mve wrote:
I didn't give the Bowl the tribute it deserves -- I really need to get into those chutes, hang in the harness and shoot in some really awkward positions to do that And a lot of things will have to come together for that to work - weather, time-off from work, climbing partner, etc .. Maybe one of these days ...
mve wrote:
I didn't give the Bowl the tribute it deserves -- I really need to get into those chutes, hang in the harness and shoot in some really awkward positions to do that And a lot of things will have to come together for that to work - weather, time-off from work, climbing partner, etc .. Maybe one of these days ...
I volunteer for the climbing partner position
Awesome! We should probably do a practice run -- I am hoping to be able to do this in Taco-Sauce chute eventually -- what do you think?
mve wrote:Thank you GigaMike.
glamisking, are you a storm chaser? Thank you -- and I am looking forward to your TR ...
Yeah I got hooked in 2007 and do my best to watch for the big storms and get out there to enjoy/suffer/survive the ferocity of the storm. Consequently one is rewarded with complete solitude and the privilege of getting the first glimpse of the wilderness in all its glory. I can never get enough and I keep coming back for more. Today looks to be a perfect day, too bad...
Maybe. I'll hit it again if it's very cold out. I would've gone again and probably finished it last week, but I'm not the same climber I was last year. I've got enough scars, so I'm a bit more careful.
mve wrote:Thank you GigaMike.
glamisking, are you a storm chaser? Thank you -- and I am looking forward to your TR ...
Yeah I got hooked in 2007 and do my best to watch for the big storms and get out there to enjoy/suffer/survive the ferocity of the storm. Consequently one is rewarded with complete solitude and the privilege of getting the first glimpse of the wilderness in all its glory. I can never get enough and I keep coming back for more. Today looks to be a perfect day, too bad...
I can relate to this -- there's something about it that draws you in ... makes you feel alive.
TacoDelRio wrote:Hit up Taco Sauce if you want to die.
I don't want to climb Taco Sauce -- the idea is to get far enough to get the right shoot and show the Bowl in it's glory. I know exactly the shoot I am after -- steep walls closing in on both sides with the terrifying vastness of the Bowl beneath and far away horizon/mountains anchoring it all.
Madness, Freedom, Air ...
With enough pro, good weather and attitude it might be doable ...
I went over the shoots I took on Thursday both from below and above the Taco Sauce area and if I am not mistaken here it is from the top:
And the same entry points as seen from below (is this right?):
Provided it's right ... what do you guys think? I am a little concerned on the vantage point #2 -- how much rope do we need? I would need ice tools to get back up once I am lowered that far?
These rocks are massive -- on the shoot looking up they look small but once you are at the top looking down it's a whole different perspective -- huge drop below and enormous walls on each side and that's what I'd like to capture ...
Timing? The afternoon Sun shadows were amazing and that will mean possible rock fall -- unfortunately it doesn't get enough light in the morning ...
Here's the closeup of vantage point #2 (this is the shoot Ryan took on the infamous "Taco Thursday"):
It looks like that wall is fairly shielded from the rock fall (snow is clean) and if I can setup a belay station there and hang pointing down it might give a nice vantage point.
Vitaly, I have a 60m rope and stuff to build anchors at the top. Rapping down and getting the shots would be pretty easy. I agree with EmanBevHills, ascenders (and maybe etriers) would also be valuable both for security and ease of use. That last photo you have of station 2 is incorrect. I think that's the chute just to the east of where Taco Sauce is located. Do you have experience with "aid" style climbing?
I went over the shoots Ryan took while he was up Taco Sauce and the view of the Bowl is a bit blocked off from that vantage point --here's an example:
I'd like to get a shoot that aligns with the view towards the massive fall line that is to the right of the above shoot rather than the view of the other side of the Bowl (if that makes sense) ... it's hard to explain -- the vantage points vary so much even when you move few feet up/down/left/right in either direction, but I saw it while being up there and it looked as if the Bowl had no bottom -- simply breathtaking ...
The ascender idea is great. I would imagine there would be couple of places where the rope will have to go over some rock features ... would we need intermediary anchors for it to be more secure (when going back up) or the one at the top from which I would rap off of would do?
I have no practical experience aid climbing only text books (Freedom of the Hills and Mark Twight Extreme Alpinism) ... so I'd have to do some practice runs before attempting to get up there ...
I've got some pickets I can contribute to the anchor, and a dry rope.
There's probably two good ways to do this - rap down on an autolocking belay device like a grigri or cinch, or tie into the end and have someone lower you off the anchor.
bertfivesix wrote:I've got some pickets I can contribute to the anchor, and a dry rope.
There's probably two good ways to do this - rap down on an autolocking belay device like a grigri or cinch, or tie into the end and have someone lower you off the anchor.
Bert, lowering is probably the safest way - using a mechanical rescue system for rapid recovery.
That way the person dropping in can concentrate on the task at hand and be rescued in case they are knocked unconscious by a slip or falling debris ..
bertfivesix wrote:I've got some pickets I can contribute to the anchor, and a dry rope.
There's probably two good ways to do this - rap down on an autolocking belay device like a grigri or cinch, or tie into the end and have someone lower you off the anchor.
Bert, lowering is probably the safest way - using a mechanical rescue system for rapid recovery.
That way the person dropping in can concentrate on the task at hand and be rescued in case they are knocked unconscious by a slip or falling debris ..
That's even better! We can then break all the rules (almost) and get to some crazy angles that would otherwise not be possible
Thank you that's huge help -- I am now almost convinced that most of the chutes to the right of (if looking from the bottom up) and including Taco Sauce face the opposite side of the Bowl, but there's a vantage point to the left of Taco Sauce that will give us the bottomless, sweeping view which encapsulates the ridge -- I think I saw it from somewhere here:
Tell ya what... I can climb up into Taco Sauce and get any equipment you need in place.
That shot you have from my gallery showing the steep snow slightly off-route is somewhat protected. We could very likely descend into that position.
My thoughts are a big bowl of mush right now.
A 50m rope would do fine to drop you below the crux.
We would need 3-4 pickets. Ice screws would likely be useless, UNLESS someone has some shortass stubbies, 10cm or whatever they would be, to anchor on the left side.
Sounds good -- I really like the idea of lowering down in there -- this way I can choose the vantage point on location looking through the lens instead of the guesswork I am doing now ...
I think this shot would be best right after the snowfall we're about to get. This Saturday a huge group (~25 people) from Caltech is going to Baldy, and it's likely that many of the couloirs will be skied or climbed and the pristine shot of the chute ruined. Just a heads up.
And a lot of things will have to come together for that to work - weather, time-off from work, climbing partner, etc .. Maybe one of these days ...
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