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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 6, 2007 - 01:34am PT
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Many people feel Eldorado is climbed out, especially since the ban against indescriminate bolting has been in effect. That's not true, of course, as evidenced by recent sends of high-end trad climbs. For twenty years I had my eye on a line between the Naked Edge and the Diving Board, connecting solid features with relatively blank sections. After the fixed anchor review process was established, I figured you could still avoid all the hassle by just rapping the route and leaving a few nuts in crucial places to give something to go for in the run-outs. It would be kind of like sport-trad climbing, or something. At any rate, between the last two pitches of the Edge, and the Diving Board, there is a good crack and corner line (skinny crack, I've checked it out several times while climbing the Diving Board). Lower down, the line could follow a bolted pitch (already established) to the right of the first pitch of the Edge, which would lead to a lichen-covered "ramp" through the headwall right of the second pitch of the Edge. From there, the route would climb low-angle slabs up to a long run-out connecting to the bottom of the crack and corner mentioned above. Hopefully, some small pieces left in the crack would give a target to go for. The overall route would be in the 5.12-scary range. If the second removes any fixed nuts as he/she climbs, then there would be no need to apply for permission to do the route. The climbing would be great!
Note: It would probably be pretty horrendous/dangerous to try to do it onsight from the ground up.
Blue Line= Naked Edge
Red line = Between Heaven and Earth
Orange line= Diving Board
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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You could call it "Entre Terre et Ciel", but people might think that it's a bolted climb. Or that there were a lot of gastons required... :-)
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 6, 2007 - 01:54am PT
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You know there was ever only one Gaston, Mighty...
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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And his faithful sidekick, Tairraz. I saw Rebuffat speak once, and he was undoubtedly suave and debonair.
I've never climbed at Eldorado, but it's an attractive piece of rock. I wonder who else may have scoped the line, but not pursued it? Nice of you to post the idea, anyway.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nice prospect! How long have you been dreaming on that one Jello? I always thought that the preprotect clean option to allow a high standard free ascent is in many ways preferable to stuffing a bunch of bolts in and screwing up an otherwise worthwhile aid pitch. It just takes some patient effort and everybody can come out ahead. The inspection and lost adventure are always the offset but you could still have a wild time up there especially on your little gem!
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WBraun
climber
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Eh emmmm
Well looks steep, the rock is the wrong color, there are no holds up there, it'll never go, and it's impossible.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Don't know about the name my friend. There's already a longer route named Heaven and Earth (the name came from the Haruki Kadakawa epic bushido film).
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 7, 2007 - 11:49pm PT
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Since the early 7o's, Steve. Just never got around to it. I know it would be a compromise to rap and pre-place nuts, but you'd still be working with the natural features, and after you climbed, there would be no sign of passage, other than chalk marks.
Werner, you're right, of course - it's steep and there are no holds - impossible. But these days climbers do the impossible on a regular basis!
Hey Ron, haven't spoken for a while. MH got it right, the name is an homage to Rebuffat, an early hero. Where is this other route of which you speak? Is it yours? And, naturally, if someone did the route proposed, they would name it whatever they chose.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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I'm pretty sure Derek pre-inspected To RP or not to BE; as well the recent spate of Eldo Headpoints, by nature, often involved pre-inspection.
It's a very nice name Jeff, aesthetic and full of adventurous allusion and breathless imagery. And the line is just there under our noses.
I once wondered where the route "Overhanging Headwall" went; it seems it may have formed the first bit of your line.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jeff,
just seems like a long time. It was only a couple of months ago I "caught" you hanging around near one of my routes.
But the year ended on a tough note.
Indeed, the second to last day that Charlie and Chris and I climbed together was on a variation to Heaven and Earth. Sometime I'll show it to you.
But I remember those classy books too.
Do you remember the ad for "Midi" tobacco endorsed by "Gaston Rabbitfat" in the Sheridan Anderson calender?
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Bruce Morris
Social climber
Belmont, California
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Rap bolting by moonlight with UV goggles.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Or broad daylight with diversionary tactics or suppresive fire,...
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Get someone else to rap in and place the nuts. Adventure preserved!
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2007 - 12:57am PT
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Tar, I think the headwall route is quite a ways to the right of the line marked (about 50').
Missed you at Charlie and Chris's memorial in Telluride, Ron. Figured the snowy weather kept you from making the perilous drive in your little sports vehicle. I'll look forward to being shown your Heaven and Earth route.
Router. If it was me, I wouldn't trust nuts placed by someone else on the climb. And I wouldn't be comfortable placing them for someone else, either. Too much at stake.
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Off White
climber
Tenino, WA
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Hoh man, careful there Jeff and Steve, you spradsters are going to invoke the wrath of Healy!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Yeah Jeff, I think it was a certain editting session in Ogden that convinced me that a Z4 makes a poor sled, but it was the frozen block on my Ford that nixed things on said morning. Truly record cold.
So this interest in a decade old route, is this just nominal priority or are you feeling your oats again?
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2007 - 03:03pm PT
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Not feeling my oats, Ron. Nothing's changed, there. Still just a passionate interest in all things climbing.
Off White. At least the rock would be left un-marred, so it's a question of style, rather than ethics, IMO. An on-sight, ground-up attempt would most likely end with the climber just being "ground up".
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taco bill
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Scary 12 is probably not for me, but I do have one Eldo project in mind. I've been wanting to work out a girdle traverse from right of the bulge to top out around hot spur. Don't know if someone has already done it, but there have to be a million variations.
Riley- get this way and I'll be happy to give you the tour.
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2007 - 03:13pm PT
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A rising girdle sounds fun, Taco. You could probably make it just about as hard or easy as you want. Would yield about 2,000' feet of climbing, don't you think?
Edit: There is a sort of natural strata-line to follow that cuts all the way across the wall. In the photo above it follows the dark line both right and left of the leftward angling orange line that indicates the start of the Diving Board.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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If a girdle is needed it matters little to me whether its going up or down.
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