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nutjob
Stoked OW climber
San Jose, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 19, 2008 - 04:12pm PT
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Was up there this weekend with Le_Bruce. Whoa. Not ready to write it yet. Most important immediate feedback for Hawkman's: bring a topo with you (we really wished we had one with us, or that we at least carefully studied a topo before), and one part deserves an R/X (really an X) rating.
I've looked through old threads for info, just brief mentions:
Lesser known classics thread: http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=63128
2nd free ascent of Basket Case: http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=229851
Welcome to Phil Gleason thread: http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=379087
Spyork did a write-up of our first reconnoiter:
http://www.spyork.com/climbing/tripreports/AbsolutelyFree/index.htm
(where we never touched Hawkman's by the way)
And that's about it. Anybody who has been up there, I don't care how good they are, would remember the climb... amazing views, cool rock formations, "interesting" sections to negotiate.... So where's the stories?
Dingus, did you do a write-up of it, or just "recommend" it to folks?
Edit: Link to video of our second visit year later... http://www.vimeo.com/4776865
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deuce4
climber
Hobart, Australia
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May 19, 2008 - 05:25pm PT
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Walt and I onsight soloed it together once. It started raining half way up. I was pretty gripped. I think the cruxes were down low, but lots of slabby climbing for a long, long way. Seemed to go on forever.
We went over to the cache to see John Dill and talk to him about the climb right afterwards.
I was glad to have survived that one.
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nutjob
Stoked OW climber
San Jose, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 20, 2008 - 06:22pm PT
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Yikes. With the loose rock, I was thinking this would not be a contender for soloing.
After the modest adventures I've had and what it takes to get through those, I have a deeper appreciation for how skilled/insane/amazing/lucky/etc the real hardmen are. Kind of like looking up at the Yosemite walls and not really being able to appreciate how big they are until you spend time up close.
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weeds
Sport climber
Bishop, CA
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May 20, 2008 - 09:18pm PT
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I did Absolutely Free with Kim Walker two springs ago. I think it started to rain and Margina was waiting at the camper so we were not terribly tempted to continue up Hawkman's. However the crack, visible from below, and perfectly climbable will have me back again. If we continue onto Hawkman's what do you suggest for routefinding?
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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May 20, 2008 - 09:21pm PT
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Bring plenty of water and don't drop your chow!
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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May 21, 2008 - 12:02am PT
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In terms of actual sketchiness of the rock (and pro in the rock) meets actually difficult moves, meets committing to stuff that you can't feel all over from a huge stance, I think the 5.9 pitches are scarier than the 5.5 where the runout is always obvious, but the good holds are always there for the lookin'.
The hardest part is that it's just a huge amount of climbing and hiking (more than it would seem from the topo) after a long winter though. :-)
Glad you guys saw it through.
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nutjob
climber
Berkeley, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 15, 2009 - 10:47pm PT
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Have there been any ascents in the 21st century?
I have decent evidence that nobody has climbed the thing from May 2008 to May 2009. How far back since previous ascents?
NEWS UPDATE: Le_bruce and nutjob got it done yesterday (well, finished the climb, reached the top, scrambled around by headlamps on the Lower Brother summit ridge, bivied, then this morning rapped and did the long walk back). Trip report with beaucoup pictures and video coming soon, but alas I'm on my way back to Yosemite tonight for more fun (of the mellow nature this time).
So for the 21st century ascent log:
2009-05-14 nutjob & le_bruce
2008-05-17 ? (first 6 pitches) nutjob & le_bruce
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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May 15, 2009 - 11:07pm PT
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Very cool route and a feather for Gleason and Johno D., who are so cool. Here you are "boldly climbing forth where no man has been before" up that unique headwall at 5.8 and kind of watching where the hell the line is as there is a variety of possibilities. Steep too. And the general area is funky otherwise. Good on Phil G and John D. Been up there twice and loved it.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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May 15, 2009 - 11:45pm PT
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Okay- here's a lower brother question for someone who doesn't have the green book.
Hawkman's and Absolutely free are on the say south east side of lower brother- is there a good route pn the opposite side? sort of above Manure pile? The rock looks solid and it's certainly and it's certainly a big piece of rock.
I think there is an old fourth class there, but it sure looks like there would be something really fun up that big old face.
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spyork
Social climber
A prison of my own creation
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May 15, 2009 - 11:57pm PT
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I need to get up there and do the second part. It still feels undone to me.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
The Great North these days......
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May 15, 2009 - 11:59pm PT
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Not sure how many folks have done that decent off michaels ledge. It always scared the sh#t out of me.
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mucci
Trad climber
sf ca
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May 16, 2009 - 12:02am PT
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Lower Brother...........SO LOOOOOOOOOOSE! Big adventure, Mandatory Skull Caps!
Isn't AF to Hawkman's a Grade IV?
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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May 16, 2009 - 12:21am PT
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How about around the corner toward manure pile? That rock looks solid, anyone tried?
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 16, 2009 - 12:27am PT
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always meant to do Hawkman's but never have.
Where to start never seemed too obvious but I never looked hard.
I'm getting far too tempted to up it on my list
PEace
Karl
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bhilden
Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
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May 16, 2009 - 01:18am PT
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The subject line is Absolutely Free to Hawkman's Escape and all anyone on this thread is talking about, so far, is what a great climb Hawkman's is. Kind of makes my point about Ab Free Center
being forgettable.
Bruce
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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May 16, 2009 - 09:00am PT
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Well, there are several ancient routes in there already, if you do check the green Roper and the red one. Zooming in with gigapan, it's clear there are little sectionettes of pitches in the general area that look like semi-fun problems. And I suppose there might be some unique problems in that lower apron-to-headwall setup. This side of L. Brother is quite a bit better rock than the sugarpile on the opposite, valley, side for sure. That side might be the worst rock in the entire valley actually. And the large fractured apron that is the real back of L. Brother theoretically might have some, again, problems in the overhangs but I suspect maybe not really worth it. Easy enough to hike up there and look at it. Lots of rattlesnakes up in that area, btw. While up there, do the East arete of Split Pinnacle, a fun old classic.
Much more interesting is the zoom-in on the back of Mt Watkins from this particular gigapan vantage: not many people are aware of the potential there...........ck it out. Really quite a lot of climbing to do there.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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May 16, 2009 - 09:17am PT
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that gigapan thing is awesome. thanks for the link. except the ridge I didn't see much. i never did see much there before, but the rock looks good, so I guess I'll have to wander up there.
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August West
Trad climber
Where the wind blows strange
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May 16, 2009 - 12:19pm PT
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"The subject line is Absolutely Free to Hawkman's Escape and all anyone on this thread is talking about, so far, is what a great climb Hawkman's is. Kind of makes my point about Ab Free Center being forgettable."
Hawkman's is the obscurity with little info and the topic of the OP, so no surprise its the discussion. However, I've always liked Absolutely Free. Not an all time classic, but still a fun route. Now, if that squeeze hand pitch (p3?) was off the deck with a short approach, it would be every bit as famous (and crowded) as Reed's Direct.
Sounds like it might be fun to keep going higher...
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 16, 2009 - 01:17pm PT
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DMT wrote
"From the top of the route walk back along the crest of the Lower Brother, and work down and left toward some trees at the junction with the base of the Middle Brother."
So you rap down toward El Cap instead of descending the junction down to Michael's ledge? Can be done with one rope?
PEace
Karl
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