Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board GigaMike Does His 1st Rock Climbing Lead...

Pretty wild weekend, most of it spent hanging at the Whitney Portal Hostel. Only a couple of hours in the Alabama Hills 'cause it was really cold up there.


Some photo highlights:










The rest of the photos.

Richard,
I saw the webcam shot and remarked on the spindrift, hoping to see other shots

The first shot of the group (feel free to post it;I am not sure how to post other peeps pix) is fantastically composed,and the blue cast REALLY conveys the cold quite well.

BTW, any idea of how hard the winds were blowing and what the windchill factor was?

Bee

The lowest temp I saw at the Portal was 15. Multiplying 3 x 6 (thousand feet to the summit) would make the temp -3 on the summit. I didn't hear anybody pick a number below 70 (mph) for the winds across the crest. The NWS Wind Chill Chart would have it at about -40. Too cold for me...

Richard,

I'm curious. I've never rock climbed before and know nothing about it. The most I've done is class 3. But the class 5.3 route you did, can a beginner like me do that in one day without prior class 4 or 5 experience?

Giga Mike on the sharp end, WoHoo! Oh man Mike you’re headed down a slippery slope. Next you’ll be souping up a rally car hammer drill to place bolts in zero to clipped in less than 5 seconds
Seriously, congrats. Technical rock skills will open a lot of possibilities in the Sierra and elsewhere

Amin:

I've been reading your posts for some time.

There are many ways to get started rock climbing. This time of year, I would find a local climbing gym. You will be amazed at what you can climb with a pair of rock shoes on your feet and a rope above you. You will probably meet people who will be happy to take turns belaying you.

You can take a class, hire a guide, or just climb with a competent friend to learn how to climb outdoors. As in the gym, a properly set up toprope allows you to climb relatively difficult routes without much risk or experience.

The next step is learning to handle the gear and follow a competent leader on a multi-pitch climb. It won't be long before you can "second" multi-pitch climbs that are only slightly easier than what you can climb on toprope. The SE Buttress on Cathedral peak is one of my favorite climbs. It's 5.4-5.7, depending on whose guidebook you believe. I've taken dozens of newbies up it, some with only a couple of hours of previous experience.

Leading is another matter. You need to take a class, hire a guide, or learn from someone who really knows what he's doing. Don't try to teach yourself, and don't learn from someone who just bought some gear and started leading. A fall when you're toproping or seconding is generally no big deal. A leader fall can be serious, and a leader fall when you screw up the protection can be fatal. The last time I was on Cathedral Peak, a girl took a 25-foot leader fall, dusted herself off, and finished leading the climb. About a decade ago, two people died on Cathedral Peak when the leader fell, and all their gear, including the belay station, came out.

Many people build their skills and confidence while protected by a rope, and then solo easier routes. The class four that I suspect you're a little scared of right now may seem trivial when you've been doing laps on 5.8 or harder climbs on toprope.

Be safe and have fun.

Bob

Richard,

I'm always blown away with your pictures. I remember someone asked you what type of camera you use but I can't seem to find that thread (I think it might have been deleted with one of the Wade threads). The photos with the moon are awesome. What kind of camera did you use to take those? I’m doing some research for a new camera and would like to check it out.

- Justin

Nice pics, Richard.


Thanks, Rick! It was only a 5.3, but a stout 5.3 Hey, you gotta start somewhere!

Thanks for answering the question Bob.

Jusitn, most (all?) of the close-up photos were taken with a Canon 50D with a 55-250mm zoon lens. Not high quality glass, but it takes decent photos, is light and because it wasn't expensive, I wouldn't cry if I damaged it out in the wild.

The other camera I'm shooting with is the Panasonic TZ5. It's light...

Thanks for the compliments.