Discussion Topic |
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Messages 1 - 475 of total 475 in this topic |
survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Oct 13, 2016 - 12:23pm PT
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Awesome! Best of luck to him.
I hope the Nose, Salathe, and Dawn stand proud, impress the hell out of him, and give him his monies worth.
I expect that they will. Gawdamn n00b. Hahahaa!!
Go get 'em Ondra!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Oct 13, 2016 - 12:24pm PT
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He needs to hit SPH. Its better.
jus sayin
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Oct 13, 2016 - 12:37pm PT
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He hasn't been to Yosemite? I thought I had seen a photo of him on Boa roof from an old BD catalog.
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Oct 13, 2016 - 12:48pm PT
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^^^^
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Oct 13, 2016 - 12:52pm PT
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Hey Munge, why don't you let him decide what he wants to climb?
BWA HA HA HA hahhhaahahaaa!!!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Oct 13, 2016 - 01:58pm PT
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Get that noob sport wanker on the generator!!!! La dura dura squeels x 100 braj!!!!
Seriously though after he gets used to the style I bet he will blow minds. Good luck young G!!!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Oct 13, 2016 - 02:04pm PT
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survival, I'm sure I'm right. :)
Got the sikest 5.6 line ever for him!
it will be epik braj!
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 13, 2016 - 03:17pm PT
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Long time ago (~15 years ago) my friend who likes some cruel jokes approached young , but already renown Sharma who was standing in El Cap Meadow looking up at the Nose . Pretending that he does not know who he is he asked Chris " Do you know and can recommend any good safe 5.6-5.7 routes here?" Poor Sharma honestly was looking for the answer, but can not - and feel embarrassed and blushed. If someone happen to meet Ondra in the Valley - please try to embarrass him with same question.
My czech friend is excited by Ondra visit and guessing how he will do on Dawn wall
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Oct 13, 2016 - 03:47pm PT
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A friend of some Valley note once told me, "it doesn't matter who they are, everyone gets their ass handed to them in the Valley sooner or later, it's only a matter of when"
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Oct 13, 2016 - 03:47pm PT
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It will be fascinating to watch what he does in the Valley. Quite an amazing list of what he wants to do!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Oct 15, 2016 - 08:49pm PT
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He climbed at Jailhouse according to rumor. SPH for the win!
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Oct 15, 2016 - 09:10pm PT
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Excepting the Nose, both the Salathe and Dawn (moreso) feature a fair amount of classic Yoz wide, and the Dawn in particular has some wicked hard thin cracks and flares (up high), as well as entire pitches protected by beaks. I trust Ondra knows all about that and will adjust but somewhere in there he'll be crying Uncle because we all do, no matter how strong the fingers.
I hope he crushes - those routes deserve more traffic and Ondra sounds like a great champion and real dood.
JL
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Oct 16, 2016 - 06:30am PT
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Yeah, of course it's just a matter of learning new styles, but that might take a little while. Has he really done any crack climbing? Every photo I've seen of him is on steep/overhanging face, and, as Largo implies, bolted. If that's the case, don't expect him to crush the big routes on his first visit. I can climb 10a face all day long. 10a squeeze chimneys? Fugetaboutit. Once he gets his crack chops down, however, stand back suckas.
BAd
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RyanD
climber
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Oct 16, 2016 - 07:49am PT
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Oh cool I always thought all the climbs there were too easy for him.
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Oct 16, 2016 - 09:38am PT
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He's wearing hand jammie's hehehe...
I suspect he'll do some hard sh#t but not tick his initial goal list in the style he want to.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 16, 2016 - 09:40am PT
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He's wearing mitts? BwaHaHaHaHa!
Pride goeth before the gobie?
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Oct 16, 2016 - 09:50am PT
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bet he sends the knobby wall no problem...
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Oct 16, 2016 - 10:10am PT
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Handjammies funny, maybe needs to keep hands pretty for a modeling contract? But with the slightest amount of commitment he'll be doing pretty hard core stuff beyond what most of us can dream of ever doing.
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D'Wolf
climber
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Oct 16, 2016 - 11:52am PT
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Huber never climbed cracks either. Tore up J-Tree then promptly tore up the valley. Theoretically (based on the numbers), Adam's a better/stronger climber than Alex was when he got here. Could be very interesting...
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Oct 16, 2016 - 12:23pm PT
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Looks like he's doing what we all did to get the Valley dialed. Start on Generator Crack and go from there. Off to a flying start. Go Adam!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 16, 2016 - 03:34pm PT
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If you take a look at Marlow's video it seems clear that he knows his way around what to do with feet in a crack.
Guy's gumby stage is gonna be about ten minutes long.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 16, 2016 - 03:41pm PT
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That upside down foot jamming was way wacky! Dude sounds like he could make spending
money teaching English in Camp Four.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Oct 17, 2016 - 12:43pm PT
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What's up today?
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TLP
climber
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Oct 17, 2016 - 01:24pm PT
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Largo, there are two kinds of flying starts in the Valley. I did the other kind.
but we sucked it up and ticked a classic the next day.
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Oct 17, 2016 - 01:30pm PT
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crøtch
climber
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Oct 17, 2016 - 01:34pm PT
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Two of his goals are onsight the Salathe and free the Dawn Wall in a day. Which do you think is harder?
I'd like to think that onsighting the Salathe is harder given that you only get one chance and that some strong folks have tried it without success. I would love to see that go down. Good luck, Adam!
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shiro16
climber
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Oct 17, 2016 - 11:01pm PT
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Hi,
Mildly unrelated, but did part of the flake 2/3rd the way up Generator crack break off? In the first picture of Ondra in the crack, the flake looks to be about 2 feet shorter. Perhaps my memory is going.
Thanks,
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Oct 18, 2016 - 12:20am PT
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After trying the rubber gloves in the gym, I'd definitely say they are an aid. I could hike my fat old ass right up the overhanging hand crack, much to the surprise of the skinny youths cranking V10s on either side of me. But, an elaborate tape job is just about as good, it just falls off more easily. Using that sort of aid when doing a crack climbing crash course seems like a smart move, to conserve skin while learning.
For Generator Crack, maybe a latex bondage outfit would be the way to go?
Ah, how I will be missing the El Cap Report!
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brotherbbock
climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Oct 18, 2016 - 02:23pm PT
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Ondra is God!!!
Thanks for updating guys keep it coming.
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Impaler
Social climber
Oakland
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Oct 18, 2016 - 02:34pm PT
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It mildly bothers me when I see comments like: "...and easily hike his way, with a few falls, through the next two pitches..."
Makes me think that whoever wrote that is a pretty shitty hiker. Not the first time I've seen something worded that way - it seems to be increasingly more common.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Oct 18, 2016 - 03:10pm PT
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Leading the pitches with all the fear definitely felt super hard, but once I had the rope from above, the moves felt OK.
Gear?
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Texplorer
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Oct 18, 2016 - 03:13pm PT
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I feel like we are watching an auto race. Everyone claims to be watching for the winner but secretly yearn for the crashes.
I only have 3 words for the Ondra:
YOU'RE
GONNA
DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS. Pound a pin, drink a Cobra.
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Matt's
climber
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Oct 18, 2016 - 03:16pm PT
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hard to understand what "hiked the climbing, with a few falls" means. Does that mean that he climbed quickly and efficiently, but had to take a few times?
I wonder when the last time ondra fell on a 13A was...
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Impaler
Social climber
Oakland
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Oct 18, 2016 - 03:39pm PT
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I feel like it's in the same realm as "easily onsighted the pitch 3rd try with only two points of aid"
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Oct 18, 2016 - 03:45pm PT
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Impaler, that's classic! New standards these days. lol
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Texplorer
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Oct 18, 2016 - 04:52pm PT
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So True Impaler!
Also like "He freed the A5 pitch by skipping the 3rd bolt and really going for it"
But what can we expect these days. Going to probably be pretty much the same as those two other guys who freed* the Dawn Wall.
*by free we mean preplaced gear and draws, both climbers may not have freed all pitches, some pitches may have caused hives and itching, not all future ascents should expect equal accolades for toproping el cap, if you are climbing this route avoid climbing when Evans camera is facing you, have ample supply of cellphone batteries, and if butthurt occurs talk to your doctor immediately.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Oct 18, 2016 - 06:05pm PT
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Wake me up when he gets to one of the hard pitches...
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Oct 18, 2016 - 06:46pm PT
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Oh yeah right, so far he's just scrambled up choss at 12b, 13a, 13c, 12b, 12d, 13c(R), and 14.
A seven-pitch climb with those grades would be the culmination of most people's entire careers, and he walked up an did it after what? A practice run on Generator Crack?
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Oct 18, 2016 - 06:53pm PT
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Those seven pitches are more sustained than any route that was freed on El Cap before oh like 2004...
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Oct 18, 2016 - 07:29pm PT
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oh come on now, some of you long toothed cranks...
are you seriously throwing any kind of shade at someone who just walked up to what has to be the most sustained hard big wall free climb on the planet and in two days has climbed 25% of the total pitches, including 3/7 5.13 pitches and 1/7 of the 5.14 pitches, all while having spent a total of only a couple days in yosemite before?
are you dudes for real?
in case, i'll help you with the what does "hiked the climbing with a few falls" mean:
it means on a climb that took one of the best climbers in the world seven years to sort out, you took a few falls on some of the harder [but not hardest] pitches while on lead, before pulling the rope and releading them. nonetheless you figured them out quite fast and were able to redpoint multiple hard pitches in the same day.
ie. hiking a 5.5 does mean something different than hiking a 5.14... go figure eh?
oh well... thanks for the chuckles.
but seriously now: you dudes are watching, if he continues to pull this off at the same rate he is going, what is going to be one of the most epic events to happen in free climbing in a long long time.
this is all i have to say to those who ask how can he say "hiked" when he fell multiple times on 5.13s and 5.14s:
[Click to View YouTube Video]
guffaw.
edit to add: if it turns out he's not red pointing any of this, as i jumped to the conclusion that he was, then i'll eat the proper amount of crow and join you long toothed cranks in the corner: [imesho] in order to "hike" one has to at least redpoint in a quick fashion... hahaha. either way while whether he is "hiking" may still be open for debate, there's no question he certainly is crushing it.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Oct 18, 2016 - 08:04pm PT
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Oh yeah right, so far he's just ... ...gone aid climbing.
There's no claim of a redpoint on any of those pitches, just the opposite actually.
He's going "ground up"...brah...
We'll see how long that approach lasts...
Not saying I'm not impressed. I think it's pretty cool. It's just he hasn't done anything yet except "get on the route". I get on routes I may never send all the time. I love the attention, too.
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dhayan
climber
culver city, ca
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Oct 18, 2016 - 08:44pm PT
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^ you sound really impressed.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Oct 18, 2016 - 09:23pm PT
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^^ +1
Agree completely KT!
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Flip Flop
climber
Earth Planet, Universe
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Oct 18, 2016 - 09:26pm PT
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Stock in Jammies are going through the roof.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Oct 18, 2016 - 09:52pm PT
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^ Those were Ocun crack gloves, also Czech.
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Oct 18, 2016 - 10:07pm PT
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Good luck hope you send!
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briham89
Big Wall climber
santa cruz, ca
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Oct 18, 2016 - 10:22pm PT
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Beak beak cam hook free move
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duncan
climber
London, UK
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Oct 19, 2016 - 01:12am PT
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Ondra is far more than merely a "Euro" sport climber who hangs upside down on 5.16 holds. Here he is onsighting a ~5.11+ offwidth in Teplice (Czech republic). That bolt is some way below.
He is not too shabby on vertical granite face climbing either, as I pointed out rather bluntly here.
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Oct 19, 2016 - 01:40am PT
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So true Duncan, Lots of folks here don't realise what his climbing background is. He grew up on that stuff.
The Dawn Wall will be very interesting.
Steve
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Oct 19, 2016 - 05:55am PT
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Will Ondra do it Kevin or Tommy style at the static vs. dyno pitch?
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Oct 19, 2016 - 09:24am PT
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Oh yeah right, so far he's just scrambled up choss at 12b, 13a, 13c, 12b, 12d, 13c(R), and 14.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 19, 2016 - 11:46am PT
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this become very interesting, I wish him to send. Woot! The weather is splitter again
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 19, 2016 - 12:34pm PT
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For someone familiar with smashing knots into a crack for pro, the placement of copperheads shouldn't be much of a stretch. It ain't rocket science, Valley Syndrome/exceptionalism notwithstanding.
Sorry if that was too many big words in a row.
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Moof
Big Wall climber
Orygun
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Oct 19, 2016 - 01:38pm PT
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Shouldn't be a big deal unless Grossman decides he hasn't "earned" the right to come in and tear it up, then he might need a hazmat suit.
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Texplorer
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Oct 19, 2016 - 04:09pm PT
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So, does anyone know if he has really led these first handful of pitches placing his own gear. Would really cheer for someone climbing this route in a style more of us can identify with free of the caveats.
Also anyone see Shipoopi hanging out around his ropes at the base?
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Oct 19, 2016 - 04:29pm PT
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So, does anyone know if he has really led these first handful of pitches placing his own gear.
Well, here's what Ondra says about to top of pitch 10, from BD's FB page, in reverse chronological order:
https://www.facebook.com/blackdiamondequipment
Update: Ondra Climbs to the Top of Pitch 10 on the Dawn Wall
“We started pretty late yesterday and the fact that we are very inexperienced was obvious right from the beginning—I’ve done a lot of jugging up in my life, but only sport climbing and always using one GriGri and one ascender. Bad technique resulted in being super slow and tired after having jugged up the first 7 pitches. It was 3:30 p.m. by that time, so I managed to get to the top of pitch 10 until it got dark.
“It was quite intense, a lot of bold climbing again, especially on pitch 10, which is another horrendous layback with poor protection. A combination of aid climbing, French-freeing and fear got me to the top without ripping out any of my pieces of pro. I didn’t feel like going for more adventure in the dark, so we just fixed our ropes and I tried pitch 7, 8 and 10 (5.14a, .13d and .14a) on toprope with headlamp. These pitches are not only bold, but freaking hard too! Definitely no easy grades for these ones—Tommy and Kevin are tough guys! I tried the moves all over again to get some confidence and we got back to the camp by 12:30 at night. Big day for sure.
–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, Oct. 19, 2016.
===
Update: Ondra Jumps on the Dawn Wall
“First day on the big wall in Yosemite, and straight onto the Dawn Wall! Foolishness, lack of respect or boldness? Well, not necessarily any of it. The Dawn Wall just dries up quickly after the huge rain on Sunday. And it went all right. Definitely scary and adventurous. Tiny footholds and insecure climbing, smearing my feet onto glassy footholds of Yosemite granite and all that with poor protection by copperheads, peckers, tiny cams and occasional bolts.
“I ripped some copperheads, took some falls but made it to the top of pitch 7 and fixed our ropes. Leading the pitches with all the fear definitely felt super hard, but once I had the rope from above, the moves felt OK. But grades on the Dawn Wall are definitely not overrated. Great success for today and 5 pitches to go tomorrow to have our ropes fixed under the crux pitches.”
–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, Oct. 17, 2016.
and from http://www.rockandice.com/climbing-news/adam-ondra-makes-quick-progress-on-the-dawn-wall
On Monday, (Ondra's) first day on the wall, he reached the top of Pitch 7, although not without falling. Photographer and climber Dustin Moore reported to Rock and Ice that Ondra onsighted the first pitch (5.12b) and fell once and hung once on the second pitch (5.13a).
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Oct 19, 2016 - 04:35pm PT
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Great post. I want him to do well, but I was sure that El Cap had some surprises in store for him as well. At least I was hoping it did.
Can't have the guy thinking of the big stone like an upside down clip pitch, you know?
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Oct 19, 2016 - 07:49pm PT
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This clueless fanboy dogpile is funny - but then so are the daily instasprays that seem to be bringing it.
tired after having jugged up the first 7 pitches.
Ground up, brah. I see just a few more days of that sh#t until he's rapping in, entire route fixed.
Oh yeah, Adam is SO good, he'll do what took Tommy and Kevin several years, if not a lifetime - in just a few weeks. It could happen, love to see it... Enjoying my popcorn...
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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Oct 19, 2016 - 09:28pm PT
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I'm no expert like you guys sitting at home but had Ondra climbing next to and quickly well above us here on El Cap.
Guy was climbing way into the night last night, rapped off late enough to wake me up.
They've fixed up high, maybe 12-15 pitches if not more. Heinz Zak was here taking pics too. Even if the Junk Show!
But of course you bozos know better.
Zzzzzzzzz
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scaredycat
Trad climber
Berkeley,CA
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Oct 19, 2016 - 09:34pm PT
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be kind anita.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Oct 19, 2016 - 09:39pm PT
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Thanks, Anita !
Any pics you have will be appreciated. Send us a view from El Cap this evening.
They've fixed up high, maybe 12-15 pitches if not more. Heinz Zak was here taking pics too. Even if the Junk Show!
Good info on the progression. You and Pete will be stars, and the Junk Show :)
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RyanD
climber
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Oct 19, 2016 - 09:41pm PT
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Braj's!! I was there !!!
Anyone know if he's using friction labs chalk?!
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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Oct 19, 2016 - 09:46pm PT
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He wasn't here today. I'll try and get some pics if he's back tomorrow. They're well above Lay Lady Ledge. Just him and a buddy belaying. They showed up the day we blasted, Monday I think.
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Oct 19, 2016 - 09:52pm PT
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Just him and a buddy belaying.
Do you know who the belayer is?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Oct 19, 2016 - 09:55pm PT
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This lad can climb! Fast and smooth.
His photographer - Heinz Zak who shot Alex and Thomas Huber - told me Adam is the strongest he's ever seen. He sends 12s and 13s with fixed heads for pro!
His buddy is belaying and jugging.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Oct 19, 2016 - 11:35pm PT
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It takes the fun out of arm chair mountaineering when people who are actually on mountains call you out on it! Damned mobile devices! Rebuffat and Tilman never used them.
How is the weather in the Valley?
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 20, 2016 - 08:48am PT
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Hey, at least he's smart enough to take a rest day after a bunch of hard climbing and laborious gumby-jugging. Like for all of us, the logistics and daily grind of long routes take their toll on even the best. I don't really know the guy's background, but it doesn't seem to be full of long, hard El Cap-style climbs. Maybe he'll really get into it like a lot of strong climbers have and really pursue the giant-hard-free-climb thing. It seems to provide a level of challenge that folks like that can sink their teeth into. From this armchair, it's exciting to contemplate the possibilities.
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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Oct 21, 2016 - 11:16am PT
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That article makes it sound like he's getting tested pretty hard, calling a number of the pitches bold and frigging hard. I hope he gets hooked on getting this done for the second ascent!
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Oct 21, 2016 - 05:56pm PT
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Updates and photos from Pavel Blažek, who appears to be climbing with and belaying (?) Ondra:
http://www.pictaram.com/user/pavelblazek/211616602
The last comment below is amusing. re. their big wall technique!
pavelblazek - Kevin Jorgeson (@kjorgeson) stopped by to give Adam some beta on the climb. The line on the ground is the pitches 11 - 15. That's where we managet to get last night. Adam even tried to climb the pitch 16 in the dark, but it was getting really late and he decided to rather do it during day.
pavelblazek - In my point of view, it's easier for Adam to climb the traverz (pitch 14 & 15), than for me to jug it up (going sideways) .
pavelblazek - We both find it quite funny - Adam never really trad climb, I've never been on multipitch climb, neither of us ever had to jug up or set the fix ropes on big wall ... The learning curve is bit steep :) :) :) .
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 22, 2016 - 07:33am PT
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I hope he makes it.
It will shut up all these wannabee internet supertopo wankers with their armchair know it all Yosemite trad climbing bullsh!t .....
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Oct 22, 2016 - 08:09am PT
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Adam Ondra wanted to learn big wall climbing and he wanted to climb Dawn Wall. Now he's doing both things at the same time. I think it's as simple as that...
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Oct 22, 2016 - 09:33am PT
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Marlow, to a large degree I agree with you, but I do think there is an additional component.
Black Diamond's reputation has taken a huge hit in the climbing community over the past few years because of equipment quality issues. I'm sure they have lost market share to other companies because of this. Cross this with the fact that the first free ascent of the Dawn Wall was a giant media story, and this current Ondra/Dawn Wall strikes me as a BD PR/Marketing ploy.
There are so many gorgeous routes in the Valley. Now maybe he is so good that none of them would be hard enough to be interesting to him, but I know myself, when I go to a new area with a huge number of classics, that I do as many of them as I can, regardless of the grade.
But everyone is different, maybe this objective is the most exciting thing he can think of to do in Yosemite, and BD's objectives have no connection to it.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Oct 22, 2016 - 09:58am PT
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Why speculate on "Why?"
Just enjoy your popcorn.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Oct 22, 2016 - 10:55am PT
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Phylp
To Ondra and Black Diamond it is a win-win situation. I have no reason to doubt that Ondra is highly motivated to climb Dawn Wall and he is lucky to have a sponsor helping him to realize the dream. And Black Diamond is lucky to get the attention connected to being the sponsor of the best climber on earth at present. To us as customers buying climbing equipment, it is a warning sign when there is a sponsor involved. Though only a warning sign if we want to make informed choices when buying climbing equipment, instead of going with the marketing flow. Valid information can help us make good choices. Marketing can make us stooped...
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labrat
Trad climber
Erik O. Auburn, CA
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Oct 22, 2016 - 11:15am PT
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"It will shut up all these wannabee internet supertopo wankers with their armchair know it all Yosemite trad climbing bullsh!t ....."
What makes you think this is even possible Werner? Come on man! What we dooin out here?
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Oct 22, 2016 - 11:19am PT
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Adam Ondra has climbed long, very hard climbs, some with big runouts. For example, Silbergeier, and a 400m 5.14 FA in Madagascar. Those were a number of years ago. On paper, he looks like a much more natural candidate for the Dawn Wall than Kevin Jorgensen did, when he started on the project. All I'm trying to say is that suggesting that this is a marketing stunt is way off base.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Oct 22, 2016 - 11:21am PT
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HUH I GUESS TOMMY AIR JORDAN CALDWELL AINT SO GOOD AT THAT THURR ROCK SCRAMBLINS
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Oct 22, 2016 - 07:52pm PT
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Ropes see fixed SO high! Imagine jugging 2000'and then working super hard pitches? Adam does it for breakfast.
Haven't seen him last two days. Watch out tomorrow.
Anita and I say hi from Lay Lady Ledge. South Seas trundled a fifteen foot block this aft!!!
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Stupid Merican
climber
Crankloon, OH
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Oct 22, 2016 - 07:56pm PT
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Anita and I say hi from Lay Lady Ledge.
Hrr, hrr. I see what you did there...
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Oct 22, 2016 - 08:02pm PT
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I am really stoked that somebody's jumping on that rig. After the FA, I wondered if anybody would give the free route a real shot. I mean, Tommy's no slouch, I remember seeing him up there alone, working the pitches on a Mini - traxion. And that kind of effort, folks hear about it, and I think it can seem like it's perhaps something that's too specialized, requires too much time and effort.
Yeah, usually these kind of test pieces lay around for years without anybody taking them out on a date.
So proud, all around.
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RyanD
climber
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Oct 22, 2016 - 08:55pm PT
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Some of my friends saw him in the store wearing a harness and hand Jammie's while eating a huge sandwich, one of those really American ones. A hero submarine.
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
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Oct 22, 2016 - 10:45pm PT
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Go go go!
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Oct 22, 2016 - 11:09pm PT
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No one has ever on-sited The Nose. Sharma tried it.
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Oct 23, 2016 - 07:41am PT
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I'll claim it. And a couple Aussie brothers will claim an on-site NIAD.
All free? Cause that's what we're talking about.
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JohnnyG
climber
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Oct 24, 2016 - 07:07am PT
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This is cool progress update from the BD page. And +1 to what k-man said.
http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/experience-story?cid=adam-ondra-yosemite-updates
“Yesterday was another day on the Dawn Wall. We had our fixed-lines on the top of pitch 10 and we wanted to move as high as possible. But we would face some of the crux pitches of the whole climb. Fortunately, the pitches were better protected and it was not such a big problem to climb through the next five pitches, including the crux traverses. I would like to emphasize that I am not free climbing everything yet. The goal right now is only to go ground-up to the top, free-climbing and using a little bit of aid climbing, to fix the whole line with ropes and start working on the pitches properly to have them ready for the final free push later. So if the crux is around the protection, I just touch the holds to see how the sequence would be and continue. The first crux-pitch looked definitely super hard to free climb. Almost impossible. I will have to take a look at all these razorblades more closely.
“Finally, already in the dark, I was pushing through pitch 16 (Dyno Pitch), but I was stopped by the final bold section of the route, where I felt I needed the light for climbing this tiny layback high above bad protection. So we just called it a day and went down back to Camp 4. Now it’s two days of rest to heal my skin and I will try the Nose.”
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 24, 2016 - 07:12am PT
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Rained all night and still raining now.
The forecast is looking very wet for the rest of the week going into the weekend ....
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Sheets
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Oct 24, 2016 - 12:37pm PT
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Briefly met Adam Ondra and his father as they were in the camp next to me. They just ran up something on Middle Cathedral for their rest day.
Another unrepeated Tommy Caldwell free route is getting some love now too:
https://www.instagram.com/jorgverhoeven/
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couchmaster
climber
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Oct 24, 2016 - 12:55pm PT
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Ondra has that amazing strength to weight ratio, and I love that he's just gonna show up and start climbing right in the spotlight glare as if he doesn't care, but regarding this quote:"The goal right now is only to go ground-up to the top, free-climbing and using a little bit of aid climbing, to fix the whole line with ropes and start working on the pitches properly to have them ready for the final free push later. So if the crux is around the protection, I just touch the holds to see how the sequence would be and continue. "
is "working on the pitches" also called toproping? Or is fixing the whole route with ropes for the camera guys?
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PKisMe
climber
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Oct 24, 2016 - 01:29pm PT
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Couch, I think its both, get the ropes up there to work it on TR, and for the camera folks. Still a big step up from rapping down imo. Cheers
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 24, 2016 - 04:15pm PT
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BL31-Iigxgb/?hl=en
Looks like next Adam going to climb The Nose [free probably?]
adam.ondraAn easy day in #Yosemite, climbing a few pitches with my dad on the Mid Cathedral, just the opposite of the Valley from El Cap. And from the wall itself, we could easily check the line we will climb next. The most obvious one.
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Oct 24, 2016 - 06:38pm PT
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^^^^
sounds like he just did...
from Pavel Blažek's instagram:
Heinz and I reppeled down from the top of The Nose just above the Changing Corners. The plan was to film Adam climbing it. But there was so many people comming up, the weather was getting bad and Adam was way too far down the route that we decided to jug up and walk back down to the camp.
Adam finished the route around midnight and actually had to bivouac on his way down - it was too dangerous to walk down in the rain and dark.
I'm curious if he is gonna give it another try as he unfortunately didn't free climb the Great Roof. I haven't talk to him yet but I guess it was way too wet as the other climbers comming up said.
what a monster...
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thedogfather
Trad climber
Somewhere near Red Rocks
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Oct 25, 2016 - 07:17am PT
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Update: Ondra Attempts to Onsight the Nose
“Yesterday was probably the longest climbing day of my life. We went with my dad up on The Nose, wanting to free it in a day. We started at first light and up to the Great Roof it was going well, onsighting all of the pitches in a few hours. But the Great Roof shut me down. I had a pretty good flash go, got the beta, lowered and gave it a second shot thinking I would fire it off easily, but I had not realized how important the feet are on this climb. After climbing so many pitches and taking no rest after my flash, they went super shaky and weak. I fell, gave it even a third go and fell in the end of the traverse. There was no point in giving it more tries and we just wanted to top out. Time to switch to night climbing and onsighting all of the pitches except for Changing Corner, topping out at midnight in the starting rain. Full alpine experience, as we did not find the descent route in the pissing rain, and had a wet and cold bivy in the little cave, before we finally got to the car at 9 a.m. The Nose is one of the most famous climbs in the world and I am super glad to have climbed it with my dad, even though not free. A big day out.”
—–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, Oct. 24, 2016.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Oct 25, 2016 - 10:28am PT
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If these amazing talents keep showing up to the Valley and blowing their wad in the first 5 minutes, the big free lines will never see an onsight. How long did Yugi hang around to learn and practice the unique style before trying Salathe? Who's left in the current crop - Alex Megos?
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Oct 25, 2016 - 11:26am PT
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JLP, spot on. Imagine how hard a Dawn Wall onsight would be though...
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Cragar
climber
MSLA - MT
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Oct 25, 2016 - 12:38pm PT
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walls in a push on-sight lead, euro is sending
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Oct 25, 2016 - 01:00pm PT
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I think it's pretty cool what he is doing - having the trip of a lifetime - but it struck me as a little weird he got stopped on the Nose by footwork/friction issues - seems beneath his potential - or that he even got on the thing so soon with a stated intent to free it in a day onsight...
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Rattlesnake Arch
Social climber
Home is where we park it
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Oct 25, 2016 - 03:05pm PT
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Lynn Hill rules!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Oct 25, 2016 - 03:43pm PT
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Beast mode. Attempting to os the nose in a day and not being too far off the mark shows how incredible of a rock climber he has become. Can't wait to hear more.
Lynn Hill has not onsighted it in a day (reply to the comment above).
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Rattlesnake Arch
Social climber
Home is where we park it
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Oct 25, 2016 - 04:14pm PT
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Lynn Hill has not onsighted it in a day (reply to the comment above).
Neither has Ondra...
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Oct 25, 2016 - 04:15pm PT
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Beast mode. Attempting to os the nose in a day and not being too far off the mark shows how incredible of a rock climber he has become.
How far off the mark was he?
Doesn't the route have two crux pitches, and he wasn't able to free the first (great roof) after several tries and then he gave up.
Then I don't see anything that shows how close he was on the Changing Corners, or if he even tried.
Did I miss something?
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Oct 25, 2016 - 04:17pm PT
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my armchair climber skillz sayz El Cap isn't a slab, but maybe I'm wrong about that.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 25, 2016 - 04:37pm PT
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Did I miss something? he red-pointed Changing corner from second try.
But most importantly- you miss that Ondra did on The Nose very impressive work, assuming that he basically touch Yosemite granite just 10 days ago.
At his original plans [some article above in this tread] the goal was to onsite Salathe Wall after climbing The Nose. Based on what he is doing now - he have a good chance.
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Oct 25, 2016 - 05:11pm PT
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^ ^ ^
Thanks, yes I did miss that about Changing Corners
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Oct 25, 2016 - 05:59pm PT
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my armchair climber skillz sayz El Cap isn't a slab, but maybe I'm wrong about that. To a 5.15 limestone climber, I'm thinking pretty much the whole thing is a slab. Losing sport fitness in the Valley is well known.
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Oct 25, 2016 - 07:08pm PT
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Freeing the entire Nose in one day would be amazing. There are several climbers out there who can do the individual moves, but if you look at the fatigue factor, I am not at all surprised that he was too tired to send the Great Roof. His post was very revealing that his legs were too pumped out for the delicate footwork. I am still incredibly impressed with how well he did just showing up and getting that far. It does show how great Lynn Hill was doing all the moves free, even if it wasn't all in one day.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Oct 25, 2016 - 07:40pm PT
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Lynn Hill did free the Nose in a day (within 24 hours):
2nd FA - Lynn Hill 9/94, in a day
23 hours (10pm 9/19 - 9pm 9/20)
only 2 falls -- both on the "Houdini Corner" above Camp 6
one previous attempt, 9/6, ended at Great Roof (too hot)
Climbing #148
Of course this is not the same as doing it free in a day, on your first time on the climb.
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Oct 26, 2016 - 12:00am PT
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JLP wrote: I think it's pretty cool what he is doing - having the trip of a lifetime - but it struck me as a little weird he got stopped on the Nose by footwork-friction issues - seems beneath his potential - or that he even got on the thing so soon with a stated intent to free it in a day onsight...
your contributions to this thread continue to crack me up...
sheeit. dude shows up in the valley, onsights almost all of the nose in a day...
and then some semi-anonymous three lettered initial dude/tte who probably onsights at least a few orders of magnitude lower than ondra, is there to tell us all what "seem[ed] beneath [ondra's] potential", along with questioning ondra's strategies...
lulzy...
remember kids: just goes to show that it doesn't matter who you are or what you accomplish, there will always be an available critic there willing and able to suggest/question/tell you how you should/could/might have done it better from the comforts of their armchair...
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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Oct 26, 2016 - 08:21am PT
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Actually - dozens if not a few hundred from the middle of the pack have free climbed El Cap - but Adam Ondra has not.
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RyanD
climber
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Oct 26, 2016 - 08:40am PT
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Not shocking that Ondra onsighted the emasculation of internet trad climbers everywhere on his first visit to the valley.
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Oct 26, 2016 - 08:51am PT
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We went with my dad up on The Nose, wanting to free it in a day.
Big difference between "free in a day" and "onsight in a day". He might have been hoping for the onsight, but that's not specifically what he said he was ultimately after.
Not that many that can even do what he did, onsighting everything but the Great Roof and Changing Corners. I would think endurance for those big days on that many pitches would wear him down quite a bit.
Bravo!
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Oct 26, 2016 - 08:53am PT
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It is a rare thing to see any father/son team do a Big Wall. It just isn't that common. I'm glad the kid is doing it with his dad, before the father gets too old.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 27, 2016 - 08:57pm PT
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Update: Ondra Is Back On the Dawn Wall
“Another day in the office. We hauled up and set up the portaledge on the Dawn Wall yesterday. I got to the top of pitch 16, and worked the moves of pitches 14, 15 and 16 ‘til late night. These are three of the hardest pitches on the whole climb, and on every pitch I missed one little piece of the puzzle. But with better skin and colder conditions (which are on the way), I will hopefully have these pitches super wired soon.
“Pitch 14 [5.14d] has this really mysterious last boulder problem—seemingly blank—but offers a few razorblade crimps that are just horrible. The previous boulder problems on this pitch felt very good. Pitch 15 [5.14d] has this really small razorblade that I did not want to pull, since in the warm conditions I would cut my skin open. The rest of the pitch felt good. Pitch 16 [5.14c] has this crazy dyno that definitely felt hard. I did not do the single move, but there is always an option to make the loop variation. The rest of the pitch is tricky and insecure but I found my way.
“For the next few days I think I will work on these three pitches if the weather allows.”
–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, Oct. 27, 2016. #liveclimbrepeat Photo: Heinz Zak
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Oct 28, 2016 - 09:02am PT
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JLP and Tut, where did you guys learn to climb? Just idly curious about your context.
I've seen others refer to vertical (90degree) climbing as 'slab' but on the Dawn Wall where it overhangs substantially in sections, just doesn't seem to fit.
In any event, did I read the BD blog right, Ondra went back up with a sh#t forecast? big props
Once he starts firing other free climbs on El Cap (besides the 2 hardest? Nose and DW), he's going to crush the fuk out of it as a free climbing champ!!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Oct 28, 2016 - 09:18am PT
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Update: Ondra Is Back On the Dawn Wall
“Another day in the office. We hauled up and set up the portaledge on the Dawn Wall yesterday. I got to the top of pitch 16, and worked the moves of pitches 14, 15 and 16 ‘til late night. These are three of the hardest pitches on the whole climb, and on every pitch I missed one little piece of the puzzle. But with better skin and colder conditions (which are on the way), I will hopefully have these pitches super wired soon.
“Pitch 14 [5.14d] has this really mysterious last boulder problem—seemingly blank—but offers a few razorblade crimps that are just horrible. The previous boulder problems on this pitch felt very good. Pitch 15 [5.14d] has this really small razorblade that I did not want to pull, since in the warm conditions I would cut my skin open. The rest of the pitch felt good. Pitch 16 [5.14c] has this crazy dyno that definitely felt hard. I did not do the single move, but there is always an option to make the loop variation. The rest of the pitch is tricky and insecure but I found my way.
“For the next few days I think I will work on these three pitches if the weather allows.”
–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, Oct. 27, 2016. #liveclimbrepeat Photo: Heinz Zak
Imagine if he will be able to free the route after only a season of work? With no Yosemite experience prior. Imagine if he is able to do it in a day some day!? I know words are cheap and the action will reveal what happens over the next year or two or 10, but damn these kids are incredible!
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Texplorer
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Oct 28, 2016 - 09:31am PT
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Yes Vitali,
We are all waiting to see what he can do. Of course lots of this is like the 4 minute mile. While repeats are very impressive part of the difficulty is finding out if something is possible. Tommy and Kevin might have hit an insurmountable blank section and after years of work only had an "almost" free ascent. Notice how you don't hear much talk about the almost free of WFLT. So, while lets not discount his rapid progress, remember all the variations have been worked out, the grades are known, and there is even beta on two ways to do the crux pitch.
The other thing that I think about with all this is that as the grades go into the 5.13s even "trad" routes start to resemble the moves typical of a (ahem) sport slab route which I am sure Ondra is adept at. The typical Yosemite .10d is much harder than any .10d at a sport area and the climbing is much different in style but as you go up the grades there are only so many ways to make a crack harder. Speaking in generalities here.
In any case, would love to see Ondra humbled a little, do a Rocky montage, and then send. Would also be cool if he follows in the Huber bros steps and takes us to some places others haven't.
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jacramer
climber
Corvallis, OR
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Oct 28, 2016 - 10:04am PT
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Excellent point tut, but I would credit his power more to the origins and insertions of his finger/hand tendons, and less to the type or quantity of muscle fibers. Muscles are trainable, tendons not so much. Maybe a physio wants to chime in?
Let's also consider for a moment his previously mentioned ostrich neck. Just physics-wise I would speculate a long neck would be bad for climbing. Extending the weight of the head out away from the body could potentially throw off balance.
However, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say his neck isn't actually that long. Instead it's the extreme slope of his shoulders that makes his neck look so long. Could shoulders constructed this way somehow be stronger? He seems to use wild gastons and extreme cross-throughs all the time.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Oct 28, 2016 - 11:40am PT
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The other thing that I think about with all this is that as the grades go into the 5.13s even "trad" routes start to resemble the moves typical of a (ahem) sport slab route which I am sure Ondra is adept at. The typical Yosemite .10d is much harder than any .10d at a sport area and the climbing is much different in style but as you go up the grades there are only so many ways to make a crack harder. Speaking in generalities here.
Agree on the first part, but even though it is likely a personal problem, I find the sport routes to be harder compared to trad. Likely because I almost never sport climb. I sent my first 5.11a 5.11 5.11+ and a 5.12- on gear before I sent those grades on sport. All of us are different and my weakness is likely in pumpy overhanging stuff, feel much better on my feet (should try hiking a bit less!!! lol).
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
|
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Oct 28, 2016 - 11:57am PT
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The grades everywhere feel the same to me, gym included. Yeah - styles, rock type, etc, differ and there are always a few sandbags and way over graded gimmes - whatever.
If you take that 10d sport route - if you can even call something that easy "sport" - now climb it with 20 lbs of gear, 19 lbs of which you don't need, add in some gumby clod-hopper shoes and maybe a pack full of candy bars and water - now stop every 3 feet and pick your nose for 5 minutes to simulate your gear placing prowess...
Didn't realize Ondra wasn't going for the onsight on the Nose, guess I got misled by other posts here.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 28, 2016 - 02:21pm PT
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Look out Yosemite: Vitaliy M. is coming!
I sent my first 5.11a 5.11 5.11+ and a 5.12- on gear before I sent those grades on sport. All of us are different and my weakness is likely in pumpy overhanging stuff, feel much better on my feet
Look out Yosemite: kingtut is coming!
my best red point was probably 12b at my best (cursed with no power). But I did hang dog Soap on a Rope once .
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Oct 28, 2016 - 03:38pm PT
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That is fairly average to redpoint low 5.12 in the modern world. I am sure you have done so, if not harder. Not sure why make such a post Alexey?
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Oct 28, 2016 - 03:51pm PT
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Damn, those are some seriously sloped shoulders! I'm thinking that has to be a factor although I can't imagine why. I just want to go on record is all.
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jacramer
climber
Corvallis, OR
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Oct 28, 2016 - 05:06pm PT
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high proportion of climbing ability is purely finger strength to weight ratio.
I completely agree.
However, I think you should reconsider your assertion that muscle fiber type would have a big effect on the strength of untrained fingers (like those of the young Sharma in your anecdote). Fast twitch people are not uncommon in the population, yet I've never noticed particularly strong fingers among the sprinter-looking dudes at the gym.
Your running analogy also breaks down, when you consider that many pro climbers are world class at both bouldering (power) and long sport routes (endurance). Some can even crush while simultaneously charging at cardio endurance sports—Ueli Steck climbs 5.14.
My suspicion instead is that untrained finger strength is more dependent on the unique structure of someone's fingers and hands. I think variation in the positioning of tendon attachment to finger bone would probably be the most important. As an engineer could tell us, small differences in the location of tendon attachment could dramatically effect leverage and the functional force a muscle contraction is able to produce.
It’s also possible that an ideal ratio between the lengths of different finger joints could produce more gripping power. Or maybe it’s short distal phalanges (finger tips) that enable some mutants to crank on microcrimps. I don’t know, but a biomechanical explanation for off-the-couch finger power seems the most likely to me.
Meanwhile, even in the marathon world some physiologists contend that it’s more than just muscle fiber type. A 2013 study suggested Kenyans’ disproportionate success in the sport might be due to unusually elastic calves.
Bottom line: I don’t buy the slow vs. fast twitch muscle fiber argument for untrained finger strength.
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RyanD
climber
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Oct 28, 2016 - 05:33pm PT
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Look out Yosemite: Vitaliy M. is coming!
I sent my first 5.11a 5.11 5.11+ and a 5.12- on gear before I sent those grades on sport. All of us are different and my weakness is likely in pumpy overhanging stuff, feel much better on my feet
Look out Yosemite: kingtut is coming!
my best red point was probably 12b at my best (cursed with no power). But I did hang dog Soap on a Rope once.
INTERNET CLIMBING CONTEST!!
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RyanD
climber
|
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Oct 28, 2016 - 05:35pm PT
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DAWNDRA WINZZZZ!!!
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Oct 30, 2016 - 11:58am PT
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BMKvxU1B2bH/
Posted yesterday working the loop around the dyno
His effort on the nose was amazing and it will be very interesting to see what happens with the rest of his trip.
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
|
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Oct 30, 2016 - 01:43pm PT
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Sounds like genetic determinism has finally triumphed in the popular mind. The big insurance companies will be glad about that.
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duncan
climber
London, UK
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Oct 30, 2016 - 02:38pm PT
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he red-pointed Changing corner from second try.
Hi Alexey! Where did you hear this? It's not clear from the usual sources what happened on this pitch.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 30, 2016 - 04:10pm PT
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Hi Duncan, I took it from here:
Oct 25, 2016 - 07:17am PT
Update: Ondra Attempts to Onsight the Nose
“Yesterday was probably the longest climbing day of my life. We went with my dad up on The Nose, wanting to free it in a day. We started at first light and up to the Great Roof it was going well, onsighting all of the pitches in a few hours. But the Great Roof shut me down. I had a pretty good flash go, got the beta, lowered and gave it a second shot thinking I would fire it off easily, but I had not realized how important the feet are on this climb. After climbing so many pitches and taking no rest after my flash, they went super shaky and weak. I fell, gave it even a third go and fell in the end of the traverse. There was no point in giving it more tries and we just wanted to top out. Time to switch to night climbing and onsighting all of the pitches except for Changing Corner, topping out at midnight in the starting rain. Full alpine experience, as we did not find the descent route in the pissing rain, and had a wet and cold bivy in the little cave, before we finally got to the car at 9 a.m. The Nose is one of the most famous climbs in the world and I am super glad to have climbed it with my dad, even though not free. A big day out.”
—–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, Oct. 24, 2016.
Now I see when re-read that there is no facts supporting what I say above, just my interpretation.
He mention that he tried Great Roof tree times and all tree times fall. He mention that he onsite all except of Changing corner, I honestly interpret this as he made it from second try, but now I see that it can be only my fantasy and I do not know if he even tried Changing corner again.
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Rattlesnake Arch
Social climber
Home is where we park it
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Oct 31, 2016 - 05:04am PT
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Ondras climbing speaks for itself. If embellishment is required, he should at least be given the opportunity to do it himself.(However tempting it is for us in this forum.)
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Oct 31, 2016 - 06:22am PT
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Ondras climbing speaks for itself.
Yup, Warren, Dean, Kevin and Tommy's as well. Hell, isn't that what Royal would say?
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Johannsolo
climber
Soul Cal
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Oct 31, 2016 - 09:11am PT
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Sounds like his line fixing needs work. Did he on-sight the two 12b and one 12d pitches down low? 14 grades below his hardest red point and 8 grades below his best on-sight.
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dhayan
climber
culver city, ca
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Oct 31, 2016 - 09:23am PT
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Not sure, but he onsighted your mom.
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Oct 31, 2016 - 10:02am PT
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Oct 25, 2016 - 07:17am PT
Update: Ondra Attempts to Onsight the Nose
“Yesterday was probably the longest climbing day of my life. We went with my dad up on The Nose, wanting to free it in a day. We started at first light and up to the Great Roof it was going well, onsighting all of the pitches in a few hours. But the Great Roof shut me down. I had a pretty good flash go, got the beta, lowered and gave it a second shot thinking I would fire it off easily, but I had not realized how important the feet are on this climb. After climbing so many pitches and taking no rest after my flash, they went super shaky and weak. I fell, gave it even a third go and fell in the end of the traverse. There was no point in giving it more tries and we just wanted to top out. Time to switch to night climbing and onsighting all of the pitches except for Changing Corner, topping out at midnight in the starting rain. Full alpine experience, as we did not find the descent route in the pissing rain, and had a wet and cold bivy in the little cave, before we finally got to the car at 9 a.m. The Nose is one of the most famous climbs in the world and I am super glad to have climbed it with my dad, even though not free. A big day out.”
—–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, Oct. 24, 2016.
Now I see when re-read that there is no facts supporting what I say above, just my interpretation.
He mention that he tried Great Roof tree times and all tree times fall. He mention that he onsite all except of Changing corner, I honestly interpret this as he made it from second try, but now I see that it can be only my fantasy and I do not know if he even tried Changing corner again.
Alexey--not trying pick on you here, but since you write about your interpretation, let me note that that it's not clear if Ondra even tried Changing Corner's once. I have no idea if he did or didn't, or if he did how close he came, or anything else besides what's been written. If he just wanted to top out, as he said, it may have been perfectly reasonable for him to not have even attempted to free that pitch.
To all the blowhards who will strain to interpret my post as demeaning the great Ondra--I actually haven't seen anyone suggest that Ondra isn't the best or at least one of the best climbers in the world. That's obvious.
But it's also obvious that the information on this thread doesn't give much insight as to how close Ondra may have been to onsighting the Nose.
The grades everywhere feel the same to me, gym included. Yeah - styles, rock type, etc, differ and there are always a few sandbags and way over graded gimmes - whatever.
If you take that 10d sport route - if you can even call something that easy "sport" - now climb it with 20 lbs of gear, 19 lbs of which you don't need, add in some gumby clod-hopper shoes and maybe a pack full of candy bars and water - now stop every 3 feet and pick your nose for 5 minutes to simulate your gear placing prowess...
It would be a fun outing to see you do the 11s and 12s at my local gyms (BRC/Movement) and then walk up trad routes of the same grade in BoCan and Eldo. I'm a little skeptical.
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m.
Trad climber
UT
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Oct 31, 2016 - 10:25am PT
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In response to Alexey- I had also read- somewhere!- that Ondra had done the Changing Corners pitch on his second try. FWIW, planetmountain.com reports this feat. Cheers.
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Oct 31, 2016 - 10:46am PT
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m, I don't know where you read that, but planetmount.com doesn't say that, at least not the part that I saw in a quick perusal.
Adam Ondra continues his Yosemite first trip at a relentless pace. A few days ago the Czech climber attempted a one day free ascent of The Nose but after starting at first light, his onsight attempt ground to a halt by the technical climbing on the Great Roof pitch. After three foiled attempts Ondra decided to continue upwards and, falling only once more on the famous Changing Corner pitch, he topped out at midnight in the rain with his father. http://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/adam-ondra-yosemite-dawn-wall-update-2.html
The vagueness of the above may lead one to suspect that the author was doing a little "interpretation."
But regardless, it does not say that Ondra ever redpointed the Changing Corners pitch or even free climbed it. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but once again, there doesn't seem to be any credible info on that, at least not that I've seen.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Oct 31, 2016 - 11:03am PT
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My boyfriend's cousin's classmate said that she overheard her mom talking to the butcher who sold a flank steak to a guy that used to be married to the grand-daughter of a guy who was business partners with a dude who used to own a climbing gym, and that dude knew friends of Adam very well and he heard that Adam fired Changing Corner's on second try. Fact.
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Oct 31, 2016 - 11:07am PT
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appreciate ondra's transparency regarding the process [from BD's facebook page]:
Complexity and difficulty of the whole climb is just shocking to me. I might have been too optimistic, but I definitely expected it to be easier. Every single pitch is so tricky and hard and yesterday on pitch 16 was the most frustrating day so far on the wall. It revealed the real difficulty of the whole climb and crucial importance of good conditions and skin. Hats off to Tommy and Kevin, who believed that the whole climb was possible before they free climbed. Without having the beta, some of the sections look just impossible. I have the advantage that I know that the climb is possible and that helps me to keep the faith that I might be able to do it as well. I am humbled and impressed by what Tommy and Kevin did!
sounds like he has a good fight on his hands...
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Impaler
Social climber
Oakland
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Oct 31, 2016 - 02:09pm PT
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Nutjob ^ - that just about sums up this thread! (-:
I bet the guys at planetmountain just read supertaco and quoted what happened only in Alexey's imagination (I actually doubt they wrote that). I referred to that earlier already. Adam is doing his thing being the strongest climber around, being really humble and completely transparent about what he's doing while crushing (almost) everything in sight. While the peanut gallery at the keyboards are trying to find ways to make everything sound way rader than it really is and sensationalize everything. It's a bit pathetic.
"easily hike his way, with a few falls, through the next two pitches"
"went up trying to onsight the Nose in a day"
"redpointed changing corners 2nd try"
Sure, he didn't onsight the Nose, but has anyone EVER done better on it or is it even reasonable to expect? Everyone who seriously tried it either got completely shut down or spent multiple weeks working just the changing corners pitch (Maybe Lynn Hill has done it a little faster. I don't know). Doing it first try in a day at 12d A0 onsighting all but 2 pitches! That's pretty awesome and a really proud achievement even for Adam!
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Oct 31, 2016 - 04:41pm PT
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I appreciate Ondra's straightforward writing.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Oct 31, 2016 - 09:33pm PT
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... before ... try(ing) to climb the whole route in one single push, I need to ... have every single pitch super wired.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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The El Cap routes aren't like the hardest sport climbs. It is generally vertical with micro edges. The hardest sport routes overhang like crazy, and involve dynos to little mono's, but they are visible.
I would expect a sport climber to take a little while to get used to the type of climbing on the Dawn or even the Nose.
Most of the hardest sport routes are now in caves, or on very overhanging limestone. Anything vertical or less is called a slab. So El Cap is like a slab compared to most of the hardest sport routes.
Tommy always talked about the need for low temps and the proper shoe. Ondra mentioned a hold on the Dawn that he had to do at night. The skin would be so soft during the warmth of the day that it would rip the skin, and torn fingertips were a problem on the FA, if you recall.
I'm happy to see the home cliff give the best climber in the world at least a little pause, and a confirmation of the ratings, but I hope that he sends the Dawn, and then hop back on the Nose and free that.
The Nose really only has 2 cruxes: The Great Roof and the Changing Corners. The other spots aren't much for a person who can do 5.15.
A Nose on-sight would be remarkable. If he had spent a little time getting used to that type of climbing, I think he could have flashed it. Instead, he hopped right up there with little preparation.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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To me, Ondra's commentary verifies two things: The fiendish difficulty of the Dawn Wall, and the adventurous spirit, tenacity, amazing skill and enviable integrity of Adam Ondra. I've got nothing but respect for Tommy, Kevin, and now Adam, who have done such outstanding work on what must be one of the world's greatest modern rock climbs. What sometimes gets lost in here is that Adam was basically a crag/sport climber before visiting the valley, and simply jumping onto the Captain with his background, knowing little to nothing about the logistics, the king air up there, and the intricacies of the trad milieu, make his efforts almost unique.
I hope Adam continues to visit the valley till he puts his stamp on the place and nudges the bar even higher, as he surely will. As every Valley veteran knows, there is always a break-in period for every visiting climber, and anyone faulting Adam in this regards has simply never gone big in Yosemite.
Go Adam.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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While it's true that Ondra is best known for single pitch cutting edge sport routes, he's not by any means inexperienced with longer routes. From Wikipedia:
Mora Mora - Tsaranoro Atsimo (Madagascar) - 10 October 2010 - First free ascent
Bravo Les Filles - Tsaranoro Kelly (Madagascar) - 7 October 2010
Tough Enough Original - Karambony (Madagascar) - 4 October 2010 - First free ascent[54]
Tough Enough - Karambony (Madagascar) - 30 September 2010 - First free ascent[55]
Hotel Supramonte - Gole di Gorroppu (ITA) - 18 October 2008 - First onsight ascent[56]
Ali Baba - Paroi Derobée di Aiglun (FRA) - 2008 - Second ascent[57]
WoGü - Rätikon (SUI) - 26 July 2008 - First free ascent of Beat Kammerlander's route (1997)[58]
Zub za zub - Rätikon (SUI) - 29 July 2007 - First free ascent[59]
Silbergeier - Rätikon (SUI) - 27 July 2007[60]
These routes are up to 400m in length, with 5.13 and 5.14 pitches.
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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I don't know how much crack climbing experience Adam had before getting on these routes which makes it all the more amazing and not caring that everyone is watching him on El Cap's plumbs, way to get after it!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Melding Largo and Mcreel's posts into one basically means Ondra is next level, and like the first ski run of the day, he's now warmed up and has the skills to take El Cap to the next level.
Onsights
Onsight in a day
Onsight speed records
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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If Ondra is falling in love with slab, perhaps on a rest day he can onsight Hall of Mirrors. The Mountain Project description calls it " possibly the best Slab climb in the world".
Nice light rack, no portaledge needed and it's the right season.
:-)
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Sheets
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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It's also worth watching Jorg Verhoeven trying to get the 2nd ascent of the Dihedral Wall. He's climbed the Nose and another El Cap route, I believe. Here's his latest update:
jorgverhoevenDihedral Wall is kicking my ass! This route is hard as nails and as technical as it gets, covering many hard pitches on polished and slippery rock. I did lots of weeding and brushing, since it hasn't seen much freeclimbing action. I also chose to fix ropes on the lower pitches, since they don't seem to bother anyone. If so, give me a shout!
@dustin.007 (shot the 📷) helped me out a bunch, and together with @katha_saurwein made it possible for me to work the route, before attempting a free push. Need to get stronger!
Dihedral Wall in itself seems impossible for me to comprehend climbing and it is probably the 3rd hardest route up El Cap.
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couchmaster
climber
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Updated Sheridan Andersons great version, the fat woman to Ondra would be: "Did you do the changing corners pitch free or did you blow the onsight?" LOL
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Molle
Boulder climber
Berlin
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BMTQKGRhIZd/
Sent most of pitch 15 4th try last night. He skipped the first 5m as it was too wet. Got close a few times on top rope pitch 16 after that. Kudos to ondra for putting forth such effort.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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https://www.facebook.com/blackdiamondequipment/photos/a.304377381604.193174.153989481604/10154561622446605/?type=3&theater
From BlackDiamond Facebook:
Update: Ondra Dials in Pitch 15 (5.14d) of the Dawn Wall
“After the period of rain and two days of rest, I went onto the wall with Pavel for three days. The plan was to send pitch 15 [5.14d] and 16 [5.14a] the first night. Hauling took us a while, so we got to our basecamp under the crux pitches in the dark. But it did not matter really. It was finally cold enough for pitch 15!
“Unfortunately the very beginning of the pitch was still wet after the big rain, so I had to skip the first 5 meters, which are not very difficult. Finally, on my fourth go I could send this ‘shortened’ pitch 15. Super excited about it! I worked hard on pitch 16 later that night. I got pretty close, trying it via the ‘Loop Pitch’ and tried to continue all the way into pitch 17 (5.14a), which makes sense to me. It is much harder—the whole pitch could be around 5.14c—but I think it is worth it. But let's see what I will think on the push;-)
Right now, we are resting on the portaledge this morning. I would like to work on the 4 pitches (around 5.13c-5.13d) to the Wino Tower tonight and tomorrow. Then we will go to the summit and complete our ground-up free/aid ascent. Cool style in my opinion to justify the use of fixed ropes.
“Life on the portaledge is just great. We’ve just had oatmeal for breakfast, and it is pleasant temperature to hang around in the sun and we even have solar panels to charge our phones. Life is pretty sweet up here. Even using Wag bags when necessary is not as bad as I thought.”
–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, November 2, 2016.
Stay tuned for more exclusive coverage of Ondra’s Yosemite trip.
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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good to note that BD is supporting leaving tat all over the valley for Team Ondra media coverage
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chill
climber
The fat part of the bell-curve
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good to note that BD is supporting leaving tat all over the valley for Team Ondra media coverage
Yeah, this "tat all over the valley" completely ruins the natural experience to be had in Yo.
You jealous man?
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brotherbbock
climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Take your van elsewhere then Patrick Compton. Stay off the haterade also.
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drewsky
climber
Seattle
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"In my experience the very, very best are humble, secure in their ability and place in the scheme of things."
This. Well put, kingtut.
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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If I strung up Mescalito like the Dawn Wall, would that be cool?!
sure Ondra is glad to have ST ball-cuppers defending his honor!
proud work boys
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brotherbbock
climber
Alta Loma, CA
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If I strung up Mescalito like the Dawn Wall, would that be cool?!
Yeah but how many people climb Mescalito vs. Dawn Wall?
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brotherbbock
climber
Alta Loma, CA
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They are largely the same route I think is his point.
10/4
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Good thing Tommy and Kevin never strung it up eh Patrick?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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If I strung up Mescalito like the Dawn Wall, would that be cool?!
Part of the beauty of climbing is that the noobs are free to strung up popular routes and people who want to pass are free to do so as well. The freedom to spent as long as you find appropriate, without showing anyone a belay cards is nice. Any reasonable human trying to climb Mescalito now, will find a way. Or choose one of the other 50 worthy routes on that wall.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Pete bailed but Ondra stayed up there and climbed all night. I thought sport climbers were weenies and aid climbers were the tough guys? Or maybe that's just on the internet.
Did Ondra have any booze to jettison?
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
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Somebody needs to go do a big ultra-hard free project in the Garhwal Himalaya where there wouldn't be any crowds or socio-ethical overlap. No one would be able to argue much about a 5.15+ pitch at 20 grand.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Did Ondra have any booze to jettison?
I am imagining Yes!
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Alexey,
Slivovitz !
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Plum "wine" that will put hair on your chest!
.
Oplopanax,
I'm sure you're not that deep in the woods.
The bouncing Chezc was not on the wall during the stormy weather.
He says in his report it took them all day to jug & haul.
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
Nov 3, 2016 - 01:33pm PT
Pete bailed but Ondra stayed up there and climbed all night. I thought sport climbers were weenies and aid climbers were the tough guys? Or maybe that's just on the internet. Did Ondra have any booze to jettison?
Dude ?! Kinda strange cheap shot! Anita5.14, PtPP, and the other two climbers were mid climb, days in- when the forecast came, they stayed right till the storm was in the Ditch.
kingtut, Social climber, carmel, ca. ,Nov 1, 2016 - 07:21pm PT
In my experience the very, very best are humble, secure in their ability and place in the scheme of things.
Yaniro, Price, Kauk, Edlinger, Hill, Sharma; Had nothing but the best experiences from that lot.
even that Peter Haan guy and Werner are nice,
of course, they are cut from different cloth of bad-assedry :P.
Ondra it seems too is solid.
*Its the next rung that is arrogant and obnoxious, probably from insecurity.*
Climbers who take that sort of shot are that " next rung" - second teir, if that!
Climbers that have a need to tear down the accomplishments of others, to build up their own self delusion . . .
Are you planning to Shepard three people of mixed skills,
the wrong gear for the season up a multi-day climb?
If so share that adventure. . .
Cutting edge 5.15 climbers ! So what anyone out there getting after it is plenty tough!
The two disciplines only compare in the way that they use similar gear. The fact is the highest end free climbing demands the overlapping of skills that a big wall aid climber has already rejected as aid avoids free climbing, mostly.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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If you don't know anything about modern big wall free climbing it's best to guess.
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dhayan
climber
culver city, ca
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Lol.
The "sport weenies" are pretty inspiring to me - I met a father/daughter duo at the Needles a month or so ago flying up Atlantis/Ice Pirates. The daughter was 15 but they said she did Astroman when she was 12, a climb of a lifetime for me... These kids will onsite the hardest climb you old hard men ever did and that's the way it should be. I think it's awesome to have such a talented climber like Adam Ondra putting in some time in the Valley, and hope the next generation like Alex Megos and Ashima do the same. What's not to like? Free climbing should take priority and they are not power drilling new bolt ladders like Wootywoot.
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Srbphoto
climber
Kennewick wa
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No one would be able to argue much about a 5.15+ pitch at 20 grand.
Yes they would :)
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
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No one would be able to argue
Read: 'could' for 'would be able to'
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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One might think that a climb freed by a woman in the mid nineties would be onsighted no problem by modern sport climbers the top of their game.
Not so.
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chill
climber
The fat part of the bell-curve
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ST ball-cuppers defending his honor
Ha! I'm now an official ST ball-cupper! As a kid in Texas, being called this would have bothered me. Luckily for me alternative lifestyles are more accepted now.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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It's more meaningful for me to draw inspiration from people trying groundbreaking things - like Ondra on the Dawn Wall - then dissing him for ethical infractions, real or imagined. He's humbly living up to a standard few if any can match, and if you look at people who are sore over his effort you'll see they probably are sore about many things. Or worse, they are crusaders for what is "right." Seems like an impoverished way to live.
Go Adam.
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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It's more meaningful for me to draw inspiration from people trying groundbreaking things - like Ondra on the Dawn Wall - then dissing him for ethical infractions, real or imagined.
It's fun to imagine this line of thought from Valley Hard Men when Skinner and Piana did the Salathe
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steve s
Trad climber
eldo
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^^^and .....you?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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This guy is really strong! I was watching him working on some of the pitches.
Here we discuss the best hangs on Wino Tower.
When I asked Adam how his ascent of the Nose went, he said "I almost free climbed the Great Roof, but fell off only TWO moves from the Glory Jug!"
He said he did not attempt to free climb the Changing Corners pitch as he was running short of time, but my understanding is he free climbed everything else.
P.S. Adam would like to thank the ravens, packrats, lizards, swifts, bats and Big Wall Frogs for preplacing his gear for him, especially all of those bomber fixed heads he was using for pro.
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Ondra says...
Overcast day yesterday, so I got to work on the pitches a lot! Pitches 7 - 12 (the hardest pitches of the lower part) feel pretty wired, most of them got sent or toproped, or at least the crux sequences linked.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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from
https://www.facebook.com/mytendon/?fref=ts
Update from Adam: "We had two busy day on the wall, but extremely important motivating ones! At first, I tried the pitch 14, where I still had no idea about what to do in the last boulder problem. After a little session, I could finally do the moves and soon after I gave it a go, but I realized that my beta for the intro moves on the last boulderproblem did not work. It took me a lot of time, skin, frustration and swearing to finally find a satisfying sequence, but I was exhausted and my skin thrashed. I still gave it a another that night, slipped on the first boulderproblem but then continued to the anchor. Which gave me a lot of confidence that next time it should work out.
Second day, I was incredibly lucky to get overcast day, so I could make a lot of work. At first, we took some pics with Heinz Zak in pitch 14 (5.14d), then went down and sent pitch 8 (5.13d) and toproped pith 7 (5.14a). After lunch, I went for pitch 11 (5.13c) and linked the whole crux sequence, then linked the whole crux in pitch 12 (5.14b). Then we went down for toprope session on pitch 10 (5.14a) which is always desperately wet in the dark, but I still made it with one hang in toprope. To finish the day, I just re-ckecked the moves on pitch 9 (5.13c).
It seems like I need yet to work a bit more on pitches 10, 12 and 13 (5.13b) and then pitches 1-6 (only 5.12b to 5.13c range) and I would be ready to go for the push. Can't wait!!!"
TENDON athlete Adam Ondra
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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is he trying to look like Gumby?
Euros have them some strange tastes
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Matt's
climber
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Thanks for the updates. It's been fun to hear about ondra's effort.
It's still unclear to me how close he is to actually sending this climb-- sometimes "one hang on toprope" means you're really close to redpointing, sometimes it means that it's an eternity away...
It is similarly ambiguous to me how close he is to redpointing the nose-- he fell all 3 times on the crux of the great roof, and didn't attempt the changing corners ptich...
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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I've been checking Adam's posts on Instagram (via Black Diamond) and it's so impressive to see how this guy is just plowing through this stuff. Really inspiring. I'll be channeling my inner Adam this weekend at Bishop in the hopes that my 12 yr. daughter won't out climb me.
Euros have them some strange tastes I had a Brit friend saying in Camp 4 one summer and he (along with Phil Bard I think) climbed the NWFHD in a day. He wore a pair of red polyprop tights and a red polyprop shirt that was too tight in the sleeves so he made a number of cuts into the cuffs so that it looked like fringes. All he needed was a red nose.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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is he trying to look like Gumby?
Euros have them some strange tastes
Patrick compton really?
which in Czech would be:
"Patrick compton fakt jo?"
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Green means go, GO CLIMB A ROCK!
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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Adam would like to thank the ravens, packrats, lizards, swifts, bats and Big Wall Frogs for preplacing his gear for him, especially all of those bomber fixed heads he was using for pro.
If only they'd been properly equipped for an ascent in better style.
Mikey has the right idea
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Try to take you mind off the election...here's a distraction...
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMk83KehdOC/
Led pitch 10 no falls, hopes for one more day of working pitches two days of rest and then go for it in a push.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Remember this: There's a 5.12 flare way up there, a few pitches from the top, that Kevin thought was absolutely horrendous. So this is not just face climbing and lybacking. I think what Adam is doing is great, like the old boxers who would never duck the hard opponents. He's going for the big challenge like a champ.
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Impaler
Social climber
Oakland
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That's right Largo! I was wondering how he'd fare on that flare. It's awesome that he just crushed it onsight! It's time to make bets for how many days the final push will take him. I think 5-6 realistically, but since he's blown all my expectations out of the water, I'm willing to bet he's gonna get up it in 4 days!
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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I certainly would not bet against him! In that instagram video he sounds pretty confident, and he has never been given to hubris. Very cool to see this happening, I suspected he would try it at some point, but I never thought it would be this soon. Also, it's clear that this owes a lot to Tommy and Kevin's efforts, as simply finding the path was a tremendous amount of work.
It's nice to have something to be psyched up about!
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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adam.ondraOne more day on the wall;-) Pitch 10 5.14a in the bag. For me the hardest pitch besides the two traverses (14 and 15).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMk-adqA9VI/
"The push is getting closer. I hope one day of work and two days of rest and we all set...."
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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it's been pretty cool following this guy Ondra on his quest. Go get 'em!
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Loco de Pedra
Mountain climber
Around the World
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Nov 10, 2016 - 11:12am PT
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Ondra will for sure send it free. I would put my money on that
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Nov 10, 2016 - 09:07pm PT
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@pavelblazek - Just enjoying the rest day today. Adam kept his promise and we went for the Chinese massage 😀 I got special treatment for pulled muscle in the back, Adam asked for extra massage of his forearms. On a bit sober note (in my case) if I don't get any better I won't be able to support Adam on his final push. I would probably be just too slow to follow him - seeing him to work on the route so hard day and night - I'm obviously the last person wanting to be the party pooper 🙂
.
As of right now the plan is to go back to the pitch #3 tomorrow - there was some surprisingly hard move - than have two days rest and start the push on Monday.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMpoeXQhtnF/
I hope he is able to go climb with Adam on the push. Would be nice to be there for the final result after putting this much time/effort in so far.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 10, 2016 - 09:32pm PT
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It's wonderful seeing someone so talented and so committed moving out of his comfort zone into a new milleu. He isn't concerned about protecting his reputation. He's just a free spirit and a brilliant climber who want's to explore the upper limits of climbing possibility wherever that might be.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Nov 10, 2016 - 09:42pm PT
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if I don't get any better I won't be able to support Adam on his final push
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 11, 2016 - 11:52am PT
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https://www.facebook.com/blackdiamondequipment
Update: Ondra’s Psych for the Push is High
“Two more days of work on the wall. The first day my goal was to send pitch 10 (5.14a), which is possibly the most difficult pitch besides the two crux traverses because it is long, bold, always wet and with the crux at the very top. I did it and then worked and got very confident on pitches 11, 12 and 13 (5.13c, 5.14b and 5.13b).
“Yesterday I woke up on the portaledge with a pretty bad cold and fatigue. I was even considering going down straight away, but in the end I decided to go up to pitch 20 and 21 (5.13c and 5.13d) to get them dialed. In the afternoon, I wanted to work pitches 1-6 so I would be done with all the preparation for the push. But pitch 3 (5.13c) turned out to be more cryptic than expected and I haven’t found any satisfying beta. So I need a couple of hours to work on this pitch before I feel ready for the push.
“Anyway, the life on the wall, '2 days climbing, 1 day rest' regime has beaten both of us and Pavel and I need a good rest. So we are checking out the weather forecast and planning the push accordingly, but we will definitely not start in two days as we were planning. First I need to get 100% healthy (get rid of the cold) and spend a few more hours on pitch 3.
“But the psych for the push is high! I guess I just need a little more patience. Even though it’s hard to be in such a beautiful place and rest!”
–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, November 10, 2016.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Nov 11, 2016 - 02:09pm PT
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What's the word on the dyno pitch? Isn't the best boulderer on the planet going to do it that way?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 11, 2016 - 02:21pm PT
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Keep growing skin, Adam!
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Nov 11, 2016 - 02:25pm PT
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In addition to the physical ability and the will power of a champion, I'm really impressed with the mental ability to remember that much beta. I can't remember details for a single pitch let alone that many intricate pitches.
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JimT
climber
Munich
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Nov 12, 2016 - 10:42am PT
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Thought it was just me and old age, I´m lucky to remember three moves in a row!
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Nov 12, 2016 - 11:15am PT
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I'm lucky to remember the name of the climb the moves were on.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Nov 12, 2016 - 12:21pm PT
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If anything, I guess the message was clear: This is an F'ing hard route.
I thought that the best climber in the world might stroll up the route, but he, like Tommy, had to learn how to climb merely vertical rock with micro edges.
It isn't typical sport climbing. It is very different. If any of these pitches were one pitch routes, they wouldn't be popular, because the hardest routes are all super overhanging cave routes, and that is what the best climbers are good at. Not merely vertical routes with razor holds that shred skin.
My hat is off to Ondra for putting in the work. Remember that Tommy spent years on it. I'm really pulling for him to send it. It validates the route as one of the hardest big climbs in the world.
So Yosemite is important again, because of the free routes on the Captain. If Ondra came, so will others.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Nov 12, 2016 - 05:50pm PT
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Nice post Base104
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Nov 13, 2016 - 02:47pm PT
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Tomorrow going for the push! First two days of heat and climbing the first 13 pitches, then one restday of rain and then perfect conditions for the crux pitches on day 4. Starting tomorrow at 3 AM to get done as many pitches as possible before the remorseless sun hits the wall.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMw46IFA9ie/
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Eddie
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Nov 13, 2016 - 09:20pm PT
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Go get it! Mind blowing.
Forget the climbing, just the logistics would stop 99% of climbers. Can't wait to see footage of this someday.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 14, 2016 - 11:46am PT
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Can't wait to see footage of this someday. Did Sender film finish Dawn Wall movie from 2015 of Tommy and Kevin assent?
As far as I know - they are not. It would be strange to see Adam movie ahead , but anyway he started and we are "watching" online.. All the best!
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Nov 14, 2016 - 11:51am PT
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Dam exciting this "kid" Ondra!
Love his style and attitude, a humble lesson for all of us.
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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Nov 14, 2016 - 12:17pm PT
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Did Sender film finish Dawn Wall movie from 2015 of Tommy and Kevin assent?
Just saw this
Lovely, not only climbsplaining big wall free climbing, but a bunch of TC's personal life(while dedicating 10-15 seconds in montage to his other climbing achievements, i.e. Content I'd actually pay to see).
Good news is Ondra's usually pretty quick to release footage so I'll actually get to see the relevant parts soon and save money in the process.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Nov 14, 2016 - 01:03pm PT
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Adam Ondra and his climbing partner Pavel Blazek began their ground up, single push free attempt of the Dawn Wall (VI 5.14d) on El Cap, Yosemite at 3 a.m. today, Monday, November 14. They opted for an alpine start to beat the direct sunlight and heat of the day. By 8:50 a.m., Ondra had already reached his goal for day one of the final push, completing the route’s first nine pitches (5.12b, 5.13a, 5.13c, 5.12b, 5.12d, 5.13c, 5.14a, 5.13d, 5.13c).
Dawn Wall (VI 5.14d) Topo
“So it’s 8:50. After around six hours of climbing I did the first nine pitches,” Ondra shared in a video update. He had reached pitch 5 by 5 a.m., the top of pitch 7 by 7 a.m.
Pitches 5 through 9 of the <em>Dawn Wall</em>, El Capitan, Yosemite. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.rockandice.com/dawn-wall-el-cap-yosemite-topo">Click here for the full Dawn Wall topo.</a>.
Pitches 5 through 9 of the Dawn Wall, El Capitan, Yosemite. Click here for the full Dawn Wall topo..
“It was kind of exciting on pitch 8 [5.13d], which is like super sharp,” he said in the video. “It was kind of getting warmer, and I spent two tries and I was like thinking, hmm, maybe my skin isn’t really good enough to do it, which would be pretty complicated. Luckily, after I good fight, I did it. And also did quite easily pitch 9 [5.13c]. And now we are resting for tomorrow.”
After seven years and a final 19-day push, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson were first to climb the Dawn Wall. Their final push from December 27, 2014 to January 14, 2015 captured the attention of not only the climbing community, but also the world at large, and the Dawn Wall has yet to be repeated.
Ondra began exploring the route's 32 pitches, by a mix of free- and aid-climbing techniques on October 17. On November 3, he and Blazek, both from the Czech Republic, topped out the 3,000-foot wall. Ondra went back up to work the crux pitches and then took a few rest days before for his final push today.
On Instagram, Ondra reported that he plans to climb four more pitches tomorrow (5.14a, 5.13c, 5.14b, 5.13b), to the top of pitch 13, and then take a rest day before tackling the three crux pitches (first 5.14d traverse, second 5.14d traverse, 5.14c loop pitch link).
Stay tuned for updates on Adam Ondra’s progress. From http://www.rockandice.com/climbing-news/final-push-adam-ondra-blasts-up-first-nine-pitches-of-the-dawn-wall
I'm pretty sure that even if all of those first pitches were 5.9 it would have still taken me longer than it took him. Wow
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Impaler
Social climber
Oakland
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Nov 14, 2016 - 01:38pm PT
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The full length film about TC's and KJ's ascent of the Dawn Wall is a huge undertaking featuring multi-level difficulties and plagued by self-doubt. This daunting undertaking might take as long as 7 years to complete. The final stages of this heroic endeavor (footage formatting and soundtrack selection by the film makers) will be broadcasted live on national TV.
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RyanD
climber
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Nov 14, 2016 - 05:56pm PT
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First got on it on oct 17!!
Climbed the first 9 pitches in 6 hrs !!
It will be over by the weekend.
This is not proving to be the test for him that many thought it would be.
Myself I'm not surprised. He is just a kid out there having the most fun.
Stoked to see him hike this thing.
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Nov 14, 2016 - 06:33pm PT
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nothing to add really...
but can't help but just say i'm super excited that while the rest of us argue about whether or not the world is burning, that mo fo is out there going about his business takin' names, kickin' ass, and gettin' shIt done...
the combination of the transparency regarding his seemingly, at the time, ridiculously ambitious goals, and his progress throughout the process, has been one of the coolest things i've been able to bear witness to with regards to rock climbing...
fUckin eh adam! [and pavel as well!]
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Nov 14, 2016 - 09:23pm PT
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Shitty cell phone pic passing through today. If you look close you can see them below their ledges. It was in the low thirties, that rock must feel great on the skin. Hope he gets it.
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nopantsben
climber
europe
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Nov 15, 2016 - 02:31am PT
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meanwhile, the free heart route got repeated free over a couple days by seb berthe, a belgian climber from the gym in arlon ...
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Nov 15, 2016 - 02:53am PT
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I spent two tries and I was like thinking, hmm, maybe my skin isn’t really good enough to do it, which would be pretty complicated. Luckily, after I good fight, I did it.
Nice.
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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Nov 15, 2016 - 05:14am PT
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meanwhile, the free heart route got repeated free over a couple days by seb berthe, a belgian climber from the gym in arlon ...
And the Dihedral got repeated by Verhoeven, turning into a nice little free crag.
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Srbphoto
climber
Kennewick wa
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Nov 15, 2016 - 09:57am PT
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The full length film about TC's and KJ's ascent of the Dawn Wall is a huge undertaking featuring multi-level difficulties and plagued by self-doubt. This daunting undertaking might take as long as 7 years to complete. The final stages of this heroic endeavor (footage formatting and soundtrack selection by the film makers) will be broadcasted live on national TV.
So they are waiting until no one cares anymore?
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Trashman
Trad climber
SLC
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Nov 15, 2016 - 10:39am PT
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My guess is trying to create a second wave of interest by timing it w Caldwell's book.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 15, 2016 - 11:56am PT
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https://www.facebook.com/blackdiamondequipment
Really exciting Adam's notes about previous day of making first 9 pitches:
Black Diamond
21 hrs ·
Update: Battling Heat and Sharp Holds, Ondra Blazes Through First 9 Pitches
“We got up at 1:30 a.m. after only a couple of hours of sleep, but a few rest days gave a feeling of actually feeling fresh. It was also pretty cold down in Camp 4 so I was hoping for some good night conditions. But the climate on El Cap is crazy. Only when we reached the base of the wall, it was easy to feel the temperature difference. Trying not to be shaken and trying not to get myself out of a good mood, I just ignored it, laced up my shoes and started climbing.
“Pitch 1 (5.12b) is a slick slab, and I was curious about how it would feel in the dark. Fortunately it went all right. Pitch 2 (5.13a) and pitch 3 (5.13c) are both quite insecure and somewhat bold (or I cannot just place pro), but darkness might have helped me to have less fear and I did them easier than expected. Pitches 4, 5 and 6 (5.12b, 5.12d and 5.13c) went all right and soon I was under the main problem of the day—pitch 7. Even though it is all on fixed gear, it is protected only by beaks and copperheads. Not the most reliable protection, but I kept my head cool … until my foot slipped and I fell. The protection held and I lowered myself down, pulled down the rope and headed back up there. This time my foot did not slip, but I really wanted to make sure I would not fall, so I was pushing with my feet onto the sidewall of the layback as hard as I could. It paid off and soon I was at the anchor.
“I almost thought the goal of the day was done—only two more pitches to go (5.13d and 5.13c). Not that I underestimated the following pitch, which is ultra sharp and ultra bouldery. I just placed my foot imprecisely and off I went into the air. I ruined my skin a little bit, which started sweating a lot. I went for another try, still confident. I did the crux move, but my left hand was so sweaty that I was unable to move. For the third go, racing against the sun coming down the wall, I could not rest but gave it a try anyway. I was nervous!
“Luckily, one minute before the sun would hit me on the wall when I was at the crux, a little breeze picked up which helped to dry up the skin a little bit and I sent the pitch. I was on cloud nine and quickly finished the next pitch too.
“Now it is about surviving the heat on the portaledge and resting for tomorrow. Hopefully it will cool down a little bit. Pitches 10, 11, 12 and 13 are on the program (5.14a, 5.13c, 5.14b and 5.13b).”
–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, November 14, 2016.
What is news from today?
Tomorrow weather is not a splitter in the Valley, - it is going to be the rest day
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John M
climber
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Nov 15, 2016 - 12:02pm PT
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You know you are on the edge when a small breeze is the difference in sending or not sending. Just amazing.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Nov 15, 2016 - 12:05pm PT
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What's impressive is the pace this guy is dispatching the pitches. He certainly put the work in, having projected the route for nearly a month now, and I trust he knows or is familiar with all the moves and the holds are all ticked etc. But sending 9 pitches of 5.12 and 5.13 so fast and in the dark bodes well for his chances on the next bit. Good luck. Quite the drama looking on.
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Nov 15, 2016 - 06:00pm PT
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Largo wrote: "...having projected the route for nearly a month now"
while any other time, i'd consider what follows pedantic... given the ridiculousness of what he's accomplishing i think it's worth noting the following [which is due to a too tight toque, from viewing the sources to pavel blazek's instagram posts, and due to googling that utc is 8 hr later than pst]...
while i might be +/- 1 day, [at most +/- 2], as best as i can tell there were:
23 days from when ondra first got on the dawn wall to when he started resting up [on nov 10th] for the push that he just started [on nov 14th]
15 days during which ondra actually worked the climbing on the dawn wall and wasn't either resting, sitting out storms or attempting to onsite the nose...
ie. while i'm sure the original quote above wasn't an intentional understatement by a competing sponsor's spokesperson [ ;) ], and i'm sure it was intended genuinely, saying that ondra projected the route for nearly a month, when that near month seems to have consisted of 15 days of actual climbing over the course of 23 days [during which he also attempted an onsite of the nose in a day with his old man] doesn't quite capture the ridiculousness of what ondra is doing here.
oh and during that time he also learned how to jumar properly, his partner did his first multi-pitch climb and they set up and stocked a base camp...
jayzeus.
this is up there with the cubs winning the world series and trump winning the election on the here's-what-basically-no-one-expected-a-year-ago scale... [except not even supertopo's prophet in chief r. walling predicted this one a few months out...]
we are witnessing the rock star, whose poster other rock stars put over their bed, not just live up to the hype... but absolutely fUcking crush it.
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RyanD
climber
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Nov 15, 2016 - 06:19pm PT
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+1 for nah000's perspective on pretty much all things.
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Nov 16, 2016 - 12:48am PT
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^^^^
thanks and the same right back at ya D... has been enjoyable to see you occasionally moseying around these parts again...
another day, more battles, and another giant step upward
four more pitches, including two more 14s go down on the second day of the push...
this means in two days he's redpointed 7 of the 12 5.13s and 3 of the 7 5.14s on the climb as a whole... [while also enjoying 3 5.12 "moderates"...]
he looks to now be below the three pitch crux of the biscuit... [as some call it. :) ]
edit: to correct that ondra climbed the 13b pitch as well on the second day, which wasn't apparent when i first posted.
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HMS
Trad climber
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Nov 16, 2016 - 07:17am PT
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Ondra climbed four more pitches (10, 11, 12, 13).
"Tired but relieved face! Made it up to the start of pitch 14! As @alexhonnold brought some dark chocolate for @tommycaldwell and @kjorgeson on their push and it seemed it helped them, Heinz did the same today. But he told me that I must deserve it first:-) And send pitch 10. I did in rather dramatic way on my 2nd go. Then, I almost finished the chocolate while having a few heartbreaking goes on the pitch 12 to calm my nerves. Luckily it all worked out and we are getting deserved sleep. More detailed info on @blackdiamond and @mytendon coming soon."
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Nov 16, 2016 - 07:19am PT
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Yes Ondra is doing it pretty fast so far, but he is also the only one climbing and I'm sure it would be taking longer if he had a partner who was switching leads and trying to free everything as well. Tommy would have been done much sooner if he had been the only free climber. Ondra has had a few struggles just getting some pitches before the sun hit or after 3 or 4 tries. It's nice to see the pictures of him now, he looks like a real wall climber, all dirty and tired. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow on the crux's after the rest day. Hope he gets them...but not too easily =) Maybe Adam will try for it in a day later this same trip after on-sighting the salathe.
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Curt
climber
Gold Canyon, AZ
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Nov 16, 2016 - 07:28am PT
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The full length film about TC's and KJ's ascent of the Dawn Wall is a huge undertaking featuring multi-level difficulties and plagued by self-doubt. This daunting undertaking might take as long as 7 years to complete. The final stages of this heroic endeavor (footage formatting and soundtrack selection by the film makers) will be broadcasted live on national TV.
So they are waiting until no one cares anymore?
I think people will still care. I will. After all TC and KJ were first. Still, there is some risk that a really quick (as opposed to 7-year) ascent by Ondra will diminish the accomplishment in the minds of some people. And that's a shame because a second ascent is always much easier than the first--in the respect that there is no doubt anymore about the route being possible. My $0.02
Curt
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 16, 2016 - 07:52am PT
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Yes, the second ascent is always easier....beta is established. Ondra is generally considered to be the best sport climber in the world. He is not exactly hiking the route. I think his ascent, if he makes it, will confirm rather than diminish the quality and the difficulty of the climb.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland, CA
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Nov 16, 2016 - 10:07am PT
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This is so incredible to me. Blows me away. But after that practice run on the Generator we all saw I should have known it was basically in the bag.
Besides his strength and talent, the fact that he isn't having the thing filmed also speeds things up I bet.
We bumped into him and his partner up at Glacier Point and they said they're planning on leaving the Valley in late November. Clock is ticking esp since he wants a day on the Salathé.
Side note, he gave my daughter a fist bump. Repeat, Adam gave my daughter a fist bump omg swoon.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 16, 2016 - 10:25am PT
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Bruce .... he did have guys shooting video.
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chill
climber
The fat part of the bell-curve
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Nov 16, 2016 - 10:28am PT
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We bumped into him and his partner up at Glacier Point
So he decided to make a run up Hall of Mirrors on his rest day?
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Sheets
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 16, 2016 - 11:46am PT
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The Euros are really dominating El Cap this fall.
Dihedral Wall got its second repeat and now there's a third repeat of Free Zodiac.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 16, 2016 - 12:11pm PT
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Second repeat? Or second ascent?
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Nov 16, 2016 - 12:17pm PT
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By my grammar, Pete.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Nov 16, 2016 - 12:39pm PT
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From above:
Second day, I was incredibly lucky to get overcast day, so I could make a lot of work.
At first, we took some pics with Heinz Zak in pitch 14 (5.14d), then went down and sent pitch 8 (5.13d) and toproped pith 7 (5.14a). After lunch, I went for pitch 11 (5.13c) and linked the whole crux sequence, then linked the whole crux in pitch 12 (5.14b). Then we went down for toprope session on pitch 10 (5.14a) which is always desperately wet in the dark, but I still made it with one hang in toprope. To finish the day, I just re-ckecked the moves on pitch 9 (5.13c).
This is in such a different stratosphere from what my mind can comprehend as a day of rock climbing.
Such a beautiful route, to think of coming and doing it on an autumn vacation. How lucky can you be to get up there and pull through those moves on that wall.
Much like the Nose, subsequent ascents of this route can only be gauged on the style in which they're done. Do they improve upon the existing high-bar? Is it going to be a one person effort, or will it be a climbing-team goal?
A beautiful second ascent looks imminent at this point. The bar will be set.
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Sheets
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 16, 2016 - 03:10pm PT
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Second repeat? Or second ascent?
Oops, that should have been ascent for both cases.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 16, 2016 - 04:11pm PT
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For those who think that Ondra "hike" Down Wall here is his notes about yesterday hard day:
Update: Ondra Sends Pitches 10, 11, 12 and 13
“It should have been a rather easy day with only four pitches to do, but it turned out to be the opposite. We started in late afternoon, when the wall was getting into the shade. I must admit that I felt the pressure. I hate pitch 10 (5.14a, but I would almost say 5.14b). It is all laybacking—smearing your feet against nothing (sometimes wet nothing)—and the harder you try, the harder it gets. I knew it would be good to send the pitch first go, which almost worked out. I had my face at the belay, but I wanted to move my foot more right and stand up onto the no-hands rest. And somehow—I still do not know how it happened—I was in the air. Devastating. The pitch always gets progressively more wet. And it did. The middle section turned much harder due to wet footholds (some holds are perma-wet on this pitch). I was nervous as hell, climbed quite poorly, but my determination was stronger and I somehow made it up to the belay! I was very relieved!
“I was pretty sure I could finish the schedule of the day. The next pitch is a hard stemming corner at 5.13c, but fortunately, no mistakes on this pitch. Pitch 12 is the Molar Traverse at 5.14b. It is one of the hardest pitches on the whole route (French 8c), but I never found this pitch very hard. Mainly because the crux is just a powerful boulder problem, which fit my style, and the rest of the pitch is technical, though not too bad. But it turned really epic. On my first go I fell off two meters from the anchor, because a little crystal broke. The next go, I slipped on the same move even though I was relaxed, very careful and focused. On my third go, I fell on the lower boulder problem. It was obvious that I had to send the pitch next go, otherwise I would be stuck! I entered the zone, focused, and despite the fatigue I fired it off.
“Pitch 13 (5.13b) was quite OK—one of the few pitches that doesn’t feel sandbagged:-D
“All in all, it was pretty good training! Climbing basically five times 5.14b = 8c (if you count pitch ten as 5.14b). Not a bad day at the crag. Hopefully I will make use of this training Thursday on the crux pitches, after taking a rest-day on Wednesday.”
–BD Ambassador Adam Ondra, November 16, 2016.
https://www.facebook.com/blackdiamondequipment
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Nov 16, 2016 - 05:29pm PT
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^^^^
This goes with the BD / FB page!
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Nov 16, 2016 - 06:20pm PT
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5.14b laybacking doesn't even make sense.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Nov 16, 2016 - 07:03pm PT
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Pretty brutal to have your face at the anchors and pop off because of holding out for good style to finish it. Having to climb another pitch of 5.14b raises the stakes a bit. I don't have too many of those in me on a good day.
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Nov 16, 2016 - 07:26pm PT
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After practicing his 5.14 LB skills up there, should jump on magic line before leaving. It needs a 2nd FA too I believe.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 16, 2016 - 07:37pm PT
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Matty, I was just thinking about 2-nd of Magic Line. Ron would be happy if someone climb it after 20 years since FA
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Nov 16, 2016 - 08:09pm PT
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Yeah Alexey it's surprising it hasn't gotten more attention, especially in the more recent years with all the hard trad climbing that has been going on.
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Hummerchine
Trad climber
East Wenatchee, WA
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Nov 16, 2016 - 09:09pm PT
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This is all insane AWESOME of course!!!
Curious though....has anyone to date actually freed The Nose? As in truly redpointing it...every pitch from start to finish consecutively with no falls?
I don't think so but correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm right that sure seems like quite the prize that nobody talks about...
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Nov 16, 2016 - 09:19pm PT
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The full length film about TC's and KJ's ascent of the Dawn Wall is a huge undertaking featuring multi-level difficulties and plagued by self-doubt. This daunting undertaking might take as long as 7 years to complete.
I guess it will be vintage like "El Capitan". Seven years seems like an absurd amount of time.
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Nov 16, 2016 - 09:47pm PT
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matty wrote: "Yes Ondra is doing it pretty fast so far, but he is also the only one climbing and I'm sure it would be taking longer if he had a partner who was switching leads and trying to free everything as well. Tommy would have been done much sooner if he had been the only free climber."
that's an interesting take and no doubt true regarding tommy waiting a bit for kevin at the end...
but i have actually had exactly the opposite reaction regarding the climbing as a whole.
tommy and kevin swung leads on much of the climb and only settled in to both redpoint pitches 13-17. the rest of the time, according to this, they would swing leads, and when one of them redpointed the pitch, the other climber would free it as a second and would therefore be toproped. for example, on the second half of the route, when kevin was trying to catch up to tommy he top roped pitches 19-21 [3 X 5.13] because tommy had already freed them a few days earlier...
ie. i have trouble agreeing that ondra's leading every pitch is somehow making this easier and faster than it would be for him if he had a partner with equal skills who could set up a top rope for him on almost half of the route...
[this should in no way, shape or form be read as disrespect for what tommy and kevin achieved. their story is and was one of a team of two obsessively throwing themselves into the void hoping to find a free climbable path of crystals through a 3000' often blank wall and it was, especially for tommy, one of the greatest stories, that i can recall seeing with regards to rock climbing, of an archetypal hero slaying emotional and psychological dragons over the course of near to a decade. because of all that comparing what ondra is doing to what tommy and kevin did is to compare good ole apples to oranges. with that said, i can't see ondra being slowed down if he had a partner who could set topropes for him on half of the sub 5.14 pitches...]
in short, i find this all the more, not less, remarkable precisely because ondra is doing this effectively solo.
it's not like this climb is a clip up, and what ondra is achieving psychologically by doing it, with regards to the climbing itself, effectively solo, makes the physical achievement of actually doing all the pitches free, even that much more astounding and dramatic.
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Nov 17, 2016 - 10:08am PT
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plus Tommy has one less finger so....=)
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Curt
climber
Gold Canyon, AZ
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Nov 17, 2016 - 10:09am PT
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plus Tommy has one less finger so....=)
Less weight. Possibly an unfair advantage :-)
Curt
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Nov 17, 2016 - 10:57am PT
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Has anyone mentioned the similarities here to Lauria and Robbins repeating the Harding / Caldwell climb? It's not exactly the same.....it's interesting though. Similarity maybe that Ondra expected to blow through it? I'm not putting that on him but Robbins said he was impressed with the difficulty and didn't expect it.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 17, 2016 - 12:40pm PT
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According to Pavel Blazek Instagram Adam climbing today p14, and 15
pavelblazekIt's pretty exciting morning! There is pitch #14 and #15 waiting for Adam today and at least for me there are the last pitches in Adams way to succeed on this route. Seeing him climbing through the top part of the route the other day makes me feel pretty confident he can sent the rest of the pitches ok. Sure the pitch #16 and probahly #21 won't be easy and there can be some unexpected surprises but the spirits are high!
.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BM60QmOhQOA/?taken-by=pavelblazek
BTW, McHale's Navy, Ondra never "expected to blow through it" as far as know at least never say this publicly
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Nov 17, 2016 - 12:48pm PT
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from Adam...
Waiting for the late afternoon shade to give pitch 14 (5.14d) a shot and if it works out, keep on going through the pitch 15 (5.14c or d) in the dark. Then it is all opened and depending on how I will feel.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BM7AmH-AcyE/?taken-by=adam.ondra
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Nov 17, 2016 - 04:22pm PT
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^^^^^
This seems more right, but that is some thin laybacking!!!
...Climb Ondra climb on your Muirystery trip!
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Nov 17, 2016 - 04:48pm PT
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^ ^ ^
Are those tick marks placed seemingly every several inches in the above picture?
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Nov 17, 2016 - 05:40pm PT
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BTW, McHale's Navy, Ondra never "expected to blow through it" as far as know at least never say this publicly
Thanks Alexey, I did say;
Similarity maybe that Ondra expected to blow through it? I'm not putting that on him....... Expecting to blow through it would not be a bad thing, and I did say I'm not putting that on him. I was mostly just pointing out what ever similarities there may be in the repeating of the climbs so many years apart. It's like history repeating itself. I have been around long enough to follow both, like many of us here.
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Loco de Pedra
Mountain climber
Around the World
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Nov 17, 2016 - 06:37pm PT
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Go Adam Ondra!
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Nov 17, 2016 - 09:23pm PT
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it couldn't be epic, if there weren't challenges... from ondra's instagram regarding today's attempts:
Damn! Climbed super poorly, so much pressure, so nervous! Needed 7 tries to make it through the first boulderproblem on pitch 14, a boulderproblem that i never really found very hard before, but somehow felt really hard today. I slipped on my first try, then on my second try, then just freaked out and felt so insecure with my feet trying to climb as carefully as possible but kept slipping nevertheless. Then, on my 7th try, I did the boulderproblem, and fell from the last move.
Hard to find some optimism, but I will try it again. Tomorrow and hopefully with better mindset.
Thanks everyone for encouragement! I am sorry for today, hopefully there is still the chance!
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Nov 18, 2016 - 06:25am PT
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^^^^ don't think he's doing it for the wrong reasons. He seems pretty sincere in his efforts and attitudes while in the valley. English is not his first language and I think he's just dissappinted with himself and sorry he couldn't do better in the general sense. I'm rooting for him to get it done this trip, but maybe el cap and the weather will say otherwise.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Nov 18, 2016 - 06:43am PT
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Thanks everyone for encouragement! I am sorry for today, hopefully there is still the chance!
The guy is endearing himself to this climber. Passion and connected to the peeps, love it. Insane route, Tommy, Kevin, and Adam, dream away!
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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Nov 18, 2016 - 06:57am PT
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I figure that owning to a kind and generous nature, Adam is supposing that many people are likewise rooting for him to make the send, and when things go hard, as they inevitably do during a push - as opposed to jugging up and cherry picking the hardest leads - he doesn't want to let down his followers or himself. But so it goes on a push. For Kevin, it was largely a problem of blown tips. Once Adam gets through the crux traverse pitches, I suspect his biggest challenge will be leading the 5.12 wide sections on gear, and several loom above him, including the nasty flare that almost defeated Kevin, just a few hundred feet from the top.
This is great drama in any event. Hard to imagine the guy being a better representative of modern rock climbing. Bold, modest and nails tough.
Send it, amigo!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 18, 2016 - 07:09am PT
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I'm with Largo. Regardless the outcome, Adam is making a lot of fans over on this side of the pond. His climbing speaks for itself as does his attitude which seems equal parts of tenacity and humbleness. What comes thru the most for me is his passion and joy. Remember this is new, tough ground for him snd he seems to be eating it up, even the gristle which he finds hard to digest.
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EdwardT
Trad climber
Retired
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Nov 18, 2016 - 07:36am PT
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Go Adam!
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Eddie
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Nov 18, 2016 - 09:01am PT
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I remember how big a deal staying healthy seemed to be for K and T. I hope they gave Adam some tips on it. Not hard to imagine Adam's overall strength/endurance/etc dropping over time up on a wall. Hope he can push through the crux stuff before he can "only" climb 5.14a.
Also, given his crazy abilities and mind-blowing mental stuff...I am really crossing my fingers that he gets lucky on the more objective danger stuff. Come on CA drought, at least for a few more days.
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Eddie
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Nov 18, 2016 - 09:03am PT
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Also...getting to the final hold and falling. So painful in so many ways! And mentally challenging.
Also if he, like K and T, has to come back again some other time (like next year)...that will be a whole new level of that same type of mental challenge. Right now he's got the motivation, time, etc...I hope he can make it happen!
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Nov 18, 2016 - 04:04pm PT
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Don't be too hard on yourself It's only the longest baddest climb on the Big Stone! Just continue doing what you have been doing until now, impressive! Keep Calm and CLIMB ONDRA!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Nov 18, 2016 - 04:34pm PT
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Weather is moving in this Sat/Sun...he is gonna have to send before then. Valley is going to get lots of snow. Forecast for Valley floor is showers, not snow.
No doubt glad to be past the wet pitch!
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 53. South wind 5 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 42. East southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south southwest after midnight. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 50. South southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 37. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Calm wind becoming west northwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. West northwest wind around 5 mph becoming east in the evening.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. East northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph. http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=37.74031329210266&lon=-119.5697021484375&site=hnx&smap=1&marine=0&unit=0&lg=en#.WC-dnLIrLcs
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 18, 2016 - 05:29pm PT
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From National Geographic:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/activities/climbing/adam-ondra-dawn-wall-crux-attempt/
Yosemite’s Hardest Rock Climb Is Finally Putting Up a Fight
Adam Ondra, the Czech rock climber who’s considered the world’s best, was making quick work of the Dawn Wall—until he reached the crux.
By Andrew Bisharat
PUBLISHED November 18, 2016
It appeared that Adam Ondra was going to just waltz up the Dawn Wall—the 3,000-foot rock climb on the steepest, longest section of El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park.
The 23-year-old Czech rock climber, who is a World Champion sport climber and widely considered the best rock climber in the world, had been absolutely crushing the Dawn Wall since he began his bid to achieve its second free ascent at 1:30 a.m. on Monday, November 14. That morning, climbing through the dark and into the dawn, Ondra successfully completed the first nine pitches—in other words, the first nine rope lengths, each roughly a hundred feet—of the climb, which towers at 32 pitches in total.
On November 15, he climbed the next four pitches, each one extremely difficult and dangerous.
The initial success that Ondra achieved over these first two days represents an extraordinary achievement when placed in the context of what it took Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, two American rock climbers, to achieve the first ascent of the Dawn Wall.
The Dawn Wall, with a difficulty rating of 5.14d on the Yosemite Decimal System, is considered the hardest big wall (anything that typically takes climbers more than one day to complete) free climb in the world.
Caldwell and Jorgeson spent a lot of time, spread over the course of at least seven years, working to climb the Dawn Wall. It was a period during which they rehearsed moves and installed a bare minimum of protection bolts, required for safety. Finally, over 19 continuous days in January 2015, Caldwell and Jorgeson achieved the first free ascent of the route—meaning they climbed each and every pitch in its entirety without a fall. Their historic ascent became a media sensation, turning a spotlight onto a relatively small sport that also tends to be rather complicated for laypeople to understand.
Caldwell is considered Yosemite’s best rock climber—he’s dedicated the last two decades of his life to pioneering new free climbs on El Capitan. He considers the Dawn Wall to be, thus far, his crowning achievement in Yosemite.
Ondra, meanwhile, had only first arrived in Yosemite a few weeks before he started his attempt. Prior to this visit, he had little experience in trad climbing, which is more complicated and can be more dangerous than sport climbing, Ondra’s forte. He had also never before climbed in Yosemite, which is notorious for its extremely technical and idiosyncratic style of movement.
That he’d been able to successfully free climb the first 13 pitches during his first two days, considering his background, certainly bolstered his reputation for being one of the best rock climbers in the world, if not the best.
Then, Ondra arrived at pitch 14.
Pitch 14, with a rating of 5.14d, is the first crux, or most difficult section, of the entire route.
After a rest day on November 16, during which he and his climbing partner, Pavel Blazek—a fellow Czech rock climber who is there to support Ondra as a belayer—lounged around in their portaledge camps 1,200 feet above the ground, Ondra steeled himself for pitch 14, an improbable, horizontal traverse left across one of the most sheer sections of El Capitan.
The first six or so feet of pitch 14 contain, perhaps, the most difficult sequence of moves on the entire 3,000-foot rock climb.
Here, on the afternoon of November 17, Ondra fell. He returned to the belay (the start of the pitch), pulled his rope, and tried again.
Another fall. Frustrated, Ondra once again returned to the belay for another attempt.
Six attempts later, Ondra still could not make it past this section of pitch 14.
By now, it was dark and Ondra was climbing by headlamp. On his seventh try, he actually made it past this initial stretch of difficulty. He was elated, but focused. He continued climbing slowly across the blank, tenuous wall. He was only a few moves away from reaching the next belay—the end point of pitch 14—when his foot slipped, and he fell again.
“It was heartbreaking,” Ondra said. “Pretty frustrating night. I can’t complain about the weather conditions. I felt, physically, really good. But today, these moves, which never felt hard for me before, turned out to be really hard.”
Ondra is best known for his difficult ascents on limestone sport routes, which are typically 30 to 50 degrees past vertical. He’s also known for his climbing speed; he’s able to move up impossible-looking cliffs at a quick pace, climbing without any hesitation and absolutely just flowing up the walls.
The unique style of climbing in Yosemite, however, rewards patience and perfection over speed.
“It’s really hard for me to get into this mind-set,” a frustrated Ondra admitted during a phone interview from his portaledge camp. “Normally, it’s more efficient to climb fast. But here, you’re always on your feet, you’re not exerting full-body tension, and for me that’s when it gets hard to focus.”
Ondra has plans to try pitch 14 again today, November 18.
After that, he hopes to do pitch 15—another 5.14d and the last of the two hardest pitches on the route.
If he can get through pitch 14 and 15 today, Ondra stands a good chance at achieving his goal of a second free ascent of the Dawn Wall. After pitch 15, indeed, 17 more pitches remain—however, they’re all relatively easier than what Ondra has already climbed.
Still, anything could happen. His fingertip skin could become too torn to continue, or his body could just give in to the overall fatigue of spending multiple days living on the side of a 3,000-foot big wall.
National Geographic Adventure spoke to Ondra both before and after his heartbreaking battle with pitch 14. Stay tuned for more updates on Ondra’s progress over the next few days.
Before pitch 14:
How do you feel so far?
The first two days were big days with a lot of climbing. But hopefully I managed to rest all the fatigue away yesterday. I was afraid my finger skin would be in really bad shape after this marathon, but now it feels OK. It’s not 100 percent, but it’s acceptable. As long as it stays windy and cold, hopefully it should work out on the crux pitches—pitches 14 and 15.
What’s the biggest fall you’ve taken so far?
When I did my initial ground-up attempt I took a 12-meter fall on pitch 6 because I ripped out a bunch of gear.
Of the first 13 pitches that you’ve done, which one was the scariest?
Definitely pitch 10. Not necessarily because it’s dangerous, though. On this push, I haven’t really been scared about taking big falls. But I have been scared about making mistakes. Any fear about falling has been erased out of my mind on this attempt because I’ve been so focused on the climbing.
Pitch 10 is one of the hardest—a really long, tiring layback crack. [A layback is a climbing maneuver in which you grab onto the side of a vertical crack with your hands and press your feet onto the opposite side of the crack to create opposition.] I was right at the end of the pitch, about to clip into the anchors, when my foot slipped. I still don’t understand what happened. It happened right at the worst time, too, because the sun was on the pitch, and now there was water seeping out of the crack.
I tried pitch 10 again, and five of the footholds were wet. I just forced myself to deal with it, and somehow, it worked and I didn’t fall.
What are you eating up there?
For lunch today, we had mashed potatoes with chickpeas and some curry. For breakfast, mostly oatmeal. For dinner, it’s usually more mashed potatoes.
What has surprised you most so far?
At first, I was surprised by how insecure the climbing style is. It’s possible to fall anywhere, even on the easier pitches. That’s why you have to be focused on every single pitch, not make a mistake. Every mistake costs you in lost skin, and you get more tired.
After pitch 14:
How are you?
Not very good. I did not even send pitch 14.
What happened?
I don’t know. It was heartbreaking. Pretty frustrating night. I can’t complain about the weather conditions. I felt, physically, really good. But today, these moves, which never felt hard for me before, turned out to be really hard.
I just couldn’t trust my feet, and the more careful I was, the more inefficient I was climbing. It’s really hard for me to get into this mind-set. Normally, it’s more efficient to climb fast. But here, you’re always on your feet, you’re not exerting full-body tension, and for me that’s when it gets hard to focus.
Are you feeling any pressure to succeed?
Yes, that’s definitely one hard part. I just have to somehow deal with it, or try to get rid of it.
It’s hard to decide whether I should climb slow and be careful, or try to go fast, the way I normally climb hard sport routes. Probably, I should climb slower, though it goes against my intuition. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.
Cheers, eh?
SEND IT, DUDE!
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spectreman
Trad climber
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Nov 18, 2016 - 06:33pm PT
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Absolutely Astounding!!
Go Adam!
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Nov 18, 2016 - 07:39pm PT
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no matter what happens... whether ondra succeeds or not...
i hope he knows that his transparent honesty and his warrior-like effort has left a wake of the deepest respect in at least this armchair observer...
gooooo...
ondra!
[and blazek as well! :) ]
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Nov 18, 2016 - 08:14pm PT
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One traverse pitch down!
Thanks for posting this jonbrooks!
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 18, 2016 - 08:21pm PT
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BM-kOVuB-qR/?taken-by=pavelblazek
15 min ago Adam fell on p15:
15m
pavelblazekAs Kevin @kjorgeson said in the comments... She puts up a fight. Adam fell at the pretty much last move of the pitch 15...
.
A bit worried about the skin decided to go for one more try anyway!!! Keep the fingers crossed!!!
.
I wish you sent next try
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Nov 19, 2016 - 12:59am PT
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he ended up being able to send both 14 + 15, the cruxiest pitches today! here's what ondra wrote on ig:
On cloud nine! It has been magical evening. I was focused and calm. The mindset when climbing is actually fun! Sent the pitch 14 (5.14d) on my first go after a little warm up. Then, after it got dark and having heartbraking fall on the top of pitch 15 (5.14c or d), I could still give it one more shot and send it too. Skin feels to painful to continue tonight, but I will continue tomorrow!
while endearing, ondra's esl wording regarding pitch 15 was initially a bit confusing to me, but blazek confirmed that ondra ended up sending the 15th pitch as well tonight...
congrats to ondra!
woot! [and woot!!!!]
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 19, 2016 - 03:06am PT
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woot, woot!
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Nov 19, 2016 - 04:13am PT
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Yeah!
I'm still amazed that this line goes free. When looking over that way from El Cap Tower, back in '87, I would _never_ have thought that any line over there would go free, and now there are four, not counting the E. Butt. Very cool!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 19, 2016 - 07:23am PT
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In the early 70's when we were pushing Valley standards thru 5.11 and heading inexorably to 5.12 we would never have imagined what we would live to see being climbed....simply mindblowing!
Get it done Ondra! The world's best rock climber is confirming the brilliance of the Caldwell/Jorgensen masterpiece.
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Nov 19, 2016 - 10:07am PT
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Where's PTPP!
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PSP also PP
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Nov 19, 2016 - 11:11am PT
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Is he wearing TC's?
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Nov 19, 2016 - 11:21am PT
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Thanks for posting that Ed. The imbedded interactive feature is pretty cool.
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Nov 19, 2016 - 11:22am PT
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no not wearing TC pros, I think I saw him wearing katanas??
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Nov 19, 2016 - 12:12pm PT
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The Dawn Wall is so obviously the hardest big-wall climb in the world, so that was the challenge. I was inspired by what Tommy and Kevin did, and I wanted to check it out myself. I must say that it’s definitely more difficult than I expected.
Such refreshing humility
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 19, 2016 - 12:25pm PT
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Nice climbing. Great epic. Cool reporting. (I hadn't caught up to Ondra's effort until I read about it in the NY Times this morning.)
To Jim's point, after Astroman was free climbed in 1975, I thought it was safer, and saner, to assume that eventually everything would be freed. (Not a great leap for Astroman since we could see how it might go even if we ruled ourselves out.)
Royal (no slouch himself for doing the what no one else had done) kept saying that the East Face of Washington Column would never go free; and I kept saying none of us will live long enough to see what happens when never arrived so how could we know.
Then never arrived, in our lifetime no less, (the next season) when RJ&J climbed it all free. Royal was as ecstatic as everyone else.
Lynn's Nose felt the same way. The Dawn wall--Tommy and Kevin and now Adam--feels the same way.
Pretty cool.
Never is overrated.
Happens all the time.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Nov 19, 2016 - 01:00pm PT
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I would like to add that this is a 'sport climber' that is sending this route, the world's hardest big wall (by technical difficulty).
There is a certain point on the spectrum of difficulty where nobody - however good - is going to do onsight, ground-up trad. At that point routes have to be cleaned and pitch-by-pitch worked with sport tactics as Dawn has been.
While not endorsing over bolting it should be recognized that safe training grounds are also part of the equation.
Using Adam on Dawn to essentially justify 'safe' climbing for the masses is pretty weak.
Huge props to Tommy and Kevin for their restraint with fixed gear on the route, treading lightly and yet still getting it done.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 19, 2016 - 01:10pm PT
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I'm not worthy! Should have gone into bowling.
Love that interactive photo stuff! Pretty soon we all will be able to feel like Tommy and Kevin and Ondra -- it'll be by proxy but it will feel like it's real.
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slabbo
Trad climber
colo south
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Nov 19, 2016 - 01:41pm PT
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Yes, but what about the Shield ?!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 19, 2016 - 01:45pm PT
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the Dawn Wall, which is probably the culmination, was just the latest of a decade long project by Tommy to free Yosemite Big Walls. Other's have been at it, but I don't think anyone else has been involved in so many.
It's actually quite amazing to think that he's done it all relatively quietly.
Props to all that venture up on such projects, and big props to Tommy.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Nov 19, 2016 - 02:52pm PT
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Tommy and Kevin could only do what they did with Sport Climbing training on multiple 5.14s...they started in gyms and sport climbing. Actually Kevin is more of a boulderer - I don't think he sport climbs much.
Adam is a great boulderer also.
Imagine both these guys cranking with Gill, Ament or Holloway in the 60s/70s - they'd do fine.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 19, 2016 - 02:56pm PT
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They would do more than fine.
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Nov 19, 2016 - 04:17pm PT
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And without question sport climbing techniques are used to "work" the moves on all of these routes.
Except the runout!
Thanks for posting this jonbrooks!
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Nov 19, 2016 - 05:00pm PT
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I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall up there.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Nov 19, 2016 - 06:43pm PT
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So fun a watch.
Probably not a bad career move either, I bet his sponsors are enjoying this.
(Not saying that is/isn't why he's doing it as I obviously have no idea)
Hope he gets it
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PSP also PP
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Nov 19, 2016 - 07:50pm PT
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If sport climbing had more run outs it would be significantly less popular. Most people don't like increasing their stress levels over the weekend!
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 19, 2016 - 08:05pm PT
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This concept of "working" moves after resting on pro is anathema to "traditional" climbing aka "dogging".
I can only qualify as a traditional climber--has been chapter--but excluding working the hard moves is too restrictive for traditional climbing on the margin. Maybe there is a pure form of both traditional and sport where there are clear cut differences, but in real climbing--whether traditional climbing before gyms and bolting on rappel or the sort of brilliant Big Wall Free climbing on El Cap--it is not so clear cut. Yosemite climbing difficulty jumped a huge step with hangdogging, which lead to skill sets that produced great on-sight leads.
This is great climbing in a very traditional sense.
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
|
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Nov 19, 2016 - 09:45pm PT
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damn... dude continues to absolutely crush it:
Made it to the Wino tower tonight! Deep satisfaction, peace and fire at the same time in my heart and soul. Perfect conditions today and perfect focus. That means only 11 "easy" (5.10 - 5.12) pitches left. We would have continued, but looks like it will rain soon. Which means forced restday tomorrow and hopefully finishing it off on Monday.
if i'm reading that correctly he completed another six pitches today [2 X 5.14 and 4 X 5.13] and considers the penultimate pitch to be 5.12 not 5.13a...
regardless, my jaw is kind of on the floor. he red points two 5.14+ one day and then follows that up the next day with six more 5.13/14 pitches...
if there was any doubt whether at a certain point it all becomes climber dependent difficulty and one person's 5.14 is another's 5.15 and vice versa, adam is definitely putting that to rest.
he is most certainly one of the few all round comprehensive 5.15 climbers as the only way he could be eating 5.13 and low 5.14 for breakfast the way he is [and of a style which he hasn't spent years, or even months perfecting to boot], is if he really was heads and tails beyond it...
amazing to watch from the armchair.
glad he and pavel decided to take us along for the ride...
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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 |
Nov 19, 2016 - 10:53pm PT
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"He [Adam] is the strongest I have ever seen." ... Heinz Zak
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 12:20am PT
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Adam Ondra is the Mozart of climbing - a climbing prodigy - as long as he's committed to climbing or driven by the joyful struggle of climbing, Dawn Wall is another milestone on the way...
Some people are climbing, some people are at their very core climbers: that also includes Tommy and Kevin...
To be free you must be free to succeed and free to lose and committed to the moves. That's so in every aspect of life.
Many easy pitches are left. Dawn Wall is done. If the snow falls, let it snow...
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 12:31am PT
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Current point forecast for El Cap summit (7400', different from Valley floor 4200'):
Overnight: Rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 34. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.
Sunday: Snow showers. High near 35. East southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.
Sunday Night: Snow showers, mainly before 4am. Low around 30. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 10am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 32. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. North northwest wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. South wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 35. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32. North wind around 5 mph becoming east northeast in the evening.
Thanksgiving Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-119.63572033064719&lat=37.74050304853188#.WDFeJrIrLcs
I remember the past years when Tommy and partners got stopped by the first big snows of the season.
So John was right; Valley includes both floor and rim....
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Rattlesnake Arch
Social climber
Home is where we park it
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 03:08am PT
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From the photos it appears the upper route climbs through some water streaks.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 07:25am PT
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Awesome, no matter what.
These guys are going to get to more incredible feats, one way or the other. I appreciate that they are trying to keep it bold and still get all the pitches clean.
I'm just jealous that I spent all those years trying to stick religiously to onsighting things and slowly working my way from one grade to the next. The most we ever did was work moves on toprope areas and the occasional hang to look at something longer before lowering off.
It was appropriate for me, at the times and places I was, but it also meant that I barely got to the 5.12 realm. If we could've gone for the same "rules", I never would have made it to some of the stuff these guys are doing, but at least I would've gotten further!
But as Donini has many times reminded us, it's not about the number, but the adventures. I count myself lucky to have had so many great ones with so many great climbers.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 07:41am PT
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The shoes Adam is putting on are 38.5 - his normal hiking shoes are 44!
I'm not sure what would be harder, climbing 5.14 or climbing in shoes that are several sizes below my normal walking shoe size.
Maybe I have more pain sensors in my feet, but I could never climb anything if my climbing shoe size was more than a full shoe size less than my normal walking shoe.
A good buddy of mine is a very strong climber (he sends El Cap routes free). We're "sole mates" in that his right foot is a 1/2 size bigger than his left and I am opposite. We wear the same climbing shoe sizes, so we buy two pair (one size apart) and switch the left shoes, making a great fit for both feet.
His street shoe size is a 11, I'm an 8 1/2. And I still have trouble with pain using the sizes he likes!
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Nov 20, 2016 - 08:03am PT
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I think it's cool that Adam talks about the ratings in YDS instead of the French system.
When in Rome you use the Roman numeral system.
When in Yosemite you use YDS.
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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Nov 20, 2016 - 08:32am PT
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kudus to adam and his support crew. i am eating my words claiming that it would not be a euro that repeated this route, but an american that was willing to put in a multi year effort. but adam is, apparently, just that good. enjoying the show, and hoping they get a weather window soon to finish it off. ss
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Nov 20, 2016 - 08:35am PT
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Awesome, no matter what.
Adam has climbed the hardest part of the Dawn Wall on first go around. This was well within his ability and we can only wonder at what monolithic test pieces he may establish going forward.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 20, 2016 - 09:10am PT
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That's funny about his shoes.
In between his rehearsals, Adam was pulling his heels out of his shoes, and accordingly the shoes looked very perilously positioned on his feet.
I said something like, "Adam, be careful or you'll drop your shoes!" to which he replied something like, "Don't worry, I do this all the time!"
He was making some of the hardest climbing moves on the planet look pretty easy.
But he still made time to share a beer.
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 09:24am PT
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^^^^
they rapped back down to the camp they have set up below the crux pitches... so they won't be bivying at wino...
there are a lot more details about how the last six pitches went down [including an explanation of why and how he did the loop pitch that is, as usual, wonderfully transparent] over at black diamond's facebook post from ondra here.
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ajamunro
Social climber
BC
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 09:39am PT
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That's a great photo Piton Pete!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 20, 2016 - 10:31am PT
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^^ Cheers, mate.
"...kinda worried about their plan to bivy at Wino Tower after Werner said how exposed it is in a storm to ice from above."
Pshaw. "Lovely" place....
Beautiful views of raging waterfalls...
Of course, it's only fun if you're trapped under your portaledge fly with the right partner. ;)
Hang in there, Adam. We even left you some water. But not beer.
PtPP: "Hey, Anita ... shall we leave these beers for Adam?"
Anita514: "Are you kidding? We're leaving the water and rapping with the booze!"
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 11:09am PT
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Noob question: are learning the hard moves on routes like this the same as learning hard bouldering moves, in that once you wire them you can repeat them? Or is it probabilistic in which the tries increases the odds of success but there is always uncertainty: so that once the moves are made, it is one-and-done?
This question was triggered by reading Adam's comments on not wanting to fall off the laybacking on pitch 17 because he would have to repeat the down climbing on Loop Pitch, Pitch 16 and in fact choose the Loop Pitch over the Dyno because the Dyno would only produce insecure results.
“Pitch 16 can be climbed via the dyno or the loop....I tried the dyno a few times in the last weeks, but I thought I would have to invest considerable effort into the dyno with insecure results, and that is why I decided to climb the loop pitch...."
“The loop pitch is an extremely hard pitch mentally. The down-climb is awkward, powerful and insecure and is the crux of the pitch for sure. At the bottom of the loop, there is a good ledge, but I could not sit down. As you start climbing, you get into a tiny layback with pin-scars, which is super easy to slip on. This section is probably at 5.13c, but it is really devastating if you slip and have to climb the down-climb again....
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drewsky
climber
Seattle
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 11:32am PT
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It really depends on the moves. If they're not dependent entirely on finicky friction (IE, they're 'high percentage' moves), learning them is, as you say, the same as learning a hard boulder problem albeit with more climbing on either side of the hardest moves. It sounds like Adam is dealing with a ton of 'low percentage' climbing, wherein even if he were trying the moves completely rested, the nature of them means that they'll never be 100% secure.
It might seem counterintuitive, but it's basically the way a V10 boulder problem, though physically harder, is far more secure than a 5.11d friction slab assuming one is physically able to climb either.
One point in response to your comment about P16-17: Ondra is referring to an insecure lieback on P16 that starts just after the long downclimb. P17 is also a lieback but the pitches are broken up by a no-hands rest, which is also how Tommy Caldwell climbed the route.
Edit: also what he said ^^^^^^^
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 11:58am PT
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Blasting from the top from Wino in one day will be rough. Lot of old school trad stuff up there with little if any fixed gear and that 5.12 flare up high is no gimme. But that's a championship performance so far - that's a fact.
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 12:54pm PT
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He onsighted the 5.12 flare above the ship's prow on the aid/free ascent to fix ropes, so that should not be a major barrier.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 03:41pm PT
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I'm 1/4 Czech, GCF's test is for junior high students.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 05:09pm PT
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I think that Adam's ascent and commentary will only add luster to Tommy and Kevin's masterpiece.The world's best rock climber has had to reach deep, very deep, to pull it off. It is clearly the world's greatest rock climb.
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Jay Hack
Trad climber
Detroit, Michigan
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 05:25pm PT
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What a beautiful and visionary first ascent and now the second ascent is absolutely Next Level. Real fun to watch it evolve quickly from the armchairs.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
 |
Nov 20, 2016 - 10:13pm PT
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I told yas ... ya gotta ditch the water, and rap with the booze!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
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Nov 20, 2016 - 10:21pm PT
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Ya gotta ditch the water, and rap with the booze!
Who did that song, Slurp Dog?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
|
 |
Nov 20, 2016 - 11:00pm PT
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We need to make a tshirt. ...
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spectreman
Trad climber
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 10:41am PT
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What an amazing effort. Go Adam! I bet he climbs all the pitches even if they're wet.
I didn't know too much about Ondra prior to this Yosemite trip, other than he was, perhaps, the worlds best sport climber and that he makes a lot of noise while climbing. But now I'm a huge fan. He has impressed me very much, with his climbing prowess, of course, but it's his amazing attitude and demeanor that are what I think are really special. What a great story.
His ascent also validates the media circus that surrounded Tommy and Kevin's ascent. They were truly putting up and sending the most amazing rock route in the world. Any single pitch on this thing would be a singular achievement for most climbers.
The scale is not linear. These guys are exponentially beyond what most of us "climbers" can ever conceive of doing.
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
|
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Nov 21, 2016 - 01:04pm PT
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Through pitch 28 thus far. Only a few more to go!!
next up: the 5.12 OW flare, a 12b traverse, a 13a traverse and a bit of 12a/b to the top.
Nice day at the office for Adam!
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
|
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Nov 21, 2016 - 02:01pm PT
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I remember taking a break from work watching live as Tommy scooted up that flare on the final push. Pretty damn phenomenal what humans can do. We can see and understand in a tactile way how crazy this advancement is in the last two generations. We understand how amazing is the Internet and wireless phones, but in so many areas of human endeavor there are leaps and bounds of progress being made, so many people laboring in the shadows doing their part to advance humanity in practically infinite ways, and so many of those efforts working to compound and accelerate the rate of progress.
Even while still grappling with some monster socio-political issues, it is an amazing time to be alive. In a way, our growing awareness of the greats in all different endeavors makes it easier than ever to be humble in our own accomplishments, to remain aware of how much we depend on each other for survival and for enjoying what the world has to offer today. And it's a good reminder to ask ourselves what we love, what we care about, enough to put in the type of effort that Adam puts in to meet his goals.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
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Nov 21, 2016 - 02:19pm PT
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Right NutAgain....very refreshing to see someone rewarded for bringing finely wrought talent and tenacity to play.....how unlike the political arena.
I think that one of the reasons we enjoy watching extreme athlectic endeavor is because it is an example of nearly pure meritocracy at work.
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 02:48pm PT
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I'm in awe, again, after 50 years of being put there through climbers and climbs.
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
|
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Nov 21, 2016 - 03:19pm PT
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He dick's that flare, it's a done thing.
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 03:31pm PT
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Kids these days!
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shylock
Social climber
mb
|
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Nov 21, 2016 - 04:07pm PT
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Fkn Sent, yayuuhhhh!!!
Just saw an ad in the recent r&i that reminded us that Adam fa'd the hardest route in the ratikon when he was fkn 15 yo. Guy has been and frankly is the best. So cool that "our" home put up a worthy challenge. And freakin eh, hats off to tommy and Kevin. Thanks for making all this fun possible for us
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
|
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Nov 21, 2016 - 04:10pm PT
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Dawntastic Ascent Adam!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 04:14pm PT
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Wonderful! Adam has made a lot of new fans here and I'll bet that two of the biggest are Tommy and Kevin.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 04:28pm PT
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Yeah! Nice climbing.
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Eddie
Trad climber
San Francisco
|
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Nov 21, 2016 - 04:40pm PT
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holy shit
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Mei
Trad climber
mxi2000.net
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 04:47pm PT
|
I can't stop smiling along. The joy just pours out of my computer screen.
The photos are from Black Diamond FB post.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 04:56pm PT
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WOOT!!
(somebody had to do it...)
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
|
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Nov 21, 2016 - 05:09pm PT
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Give the kid a hot meal!
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 05:16pm PT
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holy fUck.
Day 1: 9 pitches redpointed [12b, 13a, 13c, 12b, 12d, 13c, 14a, 13d, 13c]
Day 2: 4 pitches redponted [14a, 13c, 14b, 13b]
Day 3: rest day
Day 4: multiple attempts on crux pitch
Day 5: 2 pitches redpointed [14d, 14c/d]
Day 6: 6 pitches redpointed [14a, 14a, 13c, 13b, 13d, 13d]
Day 7: forced rest day due to inclement weather
Day 8: 10 pitches redpointed [10, 11, 11, 11d, 11c, 12c, 12b, 12b, 13a, 12b]
and all of this after, near as i can tell, only 15 days of actually physically working the moves...
ready or not...
welcome to the future.
thanks adam [and the whole support team] for sharing one hell of an enjoyable ride!
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 05:24pm PT
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If Ondra is representative of the next generation, I'd say humanity is doing pretty well. Congrats Adam!!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 05:30pm PT
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Adam is doing very well, make that extraordinarily well.....the rest of humanity...hmmmm...don't get your hopes up.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 05:56pm PT
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He dick's that flare, it's a done thing.
i hope he uses protection.
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 06:22pm PT
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Wow, incredibly impressive! First trip to the Valley, tick the hardest long route, why not? ;-)
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 06:29pm PT
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Well aware of that Cragman....was referring to the post above mine....an aside, you might say.
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dhayan
climber
culver city, ca
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 06:34pm PT
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No one is saving the world! The world is your concept so save yourself!
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 06:39pm PT
|
Anyone know if this is getting reported in Europe? If so,what is the reaction/feedback?
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 06:41pm PT
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I'm calling him Adam Ondracles.
"Extraordinary." The favorite all-time expression of Brit TV speakers and correspondents.
Compare to the American usage of "awesome."
"Ondracles' feat is extraordinarily awesome."
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 06:46pm PT
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Adam is doing very well, make that extraordinarily well.....the rest of humanity...hmmmm...don't get your hopes up.
Just being optimistic Jim. Adam Ondra!!! Great job!!
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 07:13pm PT
|
Holy sh#t, did this just happen?!
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 08:03pm PT
|
Nose free without using Jardine traverse chipped holds?
|
|
this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 08:18pm PT
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Cragman
Trad climber
Mammoth and SLO.....Life is Good!!!
Sep 23, 2016 - 09:01am PT
Since they can't climb our routes the way we put them up in our generation, it won't be long before this nanny state, entitlement generation recreates the run out routes virtually on a video game.......and they'll sit around on their asses and 'fire' those routes pushing buttons and playing with their joysticks.
They'll meet in the coffee house the next morning, give each other high fives, and boast...."Dude....I fired the B-Y last night.....no falls.....it was SICK!!!"
Pussies.
Cragman
Trad climber
Mammoth and SLO.....Life is Good!!!
Nov 21, 2016 - 06:43pm PT
Yes, Jim....I got that.
What I am saying is, his generation WILL save the world....but HE is just climbing a rock. Don't sell his generation short.....they are the hope for our future. And there are some REALLY impressive members of his gen out there!!!!!!
: )
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 08:22pm PT
|
I was hoping he would accomplish this task, but gotta admit I didn't think he'd get it this trip. Badass.
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Hawkeye
climber
State of Mine
|
 |
Nov 21, 2016 - 08:33pm PT
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Cragman
Trad climber
Mammoth and SLO.....Life is Good!!!
Sep 23, 2016 - 09:01am PT
Since they can't climb our routes the way we put them up in our generation, it won't be long before this nanny state, entitlement generation recreates the run out routes virtually on a video game.......and they'll sit around on their asses and 'fire' those routes pushing buttons and playing with their joysticks.
They'll meet in the coffee house the next morning, give each other high fives, and boast...."Dude....I fired the B-Y last night.....no falls.....it was SICK!!!"
Pussies.
Cragman
Trad climber
Mammoth and SLO.....Life is Good!!!
Nov 21, 2016 - 06:43pm PT
Yes, Jim....I got that.
What I am saying is, his generation WILL save the world....but HE is just climbing a rock. Don't sell his generation short.....they are the hope for our future. And there are some REALLY impressive members of his gen out there!!!!!!
: )
hey this just in,
be careful. cragman will call the fbi on your sorry ass. lol
great work ondra. there were some old folks thinking that respect of el cap demanded failure on your part. thx for fixing that thought.
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Nov 21, 2016 - 08:39pm PT
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Lol. Right.
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Nov 21, 2016 - 09:24pm PT
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WOW!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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Nov 21, 2016 - 09:41pm PT
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Sorry, hamie - the lead article in the sports section of Aftenposten is about Magnus Carlsen. Important stuff. Nothing about Ondra so far.
After all, Carlsen is the world champion in chess, and the highest-ranked ever player.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Nov 21, 2016 - 11:23pm PT
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Climbing is playing chess, with the mind strategizing the body against the rock as the opponent. Certainly so at Pinnacles, where the rock can make it's own moves.
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Nov 22, 2016 - 12:32am PT
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Thanks MH. There's some stuff on UKC News, one of their climbing sites. Should be more reaction now that he has finished.
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ADP
climber
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Nov 22, 2016 - 02:29am PT
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Yes, of course this is being reported and followed in Europe, its the 21st century. The reactions I've been seeing (UKB primarily) are ones of sheer stoke. People are obviously impressed by his abilities but I think he's loved for his obvious total love for climbing in every form. National rivalries etc. really don't enter into any of this so far as anyone is concerned.
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Rattlesnake Arch
Social climber
Home is where we park it
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Nov 22, 2016 - 02:56am PT
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Has The Torch been passed??
(and he's only 23!!)
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 22, 2016 - 07:20am PT
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This quote from Pavel Blazek is great in that it points to the flow of climbing progression. The Nose was climbed in a searching style and the second ascent raced up it. Now it is a timed raceway. Lynn Hill climbed it all free in a searching style--lots of time working the hard bits in sections--and it still stands as a test piece. Tommy spends years finding a way up the Dawn Wall and then strings it all together with Kevin; Adam races up it.
Our tribe focuses on the first ascent teams, who create a vision, suspend disbelief and find a way. For the best of these efforts, we all rejoice in the new dawn those first ascents provide. The nature of climbing maintains a fairly sharp distinction between first versus next, but with an expectation that next is going to make quick, stylish work of it, someday. Pretty cool that someday came quick on a climb as monumental the Dawn Wall for Adam.
Years ago, in the 1970s, I wrote an article reporting the then new efforts being spent in Yosemite to climb short section of rock to put up all-free routes. There were voices from the then immediate past who thought it must be drudgery or somehow cheating better climbers of the opportunity to do the new route in better style. I assured my audience that any of those climbs would, in the future, be a pleasant romp for a young new cimber. We were climbing 5.10 and 5.11, not hard stuff, and I certainly did not foresee El Cap all free, much less the Dawn Wall free (The Dawn Wall was an embarrassment and otherwise marked the final passing of the 60's.)
But it is very cool that climbing keeps reinventing itself: the climbing changes and becomes more spectacular, but the process pretty much remains the same.
From Pavel Blazek who belayed Ondra:
"Huge admiration for Adams skill to climb the Dawn Wall today!!! What an adventure!
In the same time hats down to Tommy Caldwell @tommycaldwell for finding this route and doing the first ascent. There were many, many moments when we talked about the will Tommy had to have to keep coming back to this thing and finding the way up. Hats down!"
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Nov 22, 2016 - 07:37am PT
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The Dawn Wall was an embarrassment and otherwise marked the final passing of the 60's.
This is quite the observation. But the tables are turned and the proud wall now shines tall, like a beacon.
Props for Adam and his team. I'm glad they didn't let the beast sleep for too long.
Yowemite bowline?
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Nov 22, 2016 - 08:21am PT
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I love that this route has been freed by the best big waller, a so called boulderer, and a so called sport climber. I say so called, because I think we are just climbers. I appreciate all forms of climbing and to me they are all equal in importance. Ondra is far more than just a sport climber and I doubt many would argue that now.
In my book though, Tommy Caldwell is the best all around climber in the world.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 22, 2016 - 08:23am PT
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K-man, I agree that it is very cool that the Dawn Wall is now the shining light of El Cap Free. Maybe Tommy and Kevin should rename it Phoenix Dawn.
Kingtut, In my climbing the rock was not pinned out, even on the first free of an aid route (maybe the same for you), so it seemed strange to me that we call routes all free when climbers are pulling up on pin scars. But I have tried to think about it in terms of today's climbers who have only lived in a world with pin scars. So now your comment about no further pinning should be the focus.
It seems like the really hard bits on the Dawn Wall are on un-nailed rock, which may preserve the nature of the climbing well into the future. I wonder if it is possible to get everyone to agree that the Dawn Wall is now free, and only clean climbing can be used.
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Nov 22, 2016 - 11:09am PT
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I love that this route has been freed by the best big waller, a so called boulderer, and a so called sport climber. I say so called, because I think we are just climbers. I appreciate all forms of climbing and to me they are all equal in importance. Ondra is far more than just a sport climber and I doubt many would argue that now.
In my book though, Tommy Caldwell is the best all around climber in the world.
I think he was "so-called" as such only by people who had absolutely no idea of his climbing history or background and had a completely uniformed opinion that was just a result of guessing or assumptions or making stuff up. (I say this as someone who is anything but an Ondra groupie, but has an office job where I'm on a computer all day and have paid some attention to climbing news for the past 20 years or so.)
Not to say that he's not famous for his sport climbing and bouldering or that he's not much more familiar with those styles than "trad" climbing, but pretending that he's never trad climbed before going to Yos is pure nonsense.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2409160&tn=20
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this just in
climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
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Nov 22, 2016 - 11:57am PT
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Agree blahblah.
Also shows how important sport climbing and bouldering are. Sport climbing is neither? Not anymore.
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labrat
Trad climber
Erik O. Auburn, CA
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Nov 22, 2016 - 12:03pm PT
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He came, he observed, he learned, and he climbed it. Wow!
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 22, 2016 - 12:13pm PT
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For those of us who were around and remember, Adam's success in the Valley reminds me of the first time Henry Barber visited. Bridwell took him on the test pieces of the day and was astounded by his effortless mastery. On one climb, Jim just laughed and shook his head when Hot Henry said about one climb, "Really great climbing and it is so neat that the hard part is right at the top."
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patrick compton
Trad climber
van
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Nov 22, 2016 - 01:10pm PT
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Also shows how important sport climbing and bouldering are. Sport climbing is neither? Not anymore.
yep
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Chief
climber
The NW edge of The Hudson Bay
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Nov 22, 2016 - 02:41pm PT
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An impressive effort!
It is a New Dawn.
When we climbed Mescalito in 77 the notion of a free route up the wall never crossed our minds.
Likewise when we did the Hockey Dawn in 80(?).
Hell, it's hard to imagine even today!
I was impressed at the evidence of Harding's tenacity on his epic ascent with Caldwell in 1970 and would like to chime in on the statement that "The Dawn Wall was an embarrassment and otherwise marked the final passing of the 60's."
Maybe some people were embarrassed but I never met any Valley climbers who expressed that sentiment.
Robbins was definitely upset but even he had to acknowledge Harding's effort and stop chopping rivets on the second ascent.
Perhaps in another time or in another place Harding would have crossed an ethical boundary but I'd respectfully suggest that given the time and place, there aren't reasonable grounds to denigrate his efforts.
Harding and Caldwell's FA of the Wall of Early Morning Light was just the first of many epic ascents on the Dawn Wall including Mescalito, the New Dawn and the PO to name a few.
Tommy and Kevin had their own epic and now Adam has had his.
We're probably not done with epics on the Dawn.
Respectfully,
PB
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Nov 22, 2016 - 06:15pm PT
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^^^^
Wow, I guess the free Dawn is a trade route now and not the pinnacle achievement done yet?
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Nov 22, 2016 - 06:37pm PT
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Grossman and Cummins,
Excavating some memory archeology: am I correct in recalling the Dawn Wall aka Wall of Morning Light was the first route attempted on El Cap?? … I think by John Harlin and Gary Hemming?
It was the first route I attempted on it, with Mike Borghoff, when the Nose was the only completed route on El Cap. At the time their fixed ropes were still hanging off free from several pitches up. And I expect their bolts may still be in place on the early pitches.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Nov 23, 2016 - 06:21am PT
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👍👍👍👍
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Nov 23, 2016 - 06:38am PT
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It's like judging the inventor of the lightbulb to an expert electrician based on speed of bulb installation. "
Dumb comparison. It is more like the best and most capable electrician ever, wiring a Magnet Hospital by him(her)self in only a few weeks.
Now, let's cure cancer and blindness.
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Watermann2
Mountain climber
Saluzzo Italia
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Nov 23, 2016 - 06:52am PT
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I would like to pay tribute and honor to this extraordinary climber, primarily because it is big as well as climber, is also a GREAT MAN, simple, humble, and a very kind person, after I've seen (video) to act as instructor and do climb children aged 6 to 12 years, (and there was a child of 7-8 years old who climbed 7a ( 5.12d), and I liked this amazing climber explain and act as a master to these children, speaking in good Italian, and therefore I say to this great man (in particular) mr. ONDRA: Chapeau !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!
I am very sorry not to be able to put the video, (I did not find) (I had seen on television! (Very sorry)
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- And now some climbing this GREAT climber:
NUMBER of ascended routes
Grade Redpoint Flash On-sight Total
9b+ (5.15c) 3 3
9b (5.15b) 12 12
9a+ (5.15a) 27 27
9a (5.14d) 83 2 3 88
8c+ (5.14c) 108 18 126
8c (5.14b) 101 1 50 151
8b+ (5.14a) 66 3 53 122
8b (5.13d) 88 15 112 215
8a+ (5.13c) 60 15 164 239
8a (5.13b) 49 31 165 245
Total 549 66 549 1164
----------------------------------------------------------------
Climbing World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Arco Overall
Gold medal – first place 2014 Gijon Lead
Gold medal – first place 2014 Munich Bouldering
Gold medal – first place 2016 Paris Lead
Silver medal – second place 2009 Xining Lead
Silver medal – second place 2011 Arco Bouldering
Silver medal – second place 2016 Paris Bouldering
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Arco Lead
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Paris Lead
Climbing European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2010 Imst/Innsbruck Lead
Silver medal – second place 2010 Imst/Innsbruck Bouldering
Silver medal – second place 2015 Chamonix Lead
Silver medal – second place 2015 Innsbruck Bouldering
Climbing World Cup
Winner 2009 Lead
Winner 2009 Overall
Winner 2010 Bouldering
Winner 2010 Overall
Winner 2015 Lead
Winner 2015 Overall--
----------------------------------------------------------------
MULTI--PITCHES routes
Karambony East Face - Tough Enough route runs in the middle
The Dawn Wall - El Capitan (USA) - 21 November 2016
Mora Mora - Tsaranoro Atsimo (Madagascar) - 10 October 2010 - First free ascent
Bravo Les Filles - Tsaranoro Kelly (Madagascar) - 7 October 2010
Tough Enough Original - Karambony (Madagascar) - 4 October 2010 - First free ascent.
Tough Enough - Karambony (Madagascar) - 30 September 2010 - First free ascent.
Hotel Supramonte - Gole di Gorroppu (ITA) - 18 October 2008 - First onsight ascent.
Ali Baba - Paroi Derobée di Aiglun (FRA) - 2008 - Second ascent.
WoGü - Rätikon (SUI) - 26 July 2008 - First free ascent of Beat Kammerlander's route (1997)[58]
Zub za zub - Rätikon (SUI) - 29 July 2007 - First free ascent.
Silbergeier - Rätikon (SUI) - 27 July 2007.
Many Greetings.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 23, 2016 - 07:07am PT
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Topher Donahue seems to have heard or read a negative comparison between the Tommy and Kevin's first ascent and Adam's 2nd. But the notion that world-class climbing can be appreciated in the absence of comparison is a non-starter. YDS is comparative. Style is comparative. Speed is comparative. Number of falls is comparative. There would be no improvement or progress without comparison driving it (I am pretty sure.) Almost everything in climbing that an observer or a participant cares about is comparative. Remove comparison and we would not know what to celebrate. So far all the comparisons for these free ascents lead to "wows."
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 23, 2016 - 09:02am PT
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Nah00 posted above (thanks):
Day 1: 9 pitches redpointed [12b, 13a, 13c, 12b, 12d, 13c, 14a, 13d, 13c]
Day 2: 4 pitches redponted [14a, 13c, 14b, 13b]
Day 3: rest day
Day 4: multiple attempts on crux pitch
Day 5: 2 pitches redpointed [14d, 14c/d]
Day 6: 6 pitches redpointed [14a, 14a, 13c, 13b, 13d, 13d]
Day 7: forced rest day due to inclement weather
Day 8: 10 pitches redpointed [10, 11, 11, 11d, 11c, 12c, 12b, 12b, 13a, 12b]
and all of this after, near as i can tell, only 15 days of actually physically working the moves...
That's the only summary that I've found. As far as you all know, is that pretty accurate? Did he stay on the wall the whole time during the push? I of course can't even come close to relating to the crux pitches. But, jeeze days 1 and 10, when I think back to the last time I looked up that wall, well I just start giggling hysterically.
Does Day 5 have the "downward dyno" pitch?
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PSP also PP
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Nov 23, 2016 - 10:52am PT
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I am curious if they brought up 8 days of food and water with them or did they have a support crew jugging up with re-supplies?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 23, 2016 - 11:05am PT
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There were five guys total counting Heinz Zak, although I'm not sure Heinz was on the final push. They fixed ropes a long way up. I don't know if they hired any local monkeys, but I didn't see any when we were there.
Their portaledge camp was set up there for a while, but for the most part, they did a sh#t-ton of jugging! These guys were jugging a thousand or fifteen hundred feet on a daily basis. They would return to the ground each night, then jug back up the next day to start working pitches.
A thousand or fifteen hundred feet of jugging is a walk in the park for a caver, more impressive that these pussy-ass sport climbers could do it. ;)
I joke, of course - these guys were all super strong and tough as nails.
Their rope rigging work left a little something to be desired, at least by soggy bailers like us poaching a ride down them to outrun the storm. The one traverse was rigged in a ridiculously not-enough-slack way, necessitating diagonal jugging. Do that wrong, and you fall to your death. But they knew what they were doing.
But what gave us the most problem was a midnight "deviation" crossing across a single green Camalot. A deviation is caver lingo where the diagonal rope is simply clipped through a draw, without it being a full-on "rebelay" whereby there is a knot in the carabiner. I passed this without much problem, riding a couple hundred pounds of piggage. It didn't seem too bad to me, with my experience, but I completely underestimated its difficulty when so much weight is with you! Anita did ok too with me talking her through it.
Ryan and Tom - those poor bastards - just about died up there in the dark, out of earshot above me, and getting stuck and hung up with their piggage. I did add a couple of our cams to back up what would have been a horror show had the single cam pulled, but I should have made it a full on rebelay.
Tom was cursing me, said we should have - once again - set up the tensioned diagonal rope to lower our pigs across the diagonal, but by this point it was so late, I really figured we could save the time and not done the whole "tramming" of pigs. It would have been ok without tramming had I simply tied a rebelay knot. Duh. Sorry, Tom. I thought I'd never see my two cams again, but Tom did get them out. With a bit of swearing, ahem.
With pigs, these maneuvers are extremely difficult. But the four guys would zip up and down these ropes all day and night with zero problem, on account of they would only be carrying small loads. What took us over six hours with pigs going down took them about thirty or forty minutes.
So pretty casual jugging for that lot.
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Mei
Trad climber
mxi2000.net
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Nov 23, 2016 - 11:48am PT
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By your very own over emotional remarks you yourself confirmed there is aid involved.
User sun, can you please spell out your own point? If I read between your lines correctly, you seem to think that nobody has free climbed the Dawn Wall. But if so, or if not, why not just speak clearly what is the point you are trying to make?
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Curt
climber
Gold Canyon, AZ
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Nov 23, 2016 - 11:52am PT
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By your very own over emotional remarks you yourself confirmed there is aid involved.
Damn. I was getting all excited to think that Dawn Wall had been done free. Thank you for correcting everyone.
Curt
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nov 23, 2016 - 11:54am PT
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^^ Of COURSE there was aid involved. How the hell do you think they got up there in the first place? Until someone makes the first onsight unroped free solo first nude winter ascent, walking in from sea level, some sort of aid will always be used.
This was a full-on siege project. First they aided the pitches to fix the ropes, then Adam rehearsed all the moves on toprope, then practised the pitches, and then ultimately free climbed all the pitches.
I can't say for sure, but I am willing to guess that the pitches had all the draws and cams and other gear preplaced prior to the final send? Certain we observed all of this gear preplaced during rehearsals. So I suppose this means ultimately Adam "pinkpointed" the pitches rather than "redpointed" them? Some sport climber will have to clarify these terms, as I never preplaced a piece in my [free climbing] life.
Isn't that how all the really hard free climbs are done these days? Back when I was free climbing 10's and 11's, I used to consider it cheating. Which is probably why I never climbed any harder than 5.11!
As for the initial "aid" ascent the very first time up the pitch, I didn't observe any of this - standing in aiders like a punter like me - although I am curious. I'm guessing Adam probably climbed each pitch first rather than his assistants, but the dude is so strong, he probably just free climbed and took hanging rests on whatever happened to be stuck in the rock.
Which wasn't all that much. He was making long ass runouts all over the place! Pretty ballsy, really, considering some of the "pro" was fixed heads.
I never saw Adam use his aiders, except for jugging. But his team photographed and filmed everything, so ultimately I guess we'll see exactly what style they used. Presumably virtually the same as Kevin and Tommy?
All you'd have to do is ask, and they'd tell you.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 23, 2016 - 12:38pm PT
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sun wrote on pollard tread:
The election was heavily rigged to keep Hillary out of Washington.Her emails contained information on world wide pedophile ring involving her Clinton foundation
and many people in High places in Washington. Someone who spent years investigating her charity in Hati was assassinated recently. The Clinton charity was found linked to child trafficking.
Justice Scalia was assassinated for keeping all this knowledge under cover. Obama did not go to Scalia's funeral because he did not want to associate with a known pedophile enabler.
what do you expect from this new ST member ? Are you interested what he is writing about climbing?
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Srbphoto
climber
Kennewick wa
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Nov 23, 2016 - 01:48pm PT
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All climbers use aids, it is just a question of degree.
but not all climbers use aid.
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Srbphoto
climber
Kennewick wa
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Nov 23, 2016 - 02:47pm PT
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Naked chalkless and shoeless solo of FA walking distance from your home or BS.
read what I wrote.
aid has a meaning in climbing.
This whole "Naked chalkless and shoeless solo" or it's aid is bs.
Also, how far is walking distance from your home?
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splitclimber
climber
Sonoma County
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Nov 23, 2016 - 02:59pm PT
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CONGRATS Adam.
I believe purists think that stopping at the end of a pitch and resting/hanging at a belay anchor is A0.
But I think that is non-sense as is all the tired comments about shoes and chalk and clothing being aid. About as played out as Yer gonna die. ;)
I've been appreciating your posts kingtut.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 23, 2016 - 04:22pm PT
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You calling me out?
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nah000
climber
no/w/here
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Nov 23, 2016 - 04:48pm PT
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Darwin: regarding the summary that i posted. it is factual with the following caveats:
1. the day to day summaries were based on pavel's and adam's instagram posts and there are no questions regarding those except the following:
a. i used tommy and kevin's ratings, except for pitch 15 which tommy and kevin called 14d but ondra wrote he felt [and he said tommy felt as well] might be closer to 14c. so i called that 14c/d. there are other pitches that ondra felt were different [usually one grade plus or minus from what tommy and kevin thought], but i didn't worry about those and left the rest of the grades as they were.
b. on the final day, adam repeatedly said he had 11 pitches left. but based on what he had completed there were only 10 pitches left based on tommy and kevin's topo. so i'm not sure what the real deal was here... maybe one of the pitches was split in two... or maybe it was something else... for the time being i just relied on tommy and kevin's topo and called it ten pitches, even though adam said in a couple places that he was going to do 11 pitches that day.
2. not sure if by "downward dyno" pitch you are referring to the big sideways and up dyno that kevin did on the final push [pitch 16] or something else. if it's the huge sideways dyno, then no ondra didn't do that on the final push. he chose to go on the loop pitch that tommy used on his final push for reasons that he explained on facebook. this is the first 14a pitch that ondra did on day 6.
3. the only significant thing i'm not sure about is exactly how many days adam worked the route prior to sending... while i know there were 23 days from when he first stepped on it to when he started resting up for the final push, the 15 days i wrote in my post is based on an as-best-as-i-can-tell reading of the source data for pavel's instagram feed. in other words this could have been 13-17 days as there were a few days where i had to read between the lines. but i'd bet $20 or so on 15 days, so i'm pretty sure it is very close to that. the other 8 or so days were either stormed out, spent resting, or trying to on sight the nose.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Nov 23, 2016 - 05:14pm PT
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Well yes, I am being silly. Party because it comes so naturally, partly because I don't want this celebratory thread to devole into a hopelessly negative diatribe on ethical judgments, and partly because, in my personal experience, pushing the limits is hard to pull off and should be taken on its own terms. The best you can ask for is honest reporting. The next team can do it better. On the other hand we could all just stop climbing and think about how cool it would be if we all climbed purely. No stepouts. No forgiveness. No striving. Just pure self righteous purity.
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Johannsolo
climber
Soul Cal
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Nov 23, 2016 - 05:36pm PT
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I can't say for sure, but I am willing to guess that the pitches had all the draws and cams and other gear preplaced prior to the final send? Certain we observed all of this gear preplaced during rehearsals.
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Nov 23, 2016 - 06:11pm PT
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He is very forthcoming about the style used...
How does it work with protection in the route?
The pitches with bolts are 14 and 15 and some others of the grade about 8b. Otherwise it is mostly about fix pro. There are some pegs, beaks and copperheads. I decided for the same way as Tommy Caldwell with Kevin Jorgeson – I had prepared the quickdraws in situ. In the most difficult pitches they had been hanging there while in the easier ones I put them in myself. All up to 7c is purely on your own anchors but I finally chose the way that I only used the fixed pro and in between I climbed over it of my own accord. It doesn´t mean that belaying is not possible but I just didn´t feel like using it. In the first 20 pitches I mounted a friend or nut about 10 times.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Nov 26, 2016 - 04:23pm PT
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One more thing ... [expected?] in the end of Adam's trip
pavelblazekIt's hard to believe but our stay here in the valley is slowly coming to an end. We have four more days before Adam, Heinz and Christian are flying back to Europe. Adam and I are taking two days rest, Heinz and Christian will take down the ropes from the top to the Wino Tower. If the weather permits we might go up to film the pitch 14 & 15 on Monday. There are no plans for Tuesday yet but few ideas - some of them a bit crazy - are floating around. Certainly stay tuned as nothing is over y
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNR9kqqhzTU/?taken-by=pavelblazek
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Nov 26, 2016 - 06:41pm PT
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I plan on finding some semantics I can nit pick to take his accomplishments down a few pegs. I'll feel a little bit better about myself knowing that failure, something I thrive on, is common and there are no heroes.
God is dead.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Nov 26, 2016 - 06:49pm PT
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Naked chalkless and shoeless solo of FA walking distance from your home or BS.
Actually, if you are powered by food you didn't grow and fertilize with your own feces, and carry the water from the nearest naturally flowing stream, then it is still aid. And you better have obtained those seeds for planting the food on foot.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Nov 26, 2016 - 11:59pm PT
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Adam about Tommy's and Kevin's ascent
Adam, let's start with those who paved the way, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson. You've already commended their ascent, but is there anything else you wish to add?
It takes a lot courage and dedication to find a free route on El Cap, especially in that part as it looks so blank and steep. And the chance of encountering one section of total blankness is high. But Tommy just went for it and did not care. He spent a couple of years before he actually found the climbable link between the lower part of Mescalito and the higher section of Wall of Early Morning Light. This link is actually pitch 14 and 15, the crux traverses. Tommy and Kevin put so much effort into the climb and faced so many question marks and logistical problems that I cannot really compare my effort to theirs. I had it prepared, had all the knowledge. I knew it was possible. That was the most important thing! They demonstrated dedication and vision. Thank you Tommy and Kevin for this route, it is a true masterpiece.
... and then about some of the learning taking place:
El Capitan's granite slabs and cracks are very different to what you've been used to. How much did you have to change and adapt your style of climbing?
I expected Yosemite climbing to be different. I expected to struggle for the first days, mostly when crack climbing. But in the end I discovered that the cracks are kind of the same everywhere. What is really unique and weird through are the laybacks and face climbing, due to the friction and the footwork they require. Laybacks are incredibly strenuous (especially if you're not climbing them right) and require incredible body tension - due to the slippery and non-existing footholds. Let's say if some of the 8b+ laybacks were on sticky sandstone instead of slick glacier-polished granite, they would be easy 7a's. I really struggled on the laybacks in the beginning. They felt so insecure I thought I'd slip every second. I wasn't able to relax and I was scared.
So what about the face climbing
Footwork was the real struggle. I thought my footwork was quite good, I'm used to standing on terrible footholds, but the Yosemite footholds are on a different level. let me explain this better: if a route is even only slightly overhanging, you don't place all your weight on your feet, and 99% of 9a's are overhanging. Here though, almost all the time you're placing your entire weight on tiny razorblades. And this is crucial, because the holds are simply too poor to hang on. And most importantly, you do so for HOURS. The pressure of these razorblades onto the few millimeters of rubber on your rock shoes is incredible - it can literally tear them apart. Actually, every shoe feels too soft on the Dawn Wall. After trying numerous shoes, Katana Laces were the only ones which fit perfectly. Nevertheless, I had to resort to using razorblades and sandpaper to sharpen the edges of my shoes after a couple of tries.
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Loco de Pedra
Mountain climber
Around the World
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Not bad for a sport climber first trip
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BNdAEcUA5nv/?taken-by=adam.ondra
Adam.Ondra Bye bye Valley!
1,5 month in Yosemite has come to an end.
A few notes:
Yosemite climbing is hard. Like really hard.
The Free Nose is even harder. Lynn Hill's achievement is one the most radical achievements in the climbing history, in my opinion, still not fully appreciated. Hats off.
The Dawn Wall is the hardest. I am proud to have done it. Possibly my proudest achievement im climbing. Nevertheless, the effort I had to make is incomparable to what @tommycaldwell and @kjorgeson had to go through, not knowing where to climb and if it is climbable. I think they can be way prouder than me for what they did.
El Cap is bad ass. That is the fact. No choss.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Those words are an act of class...
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Thanks, ß Î Ø T Ç H
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Sweet!
He's a screamer eh?
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BigB
Trad climber
Red Rock
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damn they've already taken the video down
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Mei
Trad climber
mxi2000.net
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I enjoyed reading this: http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/experience-story?cid=interview-pavel-blazek-dawn-wall-adam-ondra
what I really like about Adam is that he has a lot of knowledge about not just climbing. So we were discussing, like, the Palestine and Israel relationship, politics, whatever Elon Musk was doing. And of course, two guys on a wall … we talked girls too [laughs].
... pitch 10, and he started climbing, and the protection is not awesome. Actually it’s pretty sketchy. And he’s maybe 10 or 15 meters above me and five or six meters runout, and suddenly three copperheads pop out. Ping, ping, ping! I was thinking, if he falls he’s going to be flying way below me. And it was dark. I didn’t even tell him though, and he got through it.
Even on the last day though, we started in really thick fog. It was drizzling. I think it was pitch 22 [5.10] and it was 100% wet. And Adam was climbing into the fog, and he wasn’t talking. I knew it was serious. He was runout and it was so wet. But again, with Adam I learned that you just be quiet and do your stuff, and he’ll do his stuff. He got through it, but I could feel the tension. And when I jugged up to him, he was almost passing out from how scared he was and how difficult it was.
And more...
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trailridge127
Trad climber
Loveland, CO
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Oct 30, 2018 - 08:46pm PT
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Exciting things happening...Armed with a 500 meter static rope and a year's worth of speed climbing training. It will be fun to see what goes down
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F'ueco
Boulder climber
Peoples Republic Of Boulder
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Oct 30, 2018 - 09:24pm PT
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Exciting things happening...Armed with a 500 meter static rope and a year's worth of speed climbing training. It will be fun to see what goes down
Lots of rope drag?
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Oct 30, 2018 - 10:01pm PT
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^^ I'm all ears.
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shylock
Social climber
mb
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Oct 31, 2018 - 08:31am PT
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book of hate second go..
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Mike Bolte
Trad climber
Planet Earth
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Oct 31, 2018 - 10:46am PT
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good sidebar moment. That Randy L. put up some incredible routes...
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Oct 31, 2018 - 11:20am PT
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Lots of rope drag?
Dunno on the Ondra level. On mine, the weight of static rope below seems to pull the auto-belay cam open. I noticed it when stepping down and the belay did not activate.
Since I wasn't doing the back-up thing I didn't put it to the test, but will need to find out one of these days.
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Don Paul
Social climber
Washington DC
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Oct 31, 2018 - 11:46am PT
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^ Leading off of three copperheads that all fell out is beyond sketchy. I guess I need to modernize my standards.
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Milkman_photos
Trad climber
California, San Francisco
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A flash of Cosmic Debris. Not shabby.
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sweendog
climber
SC
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Near flash of Dominator, also...
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trailridge127
Trad climber
Loveland, CO
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Looks like they are headed for an onsite of the Salathé. I am still blown away by how fast he ticked off the dawn wall. I won't be too surprised if he gets the flash.
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sweendog
climber
SC
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Prolly @ The Headwall by now
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matty
Trad climber
under the sea
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Maybe going for it today?? last instagram post says "breakfast for dinner after getting up at 10:30pm?" and shows breakfast with a salathe topo on the table. Will be interesting whenever he goes.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Xcon, he's going for a flash on the Salute and you are curious about where he sleeps?
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jaaan
Trad climber
Chamonix, France
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Well, how's he doing?
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anita514
Gym climber
Great White North
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xCon is just another shitposter
need Ondra news!
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trailridge127
Trad climber
Loveland, CO
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Anybody hear how he did? I bet he pulled it off. But onighting is such a difficult game. His previous flash's are amazingly difficult. Yet, El cap has a such psychological element to it, but it didn't seem to affect him on the dawn wall. Go Adam!
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shylock
Social climber
mb
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man! onsighted up to the headwall but fell on first pitch of it. all this in a day, mind you. so cool he really went for it.. would be crazy to have that fitness, after just sport climbing and doing the world championships. then come to the valley, send cosmic debris and hop on the salathe in a day. maybe should have warmed up on the nose or something :)
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Mei
Trad climber
mxi2000.net
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In a day and led every single pitch too (not a team ascent) !
Having seen the footages of Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell, two Yosemite locals, falling at the Boulder Problem (after having undoubtedly climbed the route many times already), I can't help but speculate that almost onsighting all of Salathe on his 4th day in Yosemite on his second trip ever pretty much proves him an alien. Either that, or an extremely talented and hard working athlete.
I was totally rooting for him. Don't really want to say this, but I wish he had waited a few more days before going for it. I think he underestimated the effect of his travel and the altitude on his body and energy. I quote from this article, "The worst timeframe is arriving 2-4 days before your event [at altitude], because you’re more likely to be feeling the impact of disturbed sleep, fatigue from travel, and dehydration in this timeframe."
But maybe onsighting Salathe was not his main objective on this trip, so he did not care THAT much? I have no doubt that if he had taken a multiday approach (or even just two days), he could have done it.
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Zay
climber
Monterey, Ca
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Vye cant vee chust climb???
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Milkman_photos
Trad climber
California, San Francisco
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Looked like he was wearing solutions on the headwall from what I saw through my scope in the meadow.
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A Essex
climber
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if only he had done ground up in the Gunks instead of that silly sport climbing and training... sad!
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Mei
Trad climber
mxi2000.net
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And, he's gone... Wonder if there will be a "Lookout Smith Rock" thread popping up.
BTW, does anyone have a link to a documentary (free or pay) about his previous visit to Yosemite? I have the impression that a movie was made pretty fast, but I have not seen and can't seem to find it anywhere.
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Mei, ask Ales, he know everything about Ondra
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Amazing performance, amazing athlete. Living and climbing in this decade feels special, with so many great things happening in the climbing world. El Cap free soloed, dawn wall sent, 2nd ascent of Dawn wall by ondra in a week! First v17. Fitz and Torre traverse go down. Colin Haley established a ridiculous speed record on the Cassin ridge solo and soloed one of my dream routes on Foraker, all the Marc Andre impressive climbs, including soloed of Cerro Torre's Corkscrew, some huge Himalayan ascents go down in alpine style. Climbing is getting more and more diverse and more popular. Very cool to be a part of this community and see it progressing to new heights, evolving.
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AE
climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 21, 2018 - 08:31pm PT
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What's he mean, onsite is no longer possible? I do Alzheimer's onsites weekly. Just wait forty years, and even checking the mail becomes an onsite attempt, and runout at that.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Nov 22, 2018 - 09:45am PT
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Nothing like giving a list of climbs done by white man and finish it off with "Climbing is becoming more diverse!"
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Mei
Trad climber
mxi2000.net
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Nov 30, 2018 - 05:55pm PT
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Okay, these belong here.
Starting and pushing through on Salathé Wall. I'd stay for the very end. ;)
[Click to View YouTube Video]
The heartbreaking Headwall
[Click to View YouTube Video]
If you are interested in following the rest of the series, here is the playlist: Climbing (in) The Americas (Road Trip) . But if you are looking for pure and only climbing footages throughout the series, you will be disappointed at some episodes like what some viewers have complained about. I myself have enjoyed the story telling.
According to the producer of the series, Pavel Blažek:
We will publish at least 20 vids just form USA / Chile trip. Plus we have intentions keep publishing regularly from now on - even if we run out of the USA / Chile footage (which will take a while!) :-)
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Sula
Trad climber
Pennsylvania
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Oplopanax posted:
Nothing like giving a list of climbs done by white man and finish it off with "Climbing is becoming more diverse!" Right - as we all know, racial diversity is the only kind that actually matters.
No one has any right to find joy or inspiration in the achievements of someone outside his own genetic group, and Vitaliy's list of impressive climbs is really just a catalog of oppression.
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shylock
Social climber
mb
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damm nico got rocked when he fell off the onsight! that video was all climbing. pretty rad
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monolith
climber
state of being
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That would be onsight limit. Not the same as red point limit.
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Rattlesnake Arch
Social climber
Home is where we park it
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Okay, these belong here.
Totally awesome......thanks for the post.
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Scott Thelen
Trad climber
Truckee, Ca
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So rad!!!
How do I get down lol
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Jan 15, 2019 - 07:27am PT
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Effin' wow! I almost wanted to cry watching him pull all those tough pitches. Just astounding. Thanks, Sula for your comments.
Re. "greatest ever" on El Cap: It should be noted that Yuji did virtually the same kind of performance years ago--almost flashed the whole thing but for a couple of falls. These kids are just too good.
BAd
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Jan 15, 2019 - 09:32am PT
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No much attention for something that ranks as probably the greatest climbing performance ever on El Cap.
You did mean by a human? Not AI(or AH).
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Tork
climber
Yosemite
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Jan 15, 2019 - 02:01pm PT
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I disagree, All those folks amazed the sh#t out of me but I never said "no way". I had to eat my words with Ondra. I mean Tommy is such a bad ass and has so much Elcap under his belt and how long did it take him??? Then Ondra just walks up to the base and does it. Most impressive to me.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Jan 15, 2019 - 08:26pm PT
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Drove from SF Bay to LA this afternoon, and listened to a fun recent interview with Adam Ondra on Enormocast.
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Touque
Trad climber
Santacruzcalif
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Jan 17, 2019 - 12:14pm PT
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I think he will pull every climb he tries he's got some special climbing skills go get adam
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Milkman_photos
Trad climber
California, San Francisco
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Jan 18, 2019 - 07:36am PT
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He didn't send the salathe (any variation), he jugged out on the cameraman's fixed lines after a couple headwall tries, cause it was "getting dark".
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Jan 18, 2019 - 11:48am PT
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If you look at Adam Ondra's body, seems to have a larger amount of tissue devoted to ligaments and tendons, compared to most people.
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nah000
climber
now/here
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Jan 18, 2019 - 03:49pm PT
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Naitch wrote: [Ondra] so far hasn't displayed the vision that Caldwell and Honnold have IMHO.
huh...
first and only claimed 15d rp; to date unrepeated
first 15c rp; and with the first three of the four 15c's currently in existence all being ondra first ascents and with, to date, only one of his three being repeated by a single climber
over 1500 redpoints and onsights of routes graded 13b or harder
basically first and arguably the only person to consolidate the 5.15 grade by climbing over 60 [or a little over half of all] of the 5.15a's or harder that are currently in existence
first and to date only 15a flash
second 14d os
about 20 on sights of 14c or harder, including the mystique-surrounded just do it
and then just for kicks a 20ish day redpoint of the hardest long rock route currently in existence... a route that many of the yocal digerati prophesied wouldn’t get a repeat for five or ten or twenty years...
along with all of the rest of the more mundane things he's done... including [as Alexey mentioned below] eating up basically every rock climbing style for breakfast and so on sighting everything from 5.13 dean potter desert testpieces to runout 5.13 polished yos slabs along with all of the usual limestone sport routes in between...
due to the combination of the above i'd argue that the last climber, before ondra, who, on a global stage, was as visionary in terms of how far they pushed the bar out ahead of the time they climbed in [while also consolidating the bleeding edge left by previous climbers]...
was gullich.
and then before gullich i'd argue you'd have to go back to gill.
and before gill i'd argue you'd probably have to go all of the way back to oliver perry-smith... [although that one becomes a bit harder to have a super strong opinion on]
so... less vision, than caldwell or honnold?
while ondra's vision might be one that many people have had and so in that way it might be easy to consider it "less visionary", i'd argue exactly the opposite:
just about every climber who has ever pushed themselves to the edges of their potential has likely dreamt, relative to their time, of doing even half of what ondra has done...
yet, almost nobody, in a 100+ yr history has brought the perfect storm to the technical rock climbing table that ondra has.
having a vision is easy, sometimes even boring.
executing a vision on the other hand?
imesho, in the history of our game it has been very, very, very, very, very rare and with regards to pure rock climbing difficulty i'd argue that there have only been three to maybe at most five other climbers throughout our history who have pushed things as far as ondra already has, relative to their times...
and so in the process been as visionary.
cheers though, always good to have an excuse to throw down a h.o.... ha!
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Jan 18, 2019 - 05:03pm PT
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good summary nah000! last coffin nail in " Valley Syndrome" lol . And he is only 25 years old! and he is willing to climb absolutely different stile of climbing
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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It is after all an all ADAM thread.
But
I left it for days,
thinking : it can't just be me, can it?
No one else pointed out the glaring omissions in Nahooo's tally
(Pushing 3 grades beyond the norm of the day?! For their respective times and the eras?)
The "H's" alone were glaring!
Lynn Hill
Hot Henry!
Hidetaka - yeah you didn't need to use his last name
that skinny piece of gristle Suzuki!
Hugh Herr
Yuji Hirayama
\\
that said
I'd venture to mention It;
to try to list them all is impossible.
I keep adding a list then taking it back out of this post
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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While watching Ondra's IGMAKed video, it struck me that his successes in the Valley were like Henry Barber's: walk to the base, climb to the top, rave about the climbing, compliment the locals, go somewhere else...repeat.
The first time Henry Barber visited, Bridwell took him on the test pieces of the day and was astounded by his effortless mastery. On "Butterballs" Jim just laughed and shook his head when Hot Henry said, "Really great climbing, and it is so neat that the hard part is right at the top."
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