Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
bachar
Gym climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 28, 2008 - 10:40pm PT
|
I was just reminiscing about great solo moments and thought it might make a good thread.
The day I took this photo of Croft soloing the Rostrum, I was positioned on the rim with a tripod and camera. It was early and the light was great. I waited for about an hour for Croft to descend and climb up to the next to last pitch for this shot.
Dave Shultz showed up with a partner to try the Rostrum Roof, so I decided to hang out and shoot some pics of that as well. It took a while for them to get into position and before they could attempt the roof a climber appeared below them.
It was Croft. Soloing the Rostrum again!
Dave tried the roof a bunch without making it and I took a bunch of photos. I was still waiting for Croft to show up but he was nowhere to be found. All of a sudden, another climber appeared coming up the Rostrum.
You guessed right, it was Croft again! He soloed the Rostrum three times that day and to top it off, he down climbed from the traverse ledge to the ground every time he did it!
The first of three full free solos of the Rostrum by Peter Croft.
|
|
bringmedeath
climber
la la land
|
|
|
Mar 28, 2008 - 10:44pm PT
|
That is one of my favorite climbing photos ever... think it was in a metolius ad. I don't really know why maybe just the history of it.
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
Mar 28, 2008 - 10:55pm PT
|
Yeah
He's un-fuking real.
So I ask Peter, "You wanna make some spare cash?" He replies, "sure".
OK meet me at the top of the start of the Lost Arrow tip to carry a 55 pound car battery back down to the valley floor.
We had a microwave video transmitter setup on the ledge leading to the LA tip just above the notch feeding the ABC wide world of sports satellite truck down in the yard.
Anyways he shows up and I ask him how he got here. He says he free soloed the Steck Salathe and then ate breakfast. He then free solos the Yosemite Point Buttress or it might have been Arrowhead Arete buttress (can't remember which) to get here.
He did that two days in a row, because I had 2 batteries.
Sh'it, .... this guy is superman .....
|
|
bachar
Gym climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 28, 2008 - 10:59pm PT
|
Walleye - No, Peter had soloed it at least twice before I took this shot. The first time, he did put his arm through a sling in case he fell on the face traverse move - he did not weight the sling at all but later felt guilty about it so he soloed it again without putting his arm through the sling!
This photo was taken much later. I don't really know how many times he has soloed this climb - probably many more than we know about. Of course we all know he soloed Astroman and the Rostrum in the same day as well.
-jb
|
|
bachar
Gym climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 28, 2008 - 11:05pm PT
|
Note: I had to transfer this from another thread - it's too good to not be here.
I remember one day in July I was shooting photos of Croft soloing Butterballs. After I jumared back to the top of the cookie and coiled my rope and did the descent, I was hanging out in the shade waiting for Croft. It was ninety something degrees out and all I wanted to do was go swimming. Nobody was at the Cookie that day.
I waited and waited for Peter but he wasn't around. Then I looked up at the Nabisco Wall, and there he was, soloing it in Flyers! I couldn't believe it....but yet it was true.
Peter on Butterballs before he soloed it in Flyers... air temp, 90 degrees.
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
|
|
|
Mar 28, 2008 - 11:14pm PT
|
those are incredible accounts, John
like going to the moon, hard to imagine
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
Mar 28, 2008 - 11:47pm PT
|
Well since we're talking about amazing free solos there's Victor Ostrovski's awsome free solo of free rider this winter.
First man to do it. He's quite shy so no one knows yet. I watched the whole thing one fine day this winter.
No need for headlines, just a small footnote tucked away somewhere.
|
|
Mimi
climber
|
|
|
Mar 28, 2008 - 11:48pm PT
|
Amazing is right! That Peter never ceases to amaze.
We crossposted, Werner. Free soloed Free Rider! That's out there.
Edit: Looks like it's spelled Freerider.
|
|
yo
climber
The Eye of the Snail
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 12:13am PT
|
Werner,
Is that for real?
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 12:13am PT
|
Yes, Victor prepared for this years ago by diligently following the Hubers on their speed ascents with binoculars.
He always hid in the bushes so that no one would see him, he knew all about the gossipy local life prevalent within the climbing circles. He did not want to be encumbered by their worldly ways.
He studied the great masters from afar.
He knew all it would take was to just, climb, only eliminate the attachment of the gross material "rope" from his consciousness and focus on the true "real rope".
Thus with this knowledge he would have some form of "safety".
It was a long journey for him that finally paid off.
He said, he's finished now with this so called climbing nonsense, and left for a far greater understanding.
He will be surely missed in the flesh although in spirit he's always there.
That Victor Ostrovski ...... from that remote village "far away".
|
|
Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 12:21am PT
|
say what?
|
|
yo
climber
The Eye of the Snail
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 12:25am PT
|
It don't count if you have six arms like Shiva. Big asterisk.
|
|
Mimi
climber
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 12:25am PT
|
LOL, yo!
Werner, when are you going to write a book?
|
|
Gobi
Trad climber
Orange CA
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 12:41am PT
|
Holy crap!!! He soloed the Free Rider! That’s mind blowing. I can’t believe I haven’t heard about it till now. That’s really cool.
|
|
Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 12:51am PT
|
I thought that was Oliver Moon who came out of retirement and free-soloed Freerider
|
|
Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 12:55am PT
|
Speaking of Peter, he began enchainments early on. In the summer of 1983, he and Hamish Fraser tandem-soloed the west buttress of South Howser (carrying one rope each for the rappels). Peter went on that day to solo the Kraus/McCarthy/Rupley route on Snowpatch Spire, the McTech Arete on Crescent Spire, and the Northeast Ridge of Bugaboo Spire. Over 40 pitches. During that summer, he also soloed the Northeast Buttress and the North Rib of Mt. Slesse, on separate days, and the North Ridge of Mt. Stuart in Washington.
|
|
wayne w
Trad climber
the nw
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 01:20am PT
|
Great thread John.
I ran into Peter the day that he soloed the Rostrum the first time. He was walking back to camp and I was at El Cap meadow. As he approached there was this powerful aura surrounding him, I first picked up on it from over a hundred yards away.
He had laid awake in his sleeping bag for several hours the night before. Unable to sleep he spent the rest of the night pacing back and forth among the boulders behind camp. At first light he walked to the Rostrum, and fired it.
It was awe inspiring, his account of the climb. Gives me goosebumps as I write about it.
|
|
Cracko
Trad climber
Quartz Hill, California
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 01:27am PT
|
Summer of 1989. I was still teaching and had the summers off. The previous summer I had spent in England climbing in the Peak Districk and Wales. Still remembered the rush of sixty foot Gritstone "classics" and the great beer and "Chip Buddies" in the local pubs afterwards. Anyway, I had a lot of time that summer and no climbing partners. I headed up 395 with no real plans, stopped in Mammoth for a few days of partying with old friends (Billy Glynn), and then headed for T Meadows. Spent a few days hiking to the base of many routes on Fairview and DAFF domes, and then decided to go check out the Cathedral Lakes area. I threw together a sleeping bag, some food, and fishing gear (somebody told me there was some decent fishing in the vicinity) and headed in after sleeping in my truck on the roadside. I think I got lost on the trail in a few places but eventually made my way to the base of Cathedral Peak. I was familiar with Cathedral Peak through various mag articles but didn't have any knowledge of the climbing route other than it was on the SouthEast flanks.
I remember strolling up to the base of the SouthEast face and admiring the clean granite and great locale. I casually watched more than a few parties all over the face as I ate lunch. Suddenly, this spontaneous but overwelming desire surfaced to climb to the top of this peak. I remember feeling very calm and confident as I set my pack and fishing gear down on the ground and started climbing the slabs at the bottom. I could see the whole route before me and felt a sense of confidence in making it to the top. I remember reaching the first series of ledges where I caught up with several roped parties and the look on their faces as they noticed that I had no rope or partner. I will shamefully admit now that this was somewhat of an energizer for me as I suddenly took on the appearance of a superstar !!!
The next pitch off of the ledges was a more vertical selection of cracks and chimneys. Of course, I opted for the chimneys and felt very secure in gaining altitude squeezed between two opposing walls. This landed me on another series of sloping ledges with a slabby, and less featured wall, leading to the top. Nothing ahead of me appeared in the least bit intimidating so I just launched upwards, passing several roped parties on my way to the summit.
I remember getting to the top and finding that the true summit was a block that I had to leap to, and upon reaching, sat there for a good hour taking in the scenery and sharing stories with other summiteers. Since I had no rope, I figured out a way down the Northeast ridge and back to my gear where I sat for a good two hours "reflecting" on my accomplishments.
I have had very few moments in my life that I would describe as Euphoric. One was while I was travelling through the Black Forest of Germany, another in the Dolomites of Northern Italy, and a third at the top of Zodiac, my first El Cap ascent. This "amazing solo" will remain as one of the true defining moments of my life.
Cracko
|
|
Mimi
climber
|
|
|
Mar 29, 2008 - 01:44am PT
|
The first time I met Peter, I was driving back into the Valley and passing the bottom of the Spires gully when a guy appeared from the woods. I slowed and pulled over as I could tell it was a climber with no gear. He said he could use a lift and we headed toward C4. I didn't realize it at the time what he was up to, nor did he volunteer, but he'd probably just cruised up the NE Buttress for another lap. Clearly a nice guy having a great time in Yosemite.
After seconds of conversation, it was evident that Peter was pure climber. I was working for 5.10 at the time and was psyched to give him shoes and made sure he'd connected with Charles. Those first generation FiveTennies were it. Too funny.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!