Nomic mods?

A number of climbers have asked about modifying the original Nomic to change the umbilical attachment point like the new generation. The following is from a post I made on a climbing forum last winter after the OR show in SLC.





One of the new features Petzl has incorporated into the newest Nomic and other tools coming out the fall of is a way to add an umbilical attachment leash without it being under your hand while climbing.

Basically what they did is drill a hole through the aluminum section the protrudes into the pommel and then mill some of the Delrin pommel away to fit sling material down both sides and out the pommel. What Petzl showed at the OR show was some pretty thin cord (2mm or something like it). Not enough for my liking, thanks. So I did the same with a thicker diameter cord that would take something more than body weight. I have been using 4mm cord that tests at 900#

Easy mod to do to the old Nomic with a hand drill and a file if need be. I used a hand drill and a mill. Much cleaner answer than what I have been using.

Original attachment




Cut Pommel



Additional 5mm hole drilled.



both sides are then counter sunk and a new cord added







New cord slotted in the pommel, "New" Nomic!








After looking at this more closely I find it hard to believe that the new Nomic pommels with the serrated "spike" won't retro fit the old tools.

While looking at the new tools (all prototypes) and taking them apart at the OR show my guess was the old Nomics will take both the new picks and the new Pommel. Although Petzl originally said no on both, my Nomic pick/hammer fit their newest Nomic (I actually fit it to their tool)...but like I said they were prototypes at the OR show. I'll have mine shortly and will up date this blog entry when that happens.

More on the use of 4 and 5mm cord.

From an earlier BD email exchange last winter when I asked about the issue of the small BD biner (worried about the sharp edged proto types that I was using. The new Production stuff has much better and rounded edges) on 4 and 5mm cord laced to Nomics with a BD Spinner umbilical.

Black Diamond said:
"Just tested this to 800lbs (single leg). No damage to the 4mm cord or our steel clip (production quality with more tumbling to the part); the bungee webbing breaks first. Then pull tested our steel biner clipped to 5mm cord, this went to 1600lbs before the cord broke."

I would also make sure to use a knot like a dbl Fisherman's in drop form instead of an Over Hand which is typical and much weaker (30% less or more?) in this application. And something like half of the original tensile strength of the rope! Easy bet the cord broke at the knot no matter what knot he was using. But worth hedging your bets here for several reasons. But 4mm seems a good compromise for size (getting it under the pommel or in your hand) and strength. Hanging on a tool is not a dynamic load. Fall far enough and require static cord and webbing to take the dynamic impact load and you'll blow through 5mm or the webbing easily.


Either way I think the newest leash attachment is a good improvement on the tools...and worth doing on the older ones if you are so inclined. It isn't much work and I don't see a down side.


For those that asked. New Nomic picks (if they are cut for the hammer) will fit the old Nomic heads with a spacer...a simple washer will work there for a spacer. If they are not cut for the hammer the pick will bolt right up as normal.

From the prototypes shown at OR this winter the Petzl hammer and adze will not work without cutting up your old head a tiny bit. They were prototypes but I suspect very close to what we will see as production.

The new Petzl in cut head is to further support the hammer and adze in use. I used a similar technique to support the CT Nomic hammer without cutting the aluminum tool head and got a lower profile and better balance as advantages.

More details and photos in the link below.



http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/947849/Searchpage/1/Main/73195/Words/new+nomic/Search/true/Re_New_Nomic#Post947849

Winter hits the Laurel Highlands

Welcome indeed!

Well it looks like the winter weather has hit the Laurel Highlands and should get the Pennsylvania ice climbing season underway. So far its been scratching at rock with little to no ice. The cold weather hit and within 24 hours I had the itch to go see what I could find. Here's a brief photo report for SWPA ice climbing conditions as of January 3rd. I plan to head out Thursday and check again to see how things will shape up for the weekend. Stay tuned...



Ohiopyle State Park

Lower Meadow Run has mixed options already. Both Caveman and Anger

Management are climbable.

The upper, right end of Lower Meadow

still has a long way to go.

Upper Meadow has little to no ice but is building. The

mixed lines should be climbable soon.

SCII

Son of Beast is building fast

Final Obligation and The Awakening

Hard to see, but a potential cool new line!

The Infinite and SICK-le

Irishtown

Dynamite about ready to go, this weekend if the weather holds.

Could currently be climbed, but would better with more ice

Dirty T with a thin ice ribbon the whole way down. Looks fun!

This one could be fun soon. Not a route yet!

Mouth of Madness and The Prow both need a lot more ice

I'll leave you again with another one of those very questionable eerie things you find in the backwoods of SWPA. This is somebody's yard art. Meaning unknown... Awesome!



Happy Climbing!

San Felipe de Neri Church

This is the huge, old Catholic church in Old Town Albuquerque. It is over 200 years old. I took this photo from across the street from the church, and you can see the steeple and gates leading to the area in front of the church. This church is still used and very popular for weddings and other celebrations. This church is known as the historic San Felipe de Neri Church.

Blue Ice Yeti 45 review

Reviewed by Jerry Johnson (one of my very first climbing mates)




Here is what I really like about the Blue Ice Yeti 45 –
throw anything in it and don’t worry about screws poking out or crampons
tearing through. Frankly, I am tired of the ultra light pack I need to watch
around sharp implements, branches during the inevitable bushwhack, or ski
edges. There will no need to constantly
patch this pack with Aqua Seal and a hodgepodge of Cordura scraps.












































Readers of this blog are well acquainted with Blue Ice. They
build a few specialized products for the alpine world. I already use the Boa
leash and the 27 liter Warthog. The Yeti is their solution to the need for a
pack for bigger loads up to overnight. Like
any well designed pack it carries just fine and has the usual features we like.
Two compression straps, a waterproof zipper down the front for quick access to
spare gloves (something I am learning to appreciate with use), and an
adequately padded, and removable, hip belt with a accessory pocket. Most packs nowadays share these and additional
features. The design crew for the Yeti did a couple things with these features
I really appreciate.



The lid is, of course, removable via four Fast Tex style
nylon buckles made by Duraflex. A gripe I always seem to have in these systems
is that the lid doesn’t cinch down as tight over the pack as I would like. Most
of the time when I have a partially loaded pack I just tuck the lid insight and
cinch it shut but, for moderate loads when you use the lid as intended, most
lids fit sloppy at the back, flop around and don’t really seal all that well.
On the Yeti, they sewed the rear lid buckles slightly further down the back so
the lid fits as it should. Mine didn’t come with two zipper slides on the main
pocket but they should in future production runs.





Speaking of strappage. The pack came with two long webbing
straps for attaching crampons or whatever. Many packs have some daisy chained
webbing that works well enough but involve a lot of extra sewing and so
expense. The strap tie on points on the Yeti are stellar. The base is a thin
neoprene impregnated nylon with well formed loops. Threading webbing or a Voile
strap is a no brainer and clearly they are strong enough for haul loops if
needed. Here is a request for Blue Ice – make straps out of the neoprene
material with strong steel buckles. They would replace the old Beck Crampon
Straps we used in the 70’s and still in use as accessory straps today. I’d buy
them. And one other thing – I wish pack manufacturers would sew straps with a
little extra on the ends. I seem to always strain compression straps to their
full extent and a little extra webbing to grab on to would be very cool.





Reflecting the alpine roots, the pack has two small gear
loops on the pack straps. I didn’t like them. They make the pack harder to get
in and out of and I don’t quite see the point. I sometimes climb with a bandoleer
system but these just seem to get in the way and make rack changeovers just
that much more complicated. Others may feel differently and should give them a
go. There are gear loops inside the pack but again, I don’t see the need. I
hadn’t owned a pack with the new school axe system and was skeptical but they
work well with my Quarks – easy off/easy on.
Frame is a plastic sheet with two metal stays. I recently
swapped it out for a piece of foam and it seems to work just as well, offers a
bivi pad, and saves a few ounces. Again, it likely comes down to a personal
preference or need.




Blue Ice gear is bomber – really well sewn and finished. My
only real gripe is that the black color makes it hard to see in the pack in dim
light. Not a deal breaker by any means.

Spider poetry

One morning we awoke to find that spiders had woven diamonds during our sleep.

Frozen Fog

3 mornings this week we woke to find a strange world of frozen fog. We couldn't see any farther than our own yard. It was as if the world didn't exist anymore beyond our place. It gave a odd, fantasy-like feel to everything. I took some photos but they don't have the true feel that I was getting as I wondered about. Within a few hours the fog was mostly gone but it was still dark, dreary days. It made me want to hybernate instead of getting out to finish my Christmas shopping.

Raindrop

I took this photo after our rain last Friday morning. You can see some of the other tree branchs in the raindrop