-sight (well with beta on gear anyway). Had a look from the ground and yes small cams seem obvious, but it would be useful to know what - preferably by someone who has done it, so as not to waste time etc... otherwise I will just have to shove in whatever is on my pitiful rack.

In reply to Anonymous:

..... and then you can claim a real on sight with no beta!

In reply to Anonymous:

Maybe solo the VS traverse and lean out to look...

In reply to Mord: No, I certainly won't be claiming anything to anyone and certainly not boasting about an on-sight. It will be a beta flash or whatever you want to call it but I just want to forget about the gear (knowing it is good) and go for the moves. I couldn't give a monkey's about the ethical stance on that one.

In reply to Fiend: I know, I know but I want to do in a oner - do you know what I mean. Just get on it and either suceed or fail. It doesn't matter anyway, I think a small Cam will do.

In reply to Anonymous:

No, it's very specific. See Mike Weekes' account of falling off Harder Faster. I think maybe a red Alien is the crucial tool - Dan Honeyman threw it up to Mike as an afterthought and that was what stopped him when the stuff he'd originally placed ripped. I can't recall whether the account was in the mags or on here, but well worth finding out. Dan H or Mike Weekes will know: don't know myself how to contact them but can't be hard to find out how.

Good luck.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously: Thanks very much for that, i really appreciate it. Not sure how to get in contact with MW but if he's out there LET ME KNOW!

In reply to Anonymous: you can get a couple of cams in around friend half size. If you have any other brands around that size bring them. The best things to do is what that fella said, take them and go up and have a look.

In reply to Anonymous:

For the final moves I think a prayer book could come in handy (you use it at the bottom before you set off.)

In reply to Anonymous: a prayer book? i doubt that would help you. Being a good climber with a cool head would help, but i harldy see how distracting yourself with a prayer book would help you climb...

In reply to shame:

.. i was actually not being totally serious, in case you hadn't guessed! But what I meant was that gear is not going to help you much on the crux - though story is that if the belayer runs backwards fast enough like Seb Grieve? did with the French guy you might just stop the leader decking it. So yes, a very cool head, and a complete faith in one's ability ... in the old days that could easily have been regarded as a kind of Faith.

In reply to Anonymous: well, whilst we were all talking about crucial gear placements someone else went out and actually did it today...

In reply to update!:

Onsight flashed?

In reply to Fiend: Is there any chance of getting a small zero cam a bit higher in the flake?