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stone_mason
Member
Posts: 132
stone_mason
Post never….
on: June 7, 2009, 22:15

Never ever rapel into the Angles Crest gully escape routes period.

Unless some serious danger say a vicious lightening storm or maybe an incoming asteroid… It is just about the sketchiest place you want to be anywhere. 50m above the new route Polaris and upwards (one/two pitch above angel crack).

Just throwing it out there to anyone going to climb it that may consider backing off on route.  I once did this myself years ago and vowed never to do it again - ever. I’d sooner sleep up there. In my opinion the gully escapes shown in the Squamish guide books should be deleted. It gives people a false sense of security and once inside - there is little possibility of turning back.

word.

————————————
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

John Muir

johna
Member
Posts: 45
johna
Post Re: never….
on: June 8, 2009, 08:42

I agree. I climbed borderline a couple of years ago and rather than finishing off by continuing up Angel’s Crest, we rapped down the gully. big mistake. Loose rocks are scattered at every ledge. We rained rocks down. The first rappeler had to seek umbrage before the second could descend. To make it worse, there were many rappels.

Not a good decision.

doyle
Member
Posts: 16
doyle
Post Re: never….
on: June 8, 2009, 11:04

There is something wrong with you people, the descent of Border line into the gulley is fine, nice bolted rap anchor and a nice tree, two long raps or three short ones.

Pretty chill adventure, maybe you guys should get out more.

I have never done the upper exscape though

delgrams
Member
Posts: 1
del
Post Re: never….
on: June 8, 2009, 15:31

i had my own adventure doing the very thing about 19 years ago. my buddy Al and i were climbing the angels crest route, and we managed to get off route in the dark way up high maybe a pitch or so below the top. the two of us were sitting on a little ledge and trying to eat a sandwich, but having run out of water well back, we couldn’t get anything down. i chewed the same bite for 10 minutes for spitting it out puh. i recall looking down as the lights from the squamish 7eleven came on and bitterly dreaming of big gulps. we rapped off from some precarious gear and gladly headed for the gully escape. we hadn’t heard any rock fall for a while and scrambled in. instantly we had dicey rappels. slinging a boulder, i rapped off into the darkness, not knowing if the rope would get me down or not. looking down into the darkness with my headlamp, i just saw rope going straight down til the light couldn’t penetrate the dark any further. my backup plan was a couple of prusiks, not the best situation but dehydration was driving me downwards. The ropes reached, barely… Al joined me and we went to pull our rope.. no chance. i ended up tying the rope to my harness and taking runs down the gully til it started to move. Then we began several scrambles followed by rappels in the pitch black off the edge into no man’s land. we were a little rattled but once you do the first rap, you’re committed. and there was 7eleven, getting a little closer. finally after one of the rappels, i found water dripping off the rocks in the back of a cave like feature. i scraped out a little pool from the rocks and in a few minutes was drinking delicious water. Screw you 7eleven you bastards! To pass the time we came up with many different thoughts of how we’d sell all our climbing gear and take up wind surfing or something flat. we finally crawled out of the gully of doom at dawn. i remember that day we went and bought beer and just lay down at the base of the chief and got drunk.
definitely a memorable night but one i wouldn’t recommend to anyone. always thought the inclusion in the guide books was a sandbag, and it is.

sark astiq
Member
Posts: 252
sark astiq
Post Re: never….
on: June 8, 2009, 18:25

The North Gully is no place for a rope or belaying. Not to mention the Devils Club…

jsmith
Member
Posts: 31
jsmith
Post Re: never….
on: June 8, 2009, 22:50

Yeah, Boyd and I almost got nailed at the base of Polaris on Saturday when some bumblies were rapping into the gully. They sent down 3 or 4 softball/football sized chunks to within 1 metre of the base of the route (where we were sitting).

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