TR El Cap Solo Training Goes Badly !!

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 1 - 20 of total 87 in this topic

<< First | < Previous | Show All | Next > | Last >>

Cracko

Trad climber

Quartz Hill, California

Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 20, 2009 - 02:15am PT

Hello Boys,

56 year old “Seen Better Years….Illusions of Granduer….A Shell of My Former Self” Cracko here after five days in the Valley attempting to hone my solo aid technique. As you may recall from my “Playing on the Muir” post, most of you severely berated me for even thinking about it.

Hell, even Russ, who stands to gain monetarily from my next ledge purchase, told me to instead go in my backyard holding two buckets of sand and stand under a sprinkler. Double D invited me to remove his concrete driveway with a sledge hammer. Peter Haan probably had the best advice which went something like……Face the fact that you’re an old man and not in shape for a solo of El Cap. You haven’t climbed EC in over a decade. The only path is to get back in the game of climbing all the time !!

While Peter is probably right, three kids, a full time job, and “life” prevents me right now from realizing my burning desire to become a climbing bum. So, with all this good advice, what do I do?? Like an adolescent, I thumb my nose at the ST establishment, pack up my truck and head to Yosemite Valley for five days !! And……..here’s the TR I promised somebody. So Boys, grab a cup of coffee or a beer, and get ready to laugh your asses off !!!!

Monday, March 16th, 6:00 am

My daughter Cassidy never sleeps past 5:30 am thus assuring an “Alpine Start” !! I furiously load my Tacoma with every bit of climbing/camping gear I can find in my garage. I drop Cassidy off at her mother’s house and I’m ……”On The Road!!!” First stop 7-11 for 28 ounces of coffee. I leave the store, set the coffee on top of my truck while moving gear in the back seat, jump into the driver’s seat, put it in reverse and punch it…………….28 ounces of hot coffee over the hood !!!! I let out a controlled “F Bomb” and then march back into the store for another cup of coffee.

Back on the road, I head N toward Bakersfield and onto the 99 toward Merced. I’ve grown tired of the 41 thru Fresno and now prefer the drive along the lower Merced River. That is, when Tioga Pass is closed thus preventing me from coming into the Valley from the East.

Well, I’m “warming” to my third cup of coffee as I drive through Fresno headed toward Merced, and soon find myself entering the Lower Merced canyon headed for Yosemite. Soon I arrive at the the Arch Rock entrance, and “smugly” flash my National Parks pass at the Ranger as I drive through.

I continue “rubbernecking” all the way up to the El Cap Meadow turn off, and then pull into El Cap Meadows to check out the action. The weather is absolutely beautiful and it appears there is nobody around. I scan the whole of El Cap and see only one party on T Trip. As usual, I pull out my chair and spend a couple hours watching the T Trip party do battle. They apparently fixed to the midway station on the fifth pitch and were jumaring up to it when I arrived. When I came back that evening, they were bivied at the same station. Hmmmm could I do better as a soloist ??

I had booked a campsite in Upper Pines, and went to claim my spot. Hardly anyone in the campground, so I threw down a chair and drove back to El Cap Meadows to sort gear for tomorrow’s solo aid practice.

When I arrived, the TTrip boys were attempting to finish the fifth pitch and climb the sixth. I never saw them make it to the top of 6 and, as I said, they ended up bivying at the midway station on five. Of course, I made a mental note of this.

Sorting my gear was a Cluster Fukc of major proportions !! As darkness fell, I had a big wall harness and chest harness loaded with enough gear to do Reticent, and two 60 m ropes and some water, all stuffed into a rather small haul bag with a crappy suspension system. Satisfied, I headed for dinner at the lodge cafe.

Tuesday, March 17th

Woke up at 6:00 am and headed for the café for breakfast. Then headed for El Cap Meadows with the idea of doing the first couple pitches of NA Wall. Spent some time sitting in the Meadow (my favorite pastime) watching the TTrip party, and suddenly I see an animal running thru the Meadow to my left. I first thought it was a coyote, but when I turned I saw a small golden brown black bear running full speed from the Merced toward the road, with me in its path. I just sat still, and suddenly this bear put on the breaks and came to a dead stop about twenty yards to my left. He looked at me…..I looked at him and then he slowly walked West through the Meadows and across the road toward El Cap.

I went back to my truck, sat on the tailgate and tried to get connected to my haul bag. I was finally able to stand up and center the load. I threw another rope around my neck and started plodding toward the base trail. I was feeling pretty good until I started climbing up past the alcove toward the NA. While negotiating some lose rock, one of my haul bag straps suddenly came lose resulting in the massive bag swinging down and away from me, and “planting” me face up in the talus. I laughed like a drunk as I imagined the ST faithful critiquing this pitiful performance just before slapping a “Gumby” tag on my fat ass !!!

Well, I repaired the strap, re-shouldered the load, and began staggering up the steep slope. Five minutes later, after stepping on a loose rock, I spun, tried to regain my balance but fell flat on my back……..a classic “Turtle” !! Now, most men would have broken at this point, but not I……I’m an El Cap solo hopefull with nerves of steel and tough as nails !!! After fifteen minutes of non-stop horselaughing, I regained my senses, and my haul bag, and completed the approach to the base of NA Wall.

Within minutes (a whole lot of them) I had my anchor in, my rope fixed, my GriGri properly threaded, my haul line tied in, and enough gear to climb the whole Fing wall !!
The first few large nut placements were easy enough as I struggled to work out the routine for aider/daisy placement and storage. After an orange Alien placement I began feeling a little frisky, and slapped in a cam hook move to get to another nut placement. A couple more HB offset moves got me close to the small roof, when suddenly it began to rain like hell !!!

I tied my first back up knot and tried to hide under my helmet. There was not a cloud to be seen and nothing but blue skies. WTF ?? I looked up to see the source of the downpour. Water was streaming off the top and down onto “Easy Street”, and then falling directly to the base. Earlier, I had noticed Horsetail Falls roaring, but hadn’t noticed any run off on this part of El Cap. Hadn’t Tom or Clint warned me of ice fall and run off at the base of the Muir. “Better to wait till later in the Spring” was their advice. Dumbass gumby……..gonna cost the taxpayer big if he gets hypothermic fifteen feet up NA Wall !!

The downpour stopped, but would recycle every 20 minutes. Completely drenched, I made it to the top of pitch one, rapped back to the ground on my haul line, clamped the jumars on my lead line, and jugged back up to clean the pitch. I was originally gonna haul as well, but after getting another shower while cleaning, I set up the rappel, rapped down, and pulled the ropes. I loaded all the gear back in the bag, carelessly threw both ropes over the top and stampeded back to my truck. The fact that I didn’t stumble or “Turtle” on the descent is a credit to my astute footwork and fierce drive.

Once back in the Meadow drinking a beer, I calculated my car to car time for pitch one on NA Wall at four hours and thirty minutes. Might need to trim that a bit before jumping on the Captain solo !!!

Spent that evening in the Mountain Room Bar drinking a few and watching NCAA basketball.

Wednesday, March 18th

Woke up soar but ready for another day of solo aid. Today’s target would be the first few pitches of Muir or Magic Mushroom. The approach would certainly be shorter than yesterday’s. Learning absolutely nothing from my experience the day before, I again carried a full wrack. However, I did leave the haul bag in the truck and jingle-jangled up the approach trail with all gear hanging from my climbing harness and chest harness. I never realized the Salathe first pitch was so close to the toe of the Nose.

Two parties were doing the freeblast, so I stopped to watch them on the first couple pitches. Damn that first pitch looked inviting…….a complete cam jug for me !! Alas, a real solo aid climber needs to pound some iron, so time to find another climb. The first two pitches of Magic Mushroom looked like hell, with no chance for aid until the third or fourth pitch. Muir Wall didn’t look any better until I came around the corner and saw Moby Dick Center !!

Now, I’m very sensitive about clogging up a good free route while I dick around on aid. But, since there was no one else at the base, and seemingly no one else in the Valley, I decided to have at it. I anchored my rope and slung just two single aiders on my harness, putting the other two in the pack. I was wearing my free shoes so decided to free this beautiful crack as much as I could. The first ten feet was 10a, and I was thrilled to lock in two consecutive finger jams and smear my way to a bomber hand jam where I slapped in a solid camalot. I moved up to another solid cam placement where I clipped in my aider.

It was at this point that I decided I would work on going from aid to free and free to aid, as I plundered up this beauty wishing I had the balls to rope solo free the whole thing. After arriving at the anchor atop the first pitch (actually the second pitch) I looked up at the awful looking, left-facing open book, third and forth pitches and lost all desire to continue. While the jangle of pins, hooks, aliens, HB’s, cam hooks, big cams etc. etc. suggested I was ready for these pitches. The large red grooves on the skin of my shoulders from carrying all this shite up a beautiful crack, and my complete loss of resolve told another story !!

Postscript

You guys are right !!! I’m a complete idiot thinking I can just walk into Yosemite Valley and solo an El Cap route. Peter, in particular, is right!! If I am to ever realize this dream, I must first regain the fitness and aerobic shape I was in when I first did El Cap ten years ago. I must then find the time to do the same “preparatory work” I did before my first El Cap climb including a lot of long free climbs and grade five walls.

Haven’t had five days off by myself for many years. Can’t think of a better place to spend it then Yosemite. And….it was beautiful !!

Then again……..First pitch of NA Wall car to car in 4 ½ hours. Maybe I am ready !!!

The Dream Still Lives !!!!

Cracko

Mighty Hiker

Social climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Mar 20, 2009 - 02:20am PT

Thanks, Cracko - a good tale!

You may be moving too fast for people like PTPP, though. I believe a pitch a day is more his style.

Josh Higgins

Trad climber

San Diego

Mar 20, 2009 - 02:22am PT

Way to go for it. Mark Twight says you learn more from your failures than your success. I hope to read a successful TR in the future!

Thanks,

Josh

Jaybro

Social climber

wuz real!

Mar 20, 2009 - 02:24am PT

Way to live, Cracko!

nature

climber

Tucson, AZ

Mar 20, 2009 - 02:33am PT

Good read. Thanks!

Maybe in 10 years when I'm fat like you I'll aspire to try the same thing. Err... well... maybe yer knott

fat ;-)

thanks for the report - awesome!

Mungeclimber

Trad climber

sorry, just posting out loud.

Mar 20, 2009 - 02:41am PT

bump, well because he ain't sitting on his ass, and I am.

more power to ya!

bkalaska

Trad climber

SAn Francisco, CA

Mar 20, 2009 - 02:46am PT

That sounds like a beautiful four days in the Valley. I was there Sunday and was loving the solitude and sunshine.

Clint Cummins

Trad climber

SF Bay area, CA

Mar 20, 2009 - 04:10am PT

Cool. You got out there, you got up some pitches, you are already getting into shape, and you had fun. That's what it's all about. A lot of people are jealous now!

John Moosie

climber

Beautiful California

Mar 20, 2009 - 04:16am PT

Wow Cracko, you took Russ' advice one step further.

" even Russ, who stands to gain monetarily from my next ledge purchase, told me to instead go in my backyard holding two buckets of sand and stand under a sprinkler."

You used a natural waterfall. haha...

Way to go !!!

SteveW

Trad climber

The state of confusion

Mar 20, 2009 - 09:23am PT

Yay! Cracko!

You just need to learn to duct tape your cup to your truck!

Great read!

mooser

Trad climber

seattle

Mar 20, 2009 - 09:49am PT

THAT is a tale worth re-reading! Thanks for the story, and way to go!

Gunkie

climber

East Coast US

Mar 20, 2009 - 09:55am PT

Geez, 4 1/2 hours round trip, not bad. I'm thinking at least two bivys before I yell for a rescue from around the base of Negative Pinnacle.

PhilG

Trad climber

The Circuit, Tonasket WA

Mar 20, 2009 - 10:03am PT

Great story.
Don't give up on your dreams, regardless of the opinions of others.
It's the effort, not the attainment, that's important.

'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber

like Ontario, Canada, eh?

Mar 20, 2009 - 10:39am PT

Hey, that was a really fun read and great self-analysis.

First off, don't let anyone talk you out of your plan to solo El Cap. It is a HIGHLY ACHIEVABLE goal if you are willing to practise and pay your dues. But you have to *want* it. I will be the first to tell you to "keep on keepin' on," and not give up. I learned how to solo by practising on my local crags, setting up belays in the middle of a pitch, and hauling bags of rocks.

You did a fine job soloing the first pitch of NA Wall. That's a great practice pitch. I warmed up on it before climbing the first pitch of the Ranch, where I had busted my ankle a few years before. That you stuck it out in the "rain" proves you can stick it out through adverse conditions. Your speed and time is fine - don't worry about that. If you perfect your haul systems, you can take enough food, water and beer to climb El Cap at a rate of a pitch or two a day, which is all you need to do.

But to me in your story, there is a crux, and that crux is when you stand on top of Moby Dick and look up. This was your decision point. This was the point where the rubber really met the rock. You'd played around on the easy stuff, even kinda free climbing it, but now you had to launch out on unfamiliar and scary-looking ground. Standing at the base of El Cap and looking up - with nobody but yourself to help you climb it - can be a bollocks-shrivelling experience. And instead of carrying on, you bailed.

So what you need to do is take a good look inside your heart, and figure out precisely why you bailed. You mention "lack of resolve". If this is how you *really* feel, then maybe a solo of El Cap isn't for you?

Or alternatively, maybe you were just feeling tired and lonely, and had had enough for the time being. Maybe that soaking the previous day really knackered you. So you backed off, but remained hardened and determined to come back more mentally and physically prepared next time.

So in your mind, go back to the top of that pitch, and tell us why you bailed. What was going through your mind? Was it a moment of realization that soloing El Cap just isn't for you? Or are you sitting now in front of your computer, thinking about it, and wishing you'd gone on? Are you dying for a rematch, or are you hanging up your rack? Do you have any gear for sale, or are you buying more?

To me, the really interesting part of your trip report will if you choose to share what went on in your mind when you bailed, how you are feeling now, and what you hope to accomplish in the future.

But it sounds like you had lots of fun, anyway - thanks for a great read!

Cheers,
Pete

Hoots

climber

Tacoma, Toyota

Mar 20, 2009 - 10:44am PT

Good effort Cracko! At least you are approaching it humbly. You'll nail it one of these days.

Double D

climber

Mar 20, 2009 - 10:51am PT

Cracko… the candle still burns? Seriously it sounds as if you had a small dose of humility but not enough to really do the trick, sort of like taking one aspirin when you need Vicodin.

Ok…try this, go to your favorite gym…join it and pay enough to where you feel obligated to go. Now instead of working some work-out-from-hell program let your eyes graze the joint for the fairest damsel you can find on a stairmaster machine…not a treadmill, no spin bikes or the like…the STAIRMASTER!

Ok, now get on the stairmaster immediately to her right or left and simply keep pace with her FOR THE ENTIRE HOUR that she is on it. Oh yea, try and carry on a conversation while you are adjusting your intervals upwards.

When you have mastered the above exercise you are well on your way towards your El Cap fitness training goal. Refer back to Supertopo forum for further instruction for the next step, as there will be plenty of fat, older out-of-shape-balding guys that will assist you on the successive steps that you will need to complete your goals.

It’s all about the dream…not the actual chase my man!

Jaybro

Social climber

wuz real!

Mar 20, 2009 - 10:53am PT

That was absolutely brilliant, dble D! I stole the last line, resonant of Kerouac!

Once upon a time, I was hanging out with Walt in his van as he was racking up to solo the P.O. He'd climbed maybe 7 (9?) pitches and left them fixed, but in a moment of existential despair, he pulled his ropes, allegedly to never go back.

He had hung on the ground for a week, soloing the Nutcracker and having beers with 'cid @ the Deli....

Until the morning I mentioned;
"And then, when I got up this morning, I knew where I had to go, Hoh man, I gotta lead those pitches all over again! Hey check out your buddy wheels, he's torquing. Why do we do these things to ourselves?"
I think 'cid was around that day, too.