Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Carrying Your Approach Shoes Up A Multi-Pitch 20-Mar-2006 At 7:30:51 PM The Keeper

Message

Context is everything in this - depends on the nature of your partner. The honed blokes I have been lucky enough to climb with carry their own shoes because 1) I'm paying the tab; 2) they climb at levels I only see in my dreams and young goats climb better than old goats and mules and 3) I am guarding their ass-ets with the follow through ( this could be particularly important in southern Queen'sland where I may have to run interference from marauding butt-biting climbing vixens from Boonah). If I climbed at their level then the equation might be altered and if in Aussie I was toting a few lbs of carrot hangers in my chalk bag (see Scott Milton's little piece in Gripped on finding himself in Oz!). On the other hand if I succumbed and ended up climbing behind one of the legendary climbing vixens from Boonah, I might count my lucky stars and take delight in carrying her hiking boots (or stiletto ice crampons) - as it would quickly preclude having to stuff the extra bottles of hair shampoo, Victorias Secrets catalogues, curlers, etc in my day pack.
And in the Canadian Rockies there may be more status and glory in seconding than leading as you have to put up with all of the choss, boulders, zingers coming down from above - on Kid Goat Buttress a baseball sized little rippa came winging by my noggin at the speed of sound or something - I was suitably impressed and ever after wear a helmet. Along with the choss, you have gear , water bottles , maybe even the odd hiking boot rocketing past you so it pays to protect the grey matter upstairs. If a hiking boot zips on by from the leader than this might tilt lthe equation in favor of the second carrying
those items in self defense!!! Always ensure that if the leader is carrying his own boots though that they are new boots - with some residual sanitation and previous fumigation, otherwise you may be contending with dead gulls, eagles and parrots
falling out of the heavens towards you. Getting poked with a dead parrot beak would likely put you into Guiness World Record country. Given this, then I am all for the leader using sandals rather than hiking boots.

I also take a pair of sun glasses with me and recall the grim glare from the sun directly reflecting into my eyes on one multi-pitch effort on the Chief at Squamish. I have been a few situations that suggest a set of small but effective walkie talkies( 1 for leader and 1 for second) might be a good thing too - I recall being the last lad down from an airy multipitch on Kid Goat Buttress near Canmore - in a howling wind and being totally unable to hear anything by way of communications before rapping off a huge, overhanging, nothing but air , pitch. During the rap the wind was blowing me all around - albeit I sort of enjoyed the challenge . The old tug the rope thing signal was a bit uncomfortable and I like solutions that reduce the chance for error. May not need it much in Aussie but in the Rockies it doesn't take much to be out of sight and touch which each other. Nothing is failsafe but anything that promotes effective and "unambiguous communication" is good - in my books.

For leaders allowing seconds to carry their shoes - make sure theirs can fit your feet in case they drop one or pre-negotiate other arrangements should some drama happen en route!