UKC

For those into big-walls this video could be entertaining (1/5 series).

I was trying to free the Leaning Tower's Westie Face (5.13a/ 'E7' 6c). This vid is from my first trip up - to check out the route. I didn't have a partner so I took up my gf who has climbed for about a year and has mostly climbed low 6's on sport or top-roped

youtube.com/watch?v=EcyJj_b0maQ&

Should I post the rest here when they go live?

In reply to natetan:

Yes!

In reply to natetan:
Excellent - do carry on!

In reply to natetan:

I rarely bother watching stuff like this but I thought this was really well done and nice to watch.

In reply to natetan:

Amazing, especially that your girlfriend didn't just think you were bonkers!

It must be so slow progress hauling all that kit too, is it mainly stuff for camping overnight?

In reply to natetan:

Very good, really interesting and natural...top marks..

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Thanks! Appreciate that!

In reply to natetan:

yes please, this was great!

In reply to natetan:

More more more please. That was very good!

In reply to springfall2008:

Haha, she didn't quite know what she was getting in to.. That is the beauty of Americans not understanding British understatement!

About 35kg is water, the rest is food, gear, sleeping bags, ropes, portaledge etc... it adds up!

In reply to natetan:

This made me want to go bigwalling again, until it got to the hauling bit and then I remembered why I hate it Maybe not hate, but why alpine big walling is more "fun". You might be totally spannered at the end of it bu at least you didn't have to pull the pig up!

In reply to natetan:

Nice one. ! I'd love to take the missus up a wall. I use chongos 2 to 1 hauling technique makes big loads easy .

In reply to natetan:

Great film - more please.

In reply to beardy mike:

Hauling really isn't that bad if you get it right.

1. make sure your partner is built like a beast
2. make sure YOU short fix - this means your partner will have to do more of the hauling
3. counter balance haul if the load is heavy, or use a 2:1. If light use a grigri and a redirect, not a jumar
4. keep the hauling area free of clutter. You don't want to be tripping over ropes as this wastes energy, time and makes one angry.

In reply to David Coley:

Yeah. Unfortunately I'm the one who was the heavy one, "built like a beast" :0

In reply to David Coley:

Cool, more coming. I will post them when they come out - each sunday for coming few weeks.

Haha, yeah always useful to have someone built like a beast for hauling...

In reply to jagster:

To bring up the missus?

In reply to natetan:

Me and the (mostly non-climbing) girlfriend enjoyed this.

But as we both said out loud: "what's wrong with smash??!"

In reply to 67hours:
Haha.. what's right with it?!

In reply to 67hours:

To be fair, Tama loves that stuff.. I veto'd it from the menu.

In reply to natetan:

I aid soloed Washington column the other year and the wife was definitely not gona do it. Hajaha.

In reply to natetan:

Don't know anything about big walling so I am curious. When you did the hauling it looked like you guys were trying to pull the bolt out of the rock face (both feet planted on the wall pulling directly out on the bolt) is this normal? I would be worrying about the bolt failing all the time. I am not picking or trying to offend but just curious and wondering if you did that at the top a sport route with staples would they hold with that force directly out from the rockface? Just a question from someone with very irrational fears.

In reply to markwynneuk:

The bolt can take say 2000kg or something, if you are pulling on it (you 70kg, your bag 70kg) the force is unlikely to exceed 180kg with friction.

The bigger forces are in falls due to the momentum, you think that you create a lot of force hauling, but its probably not so much in reality.

In reply to natetan:

If you don't enjoy smash, you probably haven't tried mixing it with cup-a-soup sachets yet

In reply to markwynneuk:

With this technique although you are pulling out on the bolt, it is just a gradual force. This is different to standing out when belaying a leader when a fall would mean a shock load on the bolt, despite being dissipated through a dynamic rope.

In reply to natetan:

Class. I've been on the receiving end of the look she gives you at 7mins 45secs many a time!

In reply to natetan:

Is this a 5 part series on climbing big walls with an inexperienced partner or a 5 part series on losing a girlfriend while climbing? :P

In reply to henwardian:

Maybe I should have gone for the more click-baity title of 'how to become single in 4 days'.. (the 5th is climbing with a diff partner and actually features a bit more climbing video)

In reply to ogreville:

It's a loving look right?