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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 28, 2014 - 05:02pm PT
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With 5.15 established and 5.14 relatively commonplace, it's interesting that a few sub 5.12 climbs still stand out as testpieces.....the Bacher/Yerian is one, what are some others out there?
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:05pm PT
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Great idea for a thread, I'll be back.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:17pm PT
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It's either run-out, a pile of crap or a warmup. Nobody cares about the head game anymore, especially on a relative slab where you'll likely get hurt in the fall. It's yesterday's game. This generation just wants to crank.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:18pm PT
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Offwidths, hard slabs, and runouts would be 3 groups in these testpieces.
Also Butterballs is still pretty stout.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 28, 2014 - 05:31pm PT
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Interesting take JLP....I can think of quite a few climbs in the category that are neither choss piles or anyone's warmup. You're right, a lot of climbers are into pure athleticisim but climbing remains a head game for many. We could extend this discussion to climbs like the North Face of Nanga Parbat.
The Ouray Ice Comp. is an example. Starts off with bolt protected M9 on real rock and ends up on an overhanging artificial tower with hanging logs....Gladiator Games comes to mind.
For many JLP, maybe not you, climbing remains an exercise in starting at the bottom of a cliff or mountain and thru cunning, skill and guts finding your way to the top. Aesthetics and style become equally as important as sheer difficulty.
Climbing has become segmented....so be it. For many pure athleticisim with preplaced gear is the way, others might prefer a different challange.....to each their own, no path is better than the other.
TLG, few 5.14 climbers would use the Bacher/Yerian for their "warmup."
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weezy
climber
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:40pm PT
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Perilous journey? Dolofright? Texas tower?
5.9 is a testpeice for me these days :/
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:43pm PT
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Vertigo
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weezy
climber
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:44pm PT
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The serpent (free variation of the dragon on the painted wall..black cyn)
Stratosfear
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:47pm PT
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Testpieces for who??? Seems like different people have own strengths and own weaknesses. For example, one of the top female climbers Emily Harrington had a pretty rough time and took a big fall on Harding Route (Conness), which is 'just' 5.10c. Her bio includes "Recently, she claimed first female ascents of several 5.14 sport climbs, climbed multi-pitch big walls in Morocco and the Ukraine, won the Ouray ice climbing competition, and summitted the world’s tallest peaks in the Himalaya (including Mount Everest in 2012)."
http://emilyaharrington.com/2013/08/27/fear-of-falling-failing-and-other-things/
For me a big testpiece was getting the Rostrum all free/clean this last weekend and onsighting Twilight Zone a few weeks ago. Not impressive to anyone really, but to me those two were huge goals..
Astroman seems like a test piece even for very strong pro climbers from different countries. I heard of several who flailed on endure corner, had to aid thru Harding slot and bailed after. Tests your crack climbing/OW with squeeze chimney and has a "10d R pitch" in the end. Sure has me intimidated. But I am just a punter that started camping/mountaineering/climbing in 2010...
Silk Road to Karakoram Highway link up seems like a BIG testpiece free climb on Calaveras Dome.
Having climbed other long classic routes like Astroman, Reg NW face of Half Dome and Steve having done several routes in the Black, we both agreed that this route is definitely physically harder than Astroman and takes longer than the RNWF of Half Dome. The free climbing is as good as anything, it's very long, never has traffic on it and is definitely one of the most classic, sustained and attainable by mortals free routes in North America.
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Silk-Road-to-the-Karakoram-Highway-a-Cal-Domes-mega-classic/t11736n.html
Also Butterballs is still pretty stout
Pinky Paralysis is even harder I think..
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Greg Barnes
climber
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:50pm PT
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You could heinously retrobolt many of the hard 5.11 slab, offwidth, etc testpieces and still no one would climb them. Just too hard, and with zero holds you can't crank your way out of trouble...
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dhayan
climber
los angeles, ca
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:51pm PT
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Yeah, I was going to say the Harding Slot is still a test piece no matter how hard you sport climb, but I guess it gets on sighted regularly and some of you bastards free solo it so...
Edit: Vitaliy you should go for Astroman, don't be intimidated... Judging by the Tr's I've seen you post up here in the past several months you should be more than fine. And the FA party did it without cams! How bad can it be??? :)
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weezy
climber
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:52pm PT
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The affliction, higher cathedral(?).
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jan 28, 2014 - 05:56pm PT
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Walleye, we must think alike, because Twilight Zone and Overhang overpass came to my mind, too. I guess Jim can tell us what he thinks about leading Overhang Overpass with early 1970's technology, and we all know the story of the first ascent of Twilight Zone.
I think, though, that while my generation still thinks of OW's like Twilight Zone and Cream as testpieces, the younger ones may just see them as pointless grunts. As Jim says, to each his or her own.
John
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Jan 28, 2014 - 06:00pm PT
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Lowe/Jones route; North Twin, comes in at a pedestrian 5.10 A3….
The new generations of hard men have recently been playing on the North Twin, risk and head games will always have a place in climbing.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jan 28, 2014 - 06:06pm PT
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Basketcase seems like another testpiece...
I think, though, that while my generation still thinks of OW's like Twilight Zone and Cream as testpieces, the younger ones may just see them as pointless grunts. As Jim says, to each his or her own.
Depends on an individual. I can be considered as a "younger" climber here, even though I am 27. But TZ was at the top of the list of OWs I wanted to climb. I like all climbing. Face, OW, cracks whatever. It is all cool.
My tick list of select established routes for 2014-5 for example(in no particular order):
Calaveras Dome - Silk Road to Karakoram Highway link up
The Rostrum (X)
Astroman
Basketcase
Incredible Hulk - Sun Spot Dihedral
Keeler Needle - Harding Route
Something on Angel Wings/Tehitepe Dome
Freeblast
Levitation 29
The Crucifix
few climbs that are test-pieces to me..I know many other younger climbers who like OWs/fingercracks. It is not a big deal.
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BFK
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jan 28, 2014 - 07:29pm PT
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Food for thought: Is there (or should there be) a difference between a climb that is considered a test-piece and one that is considered a benchmark for a grade?
Anyway, getting away from the valley, I've always heard Abracadaver in the stronghold is considered a test-piece. Never got a chance to get on it but it's still on my tic list.
Awesome thread on it too:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/329103/Abracadaver-FA-Pics-and-Story
V, lemme know when you wanna take a trip to Tucson. I think you'd like Cochise quite a bit!
B
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rick d
climber
ol pueblo, az
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Jan 28, 2014 - 07:34pm PT
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5.9/10's at granite mountain.
then in the 5.11 range Sorcerer fits. I have never seen anyone on it.
A little of everything in a long arse pitch.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Jan 28, 2014 - 07:40pm PT
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I was thinking Twilight Zone as well. Never done it because I suck at OW but it looks stout. I found Hidden Arch (.11d) at Josh pretty stout. I was probably climbing 5.12c/d or so at the time and thought that it would be a much easier go than it was.
Vitaliy, Freeblast seems to have earned a rep as hard, but I thought it was pretty mellow. You'll stroll up it.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Jan 28, 2014 - 07:58pm PT
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Hidden Arch is tricky, some slightly in-obvious face climbing out of the corner is the key, but it's still stout. Lots of JT 5.11s involve tricky technical smedging with weird gear. 50' routes that feel like enduro pitches.
The two that come to mind for me are Winter Solstice and Moondance at Suicide. Both rated 11c, I believe.
I was able to follow Winter Solstice without falling, but felt like I should have fallen 5-6 times and couldn't believe I was still on for about half the route. Afterwards I said "I could NEVER lead that!". Blank, blank totally @#$%&ing blank smearing at the business. One of those deals where you can't even stop, or you'll fall off. Might be easier in very cold conditions, but still a handful.
Moondance is more doable for my skillset, but scarier. The crux is pretty hard, but only a move or two. The deal with this route is keeping your lid screwed on. Bolts are well spaced and unlike some so-called runout routes where there are actually bolts prior to each crux with runs on easy ground, Moondance has some real deal climbing between bolts with long fall potential. And of course Henny never sandbags anything either. (This one probably really is 11c, but the bolt spacing and continuity mean you might want to be climbing a little harder than that and be dialed into Suicide slabs before casting off...or not, that's what adventure is all about right?)
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