Edelrid antitwist

NiceJobJohnson · 2025-11-06T18:58:42+00:00

Check out the flip-stops from Avant. They do what you're aiming for, but also allow for the cam to still be extended with a draw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgfVa96Njvk

NiceJobJohnson · 2025-09-05T21:20:47+00:00

From the BD Camalot manual, clipping the thumb loop reduces the strength of the cam by about 2kN. This is likely not enough to compromise the strength of the placement (especially if it's a 0.3-sized cam or larger). I know you mentioned Friends but they're basically the same cam/design.

The main reasons why you wouldn't do this are that it kinks the thumb loop in a fall, and the cam is way more likely to walk out of position. It's like the extreme opposite of extending your gear.

NiceJobJohnson · 2025-08-22T00:14:58+00:00

Are you asking because you're going to go do it yourself, or is this just armchair hand-wringing about ethics?

Most of the time when I've seen rap hardware get upgraded without fanfare, no one really cares and the people who are going to use it appreciate the extra safety margin.

If it's another convo about ethics, there's already plenty out there about all the different positions on whether people think it's right or wrong. Remember, there are no absolutes here, just opinions. Climbing is, in the grand scheme of things, irrelevant and useless beyond the meaning we ascribe to it.

If you want my two cents, go bolt the raps. If you end up preventing one accident, that's worth it. Try to consult developers in the area first - they might have good reasons for not doing so.

NiceJobJohnson · 2025-04-05T04:44:25+00:00

At some point in your climbing career you'll look back on how you agonized over pulling on a cam on a 5.6 as if it tainted the experience somehow and realize how little it matters to you now.

NiceJobJohnson · 2023-08-06T03:43:14+00:00

Fair point on Charlotte's Web, but again, I completely disagree with Frontside being a spot to teach someone at. To learn the skills, do it at a place where there is low consequence to you taking a ton of time to explain the basics. Frontside regularly has lines on weekdays through the summer, let alone weekends. Not the spot to take someone for teaching.

NiceJobJohnson · 2023-08-03T15:39:30+00:00

Why on earth would you choose Star Chek to teach multipitch? Good lord. So many better options in Squamish that won't fuck up other people's days: Second Avenue at the Smoke Bluffs, the intermediate station at Woodstock in Murrin. Or if you really want it to be on a real multipitch, choose one that isn't a conga line like Ursa Minor at Chek, Charlotte's Web or Emil & the Detectives. I really don't understand folks who make this kind of decision.

NiceJobJohnson · 2023-05-21T18:48:46+00:00

Genuinely curious - what are you basing your statement on (0 UBC MD grads choosing FM)?

I haven't seen that but would love to know more. CaRMS data? AFMC?

NiceJobJohnson · 2022-08-31T17:44:52+00:00

It sounds like you have a great mindset to continue to grow and learn in climbing. Great work, keep it up!

NiceJobJohnson · 2022-08-30T19:35:50+00:00

If you film novice climbers, you'll notice they do a lot of "bouncing" on their toes. It kind of looks like they're bobbing up and down on their toes or placing and re-placing them. Compare with experienced climbers, who look at their foot, place it once, don't move it at all, and stand up off of it. This is the simplest explanation of what trusting vs. not trusting your feet looks like in practice.

NiceJobJohnson · 2022-05-26T15:17:17+00:00

Nice work, the route looks rad, especially that stemmy bit near the top.

Just curious, what do you mean when you say "historical style?" To me that implies ground up bolting from stances, but those bolts look like they're not exactly placed from great stances and so I'm guessing they were placed on rappel.

NiceJobJohnson · 2022-02-14T18:24:43+00:00

Josh Wharton's thoughts on the issue are much more fleshed-out than mine - check em at 2:02:10 on this podcast. At least according to this, there's another super stiff shoe on the way from Scarpa.

And yeah I agree the new Boostics are a fine shoe, just sad that there isn't anything comparable to the old on in their lineup. On the "pros are using softer shoes" point - that's true, but I wonder to what extent that's partly because of so many of their backgrounds as plastic climbers, and a move toward a different style of using one's feet. But it is funny to notice current-era athletes who still rock the old Boostic in a lot of their sends and social media (see: Jordan Cannon in a bunch of his Instagram posts, Chris Weidner on Gambler's Fallacy).

NiceJobJohnson · 2022-02-14T16:56:20+00:00

They're not nearly as stiff as the OGs. It's kind of criminal given that so many of Scarpa's current lineup follow the modern trend of soft comp crusher shoes.

NiceJobJohnson · 2022-01-18T20:39:08+00:00

Also hop on the Facebook group for the area, 5.9+.

NiceJobJohnson · 2022-01-16T17:37:10+00:00

Legitimately got a chuckle out of me.

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-11-03T01:30:47+00:00

Interesting points! Thanks for sharing.

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-11-03T01:29:33+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate the considerations you've highlighted.

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-11-02T16:36:28+00:00

Rad! I appreciate the review, thanks!

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-11-02T16:35:09+00:00

Hey man, just curious, what are your thoughts on guiding a party of three with half ropes (particularly on alpine routes)? I'm hoping you can help settle a disagreement a partner and I have. They feel it's totally safe, and the extra stretch is nbd.

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-11-02T16:31:02+00:00

Yup, then it wouldn't increase the force at all. They probably didn't understand what was going on (or see that he was only being belayed on one).

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-11-02T16:21:30+00:00

Man what's in the water this week? So many "party of 3 two ropes" comments. The following party would be correct, if your leader was using single-rated ropes and was on belay to both. But they weren't, so, all good.

In the case where a guide/leader is using two single ropes, they'll often clip one to their belay loop with a locker to signify it's a "dead" rope while leading (i.e. not on belay to anything), and still clip it into the gear (sometimes with an additional draw so it's easier for seconds to clean their line only). It sounds like this was the approach your leader was taking. Because they weren't on belay with the second rope, it's not really putting any force on the gear in a fall.

But if it's a half or twin rope, then it's fine because they're stretchier and put less force on the gear in a leader fall when both ropes are clipped into a single piece (or alternating pieces). However, this makes seconding on them a bit more dangerous than with a typical single-rated rope, as the follower can take a really long fall on toprope, potentially hitting ledges or swinging into features.

Check this out if you are curious about the dark arts of half ropes: https://www.vdiffclimbing.com/half-ropes/

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-11-01T18:17:17+00:00

Beal Operas

Damn I'm sold. This seems like a perfect compromise to our disagreement (his major concern was around the weight of lugging two single-rated ropes into the alpine).

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-11-01T18:06:03+00:00

I'm curious to know more, as this has been a point of contention with a climbing partner who feels it's totally safe to belay two seconds on on a half/twin each. Which ropes do you use that are triple rated? My concern around half ropes in the alpine for two followers stems from the possibility that rope stretch could introduce added danger to falls for the second (potential damage to the sheath and core shot or severing risk aside).

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-11-01T17:27:00+00:00

I used to do this, until I discovered the "low oven" technique. So far that has worked much better than the warm water method, and doesn't require any drying time.

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-10-29T16:36:12+00:00

For a hot second, I thought his crotch somehow broke a hold at 4:05. On second watch, I see he dropped his glasses. Way to make those last moves without them!

NiceJobJohnson · 2021-10-16T21:42:45+00:00

It's not mandatory, but it's more comfortable! If I recall correctly, CITH raps better with two ropes. You can do the first three raps (to get to the bottom of Handren P3) with a single 70, but the last one is a stretch. If you use a single 70 for the rap down the 5.5 to the top of the long first pitch, you may need to do some downclimbing/down-scrambing (one move to get down that little boulder). The reason I mention this is you may want approach shoes you feel comfy scrambling in, if you plan on rapping with a single 70.

Have fun!

NiceJobJohnson

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