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WBraun
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 10, 2006 - 01:41pm PT
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We continue onward with the epic saga “StoneMaster Stories” (Part 6)
Part 5 can be found here, with the links to all the previous parts going back to the original start by John Long
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=161148&f=0&b=0
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Last Post by John Long in Part 5 was;
Hades. Oh, yes. I was unaware that Darrel and Kevin had freed the first pitch and when we first did it I was psyched. It used to have some pretty sketchy run outs off a fixed blade but Johnny Woodward installed a bolt and now it's pretty safe. That firsst lead is one of the best pitches (5.12-)at Suicide, and really long. Once you know the sequence it's far easier but that traversing bit is tricky to dick first try. It's also very unusual climbing for Suicide--not thin hold stuff but strange cross countering and Gastoning off rounded shite.
The next pitch is sequency, real thin and almost impossible to keep your feet on the holds. There's a grim high step over a small ceiling that I bashed my shin on about 20 times. Above, it's grim to clip the last protection bolt and get set up on two sidepull dimes, then huck a big mo out right to a two finger scallop, stick it, and fire through. I went up there two or three times and the last time linked all the moves but had to hang on the last bolt. Finally I returned with DB and got it, probably because I knew every crystal on that thing and also, we were bouldering a ton out at Roubidoux during that period. We were happy about our performance because we never top roped it or frigged around much. From the start we tried it from the bottom.
A year or so later Skinner rolls into town and immdeiately raps down from the top and starts hanging and working out the moves on a TR. At that time (1980??) I thought it was needless and silly to use such a tactic on that route. Plus, he totally avoided the first pitch--coming down from the top like that--and the first lead is the best one, just not the hardest one.
We never really believed Skinner cleanly linked all those moves on the last pitch. One or two hangs on one or the other of those bolts and it's not the same fandango at all. It pissed us off because we'd put all this effort into doing it ground up and totally clean--no hanging or tensioning or anything.
Gotta wonder if that route sees any traffic these days. Crime if it don't, since that first pitch is spectuaular. The second pitch is basically a 30-foot, Roubidoux boulder problem.
JL
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bvb response;
the very first time mike paul and i went to santee (we hitchiked all the way ther form,, this would have been sometime in the winter or spring of '73, shockly was there and he gave us the tour.
ran into him there (santee) again, winter before last, over christmas vacation. we got to talking and it's amazing how different the place looks now. housing and development right up to the boulders, the high school, all the graffiti....in '73 the place seemed like a wilderness area!
yeah, i remember when fraud spinner wrote up his ascent of hades as "an easy afternoon at 5.12c"
others who witnessed the "ascent" reported that our hero didn't do his momma proud and that he'd used every base trick in a cheat's repertoire to frig his way up the thing.
hangdogging at suicide???? jesus wept.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Mar 10, 2006 - 02:34pm PT
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Largo, quite the 30' bouldering problem! Hearing your recollections of Hades was cool. The South Face was always special. I gotta run for the week-end, when I get back I'll throw out a little more history on some of the South Face activities. You made me remember some really good climbing.
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Dimes
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Mar 10, 2006 - 03:05pm PT
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Hades and the Knockin on Heavens Door see virtually no traffic. Free climbing the first pitch of Hades with Hensel was great fun. We would typically be the only ones over at the South Face, or the entire rock for that matter. Usually went up in winter when the rock was cooler. Climbed up and down trying to place blades and RP's. Several falls were taken in the process. The bolt really isn't necessary although I am sure it would make it easier and less work to lead. Also,it is not in the best place.
The Knockin pitch has still not had a second lead to my knowledge. Mank pin in the expanding flake that held a few 20 footers actually fell out on it's own at one point. Hey Master, those were the best of times, eh.
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Dimes
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Mar 10, 2006 - 03:25pm PT
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Woodson locals, what's up with the name-Lie Detector on the back side of Robbins Crack? Oh ya onsighted it @ 11+
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Mar 10, 2006 - 03:33pm PT
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as with the "you shouldn't make the ladies cry, roy" story, i will draw the curtian of charity across the origens of the name.....
.....until such time as i am lit up on whisky, dancing on the countertops of your swank digs, at which time ALL WILL BE REVEALED!!!
[CUE EVIL LAUGHTER] HAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAAA!!!!!
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rmuir
Social climber
the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Mar 10, 2006 - 04:38pm PT
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Back in Part 5, 'twas written (below where it should not have been):
Hashbro:
We met Shockley and Largo on our first ever trip to Stoney Point on one of the first boulders encountered. Our little group of Orange County teenage craggers were blown away when the real big boys took us for a tour through the boulders on that day in 1972 (or maybe 1973). Bacher had not yet discovered cragging so guys like Dick, Largo and Bob Kamps had the run of the place back then.
Bongs did not exist, so Largo took repeated hits off of a re-smoked (and resin soaked) joint that he had stashed in his pants. I quite clearly remember that neither of the rock stars had a chalk bag; instead leaving a partially used block of gymnastic chalk at the base of whatever problem they chose to impress us on.
Dick's flowing (ballet-dancer) style, his methodical and intentional motions on the rock were contrasted by John's intense and explosive dyno moves this way and that. We had never seen such experise on the rock before and it was inspirational!
Our three greenhorns hooked upward aghast at what we saw. We were also pretty excited that these two Stonemasters took the time to nurture us with new techniques and vision we had never experienced before.
Early memmories...
Hey, yeah! No chalkbags Back In The Day. ...carried pristine blocks of calcium carbonate in plastic bags. (Did they have ziplocks then?) Just another part of the stalling tactic, right up there with the cleaning of the boots and the smoking breaks. Guys would stand around and slowly rub the block across each tip, one at a time. The extra digital massage helped, plus you had the perfect thing to chalk each of the minute crystals and highlight each key divot. Carefully replace the block in the bag, and step on up!
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Mar 10, 2006 - 05:19pm PT
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Dimes. As I recall (or not) Rick Piggot did the first ascent after someone else (could it be Henry Barber?) claimed they did it - hence, Lie Detector.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Mar 10, 2006 - 06:58pm PT
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that's a LIE! that's a godammned LIE!!!!!
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Mar 10, 2006 - 07:25pm PT
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Hey bvb ...at worst its a false memory!
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Dimes
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Mar 10, 2006 - 09:22pm PT
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bvb did henry lie about climbing that?
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Mar 11, 2006 - 12:09am PT
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Ziplock bags (ZLBs)?
'In 1964, Glad Corporation introduced the "Ziplock" method as an improvement on the traditional baggie which had been developed by Mobile Oil Company in 1958.'
so you might have used them in the 70's... they are older then most of the people who post on this site.
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Mar 11, 2006 - 04:30pm PT
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Ed, are you telling me to zip it?
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rmuir
Social climber
the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Mar 11, 2006 - 04:31pm PT
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Ob: Zip-locks... Good. Those memories are correct! (Phew.) Before the advent of chalkbags, guys kept their blocks of chalk still wrapped in the white paper that they came in, and stashed it in a plastic bag. Kept those blocks wrapped like a dead fish. It was hard to prevent the blocks from getting crushed in the rucksacks. And chalk was pretty-much a bouldering-only behavior until the early Seventies.
Quite controversial, chalk. ...ran across a HUGE headline in one of the early Mountain Magazines that shows how things have changed since 1976: "Top Yosemite climb done without chalk!" (Erickson & Higbee's early free attempt of The NW Face on Half Dome.) "'The theory that chalk is needed in Yosemite is as full of holes as a Swiss cheese,' he commented." (As Bugs Bunny would say, "What a maroon!")
Here's one of those pesky California chalk abusers, now. (Well... Then.)
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Mar 11, 2006 - 04:48pm PT
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Tobin and Mike on Insomnia ! From Clmbing magazine, Winter 73 - 74 ...
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Gramicci
Social climber
Ventura
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Mar 11, 2006 - 07:25pm PT
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Here’s me looking at that dumb ass photo again. It still won’t go away after almost 30 years.
Hopefully I can look at this dumb ass photo in another 30
You guys are digging them up, just wait I’ll get even. You’ll see
Tar, probably should have posted this on your Mussy thread. Hair line look a little familiar?
Still pesky though!
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WBraun
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 11, 2006 - 07:30pm PT
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Proves right here that the soul is eternal and the body (dress) changes.
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hashbro
Trad climber
Not in Southern California
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Mar 11, 2006 - 08:03pm PT
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Oh my god, who is that old guy? Certainly not an ex-surfer from Newport.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Mar 11, 2006 - 08:59pm PT
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the view from strawberry valley......same as it ever was, same as it ever was.
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hashbro
Trad climber
Not in Southern California
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Mar 11, 2006 - 09:29pm PT
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always did think it a bit funny those boys split Insomnia into two very short pitches, instead of the one classic pitch. Mike also appears to be (mistakenly?) liebacking, instead accessing the bomber handjams.
Live and learn.
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Mar 11, 2006 - 10:18pm PT
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Does anyone still make 'butt bags' ?
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Let us know!