TR for the Bighorn Micro Clave and a Trip to Chas's

"slenon" wrote

good to sit and spin climbing and other
yarns with you.


I seem to run into lots of "used to climb" fisher guys This summer I
bought some Patagonia flats pants ( really comfy in hot weather and I like
doing biz with them, their eco-policy is top rate ) at Blue Ribbon. True
to my grumpy nature I was bitching about the price and made a comment
something to the effect " I can remember when Yvon Chouinard was a Camp 4
bum blacksmithing pitons, now he's probably a billionaire because of
gullible fly fishermen" Turns out John Jurachek who was selling me the
pants used to climb.

The fall that stoped my climbing was a loose rock deal, I was resting, after
the move of a short climb. I felt funny, looked down, and simply wasn't
attached anymore, my toe holds had just popped out.. After about 15 or so
feet ( it was bolt protected I was in little danger) I instinctively stuck
out my right foot trying to catch a ledge about 2 inches wide. You've been
there and can guess what two inches of ledge did to that foot after 15 or
more free falling feet ...bent it nearly off my leg .... crutches for a
long, long, time, limp to this day. And I never felt comfortable again,
on the rock, "What if this hold popped off, what about that one on the next
move?"

I'm not far from Yosemite ( usually great rock), but the fall was in the
winter at Pinnacles Nat Mon.(known for crappy rock ) I still have a bag
full of biners, stoppers and chocks, pitons ( yep I'm that old ) a pair of
EB's, a pair of PA's .... I keep thinking of leaving them at the base of
that dome by Tenaya Lake with a note "free to good home" when I go to fish
Hot creek and Crowley, but I'd probably get arrested for littering G

And I never felt comfortable again, on the rock, "What if this hold popped
off, what about that one on the next
move?"

Truly a scary tale. I can imagine the anatomical damage. And the tendency
to anticipate that happening again would make it hard to take a risk or set
foot on rock.

My falling stories aren't that bad. Mostly rock rash and assorted scars,
scrapes, and avulsions. The fall that really got to me was on army laid
rope. Several pieces of questionable protection zippered out and I honestly
think I left footprints in the dust at the base of the route before that
damned laid rope snapped tight and pulled me up again.

But I quit mostly because of age, older injuries, and location. I finally
found I wasn't using my gear and sold most of it. Saved three pitons ( I'm
that old too ), an Army oval steel biner, a couple aluminum locking biners
and a rurp that took a hard fall and stayed put. They sit on a shelf in the
front room next to my slide rule and my flint and steel kit from my black
powder days.

The climbing - fly fishing juxtaposition may have to do with an appreciation
for nature. The climbers I learned from were interested in the whole
outdoor package, camping, hunting, fishing, mountaineering. Then I ran into
the rock jocks as they became more apparent. Seeing somebody carry power
tools to bolt routes just sickens me. Yeah, they can outclimb me, likely
even without their tools. And maybe they can outfish me too. But they
don't appreciate the rock, the land, or the fish. Trophy climbers, just
like trophy hunters, fishers, and road sign shooters are from a different
ethos.

You have a great backyard if you live near Yosemite. I was going to
interview at the federal hospital there but I met Gloria and came east
instead. Such is fortune!

----
Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69
Drowning flies to Darkstar
Save a cow, eat a PETA

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm