SquamishClimbing.com

thanks for the comment mcgarnickle. you sound like an extremely intelligent person.

Effect or no effect? effect. but there's no way climbers (myself included) would listen if there was a no-brushing rule in effect. are there things we can do to minimize impact? yup. - you could wash holds that have chalk caked-on them with water, or rubbing alcohol to clean them. this works better...

how can you know the results of your 'test' will give you the answers you're after? (definitely stay off established problems) virgin granite is different from granite that has been climbed on. how long will you have to torch a blank section of rock before you've done a proper simulation? it is OBVI...

Damn't I didn't know holds broke. I haven't gone bouldering up there in quite a while. I fondled heather once and was hoping to get at it next time I was up that way. i haven't been on her in a while either. it definitely broke, then broke again i think, but that was like 3 or 4 years ago? you migh...

psychedelic wrote:I still want to send heather.

does it still go after the break(s)?

My vote is for abolishing blow torching, all in favour ???? definitely got my vote. the reason is that you can't know exactly at what distance you start to damage the hold. when you're drying the hold and you see that it's not drying fast enough you get closer and closer until it drys, not knowing ...

more from norope:

"the problem with a torch is that at a safe distance its fine (9 to 12 inches) but up close it actually make sh*t slick. It also makes holds brittle!!! I have seen the effects and have sinned myself. I no longer use one and just move on to dryer probs... "

so i've done a little research, posted the topic on norope.com. here's some of the replies: 1) lip traverses aren't boulder problems 2) mixed... soem people do it... but i think as do many that it causes the rock to a) expand and then exfoliate and b) causes changes in the crystal structure making s...

XXXX wrote:Ok so here's the deal as I see it. You can't burn a paper bag if it is full of water, right? (High school science class). You have to dry it out first, then it burns

cool analogy XXXX. your brain's made up of water too, so would you take a torch to your head? probably polish your skin a bit, eh!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propane_torch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz so are the crystals in squamish granite made of quartz??? if so, the melting point of quartz is about 1650C, according to my research, and propane torches can reach temperatures well above that. is this correct, anyone? ...

Brendan wrote:as for didier, what would you do if you were from switzerland w/ limited time?

there isn't really an established ethic on torches so i'm not trying to dispute what didier did, just trying to get a consensus of whether people think blow-torches will polish holds.

just watched the vid 'first ascent': in it didier is blow-torching cobra crack to dry it. doesn't torching round or polish granite crystals (think gibbs cave)? if it does damage the rock, climbers should know this, and know that being caught with a torch in your hand is not a good thing. it's a bad ...

by the sounds of the forecasted temps you better have hand warmers in the chalk bag. warm drinks, warm feet, cold hands... grab small rocks from the ground, hold for a few seconds to get skin the same temp as the rock, then send. ya, it could be cold. i'm no scientist, but +1 is usually feels the c...

enchanted wrote:Hopefully it will get windy and dry everything out. If that happens it'll be killer in the forest.

ya, and if not, hopefully the talus field will be prime. left it alone all fall for days like these...

forecast is only good for 2 - 3 days this time of year....