Free solo OnSighting the Steck Salathe

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thekidcormier

Gym climber
squamish, b.c.
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 13, 2012 - 11:08pm PT
What up cyber dweebs, has-beens and posers.

Was told by Chief that it is a right of passage for young rock stars to prove themselves by 3rd classing their way up Sentinel via the Steck Salathe. He mentioned Cedar Wright has done it and led me to believe many others have as well.

Any super cyborgs ever go up there ropeless or know of any one else who has, or who are tried it and ended up down climbing?

P.s. I'm a cyber dweeb and poser and likely will never get up there even with rope cuz I'm LIGHT!
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Dec 13, 2012 - 11:12pm PT
Since Henry Barber did it in the early 70's it gets soloed fairly often. Lot's of crack, chimneys and squeeze. Sans rope beware the slaby face pitch at the midway point.
ms55401

Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
Dec 13, 2012 - 11:14pm PT
kids at my high school used to do it all the time
Plaidman

Trad climber
South Slope of Mt. Tabor, Portland, Oregon, USA
Dec 13, 2012 - 11:17pm PT
Derek Hersey died on 28 May 1993 in an accident while soloing the Steck-Salathé Route without protective gear, on Sentinel Rock in Yosemite National Park.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Hersey

Me no free solo. Just ain't my gig. I just ain't that good and I love placing gear.
MisterE

Social climber
Dec 13, 2012 - 11:18pm PT
C'mon, Plaidman! Not even Super Slab or Moscow? ;)
Plaidman

Trad climber
South Slope of Mt. Tabor, Portland, Oregon, USA
Dec 13, 2012 - 11:20pm PT
Maybe Super Slab on a very good day. Got that one wired good. Still crap happens. That's why I wear a helmet too.
Rankin

Social climber
Greensboro, North Carolina
Dec 13, 2012 - 11:41pm PT
I really love the SS. Maybe on my super short list of favorite Valley climbs. Overall it's pretty solid but I think the most insecure pitch is the super glassy flare leading up to the Narrows pitch.
karodrinker

Trad climber
San Jose, CA
Dec 13, 2012 - 11:44pm PT
Heard Dean Potter and Timmy Oneill simul soloed it onsight.
thekidcormier

Gym climber
squamish, b.c.
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 14, 2012 - 12:03am PT
Simul soloing? isnt that like a duet er somthin?
Karl Baba

Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
Dec 14, 2012 - 12:13am PT
Are you sure that was onsight? It would be one thing to solo that thing, lots of hotshots have done that. You'd want to be a Dean Potter type to onsight solo it.

I went up there once to climb it again to check it out, thinking it might be a good free solo (If I solo-roped up for the harder few pitches like I did for NE Buttress of Higher) Brought a smallish rack....

I was grateful I wasn't up there soloing any of those pitches! That is one burly climb! Lost all temptation to go up there alone

peace

Karl
thekidcormier

Gym climber
squamish, b.c.
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 14, 2012 - 01:10am PT
Back in 87 eh coz, sick! So you were one of the young rock stars Chief was referring too!

Salamanizer

Trad climber
The land of Fruits & Nuts!
Dec 14, 2012 - 01:27am PT
Are you sure Derek didn't fall while soloing the Sherbert?

Crazier shits happened I suppose.
Plaidman

Trad climber
South Slope of Mt. Tabor, Portland, Oregon, USA
Dec 14, 2012 - 02:30am PT
I like ropes.
Clint Cummins

Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
Dec 14, 2012 - 02:32am PT
coz,

my buddy Sean after climbing the FA of Dragon Fly on the left side of the flying buttress.

We never reported that one.

Got any details to go with Dragon Fly?
I rapped down the left side in 1977 after a lame attempt on the Steck-Salathe'.
My friend Andy Embick said he climbed up the lower part of the Great Chimney there; it was probably in spring 1985. I recall he said it had some 5.10 ow.
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Dec 14, 2012 - 02:33am PT
^^^^^

Does someone need to slap the Kid upside the head? Luke, yer not that good.

Yet.

Be patient, laddy.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Dec 14, 2012 - 09:32am PT
Coz....haven't soloed it but the last time I did it in 2011 two soloists, one of them Dean Potter, came cruising past an hour apart. I'm not avocating that people solo it....the slabby face pitch would freak me out for sure!
Prod

Trad climber
Dec 14, 2012 - 09:47am PT
I do believe that Eyonkee was the 2nd to solo it after Barber did it? For some reason I think they both carried a piece or 2 to protect one area or the climb?

Paging Eyonkee....

Prod.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Dec 14, 2012 - 10:22am PT
Coz...you are a real tool. I'm glad that i'm around to provide entertainment for you. I was paticularly amused in a previous post when you called me a trustifarian...nothing could be further from the truth. You don't know me dude and I don't know you, an arrangement that suits me perfectly.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Dec 14, 2012 - 10:45am PT
I soloed it once, in about the same time frame as Coz. I'd done it before and was majoring in chimneys back then. The slabby part gave me the willeys!!!

Jim, I heard that that other guy that passed you does it all the time and has done it like sixty(?) times.
Obsession takes many odd forms.

I was in the valley and had just met Jim Adair ( cover boy on Climbing three days before) when he fell on (off route, I heard) the approach and was killed. He was a very good person and a very strong climber.

I had the same thing almost happen to me, on an aborted solo attempt. I had done the route before, but still got off route on the approach. It was sketch city! Terrifying, I kept wondering if. I was where Jim had wandered to. I came straight down afterwards and spent the rest of the day in the sand by the river. I was emotionally destroyed!


I think it would be a bad idea, kid.
GDavis

Social climber
SOL CAL
Dec 14, 2012 - 11:11am PT
I could just see Jim sitting in a Subaru, smoking a bong and eyeballing his brand new Didjeridoo his mama bought him while listening to Rebelution.
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