Nervous on steep inclines?

[MuddyWaters]

Nope. Not a bit. Im not nervous on 40+ degree exposed pitches on skis, no reason to possibly be nervous on solid ground.

[DBCFlash]

Yeah..poles. They have changed my view of steep descents. They still cause me some worry, but the poles have saved me a tumble or two.

[BirdBrain]

Old thread. Just did a search here on North Tripyramid to see if anyone else had the same surprise I did. In getting the remaining 4000' hills of NH the past week, I did the North Slide of North Tripyramid.... in a misting cloud. If anyone ever does the Tripyramids, please don't opt for the North Slide unless it is hot and bone dry. It is easily the scariest section I have ever been on. I now have all 48 in NH and 60 out of the 67 of New England. I am yet to see anything that comes close to this slide when wet. At about half way up I realized that I had made a big mistake. It was impossible to go up any more and very dangerous to try to go back down. I successfully went sideways and bushwacked the remainder of the hill. If you ever face this hill when it is wet, opt for the Scaur Ridge Trail instead.

[lemon b]

Little more nervous on the downside here. One has to worry when they lose respect and normal fear of steep rocky places.

[Bronk]

Its like working on a roof. When I was building my house I was very nervous up there in the beginning. By the time I was finished it didn't bother me a bit. Then a few years later I had to go up on the roof to fix a leak and I was nervous again. Its all in what you get used to. Your comfort level will increase as you get more experience with it.

[Another Kevin]

Old thread. Just did a search here on North Tripyramid to see if anyone else had the same surprise I did. In getting the remaining 4000' hills of NH the past week, I did the North Slide of North Tripyramid.... in a misting cloud. If anyone ever does the Tripyramids, please don't opt for the North Slide unless it is hot and bone dry. It is easily the scariest section I have ever been on. I now have all 48 in NH and 60 out of the 67 of New England. I am yet to see anything that comes close to this slide when wet. At about half way up I realized that I had made a big mistake. It was impossible to go up any more and very dangerous to try to go back down. I successfully went sideways and bushwacked the remainder of the hill. If you ever face this hill when it is wet, opt for the Scaur Ridge Trail instead.

Out of curiosity, do you use approach shoes and climbing gloves on the slides? I know that I've seen other people's trip reports from the Adirondacks and Whites. Some of them make me think that I'd want to be wearing something stickier than the NB MT610's you and I both wear for ordinary hiking. It looks as if there are a few for which the slides are the most popular approaches. I'm used to slide climbing in the Catskills, but the rock there is roughly fractured sandstone and the slides are boulder scrambles on rock that;'s as grippy as sandpaper. The slick and slabby granite and gneiss farther north intimidates me a little.

[BirdBrain]

Out of curiosity, do you use approach shoes and climbing gloves on the slides? I know that I've seen other people's trip reports from the Adirondacks and Whites. Some of them make me think that I'd want to be wearing something stickier than the NB MT610's you and I both wear for ordinary hiking. It looks as if there are a few for which the slides are the most popular approaches. I'm used to slide climbing in the Catskills, but the rock there is roughly fractured sandstone and the slides are boulder scrambles on rock that;'s as grippy as sandpaper. The slick and slabby granite and gneiss farther north intimidates me a little.

I never carry special climbing anything. I used the skin of my legs to gain the traction I needed once I realized that I was in trouble. My legs are pretty torn up at the moment. I made the bad assumption that because it was a maintained trail without a warning sign, that it would be safe enough for my skill level. The Tom Wiggins Trail going up to Blueberry Ledges on Whitecap has a sign that reads "steep, loose, not recommended". That hill was nothing. Trust me, I am not complaining. I had fun. I survived. Just informing and hoping to be a help.

[Nooga]

I find going down a steep incline sucks more than going up. I figure if I loose my traction goin up I'm going to face plant and slide on my belly so I can use my hands and toes to arrest myself. Whereas going down slope if my feet slip I'm on my butt or back like a turtle....that's the thoughts that run through my mind in those situations. Traversing a slope on a trail never bothered me--it falls into the same category as going up slope.

Agree. On steep down hills, you can see your future.....

[theoilman]

March last year I was on the Jesus Trail (in Israel) and had to go down "the cliffs of Arbel." It was nearly 500' elevation drop of very steep to nearly straight down. There were "staples" set in the rock on the straight down sections. I had 25 lbs in my pack. I went down face out because I didn't want the extra weight hanging out. Then the very steep (60 deg to 75 deg down) were just hang on and slide down very slowly and gently. After several sections of straight down (about 15 feet at a time) and very steep - I began 1. to wonder what I had gotten myself into. 2. How much more of this is there? 3. I wasn't really afraid of heights when I started but I was reconsidering that.

I used a 5 point contact - and always keep 4 in contact: 2 hands, 2 feet and rear end.