Evolution Traverse in Winter

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Nate Ricklin

climber

San Diego

Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 11, 2012 - 08:48pm PT

Just got word that it went down.

My boys Shay, Konstantin, and Ben sent, 4 days on route. Heard it was pretty epic!

Bad Climber

climber

Mar 11, 2012 - 08:54pm PT

Damn. Well done lads. Epic indeed!

BAd

Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber

San Francisco

Mar 11, 2012 - 09:42pm PT

I had a feeling Ben was doing it now lol! Hope everyone is well. Waiting for the ultimate spray.

ms55401

Trad climber

minneapolis, mn

Mar 12, 2012 - 12:43am PT

asterisk

Mighty Hiker

climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Mar 12, 2012 - 12:47am PT

But was cheburashka there?

franky

Trad climber

Bishop, CA

Mar 12, 2012 - 12:50am PT

wait... it's winter? hope it was fun. i wonder if there was any snow to melt.

Jerry Dodrill

climber

Sebastopol

Mar 12, 2012 - 01:32am PT

Congrats! Good year for it. Tried to do in in Dec '98, got shut down.

Nate Ricklin

climber

San Diego

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 12, 2012 - 08:19am PT

Good point guys I'll rename the thread "Evolution Traverse in Summer"

zoom loco

Mountain climber

san diego ca

Mar 12, 2012 - 11:38am PT

I guess the pullharder top secret climb of the year is no longer secret--- so here are some photos. Details: 4 days (36 hours climbing) on route, 7 days car to car including one storm day and 60 hours on the move (climbing plus approach/ return).

We'll put a TR up once we recover a bit...I just ate 2 pizzas and drank 6 beers (stopped at both Pizza Factory's on the drive out) and I am still hungry.

gonzo chemist

climber

Fort Collins, CO

Mar 12, 2012 - 04:32pm PT

awesome job. I've met Konstantin several times while out climbing. Nice guy.

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Mar 12, 2012 - 04:34pm PT

Congratulations. Great work and, even in this year, an audacious time to go for it.

Well done! I look forward to the TR.

John

jedster

Trad climber

Bishop, CA

Mar 12, 2012 - 08:07pm PT

Damn dudes, nice work! What are the chances: Those were our tracks you might have seen up until Mt. Gould. We bailed from there in the wind and cold of last Tuesday into Wednesday. We didn't have time to wait out the weather. I mean, its possible there had been little more than Jerry's winter attempt prior to this week. In any case, proud work. Where and when did the hunkering-down go down? We skied in Monday, stashed skis and ski boots on Darwin Bench, and then climbed to the last notch before Gould. Then summited Gould Tuesday morning before backtracking to an escape gully.

If the above-mentioned asterisk is on account of this winter's thin snow, or the idea that California doesn't get winter, I think these guys deserve an asterisk to the asterisk: They might have stuck it out through the coldest nighttime temps of the year: Sensors at 11,400 had an overnight low of -7F for Tuesday into Wednesday.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing more about how we got scooped. Can't say I ain't bummed... As "secret" as it was, word did buzz around prior. Seeing your tracks on our exit sure did make the heart sink even further...

Zander

climber

Mar 12, 2012 - 08:20pm PT

Cool!

corniss chopper

climber

breaking the speed of gravity

Mar 12, 2012 - 10:08pm PT

jedster - Gould? Really? Hah hah.. trying to confuse those less than hard with a place name no where near the Evolution or you just exited and mistyped Goode three times? Excellent!

(although climbing Goode from Darwin Bench seems a tad difficult)

Mountainroad

Mountain climber

West Coast

Mar 12, 2012 - 10:50pm PT

these guys are my HEROES! Whatever you do, don't let your girlfriend read Pullharder.org...

Roxy

Trad climber

CA Central Coast

Mar 12, 2012 - 10:52pm PT

Stout!

jedster

Trad climber

Bishop, CA

Mar 12, 2012 - 11:09pm PT

Re: Mt Gould. Its the new, and admittedly informal, name of the first peak of the Evolution Traverse. Ref: Pg 308, Secor, 2009.

zoom loco

Mountain climber

san diego ca

Mar 13, 2012 - 11:18am PT

Thanks Jedster. Yes, we saw the ski tracks in the valley and boot prints on the saddle and side gully of Gould (Peak 13360) and were trying to make sense of it all.

We were a little worried that word was getting out about our "secret plans" because they kept getting postponed from January due to all kind of logistical problems. But even if it wouldn't have been a first, we would have gone for it, such an amazing route and the best season in the Sierra.

I liked the traverse better in Winter than summer (though granted did not finish it in Summer) because winter had more diversity in climbing in addition to moderate rock. Despite the amazing qualities of the route, the TR is shaping up to be mostly about suffering, which was, in addition to beauty and really testing our teamwork and internal strength, one of the main things we experienced.

As for the summer comments, ya, I'm not sure people also realize that while the snow season started way slow, the powder out there is actually pretty good in parts of the Sierra right now. And people (at least here in SoCal) have written off the ski season. Too bad for everyone, including Mammoth. When (if) I get any energy back soon I will get out there again, this time for the backcountry downhill.