motorcylce pants for climbing slab?

[trouble]

I have noticed that the populairity of slab routes has diminished over time. There are long lines of people waiting to get on the easier cracks, whereas the slab routes are like the the ugly kid that no one wants to get acquainted with.

I know that our strong climbing ethics prevents us from protecting slabs with numerous bolts (they must have long run-outs so that people learn to respect friction burn or learn how to run downhill for miles past there belayers). Otherwise with more bolts... they might actually get popular.

So I was wondering has anyone ever considered wearing leather motorcycle pants and jacket to climb unfamilar slab routes. I was thinking the falls would then become more fun (like sliding into second base).

[hafilax]

I like it. Friction routes seem to go more easily in the cold so the added leather would keep you warm at the same time.

[bigwalldirtbag]

just do em in the rain! it's like being on a waterslide!

[Dru]

I have found that rather than wearing thick, heavy clothing, the best way to avoid getting slab rash is to not fall off.

[Brendan]

I have found that rather than wearing thick, heavy clothing, the best way to avoid getting slab rash is to not fall off.

lol. the rest of us will let you know when we get to this higher state - slab master.

[trouble]

Dru, can you climb 5.15 slab?
WOW! The human Gecko!

I would love to interview you on your special talents.
Great idea, "don't fall", I tend to say that to myself when on slab but sometimes it does not work. I guess I need to think stronger!

Here are some more solutions:

Run down the slab unitl you hit howe sound then dive into the water.
Bring a skate board and jump on when falling
jump out - so that you land in the forest (easier to do if you climb it solo)
Make yourself into a small ball and roll down the mountain

any other ideas out there?

Rainy day questions:

Some beta questions:

What are the top five slabs in squamish?

What are the five hardest slabs in squamish? (Dru what do you think and would you mind climbing them for photos?)

[Cloudraker]

No such thing as a 5.15 slab route as far as I know. Slab routes seem to fizzle out in the 5.12 range....

I haven't done a lot of harder slab routes in Squamish but Dream Symphony is a gem if you're comfortable on 5.10d slab. Also, the crag where Fatty Bolger is located has some fun 5.10 and 5.11 slab and there's a series of slab routes on the upper Malamute which are in the same range as well. You can have a full-on slabtastic adventure if you start on The Bottom Line, link up to something slabby on South Apron, and then finish up on the Upper Apron....probably 10-12 pitches easy or hard depending on where you choose to go.

[Dru]

The hardest slabs in Squamish are probably Raptors, the opening pitches of Genius Loci, and Roadside Distraction? The best, probably Agonal, Dream On and Magic Carpet Ride?

Overall, though, there are a couple of 5.14 slabs out there (one in Wales, one in Madagascar, one on Half Dome) and a whole bunch of 5.13s. And a claimed V15 slab boulder problem in Japan.

Why Squamish slabs max out in the 12 range probably has a lot more to do with inclinations of local climbers and glacial polishing than anything else. Jeff T. and Andrew Boyd certainly pushed the hardest slabs locally up a few notches in the last decade or so.

Some of the unclimbed crags in the woods above Porteau have 40 to 50 meter long slabs of a consistent angle and crystal texture without a single hold - PURE friction technique. I did a little scrubbing there a few years ago, tried TRing some and just gave up. Gecko tape might help...

[Cloudraker]

that's sick Dru....who are these mutants climbing this stuff? The technique required to pull off hard 5.12 or 5.13 must be completely off the hook. I've burned through the rubber on a couple pairs of shoes just trying to get through 11b slab moves on an ongoing project that I've yet to redpoint.....stupid slab. And that's in Squamish where the grades are soft....ugghhhh

[JSmith]

[quote="Dru"]The hardest slabs in Squamish are probably Raptors, the opening pitches of Genius Loci, and Roadside Distraction? The best, probably Agonal, Dream On and Magic Carpet Ride?
I think that the hardest slabs in Squish are the second pitch of Great White North (13b) and the crux pitch of the Grand Wall Free (12d/13a). Soon they will be overshadowed by Pitch 5 of The Great White North at around 13d.
Slabs forever!
J.

[Cloudraker]

I think that the hardest slabs in Squish are the second pitch of Great White North (13b) and the crux pitch of the Grand Wall Free (12d/13a). Soon they will be overshadowed by Pitch 5 of The Great White North at around 13d.
Slabs forever!
J.

Speaking of mutants, is the Great White North the route on Tantalus Wall that was put up by that Jeremy dude who looks like Gollum and Kevin Bacon's love child? I hear he climbs some hard slab....

[bradley3297]

I just love all the climbers sense of humour. hilarious

[Anders Ourom]

In answer to the original post, the one piece of equipment that will make falling on slabs a bit safer is a helmet. It's not hard to develop the art of taking slab falls safely - some mental and physical agility are all that's needed.

"I think that the hardest slabs in Squish are the second pitch of Great White North (13b) and the crux pitch of the Grand Wall Free (12d/13a)." Is an 80 degree plus wall is a "slab"? It's pretty hard to distinguish where it stops being slab climbing and starts being face climbing, but slabs are about friction and balance. The crux on the Grand Wall is face climbing, not slab.

The grading of slab climbs is a bit odd, and at the upper end diverges from other types of climbing. So there are few if any 5.13 or 5.14 slab climbs. Even 5.12 slab climbs are uncommon, and tend to be more psychologically difficult than nominally more difficult face or crack climbs. So maybe some upgrading is in order - not that I'm favour of yet more route inflation.

As for why there aren't more bolts on most Squamish slabs, it's pretty simple. They were mostly created on lead. People stopped and placed bolts, sometimes with help from a bat hook, where they could. Mostly 1/4" Rawl compression bolts. Mostly wearing EBs. It was hard work. The prevailing ethos then and now was to minimize the number of bolts, to maintain some adventure. The main challenge of slab climbing is having the intestinal fortitude to venture into the unknown, and overbolting takes that away.

Routes are generally much cleaner now, and perhaps with sticky rubber it would be possible to stop in more places. So the climbs are if anything a bit easier than they were - also because all the bolts are already in. There are some rap-bolted slab climbs at Squamish, and some rap-cleaned but lead-bolted routes. But very few, thankfully.

If you don't like runouts, there are some well bolted slab climbs at Squamish, although there's less adventure in them.