[SA Chris]

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2345655/The-mother-of-all-traverses-The-Fitz-Traverse

Strong team!

[slackline]

    Impressive stuff.

[Wood FT]

maximal waddage

[lagerstarfish]

I always found ridge traverses mentally hard - all that descending

                                                      
         

[Johnny Brown]

AMAZING. I had thought it would be more logical in the other direction, but I guess you'd miss the best part of the route - the Goretta Pillar on Fitz Roy.

'Honnold's first route in Patagonia', natch. Will be galling for all the Brits who were out there in Jan and got very little done.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

One sleeping bag, cosy! and a load of nuts of all kinds! 

Quality work. I want to know what food etc they took/didn't take. Doesn't say if they were resupplied by the photographer.

[Johnny Brown]

That photo was right at the start. Interesting that Rolo was up there with them, I wonder if he went for it too?

[Stubbs]

Wow that looks amazing!

Obviously I know fuck all about alpinism but that seems like a very light approach for your first trip to Patagonia!

Wonder what happened to their rope?!

[Johnny Brown]

I would imagine it either got jammed and they had to cut it down, or they ran out of ab tat and started chopping bits off to use it (though you'd probably attack the tag line first). I'm never convinced the US lead/tag line system has any advantages over the usual British double thinner lead lines. Short fixing/ using traxions on runners to protect the leader from a falling second might be simpler, but that's about it.

[Paul B]

I think it has it's advantage on pure crack pitches where it's just more simple, especially if the second has a skinny tag in a backpack or something so it's not in the way. Less cluster at belays etc. But then again the replacement half rope we bought was sub 8mm so it's getting closer to a tag diameter and yet if something jams you've got something that you CAN lead on to sort the mess out.

I'm quite keen to try the above for pure sport MP stuff too in places like the Verdon. That a small haul-pack might make life easier for Nat.

I'm really surprised when people use it for Alpine stuff. We got quite a few raised eyebrows for using two ropes even at places such as the Hulk.

[Johnny Brown]

Yeah, the Americans all write double ropes off as a clusterfuck. They really aren't, especially in alpine terrain. Less drag when leading, less scary abs, more options all round. Personally I find a thin tag line is much more prone to tangles than two half ropes.

[Nibile]

Epic stuff.
Given Honnold's climbing habits, being with another climber must have felt a hell of a chaos.

[Paul B]

Personally I find a thin tag line is much more prone to tangles than two half ropes.

Yes, but if it stays in the bag there's not an issue.

[Sasquatch]

Epic stuff.
Given Honnold's climbing habits, being with another climber must have felt a hell of a chaos.

He does loads with others, you just don't hear about it as often  

Plus I amagine Tommy would be the perfect rockstar partner.  Tough as nails, strong as crap and dialed in big wall/mtn systems.....

[petejh]

Plus a 10% lower susceptibility to frostbitten fingers. Ideal.

[Johnny Brown]

Tommy's granite chops are arguably better than Honnold's.

[Stubbs]

An idea of the conditions they were climbing in with one ice axe from the supertopo thread

[mindfull]

 

I would bet they did it topless also ... 

[duncan]

Not bad for a couple of sport climbers!

What is interesting to me is that this has received universal praise and none of the 'unjustifiable' comments Honnold's soloing sometimes attracts. I'm pretty sure he is at least as likely to have an accident on something like this as on one of his occasional, extremely well-prepared, solos of mid-grade rock routes. What does this say about our attitude to and understanding of risk?

[Johnny Brown]

People have a mental block about dispensing with the rope.

[jwi]

I agree, this feat was far more dangerous than a well rehearsed solo on a wall lacking any objective dangers to speak of.

[220bpm]

Incredible feat 

Latest interview here.

http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews1.lasso?l=2&keyid=41604#