Are there any "easier", shorter class 4 hikes to try?

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polar
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Re: Are there any "easier", shorter class 4 hikes to try?

Post by polar »

Justin explained it really well, especially with the bookcase analogy. I just want to add, don't think of "pushing" and "pulling" as what you're doing with your hands and your feet, but rather, what you're doing to the rock. So "pushing" means "compressing, pushing rocks together"; "pulling" means "stretching, pulling rocks apart". So in climbing a bookcase, when you're reaching over head for the books and pulling straight down on them, you're pushing (compressing) them against the shelf, that would hold them in place. As soon as the books are chest level and you're pulling them away from the shelf, the books would pull right out. Also, if you're climbing any of corner or chimney feature, pressing against the rock (stemming) with your hand and your feet will also hold the rock together.
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Re: Are there any "easier", shorter class 4 hikes to try?

Post by justiner »

Nice clarification, thanks polar.
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polar
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Re: Are there any "easier", shorter class 4 hikes to try?

Post by polar »

justiner wrote:Nice clarification, thanks polar.
No prob! This whole discussion of pushing and pulling reminded me when I climbed in Australia a few years ago. A friend took me to a newly developed sport area near Canberra. If I recall the rock is a type of igneous rock, very hard but brittle. I hopped on this 5.easy on lead to warm up. The climbing was easy because there were edges everywhere for hands and feet, and they looked and felt pretty solid. But as I climbed and looked down at my feet, to my horror, I watched as many of the footholds I was standing on just moments ago break away and fall into space as soon as my foot left them. What my friend failed to mention was that this area was so new, most of the rock was still exfoliating the surface layer. I had never been so gripped on a sport route in my entire life! But it goes to show that pressure can hold the loose stuff together.

How was El Potrero? You weren’t there when the two rappel accident happened, were you?
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Re: Are there any "easier", shorter class 4 hikes to try?

Post by alsrun »

One other thing to consider...If you plan on using any of the campsites at Crater Lake for a base camp, call the ranger station in Aspen to be certain they will be available. All of the campsites were closed late last Summer due to bear activity.
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Re: Are there any "easier", shorter class 4 hikes to try?

Post by Jorts »

Class 4 doesn't always mean high exposure. There are plenty of climbs with class 4 & class 5 moves that have minimal exposure. Think bouldering.
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