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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 31, 2006 - 11:40pm PT
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Not really. I resized the photos and added some others. I hope that they are a little quicker to download for the people with land lines.
First pitch.
Second pitch.
Jugging fixed lines.
Third pitch.
Right hand variation.
The one and only ledge.
Virgin territory.
Last pitch.
Who is going to get the coveted second ascent or even better the first free ascent of one of the most spectacular routes in the Valley?
Ken
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Ouch!
climber
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Jul 31, 2006 - 11:43pm PT
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That's wild!
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john hansen
climber
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where is that climb.. Royal Arches ,,naw? No clue
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 1, 2006 - 12:09am PT
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John,
South Face of Half Dome. Beautiful rock.
Ken
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john hansen
climber
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Ah..Makes sense . Is this really Snake Dike or a real first acent?
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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This route is a really creative line on the major south face of Half Dome. It is probably more than a thousand yards to the rt and around the corner from the trade route, Snake Dike, and a few hundred yards to the right of the Rowell-Harding South Face aid route. It follows a truly unique gigantic dike that squiggles and snarles its way up a very steep face for over a 1000 ft, defying other features on the principle back of Half Dome. And it has some points of aid, via bolts. Ken is conveying that, here is a spectacular climb, waiting to be climbed free, that he and Jim Campbell and Dave Schultz did 21 years ago. It is a gift to us, he is saying, go do it.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 1, 2006 - 12:20pm PT
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When we did the route I had just had major knee surgery five months previously. Schultz convinced me that the dike was huge and big enough that tourists walked down it from the top to take pictures. It turned out to be steeper than it looked and the dike was larger underneath than on top of it thereby casting a large shadow making the dike look bigger than it actually was. I could hardly use my left leg due to lack of mobility but, this worked out perfectly because most of the route leaned up and right and I didn't have to flex my left knee very much. I have never been so terrified on a route in my life.
Ken
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handsome B
Gym climber
Saskatoon, Saskatchawan
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"I have never been so terrified on a route in my life."
Not much of a salesman eh?
What is the aid like?
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poop*ghost
Trad climber
Denver, CO
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Is that dike's edge as sharp as it looks?! I am tying to imagine a fall pulling your rope tight over that ginsu knife!!!
Baaaad ASS.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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These are the most inspiring climbing pictures I've seen.
Thanks for taking the time to post them.
So, how good do you think the bolts are now? 20-year-old 1/4" buttonheads...
I think I'd carry a kit.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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That thing looks rad.
Rating?
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 1, 2006 - 12:49pm PT
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I remember the aid being about ten bolts in three or four short sections of A0. I followed one pitch with only one rope and all I could think about was if I fell the rope would rake accross the crystals and I would go plummetting to the base without touching rock. I climbed the rest of the route with double ropes. The route is protected for the leader and not set up for the follower. Dave kept sandbagging me by saying the next section was only 5.9 or 5.10 and after leaving the bolt and getting stuck he would say "Oh yeah there is a little 5.11 move or two and then it gets easier". By then I could not reverse the moves to the previous bolt and was forced to go for it. I am glad I did not fall.
Ken
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Richard Large
climber
where you least expect
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"I am glad I did not fall" Me too. Nice grimace on Shultzi's face -- I'll bet that was an easy drill stance!
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Tahoe climber
climber
Texas to Tahoe
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"How'd y'all get that rope up thar?"
Nice Pix.
-Aaron
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 11, 2006 - 04:23am PT
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The South Face of Half Dome has the best rock I have ever seen in Yosemite. It is rarely travelled though I don't know why. It is not a place to be during poor weather and the approach is semi longish by Yosemite standards so that may be the reason. The location is awesome and serene. Saw a peregrine falcon fly upside down with a catch in its talons and pass the catch to its mate flying toward the delivery flying right side up. The mate then went to feed the kids. It was amazing. The falcon would perch every now and then on the rock near us as we were climbing and check us out while bobbing its head.
There are other prizes up there besides Karma as well.
Ken
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Aug 11, 2006 - 05:06am PT
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wow that rock looks crazy!
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elcapfool
Big Wall climber
hiding in plain sight
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Aug 11, 2006 - 08:45am PT
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Didn't Hank Caylor take a wicked fall on an attempt on that one?
I seem to remeber him discribing it as being "dragged behind a pick-up, across a cheese-grater."
Too bad the current trend is to do established stuff in a faster time to have something to spray about in the rags. I would think the self-professed "soul climbers" would prefer to experience the glistening saphire of enlightenment offered by Karma, but since you guys didn't record your "car-to-car" time, there is no record to beat.
Some people pick plums to eat them, and other people pick them to sell to others who can't reach the tree branch.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
So Cal
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Aug 11, 2006 - 11:17am PT
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Body & Soul had an ascent by Tracy Dufriend(spelling?) in 1994. I did it with him, and he took a fall at the roof, descended, pulled the rope & went up again & did it. Strong guy he was, did the B&Y too that year. Whatever happened to him?
Hank Caylor took a 70 footer off Southern Belle, which he said was scarier than the fabled B&Y.
Levy
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Aug 11, 2006 - 12:56pm PT
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This must have been quite a special experience.
Each decade held unsung examples which appealed to the grand tradition of boldness.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 12, 2006 - 12:09am PT
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I remember talking to Walt after he did Southern Belle with Dave. Walt said that he was totally gripped while on the route and felt pressure on his pitches to really run it out, because Dave was going for it on his.
Walt said he asked Dave how Karma compared to their route when they were near the top and the worst was over. Apparently, Dave just laughed and said Karma is way scarier.
Ken
p.s. When I said prizes, I think I would include anything up there. To me they all look good.
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