clovehitched (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
clovehitched) wrote2009-04-11 11:48 pm
clovehitched) wrote2009-04-11 11:48 pm
Gearing-Up
We've made a couple of purchases for the Utah trip recently.
On Thursday I ordered some 9mm static rope from a nice man in the Peak District whose daughter is called Sarah Brown. It arrived by courier at 10am the next morning (Good Friday! That was keen). We are now the proud owners of 100 metres/330 feet of 9mm static rope for abseiling. I cut it into lengths of 115 and 215 feet. The first one is a nice size for doing short abseils of up to 50 feet, or maybe a bit further if we single-line and use a pull cord to retrieve it. The second one is specifically for double-lining 100 foot abseils, of which we expect to encounter a few, including this one. The 215 foot coil is quite heavy, which is something to consider for long hot hikes across the desert.
Some of the canyons we plan to descend feature swims through water which doesn't get a lot of sunlight to warm it up. As a result, even in 40 degree celsius air temperatures it can be very cold in the water. Local companies will rent a wetsuit, but a bit of online investigation revealed they're pretty much as cheap to buy. Buying one also has the advantage of not having to wear one that's been snugged up to the crotches of a few dozen people before you.
Mine arrived this morning, and this evening I tried a little experiment. I put it on and ran some cold water in the bath. Taking the temperature revealed it was about 10 degrees. Dissatisfied with this,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
zoeimogen went and got a load of ice and other cold things from the freezer and dumped them in, to lower the water temperature another degree or so.
I then got in the bath (which I thought was quite brave, as I've never worn a wetsuit before and didn't know how well it was going to work). It's a shortie wetsuit - covers my torso and upper arms and legs, but that's all.
The water round my arms and legs felt freezing, and they quickly started to go numb. My body was chilly for a few seconds, but then stabilised and didn't feel particularly cold at all. Were it not for my exposed arms and legs I would have been very comfortable. As it was, my extremities were ... bothering me, so I got out. That water was probably as cold, if not colder than anything we'll face in Utah, and I think it'll be fine to swim in, even if my limbs are cold (they'll warm up quickly in the hot air).
I get the impression thatthe_local_echo was waiting to see me in the wetsuit, on the expectation that I would "look hot". I had a look in the mirror in the wetsuit, climbing harness and helmet, and I think it does a good job of smoothing out those nice curves that I do have, maing me look like a fairly androgynous 35 year old with an unremarkable figure. It's odd, because in the advertising picture (mine's the blue one) they look so shapely *grumble*.
I'm totally making Zoe and Sylvia perform the ice bath experiment when they get theirs.
On Thursday I ordered some 9mm static rope from a nice man in the Peak District whose daughter is called Sarah Brown. It arrived by courier at 10am the next morning (Good Friday! That was keen). We are now the proud owners of 100 metres/330 feet of 9mm static rope for abseiling. I cut it into lengths of 115 and 215 feet. The first one is a nice size for doing short abseils of up to 50 feet, or maybe a bit further if we single-line and use a pull cord to retrieve it. The second one is specifically for double-lining 100 foot abseils, of which we expect to encounter a few, including this one. The 215 foot coil is quite heavy, which is something to consider for long hot hikes across the desert.
Some of the canyons we plan to descend feature swims through water which doesn't get a lot of sunlight to warm it up. As a result, even in 40 degree celsius air temperatures it can be very cold in the water. Local companies will rent a wetsuit, but a bit of online investigation revealed they're pretty much as cheap to buy. Buying one also has the advantage of not having to wear one that's been snugged up to the crotches of a few dozen people before you.
Mine arrived this morning, and this evening I tried a little experiment. I put it on and ran some cold water in the bath. Taking the temperature revealed it was about 10 degrees. Dissatisfied with this,
zoeimogen went and got a load of ice and other cold things from the freezer and dumped them in, to lower the water temperature another degree or so.I then got in the bath (which I thought was quite brave, as I've never worn a wetsuit before and didn't know how well it was going to work). It's a shortie wetsuit - covers my torso and upper arms and legs, but that's all.
The water round my arms and legs felt freezing, and they quickly started to go numb. My body was chilly for a few seconds, but then stabilised and didn't feel particularly cold at all. Were it not for my exposed arms and legs I would have been very comfortable. As it was, my extremities were ... bothering me, so I got out. That water was probably as cold, if not colder than anything we'll face in Utah, and I think it'll be fine to swim in, even if my limbs are cold (they'll warm up quickly in the hot air).
I get the impression that
the_local_echo was waiting to see me in the wetsuit, on the expectation that I would "look hot". I had a look in the mirror in the wetsuit, climbing harness and helmet, and I think it does a good job of smoothing out those nice curves that I do have, maing me look like a fairly androgynous 35 year old with an unremarkable figure. It's odd, because in the advertising picture (mine's the blue one) they look so shapely *grumble*.
I'm totally making Zoe and Sylvia perform the ice bath experiment when they get theirs.
no subject
That's amongst the canyons with the warmer water we'll be in this time - some of the ones we want to do are apparently much colder, and it doesn't matter what time of year you do them - they never warm up.
The wetsuit seems like a much more civilised option :-)
no subject